AS FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON MARCH 28, 2012
File No. 033-42484
File No. 811-06400
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 183 /X/
AND
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
AMENDMENT NO. 184 /X/
Copies to:
Timothy W. Levin, Esquire Christopher D. Menconi Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP 1701 Market Street 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 Washington, DC 20004 |
It is proposed that this filing become effective (check appropriate box)
/X/ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
/ / On [date] pursuant to paragraph (b)
/ / 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
/ / 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
/ / On [date] pursuant to paragraph (a) of Rule 485
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND
PROSPECTUS
MARCH 28, 2012
HAMLIN HIGH DIVIDEND EQUITY FUND
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (HHDFX)
INVESTOR CLASS SHARES (HHDVX)
INVESTMENT ADVISER:
HAMLIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED
THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
THIS PROSPECTUS HAS BEEN ARRANGED INTO DIFFERENT SECTIONS SO THAT YOU CAN EASILY REVIEW THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND, PLEASE SEE:
PAGE FUND SUMMARY -- INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES ............................1 INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE ..................................................1 FUND FEES AND EXPENSES ................................................1 PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES .......................................2 PRINCIPAL RISKS .......................................................2 PERFORMANCE INFORMATION ...............................................4 INVESTMENT ADVISER ....................................................4 PORTFOLIO MANAGERS ....................................................4 PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES ......................................4 TAX INFORMATION .......................................................4 PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ........................................................4 FUND SUMMARY -- INVESTOR CLASS SHARES .................................5 INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE ..................................................5 FUND FEES AND EXPENSES ................................................5 PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES .......................................6 PRINCIPAL RISKS .......................................................6 PERFORMANCE INFORMATION ...............................................8 INVESTMENT ADVISER ....................................................8 PORTFOLIO MANAGERS ....................................................8 PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES ......................................8 TAX INFORMATION .......................................................8 PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ........................................................8 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RISK ...........................................9 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FUND'S OBJECTIVES AND INVESTMENTS .............12 INFORMATION ABOUT PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS .................................13 INVESTMENT ADVISER ...................................................13 PORTFOLIO MANAGERS ...................................................13 RELATED PERFORMANCE DATA OF THE ADVISER ..............................14 PURCHASING AND SELLING FUND SHARES ...................................15 SHAREHOLDER SERVICING ARRANGEMENTS ...................................21 PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES .................................21 OTHER POLICIES .......................................................22 DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS ..........................................25 TAXES ................................................................25 HOW TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND ................Back Cover |
HAMLIN HIGH DIVIDEND EQUITY FUND -- INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES
FUND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund (the "Fund") seeks high current income and long-term capital appreciation.
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES
SHAREHOLDER FEES (FEES PAID DIRECTLY FROM YOUR INVESTMENT)
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if shares redeemed have been held for less than 7 days) 2.00%
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (EXPENSES THAT YOU PAY EACH YEAR AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENT)
INSTITUTIONAL
CLASS
SHARES
Management Fees 1.00% Other Expenses(1) 1.65% Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1) 0.01% Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2.66% Less Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements (1.65)% ------- Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements(2) 1.01% |
(1) Other Expenses and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2) Hamlin Capital Management, LLC (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to reduce fees and reimburse expenses in order to keep net operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 1.00% of the Fund's Institutional Class Shares' average daily net assets until March 29, 2013. This Agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board, for any reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on March 29, 2013.
EXAMPLE
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses (including one year of capped expenses in each period) remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
In pursuing the Fund's investment objective, Hamlin Capital Management, LLC (the "Adviser"), the Fund's adviser, seeks to identify and invest Fund assets in dividend-paying equity securities of companies that, in the Adviser's opinion, are undervalued in the market. Generally, the Adviser seeks companies with the following characteristics:
o Dividend yields approximately one and one-half times or greater than that of the S&P 500 Index;
o History of increasing dividends and/or prospects for future dividend growth;
o Low debt, ample free cash flow and attractive returns on equity;
o Attractive valuation suggesting appreciation potential; and
o Company management teams with experience, significant equity ownership and a tangible commitment to paying consistent and growing dividends over time.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. This investment policy may be changed by the Fund upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders. The equity securities in which the Fund invests are primarily common stocks, but may also include shares of real estate investment trusts ("REITS") and interests in master limited partnerships ("MLPs"). The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalizations range, although the Adviser expects to invest Fund assets mostly in mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund will generally invest in equity securities of domestic companies, but may invest in equity securities of foreign companies and American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). The Adviser expects the Fund's investments in foreign companies will not exceed 25% of its assets.
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with all mutual funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. A Fund share is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. The principal risk factors affecting shareholders' investments in the Fund are set forth below.
EQUITY RISK -- Since it purchases equity securities, the Fund is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. This price volatility is the principal risk of investing in the Fund.
DIVIDEND PAYING STOCKS RISK -- The Fund's emphasis on dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Also, a company may reduce or eliminate its dividend.
MID-CAPITALIZATION COMPANY RISK -- The mid-capitalization companies in which the Fund may invest may have limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and may depend upon a relatively small management group. Therefore, mid-cap stocks may be more volatile than those of larger companies.
SECTOR RISK--Given the fund's focus on dividend-paying securities, the fund may, from time to time, have a greater exposure to higher dividend-yield sectors and industries than the broad equity market. As a result, the value of the Fund's shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect those sectors. The Fund's share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a mutual fund that invests in a broader range of sectors. The specific risks for each of the sectors in which the Fund may focus its investments include the additional risks described below:
o FINANCIAL SERVICES. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain.
o CONSUMER STAPLES. Companies in the consumer staples sector are subject to government regulation affecting their products which may negatively impact such companies' performance. The success of food, beverage, household and personal products companies may be strongly affected by consumer interest, marketing campaigns and other factors affecting supply and demand.
o CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to the performance of the overall international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending.
o ENERGY. Companies in the energy sector are subject to supply and demand, exploration and production spending, world events and economic conditions, swift price and supply fluctuations, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities and tax and other governmental regulatory policies.
VALUE STOCK RISK -- The Fund pursues a value approach to investing. If the Adviser's assessment of a company's value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations or market conditions is wrong, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor performance relative to other funds.
FOREIGN COMPANY RISK -- Investing in foreign companies poses additional risks since political and economic events unique to a country or region will affect those markets and their issuers.
REIT RISK -- REITs are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as: declines in property values; increases in property taxes, operating expenses, rising interest rates or competition overbuilding; zoning changes; and losses from casualty or condemnation.
MLP RISK - MLPs often own several properties or businesses (or own interests) that are related to oil and gas industries or other natural resources, but they also may finance other projects. To the extent that an MLP's interests are all in a particular industry, the MLP will be negatively impacted by economic events adversely impacting that industry. The risks of investing in a MLP are generally those involved in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation, such as limited control of management, limited voting rights and tax risks.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The Fund is new, and therefore has no performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the Fund's performance to a broad measure of market performance.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Hamlin Capital Management, LLC
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Charles S. Garland, CFA, Partner and Equity Portfolio Manager, has managed the Fund since its inception.
Christopher M. D'Agnes, CFA, Partner and Equity Portfolio Manager, has managed the Fund since its inception.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
To purchase Institutional Class Shares of the Fund for the first time, including an initial purchase through an individual retirement account ("IRA"), you must invest at least $100,000. There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
If you own your shares directly, you may sell your shares on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") is open for business (a "Business Day") by contacting the Fund directly by mail at: Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund, PO Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 (Express Mail Address: Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund, c/o DST Systems, Inc., 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) or telephone at 1-855-HHD-FUND.
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other institution, contact that broker or institution to sell your shares. Your broker or institution may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged by the Fund.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's web site for more information.
HAMLIN HIGH DIVIDEND EQUITY FUND -- INVESTOR CLASS SHARES
FUND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund (the "Fund") seeks high current income and long-term capital appreciation.
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES
SHAREHOLDER FEES (FEES PAID DIRECTLY FROM YOUR INVESTMENT)
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if shares redeemed have been held for less than 7 days) 2.00%
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (EXPENSES THAT YOU PAY EACH YEAR AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENT)
INVESTOR
CLASS
SHARES
Management Fees 1.00% 12b-1 Fees 0.25% Other Expenses(1) 1.65% Shareholder Servicing Fees 0.25% Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1) 0.01% Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 3.16% Less Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements (1.65)% Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements(2) 1.51% |
(1) Other Expenses and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2) Hamlin Capital Management, LLC (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to reduce fees and reimburse expenses in order to keep net operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 Fees, Shareholder Servicing Fees, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 1.00% of the Fund's Investor Class Shares' average daily net assets until March 29, 2013. This Agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board, for any reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on March 29, 2013.
EXAMPLE
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses (including one year of capped expenses in each period) remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
In pursuing the Fund's investment objective, Hamlin Capital Management, LLC (the "Adviser"), the Fund's adviser, seeks to identify and invest Fund assets in dividend-paying equity securities of companies that, in the Adviser's opinion, are undervalued in the market. Generally, the Adviser seeks companies with the following characteristics:
o Dividend yields approximately one and one-half times or greater than that of the S&P 500 Index;
o History of increasing dividends and/or prospects for future dividend growth;
o Low debt, ample free cash flow and attractive returns on equity;
o Attractive valuation suggesting appreciation potential; and
o Company management teams with experience, significant equity ownership and a tangible commitment to paying consistent and growing dividends over time.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. This investment policy may be changed by the Fund upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders. The equity securities in which the Fund invests are primarily common stocks, but may also include shares of real estate investment trusts ("REITS") and interests in master limited partnerships ("MLPs"). The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalizations range, although the Adviser expects to invest Fund assets mostly in mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund will generally invest in equity securities of domestic companies, but may invest in equity securities of foreign companies and American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). The Adviser expects the Fund's investments in foreign companies will not exceed 25% of its assets.
PRINCIPAL RISKS
As with all mutual funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. A Fund share is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. The principal risk factors affecting shareholders' investments in the Fund are set forth below.
EQUITY RISK -- Since it purchases equity securities, the Fund is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. This price volatility is the principal risk of investing in the Fund.
DIVIDEND PAYING STOCKS RISK -- The Fund's emphasis on dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Also, a company may reduce or eliminate its dividend.
MID-CAPITALIZATION COMPANY RISK -- The mid-capitalization companies in which the Fund may invest may have limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and may depend upon a relatively small management group. Therefore, mid-cap stocks may be more volatile than those of larger companies.
SECTOR RISK--Given the fund's focus on dividend-paying securities, the fund may, from time to time, have a greater exposure to higher dividend-yield sectors and industries than the broad equity market. As a result, the value of the Fund's shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect those sectors. The Fund's share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a mutual fund that invests in a broader range of sectors. The specific risks for each of the sectors in which the Fund may focus its investments include the additional risks described below:
o FINANCIAL SERVICES. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain.
o CONSUMER STAPLES. Companies in the consumer staples sector are subject to government regulation affecting their products which may negatively impact such companies' performance. The success of food, beverage, household and personal products companies may be strongly affected by consumer interest, marketing campaigns and other factors affecting supply and demand.
o CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to the performance of the overall international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending.
o ENERGY. Companies in the energy sector are subject to supply and demand, exploration and production spending, world events and economic conditions, swift price and supply fluctuations, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities and tax and other governmental regulatory policies.
VALUE STOCK RISK -- The Fund pursues a value approach to investing. If the Adviser's assessment of a company's value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations or market conditions is wrong, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor performance relative to other funds.
FOREIGN COMPANY RISK -- Investing in foreign companies poses additional risks since political and economic events unique to a country or region will affect those markets and their issuers.
REIT RISK -- REITs are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as: declines in property values; increases in property taxes, operating expenses, rising interest rates or competition overbuilding; zoning changes; and losses from casualty or condemnation.
MLP RISK - MLPs often own several properties or businesses (or own interests) that are related to oil and gas industries or other natural resources, but they also may finance other projects. To the extent that an MLP's interests are all in a particular industry, the MLP will be negatively impacted by economic events adversely impacting that industry. The risks of investing in a MLP are generally those involved in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation, such as limited control of management, limited voting rights and tax risks.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The Fund is new, and therefore has no performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the Fund's performance to a broad measure of market performance.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Hamlin Capital Management, LLC
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Charles S. Garland, CFA, Partner and Equity Portfolio Manager, has managed the Fund since its inception.
Christopher M. D'Agnes, CFA, Partner and Equity Portfolio Manager, has managed the Fund since its inception.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
To purchase Investor Class Shares of the Fund for the first time, including an initial purchase through an individual retirement account ("IRA"), you must invest at least $2,500. There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
If you own your shares directly, you may sell your shares on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") is open for business (a "Business Day") by contacting the Fund directly by mail at: Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund, PO Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 (Express Mail Address: Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund, c/o DST Systems, Inc., 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) or telephone at 1-855-HHD-FUND.
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other institution, contact that broker or institution to sell your shares. Your broker or institution may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged by the Fund.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's web site for more information.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RISK
Investing in each Fund involves risk and there is no guarantee that each Fund will achieve its goal. The judgments of the Funds' investment managers about the markets, the economy, or companies may not anticipate actual market movements, economic conditions or company performance, and these judgments may affect the return on your investment. In fact, no matter how good a job a Fund's investment managers do, you could lose money on your investment in a Fund, just as you could with similar investments.
The value of your investment in a Fund is based on the value of the securities the Fund holds. These prices change daily due to economic and other events that affect particular companies and other issuers. These price movements, sometimes called volatility, may be greater or lesser depending on the types of securities the Fund owns and the markets in which it trades. The effect on a Fund of a change in the value of a single security will depend on how widely the Fund diversifies its holdings.
EQUITY RISK -- Since it purchases equity securities, the Fund is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of the Fund's equity securities may fluctuate drastically from day to day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. These factors contribute to price volatility, which is the principal risk of investing in the Fund.
Equity securities in which the Fund invests include common stocks, shares of REITs and ADRs, and interests in MLPs. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. Preferred stock provides a fixed dividend that is paid before any dividends are paid to common stockholders, and which takes precedence over common stock in the event of a liquidation. Like common stock, preferred stocks represent partial ownership in a company, although preferred stock shareholders do not enjoy any of the voting rights of common stockholders. Also, unlike common stock, a preferred stock pays a fixed dividend that does not fluctuate, although the company does not have to pay this dividend if it lacks the financial ability to do so. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of such securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which a mutual fund invests will cause the fund's net asset value to fluctuate. An investment in a portfolio of equity securities may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these share price fluctuations.
MID-CAPITALIZATION COMPANY RISK -- The mid-capitalization companies in which the Fund may invest may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. In particular, these mid-sized companies may pose additional risks, including liquidity risk, because these companies tend to have limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and may depend upon a relatively small management group. Therefore, mid-cap stocks may be more volatile than those of larger companies. These securities may be traded over-the-counter or listed on an exchange.
FOREIGN COMPANY RISK -- Investing in foreign companies, whether through investments made in foreign markets or made through the purchase of American Depository Receipts ("ADRs"), which are traded on U.S. exchanges and represent an ownership in a foreign security, poses additional risks since political and economic events unique to a country or region will affect those markets and their issuers. These risks will not necessarily affect the U.S. economy or similar issuers located in the United States. In addition, investments in foreign companies are generally denominated in a foreign currency. As a result, changes in the value of those currencies compared to the U.S. dollar may affect (positively or negatively) the value
of the Fund's investments. These currency movements may occur separately from, and in response to, events that do not otherwise affect the value of the security in the issuer's home country. While ADRs provide an alternative to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their respective national markets and currencies, investments in ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
Investments in securities of foreign companies (including through ADRs), especially investments made in emerging markets, can be more volatile than investments in U.S. companies. Diplomatic, political, or economic developments, including nationalization or appropriation, could affect investments in foreign companies. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies, and of dividends from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign companies or governments generally are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards comparable to those applicable to domestic U.S. companies or governments. Transaction costs are generally higher than those in the United States and expenses for custodial arrangements of foreign securities may be somewhat greater than typical expenses for custodial arrangements of similar U.S. securities. Some foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries a portion of these taxes are recoverable, the non-recovered portion will reduce the income received from the securities comprising the portfolio. Unlike more established markets, emerging markets may have governments that are less stable, markets that are less liquid and economies that are less developed.
REIT RISK -- REITs are pooled investment vehicles that own, and usually operate, income-producing real estate. REITs are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as: declines in property values; increases in property taxes, operating expenses, rising interest rates or competition overbuilding; zoning changes; and losses from casualty or condemnation. REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those of the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. REIT operating expenses are not reflected in the fee tables and examples in this Prospectus.
MLP RISK -- MLPs are limited partnerships in which the ownership units are publicly traded. MLP units are registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and are freely traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. The risks of investing in a MLP are generally those involved in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation. For example, state law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded to investors in a MLP than investors in a corporation. For example, investors in MLPs may have limited voting rights or be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of their investment. In addition, MLPs may be subject to state taxation in certain jurisdictions which will have the effect of reducing the amount of income paid by the MLP to its investors. MLP operating expenses are not reflected in the fee tables and examples in this Prospectus.
VALUE STOCK RISK -- Value investing focuses on companies with stocks that appear undervalued in light of a variety of factors. If the Adviser's assessment of a company's value or prospects is wrong, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor performance relative to other funds. In addition, value stocks can continue to be undervalued by the market for long periods of time. Over time, value stocks may go in and out of favor, causing the Fund to sometimes underperform other funds that use different investment approaches.
SECTOR FOCUS RISK. Because the Fund's investments may, from time to time, be more heavily invested in particular sectors, the value of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect those sectors. As a result, the Fund's share price may fluctuate more widely than the
value of shares of a mutual fund that invests in a broader range of sectors. The specific risks for each of the sectors in which the Fund may focus its investments include the additional risks described below:
o FINANCIAL SERVICES. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds, and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, the recent deterioration of the credit markets generally has caused an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U. S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Recent events in the financial sector have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many financial services companies to experience a dramatic decline in value. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers and financial losses associated with investment activities can negatively impact the sector.
o CONSUMER STAPLES. Companies in the consumer staples sector are subject to government regulation affecting their products which may negatively impact such companies' performance. For instance, government regulations may affect the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods of companies that make food products, which could affect company profitability. Tobacco companies may be adversely affected by the adoption of proposed legislation and/or by litigation. Also, the success of food, beverage, household and personal products companies may be strongly affected by consumer interest, marketing campaigns and other factors affecting supply and demand, including performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence and spending.
o CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to the performance of the overall international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Also, companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products and services in the marketplace.
o ENERGY. Energy companies develop and produce oil, gas and consumable fuels and provide drilling and other energy resources production and distribution related services. Stock prices for these types of companies are affected by supply and demand, exploration and production spending, world events and economic conditions, swift price and supply fluctuations, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities and tax and other governmental regulatory policies. Weak demand for energy companies' products or services or for energy products and services in general, as well as negative developments in these other areas, including natural disasters or terrorist attacks, would adversely impact the Fund's performance.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND'S OBJECTIVE AND INVESTMENTS
The investment objective of the Fund is to seek high current income and long-term capital appreciation. The investment objective of the Fund may be changed without shareholder approval, upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders.
In pursuing the Fund's investment objective, the Adviser seeks to identify and invest Fund assets in dividend-paying equity securities of companies that, in the Adviser's opinion, are undervalued in the market. The Adviser's investment process includes quantitative and qualitative analysis of company filings and financial statements, with the ultimate goal of understanding a company's capital structure and consistency of cash generation. The Adviser focuses on a company's true quality of earnings and capacity to cover increasing dividend payments. In addition, the Adviser seeks to identify a fundamental company and industry investment thesis strong enough to attract investor capital over several years. Generally, the Adviser seeks companies with the following characteristics:
o Dividend yields approximately one and one-half times or greater than that of the S&P 500 Index;
o History of increasing dividends and/or prospects for future dividend growth;
o Low debt, ample free cash flow and attractive returns on equity;
o Attractive valuation suggesting appreciation potential; and
o Company management teams with experience, significant equity ownership and a tangible commitment to paying consistent and growing dividends over time.
The Adviser's valuation process combines the Adviser's dividend discount model with an analysis of a company's discounted future earnings power, price-earnings ratio and other valuation multiples (absolute and relative to peers) to identify the company's fair value. The Adviser purchases a security when the current price implies limited downside risk and the potential for an increase in the value of the company, based on the Adviser's assessment of the company's fair value.
The Adviser may sell a security if: (i) a material or long-term deterioration of a company's fundamentals decreases the Adviser's valuation target for the security; (ii) a security eliminates or reduces a dividend payment unexpectedly; or (iii) the Adviser has identified more attractive investment opportunities. Portfolio position may also be reduced if the security's price either reaches or falls below certain price targets established by the Adviser.
The investments and strategies described in this prospectus are those that the Fund uses under normal conditions. During unusual economic or market conditions, or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments and other cash equivalents that would not ordinarily be consistent with its investment objective. If the Fund invests in this manner, it may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund will only do so if the Adviser believes that the risk of loss outweighs the opportunity to pursue its investment objective.
This prospectus describes the Fund's principal investment strategies and risks, and the Fund will normally invest in the types of securities and other investments described in this prospectus. In addition to the securities and other investments and strategies described in this prospectus, the Fund also may invest in other securities, use other strategies and engage in other investment practices. These investments and strategies are described in detail in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") (for information on how to obtain a copy of the SAI, see the back cover of this prospectus). Of course, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment goal.
INFORMATION ABOUT PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
A description of the Fund's policy and procedures with respect to the circumstances under which the Fund discloses its portfolio securities is available in the SAI.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Hamlin Capital Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company formed in 2001, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser's principal place of business is located at 640 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10019. As of November 30, 2011, the Adviser had approximately $1.56 billion in assets under management.
The Adviser makes investment decisions for the Fund and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the Fund's investment program. The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the "Board") supervises the Adviser and establishes policies that the Adviser must follow in its management activities. For its services to the Fund, the Adviser is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and reimburse expenses of the Fund in order to keep net operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 Fees, Shareholder Servicing Fees, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 1.00% of the Fund's Institutional Class and Investor Class Shares' average daily net assets until March 29, 2013. To maintain these expense limits, the Adviser may reduce a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse certain expenses of the Fund.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment advisory agreement will be available in the Fund's Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders dated June 30, 2012.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The Fund is co-managed by a team of investment professionals who are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed and ownership of Fund shares.
Mr. Charles S. Garland, CFA, Partner and Equity Portfolio Manager, joined the Adviser in December 2008. Prior to joining the Adviser, Mr. Garland co-managed a technology stock portfolio for Millennium Partners from 2004 to 2008. Previously, Mr. Garland was Managing Director at Deutsche Bank and its predecessor company, Alex Brown & Sons, where he held positions in proprietary trading, institutional sales management and institutional sales from 1993 to 2004. Mr. Garland began his career at Brown Brothers, Harriman & Co., where he worked from 1989 to 1993 in the international institutional sales department. Mr. Garland earned a BA in English, CUM LAUDE, from Yale University.
Mr. Christopher M. D'Agnes, CFA, Partner and Equity Portfolio Manager, joined the Adviser in 2001. Prior to joining the Adviser, Mr. D'Agnes was an analyst in the Municipal Capital Markets group at Merrill Lynch, where he was involved in the structuring of derivative contracts for hospitals and other tax-exempt municipal issuers. He earned a BS in Accounting from Bucknell University.
RELATED PERFORMANCE DATA OF THE ADVISER
The following tables give the historical performance of all actual, fee-paying separate accounts, referred to as a "Composite," managed by the Adviser that have investment objectives, policies and strategies substantially similar to those of the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund. The Composite does not reflect all of the firm's assets under management. Performance is historical and does not represent the future performance of the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund or of the Adviser.
The manner in which the performance was calculated for the Composite differs from that of registered mutual funds such as the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund.
The performance information shown below is not necessarily representative of the performance information that typically would be shown for a registered mutual fund. The accounts that are included in the Composite are not subject to the same type of expenses to which the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund is subject and are not subject to the diversification requirements, specific tax restrictions, and investment limitations imposed by the federal securities and tax laws. Consequently, the performance results for the Composite could have been adversely affected if the accounts in the Composite were subject to the same federal securities tax laws as the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund. In addition, the accounts are not subject to the same adverse effects of cash inflows and outflows of investor money that a public mutual fund such as the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund may be subject to, and accordingly the performance of the accounts may be higher than for a public mutual fund managed under the same investment strategy. "Composite Net-of-Fees" performance results are net of all fees, expenses, and, if applicable, sales loads or placement fees. Because of variation in fee levels, the "net of fees" Composite returns may not be reflective of performance in any one particular account.
The investment results for the Composite presented below are not intended to predict or suggest the future returns of the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund. The performance data shown below should not be considered a substitute for the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund's own performance information. Investors should be aware that the use of a methodology different than that used below to calculate performance could result in different performance data.
THE DATA DOES NOT REPRESENT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE HAMLIN HIGH DIVIDEND EQUITY
FUND.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ COMPOSITE ASSETS PERFORMANCE RESULTS (ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS) TOTAL FIRM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASSETS USD NUMBER OF COMPOSITE COMPOSITE YEAR END (MILLIONS) (MILLIONS) ACCOUNTS NET-OF-FEES S&P 500 DISPERSION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2011 $1,623 $584 388 10.16% 2.11% 0.71% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2010 $1,033 $191 220 20.65% 15.06% 2.22% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2009 $714 $30 51 20.98% 26.46% 2.69% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2008 $584 $12 30 -28.57% -37.00% 4.45% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2007 $734 $18 31 3.97% 5.49% 2.86% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2006 $869 $29 48 7.90% 15.79% 5.93% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2005 $716 $31 42 20.80% 4.91% 4.90% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2004 $501 $19 26 22.80% 10.88% 7.67% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2003 $130 $8 24 30.40% 28.68% 9.87% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2002 $49 $5 29 0.90% -22.06% 6.15% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2001 $21 $6 34 0.99% -11.93% 10.69% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
The composite consists of fully discretionary dividend equity accounts that are comprised of any amount of common stocks and cash. There is no minimum amount or time period to be included in the composite. Returns include the effect of foreign currency exchange rates. The exchange rate source for the composite
is IDSI/IDC -- FT Interactive Data Corporation. The S&P 500 index is provided solely as widely recognized indices. They are in no way indicative of the strategy employed in this composite. It is Hamlin's position that a meaningful benchmark is not available for this strategy due to the frequent and customized changes in allocation in individual accounts.
Hamlin Capital Management, LLC is an independent registered investment advisory firm. Hamlin invests in fixed income and equities for separately managed accounts, as well as funds. In January 2004, Hamlin Capital Management, LLC, merged with RRH Capital Management Inc. and the performance returns are linked. The firm maintains a complete list and description of composites, which is available, free of charge, upon request by calling 1-855-HHD-FUND.
Results are based on fully discretionary accounts under management, including those accounts no longer with the firm. Composite performance is presented net of foreign withholding taxes, where applicable. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
The U.S. Dollar is the currency used to express performance. Returns are presented net of custodial and management fees and includes the reinvestment of all income. Net of fee performance was calculated using actual management fees. The annual composite dispersion is an asset-weighted standard deviation calculated for the accounts in the composite the entire year.
The management fee schedule is as follows: 1.00% on all assets. Actual investment advisory fees incurred by clients may vary.
The Equity Only Composite was created April 1, 2006. Hamlin Capital Management, LLC claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS[R]) and has prepared and presented this report in compliance with the GIPS standards. Hamlin has been independently verified for the periods January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2011. Verification assesses whether (1) the firm has complied with all the composite construction requirements of the GIPS standards on a firm-wide basis and (2) the firm's policies and procedures are designed to calculate and present performance in compliance with the GIPS standards. The Equity Only Composite has been examined for the periods beginning January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2011. The verification and performance examination reports are available upon request. The policies for valuing portfolios, calculating performance and preparing compliant presentations are available upon request.
PURCHASING AND SELLING FUND SHARES
This section tells you how to purchase and sell (sometimes called "redeem") Institutional and Investor Class Shares of the Fund.
Institutional Class Shares are for individual and institutional investors. Investor Class Shares are for individual and retail investors.
For information regarding the federal income tax consequences of transactions in shares of the Fund, including information about cost basis reporting, see "Taxes."
HOW TO PURCHASE FUND SHARES
You will ordinarily submit your purchase orders through your brokers or other financial intermediaries through which you opened your shareholder account. To purchase shares directly from the Fund through
its transfer agent, complete and send in the application. If you need an application or have questions, please call 1-855-HHD-FUND or log on to the Fund's website at WWW.HAMLINCM.COM/MUTUALFUND.
All investments must be made by check, Automated Clearing House ("ACH") or wire. All checks must be made payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on U.S. financial institutions. The Fund does not accept purchases made by third-party checks, credit cards, credit card checks, cash, traveler's checks, money orders or cashier's checks.
The Fund reserves the right to reject all sales of new shares or any specific purchase order, including exchange purchases, for any reason. The Fund is not intended for excessive trading by shareholders in response to short-term market fluctuations. For more information about the Fund's policy on excessive trading, see "Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures."
The Fund does not generally accept investments by non-U.S. persons. Non-U.S. persons may be permitted to invest in the Fund subject to the satisfaction of enhanced due diligence. Please contact the Fund for more information.
BY MAIL
You can open an account with the Fund by sending a check and your account application to the address below. You can add to an existing account by sending the Fund a check and, if possible, the "Invest By Mail" stub that accompanies your statement. Be sure your check identifies clearly your name, your account number and the Fund's name. Make your check payable to "Hamlin High Dividend Equity."
REGULAR MAIL ADDRESS
Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund
PO Box 219009
Kansas City, MO 64121-9009
EXPRESS MAIL ADDRESS
Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund
c/o DST Systems, Inc.
430 West 7th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
BY WIRE
To open an account by wire, call 1-855-HHD-FUND for details. To add to an existing account by wire, wire your money using the wiring instructions set forth below (be sure to include the Fund name and your account number).
WIRING INSTRUCTIONS
UMB Bank, N.A.
ABA # 101000695
Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund
DDA # 9870523965
Ref: Fund name/account number/account name
PURCHASES IN-KIND
Subject to the approval of the Fund, an investor may purchase shares of the Fund with liquid securities and other assets that are eligible for purchase by the Fund (consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions) and that have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Fund's valuation policies. These transactions will be effected only if the Adviser deems the security to be an appropriate investment for the Fund. Assets purchased by the Fund in such a transaction will be valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate this practice at any time.
GENERAL INFORMATION
You may purchase shares on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") is open for business (a "Business Day"). Shares cannot be purchased by Federal Reserve wire on days that either the NYSE or the Federal Reserve is closed. The Fund's price per share will be the net asset value ("NAV") next determined after the Fund or authorized institution receives your purchase order in proper form. "Proper form" means that the Fund was provided a complete and signed account application, including the investor's social security number, tax identification number and other identification required by law or regulation, as well as sufficient purchase proceeds.
The Fund calculates its NAV once each Business Day as of the close of normal trading on the NYSE (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). To receive the current Business Day's NAV, the Fund (or an authorized institution) must receive your purchase order in proper form before 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. If the NYSE closes early -- such as on days in advance of certain holidays -- the Fund reserves the right to calculate NAV as of the earlier closing time. The Fund will not accept orders that request a particular day or price for the transaction or any other special conditions.
Shares will not be priced on days that the NYSE is closed for trading, including nationally observed holidays. Since securities that are traded on foreign exchanges may trade on days when the NYSE is closed, the value of the Fund may change on days when you are unable to purchase or redeem shares.
BUYING OR SELLING SHARES THROUGH A FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY
In addition to being able to buy and sell Fund shares directly from the Fund through its transfer agent, you may also buy or sell shares of the Fund through accounts with financial intermediaries, such as brokers and other institutions that are authorized to place trades in Fund shares for their customers. When you purchase or sell Fund shares through a financial intermediary (rather than directly from the Fund), you may have to transmit your purchase and sale requests to the financial intermediary at an earlier time for your transaction to become effective that day. This allows the financial intermediary time to process your requests and transmit them to the Fund prior to the time the Fund calculates its NAV that day. Your financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting all purchase and redemption requests, investment information, documentation and money to the Fund on time. If your financial intermediary fails to do so, it may be responsible for any resulting fees or losses. Unless your financial intermediary is an authorized institution (defined below), orders transmitted by the financial intermediary and received by the Fund after the time NAV is calculated for a particular day will receive the following day's NAV.
Certain financial intermediaries, including certain broker-dealers and shareholder organizations, are authorized to act as agent on behalf of the Fund with respect to the receipt of purchase and redemption requests for Fund shares ("authorized institutions"). These requests are executed at the NAV next determined after the authorized institution receives the request. To determine whether your financial
intermediary is an authorized institution such that it may act as agent on behalf of the Fund with respect to purchase and redemption requests for Fund shares, you should contact them directly.
If you deal directly with a financial intermediary, you will have to follow their procedures for transacting with the Fund. Your financial intermediary may charge a fee for your purchase and/or redemption transactions. For more information about how to purchase or sell Fund shares through a financial intermediary, you should contact your authorized institution directly.
HOW THE FUND CALCULATES NAV
NAV for one Fund share is the value of that share's portion of the net assets of the Fund. In calculating NAV, the Fund generally values its investment portfolio at market price. If market prices are not readily available or the Fund reasonably believes that they are unreliable, such as in the case of a security value that has been materially affected by events occurring after the relevant market closes, the Fund is required to price those securities at fair value, as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Fund's Board. Pursuant to the policies adopted by, and under the ultimate supervision of the Board, these methods are implemented through the Fund's Fair Value Pricing Committee, members of which are appointed by the Board. The Fund's determination of a security's fair value price often involves the consideration of a number of subjective factors, and is therefore subject to the unavoidable risk that the value that the Fund assigns to a security may be higher or lower than the security's value would be if a reliable market quotation for the security was readily available.
With respect to any non-U.S. securities held by the Fund, the Fund may take factors influencing specific markets or issuers into consideration in determining the fair value of a non-U.S. security. International securities markets may be open on days when the U.S. markets are closed. In such cases, the value of any international securities owned by the Fund may be significantly affected on days when investors cannot buy or sell shares. In addition, due to the difference in times between the close of the international markets and the time as of which the Fund prices its shares, the value the Fund assigns to securities may not be the same as the quoted or published prices of those securities on their primary markets or exchanges. In determining fair value prices, the Fund may consider the performance of securities on their primary exchanges, foreign currency appreciation/depreciation, securities market movements in the United States, or other relevant information related to the securities.
There may be limited circumstances in which the Fund would price securities at fair value for stocks of U.S. companies that are traded on U.S. exchanges -- for example, if the exchange on which a portfolio security is principally traded closed early or if trading in a particular security was halted during the day and did not resume prior to the time the Fund calculated its NAV.
MINIMUM PURCHASES
You can open an account (including an individual retirement account ("IRA")) with a minimum initial investment of $100,000 and $2,500 for Institutional and Investor Class Shares, respectively. The Fund may accept investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion. There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
BY AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN (VIA ACH) (INVESTOR CLASS SHARES ONLY)
You may not open an account via ACH. However, once you have established an account, you can set up an automatic investment plan by mailing a completed application to the Fund. These purchases can be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually in amounts of at least $25. To cancel or change a plan, write to the Fund at Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund, PO Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-
9009 (Express Mail Address: Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund, c/o DST Systems, Inc., 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105). Allow up to 15 days to create the plan and 3 days to cancel or change it.
FUND CODES
The reference information listed below will be helpful to you when you contact the Fund to purchase shares of the Fund, check daily NAV or obtain additional information.
HAMLIN HIGH DIVIDEND EQUITY TICKER SYMBOL CUSIP FUND CODE FUND Institutional Class Shares HHDFX 00769G741 3361 Investor Class Shares HHDVX 00769G733 3360 |
HOW TO SELL YOUR FUND SHARES
If you own your shares directly, you may sell your shares on any Business Day by contacting the Fund directly by mail or telephone at 1-855-HHD-FUND.
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other institution, contact that broker or institution to sell your shares. Your broker or institution may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged by the Fund.
If you would like to have your sales proceeds, including proceeds generated as a result of closing your account, sent to a third party or an address other than your own, please notify the Fund in writing.
Certain redemption requests will require a signature guarantee by an eligible guarantor institution. Eligible guarantors include commercial banks, savings and loans, savings banks, trust companies, credit unions, member firms of a national stock exchange, or any other member or participant of an approved signature guarantor program. For example, signature guarantees may be required if your address of record has changed in the last 30 days, you want the proceeds sent to a bank other than the bank of record on your account, or if you ask that the proceeds be sent to a different person or address. Please note that a notary public is not an acceptable provider of a signature guarantee and that we must be provided with the original guarantee. Signature guarantees are for the protection of our shareholders. Before it grants a redemption request, the Fund may require a shareholder to furnish additional legal documents to insure proper authorization.
Accounts held by a corporation, trust, fiduciary or partnership, may require additional documentation along with a signature guaranteed letter of instruction. Please contact Shareholder Services at 1-855-HHD-FUND (1-855-443-3863) for more information. The Fund participates in the Paperless Legal Program. Requests received with a Medallion Signature Guarantee will be reviewed for the proper criteria to meet the guidelines of the Program and may not require additional documentation.
The sale price of each share will be the NAV next determined after the Fund receives your request in proper form.
BY SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN (VIA ACH) (INVESTOR CLASS SHARES ONLY)
If your account balance is at least $10,000, you may transfer as little as $100 per month from your account to another financial institution through a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (via ACH). To participate
in this service, you must complete the appropriate sections of the account application and mail it to the Fund.
RECEIVING YOUR MONEY
Normally, the Fund will send your sale proceeds within seven days after the effective date of your order. Your proceeds can be wired to your bank account (may be subject to a $10 fee), sent to you by check or sent via ACH to your bank account once you have established banking instructions with the Fund. IF YOU ARE SELLING SHARES THAT WERE RECENTLY PURCHASED BY CHECK OR THROUGH ACH, REDEMPTION PROCEEDS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL YOUR CHECK HAS CLEARED OR THE ACH TRANSACTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED (WHICH MAY TAKE UP TO 15 DAYS FROM YOUR DATE OF PURCHASE).
REDEMPTIONS IN-KIND
The Fund generally pays sale (redemption) proceeds in cash. However, under unusual conditions that make the payment of cash unwise and for the protection of the Fund's remaining shareholders, the Fund might pay all or part of your redemption proceeds in securities with a market value equal to the redemption price (redemption in-kind). The Fund may also redeem in kind to discourage short-term trading of shares. It is highly unlikely that your shares would ever be redeemed in-kind, but if they were, you would have to pay transaction costs to sell the securities distributed to you, as well as taxes on any capital gains from the sale as with any redemption. In addition, you would continue to be subject to the risks of any market fluctuation in the value of the securities you receive in-kind until they are sold.
INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTIONS OF YOUR SHARES
If your account balance drops below $1,000 and $50,000 for Investor Class and Institutional Class Shares, respectively, because of redemptions, you may be required to sell your shares. The Fund generally will provide you at least 30 days' written notice to give you sufficient time to add to your account and avoid the involuntary redemption of your shares. The Fund reserves the right to waive the minimum account value requirement in its sole discretion. If your Fund shares are redeemed for this reason within 7 calendar days of their purchase, the redemption fee will not be applied.
SUSPENSION OF YOUR RIGHT TO SELL YOUR SHARES
The Fund may suspend your right to sell your shares during times when trading on the NYSE is restricted or halted, or otherwise as permitted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). More information about this is in the SAI.
TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS
Purchasing and selling Fund shares over the telephone is extremely convenient, but not without risk. Although the Fund has certain safeguards and procedures to confirm the identity of callers and the authenticity of instructions, the Fund is not responsible for any losses or costs incurred by following telephone instructions it reasonably believes to be genuine. If you or your financial institution transact with the Fund over the telephone, you will generally bear the risk of any loss.
DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES
The Fund has adopted a distribution plan under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, for Investor Class Shares that allows the Fund to pay distribution and service fees for the sale and distribution of its shares, and for services provided to shareholders. Because these fees are paid out of
the Fund's assets continuously, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The maximum annual distribution fee for Investor Class Shares of the Fund is 0.25%.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING ARRANGEMENTS
The Fund may compensate financial intermediaries for providing a variety of services to shareholders. Financial intermediaries include affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies and any other institution having a service, administration or any similar arrangement with the Fund, its service providers or their respective affiliates. This section and the following section briefly describe how financial intermediaries may be paid for providing these services.
The Fund generally pays financial intermediaries a fee that is based on the assets of the Fund that are attributable to investments by customers of the financial intermediary. The services for which financial intermediaries are compensated may include record-keeping, transaction processing for shareholders' accounts and other shareholder services. In addition to these payments, your financial intermediary may charge you account fees, transaction fees for buying or redeeming shares of the Fund, or other fees for servicing your account. Your financial intermediary should provide a schedule of its fees and services to you upon request.
The Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan for Investor Class Shares that provides that the Fund may pay financial intermediaries for shareholder services in an annual amount not to exceed 0.25%, based on average daily net assets. The Fund does not pay these service fees on shares purchased directly. In addition to payments made directly to financial intermediaries by the Fund, the Adviser or its affiliates may, at their own expense, pay financial intermediaries for these and other services to the Fund's shareholders, as described in the section below.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
From time to time, the Adviser and/or its affiliates, in their discretion, may make payments to certain affiliated or unaffiliated financial intermediaries to compensate them for the costs associated with distribution, marketing, administration and shareholder servicing support. These payments may be in addition to any Rule 12b-1 fees and/or shareholder servicing payments that are reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fee table sections of this prospectus. These payments are sometimes characterized as "revenue sharing" payments and are made out of the Adviser's and/or its affiliates' own legitimate profits or other resources, and are not paid by the Fund. A financial intermediary may provide these services with respect to Fund shares sold or held through programs such as retirement plans, qualified tuition programs, fund supermarkets, fee-based advisory or wrap fee programs, bank trust programs and insurance (E.G., individual or group annuity) programs. In addition, financial intermediaries may receive payments for making shares of the Fund available to their customers or registered representatives, including providing the Fund with "shelf space," placing it on a preferred or recommended fund list, or promoting the Fund in certain sales programs that are sponsored by financial intermediaries. To the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") rules and other applicable laws and regulations, the Adviser and/or its affiliates may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries. For more information, please see "Payments to Financial Intermediaries" and "Shareholder Services" in the Fund's SAI.
The level of payments to individual financial intermediaries varies in any given year and may be negotiated on the basis of sales of Fund shares, the amount of Fund assets serviced by the financial
intermediary or the quality of the financial intermediary's relationship with the Adviser and/or its affiliates. These payments may be more or less than the payments received by the financial intermediaries from other mutual funds and may influence a financial intermediary to favor the sales of certain funds or share classes over others. In certain instances, the payments could be significant and may cause a conflict of interest for your financial intermediary. Any such payments will not change the NAV or price of the Fund's shares. Please contact your financial intermediary for information about any payments it may receive in connection with the sale of Fund shares or the provision of services to Fund shareholders, as well as information about any fees and/or commissions it charges.
OTHER POLICIES
EXCESSIVE TRADING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Fund is intended for long-term investment purposes only and discourages shareholders from engaging in "market timing" or other types of excessive short-term trading. This frequent trading into and out of the Fund may present risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and could adversely affect shareholder returns. The risks posed by frequent trading include interfering with the efficient implementation of the Fund's investment strategies, triggering the recognition of taxable gains and losses on the sale of Fund investments, requiring the Fund to maintain higher cash balances to meet redemption requests, and experiencing increased transaction costs.
In addition, because the Fund may invest in foreign securities traded primarily on markets that close prior to the time the Fund determines its NAV, the risks posed by frequent trading may have a greater potential to dilute the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders than funds investing exclusively in U.S. securities. In instances where a significant event that affects the value of one or more foreign securities held by the Fund takes place after the close of the primary foreign market, but before the time that the Fund determines its NAV, certain investors may seek to take advantage of the fact that there will be a delay in the adjustment of the market price for a security caused by this event until the foreign market reopens (sometimes referred to as "price" or "time zone" arbitrage). Shareholders who attempt this type of arbitrage may dilute the value of the Fund's shares if the price of the Fund's foreign securities do not reflect their fair value. Although the Fund has procedures designed to determine the fair value of foreign securities for purposes of calculating its NAV when such an event has occurred, fair value pricing, because it involves judgments which are inherently subjective, may not always eliminate the risk of price arbitrage.
In addition, because the Fund may invest in small- and mid-cap securities, which often trade in lower volumes and may be less liquid, the Fund may be more susceptible to the risks posed by frequent trading because frequent transactions in the Fund's shares may have a greater impact on the market prices of these types of securities.
The Fund's service providers will take steps reasonably designed to detect and deter frequent trading by shareholders pursuant to the Fund's policies and procedures described in this prospectus and approved by the Fund's Board. For purposes of applying these policies, the Fund's service providers may consider the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control. The Fund's policies and procedures include:
o Shareholders are restricted from making more than 1 "round trip" into or out of the Fund over any rolling 90 day period. If a shareholder exceeds this amount, the Fund and/or its service providers may, at their discretion, reject any additional purchase orders. The Fund defines a "round trip" as a purchase into the Fund by a shareholder, followed by a
subsequent redemption out of the Fund, of an amount the Adviser reasonably believes would be harmful or disruptive to the Fund.
o The Fund assesses a redemption fee of 2.00% on redemptions by shareholders of Fund shares held for less than 7 days (subject to certain exceptions as discussed in "Redemption Fee").
o The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase or exchange request by any investor or group of investors for any reason without prior notice, including, in particular, if the Fund or the Adviser reasonably believes that the trading activity would be harmful or disruptive to the Fund.
The Fund and/or its service providers seek to apply these policies to the best of their abilities uniformly and in a manner they believe is consistent with the interests of the Fund's long-term shareholders. The Fund does not knowingly accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by Fund shareholders. Although these policies are designed to deter frequent trading, none of these measures alone nor all of them taken together eliminate the possibility that frequent trading in the Fund will occur. Systematic purchases and redemptions are exempt from these policies.
Financial intermediaries (such as investment advisers and broker-dealers) often establish omnibus accounts in the Fund for their customers through which transactions are placed. The Fund has entered into "information sharing agreements" with these financial intermediaries, which permit the Fund to obtain, upon request, information about the trading activity of the intermediary's customers that invest in the Fund. If the Fund or its service providers identify omnibus account level trading patterns that have the potential to be detrimental to the Fund, the Fund or its service providers may, in their sole discretion, request from the financial intermediary information concerning the trading activity of its customers. Based upon a review of that information, if the Fund or its service providers determine that the trading activity of any customer may be detrimental to the Fund, they may, in their sole discretion, request the financial intermediary to restrict or limit further trading in the Fund by that customer. If the Fund is not satisfied that the intermediary has taken appropriate action, the Fund may terminate the intermediary's ability to transact in Fund shares. When information regarding transactions in the Fund's shares is requested by the Fund and such information is in the possession of a person that is itself a financial intermediary to a financial intermediary (an "indirect intermediary"), any financial intermediary with whom the Fund has an information sharing agreement is obligated to obtain transaction information from the indirect intermediary or, if directed by the Fund, to restrict or prohibit the indirect intermediary from purchasing shares of the Fund on behalf of other persons.
The Fund and its service providers will use reasonable efforts to work with financial intermediaries to identify excessive short-term trading in omnibus accounts that may be detrimental to the Fund. However, there can be no assurance that the monitoring of omnibus account level trading will enable the Fund to identify or prevent all such trading by a financial intermediary's customers. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information.
REDEMPTION FEE
In an effort to discourage short-term trading and defray costs incurred by shareholders as a result of short-term trading, the Fund charges a 2.00% redemption fee on redemptions of shares that have been held for less than 7 days. The fee is deducted from the sale proceeds and cannot be paid separately, and any proceeds of the fee are credited to the assets of the Fund. The fee does not apply to shares purchased with reinvested dividends or distributions. In determining how long shares of the Fund have been held, the Fund assumes that shares held by the investor the longest period of time will be sold first.
The redemption fee is applicable to Fund shares purchased either directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer. Transactions through financial intermediaries typically are placed with the Fund on an omnibus basis and include both purchase and sale transactions placed on behalf of multiple investors. The Fund requests that financial intermediaries assess the redemption fee on customer accounts and collect and remit the proceeds to the Fund. However, the Fund recognizes that due to operational and systems limitations, intermediaries' methods for tracking and calculating the fee may be inadequate or differ in some respects from the Fund's. Therefore, to the extent that financial intermediaries are unable to collect the redemption fee, the Fund may not be able to defray the expenses associated with those short-term trades made by that financial intermediary's customers.
The Fund reserves the right to waive its redemption fee at its discretion when it believes such waiver is in the best interests of the Fund, including with respect to certain categories of redemptions that the Fund reasonably believes may not raise frequent trading or market timing concerns or where the financial intermediary's processing systems are unable to properly apply the redemption fee. These categories currently include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) participants in certain group retirement plans whose processing systems are incapable of properly applying the redemption fee to underlying shareholders; (ii) redemptions resulting from certain transfers upon the death of a shareholder; (iii) redemptions by certain pension plans as required by law or by regulatory authorities; (iv) systematic withdrawals; and (v) retirement loans and withdrawals.
CUSTOMER IDENTIFICATION AND VERIFICATION
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
What this means to you: When you open an account, the Fund will ask your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow the Fund to identify you. This information is subject to verification to ensure the identity of all persons opening a mutual fund account.
The Fund is required by law to reject your new account application if the required identifying information is not provided.
In certain instances, the Fund is required to collect documents to fulfill its legal obligation. Documents provided in connection with your application will be used solely to establish and verify a customer's identity.
Attempts to collect the missing information required on the application will be performed by either contacting you or, if applicable, your broker. If this information cannot be obtained within a reasonable timeframe established in the sole discretion of the Fund, your application will be rejected.
Upon receipt of your application in proper form (or upon receipt of all identifying information required on the application), your investment will be accepted and your order will be processed at the next-determined NAV.
The Fund reserves the right to close or liquidate your account at the NAV next-determined and remit proceeds to you via check if it is unable to verify your identity. Attempts to verify your identity will be performed within a reasonable timeframe established in the sole discretion of the Fund. Further, the Fund reserves the right to hold your proceeds until your original check clears the bank, which may take up to 15
days from the date of purchase. In such an instance, you may be subject to a gain or loss on Fund shares and will be subject to corresponding tax implications.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM
Customer identification and verification is part of the Fund's overall obligation to deter money laundering under federal law. The Fund has adopted an anti-money laundering compliance program designed to prevent the Fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of illegal activities. In this regard, the Fund reserves the right to: (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order; (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account services; or (iii) involuntarily close your account in cases of threatening conduct or suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of Fund management, they are deemed to be in the best interest of the Fund or in cases when the Fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental or law enforcement authority. If your account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authority, you may not receive proceeds of the redemption if the Fund is required to withhold such proceeds.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund distributes its net investment income semi-annually and makes distributions of its net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. If you own Fund shares on the Fund's record date, you will be entitled to receive the distribution. Dividends and distributions will automatically be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund, unless you elect to have the distributions paid in cash. To elect to receive your distribution in cash, you must notify the Fund in writing prior to the date of the distribution. Your election will be effective for dividends and distributions made available by the Fund in cash after the Fund receives your notice. To cancel your election, simply send written notice to the Fund. Distributions from the Fund will be taxable to shareholders whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Shareholders who reinvest distributions in the Fund will be required to pay taxes on such distributions from other resources.
TAXES
PLEASE CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR REGARDING YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL INCOME TAXES. Below is a summary of some important tax issues that affect the Fund and its shareholders. This summary is based on current tax laws, which may change.
The Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any. The dividends and distributions you receive may be subject to federal, state and local taxation, depending upon your tax situation. Distributions you receive from the Fund may be taxable whether or not you reinvest them. Income distributions, other than distributions of qualified dividend income, and distributions of short-term capital gains are generally taxable at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions of long-term capital gains and distributions of qualified dividend income are generally taxable at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains.
Each sale of Fund shares may be a taxable event. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares for shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. The gain or loss on the sale of Fund shares generally will be treated as a short term capital gain or loss if you held the shares for 12 months or less or a long term capital gain or loss if you held the shares for longer.
Recent legislation effective beginning in 2013 provides that U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) will be subject to a new 3.8% Medicare contribution tax
on their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of the Fund).
The Fund (or its administrative agent) must report to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information for Fund shares purchased on or after January 1, 2012, and sold on or after that date. In addition to reporting the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, the Fund will also be required to report the cost basis information for such shares and indicate whether these shares had a short-term or long-term holding period. For each sale of Fund shares, the Fund will permit shareholders to elect from among several IRS-accepted cost basis methods, including the average basis method. In the absence of an election, the Fund will use the average basis method as the default cost basis method. The cost basis method elected by the Fund shareholder (or the cost basis method applied by default) for each sale of Fund shares may not be changed after the settlement date of each such sale of Fund shares. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the new cost basis reporting law applies to them.
Because the Fund may invest in foreign securities it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest that the Fund receives from sources in foreign countries. The Fund may be able to make an election to pass along a tax credit for foreign income taxes it pays. The Fund will notify you if it makes this decision.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TAXES IS IN THE SAI.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND
HAMLIN HIGH DIVIDEND EQUITY FUND
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Hamlin Capital Management, LLC
640 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor
New York, New York 10019
DISTRIBUTOR
SEI Investments Distribution Co.
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
LEGAL COUNSEL
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND IS AVAILABLE, WITHOUT CHARGE, THROUGH THE FOLLOWING:
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ("SAI"): The SAI, dated March 28, 2012, includes detailed information about the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund and The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund. The SAI is on file with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This means that the SAI, for legal purposes, is a part of this prospectus.
ANNUAL AND SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS: These reports list the Fund's holdings and contain information from the Adviser about investment strategies, and recent market conditions and trends and their impact on Fund performance. The reports also contain detailed financial information about the Fund.
TO OBTAIN AN SAI, ANNUAL OR SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, OR MORE INFORMATION:
BY TELEPHONE: 1-855-HHD-FUND (1-855-443-3863)
BY MAIL: Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund PO Box 219009 Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9009 BY INTERNET: WWW.HAMLINCM.COM/MUTUALFUND |
FROM THE SEC: You can also obtain the SAI or the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, as well as other information about The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, from the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website at: HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. You may review and copy documents at the SEC Public Reference Room in Washington, DC (for information on the operation of the Public Reference Room, call 202-942-8090). You may request documents by mail from the SEC, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by writing to: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549. You may also obtain this information, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by e-mailing the SEC at the following address: PUBLICINFO@SEC.GOV.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND'S INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT REGISTRATION NUMBER IS
811-06400.
HCM-PS-001-0100
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
HAMLIN HIGH DIVIDEND EQUITY FUND
(INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES: HHDFX)
(INVESTOR CLASS SHARES: HHDVX)
A SERIES OF THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND
MARCH 28, 2012
INVESTMENT ADVISER:
HAMLIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus. This SAI is intended to provide additional information regarding the activities and operations of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund (the "Trust") and the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund (the "Fund"); This SAI is incorporated by reference into and should be read in conjunction with the Fund's prospectus dated March 28, 2012. Capitalized terms not defined herein are defined in the prospectus. Shareholders may obtain copies of the Fund's prospectus or Annual Report, when available, free of charge by writing to the Trust at PO Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 or calling the Fund at 1-855-HHD-FUND.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE TRUST ...........................................................S-1 DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS ................................S-1 INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS ..............................................S-18 THE ADVISER .........................................................S-20 THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS ..............................................S-20 THE ADMINISTRATOR ...................................................S-21 THE DISTRIBUTOR .....................................................S-22 SHAREHOLDER SERVICES ................................................S-23 PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ................................S-23 THE TRANSFER AGENT ..................................................S-24 THE CUSTODIAN .......................................................S-24 INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM .......................S-24 LEGAL COUNSEL .......................................................S-24 TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST ..................................S-24 PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES .....................................S-34 DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE ....................................S-34 TAXES ...............................................................S-35 FUND TRANSACTIONS ...................................................S-39 PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS ..................................................S-41 DESCRIPTION OF SHARES ...............................................S-42 SHAREHOLDER LIABILITY ...............................................S-42 LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY ...................................S-42 PROXY VOTING ........................................................S-43 CODES OF ETHICS .....................................................S-43 5% AND 25% SHAREHOLDERS .............................................S-43 APPENDIX A -- DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS ................................A-1 APPENDIX B -- PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ..................B-1 |
March 28, 2012 HCM-SX-001-0100
THE TRUST
GENERAL. The Fund is a separate series of the Trust. The Trust is an open-end investment management company established under Massachusetts law as a Massachusetts voluntary association (commonly known as a business trust) under a Declaration of Trust dated July 18, 1991, as amended February 18, 1997. The Declaration of Trust permits the Trust to offer separate series ("funds") of shares of beneficial interest ("shares"). The Trust reserves the right to create and issue shares of additional funds. Each fund is a separate mutual fund, and each share of each fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any fund and all assets of such fund belong solely to that fund and would be subject to liabilities related thereto. Each fund of the Trust pays its: (i) operating expenses, including fees of its service providers, expenses of preparing prospectuses, proxy solicitation material and reports to shareholders, costs of custodial services and registering its shares under federal and state securities laws, pricing and insurance expenses, brokerage costs, interest charges, taxes and organization expenses; and (ii) pro rata share of the Fund's other expenses, including audit and legal expenses. Expenses attributable to a specific fund shall be payable solely out of the assets of that fund. Expenses not attributable to a specific fund are allocated across all of the funds on the basis of relative net assets. The other funds of the Trust are described in one or more separate statements of additional information.
DESCRIPTION OF MULTIPLE CLASSES OF SHARES. The Trust is authorized to offer shares of the Fund in Investor Class and Institutional Class Shares. The different classes provide for variations in certain distribution and shareholder servicing expenses and in the minimum initial investment requirements. Minimum investment requirements and investor eligibility are described in the Prospectus. The Trust reserves the right to create and issue additional classes of shares. For more information on shareholder servicing and distribution expenses, see "The Distributor."
VOTING RIGHTS. Each shareholder of record is entitled to one vote for each share held on the record date for the meeting. The Fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to it. As a Massachusetts voluntary association, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board of Trustees (each, a "Trustee" and collectively, the "Board").
In addition, a Trustee may be removed by the remaining Trustees or by shareholders at a special meeting called upon written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the prospectus. The Fund is classified as a "diversified" investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments discussed below, see "Description of Permitted Investments" in this SAI.
The following are descriptions of the permitted investments and investment practices of the Fund. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund's investment objective and permitted by the Fund's stated investment policies.
AMERICAN DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. ADRs, as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts are securities that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities that have been deposited with a "depository" and may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are issued by
depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. For other depositary receipts, the depository may be a foreign or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may have a foreign or a U.S. issuer. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs are issued in registered form, denominated in U.S. dollars, and designed for use in the U.S. securities markets. Other depositary receipts, such as GDRs and EDRs, may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in securities markets outside the U.S. While the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.
Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholders meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request. The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequency is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.
For purposes of the Fund's investment policies, investments in depositary receipts will be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities. Thus, a depositary receipt representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock. Depositary receipts do not eliminate all of the risks associated with directly investing in the securities of foreign issuers.
Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject the Fund to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, possible imposition of withholding taxes on income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition, foreign issuers are, generally speaking, subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are those in the United States.
EQUITY SECURITIES. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company or partnership and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants and rights to acquire common stock, securities convertible into common stock, and investments in master limited partnerships. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the net asset value of the Fund to fluctuate. The Fund purchases equity securities traded on global securities exchanges or
the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:
o COMMON STOCK. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.
o PREFERRED STOCK. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.
o ROYALTY TRUSTS. Royalty trusts are structured similarly to real estate investment trusts. A royalty trust generally acquires an interest in natural resource companies or chemical companies and distributes the income it receives to the investors of the royalty trust. A sustained decline in demand for crude oil, natural gas and refined petroleum products could adversely affect income and royalty trust revenues and cash flows. Factors that could lead to a decrease in market demand include a recession or other adverse economic conditions, an increase in the market price of the underlying commodity, higher taxes or other regulatory actions that increase costs, or a shift in consumer demand for such products. A rising interest rate environment could adversely impact the performance of royalty trusts. Rising interest rates could limit the capital appreciation of royalty trusts because of the increased availability of alternative investments at more competitive yields.
o EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS. An ETF is a fund whose shares are bought and sold on a securities exchange as if it were a single security. An ETF holds a portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market segment or index. Some examples of ETFs are SPDRs([R]), DIAMONDS(SM), NASDAQ 100 Index Tracking Stock(SM) ("QQQs(SM)") and iShares([R]). The Fund could purchase an ETF to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the U. S. or foreign market while awaiting an opportunity to purchase securities directly. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in it being more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities and ETFs have management fees that increase their costs versus the costs of owning the underlying securities directly. See also "Investment Company Shares" below.
o WARRANTS. Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.
o CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.
Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non- convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the
repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.
GENERAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN STOCKS - While investing in stocks allows investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors must accept the risks of ownership. Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a company's earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders, followed by common stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a company's stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes in the company's financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations. Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.
Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices. The value of a company's stock may fall because of:
o Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services;
o Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and
o Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.
Because preferred stock is generally junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.
o MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM CAPITALIZATION ISSUERS. Investing in equity securities of micro, small and medium capitalization companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in larger capitalization companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth of management. The securities of micro and smaller companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and even if listed on a national securities exchange may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange. Consequently, the securities of micro and smaller companies are less likely to be liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established growth companies or the market averages in general.
MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS ("MLPS"). MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies, whose partnership units or limited liability interests are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange, and are treated as publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. To qualify to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, an MLP must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Internal Revenue Code"). These qualifying sources include activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of mineral or natural resources. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners. MLPs that are formed as limited liability companies generally have two analogous classes of owners, the managing member and the members. For purposes of this section, references to general partners also apply to managing members and references to limited partners also apply to members. The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an equity interest of as much as 2% in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. Limited partners own the remainder of the MLP through ownership of common
units and have a limited role in the MLP's operations and management.
MLPs are typically structured such that common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount ("minimum quarterly distributions" or "MQD"). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD paid to both common and subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the general partner can reach a tier where it receives 50% of every incremental dollar paid to common and subordinated unit holders. These incentive distributions encourage the general partner to streamline costs, increase capital expenditures and acquire assets in order to increase the partnership's cash flow and raise the quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers. Such results benefit all security holders of the MLP.
General partner interests of MLPs are typically retained by an MLP's original sponsors, such as its founders, corporate partners, entities that sell assets to the MLP and investors such as us. A holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder's investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests often confer direct board participation rights and in many cases, operating control, over the MLP. These interests themselves are not publicly traded, although they may be owned by publicly traded entities. General partner interests receive cash distributions, typically 2% of the MLP's aggregate cash distributions, which are contractually defined in the partnership agreement. In addition, holders of general partner interests typically hold incentive distribution rights ("IDRs"), which provide them with a larger share of the aggregate MLP cash distributions as the distributions to limited partner unit holders are increased to prescribed levels. General partner interests generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited partner unitholders.
FIXED INCOME SECURITIES. Fixed income securities include bonds, notes, debentures and other interest-bearing securities that represent indebtedness. The market value of the fixed income investments in which the Fund invests will change in response to interest rate changes and other factors. During periods of falling interest rates, the values of outstanding fixed income securities generally rise. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the values of such securities generally decline. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Changes by recognized agencies in the rating of any fixed income security and in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal also affect the value of these investments. Changes in the value of these securities will not necessarily affect cash income derived from these securities but will affect the Fund's net asset value.
FOREIGN SECURITIES. Foreign securities include equity securities of foreign entities, obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and of foreign banks, including, without limitation, European Certificates of Deposit, European Time Deposits, European Bankers' Acceptances, Canadian Time Deposits, Europaper and Yankee Certificates of Deposit, and investments in Canadian Commercial Paper and foreign securities. These instruments have investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest or other income, possible seizure, nationalization, or expropriation of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source, greater fluctuations in value due to changes in exchange rates, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on such obligations. Such investments may also entail higher custodial fees and sales commissions than domestic investments. Foreign issuers of securities or obligations are often subject to accounting treatment and engage in business practices different from those respecting domestic issuers of similar securities or obligations. Foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign banks may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks.
EMERGING MARKETS -- An "emerging country" is generally a country that the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) and the International Finance Corporation would consider to be an emerging or developing country. Typically, emerging markets are in countries that are in the process of industrialization, with lower gross national products (GNP) than more developed countries. There are currently over 130 countries that the international financial community generally considers to be emerging or developing countries, approximately 40 of which currently have stock markets. These countries generally include every nation in the world except the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and most nations located in Western Europe.
INVESTMENT FUNDS -- Some emerging countries currently prohibit direct foreign investment in the securities of their companies. Certain emerging countries, however, permit indirect foreign investment in the securities of companies listed and traded on their stock exchanges through investment funds that they have specifically authorized. Investments in these investment funds are subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act. If the Fund invests in such investment funds, shareholders will bear not only their proportionate share of the expenses (including operating expenses and the fees of the Adviser), but also will bear indirectly bear similar expenses of the underlying investment funds. In addition, these investment funds may trade at a premium over their net asset value.
RISKS OF FOREIGN SECURITIES:
Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS -- Local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments may affect the value of foreign investments. Listed below are some of the more important political and economic factors that could negatively affect an investment in foreign securities:
o The economies of foreign countries may differ from the economy of the United States in such areas as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, budget deficits and national debt;
o Foreign governments sometimes participate to a significant degree, through ownership interests or regulation, in their respective economies. Actions by these governments could significantly influence the market prices of securities and payment of dividends;
o The economies of many foreign countries are dependent on international trade and their trading partners and they could be severely affected if their trading partners were to enact protective trade barriers and economic conditions;
o The internal policies of a particular foreign country may be less stable than in the United States. Other countries face significant external political risks, such as possible claims of sovereignty by other countries or tense and sometimes hostile border clashes; and
o A foreign government may act adversely to the interests of U.S. investors, including expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation and other restrictions on U.S. investment. A country may restrict or control foreign investments in its securities markets. These restrictions could limit the Fund's ability to invest in a particular country or make it very expensive for the Fund to invest in that country. Some countries require prior governmental approval or limit the types or amount of securities or companies in which a foreigner can invest. Other countries may restrict the ability of foreign investors to repatriate their investment income and capital gains.
INFORMATION AND SUPERVISION -- There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than companies based in the United States. For example, there are often no reports and ratings published about foreign companies comparable to the ones written about U.S. companies. Foreign companies are typically not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. The lack of comparable information makes investment decisions concerning foreign countries more difficult and less reliable than domestic companies.
STOCK EXCHANGE AND MARKET RISK -- The Fund's investment managers anticipate that in most cases an exchange or over-
the-counter ("OTC") market located outside of the United States will be the best available market for foreign securities. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as the markets in the United States. Foreign stock markets tend to differ from those in the United States in a number of ways.
Foreign stock markets:
o are generally more volatile than, and not as developed or efficient as, those in the United States;
o have substantially less volume;
o trade securities that tend to be less liquid and experience rapid and erratic price movements;
o have generally higher commissions and are subject to set minimum rates, as opposed to negotiated rates;
o employ trading, settlement and custodial practices less developed than those in U.S. markets; and
o may have different settlement practices, which may cause delays and increase the potential for failed settlements.
Foreign markets may offer less protection to shareholders than U.S. markets because:
o foreign accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements may render a foreign corporate balance sheet more difficult to understand and interpret than one subject to U.S. law and standards;
o adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis;
o in general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States;
o OTC markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated;
o economic or political concerns may influence regulatory enforcement and may make it difficult for shareholders to enforce their legal rights; and
o restrictions on transferring securities within the United States or to U.S. persons may make a particular security less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
FOREIGN CURRENCY RISK -- While the Fund denominates its net asset value in U.S. dollars, the securities of foreign companies are frequently denominated in foreign currencies. Thus, a change in the value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in value of securities denominated in that currency. Some of the factors that may impair the investments denominated in a foreign currency are:
o It may be expensive to convert foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa;
o Complex political and economic factors may significantly affect the values of various currencies, including U.S. dollars, and their exchange rates;
o Government intervention may increase risks involved in purchasing or selling foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts, since exchange rates may not be free to fluctuate in response to other market forces;
o There may be no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis;
o Available quotation information is generally representative of very large round-lot transactions in the inter-bank market and thus may not reflect exchange rates for smaller odd-lot transactions (less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable; and
o The inter-bank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent that a market is closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, certain markets may not always reflect significant price and rate movements.
TAXES -- Certain foreign governments levy withholding taxes on dividend and interest income. Although in some countries
it is possible for the Fund to recover a portion of these taxes, the portion that cannot be recovered will reduce the income the Fund receives from its investments.
EMERGING MARKETS -- Investing in emerging markets may magnify the risks of foreign investing. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may:
o Have relatively unstable governments;
o Present greater risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets;
o Offer less protection of property rights than more developed countries; and
o Have economies that are based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates.
Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
MONEY MARKET SECURITIES. Money market securities include short-term U.S. government securities; custodial receipts evidencing separately traded interest and principal components of securities issued by the U.S. Treasury; commercial paper rated in the highest short-term rating category by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization ("NRSRO"), such as Standard & Poor's Rating Services ("S&P") or Moody's Investor Services, Inc. ("Moody's"), or determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase; short-term bank obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers' acceptances) of U.S. commercial banks with assets of at least $1 billion as of the end of their most recent fiscal year; and repurchase agreements involving such securities. Each of these money market securities are described below. For a description of ratings, see "Appendix A -- Description of Ratings" to this SAI.
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS ("REITS"). A REIT is a corporation or business trust (that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation) which meets the definitional requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. The Internal Revenue Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct from taxable income the dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, a REIT must, among other things: invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs), cash and government securities; derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property; and distribute annually 95% or more of its otherwise taxable income to shareholders.
REITs are sometimes informally characterized as Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs. An Equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold ownership of land and buildings; a Mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real property, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans.
REITs in which the Fund invests may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that REITs in which the Fund invests may concentrate investments in particular geographic regions or property types. Additionally, rising interest rates may cause investors in REITs to demand a higher annual yield from future distributions, which may in turn decrease market prices for equity securities issued by REITs. Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline. During periods of declining interest rates, certain Mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that the mortgagors elect to prepay, which prepayment may diminish the yield on securities issued by such Mortgage REITs. In addition, Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of borrowers to repay when due the debt extended by the REIT and Equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.
Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of securities issued by such REITs. Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. By
investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders.
In addition to these risks, Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, Equity and Mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and Mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, Equity and Mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower's or a lessee's ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.
U. S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U. S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S.government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), the Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae"), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation ("Farmer Mac").
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency. While other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.
On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"), placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the "Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement" or "Agreement"). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury's funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth over the next three years. As a result of this Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Fund, of mortgage-backed securities and other obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are protected.
o U. S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS. U. S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and bonds issued by the U. S. Treasury
and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities ("STRIPS") and Treasury Receipts ("TRs").
o RECEIPTS. Interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U. S. government obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U. S. government obligations into a special account at a custodian bank. The custodian holds the interest and principal payments for the benefit of the registered owners of the certificates or receipts. The custodian arranges for the issuance of the certificates or receipts evidencing ownership and maintains the register. TRs and STRIPS are interests in accounts sponsored by the U. S. Treasury. Receipts are sold as zero coupon securities.
o U. S. GOVERNMENT ZERO COUPON SECURITIES. STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons. Zero coupon securities are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of interest or principal. The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes. Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically. Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with similar maturity and credit qualities.
o U. S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U. S. government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U. S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U. S. Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. Guarantees of principal by agencies or instrumentalities of the U. S. government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities nor to the value of the Fund's shares.
COMMERCIAL PAPER. Commercial paper is the term used to designate unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by corporations and other entities. Maturities on these issues vary from a few to 270 days.
OBLIGATIONS OF DOMESTIC BANKS, FOREIGN BANKS AND FOREIGN BRANCHES OF U.S. BANKS. The Fund may invest in obligations issued by banks and other savings institutions. Investments in bank obligations include obligations of domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks. Such investments in domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks may involve risks that are different from investments in securities of domestic branches of U.S. banks. These risks may include future unfavorable political and economic developments, possible withholding taxes on interest income, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations, or other governmental restrictions which might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held by the Fund. Additionally, these institutions may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements and to different accounting, auditing, reporting and recordkeeping requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks. Bank obligations include the following:
o BANKERS' ACCEPTANCES. Bankers' acceptances are bills of exchange or time drafts drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank. Corporations use bankers' acceptances to finance the shipment and storage of goods and to furnish dollar exchange. Maturities are generally six months or less.
o CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT. Certificates of deposit are interest-bearing instruments with a specific maturity. They are issued by banks and savings and loan institutions in exchange for the deposit of funds and normally can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity. Certificates of deposit with penalties for early withdrawal will be considered illiquid.
o TIME DEPOSITS. Time deposits are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank in exchange for the deposit of funds.
Like a certificate of deposit, it earns a specified rate of interest over a definite period of time; however, it cannot be traded in the secondary market. Time deposits with a withdrawal penalty or that mature in more than seven days are considered to be illiquid securities.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with
financial institutions. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a
fund acquires a fixed income security (generally a security issued by the U.S.
government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance, or a certificate of
deposit) from a commercial bank, broker, or dealer, and simultaneously agrees
to resell such security to the seller at an agreed upon price and date
(normally, the next business day). Because the security purchased constitutes
collateral for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement may be
considered a loan that is collateralized by the security purchased. The
acquisition of a repurchase agreement may be deemed to be an acquisition of the
underlying securities as long as the obligation of the seller to repurchase the
securities is collateralized fully. The Fund follows certain procedures
designed to minimize the risks inherent in such agreements. These procedures
include effecting repurchase transactions only with creditworthy financial
institutions whose condition will be continually monitored by the Adviser. The
repurchase agreements entered into by the Fund will provide that the underlying
collateral at all times shall have a value at least equal to 102% of the resale
price stated in the agreement and consist only of securities permissible under
Section 101(47)(A)(i) of the Bankruptcy Code (the Adviser monitors compliance
with this requirement). Under all repurchase agreements entered into by the
Fund, the custodian or its agent must take possession of the underlying
collateral. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial
institution, the Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the
exercising of the Fund's right to liquidate such collateral could involve
certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a
default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price,
the Fund could suffer a loss. It is the current policy of the Fund not to
invest in repurchase agreements that do not mature within seven days if any
such investment, together with any other illiquid assets held by the Fund,
amounts to more than 15% of the Fund's total assets. The investments of the
Fund in repurchase agreements, at times, may be substantial when, in the view
of the Adviser, liquidity or other considerations so warrant.
SECURITIES OF OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in shares of
other investment companies, to the extent permitted by applicable law and
subject to certain restrictions. These investment companies typically incur
fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by the Fund. The
Fund's purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering
of expenses, such that shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share
of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory
fees, in addition to paying the Fund's expenses. Unless an exception is
available, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act prohibits a fund from (i)
acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any one investment company, (ii)
investing more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, and
(iii) investing more than 10% of its total assets in all investment companies
combined, including its ETF investments.
For hedging or other purposes, the Fund may invest in investment companies that seek to track the composition and/or performance of specific indexes or portions of specific indexes. Certain of these investment companies, known as exchange-traded funds, are traded on a securities exchange. (See "Exchange Traded Funds" above). The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with changes in the underlying portfolio securities of the investment company and also due to supply and demand of the investment company's shares on the exchange upon which the shares are traded. Index-based investments may not replicate or otherwise match the composition or performance of their specified index due to transaction costs, among other things.
Pursuant to orders issued by the SEC to each of certain iShares, Market Vectors, Vanguard, ProShares, PowerShares, Guggenheim (formerly, Claymore), Direxion, Wisdom Tree, Rydex, First Trust and SPDR exchange-traded funds (collectively, the "ETFs") and procedures approved by the Board, the Fund may invest in the ETFs in excess of the 3% limit described above, provided that the Fund otherwise complies with the conditions of the SEC order, as it may be amended, and any other applicable investment limitations. Neither the ETFs nor their investment advisers make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in the ETFs.
DERIVATIVES
Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is based on an underlying asset, such as a stock or a bond, or an underlying economic factor, such as an interest rate or a market benchmark. Unless otherwise stated in the Fund's prospectus, the Fund may use derivatives for risk management purposes, including to gain exposure to various markets in a cost efficient manner, to reduce transaction costs or to remain fully invested. The Fund may also invest in derivatives to protect it from broad fluctuations in market prices, interest rates or foreign currency exchange rates (a practice known as "hedging"). When hedging is successful, the Fund will have offset any depreciation in the value of its portfolio securities by the appreciation in the value of the derivative position. Although techniques other than the sale and purchase of derivatives could be used to control the exposure of the Fund to market fluctuations, the use of derivatives may be a more effective means of hedging this exposure.
Because many derivatives have a leverage or borrowing component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Accordingly, certain derivative transactions may be considered to constitute borrowing transactions for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("1940 Act"). Such a derivative transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance of a "senior security" by the Fund, and therefore such transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by the Fund, if the Fund covers the transaction or segregates sufficient liquid assets (or such assets are "earmarked" by the Custodian) in accordance with the requirements and interpretations of the SEC and its staff.
OPTIONS - An option is a contract between two parties for the purchase and sale of a financial instrument for a specified price (known as the "strike price" or "exercise price") at any time during the option period. An option grants a right (not an obligation) to buy or sell a financial instrument. Generally, a seller of an option can grant a buyer two kinds of rights: a "call" (the right to buy the security) or a "put" (the right to sell the security). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific securities, indices of securities prices, foreign currencies, and interest rates. Options may be traded on an exchange (exchange-traded-options) or may be customized agreements between the parties (over-the-counter or "OTC" options). A financial intermediary, known as a clearing corporation, financially backs exchange-traded options. However, OTC options have no such intermediary and are subject to the risk that the counter-party will not fulfill its obligations under the contract.
o PURCHASING PUT AND CALL OPTIONS
When the Fund purchases a put option, it buys the right to sell the instrument underlying the option at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the Fund pays the current market price for the option (known as the "option premium"). The Fund may purchase put options to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of its securities ("protective puts") or to benefit from a decline in the price of securities that it does not own. The Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying securities decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to cover the premium and transaction costs. However, if the price of the underlying instrument does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer would lose the premium and related transaction costs.
Call options are similar to put options, except that the Fund obtains the right to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. The Fund would normally purchase call options in anticipation of an increase in the market value of securities it owns or wants to buy. The Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying instrument exceeded the exercise price plus the premium paid and related transaction costs. Otherwise, the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option.
The purchaser of an option may terminate its position by:
o Allowing it to expire and losing its entire premium;
o Exercising the option and either selling (in the case of a put option) or buying (in the case of a call option) the
underlying instrument at the strike price; or
o Closing it out in the secondary market at its current price.
o SELLING (WRITING) PUT AND CALL OPTIONS
When the Fund writes a call option it assumes an obligation to sell specified securities to the holder of the option at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. Similarly, when the Fund writes a put option it assumes an obligation to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. The Fund may terminate its position in an exchange-traded put option before exercise by buying an option identical to the one it has written. Similarly, it may cancel an OTC option by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counter-party to the option.
The Fund could try to hedge against an increase in the value of securities it would like to acquire by writing a put option on those securities. If security prices rise, the Fund would expect the put option to expire and the premium it received to offset the increase in the security's value. If security prices remain the same over time, the Fund would hope to profit by closing out the put option at a lower price. If security prices fall, the Fund may lose an amount of money equal to the difference between the value of the security and the premium it received. Writing covered put options may deprive the Fund of the opportunity to profit from a decrease in the market price of the securities it would like to acquire.
The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that call writers expect to profit if prices remain the same or fall. The Fund could try to hedge against a decline in the value of securities it already owns by writing a call option. If the price of that security falls as expected, the Fund would expect the option to expire and the premium it received to offset the decline of the security's value. However, the Fund must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument in return for the strike price, which may deprive it of the opportunity to profit from an increase in the market price of the securities it holds.
The Fund is permitted only to write covered options. At the time of selling the call option, the Fund may cover the option by owning, among other things:
o The underlying security (or securities convertible into the underlying security without additional consideration), index, interest rate or foreign currency;
o A call option on the same security or index with the same or lesser exercise price;
o A call option on the same security or index with a greater exercise price and segregating cash or liquid securities in an amount equal to the difference between the exercise prices;
o Cash or liquid securities equal to at least the market value of the optioned securities, interest rate or foreign currency; or
o In the case of an index, the portfolio of securities that corresponds to the index.
At the time of selling a put option, the Fund may cover the put option by, among other things:
o Entering into a short position in the underlying security;
o Purchasing a put option on the same security, index, interest rate or foreign currency with the same or greater exercise price;
o Purchasing a put option on the same security, index, interest rate or foreign currency with a lesser exercise price and segregating cash or liquid securities in an amount equal to the difference between the exercise prices; or
o Maintaining the entire exercise price in liquid securities.
o OPTIONS ON SECURITIES INDICES
Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash settlement payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.
o COMBINED POSITIONS
The Fund may purchase and write options in combination with each other to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, the Fund could write a call option at one strike price and buy a call option at a lower price to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
RISKS OF DERIVATIVES:
While transactions in derivatives may reduce certain risks, these transactions themselves entail certain other risks. For example, unanticipated changes in interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates may result in a poorer overall performance of the Fund than if it had not entered into any derivatives transactions. Derivatives may magnify the Fund's gains or losses, causing it to make or lose substantially more than it invested.
When used for hedging purposes, increases in the value of the securities the Fund holds or intends to acquire should offset any losses incurred with a derivative. Purchasing derivatives for purposes other than hedging could expose the Fund to greater risks.
CORRELATION OF PRICES - The Fund's ability to hedge its securities through derivatives depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index or instrument correlate with price movements in the relevant securities. In the case of poor correlation, the price of the securities the Fund is hedging may not move in the same amount, or even in the same direction as the hedging instrument. The Adviser will try to minimize this risk by investing only in those contracts whose behavior it expects to resemble with the portfolio securities it is trying to hedge. However, if the Fund's prediction of interest and currency rates, market value, volatility or other economic factors is incorrect, the Fund may lose money, or may not make as much money as it expected.
Derivative prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the characteristics of the underlying instruments are very similar to the derivative. Listed below are some of the factors that may cause such a divergence:
o current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract;
o a difference between the derivatives and securities markets, including different levels of demand, how the instruments are traded, the imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading of an instrument stops; and
o differences between the derivatives, such as different margin requirements, different liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Derivatives based upon a narrower index of securities, such as those of a particular industry group, may present greater risk than derivatives based on a broad market index. Since narrower indices are made up of a smaller number of securities, they are more susceptible to rapid and extreme price fluctuations because of changes in the value of those securities.
LACK OF LIQUIDITY - Before an option is exercised or expires, the Fund can terminate it only by entering into a closing
purchase or sale transaction. Although the Fund intends to purchase options only where there appears to be an active market, there is no guarantee that such a liquid market will exist. If there is no secondary market for the contract, or the market is illiquid, the Fund may not be able to close out its position. In an illiquid market, the Fund may:
o have to sell securities to meet its daily margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so;
o have to purchase or sell the instrument underlying the contract;
o not be able to hedge its investments; and/or
o not be able to realize profits or limit its losses.
Derivatives may become illiquid (I.E., difficult to sell at a desired time and price) under a variety of market conditions. For example:
o an exchange may suspend or limit trading in a particular derivative instrument, an entire category of derivatives or all derivatives, which sometimes occurs because of increased market volatility;
o unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations of an exchange;
o the facilities of the exchange may not be adequate to handle current trading volume;
o equipment failures, government intervention, insolvency of a brokerage firm or clearing house or other occurrences may disrupt normal trading activity; or
o investors may lose interest in a particular derivative or category of derivatives.
MANAGEMENT RISK - If the Adviser incorrectly predicts stock market and interest rate trends, the Fund may lose money by investing in derivatives. For example, if the Fund were to write a call option based on the Adviser's expectation that the price of the underlying security would fall, but the price were to rise instead, the Fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if the Fund were to write a put option based on the Adviser's expectation that the price of the underlying security would rise, but the price were to fall instead, the Fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price.
PRICING RISK - At times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments. For example, if the Fund has valued its securities too high, you may end up paying too much for Fund shares when you buy into the Fund. If the Fund underestimates its price, you may not receive the full market value for your Fund shares when you sell.
MARGIN - Because of the low margin deposits required upon the opening of a derivative position, such transactions involve an extremely high degree of leverage. Consequently, a relatively small price movement in a derivative may result in an immediate and substantial loss (as well as gain) to the Fund and it may lose more than it originally invested in the derivative.
VOLATILITY AND LEVERAGE - The prices of derivatives are volatile (I.E., they may change rapidly, substantially and unpredictably) and are influenced by a variety of factors, including:
o actual and anticipated changes in interest rates;
o fiscal and monetary policies; and
o national and international political events.
Most exchanges limit the amount by which the price of a derivative can change during a single trading day. Daily trading
limits establish the maximum amount that the price of a derivative may vary from the settlement price of that derivative at the end of trading on the previous day. Once the price of a derivative reaches this value, the Fund may not trade that derivative at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a given day and does not limit potential gains or losses. Derivative prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days, preventing prompt liquidation of the derivative.
Because many derivatives have a leverage or borrowing component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Accordingly, certain derivative transactions may be considered to constitute borrowing transactions for purposes of the 1940 Act. Such a derivative transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance of a "senior security" by the Fund, and therefore such a transaction will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by the Fund, if the Fund covers the transaction or segregates sufficient liquid assets in accordance with these requirements, and subject to certain risks.
ILLIQUID SECURITIES. Illiquid securities are securities that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business (i.e. within seven days) at approximately the prices at which they are valued. Because of their illiquid nature, illiquid securities must be priced at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to procedures APPROVED by the Trust's Board. Despite such good faith efforts to determine fair value prices, the Fund's illiquid securities are subject to the risk that the security's fair value price may differ from the actual price which the Fund may ultimately realize upon its sale or disposition. Difficulty in selling illiquid securities may result in a loss or may be costly to the Fund. Under the supervision of the Trust's Board, the ADVISER determines the liquidity of the Fund's INVESTMENTS. In determining the liquidity of the Fund's investments, the Adviser may consider various factors, including (1) the frequency and volume of trades and quotations, (2) the number of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace, (3) dealer undertakings to make a market, and (4) the nature of the security and the market in which it trades (including any demand, put or tender features, the mechanics and other requirements for transfer, any letters of credit or other credit enhancement features, any ratings, the number of holders, the method of soliciting offers, the time required to dispose of the security, and the ability to assign or offset the rights and obligations of the security). The Fund will not hold more THAN 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.
SECURITIES LENDING. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the Fund's Board of Trustees. These loans, if and when made, may not exceed 33 % of the total asset value of the Fund (including the loan collateral). The Fund will not lend portfolio securities to the Adviser or its affiliates unless permissible under the 1940 Act and the rules and promulgations thereunder. Loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, and the collateral will be maintained in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities by marking to market daily. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of the Fund.
The Fund may pay a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral, or other fee, to an unaffiliated third party for acting as the Fund's securities lending agent, but will bear all of any losses from the investment of collateral.
By lending their securities, the Fund may increase their income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral. Investing cash collateral subjects the Fund to market risk. The Fund remains obligated to return all collateral to the borrower under the terms of its securities lending arrangements, even if the value of investments made with the collateral decline. Accordingly, if the value of a security in which the cash collateral has been invested declines, the loss would be borne by the Fund, and the Fund may be required to liquidate other investments in order to return collateral to the borrower at the end of the loan. The Fund will adhere to the following conditions whenever its portfolio securities are loaned: (i) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral or
equivalent securities of the type discussed in the preceding paragraph from the borrower; (ii) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (iii) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan on demand; (iv) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in market value; (v) the Fund may pay only reasonable fees in connection with the loan (which fees may include fees payable to the lending agent, the borrower, the Fund's administrator and the custodian); and (vi) voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, provided, however, that if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, the Fund must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities. In such instances, the Adviser will vote the securities in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures. The Board has adopted procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the foregoing criteria will be met. Loan agreements involve certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the borrower, including possible delays or restrictions upon the Fund's ability to recover the loaned securities or dispose of the collateral for the loan, which could give rise to loss because of adverse market action, expenses and/or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying securities.
RESTRICTED SECURITIES. The Fund may purchase restricted securities. Restricted securities are securities that may not be sold freely to the public absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or an exemption from registration. This generally includes securities that are unregistered that can be sold to qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or securities that are exempt from registration under the 1933 Act, such as commercial paper. Institutional markets for restricted securities have developed as a result of the promulgation of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, which provides a "safe harbor" from 1933 Act registration requirements for qualifying sales to institutional investors. When Rule 144A restricted securities present an attractive investment opportunity and meet other selection criteria, the Fund may make such investments whether or not such securities are "illiquid" depending on the market that exists for the particular security. The Board has delegated the responsibility for determining the liquidity of Rule 144A restricted securities that the Fund may invest in to the Adviser.
SHORT SALES. As consistent with the Fund's investment objective, the Fund may engage in short sales that are either "uncovered" or "against the box." A short sale is "against the box" if at all times during which the short position is open, the Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short. A short sale against the box is a taxable transaction to the Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.
Uncovered short sales are transactions under which the Fund sells a security it does not own. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of the replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.
Until the Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the Fund may: (a) segregate cash or liquid securities at such a level that the amount segregated plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund's short position.
WHEN -ISSUED, DELAYED -- DELIVERY AND FORWARD TRANSACTIONS. A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which have not been issued. In a forward delivery transaction, the Fund contracts to purchase securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. "Delayed-delivery" refers to securities transactions on the secondary market where settlement occurs in the future. In each of these transactions, the parties fix the payment obligation and the interest rate that they will receive on the securities at the time the parties enter the commitment; however, they do not pay money or deliver securities until a later date. Typically, no income accrues on securities the Fund has committed to purchase before the securities are delivered, although the Fund may earn income on securities it has in a segregated account to cover its position. The Fund will only enter into these
types of transactions with the intention of actually acquiring the securities, but may sell them before the settlement date.
The Fund uses when-issued, delayed-delivery and forward delivery transactions to secure what it considers an advantageous price and yield at the time of purchase. When the Fund engages in when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward delivery transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward delivery basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued, delayed delivery or forward delivery transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
The following investment limitations are fundamental, which means that the Fund cannot change them without approval by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The phrase "majority of the outstanding shares" means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Fund's shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding shares, whichever is less.
The Fund may not:
1. Purchase securities of an issuer that would cause the Fund to fail to satisfy the diversification requirement for a diversified management company under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
2. Concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
3. Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
4. Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
5. Purchase or sell commodities or real estate, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
6. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
In addition to the investment objective of the Fund, the following limitations are non-fundamental and may be changed by the Trust's Board without shareholder approval. These non-fundamental policies are based upon the regulations currently set forth in the 1940 Act.
1. The Fund may not hold illiquid securities in an amount exceeding, in the aggregate, 15% of the Fund's net assets.
2. The Fund may not borrow money in an amount exceeding 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets, provided that investment strategies which either obligate the Fund to purchase securities or require the Fund to cover a position by segregating assets or entering into an offsetting position shall not be subject to this limitation. To the extent that its borrowings exceed 5% of its assets, the Fund will not make any further investments.
3. The Fund may not change its investment strategy to invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities without 60 days' prior notice to shareholders.
Except with respect to Fund policies concerning borrowing and illiquid securities, if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from changes in values or assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction. With respect to the limitation on illiquid securities, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances causes the Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid instruments back within the limitations as soon as reasonably practicable.
The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:
DIVERSIFICATION. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified investment management company, as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agents or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's outstanding voting securities would be held by the fund.
CONCENTRATION. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company's net assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions.
BORROWING. The 1940 Act presently allows a fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets).
SENIOR SECURITIES. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.
LENDING. Under the 1940 Act, a fund may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies. The Fund's current investment policy on lending is as follows: the Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that the Fund may: (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in securities lending as described in its SAI.
UNDERWRITING. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves a fund purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not make any commitment as underwriter, if immediately thereafter the amount of its outstanding underwriting commitments, plus the value of its investments in securities of issuers (other than investment
companies) of which it owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities, exceeds 25% of the value of its total assets.
REAL ESTATE. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's
ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment
company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The
Fund will not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may purchase:
marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate
(including REITs).
COMMODITIES. The Fund will not purchase or sell physical commodities or commodities contracts, except that the Fund may purchase: (i) marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in commodities or commodities contracts; and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments, such as financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.
THE ADVISER
GENERAL. Hamlin Capital Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company formed in 2001, located at 640 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10019, is a professional investment management firm registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. As of November 30, 2011, the Adviser had approximately $1.56 billion in assets under management.
ADVISORY AGREEMENT WITH THE TRUST. The Trust and the Adviser have entered into an investment advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement"). Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser serves as the investment adviser and makes investment decisions for the Fund and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the investment program of the Fund, subject to the supervision of, and policies established by, the Trustees of the Trust.
After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, on not less than 30 days' nor more than 60 days' written notice to the Adviser, or by the Adviser on 90 days' written notice to the Trust. As used in the Advisory Agreement, the terms "majority of the outstanding voting securities," "interested persons" and "assignment" have the same meaning as such terms in the 1940 Act.
ADVISORY FEES PAID TO THE ADVISER. For its services under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce fees and reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep the Fund's net operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 fees, shareholder servicing fees, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 1.00% of the Fund's Institutional and Investor Class Shares' average daily net assets until March 29, 2013.
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
This section includes information about the Fund's portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Fund shares they own and how they are compensated.
COMPENSATION. The Adviser compensates the Fund's portfolio managers for their management of the Fund. The Fund's portfolio managers' compensation consists of a base salary and a discretionary bonus. The discretionary cash bonus is awarded by the firm's managing partner and is determined by overall firm profitability, portfolio performance, portfolio manager's contribution to employee development and retention and the portfolio manager's adherence to the Adviser's code of conduct.
FUND SHARES OWNED BY PORTFOLIO MANAGERS. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount range of each portfolio manager's "beneficial ownership" of shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"). Because the Fund is new, as of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers did not beneficially own shares of the Fund.
OTHER ACCOUNTS. In addition to the Fund, certain portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. Note that none of the accounts listed below are subject to a performance-based advisory fee. The information below is provided as of November 30, 2011.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ REGISTERED OTHER POOLED INVESTMENT COMPANIES INVESTMENT VEHICLES OTHER ACCOUNTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NUMBER OF TOTAL ASSETS NUMBER OF TOTAL ASSETS NUMBER OF TOTAL ASSETS NAME ACCOUNTS ($ MILLIONS) ACCOUNTS ($ MILLIONS) ACCOUNTS ($ MILLIONS) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Charles S. Garland 0 $0 1 $9 559 $642 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Christopher M. 0 $0 1 $9 559 $642 D'Agnes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS. The portfolio managers' management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio managers' knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. In addition, accounts in which a related person or affiliate of the Adviser has a financial interest may participate in aggregated transactions with the Adviser's other clients. However, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are made in the fairest way possible taking into account clients' best interests. The Adviser follows procedures to ensure that allocations do not involve a practice of favoring or discriminating against any client or group of clients. The Adviser's trade allocation policy provides that client accounts for which orders are aggregated receive the average price of such transaction. Securities purchased or sold in an aggregated transaction are allocated pro-rata, when possible, to the participating client accounts in proportion to the size of the order placed for each account.
THE ADMINISTRATOR
GENERAL. SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the "Administrator"), a Delaware statutory trust, has its principal business offices at One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. SEI Investments Management Corporation ("SIMC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company ("SEI Investments"), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator. SEI Investments and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including the Administrator, are leading providers of funds evaluation services, trust accounting systems, and brokerage and information services to financial institutions, institutional investors, and money managers. The Administrator and its affiliates also serve as administrator or sub-administrator to other mutual funds.
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT WITH THE TRUST. The Trust and the Administrator have entered into an administration agreement dated November 14, 1991, as amended and restated November 12, 2002 (the "Administration Agreement"). Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides the Trust with administrative services, including regulatory reporting and all necessary office space, equipment, personnel and facilities. Pursuant to a schedule to the Administration Agreement, the Administrator also serves as the shareholder servicing agent for the Fund whereby the Administrator provides certain shareholder services to the Fund.
The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Administration Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Administrator in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder.
ADMINISTRATION FEES PAID TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to a fee, which is detailed below in the following schedule:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEE (AS A PERCENTAGE OF AGGREGATE AVERAGE ANNUAL ASSETS) FUND'S AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.12% First $500 million -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.10% Next $500 million -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.08% Over $1 billion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
The foregoing fee is subject to a minimum annual fee of $100,000 for the Hamlin Capital Management, LLC fund complex, and is applicable to each portfolio within the fund complex for the first three (3) years, after which the annual per fund fee minimum will increase to $130,000.
o For each additional class of shares of a fund established after the initial (1) class of shares per fund, the minimum annual fee will be increased by $15,000.
The fees outlined above will remain in place for a period of five (5) years.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
GENERAL. The Trust and SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the Administrator, are parties to a distribution agreement dated November 14, 1991, as amended and restated November 14, 2005, as amended ("Distribution Agreement"). The principal business address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.
The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act), and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, upon not more than 60 days' written notice by either party. The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.
DISTRIBUTION PLAN. The Distribution Plan (the "Plan") provides that Investor Class Shares of the Fund pay the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Investor Class Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor's affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, "Agents") as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") rules concerning sales charges.
The Trust has adopted the Plan in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or any agreements related to the Plan ("Qualified Trustees"). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING PLAN. The Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan (the "Service Plan") under which a shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.25% of average daily net assets of Investor Class Shares of the Fund will be paid to other service providers. Under the Service Plan, other service providers may perform, or may compensate other service providers for performing certain shareholder and administrative services as discussed below.
DESCRIPTION OF SHAREHOLDER SERVICES. Shareholder services may include: (i) maintaining accounts relating to clients that invest in shares; (ii) arranging for bank wires; (iii) responding to client inquiries relating to the services performed by the services provider; (iv) responding to inquiries from clients concerning their investment in shares; (v) assisting clients in changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; (vi) providing information periodically to clients showing their position in shares; (vii) forwarding shareholder communications from the Fund such as proxies, shareholder reports, annual reports, and dividend distribution and tax notices to clients; and (viii) processing dividend payments from the Fund on behalf of clients.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The Adviser and/or its affiliates, at their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, its service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Fund and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.
These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Fund, the Distributor or shareholders of the Fund through the financial intermediary's retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets. Payments may also be made through the financial intermediary's retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing the Fund in a financial intermediary's retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about the Fund; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.
The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.
Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of
Fund assets attributable to investments in the Fund by financial intermediaries customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.
THE TRANSFER AGENT
DST Systems, Inc., 333 W. 11th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105 (the "Transfer Agent"), serves as the Fund's transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent under a transfer agency agreement with the Trust.
THE CUSTODIAN
Union Bank, N.A., 350 California Street, 6th Floor, San Francisco, California 94104 (the "Custodian"), serves as the custodian of the Fund. The Custodian holds cash, securities and other assets of the Fund as required by the 1940 Act.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Ernst & Young LLP, One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 1701 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2921, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Fund described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trustees. The Board has approved contracts, as described above, under which certain companies provide essential management services to the Trust.
Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, Distributor and Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust's service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the funds. The funds and their service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust's business (e.g., the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the funds' service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Trustees' role in risk oversight begins before the inception of a fund, at which time certain of the fund's service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the fund. Additionally, the fund's adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the adviser and other service providers such as the fund's independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the funds may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the funds by the adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the advisory agreement with the adviser, the Board meets with the adviser to review
such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the adviser's adherence to the funds' investment restrictions and compliance with various fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the funds' investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules and reports on the adviser's use of derivatives in managing the funds, if any, as well as reports on the funds' investments in ETFs, if any.
The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and fund and adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the funds' service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. The Trust's Fair Value Pricing Committee makes regular reports to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the funds' financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the funds and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the funds' internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees fund management's implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust's internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust's financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust's financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the funds can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the funds' goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the funds' investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the funds' adviser and other service providers each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the funds' and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. There are ten members of the Board of Trustees, eight of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act ("independent Trustees"). Robert Nesher, an interested person of the Trust, serves as Chairman of the Board. George Sullivan, an independent Trustee, serves as the lead independent Trustee. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent Trustees constitute a super-majority (75%) of the Board, the fact that the chairperson of each Committee of the Board is an independent Trustee, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds (and classes of shares) overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the independent Trustees from fund management.
The Board of Trustees has three standing committees: the Audit Committee, Governance Committee and Fair Value Pricing Committee. The Audit Committee and Governance Committee are chaired by an independent Trustee and composed of all of the independent Trustees. In addition, the Board of Trustees has a lead independent Trustee.
In his role as lead independent Trustee, Mr. Sullivan, among other things:
presides over board meetings in the absence of the Chairman of the Board;
presides over executive sessions of the independent Trustees; along with the
Chairman of the Board, oversees the development of agendas for Board meetings;
facilitates communication between the independent Trustees and management, and
among the independent Trustees; serves as a key point person for dealings
between the independent Trustees and management; and has such other
responsibilities as the Board or independent Trustees determine from time to
time.
Set forth below are the names, dates of birth, position with the Trust, length of term of office, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee of the Trust. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each Trustee is SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POSITION WITH TRUST AND NAME AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD DATE OF BIRTH OF TERM IN THE PAST 5 YEARS IN THE PAST 5 YEARS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERESTED TRUSTEES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Nesher Chairman of the SEI employee 1974 to Current Directorships: Trustee of The (08/17/46) Board of Trustees(1) present; currently Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, (since 1991) performs various Bishop Street Funds, SEI Daily services on behalf of Income Trust, SEI Institutional SEI Investments for International Trust, SEI Institutional which Mr. Nesher is Investments Trust, SEI Institutional compensated. President Managed Trust, SEI Liquid Asset and Director of SEI Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Structured Credit Fund, Tax Exempt Trust and Adviser LP. President and Chief Managed Trust. President and Executive Officer of Director of SEI Structured Credit SEI Alpha Strategy Fund, L.P. Director of SEI Global Portfolios, LP, June Master Fund plc, SEI Global Assets 2007 to present. Fund plc, SEI Global Investments President and Director Fund plc, SEI Investments--Global of SEI Opportunity Funds Services, Limited, SEI Fund, L.P. to 2010. Investments Global, Limited, SEI Investments (Europe) Ltd., SEI Investments--Unit Trust Management (UK) Limited, SEI Multi-Strategy Funds PLC, SEI Global Nominee Ltd. and SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP. Former Directorships: Director of SEI Opportunity Fund, L.P. to 2010. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William M. Doran Trustee(1) Self-Employed Current Directorships: Trustee of The (05/26/40) (since 1992) Consultant since 2003. Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, Partner at Morgan, Bishop Street Funds, SEI Daily Lewis & Bockius LLP Income Trust, SEI Institutional (law firm) from 1976 to International Trust, SEI Institutional 2003. Counsel to the Investments Trust, SEI Institutional Trust, SEI Investments, Managed Trust, SEI Liquid Asset SIMC, the Administrator Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust and and the Distributor. SEI Tax Exempt Trust and Adviser Managed Trust. Director of SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP. Director of SEI Investments (Europe), Limited, SEI Investments--Global Funds Services, Limited, SEI Investments Global, Limited, SEI Investments (Asia), Limited and SEI Asset Korea Co., Ltd., SEI Global Nominee Ltd. and SEI Investments -- Unit Trust Management (UK) Limited. Director of the Distributor since 2003. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POSITION WITH TRUST AND NAME AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD DATE OF BIRTH OF TERM IN THE PAST 5 YEARS IN THE PAST 5 YEARS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Charles E. Carlbom Trustee Self-Employed Business Current Directorships: Trustee of The (08/20/34) (since 2005) Consultant, Business Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II and Projects Inc. since 1997. Bishop Street Funds; Director of Oregon Transfer Co. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John K. Darr Trustee Retired. CEO, Office of Current Directorships: Trustee of The (08/17/44) (since 2008) Finance, Federal Home Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II and Loan Bank, from 1992 to Bishop Street Funds. Director of 2007. Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh and Manna, Inc. (non- profit developer of affordable housing for ownership). Director of Meals on Wheels, Lewes/Rehoboth Beach. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph T. Grause, Jr. Trustee Self Employed Current Directorships: Trustee of The (05/28/52) (since 2011) Consultant since January Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II and 2012; Director of Bishop Street Funds. Endowments and Foundations, Morningstar Investment Management, Morningstar, Inc., February 2010 to May 2011; Director of International Consulting and Chief Executive Officer of Morningstar Associates Europe Limited, Morningstar, Inc., May 2007 to February 2010; Country Manager -- Morningstar UK Limited, Morningstar, Inc., June 2005 to May 2007. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mitchell A. Johnson Trustee Retired. Private Investor Current Directorships: Trustee of The (03/01/42) (since 2005) since 1994. Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Liquid Asset Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust and SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP and Adviser Managed Trust. Director, Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac) since 1997. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POSITION WITH TRUST AND NAME AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD DATE OF BIRTH OF TERM IN THE PAST 5 YEARS IN THE PAST 5 YEARS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Betty L. Krikorian Trustee Vice President, Current Directorships: Trustee of The (01/23/43) (since 2005) Compliance, AARP Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II and Financial Inc. from 2008 Bishop Street Funds. to 2010. Self-Employed Legal and Financial Services Consultant since 2003. Counsel (in-house) for State Street Bank from 1995 to 2003. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bruce Speca Trustee Global Head of Asset Current Directorships: Trustee of The (02/12/56) (since 2011) Allocation, Manulife Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II and Asset Management Bishop Street Funds. (subsidiary of Manulife Financial), June 2010 to May 2011; Executive Vice President -- Investment Management Services, John Hancock Financial Services (subsidiary of Manulife Financial), June 2003 to June 2010. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- James M. Storey Trustee Attorney, Solo Current Directorships: (04/12/31) (since 1994) Practitioner since 1994. Trustee/Director of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds and U.S. Charitable Gift Trust. Trustee of SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Liquid Asset Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust and SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, L.P. until December 2010. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POSITION WITH TRUST AND NAME AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD DATE OF BIRTH OF TERM IN THE PAST 5 YEARS IN THE PAST 5 YEARS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George J. Sullivan, Jr. Trustee Retired since January Current Directorships: Trustee/ (11/13/42) (since 1999) 2012. Self-employed Director of State Street Navigator Consultant, Newfound Securities Lending Trust, The Consultants Inc. April Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, 1997 to December 2011. Bishop Street Funds, SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Liquid Asset Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust and SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP and Adviser Managed Trust; member of the independent review committee for SEI's Canadian- registered mutual funds. Former Directorships: Director of SEI Opportunity Fund, L.P. to 2010. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
(1) Denotes Trustees who may be deemed to be "interested" persons of the Fund as that term is defined in the 1940 Act by virtue of their affiliation with the Distributor and/or its affiliates.
INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE QUALIFICATIONS
The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Fund provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund's shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on their own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Nesher should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained in his various roles with SEI Investments Company, which he joined in 1974, his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Trust since 1991.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Doran should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained serving as a Partner in the Investment Management and Securities Industry Practice of a large law firm, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Trust since 1991.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Carlbom should serve as Trustee because of the business experience he gained as President and CEO of a large distribution cooperative and Chairman of a consulting company, his knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Trust since 2005.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Darr should serve as Trustee because of his background in economics, the business experience he gained in a variety of roles with different financial and banking institutions and as a founder of a money management firm, his knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Trust since 2008.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Grause should serve as Trustee because of the knowledge and experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with different financial institutions, his knowledge of the mutual fund and investment management industries and his past experience as an interested trustee and chair of the investment committee for a multi-managed investment company.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Johnson should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained as a senior vice president, corporate finance, of a Fortune 500 company, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services and banking industries, the experience he gained serving as a director of other mutual funds, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Trust since 2005.
The Trust has concluded that Ms. Krikorian should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained serving as a legal and financial services consultant, in-house counsel to a large custodian bank and Vice President of Compliance of an investment adviser, her background in fiduciary and banking law, her experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience she has gained serving as trustee of the Trust since 2005.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Speca should serve as Trustee because of the knowledge and experience he gained serving as president of a mutual fund company and portfolio manager for a $95 billion complex of asset allocation funds, and his over 25 years of experience working in a management capacity with mutual fund boards.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Storey should serve as Trustee because of the mutual fund governance experience he gained as an Investment Management attorney, both in private practice and with the SEC, his background serving as counsel to numerous mutual fund boards of trustees, his knowledge of the 1940 Act, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Trust since 1994.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Sullivan should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained as a certified public accountant and financial consultant, his experience in and knowledge of public company accounting and auditing
and the financial services industry, the experience he gained as an officer of a large financial services firm in its operations department and his experience from serving as trustee of the Trust since 1999.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board's overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.
BOARD COMMITTEES. The Board has established the following standing committees:
o AUDIT COMMITTEE. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as each fund's independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm's compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm's independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by each fund's independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm's opinion, any related management letter, management's responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust's Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management's responses to any such reports; reviewing each fund's audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust's management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust's senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms' reports on the adequacy of the Trust's internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with each fund's independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing each fund's financial statements; and other audit related matters. Messrs. Carlbom, Darr, Grause, Johnson, Speca, Storey, Sullivan and Ms. Krikorian currently serve as members of the Audit Committee. Mr. Sullivan serves as the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met four (4) times during the most recently completed fiscal year.
o FAIR VALUE PRICING COMMITTEE. The Board has a standing Fair Value Pricing Committee that is composed of at least one Trustee and various representatives of the Trust's service providers, as appointed by the Board. The Fair Value Pricing Committee operates under procedures approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Fair Value Pricing Committee is to determine the fair value of securities for which current market quotations are not readily available. The Fair Value Pricing Committee's determinations are reviewed by the Board. Mr. Nesher, interested trustee, currently serves as the Board's delegate on the Fair Value Pricing Committee. The Fair Value Pricing Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met twenty-two (22) times during the most recently completed fiscal year.
o GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. The Board has a standing Governance Committee (formerly the Nominating Committee) that is composed of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust. The Governance Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Governance Committee include: considering and reviewing Board governance and compensation issues; conducting a self- assessment of the Board's operations; selecting and nominating all persons to serve as Independent Trustees and evaluating the qualifications of "interested" Trustee candidates; and reviewing shareholder recommendations for nominations to fill vacancies on the Board if such recommendations are submitted in writing and addressed to the Committee at the Trust's office. Ms. Krikorian and Messrs. Carlbom, Darr, Grause, Johnson, Speca, Storey and Sullivan, currently serve as members of the Governance Committee. Ms. Krikorian serves as the Chairman of
the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met three (3) times during the most recently completed fiscal year.
FUND SHARES OWNED BY BOARD MEMBERS. The following table shows the dollar amount range of each Trustee's "beneficial ownership" of shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. The Trustees and officers of the Trust own less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOLLAR RANGE OF FUND SHARES AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF SHARES NAME (FUND)(1) (ALL FUNDS IN FUND COMPLEX) (2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERESTED TRUSTEES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Doran None None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nesher None None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Carlbom None None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Darr None None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Grause None None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Johnson None None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Krikorian None None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Speca None None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Storey None None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sullivan None None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
1 Valuation date is December 31, 2011.
2 The Trust is the only investment company in the "Fund Complex."
BOARD COMPENSATION. The Trust paid the following fees to the Trustees during its most recently completed fiscal year.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PENSION OR RETIREMENT ESTIMATED ANNUAL TOTAL COMPENSATION AGGREGATE BENEFITS ACCRUED AS PART BENEFITS UPON FROM THE NAME COMPENSATION OF FUND EXPENSES RETIREMENT TRUST AND FUND COMPLEX(1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERESTED TRUSTEES Doran $0 n/a n/a $0 for service on one (1) board Nesher $0 n/a n/a $0 for service on one (1) board INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES Carlbom $47,719 n/a n/a $47,719 for service on one (1) board Darr $47,719 n/a n/a $47,719 for service on one (1) board Grause n/a(2) n/a n/a n/a(2) Johnson $47,719 n/a n/a $47,719 for service on one (1) board Krikorian $47,719 n/a n/a $47,719 for service on one (1) board Speca n/a(2) n/a(2) Storey $47,719 n/a n/a $47,719 for service on one (1) board Sullivan $47,719 n/a n/a $47,719 for service on one (1) board |
1 The Trust is the only investment company in the "Fund Complex."
2 Joined the Board of Trustees on November 17, 2011.
TRUST OFFICERS. Set forth below are the names, dates of birth, position with the Trust and the principal occupations for the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as the Executive Officers of the Trust. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each officer is SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Chief Compliance Officer is the only officer who receives compensation from the Trust for his services. Certain officers of the Trust also serve as officers of one or more mutual funds for which SEI Investments Company or its affiliates act as investment manager, administrator or distributor.
NAME AND POSITION WITH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS IN PAST 5 YEARS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD IN DATE OF BIRTH TRUST AND LENGTH THE PAST 5 YEARS OF TERM --------------- ---------------- -------------------------------------- ------------------------------- Michael Beattie President Director of Client Service at SEI from None. (03/13/65) (since 2011) 2004 to 2011. Vice President at SEI from 2009 to November 2011. --------------- ---------------- -------------------------------------- ------------------------------- Michael Lawson Treasurer, Director, SEI Investments, Fund None. (10/08/60) Controller and Accounting since July 2005. Manager, Chief Financial SEI Investments, Fund Accounting at Officer SEI Investments AVP from April 1995 (since 2005) to February 1998 and November 1998 to July 2005. -------------- ------------------- ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- Russell Emery Chief Compliance Chief Compliance Officer of SEI None. (12/18/62) Officer Structured Credit Fund, LP and SEI (since 2006) Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP since June 2007. Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Opportunity Fund, L.P., SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Liquid Asset Trust and SEI Tax Exempt Trust since March 2006. Director of Investment Product Management and Development, SEI Investments, since February 2003; Senior Investment Analyst -- Equity Team, SEI Investments, from March 2000 to February 2003. -------------- ------------------- ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- Timothy D. Vice President and General Counsel and Secretary of SIMC None. Barto Assistant Secretary and the Administrator since 2004. Vice (03/28/68) (since 1999) President of SIMC and the Administrator since 1999. Vice President and Assistant Secretary of SEI Investments since 2001. Assistant Secretary of SIMC, the Administrator and the Distributor, and Vice President of the Distributor from 1999 to 2003. -------------- ------------------- ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- Dianne M. Vice President Counsel at SEI Investments since 2010. None. Sulzbach and Secretary Associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius (07/18/77) (since 2011) LLP from 2006 to 2010. Associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP from 2003 to 2006. Associate at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP from 2002 to 2003. -------------- ------------------- ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- Keri Rohn Privacy Officer Compliance Officer at SEI Investments None. (8/24/80) (since 2009) since 2003. AML Officer (since 2011) ------------- -------------------- ----------------------------------------- --------------------------- |
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Purchases and redemptions may be made through the Transfer Agent on any day the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business. Shares of the Fund are offered and redeemed on a continuous basis. Currently, the Trust is closed for business when the following holidays are observed: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It is currently the Trust's policy to pay all redemptions in cash. The Trust retains the right, however, to alter this policy to provide for redemptions in whole or in part by a distribution in-kind of securities held by the Fund in lieu of cash. Shareholders may incur brokerage charges on the sale of any such securities so received in payment of redemptions. A shareholder will at all times be entitled to aggregate cash redemptions from all funds of the Trust up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Trust's net assets during any 90-day period. The Trust has obtained an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Trust to make in-kind redemptions to those shareholders of the Trust that are affiliated with the Trust solely by their ownership of a certain percentage of the Trust's investment portfolios.
The Trust reserves the right to suspend the right of redemption and/or to postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period on which trading on the NYSE is restricted, or during the existence of an emergency (as determined by the SEC by rule or regulation) as a result of which disposal or valuation of the Fund's securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC has by order permitted. The Trust also reserves the right to suspend sales of shares of the Fund for any period during which the NYSE, the Adviser, the Administrator, the Transfer Agent and/or the Custodian are not open for business.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
GENERAL POLICY. The Fund adheres to Section 2(a)(41), and Rule 2a-4 thereunder, of the 1940 Act with respect to the valuation of portfolio securities. In general, securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at current market value, and all other securities are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board. In complying with the 1940 Act, the Trust relies on guidance provided by the SEC and by the SEC staff in various interpretive letters and other guidance.
EQUITY SECURITIES. Securities listed on a securities exchange, market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued at the last quoted sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded on valuation date (or at approximately 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, if a security's primary exchange is normally open at that time), or, if there is no such reported sale on the valuation date, at the most recent quoted bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of the Fund's pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Board.
MONEY MARKET SECURITIES AND OTHER DEBT SECURITIES. If available, money market securities and other debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by recognized independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Such methodologies generally consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, call features, ratings and developments relating to specific securities in arriving at valuations. Money market securities and other debt securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value. If such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of the Fund's pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Trust's Board.
USE OF THIRD-PARTY INDEPENDENT PRICING AGENTS. Pursuant to contracts with the Trust's Administrator, market prices for most securities held by the Fund are provided daily by third-party independent pricing agents that are approved by the
Board. The valuations provided by third-party independent pricing agents are reviewed daily by the Administrator.
TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain additional federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that is intended to supplement the discussion contained in the Fund's prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Fund's prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state and local tax liabilities.
This general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences is based on the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
Congress passed the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act on December 22, 2010 (the "RIC Mod Act") which makes certain beneficial changes for regulated investment companies under Subchapter M of the Code ("RICs") and their shareholders, some of which are referenced below. In general, the RIC Mod Act contains simplification provisions effective for taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010, which are aimed at preventing disqualification of a RIC for "inadvertent" failures of the asset diversification and/or qualifying income tests. Additionally, the RIC Mod Act allows capital losses to be carried forward indefinitely, and retain the character of the original loss, exempts certain RICs from the preferential dividend rule, and repealed the 60-day designation requirement for certain types of income and gains.
QUALIFICATIONS AS A REGULATED INVESTMENT COMPANY ("RIC"). The Fund intends to qualify and elect to be treated as a RIC. By following such a policy, the Fund expects to eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal taxes to which they may be subject. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.
In order to be taxable as a RIC, the Fund must distribute at least 90% of their net investment income (which, includes dividends, taxable interest, and the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, less operating expenses) and at least 90% of its net tax exempt interest income, for each tax year, if any, to its shareholders and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Fund's gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, or certain other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stocks, securities, or currencies, and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership (the "90% Test"); (ii) at the close of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (iii) at the close of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year, not more than 25% of the value of the Fund's assets may be invested in securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or the securities (other than the securities of another RIC) of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or business, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the "Diversification Test"). Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of their net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed.
If a Fund fails to satisfy the qualifying income or diversification requirements in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the diversification requirements where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period. In the event of a
failure by a Fund to qualify as a RIC, and relief provisions are not available, the Fund's distributions, to the extent such distributions are derived from the Fund's current or accumulated earnings and profits, would constitute dividends that would be taxable to the shareholders of the Fund as ordinary income and would be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and as qualified dividend income (for tax years ending prior to December 31, 2012) for individual shareholders, subject to certain limitations. This treatment would also apply to any portion of the distributions that might have been treated in the shareholder's hands as long-term capital gains, as discussed below, had the Fund qualified as a RIC. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.
FEDERAL EXCISE TAX. If the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year at least 98% of its ordinary income for the year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income (the excess of short- and long-term capital gains over short- and long-term capital losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of that year (and any retained amount from the prior calendar year on which the Fund paid no federal income tax), the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% Federal excise tax on the undistributed amounts. The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions to avoid imposition of this tax, or to retain, at most their net capital gains and pay tax thereon.
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS. The Fund may derive capital gains and losses in connection with sales or other dispositions of their portfolio of securities. Distributions of net short-term capital gains will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of net long-term capital gains will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain regardless of how long you have held your shares. Distributions of dividends will be taxed as ordinary income except that distributions of qualified dividend income will be taxed at the lower capital gains rates available for individual shareholders.
The Fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, at the time they are paid and will advise you of their tax status for federal income tax purposes shortly after the close of each calendar year. If you have not held Fund shares for a full year, the Fund may designate and distribute to you, as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gain, a percentage of income that is not equal to the actual amount of such income earned during the period of your investment in the Fund.
If the Fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.
The Fund may invest in complex securities. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund's ability to recognize losses. In turn, those rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by the Fund.
In certain cases, the Fund will be required to withhold at the applicable withholding rate, and remit to the United States Treasury, back up withholding on any distributions paid to a shareholder who (1) has failed to provide a correct taxpayer identification number, (2) is subject to backup withholding by the Internal Revenue Service, (3) has not certified to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (4) has failed to certify that he or she is a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien.
In the case of corporate shareholders, Fund distributions (other than capital gains distributions) generally qualify for the dividend-received deduction to the extent such distributions are so designated and do not exceed the gross amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund for the year. Generally, and subject to certain limitations (including certain holding period limitations), a dividend will be treated as a qualifying dividend if it has been received from a domestic corporation. All such qualifying dividends (including the deducted portion) must be included in your alternative minimum taxable income calculation.
Certain distributions from the Fund may qualify as qualified dividend income. Qualified dividend income distributed to an individual is taxable at the lower, long-term capital gains rates. A distribution from the Fund generally qualifies as qualified dividend income to the extent it is designated as such by the Fund and was distributed from dividends received by the Fund from taxable domestic corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations, subject to limitations including holding period limitations, imposed on the Fund and its shareholders. Absent further legislation, the lower, long-term capital gain rates on qualified dividend income will not apply to dividends received in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012.
With respect to investments in STRIPS, TRs and other zero coupon securities which are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments, the Fund will be required to include as part of its current income the imputed interest on such obligations even though the Fund has not received any interest payments on such obligations during that period. Because the Fund distributes all of its net investment income to its shareholders, the Fund may have to sell Fund securities to distribute such imputed income which may occur at a time when the Adviser would not have chosen to sell such securities and which may result in taxable gain or loss.
The status of the swap agreements and other commodity-linked derivative instruments under tests to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code has been recently addressed in Revenue Ruling 2006-1 and Revenue Ruling 2006-31 which provide that income from commodity-linked swaps in which the Fund invests will not be considered qualifying income as of September 30, 2006. As a result, the Fund will therefore restrict their income from commodity-linked swaps (when combined with its other investments that produce non-qualifying income) to be less than 10 percent of its gross income under the 90% Test.
The Fund intends to invest in certain MLPs which may be treated as qualified publicly traded partnerships. Income from qualified publicly traded partnerships is qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Test, but the Fund's investment in one or more of such qualified publicly traded partnerships is limited under the Diversification test to no more than 25% of the value of the Fund's assets. The Fund will monitor its investment in such qualified publicly traded partnerships in order to ensure compliance with the 90% Test.
The Fund intends to invest in certain royalty trusts. The taxation of a royalty trust for U.S. tax purposes depends on the particular structure used by such trust and may be different from trust to trust. For example, some royalty trusts are taxable for U.S. tax purposes as grantor trusts, while others are taxable as corporations for U.S. tax purposes. The Fund will monitor its investment in such royalty trusts in order to ensure compliance with the 90% Test.
There may be uncertainty regarding the Fund's compliance with the 90% Test because it depends on the amount and character of income it receives. As a result, the Fund may fail to qualify as a RIC in a given tax year in which it fails the 90% Test or the Diversification Test. See discussion regarding the consequences of failing to qualify as a RIC above.
If the Fund owns shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as "passive foreign investment companies" or "PFIC," the Fund will be subject to one of the following special tax regimes: (i) the Fund will be liable for federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any "excess distribution" from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders; (ii) if the Fund is able and elect to treat a PFIC as a "qualifying electing fund" or "QEF," the Fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the Funds' pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the PFIC, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the Fund; or (iii) annually the Fund may be entitled to mark-to-market shares of the PFIC, and in such event, would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above.
The Fund may invest in REITs. Investments in REIT equity securities may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold.
The Fund's investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in the Fund's receipt of cash in excess of the REIT's earnings if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT generally will not constitute qualified dividend income and will not qualify for the dividends received deduction.
Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI"). Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of an investment in the Fund where, for example, (i) the Fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs") or (ii) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the Fund. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisors. There are no restrictions preventing the Fund from holding investments in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs, and the Fund may do so. The Internal Revenue Service has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors regarding these issues.
Recent legislation effective beginning in 2013 provides that U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) will be subject to a new 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of the Fund).
FOREIGN TAXES. Dividends and interest received by the Fund may be subject to income, withholding or other taxes imposed by foreign countries and United States possessions that would reduce the yield on the Fund's securities. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate these taxes. Foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on capital gains with respect to investments by foreign investors. If more than 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stock or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund will be eligible to, and will, file an election with the Internal Revenue Service that will enable shareholders, in effect, to receive the benefit of the foreign tax credit with respect to any foreign and United States possessions income taxes paid by the Fund. Pursuant to the election, the Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating the foreign tax credit (subject to significant limitations) against the shareholder's federal income tax. If the Fund makes the election, it will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Fund's income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and United States possessions. Foreign tax credits, if any, received by the Fund as a result of an investment in an ETF which is taxable as a RIC will not be passed through to you.
Most foreign exchange gains realized on the sale of debt securities are treated as ordinary income by the Fund. Similarly, foreign exchange losses realized by the Fund on the sale of debt securities are generally treated as ordinary losses by the Fund. These gains when distributed will be taxed to you as ordinary dividends, and any losses will reduce the Fund's ordinary income otherwise available for distribution to you. This treatment could increase or reduce a Fund's ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the Fund's previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital.
SALES, EXCHANGES, OR REDEMPTIONS. Any gain or loss recognized on a sale, exchange, or redemption of shares of the Fund by a shareholder who is not a dealer in securities will generally, for individual shareholders, be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than twelve months and otherwise will be treated as a short-term capital gain or loss. However, if shares on which a shareholder has received a net capital gain distribution are subsequently sold, exchanged, or redeemed and such shares have been held for six months or less, any loss recognized
will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the net capital gain distribution. In addition, the loss realized on a sale or other disposition of shares will be disallowed to the extent a shareholder repurchases (or enters into a contract to or option to repurchase) shares within a period of 61 days (beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares). This loss disallowance rule will apply to shares received through the reinvestment of dividends during the 61-day period.
Legislation passed by Congress in 2008 requires the Funds (or their administrative agent) to report to the Internal Revenue Services ("IRS") and furnish to Fund shareholders the cost basis information for Fund shares purchased on or after January 1, 2012, and sold on or after that date. In addition to the present law requirement to report the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, the Funds will also be required to report the cost basis information for such shares and indicate whether these shares had a short-term or long-term holding period. For each sale of Fund shares the Funds will permit Fund shareholders to elect from among several IRS-accepted cost basis methods, including the average basis. In the absence of an election, the Funds will use the average basis method as their default cost basis method. The cost basis method elected by the Fund shareholder (or the cost basis method applied by default) for each sale of Fund shares may not be changed after the settlement date of each such sale of Fund shares. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the new cost basis reporting law applies to them. The current law requirement to report only the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares will continue to apply to all Fund shares acquired through December 31, 2011, and sold on and after that date.
Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if an individual shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more or a corporate shareholder recognizes a loss of $10 million or more, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC such as the Fund are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
STATE TAXES. The Fund is not liable for any income or franchise tax in Massachusetts if they qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. Distributions by the Fund to shareholders and the ownership of shares may be subject to state and local taxes. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding state and local taxes applicable to an investment in the Fund.
Many states grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment requirements that must be met by a fund. Investment in Ginnie Mae or Fannie Mae securities, banker's acceptances, commercial paper, and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities do not generally qualify for such tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporate shareholders.
FUND TRANSACTIONS
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS. Generally, equity securities, both listed and over-the-counter, are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer's mark-up or reflect a dealer's mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, the Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer's mark up or reflect a dealer's mark down. When the Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, they will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.
In addition, the Adviser may place a combined order for two or more accounts it manages, including the Fund, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or the Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Adviser that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions. Nonetheless, the Adviser believes that the ability of the Fund to participate in higher volume transactions will generally be beneficial to the Fund.
BROKERAGE SELECTION. The Trust does not expect to use one particular broker or dealer, and when one or more brokers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Fund's Adviser may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to the Adviser. The Adviser may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for such services only if a good faith determination is made that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.
Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, the Adviser may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the Adviser believes that access to independent investment research is beneficial to their investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Fund.
To the extent research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the Adviser might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Adviser may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used by the Adviser in connection with the Fund or any other specific client account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the Adviser will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Fund's Adviser under the Advisory Agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.
In some cases the Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, the Adviser makes a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.
From time to time, the Fund may purchase new issues of securities for clients in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the adviser with research services. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research "credits" in these situations
at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary
market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of
Section 28(e).
BROKERAGE WITH FUND AFFILIATES. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of either the Fund, the Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed "usual and customary" brokerage commissions. The rules define "usual and customary" commissions to include amounts which are "reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time." The Trustees, including those who are not "interested persons" of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
Securities of "Regular Broker-Dealers." The Fund is required to identify any securities of its "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which the Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. Because the Fund is new, as of the date of this SAI, the Fund does not hold any securities of "regular brokers and dealers."
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATES. Portfolio turnover rate is defined under SEC rules as the greater of the value of the securities purchased or securities sold, excluding all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one-year or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this definition, instruments with remaining maturities of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include the futures contracts in which the Fund may invest since such contracts generally have remaining maturities of less than one-year. The Fund may at times hold investments in other short-term instruments, such as repurchase agreements, which are excluded for purposes of computing portfolio turnover.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Board has approved a policy and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances regarding the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information to shareholders and third parties. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information regarding the Fund's portfolio securities is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, and include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the Fund's shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Fund's Adviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person of the Fund, its Adviser, or its principal underwriter, on the other. Pursuant to such procedures, the Board has authorized the Adviser's Chief Compliance Officer (the "Authorized Person") to authorize the release of the Fund's portfolio holdings, as necessary, in conformity with the foregoing principles. The Authorized Person reports at least quarterly to the Board regarding the implementation of such policies and procedures.
Pursuant to applicable law, the Fund is required to disclose its complete portfolio holdings quarterly, within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter (currently, each October 31, January 31, April 30 and July 31). The Fund discloses a complete schedule of investments in each Semi-Annual Report and Annual Report to Fund shareholders or, following the first and third fiscal quarters, in quarterly holdings reports filed with the SEC on Form N-Q. Semi-Annual and Annual Reports are distributed to Fund shareholders. Quarterly holdings reports filed with the SEC on Form N-Q are not distributed to Fund shareholders, but are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC's website at WWW.SEC.GOV. The Fund will post its top ten holdings within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter on the internet at http://www.hamlincm.com/mutualfund.
The Fund's policies and procedures provide that the Authorized Persons, may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings information to third parties at differing times and/or with different lag times then the information posted to the internet; provided that the recipient is, either by contractual agreement or otherwise by law, (i) required to maintain the confidentiality of the information and (ii) prohibited from using the information to facilitate or assist in any securities
transactions or investment program. No compensation or other consideration is paid to or received by any party in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information, including the Fund, Adviser and its affiliates or recipient of the Fund's portfolio holdings information. The Fund will review a third party's request for portfolio holdings information to determine whether the third party has legitimate business objectives in requesting such information.
The Trust's policies and procedures prohibit any compensation or other consideration from being paid to or received by any party in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information, including the Fund, Adviser and its affiliates or recipient of the Fund's portfolio holdings information.
In addition, the Fund's service providers, such as the Custodian, Administrator and Transfer Agent, may receive portfolio holdings information as frequently as daily in connection with their services to the Fund. In addition to any contractual provisions relating to confidentiality of information that may be included in the service providers contract with the Trust, these arrangements impose obligations on the Fund's service providers that would prohibit them from disclosing or trading on the Fund's non-public information. Financial printers and pricing information vendors may receive portfolio holdings information, as necessary, in connection with their services to the Fund.
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and shares of each fund, each of which represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund with each other share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees of the Trust may create additional series or class of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing shares will not be issued. The Fund's shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
SHAREHOLDER LIABILITY
The Trust is an entity of the type commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for the obligations of the Trust. Even if, however, the Trust were held to be a partnership, the possibility of the shareholders incurring financial loss for that reason appears remote because the Trust's Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees, and because the Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of the Trust property for any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY
The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful defaults and, if reasonable care has been exercised in the selection of officers, agents, employees or investment advisers, shall not be liable for any neglect or wrongdoing of any such person. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with actual or threatened litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust unless it is determined in the manner provided in the Declaration of Trust that they have not acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that their actions were in the best interests of the Trust. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee's individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
PROXY VOTING
The Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Adviser. The Adviser will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are included in Appendix B to this SAI. The Board will periodically review the Fund's proxy voting record.
The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund's complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. A description of the policies and procedures that the Adviser uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities, as well as information relating to how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, is available on Form N-PX: (i) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-855-HHD-FUND and (ii) on the SEC's website at HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV.
CODE OF ETHICS
The Board on behalf of the Trust has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Adviser, the Administrator and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, officers and certain employees ("Access Persons"). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by Access Persons. Under each Code of Ethics, Access Persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. Access Persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions in securities that are held by the Fund, subject to certain restrictions. In addition, certain Access Persons are required to obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements or are prohibited from making such investments. Copies of the Trust, Adviser and Distributor Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC, and are available to the public.
5% AND 25% SHAREHOLDERS
Because the Fund is new, as of the date of this SAI, the Fund does not have any beneficial owners to report.
APPENDIX A -- DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
RATINGS
The following descriptions are summaries of published ratings.
DESCRIPTION OF COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS
A-1 This is the highest category by Standard and Poor's (S&P) and indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation. A-2 Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory and the obligation is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. PRIME-1 Issues rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) by Moody's have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics: - Leading market positions in well-established industries. - High rates of return on funds employed. - Conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection. - Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation. - Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity. |
The rating F1 (Highest Credit Quality) is the highest commercial rating assigned by Fitch Inc. Paper rated F1 is regarded as having the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. The rating F2 (Good Credit Quality) is the second highest commercial paper rating assigned by Fitch Inc., which reflects a satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.
The rating TBW-1 by Thomson BankWatch ("Thomson") indicates a very high likelihood that principal and interest will be paid on a timely basis.
DESCRIPTION OF MUNICIPAL NOTE RATINGS
MOODY'S SHORT-TERM MIG/VMIG RATINGS - US TAX-EXEMPT MUNICIPALS. There are four rating categories for short-term obligations that define an investment grade situation. These are designated Moody's Investment Grade as MIG 1 (best quality) through MIG 4 (adequate quality). Short-term obligations of speculative quality are designated SG.
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned. The first element represents an evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments, and the other represents an evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the demand feature. The short-term rating assigned to the demand feature of VRDOs is designated as VMIG. When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1.
Issues that are subject to a periodic reoffer and resale in the secondary market in a "dutch auction" are assigned a long-term rating based only on Moody's assessment of the ability and willingness of the issuer to make timely principal and interest payments. Moody's expresses no opinion as to the ability of the holder to sell the security in a secondary market "dutch auction." Such issues are identified by the insertion of the words "dutch auction" into the name of the issue.
Issues or the features associated with MIG or VMIG ratings are identified by date of issue, date of maturity or maturities or rating expiration date and description to distinguish each rating from other ratings. Each rating designation is unique with no implication as to any other similar issue of the same obligor. MIG ratings terminate at the retirement of the obligation while VMIG rating expiration will be a function of each issue's specific structural or credit features.
MIG 1/VMIG 1 This designation denotes best quality. There is present strong protection by established cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. MIG 2/VMIG 2 This designation denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the preceding group. MIG 3/VMIG 3 This designation denotes favorable quality. All security elements are accounted for but there is lacking the undeniable strength of the preceding grades. Liquidity and cash flow protection may be narrow and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well established. MIG 4/VMIG 4 This designation denotes adequate quality. Protection commonly regarded as required of an investment security is present and although not distinctly or predominantly speculative, there is specific risk. SG This designation denotes speculative quality. Debt instruments in this category lack margins of protection. |
An S&P note rating reflects the liquidity concerns and market access risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following criteria will be used in making that assessment:
- Amortization Schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note, and
- Source of Payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
S&P note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1 Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. Those issues determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay a debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2 Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the votes.
DESCRIPTION OF CORPORATE BOND RATINGS
S&P
Bonds rated AAA have the highest rating S&P assigns to a debt obligation. Such a rating indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay principal and interest. Bonds rated AA also qualify as high-quality debt obligations. Capacity to pay principal and interest is very strong, and in the majority of instances they differ from AAA issues only in small degree. Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.
Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category than in higher rated categories. Debt rated BB and B is regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest degree of speculation. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions. Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative grade debt. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BBB- rating. Debt rate B has greater vulnerability to default but presently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions would likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The B rating category also is used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BB or BB- rating.
MOODY'S
Baa Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations; i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well-assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate, and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.
B Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.
Caa Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.
Ca Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
C Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds, and issues so
rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any
real investment standing.
Moody's bond ratings, where specified, are applicable to financial contracts,
senior bank obligations and insurance company senior policyholder and claims
obligations with an original maturity in excess of one year. Obligations
relying upon support mechanisms such as letters-of-credit and bonds of
indemnity are excluded unless explicitly rated. Obligations of a branch of a
bank are considered to be domiciled in the country in which the branch is
located.
Unless noted as an exception, Moody's rating on a bank's ability to repay senior obligations extends only to branches located in countries which carry a Moody's Sovereign Rating for Bank Deposits. Such branch obligations are rated at the lower of the bank's rating or Moody's Sovereign Rating for the Bank Deposits for the country in which the branch is located. When the currency in which an obligation is denominated is not the same as the currency of the country in which the obligation is domiciled, Moody's ratings do not incorporate an opinion as to whether payment of the obligation will be affected by the actions of the government controlling the currency of denomination. In addition, risk associated with bilateral conflicts between an investor's home country and either the issuer's home country or the country where an issuer branch is located are not incorporated into Moody's ratings.
Moody's makes no representation that rated bank obligations or insurance company obligations are exempt from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 or issued in conformity with any other applicable law or regulation. Nor does Moody's represent any specific bank or insurance company obligation is legally enforceable or a valid senior obligation of a rated issuer.
Note: Moody's applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
Bonds that are rated Aaa by Moody's are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues. Bonds rated Aa by Moody's are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risk appear somewhat larger than the Aaa securities. Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment some time in the future.
Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations (i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well-assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and
thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class. Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.
Moody's bond ratings, where specified, are applied to financial contracts, senior bank obligations and insurance company senior policyholder and claims obligations with an original maturity in excess of one-year. Obligations relying upon support mechanisms such as letters-of-credit and bonds of indemnity are excluded unless explicitly rated.
Obligations of a branch of a bank are considered to be domiciled in the country in which the branch is located. Unless noted as an exception, Moody's rating on a bank's ability to repay senior obligations extends only to branches located in countries which carry a Moody's Sovereign Rating for Bank Deposits. Such branch obligations are rated at the lower of the bank's rating or Moody's Sovereign Rating for Bank Deposits for the country in which the branch is located.
When the currency in which an obligation is denominated is not the same as the currency of the country in which the obligation is domiciled, Moody's ratings do not incorporate an opinion as to whether payment of the obligation will be affected by actions of the government controlling the currency of denomination. In addition, risks associated with bilateral conflicts between an investor's home country and either the issuer's home country or the country where an issuer's branch is located are not incorporated into Moody's short-term debt ratings.
Moody's makes no representation that rated bank or insurance company obligations are exempt from the registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 or issued in conformity with any other applicable law or regulation. Nor does Moody's represent that any specific bank or insurance company obligation is legally enforceable or a valid senior obligation of a rated issuer.
If an issuer represents to Moody's that its short-term debt obligations are supported by the credit of another entity or entities, then the name or names of such supporting entity or entities are listed within the parenthesis beneath the name of the issuer, or there is a footnote referring the reader to another page for the name or names of the supporting entity or entities. In assigning ratings to such issuers, Moody's evaluates the financial strength of the affiliated corporations, commercial banks, insurance companies, foreign governments or other entities, but only as one factor in the total rating assessment. Moody's makes no representation and gives no opinion on the legal validity or enforceability of any support arrangement.
Moody's ratings are opinions, not recommendations to buy or sell, and their accuracy is not guaranteed. A rating should be weighed solely as one factor in an investment decision and you should make your own study and evaluation of any issuer whose securities or debt obligations you consider buying or selling.
FITCH INC. ("FITCH")
Bonds rated AAA by Fitch are judged by Fitch to be strictly high grade, broadly marketable, suitable for investment by trustees and fiduciary institutions liable to but slight market fluctuation other than through changes in the money rate. The prime feature of an AAA bond is a showing of earnings several times or many times interest requirements, with such stability of applicable earnings that safety is beyond reasonable question whatever changes occur in conditions. Bonds rated AA by Fitch are judged by Fitch to be of safety virtually beyond question and are readily salable, whose merits are not unlike those of the AAA class, but whose margin of safety is less strikingly broad. The issue may be the obligation of a small company, strongly secured but influenced as to rating by the lesser financial power of the enterprise and more local type market.
Bonds rated A are considered to be investment grade and of high credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be strong, but may be more vulnerable to adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances than bonds with higher ratings.
Bonds rated BBB are considered to be investment grade and of satisfactory credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be adequate. Adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances, however, are more likely to have adverse impact on these bonds, and therefore impair timely payment. The likelihood that the ratings of these bonds will fall below investment grade is higher than for bonds with higher ratings. Bonds rated BB are considered speculative. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal may be affected over time by adverse economic changes. However, business and financial alternatives can be identified which could assist the obligor in satisfying its debt service requirements. Bonds rated B are considered highly speculative. While bonds in this class are currently meeting debt service requirements, the probability of continued timely payment of principal and interest reflects the obligor's limited margin of safety and the need for reasonable business and economic activity throughout the life of the issue.
THOMSON
Bonds rated AAA by Thomson BankWatch indicate that the ability to repay principal and interest on a timely basis is extremely high. Bonds rated AA indicate a very strong ability to repay principal and interest on a timely basis, with limited incremental risk compared to issues rated in the highest category. Bonds rated A indicate the ability to repay principal and interest is strong. Issues rated A could be more vulnerable to adverse developments (both internal and external) than obligations with higher ratings.
Bonds rated BBB (the lowest investment-grade category) indicate an acceptable capacity to repay principal and interest. Issues rated "BBB" are, however, more vulnerable to adverse developments (both internal and external) than obligations with higher ratings.
While not investment grade, the BB rating suggests that the likelihood of default is considerably less than for lower-rated issues. However, there are significant uncertainties that could affect the ability to adequately service debt obligations. Issues rated B show a higher degree of uncertainty and therefore greater likelihood of default than higher-rated issues. Adverse developments could negatively affect the payment of interest and principal on a timely basis.
APPENDIX B --PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
HAMLIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
PROXY VOTING
Implementation Date: 2/1/2005
ISSUE
Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires every investment adviser to adopt and implement written policies and procedures, reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes proxies in the best interest of its clients. The Rule further requires the adviser to provide a concise summary of the adviser's proxy voting process and offer to provide copies of the complete proxy voting policy and procedures to clients upon request. Lastly, the Rule requires that the adviser disclose to clients how they may obtain information on how the adviser voted their proxies.
PROXY VOTING FOR HAMLIN SEPARATE ACCOUNT CLIENTS
Unless Hamlin directs otherwise in writing, Hamlin's separate account clients (the "Clients") shall be responsible for: (1) directing the manner in which proxies solicited by issuers of securities beneficially owned by the Client shall be voted, and (2) making all elections relative to any mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, bankruptcy proceedings or other type events pertaining to the Assets. Hamlin is authorized to instruct the Custodian to forward to Client copies of all proxies and shareholder communications relating to the Assets.
If "Class Action" documents are received by Hamlin for a Client, Hamlin will gather any requisite information and forward it to the Client, to enable the Client to file the "Class Action" at their discretion. Hamlin will not file "Class Actions" on behalf of any Client unless instructed to do so in writing.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Hamlin is authorized by the Client to vote the proxies of Fixed-Income Securities, give general or specific proxies or powers-of-attorney with or without power of substitution, and generally to exercise any of the powers of an owner with respect to Fixed-Income Securities held in the Clients' Accounts. Hamlin accepts the Clients will direct or cause the Custodian to deliver proxies related to Fixed-Income Securities to Hamlin in a timely manner. These authorizations will be continuing ones and will remain in full force and effect until Hamlin has received written notice of revocation or termination.
PROXY VOTING FOR HAMLIN PRIVATE INVESTMENT FUNDS
Hamlin votes all proxies and makes the decisions on participation in "Class Actions" on behalf of the private investments funds (the "Funds") it manages.
Hamlin's Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures are attached hereto as ATTACHMENT
A. Any questions about this document should be directed to the CCO.
RISKS
In developing this policy and procedures, Hamlin considered numerous risks associated with its voting of proxies for its Clients and Funds. This analysis includes risks such as:
o Hamlin does not maintain a written proxy voting policy as required by Rule 206(4)-6.
o Proxies are not voted in clients' best interests.
o Proxies are not identified and voted in a timely manner.
o Conflicts between Hamlin's interests and the client are not identified; therefore, proxies are not voted appropriately.
o Any third-party proxy voting services utilized by Hamlin is not independent.
o Proxy voting records and client requests to review proxy votes are not maintained.
Hamlin has established the following guidelines to effectuate and monitor its proxy voting policy and procedures.
ATTACHMENT A
HAMLIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
ADOPTED FEBRUARY 1, 2005
1. GOVERNING STANDARDS
This Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the "Policy") has been adopted by Hamlin Capital Management, LLC ("Hamlin") to comply with Rule 206(4)-6 (the "Rule") under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act"). The Policy, which has been designed to ensure that Hamlin votes proxies in the best interest of its clients and provides clients with information about how their proxies are voted, contains procedures that have been reasonably designed to prevent and detect fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative acts by Hamlin and its advisory affiliates.1
2. REGULATORY BACKGROUND
The concept of shareholders diligently monitoring their stock holdings is neither new nor unique. As noted more than half a century ago by the founders of fundamental stock analysis, Benjamin Graham and David Dodd:
"The choice of a common stock is a single act, its ownership is a continuing process. Certainly there is just as much reason to exercise care and judgment in BEING a shareholder as in BECOMING one."2
Stock ownership rights, which include proxy votes and participation in corporate bankruptcy proceedings and shareholder litigation, are a financial asset. They must be managed with the same care, skill, prudence and diligence as any other financial asset. They must be exercised to protect and enhance long-term portfolio value, and for the exclusive benefit of Hamlin's clients.
Section 206 of the Advisers Act imposes a fiduciary duty on an investment adviser to act in the best interests of its clients, to place clients' interests before its own, and to provide full and fair disclosure of all material facts. As a fiduciary, an adviser must discharge its responsibilities, including proxy voting, in accordance with the twin duties of care and loyalty.3 Under the DUTY OF CARE, the adviser must manage its
--------------------------- 1 A firm's advisory affiliates are defined in this Policy to include: 1) all officers, partners, directors (or any person performing similar functions); 2) all persons directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by the adviser; and 3) all current employees. 2 B. Graham and D. Dodd, SECURITY ANALYSIS, 1ST ED. (McGraw Hill, 1934) at p. 508. See also A. Berle and G. Means, THE MODERN CORPORATION AND PRIVATE PROPERTY (PUB CO 1932), asserting that the American model of business had shifted from companies owned and managed by the same person, typically the founder, to corporations held by highly-fragmented groups of shareholders who had relinquished their control over management. 3 See ADVISERS ACT REL. NO. 2106 (January 31, 2003) ("Release 2106"), CITING SEC v. Capital Gains Research |
clients' assets as a "prudent investor," which requires the exercise of care, skill and diligence that a prudent person, familiar with matters, would exercise under similar circumstances. The DUTY OF LOYALTY requires an adviser to act solely in the best interests of its clients and not to subrogate clients' interests to its own. Thus, the duties of loyalty and care require an adviser with proxy voting authority to monitor corporate events and to cast proxy votes in a manner consistent with the best interests of clients.
Certain advisers have been subject to much stricter proxy voting requirements even prior to the adoption of the Rule. For example, those that manage private employee retirement plans are subject to the Employee Retirement Income and Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"), which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Labor ("DOL"). In 1988, the DOL issued its so-called Avon Letter, putting private pension plan trustees on notice that proxy voting rights must be diligently exercised as an aspect of fiduciary duty.4 Then, in 1994, the DOL updated its Avon Letter in a bulletin that consolidates the voting requirements of ERISA fiduciaries. The DOL now advocates a corporate activist role for pension plan trustees, to include "oactivities intended to monitor or influence the management of corporations in which the plan owns stock."5
3. LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
The Rule states that it is a fraudulent, deceptive, or manipulative act, practice or course of business within the meaning of Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act, for an investment adviser to exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, unless the adviser:
(a) Adopts and implements written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes client securities in the best interest of clients, which procedures must include how the adviser addresses material conflicts that may arise between its interests and those of its clients;
(b) Discloses to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser about how it voted with respect to their securities; and
(c) Describes to clients the adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy of the policies and procedures to the requesting client.
In accordance with their obligations under the Rule, Hamlin has designed and adopted the following procedures to ensure that client proxies are voted in the best interest of clients at all times.
4. POLICY
The Policy applies to those client accounts that contain voting securities and for which Hamlin has authority to vote client proxies. The Policy will be reviewed and, as necessary, updated periodically to address new or revised proxy voting issues.
--------------------------------- Bureau, Inc., 375 U.S. 180, 194 (1963). 4 DOL Opinion Letter to Helmuth Fandl, Avon Products, Inc. (Feb. 29, 1988). 5 DOL Interpretive Bulletin 94-2 (July 29, 1994). |
When voting proxies for client accounts, Hamlin's primary objective is to make voting decisions solely in the best interest of clients for which it manages assets. In fulfilling its obligations to clients, Hamlin will act in a manner deemed to be prudent and diligent and which is intended to enhance the economic value of the underlying securities held in client accounts.
In certain situations, a client or its fiduciary may provide Hamlin with a statement of proxy voting policy or guidelines. In these situations, Hamlin shall seek to comply with such policy or guidelines to the extent that it would not be inconsistent with applicable regulation or its fiduciary responsibilities.
5. PROCEDURES
A. Hamlin shall maintain a list of all clients for which it votes proxies. The list will be maintained electronically and updated by Hamlin's CCO on an as-needed basis.
B. Hamlin shall ensure that it is the designated party to receive proxy voting materials from companies or intermediaries. Such entities shall be instructed to direct all proxy voting materials to Hamlin's CCO, or her designee.
C. All proxy voting materials received by Hamlin shall be immediately forwarded to Hamlin's Equity Analyst ("Trader"), who will be responsible for ensuring that proxies are voted and submitted in a timely manner.
D. Equity Analyst will provide all proxy solicitation information and materials to the appropriate investment personnel of Hamlin (i.e., portfolio managers, analysts, etc.) for their review and consideration.
E. Hamlin's Equity Analyst shall be responsible for voting with respect to all client proxies and ensuring that such proxy votes are submitted in a timely manner.
F. In Equity Analyst's absence, Hamlin may delegate the actual voting of client
proxies to one of its other employees who is involved in the investment process
(i.e., analyst, portfolio manager, assistant trader, etc.)
G. Hamlin is not required to vote every client proxy and refraining from voting should not necessarily be construed as a violation of Hamlin's fiduciary obligations. Hamlin shall at no time ignore or neglect its proxy voting responsibilities. However, there may be times when refraining from voting is in the client's best interest, such as when an adviser's analysis of a particular client proxy reveals that the cost of voting the proxy may exceed the expected benefit to the client (i.e., casting a vote on a foreign security may require that the adviser engage a translator or travel to a foreign country to vote in person). Such position also complies with Interpretive Bulletin 94-2 of the DOL.
H. Hamlin's Trader or CCO will report any attempts by any of Hamlin personnel to influence the voting of client proxies in a manner that is inconsistent with Hamlin's Policy. Such report shall be made to Hamlin's President, or if the President is the person attempting to influence the voting, then to the Hamlin's outside counsel.
6. MATERIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
A. GENERAL: As noted previously, Hamlin will vote its clients' proxies in the best interest of its clients and not its own. In voting client proxies, Hamlin shall avoid material conflicts of interest between the interests of Hamlin on the one hand and the interests of its clients on the other.
B. POTENTIAL MATERIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Hamlin is aware of the following potential material conflicts that could affect Hamlin's proxy voting process in the future. It should be noted that these potential conflicts have been listed for informational purposes only and do not include all of the potential conflicts of interest that an adviser might face in voting client proxies. Hamlin acknowledges that the existence of a relationship of the types discussed below, even in the absence of any active efforts to solicit or influence Hamlin with respect to a proxy vote related to such relationship, is sufficient for a material conflict to exist.
EXAMPLE CONFLICT NO. 1: An investor in one of Hamlin's Funds is an institutional client that is affiliated with an issuer that is held in Hamlin's Funds. For example, XYZ's pension fund may invest in Hamlin's Funds. XYZ is a public company and Hamlin's Funds hold shares of XYZ. This type of relationship may influence Hamlin to vote with management on proxies to gain favor with management. Such favor may influence XYZ's decision to continue its investment in Hamlin's Funds.
EXAMPLE CONFLICT NO. 2: An investor in one of Hamlin's Funds is an officer or director of an issuer that is held in Hamlin's Funds. Similar conflicts of interest exist in this relationship as discussed above in Example Conflict No. 1.
EXAMPLE CONFLICT NO. 3: Hamlin's employees maintain a personal and/or business relationship (not an advisory relationship) with issuers or individuals that serve as officers or directors of issuers. For example, the spouse of a Hamlin employee may be a high-level executive of an issuer that is held in Hamlin's Funds. The spouse could attempt to influence Hamlin to vote in favor of management.
C. DETERMINING THE MATERIALITY OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Determinations as to whether a conflict of interest is material will be made after internal discussion among members of a committee that will include at a minimum, Hamlin's President and CCO. Where the President, CCO or any other member of the committee has a direct connection to the conflict in question, that person will be recused from the materiality discussion. Among the factors to be considered in determining the materiality of a conflict include whether the relevant client relationship accounts for a significant percentage of Hamlin's annual revenues, or the percentage of Hamlin's assets that is invested with a particular issuer. Materiality determinations are fact based, and will depend on the details of a particular situation. Whether a particular conflict of interest is deemed material will be based on the likelihood that the conflict might cause a proxy to be voted in a manner that was not in the best interests of Hamlin's clients. All materiality deliberations will be memorialized in writing by the committee.
If the committee determines that the conflict in question is not material, Hamlin will vote the proxy in accordance with the policies stated herein. If a conflict is judged material, Hamlin will obtain the informed consent of the affected clients as to the fact that a material conflict exists in voting the client's proxy in the manner favored by Hamlin. If obtaining such consent from any client is impracticable or undesirable, Hamlin shall engage Institutional Shareholder Services
("ISS"), an independent proxy voting advisory and research firm, and vote the client(s) proxy in accordance with the published recommendation of ISS. Any vote recommended by ISS is binding and may not be overridden by Hamlin.
7. RECORDKEEPING
A. GENERAL: In accordance with Rule 204-2(c)(2) under the Advisers Act, Hamlin shall maintain the following documents in an easily accessible place for five years, the first two in an appropriate office of Hamlin:
o Proxy voting policies and procedures;
o Proxy statements received regarding client securities;
o Records of votes cast on behalf of clients;
o Records of client requests for proxy voting information; and
o Any documents prepared by Hamlin that were material to making
a decision how to vote, or that memorialized the basis for the
decision.
In lieu of maintaining its own copies of proxy statements as noted above, Hamlin may rely on proxy statements filed on the SEC's EDGAR system (See HTTP://WWW. SEC. GOV/INFO/EDGAR/FORMS. htm) .
All proxy votes will be recorded on Hamlin's PROXY VOTING RECORD or in another suitable place. In either case, the following information will be maintained:
o The name of the issuer of the portfolio security;
o The exchange ticker symbol of the portfolio security;
o The Council on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures
("CUSIP") number for the portfolio security;
o The shareholder meeting date;
o The number of shares Hamlin is voting on a firm-wide basis;
o A brief identification of the matter voted on;
o Whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a security
holder;
o Whether or not Hamlin cast its votes on the matter;
o How Hamlin cast its vote (e. g. , for or against proposal, or
abstain; for or withhold regarding election of directors);
o Whether Hamlin cast its vote with or against management; and
o Whether any client requested an alternative vote on its proxy.
B. CLIENT REQUEST TO REVIEW VOTES: Any request, whether written (including e-mail) or oral, received by any of Hamlin's employees, must be promptly reported to Hamlin's CCO. All written requests must be retained in Hamlin's proxy voting file. The following additional procedures shall be followed with respect to a client request to review proxy voting information:
Hamlin's CCO shall record the identity of the client, the date of the request, and the disposition (e. g. , provided a written or oral response to client's request, referred to third party, not a proxy voting client, other dispositions, etc. ) on the document entitled CLIENT REQUESTS FOR PROXY INFORMATION or in another suitable place.
Hamlin shall provide the information requested, free of charge, to the client within a reasonable time period (within 10 business days) for their review at the offices of Hamlin. Such a review shall be documented and should be attached and maintained with the client's written request, if applicable, and maintained in the permanent file.
Clients are permitted to request, and Hamlin is required to distribute, the proxy voting record for such client for the five (5) year period prior to their request.
8. CONFIDENTIALITY
All reports and any other information filed with Hamlin pursuant to this Policy shall be treated as confidential, except that the same may be disclosed to Hamlin's management, any regulatory or self-regulatory authority or agency upon its request, or as required by law or court or administrative order.
9. AMENDMENT
Hamlin may, from time to time, amend this Policy, and/or adopt such interpretations of this Policy as it deems appropriate provided, however, that such changes are approved by Hamlin management.
10. QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS
Any questions or concerns regarding Hamlin's Policy, or whether a particular issue may present a material conflict of interest with respect to Hamlin's voting of client proxies, should be directed to Hamlin's CCO.
PART C: OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 28. EXHIBITS:
(a) Agreement and Declaration of Trust of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund
(the "Registrant") dated July 18, 1991, as amended and restated
February 18, 1997, is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit
(1)(b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") via EDGAR
Accession No. 0000950109-97-001691 on February 27, 1997.
(b) Registrant's Second Amended and Restated By-Laws are incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 179
to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-12-000087 on February 28, 2012.
(c) Not Applicable.
(d)(1) Investment Advisory Agreement dated August 15, 1994 between the
Registrant and HGK Asset Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (5)(e) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 24 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950109-96- 001199 on
February 28, 1996.
(d)(2) Expense Limitation Agreement dated March 1, 2008 between the
Registrant and HGK Asset Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(2) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 111 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-09-
000276 on July 2, 2009.
(d)(3) Revised Schedule A dated March 1, 2010 to the Expense Limitation
Agreement dated March 1, 2008 between the Registrant and HGK Asset
Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(3)
of Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-000245 on June 30, 2010.
(d)(4) Investment Advisory Agreement dated November 21, 1994 between the
Registrant and AIG Global Investment Corp. (now, AIG Asset Management
(U.S.), LLC) is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (5)(f) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0000950109-97-001691 on February 27, 1997.
(d)(5) Assignment and Assumption Agreement dated December 31, 2003 between
AIG Capital Management Corp. and AIG Global Investment Corp. (now, AIG
Asset Management (U.S.), LLC) is incorporated herein by reference to
exhibit (d)(31) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 69 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-04-000095 on March 1, 2004.
(d)(6) Investment Advisory Agreement dated May 3, 1995 between the Registrant
and First Manhattan Co. is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit
(5)(g) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 24 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950109-96-001199 on February 28,
1996.
(d)(7) Amended and Restated Schedule dated May 19, 1998 to the Investment
Advisory Agreement dated May 3, 1995 between the Registrant and First
Manhattan Co. is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(9) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001047469-98-021496 on May 21, 1998.
(d)(8) Investment Advisory Agreement dated March 15, 1999 between the
Registrant and LSV Asset Management is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-01-500070 on
June 22, 2001.
(d)(9) Revised Schedule to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated March 15,
1999 between the Registrant and LSV Asset Management is incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (d)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
107 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-08-000342 on August 28, 2008.
(d)(10) Expense Limitation Agreement dated March 1, 2010 between the
Registrant and LSV Asset Management is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(9) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 123 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-
000173 on April 30, 2010.
(d)(11) Investment Advisory Agreement dated June 24, 2002 between the
Registrant and Acadian Asset Management, Inc. (now, Acadian Asset
Management LLC) is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(17)
of Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-02-000263 on August 30, 2002.
(d)(12) Amended Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated June 24,
2002 between the Registrant and Acadian Asset Management, Inc. (now
Acadian Asset Management, LLC) is incorporated herein by reference to
exhibit (d)(12) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 127 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10- 000392 on
September 3, 2010.
(d)(13) Expense Limitation Agreement dated December 16, 2010, between the
Registrant and Acadian Asset Management LLC, is filed herewith.
(d)(14) Investment Advisory Agreement dated June 24, 2002 between the
Registrant and Cambiar Investors LLC is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(19) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 55 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-02-
000263 on August 30, 2002.
(d)(15) Amended Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated June 24,
2002 between the Registrant and Cambiar Investors LLC is incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (d)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
168 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-11-000735 on November 30, 2011.
(d)(16) Form of Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated
September 1, 2010 between the Registrant and Cambiar Investors LLC is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(16) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-11-000735 on November 30, 2011.
(d)(17) Investment Advisory Agreement dated June 24, 2002 between the
Registrant and Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC is incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (d)(23) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
55 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-02-000263 on August 30, 2002.
(d)(18) Investment Advisory Agreement dated June 24, 2002 between the
Registrant and C.S. McKee, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to
exhibit (d)(24) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-02-000263 on August 30,
2002.
(d)(19) Investment Advisory Agreement dated August 8, 2008 between the
Registrant and Rice, Hall James & Associates LLC is incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (d)(16) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
116 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-
09-000641 on December 18, 2009.
(d)(20) Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Rice Hall
James & Associates, LLC, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(21) Investment Advisory Agreement dated June 24, 2002 between the
Registrant and Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley, Inc. (now, Thompson,
Siegel & Walmsley LLC) is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit
(d)(27) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-02-000263 on August 30,
2002.
(d)(22) Amendment and Revised Schedule A dated June 1, 2010 to the Investment
Advisory Agreement dated June 24, 2002 between the Registrant and
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley, Inc. (now, Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley
LLC) is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(21) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 126 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-000336 on August 30, 2010.
(d)(23) Investment Advisory Agreement dated January 29, 2010 between the
Registrant and PNC Capital Advisors, LLC, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(24) Investment Advisory Agreement dated May 28, 2004 between the
Registrant and Haverford Investment Management, Inc. is incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (d)(30) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
79 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-05-000093 on February 25, 2005.
(d)(25) Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Haverford
Investment Management, Inc., to be filed by amendment.
(d)(26) Investment Advisory Agreement dated December 16, 2005 between the
Registrant and Westwood Management Corp. is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(28) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 88 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N- 1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-06- 000081 on
February 28, 2006.
(d)(27) Schedule A, dated December 16, 2005, as last amended November 15,
2011, to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated December 16, 2005
between the Registrant and Westwood Management Corp. is incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (d)(28) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
170 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-
11-000779 on December 28, 2011.
(d)(28) Form of Expense Limitation Agreement dated August 12, 2008, as amended
and restated November 15, 2011, between the Registrant and Westwood
Management Corp., relating to each series of the Westwood Family of
Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(29) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 170 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000779 on December 28, 2011.
(d)(29) Form of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Westwood Management
Corp. and SKY Harbor Capital Management, LLC, relating to the Westwood
Short Duration High Yield Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to
exhibit (d)(45) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 170 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000779 on
December 28, 2011.
(d)(30) Investment Advisory Agreement dated February 27, 2006 between the
Registrant and Edgewood Management LLC is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(33) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N- 1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-07- 000007 on
January 12, 2007.
(d)(31) Expense Limitation Agreement dated March 1, 2008 between the
Registrant and Edgewood Management LLC is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(28) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-
10-000245 on June 30, 2010.
(d)(32) Investment Advisory Agreement dated September 21, 2009 between the
Registrant and Pennant Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(30) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 115 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-09-
000594 on November 30, 2009.
(d)(33) Investment Advisory Agreement dated March 31, 2010 between the
Registrant and Sands Capital Management, LLC is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(30) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 123 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-
000173 on April 30, 2010.
(d)(34) Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Sands Capital
Management, LLC, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(35) Investment Advisory Agreement dated May 7, 2010 between the Registrant
and Aviva Investors North America, Inc., relating to the Aviva
Investors Family of Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to
exhibit (d)(33) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-000245 on
June 30, 2010.
(d)(36) Revised Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated May 7,
2010 between the Registrant and Aviva Investors North America, Inc.,
with respect to the Aviva Investors Family of Funds, is incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (d)(40) of Post- Effective Amendment
No. 145 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-11- 000239 on April 19, 2011.
(d)(37) Form of Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Aviva
Investors North America, Inc., with respect to the Aviva Investors
High Yield Bond Fund and Aviva Investors Core Aggregate Fixed Income
Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(37) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 126 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-000336 on August 30, 2010.
(d)(38) Form of Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Aviva
Investors North America, Inc., with respect to the Aviva Investors
Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Fund, is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(41) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 145 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-
000239 on April 19, 2011.
(d)(39) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and
AlphaOne Investment Services, LLC, relating to the AlphaOne Family of
Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(42) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000199 on March 30, 2011.
(d)(40) Expense Limitation Agreement, effective as of March 28, 2011, between
the Registrant and AlphaOne Investment Services, LLC, relating to the
AlphaOne Family of Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to
exhibit (d)(43) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 154 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000353 on
June 29, 2011.
(d)(41) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., relating to the Loomis Sayles Full
Discretion Institutional Securitized Fund, is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(44) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 156 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A
(File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-11-000382 on July 29, 2011.
(d)(42) Form of Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., relating to the Loomis Sayles Full
Discretion Institutional Securitized Fund, is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (d)(43) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 165 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-11-000665 on November 4, 2011.
(d)(43) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and CBRE
Clarion Securities LLC, relating to the CBRE Clarion Long/Short Fund,
is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(44) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 171 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000783 on December 28, 2011.
(d)(44) Form of Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and CBRE
Clarion Securities LLC, relating to the CBRE Clarion Long/Short Fund,
is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(45) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 171 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000783 on December 28, 2011.
(d)(45) Investment Advisory Agreement dated February 20, 2012, between the
Registrant and Hamlin Capital Management, LLC, relating to the Hamlin
High Dividend Equity Fund, is filed herewith.
(d)(46) Expense Limitation Agreement dated February 20, 2012, between the
Registrant and Hamlin Capital Management, LLC, relating to the Hamlin
High Dividend Equity Fund, is filed herewith.
(d)(47) Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Citigroup First
Investment Management Americas LLC, relating to the Citi Market Pilot
2020 Fund, Citi Market Pilot 2030 Fund and Citi Market Pilot 2040
Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(48) Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Citigroup
First Investment Management Americas LLC, relating to the Citi Market
Pilot 2020 Fund, Citi Market Pilot 2030 Fund and Citi Market Pilot
2040 Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(49) Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Thomson Horstmann
& Bryant, Inc., relating to the Thomson Horstmann & Bryant MicroCap
Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(d)(50) Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Thomson
Horstmann & Bryant, Inc., relating to the Thomson Horstmann & Bryant
MicroCap Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(e)(1) Distribution Agreement dated November 14, 1991, as amended and
restated August 8, 1994, between the Registrant and SEI Financial
Services Company (now, SEI Investments Distribution Co.) is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (6) of Post- Effective
Amendment No. 24 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0000950109-96- 001199 on February 28, 1996.
(e)(2) Distribution Agreement dated November 14, 1991, as amended and
restated November 12, 2002, between the Registrant and SEI Investments
Distribution Co. (formerly, SEI Financial Services Company) is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (e)(4) of Post- Effective
Amendment No. 62 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-03- 000108 on February 28, 2003.
(e)(3) Amendment No. 1 effective as of August 30, 2010 to the Distribution
Agreement dated November 14, 1991, as amended and restated November
12, 2002, between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co.
(formerly, SEI Financial Services Company), is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (e)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 158 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000517 on
September 16, 2011.
(e)(4) Amended and Restated Sub-Distribution and Servicing Agreement dated
November 10, 1997 between SEI Investments Company and AIG Equity Sales
Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (6)(c) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 32 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001047469-98-008087 on February 27, 1998.
(e)(5) Revised Form of Amended Sub-Distribution and Servicing Agreement
between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co. is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (e)(2) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 76 to the Registration Statement of The Advisors' Inner
Circle Fund II (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-08-000222 on May 30, 2008.
(f) Not Applicable.
(g)(1) Custodian Agreement dated August 12, 1991 between the Registrant and
CoreStates Bank N.A. (now, US Bank, National Association) is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (6) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 28 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0000950109-97-001691 on February 27, 1997.
(g)(2) Amendment dated May 21, 2001 to the Custodian Agreement dated August
12, 1991 between the Registrant and First Union National Bank (now,
U.S. Bank, National Association) is incorporated herein by reference
to exhibit (g)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-02-000175 on
June 14, 2002.
(g)(3) Amended Fee Schedule dated February 18, 2004 to the Custodian
Agreement dated August 12, 1991 between the Registrant and Wachovia
Bank, National Association (now U.S. Bank, National Association) is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (g)(7) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 69 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-
1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-04- 000095 on March 1, 2004.
(g)(4) Amendment and Assignment dated August 8, 2006 to the Custodian
Agreement dated August 12, 1991 between the Registrant and Wachovia
Bank, N.A., (now U.S. Bank, National Association) assigning the
Custodian Agreement to U.S. Bank, National Association is incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (g)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
92 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-06-000367 on August 28, 2006.
(g)(5) Amendment dated March 14, 2007 to the Custodian Agreement dated August
12, 1991 between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, National Association is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (g)(8) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 97 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-07-000146 on April 30, 2007.
(g)(6) Custodian Agreement dated November 13, 2007 between the Registrant and
Union Bank of California, N.A., to be filed by amendment.
(g)(7) Custody Agreement dated February 3, 2003 between the Registrant and
National City Bank is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit
(g)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-03-000264 on April 30,
2003.
(g)(8) Amended Fee Schedule dated February 19, 2003 to the Custody Agreement
dated February 3, 2003 between the Registrant and National City Bank
is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (g)(6) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-03-000630 on December 29, 2003.
(g)(9) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and The Northern Trust
Company, to be filed by amendment.
(g)(10) Global Custodial Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citi
Global Transaction Services, to be filed by amendment.
(g)(11) Custodial Services Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of
New York Mellon, relating to the Cambiar Aggressive Value Fund and
Cambiar Opportunity Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(h)(1) Administration Agreement dated November 14, 1991, as amended and
restated November 12, 2002, between the Registrant and SEI Investments
Global Funds Services is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit
(h)(50) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-03-000108 on February 28,
2003.
(h)(2) Consent to Assignment and Assumption of Administration Agreement dated
June 1, 1996 between the Registrant and SEI Financial Management
Corporation (now, SEI Investments Global Funds Services) is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (9)(f) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 28 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0000950109- 97-001691 on February 27, 1997.
(h)(3) Transfer Agency and Services Agreement dated October 1, 2000, as
amended and restated February 21, 2001, between the Registrant and
Forum Shareholder Services, LLC (now, Citi Fund Services, LLC) is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (h)(24) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 98 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-07-000218 on June 15, 2007.
(h)(4) AML Delegation Amendment dated May 20, 2003 to the Transfer Agency and
Services Agreement dated October 1, 2000, as amended and restated
February 21, 2001, between the Registrant and Forum Shareholder
Services, LLC (now, Citi Fund Services, LLC) is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (h)(64) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-03-000630 on
December 29, 2003.
(h)(5) Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated January 15, 2003 between
the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (h)(62) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
67 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-03-000495 on August 28, 2003.
(h)(6) AML Delegation Amendment dated May 20, 2003 to the Transfer Agency
and Service Agreement dated January 15, 2003 between the Registrant
and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (h)(65) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484),
filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-03-000630 on
December 29, 2003.
(h)(7) Agency Agreement dated April 1, 2006 between the Registrant and DST
Systems, Inc., to be filed by amendment.
(h)(8) Amendment dated April 1, 2009 to the Agency Agreement dated April 1,
2006 between the Registrant and DST Systems, Inc., to be filed by
amendment.
(h)(9) Transfer Agency Agreement dated May 31, 2007 between the Registrant
and UMB Fund Services, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to
exhibit (h)(30) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 99 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-07-000376 on August 28,
2007.
(h)(10) Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Atlantic
Fund Services, to be filed by amendment.
(h)(11) Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and Boston Financial
Data Services, Inc., to be filed by amendment.
(h)(12) Amendment to the Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and
Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., to be filed by amendment.
(h)(13) Shareholder Services Plan, relating to the Investor Class Shares of
the Cambiar Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit
(m)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-04-000154 on April 16,
2004.
(h)(14) Revised Exhibit A to the Shareholder Services Plan, relating to
Investor Class Shares of the Cambiar Funds, is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (h)(11) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 168 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-
000735 on November 30, 2011.
(h)(15) Shareholder Services Plan, relating to the Retail Class Shares of the
Edgewood Growth Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit
(h)(42) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-06-000148 on April 14,
2006.
(h)(16) Shareholder Services Plan, relating to Institutional Shares of the
Westwood Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (h)(36)
of Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to the Registrants Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-07-000518 on November 15, 2007.
(h)(17) Exhibit A to the Shareholder Services Plan, relating to the
Institutional Shares of the Westwood Funds, is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (h)(14) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 140 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-11-000194 on March 28, 2011.
(h)(18) Shareholder Services Plan, relating to the Investor Class Shares of
the Sands Capital Global Growth Fund, is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (h)(30) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 120 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC on March 1, 2010.
(h)(19) Shareholder Services Plan, relating to the R Class Shares of the
AlphaOne Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (h)(17)
of Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000199 on March 30, 2011.
(h)(20) Shareholder Services Plan, relating to the Investor Class and
Institutional Shares of the CBRE Clarion Long/Short Fund, is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (h)(17) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 171 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428- 11-000783 on December 28, 2011.
(h)(21) Shareholder Services Plan, relating to the A Shares of the Citi Market
Pilot 2020 Fund, Citi Market Pilot 2030 Fund and Citi Market Pilot
2040 Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(h)(22) Shareholder Services Plan, relating to the Investor Class Shares of
the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund, is filed herewith.
(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP relating
to Shares of the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund, is filed herewith.
(j) Not Applicable.
(k) Not Applicable.
(l) Not Applicable.
(m)(1) Distribution Plan dated August 8, 1994, as amended August 14, 2000, is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (m) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 41 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0000950109-00-004829 on December 13, 2000.
(m)(2) Schedule A, as last amended February 15, 2012, to the Distribution
Plan dated August 8, 1994, as amended August 14, 2000, is filed
herewith.
(m)(3) Distribution Plan dated September 17, 2002, relating to Investor
Shares of the Rice Hall James Mid Cap Portfolio, is incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (m)(6) of Post- Effective Amendment No.
74 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-04-
000242 on June 1, 2004.
(m)(4) Amended Schedule A dated November 13, 2007 to the Distribution Plan
dated September 17, 2002, relating to Investor Shares of the Rice Hall
James Mid Cap Portfolio, is incorporated herein by reference to
exhibit (m)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 111 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-09-000276 on July 2, 2009.
(n)(1) Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan dated February 21,
2007 (including Schedules and Certificates of Class Designation
thereto) is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (n) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 127 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-000392 on September 3, 2010.
(n)(2) Revised Schedule F and Certificates of Class Designation to the
Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan dated February 21,
2007, relating to the Westwood Family of Funds, are incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (n)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
179 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-12-000087 on February 28, 2012.
(n)(3) Revised Schedule G and Certificates of Class Designation to the
Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Multiple Class Plan dated
February 21, 2007, relating to the Aviva Investors Family of Funds,
are incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (n)(3) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 145 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428- 11-000239 on April 19, 2011.
(n)(4) Schedule I and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's
Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Multiple Class Plan dated February 21,
2007, relating to the AlphaOne Family of Funds, are incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit (n)(4) of Post- Effective Amendment No.
141 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-
000199 on March 30, 2011.
(n)(5) Revised Schedule C to the Registrant's Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3
Plan dated February 21, 2007, relating to the Cambiar Funds, is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (n)(5) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-11-000735 on November 30, 2011.
(n)(6) Schedule K and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's
Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan dated February 21, 2007, relating
to the CBRE Clarion Long/Short Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(o) Not Applicable.
(p)(1) Registrant's Code of Ethics dated November 2007 is incorporated herein
by reference to exhibit (h)(36) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-07-000518 on November 15, 2007.
(p)(2) HGK Asset Management, Inc. Revised Code of Ethics dated October 23,
2009 is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (h)(30) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 120 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC on
March 1, 2010.
(p)(3) LSV Asset Management Revised Code of Ethics dated January 19, 2007 is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (p)(3) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 97 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-07-000146 on April 30, 2007.
(p)(4) Cambiar Investors, LLC Revised Code of Ethics dated April 2008 is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (p)(6) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 107 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-08-000342 on August 28, 2008.
(p)(5) Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC Revised Code of Ethics dated
March 13, 2007 is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (p)(8)
of Post-Effective Amendment No. 97 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-07-000146 on April 30, 2007.
(p)(6) C.S. McKee, LLP Revised Code of Ethics, to be filed by amendment.
(p)(7) Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley, LLC Revised Code of Ethics, to be filed
by amendment.
(p)(8) First Manhattan Co. Revised Code of Ethics dated December 2006 is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (p)(11) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 97 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-07-000146 on April 30, 2007.
(p)(9) Haverford Investment Management, Inc. Revised Code of Ethics, to be
filed by amendment.
(p)(10) AIG Asset Management (U.S.), LLC Revised Code of Ethics dated
September 13, 2007 is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit
(p)(12) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-07-000518 on November 15,
2007.
(p)(11) Rice Hall James & Associates, LLC Revised Code of Ethics, to be filed
by amendment.
(p)(12) Acadian Asset Management, LLC Revised Code of Ethics, to be filed by
amendment.
(p)(13) Westwood Management Corp. Revised Code of Ethics dated March 1, 2006
is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (p)(19) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 96 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-07-000065 on February 28, 2007.
(p)(14) Edgewood Management LLC Revised Code of Ethics, to be filed by
amendment.
(p)(15) PNC Capital Advisors, LLC Code of Ethics dated October 8, 2009 is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (h)(30) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 120 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC on March 1, 2010.
(p)(16) Pennant Management, Inc. Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (p)(19) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-09-000365 on August 21, 2009.
(p)(17) Sands Capital Management, LLC Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (p)(19) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 117 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-10-000009 on January 15, 2010.
(p)(18) Aviva Investors North America, Inc. Code of Ethics, as approved by
the Board of Trustees on November 10, 2011, is incorporated herein by
reference to exhibit (p)(19) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 158 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-
11-000517 on September 16, 2011.
(p)(19) AlphaOne Investment Services, LLC Code of Ethics dated May 1, 2011, is
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (p)(20) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 158 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-11-000517 on September 16, 2011.
(p)(20) Loomis, Sayles & Company L.P. Code of Ethics, to be filed by
amendment.
(p)(21) CBRE Clarion Securities LLC Code of Ethics, to be filed by amendment.
(p)(22) SKY Harbor Capital Management, LLC Code of Ethics, to be filed by
amendment.
(p)(23) Hamlin Capital Management, LLC Code of Ethics, to be filed by
amendment.
(p)(24) SEI Investments Distribution Co. Code of Ethics dated January 12, 2009
is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (p)(18) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-09-000641 on December 18, 2009.
(q) Powers of Attorney for Ms. Betty L. Krikorian and Messrs. Robert A.
Nesher, Michael Lawson, William M. Doran, John K. Darr, George J.
Sullivan, Jr., Charles E. Carlbom, James M. Storey, Philip T.
Masterson, Mitchell A. Johnson, Bruce Speca and Joseph T. Grause are
incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (q) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 179 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
N-1A (File No. 33-42484), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-12-000087 on February 28, 2012.
ITEM 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT:
Not Applicable.
ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION:
Article VIII of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust filed as Exhibit (a) to the Registrant's Registration Statement is incorporated herein by reference. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act") may be permitted to trustees, directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and, therefore, is unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by trustees, directors, officers or controlling persons of the Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any act, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustees, directors, officers or controlling persons in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issues.
ITEM 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISERS:
The following lists any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each investment adviser, and each director, officer or partner of that investment adviser, is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner, or trustee. Unless noted below, none of the investment advisers, and/or director, officer or partner of each investment adviser, is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
ACADIAN ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC
Acadian Asset Management LLC ("Acadian") serves as the investment adviser to
the Acadian Emerging Markets Portfolio and Acadian Emerging Markets Debt Fund.
The principal address of Acadian is One Post Office Square, 20th Floor, Boston,
Massachusetts 02109. Acadian is an investment adviser registered under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The information listed below is for the fiscal
years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Laurent De Greef, Member of Acadian Asset Management Managing Director, asset Board of Managers (UK) Ltd management ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ John Chisholm, Executive Acadian Asset Management Vice President, CIO, Member (UK) Ltd Director, asset management of Board of Managers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Acadian Asset Management Churchill Franklin, Executive (UK) Ltd Director, asset management Vice President, COO, ------------------------------------------------------------ Member of Board of Acadian Asset Management Managers (Australia) Ltd Director, asset management ------------------------------------------------------------ Acadian Cayman Limited G.P. Director, asset management ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ronald Frashure, Chief Acadian Asset Management Executive Officer, President, (Singapore) Pte Ltd Director, asset management Chairman, Member of Board ------------------------------------------------------------ of Managers Acadian Cayman Limited G.P. Director, asset management ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mark Minichiello, Senior Acadian Asset Management Director, asset management Vice President, Chief (UK) Ltd Financial Officer, Treasurer, ------------------------------------------------------------ Secretary, Member of Board Acadian Asset Management of Managers (Singapore) Pte Ltd Director, asset management ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ross Dowd, Senior Vice Acadian Asset Management Director, asset management President, Head of Client (UK) Ltd Service, Member of Board of ------------------------------------------------------------ Managers Acadian Cayman Limited G.P. Director, asset management ------------------------------------------------------------ Acadian Asset Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd Director, asset management ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ross Dowd, Senior Vice Acadian Asset Management Director, asset management President, Head of Client (UK) Ltd Service, Member of Board of Managers Acadian Cayman Limited G.P. Director, asset management ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Linda Gibson, Member of Director, Executive Vice Board of Managers President and Chief Operating Officer - Old Mutual (US) Holdings Inc. (a holding company); Larch Lane Advisors, LLC (an investment advisor); 2100 Xenon Group LLC (an investment advisor); Acadian Asset Management LLC (an investment advisor); Analytic Investors, LLC (an investment advisor); 300 North Capital, LLC (an investment advisor); Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Affiliated Directorships Strauss, LLC (an investment advisor); The Campbell Group, Inc. (a holding company for The Campbell Group LLC) Dwight Asset Management Company LLC (an investment advisor); Echo Point Investment Management, LLC (an investment advisor); Old Mutual (HFL) Inc. (a holding company for Heitman affiliated financial services firms) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC (an investment advisor) Lincluden Management Limited (an investment advisor) Old Mutual Asset Management International , Ltd. (an investment advisor) Old Mutual Asset Managers (UK) Ltd. (an investment advisor); Copper Rock Capital Partners, LLC (an investment advisor); Old Mutual Capital, Inc. (an investment advisor); Old Mutual Investment Partners (a registered broker-dealer) Ashfield Capital Partners, LLC (an investment advisor); Old Mutual Asset Management Trust Company (a trust company) Old Mutual Fund Managers Limited (a broker-dealer); Rogge Global Partners plc (an investment advisor); Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC (an investment advisor) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Matthew Berger, Member of Director and Senior Vice Board of Managers President, Director of Finance - Old Mutual (US) Holdings Inc. (a holding company); Affiliated Directorships Acadian Asset Management LLC (investment advisor) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Christopher Hadley, Member Senior Vice President, Human of Board of Managers Resources - Old Mutual (US) Holdings Inc. (a holding company); Acadian Asset Affiliated Directorships Management LLC (an investment advisor) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aidan Riordan, Member of Senior Vice President, Director Board of Managers of Affiliate Development - Old Mutual (US) Holdings Inc. (a holding company); Acadian Affiliated Directorships Asset Management LLC (an investment advisor); 300 North Capital LLC (an investment advisor); ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2100 Xenon Group LLC (an investment advisor); Ashfield Capital Partners, LLC (an investment advisor); Copper Rock Capital Partners LLC (an investment advisor); Echo Point Investment Management, LLC (an investment advisor); Larch Lane Advisors LLC (an investment advisor) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephen Belgrad, Member of Director, Chief Financial Officer Board of Managers and Executive Vice President- Old Mutual (US) Holdings Inc. (a holding company); Acadian Asset Management LLC (an investment advisor); Analytic Investors, LLC (an Affiliated Directorships investment advisor): Larch Lane Advisors LLC (an investment advisor) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
AIG ASSET MANAGEMENT (U.S.), LLC
AIG Asset Management (U.S.), LLC ("AIG") serves as the investment adviser for
the AIG Money Market Fund. The principal address of AIG is 80 Pine Street, New
York, New York 10005. AIG is an investment adviser registered under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011, none of the directors, officers or partners of AIG is or has been engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
ALPHAONE INVESTMENT SERVICES, LLC
AlphaOne Investment Services, LLC ("AlphaOne") serves as the investment adviser
for the AlphaOne Small Cap Growth Fund, AlphaOne Micro Cap Equity Fund and
AlphaOne U.S. Equity Long Short Fund. The principal address of AlphaOne is One
Tower Bridge, 100 Front Street, Suite 1250, West Conshohocken, PA 19428.
AlphaOne is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011, none of the directors, officers or partners of AlphaOne is or has been engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
AVIVA INVESTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Aviva Investors North America, Inc. ("Aviva") serves as the investment adviser
to the Aviva Investors High Yield Bond Fund, Aviva Investors Core Aggregate
Fixed Income Fund and Aviva Investors Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Fund.
The principal address of Aviva is 699 Walnut Street, Suite 1700, Des Moines,
Iowa 50309. Aviva is an investment adviser registered under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940.
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2009 and 2010, none of the directors, officers or partners of Aviva is or has been engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
CAMBIAR INVESTORS LLC
Cambiar Investors LLC ("Cambiar") serves as the investment adviser to the
Cambiar Opportunity Fund, the Cambiar International Equity Fund, the Cambiar
Small Cap Fund, the Cambiar Aggressive Value Fund, Cambiar Smid 30 Fund and the
Cambiar Global Select Fund. The principal address of Cambiar is 2401 East
Second Street, Suite 400, Denver, Colorado 80206. Cambiar is an investment
adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
For the fiscal years ended April 30, 2010 and 2011, none of the directors, officers or partners of Cambiar is or has been engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
CBRE CLARION SECURITIES LLC
CBRE Clarion Securities LLC ("CBRE") serves as the investment adviser for the
CBRE Clarion Long/Short Fund. The principal address of CBRE is 201 King of
Prussia Road, Suite 600, Radnor, PA 19087. CBRE is an investment adviser
registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. [To be completed by
amendment.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- |
CITIGROUP FIRST INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC
Citigroup First Investment Management Americas LLC ("Citi") serves as the
investment adviser for the Citi Market Pilot 2020 Fund, Citi Market Pilot 2030
Fund and Citi Market Pilot 2040 Fund. The principal address of Citi is 388
Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013. Citi is an investment adviser
registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. [To be completed by
amendment.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- |
C.S. MCKEE, L.P.
C.S. McKee, L.P. ("C.S. McKee") serves as the investment adviser to the McKee
International Equity Portfolio. The principal address of C.S. McKee is One
Gateway Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222. C.S. McKee is an investment
adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The information
listed below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gregory M. Melvin Dartmouth Capital, Inc. President Chief Investment Officer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
EDGEWOOD MANAGEMENT LLC
Edgewood Management LLC ("Edgewood") serves as the investment adviser to the
Edgewood Growth Fund. The principal address of Edgewood is 350 Park Avenue,
18th Floor, New York, New York 10022-6057. Edgewood is an investment adviser
registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011, none of the directors, officers or partners of Edgewood is or has been engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
FIRST MANHATTAN CO.
First Manhattan Co. ("FMC") serves as the investment adviser for the FMC Select
Fund and FMC Strategic Value Fund. The principal address of FMC is 437 Madison
Avenue, New York, New York 10022. FMC is an investment adviser registered under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The information listed below is for the
fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ David Sanford Gottesman, Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. Member, Board of Directors Senior Managing Director ----------------------------------------------------------- American Museum of Natural Trustee History ----------------------------------------------------------- Mount Sinai Center Trustee ----------------------------------------------------------- Yeshiva University Trustee ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Daniel Rosenbloom, Senior NYU Medical Center Trustee Managing Director ----------------------------------------------------------- National Foundation for Facial Trustee Reconstruction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Charles M. Rosenthal, Senior Brown University Trustee Emeritus Managing Director ----------------------------------------------------------- Marine Biological Laboratory Trustee ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Arthur Joel Stainman, Senior Ark Restaurants Corp. Member, Board of Directors Managing Director Rider University Trustee ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Robert W. Gottesman, Chief Gruss Foundation Trustee Executive Officer and Senior Managing Director ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ William F. Guardenier, John Hart Hunter Foundation Trustee Senior Managing Director ----------------------------------------------------------- New Hampton School Trustee ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
HAMLIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
Hamlin Capital Management, LLC ("Hamlin") serves as the investment adviser for
the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund. The principal address of Hamlin is 640
Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10019. Hamlin is an investment
adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. [To be completed
by amendment.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- |
HAVERFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
Haverford Financial Services, Inc. ("Haverford") serves as the investment
adviser for the Haverford Quality Growth Stock Fund. The principal address of
Haverford is Three Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 450, Radnor, Pennsylvania
19087-4546. Haverford is an investment adviser registered under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940. The information listed below is for the fiscal years
ended October 31, 2010 and 2011.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George W. Connell The Haverford Trust Company Vice Chairman & Indirect Owner Vice Chairman & Owner Haverford Trust Securities, Inc. Vice Chairman & Indirect Owner Drexel Morgan & Co. CEO,President & Owner McCabe Capital Managers, Ltd. Director, Indirect Owner ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph J. McLaughlin The Haverford Trust Company Chairman & CEO Chairman, CEO & President Haverford Trust Securities, Inc. Registered Representative ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Binney H. C. Wietlisbach The Haverford Trust Company President Executive Vice President Haverford Trust Securities, Inc. CEO & President ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Henry B. Smith The Haverford Trust Company Vice President & CIO Vice President and CIO Haverford Trust Securities, Inc. Registered Representative ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Brune The Haverford Trust Company Vice President Vice President Haverford Trust Securities, Inc. Registered Representative ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John H. Donaldson The Haverford Trust Company Vice President Vice President ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timothy A. Hoyle The Haverford Trust Company Vice President Vice President Haverford Trust Securities, Inc. Registered Representative ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jeffrey M. Bagley The Haverford Trust Company Vice President Vice President ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MarieElena V. Ness The Haverford Trust Company VP & Chief Compliance Officer Chief Compliance Officer Haverford Trust Securities, Inc. Chief Compliance Officer Drexel Morgan & Co. VP & Chief Compliance Officer Regulatory Compliance Assistance, Sole Member LLC ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
INVESTMENT COUNSELORS OF MARYLAND, LLC
Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC ("ICM") serves as the investment adviser
to the ICM Small Company Portfolio. The principal address of ICM is 803
Cathedral Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201. ICM is an investment adviser
registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The information listed
below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William V. Heaphy, CFA Cognapse, Inc. Director CIO, Portfolio Manager -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
LOOMIS, SAYLES & COMPANY, L.P.
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. ("Loomis Sayles") serves as the investment
adviser to the Loomis Sayles Full Discretion Institutional Securitized Fund.
The address of Loomis Sayles is One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts
02111. Loomis Sayles is an investment adviser registered under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The information listed below is provided as of
[date]. [To be updated by amendment]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- |
LSV ASSET MANAGEMENT
LSV Asset Management ("LSV") serves as the investment adviser to the LSV Value
Equity Fund, the LSV Conservative Core Equity Fund and the LSV Conservative
Value Equity Fund. The address of LSV is 155 North Wacker Drive, Chicago,
Illinois 60606. LSV is an investment adviser registered under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011, none of the directors, officers or partners of LSV is or has been engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
PENNANT MANAGEMENT, INC.
Pennant Management, Inc. ("Pennant") serves as the investment adviser to the
USFS Funds Limited Duration Government Fund and USFS Funds Tactical Asset
Allocation Fund. The address of Pennant is 11270 West Park Place, Suite 1025,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53224. Pennant is an investment adviser registered under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The information listed below is for the
fiscal years ended December 31, 2009 and 2010.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND POSITION WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY CONNECTION WITH OTHER COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mark A. Elste Senior Executive Vice President, President, CEO and CIO U.S. Fiduciary Services Treasurer and Director ---------------------------------------------------------------- GreatBanc Trust Company Director ---------------------------------------------------------------- Salem Trust Company Director ---------------------------------------------------------------- USF Affiliate Services, Inc. Director ---------------------------------------------------------------- Waretech, Inc. Director ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lauren E. McAfee U.S. Fiduciary Services Secretary Chief Compliance Officer ---------------------------------------------------------------- and Secretary GreatBanc Trust Company Secretary ---------------------------------------------------------------- Salem Trust Company Secretary ---------------------------------------------------------------- Legal and Compliance Officer, USF Affiliate Services, Inc. Secretary ---------------------------------------------------------------- Waretech, Inc. Secretary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ James E. Habanek Senior Vice President Senior Vice President The Ziegler Companies, Inc. and Portfolio Manager ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pam C. Dix Senior Vice President Vice President M&I Bank and Portfolio Manager ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scott R Harding Amcore Bank, NA Vice President & Manager SVP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Michael Welgat U.S. Fiduciary Services CEO, President, Director Director GreatBanc Trust Company Director Salem Trust Company Director USF Affiliate Services, Inc. Director Waretech, Inc. Director ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME AND POSITION WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY CONNECTION WITH OTHER COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Todd C. Johnson U.S. Fiduciary Services Director Director Todd C. Johnson CPA Affinity, Inc. Director DigiTenna, Inc. Director Jaws, Inc. Director & Officer PB Properties, LLC Managing Partner ALJ Family Partnership General Partner Carl & Irma Swenson Director & Officer Foundation Director & Officer RAJ Ministries Director / Officer New Beginnings Are Possible ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
PNC CAPITAL ADVISORS, LLC
PNC Capital Advisors, LLC ("PNC Capital") serves as adviser to the UA S&P 500
Fund. PNC Capital was formed as a result of the merger of Allegiant Asset
Management Company, the former investment adviser to the UA S&P 500 Fund, with
its affiliate, PNC Capital Advisors, Inc. PNC Capital is a Delaware limited
liability company and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of The PNC Financial
Services Group, Inc., a publicly-held bank holding company, and is registered
as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Effective
January 1, 2009, Allegiant Asset Management Company became an indirect wholly
owned subsidiary of PNC. Prior to such date, Allegiant Asset Management Company
was an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of National City Corporation. PNC
Capital also provides investment advisory to other institutions and individuals
and provides investment advisory and administrative services to other
investment companies. The information required by this Item 31 with respect to
each director and officer of PNC Capital is incorporated herein by reference to
Form ADV and Schedules A and B filed by PNC Capital with the SEC.
RICE HALL JAMES & ASSOCIATES, LLC
Rice Hall James & Associates, LLC ("Rice Hall") serves as the investment
adviser to the Rice Hall James Micro Cap Portfolio, Rice Hall James Mid Cap
Portfolio and Rice Hall James Small Cap Portfolio. The principal address of
Rice Hall is 600 West Broadway, Suite 1000, San Diego, California 92101-3383.
Rice Hall is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011, none of the directors, officers or partners of Rice Hall is or has been engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
SANDS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
Sands Capital Management, LLC ("Sands") serves as the investment adviser to the
Sands Capital Global Growth Fund. The principal address of Sands is 1101 Wilson
Boulevard, Suite 2300, Arlington, VA 22209. Sands is an investment adviser
registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011, none of the directors, officers or partners of Sands is or has been engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
SKY HARBOR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
SKY Harbor Capital Management LLC ("SKY Harbor") serves as investment
sub-adviser for the Registrant's Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund. The
principal address of SKY Harbor is 20 Horseneck Lane, Greenwich, CT 06830. [To
be completed by amendment.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- |
THOMSON HORSTMANN & BRYANT, INC.
Thomson Horstmann & Bryant, Inc. ("THB") serves as the investment adviser for
the Thomson Horstmann & Bryant MicroCap Fund. The principal address of THB is
501 Merritt 7, Norwalk, CT 06851. THB is an investment adviser registered under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. [To be completed by amendment.]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- |
THOMPSON, SIEGEL & WALMSLEY LLC
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC ("TS&W") serves as the investment adviser to
the TS&W Equity Portfolio, and TS&W Fixed Income Portfolio. The principal
address of TS&W is 6806 Paragon Place, Suite 300, P.O. Box 6883, Richmond,
Virginia 23230. TS&W is an investment adviser registered under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011, none of the directors, officers or partners of TS&W is or has been engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
WESTWOOD MANAGEMENT CORP.
Westwood Management Corp. ("Westwood") serves as the investment adviser for the
Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, Westwood SMidCap Fund, Westwood SMidCap Plus
Fund, Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Westwood SmallCap Value Fund, Westwood
Dividend Growth Fund, Westwood Balanced Fund and Westwood Short Duration High
Yield Fund. The principal address of Westwood is 200 Crescent Court, Suite
1200, Dallas, Texas 75201. Westwood is an investment adviser registered under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The information listed below is for the
fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Susan Byrne Westwood Holdings Group, Inc.* Chief Investment Officer and Chief Investment Officer and (NYSE: WHG) Chairman of the Board Chairman of the Board -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian Casey Westwood Holdings Group, Inc.* President and Chief Executive President and Chief Executive (NYSE: WHG) Officer and Director Officer and Director ------------------------------------------------------------------ Westwood Trust** President and Director -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME AND POSITION CONNECTION WITH WITH INVESTMENT ADVISER NAME OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William R. Hardcastle Westwood Holdings Group, Inc.* Chief Financial Officer Chief Financial Officer (NYSE: WHG) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Westwood Advisors, LLC*** Chief Financial Officer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sylvia L. Fry Westwood Holdings Group, Inc.* Chief Compliance Officer Chief Compliance Officer (NYSE: WHG) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Westwood Trust** Chief Compliance Officer ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Westwood Advisors, LLC*** Chief Compliance Officer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
* Westwood Management Corp., Westwood Trust, and Westwood Advisors, LLC are wholly owned subsidiaries of Westwood Holdings Group, Inc., a publicly traded company on the NYSE (NYSE: WHG). ** Westwood Trust provides trust and custodial services and participation in common trust funds that it sponsors to institutions and high net worth individuals. *** Westwood Advisors, LLC (formerly McCarthy Group Advisors, LLC) is an SEC registered investment adviser located in Omaha, NE that manages investment Limited Liability Companies and an investment Limited Partnership.
ITEM 32. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS
(a) Furnish the name of each investment company (other than the Registrant) for which each principal underwriter currently distributing the securities of the Registrant also acts as a principal underwriter, distributor or investment adviser.
The Registrant's distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), acts as distributor for:
SEI Daily Income Trust July 15, 1982 SEI Liquid Asset Trust November 29, 1982 SEI Tax Exempt Trust December 3, 1982 SEI Institutional Managed Trust January 22, 1987 SEI Institutional International Trust August 30, 1988 The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund November 14, 1991 The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II January 28, 1993 Bishop Street Funds January 27, 1995 SEI Asset Allocation Trust April 1, 1996 SEI Institutional Investments Trust June 14, 1996 CNI Charter Funds April 1, 1999 iShares Inc. January 28, 2000 iShares Trust April 25, 2000 Optique Funds, Inc. November 1, 2000 Causeway Capital Management Trust September 20, 2001 BlackRock Funds III (f/k/a Barclays Global Investors Funds) March 31, 2003 The Arbitrage Funds May 17, 2005 ProShares Trust November 14, 2005 Community Reinvestment Act Qualified Investment Fund January 8, 2007 SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP June 29, 2007 TD Asset Management USA Funds July 25, 2007 |
SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP July 31, 2007 Wilshire Mutual Funds, Inc. July 12, 2008 Wilshire Variable Insurance Trust July 12, 2008 Global X Funds October 24, 2008 ProShares Trust II November 17, 2008 Exchange Traded Concepts Trust August 7, 2009 Schwab Strategic Trust October 12, 2009 RiverPark Funds September 8, 2010 Adviser Managed Trust February 16, 2011 |
The Distributor provides numerous financial services to investment managers, pension plan sponsors, and bank trust departments. These services include portfolio evaluation, performance measurement and consulting services ("Funds Evaluation") and automated execution, clearing and settlement of securities transactions ("MarketLink").
(b) Furnish the Information required by the following table with respect to each director, officer or partner of each principal underwriter named in the answer to Item 20 of Part B. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each director or officer is Oaks, PA 19456.
POSITION AND OFFICE POSITIONS AND OFFICES NAME WITH UNDERWRITER WITH REGISTRANT ---- -------------------- --------------------- William M. Doran Director -- Edward D. Loughlin Director -- Wayne M. Withrow Director -- Kevin P. Barr President & Chief Executive Officer -- Maxine J. Chou Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operations -- Officer, & Treasurer Karen E. LaTourette Chief Compliance Officer, Anti-Money Laundering Officer & Assistant Secretary -- John C. Munch General Counsel & Secretary -- Mark J. Held Senior Vice President -- Lori L. White Vice President & Assistant Secretary -- John P. Coary Vice President & Assistant Secretary -- John J. Cronin Vice President -- Robert M. Silvestri Vice President -- |
ITEM 33. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS:
Books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the rules promulgated thereunder, are maintained as follows:
(a) With respect to Rules 31a-1(a); 31a-1(b)(1); (2)(a) and (b); (3); (6);
(8); (12); and 31a-1 (d), the required books and records are maintained at
the offices of Registrant's custodians:
U.S. Bank, National Association Union Bank of California, N.A. 800 Nicollett Mall 475 Sansome Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-4302 15(th) Floor San Francisco, California 94111 National City Bank The Northern Trust Company National City Center 50 LaSalle Street 1900 East Ninth Street Chicago, Illinois 60675 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 |
(b)/(c) With respect to Rules 31a-1(a); 31a-1 (b)(1),(4); (2)(C) and (D); (4);
(5); (6); (8); (9); (10); (11); and 31a-1(f), the required books and
records are maintained at the offices of Registrant's administrator:
SEI Investments Global Funds Services
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
(c) With respect to Rules 31a-1 (b)(5), (6), (9) and (10) and 31a-1 (f), the required books and records are maintained at the offices of the Registrant's investment advisers:
Acadian Asset Management LLC
One Post Office Square, 8th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
AIG Asset Management (U.S.), LLC
70 Pine Street, 20th Floor
New York, New York 10270
AlphaOne Investment Services, LLC
One Tower Bridge
100 Front Street, Suite 1250
West Conshohocken, PA 19428
Aviva Investors North America, Inc.
699 Walnut Street, Suite 1700
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Cambiar Investors LLC
2401 East Second Street, Suite 400
Denver, Colorado 80206
CBRE Clarion Securities LLC
201 King of Prussia Road, Suite 600
Radnor, PA 19087
Citigroup First Investment Management Americas LLC
388 Greenwich Street
New York, New York 10013
C.S. McKee, LLP
One Gateway Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
Edgewood Management LLC
305 Park Avenue, 18th Floor
New York, New York 10022-6057
First Manhattan Co.
437 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022-7022
Hamlin Capital Management, LLC
640 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor
New York, New York 10019
Haverford Investment Management, Inc. Three Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 450 Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087-4546
HGK Asset Management, Inc.
Newport Tower
525 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, New Jersey 07310
Investment Counselors of Maryland, LLC
803 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
One Financial Center
Boston, Massachusetts 02111-2621
LSV Asset Management
1 North Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Pennant Management, Inc.
11270 West Park Place, Suite 1025
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53224
PNC Capital Advisors, LLC
200 Public Square
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Rice Hall James & Associates, LLC
600 West Broadway, Suite 1000
San Diego, California 92101-3383
Sands Capital Management, LLC
1101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 2300
Arlington, VA 22209
SKY Harbor Capital Management, LLC
20 Horseneck Lane
Greenwich, CT 06830
Thomson Horstmann & Bryant, Inc.
501 Merritt 7
Norwalk, CT 06851
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC 5000 Monument Avenue, P.O. Box 6883 Richmond, Virginia 23230
Westwood Management Corp.
200 Crescent Court, Suite 1200
Dallas, Texas 75201
ITEM 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES: None.
ITEM 35. UNDERTAKINGS: None.
NOTICE
A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust for The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund (the "Trust") is on file with the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and notice is hereby given that this registration statement has been executed on behalf of the Trust by an officer of the Trust as an officer and by its trustees as trustees and not individually and the obligations of or arising out of this registration statement are not binding upon any of the trustees, officers, or shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 183 to Registration Statement No. 033-42484 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Oaks, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the 26th day of March, 2012.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacity and on the dates indicated.
* Trustee March 26, 2012 ------------------------- Charles E. Carlbom * Trustee March 26, 2012 ------------------------- John K. Darr * Trustee March 26, 2012 ------------------------- William M. Doran * Trustee March 26, 2012 ------------------------- Joseph T. Grause, Jr. * Trustee March 26, 2012 ------------------------- Mitchell A. Johnson * Trustee March 26, 2012 ------------------------- Betty L. Krikorian * Trustee March 26, 2012 ------------------------- Robert A. Nesher * Trustee March 26, 2012 ------------------------- Bruce Speca * Trustee March 26, 2012 ------------------------- James M. Storey * Trustee March 26, 2012 ------------------------- George J. Sullivan, Jr. * President March 26, 2012 ------------------------- Michael Beattie * Treasurer, Controller & March 26, 2012 ------------------------- Chief Financial Officer Michael Lawson *By: /s/ Dianne M. Sulzbach ----------------------- |
Dianne M. Sulzbach, pursuant to Power of Attorney
EXHIBIT INDEX EXHIBIT NO. EXHIBIT ----------- ------- EX-99.D13 Expense Limitation Agreement dated December 16, 2010, between the Registrant and Acadian Asset Management LLC EX-99.D45 Investment Advisory Agreement dated February 20, 2012, between the Trust and Hamlin Capital Management, LLC, relating to the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund EX-99.D46 Expense Limitation Agreement dated February 20, 2012, between the Registrant and Hamlin Capital Management, LLC, relating to the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund EX-99.H22 Shareholder Services Plan, relating to the Investor Class Shares of the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund EX-99.I Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to Shares of the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund EX-99.M2 Schedule A, as last amended February 15, 2012, to the Distribution Plan dated August 8, 1994, as amended August 14, 2000 |
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT, made this 16th day of December, 2010 by and between Acadian Asset Management LLC (the "Adviser") and The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund (the "Trust") (the "Agreement"), on behalf of each series of the Trust set forth in Schedule A attached hereto (each a "Fund," and collectively, the "Funds").
WHEREAS, the Trust is a Massachusetts voluntary association (commonly known as a business trust) organized under an Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated July 18, 1991, as amended and restated as of February 18, 1997 (the "Declaration of Trust"), and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as an open-end management company of the series type, and each Fund is a series of the Trust;
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Adviser have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement dated June 24, 2002 (the "Advisory Agreement"), pursuant to which the Adviser provides investment advisory services to each Fund for compensation based on the value of the average daily net assets of each such Fund;
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Adviser have determined that it is appropriate and in the best interests of each Fund and its shareholders to maintain the expenses of each Fund at a level below the level to which each such Fund would normally be subject in order to maintain each Fund's expense ratios at the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit (as hereinafter defined) specified for such Fund in Schedule A hereto;
NOW THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. EXPENSE LIMITATION.
1.1. APPLICABLE EXPENSE LIMIT. To the extent that the aggregate expenses of every character incurred by a Fund in any fiscal year, including but not limited to investment advisory fees of the Adviser (but excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of such Fund's business) and expenses for which payment has been made through the use of all or a portion of brokerage commissions (or markups or markdowns) generated by that Fund ("Fund Operating Expenses"), exceed the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit, as defined in Section 1.2 below, such excess amount (the "Excess Amount") shall be the liability of the Adviser.
1.2. MAXIMUM ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSE LIMIT. The Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit with respect to each Fund shall be the amount specified in Schedule A based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Fund. That Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit for each Fund contemplates that certain expenses for each Fund may be paid through the use of all or a portion of brokerage commissions (or markups or markdowns) generated by that Fund.
1.3. METHOD OF COMPUTATION. To determine the Adviser's liability with respect to the Excess Amount, each month the Fund Operating Expenses for each Fund shall be annualized as of the last day of the month. If the annualized Fund Operating Expenses for any month of a Fund exceed the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit of such Fund, the Adviser shall first waive or reduce its investment advisory fee for such month by an amount sufficient to reduce the annualized Fund Operating Expenses to an amount no higher than the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit. If the amount of the waived or reduced investment advisory fee for any such month is insufficient to pay the Excess Amount, the Adviser may also remit to the appropriate Fund or Funds an amount that, together with the waived or reduced investment advisory fee, is sufficient to pay such Excess Amount.
1.4. YEAR-END ADJUSTMENT. If necessary, on or before the last day of the first month of each fiscal year, an adjustment payment shall be made by the appropriate party in order that the amount of the investment advisory fees waived or reduced and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund or Funds with respect to the previous fiscal year shall equal the Excess Amount.
2. TERM AND TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT.
This Agreement shall continue in effect with respect to all Funds until February 29, 2012, provided that this Agreement may be terminated, without payment of any penalty, with respect to any Fund by the Trust, for any reason and at any time.
3. MISCELLANEOUS.
3.1. CAPTIONS. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no other way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
3.2. INTERPRETATION. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require the Trust or the Funds to take any action contrary to the Trust's Declaration of Trust or By-Laws, or any applicable statutory or regulatory requirement to which it is subject or by which it is bound, or to relieve or deprive the Trust's Board of Trustees of its responsibility for and control of the conduct of the affairs of the Trust or the Funds. The parties to this Agreement acknowledge and agree that all litigation arising hereunder, whether direct or indirect, and of any and every nature whatsoever shall be satisfied solely out of the assets of the affected Fund and that no Trustee, officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Fund shall be personally liable for any of the foregoing liabilities. The Trust's Declaration of Trust, as amended from time to time, is on file in the Office of the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Such Declaration of Trust describes in detail the respective responsibilities and limitations on liability of the Trustees, officers, and holders of shares of beneficial interest.
3.3. DEFINITIONS. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement, including but not limited to the investment advisory fee, the computations of net asset values, and the allocation of expenses, having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from the terms and provisions of the Advisory Agreement or the 1940 Act, shall have the same meaning as and be resolved by reference to such Advisory Agreement or the 1940 Act.
3.4 ENFORCEABILITY. Any term or provision of this Agreement which is invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability without rendering invalid or unenforceable the remaining terms or provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, as of the day and year first above written.
THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND,
on behalf of each series of the Trust set forth in Schedule A
/s/ Joseph Gallo ------------------ Joseph Gallo Vice President and Secretary |
ACADIAN ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC
/s/ Mark Minichiello ---------------------- Mark Minichiello CFO, SVP |
SCHEDULE A
MAXIMUM ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSE LIMITS
This Agreement relates to the following Funds of the Trust:
NAME OF FUND MAXIMUM ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSE LIMIT Acadian Emerging Markets Debt Fund 0.95% |
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") made as of this 20th day of February, 2012 by and between THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND (the "Trust"), a Massachusetts voluntary association (commonly known as a business trust) registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and Hamlin Capital Management, LLC (the "Adviser"), a Delaware limited liability company with its principal place of business at 477 Madison Avenue, Suite 520, New York, NY 10022.
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of the Trust has selected the Adviser to act as investment adviser to the Trust on behalf of the series set forth on Schedule A to this Agreement (the "Fund"), as such Schedule may be amended from time to time upon mutual agreement of the parties, and to provide certain related services, as more fully set forth below, and to perform such services under the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth; NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and benefits set forth herein, the Trust and the Adviser do hereby agree as follows:
1. THE ADVISER'S SERVICES.
(a) Discretionary Investment Management Services. The Adviser shall act as investment adviser with respect to the Fund. In such capacity, the Adviser shall, subject to the supervision of the Board, regularly provide the Fund with investment research, advice and supervision and shall furnish continuously an investment program for the Fund, consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund. The Adviser shall determine, from time to time, what securities shall be purchased for the Fund, what securities shall be held or sold by the Fund and what portion of the Fund's assets shall be held uninvested in cash, subject always to the provisions of the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, By-Laws and its registration statement on Form N-1A (the "Registration Statement") under the 1940 Act, and under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), covering Fund shares, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), and to the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Fund, as each of the same shall be from time to time in effect. To carry out such obligations, the Adviser shall exercise full discretion and act for the Fund in the same manner and with the same force and effect as the Fund itself might or could do with respect to purchases, sales or other transactions, as well as with respect to all other such things necessary or incidental to the furtherance or conduct of such purchases, sales or other transactions. No reference in this Agreement to the Adviser having full discretionary authority over the Fund's investments shall in any way limit the right of the Board, in its sole discretion, to establish or revise policies in connection with the management of the Fund's assets or to otherwise exercise its right to control the overall management of the Fund.
(b) Compliance. The Adviser agrees to comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers
Act"), the 1933 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), the Commodity Exchange Act and the respective rules and regulations thereunder, as applicable, as well as with all other applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations and case law that relate to the services and relationships described hereunder and to the conduct of its business as a registered investment adviser. The Adviser also agrees to comply with the objectives, policies and restrictions set forth in the Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented, of the Fund, and with any policies, guidelines, instructions and procedures approved by the Board and provided to the Adviser. In selecting the Fund's portfolio securities and performing the Adviser's obligations hereunder, the Adviser shall cause the Fund to comply with the diversification and source of income requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), for qualification as a regulated investment company. The Adviser shall maintain compliance procedures that it reasonably believes are adequate to ensure its compliance with the foregoing. No supervisory activity undertaken by the Board shall limit the Adviser's full responsibility for any of the foregoing.
(c) Proxy Voting. The Board has the authority to determine how proxies with respect to securities that are held by the Fund shall be voted, and the Board has initially determined to delegate the authority and responsibility to vote proxies for the Fund's securities to the Adviser. So long as proxy voting authority for the Fund has been delegated to the Adviser, the Adviser shall exercise its proxy voting responsibilities. The Adviser shall carry out such responsibility in accordance with any instructions that the Board shall provide from time to time, and at all times in a manner consistent with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act and its fiduciary responsibilities to the Trust. The Adviser shall provide periodic reports and keep records relating to proxy voting as the Board may reasonably request or as may be necessary for the Fund to comply with the 1940 Act and other applicable law. Any such delegation of proxy voting responsibility to the Adviser may be revoked or modified by the Board at any time.
The Adviser is authorized to instruct the Fund's custodian and/or broker(s) to forward promptly to the Adviser or designate service provider copies of all proxies and shareholder communications relating to securities held in the portfolio of a Fund (other than materials relating to legal proceedings against the Fund). The Adviser may also instruct the Fund's custodian and/or broker(s) to provide reports of holdings in the portfolio of the Fund. The Adviser has the authority to engage a service provided to assist with administrative functions related to voting Fund proxies. The Trust shall direct the Fund's custodian and/or broker(s) to provide any assistance requested by the Adviser in facilitating the use of a service provider. In no event shall the Adviser have any responsibility to vote proxies that are not received on a timely basis. The Trust acknowledges that the Adviser, consistent with the Adviser's written proxy voting policies and procedures, may refrain from voting a proxy if, in the Adviser's discretion, refraining from voting would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders.
(d) Recordkeeping. The Adviser shall not be responsible for the provision of administrative, bookkeeping or accounting services to the Fund,
except as otherwise provided herein or as may be necessary for the Adviser to supply to the Trust or its Board the information required to be supplied under this Agreement.
The Adviser shall maintain separate books and detailed records of all matters pertaining to Fund assets advised by the Adviser required by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act (other than those records being maintained by any administrator, custodian or transfer agent appointed by the Fund) relating to its responsibilities provided hereunder with respect to the Fund, and shall preserve such records for the periods and in a manner prescribed therefore by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act (the "Fund Books and Records"). The Fund Books and Records shall be available to the Board at any time upon request, shall be delivered to the Trust upon the termination of this Agreement and shall be available without delay during any day the Trust is open for business.
(e) Holdings Information and Pricing. The Adviser shall provide regular reports regarding Fund holdings, and may, on its own initiative, furnish the Trust and its Board from time to time with whatever information the Adviser believes is appropriate for this purpose. The Adviser agrees to notify the Trust promptly if the Adviser reasonably believes that the value of any security held by the Fund may not reflect fair value. The Adviser agrees to provide upon request any pricing information of which the Adviser is aware to the Trust, its Board and/or any Fund pricing agent to assist in the determination of the fair value of any Fund holdings for which market quotations are not readily available or as otherwise required in accordance with the 1940 Act or the Trust's valuation procedures for the purpose of calculating the Fund net asset value in accordance with procedures and methods established by the Board.
(f) Cooperation with Agents of the Trust. The Adviser agrees to cooperate with and provide reasonable assistance to the Trust, any Trust custodian or foreign sub-custodians, any Trust pricing agents and all other agents and representatives of the Trust with respect to such information regarding the Fund as such entities may reasonably request from time to time in the performance of their obligations, provide prompt responses to reasonable requests made by such persons and establish appropriate interfaces with each so as to promote the efficient exchange of information and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
2. CODE OF ETHICS. The Adviser has adopted a written code of ethics
that it reasonably believes complies with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under
the 1940 Act, which it has provided to the Trust. The Adviser shall ensure that
its Access Persons (as defined in the Adviser's Code of Ethics) comply
in all material respects with the Adviser's Code of Ethics, as in effect from
time to time. Upon request, the Adviser shall provide the Trust with a (i) copy
of the Adviser's current Code of Ethics, as in effect from time to time, and
(ii) certification that it has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to
prevent Access Persons from engaging in any conduct prohibited by the Adviser's
Code of Ethics. Annually, the Adviser shall furnish a written report, which
complies with the requirements of Rule 17j-1, concerning the Adviser's Code of
Ethics to the Trust's Board. The Adviser shall respond to requests for
information from the Trust as to violations of the Code by Access Persons and
the sanctions imposed by the Adviser. The Adviser shall immediately notify the
Trust of any material violation of the Code, whether or not such violation
relates to a security held by the Fund.
3. INFORMATION AND REPORTING. The Adviser shall provide the Trust and its officers with such periodic reports concerning the obligations the Adviser has assumed under this Agreement as the Trust may from time to time reasonably request.
(a) Notification of Breach / Compliance Reports. The Adviser shall notify the Trust's chief compliance officer immediately upon detection of (i) any material failure to manage the Fund in accordance with its investment objectives and policies or any applicable law; or (ii) any material breach of any of the Fund's or the Adviser's policies, guidelines or procedures. In addition, the Adviser shall provide a quarterly report regarding the Fund's compliance with its investment objectives and policies, applicable law, including, but not limited to the 1940 Act and Subchapter M of the Code, and the Fund's policies, guidelines or procedures as applicable to the Adviser's obligations under this Agreement. The Adviser agrees to correct any such failure promptly and to take any action that the Board may reasonably request in connection with any such breach. Upon request, the Adviser shall also provide the officers of the Trust with supporting certifications in connection with such certifications of Fund financial statements and disclosure controls pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Adviser will promptly notify the Trust in the event (i) the Adviser is served or otherwise receives notice of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, at law or in equity, before or by any court, public board, or body, involving the affairs of the Trust (excluding class action suits in which the Fund is a member of the plaintiff class by reason of the Fund's ownership of shares in the defendant) or the compliance by the Adviser with the federal or state securities laws or (ii) an actual change in control of the Adviser resulting in an "assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act) has occurred or is otherwise proposed to occur.
(b) Board and Filings Information. The Adviser will provide the Trust with any information reasonably requested regarding its management of the Fund required for any meeting of the Board, or for any shareholder report, Form N-CSR, Form N-Q, Form N-PX, Form N-SAR, amended registration statement, proxy statement, or prospectus supplement to be filed by the Trust with the Commission. The Adviser will make its officers and employees available to meet with the Board from time to time on due notice to review its investment management services to the Fund in light of current and prospective economic and market conditions and shall furnish to the Board such information as may reasonably be necessary in order for the Board to evaluate this Agreement or any proposed amendments thereto.
(c) Transaction Information. The Adviser shall furnish to the Trust such information concerning portfolio transactions as may be necessary to enable the Trust or its designated agent to perform such compliance testing on the Fund and the Adviser's services as the Trust may, in its sole discretion, determine to be appropriate. The provision of such information by the Adviser to the Trust or its designated agent in no way relieves the Adviser of its own responsibilities under this Agreement.
4. BROKERAGE.
(a) Principal Transactions. In connection with purchases or sales of securities for the account of the Fund, neither the Adviser nor any of its directors, officers or employees will act as a principal or agent or receive any commission except as permitted by the 1940 Act.
(b) Placement of Orders. The Adviser shall arrange for the placing of all orders for the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund's account with brokers or dealers selected by the Adviser. In the selection of such brokers or dealers and the placing of such orders, the Adviser is directed at all times to seek for the Fund the most favorable execution and net price available under the circumstances. It is also understood that it is desirable for the Fund that the Adviser have access to brokerage and research services provided by brokers who may execute brokerage transactions at a higher cost to the Fund than may result when allocating brokerage to other brokers, consistent with section 28(e) of the 1934 Act and any Commission staff interpretations thereof. Therefore, the Adviser is authorized to place orders for the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund with such brokers, subject to review by the Board from time to time with respect to the extent and continuation of this practice. It is understood that the services provided by such brokers may be useful to the Adviser in connection with its or its affiliates' services to other clients.
(c) Aggregated Transactions. On occasions when the Adviser deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interest of the Fund as well as other clients of the Adviser, the Adviser may, to the extent permitted by applicable law and regulations, aggregate the order for securities to be sold or purchased. In such event, the Adviser will allocate securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, in the manner the Adviser reasonably considers to be equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients under the circumstances.
(d) Affiliated Brokers. The Adviser or any of its affiliates may act as broker in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or other investments for the Fund, subject to: (a) the requirement that the Adviser seek to obtain best execution and price within the policy guidelines determined by the Board and set forth in the Fund's current Registration Statement; (b) the provisions of the 1940 Act; (c) the provisions of the Advisers Act; (d) the provisions of the 1934 Act; and (e) other provisions of applicable law. These brokerage services are not within the scope of the duties of the Adviser under this Agreement. Subject to the requirements of applicable law and any procedures adopted by the Board, the Adviser or its affiliates may receive brokerage commissions, fees or other remuneration from the Fund for these services in addition to the Adviser's fees for services under this Agreement.
5. CUSTODY. Nothing in this Agreement shall permit the Adviser to take or receive physical possession of cash, securities or other investments of the Fund.
6. ALLOCATION OF CHARGES AND EXPENSES. The Adviser will bear its own costs of providing services hereunder. Other than as herein specifically indicated, the Adviser shall not be responsible for the Fund's expenses, including brokerage and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments.
7. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS.
(a) Properly Registered. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and will remain so registered for the duration of this Agreement. The Adviser is not prohibited by the Advisers Act or the 1940 Act from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement, and to the best knowledge of the Adviser, there is no proceeding or investigation that is reasonably likely to result in the Adviser being prohibited from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement. The Adviser agrees to promptly notify the Trust of the occurrence of any event that would disqualify the Adviser from serving as an investment adviser to an investment company. The Adviser is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state law in connection with its investment management operations.
(b) ADV Disclosure. The Adviser has provided the Trust with a copy of its Form ADV Part I as most recently filed with the SEC and its current Part II and will, promptly after filing any amendment to its Form ADV with the SEC updating its Part II, furnish a copy of such amendments or updates to the Trust. The information contained in the Adviser's Form ADV is accurate and complete in all material respects and does not omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) Fund Disclosure Documents. The Adviser has reviewed, and will in the future review, the Registration Statement, summary prospectus, prospectus, statement of additional information, periodic reports to shareholders, reports and schedules filed with the Commission (including any amendment, supplement or sticker to any of the foregoing) and advertising and sales material relating to the Fund (collectively the "Disclosure Documents") and represents and warrants that such Disclosure Documents contain or will contain no untrue statement of any material fact and do not and will not omit any statement of material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(d) Use Of The Name "Hamlin". The Adviser has the right to use the name "Hamlin" in connection with its services to the Trust and that, subject to the terms set forth in Section 8 of this Agreement, the Trust shall have the right to use the name "Hamlin" in connection with the management and operation of the Fund. The Adviser is not aware of any threatened or existing actions, claims, litigation or proceedings that would adversely affect or prejudice the rights of the Adviser or the Trust to use the name "Hamlin."
(e) Insurance. The Adviser maintains errors and omissions insurance coverage in an appropriate amount and shall provide prior written notice to the Trust (i) of any material changes in its insurance policies or insurance coverage; or (ii) if any material claims will be made on its insurance policies. Furthermore, the Adviser shall, upon reasonable request, provide the Trust with any information it may reasonably require concerning the amount of or scope of such insurance.
(f) No Detrimental Agreement. The Adviser represents and warrants that it has no arrangement or understanding with any party, other than the Trust, that would influence the decision of the Adviser with respect to its selection of securities for the Fund, and that all selections shall be done in accordance with what is in the best interest of the Fund.
(g) Conflicts. The Adviser shall act honestly, in good faith and in the best interests of the Trust including requiring any of its personnel with knowledge of Fund activities to place the interest of the Fund first, ahead of their own interests, in all personal trading scenarios that may involve a conflict of interest with the Fund, consistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law.
(h) Representations. The representations and warranties in this Section 7 shall be deemed to be made on the date this Agreement is executed and at the time of delivery of the quarterly compliance report required by Section 3(a), whether or not specifically referenced in such report.
8. THE NAME "HAMLIN". The Adviser grants to the Trust a license to use the name "Hamlin" (the "Name") as part of the name of the Fund. The foregoing authorization by the Adviser to the Trust to use the Name as part of the name of the Fund is not exclusive of the right of the Adviser itself to use, or to authorize others to use, the Name; the Trust acknowledges and agrees that, as between the Trust and the Adviser, the Adviser has the right to use, or authorize others to use, the Name. The Trust shall (1) only use the Name in a manner consistent with uses approved by the Adviser; (2) use its best efforts to maintain the quality of the services offered using the Name; (3) adhere to such other specific quality control standards as the Adviser may from time to time promulgate. At the request of the Adviser, the Trust will (a) submit to Adviser representative samples of any promotional materials using the Name; and (b) change the name of the Fund within three months of its receipt of the Adviser's request, or such other shorter time period as may be required under the terms of a settlement agreement or court order, so as to eliminate all reference to the Name and will not thereafter transact any business using the Name in the name of the Fund; provided, however, that the Trust may continue to use beyond such date any supplies of prospectuses, marketing materials and similar documents that the Trust had on the date of such name change in quantities not exceeding those historically produced and used in connection with such Fund.
9. ADVISER'S COMPENSATION. The Fund shall pay to the Adviser, as compensation for the Adviser's services hereunder, a fee, determined as described in Schedule A that is attached hereto and made a part hereof. Such fee shall be computed daily and paid not less than monthly in arrears by the Fund.
The method for determining net assets of the Fund for purposes hereof shall be the same as the method for determining net assets for purposes of establishing the offering and redemption prices of Fund shares as described in the Fund's prospectus. In the event of termination of this Agreement, the fee provided in this Section shall be computed on the basis of the period ending on the last business day on which this Agreement is in effect subject to a pro rata adjustment based on the number of days elapsed in the current month as a percentage of the total number of days in such month.
10. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. In the performance of its duties hereunder, the Adviser is and shall be an independent contractor and, unless otherwise expressly provided herein or otherwise authorized in writing, shall have no authority to act for or represent the Trust or the Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed to be an agent of the Trust or the Fund. If any occasion should arise in which the Adviser gives any advice to its clients concerning the shares of the Fund, the Adviser will act solely as investment counsel for such clients and not in any way on behalf of the Fund.
11. ASSIGNMENT AND AMENDMENTS. This Agreement shall automatically terminate, without the payment of any penalty, in the event of its assignment (as defined in section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act); provided that such termination shall not relieve the Adviser of any liability incurred hereunder. This Agreement may not be added to or changed orally and may not be modified or rescinded except by a writing signed by the parties hereto and in accordance with the 1940 Act, when applicable.
12. DURATION AND TERMINATION.
This Agreement shall become effective as of the date executed and shall
remain in full force and effect continually thereafter, subject to renewal as
provided in Section 12(c) and unless terminated automatically as set forth in
Section 11 hereof or until terminated as follows:
(a) The Trust may cause this Agreement to terminate either (i) by vote of its Board or (ii) with respect to the Fund, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund; or
(b) The Adviser may at any time terminate this Agreement by not more than sixty (60) days' nor less than thirty (30) days' written notice delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, to the Trust; or
(c) This Agreement shall automatically terminate two years from the date of its execution unless its renewal is specifically approved at least annually thereafter by (i) a majority vote of the Trustees, including a majority vote of such Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or the Adviser, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval; or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund; provided, however, that if the continuance of this Agreement is submitted to the shareholders of the Fund for their approval and such shareholders fail to approve such continuance of this Agreement as provided herein, the Adviser may continue to serve hereunder as to the Fund in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; and
(d) Termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section shall be without payment of any penalty.
In the event of termination of this Agreement for any reason, the Adviser shall, immediately upon notice of termination or on such later date as may be specified in such notice, cease all activity on behalf of the Fund and with respect to any of its assets, except as otherwise required by any fiduciary duties of the Adviser under applicable law. In addition, the Adviser shall deliver the Fund Books and Records to the Trust by such means and in accordance with such schedule as the Trust shall direct and shall otherwise cooperate, as reasonably directed by the Trust, in the transition of portfolio asset management to any successor of the Adviser.
13. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For the purposes of this Agreement:
(a) "Affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund" shall have the meaning as set forth in the 1940 Act, subject, however, to such exemptions as may be granted by the Commission under the 1940 Act or any interpretations of the Commission staff.
(b) "Interested persons" and "Assignment" shall have their respective meanings as set forth in the 1940 Act, subject, however, to such exemptions as may be granted by the Commission under the 1940 Act or any interpretations of the Commission staff.
14. LIABILITY OF THE ADVISER.
(a) The Adviser shall have responsibility for the accuracy and completeness (and liability for the lack thereof) of statements in the Fund's Disclosure Documents.
(b) The Adviser shall be liable to the Fund for any loss (including transaction costs) incurred by the Fund as a result of any investment made by the Adviser in contravention of: (i) any investment policy, guideline or restriction set forth in the Registration Statement or as approved by the Board from time to time and provided to the Adviser; or (ii) applicable law, including but not limited to the 1940 Act and the Code (including but not limited to the Fund's failure to satisfy the diversification or source of income requirements of Subchapter M of the Code) (the investments described in this subsection (b) collectively are referred to as "Improper Investments").
(c) The Adviser shall indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, each affiliated person of the Trust within the meaning of Section 2(a)(3) of the 1940 Act, and each person who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (any such person, an "Indemnified Party") against any and all losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (including the reasonable cost of investigating and defending any alleged loss, claim, damage, expense or liability and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) to which any such person may become subject under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon: (i) a breach by the Adviser of this Agreement or of the representations and warranties made by the Adviser herein; (ii) any Improper Investment; (iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Disclosure Document or the omission or alleged omission from a Disclosure Document of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (iv) the Adviser's performance or non-performance of its duties hereunder; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect any Indemnified Party who is a Trustee or officer of the Trust against any liability to the Trust or to its shareholders to which such Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason or willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person's office with the Trust.
15. ENFORCEABILITY. Any term or provision of this Agreement which is invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability without rendering invalid or unenforceable the remaining terms or provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.
16. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. The parties to this Agreement acknowledge and agree that all litigation arising hereunder, whether direct or indirect, and of any and every nature whatsoever shall be satisfied solely out of the assets of the affected Fund and that no Trustee, officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Fund shall be personally liable for any of the foregoing liabilities. The Trust's Certificate of Trust, as amended from time to time, is on file in the Office of the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Such Certificate of Trust and the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust describe in detail the respective responsibilities and limitations on liability of the Trustees, officers, and holders of shares of beneficial interest.
17. CHANGE IN THE ADVISER'S OWNERSHIP. The Adviser agrees that it shall notify the Trust of any anticipated or otherwise reasonably foreseeable change in the ownership of the Adviser within a reasonable time prior to such change being effected.
18. JURISDICTION. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Adviser consents to the jurisdiction of courts, both state or federal, in Massachusetts, with respect to any dispute under this Agreement.
19. PARAGRAPH HEADINGS. The headings of paragraphs contained in this Agreement are provided for convenience only, form no part of this Agreement and shall not affect its construction.
20. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be signed on their behalf by their duly authorized officers as of the date first above written.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND, on behalf of
the Fund(s) listed on Schedule A
By: /s/ Michael Beattie -------------------- Name: Michael Beattie Title: President |
HAMLIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
By: /s/ Deborah Finegan -------------------- Name: Deborah Finegan Title: COO/CCO |
SCHEDULE A
TO THE
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
DATED FEBRUARY 20, 2012 BETWEEN
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND
AND
HAMLIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
The Trust will pay to the Adviser as compensation for the Adviser's services rendered, a fee, computed daily at an annual rate based on the average daily net assets of the Fund in accordance the following fee schedule:
FUND RATE
Hamlin High Income Equity Fund ....................................1.00%
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT
EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT, effective as of February 20, 2012 by and between Hamlin Capital Management, LLC (the "Adviser") and The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund (the "Trust") (the "Agreement"), on behalf of each series of the Trust set forth in Schedule A attached hereto (each a "Fund," and collectively, the "Funds").
WHEREAS, the Trust is a Massachusetts voluntary association (commonly known as a business trust) organized under an Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated July 18, 1991, as amended and restated as of February 18, 1997 (the "Declaration of Trust"), and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as an open-end management company of the series type, and each Fund is a series of the Trust;
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Adviser have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement dated February 20, 2012 (the "Advisory Agreement"), pursuant to which the Adviser provides investment advisory services to each Fund for compensation based on the value of the average daily net assets of each such Fund;
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Adviser have determined that it is appropriate and in the best interests of each Fund and its shareholders to maintain the expenses of each Fund at a level below the level to which each such Fund would normally be subject in order to maintain each Fund's expense ratio at the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit (as hereinafter defined) specified for such Fund in Schedule A hereto;
NOW THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. EXPENSE LIMITATION.
1.1. APPLICABLE EXPENSE LIMIT. To the extent that the aggregate expenses
of every character incurred by a Fund in any fiscal year, including but not
limited to investment advisory fees of the Adviser (but excluding 12b-1 fees,
shareholder servicing fees, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired
fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles, and other extraordinary expenses
not incurred in the ordinary course of such Fund's business) and expenses for
which payment has been made through the use of all or a portion of brokerage
commissions (or markups or markdowns) generated by that Fund ("Fund Operating
Expenses"), exceed the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit, as defined in
Section 1.2 below, such excess amount (the "Excess Amount") shall be the
liability of the Adviser.
1.2. MAXIMUM ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSE LIMIT. The Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit with respect to each Fund shall be the amount specified in Schedule A based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Fund. That Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit for each Fund contemplates that certain expenses for each Fund may be paid through the use of all or a portion of brokerage commissions (or markups or markdowns) generated by that Fund.
1.3. METHOD OF COMPUTATION. To determine the Adviser's liability with respect to the Excess Amount, each month the Fund Operating Expenses for each Fund shall be annualized as of the last day of the month. If the annualized Fund Operating Expenses for any month of a Fund exceed the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit of such Fund, the Adviser shall first waive or reduce its investment advisory fee for such month by an amount sufficient to reduce the annualized Fund Operating Expenses to an amount no higher than the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit. If the amount of the waived or reduced investment advisory fee for any such month is insufficient to pay the Excess Amount, the Adviser may also remit to the appropriate Fund or Funds an amount that, together with the waived or reduced investment advisory fee, is sufficient to pay such Excess Amount.
1.4. YEAR-END ADJUSTMENT. If necessary, on or before the last day of the first month of each fiscal year, an adjustment payment shall be made by the appropriate party in order that the amount of the investment advisory fees waived or reduced and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund or Funds with respect to the previous fiscal year shall equal the Excess Amount.
2. REIMBURSEMENT OF FEE WAIVERS AND EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENTS.
2.1. REIMBURSEMENT. If in any year in which the Advisory Agreement is still in effect and the estimated aggregate Fund Operating Expenses of such Fund for the fiscal year are less than the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit for that year, the Adviser shall be entitled to reimbursement by such Fund, in whole or in part as provided below, of the investment advisory fees waived or reduced and other payments remitted by the Adviser to such Fund pursuant to Section 1 hereof. The total amount of reimbursement to which the Adviser may be entitled ("Reimbursement Amount") shall equal, at any time, the sum of all investment advisory fees previously waived or reduced by the Adviser and all other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund, pursuant to Section 1 hereof, during any of the previous three (3) fiscal years, less any reimbursement previously paid by such Fund to the Adviser, pursuant to this Section 2, with respect to such waivers, reductions, and payments. The Reimbursement Amount shall not include any additional charges or fees whatsoever, including, e.g., interest accruable on the Reimbursement Amount.
2.2. BOARD NOTIFICATION. The Board shall be provided a quarterly report of any reimbursements paid to the Adviser pursuant to this agreement.
2.3. METHOD OF COMPUTATION. To determine each Fund's accrual, if any, to
reimburse the Adviser for the Reimbursement Amount, each month the Fund
Operating Expenses of each Fund shall be annualized as of the last day of the
month. If the annualized Fund Operating Expenses of a Fund for any month are
less than the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit of such Fund, such Fund
shall accrue into its net asset value an amount payable to the Adviser
sufficient to increase the annualized Fund Operating Expenses of that Fund to an
amount no greater than the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit of that Fund,
provided that such amount paid to the Adviser will in no event exceed the total
Reimbursement Amount. For accounting purposes, amounts accrued pursuant to this
Section 2 shall be a liability of the Fund for purposes of determining the
Fund's net asset value.
2.4. PAYMENT AND YEAR-END ADJUSTMENT. Amounts accrued pursuant to this Agreement shall be payable to the Adviser as of the last day of each month. If necessary, on or before the last day of the first month of each fiscal year, an adjustment payment shall be made by the appropriate party in order that the actual Fund Operating Expenses of a Fund for the prior fiscal year (including any reimbursement payments hereunder with respect to such fiscal year) do not exceed the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit.
3. TERM AND TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT.
This Agreement shall continue in effect with respect to each Fund until the date indicated on Schedule A ("Initial Term End Date") and shall thereafter continue in effect from year to year for successive one-year periods, provided that this Agreement may be terminated, without payment of any penalty, with respect to any such Fund:
(i) by the Trust, for any reason and at any time; and
(ii) by the Adviser, for any reason, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust at its principal place of business, such termination to be effective as of the close of business on the last day of the then-current one-year period; or at such earlier time provided that such termination is approved by majority vote of the Trustees and the Independent Trustees voting separately.
4. MISCELLANEOUS.
4.1. CAPTIONS. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no other way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
4.2. INTERPRETATION. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require the Trust or the Funds to take any action contrary to the Trust's Declaration of Trust or By-Laws, or any applicable statutory or regulatory requirement to which it is subject or by which it is bound, or to relieve or deprive the Trust's Board of Trustees of its responsibility for and control of the conduct of the affairs of the Trust or the Funds. The parties to this Agreement acknowledge and agree that all litigation arising hereunder, whether direct or indirect, and of any and every nature whatsoever shall be satisfied solely out of the assets of the affected Fund and that no Trustee, officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Fund shall be personally liable for any of the foregoing liabilities. The Trust's Declaration of Trust, as amended from time to time, is on file in the Office of the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Such Declaration of Trust describes in detail the respective responsibilities and limitations on liability of the Trustees, officers, and holders of shares of beneficial interest.
4.3. DEFINITIONS. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement, including but not limited to the investment advisory fee, the computations of net asset values, and the allocation of expenses, having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from the terms and provisions of the Advisory Agreement or the 1940 Act, shall have the same meaning as and be resolved by reference to such Advisory Agreement or the 1940 Act.
4.4. ENFORCEABILITY. Any term or provision of this Agreement which is invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability without rendering invalid or unenforceable the remaining terms or provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, as of the day and year first above written.
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND,
on behalf of each series of the Trust set forth in Schedule A
/s/ Dianne M. Sulzbach ------------------------- Dianne M. Sulzbach Vice President and Secretary |
HAMLIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
/s/ Deborah Finegan --------------------- Deborah Finegan Principal |
SCHEDULE A
MAXIMUM ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSE LIMITS
This Agreement relates to the following Funds of the Trust:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MAXIMUM ANNUAL NAME OF FUND SHARE CLASS OPERATING EXPENSE LIMIT INITIAL TERM END DATE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund Institutional Class Shares 1.00% March 29, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund Investor Class Shares 1.50% March 29, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES PLAN
HAMLIN HIGH DIVIDEND EQUITY FUND
WHEREAS, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund (the "Trust") is engaged in
business as an open-end investment company registered under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") and the Trust desires to compensate service
providers who provide the services described herein ("Service Providers") to
clients (the "Clients") who from time to time beneficially own shares (the
"Shares") of certain classes of shares of certain portfolios of the Funds (the
"Funds") listed in Exhibit A hereto, as it may be amended from time to time; and
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust have determined that there is a reasonable
likelihood that the following Plan will benefit the Funds of the Trust and the
Clients of the Shares of the Funds; and
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust adopt the Plan under which Service Providers
will provide to Clients some or all of the shareholder services stated in
Section 2 herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees of the Trust hereby adopt this Plan.
SECTION 1. The Trust has adopted this Plan to enable the Trust to directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to providing shareholder services.
SECTION 2. The Trust will pay Service Providers a fee up to the
amount set forth in Exhibit A for shareholder services. Service Providers may
use this fee for (i) maintaining accounts relating to Clients that invest in
Shares; (ii) arranging for bank wires; (iii) responding to Client inquiries
relating to the services performed by Service Providers; (iv) responding to
inquiries from Clients concerning their investment in Shares; (v) assisting
Clients in changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; (vi)
providing information periodically to Clients showing their position in Shares;
(vii) forwarding shareholder communications from the Funds such as proxies,
shareholder reports, annual reports, and dividend distribution and tax notices
to Clients; (viii) processing purchase, exchange and redemption requests from
Clients and placing orders with the Funds or its service providers; (ix)
providing sub-accounting with respect to Shares beneficially owned by Clients;
and (x) processing dividend payments from the Funds on behalf of Clients.
Service Providers may also use this fee for payments to financial institutions
and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance
companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets
and the Service Providers's affiliates and subsidiaries as compensation for such
services as are described herein.
SECTION 3. This Plan shall not take effect with respect to the Funds until it has been approved, together with any related agreements, by votes of the majority of both (i) the Trustees of the Trust and (ii) the Qualified Trustees (as defined in Section 9 herein), cast in person at a Board of Trustees meeting called for the purpose of voting on this Plan or such agreement.
SECTION 4. This Plan shall continue in effect until terminated as provided in Section 6.
SECTION 5. Any person authorized to direct the disposition of monies paid or payable by the Trust pursuant to this Plan or any related agreement shall provide to the Trustees of the Trust, at least quarterly, a written report of the amounts so expended and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.
SECTION 6. This Plan may be terminated at any time by the vote of a majority of the Qualified Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Shares of the Funds.
SECTION 7. All agreements with any person relating to implementation of this Plan shall be in writing, and any agreement related to this Plan shall provide (a) that such agreement may be terminated at any time, without payment of any penalty, by (i) Clients or Service Providers; (ii) the vote of a majority of the Qualified Trustees or (iii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Shares of the Funds, on not more than 60 days written notice to any other party to the agreement; and (b) that such agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.
SECTION 8. This Plan may not be amended to increase materially the
amount of distribution expenses permitted pursuant to Section 2 hereof without
the approval of a majority of the Qualified Trustees, and all material
amendments to this Plan shall be approved in the manner provided in Part (b) of
Section 3 herein for the approval of this Plan.
SECTION 9. As used in this Plan, (a) the term "Qualified Trustees" shall mean those Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of the Trust, and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan or any agreements related to it, and (b) the terms "assignment" and "interested person" shall have the respective meanings specified in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, subject to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SECTION 10. While this Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act shall be committed to the discretion of the Trustees then in office who are not interested persons of the Trust.
SECTION 11. This Plan shall not obligate the Trust or any other party to enter into an agreement with any particular person.
EXHIBIT A
SHAREHOLDER SERVICE FEES
Fund Name Class of Shares Shareholder Services Fee --------- --------------- ------------------------ Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund Investor Class Shares 0.25% |
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Tel. 202.739.3000
Fax: 202.739.3001
www.morganlewis.com
March 28, 2012
The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund
101 Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110
Re: Opinion of Counsel Regarding Post-Effective Amendment No. 183 to the Registration Statement Filed on Form N-1A Under the Securities Act of 1933 (File No. 033-42484) -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund (the "Trust"), a Massachusetts voluntary association (commonly known as a business trust), in connection with the above-referenced registration statement (as amended, the "Registration Statement") which relates to the Trust's units of beneficial interest, with no par value per share (collectively, the "Shares") of the following portfolio of the Trust: the Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund (the "Fund"). This opinion is being delivered to you in connection with the Trust's filing of Post-Effective Amendment No. 183 to the Registration Statement (the "Amendment") to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act"). With your permission, all assumptions and statements of reliance herein have been made without any independent investigation or verification on our part except to the extent otherwise expressly stated, and we express no opinion with respect to the subject matter or accuracy of such assumptions or items relied upon.
In connection with this opinion, we have reviewed, among other things, the following documents:
(a) a certificate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as to the existence of the Trust;
(b) the Trust's Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust and all amendments and supplements thereto (the "Declaration of Trust") and the Second Amended and Restated By-Laws (the "By-Laws");
(c) a certificate executed by Dianne M. Sulzbach, the Secretary of the Trust, certifying as to, and attaching copies of, the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, and certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust authorizing the issuance of the Shares of the Fund; and
(d) a printer's proof of the Amendment.
In our capacity as counsel to the Trust, we have examined the originals, or certified, conformed or reproduced copies, of all records, agreements, instruments and documents as we have deemed relevant or necessary as the basis for the opinion hereinafter expressed. In all such examinations, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons executing documents, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all original or certified copies, and the conformity to original or certified copies of all copies submitted to us as conformed or reproduced copies. As to various questions of fact relevant to such opinion, we have relied upon, and assume the accuracy of, certificates and oral or written statements of public officials and officers or representatives of the Fund. We have assumed that the Amendment, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, will be in substantially the form of the printer's proof referred to in paragraph (d) above.
Based upon, and subject to, the limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when issued and sold in accordance with the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, and for the consideration described in the Registration Statement, will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not concede that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the 1933 Act.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, LLP ---------------------------------- |
THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND
SCHEDULE A
DATED AUGUST 8, 1994,
AS LAST AMENDED FEBRUARY 15, 2012
TO THE DISTRIBUTION PLAN DATED AUGUST 8, 1994,
AMENDED AUGUST 14, 2000
Subject to any limitations imposed by Rule 2830 of the NASD's Conduct Rules, the Distributor shall receive Rule 12b-1 fees, which shall be paid on a monthly basis. These fees will be calculated based on the annual rate set forth below, as applied to the average daily net assets of the respective Portfolios.
Portfolio Class of Shares Fee --------- --------------- --- AlphaOne Micro Cap Equity Fund Investor Class Shares 0.25% AlphaOne Micro Cap Equity Fund R Class Shares 0.25% AlphaOne U.S. Equity Long Short Fund Investor Class Shares 0.25% AlphaOne U.S. Equity Long Short Fund R Class Shares 0.25% Citi Market Pilot 2020 Fund A Shares 0.25% Citi Market Pilot 2030 Fund A Shares 0.25% Citi Market Pilot 2040 Fund A Shares 0.25% CBRE Clarion Long/Short Fund Investor Class Shares 0.25% Edgewood Growth Fund Retail 0.25% Hamlin High Dividend Equity Fund Investor Class Shares 0.25% Thomson Horstmann & Bryant MicroCap Fund Investor Class Shares 0.25% UA S&P 500 Index Fund II 0.10% WHG LargeCap Value Fund A Class Shares 0.25% WHG Income Opportunity Fund A Class Shares 0.25% WHG Short Duration High Yield Fund A Class Shares 0.25% |