UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 10-Q

 

 

 

x QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Quarterly Period Ended June 30, 2014

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Transition Period From                  to                 

Commission File Number 001-36423

 

 

HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

California   68-0176227

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

7250 Redwood Blvd., Suite 200

Novato, California

  94945

(Address of principal

executive office)

  (Zip Code)

(415) 899-1555

(Registrant’s telephone number)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes   x     No   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes   x     No   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large Accelerated Filer   ¨       Accelerated Filer    ¨
Non-accelerated Filer   ¨       Smaller Reporting Company    x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes   ¨     No   x

As of July 24, 2014, there were 6,000,338 shares of common stock issued and outstanding.

 

 

 


HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC.

INDEX

 

          Page
Number
 

PART I.

   Financial Information      3   

Item 1.

   Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements      3   
   Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2014 (unaudited) and September 30, 2013      3   
   Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 (unaudited)      4   
   Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 (unaudited)      5   
   Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 (unaudited)      6   
   Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements      7   

Item 2.

   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations      18   

Item 4.

   Controls and Procedures      35   

PART II.

   Other Information      36   

Item 2.

   Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds      36   

Item 6.

   Exhibits      36   

Signatures

        38   

 

- 2 -


PART I: FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1: Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

Hennessy Advisors, Inc.

Balance Sheets

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

 

     June 30,
2014
     September 30,
2013
 
     (Unaudited)         

Assets

     

Current assets:

  

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 6,498       $ 8,406   

Investments in marketable securities, at fair value

     7         7   

Investment fee income receivable

     2,994         2,402   

Prepaid expenses

     182         269   

Deferred income tax asset

     231         162   

Other accounts receivable

     445         436   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current assets

     10,357         11,682   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $535 and $438, respectively

     218         258   

Management contracts

     62,489         62,431   

Other assets, net of accumulated amortization of $220 and $159, respectively

     637         363   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 73,701       $ 74,734   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

  

Current liabilities:

  

Accrued liabilities and accounts payable

   $ 3,751       $ 3,085   

Income taxes payable

     —           44   

Deferred rent

     71         32   

Current portion of long-term debt

     3,750         1,840   

Current portion of payment due on purchase of management contracts

     —           7,468   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     7,572         12,469   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Long-term debt, net of current portion

     23,909         15,027   

Long-term portion of payment due on purchase of management contracts

     —           11,626   

Deferred income tax liability

     7,095         5,825   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     38,576         44,947   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Commitments and Contingencies (Note 9)

  

Stockholders’ equity:

  

Adjustable rate preferred stock, $25 stated value, 5,000,000 shares authorized: zero shares issued and outstanding

     —           —     

Common stock, no par value, 15,000,000 shares authorized: 6,000,338 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2014 and 5,898,756 at September 30, 2013

     10,683         9,948   

Retained earnings

     24,442         19,839   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ equity

     35,125         29,787   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 73,701       $ 74,734   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed financial statements

 

- 3 -


Hennessy Advisors, Inc.

Statements of Income

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

     Three Months ended June 30,      Nine Months ended June 30,  
     2014     2013      2014     2013  

Revenue

         

Investment advisory fees

   $ 8,550      $ 6,276       $ 24,326      $ 16,491   

Shareholder service fees

     234        230         689        665   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenue

     8,784        6,506         25,015        17,156   

Operating expenses

         

Compensation and benefits

     1,814        1,737         5,460        4,999   

General and administrative

     1,085        789         3,340        2,161   

Mutual fund distribution

     619        401         1,715        1,020   

Sub-advisor fees

     1,492        1,056         4,351        2,717   

Amortization and depreciation

     61        47         181        130   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     5,071        4,030         15,047        11,027   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating income

     3,713        2,476         9,968        6,129   

Interest expense

     280        177         812        494   

Other expense (income), net

     (1     —           (1     109   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income before income tax expense

     3,434        2,299         9,157        5,526   

Income tax expense

     1,389        929         3,896        2,271   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income

   $ 2,045      $ 1,370       $ 5,261      $ 3,255   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Earnings per share:

         

Basic

   $ 0.35      $ 0.24       $ 0.90      $ 0.56   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted

   $ 0.35      $ 0.24       $ 0.89      $ 0.56   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted average shares outstanding:

         

Basic

     5,766,376        5,716,972         5,834,073        5,794,775   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted

     5,821,722        5,720,926         5,881,556        5,794,775   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed financial statements

 

- 4 -


Hennessy Advisors, Inc.

Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity

Nine Months Ended June 30, 2014

(In thousands, except share data)

(Unaudited)

 

     Common
Shares
    Common
Stock
    Retained
Earnings
    Total
Stockholders’
Equity
 

Balance at September 30, 2013

     5,898,756      $ 9,948      $ 19,839      $ 29,787   

Net income

     —          —          5,261        5,261   

Dividends paid

     —          —          (658     (658

Employee and director stock options exercised

     177,566        1,258        —          1,258   

Repurchase of employee and director stock options to pay for option exercise

     (75,984     (1,004     —          (1,004

Deferred restricted stock unit compensation

     —          147        —          147   

Tax effect of stock option exercises

     —          334        —          334   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at June 30, 2014

     6,000,338      $ 10,683      $ 24,442      $ 35,125   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed financial statements

 

- 5 -


Hennessy Advisors, Inc.

Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

     Nine Months Ended June 30,  
             2014                     2013          

Cash flows from operating activities:

    

Net income

   $ 5,261      $ 3,255   

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

    

Depreciation and amortization

     181        130   

Deferred income taxes

     1,201        1,049   

Tax effect from restricted stock units and stock options

     334        300   

Stock options repurchased for employee and director stock option exercise

     (1,004     —     

Restricted stock units repurchased for employee tax withholding

     —          (1

Deferred restricted stock unit compensation

     147        3   

Realized loss on liquidation of available for sale security

     —          108   

(Increase) decrease in operating assets:

    

Investment fee income receivable

     (592     (1,506

Prepaid expenses

     87        (744

Other accounts receivable

     (9     (358

Other assets

     (184     (99

Increase (decrease) in operating liabilities:

    

Accrued liabilities and accounts payable

     666        1,792   

Income taxes payable

     (44     (48

Deferred rent

     39        (40
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

     6,083        3,841   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities:

    

Purchases of property and equipment

     (79     (198

Payments related to acquisition of management contracts

     (19,152     (20,652

Proceeds on liquidation of available for sale security

     —          404   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

     (19,231     (20,446
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:

    

Principal payments on bank loan

     (2,494     (1,125

Proceeds from amended bank loan

     13,287        16,525   

Loan fee payments and other acquisition costs related to amended bank loan

     (153     (224

Proceeds from exercise of employee stock options

     1,258        4   

Dividend payments

     (658     (544
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

     11,240        14,636   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

     (1,908     (1,969

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period

     8,406        8,730   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

   $ 6,498      $ 6,761   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:

    

Cash paid for:

    

Income taxes

   $ 2,546      $ 1,769   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Interest

   $ 777      $ 441   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed financial statements

 

- 6 -


HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(1) Basis of Financial Statement Presentation

The accompanying condensed balance sheet as of September 30, 2013, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and the unaudited interim condensed financial statements as of June 30, 2014 have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and include the accounts of Hennessy Advisors, Inc. (the “Company”). Certain information and footnote disclosures in these unaudited interim condensed financial statements, normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, have been condensed or omitted pursuant to rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission for Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim condensed financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal, recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position at June 30, 2014, the Company’s operating results for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014, and the Company’s cash flows for the nine months ended June 30, 2014. These unaudited interim condensed financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended September 30, 2013, which are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013.

The Company’s operating activities consist primarily of providing investment advisory services to sixteen open-end mutual funds (the “Hennessy Funds”). The Company serves as the investment advisor to all classes of the Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund, the Hennessy Focus Fund, the Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund, the Hennessy Cornerstone Large Growth Fund, the Hennessy Cornerstone Value Fund, the Hennessy Large Value Fund, the Hennessy Total Return Fund, the Hennessy Equity and Income Fund, the Hennessy Balanced Fund, the Hennessy Core Bond Fund, the Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund, the Hennessy Small Cap Financial Fund, the Hennessy Large Cap Financial Fund, the Hennessy Technology Fund, the Hennessy Japan Fund, and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund. The Company also provides shareholder services to some of the Hennessy Funds.

The Company’s operating revenue consists of contractual investment advisory and shareholder service fees paid to it by the Hennessy Funds. The Company earns investment advisory fees from the Hennessy Funds by, among other things, managing the composition of each Hennessy Fund’s portfolio (including the purchase, retention, and disposition of portfolio securities in accordance with the applicable Hennessy Fund’s investment objectives, policies, and restrictions), conducting investment research, monitoring compliance with each applicable Hennessy Fund’s investment restrictions and applicable laws and regulations, overseeing service providers (including sub-advisors), maintaining an in-house public relations and marketing program for each of the Hennessy Funds, preparing and distributing regulatory reports, and overseeing distribution through third-party financial intermediaries. The Company earns shareholder service fees from some of the Hennessy Funds by, among other things, maintaining an “800” number that the current investors of such Hennessy Funds may call to ask questions about such Hennessy Funds or their accounts, or to get help with processing exchange and

 

- 7 -


redemption requests or changing account options. These fee revenues are earned and calculated daily by the Hennessy Funds’ accountants at U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC. The fees are computed and billed monthly, at which time they are recognized in accordance with Accounting Standard Codification 605 “Revenue Recognition.”

The Company waives fees with respect to some of the Hennessy Funds to comply with contractual expense ratio limitations. The fee waivers are calculated daily by the Hennessy Funds’ accountants at U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC and are charged to expense monthly by the Company as an offset to revenue. The waived fees are deducted from investment advisory fee income and reduce the amount of advisory fees that the Hennessy Funds pay in the subsequent month. To date, the Company has only waived fees based on contractual obligations, but the Company has the ability to waive fees at its discretion to compete with other mutual funds with lower expense ratios. If the Company were to elect voluntarily to waive fees, the decision to waive fees would not apply to previous periods, but would only apply on a going forward basis. As of June 30, 2014, the Company has never voluntarily waived fees and has no current intention to voluntarily waive fees.

The Company’s contractual agreements for investment advisory and shareholder services provide persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists with fixed and determinable fees, and the services are rendered daily. The collectability is probable as the fees are received from the Hennessy Funds in the month subsequent to the month in which the services are provided.

(2) Management Contracts Purchased

The Company has purchased assets related to the management of open-end mutual funds from time to time throughout its history. Prior to September 30, 2012, the Company had completed several purchases of assets related to the management of thirteen different mutual funds, some of which were reorganized into already existing Hennessy Funds. On October 26, 2012, the Company purchased the assets related to the management of the entire family of ten FBR funds (the “FBR Funds”), adding approximately $2.2 billion in assets under management. The purchase was consummated in accordance with the terms and conditions of that certain Asset Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 6, 2012, between the Company and FBR Fund Advisers, Inc. The purchase price was comprised of two payments: (i) an initial payment of $19,692,137 made on October 26, 2012 based upon the net asset value of the FBR Funds as of October 25, 2012 and (ii) a contingent payment of $19,193,595 made on November 5, 2013 based upon the net asset value of the FBR Funds as of October 28, 2013. The initial payment was funded with $3.4 million of available cash and $16.3 million of debt proceeds that were obtained pursuant to an amendment and restatement of the Company’s then-existing loan agreement with U.S. Bank National Association that allowed the Company to borrow the additional amount due. The additional capitalized transaction costs of $1.2 million, of which $0.2 million was capitalized in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012 and the remaining $1.0 million was capitalized in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013, include legal fees, printing fees and other costs related to the purchase.

The contingent payment due under the Asset Purchase Agreement was determined to be $19,193,595 as of October 28, 2013. The amount of the liability was booked as of September 30, 2013 because it was measurable. The contingent payment was funded in part with $13,286,666 of debt proceeds that were obtained pursuant to an amendment of the Company’s then-existing loan agreement with U.S. Bank National Association that allowed the Company to

 

- 8 -


borrow such amount, with the remainder of the payment being funded out of available cash. Of the $13,286,666 of debt proceeds, $11,625,883 was shown as a long-term liability on the balance sheet as of September 30, 2013 because it was funded by U.S. Bank National Association on a long-term basis. During the nine months ended June 30, 2014, additional transaction costs related to the purchase in the amount of $58,232 were capitalized.

 

Management contracts balance at September 30, 2013 (inclusive of a contingent purchase price for assets related to management of the former FBR Funds of $19,193,595)

   $ 62,431,018   

Capitalized transaction costs in the nine months ended June 30, 2014

     58,232   
  

 

 

 

Management contracts balance at June 30, 2014

   $ 62,489,250   
  

 

 

 

Contingent purchase price payment allocation at September 30, 2013

  

Current portion

   $ 7,567,712   

Long-term portion

     11,625,883   
  

 

 

 

Total contingent purchase price

   $ 19,193,595   
  

 

 

 

In accordance with guidance issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), the Company periodically reviews the carrying value of its purchased management contracts to determine if any impairment has occurred. The fair value of management contracts are based on management estimates and assumptions, including third-party valuations that utilize appropriate valuation techniques. The fair value of the management contracts was estimated by applying the income approach. As of June 30, 2014, no events or changes in circumstances had occurred that indicated potential impairment of the management contracts.

Under the FASB guidance on “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other,” intangible assets that have indefinite useful lives are not amortized but are tested at least annually for impairment. The Company reviews the life of the management contracts each reporting period to determine if they continue to have an indefinite useful life. The Company considers the mutual fund management contracts to be intangible assets with an indefinite useful life as of June 30, 2014.

(3) Investment Advisory Agreements

Effective February 28, 2014, the Hennessy Funds completed an internal reorganization that resulted in all sixteen Hennessy Funds being a series of Hennessy Funds Trust, a Delaware statutory trust. Prior to the reorganization, (i) each of the Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund, the Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund and the Hennessy Cornerstone Value Fund was a series of Hennessy Mutual Funds, Inc., (ii) each of the Hennessy Total Return Fund and the Hennessy Balanced Fund was a series of The Hennessy Funds, Inc., (iii) each of the Hennessy Japan Fund and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund was a series of Hennessy SPARX Funds Trust and (iv) each of

 

- 9 -


the remaining nine Hennessy Funds was already a series of Hennessy Funds Trust. As a result of the reorganization, the Company now has management contracts only with Hennessy Funds Trust. Pursuant to these management contracts, the Company provides investment advisory services to all classes of the sixteen Hennessy Funds.

The management contracts must be renewed annually by (i) the Board of Trustees of Hennessy Funds Trust or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the applicable Hennessy Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the trustees of Hennessy Funds Trust who are not interested persons of the Hennessy Funds, except that the management contract for the Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund, the Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund, the Hennessy Cornerstone Value Fund, the Hennessy Total Return Fund, the Hennessy Balanced Fund, the Hennessy Japan Fund and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund has an initial period of two years, which commenced on February 28, 2014, to be renewed annually thereafter. If the management contracts are not renewed as described above, they will terminate automatically. In addition, there are two other circumstances in which the management contracts would terminate. First, the management contracts would automatically terminate if the Company assigned them to another advisor (assignment includes “indirect assignment,” which is the transfer of the Company’s common stock in sufficient quantities deemed to constitute a controlling block). Second, each management contract may be terminated prior to its expiration upon 60 days’ notice by either the Company or the applicable Hennessy Fund.

As provided in the management contracts with the sixteen Hennessy Funds, the Company receives investment advisory fees monthly based on a percentage of the respective Hennessy Fund’s average daily net assets.

The Company has entered into sub-advisory agreements for the Hennessy Focus Fund, the Hennessy Large Value Fund, the Hennessy Equity and Income Fund, the Hennessy Core Bond Fund, the Hennessy Japan Fund, and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund with the same asset management companies that managed such Hennessy Funds prior to the Company’s purchase of the assets related to the management of such funds. Under each of these sub-advisory agreements, the sub-advisor is responsible for the investment and re-investment of the assets of the applicable Hennessy Fund in accordance with the terms of such agreement and the applicable Hennessy Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. The sub-advisors are subject to the direction, supervision and control of the Company and the Board of Trustees of Hennessy Funds Trust. The sub-advisory agreements must be renewed annually in the same manner and are subject to the same termination provisions as the management contracts, except that the sub-advisory agreement for the Hennessy Japan Fund and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund have an initial period of two years, which commenced on February 28, 2014, to be renewed annually thereafter.

In exchange for the sub-advisor services, the Company (not the Hennessy Funds) pays a sub-advisor fee to the sub-advisors, which is based on the amount of each applicable Hennessy Fund’s average daily net assets.

(4) Investment in Available for Sale Security

On October 30, 2007, the Company invested $0.5 million in the Hennessy Micro Cap Growth Fund, LLC (the “Micro Cap Fund”). The Micro Cap Fund was closed on December 14, 2012 and the investment was liquidated, resulting in a realized loss of $0.1 million. The loss was included in other expense on the income statement for the nine months ended June 30, 2013.

 

- 10 -


(5) Bank Loan

The Company has an outstanding bank loan with U.S. Bank National Association. On October 26, 2012, the loan, which then had an outstanding principal balance of $1.9 million, was amended and restated to provide an additional $16.3 million to purchase the assets related to the management of the FBR Funds. The balance of the loan immediately following the amendment and restatement was $18.4 million. On November 1, 2013, in connection with the contingent payment for the purchase of assets related to the FBR Funds, the Company entered into an amendment to the loan agreement with U.S Bank National Association that increased its total outstanding loan balance by $13.3 million to $30.0 million. The amended loan agreement requires 47 monthly payments in the amount of $312,500 plus interest at the bank’s prime rate (currently 3.25%, in effect since December 17, 2008) plus 0.75% (effective interest rate of 4.00%) and is secured by the Company’s assets. The final installment of the then-outstanding principal and interest are due October 26, 2017.

The amended and restated loan as of October 26, 2012 was considered “substantially different” from the original loan per the conditions set forth in Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) 96-19 “Debtor’s Accounting for a Modification or Exchange of Debt Instruments.” The Company did an evaluation of the debt modification under EITF 96-19 and determined that the financial impact of the modification on the prior principal was not material to the overall financial statements and accordingly no adjustment was made. The amendment to the loan as of November 1, 2013 was not considered “substantially different” from the original loan and therefore an evaluation under EITF 96-19 was not necessary.

The amended loan agreement includes certain reporting requirements and loan covenants requiring the maintenance of certain financial ratios. The Company is in compliance with the loan covenants as of June 30, 2014 and September 30, 2013.

In connection with securing the financings discussed above, the Company incurred loan costs in the amount of $376,226. These costs are included in other assets and the balance is being amortized on a straight-line basis over 60 months. Amortization expense during the nine-month periods ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 was $61,703 and $32,837, respectively. The unamortized balance of the loan fees was $288,317 as of June 30, 2014.

 

- 11 -


(6) Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes was comprised of the following for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013:

 

     6/30/2014      6/30/2013  

Current

     

Federal

   $ 2,113,900       $ 1,011,800   

State

     580,700         208,500   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     2,694,600         1,220,300   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Deferred

     

Federal

     1,016,800         854,400   

State

     184,100         195,700   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     1,200,900         1,050,100   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 3,895,500       $ 2,270,400   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of deferred tax assets and liabilities as of June 30, 2014 and September 30, 2013 are presented below:

 

     6/30/2014     9/30/2013  

Current deferred tax assets:

    

Accrued compensation

   $ 23,900      $ 19,900   

Deferred rent

     28,300        12,600   

Capital loss carryforward

     10,600        110,400   

State taxes

     178,300        129,300   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross deferred tax assets

     241,100        272,200   

Less: disallowed capital loss

     (10,600     (110,400
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net deferred tax assets

     230,500        161,800   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Noncurrent deferred tax liabilities:

    

Stock based compensation

     58,000        —     

Property and equipment

     (30,000     (46,000

Management contracts

     (7,122,500     (5,779,000
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total deferred tax liabilities

     (7,094,500     (5,825,000
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net deferred tax liabilities

   $ (6,864,000   $ (5,663,200
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

- 12 -


The Company’s effective tax rates for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 were 42.5% and 41.1%, respectively, and differ from the federal statutory rate of 34% for the following principal reasons:

 

     6/30/2014     6/30/2013  

Federal tax at statutory rate

     34.0     34.0

True-up of prior year’s tax provision

     2.5     (0.2 )% 

State tax at statutory rate

     5.5     5.8

Permanent differences

     0.4     0.7

Disallowed capital loss

     0.1     0.8
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Effective Tax Rate

     42.5     41.1
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The effective tax rate, which is normally about 40%, was higher for the period ended June 30, 2014 as a result of a one-time tax charge to true-up the prior year tax provision due to the inability to deduct for income tax purposes certain compensation expenses under Section 162(m) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The effective tax rate was higher for the period ended June 30, 2013 due to a disallowed capital loss carryforward created by a realized loss on the sale of the available for sale investment.

(7) Earnings per Share and Dividends per Share

Basic earnings per share is determined by dividing net earnings by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, while diluted earnings per share is determined by dividing net earnings by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding adjusted for the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents.

All common stock equivalents were dilutive and therefore included in the diluted earnings per share calculation for the nine months ended June 30, 2014. There were 193,505 common stock equivalents, consisting of unexercised options, excluded from the per share calculation for the nine months ended June 30, 2013 because they were anti-dilutive.

Quarterly cash dividends of $0.03125, $0.04, and $0.04 per share, respectively, were paid on December 9, 2013 to shareholders of record as of November 15, 2013, on March 10, 2014 to shareholders of record as of February 14, 2014, and on June 12, 2014 to shareholders of record as of May 20, 2014.

(8) Stock-Based Compensation

Effective January 17, 2013, the Company established, and the Company’s shareholders approved, the 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan providing for the issuance of options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance awards, and other equity awards for the purpose of attracting and retaining executive officers, key employees, outside directors and advisors and increasing shareholder value. The 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan replaced the 2001 Omnibus Plan that the Company had previously adopted and had in place. On March 26, 2014, the Company adopted, and the Company’s shareholders approved, the Amended and Restated 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), pursuant to which amounts that a Plan participant is entitled to receive with respect to certain types of awards were increased as compared to the limitations included in the 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan. The maximum number of shares that may be issued under the Plan is 50% of the number of outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, subject to adjustment by the compensation committee of the Board of Directors of the Company upon the

 

- 13 -


occurrence of certain events. The number of shares of common stock subject to awards that remain outstanding under the 2001 Omnibus Plan reduces the number of shares available for issuance under the Plan. The 50% limitation does not invalidate any awards made prior to a decrease in the number of outstanding shares, even if such awards result or may result in shares constituting more than 50% of the outstanding shares being available for issuance under the Plan. Shares available under the Plan that are not awarded in one particular year may be awarded in subsequent years.

The compensation committee of the Board of Directors of the Company has the authority to determine the awards granted under the Plan, including among other things, the individuals who receive the awards, the times when they receive them, vesting schedules, performance goals, whether an option is an incentive or nonqualified option and the number of shares subject to each award. However, no participant may receive options or stock appreciation rights under the Plan for an aggregate of more than 50,000 shares in any calendar year. The exercise price and term of each option or stock appreciation right is fixed by the compensation committee except that the exercise price for each stock option that is intended to qualify as an incentive stock option must be at least equal to the fair market value of the stock on the date of grant and the term of the option cannot exceed 10 years. In the case of an incentive stock option granted to a 10% or more shareholder, the exercise price must be at least 110% of the fair market value on the date of grant and cannot exceed five years. Incentive stock options may be granted only within ten years from the date of adoption of the Plan. The aggregate fair market value (determined at the time the option is granted) of shares with respect to which incentive stock options may be granted to any one individual, which stock options are exercisable for the first time during any calendar year, may not exceed $100,000. An optionee may, with the consent of the compensation committee, elect to pay for the shares to be received upon exercise of his or her options in cash, shares of common stock or any combination thereof.

The exercise price of all options granted under the 2001 Omnibus Plan was equal to the market price of the underlying common stock on the grant date and all options were granted and fully vested on the grant date. There were no options granted under the Plan or the 2001 Omnibus Plan during the nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

 

- 14 -


Under the Plan, participants may be granted restricted stock units (“RSUs”), representing an unfunded, unsecured right to receive a share of the Company’s common stock on the date specified in the recipient’s award. The Company issues new shares of its common stock when it is required to deliver shares to an RSU recipient. The RSUs granted under the Plan vest over four years, at a rate of 25 percent per year. The Company recognizes compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the four-year vesting term of each award. There were 32,800 RSUs granted during the nine months ended June 30, 2014 under the Plan and none granted during the nine months ended June 30, 2013 under the 2001 Omnibus Plan. RSU activity for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 was as follows:

 

     Restricted Stock Unit Activity
Nine Months Ended June 30, 2014
 
     Number of Restricted
Share Units
    Weighted Avg.
Fair Value
Per Share at
Each Date
 

Non-vested Balance at September 30, 2013

     59,375      $ 8.61   

Granted

     32,800        9.22   

Vested (1)

     (16,756     8.77   

Forfeited

     (1,500     9.01   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-vested Balance at June 30, 2014

     73,919      $ 8.84   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1) The restricted share units vested includes partially vested shares. Shares of common stock have not been issued for the partially vested shares, but the related compensation costs have been charged to expense. There were no shares of common stock issued for restricted stock units vested in the nine months ended June 30, 2014.

 

Restricted Stock Unit Compensation

Nine Months Ended June 30, 2014

 
     (In Thousands)  

Total expected compensation expense related to Restricted Stock Units

   $ 2,956   

Compensation expense recognized through June 30, 2014

     (2,303
  

 

 

 

Unrecognized compensation expense related to RSU’s at June 30, 2014

   $ 653   
  

 

 

 

As of June 30, 2014, there was $0.7 million of total RSU compensation expense related to non-vested awards not yet recognized, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average vesting period of 3.2 years.

(9) Commitments and Contingencies

The Company’s headquarters is located in leased office space under a single non-cancelable operating lease at 7250 Redwood Blvd., Suite 200, in Novato, California. The lease expires on June 30, 2017, with one five-year

 

- 15 -


extension available thereafter. The Company also has leased office space under a single non-cancelable operating sub-lease at 100 Federal Street, 29 th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. The sub-lease expires on January 15, 2015, but is subject to earlier termination in the event the prime lease is earlier terminated. There were no other commitments or contingencies as of June 30, 2014.

As of June 30, 2014, there were no material changes in the leasing arrangements that would have a significant effect on future minimum lease payments reported in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013.

(10) Fair Value Measurements

The Company applies the FASB standard “Fair Value Measurements” for all financial assets and liabilities, which establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted accounting principles, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The standard defines fair value as “the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.” It also establishes a fair value hierarchy consisting of the following three “levels” that prioritize the inputs to the valuation techniques used to measure fair value:

 

    Level 1 – quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that are accessible at the measurement date.

 

    Level 2 – from other than quoted market prices that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly (namely, similar assets or from markets that are not active).

 

    Level 3 – unobservable and shall be used to measure fair value to the extent that observable inputs are not available (namely, reflecting an entity’s own assumptions).

Based on the definitions, the following table represents the Company’s assets categorized in the Level 1 to 3 hierarchies as of June 30, 2014:

 

     Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date
(amounts in thousands)
 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Money market fund deposits

   $ 5,238       $ —         $ —         $ 5,238   

Mutual fund investments

     7         —           —           7   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 5,245       $ —         $ —         $ 5,245   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Amounts included in:

           

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 5,238       $ —         $ —         $ 5,238   

Investments in marketable securities

     7         —           —           7   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 5,245       $ —         $ —         $ 5,245   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

- 16 -


(11) New Accounting Pronouncements

In July 2012, the FASB issued amendments to Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2012-02 “Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment.” The objective of the amendments is to reduce the cost and complexity of performing an impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets by simplifying how an entity tests those assets for impairment and to improve consistency in impairment testing guidance among long-lived asset categories. The amendments permit an entity first to assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative impairment test in accordance with Subtopic 350-30, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – General Intangibles Other than Goodwill.” The more-likely-than-not threshold is defined as having a likelihood of more than 50 percent. Previously, an entity was required to test at least annually. The guidance provided by this update was effective for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012 (the Company’s fiscal year 2013). The standard was adopted October 1, 2012, and may allow the Company to forego its next annual impairment analysis if the more-likely-than-not threshold is met as of September 30, 2014.

In July 2013, the FASB issued an update to ASU No. 2013-11 “Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists.” The amendment provides that an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, should be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward. The guidance provided by this update is effective for reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2013 (the second quarter of the Company’s fiscal year 2014). The adoption of this standard is not expected to impact the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

There have been no other significant changes in the Company’s critical accounting policies and estimates during the nine months ended June 30, 2014 as compared to what was previously disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2013.

 

- 17 -


Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Forward-Looking Statements

This report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the securities laws, for which we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “assume,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project,” “continue,” “seek” and similar expressions, as well as statements in future tense. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events, based on information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or means by, which such performance or results will be achieved.

Our business activities are affected by many factors, including, without limitation, redemptions by mutual fund shareholders, general economic and financial conditions, movement of interest rates, competitive conditions, industry regulation, fluctuation in the stock market and others, many of which are beyond the control of our management. Further, the business and regulatory environments in which we operate remain complex, uncertain, and subject to change. We expect that such regulatory requirements and developments will cause us to incur additional administrative and compliance costs. In addition, uncertainties regarding economic stabilization and improvement remain for the foreseeable future. As we continue to confront the challenges of the current economic and regulatory environments, we remain focused on the investment performance of the Hennessy Funds and on providing high quality customer service to investors.

The success of our strategies to address the challenges of the current economic and regulatory environments may be influenced by the factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2013. Statements regarding such strategies and the following subjects are forward-looking by their nature:

 

    our business strategy, including our ability to identify and complete future acquisitions;

 

    market trends and risks;

 

    our assumptions about changes in the market place, especially with the volatility in the global and U.S. financial markets; and

 

    our ability to retain the mutual fund assets we currently manage.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2013 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, that could cause actual performance or results to differ substantially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Management does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of these statements. There is no regulation requiring an update of any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this report to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations.

 

- 18 -


Overview

Our primary operating activity is providing investment advisory services to sixteen open-end mutual funds (the “Hennessy Funds”). We derive our operating revenue from investment advisory fees and shareholder service fees paid to us by the Hennessy Funds. These fees are calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets in each of the Hennessy Funds and vary from fund to fund. The fees we receive fluctuate with changes in the total net asset value of each of the Hennessy Funds, which is affected by each fund’s investment performance, purchases and redemptions of the fund’s shares, general market conditions and the success of our marketing and sales efforts. For the three-month period ended June 30, 2014, our average assets under management were $5.01 billion, an increase of 40.3% or $1.44 billion versus the prior comparable period. For the nine-month period ended June 30, 2014, our average assets under management were $4.63 billion, an increase of 50.2% or $1.55 billion versus the prior comparable period.

Total assets under management as of June 30, 2014 were $5.38 billion, an increase of 49.7%, or $1.79 billion, from $3.59 billion as of the end of the prior comparable period. Growth in assets under management over the past year was due to both strong net inflows into the Hennessy Funds and to strong market appreciation in the portfolio securities held by the Hennessy Funds.

The following table illustrates the changes in total assets under management from June 30, 2013 through June 30, 2014:

 

     Total Assets Under Management
At Each Quarter End, June 30, 2013 through June 30, 2014
 
     6/30/2013     9/30/2013     12/31/2013     3/31/2014     6/30/2014  
     (In Thousands)  

Beginning assets under management

   $ 3,406,426      $ 3,593,673      $ 4,034,181      $ 4,480,322      $ 4,774,229   

Organic inflows

     478,377        494,665        378,057        553,204        599,016   

Redemptions

     (345,921     (267,770     (235,723     (329,274     (320,580

Market appreciation (depreciation)

     54,791        213,613        303,807        69,977        328,166   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending assets under management

   $ 3,593,673      $ 4,034,181      $ 4,480,322      $ 4,774,229      $ 5,380,831   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

A portion of our expenses are fixed, and historically they have varied only minimally. As a result, substantial fluctuations in our revenue can impact our net income from period to period.

The principal asset on our balance sheet, management contracts, represents the capitalized costs incurred in connection with the purchase of assets related to the management of mutual funds. As of June 30, 2014, this asset had a net balance of $62.5 million.

 

- 19 -


The principal liability on our balance sheet is the bank debt incurred in connection with the purchase of assets related to the management of mutual funds. As of June 30, 2014, this liability had a balance of $27.7 million.

Three Months Ended June 30, 2014 Compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2013

The following table sets forth items in the statements of income and comprehensive income as dollar amounts and as percentages of total revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013:

 

     Three Months Ended June 30,  
           2014     2013         
     (In thousands, except percentages)  
     Amounts     Percent
of Total
Revenue
    Amounts      Percent
of Total
Revenue
 

Revenue:

         

Investment advisory fees

   $ 8,550        97.3   $ 6,276         96.5

Shareholder service fees

     234        2.7        230         3.5   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total revenue

     8,784        100.0        6,506         100.0   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

         

Compensation and benefits

     1,814        20.7        1,737         26.7   

General and administrative

     1,085        12.4        789         12.1   

Mutual fund distribution

     619        7.0        401         6.2   

Sub-advisor fees

     1,492        17.0        1,056         16.2   

Amortization and depreciation

     61        0.6        47         0.7   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     5,071        57.7        4,030         61.9   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Operating income

     3,713        42.3        2,476         38.1   

Interest expense

     280        3.2        177         2.7   

Other income, net

     (1     (0.0     —           —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income before income tax expense

     3,434        39.1        2,299         35.4   

Income tax expense

     1,389        15.8        929         14.3   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income

   $ 2,045        23.3   $ 1,370         21.1
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Revenues – Investment Advisory Fees and Shareholder Service Fees

Total revenue increased 35.0% from the prior comparable period to $8.8 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, due to increased average assets under management. Investment advisory fees increased 36.2% from the prior comparable period to $8.6 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, and shareholder service fees increased 1.7% from the prior comparable period to $0.2 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014. We earn investment advisory fees from all of the Hennessy Funds, but we only earn shareholder service fees from some of the Hennessy Funds. The increase in investment advisory fees is due to increased average daily net assets of

 

- 20 -


the Hennessy Funds, while the increase in shareholder service fees is due to increased average daily net assets of the Hennessy Funds from which we earn shareholder service fees.

Average daily net assets of the Hennessy Funds for the three months ended June 30, 2014 increased by $1.44 billion, or 40.3%, to $5.01 billion from $3.57 billion in the prior comparable period due to strong net inflows into the Hennessy Funds and to strong market appreciation in the portfolio securities held by the Hennessy Funds.

The Hennessy Funds generate revenue at a rate ranging between 0.40% and 1.20% of average daily net assets. The Hennessy Funds with the largest average daily net assets for the three months ended June 30, 2014 were the Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund, with $1.75 billion, and the Hennessy Focus Fund, with $1.46 billion. The Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund generates revenue at a rate of 0.40% of average daily net assets. The Hennessy Focus Fund generates revenue at a rate of 0.90% of average daily net assets; however, the Company pays a sub-advisory fee of 0.29% to the Fund’s sub-advisor, which reduces the net impact to the Company’s financial operations.

Total assets under management at June 30, 2014 were $5.38 billion, an increase of $1.79 billion, or 49.7%, from $3.59 billion as of the end of the prior comparable period. The increase in net assets is attributable to strong net purchases into the Hennessy Funds of $872 million and to strong market and investment appreciation of $915 million. Redemptions as a percentage of assets under management decreased from an average of 3.2% per month during the three-month period ended June 30, 2013 to 2.2% per month during the three-month period ended June 30, 2014, which may indicate that investor hold times in the Hennessy Funds have increased from period to period.

During the three months ended June 30, 2014, purchases of the Hennessy Funds outpaced redemptions of the Hennessy Funds and net inflows were $278 million. Additionally, there was market appreciation of $328 million.

The markets and the U.S. economy continue to show positive momentum, and we believe the inflows we have seen signal that investors are returning to the equity markets after many years of investing in fixed income products. If investors remain on this current path, we expect that the recent success of the U.S. stock market should continue. We are confident in the fundamentals of corporate America, and have seen corporate profits continuing to post record highs, with balance sheets remaining strong over the period. While we may see short-term volatility in the markets, we believe we will see moderate and reasonable returns over the long-run.

We believe net asset flows of $872 million into the Hennessy Funds during the period from June 30, 2013 to June 30, 2014 were due, among other factors, to the following:

 

    As of June 30, 2014, all sixteen Hennessy Funds had positive annualized returns for the 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, 10-year and since inception periods. Net inflows for the three months ended June 30, 2014 were led by the Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund ($307 million), the Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund ($35 million) and the Hennessy Equity and Income Fund ($20 million).

 

- 21 -


    The Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund was named the 2014 Lipper Winner for 3- and 5-year risk-adjusted performance. 2014 marks the third consecutive year that the Fund has received both 3- and 5-year performance awards.

 

    The continuation and expansion of our marketing and distribution program, including the following:

 

    a rigorous public relations program;

 

    a comprehensive and consistent marketing and communications program targeted to over 120,000 financial advisors and to retail clients and prospects;

 

    expanding relationships with nearly 15,000 registered investment advisors and over 260,000 investors nationwide;

 

    a team of dedicated sales/relationship managers who work with financial advisors daily; and

 

    a national accounts outreach team dedicated to developing, maintaining and broadening relationships with national and regional distribution partners and key clients.

 

22


The Company has contractual expense ratio limitations for the following Hennessy Funds:

 

Fund

   Expense Ratio
Limitation
(as a % of fund assets)
    Expenses Waived for
the Three-Months
Ended June 30, 2014
(in $)
 

Investor Class Shares

    

Hennessy Focus Fund*

     1.95   $ —     

Hennessy Cornerstone Large Growth Fund

     1.30     —     

Hennessy Large Value Fund

     1.30     —     

Hennessy Equity and Income Fund*

     1.08     181   

Hennessy Core Bond Fund*

     1.05     11,331   

Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund*

     0.85     —     

Hennessy Small Cap Financial Fund*

     1.95     —     

Hennessy Large Cap Financial Fund*

     1.95     —     

Hennessy Technology Fund*

     1.95     13,351   

Institutional Class Shares

    

Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund

     0.98     —     

Hennessy Focus Fund*

     1.70     —     

Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund

     0.98     —     

Hennessy Cornerstone Large Growth Fund

     0.98     —     

Hennessy Cornerstone Value Fund

     0.98     —     

Hennessy Large Value Fund

     0.98     —     

Hennessy Equity and Income Fund*

     1.08     —     

Hennessy Core Bond Fund*

     1.05     12,783   

Hennessy Small Cap Financial Fund*

     1.70     —     

Hennessy Technology Fund*

     1.70     2,474   
    

 

 

 

Total

     $ 40,120   
    

 

 

 

 

* Expense ratio limitations expire on February 28, 2015.

The Company does not normally waive fees (other than for contractual expense ratio limitations), and it does not anticipate waiving fees on a voluntary basis.

Operating and Other Expenses

Total operating expenses increased 25.8% to $5.1 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, from $4.0 million in the prior comparable period. The increase is due to increases in all expense categories. As a percentage of total revenue, total operating expenses decreased 4.2% to 57.7% in the three months ended June 30, 2014, as compared to 61.9% in the prior comparable period.

Compensation and Benefits Expense : Compensation and benefits expense increased 4.4% to $1.8 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, from $1.7 million in the prior comparable period. The increase is primarily due to new employees hired to manage and support the Hennessy Funds and to increase our marketing and sales efforts. As a percentage of total revenue, compensation and benefits expense decreased 6.0% to 20.7% for the three months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 26.7% in the prior comparable period.

General and Administrative Expense : General and administrative expense increased 37.5% to $1.1 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, from

 

- 23 -


$0.8 million in the prior comparable period. The increase resulted primarily from an increase in marketing, sales, and distribution efforts in the current period. As a percentage of total revenue, general and administrative expense increased 0.3% to 12.4% in the three months ended June 30, 2014, from 12.1% in the prior comparable period.

Mutual Fund Distribution Expense : Mutual fund distribution expenses increased 54.4% to $0.6 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, from $0.4 million in the prior comparable period. As a percentage of total revenue, mutual fund distribution expense increased 0.8% to 7.0% for the three months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 6.2% in the prior comparable period.

Mutual fund distribution expenses consist of fees paid for the Hennessy Funds to be offered on various financial “platforms.” The platforms allow consumers to purchase shares from numerous mutual fund companies through a single location, which provides those consumers with a single statement of investments and a single source for mutual fund information and customer service. When the Hennessy Funds are purchased through one of these platforms, the platform typically charges us an asset-based fee, which is recorded in “mutual fund distribution expense” in our statement of operations. The fees increase or decrease in line with the net asset values of the Hennessy Funds held on the platforms, which can be affected by inflows, outflows and market performance.

The increased costs in the current period are due to an increase in the average daily net asset values of the Hennessy Funds held through mutual fund platforms. For the three months ended June 30, 2014, the average daily net asset values of the Hennessy Funds held on the Charles Schwab and Fidelity platforms (the platforms to which we pay more than 80% of our total mutual fund distribution expense) increased by over 60% from the prior comparable period.

The incremental assets purchased by investors through the mutual fund platforms are not as profitable as those purchased in direct shareholder accounts because of the participation fees paid on assets held in the various mutual fund platforms. All of the Hennessy Funds are impacted by activity on the mutual fund platforms because they are all available on several platforms.

Sub-Advisor Fee Expense : Sub-advisor fee expense increased 41.3% to $1.5 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, from $1.1 million in the prior comparable period. The increase is a result of the increase in average assets under management due to net inflows into the sub-advised Hennessy Funds and market appreciation in the portfolio securities held by the sub-advised Hennessy Funds. As a percentage of total revenue, sub-advisor fee expense increased 0.8% to 17.0% for the three months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 16.2% in the prior comparable period.

Amortization and Depreciation Expense : Amortization and depreciation expense increased 29.8% to $0.06 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, from $0.05 million in the prior comparable period. The increase is partially a result of $0.01 million in additional amortization expense related to $0.38 million in additional capitalized loan amendment fees, and partially a result of a higher fixed asset base for the three months ended June 30, 2014 compared to the prior comparable period. As a percentage of total revenue, amortization and depreciation expense decreased 0.1% to 0.6% for the three months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 0.7% in the prior comparable period.

 

- 24 -


Interest Expense : Interest expense increased 58.2% to $0.3 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, from $0.2 million in the prior comparable period. The increase is due to a loan amendment adding a net amount of $13.3 million to the principal loan balance. The increased principal amount was used to fund the contingent payment for the purchase of assets related to the management of the FBR Funds. As a percentage of total revenue, interest expense increased 0.5% to 3.2% for the three months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 2.7% in the prior comparable period.

Other Income, net : Other income increased $0.001 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014 from $0.0 million in the prior comparable period. As a percentage of total revenue, other income remained unchanged at 0.0% for the three months ended June 30, 2014, compared to the prior comparable period.

Income Tax Expense : The provision for income tax expense increased 49.5% to $1.4 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, from $0.9 million in the prior comparable period. This change is due to increased income before income tax expense in the current period. As a percentage of total revenue, income tax expense increased 1.5% to 15.8% for the three months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 14.3% in the prior comparable period.

Net Income

Net income increased by 49.3% to $2.0 million in the three months ended June 30, 2014, from $1.4 million in the prior comparable period, as a result of the factors discussed above.

 

- 25 -


Nine Months Ended June 30, 2014 Compared to Nine Months Ended June 30, 2013

The following table sets forth items in the statements of income and comprehensive income as dollar amounts and as percentages of total revenue for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013:

 

     Nine Months Ended June 30,  
           2014    

2013

 
     (In thousands, except percentages)  
     Amounts     Percent
of Total
Revenue
    Amounts      Percent
of Total
Revenue
 

Revenue:

         

Investment advisory fees

   $ 24,326        97.2   $ 16,491         96.1

Shareholder service fees

     689        2.8        665         3.9   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total revenue

     25,015        100.0        17,156         100.0   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

         

Compensation and benefits

     5,460        21.8        4,999         29.1   

General and administrative

     3,340        13.4        2,161         12.6   

Mutual fund distribution

     1,715        6.9        1,020         5.9   

Sub-advisor fees

     4,351        17.4        2,717         15.8   

Amortization and depreciation

     181        0.7        130         0.9   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     15,047        60.2        11,027         64.3   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Operating income

     9,968        39.8        6,129         35.7   

Interest expense

     812        3.2        494         2.9   

Other expense (income), net

     (1     (0.0     109         0.6   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income before income tax expense

     9,157        36.6        5,526         32.2   

Income tax expense

     3,896        15.6        2,271         13.2   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income

   $ 5,261        21.0   $ 3,255         19.0
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Revenues – Investment Advisory Fees and Shareholder Service Fees

Total revenue increased 45.8% from the prior comparable period to $25.0 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, due to increased average assets under management. Investment advisory fees increased 47.5% from the prior comparable period to $24.3 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, and shareholder service fees increased 3.6% from the prior comparable period to $0.7 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014. We earn investment advisory fees from all of the Hennessy Funds, but we only earn shareholder service fees from some of the Hennessy Funds. The increase in investment advisory fees is due to increased average daily net assets of the Hennessy Funds, while the increase in shareholder service fees is due to increased average daily net assets of the Hennessy Funds from which we earn shareholder service fees.

 

- 26 -


Average daily net assets of the Hennessy Funds for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 increased by $1.55 billion, or 50.2%, to $4.63 billion from $3.08 billion in the prior comparable period. The increase is due primarily to strong net inflows into the Hennessy Funds and to strong market appreciation in the portfolio securities held by the Hennessy Funds, but is augmented by our purchase of assets related to the management of the FBR Funds on October 26, 2012.

The Hennessy Funds generate revenue at a rate ranging between 0.40% and 1.20% of average daily net assets. The Hennessy Funds with the largest average daily net assets for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 were the Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund, with $1.44 billion, and the Hennessy Focus Fund, with $1.42 billion. The Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund generates revenue at a rate of 0.40% of average daily net assets. The Hennessy Focus Fund generates revenue at a rate of 0.90% of average daily net assets; however, the Company pays a sub-advisory fee of 0.29% to the Fund’s sub-advisor, which reduces the net impact to the Company’s financial operations.

Total assets under management at June 30, 2014 were $5.38 billion, an increase of $1.79 billion, or 49.7%, from $3.59 billion as of the end of the prior comparable period. The increase in net assets is attributable to strong net purchases into the Hennessy Funds of $872 million and to strong market and investment appreciation of $915 million. Redemptions as a percentage of assets under management decreased from an average of 3.5% per month during the nine-month period ended June 30, 2013 to 2.2% per month during the nine-month period ended June 30, 2014, which may indicate that investor hold times in the Hennessy Funds have increased from period to period.

During the nine months ended June 30, 2014, purchases of the Hennessy Funds outpaced redemptions of the Hennessy Funds and net inflows were $645 million. Additionally, there was market appreciation of $702 million.

The markets and the U.S. economy continue to show positive momentum, and we believe the inflows we have seen signal that investors are returning to the equity markets after many years of investing in fixed income products. If investors remain on this current path, we expect that the recent success of the U.S. stock market should continue. We are confident in the fundamentals of corporate America, and have seen corporate profits continuing to post record highs, with balance sheets remaining strong over the period. While we may see short-term volatility in the markets, we believe we will see moderate and reasonable returns over the long-run.

We believe net asset flows of $872 million into the Hennessy Funds during the period from June 30, 2013 to June 30, 2014 were due, among other factors, to the following:

 

    As of June 30, 2014, all sixteen Hennessy Funds had positive annualized returns for the 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, 10-year and since inception periods. Net inflows for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 were led by the Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund ($572 million), the Hennessy Focus Fund ($117 million) and the Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund ($26 million).

 

    The Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund was named the 2014 Lipper Winner for 3- and 5-year risk-adjusted performance. 2014 marks the third consecutive year that the Fund has received both 3- and 5-year performance awards.

 

- 27 -


    The continuation and expansion of our marketing and distribution program, including the following:

 

    a rigorous public relations program;

 

    a comprehensive and consistent marketing and communications program targeted to over 120,000 financial advisors and to retail clients and prospects;

 

    expanding relationships with nearly 15,000 registered investment advisors and over 260,000 investors nationwide;

 

    a team of dedicated sales/relationship managers who work with financial advisors daily; and

 

    a national accounts outreach team dedicated to developing, maintaining and broadening relationships with national and regional distribution partners and key clients.

 

- 28 -


The Company has contractual expense ratio limitations for the following Hennessy Funds:

 

Fund

   Expense Ratio
Limitation
(as a % of fund assets)
    Expenses Waived for
the Nine-Months
Ended June 30, 2014
(in $)
 

Investor Class Shares

    

Hennessy Focus Fund*

     1.95   $ —     

Hennessy Cornerstone Large Growth Fund

     1.30     —     

Hennessy Large Value Fund

     1.30     —     

Hennessy Equity and Income Fund*

     1.08     13,822   

Hennessy Core Bond Fund*

     1.05     36,314   

Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund*

     0.85     —     

Hennessy Small Cap Financial Fund*

     1.95     —     

Hennessy Large Cap Financial Fund*

     1.95     —     

Hennessy Technology Fund*

     1.95     36,824   

Institutional Class Shares

    

Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund

     0.98     —     

Hennessy Focus Fund*

     1.70     —     

Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund

     0.98     —     

Hennessy Cornerstone Large Growth Fund

     0.98     —     

Hennessy Cornerstone Value Fund

     0.98     —     

Hennessy Large Value Fund

     0.98     —     

Hennessy Equity and Income Fund*

     1.08     —     

Hennessy Core Bond Fund*

     1.05     36,048   

Hennessy Small Cap Financial Fund*

     1.70     —     

Hennessy Technology Fund*

     1.70     8,185   
    

 

 

 

Total

     $ 131,193   
    

 

 

 

 

* Expense ratio limitations expire on February 28, 2015.

The Company does not normally waive fees (other than for contractual expense ratio limitations), and it does not anticipate waiving fees on a voluntary basis.

Operating and Other Expenses

Total operating expenses increased 36.5% to $15.0 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, from $11.0 million in the prior comparable period. The increase is due to increases in all expense categories. As a percentage of total revenue, total operating expenses decreased 4.1% to 60.2% in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, as compared to 64.3% in the prior comparable period.

Compensation and Benefits Expense : Compensation and benefits expense increased 9.2% to $5.5 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, from $5 million in the prior comparable period. The increase is primarily due to new employees hired to manage and support the Hennessy Funds and to increase our marketing and sales efforts. As a percentage of total revenue, compensation and benefits expense decreased 7.3% to 21.8% for the nine months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 29.1% in the prior comparable period.

General and Administrative Expense : General and administrative expense increased 54.6% to $3.3 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, from $2.2 million in the prior comparable period. The increase resulted primarily from an increase in sales and distribution efforts in the current period. As

 

- 29 -


a percentage of total revenue, general and administrative expense increased 0.8% to 13.4% in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, from 12.6% in the prior comparable period.

Mutual Fund Distribution Expense : Mutual fund distribution expenses increased 68.1% to $1.7 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, from $1.0 million in the prior comparable period. As a percentage of total revenue, mutual fund distribution expense increased 1.0% to 6.9% for the nine months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 5.9% in the prior comparable period.

Mutual fund distribution expenses consist of fees paid for the Hennessy Funds to be offered on various financial “platforms.” The platforms allow consumers to purchase shares from numerous mutual fund companies through a single location, which provides those consumers with a single statement of investments and a single source for mutual fund information and customer service. When the Hennessy Funds are purchased through one of these platforms, the platform typically charges us an asset-based fee, which is recorded in “mutual fund distribution expense” in our statement of operations. The fees increase or decrease in line with the net asset values of the Hennessy Funds held on the platforms, which can be affected by inflows, outflows and market performance.

The increased costs in the current period are due to an increase in the average daily net asset values of the Hennessy Funds held through mutual fund platforms. For the nine months ended June 30, 2014, the average daily net asset values of the Hennessy Funds held on the Charles Schwab and Fidelity platforms (the platforms to which we pay more than 80% of our total mutual fund distribution expense) increased by almost 70% from the prior comparable period.

The incremental assets purchased by investors through the mutual fund platforms are not as profitable as those purchased in direct shareholder accounts because of the participation fees paid on assets held in the various mutual fund platforms. All of the Hennessy Funds are impacted by activity on the mutual fund platforms because they are all available on several platforms.

Sub-Advisor Fee Expense : Sub-advisor fee expense increased 60.1% to $4.4 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, from $2.7 million in the prior comparable period. The increase is a result of the addition of three new sub-advised Hennessy Funds for the full nine-month period ended June 30, 2014 compared to only eight months for the period ended June 30, 2013: the Hennessy Focus Fund, the Hennessy Core Bond Fund and the Hennessy Equity and Income Fund. The increase is also a result of increased assets under management in the sub-advised Hennessy Funds due to net inflows into the sub-advised Hennessy Funds and market appreciation in the portfolio securities held by the sub-advised Hennessy Funds. As a percentage of total revenue, sub-advisor fee expense increased 1.6% to 17.4% for the nine months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 15.8% in the prior comparable period.

Amortization and Depreciation Expense : Amortization and depreciation expense increased 39.2% to $0.2 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, from $0.1 million in the prior comparable period. The increase is partially a result of $0.03 million in additional amortization expense related to $0.38 million in additional capitalized loan amendment fees, and partially a result of a higher fixed asset base for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 compared to the prior comparable period. As a percentage of total revenue, amortization and depreciation expense decreased 0.2% to 0.7% for the nine months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 0.9% in the prior comparable period.

 

- 30 -


Interest Expense : Interest expense increased 64.4% to $0.8 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, from $0.5 million in the prior comparable period. The increase is due to a loan amendment adding a net amount of $13.3 million to the principal loan balance. The increased principal amount was used to fund the contingent payment for the purchase of assets related to the management of the FBR Funds. As a percentage of total revenue, interest expense increased 0.3% to 3.2% for the nine months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 2.9% in the prior comparable period.

Other (Income) Expense : Other (income) expense decreased by 100.9% from an expense of $0.1 million in the nine-month period ended June 30, 2013. The decreased expense is due to the realized loss of $0.1 million on the sale of an available for sale security in the prior period. As a percentage of total revenue, other (income) expense decreased 0.6% to 0.0% for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 compared to 0.6% in the prior comparable period.

Income Tax Expense : The provision for income tax expense increased 71.6% to $3.9 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, from $2.3 million in the prior comparable period. This change is due to increased income before income tax expense in the current period, as well the inability to deduct for income tax purposes certain compensation expenses under Section 162(m) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As a percentage of total revenue, income tax expense increased 2.4% to 15.6% for the nine months ended June 30, 2014, compared to 13.2% in the prior comparable period.

Net Income

Net income increased by 61.6% to $5.3 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2014, from $3.3 million in the prior comparable period, as a result of the factors discussed above. Net income for the nine-months ended June 30, 2014 was negatively impacted by a one-time tax charge of $0.23 million or $0.04 per diluted share. This one-time tax charge was a true-up of the prior year tax provision due to the inability to deduct for income tax purposes certain compensation expense under Section 162(m) of the Code.

Critical Accounting Policies

Our financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, which require the use of estimates, judgments, and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. These accounting policies, methods, and estimates are an integral part of the financial statements prepared by management and are based upon management’s current judgments. Those judgments are normally based on knowledge and experience with regard to past and current events and assumptions about future events. Certain accounting policies, methods, and estimates are particularly sensitive because of their significance to the financial statements and because of the possibility that future events affecting them may differ markedly from management’s current judgment. Described below are the accounting policies that we believe are most critical to understanding our results of operations and financial position.

 

- 31 -


Our operating revenue consists of contractual investment advisory and shareholder service fees. We earn our investment advisory fees from the Hennessy Funds by, among other things, managing the composition of each Hennessy Fund’s portfolio (including the purchase, retention, and disposition of portfolio securities in accordance with the applicable Hennessy Fund’s investment objectives, policies, and restrictions), conducting investment research, monitoring compliance with each applicable Hennessy Fund’s investment restrictions and applicable laws and regulations, overseeing service providers (including sub-advisors), maintaining an in-house public relations and marketing program for each of the Hennessy Funds, preparing and distributing regulatory reports, and overseeing distribution through third party financial intermediaries. We earn our shareholder service fees from some of the Hennessy Funds by, among other things, maintaining an “800” number that the current investors of such Hennessy Funds may call to ask questions about such Hennessy Funds or their accounts, or to get help with processing exchange and redemption requests or changing account options. These fee revenues are earned and calculated daily by the Hennessy Funds’ accountants. In accordance with the FASB guidance on revenue recognition, we recognize fee revenue monthly. Our contractual agreements provide persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists with fixed and determinable fees, and the services are rendered daily. The collectability is probable as the fees are received from the Hennessy Funds in the month subsequent to the month in which the services are provided.

The management contracts we have purchased are considered intangible assets with an indefinite life. In June 2001, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued the FASB guidance “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other.” It states that goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized, but are tested at least annually for impairment. We fully implemented the provisions of the FASB guidance on October 1, 2002, at which time we ceased amortization of these intangible assets. Impairment analysis to determine if a triggering event has occurred is conducted quarterly and coincides with our quarterly and annual financial reporting. In the past, an analysis has been completed at least annually. However, amendments to Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2012-02 “Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment” permit an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more-likely-than-not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the annual quantitative impairment test, which may allow us to perform our analysis less frequently in the future.

In conducting the impairment analysis, future revenue is calculated as a percent of assets under management based on our existing management contracts with the Hennessy Funds. The future expenses are based on projections of our current expenses, adjusted for changes in the assets under management. For example, variable expenses such as platform fees and sub-advisor fees grow in direct proportion with our assets under management. Other semi-variable expenses, such as office rent and professional services, grow at a rate slower than the growth in assets under management. Specifically, the projected revenue and expenses are based on assumptions about the growth of our assets under management. Since our management contracts have an indefinite life, the projections of revenue and expenses in theory are calculated into perpetuity. The actual values, however, were calculated over the future fifteen years, and the value developed for the periods beyond the fifteen-year forecast is reflected in the terminal value calculation. Ultimately, growth rates of equities over the long-term were used in estimating future rates, primarily based on the consistent tendency of returns to average in the 12% range, as evidenced by annual S&P returns

 

- 32 -


from 1926 to 2013. In addition, studies have concluded that in general, flows into various mutual fund groups are highly correlated with market performance, which suggests the Hennessy Funds will average reasonable inflows over the future fifteen years in response to market appreciation.

We engaged an independent valuation firm to assist us in our measurement and evaluation of the fair value of the management contracts by incorporating our estimates and assumptions into a projection of future revenues, based in part upon estimates of assets under management growth and client attrition, and expenses. Based on the analysis, we concluded that projected revenue exceeds projected expenses by an amount that is greater than the current carrying value of the management contracts. We therefore concluded that the management contract assets are not impaired as of September 30, 2013. We continually evaluate whether events or circumstances have occurred that indicate the management contracts may be impaired. If future valuations in the marketplace decline, the valuation of management contracts purchased may become impaired and net earnings would be negatively impacted by the resulting impairment adjustment. As of June 30, 2014, no events or circumstances occurred that indicated potential impairment of the management contracts.

The costs related to our purchase of assets related to the management of mutual funds are capitalized as incurred. The costs are defined as an ‘intangible asset’ per FASB standard “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other.” The acquisition costs include legal fees, fees for soliciting shareholder approval and a percent of asset costs to purchase the management contracts. The amounts are included in the management contract asset totaling $62.5 million as of June 30, 2014.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We continually review our capital requirements to ensure that we have sufficient funding available to support our growth strategies. To the extent that liquid resources and cash provided by operations are not adequate to meet capital requirements, management plans to raise additional capital through debt or equity markets. There can be no assurance that we will be able to borrow funds or raise additional equity.

Total assets under management as of June 30, 2014 were $5.38 billion, which was an increase of $1.79 billion, or 49.7%, from June 30, 2013. The primary source of our revenue, liquidity and cash flow is our investment advisory fee revenue, which is based on and generated by our average assets under management. Fixed assets and management contracts purchased totaled $62.7 million as of June 30, 2014. Our remaining assets are very liquid, consisting primarily of cash and receivables derived from mutual fund asset management activities. As of June 30, 2014, we had cash and cash equivalents of $6.5 million.

 

- 33 -


The following table summarizes key financial data relating to our liquidity and use of cash for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013:

 

     For the Nine Months
Ended June 30,
(unaudited, in thousands)
 
     2014     2013  

Cash flow data:

    

Operating cash flows

   $ 6,083      $ 3,841   

Investing cash flows

     (19,231     (20,446

Financing cash flows

     11,240        14,636   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

   $ (1,908   $ (1,969
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The increase in cash provided by operating activities of $2.2 million is due to an increase in assets under management, mainly due to strong net inflows into the Hennessy Funds and strong market appreciation in the portfolio securities held by the Hennessy Funds. The effects of the purchase of assets related to the management of the FBR Funds, which generated revenue for the full nine months ended June 30, 2014 and only eight of the nine months ended June 30, 2013, also increased net income.

The decrease in cash used in investing activities of $1.2 million is tied to the payment related to the purchase of assets related to the management of the FBR Funds. Specifically, this payment was less in the current period, partly offset by the proceeds related to the liquidation of the available for sale investment.

The decrease in cash provided by financing activities of $3.4 million is due to the increase in the principal amount of our loan agreement to finance the contingent payment for the purchase of assets related to the management of the FBR Funds being less in the current period than the increase in the principal amount of our loan agreement to finance the initial payment for the purchase of assets related to the management of the FBR Funds in the period ended June 30, 2013. Due to the increase in the loan, we also have higher monthly principal payments in the current period as compared to the prior comparable period. See below for a discussion of the loan agreement.

We have an outstanding bank loan with U.S. Bank National Association. On October 26, 2012, the loan, which then had an outstanding principal balance of $1.9 million, was amended and restated to provide an additional $16.3 million to purchase the assets related to the management of the FBR Funds. The balance of the loan immediately following the amendment and restatement was $18.4 million. On November 1, 2013, in connection with the contingent payment for the purchase of assets related to the FBR Funds, the Company entered into an amendment to the loan agreement with U.S Bank National Association that increased its total outstanding loan balance by $13.3 million to $30.0 million. The amended loan agreement requires 47 monthly payments in the amount of $312,500 plus interest at the bank’s prime rate (currently 3.25%, in effect since December 17, 2008) plus 0.75%

 

- 34 -


(for an effective interest rate of 4.00%) and is secured by the Company’s assets. The final installment of the then-outstanding principal and interest is due October 26, 2017. The amended loan agreement includes certain reporting requirements and loan covenants requiring the maintenance of certain financial ratios. We were in compliance with our loan covenants as of June 30, 2014. As of June 30, 2014, we had $27.7 million outstanding under our bank loan.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

An evaluation was performed by management of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as of June 30, 2014. Based on that evaluation, management, including the Company’s principal executive and principal financial officers, concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

There has been no change in the internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that occurred during the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

- 35 -


PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

We purchased shares and vested stock options from employees and directors to pay for stock option exercises during the three-month period ended June 30, 2014:

 

Period

   Total number of
shares purchased
     Average price
paid per
share
     Total number of
shares purchased
as part of publicly
announced plans
or programs (4)
     Maximum number of
shares that may
yet be purchased
under the plans
or programs (4)
 
     (a)      (b)      (c)      (d)  

On the exercise dates of April 1-30, 2014

     0       $ 0.00         0         908,807   

On the exercise dates of May 1-31, 2014 (1)

     59,026       $ 12.54         0         908,807   

On the exercise dates of June 1-30, 2014 (2)

     16,958       $ 15.57         0         908,807   

Total (3)

     75,984       $ 13.21         0         908,807   

 

(1) The shares repurchased in May 2014 were repurchased according to the applicable employee’s and director’s instructions to pay for the exercise of stock options granted on November 3, 2004 and were not purchased pursuant to the stock buyback program described below.
(2) The shares repurchased in June 2014 were repurchased according to the applicable employee’s and director’s instructions to pay for the exercise of stock options granted on October 31, 2004 and November 3, 2004, respectively, and were not purchased pursuant to the stock buyback program described below.
(3) The total shares repurchased were purchased at a weighted average price of $13.21 share.
(4) The share repurchases related to the RSUs were not completed pursuant to a plan or program, and are therefore not subject to a maximum per a plan or program. The Company has adopted a stock buyback program, which it announced August 5, 2010. Pursuant to the program, the Company is authorized to purchase a maximum of 1,000,000 shares. The program has no expiration date.

 

Item 6. Exhibits

 

10.1    Investment Advisory Agreement, dated February 28, 2014, between the registrant and Hennessy Funds Trust (on behalf of the Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund, the Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund, the Hennessy Value Fund, the Hennessy Total Return Fund, the Hennessy Balanced Fund, the Hennessy Japan Fund, and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund)
10.2    Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated February 28, 2014, between the registrant and SPARX Asset Management Co., Ltd. (for the Hennessy Japan Fund and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund)

 

- 36 -


10.3    Amended and Restated Servicing Agreement, dated February 28, 2014, between the registrant and Hennessy Funds Trust (on behalf of the Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund, the Cornerstone Hennessy Mid Cap 30 Fund, the Hennessy Large Growth Fund, the Hennessy Value Fund, the Hennessy Total Return Fund, the Hennessy Balanced Fund, the Hennessy Japan Fund, and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund)
31.1    Rule 13a-14a Certification of the Chief Executive Officer.
31.2    Rule 13a-14a Certification of the Chief Financial Officer.
32.1    Written Statement of the Chief Executive Officer, Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350.
32.2    Written Statement of the Chief Financial Officer, Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350.
101    Financial statements from the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Hennessy Advisors, Inc. for the quarter ended June 30, 2014, filed on August 6, 2014, formatted in XBRL: (i) the Condensed Balance Sheets; (ii) the Condensed Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income; (iii) the Condensed Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity; (iv) the Condensed Statements of Cash Flows; and (v) the Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements.

 

- 37 -


Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized:

 

  HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC.

Date: August 6, 2014

  By:  

/s/ Teresa M. Nilsen

    Teresa M. Nilsen, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

 

- 38 -


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

10.1    Investment Advisory Agreement, dated February 28, 2014, between the registrant and Hennessy Funds Trust (on behalf of the Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund, the Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund, the Hennessy Value Fund, the Hennessy Total Return Fund, the Hennessy Balanced Fund, the Hennessy Japan Fund, and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund)
10.2    Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated February 28, 2014, between the registrant and SPARX Asset Management Co., Ltd. (for the Hennessy Japan Fund and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund)
10.3    Amended and Restated Servicing Agreement, dated February 28, 2014, between the registrant and Hennessy Funds Trust (on behalf of the Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund, the Cornerstone Hennessy Mid Cap 30 Fund, the Hennessy Large Growth Fund, the Hennessy Value Fund, the Hennessy Total Return Fund, the Hennessy Balanced Fund, the Hennessy Japan Fund, and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund)
31.1    Rule 13a-14a Certification of the Chief Executive Officer.
31.2    Rule 13a-14a Certification of the Chief Financial Officer.
32.1    Written Statement of the Chief Executive Officer, Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350.
32.2    Written Statement of the Chief Financial Officer, Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350.
101    Financial statements from the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Hennessy Advisors, Inc. for the quarter ended June 30, 2014, filed on August 6, 2014, formatted in XBRL: (i) the Condensed Balance Sheets; (ii) the Condensed Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income; (iii) the Condensed Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity; (iv) the Condensed Statements of Cash Flows; and (v) the Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements.

 

- 39 -

Exhibit 10.1

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

THIS INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made as of February 28, 2014 by and between Hennessy Funds Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “ Trust ”), on behalf of each of its investment series set forth on Schedule A hereto as it may be amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to each as a “ Fund ” and together as the “ Funds ”), and Hennessy Advisors, Inc., a California corporation (the “ Adviser ”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS , the Trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ Act ”), as an open-end management investment company; and

WHEREAS , the Trust desires to retain the Adviser, which is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, as the investment adviser to the Funds.

AGREEMENT

NOW , THEREFORE , in consideration of the premises and covenants hereinafter contained, the Trust on behalf of the Funds and the Adviser do mutually promise and agree as follows:

1. Employment . The Trust hereby employs the Adviser to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of each Fund for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement. The Adviser hereby accepts such employment for the compensation herein provided and agrees during such period to render the services and to assume the obligations herein set forth.

2. Authority of the Adviser . The Adviser shall supervise and manage the investment portfolio of each Fund, and, subject to such policies as the trustees of the Trust may determine, direct the purchase and sale of investment securities in the day-to-day management of each Fund. The Adviser shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Trust or any Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Trust or any Fund. However, one or more shareholders, officers, directors or employees of the Adviser may serve as trustees and/or officers of the Trust, but without compensation or reimbursement of expenses for such services from the Trust unless otherwise determined by the Trust’s Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the Act) of the Trust. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require the Trust to take any action contrary to its Trust Instrument, as it may be amended from time to time, or any applicable statute or regulation, or to relieve or deprive the trustees of the Trust of their responsibility for, and control of, the affairs of the Trust.

3. Use of Sub-Advisers . All services to be furnished by the Adviser under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any managers, officers or employees of the Adviser or through such other parties (including, without limitation, a sub-adviser) as the Adviser may determine from time to time. Each sub-advisory agreement may provide that the applicable sub-adviser, subject to the control and supervision of the Trust’s Board of Trustees and the Adviser, shall have full investment discretion for the applicable Fund, shall make all determinations with respect to the investment of such Fund’s assets assigned to it and the purchase and sale of portfolio securities with those assets, and shall take such steps as may be necessary to implement its investment decisions. Any delegation of duties pursuant to this Section 3 shall comply with any applicable provisions of Section 15 of the Act, except to

 

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the extent permitted by any exemptive order of the Securities and Exchange Commission or similar relief. The Adviser shall not be responsible or liable for the investment merits of any decision by a sub-adviser to purchase, hold or sell a security for the applicable Fund’s portfolio; provided, however, that this provision shall not limit the Adviser’s obligation as a fiduciary to supervise each Fund’s investment program and the activities of sub-advisers.

4. Expenses . The Adviser, at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Trust or any Fund, shall furnish office space, and all necessary office facilities, equipment and executive personnel for managing the investments of each Fund. The Adviser shall not be required to pay any expenses of a Fund unless specifically stated herein. The expenses of each Fund’s operations borne by the Fund include by way of illustration and not limitation, trustees’ fee paid to those trustees who are not interested trustees under the Act; the costs of preparing and printing its registration statements required under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Act (and amendments thereto); the expense of registering its shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in the various states; the printing and distribution cost of prospectuses mailed to existing shareholders; the cost of trustee and officer liability insurance, reports to shareholders, reports to government authorities and proxy statements; interest charges; taxes; legal expenses; salaries of personnel specifically employed or engaged by the Trust and approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (including, but not limited to, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer); association membership dues; auditing, accounting and tax services; insurance premiums; brokerage and other costs incurred in connection with the purchase and sale of securities; fees and expenses of the custodian of the Fund’s assets; shareholder servicing fees; expenses of calculating the net asset value and repurchasing and redeeming shares; charges and expenses of dividend disbursing agents, registrars and stock transfer agents, fund administrators and fund accountants; and the cost of keeping all necessary shareholder records and accounts.

With regard to the Hennessy Balanced Fund and the Hennessy Total Return Fund, the Adviser shall not be required to pay any expenses of such Funds except as provided herein if the total expenses borne by such Funds, including the Adviser’s fee and the fees paid to the Funds’ Administrator but excluding any interest, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions, distribution fees and extraordinary expenses (including but not limited to legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs and any indemnification related thereto), in any year exceed that percentage of the average net assets of either of these Funds for such year, as determined by valuations made as of the close of each business day, which is the most restrictive percentage provided by the state laws of the various states in which these Funds’ shares are qualified for sale or, if the states in which the Funds’ shares are qualified for sale impose no such restrictions, 3%. The Trust shall monitor the expense ratio of these Funds on a monthly basis. If the accrued amount of the expenses of either of these Funds exceeds the expense limitation established herein, the Trust shall create an account receivable from the Adviser in the amount of such excess. In such a situation the monthly payment of the Adviser’s fee will be reduced by the amount of such excess, subject to adjustment month by month during the balance of the Funds’ fiscal year if accrued expenses thereafter fall below the expense limitation.

With regard to the Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund and the Hennessy Cornerstone Value Fund, in the event the operating expenses of either of these Funds, including amounts payable to the Adviser pursuant to Section 5 hereof, for any fiscal year ending on a date on which this Agreement is in effect exceed the expense limitations applicable to either of these Funds imposed by applicable state securities laws or regulations thereunder, as such limitations may be raised or lowered from time to time, the Adviser shall reduce its management fee with respect to such Fund by the extent of such excess and, if required, pursuant to any such laws or regulations, will reimburse such Fund in the amount of the excess; provided, however, to the extent permitted by law, there shall be excluded from such expenses the amount of any interest, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions, distribution fees and extraordinary expenses (including but not limited to legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs and any indemnification

 

2


related thereto) paid or payable by such Fund. Whenever the expenses of either of these Funds exceed a pro rata portion of the applicable annual expense limitations, the estimated amount of reimbursement under such limitations shall be applicable as an offset against the monthly payment of the fee due to the Adviser with respect to such Fund. Should two or more such expense limitations be applicable at the end of the last business day of the month, that expense limitation which results in the largest reduction in the Adviser’s fee shall be applicable.

5. Compensation of the Adviser . For the services and facilities to be rendered, the Trust through each Fund shall pay to the Adviser an advisory fee, paid monthly, based on the average daily net assets of each such Fund, as determined by valuations made as of the close of each business day during the month. The advisory fee payable by each Fund is set forth on Schedule A hereto. For any month in which this Agreement is not in effect for the entire month, such fee shall be reduced proportionately on the basis of the number of calendar days during which it is in effect and the fee computed upon the average daily net assets of the business days during which it is so in effect.

6. Ownership of Shares of the Funds . The Adviser shall not take, and shall not permit any of its shareholders, officers, directors or employees to take, a long or short position in the shares of a Fund, except for the purchase of shares of the Fund for investment purposes at the same price as that available to the public at the time of purchase.

7. Exclusivity . The services of the Adviser to the Trust hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive and the Adviser shall be free to furnish similar services to others as long as the services hereunder are not impaired thereby. Although the Adviser has permitted and is permitting the Trust and one or more Funds to use the name “Hennessy,” it is understood and agreed that the Adviser reserves the right to use and to permit other persons, firms or corporations, including other investment companies, to use such name, and that the Trust and the Funds will not use such name if the Adviser ceases to be each Fund’s sole investment adviser (not including any sub-advisers engaged pursuant to Section 3 ). During the period that this Agreement is in effect, the Adviser shall be each Fund’s sole investment adviser (not including any sub-advisers engaged pursuant to Section 3 ).

8. Liability . In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the Adviser, the Adviser shall not be subject to liability to the Funds or to any shareholder of the Funds for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder, including any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.

9. Indemnification . The Adviser agrees to indemnify each Fund with respect to any loss, liability, judgment, cost or penalty that such Fund may directly or indirectly suffer or incur as a result of a material breach by the Adviser of its standard of care set forth in Section 8 . The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, agrees to indemnify the Adviser with respect to any loss, liability, judgment, cost or penalty that the Adviser may directly or indirectly suffer or incur in any way arising out of the performance of its duties under this Agreement, except to the extent that such loss, liability, judgment, cost or penalty was a result of a material breach by the Adviser of its standard of care set forth in Section 8 .

10. Brokerage Commissions . The Adviser, subject to the control and direction of the trustees of the Trust, shall have authority and discretion to select brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions for each Fund and for the selection of the markets on or in which the transactions will be executed. The Adviser may cause each Fund to pay a broker-dealer that provides brokerage or research services, as such services are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”), to the Adviser a commission for effecting a securities transaction in

 

3


excess of the amount another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting such transaction, if the Adviser determines in good faith that such amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of brokerage and research services provided by the executing broker-dealer viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the Adviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to the accounts as to which the Adviser exercises investment discretion (as defined in Section 3(a)(35) of the Exchange Act). The Adviser shall provide such reports as the trustees of the Trust may reasonably request with respect to each Fund’s brokerage commissions, the manner in which that brokerage was allocated and brokerage and research services received.

11. Code of Ethics . The Adviser has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the Act and has provided the Trust with a copy of the code of ethics and evidence of its adoption. Upon written request of the Trust, the Adviser shall permit the Trust to examine any reports required to be made by the Adviser pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the Act, to the extent such reports are not required, pursuant to Rule 17j-1, to be made to the Trust.

12. Amendments . This Agreement may be amended by the mutual consent of the parties; provided, however, that in no event may it be amended without the approval of the trustees of the Trust in the manner required by the Act, and, if required by the Act, by the vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the affected Fund, as defined in the Act.

13. Termination . This Agreement may be terminated at any time with respect to a Fund, without the payment of any penalty, by the trustees of the Trust or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of that Fund, as defined in the Act, upon giving sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Adviser. This Agreement may be terminated by the Adviser at any time upon the giving of sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Trust. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in Section 2(a)(4) of the Act). Subject to prior termination as hereinbefore provided, this Agreement shall continue in effect for two (2) years from the date hereof and indefinitely thereafter, but only so long as the continuance after such two (2)-year period is specifically approved annually by (a) the trustees of the Trust or by the vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund, as defined in the Act, and (b) the trustees of the Trust in the manner required by the Act, provided that any such approval may be made effective not more than sixty (60) days thereafter.

14. Obligations of the Trust . The name “Hennessy Funds Trust” and references to the trustees of Hennessy Funds Trust refer respectively to the Trust created and the trustees, as trustees but not individually or personally, acting from time to time under a Trust Instrument dated as of September 16, 1992, as amended, which is hereby referred to and a copy of which is on file with the Secretary of the State of Delaware. The obligations of Hennessy Funds Trust entered into in the name or on behalf thereof by any of the trustees, representatives or agents of the Trust are made not individually, but in such capacities, and are not binding upon any of the trustees, shareholders, or representatives of the Trust personally, but bind only the Trust property, and all persons dealing with any class of shares of the Trust must look solely to the Trust property belonging to such class for the enforcement of any claims against the Trust.

(Signature page follows.)

 

4


IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed on the day first above written.

 

HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Neil J. Hennessy

  Neil J. Hennessy
  President and Chief Executive Officer
HENNESSY FUNDS TRUST
By:  

/s/ Neil J. Hennessy

  Neil J. Hennessy
  President

Signature Page to Investment Advisory Agreement


SCHEDULE A

(as of February 28, 2014)

 

Name of Fund

   Advisory Fee per Annum
(as a % of average daily net assets)
 

Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund

     0.74

Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund

     0.74

Hennessy Cornerstone Value Fund

     0.74

Hennessy Total Return Fund

     0.60

Hennessy Balanced Fund

     0.60

Hennessy Japan Fund

     1.00

Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund

     1.20

 

Schedule A

Exhibit 10.2

SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT

THIS SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into effective as of February 28, 2014, by and between Hennessy Advisors, Inc., a California corporation (“ Manager ”), and SPARX Asset Management Co., Ltd., a corporation organized under the laws of Japan (“ Sub-Adviser ”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS , Manager is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “ Advisers Act ”);

WHEREAS , Manager has entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement, dated as of February 28, 2014 (the “ Advisory Agreement ”), with Hennessy Funds Trust (the “ Trust ”), an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ Investment Company Act ”);

WHEREAS , Sub-Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act;

WHEREAS , Manager desires to retain Sub-Adviser to render investment advisory and other services to the funds specified in Schedule A hereto, as amended from time to time, each a series of the Trust (each a “ Fund ” and collectively, the “ Funds ”), in the manner and on the terms hereinafter set forth;

WHEREAS , Manager has the authority, subject to the approval of the Trustees of the Trust (the “ Trustees ”), and, if required under the Investment Company Act, Fund shareholders, to select sub-advisers for each Fund; and

WHEREAS , Sub-Adviser is willing to furnish such services to Manager and each Fund.

AGREEMENT

NOW , THEREFORE , Manager and Sub-Adviser agree as follows:

 

  1. APPOINTMENT OF SUB-ADVISER

Manager hereby appoints Sub-Adviser to act as a sub-adviser for each Fund for the period and on the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

  2. ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT

Sub-Adviser accepts that appointment and agrees to render the services herein set forth, for the compensation herein provided.

The assets of each Fund will be maintained in the custody of a custodian (who shall be identified by Manager in writing). Sub-Adviser will not have custody of any securities, cash or other assets of any Fund and will not be liable for any loss resulting from any act or omission of the custodian other than acts or omissions arising in reasonable reliance on instructions of Sub-Adviser. The custodian will be responsible for the custody, receipt and delivery of securities and other assets of each Fund, and Sub-Adviser shall have no authority responsibility or obligation with respect to the custody receipt or delivery of securities or other assets of any Fund. The Fund shall be responsible for all custodial arrangements, including the payment of all fees and charges to the custodian.

 

1


  3. SERVICES TO BE RENDERED BY SUB-ADVISER TO THE TRUST

A. As sub-adviser to each Fund, Sub-Adviser will coordinate the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund and determine the composition of the assets of the Fund, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Fund’s Prospectus and the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (the “ SAI ”) (as each may be updated or amended, from time to time) and subject to the direction, supervision and control of Manager and the Trustees. Prior to the commencement of Sub-Adviser’s services hereunder, Manager shall provide Sub-Adviser with current copies of each Fund’s Prospectus and SAI. Manager undertakes to provide Sub-Adviser with copies or other written notice of any amendments, modifications or supplements to each Fund’s Prospectus and SAI and Sub-Adviser will not need to comply until a copy has been provided to Sub-Adviser.

B. Sub-Adviser may place orders for the execution of transactions with or through such brokers, dealers or banks as Sub-Adviser may select and, subject to Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”), and other applicable law, may pay commissions on transactions in excess of the amount of commissions another broker or dealer would have charged. Sub-Adviser will seek best execution under the circumstances of the particular transaction taking into consideration the full range and quality of a broker’s services in placing brokerage including, among other things, the value of research provided as well as execution capability, commission rate, financial responsibility and responsiveness to Sub-Adviser (the determinative factor is not the lowest possible commission cost, but whether the transaction represents the best qualitative execution for a Fund). In no event shall Sub-Adviser be under any duty to obtain the lowest commission or best net price for a Fund on any particular transaction. Sub-Adviser is not under any duty to execute transactions for a Fund before or after transactions for other like accounts managed by Sub-Adviser. Sub-Adviser may aggregate sales and purchase orders of securities or derivatives held in a Fund with similar orders being made simultaneously for other portfolios managed by Sub-Adviser if, in Sub-Adviser’s reasonable judgment, such aggregation shall result in an overall economic benefit to the Fund. Manager understands and agrees that when such aggregation does occur the actual prices obtained will be averaged and the applicable Fund will be deemed to have purchased or sold its proportionate share of the securities involved at such average price. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Sub-Adviser will not effect any transaction with a broker or dealer that is an “affiliated person” (as defined under the Investment Company Act) of Sub-Adviser or Manager without the prior approval of Manager. Manager shall provide Sub-Adviser with a list of brokers or dealers that are affiliated persons of Manager.

C. Manager understands and agrees and has advised the Trustees that Sub-Adviser performs investment management services for various clients and may take action with respect to any of its other clients which may differ from action taken or from the timing or nature of action taken by Sub-Adviser for a Fund. Sub-Adviser’s authority hereunder shall not be impaired because of the fact that it may effect transactions with respect to securities for its own account or for the accounts of others which it manages which are identical or similar to securities to which it may effect transactions for a Fund at the same or similar times.

D. Sub-Adviser will provide Manager with copies of Sub-Adviser’s current policies and procedures that relate to Sub-Adviser’s duties described in this Agreement adopted in accordance with Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act. To the extent a Fund is required by the Investment Company Act to adopt any such policy or procedure, Manager will submit such policy or procedure to the Trustees for adoption by each of the Funds, with such modifications or additions thereto as the Trustees may recommend. Sub-Adviser’s Chief Compliance Officer shall provide to Manager’s Chief Compliance Officer or his or her delegate the following:

(i). a report of any material changes to Sub-Adviser’s policies and procedures described in Section 3(D) above on a quarterly basis;

 

2


(ii). a report of any “material compliance matters,” as defined by Rule 38a-1 under the Investment Company Act, that have occurred in connection with Sub-Adviser’s policies and procedures on a quarterly basis;

(iii). a summary of Sub-Adviser’s Chief Compliance Officer’s report identifying the material compliance matters relevant to the Funds with respect to the annual review of Sub-Adviser’s policies and procedures pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act; and

(iv). an annual certification regarding Sub-Adviser’s compliance with Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act and Section 38a-1 of the Investment Company Act, as well as the foregoing sub-paragraphs (i) through (iii).

E. Sub-Adviser will maintain and preserve all accounts, books and records with respect to each Fund as are required of an investment adviser of a registered investment company pursuant to the Investment Company Act and the Advisers Act and the rules thereunder and shall file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“ SEC ”) all forms pursuant to Sections 13(d), 13(f) and 13(g) of the Exchange Act, with respect to its duties as are set forth herein.

F. Sub-Adviser shall reasonably cooperate with Manager and/or the Trust in responding to any regulatory or compliance examinations or inspections (including any information requests) relating to the Trust, a Fund or Manager brought by any governmental or regulatory authorities.

G. Sub-Adviser will, unless and until otherwise directed by Manager, exercise all rights of security holders with respect to securities held by each Fund, provided that Sub-Adviser will not be responsible for any other corporate actions relating to the securities in which assets of the Fund’s investment portfolio are invested, including administrative filings, such as proofs or claims in class actions.

H. Sub-Adviser, in connection with its rights and duties with respect to the Funds and the Trust shall use the care, skill, prudence and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of a like character and with like aims.

 

  4. COMPENSATION OF SUB-ADVISER

Manager will pay Sub-Adviser as compensation for providing services in accordance with this Agreement those fees as set forth in Schedule A , calculated based on the relevant Fund’s average daily net assets and payable monthly. Manager and Sub-Adviser agree that all fees shall become due and owing to Sub-Adviser promptly after the termination date of Sub-Adviser with respect to any Fund and that the amount of such fees shall be calculated by treating the termination date as the next fee computation date. The annual base fee will be prorated for such fees owed through the termination date.

 

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  5. REPRESENTATIONS OF MANAGER

Manager represents, warrants and agrees that:

A. Manager has been duly authorized by the Trustees to delegate to Sub-Adviser the provision of investment services to each Fund as contemplated hereby.

B. The Trust has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act and will provide Sub-Adviser with a copy of such code of ethics.

C. Manager (i) is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and will continue to be so registered for so long as this Agreement remains in effect, (ii) is not prohibited by the Investment Company Act, the Advisers Act or other law, regulation or order from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement, (iii) has met and will seek to continue to meet for so long as this Agreement is in effect, any other applicable federal or state requirements, or the applicable requirements of any regulatory or industry self-regulatory agency necessary to be met in order to perform the services contemplated by this Agreement, (iv) has the full power and authority to enter into and perform the services contemplated by this Agreement, and (v) will promptly notify Sub-Adviser of the occurrence of any event that would disqualify Manager from serving as investment manager of an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the Investment Company Act or otherwise.

 

  6. REPRESENTATIONS OF SUB-ADVISER

Sub-Adviser represents, warrants and agrees as follows:

A. Sub-Adviser (i) is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and will continue to be so registered for so long as this Agreement remains in effect, (ii) is not prohibited by the Investment Company Act, the Advisers Act or other law, regulation or order from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement, (iii) has met and will seek to continue to meet for so long as this Agreement remains in effect, any other applicable federal or state requirements, or the applicable requirements of any regulatory or industry self-regulatory agency necessary to be met in order to perform the services contemplated by this Agreement, (iv) has the full power and authority to enter into and perform the services contemplated by this Agreement, and (v) will promptly notify Manager of the occurrence of any event that would disqualify Sub-Adviser from serving as an investment adviser of an investment company pursuant to Section 9(a) of the Investment Company Act or otherwise.

B. Sub-Adviser has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act and will provide Manager with a copy of such code of ethics.

C. Sub-Adviser agrees to maintain an appropriate level of errors and omissions or professional liability insurance coverage.

 

  7. NON-EXCLUSIVITY

The services of Sub-Adviser to Manager, the Funds and the Trust are not to be deemed to be exclusive, and Sub-Adviser shall be free to render investment advisory or other services to others and to engage in other activities. It is understood and agreed that the directors, officers, and employees of Sub-Adviser are not prohibited from engaging in any other business activity or from rendering services to any other person, or from serving as partners, officers, directors, trustees, or employees of any other firm or corporation.

 

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  8. SUPPLEMENTAL ARRANGEMENTS

Sub-Adviser may from time to time employ or associate itself with any person it believes to be particularly suited to assist it in providing the services to be performed by Sub-Adviser hereunder, provided that no such person shall perform any services with respect to the Funds that would constitute an assignment or require a written advisory agreement pursuant to the Investment Company Act. Any compensation payable to such persons shall be the sole responsibility of Sub-Adviser, and neither Manager nor the Trust shall have any obligations with respect thereto or otherwise arising under this Agreement.

 

  9. DURATION OF AGREEMENT

This Agreement shall become effective upon the date first above written, provided that this Agreement shall not take effect with respect to a Fund unless it has first been approved: (i) by a vote of a majority of those trustees of the Trust who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of any party to this Agreement (“ Independent Trustees ”), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the Investment Company Act) (“ Outstanding Voting Securities ”) of the Fund or as permitted by Rule 2a-6 of the Investment Company Act. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period more than two years from the date of its execution only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Trustees provided that in such event such continuance shall also be approved by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

  10. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT

This Agreement may be terminated with respect to any Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by a vote of the majority of the Trustees, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Fund, or Manager on sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to Sub-Adviser, and Manager as appropriate. In addition, this Agreement may be terminated with respect to any Fund by Sub-Adviser upon sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to Manager. This Agreement will automatically terminate, without the payment of any penalty in the event the Advisory Agreement is assigned (as defined in the Investment Company Act) or terminates for any other reason. This Agreement will also terminate upon written notice to the other party that the other party is in material breach of this Agreement, unless the other party in material breach of this Agreement cures such breach to the reasonable satisfaction of the party alleging the breach within thirty (30) days after written notice. Any “assignment” (as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act) of this Agreement will result in automatic termination of this Agreement. Sub-Adviser will promptly notify the Trust and Manager of any such assignment and of any changes in key personnel who are either the portfolio manager(s) of the Funds named in the Prospectus and/or SAI, or senior management of Sub-Adviser, in each case prior to or promptly after, such change. Sub-Adviser agrees to bear all reasonable legal, printing, mailing, proxy and related expenses of the Trust and Manager, if any, arising out of an assignment of this Agreement by Sub-Adviser.

 

  11. AMENDMENTS TO THE AGREEMENT

This Agreement may be amended by the parties with respect to any Fund only if by written agreement. It is understood that certain material amendments may require approval of a Fund’s shareholders. Additional Funds may be added to Schedule A by written agreement of Manager and Sub-Adviser.

 

5


  12. ASSIGNMENT

Sub-Adviser shall not assign this Agreement. Any assignment (as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act) of this Agreement shall result in the automatic termination of this Agreement, as provided in Section 10 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no assignment shall be deemed to result from any changes in the directors, officers or employees of such Sub-Adviser except as may be provided to the contrary in the Investment Company Act or the rules or regulations thereunder.

 

  13. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Agreement contains the entire understanding and agreement of the parties with respect to each Fund. For the avoidance of doubt, this Agreement replaces and supersedes, in its entirety, that certain Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated September 18, 2009, by and between Manager and Sub-Adviser.

 

  14. HEADINGS

The headings in the sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a part hereof.

 

  15. NOTICES

All notices required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be delivered or mailed to the address listed below of each applicable party (i) in person, (ii) by registered or certified mail, or (iii) delivery service, providing the sender with notice of receipt, or to such other address as specified in a notice duly given to the other parties. Notice shall be deemed given on the date delivered or mailed in accordance with this paragraph.

 

If to Sub-Adviser :    Shuhei Abe
   SPARX Asset Management Co., Ltd.
   Tennoz First Tower 16F 2-2-4,
   Higashi Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku,
   Tokyo 140-0002, Japan
   +81-3-6711-9200 (telephone)
If to Manager :    Neil J. Hennessy
   Hennessy Advisors, Inc.
   7250 Redwood Blvd, Suite 200
   Novato, CA 94945
   415-899-1555 (telephone)

 

  16. SEVERABILITY AND SURVIVAL

Should any portion of this Agreement for any reason be held to be void in law or in equity, this Agreement shall be construed, insofar as is possible, as if such portion had never been contained herein. Section 18 and Section 19 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

6


  17. GOVERNING LAW AND LANGUAGE

The provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, or any of the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. To the extent that the laws of the State of Delaware, or any of the provisions in this Agreement, conflict with applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall control.

Any documents or records related to this Agreement and the services to be provided hereunder shall be in the English language. To the extent that any document required to be provided hereunder is not then available in English, Sub-Adviser shall be given a reasonable period of time to produce an English version of such document. Manager acknowledges that translated documents provided in accordance with this Agreement represent the best efforts of Sub-Adviser to provide accurate translations and may not be a strict translation of the original document. In the event of any conflict between any material terms of the English language version of this Agreement, including any English language versions of any documents or records related to this Agreement, and any translation hereof, or thereof, the English language version shall prevail in the event of any dispute between the parties.

 

  18. INTERPRETATION

Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the Investment Company Act shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the Investment Company Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the SEC validly issued pursuant to the Investment Company Act. Specifically, the terms “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “interested persons,” “assignment,” and “affiliated persons,” as used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them by Section 2(a) of the Investment Company Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the Investment Company Act reflected in any provision of this Agreement is relaxed by a rule, regulation or order of the SEC, whether of special or of general application, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.

 

  19. CONFIDENTIALITY

Each party shall treat as confidential all Confidential Information (as that term is defined below) of the other and use such information only in furtherance of the purposes of this Agreement. Each party shall limit access to the Confidential Information to its affiliates, employees, consultants, auditors and regulators who reasonably require access to such Confidential Information, and otherwise maintain policies and procedures designed to prevent disclosure of the Confidential Information. For purposes of this Agreement, Confidential Information shall include all non-public business and financial information, methods, plans, techniques, processes, documents and trade secrets of a party. Confidential Information shall not include anything that (i) is or lawfully becomes in the public domain, other than as a result of a breach of an obligation hereunder, (ii) is furnished to the applicable party by a third party having a lawful right to do so, or (iii) was known to the applicable party at the time of the disclosure.

In accordance with Regulation S-P, if non-public personal information regarding any party’s customers or consumers is disclosed to the other party in connection with this Agreement, the other party receiving such information will not disclose or use that information other than as necessary to carry out the purposes of this Agreement.

 

7


  20. USE OF NAME

During the term of this Agreement, Manager shall have permission to use Sub-Adviser’s name in the offering and marketing of any Fund, and agree to furnish Sub-Adviser, for its prior approval (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld), all prospectuses, brochures, advertisements, promotional materials, web-based information, proxy statements, shareholder reports and other similar informational materials that are to be made available to shareholders of a Fund or to the public and that refer to Sub-Adviser in any way. Sub-Adviser agrees that Manager may request that Sub-Adviser approve use of a certain type of marketing material, and that Manager need not provide for approval each additional piece of marketing material that is substantially the same type.

 

  21. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Sub-Adviser is hereby expressly put on notice of the limitation of shareholder liability as set forth in the Trust’s Declaration of Trust and agrees that obligations, if any, assumed by the Trust pursuant to this Agreement shall be limited in all cases to the Trust and its assets, and if the liability relates to one or more series, the obligations hereunder shall be limited to the respective assets of the Fund. Sub-Adviser further agrees that it shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the shareholders or any individual shareholder of the Fund(s), nor from the Trustees or any individual Trustee. The assets of a Fund shall be available only to satisfy the liabilities and obligations of that Fund, and not the liabilities or obligations of any other Fund. All obligations of the Funds under this agreement are several and not joint, and are included together in this Agreement solely for the sake of convenience.

Sub-Adviser shall not be liable for, and Manager will not take any action against Sub-Adviser or hold Sub-Adviser liable for, any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Funds (including, without limitation, by reason of the purchase, sale or retention of any security) in connection with the performance of Sub-Adviser’s duties under this Agreement, except for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of Sub-Adviser in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.

 

  22. AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS

Subject to any other written instructions of Manager or the Trust, Sub-Adviser is hereby appointed agent and attorney-in-fact for the limited purposes of executing on behalf of each Fund specified on Schedule A hereto: account documentation, transaction term sheets and confirmations, certifications regarding the Fund’s status as an accredited investor, qualified institutional buyer or qualified purchaser and certifications regarding other factual matters as may be requested by brokers, dealers or counter parties in connection with its management of the Fund’s assets. However, nothing in this section shall be construed as imposing a duty on Sub-Adviser to act in its capacity as attorney-in-fact for a Fund. Any person dealing with Sub-Adviser in its capacity as attorney-in-fact hereunder for a Fund is hereby expressly put on notice that Sub-Adviser is acting solely in the capacity as an agent of the Fund and that any such person must look solely to the Fund for enforcement of any claim against Fund, as Sub-Adviser assumes no personal liability to such person whatsoever for obligations of the Fund entered into by Sub-Adviser in its capacity as attorney-in-fact for the Fund.

 

8


  23. COUNTERPARTS

This Agreement may be executed in counterparts each of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which, taken together, shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.

* * *

( Signatures on next page. )

 

9


IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized officers as of the date first mentioned above.

 

HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Neil J. Hennessy

  Neil J. Hennessy
  President and Chief Executive Officer
SPARX ASSET MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
By:  

/s/ Shuhei Abe

  Shuhei Abe
  President

Signature Page to Sub-Advisory Agreement


SCHEDULE A

(as of February 28, 2014)

 

Name of Fund

   Sub-Advisory Fee per Annum
(as a % of average daily net  assets)
 

Hennessy Japan Fund

     0.35

Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund

     0.20

 

Schedule A

Exhibit 10.3

AMENDED AND RESTATED SERVICING AGREEMENT

THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED SERVICING AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made as of February 28, 2014 by and between Hennessy Funds Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “ Trust ”), on behalf of each of its investment series set forth on Schedule A hereto as it may be amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to each as a “ Fund ” and together as the “ Funds ”), and Hennessy Advisors, Inc., a California corporation (“ HNNA ”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS , the Trust is engaged in business as a diversified open-end management investment company and HNNA serves as investment adviser to the Funds pursuant to one or more investment advisory agreements with the Trust (the “ Advisory Agreements ”);

WHEREAS , the Trust and HNNA previously entered into a Servicing Agreement, dated as of July 1, 2005, pursuant to which the Trust retained HNNA to perform services to certain of the Funds that are in addition to the services that HNNA performs for such Funds pursuant to the Advisory Agreements (the “ Original Agreement ”); and

WHEREAS , in connection with a reorganization effective as of February 28, 2014 that resulted in the creation of new investment series of the Trust, the Trust and HNNA desire to amend and restate the Original Agreement as set forth herein.

AGREEMENT

NOW , THEREFORE , in consideration of the premises and covenants hereinafter contained, the Trust on behalf of the Funds and HNNA do mutually promise and agree as follows:

1. Duties of HNNA . The Trust hereby employs HNNA to provide “Administrative Support Services” to the Funds. “Administrative Support Services” shall include: (a) maintaining an “800” number that current shareholders may call to ask questions about the Funds or their accounts with the Funds; (b) assisting shareholders in processing exchange and redemption requests; (c) assisting shareholders in changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; (d) responding generally to questions of shareholders; and (e) providing such other similar services as the Trust shall request. “Administrative Support Services” shall not include services HNNA is required to perform under the Advisory Agreements, including investment advisory services.

2. Expenses . HNNA assumes the responsibility, and shall pay, for maintaining the staff and personnel necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

3. Compensation of HNNA . For the services rendered by HNNA under this Agreement, each Fund shall pay to HNNA at the end of each calendar month a servicing fee based on the average daily net assets of such Fund for such month, as determined by valuations made as of the close of each business day during the month. The servicing fee payable by each Fund is set forth on Schedule A hereto. For any month in which this Agreement is not in effect for the entire month, such fee shall be reduced proportionately on the basis of the number of calendar days during which it is in effect and the fee computed upon the average daily net assets of the business days during which it is so in effect.

4. Duration and Termination . This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first above written and shall remain in force with respect to each Fund so long as its continuance is

 

1


specifically approved with respect to each Fund at least annually by a majority of those trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” (as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) of any such party (the “ Disinterested Trustees ”). This Agreement may be terminated by either party on sixty (60) days’ written notice to the other party.

5. Amendments . This Agreement may be amended by the mutual consent of the parties; provided, however, that in no event may it be amended without the approval of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees.

6. Obligations of the Trust . The name “Hennessy Funds Trust” and references to the trustees of Hennessy Funds Trust refer respectively to the Trust created and the trustees, as trustees but not individually or personally, acting from time to time under a Trust Instrument dated as of September 16, 1992, as amended, which is hereby referred to and a copy of which is on file with the Secretary of the State of Delaware. The obligations of Hennessy Funds Trust entered into in the name or on behalf thereof by any of the trustees, representatives or agents of the Trust are made not individually, but in such capacities, and are not binding upon any of the trustees, shareholders, or representatives of the Trust personally, but bind only the Trust property, and all persons dealing with any class of shares of the Trust must look solely to the Trust property belonging to such class for the enforcement of any claims against the Trust.

(Signature page follows.)

 

2


IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed on the day first above written.

 

HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Neil J. Hennessy

  Neil J. Hennessy
  President and Chief Executive Officer
HENNESSY FUNDS TRUST
By:  

/s/ Neil J. Hennessy

  Neil J. Hennessy
  President

Signature Page to Amended and Restated Servicing Agreement


SCHEDULE A

(as of February 28, 2014)

 

Name of Fund

   Servicing Fee per Annum
(as a % of average daily net assets)
 

Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund

     0.10

Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund

     0.10

Hennessy Cornerstone Large Growth Fund

     0.10

Hennessy Cornerstone Value Fund

     0.10

Hennessy Large Value Fund

     0.10

Hennessy Total Return Fund

     0.10

Hennessy Balanced Fund

     0.10

Hennessy Japan Fund

     0.10

Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund

     0.10

 

Schedule A

Exhibit 31.1

Rule 13a – 14a Certification of the Chief Executive Officer

I, Neil J. Hennessy, certify that:

 

  1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Hennessy Advisors, Inc.;

 

  2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

  3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

  4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

  a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

  b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

  c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

  d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and


  5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

  a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

  b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: August 6, 2014            

 

        /s/ Neil J. Hennessy

Neil J. Hennessy, Chief Executive Officer and President

Hennessy Advisors, Inc.

Exhibit 31.2

Rule 13a – 14a Certification of the Chief Financial Officer

I, Teresa M. Nilsen, certify that:

 

  1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Hennessy Advisors, Inc.;

 

  2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

  3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

  4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

  a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

  b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

  c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

  d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and


  5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

  a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

  b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: August 6, 2014            

 

        /s/ Teresa M. Nilsen

Teresa M. Nilsen, Chief Financial Officer

Hennessy Advisors, Inc.

Exhibit 32.1

Written Statement of the Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350

Solely for the purposes of complying with 18 U.S.C. §1350, I, the undersigned Chief Executive Officer of Hennessy Advisors, Inc. (the “Company”), hereby certify, based on my knowledge, that the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Company for the quarter ended June 30, 2014 (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: August 6, 2014            

 

        /s/ Neil J. Hennessy

Neil J. Hennessy, Chief Executive Officer and President

Hennessy Advisors, Inc.

Exhibit 32.2

Written Statement of the Chief Financial Officer

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350

Solely for the purposes of complying with 18 U.S.C. §1350, I, the undersigned Chief Financial Officer of Hennessy Advisors, Inc. (the “Company”), hereby certify, based on my knowledge, that the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Company for the quarter ended June 30, 2014 (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: August 6, 2014                

 

        /s/ Teresa M. Nilsen

Teresa M. Nilsen, Chief Financial Officer

Hennessy Advisors, Inc.