UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-CSR

 

 

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number 811-06400

 

 

The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

 

SEI Investments

One Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, PA 19456

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

 

 

SEI Investments

One Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, PA 19456

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (877) 446-3863

Date of fiscal year end: October 31, 2020

Date of reporting period: October 31, 2020

 

 

 


Item 1.

Reports to Stockholders.

A copy of the report transmitted to stockholders pursuant to Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act or 1940, as amended (the “Act”) (17 CFR § 270.30e-1), is attached hereto.

 


The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund

 

LOGO

Westwood LargeCap Value

Westwood Total Return

Westwood SMidCap

Westwood SmallCap

Westwood Income Opportunity

Westwood High Income

Westwood Alternative Income

 

  Annual Report    October 31, 2020

 

 

Beginning on March 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Fund’s shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports from the Fund or from your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports will be made available on a website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

 

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically by contacting your financial intermediary.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can follow the instructions included with this disclosure, if applicable, or you can contact your financial intermediary to inform it that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Fund, you can inform the Fund that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports by calling 1-877-FUND-WHG (1-877-386-3944). Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held with your financial intermediary if you invest through a financial intermediary or all Westwood Funds if you invest directly with the Fund.

 

Investment Adviser:

Westwood Management Corp.


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Shareholder Letter

     1  

Schedules of Investments

  

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

     18  

Westwood Total Return Fund

     20  

Westwood SMidCap Fund

     24  

Westwood SmallCap Fund

     26  

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund

     28  

Westwood High Income Fund

     32  

Westwood Alternative Income Fund

     36  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     42  

Statements of Operations

     45  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     48  

Financial Highlights

     54  

Notes to Financial Statements

     57  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     71  

Disclosure of Fund Expenses

     72  

Liquidity Risk Management Program

     74  

Trustees and Officers of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund

     75  

Approval of Investment Advisory Agreement

     79  

Notice To Shareholders

     81  

The Funds file their complete schedules of investments with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its report on Form N-PORT (Form N-Q for filings prior to March 31, 2020). The Funds’ Forms N-Q and N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, and may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

A description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to fund securities, as well as information relating to how a Fund voted proxies relating to fund securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, is available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling 877-386-3944; and (ii) on the Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov.


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS (Unaudited)
      
      

 

 

 

October 31, 2020

Dear Shareholders,

Looking back, the past 12 months began so full of hope. The Standard and Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500) rallied through year-end, with new all-time highs set through February. Economic forecasts were centered around another year of low but solidly positive growth with inflation expected to be tame. The fireworks were supposed to start in the summer, heading into the presidential election which was already slated to be particularly contentious.

However, the spread of COVID-19 across the world during the early months of 2020 quickly sent markets sharply lower. Governments were forced to respond with lockdowns and quarantines to try and flatten the curve as health care systems, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, raced to secure needed ventilators and supplies. Reactions by global central banks were swift and sizable as the magnitude of the situation was grasped. By the time March ended, the Federal Reserve had cut interest rates twice to push rates to their theoretical floor of 0% to 0.25%. The U.S. Government had passed the largest stimulus bill in history — $2.2 trillion via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). In conjunction with the quantitative easing operations of the Federal Reserve, the amount of stimulus is unprecedented and represents north of 10% of annual U.S. GDP. The pandemic has taken a human toll that is incalculable, and the impact will be long-lasting and felt for some time to come. However, the markets recovered far faster than the economy on the back of the stimulus in helping to bridge the consumption gap for individuals and support businesses in their time of hardship.

During the summer, progress was made in the initial phases of reopening as states and cities began to relax some of the shelter-in-place orders. Businesses began to resume more normal operations, albeit with heightened safety protocols, and orders began to flow to replenish inventories that had been worked down and services began to see increased demand. This provided some improvement as well in indicators, including seeing unemployment fall by nearly half from the peak levels in the March-April time frame as well as the Institute of Supply Management pointing to a resumption of sequential growth. Rising COVID-19 caseloads would see these efforts face setbacks in specific locales and many school districts began a phased-in approach to reopening as the fall arrived. Recent spikes have again raised the specter of another coordinated lockdown to reduce the spread of the virus, though such plans have faced resistance given the economic toll taken earlier this year.

Looking forward, a “Groundhog Day-esque” outlook continues to appear appropriate. Volatility is likely to remain elevated as election results take time to resolve and the economic uncertainty persists. Macroeconomic data will continue to be choppy, with varied effects from the stimulus provided and reopening efforts offset by continued disruptions. Investors have continued to look through near-term economic weakness, with estimates for earnings for the S&P 500 Index now expected to recover to 2019 levels by the end of 2021. However, the path remains highly dependent and anything but certain. Election results look likely to be contested until the Electoral College vote in December; COVID-19 cases are rising again with colder weather limiting outdoor activities, where transmission was potentially lower; financial stress from the pandemic being delayed, not eliminated, as stimulus falls short of what companies, particularly small to medium-sized enterprises, need to survive. In aggregate, companies with stronger financial footing and balance sheets should be well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities created from these market conditions.

The Way Forward

The current market environment continues to produce dislocations with respect to valuation and increased levels of fundamental skepticism that play to our strength. As it has for over 30 years, our investment process continues to seek out mispriced opportunities where fundamental analysis can uncover value being missed in the current market environment while maintaining a strong culture of risk management with a focus on mitigating potential downside risks.

Thank you for your trust.

Sincerely,

The Investment Team

The Westwood Funds

 

1


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS (Unaudited)
      
      

 

 

 

The information contained herein represents the views of the manager at a specific point in time and is based on information believed to be reliable. No representation or warranty is made concerning the accuracy or completeness of any data compiled herein. Any statements non-factual in nature constitute only current opinion, which is subject to change. Any statements concerning financial market trends are based on current market conditions, which will fluctuate. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All information provided herein is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be, and should not be interpreted as, an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell or otherwise invest in any of the securities/sectors/ countries that may be mentioned. Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal.

Mutual fund investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. There can be no assurance that the Funds will achieve their stated objectives.

A discussion of each fund’s performance during the semiannual period ended October 31, 2020, is presented below.

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

The performance of the Westwood LargeCap Value Fund for the period ending October 31, 2020, was as follows:

 

    6 Months             

2020 Fiscal Year/Since

Inception**

   
                 

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund – Institutional Shares (WHGLX)

  5.45%       -6.11%    

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund – A Class Shares (WWLAX)*

  5.43%       -6.32%    

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund – C Class Shares (WWLCX)

  5.45%       16.03%    

Russell 1000 Value Index

  7.06%       -7.57%    

* Without sales charge

** Year to Date or Since Inception, whichever is shorter

WWLCX Inception Date: 3/31/2020

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses until Feb. 28, 2021 for WHGLX and WWLAX and until Feb. 28, 2022 for WWLCX. In the absence of current fee waivers, total return and yield would have been reduced.

Information Technology was the top contributor to relative performance on strong stock selection, while Energy saw both positive allocation and selection tailwinds help drive relative performance. Apple moved higher as they continued to see accelerating service revenues and the anticipation of the upcoming 5G iPhone launch serving as a catalyst to drive more consumers to upgrade their phones. Microsoft gained as their cloud offerings remain the best hybrid solution for many corporations, with adoption accelerating as businesses transform to support more employees working from home across multiple geographies. Activision Blizzard rallied as the pandemic added to rising demand for their video game franchises as consumers stuck at home looked for entertainment choices. Abbot Labs benefited from developing COVID-19 testing capabilities, helping support sales growth, with other areas within diagnostics and diabetes also boosting results. Home Depot gained as the strength in the housing market helped fuel demand from both the consumer and professional channels for products to renovate and improve homes as people looked to take advantage of sheltering in their dwelling.

Financials and Industrials were a headwind to relative performance from less favorable stock selection. Wells Fargo remained challenged as the deteriorating macroeconomic environment compounded their regulatory issues limiting their ability to navigate these challenges effectively. Boeing faced pressures as the company continued to work through the expenses related to correcting the issues with the 737-Max and orders for new planes slowed given the challenges their airline customers faced from the pandemic. STORE Capital saw the pandemic significantly impact their tenants and future rent collections, as many of them were forced to close as lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders were enacted to stop the virus spread. AT&T declined as investors became concerned regarding their leverage profile as their media business faced pressures from the closures of theaters for their movie releases and no professional sports impacted Turner. Capital One saw shares move lower as investors questioned their potential credit losses, given their heavier exposure to the lower-end consumer, amid the widespread carnage to the economy from COVID-19.

 

2


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS (Unaudited)
      
      

 

 

 

Westwood Total Return Fund

The performance of the Westwood Total Return Fund for the period ending October 31, 2020, was as follows:

 

    6 Months                  

2020 Fiscal Year/Since

Inception**

   
                  

Westwood Total Return Fund – Institutional Shares (WLVIX)

  15.01%        17.59%    

Westwood Total Return Fund – A Class Shares (WWTAX)*/**

  15.01%        24.30%    

Westwood Total Return Fund – C Class Shares (WTOCX)**

  15.01%        24.30%    

S&P 500 Index

  13.29%        12.07%    

Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index

  1.27%        3.92%    

Russell 1000 Index

  14.96%        12.06%    

Blended Benchmark***

  8.47%        8.96%    

*Without Sales Charge

** Fiscal Year or Since Inception, whichever is shorter

***60% S&P 500 Index/40% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index

WWTAX and WTOCX Inception Date: 3/31/2020

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses until Feb. 28, 2021 for WLVIX and until Feb. 28, 2022 for WWTAX and WTOCX. In the absence of current fee waivers, total return and yield would have been reduced.

The Westwood Total Return Fund was formerly known as Westwood Low Volatility Equity Fund. Prior to Nov. 1, 2019, the Fund employed different investment strategies. Therefore, the past statistics and performance shown for periods prior to Nov. 1, 2019 may have differed had the Fund’s current investment strategy been in effect.

Health Care boosted relative performance due to positive selection while an overweight in Information Technology was also additive. Apple moved higher as they continued to see accelerating service revenues and the anticipation of the upcoming 5G iPhone launch serving as a catalyst to drive more consumers to upgrade their phones. Tesla saw strong demand for their electric vehicles globally help support further expansion of their production facilities both domestically and abroad to support their current and planned new vehicles. PayPal benefited from the accelerating shift to ecommerce and payments over traditional channels as a result of the lockdown efforts and shelter-in-place orders around the world shifting consumer behaviors. TeleDoc gained as their digital health care offerings saw a strong uptick in demand as consumers shifted their preferences as a result of the pandemic to avoid leaving their house and particularly doctor’s offices where they may be exposed to other sick patients. Newmont Mining moved higher as rising gold prices helped lift cash generation as the company worked to mitigate COVID-19 challenges and reduce their expenses through their joint venture in Nevada.

Utilities and Financials weighed on relative performance as both allocation and selection were headwinds. Wells Fargo remained challenged as the deteriorating macroeconomic environment compounded their regulatory issues limiting their ability to navigate these challenges effectively. Other banks including Bank of America and JPMorgan faced similar pressures from the shifting macroeconomic landscape, as interest rates were cut globally by central bankers and credit costs moved to the forefront given the impact to consumers and businesses alike. Chevron faced pressures in terms of demand destruction as a result of the pandemic as well as excess supply globally that weighed on shares. Boeing faced pressures as the company continued to work through the expenses related to correcting the issues with the 737-Max and orders for new planes slowed given the challenges their airline customers faced from the pandemic.

 

3


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS (Unaudited)
      
      

 

 

 

Westwood SMidCap Fund

The performance of the Westwood SMidCap Fund for the period ending October 31, 2020, was as follows:

 

     6 Months               2020 Fiscal Year/Since
Inception**
   
                   

Westwood SMidCap Fund – Institutional Shares (WHGMX)

   13.25%        -5.39%    

Westwood SMidCap Fund – Ultra Shares (WWSMX)**

   N/A        4.55%    

Russell 2500 Value Index

   12.78%        -11.92%    

Russell 2500 Index

   19.11%        2.12%    

** Fiscal Year or Since Inception, whichever is shorter

WWSMX Inception Date: 7/31/2020

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses until Feb. 28, 2021 for WHGMX and until Feb. 28, 2022 for WWSMX.

Materials and Communication Services were the strongest contributors to relative performance driven by positive stock selection and modest allocation tailwinds. Monolithic Power saw demand remain strong for their specialized power management chips across a variety of end markets leading to higher cash generation and the need to expand capacity to meet demand. BJ’s Wholesale moved higher as they continued to see solid growth in both membership fee income as well as overall sales from consumers stocking up on groceries and other products. Papa John’s rose as consumers ordered more pizza for delivery during the lockdown phase of the pandemic and their digital offerings were a key differentiator versus smaller competitors. Perkin-Elmer benefitted as their new offerings for COVID-19 testing have helped offset growth headwinds from reduced demand for their other diagnostic products and helping deliver better than expected results. Ares Management gained as their credit-oriented investment business proved resilient with strong fundraising despite work-from-home challenges and continued realizations of their prior committed capital with an eye towards increasingly attractive new deployment opportunities.

Health Care and Information Technology were the largest detractors from relative performance due to unfavorable selection and allocation headwinds. Zion Bancorp faced challenges, as did other regional banks including Washington Federal, as the shifting economic landscape raised concerns regarding pressures on net interest margins as well as future credit losses from the impact of the pandemic on consumers and businesses alike. These pressures were felt across the industry, including by First Hawaiian who additional saw concerns rise regarding the impact from decreased tourism to the Hawaiian Islands as a result. Concerns over future forbearance and losses from their mortgage insurance portfolio sent shares of MGIC Investment lower despite being well capitalized and unlikely to need additional capital to weather these headwinds. Hudson Pacific faced challenges as their office and studio assets in the west coast markets have seen their tenants be slow to bring their employees back given concerns over COVID-19, though their recent efforts to shore up their balance sheet have been well-received.

Westwood SmallCap Fund

The performance of the Westwood SmallCap Fund for the period ending October 31, 2020, was as follows:

 

     6 Months              2020 Fiscal Year/Since
Inception**
   
                  

Westwood SmallCap Fund – Institutional Shares (WHGSX)

   9.55%       -13.90%    

Westwood SmallCap Fund –A Class Shares (WHGAX)*

   9.48%       -14.04%    

Westwood SmallCap Fund –C Class Shares (WHGCX)

   9.05%       -14.67%    

Westwood SmallCap Fund –Y Class Shares (WWSYX)**

   9.62%       23.46%    

Russell 2000 Value Index

   12.44%       -13.92%    

* Without Sales Charge

** Fiscal Year or Since Inception, whichever is shorter

WHGAX and WHGCX Inception Date: 9/3/2019

WWSYX Inception Date: 3/31/20

On Nov. 2, 2020, WWSYX is converting from a Y share class to an Ultra share class.

 

4


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS (Unaudited)
      
      

 

 

 

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses until Feb. 28, 2021 for WHGSX, WHGAX and WHGCX and until Feb. 28, 2022 for WWSYX. In the absence of current fee waivers, total return and yield would have been reduced.

Information Technology and Financials were the top contributors to relative performance on strong stock selection and an allocation benefit in Financials from being underweight. Lattice Semiconductor rose as the company converted strong demand for their semiconductor offerings across their end markets into strong cash generation, leading to a net cash position. BJ’s Wholesale moved higher as they continued to see solid growth in both membership fee income as well as overall sales from consumers stocking up on groceries and other products. Papa John’s rose as consumers ordered more pizza for delivery during the lockdown phase of the pandemic and their digital offerings were a key differentiator versus smaller competitors. Repay Holdings gained as their end markets, such as automobile loan payments, proved more resilient during the pandemic and overall volume growth outpaced expectations. Altra Industrial has seen their automation and specialty business rebound faster than anticipated, helping drive strong cash generation and help further reduce leverage.

Consumer Discretionary and Health Care were the top detractors to relative performance on less favorable selection, with some offset from positive allocation tailwinds. Children’s Place faced several challenges during the pandemic as the resulting lockdown materially impacted their retail operations. Great Western Bancorp went through a management change resulting in some near-term pressure from writing down goodwill and reducing the dividend as the new CEO aligned the business for the future and remains optimistic the worst may be past. Berkshire Hills Bancorp faced pressure on the expense front in both occupancy and technology and their strategy to optimize their asset mix was disrupted by the pandemic. Marcus Corporation declined as their two primary lines of business — movie theaters and hotels — were clearly impacted by COVID-19, depressing their results and raising questions regarding the future outlook for both segments. Knoll saw customers put their plans on hold regarding purchasing new office furniture, with some offset from the sharp increase in home offices being furnished, as many companies sent their employees home to help slow the spread of the coronavirus

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund

The performance of the Westwood Income Opportunity Fund for the period ending October 31, 2020, was as follows:

 

     6 Months           2020 Fiscal Year         
                     

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund – Institutional Shares (WHGIX)

   7.35%        4.59%        

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund – A Class Shares (WWIAX)*

   7.31%        4.34%        

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund – C Class Shares (WWICX)

   6.80%        3.52%        

Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index

   1.27%        6.19%        

S&P 500 Index

   13.29%        9.71%        

Blended Benchmark**

   6.06%        8.25%        

* Without Sales Charge

** 60% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index /40% S&P 500 Index

WWICX Inception Date: 9/3/2019

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses until Feb. 28, 2021. In the absence of current fee waivers, total return and yield would have been reduced.

Strong returns were seen across fixed income as interest rates declined sharply as a result of the pandemic, with prior strength persisting for equities as well. Barrick Gold saw shares lifted by higher gold prices, as their efforts to improve efficiency in their Nevada joint-venture should continue to help improve their margin profile. Apple moved higher as they continued to see accelerating service revenues and the anticipation of the upcoming 5G iPhone launch serving as a catalyst to drive more consumers to upgrade their phones. Zimmer Biomet gained despite the transitory impact to their sales from the postponement of elective procedures out of caution regarding COVID-19 as the reopening efforts have seen demand resume. Microsoft gained as their cloud offerings remain the best hybrid solution for many corporations, with adoption accelerating as businesses transform to support more employees working from home across multiple geographies. Amazon rallied as consumers flocked to their site in order to buy a variety of goods for delivery, avoiding leaving their house during the pandemic, as well as take advantage of their other services including Prime Video.

 

5


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS (Unaudited)
      
      

 

 

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) were negatively impacted by the pandemic as both occupancy and outlooks for most real estate verticals took a hit as did commodity prices which weighed on energy producers. Deteriorating macroeconomic conditions weighed on Bank of New York as investors questioned the impact of lower rates on their margins as well as rising credit costs flowing through their balance sheet. AT&T declined as investors became concerned regarding their leverage profile as their media business faced pressures from the closures of theaters for their movie releases and no professional sports impacted Turner. VEREIT saw the pandemic significantly impact their tenants and future rent collections, as many of them were forced to close as lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders were enacted to stop the virus spread. Broad industry concerns given the supply/demand dynamics in the energy markets and retrenchment in activity by their customers, energy producers, continued to weigh on Williams Companies despite their continued strong fundamental performance. Vornado Realty saw investor concerns rise given their concentration of office properties in the New York City area, with virus transmission and prolonged work from home as potential headwinds for those assets weighing on shares.

Westwood High Income Fund

The performance of the Westwood High Income Fund for the period ending October 31, 2020, was as follows:

 

    6 Months               2020 Fiscal Year/Since
Inception**
   
                  

Westwood High Income Fund – Institutional Shares (WHGHX)

  11.24%        7.14%    

Westwood High Income Fund – A Class Shares (WSDAX)*

  11.06%        7.01%    

Westwood High Income Fund – C Class Shares (WWHCX)**

  11.23%        18.51%    

S&P 500 Index

  13.29%        9.71%    

Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index

  1.27%        6.19%    

Blended Benchmark***

  3.66%        7.32%    

ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index

  11.08%        2.54%    

* Without sales charge

** Year to Date or Since Inception, whichever is shorter.

*** 80% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index /20% S&P 500 Index

WWHCX Inception Date: 3/31/2020

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses until Feb. 28, 2021 for WHGHX and WSDAX and until Feb. 28, 2022 for WWHCX.

The Westwood High Income Fund was formally known as Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund. Prior to Nov. 1, 2019, the Fund employed different investment strategies. Therefore, the past statistics and performance shown for periods prior to Nov. 1, 2019 may have differed had the fund’s current investment strategy been in effect.

Strong returns were seen across fixed income as interest rates declined sharply as a result of the pandemic, with prior strength persisting for equities as well. Nvidia has seen strength in both their data center offerings as well as their gaming products to support the ever-growing need for cloud infrastructure and entertainment for consumers stuck at home. Penn National Gaming faced pressures earlier this year but saw securities rise as optimism rose for online sports betting and their partnership with a leading online site. Amazon rallied as consumers flocked to their site in order to buy a variety of goods for delivery, avoiding leaving their house during the pandemic, as well as take advantage of their other services including Prime Video. Apple moved higher as they continued to see accelerating service revenues and the anticipation of the upcoming 5G iPhone launch serving as a catalyst to drive more consumers to upgrade their phones. The improving economic picture and potential for a vaccine in the coming year helped lift bonds of Disney, which were issued in the midst of the onset of the pandemic, given the impact to their theme park business from the shelter-in-place and reluctance of consumers to visit.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) were negatively impacted by the pandemic as both occupancy and outlooks for most real estate verticals took a hit as did commodity prices which weighed on energy producers. Western Asset Mortgage Capital securities were pressured given rising credit concerns over their exposure to key verticals including hospitality and retail. Broad industry concerns given the supply/demand dynamics in the energy markets

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS (Unaudited)
      
      

 

 

 

continued to weigh on Plains All American despite their continued strong fundamental performance across their three segments. Securities of Bausch Health declined due to pressures from the pandemic on their procedure-oriented segments as well as their pharmaceutical offerings which were seeing increased usage by doctors slowing on lower office visits. Deteriorating macroeconomic conditions weighed on Truist Financial as investors questioned the impact of lower rates on their margins as well as rising credit costs flowing through their balance sheet. AT&T declined as investors became concerned regarding their leverage profile as their media business faced pressures from the closures of theaters for their movie releases and no professional sports impacted Turner.

Westwood Alternative Income Fund

The performance of the Westwood Alternative Income Fund for the period ending October 31, 2020, was as follows:

 

    6 Months               2020 Fiscal Year/Since
Inception**
   
                  

Westwood Alternative Income Fund – Institutional Shares (WMNIX)

  5.61%        6.44%    

Westwood Alternative Income Fund – Ultra Shares (WMNUX)

  5.65%        6.54%    

Westwood Alternative Income Fund – A Class Shares (WMNAX)*/**

  5.51%        7.35%    

Westwood Alternative Income Fund – C Class Shares (WWACX)**

  5.37%        7.21%    

FTSE 1-Month Treasury Bill

  0.05%        0.71%    

* Without sales charge

** Year to Date or Since Inception, whichever is shorter.

WMNAX and WWACX Inception Date: 3/31/2020

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses until Feb. 28, 2021 for WMNIX and WMNUX and until Feb. 28, 2022 for WMNAX and WWACX.

Prior to Nov. 1, 2019, the Westwood Alternative Income Fund was formerly known as the Westwood Market Neutral Income Fund. As of Nov. 1, 2019, the Fund began following the Sensible FeesTM framework.

The Westwood Alternative Income Fund returned 6.44% in the year ending Oct. 31, 2020. This was a strong performance on both an absolute and relative basis against the market neutral category. Of this total return, a significant portion was in the form of income distribution over the period. For comparison, the broader Morningstar Market Neutral category averaged a return of -1.29%, while the Lipper Alternative Equity Market Neutral Funds index averaged a return of -1.29% over the same period.

The exceptional volatility experienced by the markets over the first six months of the period provided a backdrop for the strong performance earned during the back half of the year. Although the Westwood Alternative Income Fund benefits from sustained upticks in volatility, the recent exceptionally high levels of volatility have been difficult for the majority of competing investments. The Fund again demonstrated its ability to protect investor capital in the risk-off environment that existed in early 2020 and participated as the market returned to a semblance of normalcy, showing the low volatility, low equity beta and uncorrelated nature of the Fund.

Short duration yield convertibles contributed to this positive performance over the past year, especially in the back half of the year as credit spreads normalized from the wide levels seen in the depths of the crisis this spring. Many of these convertibles owned in the Fund matured during the past six months, and with strong credit fundamentals underpinning these selections, it was inevitable that these valuations would recover to the benefit of investors. The same trend of tightening and par accretion was also seen in short duration bonds which will mature in the next six to 12 months, as the market grows comfortable with the ability of these companies to satisfy their near-term obligations, regardless of market or economic conditions. We continue to maintain investing discipline in this Fund strategy, as tightening spreads lead to caution in the potential risk/reward balance in lower quality credits. That said, we continue to find yield opportunities within the broad global convertibles market.

The convertible arbitrage strategy was a strong contributor to performance over the full year. During the risk-off environment in March 2020 and subsequent bounce into April 2020, the conservative management of this portion of the Fund enables the portfolio to capitalize on this period of increased volatility across the global capital markets. Additionally, the tactical delta adjustments of the individual arbitrage positions resulted in opportunities for the Fund to benefit as the markets oscillated in both

 

7


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS (Unaudited)
      
      

 

 

 

directions over the course of the year. The severe dislocations that existed in the convertible markets early in the year allowed for further strong performance in the last several months, as valuations normalized, and convertibles continued to benefit from the elevated volatility of the underlying equities of securities. During this period of volatility, regardless of direction, convertible arbitrage allowed for the monetization of equity moves through gamma trading. This aspect of the global convertible bond market continued to bear fruit for the strategy.

Macro (tail) hedges were a slight drag on performance over the full year, though they were additive to performance during the volatile first half of the year. Part of this Fund is to own listed derivatives to remove residual risk in the portfolio and to be prepared for idiosyncratic risk that might appear in the markets. The emergence of a global pandemic in the early part of 2020 again demonstrated the added value of these tail hedges in the overall performance of this Fund. The exceptional level of volatility provided an opportunity to monetize most of the tail hedges that had appreciated significantly and re-establish new tail hedges at more attractive valuation levels. In the second half of the year, as volatility receded and markets grinded higher, tail hedges declined in value accordingly.

The global convertible market remains an excellent source of opportunity in the current environment despite a substantial bounce in the equity markets and a central bank aided a move higher in traditional fixed income markets. The convertible market has been helped by these moves higher, but not to the degree of those other markets, thus the Fund continues to see substantial opportunities in the two main strategies — short duration yield convertibles and convertible arbitrage. Additionally, the convertible market has seen significant new issuance over the past year, thus providing even further opportunities in the current environment.

In closing, we believe the potential benefits of adding or increasing exposure to alternative investments within the context of a diversified asset allocation strategy are numerous. These alternative investments, we believe, could provide true, uncorrelated absolute return potential against a variety of market backdrops. The Westwood Alternative Income Fund seeks to continue to provide that opportunity through a disciplined approach toward generating the potential alpha in any environment. In doing so, we believe the Fund offers an integral component of a larger asset allocation strategy targeting strong risk-adjusted returns throughout market cycles.

 

8


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS (Unaudited)
      
 

 

 

 

 

Definition of the Comparative Indices & Key Terms

Alpha is the measure of risk adjusted performance.

Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade, US dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market.

Beta is a measure of the volatility, or systematic risk, of a security or a portfolio in comparison to the market as a whole. Beta is used in the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), which calculates the expected return of an asset based on its beta and expected market returns.

Compound Annual Growth Rate is the rate of return that would be required for an investment to grow from its beginning balance to its ending balance, assuming the profits are reinvested at the end of each year of the investment’s lifespan.

Delta is the ratio comparing the change in the price of the underlying asset to the corresponding change in the price of a derivative.

FTSE 1-Month Treasury Bill Index is a market value-weighted index of public obligations of the U.S. Treasury bills with maturities of one month. The Index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

Gamma is the rate of change for delta with respect to the underlying asset’s price. Gamma is an important measure of the convexity of a derivative’s value, in relation to the underlying assets.

ICE BofA U.S. High Yield Index tracks the performance of US dollar denominated below investment grade rated corporate debt publicly issued in the US domestic market.

MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance of emerging markets. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index consists of the following 21 emerging market country indices: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey.

Russell 1000 Index measures the performance of the large-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. It is a subset of the Russell 3000 Index and includes approximately 1,000 of the largest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The Russell 1000 represents approximately 92% of the Russell 3000 Index. The Russell 1000 Index is constructed to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer for the large-cap segment and is completely reconstituted annually to ensure new and growing equities are reflected.

Russell 1000 Value Index measures the performance of the large-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower expected and historical growth rates.

Russell 2000 Index is an index measuring the performance approximately 2,000 small-cap companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which is made up of 3,000 of the biggest U.S. stocks. The Russell 2000 serves as a benchmark for small-cap stocks in the United States.

Russell 2000 Value Index is a broadly diversified index predominantly made up of value stocks of small U.S. companies.

Russell 2500 Index measures the performance of the 2,500 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which represents approximately 16% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 Index.

Russell 2500 Value Index measures the performance of the small to mid-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 2500 companies with lower price-to-book ratio and lower forecasted growth values

S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic stock market through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.

 

9


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD LARGECAP VALUE

FUND (Unaudited)

      
 

 

 

 

Growth of a $100,000 Investment

 

            

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN*

FOR YEAR/PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2020

   
               

        One Year        

Return

 

        Three Year        

Return

          Five Year         
Return
 

        Ten Year        

Return

 

            

 

Institutional Shares

     -6.11%   4.16%   7.06%   9.77%  
 

A Class Shares with sales charge

     -9.14%   2.84%   6.16%   9.18%  
 

A Class Shares without sales charge

     -6.32%   3.90%   6.81%   9.51%  
 

C Class Shares

     16.03%†   N/A   N/A   N/A  
 

Russell 1000 Value Index

     -7.57%   1.94%   5.82%   9.48%  

 

LOGO

 

*

Institutional Shares commenced operations on June 28, 2006. A Class Shares commenced operations on December 31, 2007. The Russell 1000 Value Index annualized inception to date is since June 28, 2006. C Class Shares commenced operations on March 31, 2020.

 

Represents cumulative inception to date return.

N/A      Not applicable.

The performance data quoted herein represents past performance and the return and value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that, when redeemed, may be worth less than its original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance and should not be considered as a representation of the future results of the Fund. There are no assurances that the Fund will meet its stated objectives. The Fund’s holdings and allocations are subject to change because it is actively managed and should not be considered recommendations to buy individual securities. The Fund’s performance assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and all capital gains. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike the Fund’s returns, do not reflect any fees or expenses. If such fees and expenses were included in the index returns, the performance would have been lower. Please note that one cannot invest directly in an unmanaged index.

The graph is based on Institutional Shares. Performance for A Class Shares would have been lower because it is subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 3.00% and additional annual distribution expenses of 0.25%.

Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. If the Adviser had not limited certain expenses, the Fund’s total return would have been lower.

See definition of comparative indices on page 9.

 

10


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD TOTAL RETURN FUND (Unaudited)
      
 

 

 

 

Growth of a $100,000 Investment

 

                

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN*

FOR YEAR/PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2020**

   
             

        One Year        

Return

 

        Three Year        

Return

 

        Five Year        

Return

 

        Ten Year        

Return

   
  

Institutional Shares

     17.59%   11.94%   10.29%   11.02%               
  

A Class Shares with sales charge

     20.59†   N/A   N/A   N/A  
  

A Class Shares without sales charge

     24.30†   N/A   N/A   N/A  
  

C Class Shares

     24.30†   N/A   N/A   N/A  
  

S&P 500 Index

     12.07%   10.42%   11.71%   13.01%  
  

Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index

     3.92%   5.06%   4.08%   3.55%  
  

60/40 Blended Benchmark Index***

     8.96%   8.67%   8.89%   N/A  
  

Russell 1000 Index

     12.06%   10.63%   11.79%   13.05%  

 

LOGO

 

*

Institutional Shares commenced operations on October 31, 2001. A Class Shares commenced operations on March 31, 2020. C Class Shares commenced operations on March 31, 2020. The S&P 500 Index and Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index annualized inception to date is since February 5, 2011.

 

**

Total return for periods prior to February 5, 2011 represent the performance of the McCarthy Multi-Cap Stock Fund (the “Predecessor Fund”), which reorganized into the Fund on February 5, 2011. The Predecessor Fund’s performance has not been adjusted to reflect the lower net expenses of the Fund. The Predecessor Fund’s past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

***

60% S&P 500 Index and 40% Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index.

 

Represents cumulative inception to date return.

N/A - Not applicable.

The performance data quoted herein represents past performance and the return and value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that, when redeemed, may be worth less than its original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance and should not be considered as a representation of the future results of the Fund. There are no assurances that the Fund will meet its stated objectives. The Fund’s holdings and allocations are subject to change because it is actively managed and should not be considered recommendations to buy individual securities. The Fund’s performance assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and all capital gains. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike the Fund’s returns, do not reflect any fees or expenses. If such fees and expenses were included in the index returns, the performance would have been lower. Please note that one cannot invest directly in an unmanaged index.

 

11


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD TOTAL RETURN

FUND (Unaudited)

      
 

 

 

 

The graph is based on Institutional Shares. Performance for A Class Shares would have been lower because it is subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 3.00% and additional annual distribution expenses of 0.25%.

Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. If the Adviser had not limited certain expenses, the Fund’s total return would have been lower.

See definition of comparative indices on page 9.

 

12


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD SMIDCAP FUND

(Unaudited)

      
 

 

 

 

Growth of a $100,000 Investment

 

         

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN*

FOR YEAR/PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2020

   
         

        One Year        

Return

 

        Three Year        

Return

 

        Five Year        

Return

          Ten Year Return       

            

  

Institutional Class

   -5.39%   1.06%   4.11%   7.59%  
  

Ultra Class

   4.55%†   N/A   N/A   N/A  
  

Russell 2500 Value Index

   -11.92%   -2.14%   3.91%   7.84%  
  

Russell 2500 Index

   2.12%   4.54%   8.18%   10.60%  

 

LOGO

 

*

Institutional Shares commenced operations on December 19, 2005. Ultra Class Shares commenced operations on July 31, 2020. The Russell 2500 Value Index annualized inception to date is since December 19, 2005.

 

Represents cumulative inception to date return.

N/A      Not applicable.

The performance data quoted herein represents past performance and the return and value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that, when redeemed, may be worth less than its original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance and should not be considered as a representation of the future results of the Fund. There are no assurances that the Fund will meet its stated objectives. The Fund’s holdings and allocations are subject to change because it is actively managed and should not be considered recommendations to buy individual securities. The Fund’s performance assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and all capital gains. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike the Fund’s returns, do not reflect any fees or expenses. If such fees and expenses were included in the index returns, the performance would have been lower. Please note that one cannot invest directly in an unmanaged index.

Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. If the Adviser had not limited certain expenses, the Fund’s total return would have been lower.

See definition of comparative indices on page 9.

 

13


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD SMALLCAP FUND
  (Unaudited)
 

 

 

 

Growth of a $100,000 Investment

 

        

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN*

FOR YEAR/PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2020

    
        

One Year

Return

  

Three Year

Return

  

Five Year

Return

    Ten Year Return       
 

Institutional Class

   -13.90%    -2.95%    4.76%    9.79%   
 

A Class Shares with sales charge

   -16.64    N/A    N/A    N/A                    
 

A Class Shares without sales charge

   -14.04    N/A    N/A    N/A   
 

C Class Shares

   -14.67    N/A    N/A    N/A   
 

Y Class Shares

   23.46†    N/A    N/A    N/A   
 

Russell 2000 Value Index

   -13.92%    -4.05%    3.71%    7.06%   

 

LOGO

 

*

Institutional Shares commenced operations on April 2, 2007. A Class Shares commenced operations on September 3, 2019. C Class Shares commenced operations on September 3, 2019, Y Class Shares commenced operations on March 31, 2020.

 

Represents cumulative inception to date return.

N/A - Not applicable.

The performance data quoted herein represents past performance and the return and value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that, when redeemed, may be worth less than its original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance and should not be considered as a representation of the future results of the Fund. There are no assurances that the Fund will meet its stated objectives. The Fund’s holdings and allocations are subject to change because it is actively managed and should not be considered recommendations to buy individual securities. The Fund’s performance assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and all capital gains. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike the Fund’s returns, do not reflect any fees or expenses. If such fees and expenses were included in the index returns, the performance would have been lower. Please note that one cannot invest directly in an unmanaged index.

The graph is based on Institutional Shares. Performance for A Class Shares would have been lower because it is subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 3.00% and additional annual distribution expenses of 0.25%.

Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. If the Adviser had not limited certain expenses, the Fund’s total return would have been lower.

See definition of comparative indices on page 9.

 

14


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD INCOME
  OPPORTUNITY FUND (Unaudited)
 

 

 

 

Growth of a $100,000 Investment

 

        

AVERAGE ANNAUL TOTAL RETURN*

FOR YEAR/PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2020

   
       
         One Year Return     Three Year Return     Five Year Return     Ten Year Return      
 

Institutional Shares

   4.59%   5.46%   5.88%   6.70%  
 

A Class Shares with sales charge

   1.21%   4.12%   4.99%   6.12%               
 

A Class Shares without sales charge

   4.34%   5.20%   5.63%   6.44%  
 

C Class Shares

   3.52%   N/A   N/A   N/A  
 

60/40 Blended Benchmark Index**

   8.25%   7.60%   7.36%   7.49%  
 

Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index

   6.19%   5.06%   4.08%   3.55%  
 

S&P 500 Index

   9.71%   10.42%   11.71%   13.01%  

 

LOGO

 

*

Institutional Shares commenced operations on December 19, 2005. A Class Shares commenced operations on December 31, 2007. C Class Shares commenced operations on September 3, 2019. The S&P 500 Index and Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index annualized inception to date is since December 19, 2005.

 

**

60% Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index and 40% S&P 500 Index.

N/A – Not applicable.

The performance data quoted herein represents past performance and the return and value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that, when redeemed, may be worth less than its original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance and should not be considered as a representation of the future results of the Fund. The Fund’s performance assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and all capital gains. There are no assurances that the Fund will meet its stated objectives. The Fund’s holdings and allocations are subject to change because it is actively managed and should not be considered recommendations to buy individual securities. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike the Fund’s returns, do not reflect any fees or expenses. If such fees and expenses were included in the index returns, the performance would have been lower. Please note that one cannot invest directly in an unmanaged index.

The graph is based on Institutional Shares. Performance for A Class Shares would have been lower because it is subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 3.00% and additional annual distribution expenses of 0.25%.

Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. If the Adviser had not limited certain expenses, the Fund’s total return would have been lower.

See definition of comparative indices on page 9.

 

15


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD HIGH INCOME FUND
  (Unaudited)
 

 

 

 

Growth of a $100,000 Investment

 

        

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN*

FOR YEAR/PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2020

    
        

One Year

Return

  

Three Year

Return

  

Five Year

Return

  

Annualized      

  Inception to Date*      

    
 

Institutional Shares

   7.14%    5.08%    5.05%    4.02%   
 

A Class Shares with sales charge

   3.77%    3.86%    4.21%    3.28%   
 

A Class Shares without sales charge

   7.01%    4.93%    4.86%    3.71%                    
 

C Class Shares

   18.51%†    N/A    N/A    N/A   
 

S&P 500 Index

   9.71%    10.42%    11.71%    13.80%   
 

Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index

   6.19%    5.06%    4.08%    3.35%   
 

80/20 Blended Benchmark Index**

   7.32%    6.39%    5.76%    5.52%   
 

ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index

   2.54%    3.86%    6.14%    6.32%   

 

LOGO

 

*

Institutional Shares commenced operations on December 28, 2011. A Class commenced operations June 28, 2013. C Class Shares commenced operations on March 31, 2020. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and S&P 500 Index annualized inception to date is since December 28, 2011.

 

**

80% Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index and 20% S&P 500 Index.

 

Represents cumulative inception to date return.

N/A - Not applicable.

The performance data quoted herein represents past performance and the return and value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that, when redeemed, may be worth less than its original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance and should not be considered as a representation of the future results of the Fund. There are no assurances that the Fund will meet its stated objectives. The Fund’s holdings and allocations are subject to change because it is actively managed and should not be considered recommendations to buy individual securities. The Fund’s performance assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and all capital gains. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike the Fund’s returns, do not reflect any fees or expenses. If such fees and expenses were included in the index returns, the performance would have been lower. Please note that one cannot invest directly in an unmanaged index.

Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. If the Adviser had not limited certain expenses, the Fund’s total return would have been lower.

The graph is based on Institutional Shares. Performance for A Class Shares would have been lower because it is subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 3.00% and additional annual distribution expenses of 0.25%.

See definition of comparative indices on page 9.

 

16


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD ALTERNATIVE
  INCOME FUND (Unaudited)
 

 

 

 

Growth of a $20,000,000 Investment

 

        

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN*

FOR YEAR/PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2020

   
         One Year Return         Three Year Return         Five Year Return        

Annualized      

Inception to Date*      

 

        

 

Institutional Shares

   6.44%   3.91%   3.50%   3.43%  
 

Ultra Shares

   6.54%   3.99%   3.60%   3.53%  
 

A Class Shares with sales charge

   4.15%†   N/A   N/A   N/A  
 

A Class Shares without sales charge

   7.35% †   N/A   N/A   N/A  
 

C Class Shares

   7.21%†   N/A   N/A   N/A  
 

FTSE 1-Month Treasury Bill Index

   0.71%   1.54%   1.09%   0.99%  

 

LOGO

 

*

Institutional Shares commenced operations on May 1, 2015. Ultra Shares commenced operations on May 1, 2015. A Class Shares and C Class Shares commenced operations on March 31, 2020. FTSE 1-Month Treasury Bill Index annualized inception to date is since May 1, 2015.

 

Represents cumulative inception to date return.

N/A Not applicable

The performance data quoted herein represents past performance and the return and value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that, when redeemed, may be worth less than its original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance and should not be considered as a representation of the future results of the Fund. There are no assurances that the Fund will meet its stated objectives. The Fund’s holdings and allocations are subject to change because it is actively managed and should not be considered recommendations to buy individual securities. The Fund’s performance assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and all capital gains. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike the Fund’s returns, do not reflect any fees or expenses. If such fees and expenses were included in the index returns, the performance would have been lower. Please note that one cannot invest directly in an unmanaged index.

The graph is based on Ultra Shares. Performance for Institutional Shares would vary due to differences in fee structures. Performance for A Class Shares would have been lower because it is subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 3.00% and additional annual distribution expenses of 0.25%.

Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. If the Adviser had not limited certain expenses, the Fund’s total return would have been lower.

See definition of comparative indices on page 9.

 

17


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD LARGECAP VALUE

  FUND
 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

  Sector Weightings (Unaudited)†

 

LOGO

† Percentages are based on total investments.

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

COMMON STOCK — 97.5%

 
           Shares                  Value        

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 11.1%

 

  

Activision Blizzard

     42,786      $ 3,240,184   

Alphabet, Cl A *

     2,368        3,826,949  

Liberty Broadband, Cl C *

     37,641        5,334,106  

T-Mobile US *

     31,944        3,500,104  

Walt Disney *

     28,578        3,465,082  
     

 

 

 

        19,366,425  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 4.5%

 

  

Home Depot

     14,620        3,899,300  

McDonald’s

     18,574        3,956,262  
     

 

 

 

        7,855,562  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES — 11.5%

     

Church & Dwight

     37,172        3,285,633  

Colgate-Palmolive

     59,066        4,659,717  

Hormel Foods

     72,357        3,523,062  

PepsiCo

     30,892        4,117,595  

Walmart

     32,468        4,504,935  
     

 

 

 

        20,090,942  
     

 

 

 

ENERGY — 2.0%

     

ConocoPhillips

     62,607        1,791,813  

EOG Resources

     49,055        1,679,643  
     

 

 

 

        3,471,456  
     

 

 

 

FINANCIALS — 12.1%

     

American International Group

     116,947        3,682,661  

Assurant

     28,695        3,568,797  

Bank of America

     146,596        3,474,325  

Charles Schwab

     97,091        3,991,411  

JPMorgan Chase

     65,778        6,448,875  
     

 

 

 

        21,166,069  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 15.9%

     

Abbott Laboratories

     50,627        5,321,404  

Becton Dickinson

     18,094        4,182,066  

CVS Health

     92,037        5,162,355  

Johnson & Johnson

     37,380        5,125,172  

Medtronic PLC

     42,791        4,303,491  

COMMON STOCK — continued

     
           Shares                    Value        

HEALTH CARE — continued

     

UnitedHealth Group

     11,777      $ 3,593,634   
     

 

 

 

        27,688,122  
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS — 13.1%

     

Eaton PLC

     39,622        4,112,367  

Equifax

     22,054        3,012,576  

Fortive

     53,003        3,264,985  

Honeywell International

     21,767        3,590,467  

L3Harris Technologies

     19,023        3,064,796  

Union Pacific

     23,643        4,189,303  

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies

     27,528        1,632,410  
     

 

 

 

        22,866,904  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 16.2%

 

  

Apple

     29,236        3,182,631  

CACI International, Cl A *

     16,209        3,380,063  

Cisco Systems

     112,651        4,044,171  

Micron Technology *

     54,537        2,745,393  

Microsoft

     16,572        3,355,333  

Motorola Solutions

     22,365        3,535,012  

Texas Instruments

     32,239        4,661,437  

Visa, Cl A

     18,406        3,344,554  
     

 

 

 

        28,248,594  
     

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE — 4.6%

     

Prologis ‡

     37,521        3,722,083  

Public Storage ‡

     19,085        4,371,801  
     

 

 

 

        8,093,884  
     

 

 

 

UTILITIES — 6.5%

     

DTE Energy

     28,690        3,540,920  

Nextera Energy

     52,448        3,839,718  

WEC Energy Group

     39,548        3,976,551  
     

 

 

 

        11,357,189  
     

 

 

 

Total Common Stock

     

(Cost $131,475,420)

        170,205,147  
     

 

 

 

     

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENT — 1.3%

 

  

SEI Daily Income Trust, Government Fund, Cl F, 0.010% (A)
(Cost $2,206,057)

     2,206,057        2,206,057  
     

 

 

 

Total Investments — 98.8%

     

(Cost $133,681,477)

      $     172,411,204  
     

 

 

 

Percentages are based on Net Assets of $174,492,107.

 

*

Non-income producing security.

 

Real Estate Investment Trust

 

(A)

The rate reported is the 7-day effective yield as of October 31, 2020.

Cl — Class

PLC— Public Limited Company

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

18


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD LARGECAP VALUE

  FUND
 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

As of October 31, 2020, all of the Fund’s investments were considered Level 1, in accordance with the authoritative guidance on fair value measurements and disclosure under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

For the year ended October 31, 2020, there were no transfers in or out of Level 3.

For more information on valuation inputs, see Note 2 in Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

19


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD TOTAL RETURN

  FUND
 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

  Sector Weightings (Unaudited)†

 

LOGO

† Percentages are based on total investments.

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS          
COMMON STOCK — 42.9%          
           Shares                  Value        

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 4.5%

 

Alphabet, Cl A *

     1,441      $ 2,328,815   

Walt Disney

     12,918        1,566,307  
     

 

 

 

        3,895,122  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 5.2%

 

Amazon.com *

     479        1,454,316  

Home Depot

     3,179        847,871  

Lennar, Cl A

     13,015        914,043  

McDonald’s

     5,798        1,234,974  
     

 

 

 

        4,451,204  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES — 3.2%

 

Colgate-Palmolive

     14,323        1,129,941  

McCormick

     4,149        748,936  

PepsiCo

     6,634        884,246  
     

 

 

 

        2,763,123  
     

 

 

 

FINANCIALS — 4.0%

 

Bank of America

     57,860        1,371,282  

Chubb

     5,018        651,888  

JPMorgan Chase

     10,123        992,459  

Wells Fargo

     21,433        459,738  
     

 

 

 

        3,475,367  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 2.8%

 

Gilead Sciences

     17,003        988,724  

Johnson & Johnson

     4,061        556,804  

Medtronic PLC

     8,665        871,439  
     

 

 

 

        2,416,967  
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS — 1.0%

 

Honeywell International

     5,220        861,039  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 12.3%

 

Amphenol, Cl A

     6,077        685,729  

Apple

     31,160        3,392,078  

First Solar *

     19,390        1,687,803  

Microsoft

     9,262        1,875,277  

COMMON STOCK — continued

     
           Shares                  Value        

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — continued

 

  

Motorola Solutions

     3,567      $ 563,800   

PayPal Holdings *

     12,647        2,353,986  
     

 

 

 

        10,558,673  
     

 

 

 

MATERIALS — 3.9%

     

Newmont

     31,484        1,978,455  

Sherwin-Williams

     2,022        1,391,096  
     

 

 

 

        3,369,551  
     

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE — 2.6%

     

Alexandria Real Estate Equities ‡

     6,946        1,052,458  

Public Storage ‡

     5,195        1,190,019  
     

 

 

 

        2,242,477  
     

 

 

 

UTILITIES — 3.4%

     

CMS Energy

     10,471        663,128  

NextEra Energy Partners

     20,808        1,306,742  

WEC Energy Group

     9,289        934,009  
     

 

 

 

        2,903,879  
     

 

 

 

Total Common Stock

 

(Cost $31,253,543)

        36,937,402  
     

 

 

 

     
CONVERTIBLE BONDS —28.2%  
       Face Amount       

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 4.5%

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods

     

3.250%, 04/15/25 (A)

   $ 850,000        1,519,906  

National Vision Holdings

     

2.500%, 05/15/25 (A)

     775,000        1,138,952  

Nice

     

0.000%, 09/15/25 (A) (B)

     1,200,000        1,221,824  
     

 

 

 

        3,880,682  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 4.4%

 

CONMED

     

2.625%, 02/01/24

     700,000        796,783  

Exact Sciences

     

0.375%, 03/15/27

     1,000,000        1,312,500  

Teladoc Health

     

1.250%, 06/01/27 (A)

     1,450,000        1,688,195  
     

 

 

 

        3,797,478  
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS — 0.8%

 

Southwest Airlines

     

1.250%, 05/01/25

     520,000        699,400  
     
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 15.3%

 

Akamai Technologies

     

0.125%, 05/01/25

     1,200,000        1,401,750  
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

20


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD TOTAL RETURN

  FUND
 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

CONVERTIBLE BONDS — continued

 

         Face Amount                Value        

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — continued

 

Atlassian

     

0.625%, 05/01/23

     $ 325,000      $ 763,197   

Cloudflare

     

0.750%, 05/15/25 (A)

     395,000        622,980  

Coupa Software

     

0.375%, 06/15/26 (A)

     725,000        841,504  

Datadog

     

0.125%, 06/15/25 (A)

     700,000        874,720  

FireEye

     

1.625%, 06/01/35

     2,000,000        1,950,158  

J2 Global

     

1.750%, 11/01/26 (A)

     1,022,000        914,163  

Medallia

     

0.125%, 09/15/25 (A)

     870,000        894,080  

MongoDB

     

0.250%, 01/15/26 (A)

     1,000,000        1,298,378  

SolarEdge Technologies

     

0.000%, 09/15/25 (A) (B)

     900,000        1,105,650  

Splunk

     

1.125%, 06/15/27 (A)

     1,100,000        1,210,708  

Workday

     

0.250%, 10/01/22

     875,000        1,315,447  
     

 

 

 

        13,192,735  
     

 

 

 

MATERIALS — 3.2%

     

Livent

     

4.125%, 07/15/25 (A)

     960,000        1,392,600  

SSR Mining

     

2.500%, 04/01/39

     1,000,000        1,313,125  
     

 

 

 

        2,705,725  
     

 

 

 

Total Convertible Bonds

     

(Cost $20,770,050)

        24,276,020  
     

 

 

 

     

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS —18.7%

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 3.2%

 

Darden Restaurants

     

4.550%, 02/15/48

     690,000        701,265  

Ford Motor

     

9.000%, 04/22/25

     1,000,000        1,178,395  

Ford Motor Credit

     

5.125%, 06/16/25

     185,000        192,823  

4.271%, 01/09/27

     485,000        484,394  

Marriott International

     

4.625%, 06/15/30

     167,000        178,200  
     

 

 

 

        2,735,077  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES — 0.1%

 

PepsiCo

     

2.750%, 03/19/30

     67,000        74,501  
     
     

 

 

 

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS — continued

 

         Face Amount                Value        

FINANCIALS — 7.7%

     

Aircastle

     

5.250%, 08/11/25 (A)

     $ 510,000      $ 506,107   

Apollo Management Holdings

     

2.650%, 06/05/30 (A)

     446,000        442,333  

Ares Capital

     

3.875%, 01/15/26

     1,625,000        1,665,523  

Bank of America MTN

     

4.271%, VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3 Month+1.310%, 07/23/29

     470,000        551,876  

Bank of New York Mellon MTN

     

1.600%, 04/24/25

     1,000,000        1,034,960  

HSBC Holdings

     

2.099%, VAR United States Secured Overnight Financing Rate+1.929%, 06/04/26

     208,000        212,419  

KKR Group Finance VI

     

3.750%, 07/01/29 (A)

     345,000        392,799  

Northern Trust

     

3.150%, 05/03/29

     800,000        902,693  

Truist Financial MTN

     

2.500%, 08/01/24

     400,000        426,230  

USAA Capital

     

2.125%, 05/01/30 (A)

     500,000        520,700  
     

 

 

 

        6,655,640  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 2.7%

 

Bristol-Myers Squibb

     

3.200%, 06/15/26

     800,000        895,508  

CVS Health

     

2.125%, 06/01/21

     1,000,000        1,008,663  

Royalty Pharma

     

3.550%, 09/02/50 (A)

     243,000        232,612  

Takeda Pharmaceutical

     

3.175%, 07/09/50

     216,000        219,376  
     

 

 

 

        2,356,159  
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS — 1.6%

 

AP Moller - Maersk

     

4.500%, 06/20/29 (A)

     600,000        675,908  

Delta Air Lines

     

7.375%, 01/15/26

     195,000        201,825  

Southwest Airlines

     

5.250%, 05/04/25

     422,000        468,012  
     

 

 

 

        1,345,745  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 0.8%

 

Oracle

     

2.500%, 04/01/25

     600,000        641,828  
     
     

 

 

 

MATERIALS — 1.0%

 

Cabot

     

4.000%, 07/01/29

     395,000        416,394  
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

21


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD TOTAL RETURN
  FUND
 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS — continued  
       Face Amount                Value          

MATERIALS — continued

 

FMC

     

4.500%, 10/01/49

     $ 366,000      $ 441,310  
     

 

 

 
        857,704  
     

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE — 1.6%

 

Iron Mountain

     

5.000%, 07/15/28 (A)

     730,000        745,206   

Service Properties Trust

     

5.000%, 08/15/22

     516,000        509,550  

Simon Property Group

     

3.800%, 07/15/50

     148,000        145,831  
     

 

 

 
        1,400,587  
     

 

 

 

Total Corporate Obligations

 

  

(Cost $15,279,122)

        16,067,241  
     

 

 

 
     
U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS —4.3%  
     

U.S. Treasury Bond

     

1.250%, 05/15/50

     900,000        817,593  
     

 

 

 

U.S. Treasury Notes

     

1.750%, 07/31/24

     455,000        480,096  

0.500%, 03/31/25

     1,200,000        1,209,047  

0.250%, 04/15/23

     1,200,000        1,202,297  
     

 

 

 
        2,891,440  
     

 

 

 

Total U.S. Treasury Obligations

 

  

(Cost $3,721,913)

        3,709,033  
     

 

 

 
     
PREFERRED STOCK — 4.1%  
     Shares         

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 0.4%

 

2020 Cash Mandatory Exchangeable Trust, 5.250% (A)

     350        364,560  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 0.9%

     

Boston Scientific, 5.500%

     7,310        757,170  
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS — 0.7%

     

Stanley Black & Decker, 10.000% *

     505        604,990  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 1.0%

 

Broadcom, 8.000% *

     712        847,273  
     

 

 

 

UTILITIES — 1.1%

 

American Electric Power, 6.125%

     17,500        936,950  
     

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stock

     

(Cost $3,312,646)

        3,510,943  
     

 

 

 
U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY MORTGAGE-BACKED
OBLIGATIONS —1.9%
 
       Face Amount                Value          

FHLMC

     

3.000%, 04/01/50

     $ 1,524,225      $ 1,591,471  
     

 

 

 

Total U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed Obligations

     

(Cost $1,610,439)

        1,591,471  
     

 

 

 
     
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENT — 0.4%  
           Shares               

SEI Daily Income Trust, Government Fund, Cl F, 0.010% (C)
(Cost $376,427)

     376,427        376,427  
     

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.5%

     

(Cost $76,324,140)

      $ 86,468,537  
     

 

 

 

Percentages are based upon Net Assets of $86,040,351.

 

*

Non-income producing security.

Real Estate Investment Trust.

(A)

Securities sold within the terms of a private placement memorandum, exempt from registration under section 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and maybe sold only to dealers in that program or other “accredited investors”. The total value of these securities at October 31, 2020 was $18,603,885 and represents 21.6% of Net Assets.

(B)

Zero coupon security. The rate reported is the effective yield at the time of purchase.

(C)

The rate reported is the 7-day effective yield as of October 31, 2020.

Cl — Class

FHLMC — Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation

ICE — Intercontinental Exchange

LIBOR — London Interbank Offered Rate

MTN — Medium Term Note

PLC — Public Limited Company

USD — U.S. Dollar

VAR — Variable Rate

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of October 31, 2020 when valuing the Fund’s investments:

 

Investments in
    Securities

  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total

Common Stock

  $ 36,937,402     $     $     $ 36,937,402  

Convertible Bonds

          24,276,020             24,276,020  

Corporate Obligations

          16,067,241             16,067,241  

U.S. Treasury Obligations

          3,709,033             3,709,033  

Preferred Stock

    3,510,943                   3,510,943  

U.S. Government Agency Mortgage- Backed Obligation

          1,591,471             1,591,471  

Short-Term Investment

    376,427                   376,427  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

  $     40,824,772     $   45,643,765     $             —     $   86,468,537  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

22


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD TOTAL RETURN
  FUND
 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

For the year ended October 31, 2020, there were no transfers in or out of Level 3.

For more information on valuation inputs, see Note 2 in Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

23


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD SMIDCAP FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

  Sector Weightings (Unaudited)†

 

 

LOGO

† Percentages are based on total investments.

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

COMMON STOCK — 96.6%

 
           Shares                  Value        

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 0.7%

 

Cable One

     681        $ 1,179,397  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 8.8%

 

1-800-Flowers.com, Cl A *

     61,380        1,217,165  

Bloomin’ Brands *

     170,627        2,385,365  

Carter’s *

     36,689        2,988,319  

Columbia Sportswear *

     21,500        1,603,685  

Papa John’s International

     22,490        1,722,734  

Sonic Automotive, Cl A

     83,985        3,028,499  

Williams-Sonoma

     19,445        1,773,579  
     

 

 

 

        14,719,346  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES — 4.9%

 

J & J Snack Foods

     25,296        3,429,379  

Lamb Weston Holdings

     24,700        1,567,215   

Nomad Foods *

     132,710        3,218,217  
     

 

 

 

        8,214,811  
     

 

 

 

ENERGY — 1.3%

     

Parsley Energy, Cl A

     217,168        2,173,852  
     

 

 

 

FINANCIALS — 24.0%

     

Ares Management, Cl A

     83,170        3,518,091  

Argo Group International Holdings

     27,850        993,688  

Assurant

     31,290        3,891,537  

BOK Financial

     70,262        4,127,190  

Everest Re Group

     16,850        3,320,798  

First Hawaiian

     251,906        4,347,898  

Houlihan Lokey, Cl A

     54,199        3,398,277  

MGIC Investment

     266,580        2,681,795  

Moelis, Cl A

     67,119        2,496,827  

South State

     61,553        3,779,354  

TCF Financial

     120,920        3,290,233  

White Mountains Insurance Group

     4,579        4,159,243  
     

 

 

 

        40,004,931  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 7.4%

     

Envista Holdings *

     62,661        1,655,503  

Hill-Rom Holdings

     17,203        1,566,677  
COMMON STOCK — continued          
           Shares                  Value        

HEALTH CARE — continued

     

Integra LifeSciences Holdings *

     5,900      $ 260,190  

Merit Medical Systems *

     85,674        4,287,984  

PerkinElmer

     21,023        2,723,530  

STERIS PLC

     9,935        1,760,383  
     

 

 

 

        12,254,267  
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS — 15.3%

     

BMC Stock Holdings *

     43,455        1,720,384  

Curtiss-Wright

     35,030        2,955,131  

Hubbell, Cl B

     23,560        3,428,216  

Huntington Ingalls Industries

     13,494        1,990,095  

IAA *

     60,146        3,403,662  

KAR Auction Services *

     214,457        3,122,494  

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings, Cl A

     45,949        1,745,602  

MSC Industrial Direct, Cl A

     52,032        3,624,549  

Pentair PLC

     36,092        1,795,938  

Woodward

     20,410        1,623,615  
     

 

 

 

        25,409,686  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 8.1%

 

Amdocs

     39,185        2,209,250  

CACI International, Cl A *

     14,099        2,940,065  

Genpact

     44,716        1,536,889  

Monolithic Power Systems

     4,549        1,453,860  

Sabre *

     187,437        1,222,089  

Science Applications International

     20,710        1,581,623  

Viavi Solutions *

     208,425        2,574,049  
     

 

 

 

        13,517,825  
     

 

 

 

MATERIALS — 8.7%

     

Albemarle

     37,508        3,496,121  

Eagle Materials *

     28,920        2,465,430  

Huntsman

     142,245        3,455,131  

RPM International

     22,075        1,869,090  

Westrock

     85,035        3,193,064  
     

 

 

 

        14,478,836  
     

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE — 10.2%

     

Alexander & Baldwin *‡

     48,943        628,917  

Americold Realty Trust ‡

     97,285        3,524,636  

Life Storage ‡

     40,826        4,660,288  

Physicians Realty Trust ‡

     222,178        3,745,921  

STAG Industrial ‡

     141,134        4,392,090  
     

 

 

 

        16,951,852  
     

 

 

 

UTILITIES — 7.2%

     

Alliant Energy

     86,465        4,779,785  

Avista

     74,353        2,470,007  

IDACORP

     52,995        4,649,252  
     

 

 

 

        11,899,044  
     

 

 

 

Total Common Stock

     

(Cost $140,032,700)

        160,803,847  
     

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

24


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD SMIDCAP FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENT — 2.5%  
           Shares                  Value        

SEI Daily Income Trust, Government Fund, Cl F, 0.010% (A)
(Cost $4,121,727)

     4,121,727      $ 4,121,727  
     

 

 

 

Total Investments — 99.1%

     

(Cost $144,154,427)

      $ 164,925,574   
     

 

 

 

Percentages are based upon Net Assets of $166,421,734.

 

*

Non-income producing security.

Real Estate Investment Trust

(A)

The rate reported is the 7-day effective yield as of October 31, 2020.

Cl — Class

PLC — Public Limited Company

As of October 31, 2020, all of the Fund’s investments were considered Level 1, in accordance with the authoritative guidance on fair value measurements and disclosure under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

For the year ended October 31, 2020, there were no transfers in or out of Level 3.

For more information on valuation inputs, see Note 2 in Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

25


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD SMALLCAP FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

 

  Sector Weightings (Unaudited)†

 

LOGO

† Percentages are based on total investments.

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS  
COMMON STOCK — 98.5%  
             Shares            Value

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 12.6%

 

  

1-800-Flowers.com, Cl A *

     319,352      $ 6,332,750  

Bloomin’ Brands *

     706,720        9,879,946  

Callaway Golf *

     512,066        7,931,902  

Century Communities *

     254,075        9,868,273  

Monro

     241,305        10,149,288  

Oxford Industries

     235,807        9,708,174  

Papa John’s International

     135,144        10,352,030  
     

 

 

 

        64,222,363      
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES — 6.1%

     

Central Garden & Pet, Cl A *

     291,770        10,325,740  

Hostess Brands, Cl A *

     834,937        10,553,604  

J & J Snack Foods

     74,024        10,035,434  
     

 

 

 

        30,914,778  
     

 

 

 

ENERGY — 1.1%

     

PDC Energy *

     474,921        5,661,058  
     

 

 

 

FINANCIALS — 23.4%

     

Argo Group International Holdings

     280,290        10,000,747  

Columbia Banking System

     186,922        5,310,454  

Great Western Bancorp

     728,820        9,467,372  

Hilltop Holdings

     512,855        11,698,223  

International Bancshares

     184,286        5,101,036  

James River Group Holdings

     220,698        10,313,217  

Mercury General

     120,391        4,901,118  

Moelis, Cl A

     268,519        9,988,907  

Piper Sandler

     126,582        10,563,268  

Provident Financial Services

     381,977        5,183,428  

Renasant

     378,285        10,784,905  

Sandy Spring Bancorp

     399,408        10,124,993  

Trustmark

     243,217        5,688,846  

Washington Federal

     481,347        10,247,878  
     

 

 

 

            119,374,392  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 6.9%

     

CONMED

     128,343        10,006,904  

Magellan Health *

     140,343        10,142,589  

Merit Medical Systems *

     195,492        9,784,374  

Patterson

     210,986        5,248,277  
     

 

 

 

        35,182,144  
     

 

 

 

COMMON STOCK — continued

 

  
     Shares    Value

INDUSTRIALS — 16.5%

     

Alamo Group

     43,832      $ 5,274,305  

Altra Industrial Motion

     259,227        11,084,546  

Columbus McKinnon

     143,243        4,854,505  

Comfort Systems USA

     228,736        10,476,109  

Federal Signal

     363,747        10,432,264  

Kaman

     213,433        8,464,753  

Knoll

     735,845        8,432,784  

Moog, Cl A

     159,904        9,976,410  

UFP Industries

     208,587        10,410,577  

UniFirst

     31,134        5,100,060  
     

 

 

 

        84,506,313      
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 9.3%

 

Amkor Technology

     943,822        11,184,291  

Lattice Semiconductor *

     309,379        10,797,327  

Novanta *

     47,875        5,204,970  

Repay Holdings, Cl A *

     444,658        10,018,145  

Viavi Solutions *

     842,331        10,402,788  
     

 

 

 

        47,607,521  
     

 

 

 

MATERIALS — 5.1%

     

Avient

     324,035        10,067,768  

Innospec

     100,316        6,634,900  

Stepan

     81,521        9,492,305  
     

 

 

 

        26,194,973  
     

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE — 9.3%

     

Columbia Property Trust ‡

     620,033        6,559,949  

Easterly Government Properties ‡

     484,223        10,120,261  

National Storage Affiliates Trust ‡

     301,618        10,221,834  

PotlatchDeltic ‡

     247,590        10,287,364  

Summit Hotel Properties *‡

     928,248        4,901,149  

Terreno Realty ‡

     96,195        5,413,855  
     

 

 

 

        47,504,412  
     

 

 

 

UTILITIES — 8.2%

     

Avista

     308,050        10,233,421  

NorthWestern

     208,358        10,861,703  

PNM Resources

     211,019        10,550,950  

South Jersey Industries

     525,653        10,129,333  
     

 

 

 

        41,775,407  
     

 

 

 

Total Common Stock

     

(Cost $486,281,680)

     502,943,361  
     

 

 

 

  

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENT — 3.0%

 

  
  

SEI Daily Income Trust, Government
Fund, Cl F, 0.010% (A)
(Cost $15,555,522)

     15,555,522        15,555,522  
     

 

 

 

Total Investments — 101.5%
(Cost $501,837,202)

      $     518,498,883  
     

 

 

 

Percentages are based upon Net Assets of $510,871,413.

 

*

Non-income producing security.

Real Estate Investment Trust.

(A)

The rate reported is the 7-day effective yield as of October 31, 2020.

Cl — Class

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

26


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD SMALLCAP FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

As of October 31, 2020, all of the Fund’s investments were considered Level 1, in accordance with the authoritative guidance on fair value measurements and disclosure under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

For the year ended October 31, 2020, there were no transfers in or out of Level 3.

For more information on valuation inputs, see Note 2 in Notes to Financial Statements.

        

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

27


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD INCOME

 

OPPORTUNITY FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

 

  Sector Weightings (Unaudited)†

 

LOGO

† Percentages are based on total investments.

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS       
COMMON STOCK — 40.6%          
             Shares            Value

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 2.3%

 

Alphabet, Cl C *

     5,616      $ 9,103,592  

Electronic Arts *

     60,195        7,213,167  
     

 

 

 

        16,316,759      
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 8.9%

 

Alibaba Group Holding ADR *

     21,887        6,668,750  

Amazon.com *

     4,458        13,535,157  

Home Depot

     43,925        11,715,237  

Lennar, Cl A

     167,686        11,776,588  

McDonald’s

     35,919        7,650,747  

Toll Brothers

     283,663        11,993,271  
     

 

 

 

        63,339,750  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES — 2.6%

 

Colgate-Palmolive

     117,578        9,275,728  

PepsiCo

     72,424        9,653,395  
     

 

 

 

        18,929,123  
     

 

 

 

ENERGY — 1.8%

 

Baker Hughes, Cl A

     540,519        7,983,466  

Energy Transfer

     556,331        2,865,105  

Enterprise Products Partners LP (A)

     100,436        1,664,224  
     

 

 

 

        12,512,795  
     

 

 

 

FINANCIALS — 3.7%

 

Bank of America

     217,996        5,166,505  

Charles Schwab

     191,424        7,869,441  

JPMorgan Chase

     64,071        6,281,521  

Zions Bancorp

     222,370        7,175,880  
     

 

 

 

            26,493,347  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 4.8%

 

Becton Dickinson

     30,043        6,943,839  

Gilead Sciences

     116,705        6,786,396  

Medtronic PLC

     92,905        9,343,456  

Zimmer Biomet Holdings

     82,823        10,940,918  
     

 

 

 

        34,014,609  
     

 

 

 

COMMON STOCK — continued

     
     Shares    Value

INDUSTRIALS — 3.0%

     

Honeywell International

     53,559      $ 8,834,557  

Norfolk Southern

     27,299        5,708,767  

Republic Services, Cl A

     76,760        6,767,929  
     

 

 

 

        21,311,253  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 6.4%

 

Apple

     153,242        16,681,924  

Microchip Technology

     74,922        7,872,804  

Microsoft

     69,459        14,063,364  

Visa, Cl A

     40,712        7,397,777  
     

 

 

 

        46,015,869  
     

 

 

 

MATERIALS — 4.3%

     

Albemarle

     62,897        5,862,629  

Barrick Gold

     649,973        17,373,778  

Freeport-McMoRan *

     449,781        7,799,203  
     

 

 

 

        31,035,610  
     

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE — 2.8%

     

Alexandria Real Estate Equities‡

     32,059        4,857,580  

Physicians Realty Trust ‡

     417,096        7,032,238  

Public Storage ‡

     37,018        8,479,713  
     

 

 

 

        20,369,531  
     

 

 

 

Total Common Stock
(Cost $236,330,040)

            290,338,646      
     

 

 

 

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS —28.3%

 

       Face Amount       

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 1.8%

 

Activision Blizzard

     

2.500%, 09/15/50

     $ 371,000        334,205  

AT&T

     

3.300%, 02/01/52

     6,015,000        5,509,002  

Vodafone Group

     

4.875%, 06/19/49

     5,775,000        7,146,808  
     

 

 

 

        12,990,015  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 6.4%

 

Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide

     

5.550%, 01/23/49

     5,025,000        6,776,418  

Carnival

     

11.500%, 04/01/23 (B)

     235,000        258,110  

Dollar General

     

3.500%, 04/03/30

     6,542,000        7,425,119  

Ford Motor

     

8.500%, 04/21/23

     425,000        469,094  

Ford Motor Credit

     

4.271%, 01/09/27

     10,215,000        10,202,231  

Genuine Parts

     

1.875%, 11/01/30

     400,000        391,627  

Home Depot

     

2.950%, 06/15/29

     7,844,000        8,823,243  
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

28


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD INCOME

 

OPPORTUNITY FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS — continued

 

       Face Amount      Value

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — continued

 

Marriott International

     

4.625%, 06/15/30

     $ 1,623,000      $ 1,731,851  

Ross Stores

     

4.600%, 04/15/25

     6,245,000        7,210,377  

Tractor Supply

     

1.750%, 11/01/30

     785,000        771,596  

Whirlpool

     

4.600%, 05/15/50

     1,211,000        1,499,504  
     

 

 

 

        45,559,170      
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES — 0.4%

 

Smithfield Foods

     

3.000%, 10/15/30 (B)

     2,873,000        2,927,099  
     

 

 

 

ENERGY — 1.1%

     

BP Capital Markets America

     

3.543%, 04/06/27

     4,269,000        4,737,580  

Gray Oak Pipeline

     

3.450%, 10/15/27 (B)

     431,000        436,998  

MPLX

     

2.650%, 08/15/30

     747,000        718,882  

Schlumberger Finance Canada

     

1.400%, 09/17/25

     1,027,000        1,040,676  

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line

     

3.250%, 05/15/30 (B)

     915,000        979,543  
     

 

 

 

        7,913,679  
     

 

 

 

FINANCIALS — 5.5%

     

Aircastle

     

5.250%, 08/11/25 (B)

     4,320,000        4,287,019  

Ally Financial

     

1.450%, 10/02/23

     392,000        395,334  

Apollo Management Holdings

     

2.650%, 06/05/30 (B)

     4,140,000        4,105,964  

Bank of America MTN

     

2.456%, VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3
Month+0.870%, 10/22/25

     5,391,000        5,693,713  

Berkshire Hathaway Finance

     

2.850%, 10/15/50

     1,956,000        1,992,637  

Capital One Financial

     

2.600%, 05/11/23

     1,260,000        1,320,366  

HSBC Holdings

     

2.099%, VAR United States Secured Overnight Financing Rate+1.929%, 06/04/26

     1,999,000        2,041,475  

National Securities Clearing

     

1.200%, 04/23/23 (B)

     4,638,000        4,726,414  

Nomura Holdings

     

2.679%, 07/16/30

     250,000        255,409  

Truist Financial MTN

     

2.500%, 08/01/24

     13,500,000            14,385,265  
     

 

 

 

        39,203,596  
     

 

 

 

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS — continued

 

       Face Amount      Value

HEALTH CARE — 2.8%

 

Amgen

     

3.150%, 02/21/40

     $ 8,608,000      $ 9,052,787  

Bristol-Myers Squibb

     

3.200%, 06/15/26

     5,776,000        6,465,570  

Gilead Sciences

     

1.650%, 10/01/30

     759,000        748,009  

Royalty Pharma

     

3.550%, 09/02/50 (B)

     1,965,000        1,881,000  

Takeda Pharmaceutical

     

3.175%, 07/09/50

     1,883,000        1,912,427  
     

 

 

 

        20,059,793  
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS — 3.5%

 

AerCap Ireland Capital DAC

     

6.500%, 07/15/25

     1,184,000        1,304,473  

Delta Air Lines

     

7.375%, 01/15/26

     1,035,000        1,071,225  

Flowserve

     

3.500%, 10/01/30

     1,916,000        1,908,623  

GE Capital Funding

     

3.450%, 05/15/25 (B)

     6,863,000        7,336,303  

Southwest Airlines

     

5.250%, 05/04/25

     3,617,000        4,011,371  

Waste Management

     

4.150%, 07/15/49

     7,117,000        9,011,909  
     

 

 

 

            24,643,904  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 5.9%

 

Citrix Systems

     

3.300%, 03/01/30

     16,800,000        17,731,752  

Dell International

     

8.350%, 07/15/46 (B)

     8,165,000        11,146,720  

International Business Machines

     

3.500%, 05/15/29

     7,331,000        8,380,842  

Microchip Technology

     

2.670%, 09/01/23 (B)

     1,299,000        1,347,940  

VMware

     

4.700%, 05/15/30

     2,988,000        3,526,537  
     

 

 

 

        42,133,791  
     

 

 

 

MATERIALS — 0.6%

     

FMC

     

4.500%, 10/01/49

     3,832,000        4,620,491      
     

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE — 0.3%

     

Realty Income

     

3.250%, 01/15/31

     205,000        224,240  
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

29


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD INCOME

OPPORTUNITY FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS — continued  
       Face Amount              Value        

REAL ESTATE — continued

 

Simon Property Group

     

3.800%, 07/15/50

     $ 1,892,000      $ 1,864,269  
     

 

 

 

        2,088,509   
     

 

 

 

Total Corporate Obligations

     

(Cost $188,127,300)

        202,140,047  
     

 

 

 

    

     
PREFERRED STOCK — 13.6%  
     Shares     

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 2.7%

 

2020 Cash Mandatory Exchangeable

     

Trust, 5.250% (B)

     13,510        14,072,016  

2020 Mandatory Exchangeable Trust,

     

6.500% * (B)

     3,465        5,048,505  
     

 

 

 

        19,120,521  
     

 

 

 

FINANCIALS — 6.2%

     

Charles Schwab, 5.375% , VAR US Treas Yield Curve Rate T Note Const Mat 5 Yr+4.971%

     826,000        903,892  

Citigroup, 5.900% , VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3 Month+4.230%

     4,910,000        5,086,809  

Goldman Sachs Group, 4.165% , VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3 Month+3.922%

     6,923,000        6,819,155  

KKR, 6.000%

     88,625        4,612,045  

Morgan Stanley, 3.847% , VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3 Month+3.610%

     5,472,000        5,266,595  

Truist Financial, 5.050% , VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3 Month+3.102%

     5,627,000        5,512,209  

US Bancorp, 5.125% , VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3 Month+3.486%

     3,357,000        3,336,019  

US Bancorp, Ser B, 3.500% , VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3 Month+0.600%

     314,947        7,161,895  

Wells Fargo, 5.850% , VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3 Month+3.090%

     220,371        5,705,405  
     

 

 

 

        44,404,024  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 1.0%

     

Boston Scientific, 5.500%

     70,475        7,299,801  
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS — 1.6%

     

Fortive, 5.000% *

     7,825        7,145,115  

Stanley Black & Decker, 10.000% *

     3,460        4,145,080  
     

 

 

 

        11,290,195  
     

 

 

 

UTILITIES — 2.1%

     

American Electric Power, 6.125%

     150,650        8,065,801  

Southern, 4.950%

     277,045        7,308,447  
     

 

 

 

        15,374,248  
     

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stock

     

(Cost $94,784,500)

        97,488,789  
     

 

 

 

     
U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS —9.1%  
     Face Amount     

U.S. Treasury Bond

     

1.375%, 08/15/50

     $ 14,375,000        13,490,039  
     

 

 

 

U.S. Treasury Inflation Indexed Bonds

     

0.875%, 01/15/29

     17,504,437        20,172,496  
U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS — continued  
       Face Amount              Value        

0.250%, 07/15/29

   $ 16,298,565      $ 18,032,834  

0.125%, 07/15/24

     12,643,092        13,294,755  
     

 

 

 

Total U.S. Treasury Obligations

     

(Cost $60,996,109)

        64,990,124  
     

 

 

 

     
CONVERTIBLE BONDS —4.9%  

HEALTH CARE — 1.6%

     

Exact Sciences

     

0.375%, 03/15/27

     6,695,000        8,787,187  

Teva Pharmaceutical Finance

     

0.250%, 02/01/26

     2,825,000        2,774,222  
     

 

 

 

        11,561,409   
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS — 0.6%

     

Southwest Airlines

     

1.250%, 05/01/25

     3,420,000        4,599,900  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 2.7%

 

Akamai Technologies

     

0.125%, 05/01/25

     5,884,000        6,873,247  

Medallia

     

0.125%, 09/15/25 (B)

     3,735,000        3,838,376  

SolarEdge Technologies

     

0.000%, 09/15/25 (B) (C)

     2,865,000        3,519,653  

Splunk

     

1.125%, 06/15/27 (B)

     4,480,000        4,930,885  
     

 

 

 

        19,162,161  
     

 

 

 

Total Convertible Bonds

     

(Cost $30,933,770)

        35,323,470  
     

 

 

 

     
U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY MORTGAGE-BACKED
OBLIGATIONS —2.2%
 

FHLMC

     

3.000%, 03/01/50

     4,090,374        4,270,306  

3.000%, 04/01/50

     6,317,067        6,595,762  

FNMA

     

3.500%, 07/01/49

     4,430,513        4,672,234  
     

 

 

 

Total U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed Obligations

     

(Cost $15,243,574)

        15,538,302  
     

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

30


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD INCOME

OPPORTUNITY FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS — 0.3%  
           Shares                  Value        

SEI Daily Income Trust, Government Fund, Cl F, 0.010% (D) (Cost $2,411,586)

     2,411,586      $ 2,411,586   
     

 

 

 

Total Investments — 99.0%

     

(Cost $628,826,879)

      $ 708,230,964  
     

 

 

 

Percentages are based upon Net Assets of $715,115,778.

 

*

Non-income producing security.

Real Estate Investment Trust.

(A)

Security is a Master Limited Partnership. At October 31, 2020, such securities amounted to $1,664,225, or 0.2% of the net assets of the Fund (See Note 2).

(B)

Securities sold within the terms of a private placement memorandum, exempt from registration under section 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and maybe sold only to dealers in that program or other “accredited investors”. The total value of these securities at October 31, 2020 was $70,842,545 and represents 9.9% of Net Assets.

(C)

Zero coupon security. The rate reported is the effective yield at the time of purchase.

(D)

The rate reported is the 7-day effective yield as of October 31, 2020.

ADR — American Depository Receipt

Cl — Class

FHLMC — Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation

ICE — Intercontinental Exchange

LIBOR — London Interbank Offered Rate

LP — Limited Partnership

MTN — Medium Term Note

PLC — Public Limited Company

Ser — Series

USD — U.S. Dollar

VAR — Variable Rate

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of October 31, 2020 when valuing the Fund’s investments:

 

Investments in
    Securities

   Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Common Stock

   $ 290,338,646      $      $      $ 290,338,646  

Corporate

           

Obligations

            202,140,047               202,140,047  

Preferred Stock

     97,488,789                      97,488,789  

U.S. Treasury

           

Obligations

            64,990,124               64,990,124  

Convertible Bonds

            35,323,470               35,323,470  

U.S. Government Agency Mortgage- Backed Obligations

            15,538,302               15,538,302  

Short-Term

           

Investment

     2,411,586                      2,411,586  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

   $ 390,239,021      $ 317,991,943      $      $ 708,230,964  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

For the year ended October 31, 2020, there were no transfers in or out of Level 3.

For more information on valuation inputs, see Note 2 in Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

31


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD HIGH INCOME FUND

  OCTOBER 31, 2020
 

 

 

Sector Weightings (Unaudited)†

 

LOGO

† Percentages are based on total investments.

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS —66.0%

 

 

  
       Face Amount                Value          

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 5.8%

 

  

CCO Holdings

     

5.000%, 02/01/28 (A)

     $ 1,260,000      $ 1,323,630   

CenturyLink

     

7.600%, 09/15/39

     625,000        703,125  

T-Mobile USA

     

2.550%, 02/15/31 (A)

     1,000,000        1,019,100  

Zayo Group Holdings

     

4.000%, 03/01/27 (A)

     1,215,000        1,192,517  
     

 

 

 

            4,238,372  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 13.1%

 

Caesars Entertainment

     

6.250%, 07/01/25 (A)

     1,100,000        1,126,805  

Darden Restaurants

     

4.550%, 02/15/48

     790,000        802,897  

Dollar General

     

3.500%, 04/03/30

     690,000        783,145  

Ford Motor Credit

     

5.125%, 06/16/25

     200,000        208,458  

4.271%, 01/09/27

     1,000,000        998,750  

G-III Apparel Group

     

7.875%, 08/15/25 (A)

         1,000,000        1,012,500  

Hyatt Hotels

     

5.750%, 04/23/30

     750,000        847,416  

Macy’s

     

8.375%, 06/15/25 (A)

     1,275,000        1,331,227  

MGM Resorts International

     

6.000%, 03/15/23

     330,000        342,375  

New Albertsons

     

7.750%, 06/15/26

     410,000        453,050  

Royal Caribbean Cruises

     

9.125%, 06/15/23 (A)

     950,000        989,187  

Wynn Las Vegas

     

4.250%, 05/30/23 (A)

     755,000        720,081  
     

 

 

 

        9,615,891  
     

 

 

 

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS — continued

 

  
       Face Amount                Value          

CONSUMER STAPLES — 3.8%

 

  

B&G Foods

     

5.250%, 09/15/27

     $ 630,000      $ 652,050   

Keurig Dr Pepper

     

3.200%, 05/01/30

     607,000        677,045  

Performance Food Group

     

5.500%, 06/01/24 (A)

     390,000        391,950  

Pilgrim’s Pride

     

5.750%, 03/15/25 (A)

     345,000        353,194  

Vector Group

     

6.125%, 02/01/25 (A)

     725,000        723,187  
     

 

 

 

        2,797,426  
     

 

 

 

ENERGY — 4.8%

     

Crestwood Midstream Partners

 

  

6.250%, 04/01/23

     200,000        193,861  

Equities

     

7.875%, 02/01/25

     1,350,000        1,501,875  

Occidental Petroleum

     

3.500%, 08/15/29

     1,175,000        847,716  

Plains All American Pipeline

     

3.800%, 09/15/30

     475,000        459,163  

Summit Midstream Holdings

     

5.750%, 04/15/25

     850,000        550,375  
     

 

 

 

            3,552,990  
     

 

 

 

FINANCIALS — 5.7%

     

Aircastle

     

5.250%, 08/11/25 (A)

     435,000        431,679  

Ally Financial

     

1.450%, 10/02/23

     42,000        42,357  

Apollo Management Holdings

     

2.650%, 06/05/30 (A)

     433,000        429,440  

Ares Capital

     

3.875%, 01/15/26

     2,125,000        2,177,992  

Bank of America MTN

     

4.271%, VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3 Month+1.310%, 07/23/29

     605,000        710,394  

HSBC Holdings

     

4.950%, 03/31/30

     300,000        365,142  
     

 

 

 

        4,157,004  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 8.4%

     

Amgen

     

3.150%, 02/21/40

     823,000        865,525  

2.450%, 02/21/30

     760,000        801,060  

CHS

     

6.625%, 02/15/25 (A)

     1,750,000        1,706,600  

Danaher

     

2.600%, 10/01/50

     1,145,000        1,138,623  

Emergent BioSolutions

     

3.875%, 08/15/28 (A)

     700,000        703,500  

Royalty Pharma

     

3.550%, 09/02/50 (A)

     760,000        727,512  
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

32


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD HIGH INCOME FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS — continued

 

       Face Amount                Value          

HEALTH CARE — continued

     

Takeda Pharmaceutical

     

3.175%, 07/09/50

     $ 243,000      $ 246,798  
     

 

 

 

        6,189,618  
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS — 3.0%

     

AerCap Ireland Capital DAC

     

6.500%, 07/15/25

     700,000        771,225  

Delta Air Lines

     

7.375%, 01/15/26

     340,000        351,900  

Southwest Airlines

     

5.250%, 05/04/25

     708,000        785,195  

Spirit Loyalty Cayman

     

8.000%, 09/20/25 (A)

     250,000        265,000  
     

 

 

 

        2,173,320  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 11.5%

 

Citrix Systems

     

3.300%, 03/01/30

     825,000        870,756  

CommScope

     

6.000%, 03/01/26 (A)

     1,190,000        1,234,625  

Dell

     

7.100%, 04/15/28

     640,000        810,800  

Dell International

     

8.350%, 07/15/46 (A)

     1,150,000        1,569,961  

Oracle

     

2.950%, 04/01/30

     1,425,000        1,568,796  

Sotheby’s

     

7.375%, 10/15/27 (A)

     1,225,000        1,249,500  

VMware

     

4.650%, 05/15/27

     957,000        1,109,316  
     

 

 

 

        8,413,754  
     

 

 

 

MATERIALS — 2.5%

     

Axalta Coating Systems

     

4.750%, 06/15/27 (A)

     700,000        733,250  

Cleveland-Cliffs

     

6.750%, 03/15/26 (A)

     700,000        735,000  

Kraton Polymers

     

7.000%, 04/15/25 (A)

     325,000        335,156  
     

 

 

 

        1,803,406  
     

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE — 5.9%

     

Brixmor Operating Partnership

     

4.050%, 07/01/30

     475,000        513,382  

GEO Group

     

5.125%, 04/01/23

     890,000        716,450  

Host Hotels & Resorts

     

3.500%, 09/15/30

     375,000        358,123  

Iron Mountain

     

5.000%, 07/15/28 (A)

     1,020,000        1,041,247  

iStar

     

5.500%, 02/15/26

     750,000        710,077  

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS — continued

 

       Face Amount                Value          

REAL ESTATE — continued

     

Service Properties Trust

     

7.500%, 09/15/25

     $ 750,000      $ 786,100  

Simon Property Group

     

3.800%, 07/15/50

     196,000        193,127  
     

 

 

 

        4,318,506  
     

 

 

 

UTILITIES — 1.5%

     

TerraForm Power Operating

     

4.750%, 01/15/30 (A)

     1,005,000        1,078,355  
     

 

 

 

Total Corporate Obligations

     

(Cost $47,289,233)

            48,338,642  
     

 

 

 

    

     

COMMON STOCK — 20.4%

     
     Shares     

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 3.4%

 

Activision Blizzard

     12,878        975,251  

Alphabet, Cl A *

     496        801,590  

AT&T

     27,034        730,459  
     

 

 

 

        2,507,300  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 3.4%

 

Amazon.com *

     356        1,080,869  

Lennar, Cl A

     11,460        804,836  

TJX

     11,480        583,184  
     

 

 

 

        2,468,889  
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES — 1.2%

     

Philip Morris International

     12,605        895,207  
     

 

 

 

ENERGY — 1.8%

     

Chevron

     4,295        298,502  

Energy Transfer

     51,350        264,453  

Enterprise Products Partners LP (B)

     9,988        165,501  

EOG Resources

     6,457        221,088  

Schlumberger

     23,568        352,106  
     

 

 

 

        1,301,650  
     

 

 

 

FINANCIALS — 2.7%

     

Moelis, Cl A

     19,855        738,606  

Truist Financial

     28,454        1,198,482  
     

 

 

 

        1,937,088  
     

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE — 0.6%

     

Gilead Sciences

     7,872        457,757  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 5.6%

 

Amkor Technology

     54,613        647,164  

Apple

     9,892        1,076,843  

Cisco Systems

     17,800        639,020  

Monolithic Power Systems

     2,750        878,900  
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

33


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD HIGH INCOME FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

COMMON STOCK — continued

     
       Shares                Value          

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — continued

 

NVIDIA

     1,641      $ 822,732  
     

 

 

 

        4,064,659  
     

 

 

 

MATERIALS — 1.7%

     

Albemarle

     3,777        352,054  

Barrick Gold

     34,452        920,902  
     

 

 

 

        1,272,956  
     

 

 

 

Total Common Stock

     

(Cost $13,988,828)

        14,905,506  
     

 

 

 

     

CONVERTIBLE BONDS —7.2%

     
     Face Amount     

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 0.6%

 

Cinemark Holdings

     

4.500%, 08/15/25 (A)

     $ 520,000        448,843   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 1.7%

 

Liberty Media

     

2.750%, 12/01/49 (A)

     955,000        951,180  

Penn National Gaming

     

2.750%, 05/15/26

     125,000        307,125  
     

 

 

 

        1,258,305  
     

 

 

 

ENERGY — 1.4%

     

SFL

     

5.750%, 10/15/21

     1,000,000        973,241  
     

 

 

 

FINANCIALS — 2.9%

     

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

5.375%, 10/15/23

     1,400,000        1,240,038  

Arbor Realty Trust

     

4.750%, 11/01/22 (A)

     950,000        894,187  
     

 

 

 

        2,134,225  
     

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 0.6%

 

Cree

     

1.750%, 05/01/26 (A)

     300,000        458,438  
     

 

 

 

Total Convertible Bonds (Cost $5,081,308)

        5,273,052  
     

 

 

 

U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS —3.7%

 

U.S. Treasury Bond

     

3.000%, 02/15/49

     715,000        945,699  
     

 

 

 

U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS — continued

 

       Face Amount                Value          

U.S. Treasury Notes

     

2.625%, 02/15/29

     $ 550,000      $ 633,231   

2.375%, 05/15/29

     540,000        612,035  

1.500%, 10/31/24

     500,000        524,023  
     

 

 

 

        1,769,289  
     

 

 

 

Total U.S. Treasury Obligations (Cost $2,486,897)

        2,714,988  
     

 

 

 

     
U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY MORTGAGE-BACKED
OBLIGATIONS —1.6%

 

FHLMC

     

3.500%, 08/01/49

     687,774        725,295  

FNMA

     

3.000%, 05/01/50

     463,451        484,336  
     

 

 

 

Total U.S. Government Agency
Mortgage-Backed Obligations
(Cost $1,197,275)

        1,209,631  
     

 

 

 

    

     

PREFERRED STOCK — 0.1%

     
     Shares     

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 0.1%

 

2020 Cash Mandatory Exchangeable

     

Trust, 5.250% (A)

     105        109,368  
     

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stock

     

(Cost $105,000)

        109,368  
     

 

 

 

     

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENT — 0.1%

 

SEI Daily Income Trust, Government
Fund, Cl F, 0.010% (C)
(Cost $48,088)

     48,088        48,088  
     

 

 

 

Total Investments — 99.1%

     

(Cost $70,196,629)

      $ 72,599,275  
     

 

 

 

Percentages are based upon Net Assets of $73,233,784.

 

*

Non-income producing security.

(A)

Securities sold within the terms of a private placement memorandum, exempt from registration under section 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and maybe sold only to dealers in that program or other “accredited investors”. The total value of these securities at October 31, 2020 was $25,286,219 and represents 34.5% of Net Assets.

(B)

Security is a Master Limited Partnership. At October 31, 2020, such securities amounted to $165,501, or 0.2% of the net assets of the Fund (See Note 2).

(C)

The rate reported is the 7-day effective yield as of October 31, 2020.

Cl – Class

DAC — Designated Activity Company

FHLMC — Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation

FNMA — Federal National Mortgage Association

ICE – Intercontinental Exchange

LIBOR – London Interbank Offered Rate

MTN— Medium Term Note

USD — U.S. Dollar

VAR—Variable Rate

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

34


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD HIGH INCOME FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of October 31, 2020 when valuing the Fund’s investments:

 

      Investments in      
Securities

   Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total

Corporate Obligations

   $      $ 48,338,642      $      $ 48,338,642   

Common Stock

     14,905,506                      14,905,506  

Convertible Bonds

            5,273,052               5,273,052  

U.S. Treasury Obligations

            2,714,988               2,714,988  

U.S. Government Agency Mortgage- Backed Obligations

            1,209,631               1,209,631  

Preferred Stock

     109,368                      109,368  

Short-Term Investment

     48,088                      48,088  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

   $ 15,062,962      $ 57,536,313      $      $ 72,599,275  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

For the year ended October 31, 2020, there were no transfers in or out of Level 3.

For more information on valuation inputs, see Note 2 in Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

35


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD ALTERNATIVE
  INCOME FUND
 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

  Sector Weightings (Unaudited)†  
     Long   Short   Net

Convertible Bonds

     86.2     0.0     86.2

Short-Term Investments

     7.9     0.0     7.9

Health Care

     2.4     0.0     2.4

Information Technology

     1.5       0.0       1.5  
      

 

 

 

Total Investments

         98.0  
      

 

 

 

Other Assets and Liabilities, Net

         2.0  
      

 

 

 

         100.0
      

 

 

 

† Percentages are based on total investments. Purchased options are excluded.

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS      
CONVERTIBLE BONDS —79.7%      
       Face Amount              Value         

AUSTRIA — 0.8%

    

ams

    

0.875%, 09/28/22

     $ 1,000,000      $ 920,390  
    

 

 

 

BELGIUM — 0.3%

    

Bekaert

    

4.615%, 06/09/21 (A)

   EUR 300,000       345,166  
    

 

 

 

CANADA — 2.3%

    

Canadian Solar

    

2.500%, 10/01/25 (B)

     $ 800,000       963,676  

Canopy Growth

    

4.250%, 07/15/23 (B)

   CAD 2,250,000       1,524,150  
    

 

 

 

       2,487,826  
    

 

 

 

CHINA — 18.7%

    

Angang Steel

    

6.699%, 05/25/23 (A)

   HKD 15,000,000       1,937,924  

Bilibili

    

1.250%, 06/15/27 (B)

     $ 2,000,000       2,553,345  

CRRC

    

3.118%, 02/05/21 (A)

     1,500,000       1,482,750  

Harvest International

    

1.117%, 11/21/22 (A)

   HKD     16,000,000       2,267,157  

Huazhu Group

    

3.000%, 05/01/26 (B)

     $ 1,785,000       2,056,127  

JOYY

    

1.375%, 06/15/26

     1,600,000       1,838,600  

Lenovo Group

    

3.375%, 01/24/24

     1,400,000       1,523,909  

Luye Pharma Group

    

1.500%, 07/09/24

     1,000,000       977,421  

Poseidon Finance 1

    

0.542%, 02/01/25 (A)

     2,000,000       1,922,500  

Shanghai Port Group BVI Holding

    

0.427%, 08/09/21 (A)

     1,600,000       1,595,328  

Smart Insight International

    

4.500%, 12/05/23

   HKD 4,000,000       592,954  

Weibo

    

1.250%, 11/15/22

     $ 1,800,000       1,739,250  
    

 

 

 

       20,487,265  
    

 

 

 

GERMANY — 0.3%

    

AURELIUS Equity Opportunities & KGaA

    

1.000%, 12/01/20

   EUR 300,000       344,153  
    

 

 

 

CONVERTIBLE BONDS — continued  
       Face Amount              Value        

HONG KONG — 0.5%

    

Link 2019

    

1.600%, 04/03/24

   HKD 4,000,000     $ 511,752  
    

 

 

 

ISRAEL — 2.2%

    

Teva Pharmaceutical Finance

    

0.250%, 02/01/26

     $ 2,400,000        2,356,861  
    

 

 

 

JAPAN — 0.7%

    

Shizuoka Bank

    

0.491%, VAR ICE LIBOR USD 3 Month-0.500%, 01/25/23

     800,000       764,747  
    

 

 

 

MALAYSIA — 2.6%

    

Cerah Capital

    

4.793%, 08/08/24 (A)

     2,000,000       1,891,562  

Cindai Capital

    

2.563%, 02/08/23 (A)

     1,000,000       1,006,349  
    

 

 

 

       2,897,911  
    

 

 

 

NORWAY — 0.9%

    

SFL

    

5.750%, 10/15/21

     1,000,000       973,241  
    

 

 

 

PANAMA — 2.1%

    

Copa Holdings

    

4.500%, 04/15/25 (B)

     2,000,000       2,322,018  
    

 

 

 

SINGAPORE — 2.0%

    

CapitaLand

    

2.800%, 06/08/25

   SGD     1,250,000       925,821  

Keppel REIT

    

1.900%, 04/10/24

     1,500,000       1,066,574  

OUE

    

1.500%, 04/13/23

     250,000       183,246  
    

 

 

 

       2,175,641  
    

 

 

 

TAIWAN — 3.5%

    

Sea

    

2.375%, 12/01/25 (B)

     $ 2,000,000       3,803,279  
    

 

 

 

UNITED KINGDOM — 0.7%

    

GSK Finance No. 3

    

0.000%, 06/22/23 (A) (B)

     735,000       773,689  
    

 

 

 

UNITED STATES — 42.1%

    

American Eagle Outfitters

    

3.750%, 04/15/25 (B)

     680,000       1,192,775  

Apellis Pharmaceuticals

    

3.500%, 09/15/26 (B)

     1,000,000       1,100,839  

Arbor Realty Trust

    

4.750%, 11/01/22 (B)

     1,500,000       1,411,875  

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings

    

2.250%, 06/01/22

     1,500,000       1,594,606  

Avadel Finance Cayman

    

4.500%, 02/01/23 (B)

     1,000,000       908,750  

Avaya Holdings

    

2.250%, 06/15/23

     1,500,000       1,464,227  

Bloom Energy

    

2.500%, 08/15/25 (B)

     2,000,000       2,153,000  

Cardtronics

    

1.000%, 12/01/20

     1,500,000       1,492,496  

Cloudflare

    

0.750%, 05/15/25 (B)

     970,000       1,529,851  
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

36


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD ALTERNATIVE
  INCOME FUND
 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

CONVERTIBLE BONDS — continued       
       Face Amount               Value         

Colony Capital

     

3.875%, 01/15/21

     $ 807,000      $ 803,309  

CONMED

     

2.625%, 02/01/24

     2,000,000        2,276,524  

Cree

     

1.750%, 05/01/26 (B)

     250,000        382,031  

DexCom

     

0.250%, 11/15/25 (B)

     570,000        548,120  

Encore Capital Group

     

2.875%, 03/15/21

     1,680,000        1,652,700  

Exact Sciences

     

0.375%, 03/01/28

     1,200,000        1,471,500  

FireEye

     

1.625%, 06/01/35

     2,000,000        1,950,158  

Fortive

     

0.875%, 02/15/22

     1,750,000        1,739,080  

Gossamer Bio

     

5.000%, 06/01/27

     1,500,000        1,214,554  

HCI Group

     

4.250%, 03/01/37

     1,500,000        1,488,103  

Insmed

     

1.750%, 01/15/25

     1,615,000        1,777,217  

J2 Global

     

1.750%, 11/01/26 (B)

     2,500,000        2,236,210  

Livent

     

4.125%, 07/15/25 (B)

     1,440,000        2,088,900  

OSI Systems

     

1.250%, 09/01/22

     2,470,000        2,497,773  

PROS Holdings

     

1.000%, 05/15/24

     1,500,000        1,253,845  

Slack Technologies

     

0.500%, 04/15/25 (B)

     2,500,000        2,851,562  

SolarEdge Technologies

     

0.000%, 09/15/25 (A) (B)

     1,165,000        1,431,202  

SunPower

     

4.000%, 01/15/23

     1,500,000        1,575,938  

Workiva

     

1.125%, 08/15/26

     1,000,000        989,812  

Wright Medical Group

     

2.250%, 11/15/21

     1,500,000        2,143,422  

Zillow Group

     

2.750%, 05/15/25

     515,000        807,431  
     

 

 

 

        46,027,810   
     

 

 

 

Total Convertible Bonds
(Cost $81,124,089)

     87,191,749  
     

 

 

 

     
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS — 7.0%       
     Shares     

Dreyfus Treasury Cash Management, 0.010% (C)

     1,301,393        1,301,393  

SEI Daily Income Trust, Government Fund, Cl F, 0.010% (C)

     6,304,728        6,304,728  
     

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments
(Cost $7,606,121)

     7,606,121  
     

 

 

 

Total Investments — 86.7%
(Cost $88,730,210)

 

   $ 94,797,870  
     

 

 

 

PURCHASED OPTIONS — 0.2%(D)       
           Contracts                    Value        

Total Purchased Options
(Cost $268,332)

     16      $ 191,728  
     

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

37


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD ALTERNATIVE INCOME FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

A list of the option contracts held by the Fund at October 31, 2020, is as follows:

 

PURCHASED OPTIONS — 0.2%                                        
         Contracts                  Notional                  Strike Price                Expiration Date          Value  

Put Options

              

UNITED STATES — 0.2%

              

December 20 Puts on SPX*

     12        $3,923,952        $3,130        12/19/20        $145,080  

November 20 Puts on NDX*

     4        4,421,178        9,900        11/21/20        46,648  
              

 

 

 

Total Put Options

                 191,728  
              

 

 

 

Total Purchased Options

                                 $191,728  
              

 

 

 

A list of the open futures contracts held by the Fund at October 31, 2020, is as follows:

 

Type of

Contract

    

Number of

Contracts

Short

      

                     Expiration

Date

             Notional Amount        Value       

Unrealized

Appreciation

 

Euro

       (4)            Dec-2020            $                (593,740)              $            (582,750)                $              10,990    
              

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
                   $              (593,740)            $            (582,750)                $              10,990    
              

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

A list of open forward foreign currency contracts held by the Fund at October 31, 2020 is as follows:

 

Counterparty   

Settlement

Date

            

 Currency 

to Deliver

            

 Currency 

to Receive

      

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

U.S. Bank

     11/10/20        CAD        460,000        USD        345,465         $ 186     

U.S. Bank

     11/10/20        CAD        1,610,000        USD        1,204,228          (4,248)    

U.S. Bank

     11/10/20        SGD        2,997,000        USD        2,188,054          (6,034)    

U.S. Bank

     11/10/20        HKD                    40,927,000        USD                    5,279,847          679     
                   

 

 

 
                     $                 (9,417)    
                   

 

 

 

A list of the open OTC swap agreements as of October 31, 2020 is as follows:

 

Total Return Swaps  
Counterparty   Reference Entity/ Obligation   Fund Pays   Fund Receives   Payment
Frequency
  Termination
Date
  Currency  

Notional

Amount

    Value    

Upfront

Payments/

Receipts

   

Net Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

BNP Paribas

  Akam, 0.125%   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS-AKAM 0              
 

Effective Rate 0.35%

    1/8 5/1/25 - 00971TAJ0   Annually   05/01/2025   USD     (1,284,993   $ (116,957   $     $ (116,957

BNP Paribas

  Akamai Tech Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    AKAMAI TECH INC              
      - 00971T101   Annually   01/15/2021   USD     796,065         101,593             101,593  

BNP Paribas

  American Eagle Outfitters   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -AEO              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    US-02553E106   Annually   04/27/2022   USD     1,092,039       117,812             117,812  

BNP Paribas

  Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -APLS              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    US - 03753U106   Annually   05/15/2022   USD     654,345       64,116             64,116  

BNP Paribas

  Atlas Air Worldwide   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    AAWWUS - 049164205   Annually   08/29/2022   USD     449,570       53,144             53,144  

BNP Paribas

  Bilibili Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - BILIBILI              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    INC - 090040106   Annually   01/15/2022   USD     1,544,728       (32,308           (32,308

BNP Paribas

  Bridge Bio   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    - BRIDGEBIO              
      -10806X102   Annually   03/05/2022   USD     1,443,540       30,023             30,023  

BNP Paribas

  Bridge Bio   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS - BBIO              
 

Effective Rate 0.35%

    -10806XAA0   Annually   03/15/2027   USD     (2,340,782     (38,883           (38,883

BNP Paribas

  Cloudflare Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - NET US              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    - 18915M107   Annually   05/15/2022   USD     1,234,380       142,862             142,862  

BNP Paribas

  Conmed Corp   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    - CONMED              
      CORP- 207410101   Annually   04/13/2022   USD     1,297,799       61,818             61,818  

BNP Paribas

  Cowen   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - COWEN              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    223622606   Annually   01/15/2022   USD     388,692       (53,420           (53,420

BNP Paribas

  Cowen, 3%   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS - COWEN              
 

Effective Rate 0.35%

    INC 223622AE1   Annually   12/15/2022   USD     (581,009     67,444             67,444  

BNP Paribas

  CPA US   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -CPA              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    US- P31076105   Annually   04/30/2022   USD     1,623,921       86,190             86,190  

BNP Paribas

  Cree   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -CREE              
   

Effective Rate -0.07%

      US-225447101   Annually   04/23/2022   USD     316,883       34,461             34,461  

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

38


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD ALTERNATIVE INCOME FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

Total Return Swaps (continued)  
Counterparty   Reference Entity/ Obligation   Fund Pays   Fund Receives   Payment
Frequency
  Termination
Date
  Currency  

Notional

Amount

    Value    

Upfront

Payments/

Receipts

   

Net Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

BNP Paribas

  CSG Systems International Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     CSG SYS INT INC              
      - 126349109   Annually   01/15/2021   USD     155,855     $ 17,574     $     $ 17,574  

BNP Paribas

  Dexcom Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -DXCM              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    US- 252131107   Annually   05/14/2022   USD     189,801       37,977             37,977  

BNP Paribas

  Enphase Energy   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - ENPH              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     -29355AAE7   Annually   03/01/2025   USD     (2,345,960     (212,470           (212,470

BNP Paribas

  Enphase Energy   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     ENPHASE ENERGY              
      -29355A107   Annually   03/05/2022   USD     1,583,153       180,276             180,276  

BNP Paribas

 

Exact Sciences

  FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - EXACT              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     SCI CORP -30063P105   Annually   01/15/2022   USD     1,501,341       5,913             5,913  

BNP Paribas

  Fireeye Inc.   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS - FEYE 0              
 

Effective Rate 0.35%

    7/8 2024 - 31816QAF8   Annually   06/01/2024   USD     (766,288     (7,308           (7,308

BNP Paribas

  Fireeye Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - FIREEYE              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     INC - 31816Q101   Annually   01/15/2021   USD     223,574       7,089             7,089  

BNP Paribas

  Gossamer Bio Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -GOSS              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     US- 38341P102   Annually   05/21/2022   USD     629,557       78,868             78,868  

BNP Paribas

  Huazhu Group Ltd.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - HTHT              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     US 44332N106   Annually   06/05/2022   USD     1,404,540       56,951             56,951  

BNP Paribas

 

Insmed

  FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     INSMED INC              
      - 457669307   Annually   01/15/2021   USD     1,171,675       127,336             127,336  

BNP Paribas

  Insmed Inc., 1.75%   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS              
  Effective Rate 0.35%     INSM 1 3/4              
      01/15/25-457669AA7   Annually   01/15/2025   USD     (445,787     (20,380           (20,380

BNP Paribas

  Integra Lifesciences Holding   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS              
  Effective Rate 0.35%     IART 0 1/2              
      08/15/25-457985AL3   Annually   02/20/2022   USD     (1,897,738     (71,681           (71,681

BNP Paribas

 

Integra Lifesciences Holding

  FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - IAR              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     -457985208   Annually   02/20/2022   USD     839,125       67,274             67,274  

BNP Paribas

  J2 Global   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - J2              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    GLOBAL - 48123V102   Annually   02/25/2022   USD     850,560       34,863             34,863  

BNP Paribas

  Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - JAZZ              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     INVESTMENTS              
      G50871105   Annually   01/15/2022   USD     139,891       5,861             5,861  

BNP Paribas

  Jazz, 1.5%   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS - JAZZ              
  Effective Rate 0.35%     INVESTMENTS              
      472145AD3   Annually   08/15/2024   USD     (933,126     (12,325           (12,325

BNP Paribas

  Joyy Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - JOYY              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     INC - 46591M109   Annually   01/15/2022   USD     1,121,960       (157,495           (157,495

BNP Paribas

 

LITE

  FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     -LITE 0 1/2              
      12/15/26-55024UAC3   Annually   12/15/2026   USD     (790,491     (2,318           (2,318

BNP Paribas

 

Lumentum Holdings Inc.

  FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS-              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     LUMENTUM              
      HOLDINGS              
      INC-55024U109   Annually   01/15/2021   USD     438,585       4,410             4,410  

BNP Paribas

  Lyft Inc.   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS              
  Effective Rate 0.35%     - LYFT- 55087PAA2   Annually   05/15/2025   USD     (1,527,550     (81,228           (81,228

BNP Paribas

  Lyft Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -LYFT US              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    55087P104   Annually   05/15/2022   USD     682,240       73,739             73,739  

BNP Paribas

  Nuance   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     NUANCE 1 1/2              
      11/01/35 – 67020YAG5   Annually   11/01/2035   USD     (1,217,090     (97,167           (97,167

BNP Paribas

  Nuance Communications   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS              
 

Effective Rate -0.07%

    - NUANCE              
      COMMUNICATIONS              
      67020Y100   Annually   02/15/2022   USD     1,006,298       83,978             83,978  

BNP Paribas

  Okta Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - OKTAS              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     - 679295105   Annually   01/15/2022   USD     1,354,705       200,469             200,469  

BNP Paribas

 

Okta Inc., 0.125%

  TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS - OKTAB              
  Effective Rate 0.35%     - 679295AD7   Annually   09/01/2025   USD     (2,191,720     (233,250           (233,250

BNP Paribas

  Sea Ltd.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - SEA              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     LIMITED 81141R100   Annually   01/15/2022   USD     3,386,000       231,584             231,584  

BNP Paribas

  Slack Technologies   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - SLACK              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     TECHNOLOGIES              
      -83088V102   Annually   04/09/2022   USD     2,320,613       497,759             497,759  

BNP Paribas

  Sony Corporation   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - SONY              
  Effective Rate -0.14%     CORP - 6821506   Annually   01/15/2021   USD     2,222,742       (269,714           (269,714

BNP Paribas

 

Sony Corporation

  TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS - SNE 0              
  Effective Rate 0.30%     09/30/22 - BYMXD16   Annually   09/30/2022   USD     (2,229,963     263,457             263,457  

BNP Paribas

  Systems International Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS-CSGS              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     4.25% 3/15/36              
      - 126349AF6   Annually   03/15/2036   USD     (758,818     (9,429           (9,429

BNP Paribas

  Theravance Biopharma   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS US -TBPH              
    Effective Rate -0.07%       US-G8807B106   Annually   06/22/2022   USD     177,051       (4,497           (4,497

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

39


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD ALTERNATIVE INCOME FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

Total Return Swaps (continued)  
Counterparty   Reference Entity/ Obligation   Fund Pays   Fund Receives   Payment
Frequency
  Termination
Date
  Currency  

Notional

Amount

    Value    

Upfront

Payments/

Receipts

   

Net Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

BNP Paribas

  Vishay Intertechnology Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     - VSHS- 928298108   Annually   01/15/2022   USD     295,200     $ 29,157     $     $ 29,157  

BNP Paribas

  Vishay Intertechnology Inc., 2.25%   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS - VSHB              
  Effective Rate 0.35%     - 928298AP3   Annually   06/15/2025   USD     (1,212,432     (30,656           (30,656

BNP Paribas

  Wday, 0.25%   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS -              
  Effective Rate 0.35%     WDAY0.25 10/01/22              
      - 98138HAF8   Annually   10/01/2022   USD     (1,606,915     (104,232           (104,232

BNP Paribas

  Work   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     -WORK - 04/15/2025-              
      83088VAA0   Annually   04/15/2025   USD     (964,824     (121,133           (121,133

BNP Paribas

  Workday Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     WORKDAY INC              
      - 98138H101   Annually   01/15/2021   USD     1,294,286       94,345             94,345  

BNP Paribas

  Workiva Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - WKUS              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     - 98139A105   Annually   01/15/2022   USD     457,793       29,085             29,085  

BNP Paribas

  Zillow Group   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -Z US              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     - 98954M200   Annually   05/15/2022   USD     638,662       82,938             82,938  

BNP Paribas

  Bloom Energy   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - BLOOM              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     ENERGY 093712107   Annually   08/11/2022   USD     1,584,334       401,040             401,040  

BNP Paribas

  Canadian Solar Inc.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -CSIQ              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     US-136635109   Annually   09/15/2022   USD     661,470       43,441             43,441  

BNP Paribas

  Exact Sciences, 0.38%   TOTAL RETURN BOND   BNP PARIBAS EXACT              
  Effective Rate 0.35%     SCI CO 30063PAC9   Annually   03/01/2028   USD     (876,968     104,045             104,045  

BNP Paribas

  Livent Corp.   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -LTHM              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     US - 53814L108   Annually   06/25/2022   USD     1,415,130       28,210             28,210  

BNP Paribas

  OSI Systems   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -OSIS US              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     671044105   Annually   08/31/2022   USD     376,470       13,773             13,773  

BNP Paribas

  SolarEdge Technologies   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS -SEDG              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     US- 83417M104   Annually   09/25/2022   USD     937,750       138,798             138,798  

BNP Paribas

  SunPower   FIX NOMINAL   BNP PARIBAS - SPWR              
  Effective Rate -0.07%     -867652406   Annually   10/09/2022   USD     344,694       20,056             20,056  
               

 

 

 
                $   2,042,878     $     $ 2,042,878  
               

 

 

 

 

Percentages are based upon Net Assets of $109,335,378.

 

(A)

Zero coupon security. The rate reported is the effective yield at the time of purchase.

(B)

Securities sold within the terms of a private placement memorandum, exempt from registration under section 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and maybe sold only to dealers in that program or other “accredited investors”. The total value of these securities at October 31, 2020 was $31,831,399 and represents 29.1% of Net Assets.

(C)

The rate reported is the 7-day effective yield as of October 31, 2020.

(D)

Refer to table below for details on Options Contracts.

CAD — Canadian Dollar

Cl — Class

EUR — Euro

HKD — Hong Kong Dollar

ICE — Intercontinental Exchange

LIBOR — London Interbank Offered Rate

NDX — Nordic Derivatives Exchange

OTC — Over the Counter

SGD — Singapore Dollar

SPX — S&P 500 Index

USD — U. S. Dollar

VAR — Variable Rate

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of October 31, 2020 when valuing the Fund’s investments and other financial instruments:

 

Investments in

    Securities    

  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total

Convertible Bonds

  $     $ 87,191,749     $     $ 87,191,749  

Short-Term Investments

    7,606,121                 7,606,121  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

  $ 7,606,121     $   87,191,749     $     $   94,797,870  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Financial

Instruments

  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total

Purchased Options

  $ 191,728     $     $     $ 191,728  

Futures Contracts*

 

     

Unrealized Appreciation

    10,990                   10,990  

Forwards Contracts*

 

     

Unrealized Appreciation

          865             865  

Unrealized Depreciation

          (10,282           (10,282

OTC Swaps

       

Total Return Swaps*

 

     

Unrealized

Appreciation

          3,719,729             3,719,729  

Unrealized

Depreciation

          (1,676,851           (1,676,851
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Other Financial Instruments

  $ 202,718     $ 2,033,461     $             –         $ 2,236,179  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Future, forward contracts and swap contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instruments.

For the year ended October 31, 2020, there were no transfers in or out of Level 3.

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

40


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD ALTERNATIVE INCOME FUND

 

OCTOBER 31, 2020

 

 

 

For more information on valuation inputs, see Note 2 in Notes to Financial Statements.

    

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

41


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
  OCTOBER 31, 2020
      

 

 

 

 

    STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

 

 

    Westwood
  LargeCap Value  
Fund
    Westwood Total  
Return Fund
  Westwood
  SMidCap Fund  
  Westwood
  SmallCap Fund  

Assets:

       

Investments, at Value (Cost $133,681,477, $76,324,140, $144,154,427 and $501,837,202, respectively)

      $ 172,411,204             $ 86,468,537             $ 164,925,574             $ 518,498,883      

Receivable for Investment Securities Sold

    1,813,356             10,436,813       1,194,131  

Dividends and Interest Receivable

    226,079       264,228       62,356       64,981  

Receivable for Capital Shares Sold

    152,278       3,733       8,793       893,880  

Reclaim Receivable

                1,372        

Prepaid Expenses

    20,431       21,581       31,899       40,938  

Other Assets

                40,199        
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Assets

    174,623,348       86,758,079       175,507,006       520,692,813  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

       

Payable for Investment Securities Purchased

                8,742,351       7,745,798  

Payable due to Investment Adviser

    65,596       229,456       58,102       266,515  

Payable for Professional Fees

    25,956       26,873       25,783       30,731  

Payable for Transfer Agent Fees

    11,326       9,124       8,879       21,098  

Payable due to Administrator

    7,731       3,794       7,259       22,046  

Payable for Printing Fees

    7,013       3,373       6,551       19,764  

Payable for Capital Shares Redeemed

    4,458       439,902       228,028       1,603,268  

Payable due to Trustees

    2,566       1,234       2,396       7,230  

Chief Compliance Officer Fees Payable

    1,040       500       972       2,931  

Payable for Distribution Fees — A Class Shares

    561                   179  

Payable for Shareholder Servicing Fees— A Class Shares

                      88,097  

Payable for Shareholder Servicing Fees— Y Class Shares

                      1,431  

Other Accrued Expenses

    4,994       3,472       4,951       12,312  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Liabilities

    131,241       717,728       9,085,272       9,821,400  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Assets

      $ 174,492,107         $ 86,040,351         $ 166,421,734         $ 510,871,413  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF:

       

Paid-in Capital

      $ 125,885,652         $ 73,381,834         $ 142,432,740         $ 515,632,838  

Total distributable earnings / ( loss)

    48,606,455       12,658,517       23,988,994       (4,761,425)  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Assets

      $ 174,492,107         $ 86,040,351         $ 166,421,734         $ 510,871,413  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Institutional Shares

       

Net Assets

      $ 172,348,781         $ 86,040,020         $ 164,350,311         $ 357,901,446  

Outstanding Shares of Beneficial Interest
(unlimited authorization — no par value)

    14,602,816       13,380,842       13,734,603       24,755,154  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Price Per Share

      $ 11.80         $ 6.43         $ 11.97         $ 14.46  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Class Shares

       

Net Assets

      $ 2,143,169         $ 163       N/A         $ 880,609  

Outstanding Shares of Beneficial Interest
(unlimited authorization — no par value)

    181,083       25       N/A       60,978  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Price Per Share

      $ 11.84         $ 6.43     N/A         $ 14.44  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultra Shares

       

Net Assets

    N/A       N/A         $ 2,071,423       N/A  

Outstanding Shares of Beneficial Interest
(unlimited authorization — no par value)

    N/A       N/A       173,132       N/A  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Price Per Share

    N/A       N/A         $ 11.96       N/A  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C Class Shares

       

Net Assets

      $ 157         $ 168       N/A         $ 186,412  

Outstanding Shares of Beneficial Interest
(unlimited authorization — no par value)

    13       26       N/A       12,996  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Price Per Share

      $ 11.80       $ 6.43     N/A         $ 14.34  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Y Class Shares

       

Net Assets

    N/A       N/A       N/A         $ 151,902,946  

Outstanding Shares of Beneficial Interest
(unlimited authorization — no par value)

    N/A       N/A       N/A       10,495,987  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Price Per Share

    N/A       N/A       N/A         $ 14.47  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maximum Offering Price Per Share (A Class Shares)

      $ 12.21         $ 6.63       N/A         $ 14.89  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        ($11.84/97.00%)       ($6.43/97.00%)       N/A           ($14.44/97.00%)  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts designated as “—” are either $0 or have been rounded to $0.

N/A — Not Applicable.

* Net Assets divided by Shares do not calculate to the stated NAV because Net Assets are shown rounded.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

42


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
  OCTOBER 31, 2020
      

 

 

 

 

    STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

 

 

    Westwood
Income
  Opportunity Fund  
    Westwood High  
Income Fund
  Westwood
Alternative
  Income Fund  

Assets:

     

Investments, at Value (Cost $628,826,879, $70,196,629 and $88,730,210 respectively)

      $     708,230,964             $     72,599,275             $     94,797,870      

Purchased Options, at Value (Cost $–, $– and $268,332, respectively)

                191,728  

Swap Contracts, at Value (Cost $–, $– and $–, respectively)

                3,719,729  

Cash

                647,042  

Receivable for Capital Shares Sold

    5,844,145             2,107,782  

Dividends and Interest Receivable

    2,675,519       714,502       452,192  

Receivable Due from Prime Broker

                35,725  

Cash Collateral on Futures Contracts

                490,147  

Cash Collateral on Swap Contracts

                10,680,000  

Receivable for Investment Securities Sold

                98,413  

Unrealized Appreciation on Forward Foreign Currency Contracts

                865  

Prepaid Expenses

    19,868       17,306       29,894  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Assets

    716,770,496       73,331,083       113,251,387  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

     

Swap Contracts, at Value (Premiums Received , $–, $– and $–, respectively)

                1,676,851  

Payable for Investment Securities Purchased

                864,928  

Payable for Capital Shares Redeemed

    1,022,529       184       903,621  

Payable due to Investment Adviser

    465,051       12,181       390,070  

Payable for Professional Fees

    35,994       30,362       30,722  

Payable due to Administrator

    31,042       3,159       9,317  

Payable for Transfer Agent Fees

    28,658       9,449       11,910  

Payable for Printing Fees

    27,730       2810       3,771  

Payable for Distribution Fees — A Class Shares

    11,694       407       7  

Payable for Distribution Fees — C Class Shares

                71  

Payable due to Trustees

    10,144       1,028       1,379  

Chief Compliance Officer Fees Payable

    4,113       417       559  

Payable for Variation Margin

                1,414  

Payable for Shareholder Servicing Fees— Institutional Shares

                957  

Payable for Shareholder Servicing Fees— A Class Shares

          31,693        

Unrealized Depreciation on Forward Foreign Currency Contracts

                10,282  

Other Accrued Expenses

    17,763       5,609       10,150  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Liabilities

    1,654,718       97,299       3,916,009  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Assets

      $ 715,115,778         $ 73,233,784         $ 109,335,378  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF:

     

Paid-in Capital

      $ 586,798,131         $ 87,062,398         $ 105,063,450  

Total distributable earnings / ( loss)

    128,317,647       (13,828,614     4,271,928  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Assets

      $     715,115,778         $     73,233,784         $     109,335,378  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

43


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
  OCTOBER 31, 2020
      

 

 

 

    Westwood
Income
  Opportunity Fund  
    Westwood High  
Income Fund
  Westwood
Alternative
  Income Fund  

Institutional Shares

     

Net Assets

      $ 662,612,094             $ 72,914,293             $ 22,772,083      

Outstanding Shares of Beneficial Interest
(unlimited authorization — no par value)

    51,602,020           7,635,890           2,175,879      
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Price Per Share

      $ 12.84             $ 9.55             $ 10.47      
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Class Shares

     

Net Assets

      $ 48,051,037             $ 319,331             $ 27,859      

Outstanding Shares of Beneficial Interest
(unlimited authorization — no par value)

    3,745,814           33,268           2,663      
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Price Per Share

      $ 12.83             $ 9.60             $ 10.46      
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultra Shares

     

Net Assets

    N/A           N/A             $ 86,386,386      

Outstanding Shares of Beneficial Interest
(unlimited authorization — no par value)

    N/A           N/A           8,251,038      
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Price Per Share

    N/A           N/A             $ 10.47      
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C Class Shares

     

Net Assets

      $ 4,452,647             $ 160             $ 149,050      

Outstanding Shares of Beneficial Interest
(unlimited authorization — no par value)

    348,069           17           14,252      
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Price Per Share

      $ 12.79             $ 9.55*           $ 10.46      
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maximum Offering Price Per Share (A Class Shares)

      $ 13.23             $ 9.90             $ 10.78      
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        ($12.83/97.00%)           ($9.60/97.00%)           ($10.46/97.00%)  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts designated as “—” are either $0 or have been rounded to $0.

N/A — Not Applicable.

* Net Assets divided by Shares do not calculate to the stated NAV because Net Assets are shown rounded.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

44


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD FUNDS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED

  OCTOBER 31, 2020
      

 

 

 

 

    STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

 

     Westwood
LargeCap Value
Fund
  Westwood Total
Return Fund(1)
  Westwood
SMidCap Fund
  Westwood
SmallCap Fund

Investment Income

        

Dividends

     $         4,546,808           $         534,269           $         3,015,681           $         7,614,194      

Interest

           565,434              

Less: Foreign Taxes Withheld

     (3,442     (427            
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Investment Income

     4,543,366       1,099,276       3,015,681       7,614,194  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

        

Investment Advisory Fees

     1,179,336       412,900       1,273,105       3,641,302  

Administration Fees

     100,224       30,403       86,603       218,725  

Distribution Fees - A Class

     13,200                   1,367  

Distribution Fees - C Class

                       1,524  

Trustees’ Fees

     11,947       3,539       10,286       25,889  

Chief Compliance Officer Fees

     2,864       1,951       2,727       5,671  

Transfer Agent Fees

     65,395       41,467       40,067       129,074  

Professional Fees

     54,616       88,039       49,096       94,042  

Registration and Filing Fees

     45,244       41,158       17,620       90,360  

Printing Fees

     19,933       14,349       22,754       84,806  

Custodian Fees

     16,232       4,809       10,481       27,018  

Pricing Fees

     1,634       4,651       2,634       3,323  

Shareholder Servicing Fees - Institutional

                 252,676       598,697  

Shareholder Servicing Fees - Y Class

                       9,295  

Other Expenses

     21,403       6,911       19,038       43,070  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Expenses

     1,532,028       650,177       1,787,087       4,974,163  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less:

        

Waiver of Investment Advisory Fees

     (240,915     (207,589     (294,660     (768,808

Fees Paid Indirectly

     (1,837     (133     (180     (16,466
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Expenses

     1,289,276       442,455       1,492,247       4,188,889  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Investment Income

     3,254,090       656,821       1,523,434       3,425,305  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) on Investments

     10,364,501       2,615,188       3,148,874       (15,101,188

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments

     (26,029,759     9,276,889       (14,292,413     (35,463,850
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Realized and Net Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

     (15,665,258     11,892,077       (11,143,539     (50,565,038
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

       $        (12,411,168       $        12,548,898         $        (9,620,105       $        (47,139,733
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts designated as “—” are either $0 or have been rounded to $0.

(1) Effective November 1, 2019, Westwood Low Volatility Equity Fund was renamed as Westwood Total Return Fund

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

45


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND  

WESTWOOD FUNDS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED

  OCTOBER 31, 2020
      

 

 

 

 

    STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

 

       Westwood Income  
Opportunity Fund
    Westwood High  
Income  Fund(1)
  Westwood
  Alternative Income  
Fund(2)

Investment Income

      

Dividends

     $ 13,268,733           $ 284,426           $ 25,440      

Interest

     6,493,453       2,345,928       1,753,663  

Less: Foreign Taxes Withheld

     (35,033     (1,729     (4,658
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Investment Income

     19,727,153       2,628,625       1,774,445  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

      

Investment Advisory Fees

     5,750,249       70,256       554,736  

Administration Fees

     390,995       33,176       67,532  

Distribution Fees - A Class

     130,272       204       21  

Distribution Fees - C Class

     24,985             445  

Trustees’ Fees

     46,425       3,982       4,074  

Chief Compliance Officer Fees

     7,637       1,810       1,975  

Transfer Agent Fees

     177,846       49,560       59,594  

Professional Fees

     122,522       97,527       96,101  

Printing Fees

     91,593       16,478       19,333  

Registration and Filing Fees

     90,453       45,588       56,742  

Custodian Fees

     49,349       6,019       20,628  

Pricing Fees

     5,682       13,666       11,908  

Shareholder Servicing Fees - Institutional

           39,596       9,491  

Other Expenses

     82,831       7,675       8,675  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Expenses

     6,970,839       385,537       911,255  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less:

      

Waiver of Investment Advisory Fees

           (70,256     (342,351

Reimbursement of other operating expenses

           (139,958      

Fees Paid Indirectly

     (16,590     (378     (41
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Expenses

     6,954,249       174,945       568,863  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Investment Income

     12,772,904       2,453,680       1,205,582  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) on Investments

     60,950,237       (597,967     2,170,687  

Net Realized Gain on Securities Sold Short

                 7,783  

Net Realized Loss on Futures

                 (40,846

Net Realized Loss on Purchased and Written Options

                 (386,164

Net Realized Loss on Swap Contracts

                 (5,386,125

Net Realized Loss on Forward Foreign Currency Contracts

                 (46,504

Net Realized Loss on Foreign Currency Transactions

                 (85,169

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments

     (50,450,602     2,168,666       5,880,796  

Net Change in Unrealized Depreciation on Securities Sold Short

                 (15,538

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation on Futures

                 32,037  

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation on Purchased and Written Options

                 77,280  

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation on Swap Contracts

                 2,057,151  

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation on Foreign Currency Translation and Other Assets and Liabilities Denominated in Foreign Currencies

                 343  

Net Change in Unrealized Depreciation on Forward Foreign Currency Contracts

                 (7,638
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

     10,499,635       1,570,699       4,258,093  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     $         23,272,539       $         4,024,379       $         5,463,675  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts designated as “—” are either $0 or have been rounded to $0.

(1) Effective November 1, 2019, Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund was renamed as Westwood High Income Fund.

(2) Effective November 1, 2019, Westwood Market Neutral Income Fund was renamed as Westwood Alternative Income Fund.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

46


 

 

(This page intentionally left blank)

 

 

 


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

    STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

 

 

    

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

     Year Ended
October 31,
2020
  Year Ended
October 31,
2019

Net Investment Income

     $ 3,254,090         $ 4,063,210      

Net Realized Gain (Loss) on Investments, Futures, Purchased Options, Written Options, Swap Contracts, Securities Sold Short, Forward Foreign Currency Contracts and Foreign Currency Transactions

     10,364,501       7,695,350  

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments, Futures, Purchased Options, Written Options, Swap Contracts, Securities Sold Short, Forward Foreign Currency Contracts and Foreign Currency Transactions

     (26,029,759     16,190,598  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     (12,411,168     27,949,158  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distributions:

    

Institutional Shares

     (10,378,309     (21,861,830

A Class Shares

     (599,189     (1,368,637

Ultra Shares

            

C Class Shares

            
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Distributions

     (10,977,498     (23,230,467
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital Share Transactions:

    

Institutional Shares:

    

Issued

     15,164,063       21,060,826  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     8,745,704       18,614,193  

Redeemed

     (53,514,148     (32,606,915
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase/Decrease from Institutional Capital Share Transactions

     (29,604,381     7,068,104  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Class Shares:

    

Issued

     1,001,619       2,688,401  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     599,189       1,368,637  

Redeemed

     (11,953,645     (4,363,814
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase/Decrease from A Class Capital Share Transactions

     (10,352,837     (306,776
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultra Shares:

    

Issued

     N/A       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase from Ultra Capital Share Transactions

     N/A       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C Class Shares:

    

Issued

     135       N/A  

Reinvestment of Dividends

           N/A  

Redeemed

           N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase from C Class Capital Share Transactions

     135       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Y Class Shares:

    

Issued

     N/A       N/A  

Redeemed

     N/A       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase from Y Class Capital Share Transactions

     N/A       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Increase/Decrease in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions

     (39,957,083     6,761,328  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

     (63,345,749     11,480,019  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Assets:

    

Beginning of Year

     237,837,856       226,357,837  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

End of Year

     $     174,492,107       $     237,837,856  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

48


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

    

 

                       
Westwood Total Return Fund(1)   Westwood SMidCap Fund   Westwood SmallCap Fund  

 

Westwood Income

Opportunity Fund

Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended
October 31,   October 31,   October 31,   October 31,   October 31,   October 31,   October 31,   October 31,
2020   2019   2020   2019   2020   2019   2020   2019
 $ 656,821      $ 96,541      $ 1,523,434      $ 1,666,207      $ 3,425,305      $ 2,436,545      $ 12,772,904      $ 35,682,606  

 

2,615,188

 

    1,127,954       3,148,874       19,111,791       (15,101,188     (1,143,428     60,950,237       259,920,039  

 

9,276,889

 

    (409,552     (14,292,413     (6,454,725     (35,463,850     30,347,237       (50,450,602     (125,619,873

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  12,548,898       814,943       (9,620,105     14,323,273       (47,139,733     31,640,354       23,272,539       169,982,772  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             
  (1,529,383)       (2,638,055     (1,645,424     (35,389,903     (4,375,529     (20,230,019     (197,072,352     (126,809,468
  (1)                         (2,037           (13,775,959     (4,381,998
              (19,512,974                              
  (1)                         (952           (136,781     (524

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  (1,529,385)       (2,638,055     (21,158,398     (35,389,903     (4,378,518     (20,230,019     (210,985,092     (131,191,990

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             
  79,421,093       1,102,169       31,954,522       25,441,364       202,629,773       138,170,288       185,711,678       172,589,061  
  1,517,467       2,629,356       21,074,422       35,272,604       3,818,988       18,707,572       179,890,923       118,167,675  
  (10,639,702)       (4,989,977     (45,228,043     (167,446,927     (215,663,893     (91,051,597     (584,025,559     (1,679,296,067

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  70,298,858       (1,258,452     7,800,901       (106,732,959     (9,215,132     65,826,263       (218,422,958     (1,388,539,331

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             
  131       N/A       N/A       N/A       875,296       95,693       16,075,524       15,932,591  
  1       N/A       N/A       N/A       1,646             12,938,429       4,127,347  
        N/A       N/A       N/A       (88,077           (33,211,176     (32,560,849

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  132       N/A       N/A       N/A       788,865       95,693       (4,197,223     (12,500,911

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             
  N/A       N/A       2,058,537       N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  N/A       N/A       2,058,537       N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             
  135       N/A       N/A       N/A       203,955       51,254       4,566,451       271,130  
  1       N/A       N/A       N/A       952             136,689       524  
        N/A       N/A       N/A       (32,694           (481,532      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  136       N/A       N/A       N/A       172,213       51,254       4,221,608       271,654  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             
  N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A       154,142,870       N/A       N/A       N/A  
  N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A       (2,596,065     N/A       N/A       N/A  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A       151,546,805       N/A       N/A       N/A  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  70,299,126       (1,258,452     9,859,438       (106,732,959     143,292,751       65,973,210       (218,398,573     (1,400,768,588

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  81,318,639       (3,081,564     (20,919,065     (127,799,589     91,774,500       77,383,545       (406,111,126     (1,361,977,806

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             
  4,721,712       7,803,276       187,340,799       315,140,388       419,096,913       341,713,368       1,121,226,904       2,483,204,710  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 $ 86,040,351      $ 4,721,712      $ 166,421,734      $ 187,340,799      $ 510,871,413      $ 419,096,913      $ 715,115,778      $ 1,121,226,904  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

49


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

    STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

 

 

    

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

     Year Ended
October 31,
2020
  Year Ended
October 31,
2019

Shares Issued and Redeemed:

    

Institutional Shares:

    

Issued

     1,290,454           1,719,487      

Reinvestment of Dividends

     666,706       1,700,313  

Redeemed

     (4,427,380     (2,650,771
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Institutional Transactions

     (2,470,220     769,029  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Class Shares:

    

Issued

     77,790       217,826  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     45,539       124,601  

Redeemed

     (940,573     (348,987
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total A Class Transactions

     (817,244     (6,560
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultra Shares:

    

Issued

     N/A       N/A  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     N/A       N/A  

Redeemed

     N/A       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Ultra Transactions

     N/A       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C Class Shares:

    

Issued

     13       N/A  

Reinvestment of Dividends

           N/A  

Redeemed

           N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total C Class Transactions

     13       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Y Class Shares:

    

Issued

     N/A       N/A  

Redeemed

     N/A       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Y Class Transactions

     N/A       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Shares Outstanding

     (3,287,451     762,469  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N/A – Not applicable

Amounts designated as “—” are $0 or rounded to $0.

(1) Effective November 1, 2019, Westwood Low Volatility Equity Fund was renamed as Westwood Total Return Fund.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

50


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

    

 

Westwood Total Return Fund(1)

      Westwood SMidCap Fund           Westwood SmallCap Fund       Westwood Income
Opportunity Fund
Year Ended    Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended   Year Ended
October 31,    October 31,   October 31,   October 31,   October 31,   October 31,   October 31,   October 31,
2020    2019   2020   2019   2020   2019   2020   2019
              
              
  14,198,390        196,437       2,859,667       1,835,832       14,722,927       8,720,309       14,520,919       11,449,814  
  262,163        464,952       1,601,052       3,035,960       220,174       1,363,526       14,452,969       8,260,196  
  (1,790,419)        (696,558     (3,911,745     (12,012,245     (14,871,436     (5,787,020     (43,858,109     (110,502,322

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  12,670,134        (35,169     548,974       (7,140,453     71,665       4,296,815       (14,884,221     (90,792,312

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              
  25        N/A       N/A       N/A       61,568       5,649       1,271,125       1,047,244  
         N/A       N/A       N/A       95             1,034,296       287,486  
         N/A       N/A       N/A       (6,334           (2,618,384     (2,145,041

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  25        N/A       N/A       N/A       55,329       5,649       (312,963     (810,311

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              
  N/A        N/A       173,132       N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A  
  N/A        N/A             N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A  
  N/A        N/A             N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  N/A        N/A       173,132       N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A       N/A  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              
  26        N/A       N/A       N/A       12,336       3,032       359,189       17,134  
         N/A       N/A       N/A       55             11,094       33  
         N/A       N/A       N/A       (2,427           (39,381      

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  26        N/A       N/A       N/A       9,964       3,032       330,902       17,167  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              
  N/A        N/A       N/A       N/A       10,672,357       N/A       N/A       N/A  
  N/A        N/A       N/A       N/A       (176,370     N/A       N/A       N/A  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  N/A        N/A       N/A       N/A       10,495,987       N/A       N/A       N/A  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  12,670,185        (35,169     722,106       (7,140,453     10,632,945       4,305,496       (14,866,282     (91,585,456

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

51


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
 
 

 

 

 

 

  STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

 

 

     Westwood High Income Fund(1)      Westwood Alternative Income
Fund(2)
     Year Ended
October 31,
2020
  Year Ended
October 31,
2019
     Year Ended
October 31,
2020
  Year Ended
October 31,
2019

Operations:

           

Net Investment Income

   $ 2,453,680     $ 2,718,792        $ 1,205,582     $ 811,006  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) on Investments, Futures, Purchased Options, Written Options, Securities Sold Short, Forward Foreign Currency Contracts and Foreign Currency Transactions

     (597,967     (451,994        (3,766,338     1,258,553  

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation on Investments, Futures, Purchased Options, Written Options, Securities Sold Short, Forward Foreign Currency Contracts and Foreign Currency Transactions

     2,168,666       1,391,501          8,024,431       101,988  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

     4,024,379       3,658,299          5,463,675       2,171,547  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distributions:

           

Institutional Shares

     (2,403,390     (2,726,379        (313,976     (131,102

A Class Shares

     (3,049     (1,573        (48      

Ultra Shares

                    (1,543,569     (590,332

C Class Shares

     (3                     
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Distributions

     (2,406,442     (2,727,952        (1,857,593     (721,434
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital Share Transactions:

           

Institutional Shares:

           

Issued

     30,358,881       51,776,066          18,922,855       1,993,385  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     2,330,289       1,526,404          313,697       130,850  

Redeemed

     (26,562,525     (53,990,135        (3,841,790     (1,465,511
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase/Decrease from Institutional Capital Share Transactions

     6,126,645       (687,665        15,394,762       658,724  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Class Shares:

           

Issued

     347,104       24,500          36,304       N/A  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     3,049       1,573          48       N/A  

Redeemed

     (75,365 )        (11,400 )           (9,000 )        N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase from A Class Capital Share Transactions

     274,788       14,673          27,352       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultra Shares:

           

Issued

     N/A       N/A          78,909,146       7,066,057  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     N/A       N/A          1,543,569       590,332  

Redeemed

     N/A       N/A          (28,964,782     (4,595,582 )   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase from Ultra Capital Share Transactions

     N/A       N/A          51,487,933       3,060,807  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C Class Shares:

           

Issued

     135       N/A          149,635       N/A  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     3       N/A                N/A  

Redeemed

           N/A          (4,509     N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase from C Class Capital Share Transactions

     138       N/A          145,126       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Increase/Decrease in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions

     6,401,571       (672,992        67,055,173       3,719,531  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Increase in Net Assets

     8,019,508       257,355          70,661,255       5,169,644  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Assets:

           

Beginning of Year

     65,214,276       64,956,921          38,674,123       33,504,479  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

End of Year

   $ 73,233,784     $ 65,214,276        $ 109,335,378     $ 38,674,123  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

52


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

       Westwood High Income Fund(1)       Westwood Alternative Income  
Fund(2)
     Year Ended
October 31,
2020
  Year Ended
October 31,
2019
  Year Ended
October 31,
2020
  Year Ended
October 31,
2019

Shares Issued and Redeemed:

        

Institutional Shares:

        

Issued

     3,328,007       5,621,394       1,833,617       197,608  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     252,894       166,407       31,184       13,046  

Redeemed

     (2,989,678     (5,862,208     (383,582     (146,713
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Institutional Transactions

     591,223       (74,407     1,481,219       63,941  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Class Shares:

        

Issued

     35,711       2,643       3,517       N/A  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     324       170       5       N/A  

Redeemed

     (7,725     (1,232     (859     N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total A Class Transactions

     28,310       1,581       2,663       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultra Shares:

        

Issued

     N/A       N/A       7,896,395       698,621  

Reinvestment of Dividends

     N/A       N/A       153,362       58,824  

Redeemed

     N/A       N/A       (2,876,614     (460,972
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Ultra Transactions

     N/A       N/A       5,173,143       296,473  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C Class Shares:

        

Issued

     17       N/A       14,685       N/A  

Redeemed

           N/A       (433     N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total C Class Transactions

     17       N/A       14,252       N/A  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Shares Outstanding

     619,550       (72,826     6,671,277       360,414  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts designated as “—” are either $0 or have been rounded to $0.

(1) Effective November 1, 2019, Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund was renamed as Westwood High Income Fund.

(2) Effective November 1, 2019, Westwood Market Neutral Income Fund was renamed as Westwood Alternative Income Fund.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

53


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

  FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

   
   

 

Selected Per Share Data & Ratios

For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Year or Period(6)

 

    

NET ASSET

VALUE

BEGINNING

OF PERIOD

 

NET

INVESTMENT

INCOME

(LOSS)^^

 

NET REALIZED

AND

UNREALIZED

GAINS

(LOSSES) ON
INVESTMENTS

 

TOTAL FROM

OPERATIONS

 

DIVIDENDS

FROM NET

INVESTMENT
INCOME

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

FROM REALIZED

NET GAINS

 

RETURN OF

CAPITAL

 

TOTAL

DIVIDENDS &

DISTRIBUTIONS

 

NET ASSET

VALUE END OF

PERIOD

 

TOTAL

RETURN

 

NET ASSETS

END OF PERIOD

(000)

 

RATIO OF

EXPENSES TO

AVERAGE NET

ASSETS

 

RATIO OF

EXPENSES

TO AVERAGE

NET ASSETS

(EXCLUDING

WAIVERS &

RECOVERED

FEES)

 

RATIO OF NET

INVESTMENT

INCOME

(LOSS) TO

AVERAGE NET

ASSETS

 

PORTFOLIO

TURNOVER

RATE

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

 

                               

Institutional Shares

 

                           

    2020

    $ 13.16     $       0.20     $       (0.95 )     $       (0.75 )     $       (0.21 )     $       (0.40 )     $       —     $       (0.61 )     $       11.80        (6.11 )%      $     172,349       0.65 %       0.77 %       1.66 %       52 %

    2019

      13.07       0.22       1.21       1.43       (0.19 )       (1.15 )             (1.34 )       13.16       13.23       224,664       0.65       0.73       1.80       36

    2018

      13.10       0.20       0.62       0.82       (0.15 )       (0.70 )             (0.85 )       13.07        6.30         213,175       0.65       0.72       1.50       49

    2017

      11.06       0.17       2.21       2.38       (0.13 )       (0.21 )             (0.34 )       13.10        22.00         205,645       0.75       0.83       1.40       44

    2016

      11.95       0.14       0.05       0.19       (0.12 )       (0.96 )             (1.08 )       11.06        2.00         185,171       0.79       0.86       1.29       39

A Class Shares

 

                           

    2020

    $ 13.20     $ 0.18     $ (0.96 )     $ (0.78 )     $ (0.18 )     $ (0.40 )     $     $ (0.58 )     $ 11.84        (6.32 )%     $ 2,143       0.90 %       1.00 %       1.43 %       52 %

    2019

      13.12       0.19       1.21       1.40       (0.17 )       (1.15 )             (1.32 )       13.20       12.92       13,174       0.90       0.98       1.54       36

    2018

      13.15       0.17       0.62       0.79       (0.12 )       (0.70 )             (0.82 )       13.12        6.02         13,183       0.90       0.97       1.25       49

    2017

      11.09       0.14       2.23       2.37       (0.10 )       (0.21 )             (0.31 )       13.15        21.83         1,984       1.00       1.08       1.14       44

    2016

      11.98       0.12       0.04       0.16       (0.09 )       (0.96 )             (1.05 )       11.09        1.74         1,762       1.05       1.11       1.07       39

C Class Shares (commenced operations on March 31, 2020)

 

               

    2020

    $ 10.17     $ 0.16     $ 1.47     $ 1.63     $     $     $     $     $ 11.80       16.03 %     $       0.00%*(1)         0.00%*(1)         2.29 %*       52 %**
                                                                                                                                                       

Westwood Total Return Fund ‡

 

                               

Institutional Shares

 

                               

    2020

    $ 6.64     $ 0.07     $ 0.92     $ 0.99     $ (0.06 )     $ (1.14 )     $     $ (1.20 )     $ 6.43        17.59 %     $ 86,040       0.75 %       1.10 %       1.11 %       62 %

    2019

      10.46       0.12       0.53       0.65       (0.36 )       (4.11 )             (4.47 )       6.64       16.55       4,722       0.75       2.13       1.76       66

    2018

      11.94       0.14       0.15       0.29       (0.12 )       (1.65 )             (1.77 )       10.46        2.35         7,803       0.75       1.05       1.30       26

    2017

      10.73       0.16       1.35       1.51       (0.14 )       (0.16 )             (0.30 )       11.94       14.24       44,778       0.78       0.99       1.40       122

    2016

      11.58       0.18       (0.02 )       0.16       (0.17 )       (0.84 )             (1.01 )       10.73       1.82       57,401       0.94       0.94       1.72       39

A Class Shares (commenced operations on March 31, 2020)

 

                   

    2020

    $ 5.20     $ 0.03     $ 1.23     $ 1.26     $ (0.03 )     $     $     $ (0.03 )     $ 6.43       24.30 %     $       0.01 %*       0.01 %*       0.90 %*       62 %**

C Class Shares (commenced operations on March 31, 2020)

 

                       

    2020

    $ 5.20     $ 0.03     $ 1.23     $ 1.26     $ (0.03 )     $     $     $ (0.03 )     $ 6.43       24.30 %     $       0.01 %*       0.01 %*       0.88 %*       62 %**

Westwood SMidCap Fund

 

                               

Institutional Shares

 

                               

    2020

    $ 14.21     $ 0.11     $ (0.75 )     $ (0.64 )     $ (0.11 )     $ (1.49 )     $     $ (1.60 )     $ 11.97        (5.39 )%     $ 164,350       0.88 %       1.05 %       0.90 %       69 %

    2019

      15.50       0.10       0.84       0.94       (0.11 )       (2.12 )             (2.23 )       14.21       9.46       187,341       0.88       1.02       0.75       56

    2018

      17.44       0.08       (0.11 )       (0.03 )       (0.04 )       (1.87 )             (1.91 )       15.50        (0.33       315,140       0.88       1.03       0.50       58

    2017

      14.74       0.07       2.84       2.91       (0.07 )       (0.14 )             (0.21 )       17.44       19.83       346,913       0.97       0.97       0.40       55

    2016

      16.02       0.06       (0.27 )       (0.21 )       (0.02 )       (1.05 )             (1.07 )       14.74       (1.08 )       393,434       0.98       0.98       0.41       82

Ultra Shares (commenced operations on July 31, 2020)

 

                       

    2020

    $ 11.44     $     $ 0.52     $ 0.52     $     $     $     $     $ 11.96        4.55 %     $ 2,072       0.70 %*       1.02 %*       0.08 %*       69 %**

Westwood SmallCap Fund

 

                                       

Institutional Shares

 

                               

    2020

    $ 16.97     $ 0.12     $ (2.45 )     $ (2.33 )     $ (0.12 )     $ (0.06 )     $     $ (0.18 )     $ 14.46        (13.90 )%     $ 357,901       0.99 %       1.16 %       0.81 %       67 %

    2019

      16.76       0.11       1.10       1.21       (0.12 )       (0.88 )             (1.00 )       16.97       8.65       418,949       0.99       1.11       0.66       64

    2018

      18.39       0.10       (0.47 )       (0.37 )       (0.07 )       (1.19 )             (1.26 )       16.76        (2.28       341,713       0.99       1.08       0.58       50

    2017

      14.39       0.07       4.18       4.25       (0.09 )       (0.16 )             (0.25 )       18.39        29.71         234,321       1.10       1.10       0.42       56

    2016

      13.58       0.07       0.80       0.87       (0.04 )       (0.02 )             (0.06 )       14.39        6.40         143,085       1.10       1.11       0.50       65

A Class Shares (commenced operations on September 3, 2019)

 

                           

    2020

    $ 16.99     $ 0.08     $ (2.43 )     $ (2.35 )     $ (0.14 )     $ (0.06 )     $     $ (0.20 )     $ 14.44        (14.04 )%     $ 881       1.09 %       1.28 %       0.55 %       67 %

    2019

      15.78       (0.02 )       1.23       1.21                               16.99       7.67       96       1.08 *       1.30 *       (0.90 )*       64 **

C Class Shares (commenced operations on September 3, 2019)

 

                           

    2020

    $ 16.98     $ (0.01 )     $ (2.45 )     $ (2.46 )     $ (0.12 )     $ (0.06 )     $     $ (0.18 )     $ 14.34        (14.67 )%     $ 186       1.84 %       2.02 %       (0.08 )%       67 %

    2019

      15.78       (0.04 )       1.24       1.20                               16.98       7.60       51       1.79 *       2.05 *       (1.67 )*       64 **

Y Class Shares (commenced operations on March 31, 2020)

 

                               

    2020

    $ 11.72     $ 0.05     $ 2.70     $ 2.75     $     $     $     $     $ 14.47        23.46 %     $ 151,903       0.81 %*       1.10 %*       0.63 %*       67 %**

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

54


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

      NET ASSET
VALUE
BEGINNING
OF PERIOD
  

NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME

(LOSS)^^

   NET REALIZED
AND
UNREALIZED
GAINS
(LOSSES) ON
INVESTMENTS
  TOTAL FROM
OPERATIONS
  DIVIDENDS
FROM NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME
 

DISTRIBUTIONS
FROM REALIZED

NET GAINS

  RETURN OF
CAPITAL
  TOTAL
DIVIDENDS &
DISTRIBUTIONS
  NET ASSET
VALUE END OF
PERIOD
   TOTAL
RETURN
 

NET ASSETS

END OF PERIOD

(000)

   RATIO OF
EXPENSES TO
AVERAGE NET
ASSETS
  RATIO OF
EXPENSES
TO AVERAGE
NET ASSETS
(EXCLUDING
WAIVERS  &
RECOVERED
FEES)
  RATIO OF NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME
(LOSS) TO
AVERAGE  NET
ASSETS
  PORTFOLIO
TURNOVER
RATE
                                                                                                                                                            

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund

 

                                                 

Institutional Shares

 

                                                      

2020

     $     15.89      $     0.22      $     0.34     $     0.56     $     (0.20 )     $     (3.41 )     $       —     $     (3.61 )     $     12.84        4.59 %     $       662,612        0.89 %       0.89 %       1.69 %       111 %

2019

       15.31        0.32        1.25       1.57       (0.36 )       (0.63 )             (0.99 )       15.89        10.99       1,056,504        0.85       0.85       2.08       66

2018

       15.72        0.28        (0.11 )       0.17       (0.28 )       (0.30 )             (0.58 )       15.31        1.04       2,408,695        0.83       0.83       1.80       42

2017

       14.58        0.26        1.18       1.44       (0.23 )       (0.07 )             (0.30 )       15.72        9.98       2,584,805        0.83       0.83       1.72       34

2016

       14.39        0.25        0.20       0.45       (0.23 )       (0.03 )             (0.26 )       14.58        3.15       2,278,599        0.84       0.84       1.74       22

A Class Shares

 

                                                 

2020

     $ 15.88      $ 0.18      $ 0.34     $ 0.52     $ (0.16 )     $ (3.41 )     $     $ (3.57 )     $ 12.83        4.34 %     $ 48,051        1.14 %       1.14 %       1.43 %       111 %

2019

       15.30        0.28        1.25       1.53       (0.32 )       (0.63 )             (0.95 )       15.88        10.71       64,450        1.10       1.10       1.86       66

2018

       15.71        0.24        (0.11 )       0.13       (0.24 )       (0.30 )             (0.54 )       15.30        0.78       74,510        1.08       1.08       1.56       42

2017

       14.57        0.22        1.18       1.40       (0.19 )       (0.07 )             (0.26 )       15.71        9.71       98,976        1.08       1.08       1.45       34

2016

       14.37        0.21        0.21       0.42       (0.19 )       (0.03 )             (0.22 )       14.57        2.96       123,030        1.09       1.09       1.49       22

C Class Shares (commenced operations on September 3, 2019)

 

                                     

2020

     $ 15.88      $ 0.06      $ 0.36     $ 0.42     $ (0.10 )     $ (3.41 )     $     $ (3.51 )     $ 12.79        3.52 %     $ 4,453        1.90 %       1.90 %       0.48 %       111 %

2019

       15.77        0.03        0.16       0.19       (0.08 )                   (0.08 )       15.88        1.23       273        1.90 *       1.90 *       1.11 *       66 **

Westwood High Income Fund ‡‡

 

                                         

Institutional Shares

 

                                             

2020

     $ 9.25      $ 0.35      $ 0.29     $ 0.64     $ (0.34 )     $     $     $ (0.34 )     $ 9.55         7.14 %     $ 72,914        0.27 %       0.59 %       3.78 %       130 %

2019

       9.12        0.41        0.15       0.56       (0.43 )                   (0.43 )       9.25        6.25       65,168        0.80       1.05       4.48       59

2018

       9.37        0.42        (0.24 )       0.18       (0.43 )                   (0.43 )       9.12         1.92         64,926        0.80       1.02       4.57       37

2017

       9.31        0.42        0.06       0.48       (0.42 )                   (0.42 )       9.37         5.27         77,595        0.80       1.01       4.51       71

2016

       9.30        0.40        0.03       0.43       (0.42 )                   (0.42 )       9.31         4.75         70,368        0.84       1.05       4.39       54

A Class Shares

 

                                                      

2020

     $ 9.29      $ 0.34      $ 0.29     $ 0.63     $ (0.32 )     $     $     $ (0.32 )     $ 9.60         7.01 %     $ 320        0.48 %       0.82 %       3.61 %       130 %

2019

       9.15        0.39        0.14       0.53       (0.39 )                   (0.39 )       9.29        5.93       46        1.05       1.34       4.20       59

2018

       9.37        0.40        (0.23 )       0.17       (0.39 )                   (0.39 )       9.15         1.91         31        1.05       1.26       4.26       37

2017

       9.31        0.40        0.06       0.46       (0.40 )                   (0.40 )       9.37         5.01         596        1.05       1.26       4.25       71

2016

       9.30        0.38        0.02       0.40       (0.39 )                   (0.39 )       9.31         4.50         1,541        1.08       1.32       4.18       54

C Class Shares (commenced operations on March 31, 2020)

 

                

2020

     $ 8.23      $ 0.24      $ 1.28     $ 1.52     $ (0.20 )     $     $     $ (0.20 )     $ 9.55        18.51 %     $        0.02 %*       0.03 %*       4.46 %*       130 %**

Westwood Alternative Income Fund ‡‡‡

 

                                                 

Institutional Shares

 

                                                      

2020

     $ 10.25      $ 0.18      $ 0.46     $ 0.64     $ (0.10 )     $ (0.32 )     $     $ (0.42 )     $ 10.47         6.44 %     $ 22,772        0.90 %       1.40 %       1.79 %       137 %

2019

       9.82        0.23        0.41       0.64       (0.21 )                   (0.21 )       10.25        6.57       7,121        1.15 (2)        1.47       2.33       106

2018

       10.12        0.18        (0.29 )       (0.11 )       (0.16 )             (0.03 )       (0.19 )       9.82         (1.09 )       6,193        1.22 (3)        1.62       1.85       88

2017

       10.01        0.17        0.05       0.22       (0.09 )       (0.02 )             (0.11 )       10.12         2.16         7,490        1.37 (4)        2.15       1.69       80

2016

       10.11        0.22        0.13       0.35       (0.21 )       (0.24 )             (0.45 )       10.01         3.62         2,392        1.27 (5)        3.27       2.22       99

A Class Shares (commenced operations on March 31, 2020)

 

                    

2020

     $ 9.78      $ 0.10      $ 0.62     $ 0.72     $ (0.04 )     $     $     $ (0.04 )     $ 10.46         7.35 %     $ 28        1.15 %*       1.67 %*       1.61 %*       137 %**

Ultra Shares

 

                                                      

2020

     $ 10.25      $ 0.19      $ 0.46     $ 0.65     $ (0.11 )     $ (0.32 )     $     $ (0.43 )     $ 10.47         6.54 %     $ 86,386        0.87 %       1.40 %       1.86 %       137 %

2019

       9.82        0.24        0.41       0.65       (0.22 )                   (0.22 )       10.25        6.64       31,553        1.08 (2)        1.39       2.39       106

2018

       10.13        0.19        (0.29 )       (0.10 )       (0.18 )             (0.03 )       (0.21 )       9.82         (1.02 )       27,312        1.12 (3)        1.52       1.96       88

2017

       10.01        0.19        0.04       0.23       (0.09 )       (0.02 )             (0.11 )       10.13         2.31         23,465        1.24 (4)        1.96       1.87       80

2016

       10.11        0.22        0.14       0.36       (0.22 )       (0.24 )             (0.46 )       10.01         3.73         4,093        1.16 (5)        3.17       2.28       99

C Class Shares (commenced operations on March 31, 2020)

 

                                         

2020

     $ 9.78      $ 0.05      $ 0.65     $ 0.70     $ (0.02 )     $     $     $ (0.02 )     $ 10.46         7.21 %     $ 149        2.10 %*       2.62 %*       0.85 %*       137 %**

 

  

Amounts designated as “—” are $0 or have been rounded to $0.

*

Annualized.

**

Not Annualized.

^^

Calculation performed using average shares for the period.

Total return would have been lower had certain expenses not been waived or assumed by the Adviser during the period.

††

Total return is for the period indicated and has not been annualized. Returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

Effective November 1, 2019, Westwood Low Volatility Equity Fund was renamed as Westwood Total Return Fund.

‡‡

Effective November 1, 2019, Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund was renamed as Westwood High Income Fund.

‡‡‡

Effective November 1, 2019, Westwood Market Neutral Income Fund was renamed as Westwood Alternative Income Fund.

(1)

The ratio rounds to 0.00% due to the impact of the low level of average net assets. The share class is expected to run at the expense limit of 1.65% (1.73% excluding waivers) when assets are contributed.

(2)

Excluding stock loan fees, and dividends on securities sold short, the ratio of expenses average net assets would have been 1.12% and 1.05% for Institutional Class and Ultra Class, respectively.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

55


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

(3)

Excluding stock loan fees, and dividends on securities sold short, the ratio of expenses average net assets would have been 1.15% and 1.05% for Institutional Class and Ultra Class, respectively.

(4)

Excluding stock loan fees, and dividends on securities sold short, the ratio of expenses average net assets would have been 1.18% and 1.05% for Institutional Class and Ultra Class, respectively.

(5)

Excluding stock loan fees, and dividends on securities sold short, the ratio of expenses average net assets would have been 1.16% and 1.05% for Institutional Class and Ultra Class, respectively.

(6)

Year ended October 31, unless otherwise noted.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

56


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

1.

Organization:

The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund (the “Trust”) is organized as a Massachusetts business trust under an Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated February 18, 1997. The Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company with 43 funds. The financial statements herein are those of the Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Westwood Total Return Fund (formerly, Westwood Low Volatility Equity Fund), Westwood SMidCap Fund, Westwood SmallCap Fund, Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, Westwood High Income Fund (formerly, Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund) and Westwood Alternative Income Fund (formerly, Westwood Market Neutral Income Fund) (individually, the “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”).

Each of the Funds is classified as a “diversified” Fund under the 1940 Act. The Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Westwood SMid-Cap Fund and Westwood SmallCap Fund seek long-term capital appreciation. The Westwood Income Opportunity Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation and to provide current income by investing in a portfolio of stocks and fixed-income securities. The Westwood Total Return Fund seeks to provide total return, through a combination of current income and capital appreciation, with a lower level of volatility than traditional equity-oriented strategies over a market cycle. The Westwood High Income Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income by investing in a portfolio of fixed-income securities. The Westwood Alternative Income Fund seeks to provide total return through a combination of capital appreciation and current income. The financial statements of the remaining funds of the Trust are presented separately. The assets of each fund are segregated, and a shareholder’s interest is limited to the fund in which shares are held.

The Westwood Emerging Markets Fund liquidated all assets on July 24, 2020. The Westwood Flexible Income Fund liquidated all assets on April 27, 2020. The Westwood Strategic Convertibles Fund liquidated all assets on December 13, 2019.

 

2.

Significant Accounting Policies:

The following are significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Funds. The Funds are an investment company that applies the accounting and reporting guidance issued in Topic 946 by the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).

Use of Estimates — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. general accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates and such differences could be material.

Security Valuation — Securities listed on a securities exchange, market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued at the last quoted sale price on an exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded on valuation date (or at approximately 4:00 pm EST if a security’s primary exchange is normally open at that time), or, if there is no such reported sale on the valuation date, at the most recent quoted bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Such methodologies generally consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, call features, ratings and developments relating to specific securities in arriving at valuations. On the first day a new debt security purchase is recorded, if a price is not available on the automated pricing feeds from our primary and secondary pricing vendors nor is it available from an independent broker, the security may be valued at its purchase price. Each day thereafter, the debt security will be valued according to the Funds’ fair value procedures until an independent source can be secured. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, provided that it is determined the amortized cost continues to approximate fair value. Should existing credit, liquidity or interest rate conditions in the relevant markets and issuer specific circumstances suggest that amortized cost does not approximate fair value, then the amortized cost method may not be used. The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates as of the measurement date. Participatory Notes (“P-Notes”) are valued daily by an independent pricing vendor.

All investment companies held in the Funds’ portfolios are valued at the published net asset value.

 

57


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

Securities for which market prices are not “readily available” are valued in accordance with fair value procedures established by the Funds’ Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Funds’ fair value procedures are implemented through a Fair Value Committee (the “Committee”) designated by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using fair value procedures include: the security’s trading has been halted or suspended; the security has been de-listed from a national exchange; the security’s primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time when under normal conditions it would be open; the security has not been traded for an extended period of time; the security’s primary pricing source is not able or willing to provide a price; or trading of the security is subject to local government-imposed restrictions. When a security is valued in accordance with the fair value procedures, the Committee will determine the value after taking into consideration relevant information reasonably available to the Committee.

Options for which the primary market is a national securities exchange are valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which they are traded, or, in the absence of any sale, at the closing bid price for purchased options and at the closing ask price for written options. Options not traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last quoted bid price.

For securities that principally trade on a foreign market or exchange, a significant gap in time can exist between the time of a particular security’s last trade and the time at which the Fund calculates its net asset value. The closing prices of such securities may no longer reflect their market value at the time the Fund calculates net asset value if an event that could materially affect the value of those securities (a “Significant Event”) has occurred between the time of the security’s last close and the time that the Fund calculates net asset value. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector. If Westwood Management Corp. (the “Adviser”) of the Fund becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a security or group of securities after the closing of the exchange or market on which the security or securities principally trade, but before the time at which the Fund calculates net asset value, it may request that a Committee meeting be called. In addition, SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the “Administrator”) monitors price movements among certain selected indices, securities and/or baskets of securities that may be an indicator that the closing prices received earlier from foreign exchanges or markets may not reflect market value at the time the Fund calculates net asset value. If price movements in a monitored index or security exceed levels established by the Administrator, the Administrator notifies the Adviser that such limits have been exceeded. In such event, the Adviser makes the determination whether a Committee meeting should be called based on the information provided.

In accordance with the authoritative guidance on fair value measurements and disclosure under U.S. GAAP, the Funds disclose the fair value of their investments in a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure the fair value. The objective of a fair value measurement is to determine 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 (an exit price). Accordingly, the fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Level 1 — Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Funds have the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2 — Other significant observable inputs (includes quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, referenced indices, quoted prices in inactive markets, adjusted quoted prices in active markets, etc.);

Level 3 — Prices, inputs or proprietary modeling techniques which are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (supported by little or no market activity).

Investments are classified within the level of the lowest significant input considered in determining fair value. Investments classified within Level 3 whose fair value measurement considers several inputs may include Level 1 or Level 2 inputs as components of the overall fair value measurement.

For the year ended October 31, 2020, there have been no significant changes to the Funds’ fair valuation methodologies.

Securities Sold Short — The Funds may engage in short sales (selling securities it does not own) as a part of their normal investment activities. When the Funds sell a security short, they borrow the security from a third party and sell it at the current market price. The Funds are then obligated to buy the security on a later date so that it can return the security to the lender. Short positions may be used either to hedge long positions or may be used speculatively to seek positive returns in instances where the Adviser believes a security’s price will decline. The Funds will either realize a profit or incur a loss from a

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

short position, depending on whether the value of the underlying stock decreases or increases, respectively, between the time it is sold and when the Funds replace the borrowed security. Because the market price of the security sold short could increase without limit, the Funds could be subject to a theoretically unlimited loss. Upon entering into a short position, the Funds record the proceeds as a receivable from prime broker in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities and establish an offsetting liability for the securities sold under the short sale agreement.

In accordance with the terms of their prime brokerage agreement, the Funds may receive rebate income or be charged a fee on borrowed securities. Such income or fee is calculated on a daily basis based upon the market value of each borrowed security and a variable rate that is dependent upon the availability of such security. The Funds record these prime broker charges on a net basis as broker fees and interest on securities sold short as part of investment advisory fees in their Statement of Operations. In addition, the Funds are required to pay the lender any dividends declared on short positions. Such amounts are recorded on the ex-dividend date as dividend expense, if applicable in their Statement of Operations.

Short sales are collateralized by cash deposits with the counterparty broker, Morgan Stanley, and pledged securities held at the custodian, U.S. Bank, N.A. The collateral required is determined daily by reference to the market value of the short positions.

During the year ended October 31, 2020, the Westwood Alternative Income Fund engaged in short sales. The Fund is required to maintain margin cash balances at the prime broker sufficient to satisfy its short sales positions on a daily basis. The Fund is charged interest expense at the Fed Open Rate plus 200 basis points on the amount of any shortfall in the required cash margin. These amounts are disclosed as Restricted Deposits held at Prime Broker, if any, on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. As of October 31, 2020, the Westwood Alternative Income Fund did not hold any short sales positions.

The Westwood Alternative Income Fund had prime brokerage borrowings throughout the year ended October 31, 2020 as follows:

 

    Maximum
Amount
    Borrowed    
  Average
    Outstanding    
Balance
  Effective
  Interest Rate  
Paid
      Interest    
Paid

USD

    $201,832       $107,541       1.06%       $41  

Federal Income Taxes — It is each Fund’s intention to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company for Federal income tax purposes by complying with the appropriate provisions of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and to distribute substantially all of its income to its shareholders. Accordingly, no provision for Federal income taxes has been made in the financial statements.

The Funds evaluate tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Funds’ tax returns to determine whether it is “more-likely-than-not” (i.e., greater than 50-percent) that each tax position will be sustained upon examination by a taxing authority based on the technical merits of the position. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold are recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. The Funds did not record any tax provision in the current year. However, management’s conclusions regarding tax positions taken may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, examination by tax authorities (i.e., the last 3 open tax year ends), on-going analysis of and changes to tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

As of and during the year ended October 31, 2020, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. During the year ended October 31, 2020, the Funds did not incur any interest or penalties.

Security Transactions and Investment Income — Security transactions are accounted for on trade date for financial reporting purposes. Costs used in determining realized gains or losses on the sale of investment securities are based on the specific identification method. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income is recognized on the accrual basis from settlement date. Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are amortized using the effective interest method. Amortization of premiums and discounts is included in interest income, except for Westwood Alternative Income Fund and Westwood Total Return Fund which do not amortize conversion premiums on convertible bonds. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded as soon as the Fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date.

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

Return of Capital Estimates — Distributions received from investments in master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) generally are comprised of income and return of capital. The Fund records investment income and return of capital based on estimates made at the time such distributions are received. Such estimates are based on historical information available from each MLP and other industry sources. These estimates may subsequently be revised based on information received from MLPs after their tax reporting periods are concluded.

Investments in Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) — Dividend income from REITs is recorded based on the income included in distributions received from the REIT investments using published REIT reclassifications, including some management estimates when actual amounts are not available. Distributions received in excess of any estimated amount are recorded as a reduction of the cost of investments or reclassified to capital gains. The actual amounts of income, return of capital, and capital gains are only determined by each REIT after its fiscal year-end, and may differ from the estimated amounts.

Foreign Currency Translation — The books and records of the Funds are maintained in U.S. dollars. Investment securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollars on the date of valuation. The Funds do not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains and losses resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of securities. These gains and losses are included in net realized gain (loss) and net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments on the Statements of Operations. Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions and net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on foreign currency translations and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies on the Statement of Operations represent net foreign exchange gains or losses from disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Funds’ books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid.

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts — The Funds may enter into forward foreign currency contracts to protect the value of securities held and related receivables and payables against changes in future foreign exchange rates. A forward currency contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell currency at a set price on a future date. The market value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked-to-market daily using the current forward rate and the change in market value is recorded by the Funds as unrealized gain or loss. The Funds recognize realized gains or losses when the contract is closed, equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed. Any realized or unrealized gain (loss) during the year are presented as net realized gain (loss) and net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on forward foreign currency contracts on the Statements of Operations. Risks may arise from unanticipated movements in the value of a foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar. Risks may also arise upon entering into these contracts from the potential inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts and are generally limited to the amount of unrealized gain on the contracts at the date of default. For open forward foreign currency contracts, refer to the Schedule of Investments.

As of October 31, 2020, the Westwood Alternative Income Fund had open forward foreign currency contracts.

For the year ended October 31, 2020, the average notional amount of forward currency contracts held were as follows:

 

  Average Quarterly Notional Contracts Purchased

   $353,684        

  Average Quarterly Notional Contracts Sold

   $6,425,090        

Futures Contracts — The Westwood Alternative Income Fund held futures contracts during the year ended October 31, 2020. To the extent consistent with its investment objective and strategies, the Fund may use futures contracts for tactical hedging purposes as well as to enhance the Fund’s returns. Initial margin deposits of cash or securities are made upon entering into futures contracts. The futures contracts are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of exchange on which they are traded. The futures contracts are marked to market daily and the resulting changes in value are accounted for as unrealized gains and losses. Variation margin payments are paid or received, depending upon whether unrealized gains or losses are incurred. When the futures contract is closed, the Fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the proceeds from (or cost of) the closing transaction and the amount invested in the futures contracts.

Risks of entering into futures contracts include the possibility that there will be an imperfect price correlation between the futures and the underlying securities. Second, it is possible that a lack of liquidity for futures contracts could exist in the secondary market, resulting in an inability to close a position prior to its maturity date. Third, the futures contract involves

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

the risk that a Fund could lose more than the original margin deposit required to initiate a futures transaction. Finally, the risk exists that losses could exceed amounts disclosed on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Refer to the Fund’s Schedule of Investments for details regarding open futures contracts as of October 31, 2020.

As of October 31, 2020, the Westwood Alternative Income Fund had open futures contracts.

For the year ended October 31, 2020, the average notional amount of futures contracts held were as follows:

 

    Average Quarterly Notional Balance Short

   $ 2,459,428          

Options Written/Purchased — The Funds may utilize longer maturity options for stock replacement when and as price and volatility relationships become more favorable for options versus underlying stocks or for tax and liquidity management purposes. The Funds are authorized to write (sell) and purchase put and call options. The risk in writing a call option is that the Funds give up the opportunity to profit if the market price of the security increases. The risk in writing a put option is that the Funds may incur a loss if the market price of the security decreases and the option is exercised. The risk in purchasing an option is that the Funds pay a premium whether or not the option is exercised. The Funds also have the additional risk of being unable to enter into a closing transaction at an acceptable price if a liquid secondary market does not exist. Option contracts also involve the risk that they may not work as intended due to unanticipated developments in market conditions or other causes.

As of October 31, 2020, the Westwood Alternative Income Fund had open purchased option positions.

For the year ended October 31, 2020, the average notional balances for purchased options were as follows:

 

    Average Quarterly Notional Balance for Purchased Options

   $ 238,530          

Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) — The Funds may invest in MLPs. MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies, whose partnership units or limited liability interests are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange, and are treated as publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. To qualify to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, an MLP must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). These qualifying sources include activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of mineral or natural resources. MLPs that are formed as limited partnerships generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners. MLPs that are formed as limited liability companies generally have two analogous classes of owners, the managing member and the members. For purposes of this section, references to general partners also apply to managing member and references to limited partners also apply to members. The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an equity interest of as much as 2% in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. Limited partners own the remainder of the MLP through ownership of common units and have a limited role in the MLP’s operations and management.

Swap Contracts — The Funds are authorized to enter into swap contracts, including interest rate swap contracts, for the purposes of managing the Funds’ interest rate duration, yield curve exposure and yield spread sensitivity. Swaps are a two-party contract in which the seller (buyer) will pay to the buyer (seller) the difference between the current value of a security and its value at the time the contract was entered. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by a Fund with another party of their respective commitment to pay or receive interest (e.g., an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments) with respect to a notional amount of principal. Swap contracts are privately negotiated in the over-the-counter market (“OTC Swaps”) or may be executed in a multilateral or other trade facility platform, such as a registered commodities exchange (“Centrally Cleared Swaps”).

Total return swaps allow an investor to benefit from the cash flow without ever actually owning the underlying security. The receiver must pay any decline in value to the payer at the end of the total return swaps. However, the investor does not need to make a payment if there is no decline in price. Payments can be made on various indices, bonds (i.e. mortgage backed securities, bank debt and corporate), loans or commodities. The value of a total return swap is equal to the change in value of the underlying asset versus the accrued income payment based on LIBOR or some other form of indices on the notional amount. Payments received or made are recorded as realized gains or loss. A Fund could be exposed to credit or

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or if the counterparty defaults on its obligation to perform. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Interest rate and Total Return swap contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after a Fund’s portfolio. In connection with swap agreements, securities may be set aside as collateral by a Fund’s custodian.

Periodic payments made or received are recorded as realized gains or losses. At year end, the Statements of Assets and Liabilities reflect, if any, unrealized appreciation or depreciation and accrued periodic payments for swap contracts the Funds may have open at year end.

Entering into swap contracts involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit, interest rate and market risk in excess of the amounts recognized on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Such risks involve the possibility that there will be no liquid market for these contracts, that the counterparty to the contract may default on its obligation to perform and that there may be unfavorable changes in market conditions or fluctuations in interest rates. Swaps outstanding at year end, if any, are listed on the Schedules of Investments. In connection with swap contracts, cash or securities may be segregated as collateral by the Funds’ custodian. Refer to each Fund’s Schedule of Investments for details regarding open swap contracts as of October 31, 2020, if applicable.

There is the risk that the counterparty refuses to continue to enter into swap agreements with the Funds in the future, or requires increased fees, which could impair the Funds’ ability to achieve their investment objective. A counterparty may also increase its collateral requirements, which may limit the Fund’s ability to use leverage and reduce investment returns. In addition, if the Funds cannot locate a counterparty willing to enter into transactions with the Funds, they will not be able to implement their investment strategy. As of October 31, 2020, the Westwood Alternative Income Fund’s swap contracts were with one counterparty.

For the year ended October 31, 2020, the average notional balances for swap contracts were as follows:

 

    Average Quarterly Notional Balance for Swap Contracts - Payable

   $ 28,065,423  

    Average Quarterly Notional Balance for Swap Contracts - Receivable

   $ 25,669,449  

Participatory Notes — The Funds may invest in participatory notes, commonly known as P-Notes. These instruments are issued by registered foreign institutional investors to investors wanting to invest in the Indian stock market without registering themselves with the market regulator. P-Notes are used to gain exposure to underlying common stocks, and can be purchased through a registered brokerage firm, who buys the India based local security and then issues the participatory note to the investor. Any dividends or capital gains from the underlying security are passed on to the investor. Since these instruments are issued by a company other than the one to which the security is linked, they carry the credit of the issuer, not that of the underlying common stock.

Classes — Class specific expenses, such as distribution fees, are borne by that class of shares. Income, realized and unrealized gains/ losses and non-class specific expenses are allocated to the respective class on the basis of relative daily net assets.

Expenses — Expenses that are directly related to Funds are charged to the Funds. Other operating expenses of the Trust are prorated to the Funds based on the number of funds and/or relative net assets.

Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders — The Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Westwood Total Return Fund, Westwood SMidCap Fund and Westwood SmallCap Fund distribute substantially all of their net investment income, if any, at least annually. The Westwood Income Opportunity Fund and Westwood Alternative Income Fund distribute substantially all of their net investment income, if any, quarterly. The Westwood High Income Fund distributes substantially all of its net investment income, if any, monthly. For each Fund, any net realized capital gains are distributed at least annually. All dividends and distributions are recorded on ex-dividend date.

Deferred Offering Costs — Offering costs of the Fund, including costs of printing the initial prospectus, legal, and registration fees, are being amortized to expense over a twelve month period.

Redemption Fees — The Funds retain a redemption fee of 1.00% on redemptions of capital shares held for less than 30 days. The redemption fee is recorded as an increase to paid-in capital. The redemption fees retained by the Funds, if any, are reported on the Statements of Changes in Net Assets.

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

3. Derivative Transactions:

The following tables include the Funds’ exposure by type of risk on derivatives held throughout the period.

The Fair Value of derivative instruments as of October 31, 2020, was as follows:

 

    

Asset Derivatives

October 31, 2020

Statements of Assets and

Liabilities Location

  

  Fair Value    

  

Liability Derivatives
  October 31, 2020

Statements of Assets and

Liabilities Location

  

  Fair Value    

  Derivatives not accounted for as hedging instruments:

        

  Westwood Alternative Income Fund

        
  Foreign Exchange      Unrealized Gain on Forward Foreign           Unrealized Loss on Forward Foreign     
  Contracts      Currency Contracts    $865        Currency Contracts    $10,282  
     Unrealized Gain on Futures    10,990*        Unrealized Loss on Futures    —  
  Equity Contracts      Purchased Options, at Value    191,728        Written Options, at Value    —  
     Unrealized Gain on Swap Contracts    3,284,783†        Unrealized Loss on Swap Contracts    959,954†  
  Credit Contracts      Unrealized Gain on Swap Contracts    434,946†        Unrealized Loss on Swap Contracts    716,897†  
     

 

     

 

Total Derivatives not accounted for as hedging instruments

      $3,923,312         $1,687,133  
     

 

     

 

*Includes cumulative appreciation (depreciation) of futures contracts as reported in the Schedule of Investments.

†Includes cumulative appreciation (depreciation) of swap contracts as reported in the Schedule of Investments.

The effect of derivative instruments on the Statements of Operations for the year ended October 31, 2020, was as follows:

The amount of realized gain (loss) on derivatives recognized in income:

 

  Derivatives Not

  Accounted for as

  Hedging Instruments

   Forward
Foreign
Currency
    Contracts    
          Futures             Purchased  
Options
     Written
    Options    
         Swaps              Total      

  Westwood Alternative Income Fund

 

              

  Foreign Exchange Contracts

     $(46,504)          $(40,846)          $—          $—          $—          $(87,350)    

  Equity Contracts

     —          —          —          —          (12,571,232)          (12,571,232)    

  Credit Contracts

     —          —          (257,173)          (128,991)          7,185,107          6,798,943    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

  Total

     $(46,504)          $(40,846)          $(257,173)          $(128,991)          $(5,386,125)          $(5,859,639)    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in income:

 

  Derivatives Not Accounted for
  as Hedging Instruments

  

    Forward Foreign    
Currency
Contracts

  

    Futures    

  

    Purchased    
Options

  

Written
    Options    

  

    Swaps    

  

    Total    

  Westwood Alternative Income Fund

              

Foreign Exchange Contracts

   $(7,638)      $32,037      $—      $—      $—      $24,399  

  Equity Contracts

   —      —      —      —      2,471,108      2,471,108  

  Credit Contracts

   —      —      77,280      —      (413,957)      (336,677)  
  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  Total

               $(7,638)          $32,037          $77,280          $—          $2,057,151          $2,158,830  
  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

4. Offsetting Assets and Liabilities:

The Westwood Alternative Income Fund is required to disclose the impact of offsetting assets and liabilities represented in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities to enable users of the financial statements to evaluate the effect or potential effect of netting arrangements on its financial position for recognized assets and liabilities. These recognized assets and liabilities are financial instruments and derivative instruments that are either subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement or meet the following right of setoff criteria: the amounts owed by the Westwood Alternative Income Fund to another party are determinable, the Fund has the right to set off the amounts owed with the amounts owed by the other party, the Westwood Alternative Income Fund intends to set off, and the Fund’s right of setoff is enforceable at law.

 

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A Fund is subject to various netting arrangements with select counterparties (“Master Agreements”). Master Agreements govern the terms of certain transactions, and reduce the counterparty risk associated with relevant transactions by specifying credit protection mechanisms and providing standardization that improves legal certainty. Since different types of transactions have different mechanics and are sometimes traded out of different legal entities of a particular counterparty organization, each type of transaction may be covered by a different Master Agreement, resulting in the need for multiple agreements with a single counterparty. As the Master Agreements are specific to unique operations of different asset types, they allow a Fund to close out and net its total exposure to a specific counterparty entity in the event of a default with respect to all the transactions governed under a single agreement with a specific counterparty entity.

Master Agreements can also help limit counterparty risk by specifying collateral posting arrangements at pre-arranged exposure levels. Under the Master Agreements, collateral is routinely transferred if the total net exposure to certain transactions (net of existing collateral already in place) governed under the relevant Master Agreement with a counterparty in a given account exceeds a specified threshold, which typically ranges from zero to $250,000 depending on the counterparty and the type of Master Agreement. United States Treasury Securities and U.S. dollar cash are generally the preferred forms of collateral. Securities and cash pledged as collateral are reflected as assets in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as either a component of investments at value (securities) or deposits due from counterparties (cash). Cash collateral received is not typically held in a segregated account and as such is reflected as a liability in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as deposits due to counterparties. The market value of any securities received as collateral is not reflected as a component of net asset value. A Fund’s overall exposure to counterparty risk can change substantially within a short period, as it is affected by each transaction subject to the relevant Master Agreement.

Customer account agreements and related addendums govern cleared derivatives transactions such as futures, options on futures, and cleared Over The Counter (“OTC”) derivatives. Cleared derivative transactions require posting of initial margin as determined by each relevant clearing agency which is segregated at a broker account registered with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), or the applicable regulator. In the U.S., counterparty risk is believed to be reduced as creditors of the futures broker do not have claim to Fund assets in the segregated account. Additionally, portability of exposure in the event of default further reduces risk to the Funds. Variation margin, or changes in market value, are exchanged daily, but generally may not be netted between futures and cleared OTC derivatives.

International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreements and Credit Support Annexes (“ISDA Master Agreements”) govern OTC financial derivative transactions entered into by a Fund and select counterparties. ISDA Master Agreements maintain provisions for general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral and events of default or termination. Events of termination include conditions that may entitle counterparties to elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all outstanding transactions under the applicable ISDA Master Agreement. Any election to terminate early could be material to the financial statements. In limited circumstances, the ISDA Master Agreement may contain additional provisions that add additional counterparty protection beyond coverage of existing daily exposure if the counterparty has a decline in credit quality below a predefined level. These amounts, if any, may be segregated with a third party custodian.

The following is a summary by derivative type of the market value of OTC financial derivative instruments and collateral (received)/pledged for the Westwood Alternative Income Fund as of October 31, 2020:

 

     Financial Derivative Assets      Financial Derivative Liabilities                       
    Counterparty        Forward
    Foreign
    Currency
    Contracts
     Swap Contracts          Total Over the    
Counter
     Forward
Foreign
Currency
Contracts
     Swap Contracts      Total Over the
Counter
     Net Market
Value of OTC
Derivatives
     Collateral
(Received)
Pledged
     Net
  Exposures(1)  
 

 

 

BNP Paribas

       $        $  3,719,729            $    3,719,729              $        $(1,676,851)            $ (1,676,851)          $2,042,878      $     —        $  2,042,878  

U.S. Bank

         865        —            865                (10,282)        —              (10,282)          (9,417)               (9,417)  
  

 

 

    

 

 

          
       $ 865        $  3,719,729            $    3,720,594              $ (10,282)        $(1,676,851)            $ (1,687,133)             

(1) Net Exposures represents the net receivable/payable that would be due from/to the counterparty in the event of default.

5. Transactions with Affiliates:

Certain officers of the Trust are also employees of SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the “Administrator”), a wholly owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company and/or SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the “Distributor”). Such officers are paid no fees by the Trust for serving as officers of the Trust other than the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) as described below.

 

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A portion of the services provided by the CCO and his staff, whom are employees of the Administrator, are paid for by the Trust as incurred. The services include regulatory oversight of the Trust’s Advisors and service providers as required by SEC regulations. The CCO’s services and fees have been approved by and are reviewed by the Board.

6. Administration, Distribution, Shareholder Servicing, Transfer Agent and Custodian Agreements:

The Funds and the Administrator are parties to an Administration Agreement, under which the Administrator provides administrative services to the Funds. For these services, the Administrator is paid an asset based fee, which will vary depending on the number of share classes and the average daily net assets of the Fund.

The Trust and the Distributor are parties to a Distribution Agreement. The Distributor receives no fees under the agreement.

The Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Westwood Total Return Fund, Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, Westwood SmallCap Fund, Westwood High Income Fund and Westwood Alternative Income Fund have adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) relating to each Fund’s Class A and Class C Shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act. The Plan provides for payment at an annual rate of 0.25% and 1.00% of the average daily net assets of each Fund’s Class A and Class C Shares, respectively.

The Westwood Alternative Income Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan that provides that the Fund may pay financial intermediaries for shareholder services in an annual amount not to exceed 0.15% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Institutional Shares. The Westwood High Income Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan that provides that the Fund may pay financial intermediaries for shareholder services in an annual amount not to exceed 0.19% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Institutional Shares. The Westwood SMidCap Fund and the Westwood SmallCap Fund have each adopted a shareholder servicing plan that provides that the Funds may pay financial intermediaries for shareholder services in an annual amount not to exceed 0.20% based on average daily net assets of the Funds’ Institutional Shares. The Westwood SmallCap Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan that provides that the Fund may pay financial intermediaries for shareholder services in an annual amount not to exceed 0.05% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Class Y Shares. The Funds do not pay these service fees on shares purchased directly. In addition to payments made directly to financial intermediaries by the Funds, the Adviser or its affiliates may, at their own expense, pay financial intermediaries for these and other services to the Funds’ shareholders. For the year ended October 31, 2020, Westwood SMidCap Fund, Westwood SmallCap Fund, Westwood High Income Fund and Westwood Alternative Income Fund incurred $252,676, $598,697, $39,596, and $9,491, respectively, of shareholder servicing fees for the Institutional Shares or an effective rate of 0.15%, 0.15%, 0.06%, and 0.10%, respectively. The Westwood SmallCap Fund incurred $9,295 of shareholder servicing fees for the Class Y Shares or an effective rate of 0.02%.

DST Systems, Inc. serves as the transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent for the Funds under a transfer agency agreement with the Trust.

The Funds earned cash management credits which are used to offset transfer agent expenses. These credit amounts are listed as “Fees Paid Indirectly” on the Statements of Operations.

U.S. Bank, N.A. acts as custodian (the “Custodian”) for the Funds. The Custodian plays no role in determining the investment policies of the Funds or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Funds.

7. Investment Advisory Agreement:

Under the terms of an investment advisory agreement with the Funds, the Adviser provides investment advisory services to the Funds and receives a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at the following annual rates based on the average daily net assets of each Fund. For Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Westwood SMidCap Fund, Westwood SmallCap Fund and West-wood Income Opportunity Fund, the Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its investment advisory fees and reimburse expenses for the Funds in order to keep net operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses) as set forth below (the “Institutional Class Expense Limitation”, “A Class Expense Limitation”, “Ultra Class Expense Limitation”, “C Class Expense Limitation”, and “Y Class Expense Limitation”). For Westwood Total Return Fund, Westwood High Income Fund and Westwood Alternative Income Fund, the Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its investment advisory fees and reimburse expenses for the Funds in order to keep net operating expenses (excluding investment advisory fees, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary

 

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expenses) as set forth below (the “Institutional Class Expense Limitation”, “A Class Expense Limitation” , “Ultra Class Expense Limitation” and the “C Class Expense Limitation”). The contractual waivers for the following Funds are in place through February 28, 2021 except as noted below:

 

 

 

 

 
      Advisory Fee    

Institutional Class

Expense Limitation

    A Class Expense
Limitation
    Ultra Class Expense
Limitation
   

C Class Expense

Limitation

    Y Class Expense
Limitation
 
 

 

 

 

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

           
    0.60%       0.65%       0.90%       N/A       1.65%(1)       N/A  

Westwood Total Return Fund

           
    0.50%(2)       0.05%       0.30%(1)       N/A       1.05%(1)       N/A  

Westwood SMidCap Fund

           
    0.75%       0.88%       N/A       0.68%(1)       N/A       N/A  

Westwood SmallCap Fund

           
    0.85%       0.99%       1.04%       N/A       1.79%       0.84%(1)  

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund

           
    0.75%       0.90%       1.15%       N/A       1.90%       N/A  

Westwood High Income Fund

           
    0.38%(3)       0.29%       0.35%       N/A       1.10%(1)       N/A  

Westwood Alternative Income Fund

           
    0.53%(4)       0.14%       0.24%(1)       0.00%       0.99%(1)       N/A  

(1) Class expense limitation is in place through February 28, 2022.

(2) Prior to November 1, 2019, the Adviser was entitled to a fee for its services to the Westwood Total Return Fund of 0.70%. The Base Fee is an annual rate of 0.50%. The Index Hurdle is the Blended 60/40 S&P 500 Index/Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index plus 1.00%. The Performance Adjustment is calculated according to a schedule that adds or subtracts 0.0020% of the share class’ average daily net assets for each 0.01% by which the performance of the share class exceeds or lags the performance of the Index Hurdle over the Performance Period. The maximum Performance Adjustment (positive or negative) will not exceed an annual rate of +/- 0.20% of the share class’ average daily net assets during the Performance Period, which would occur when the performance of the share class exceeds, or is exceeded by, the performance of the Index Hurdle by 1.00% over the Performance Period. Accordingly, the management fee will range from a minimum annual rate of 0.30% to a maximum annual rate of 0.70%.

(3) Prior to November 1, 2019, the Adviser was entitled to a fee for its services to the Westwood High Income Fund of 0.70%. The Base Fee is an annual rate of 0.38%. The Index Hurdle is the Blended 80/20 Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index/S&P 500 Index plus 1.00%. The Performance Adjustment is calculated according to a schedule that adds or subtracts 0.0032% of the share class’ average daily net assets for each 0.01% by which the performance of the share class exceeds or lags the performance of the Index Hurdle over the Performance Period. The maximum Performance Adjustment (positive or negative) will not exceed an annual rate of +/- 0.32% of the share class’ average daily net assets during the Performance Period, which would occur when the performance of the share class exceeds, or is exceeded by, the performance of the Index Hurdle by 1.00% over the Performance Period. Accordingly, the management fee will range from a minimum annual rate of 0.06% to a maximum annual rate of 0.70%.

(4) Prior to November 1, 2019, the Adviser was entitled to a fee for its services to the Westwood Alternative Income Fund of 0.85%. The Base Fee is an annual rate of 0.53%. The Index Hurdle is the FTSE 1-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 2.00%. The Performance Adjustment is calculated according to a schedule that adds or subtracts 0.0016% of the share class’ average daily net assets for each 0.01% by which the performance of the share class exceeds or lags the performance of the Index Hurdle over the Performance Period. The maximum Performance Adjustment (positive or negative) will not exceed an annual rate of +/- 0.32% of the share class’ average daily net assets during the Performance Period, which would occur when the performance of the share class exceeds, or is exceeded by, the performance of the Index Hurdle by 2.00% over the Performance Period. Accordingly, the management fee will range from a minimum annual rate of 0.21% to a maximum annual rate of 0.85%.

N/A – Not applicable.

In connection with the Adviser’s Sensible Fees framework, for its services to each share class of the Westwood Total Return Fund, Westwood High Income Fund and Westwood Alternative Income Fund, the Adviser is entitled to a management fee, which consists of a base fee (the “Base Fee”) and a positive or negative performance adjustment (the “Performance Adjustment”) based on whether, and to what extent, the investment performance of each share class of each Fund exceeds, or is exceeded by, the performance of an index hurdle (the “Index Hurdle”) over the 12-month period from November 1 of each year through October 31 of the following year (the “Performance Period”). For each share class of each Fund, the Base Fee and Performance Adjustment are each calculated and accrued daily based on the average daily net assets of the share class during the Performance Period. The Base Fee and Performance Adjustment for the Funds discussed above are a part of the investment advisory fees in the Statement of Operations.

The Adviser may seek reimbursement for investment advisory fees waived or limited and other expenses paid by the Adviser during the preceding three-year period, pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreement. Reimbursement by a Fund of the investment advisory fees waived and other expenses paid by the Adviser pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreement may be made when a Fund has reached a sufficient asset size to permit reimbursement to be made without causing the total annual operating expense ratio of each Fund to exceed the total operating expense limitation.

 

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At October 31, 2020, the amount the Adviser may seek as reimbursement of previously waived fees and reimbursed expenses, up to the expense cap in place at the time the expenses were waived, is as follows:    

 

               Fiscal Year               Subject to
Repayment until
October 31:
    Westwood LargeCap  
Value Fund
 

Westwood Total

Return Fund

  Westwood SMidCap
Fund
      Westwood                
    SmallCap Fund                 
 

 

 
 

 10/31/17 -

      2021       $156,791        $86,492        $494,834        $266,861 
 

 10/31/18

                   
 

 10/31/18 -

      2022       186,247        75,819        298,875        449,204 
 

 10/31/19

                   
 

 10/31/19 -

      2023       240,915        207,589        294,660        768,808 
 

 10/31/20

                   
         

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 
                  $583,953              $369,900              $1,088,369        $1,484,873 
         

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 
               Fiscal Year  

Subject to

Repayment until
October 31:

  Westwood High
Income Fund
  Westwood Alternative            
Income Fund            
       
 

 

         
 

 10/31/17 -

      2021       $152,645        $124,524         
 

 10/31/18

                   
 

 10/31/18 -

      2022       151,424        106,271         
 

 10/31/19

                   
 

 10/31/19 -

      2023       210,214        342,351         
 

 10/31/20

                   
         

 

 

     

 

 

         
                  $514,283              $573,146         
         

 

 

     

 

 

         

For Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, there are no previous waived fees for each of the three years ended October 31, 2020 and therefore, no amount are eligible for the Adviser to recapture.

8. Investment Transactions:

The cost of security purchases and proceeds from security sales, other than short-term securities, for the year ended October 31, 2020, were as follows:

 

    Purchases       Sales and Maturities           U.S. Government    
Purchases
      U.S. Government Sales    
and Maturities

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

  $     100,292,518         $     144,588,736         $         $      

Westwood Total Return Fund

    94,304,616       30,757,958       7,934,422       2,850,450  

Westwood SMidCap Fund

    116,227,945       130,251,156              

Westwood SmallCap Fund

    426,132,701       282,173,820              

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund

    711,651,996       929,598,101           127,747,674           255,814,437  

Westwood High Income Fund

    94,187,211       52,623,049       28,573,082       25,668,405  

Westwood Alternative Income Fund*

    103,015,551       57,472,776       12,001,523       12,013,125  

* The cost of purchases to cover securities sold short and the proceeds from securities sold short were $28,836 and $574,780, respectively, for the year ended October 31, 2020.

9. Federal Tax Information:

The amount and character of income and capital gain distributions to be paid, if any, are determined in accordance with Federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. As a result, net investment income (loss) and net realized gain/(loss) on investment transactions for a reporting period may differ significantly from distributions during the year. The book/tax differences may be temporary or permanent.

The permanent differences primarily consist of foreign currency translations, reclassification of long term capital gain distribution on REITs, investments in publically traded partnerships, deemed distributions, net operating loss, perpetual bond adjustments, investments in swaps, net operating loss offset to short term capital gain, paydown gain (loss), constructive dividend, and distribution reclassification. The permanent differences that are credited or charged to Paid in Capital and distributable earnings as of October 31, 2020 are primarily related to utilization of earnings and profits on shareholder redemptions and non-deductible partnership expenses.

 

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       Distributable Earnings/           
     (Loss)              Paid-in Capital           

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

     $     (2,017,090)            $       2,017,090      

Westwood Total Return Fund

     (175,195)            175,195      

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund

     (22,621,332)            22,621,332      

Late-year loss deferrals represent ordinary losses realized from January 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020. The funds can elect to treat them as arising in the first date of the following fiscal year.

For tax purposes, short-term realized gains are considered ordinary income. The tax character of dividends and distributions declared during the last two fiscal years were as follows:

 

           Long-Term Capital             
       Ordinary Income     Gain     Return of Capital        Total

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

         

2020

   $        3,807,646     $ 7,169,852     $ —       $       10,977,498  

2019

     5,639,464       17,591,003       —         23,230,467  

Westwood Total Return Fund

         

2020

     689,986       839,399       —         1,529,385  

2019

     330,815       2,307,240       —         2,638,055  

Westwood SMidCap Fund

         

2020

     1,645,424       19,512,974       —         21,158,398  

2019

     3,751,484       31,638,419       —         35,389,903  

Westwood SmallCap Fund

         

2020

     2,487,562       1,890,956       —         4,378,518  

2019

     8,026,194       12,203,825       —         20,230,019  

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund

         

2020

     11,495,565       199,489,527       —         210,985,092  

2019

     27,070,730       104,121,260       —         131,191,990  

Westwood High Income Fund

         

2020

     2,406,442             —         2,406,442  

2019

     2,727,952             —         2,727,952  

Westwood Alternative Income Fund

         

2020

     1,546,501       311,092       —         1,857,593  

2019

     721,434               —         721,434   

As of October 31, 2020, the components of distributable earnings/(accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

      Undistributed       Undistributed         Capital   Unrealized   Other   Total Distributable
    Ordinary   Long-Term   Current Year Late-   Loss   Appreciation/   Temporary   Earnings/
    Income   Capital Gain     Year Loss Deferral       Carryforwards       (Depreciation)       Differences       (Accumulated Losses)  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

  $       2,185,932      $       8,668,764     $     $     $ 37,751,771     $ (12   $ 48,606,455  

Westwood Total Return Fund

    2,339,044       317,549                   10,001,937       (13     12,658,517  

Westwood SMidCap Fund

    1,186,257       3,590,668                   19,212,082       (13     23,988,994  

Westwood SmallCap Fund

    2,733,533                   (14,307,554     6,812,383       213       (4,761,425

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund

    17,035,668       31,060,098                    80,221,883       (2     128,317,647  

Westwood High Income Fund

    88,066                   (16,316,331 )       2,399,660       (9     (13,828,614

Westwood Alternative Income Fund

                (1,210,811 )             6,025,210        (542,471 )       4,271,928   

Other temporary differences primarily consist of straddle loss deferral.

For Federal income tax purposes, capital losses incurred may be carried forward and applied against future capital gains.

Funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses for an unlimited period. Additionally, capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital. Capital loss carryforwards are as follows:

 

         Short-Term Loss             Long-Term Loss                         Total               

Westwood SmallCap Fund

   $     $       14,307,554     $ 14,307,554    

Westwood High Income Fund

           2,858,564       13,457,767       16,316,331    

During the year ended October 31, 2020, the Funds did not utilize capital loss carryforwards to offset capital gains.

 

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The difference between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is due to differences in the timing of recognition of gains and losses on investments for tax and book purposes. The Funds’ net unrealized appreciation difference is attributable primarily to wash sales, constructive dividend income and partnership adjustments.

The Federal tax cost and aggregate gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation on investments held by the Funds at October 31, 2020, were as follows:

 

          Aggregate     Aggregate        
    Federal     Gross     Gross     Net  
    Tax     Unrealized     Unrealized     Unrealized  
                Cost                          Appreciation                     Depreciation                       Appreciation            

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

  $ 134,659,433       $ 46,551,149     $ (8,799,378)       $ 37,751,771    

Westwood Total Return Fund

    76,466,600                     11,566,734       (1,564,797)         10,001,937    

Westwood SMidCap Fund

    145,713,492         26,837,058       (7,624,976)         19,212,082    

Westwood SmallCap Fund

        511,686,500         64,243,259                   (57,430,876)         6,812,383    

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund

    628,009,081         85,727,142       (5,505,259)                     80,221,883    

Westwood High Income Fund

    70,199,615         4,464,498       (2,064,838)         2,399,660    

Westwood Alternative Income Fund

    88,864,134         7,388,556       (1,363,346)         6,025,210    

10. Risks:

Below are summaries of some, but not all, of the principal risks of investing in one or more of the Funds, each of which could adversely affect a Fund’s NAV, yield and total return. Each risk listed below does not necessarily apply to each Fund, and you should read each Fund’s prospectus carefully for a description of the principal risks associated with investing in a particular Fund.

The Westwood High Income Fund invests substantially all of its assets in high yield, or “junk,” bonds, and such investments represent highly speculative securities that are usually issued by smaller, less creditworthy and/or highly leveraged (indebted) companies. Compared with investment-grade bonds, high yield bonds are considered to carry a greater degree of risk and are considered to be less likely to make payments of interest and principal. In particular, lower-quality high yield bonds (rated CCC, CC, C, or unrated securities judged to be of comparable quality) are subject to a greater degree of credit risk than higher-quality high yield bonds and may be near default. High yield bonds rated D are in default. Market developments and the financial and business conditions of the corporation issuing these securities generally influence their price and liquidity more than changes in interest rates, when compared to investment-grade debt securities. In addition, insufficient liquidity in the non-investment grade bond market may make it more difficult to dispose of non-investment grade bonds and may cause the Fund to experience sudden and substantial price declines.

At October 31, 2020, the net assets of the Westwood Alternative Income Fund was substantially comprised of foreign denominated securities and/or currency. Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of, and investment income from, such securities and currency.

Foreign security and currency transactions may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with those of U.S. dollar denominated transactions as a result of, among other factors, the possibly lower level of governmental supervision and regulation of foreign securities markets and the possibility of political or economic instability.

The Westwood Alternative Income Fund invests in short sales. A short sale involves the sale of a security that the Fund does not own in the expectation of purchasing the same security (or a security exchangeable therefore) at a later date at a lower price. Short sales expose the Fund to the risk that it will be required to buy the security sold short (also known as “covering” the short position) at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. Investment in short sales may also cause the Fund to incur expenses related to borrowing securities. Reinvesting proceeds received from short selling may create leverage which can amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund and, therefore, the Fund’s share prices. Theoretically, uncovered short sales have the potential to expose the Fund to unlimited losses.

The Westwood Alternative Income Fund invests all of its net assets in convertible securities. A convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates (with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline) and the credit standing of the issuer. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of the conversion or exercise feature.

The Westwood Alternative Income Fund invests in securities that are subject to derivatives risk. Derivatives risk means that the Fund’s use of futures contracts and swaps is subject to market risk, leverage risk, correlation risk, hedging risk and liquidity risk. Market risk is the risk that the market value of an investment may move up and down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Leverage risk is the risk that the use of leverage may amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund’s share price and may

 

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also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations. Correlation risk is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly or at all with the underlying asset, rate or index.

11. Indemnifications:

In the normal course of business, the Funds enter into contracts that provide general indemnifications. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Funds and, therefore, cannot be established; however, based on experience, the risk of loss from such claims is considered remote.

12. Other:

At October 31, 2020, the percentage of total shares outstanding held by shareholders for each Fund, which are comprised of omnibus accounts that are held on behalf of various individual shareholders was as follows:

 

         No. of Shareholders                % Ownership        

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Institutional Shares

   3    65%

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, A Class Shares

   1    76%

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, C Class Shares

   1    100%

Westwood Total Return Fund, Institutional Shares

   1    93%

Westwood Total Return Fund, A Class Shares

   1    100%

Westwood Total Return Fund, C Class Shares

   1    100%

Westwood SMidCap Fund, Institutional Shares

   3    82%

Westwood SMidCap Fund, Ultra Shares

   1    100%

Westwood SmallCap Fund, Institutional Shares

   1    39%

Westwood SmallCap Fund, A Class Shares

   3    89%

Westwood SmallCap Fund, C Class Shares

   3    74%

Westwood SmallCap Fund, Y Class Shares

   3    67%

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, Institutional Shares

   2    30%

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, A Class Shares

   1    37%

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, C Class Shares

   1    72%

Westwood High Income Fund, Institutional Class Shares

   1    90%

Westwood High Income Fund, A Class Shares

   2    85%

Westwood High Income Fund, C Class Shares

   1    100%

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, Institutional Shares

   3    84%

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, Ultra Shares

   1    100%

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, A Class Shares

   2    100%

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, C Class Shares

   1    100%

13. New Accounting Pronouncement:

In August 2018, The FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820). The new guidance includes additions, removals and modifications to disclosures requirements for fair value measurements. For public entities, the amendments are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Funds early adopted this guidance as of November 1, 2019. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the financial statements.

14. Subsequent Events:

The Funds have evaluated the need for additional disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued. Based on this evaluation, no additional disclosures and/or adjustments were required to the financial statements as of October 31, 2020.

On November 2, 2020, the Small Cap Fund’s Y Class Shares were re-designated as Ultra Shares.

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

  REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Board of Trustees of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund and Shareholders of

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Westwood Total Return Fund (previously Westwood Low Volatility Equity Fund), Westwood SMidCap Fund, Westwood SmallCap Fund, Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, Westwood High Income Fund (previously Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund) and Westwood Alternative Income Fund (previously Westwood Market Neutral Income Fund)

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities of Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Westwood Total Return Fund (previously Westwood Low Volatility Equity Fund), Westwood SMidCap Fund, Westwood SmallCap Fund, West-wood Income Opportunity Fund, Westwood High Income Fund (previously Westwood Short Duration High Yield Fund) and Westwood Alternative Income Fund (previously Westwood Market Neutral Income Fund) (collectively referred to as the “Funds”) (seven of the series constituting The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund (the “Trust”)), including the schedules of investments, as of October 31, 2020, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Funds (seven of the series constituting The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund) at October 31, 2020, the results of their operations for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Funds’ financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Trust in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Trust is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers or by other appropriate auditing procedures where replies from brokers were not received. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion

 

LOGO

We have served as the auditor of one or more Westwood Management Corp. investment companies since 2006.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

December 29, 2020

 

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  DISCLOSURE OF FUND EXPENSES (Unaudited)

 

All mutual funds have operating expenses. As a shareholder of a mutual fund, your investment is affected by these ongoing costs, which include (among others) costs for fund management, administrative services, and shareholder reports like this one. It is important for you to understand the impact of these costs on your investment returns.

Operating expenses such as these are deducted from a mutual fund’s gross income and directly reduce its final investment return. These expenses are expressed as a percentage of a mutual fund’s average net assets; this percentage is known as a mutual fund’s expense ratio.

The following examples are intended to help you understand the ongoing fees (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and to compare these costs with those of other mutual funds. The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period shown and held for the entire period (May 1, 2020 - October 31, 2020).

The table on the following pages illustrate your Fund’s costs in two ways.

Actual Fund Return. This section helps you to estimate the actual expenses after fee waivers that your Fund incurred over the period. The “Expenses Paid During Period” column shows the actual dollar expense incurred by a $1,000 investment in the Fund, and the “Ending Account Value” number is derived from deducting that expense from the Fund’s gross investment return.

You can use this information, together with the actual amount you invested in the Fund, to estimate the expenses you paid over that period. Simply divide your actual account value by $1,000 to arrive at a ratio (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply that ratio by the number shown for your Fund under “Expenses Paid During Period.”

Hypothetical 5% Return. This section helps you compare your Fund’s costs with those of other mutual funds. It assumes that the Fund had an annual 5% return before expenses during the year, but that the expense ratio (Column 3) for the period is unchanged. This example is useful in making comparisons because the Securities and Exchange Commission requires all mutual funds to make this 5% calculation. You can assess your Fund’s comparative cost by comparing the hypothetical result for your Fund in the “Expenses Paid During Period” column with those that appear in the same charts in the shareholder reports for other mutual funds.

NOTE: Because the hypothetical return is set at 5% for comparison purposes — NOT your Fund’s actual return — the account values shown may not apply to your specific investment.

 

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        Beginning        

Account

Value

5/1/20

    

        Ending        

Account

Value

10/31/20

    

Annualized

        Expense Ratios        

   

        Expenses Paid        

        During Period*        

 

Actual Fund Return

          

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Institutional Shares

   $                 1,000.00      $                 1,054.50        0.65%       $3.36              

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,054.30        0.90     4.65              

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,054.50              –              

Westwood SMidCap Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,132.50        0.88     4.72              

Westwood SMidCap Fund, Ultra Shares(1)

     1,000.00        1,243.00        0.70     1.96**              

Westwood SmallCap Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,095.50        0.99     5.21              

Westwood SmallCap Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,094.80        1.09     5.74              

Westwood SmallCap Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,090.50        1.84     9.67              

Westwood SmallCap Fund, Y Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,096.20        0.81     4.27              

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,073.50        0.89     4.64              

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,073.10        1.14     5.94              

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,068.00        1.89     9.82              

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,056.10        1.22     6.31              

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,055.10        1.15     5.94              

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, Ultra Shares

     1,000.00        1,056.50        1.13     5.84              

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,053.70        2.11     10.89              

Westwood High Income Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,112.40        0.25     1.33              

Westwood High Income Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,110.60        0.51     2.71              

Westwood High Income Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,112.30        0.03     0.16              

Westwood Total Return Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,150.10        0.75     4.05              

Westwood Total Return Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,150.10              –              

Westwood Total Return Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,150.10              –              

Hypothetical 5% Return

          

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, Institutional Shares

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.87        0.65%       $3.30              

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,020.61        0.90     4.57              

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,025.14              –              

Westwood SMidCap Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,020.71        0.88     4.47              

Westwood SMidCap Fund, Ultra Shares(1)

     1,000.00        1,021.64        0.70     3.54              

Westwood SmallCap Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,020.16        0.99     5.03              

Westwood SmallCap Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,019.66        1.09     5.53              

Westwood SmallCap Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,015.89        1.84     9.32              

Westwood SmallCap Fund, Y Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,021.06        0.81     4.12              

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,020.66        0.89     4.52              

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,019.41        1.14     5.79              

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,015.64        1.89     9.58              

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,019.00        1.22     6.19              

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,019.36        1.15     5.84              

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, Ultra Shares

     1,000.00        1,019.46        1.13     5.74              

Westwood Alternative Income Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,014.53        2.11     10.68              

Westwood High Income Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,023.88        0.25     1.27              

Westwood High Income Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,022.57        0.51     2.59              

Westwood High Income Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,024.99        0.03     0.15              

Westwood Total Return Fund, Institutional Shares

     1,000.00        1,021.37        0.75     3.81              

Westwood Total Return Fund, A Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,025.14              –              

Westwood Total Return Fund, C Class Shares

     1,000.00        1,025.14              –              

 

*

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown).

**

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 92/366 (to reflect since inception to period end).

(1)

Commenced operations July 31, 2020.

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

  LIQUIDITY RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (Unaudited)

 

Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, the Funds’ investment adviser has adopted, and the Board has approved, a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) to govern the Funds’ approach to managing liquidity risk. The Program is overseen by the Funds’ Liquidity Risk Management Program Administrator (the “Program Administrator”), and the Program’s principal objectives include assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, based on factors specific to the circumstances of the Funds.

At a meeting of the Board held on May 19, 2020, the Trustees received a report from the Program Administrator addressing the operations of the Program and assessing its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation. The Board acknowledged that (i) the report covered the period from December 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019 and thus did not cover the recent period of market volatility, and (ii) the Board held a call with the Trust’s officers on March 25, 2020 where the officers discussed the operations and effectiveness of the Program during the then-current market volatility. The Board requested that the Program Administrator provide an update of the operation of the Program during the then-current market volatility at its next meeting. The Program Administrator’s report noted that the Program Administrator had determined that the Program is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk and has operated adequately and effectively to manage each Fund’s liquidity risk since the Program was implemented on December 1, 2018. The Program Administrator’s report noted that during the period covered by the report, there were no liquidity events that impacted the Funds or their ability to timely meet redemptions without dilution to existing shareholders. The Program Administrator’s report further noted that no material changes have been made to the Program since its implementation.

There can be no assurance that the Program will achieve its objectives in the future. Please refer to the prospectus for more information regarding a Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk and other principal risks to which an investment in the Funds may be subject.

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

  TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND (Unaudited)

 

Set forth below are the names, years of birth, positions with the Trust, term of office, length of time served and the principal occupations for the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as Trustees and Officers of the Trust. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each Trustee is SEI Investments Company, 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. Trustees who are deemed not to be “interested persons” of the Trust are referred to as “Independent Trustees.” Messrs. Nesher and Klauder are Trustees who may be deemed to be “interested” persons of the Fund as that term is defined in the 1940 Act by virtue of their affiliation with the Trust’s Distributor. The Trust’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the Trustees and Officers. The SAI may be obtained without charge by calling 1-877-386-3944. The following chart lists Trustees and Officers as of October 31, 2020.

 

Name and

Year of Birth

  

Position with Trust

and Length of Time

Served1

  

Principal Occupation

in the Past Five Years

  

Other Directorships

Held in the Past Five Years2

       

INTERESTED TRUSTEES3,4

              

Robert Nesher

(Born: 1946)

  

Chairman of the Board

of Trustees

(since 1991)

   SEI employee 1974 to present; currently performs various services on behalf of SEI Investments for which Mr. Nesher is compensated. President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Insurance Products Trust and SEI Catholic Values Trust. President and Director of SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP. Vice Chairman of O’Connor EQUUS (closed-end investment company) to 2016. President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016. Vice Chairman of Winton Series Trust to 2017. Vice Chairman of Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company), The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund III, Gallery Trust, Schroder Series Trust and Schroder Global Series Trust to 2018.   

Current Directorships: Trustee of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds, Frost Family of Funds, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Insurance Products Trust and SEI Catholic Values Trust. Director of SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP, SEI Global Master Fund plc, SEI Global Assets Fund plc, SEI Global Investments Fund plc, SEI Investments—Global Funds Services, Limited, SEI Investments Global, Limited, SEI Investments (Europe) Ltd., SEI Investments—Unit Trust Management (UK) Limited, SEI Multi-Strategy Funds PLC and SEI Global Nominee Ltd.

 

Former Directorships: Trustee of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016.

N. Jeffrey Klauder

(Born: 1952)

  

Trustee

(since 2018)

   Senior Advisor of SEI Investments since 2018. Executive Vice President and General Counsel of SEI Investments, 2004 to 2018.    Current Directorships: Trustee of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds and The KP Funds. Director of SEI Private Trust Company; SEI Investments Management Corporation; SEI Trust Company; SEI Investments (South Africa), Limited; SEI Investments (Canada) Company; SEI Global Fund Services Ltd.; SEI Investments Global Limited; SEI Global Master Fund; SEI Global Investments Fund; and SEI Global Assets Fund.

 

1

Each Trustee shall hold office during the lifetime of this Trust until the election and qualification of his or her successor, or until he or she sooner dies, resigns, or is removed in accordance with the Trust’s Declaration of Trust.

 

2

Directorships of Companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (i.e., “public companies”) or other investment companies under the 1940 Act.

 

3

Trustees oversee 43 funds in The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund.

 

4

Denotes Trustees who may be deemed to be “interested” persons of the Fund as that term is defined in the 1940 Act by virtue of their affiliation with the Distributor and/or its affiliates.

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

  TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND (Unaudited)

 

 

Name and

Year of Birth

  

Position with Trust

and Length of

Time Served1

  

Principal Occupation

in the Past Five Years

  

Other Directorships

Held in the Past Five Years2

       

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES3

              

Joseph T. Grause, Jr.

(Born: 1952)

  

Trustee

(Since 2011)

Lead Independent

Trustee

(since 2018)

  

Self-Employed Consultant since 2012. Director of Endowments and Foundations, Morningstar Investment Management, Morningstar, Inc., 2010 to 2011. Director of International Consulting and Chief Executive Officer of Morningstar Associates Europe Limited, Morningstar, Inc., 2007 to 2010. Country Manager – Morningstar UK Limited, Morningstar, Inc., 2005 to 2017.

 

   Current Directorships: Trustee of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds and Frost Family of Funds. Director of The Korea Fund, Inc.
       

Mitchell A. Johnson

(Born: 1942)

  

Trustee

(since 2005)

   Retired. Private investor since 1994.   

Current Directorships: Trustee of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Insurance Products Trust and SEI Catholic Values Trust. Director of Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac) since 1997.

 

Former Directorships: Trustee of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016.

Betty L. Krikorian

(Born: 1943)

  

Trustee

(since 2005)

   Vice President, Compliance, AARP Financial Inc., from 2008 to 2010. Self- Employed Legal and Financial Services Consultant since 2003. Counsel (in-house) for State Street Bank from 1995 to 2003.    Current Directorships: Trustee of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds and The KP Funds.
       

Robert Mulhall

(Born: 1958)

  

Trustee

(since 2019)

   Partner, Ernst & Young LLP, from 1998 to 2018.   

Current Directorships: Trustee of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds and Frost Family of Funds.

 

Former Directorships: Trustee of Villanova University Alumni Board of Directors to 2018.

Bruce R. Speca

(Born: 1956)

  

Trustee

(since 2011)

   Global Head of Asset Allocation, Manulife Asset Management (subsidiary of Manulife Financial), 2010 to 2011. Executive Vice President – Investment Management Services, John Hancock Financial Services (subsidiary of Manulife Financial), 2003 to 2010.    Current Directorships: Trustee of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds and Frost Family of Funds. Director of Stone Harbor Investments Funds, Stone Harbor Emerging Markets Income Fund (closed-end fund) and Stone Harbor Emerging Markets Total Income Fund (closed-end fund).

 

1

Each Trustee shall hold office during the lifetime of this Trust until the election and qualification of his or her successor, or until he or she sooner dies, resigns, or is removed in accordance with the Trust’s Declaration of Trust.

 

2

Directorships of Companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (i.e., “public companies”) or other investment companies under the 1940 Act.

 

3

Trustees oversee 43 funds in The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund.

 

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  TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND (Unaudited)

 

 

Name and

Year of Birth

  

Position with Trust

and Length of

Time Served1

  

Principal Occupation

in the Past Five Years

  

Other Directorships

Held in the Past Five Years2

       

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

(continued)3

              

George J. Sullivan, Jr.

(Born: 1942)

  

Trustee

(since 1999)

   Retired since 2012. Self-Employed Consultant, Newfound Consultants Inc., 1997 to 2011   

Current Directorships: Trustee/Director of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds, SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Insurance Products Trust and SEI Catholic Values Trust.

 

Former Directorships: Trustee of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016. Trustee/ Director of State Street Navigator Securities Lending Trust to 2017. Member of the independent review committee for SEI’s Canadian-registered mutual funds to 2017.

       

OFFICERS

        
       

Michael Beattie

(Born: 1965)

  

President

(since 2011)

   Director of Client Service, SEI Investments, since 2004.    None.

James Bernstein

(Born: 1962)

  

Vice President and

Assistant Secretary

(since 2017)

  

Attorney, SEI Investments, since 2017.

 

Prior Positions: Self-employed consultant, 2017. Associate General Counsel & Vice President, Nationwide Funds Group and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, from 2002 to 2016. Assistant General Counsel & Vice President, Market Street Funds and Provident Mutual Insurance Company, from 1999 to 2002.

 

   None.
       

John Bourgeois

(Born: 1973)

  

Assistant Treasurer

(since 2017)

   Fund Accounting Manager, SEI Investments, since 2000.    None.
       

Stephen Connors

(Born: 1984)

  

Treasurer, Controller

and Chief Financial

Officer

(since 2015)

   Director, SEI Investments, Fund Accounting since 2014. Audit Manager, Deloitte & Touche LLP, from 2011 to 2014.    None.

 

1

Each Trustee shall hold office during the lifetime of this Trust until the election and qualification of his or her successor, or until he or she sooner dies, resigns, or is removed in accordance with the Trust’s Declaration of Trust.

 

2

Directorships of Companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (i.e., “public companies”) or other investment companies under the 1940 Act.

 

3

Trustees oversee 43 funds in The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund.

 

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  TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND (Unaudited)

 

 

Name and

Year of Birth

  

Position with Trust

and Length of

Time Served

  

Principal Occupation

in the Past Five Years

  

Other Directorships

Held in the Past Five Years

OFFICERS (continued)

    

Russell Emery

(Born: 1962)

  

Chief Compliance

Officer

(since 2006)

   Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP since 2007. Chief Compliance Officer of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds, Frost Family of Funds, The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund III, Gallery Trust, Schroder Series Trust, Schroder Global Series Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Insurance Products Trust and SEI Catholic Values Trust. Chief Compliance Officer of O’Connor EQUUS (closed-end investment company) to 2016. Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Liquid Asset Trust to 2016. Chief Compliance Officer of Winton Series Trust to 2017. Chief Compliance Officer of Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018.    None.

Eric C. Griffith

(Born: 1969)

  

Vice President and

Assistant Secretary

(since 2019)

   Counsel at SEI Investments since 2019. Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co., from 2012 to 2018.    None.

Matthew M. Maher

(Born: 1975)

  

Vice President (since

2018) and Secretary

(since 2020)

   Counsel at SEI Investments since 2018. Attorney, Blank Rome LLP, from 2015 to 2018. Assistant Counsel & Vice President, Bank of New York Mellon, from 2013 to 2014. Attorney, Dilworth Paxson LLP, from 2006 to 2013.    None.

Robert Morrow

(Born: 1968)

  

Vice President

(since 2017)

   Account Manager, SEI Investments, since 2007.    None.

Bridget E. Sudall

(Born: 1980)

  

Anti-Money

Laundering

Compliance Officer

and Privacy Officer

(since 2015)

   Senior Associate and AML Officer, Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners, from 2011 to 2015. Investor Services Team Lead, Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners, from 2007 to 2011.    None.

 

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THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

  BOARD CONSIDERATIONS IN APPROVING THE INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (Unaudited)

 

Pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Funds’ advisory agreement (the “Agreement”) must be renewed at least annually after its initial two-year term: (i) by the vote of the Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Trustees”) of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund (the “Trust”) or by a vote of a majority of the shareholders of the Funds; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Agreement or “interested persons” of any party thereto, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such renewal.

A Board meeting was held on August 19, 2020 via videoconference to decide whether to renew the Agreement for an additional one-year term (the “August Meeting”). The August Meeting was held via videoconference in reliance on relief provided in orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2020, March 25, 2020 and June 19, 2020 from 1940 Act sections and rules requiring that certain votes of a company’s board of trustees be cast in person due to circumstances related to the current or potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In preparation for the August Meeting, the Trustees requested that the Adviser furnish information necessary to evaluate the terms of the Agreement. Prior to the August Meeting, the Independent Trustees of the Funds met to review and discuss the information provided and submitted a request for additional information to the Adviser, and information was provided in response to this request. The Trustees used this information, as well as other information that the Adviser and other service providers of the Funds presented or submitted to the Board at the August Meeting and other meetings held during the prior year, to help them decide whether to renew the Agreement for an additional year.

Specifically, the Board requested and received written materials from the Adviser and other service providers of the Funds regarding: (i) the nature, extent and quality of the Adviser’s services; (ii) the Adviser’s investment management personnel; (iii) the Adviser’s operations and financial condition; (iv) the Adviser’s brokerage practices (including any soft dollar arrangements) and investment strategies; (v) the Funds’ advisory fees paid to the Adviser and overall fees and operating expenses compared with peer groups of mutual funds; (vi) the level of the Adviser’s profitability from its relationship with the Funds, including both direct and indirect benefits accruing to the Adviser and its affiliates; (vii) the Adviser’s potential economies of scale; (viii) the Adviser’s compliance program, including a description of material compliance matters and material compliance violations; (ix) the Adviser’s policies on and compliance procedures for personal securities transactions; and (x) the Funds’ performance compared with peer groups of mutual funds and the Funds’ benchmark indices.

Representatives from the Adviser, along with other Fund service providers, presented additional information and participated in question and answer sessions at the August Meeting to help the Trustees evaluate the Adviser’s services, fees and other aspects of the Agreement. The Independent Trustees received advice from independent counsel and met in executive sessions outside the presence of Fund management and the Adviser.

At the August Meeting, the Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, based on their evaluation of the information provided by the Adviser and other service providers of the Funds, renewed the Agreement. In considering the renewal of the Agreement, the Board considered various factors that they determined were relevant, including: (i) the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by the Adviser; (ii) the investment performance of the Funds and the Adviser; (iii) the costs of the services provided and profits realized by the Adviser from its relationship with the Funds, including both direct and indirect benefits accruing to the Adviser and its affiliates; (iv) the extent to which economies of scale are being realized by the Adviser; and (v) whether fee levels reflect such economies of scale for the benefit of Fund investors, as discussed in further detail below.

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided by the Adviser

In considering the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by the Adviser, the Board reviewed the portfolio management services provided by the Adviser to the Funds, including the quality and continuity of the Adviser’s portfolio management personnel, the resources of the Adviser, and the Adviser’s compliance history and compliance program. The Trustees reviewed the terms of the Agreement. The Trustees also reviewed the Adviser’s investment and risk management approaches for the Funds. The most recent investment adviser registration form (“Form ADV”) for the Adviser was available to the Board, as was the response of the Adviser to a detailed series of questions which included, among other things, information about the investment advisory services provided by the Adviser to the Funds.

The Trustees also considered other services provided to the Funds by the Adviser such as selecting broker-dealers for executing portfolio transactions, monitoring adherence to the Funds’ investment restrictions, and monitoring compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities laws and regulations. Based on the factors above, as well as those discussed below, the Board concluded, within the context of its full deliberations, that the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Funds by the Adviser were sufficient to support renewal of the Agreement.

 

79


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

Investment Performance of the Funds and the Adviser

The Board was provided with regular reports regarding the Funds’ performance over various time periods. The Trustees also reviewed reports prepared by the Funds’ administrator comparing the Funds’ performance to their benchmark indices and peer groups of mutual funds as classified by Lipper, an independent provider of investment company data, over various periods of time. Representatives from the Adviser provided information regarding and led discussions of factors impacting the performance of the Funds, outlining current market conditions and explaining their expectations and strategies for the future. The Trustees determined that the Funds’ performance was satisfactory, or, where the Funds’ performance was materially below their benchmarks and/or peer groups, the Trustees were satisfied by the reasons for the underperformance and/or the steps taken by the Adviser in an effort to improve the performance of the Funds. Based on this information, the Board concluded, within the context of its full deliberations, that the investment results that the Adviser had been able to achieve for the Funds were sufficient to support renewal of the Agreement

Costs of Advisory Services, Profitability and Economies of Scale

In considering the advisory fees payable by the Funds to the Adviser, the Trustees reviewed, among other things, a report of the advisory fees paid to the Adviser. The Trustees also reviewed reports prepared by the Funds’ administrator comparing the Funds’ net and gross expense ratios and advisory fees to those paid by peer groups of mutual funds as classified by Lipper. The Trustees reviewed the management fees charged by the Adviser to other clients with comparable mandates to certain Funds. The Trustees considered any differences in management fees and took into account the respective demands, resources and complexity associated with such Funds and other client accounts as well as the extensive regulatory, compliance and tax regimes to which the Funds are subject. The Board concluded, within the context of its full deliberations, that the advisory fees were reasonable in light of the nature and quality of the services rendered by the Adviser.

The Trustees reviewed the costs of services provided by and the profits realized by the Adviser from its relationship with the Funds, including both direct benefits and indirect benefits, such as research and brokerage services received under soft dollar arrangements, accruing to the Adviser and its affiliates. The Trustees considered how the Adviser’s profitability was affected by factors such as its organizational structure and method for allocating expenses. The Trustees concluded that the profit margins of the Adviser with respect to the management of the Funds were not unreasonable. The Board also considered the Adviser’s commitment to managing the Funds and its willingness to continue its expense limitation and fee waiver arrangements with the Funds.

The Trustees considered the Adviser’s views relating to economies of scale in connection with the Funds as Fund assets grow and the extent to which the benefits of any such economies of scale are shared with the Funds and Fund shareholders. The Board considered the existence of any economies of scale and whether those were passed along to the Funds’ shareholders through a graduated advisory fee schedule or other means, including fee waivers. The Trustees recognized that economies of scale are difficult to identify and quantify and are rarely identifiable on a fund-by-fund basis. Based on this evaluation, the Board concluded that the advisory fee was reasonable in light of the information that was provided to the Trustees by the Adviser with respect to economies of scale.

Renewal of the Agreement

Based on the Board’s deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above and other factors and information it believed relevant in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment, the Board, including all of the Independent Trustees, with the assistance of Fund counsel and Independent Trustees’ counsel, unanimously concluded that the terms of the Agreement, including the fees payable thereunder, were fair and reasonable and agreed to renew the Agreement for another year. In its deliberations, the Board did not identify any absence of information as material to its decision, or any particular factor (or conclusion with respect thereto) or single piece of information that was all-important, controlling or determinative of its decision, but considered all of the factors together, and each Trustee may have attributed different weights to the various factors (and conclusions with respect thereto) and information.

 

80


THE ADVISORS’ INNER CIRCLE FUND   WESTWOOD FUNDS
      
      

 

 

 

 

  NOTICE TO SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)

 

 

For shareholders that do not have an October 31, 2020, tax year end, this notice is for informational purposes only. For shareholders with an October 31, 2020 tax year end, please consult your tax advisor as to the pertinence of this notice. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020, the Funds are designating the following items with regard to distributions paid during the year.

 

     Return of
Capital
   Long-Term
Capital Gain
Distributions
   Ordinary
Income
Distributions
   Total
Distributions
   Qualifying
Dividends(1)
   Qualifying
Dividend
Income (2)
   U.S.
Government
Interest (3)
   Qualified
Interest
Income (4)
   Qualified
Short-
Term

Capital
Gain (5)
  

Foreign

Tax

Credit(6)

   Qualifying
Business
Income (7)

Westwood LargeCap Value Fund

   0.00%    67.57%    32.43%    100.00%    100.00%    100.00%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%

Westwood Total Return Fund

   0.00%    50.37%    49.63%    100.00%    18.62%    19.18%    2.52%    16.53%    100.00%    0.00%    1.66%

Westwood SMidCap Fund

   0.00%    92.22%    7.78%    100.00%    100.00%    100.00%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%

Westwood SmallCap Fund

   0.00%    43.19%    56.81%    100.00%    100.00%    100.00%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%

Westwood Income Opportunity Fund

   0.00%    91.66%    8.34%    100.00%    22.72%    23.36%    9.15%    21.91%    0.00%    0.00%    56.22%

Westwood High Income Fund

   0.00%    0.00%    100.00%    100.00%    0.00%    0.00%    5.40%    88.05%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%

Westwood Alternative Income Fund

   0.00%    16.75%    83.25%    100.00%    0.00%    0.00%    0.00%    23.41%    100.00%    0.00%    0.00%

 

(1)

Qualifying dividends represent dividends which qualify for the corporate dividends received deduction and is reflected as a percentage of ordinary Income distributions (the total of short term capital gain and net investment income distributions).

(2)

The percentage in this column represents the amount of “Qualifying Dividend Income” as created by the Jobs and Growth Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 and its reflected as a percentage of ordinary income distributions (the total of short term capital gain and net investment income distributions). It is the intention of each of the aforementioned funds to designate the maximum amount permitted by law.

(3)

“U.S. Government Interest represents the amount of interest that was derived from U.S. Government obligations and distributed during the fiscal year. This amount is reflected as a percentage of total ordinary income distributions (the total of short term capital gain and net investment income distributions). Generally, interest from direct U.S. Government obligations is exempt from state income tax. However, for shareholders of the above Westwood Funds who are residents of California, Connecticut and New York, the statutory threshold requirements were not satisfied to permit exemption of these amounts from state income.

(4)

The percentage in this column represents the amount of “Interest Related Dividend” which is reflected as a percentage of ordinary income distribution. Interest related dividends are exempted from U.S. withholding tax when paid to foreign investors.

(5)

The percentage in this column represents the amount of “Short Term Capital Gain Dividend” which is reflected as a percentage of short term capital gain distribution that is exempted from U.S. withholding tax when paid to foreign investors.

(6)

The percentage in this column represents the “Qualifying Foreign Taxes” as a percentage of ordinary distributions during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020.

(7)

The percentage of this column represents that amount of ordinary dividend income that qualified for 20% Business Income Deduction.

The information reported herein may differ from the information and distributions taxable to the shareholders for the calendar year ending December 31, 2020. Complete information will be computed and reported in conjunction with your 2020 Form 1099-DIV.

 

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The Westwood Funds

P.O. Box 219009

Kansas City, MO 64121-9009

1-877-FUND-WHG

www.westwoodfunds.com

Adviser:

Westwood Management Corp.

200 Crescent Court, Suite 1200

Dallas, TX 75201

Distributor:

SEI Investments Distribution Co.

One Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, PA 19456

Administrator:

SEI Investments Global Funds Services

One Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, PA 19456

Legal Counsel:

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

1701 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103-2921

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm:

Ernst & Young LLP

One Commerce Square

2005 Market Street, Suite 700

Philadelphia, PA 19103

This information must be preceded or accompanied by a current

prospectus for the Funds.

WHG-AR-001-1500


Item 2.

Code of Ethics.

The Registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, controller or principal accounting officer, and any person who performs a similar function. There have been no amendments to or waivers granted to this code of ethics during the period covered by this report.

 

Item 3.

Audit Committee Financial Expert.

(a)(1) The Registrant’s board of trustees has determined that the Registrant has at least one audit committee financial expert serving on the audit committee.

(a)(2) The audit committee financial experts are George Sullivan and Robert Mulhall, and each whom is considered to be “independent,” as that term is defined in Form N-CSR Item 3(a)(2).

 

Item 4.

Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

Fees billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) relate to The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund (the “Trust”).

PwC billed the Trust aggregate fees for services rendered to the Trust for the last two fiscal years as follows:

 

     2020      2019  
          All fees and
services to
the Trust
that were
pre-approved
     All fees and
services to

service
affiliates

that were
pre-approved
     All other
fees and
services to
service
affiliates

that did not
require
pre-approval
     All fees and
services to the
Trust that were
pre-approved
     All fees and
services to

service
affiliates

that were
pre-approved
     All other
fees and
services to
service
affiliates

that did not
require
pre-approval
 
(a)    Audit Fees(1)    $ 104,400        None        None      $ 104,400        None        None  
(b)    Audit-Related Fees      None        None        None        None        None        None  
(c)    Tax Fees(2)    $ 10,000        None      $ 88,304      $ 6,000        None      $ 57,000  
(d)    All Other Fees      None        None      $ 376,378        None        None      $ 97,500  


Fees billed by Ernst & Young LLP (“E&Y”) related to the Trust

E&Y billed the Trust aggregate fees for services rendered to the Trust for the last two fiscal years as follows:

 

     2020      2019  
          All fees and
services to
the Trust
that were
pre-approved
    All fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that were
pre-approved
     All other
fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that did not
require
pre-approval
     All fees and
services to
the Trust
that were
pre-approved
    All fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that were
pre-approved
     All other
fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that did not
require
pre-approval
 
(a)    Audit Fees(1)    $ 766,250       None        None      $ 608,176       None        None  
(b)    Audit-Related Fees      None       None        None        None       None        None  
(c)    Tax Fees    $ 970 (4)       None        None      $ 11,559 (3)       None        None  
(d)    All Other Fees      None       None        None        None       None        None  

Fees billed by Deloitte & Touche LLP (“D&T”) related to the Trust

D&T billed the Trust aggregate fees for services rendered to the Trust for the last two fiscal years as follows:

 

     2020      2019  
          All fees and
services to
the Trust
that were
pre-approved
     All fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that were
pre-approved
     All other
fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that did not
require
pre-approval
     All fees and
services to
the Trust
that were
pre-approved
     All fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that were
pre-approved
     All other
fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that did not
require
pre-approval
 
(a)    Audit Fees(1)    $ 69,500        None        None      $ 68,000        None        None  
(b)    Audit-Related Fees      None        None        None        None        None        None  
(c)    Tax Fees(5)    $ 24,150        None        None        None        None        None  
(d)    All Other Fees      None        None        None        None        None        None  


Fees billed by BBD, LLP (“BBD”) related to the Trust

BBD billed the Trust aggregate fees for services rendered to the Trust for the last two fiscal years as follows:

 

     2020      2019  
          All fees and
services to
the Trust
that were
pre-approved
     All fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that were
pre-approved
     All other
fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that did not
require
pre-approval
     All fees and
services to
the Trust
that were
pre-approved
     All fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that were
pre-approved
     All other
fees and
services to
service
affiliates
that did not
require
pre-approval
 
(a)    Audit Fees(1)    $ 95,300        None        None      $ 113,300        None        None  
(b)    Audit-Related Fees      None        None        None        None        None        None  
(c)    Tax Fees      None        None        None        None        None        None  
(d)    All Other Fees      None        None        None        None        None        None  

Notes:

 

  (1)

Audit fees include amounts related to the audit of the Trust’s annual financial statements and services normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings.

 

  (2)

Tax compliance services provided to McKee International Equity Portfolio or affiliates of the Funds.

 

  (3)

Tax compliance services for Westwood Emerging Markets Fund.

 

  (4)

Common Reporting Services (“CRS”) tax services for the Sands Capital Global Growth Fund.

 

  (5)

Review and signing of federal and state income tax returns.

(e)(1) The Trust’s Audit Committee has adopted and the Board of Trustees has ratified an Audit and Non-Audit Services Pre-Approval Policy (the “Policy”), which sets forth the procedures and the conditions pursuant to which services proposed to be performed by the independent auditor of the Funds may be pre-approved.

The Policy provides that all requests or applications for proposed services to be provided by the independent auditor must be submitted to the Registrant’s Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) and must include a detailed description of the services proposed to be rendered. The CFO will determine whether such services:

 

  1.

require specific pre-approval;

 

  2.

are included within the list of services that have received the general pre-approval of the Audit Committee pursuant to the Policy; or


  3.

have been previously pre-approved in connection with the independent auditor’s annual engagement letter for the applicable year or otherwise. In any instance where services require pre-approval, the Audit Committee will consider whether such services are consistent with SEC’s rules and whether the provision of such services would impair the auditor’s independence.

Requests or applications to provide services that require specific pre-approval by the Audit Committee will be submitted to the Audit Committee by the CFO. The Audit Committee will be informed by the CFO on a quarterly basis of all services rendered by the independent auditor. The Audit Committee has delegated specific pre-approval authority to either the Audit Committee Chair or financial expert, provided that the estimated fee for any such proposed pre-approved service does not exceed $100,000 and any pre-approval decisions are reported to the Audit Committee at its next regularly-scheduled meeting.

Services that have received the general pre-approval of the Audit Committee are identified and described in the Policy. In addition, the Policy sets forth a maximum fee per engagement with respect to each identified service that has received general pre-approval.

All services to be provided by the independent auditor shall be provided pursuant to a signed written engagement letter with the Registrant, the investment adviser, or applicable control affiliate (except that matters as to which an engagement letter would be impractical because of timing issues or because the matter is small may not be the subject of an engagement letter) that sets forth both the services to be provided by the independent auditor and the total fees to be paid to the independent auditor for those services.

In addition, the Audit Committee has determined to take additional measures on an annual basis to meet the Audit Committee’s responsibility to oversee the work of the independent auditor and to assure the auditor’s independence from the Registrant, such as (a) reviewing a formal written statement from the independent auditor delineating all relationships between the independent auditor and the Registrant, and (b) discussing with the independent auditor the independent auditor’s methods and procedures for ensuring independence.

(e)(2) Percentage of fees billed applicable to non-audit services pursuant to waiver of pre-approval requirement were as follows (PwC):

 

     2020      2019  

Audit-Related Fees

     None        None  

Tax Fees

     None        None  

All Other Fees

     None        None  

(e)(2) Percentage of fees billed applicable to non-audit services pursuant to waiver of pre-approval requirement were as follows (E&Y):

 

     2020      2019  

Audit-Related Fees

     None        None  

Tax Fees

     None        None  

All Other Fees

     None        None  


(e)(2) Percentage of fees billed applicable to non-audit services pursuant to waiver of pre-approval requirement were as follows (D&T):

 

     2020      2019  

Audit-Related Fees

     None        None  

Tax Fees

     None        None  

All Other Fees

     None        None  

(e)(2) Percentage of fees billed applicable to non-audit services pursuant to waiver of pre-approval requirement were as follows (BBD):

 

     2020      2019  

Audit-Related Fees

     None        None  

Tax Fees

     None        None  

All Other Fees

     None        None  

(f) Not applicable.

(g) The aggregate non-audit fees and services billed by PwC for services rendered to the Registrant, and rendered to the Registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the Registrant for the last two fiscal-years-ended October 31st were $464,682 and $160,500 for 2020 and 2019, respectively.

(g) The aggregate non-audit fees and services billed by E&Y for services rendered to the Registrant, and rendered to the Registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the Registrant for the last two fiscal-years-ended October 31st were $970 and $11,559 for 2020 and 2019, respectively.

(g) The aggregate non-audit fees and services billed by D&T for services rendered to the Registrant, and rendered to the Registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the Registrant for the last two fiscal-years-ended October 31st were $24,150 and $0 for 2020 and 2019, respectively.

(g) The aggregate non-audit fees and services billed by BBD for services rendered to the Registrant, and rendered to the Registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the Registrant for the last two fiscal-years-ended October 31st were $0 and $0 for 2020 and 2019, respectively.

(h) During the past fiscal year, all non-audit services provided by the Registrant’s principal accountant to either the Registrant’s investment adviser or to any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Registrant’s investment adviser that provides ongoing services


to the Registrant were pre-approved by the Audit Committee of Registrant’s Board of Trustees. Included in the Audit Committee’s pre-approval of these non-audit service were the review and consideration as to whether the provision of these non-audit services is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

 

Item 5.

Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.

 

Item 6.

Schedule of Investments.

Schedule of Investments is included as part of the Report to Shareholders filed under Item 1 of this form.

 

Item 7.

Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.

 

Item 8.

Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies

Not applicable to open-end management investment companies. Effective for closed-end management investment companies for fiscal-years-ending on or after December 31, 2005.

 

Item 9.

Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.

 

Item 10.

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

There have been no changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant’s Board of Trustees during the period covered by this report.

 

Item 11.

Controls and Procedures.

(a) The Registrant’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, have concluded that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Act (17 CFR § 270.30a-3(c)), as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of the report, are effective based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the Act (17 CFR § 270.30a-3(b)) and Rule 13a-15(b) or Rule 15d-15(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR § 240.13a-15(b) or § 240.15d-15(b)).

(b) There has been no change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act (17 CFR § 270.3a-3(d)) that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Items 12.

Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.


Items 13.

Exhibits.

(a)(1) A copy of the Registrant’s Code of Ethics, as required by Item 2 of this Form, accompanies this filing as an exhibit.

(a)(2) A separate certification for the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer of the Registrant, as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Act (17 CFR § 270.30a-2(a)), is filed herewith.

(b) Officer certifications, as required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Act (17 CFR § 270.30a-2(b)), also accompany this filing as an exhibit.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

(Registrant)       The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund
By (Signature and Title)*      

/s/ Michael Beattie

     

Michael Beattie,

President

Date: January 8, 2021      

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

By (Signature and Title)*      

/s/ Michael Beattie

     

Michael Beattie,

President

Date: January 8, 2021      
By (Signature and Title)*      

/s/ Stephen Connors

      Stephen Connors,
      Treasurer, Controller, and CFO
Date: January 8, 2021      

 

*

Print the name and title of each signing officer under his or her signature.

Policy Statement: Sarbanes-Oxley effected sweeping corporate disclosure and financial reporting reform on public companies, including mutual funds, to address corporate malfeasance and assure investors that the companies in which the investors invest are accurately and completely disclosing financial information. Under Sarbanes-Oxley, all public companies (including the Funds) must either have a code of ethics for their senior financial officers, or disclose why the company does not have a code of ethics. Sarbanes-Oxley was intended to foster corporate environments which encourage employees to question and report unethical and potentially illegal business practices.

Each Fund has chosen to adopt a code of ethics (“Code of Ethics for Financial Officers”) to encourage the Fund’s Principal Executive Officer, Principal Financial, and Accounting Officer and Controller (the “Financial Officers”) for the purpose of promoting:

 

   

Honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships.

 

   

Full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that a registrant files with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Funds.

 

   

Compliance with applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations.

 

   

Prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code of Ethics for Financial Officers to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code of Ethics of Financial Officers.

 

   

Accountability for adherence to the Code of Ethics for Financial Officers.

Procedures: The Funds have adopted the following procedures regarding this matter:

A compliance officer is responsible for monitoring compliance with these procedures.

FINANCIAL OFFICER CODE OF ETHICS

 

I.

Introduction

The reputation and integrity of Series Trusts, (each a “Trust” and, collectively, the “Trusts”) are valuable assets that are vital to the each Trust’s success. The Trusts’ senior financial officers (“SFOs”) are responsible for conducting the Trusts’ business in a manner that demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of integrity. The Trusts’ SFOs include the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer, comptroller or principal accounting officer, and any person who performs a similar function.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Act”) effected sweeping corporate disclosure and financial reporting reform on public companies, including mutual funds, to address corporate malfeasance and assure investors that the companies in which the investors invest are accurately and completely disclosing financial information. Under the Act, all public companies (including


the Trusts) must either have a code of ethics for their SFOs, or disclose why the company does not have a code of ethics. The Act was intended to foster corporate environments which encourage employees to question and report unethical and potentially illegal business practices. Each Trust has chosen to adopt this Financial Officer Code of Ethics (the “Code”) to encourage the Trust’s SFOs to act in a manner consistent with the highest principles of ethical conduct.

 

II.

Purposes of the Code

The purposes of this Code are:

 

  1.

To promote honest and ethical conduct by each Trust’s SFOs, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;

 

  2.

To assist each Trust’s SFOs in recognizing and avoiding conflicts of interest, including disclosing to an appropriate person any material transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to such a conflict;

 

  3.

To promote full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Trusts file with, or submit to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Trusts;

 

  4.

To promote compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations;

 

  5.

To encourage the prompt internal reporting to an appropriate person of violations of this Code; and

 

  6.

To establish accountability for adherence to this Code.

 

III.

Questions about this Code

Each Trust’s compliance officer designated to oversee compliance with the Trust’s Code of Ethics adopted pursuant to Rule 17j-1 shall serve as Compliance Officer for the implementation and administration of this Code. You should direct your questions about this Code to the Compliance Officer.

 

IV.

Conduct Guidelines

Each Trust has adopted the following guidelines under which the Trust’s SFOs must perform their official duties and conduct the business affairs of the Trust.

 

  1.

Ethical and honest conduct is of paramount importance. Each Trust’s SFOs must act with honesty and integrity and avoid violations of this Code, including the avoidance of actual or apparent conflicts of interest with the Trust in personal and professional relationships.

 

  2.

SFOs must disclose material transactions or relationships. Each Trust’s SFOs must disclose to the Compliance Officer any actual or apparent conflicts of interest the SFO may have with the Trust that reasonably could be expected to give rise to any violations of this Code. Such conflicts of interest may arise as a result of material transactions or business or personal relationships to which the SFO may be a party. If it is not possible to disclose the matter to the Compliance Officer, the matter should be disclosed to the


  Trust’s Chief Financial Officer, Chief Executive Officer, or another appropriate person. In addition to disclosing any actual or apparent conflicts of interest in which an SFO is personally involved, the Trusts’ SFOs have an obligation to report any other actual or apparent conflicts which the SFOs discover or of which the SFOs otherwise become aware. If you are unsure whether a particular fact pattern gives rise to a conflict of interest, or whether a particular transaction or relationship is “material,” you should bring the matter to the attention of the Compliance Officer.

 

  3.

Standards for quality of information shared with service providers of the Trusts. Each Trust’s SFOs must at all times seek to provide information to the Trust’s service providers (adviser, administrator, outside auditor, outside counsel, custodian, etc.) that is accurate, complete, objective, relevant, timely, and understandable.

 

  4.

Standards for quality of information included in periodic reports. Each Trust’s SFOs must at all times endeavor to ensure full, fair, timely, accurate, and understandable disclosure in the Trust’s periodic reports.

 

  5.

Compliance with laws. Each Trust’s SFOs must comply with the federal securities laws and other laws and rules applicable to the Trusts, such as the Internal Revenue Code.

 

  6.

Standard of care. Each Trust’s SFOs must at all times act in good faith and with due care, competence, and diligence, without misrepresenting material facts or allowing your independent judgment to be subordinated. Each Trust’s SFOs must conduct the affairs of the Trust in a responsible manner, consistent with this Code.

 

  7.

Confidentiality of information. Each Trust’s SFOs must respect and protect the confidentiality of information acquired in the course of their professional duties, except when authorized by the Trust to disclose this information or where disclosure is otherwise legally mandated. You may not use confidential information acquired in the course of your work for personal advantage.

 

  8.

Sharing of information and educational standards. Each Trust’s SFOs should share information with relevant parties to keep these parties informed of the business affairs of the Trust, as appropriate, and to maintain skills important and relevant to the Trust’s needs.

 

  9.

Promote ethical conduct. Each Trust’s SFOs at all times should proactively promote ethical behavior among peers in the SFOs work environment.

 

  10.

Standards for recordkeeping. Each Trust’s SFOs at all times must endeavor to ensure that the Trust’s financial books and records are thoroughly and accurately maintained to the best of the SFOs knowledge in a manner consistent with applicable laws and this Code.

 

V.

Waivers of this Code

You may request a waiver of a provision of this Code by submitting your request in writing to the Compliance Officer for appropriate review. For example, if a family member works for a service provider that prepares a Trust’s financial statements, you may have a potential conflict of interest in reviewing those statements and should seek a waiver of this Code to review the work. An executive officer of each Trust, or another appropriate person (such as a designated Board or Audit Committee member), will decide whether to grant a waiver. All waivers of this code must be disclosed to the applicable Trust’s shareholders and the designated Board to the extent required by SEC rules.


VI.

Affirmation of the Code

Upon adoption of the Code, each Trust’s SFOs must affirm in writing that the SFO has received, has read, and understands the Code, and annually thereafter must affirm that they have complied with the requirements of the Code. To the extent necessary, each Trust’s Compliance Officer will provide guidance on the conduct required by this Code and the manner in which violations or suspected violations must be reported and waivers must be requested.

 

VII.

Reporting Violations

In the event that an SFO discovers or, in good faith, suspects a violation of this Code, the SFO must immediately report the violation or suspected violation to the Compliance Officer. The Compliance Officer, in his or her discretion, may consult with another member of the Trust’s senior management or the Board in determining how to address the suspected violation. For example, a Code violation may occur when a periodic report or financial statement of a Trust omits a material fact, or is technically accurate but, in the view of the SFO, is written in a way that obscures the report’s or financial statement’s meaning.

SFOs who report violations or suspected violations in good faith will not be subject to retaliation of any kind. Reported violations will be investigated and addressed promptly and will be treated as confidential to the extent possible.

 

VIII.

Violations of the Code

Dishonest or unethical conduct or conduct that is illegal will constitute a violation of this Code, regardless of whether this Code specifically refers to such particular conduct. A violation of this Code may result in disciplinary action, up to and including removal as an SFO of the Trust. A variety of laws apply to the Trusts and their operations, including the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Company Act of 1940, state laws relating to duties owed by Trust officers, and criminal laws. The Trusts will report any suspected criminal violations to the appropriate authorities, and will investigate, address, and report, as appropriate, non-criminal violations.

CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940

and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Michael Beattie, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund (the “Registrant”);

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, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The Registrant’s other certifying officer(s), if any, and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) 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 a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of 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 period covered by this 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(s) and I have disclosed 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: January 8, 2021

 

/s/ Michael Beattie
Michael Beattie
President


CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940

and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Stephen Connors, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund (the “Registrant”);

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, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The Registrant’s other certifying officer(s), if any, and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) 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 a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of 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 period covered by this 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(s) and I have disclosed 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: January 8, 2021

 

/s/ Stephen Connors
Stephen Connors
Treasurer, Controller, and CFO

CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,

As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906

of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The undersigned, the President of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund (the “Fund”), with respect to the Fund’s Form N-CSR for the period ended October 31, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:

1. such Form N-CSR fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

2. the information contained in such Form N-CSR fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Fund.

Dated: January 8, 2021

 

/s/ Michael Beattie

Michael Beattie

President


CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,

As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906

of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The undersigned, the Treasurer, Controller, and CFO of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund (the “Fund”), with respect to the Fund’s Form N-CSR for the period ended October 31, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:

1. such Form N-CSR fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

2. the information contained in such Form N-CSR fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Fund.

Dated: January 8, 2021

 

/s/ Stephen Connors

Stephen Connors

Treasurer, Controller, and CFO