Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2020

 

1933 Act Registration File No. 033-20827

1940 Act Registration File No. 811-05518

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-1A

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 [ X ]
Pre-Effective Amendment No.     [    ]
Post-Effective Amendment No. 261   [ X ]

 

and/or

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 [ X ]
Amendment No. 265   [ X ]

 

(Check Appropriate Box or Boxes)

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, Wisconsin  53202

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (609) 731-6256

Copies to:

 

SALVATORE FAIA MICHAEL P. MALLOY, ESQUIRE
The RBB Fund, Inc. Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
615 East Michigan Street, One Logan Square, Suite 2000
Milwaukee, Wisconsin  53202-5207 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996

 

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after the Registration Statement becomes effective.

 

[ X ] immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
[    ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
[    ] 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
[    ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
[    ] 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
[    ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

 

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

[    ] This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

 

 

 

ABBEY CAPITAL FUTURES STRATEGY FUND
of
THE RBB FUND, INC.

 


CLASS I SHARES (TICKER: ABYIX)
CLASS A SHARES (TICKER: ABYAX)
CLASS C SHARES (TICKER: ABYCX)
CLASS T SHARES (Not Currently Available for Sale)

 

PROSPECTUS

February 28, 2020

 

 

Investment Adviser:

ABBEY CAPITAL LIMITED

1-2 Cavendish Row
Dublin 1, Ireland

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), paper copies of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. 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 anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or a bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-844-261-6484.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-844-261-6484 to inform the Fund that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held with the fund complex if you invest directly with the Fund.

 

The SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

Table of Contents

     

SUMMARY SECTION

1

FUND INFORMATION

11

More Information About Fund Investments

11

More Information About Risks

11

Principal Risks

11

Non-Principal Risks

16

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

17

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

18

Investment Adviser

18

Trading Advisers

19

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

27

Pricing of Fund Shares

27

Sales Charges

28

Purchase of Fund Shares

31

Redemption of Fund Shares

35

Market Timing

37

Exchange Privilege

38

Dividends and Distributions

38

More Information About Taxes

38

Distribution Arrangements

41

Additional Information

41

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

43

APPENDIX A

A-1

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND

Back Cover

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund (the “Fund”) is to seek long-term capital appreciation. Current income is a secondary objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (the “Shares”). You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in Class A Shares or at least $250,000 in Class T Shares of the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional, in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information – Sales Charges” and in the section of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) entitled “Purchase and Redemption Information – Reducing or Eliminating the Front-End Sales Charge.” Financial intermediaries may impose different sales charge waivers for Class A Shares and Class T Shares, and these variations are described in Appendix A of the Prospectus. Additionally, you may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Class I Shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

 

Class I

Class A

Class C

Class T

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

 

 

 

 

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)

None

5.75%

None

2.50%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)

None

None(1)

1.00%(2)

None

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends

None

None

None

None

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)

None

None

None

None

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

 

 

 

Management Fees(3)

1.77%

1.77%

1.77%

1.77%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

0.25%

1.00%

0.25%

Other Expenses

0.12%

0.12%

0.12%

0.12%(4)

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

1.89%

2.14%

2.89%

2.14%

Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements(5)

-0.10%

-0.10%

-0.10%

-0.10%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements(5)

1.79%

2.04%

2.79%

2.04%

 

(1)

A contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of Class A Shares made within 12 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at time of purchase as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more.

 

(2)

The CDSC applies to redemptions of Class C Shares made within 12 months of purchase and will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the offering price at the time of purchase of the shares redeemed and the net asset value of the shares redeemed at the time of redemption.

 

(3)

Management Fees include advisory fees paid to both Abbey Capital Limited (the “Adviser”) and one or more trading advisers (the “Trading Advisers”). There are no performance fees charged by the Adviser or Trading Advisers either at the Fund or at the Fund’s wholly-owned Subsidiaries.

 

(4)

“Other Expenses” for Class T Shares, which had not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus, are estimated for the current fiscal year.

 

1

 

 

 

(5)

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) to 1.79%, 2.04%, 2.79% and 2.04% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares, respectively. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 1.79%, 2.04%, 2.79% or 2.04%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 for Class I Shares, Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares, and may not be terminated prior to that date without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). If at any time the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.79%, 2.04%, 2.79% and 2.04%, as applicable, the Adviser may recoup any waived or reimbursed amounts from the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made by the Adviser, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class C and Class T Shares, and $1,000,000 in Class I Shares, in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation until its expiration). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs of investing in the Fund would be:

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

Class I Shares

$18,187

$58,423

$101,201

$220,344

Class A Shares

$770

$1,197

$1,649

$2,898

Class C Shares

$382

$885

$1,514

$3,207

Class T Shares

$452

$894

$1,362

$2,653

 

You would pay the following expenses on Class C Shares if you did not redeem your shares at the end of the period:

 

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

Class C Shares

$282

$885

$1,514

$3,207

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio. In accordance with industry practice, derivative instruments and instruments with a maturity of one year or less at the time of acquisition are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate, which leads to the 0% portfolio turnover rate reported above. If those instruments were included in the calculation, the Fund would have a high portfolio turnover rate.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by allocating its assets between a “Managed Futures” strategy and a “Fixed Income” strategy.

 

The Managed Futures strategy will be achieved by the Fund investing a portion of its assets in Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, a wholly-owned and controlled Delaware series limited liability company (the “Onshore Subsidiary”) and up to 25% of its total assets in Abbey Capital Master Offshore Fund Limited, a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the

 

2

 

 

 

Cayman Islands (the “Cayman Subsidiary”). The Cayman Subsidiary will in turn invest all or substantially all of its assets in segregated portfolios of Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC (the “SPC” and, together with the Onshore Subsidiary and the Cayman Subsidiary, the “Subsidiaries”), a wholly-owned and controlled segregated portfolio company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Subsidiary will serve solely as an intermediate entity through which the Fund will invest in the SPC. The Cayman Subsidiary makes no independent investment decisions and has no investment or other discretion over the Fund’s investable assets. The Adviser may allocate assets of the SPC and the Onshore Subsidiary to multiple Managed Futures portfolios (the “Segregated Portfolios”) that include investment styles or sub-strategies such as (i) trend following, (ii) discretionary, fundamentals-based investing with a focus on macroeconomic analysis, (iii) strategies that pursue both fundamental and technical trading approaches, (iv) other specialized approaches to specific or individual market sectors such as equities, interest rates, metals, agricultural and soft commodities, and (v) systematic trading strategies which incorporate technical and fundamental variables.

 

The Managed Futures strategy investments are designed to achieve capital appreciation in the financial and commodities futures markets. The Adviser intends to allocate the assets of the SPC and the Onshore Subsidiary to one or more Trading Advisers to manage in percentages determined at the discretion of the Adviser. Each Trading Adviser will manage one or more of its own Segregated Portfolios. Each Trading Adviser invests according to a Managed Futures strategy in one or a combination of (i) options, (ii) futures, (iii) forwards, (iv) spot contracts, or (v) swaps, including total return swaps, each of which may be tied to (i) commodities, (ii) financial indices and instruments, (iii) foreign currencies, or (iv) equity indices. All commodities futures and commodities-related investments will be made in the Segregated Portfolios of the SPC. Each current Trading Adviser is registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) as a Commodity Trading Advisor. Trading Advisers that are not registered with the SEC as investment advisers provide advice only regarding matters that do not involve securities.

 

The Fixed Income strategy invests the Fund’s assets primarily in investment grade fixed income securities (of all durations and maturities) in order to generate interest income and capital appreciation, which may add diversification to the returns generated by the Fund’s Managed Futures strategy. The Fund must set aside liquid assets, or engage in other SEC or staff-approved measures, to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of derivative instruments. The Fixed Income strategy investments may be used to help cover the Fund’s derivative positions.

 

The Fund’s Adviser seeks returns, in part, by (i) using Managed Futures strategy investments that are not expected to have returns that are highly correlated to the broad equity market, and (ii) through actively managed Fixed Income strategy investments that are not expected to have returns that are highly correlated to the broad equity market or the Managed Futures strategy. The Adviser believes that utilizing non-correlated strategies may mitigate losses in generally declining markets. However, there can be no assurance that losses will be avoided. Investment strategies that have historically been non-correlated or demonstrated low correlations to one another or to major world financial market indices may become correlated at certain times, such as during a liquidity crisis in global financial markets.

 

The trading strategies employ several different trading styles using different research and trading methodologies, in a wide range of global financial and commodity markets operating over multiple time frames. Many of the styles use systematic, automated trading systems, using a combination of mathematical, statistical, technical analysis, pattern recognition and macroeconomic models aimed at profiting from market trends of different durations. Trading Advisers may use discretionary approaches aimed at identifying value investments and turning points in trends. All Trading Advisers utilize a disciplined approach to risk management. The Adviser and Trading Advisers from time to time will employ hedging techniques. Key principles of the Fund’s sell discipline include predetermined relative-value objectives for sectors, issuers and specific securities, pricing performance or fundamental performance that varies from expectations, deteriorating fundamentals, overvaluation and alternative investments offering the opportunity to achieve more favorable risk-adjusted returns.

 

The markets traded include bonds, money markets, foreign exchange markets and commodity markets. Most of the trading is done in derivative markets, usually listed futures markets, but some trading in cash markets may take place when this is the most effective way to enter or exit a trading position. Both long and short positions will be taken in all markets traded. Contracts are positioned either long or short based on various characteristics related to their prices. For example, the Fund may short a particular underlying security or instrument if the Adviser or a Trading Adviser believes the price of the underlying security or instrument will decrease. The Fund invests in U.S. and non-U.S. markets and in developed and emerging markets.

 

3

 

 

 

As much of the trading within the Fund is in futures markets, the Fund is likely to have cash balances surplus to margin requirements. The cash portfolio will be invested on a short-term, highly liquid, basis, to meet margin calls on the futures positions.

 

The Fund is “non-diversified” for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) which means that the Fund may invest in fewer securities at any one time than a diversified fund. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. The Fund’s investments in certain derivative instruments and its short selling activities involve the use of leverage.

 

Generally, the SPC invests primarily in commodity futures but it may also invest in financial futures, options, forwards, spot contracts and swap contracts, fixed income securities, pooled investment vehicles, including those that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the SPC’s derivative positions. The Onshore Subsidiary only invests in financial futures, options, forwards, spot contracts and swap contracts, fixed income securities, pooled investment vehicles, including those that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for derivative positions. The Fund invests in the SPC in order to gain exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax laws, rules and regulations that apply to registered investment companies. Unlike the Fund and Onshore Subsidiary, the SPC may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivatives, however, the SPC complies with the same 1940 Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in commodity-linked derivatives that are applicable to the Fund’s transactions in derivatives. The Fund complies with Section 8 and Section 18 of the 1940 Act, governing investment policies and capital structure and leverage, respectively, on an aggregate basis with the Subsidiaries. The Subsidiaries also comply with Section 17 of the 1940 Act relating to affiliated transactions and custody.

 

In addition, to the extent applicable to the investment activities of the Subsidiaries, the Subsidiaries are subject to the same fundamental investment restrictions and will follow the same compliance policies and procedures as the Fund. Unlike the Fund, none of the Subsidiaries will seek to qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Fund is, directly or indirectly, the sole shareholder of each Subsidiary and does not expect shares of the Subsidiaries to be offered or sold to other investors.

 

Principal Investment Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

The principal risk factors affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund (and, indirectly, in the Subsidiaries) are set forth below.

 

Commodity Sector Risk: Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. The prices of energy, industrial metals, precious metals, agriculture and livestock sector commodities may fluctuate widely due to factors such as changes in value, supply and demand and governmental regulatory policies. The commodity-linked securities in which the Fund invests may be issued by companies in the financial services sector, and events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s Share value to fluctuate.

 

Counterparty Risk: Counterparty risk is the risk that the other party(s) to an agreement or a participant to a transaction, such as a broker or the futures commission merchant, might default on a contract or fail to perform by failing to pay amounts due or failing to fulfill the obligations of the contract or transaction.

 

4

 

 

 

Credit Risk: Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of the security will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. Securities rated in the four highest categories by the rating agencies are considered investment grade but they may also have some speculative characteristics. Investment grade ratings do not guarantee that bonds will not lose value.

 

Currency Risk: Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts may limit potential gains from a favorable change in value between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Unanticipated changes in currency pricing may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in these contracts.

 

Cyber Security Risk: Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its Adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk: The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments including options, forward currency exchange contracts, swaps and futures, which may be leveraged, may result in losses. Investments in derivative instruments may result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

Emerging Markets Risk: Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in foreign securities of developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk: Fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest are subject to certain risks, including: interest rate risk, prepayment risk and credit/default risk. Interest rate risk involves the risk that prices of fixed income securities will rise and fall in response to interest rate changes. Prepayment risk involves the risk that in declining interest rate environments prepayments of principal could increase and require the Fund to reinvest proceeds of the prepayments at lower interest rates. Credit risk involves the risk that the credit rating of a security may be lowered.

 

Foreign Investments Risk: International investing is subject to special risks, including currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers either directly or through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders.

 

Forward and Futures Risk: The successful use of forward and futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of instruments held by the Fund and the price of the forward or futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market, and possible regulatory position limits and restrictions, for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ inability to predict correctly the direction of

 

5

 

 

 

securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

 

Hedging Transactions Risk: The Adviser and Trading Advisers from time to time employ various hedging techniques. The success of the Fund’s hedging strategy will be subject to the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ ability to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the instruments used in the hedging strategy and the performance of the investments in the portfolio being hedged. Since the characteristics of many securities change as markets change or time passes, the success of the Fund’s hedging strategy will also be subject to the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ ability to continually recalculate, readjust, and execute hedges in an efficient and timely manner. For a variety of reasons, the Adviser and Trading Advisers may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to risk of loss. In addition, it is not possible to hedge fully or perfectly against any risk, and hedging entails its own cost.

 

High Portfolio Turnover Risk: The risk that when investing on a shorter-term basis, the Fund may as a result trade more frequently and incur higher levels of brokerage fees and commissions, and cause higher levels of current tax liability to shareholders in the Fund.

 

Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of fixed income securities generally increase when interest rates decline and decrease when interest rates increase. The Fund may lose money if short term or long term interest rates rise sharply or otherwise change in a manner not anticipated by the Adviser and Trading Advisers. It is likely there will be less governmental action in the near future to maintain low interest rates. The negative impact on fixed income securities from the resulting rate increases for that and other reasons could be swift and significant.

 

Leveraging Risk: Investments in derivative instruments may give rise to a form of leverage. Trading Advisers may engage in speculative transactions which involve substantial risk and leverage, such as making short sales. The use of leverage by the Adviser and Trading Advisers may increase the volatility of the Fund. These leveraged instruments may result in losses to the Fund or may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) or total return, because instruments that contain leverage are more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The Fund may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.

 

Management Risk: The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Manager Risk: If the Adviser and Trading Advisers make poor investment decisions, it will negatively affect the Fund’s investment performance.

 

Market Risk: The NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money.

 

Multi-Manager Dependence Risk: The success of the Fund’s investment strategy depends both on the Adviser’s ability to select Trading Advisers and to allocate assets to those Trading Advisers and on each Trading Adviser’s ability to execute the relevant strategy and select investments for the Fund and the Subsidiaries. The Trading Advisers’ investment styles may not always be complementary, which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund.

 

New Adviser Risk: The Trading Advisers may be newly registered or not registered with the SEC and/or have not previously managed a mutual fund. Accordingly, investors in the Fund bear the risk that a Trading Adviser’s inexperience may limit its effectiveness.

 

Non-Diversification Risk: The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to other funds, the Fund may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of companies. Gains or losses on a single stock may have greater impact on the Fund.

 

6

 

 

 

Options Risk: Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities.

 

Quantitative Trading Strategies Risk: The Adviser and Trading Advisers may use quantitative methods to select investments. Securities or other investments selected using quantitative methods may perform differently from the market as a whole or from their expected performance for many reasons, including factors used in building the quantitative analytical framework, the weights placed on each factor, and changing sources of market returns, among others. Any errors or imperfections in quantitative analyses or models, or in the data on which they are based, could adversely affect the ability of the Adviser or a Trading Adviser to use such analyses or models effectively, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. There can be no assurance that these methodologies will help the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

 

Short Sales Risk: Short sales of securities may result in gains if a security’s price declines, but may result in losses if a security’s price rises. In a rising market, short positions may be more likely to result in losses because securities sold short may be more likely to increase in value. Short selling also involves the risks of: increased leverage, and its accompanying potential for losses; the potential inability to reacquire a security in a timely manner, or at an acceptable price; the possibility of the lender terminating the loan at any time, forcing the Fund to close the transaction under unfavorable circumstances; the additional costs that may be incurred; and the potential loss of investment flexibility caused by the Fund’s obligations to provide collateral to the lender and set aside assets to cover the open position. The Fund may engage in short sales that are either “uncovered” or “against the box.” A short sale is “against the box” if at all times during which the short position is open, the Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short. Short sales “against the box” may protect the Fund against the risk of losses in the value of a portfolio security because any decline in value of the security should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. Any potential gains in the security, however, would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. Short sales that are not “against the box” involve a form of investment leverage, and the amount of the Fund’s loss on a short sale is potentially unlimited.

 

Subsidiary Risk: By investing in the Subsidiaries, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with each Subsidiary’s investments. The derivatives and other investments held by the Subsidiaries are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. The Subsidiaries are not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, are not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States, Delaware and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiaries to continue to operate as they currently do and could adversely affect the Fund.

 

Tax Risk: In order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income, the diversification of its assets and the distribution of its income. Under the test regarding the source of a RIC’s income, at least 90% of the gross income of the RIC each year must be qualifying income, which consists of dividends, interest, gains on investment assets and other categories of investment income. In 2006, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) published a ruling that income realized from swaps with respect to a commodities index would not be qualifying income. The Fund’s investment in the SPC (via the Cayman Subsidiary) is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the Code for qualification as a RIC, but there is a risk that the IRS could assert that the income derived from the investment in the SPC and certain commodity-linked structured notes will not be considered qualifying income for purposes of the Fund remaining qualified as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC and became subject to federal income tax, shareholders of the Fund would be subject to diminished returns. Changes in the laws of the United States, Delaware and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or its Subsidiaries to operate as described in this Prospectus and the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax or withholding tax on the Cayman Subsidiary or the SPC. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Cayman Subsidiary and/or the SPC must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.

 

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Performance Information

 

The following performance information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the performance of the Fund’s Class I Shares from year to year. Performance information represents only past performance, before and after taxes, and does not necessarily indicate future results. Updated performance information is available online at www.abbeycapital.com or by calling 1-844-261-6484 (toll free).

 

Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund – Class I Shares
Total Returns for Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

During the period shown in the chart, the highest quarterly return was 8.86% (for the quarter ended March 31, 2015) and the lowest quarterly return was -4.90% (for the quarter ended June 30, 2015).

 

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Average Annual Total Returns

 

The following table, which includes all applicable sales loads, compares the average annual total returns of the Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares for the one-year, five-year, and since inception periods to a broad-based market index for the same periods. Average annual returns for Class T Shares are not included because they had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. The returns for Class T Shares would be substantially similar to returns for Class I Shares because the shares are invested in the same portfolio of securities, and would differ only to the extent that the classes have different expenses.

 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE
PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019

 

 

1 Year 5 Years Since
Inception
July 1,
2014
Class I Shares      
– Return Before Taxes 8.85% 0.44% 3.57%
– Return After Taxes on Distributions(1) 5.51% -0.22% 2.79%

– Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares(1)

5.46% 0.09% 2.45%
Class A Shares      
– Return Before Taxes 2.40% -0.99% 2.21%(2)
Class C Shares      
– Return Before Taxes 7.75% -0.55% 2.55%(2)
S&P 500® Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses and taxes) 31.49% 11.70% 11.64%

 

 

(1)

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual Federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return after Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period, since a higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class I Shares only. After-tax returns for Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares will vary.

 

(2)

Class I Shares commenced operations on July 1, 2014, Class A Shares commenced operations on August 29, 2014, and Class C Shares commenced operations on October 6, 2015. Performance shown prior to inception of the Class A Shares and Class C Shares is based on the performance of Class I Shares, adjusted for the higher expenses applicable to Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser and Trading Advisers

 

Abbey Capital Limited, 1-2 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, Ireland, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Aspect Capital Limited, Crabel Capital Management, LLC, Eclipse Capital Management, Inc., Episteme Capital Partners (UK), LLP, GAM Systematic LLP (formerly known as Cantab Capital Partners LLP), Graham Capital Management, LP, P/E Global, LLC, Revolution Capital Management, LLC, Trigon Investment Advisors LLC, Tudor Investment Corporation, and Welton Investment Partners LLC each serve as a Trading Adviser to the Fund.

 

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Portfolio Managers

 

The Fund is managed by the following co-portfolio managers.

 

 

Title

Portfolio Manager Since:

Abbey Capital Limited

   

Anthony Gannon

Founder and Chief Investment Officer

Inception (July 1, 2014)

Mick Swift

Chief Executive Officer

Inception (July 1, 2014)

 

Purchase and Sale of Information

 

The minimum initial investment for Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares is $2,500, and the minimum initial investment for Class I Shares is $1,000,000. There is a minimum amount of $100 for subsequent investment in Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares, and $1,000 in Class I Shares. Class T Shares are not currently available for sale.

 

You can purchase and redeem Shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. Shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals that have entered into a distribution agreement with the Distributor (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Class T Shares, once available for sale, will be available only to investors who are investing through a Service Organization. Not all Service Organizations will make Class T Shares available to their clients. You may redeem Class T Shares on any business day by contacting your Service Organization. Consult Appendix A and a representative of your Service Organization about the availability of Class T Shares. Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through the Company by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption by Mail:

 

Regular Mail:
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

Overnight Delivery:
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Purchase by Wire:

 

Before sending any wire, call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-844-261-6484 to confirm the current wire instructions for the Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund.

 

Redemption by Telephone:

 

Call the Transfer Agent at 1-844-261-6484.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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FUND INFORMATION

 

More Information About Fund Investments

 

This section provides some additional information about the Fund’s investments and certain portfolio management techniques that the Fund may use. More information about the Fund’s investments and portfolio management techniques, and related risks, is included in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders. However, as a matter of policy, the Fund would not materially change its investment objective without informing shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any such change.

 

The investments and strategies described in this Prospectus are those that the Fund uses under normal conditions. The Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by taking temporary defensive positions (up to 100% of its assets) in all types of money market and short-term debt securities. If the Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable for a time to achieve its investment objective.

 

This Prospectus describes the Fund’s principal investment strategies, and the Fund will normally invest in the types of securities described in this Prospectus. In addition to the investments and strategies described in this Prospectus, the Fund also may invest, to a lesser extent, in other securities, use other strategies and engage in other investment practices that are not part of its principal investment strategy. These investments and strategies, as well as those described in this Prospectus, are described in detail in the Fund’s SAI. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

More Information About Risks

 

The following provides additional information about the principal and certain non-principal risks of investing in the Fund and, indirectly, in the Subsidiaries. More information about the Fund’s risks is included in the SAI.

 

Principal Risks

 

Commodity-Linked Derivatives. The Fund may gain exposure to the commodities markets through commodity-linked structured notes, swap agreements and commodity futures and options. These instruments have one or more commodity-dependent components. They are derivative instruments because at least part of their value is derived from the value of an underlying commodity index, commodity futures contract, index or other readily measurable economic variable. The prices of commodity-linked derivative instruments may move in different directions than investments in traditional equity and debt securities when the value of those traditional securities is declining due to adverse economic conditions. As an example, during periods of rising inflation, historically debt securities have tended to decline in value due to the general increase in prevailing interest rates. Conversely, during those same periods of rising inflation, historically the prices of certain commodities, such as oil and metals, have tended to increase. There cannot be any guarantee that derivative instruments will perform in that manner in the future, and at certain times the price movements of commodity-linked investments have been parallel to debt and equity securities.

 

Counterparties. To the extent the Fund invests in loans or securities traded over-the-counter, swaps, “synthetic” or derivative instruments, repurchase agreements, certain types of options or other customized financial instruments, the Fund takes the risk of non-performance by the other party to the contract. This risk may include credit risk of the counterparty and the risk of settlement default. This risk may differ materially from those entailed in exchange-traded transactions that generally are supported by guarantees of clearing organizations, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from such protections and expose the parties to the risk of counterparty default.

 

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Credit/Default Risk. The credit rating of an issuer or guarantor of a security in which the Fund invests may be lowered or an issuer or guarantor of a security or the counterparty to a derivatives contract or a repurchase agreement may default on its payment obligations. The risk of loss due to default by issuers of lower-rated securities is greater because low-rated securities generally are unsecured and often are subordinated to the rights of other creditors of the issuers of such securities. The Fund also may incur additional expenses in seeking recovery on defaulted securities. The creditworthiness of firms used by the Fund to effect securities transactions in emerging and frontier market countries may not be as strong as in some developed countries. As a result, the Fund could be subject to a greater risk of loss on its securities transactions if a firm defaults on its responsibilities.

 

Cyber Security Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through hacking or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Funds Adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountant, custodian, transfer agent and administrator), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Funds ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Adviser has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

Derivative Contracts. The Fund may, but need not, use derivative contracts for any of the following purposes:

 

 

To seek to hedge against the possible adverse impact of changes in stock market prices, currency exchange rates or interest rates in the market value of its securities or securities to be purchased;

 

 

As a substitute for buying or selling currencies or securities; or

 

 

To seek to enhance the Fund’s return in non-hedging situations (which is considered a speculative activity).

 

Examples of derivative contracts include: futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies; options on these futures; forward foreign currency contracts; and interest rate or currency swaps. The Fund may use derivative contracts involving foreign currencies. A derivative contract will obligate or entitle the Fund to deliver or receive an asset or cash payment that is based on the change in value of one or more securities, currencies or indices. Even a small investment in derivative contracts can have a big impact on the Fund’s stock market, currency and interest rate exposure. Therefore, using derivatives can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when stock prices, currency rates or interest rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on derivatives if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. The other parties to certain derivative contracts present the same types of default risk as issuers of fixed income securities in that the counterparty may default on its payment obligations or become insolvent. Derivatives can also make the Fund less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets.

 

 

Forward and Futures Risk. The successful use of forward and futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of instruments held by the Fund and the price of the forward or futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market, and possible regulatory position limits and restrictions, for a forward or futures contract

 

12

 

 

 

and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

 

 

Forward Contracts. The Fund may utilize forward contracts that are not traded on exchanges and may not be regulated. There are no limitations on daily price movements of forward contracts. Banks and other dealers with which the Fund maintains accounts may require that the Fund deposit margin with respect to such trading. The Fund’s counterparties are not required to continue making markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain counterparties have refused to continue to quote prices for forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread (the price at which the counterparty is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to sell). Arrangements to trade forward contracts may be made with only one or a few counterparties, and liquidity problems therefore might be greater than if such arrangements were made with numerous counterparties. The imposition of credit controls by governmental authorities might limit such forward trading to less than the amount that the Adviser would otherwise recommend, to the possible detriment of the Fund.

 

 

Options. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a “call”) or sell (a “put”) an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may “cover” a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund is not able to sell an option held in its portfolio, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities. Ownership of options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. To the extent that the Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk.

 

Fixed Income Investments. The Fund invests a portion of its assets in fixed income securities. Fixed income investments include bonds, notes (including structured notes), mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, convertible securities, Eurodollar and Yankee dollar instruments, preferred stocks and money market instruments. Fixed income securities may be issued by corporate and governmental issuers and may have all types of interest rate payment and reset terms, including (without limitation) fixed rate, adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment-in-kind and auction rate features. The principal debt investments of the Fund will be fixed and floating rate securities with no reset terms.

 

The credit quality of securities held in the Fund’s portfolio is determined at the time of investment. If a security is rated differently by multiple ratings organizations, the Fund treats the security as being rated in the higher rating category. The Fund invests primarily in investment grade fixed income securities that are rated as low as Baa by Moody’s Investors Service or BBB by S&P Global Ratings (or their equivalents, or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser or applicable Sub-Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). The Fund may choose not to sell securities that are downgraded below those credit ratings after their purchase. Periods of rising interest rates may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. Periods of rising interest rates may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets.

 

Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers that are traded or denominated in U.S. dollars (including equity securities of foreign issuers trading in U.S. markets) through American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”). Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depository, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depository without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received

 

13

 

 

 

from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders.

 

In addition, the Fund may invest in securities traded or denominated in foreign currencies and in multinational currencies such as the Euro. The Fund will value its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. Investments in securities of foreign entities and securities denominated or traded in foreign currencies involve special risks. These include possible political and economic instability and the possible imposition of exchange controls or other restrictions on investments. Changes in foreign currency rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of the Fund’s assets denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Emerging market investments offer the potential for significant gains but also involve greater risks than investing in more developed countries. Political or economic instability, lack of market liquidity and government actions such as currency controls or seizure of private business or property may be more likely in emerging markets.

 

Interest Rate Risk. During periods of rising interest rates, the market value of the Fund’s fixed-income securities will tend to be lower than prevailing market interest rates. In periods of falling interest rates, the market value of the Fund’s fixed-income securities generally will tend to be higher than prevailing market interest rates. Prices of longer-term fixed income securities are typically more sensitive to changes in interest rates than prices of shorter-term fixed-income securities. Significant upward pressure on domestic interest rates and a corresponding widening of credit spreads could negatively impact the market price of emerging debt markets.

 

Interest Rate Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Credit Default Swaps, Options on Swaps and Interest Rate Caps, Floors and Collars.

 

 

Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments. Like a traditional investment in a debt security, the Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely. For example, if the Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a floating rate of interest for a fixed rate of interest, the Fund may have to pay more money than it receives. Similarly, if the Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a fixed rate of interest for a floating rate of interest, the Fund may receive less money than it has agreed to pay.

 

 

Total Return Swaps. Total return swaps are contracts that obligate one party to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference during a specified period of time. The underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities or a non-asset reference such as a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference. The primary risks associated with total return swaps are credit risks (if the counterparty fails to meet its obligations) and market risk (if there is no liquid market for the agreement or unfavorable changes occur to the underlying asset).

 

 

Credit Default Swaps. Credit default swaps are contracts whereby one party makes periodic payments to a counterparty in exchange for the right to receive from the counterparty a payment equal to the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation in the event of a default by the issuer of the debt obligation.

 

 

Options on Swaps (swaptions). Swaptions are options to enter into a swap agreement. The Fund may also purchase and write (sell) swaptions. Like other types of options, the buyer of a swaption pays a non-refundable premium for the option and obtains the right, but not the obligation, to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. The seller of a swaption, in exchange for the premium, becomes obligated (if the option is exercised) to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms.

 

 

Interest Rate Caps. Interest rate caps entitle the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payment of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap.

 

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Interest Rate Floors. Interest rate floors entitle the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling the interest rate floor.

 

 

Interest Rate Collars. Interest rate collars combine a cap and a floor that are designed to preserve a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates.

 

The Fund may enter into the transactions described above for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return (which is considered a speculative activity). The use of swaps, swaptions, and interest rate caps, floors and collars is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If the Adviser or a Trading Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values and interest rates, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment techniques were not used.

 

Leveraging Risk. The Fund’s use of futures, forward contracts, swaps, other derivative instruments and selling securities short will have the economic effect of financial leverage. The use of leverage by the Adviser and Trading Advisers may increase the volatility of the Fund. These leveraged instruments may result in losses to the Fund or may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV or total return, because instruments that contain leverage are more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The Fund may also use borrowed funds to create leverage. Although the use of leverage by the Fund may create an opportunity for increased return, it also results in additional risks and can magnify the effect of any losses. If the income and gains earned on the securities and instruments purchased with leverage proceeds are greater than the cost of the leverage, the Fund’s return will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income and gains from the securities and instruments purchased with such proceeds does not cover the cost of leverage, the Fund’s return will be less than if leverage had not been used. In the event of a sudden, precipitous drop in value of the Fund’s assets, the Fund may not be able to liquidate assets quickly enough to pay off its borrowing. Short sales of securities also involve the use of leverage. Using this investment technique may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV or total return.

 

To limit leverage risk, the Fund will segregate assets determined by the Adviser to be liquid in accordance with procedures established by the Board, or, when permissible, enter into offsetting transactions, to cover its obligations resulting from its use of derivative instruments. Securities held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the futures contract, option or other derivative is outstanding, unless they are replaced with other suitable assets. As a result, it is possible that segregating a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

Quantitative Trading Strategies Risk. The Adviser and Trading Advisers may use quantitative methods to select investments. Securities or other investments selected using quantitative methods may perform differently from the market as a whole or from their expected performance for many reasons, including factors used in building the quantitative analytical framework, the weights placed on each factor, changing sources of market returns, changes from the factors’ historical trends, and technical issues in the construction and implementation of the models (including, for example, data problems and/or software issues), among others. Any errors or imperfections in quantitative analyses or models, or in the data on which they are based, could adversely affect the ability of the Adviser or a Trading Adviser to use such analyses or models effectively, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. There can be no assurance that these methodologies will help the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

 

Short Sales. The Fund engages in short sales – including those that are not “against the box,” which means that the Fund may make short sales where the Fund does not currently own or have the right to acquire, at no added cost, securities identical to those sold short – in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. In a typical short sale, the Fund borrows from a broker a security in order to sell the security to a third party. The Fund is then obligated to return a security of the same issuer and quantity at some future date. The Fund realizes a loss to the extent the security increases in value or a profit to the extent the security declines in value (after taking into account any associated costs). Short sales “against the box” may protect the Fund against the risk of losses in the value of a portfolio security because any decline in value of the security should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. Any potential gains in the security, however, would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. Short sales that are not “against the box” involve a form of investment leverage, and the amount of the Fund’s loss on a short sale is potentially unlimited. The Fund will not make a short sale if, immediately before the transaction, the market value of all securities sold short exceeds 95% of the value of the Fund’s assets.

 

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Until the Fund closes its short position, the Fund will: (a) maintain a segregated account containing cash or liquid securities at such a level that (i) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short; and (ii) the amount deposited in the segregated account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will not be less than the market value of the security at the time the security was sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund’s short position.

 

Subsidiary Risk. The Fund will make investments through its direct and indirect wholly-owned Subsidiaries organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands and the State of Delaware. By investing in the Subsidiaries, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with each Subsidiary’s investments. The derivatives and other investments held by a Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. These risks are described elsewhere in this Prospectus. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Subsidiaries will be achieved.

 

The Subsidiaries are not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, are not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund, directly or indirectly, wholly owns and controls the Subsidiaries, making it unlikely that a Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiaries, and the Fund’s role as the direct or indirect sole shareholder of each Subsidiary. The Subsidiaries will be subject to the same investment restrictions and limitations, and follow the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund.

 

Changes in the laws of the United States, Delaware and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or its Subsidiaries to operate as described in this Prospectus and in the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax or withholding tax on the Cayman Subsidiary or the SPC. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Cayman Subsidiary and/or the SPC must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.

 

Tax Risk. There is a risk that the IRS could assert that the income derived from the Fund’s investment in certain commodity-linked structured notes will not be considered qualifying income for purposes of the Fund remaining qualified as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In 2006, the IRS had published a ruling that income realized from swaps with respect to a commodities index would not be qualifying income. In a number of private letter rulings issued during 2006-2011, the IRS ruled that the income of such a foreign subsidiary would be qualified income each year even if it is not actually distributed to the RIC each year, but in 2011 the IRS suspended the issuance of such rulings. In addition, during 2006-2011, the IRS had also issued private letter rulings to regulated investment companies concluding that income derived from their investment in certain commodity-linked structured notes would constitute qualifying income to a fund. In 2011, the IRS indicated that the granting of these types of private letter rulings was suspended, pending further internal review of the subject. In 2016, the IRS announced that it would not issue any such rulings in the future, and it revoked the previously issued rulings. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC and became subject to federal income tax, shareholders of the Fund would be subject to diminished returns. For more information, see “More Information About Taxes”.

 

Non-Principal Risks

 

Equity and Equity-Related Securities. The Fund may invest in equity securities, including exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, rights, convertible securities, depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), and equity participations. Investments in equity securities and equity derivatives in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. Common stocks may decline over short or even extended periods of time. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. The value of securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more

 

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abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. State law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded to investors in a limited partnership than investors in a corporation. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which a mutual fund invests will cause the Fund’s NAV to fluctuate. The number of issuers in the Fund’s portfolio will vary over time.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may invest in ETFs to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC orders. ETFs are registered investment companies whose shares are listed and traded on U.S. stock exchanges or otherwise traded in the over-the-counter market. As a shareholder in an ETF, the Fund will bear its pro rata portion of an ETFs expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to its own expenses. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. Certain ETFs may be thinly-traded and experience large spreads between the ask price quoted by a seller and the bid price offered by a buyer.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that a Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Funds ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

Other Investment Companies. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in the securities of other investment companies (including issues that would be investment companies but for sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act), but may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one investment company or acquire more than 3% of the voting securities of any other investment company. Among other things, the Fund may invest in money market mutual funds for cash management purposes by “sweeping” excess cash balances into such funds until the cash is invested or otherwise utilized. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by investment companies in which it invests in addition to the advisory and administration fees paid by the Fund. Investments in issues that would be investment companies but for sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act will generally be considered illiquid investments and would be subject to the Fund’s 15% limitation on investments in illiquid securities.

 

Redemptions. The Fund may need to sell its holdings in order to meet shareholder redemption requests. The Fund could experience a loss when selling securities to meet redemption requests if the redemption requests are unusually large or frequent, occur in times of overall market turmoil or declining prices for the securities sold, or when the securities the Fund wishes to or is required to sell are illiquid. The Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities at its desired time or price. Illiquidity can be caused by a drop in overall market trading volume, an inability to find a ready buyer, or legal restrictions on the securities’ resale. Certain securities that were liquid when purchased may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Liquidity issues may also make it difficult to value the Fund’s investments.

 

Temporary Investments. The Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by taking temporary defensive positions (up to 100% of its assets) in all types of money market and short-term debt securities. If the Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s SAI. The SAI is incorporated herein.

 

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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Investment Adviser

 

Abbey Capital Limited, an Irish limited company founded in 2000, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser’s principal place of business is located at 1-2 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, Ireland. As of November 30, 2019, the Adviser had over $2.7 billion in assets under management. The Adviser is registered as an Investment Adviser with the SEC and as a Commodity Trading Advisor (or “CTA”) and a Commodity Pool Operator (or “CPO”) with the CFTC, and is a member of the National Futures Association (the “NFA”).

 

The Fund is managed by the Adviser and one or more Trading Advisers unaffiliated with the Adviser. The Adviser also has the ultimate responsibility to oversee the Trading Advisers, and to recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement, subject to approval by the Board. The Fund compensates the Adviser for its services at the annual rate of 1.77% of its average annual net assets, payable on a monthly basis in arrears. The Adviser compensates the Trading Advisers out of the advisory fee that it receives from the Fund.

 

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) to 1.79%, 2.04%, 2.79% and 2.04% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares, respectively. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 1.79%, 2.04%, 2.79% or 2.04% as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 for Class I Shares, Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares and may not be terminated prior to that date without the approval of the Board. If at any time the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for a year are less than 1.79%, 2.04%, 2.79% or 2.04%, as applicable, the Adviser may recoup any waived amount from the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made by the Adviser if such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed existing expense limitations. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, after waivers, the Adviser received 1.67% of the Fund’s average net assets in investment advisory fees from the Fund. Had fee waivers not been in place, the Adviser would have received 1.77% of the Fund’s average net assets in investment advisory fees from the Fund.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Adviser and trading advisory agreements with each of the Trading Advisers except Crabel Capital Management, LLC is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended August 31, 2019, and may be obtained by calling 1-844-261-6484 or visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the trading advisory agreement with Crabel Capital Management, LLC will be available in the Fund’s semi-annual report for the fiscal period ending February 29, 2020.

 

Anthony Gannon and Mick Swift are the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

 

Anthony Gannon (Founder and Chief Investment Officer) founded the Adviser in 2000 with a vision to create an alternative investment business providing multi-manager funds specializing in the managed futures and foreign exchange sectors of the hedge fund industry. Over its nineteen year history, Mr. Gannon has overseen the Adviser’s growth from a start-up to a global company which is currently one of the largest independent allocators in the CTA industry. Prior to founding the Adviser, Mr. Gannon was a co-founder of Allied Irish Capital Management (AICM), a multi-manager CTA, in conjunction with Allied Irish Banks. He helped to grow the company to become one of the largest European CTAs, with funds under management growing from an initial $50 million to in excess of $1.4 billion. Mr. Gannon has more than 25 years of investment experience in the managed futures industry. He is recognized and acknowledged as a leader in the industry globally and is a regular guest speaker at alternative investment industry conferences. Mr. Gannon graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Masters in Business Studies with Finance from University College Dublin, Ireland.

 

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Mick Swift is the Chief Executive Officer at the Adviser. As CEO, Mr. Swift is responsible for ensuring the strategic goals of the company are successfully implemented and for overseeing the operation of the Adviser on a day to day basis. Mr. Swift is a member of the Adviser’s Board of Directors and Investment Committee. Mr. Swift was promoted to CEO in December 2019 following 7 years in the role of Deputy CEO and Research Director and has been one of the key drivers behind the growth and success of the Adviser since joining the firm in 2002. Prior to joining the Adviser, Mr. Swift was a Director at AICM, a Dublin-based CTA from 1998 to 2002. While at AICM, he worked in a trading capacity and also on product research and risk management. Previously, Mr. Swift was the Head of Foreign Exchange and European Interest Rate Trading at Bank of Ireland in Dublin from 1997 to 1998. Previously, Mr. Swift was Treasurer and EVP at Bank of Ireland’s New York branch, where he ran the trading and sales operation from 1994 to 1997. He initially joined the Treasury Division of Bank of Ireland in 1984 where he traded foreign exchange and interest rate markets on a proprietary basis. In 1992, he became Head of Interest Rate trading at the bank. A frequent guest speaker and presenter at conferences throughout Europe, Asia and the U.S., Mr. Swift has addressed topics including alternative investment policy development, risk management and the managed futures industry. Mr. Swift graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Commerce from University College Galway and holds an ACMA qualification.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of shares of the Fund.

 

Trading Advisers

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with each Trading Adviser to manage a portion of the Subsidiaries’ assets. Each Trading Adviser makes investment decisions for the assets it has been allocated to manage. The Adviser oversees the Trading Advisers for compliance with the Fund’s investment objective, policies, strategies and restrictions, and monitors each Trading Adviser’s adherence to its investment style. The Board supervises the Adviser and the Trading Advisers, establishes policies that they must follow in their management activities, and oversees the hiring, termination and replacement of Trading Advisers recommended by the Adviser.

 

The Fund and the Adviser have received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, without shareholder approval and subject to certain conditions, to terminate existing Trading Advisers or hire new Trading Advisers for the Fund, to materially amend the terms of particular agreements with Trading Advisers or to continue the employment of existing Trading Advisers after events that would otherwise cause an automatic termination of a trading advisory agreement. This arrangement has been approved by the Board and the Fund’s initial shareholder. Consequently, under the exemptive order, the Adviser has the right to hire, terminate and replace Trading Advisers when the Board and the Adviser feel that a change would benefit the Fund. The exemptive order enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of trading advisory agreements.

 

Not all of the Trading Advisers listed for a Subsidiary may be actively managing assets for that Subsidiary at all times. Subject to the oversight of the Board, the Adviser may temporarily allocate a Subsidiary’s assets away from a Trading Adviser. Situations in which the Adviser may make such a determination include changes in the level of assets in the Fund, changes to the Adviser’s view of the Trading Adviser’s current opportunities, changes in a Trading Adviser’s personnel or a Trading Adviser’s adherence to an investment strategy.

 

The following provides additional information about each Trading Adviser and the Trading Adviser’s investment teams.

 

Aspect Capital Limited

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Aspect Capital Limited (“Aspect”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Aspect Core Diversified Program. Aspect is a private limited company formed in 1998 and based in London, United Kingdom. Aspect’s main office is located at 10 Portman Square, London W1H 6AZ, United Kingdom. Aspect is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as both a Commodity Trading Advisor and a Commodity Pool Operator and is a member of the National Futures Association in such capacities. Aspect’s philosophy is predominantly focused on capturing medium-term trend opportunities across a broad spectrum of diversified market sectors, applying a systematic and research driven approach.

 

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All portfolio and investment procedures for the Aspect Core Diversified Program are overseen by Aspect’s Risk Management Committee (“RMC”). Aspect’s RMC has overall responsibility for the operation of all of Aspect’s Programs. The RMC is chaired by Anthony Todd (Chief Executive Officer) and also comprises Martin Lueck (Research Director) and Christopher Reeve (Director of Risk).

 

Anthony Todd – Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

 

Mr. Todd co-founded Aspect in September 1997 and is the Chief Executive Officer of Aspect. He has been a CFTC listed principal, as an Associated Member and as an Associated Person of Aspect from October 13, 1999 to the present. Mr. Todd has also been listed with the CFTC as a principal of ACI since April 14, 2005 as he indirectly owns more than 10% of the share capital of ACI. Mr. Todd has been approved as a swaps Associated Person of Aspect since December 27, 2012. Mr. Todd chairs Aspect’s Executive Board, which determines Aspect’s overall corporate and strategic direction. Mr. Todd also chairs Aspect’s Risk Management Committee and is a member of Aspect’s Investment Management Committee. Before establishing Aspect, Mr. Todd worked for five years (from March 1992 to October 1997) at Adam, Harding and Lueck Limited (“AHL”) initially as Director of Financial Engineering and Product Development, before moving to Switzerland as Director of Marketing and Institutional Sales. Prior to this role, Mr. Todd was a strategy consultant at Mars & Co., a Paris based consultancy, from September 1990 to March 1992. From July 1989 to July 1990, Mr. Todd studied at INSEAD in France, and from September 1982 to June 1989 he was with UBS, an international investment bank, in London as Assistant Director in the International Government Bond Group. Mr. Todd holds a B.A. in Physics from Oxford University and an M.B.A. from INSEAD in France.

 

Martin Lueck – Co-Founder and Research Director

 

Mr. Lueck co-founded Aspect in September 1997, and has been listed with the CFTC as a principal, as an Associated Member and as an Associated Person of Aspect from October 13, 1999 to the present. As President of ACI, Mr. Lueck has also been listed with the CFTC as a principal of ACI since October 2004 and as an associated person of ACI since December 2004. Mr. Lueck has been approved as a swaps Associated Person of each of Aspect and ACI since December 27, 2012. His duties as a principal of ACI are to assist and supervise the sales team of ACI. As Research Director, he oversees the Research team which is responsible for generating and analyzing fundamental research hypotheses for development of all Aspect’s investment programs. Mr. Lueck chairs Aspect’s Investment Management Committee and is a member of Aspect’s Risk Management Committee. Prior to founding Aspect, Mr. Lueck was with AHL, which he co-founded in February 1987 with Michael Adam and David Harding. Man Group plc (a leading global provider of alternative investment products and solutions) completed the purchase of AHL in 1994 and Mr. Lueck left in 1996. At AHL, Mr. Lueck was instrumental in developing AHL’s trading systems and approach to research as well as the proprietary software language that provided the platform for all of AHL’s product engineering and implementation. During the period from May 1989 to April 1996, Mr. Lueck was listed with the CFTC as a principal and associated person of AHL. From May 1996 through August 1997, Mr. Lueck was on gardening leave from AHL during which time he helped establish his wife’s publishing business Barefoot Books. Mr. Lueck was a Director of Research at Brockham Securities Limited, a London based commodity trading advisor, from October 1984 to February 1987 and an executive in the Japanese Equity Sales department of Nomura International, a provider of financial services for individual, institutional, corporate, and government clients, from January to October 1984. Mr. Lueck serves on the Board of the National Futures Association. He holds an M.A. in Physics from Oxford University and currently serves as Chair of the Oxford Physics Development Board.

 

Christopher Reeve – Director of Risk

 

Christopher Reeve is Aspect’s Director of Risk. In this role, he takes responsibility for all investment risks associated with Aspect’s portfolios, focusing on the review of all new research and strategies. He is a member of the Risk Management Committee, which provides oversight of the performance and risks of all strategies and approval for any change to any Aspect Investment Program. He also coordinates the company’s product design processes, ensuring that Aspect’s investment strategy capabilities are assembled into coherent investment products which fit investor needs. This includes working closely with all of Aspect’s different research and portfolio management teams to customize products and mandates, as well as working with Aspect’s global client base to understand their requirements and ensure they have full transparency into Aspect’s strategies. Christopher has been a member of Aspect’s Senior Management Team (SMT) since 2015. The SMT is a group of Directors which supports the Executive Board in its management of the company and gives input into strategic business decisions.

 

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Christopher joined Aspect in January 2005 as a member of the Research Team, focusing on the risk reviews of new investment strategy research. He then became a member of what is now the Investment Solutions Team in 2006, Head of Investment Solutions in February 2014 and Director of Investment Solutions in May 2015. He was appointed to his current role in September 2018. Christopher holds a first class Masters degree in Chemistry from the University of Oxford. Christopher previously served in the British Army as a second lieutenant in the Welsh Guards, commanding an infantry platoon on training and ceremonial duties.

 

Crabel Capital Management, LLC

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Crabel Capital Management, LLC (“Crabel”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Crabel Advanced Trend Program. Crabel is organized as a Wisconsin limited liability company and its main office is located at 10250 Constellation Boulevard, Suite 2650, Los Angeles, California. Crabel is registered as a CTA and CPO with the CFTC and is a member of the NFA. Crabel is also registered as an investment adviser with the SEC. Crabel is a global alternative investment firm specializing in systematic, automated trading of worldwide futures and currencies.

 

Michael Pomada - President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Michael Pomada is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Crabel and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He began his career in the interactive entertainment industry in sales and business development. After completing his MBA, Mr. Pomada went to UBS before managing portfolios for Manchester Trading (Niederhoffer) & Coast Asset Management. Upon joining Crabel in 2008, Mr. Pomada managed an equity portfolio while assisting in the oversight of Crabel’s equity strategies. Starting in late 2009, Mr. Pomada and a colleague led the effort to revamp the firm’s execution processes, infrastructure and algorithmic trading/microstructure research. Mr. Pomada joined the firm’s Executive Committee in 2010 and became Chief Operating Officer in June 2011. In July 2016 he was promoted to Chief Executive Officer and President. In this role, Mr. Pomada focuses on research and product development and continues to oversee the front office teams. Mr. Pomada has been registered as an NFA associate member and an associated person of Crabel since May of 2012 and listed as a principal of Crabel since January of 2013.

 

Grant Jaffarian - Portfolio Manager

 

Grant Jaffarian is a Portfolio Manager at Crabel and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He began his career at Belgium-based Analytic Investment Management, a high turnover futures manager acquired by Robeco Bank. Upon leaving Analytic Investment, Mr. Jaffarian founded Petra Intraday, a short term systematic emerging manager. In 2004, Mr. Jaffarian joined Efficient Capital Management, LLC where he served as Chief Investment Officer before departing in December 2012. Mr. Jaffarian founded AlphaTerra, LLC in April 2013 to work with promising quant systematic trading strategies. In March 2014, AlphaTerra was acquired by Crabel and Mr. Jaffarian assumed the role of Portfolio Manager for the Crabel Advanced Trend Program. Mr. Jaffarian joined the firm’s Executive Committee in April 2016. Mr. Jaffarian has been listed as a principal and associated person of Crabel since January 2017.

 

Eclipse Capital Management, Inc.

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Eclipse Capital Management, Inc (“Eclipse”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Eclipse Emerald Futures Program. Eclipse is a Missouri-based corporation formed in 1983. Eclipse’s main office is located at 7700 Bonhomme Avenue, Suite 500, St. Louis, Missouri 63135, United States. Eclipse is registered with CFTC as a CTA and is a member of the NFA. Eclipse focuses on a systematic approach designed to profit primarily from intermediate- and long-term price trends in multiple market sectors.

 

Thomas W. Moller – CEO: Mr. Moller serves as CEO and head of Eclipse’s Business Management Group and drives the firm’s product development activities. Mr. Moller holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s in Accounting from the University of Kentucky. Prior to founding Eclipse, Mr. Moller fulfilled a number of roles including Associated Person of Geldermann & Company, principal of Interest Rate Management Inc. and Associated Person of Man International Inc.

 

Fran Olszweski – Managing Director and CIO: Mr. Olszweski’s primary responsibility is the research and development, implementation, and maintenance of Eclipse’s trading strategies. Mr. Olszweski’s background is in Economics where he holds a Bachelor’s degree from Washington University. Previously, Mr. Olszweski served as trading manager for Hollingsworth Trading Company before moving to the Capital Markets Group of Nippon Credit Bank where he worked as a proprietary trader. Mr. Olszweski then held the role of Assistant Vice President and proprietary trader within the Derivatives Dealing Team of UFJ Group before joining Eclipse in 2001.

 

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Episteme Capital Partners (UK), LLP

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Episteme Capital Partners (UK), LLP (“Episteme Capital”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Episteme Capital Emerald program. The Episteme Capital Emerald program is a quantitative systematic macro program, which blends fundamental and technical strategies implemented through a diversified set of futures and FX markets. Episteme Capital is a global investment manager formed in 2009. Episteme Capital runs several systematic global macro and event driven strategies in the futures, FX, and equity markets. Episteme Capital’s main office is 38 Dover Street, London, W1S 4NL, England and it has an affiliated office in Rye Brook, NY. Episteme Capital is registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission as both a Commodity Trading Advisor and a Commodity Pool Operator and is a member of the National Futures Association in such capacities. Episteme Capital is also registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser and the UK Financial Conduct Authority as an Alternative Investment Fund Manager.

 

Adrian Eterovic is a founder of Episteme Capital and its CEO and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Eterovic was the CEO of JWM Partners (UK) from 2004 to 2009 and was co-chairman of JWM Partners’ Investment Committee from 2003 to 2005. From 1993 to 1999 he was with Long-Term Capital Management and prior to that he was with Salomon Brothers Inc. (1993) and Merrill Lynch (1992). He holds an M.Sc. in Statistics from Imperial College London (2015), a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Economics from Harvard University (1994), and an Sc.D. degree in Structural Engineering and two M.S. degrees, one in Mechanical Engineering and the other in Civil Engineering, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1992).

 

Richard Leahy is a founder of Episteme Capital and a member of the management committee. Mr. Leahy was a Principal of JWM Partners, and prior to that he was a Principal of Long-Term Capital Management since 1993. Mr. Leahy is a former Managing Director of Salomon Brothers and Co-Head of the Mortgage Securities Department. Mr. Leahy began his career at Merrill Lynch in 1972. He holds a B.S. degree in Economics from Boston State College (1970) and attended graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Gustavo Lau is a founder of Episteme Capital and its Head of Operations. Mr. Lau was a senior fixed income trader at JWM Partners from 2000 to 2009. Prior to that Mr. Lau was with Long-Term Capital Management (UK) since 1994. He holds a M.S. degree in Computer Science from the Universidad Simon Bolivar, Venezuela (1988) and attended the MBA program at the IESE Business School, Spain (1994). Mr. Lau is a Mathematics Masterclasses lecturer for the Royal Institution of Great Britain.

 

Jameel Kassam is a Principal of Episteme Capital. Mr. Kassam was a Strategist at Episteme Capital from its inception and prior to that he held the same role at JWM Partners from early 2007. As part of both positions, he has been involved in the research, development and trading of systematic strategies. He holds an MPhys degree in Physics from the University of Oxford (2006).

 

GAM Systematic LLP

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with GAM Systematic LLP (“GAM Systematic Cambridge”), to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Core Macro Programme. GAM Systematic Cambridge is a Cambridge UK-based Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) formed in 2006 and was known as Cantab Capital Partners LLP until January 2020. GAM Systematic Cambridge’s main office is located at City House, 126-130 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1RE, UK. GAM Systematic Cambridge is registered with the CFTC as a CTA and CPO, is a member of the NFA and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom. It is also registered as an investment adviser with the SEC. GAM Systematic Cambridge (formerly known as Cantab Capital Partners LLP) was acquired by GAM in October 2016 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GAM Holding, AG, which is listed on the SIX Swiss Stock Exchange. It retains full responsibilities for managing its funds, research and development, and hiring. Its investment philosophy is based on a multi-strategy, multi-asset approach looking to identify several distinct sources of return from persistent statistical relationships between assets.

 

Dr Ewan Kirk – President

Dr Ewan Kirk is President of GAM Systematic. Prior to this he was CIO at Cantab Capital Partners, which he founded in 2006. Ewan’s role is focussed on client engagement and selected research projects. Prior to founding Cantab, Ewan ran the 120-strong Goldman Sachs Strategies Group in Europe, where he was responsible for all of Goldman Sachs’ quantitative technology. Ewan holds a PhD in Mathematics (General Relativity) from the University of Southampton, a Certificate in Advanced Study in Applied Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and achieved a First Class degree in Natural Philosophy and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow.

 

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Dr Matthew Killeya – Co-Chief Investment Officer

Dr Matthew Killeya is co-CIO at GAM Systematic Cambridge. He was previously a partner and co-CIO at Cantab Capital Partners, which became part of GAM Systematic in October 2016. Matt joined the team in 2010. Matt and Dr Tom Howat (Co-CIO) take overall responsibility for the investment and research process across the full suite of GAM Systematic Cambridge products. Matt has spent over fifteen years in the industry implementing and managing systematic strategy research and was previously a senior managing researcher at Winton Capital Management. He holds a PhD in Bayesian statistics and a first class Master of Mathematics degree from Durham University. Matt is also the primary conduit into Cambridge University’s Cantab Capital Institute for the Mathematics of Information.

 

Dr Tom Howat – Co-Chief Investment Officer

Dr Tom Howat is co-CIO of GAM Systematic Cambridge. Prior to this, he was chief technology officer of Cantab Capital Partners, which became part of GAM Systematic in October 2016. Tom and Dr Matthew Killeya (Co-CIO) take overall responsibility for the investment and research process across the full suite of GAM Systematic Cambridge products. Tom heads up the team of scientists responsible for ongoing infrastructure development. Much of the framework underpinning all of the GAM Systematic Cambridge team’s critically important functions has been designed by Tom and his team. This includes the back-testing systems; trading and automated execution; real-time risk management and signal computation; trade allocations between different managed accounts etc. Tom joined Cantab at inception. Prior to this, Tom spent seven years at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he obtained degrees in Mathematics and a PhD in Mathematical Biology.

 

Dr Frédéric Desobry – Head of Research

Dr Frédéric Desobry is Head of Research for the GAM Systematic Cambridge team. Frédéric joined GAM Systematic in September 2019 after spending three years at Systematica Investments in Geneva and London as head of equity research. Prior to that, he was a quantitative analyst then a portfolio manager at Bluecrest Capital. Frédéric began his career at Global Advisors, a commodity-specialist CTA based in New York and London. Overall, Frédéric has spent over eleven years designing and managing all aspects of the systematic trading strategies' lifecycle. Frédéric holds a Masters degree and a PhD in Signal Processing (Machine Learning) from the École Centrale Nantes and he spent five years as a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge.

 

Anthony Lawler – Head of GAM Systematic

Anthony Lawler is head of GAM Systematic and GAM Investment Solutions. Anthony is the investment director responsible for GAM Systematic’s Alternative Risk Premia strategy. Anthony joined GAM in November 2011 after spending eight years with Man Group based in London and Chicago, latterly as head of portfolio management, where he led a global team covering all of Man Investments’ multi-manager mandates. This followed his role as head of hedge fund research at Man Glenwood. Prior to Man Group, he was an equity research analyst at Prudential Securities and a manager at venture capital firm Castling Group. Anthony began his career as an M&A analyst at Merrill Lynch. Anthony holds an MBA in Finance and Economics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a BSc (highest Honours) in Finance from the University of Illinois.

 

Graham Capital Management, LP

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Graham Capital Management, L.P. (“GCM”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Graham Tactical Trend Program. GCM is a Connecticut based company formed in 1994. GCM’s main offices are located at 40 Highland Avenue, Rowayton, CT 06853. GCM is registered with the CFTC as a CTA and CPO and is a member of the NFA. GCM is also registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Investment Adviser. GCM offers clients a broad array of quantitative and discretionary global macro trading programs. GCM’s quantitative trading programs or models produce trading signals on a largely automated basis when applied to market data. In GCM’s discretionary trading programs, trades are determined subjectively on the basis of its traders’ assessment of market conditions rather than through application of an automated system.

 

Kenneth G. Tropin – Chairman: Mr. Tropin founded GCM in May 1994. Mr. Tropin developed the firm’s original trading programs and is responsible for the overall management of the organization, including the investment of its proprietary trading capital.

 

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Pablo Calderini – President and Chief Investment Officer: Mr. Calderini is responsible for the management and oversight of the discretionary and systematic trading businesses at GCM. He joined GCM in August 2010 and became an Associated Person and Principal of GCM effective August 13, 2010. Mr. Calderini received a BA in Economics from Universidad Nacional de Rosario in 1987 and a Masters in Economics from Universidad del Cema in 1988, each in Argentina.

 

P/E Global, LLC

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with P/E Global, LLC (“P/E”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the P/E Emerald Futures Program. P/E is a Boston-based Limited Liability Company (LLC) formed in 2000. P/E’s main office is located at 75 State Street, 31st Floor, Boston, MA. P/E is registered with the CFTC as a CTA and CPO, is a member of the NFA and is registered with the SEC as an Investment Adviser. P/E uses fundamental macroeconomic and financial factors in all aspects of its research in order to develop adaptive quantitative processes.

 

Warren Naphtal – CIO: CIO: Mr. Naphtal has extensive experience in the portfolio management and securities trading fields. He is the co-founder of P/E Investments, and serves as Chief Investment Officer. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Naphtal was a Senior Vice President and Head of Derivative Strategies at Putnam Investments, managing $3.5 Billion. He was also responsible for Putnam’s commodity investments and foreign exchange overlay areas working extensively with core clients in the U.S. and Japan. Mr. Naphtal served on Putnam’s Capital Market Committee, setting the firm’s overall investment strategy and was a founding member of Putnam’s Risk Management Committee. From 1989 to 1993, Mr. Naphtal was a Managing Director of Continental Bank, where his responsibilities included Head of Global Risk Management, Head of Proprietary Trading and Managing Partner of Cardinal Capital Management. From 1987 to 1989, Mr. Naphtal was a Vice President of Continental Bank, where he was responsible for Derivatives Trading. From 1985 to 1986, Mr. Naphtal traded equity options for O’Connor & Associates, a leading options trading concern that was subsequently acquired by Swiss Bank. Mr. Naphtal is a graduate of both the Sloan School of Management at M.I.T., where he was a COGME Scholar, and received a S.M. in Management in 1985, and the University of California, Berkeley where he received a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1983.

 

Mary Stephens Naphtal – COO: Ms. Naphtal contributes expertise in the areas of strategic analysis, operations, and macroeconomic research. Ms. Naphtal Co-Founded P/E Investments in 1995, and currently serves as Chief Operating Officer. From 1991 to 1994, Ms. Naphtal was a Strategic Consultant advising major corporations. From 1986 to 1991, Ms. Naphtal was a management consultant for McKinsey & Co. in the areas of corporate strategy and organizational effectiveness. At McKinsey, she advised a diverse set of U.S. and European clients in multiple industries including Financial Institutions, Electronics, Telecommunications, Media, Consumer Goods and Industrial Manufacturing. Previously, Ms. Naphtal worked for Morgan Stanley & Co., where she participated in corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions transactions. From 1981 to 1984, Ms. Naphtal was a Client Manager at Harper and Schuman, a financial software concern. Ms. Naphtal is a graduate of Sloan School of Management at M.I.T., where she received a S.M. in Management in 1986, and the Colorado College, where she received a B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude in 1981. Ms. Naphtal is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a recipient of a full Boettcher Scholarship.

 

Revolution Capital Management, LLC

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Revolution Capital Management, LLC (“RCM”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Revolution Emerald Futures Program. RCM is a Colorado-based limited liability company (LLC) formed in 2004. RCM’s main office is located at 1400 16th Street, Suite 510, Denver, Colorado 80202, United States. RCM is registered with the CFTC as a CTA and CPO and is a member of the NFA. RCM has been trading proprietary capital since January 2005. RCM focuses on short-term, systematic and quantitative trading, applying rigorous statistical analysis to all aspects of research, development, and operations.

 

Michael Mundt – Principal: Dr. Mundt’s tasks primarily consist of model development, business/marketing, and coordinating RCM’s overall business and trading strategy. Dr. Mundt’s background is in engineering and applied science. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado in 1989. He was awarded a PhD in Aerospace Engineering in 1993, also from the University of Colorado; his thesis involved the exploration of chaos and turbulence in simple

 

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weather/climate models. After the completion of his academic studies, Dr. Mundt transitioned into the technology industry. He was employed by Seagate Technology, a hard-disk drive company, as an engineer specializing in computational fluid mechanics between March 1998 and July 2007.

 

T. Robert Olson – Principal: Dr. Olson oversees the architecture and development of the hardware and software computing infrastructure at RCM. Dr. Olson received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Arizona in 1989. He received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado in 1992 and 1996, respectively. Dr. Olson was employed at Raytheon Technology, an aerospace defense contractor, from June 1996 through June 2006. His primary job duties included code/software development, data analysis, and the development of statistical algorithms to process high-frequency real-time data.

 

Trigon Investment Advisors, LLC

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Trigon Investment Advisors, LLC (“Trigon”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Trigon Emerald Futures Program. Trigon is a New York based company founded in 2002. Trigon’s main office is located in Wall Street Plaza, 88 Pine Street, New York. Trigon is registered with the CFTC as a CTA and CPO and is a member of the NFA. Trigon manages both discretionary and systematic investment programs with a focus on top-down analysis of fundamentals.

 

Paul D. Mastroddi – Principal and Co-Founder: Mr. Mastroddi co-manages Trigon’s discretionary portfolios in addition to overseeing their systematic programs. Mr. Mastroddi worked at JPMorgan (1985-96), where he was Managing Director and chief US economist. He was ranked one of the top economists on Wall Street in the mid-1990s in polls conducted by Institutional Investor and Greenwich Associates. Mr. Mastroddi became an investment manager in 1996. He began his career as an investment manager at Lattanzio Group, where he ran the macro overlay for that equity-oriented hedge fund start-up (1996-97). In 1998, the Lattanzio partners joined Omega Advisors as a group and Mr. Mastroddi briefly advised and traded for Omega Advisors (1998). Mr. Mastroddi had sole responsibility for managing up to $100 million in capital at Moore Capital Management (1999-2000). He joined the MLC family of funds in early 2001 to team with Mr. Basic. Mr. Mastroddi graduated from Fordham University in 1981 with a BA in Economics and Philosophy and holds a PhD in Economics from Yale University (1985).

 

Ante Basic – Principal and Co-Founder: Mr. Basic co-manages Trigon’s discretionary portfolios in addition to overseeing their systematic programs. Mr. Basic started his career at the Chase Manhattan Bank (1990-96), where he was the head trader of a quantitative trading group responsible for portfolio management, research and development of systematic and quantitative trading strategies. Mr. Basic was co-founder, President and head trader of Global Capital Markets Strategies, Inc., a fund consultant and commodity trading advisory company (1996-99). From 1999 to 2000, he was Senior Vice President of Refco Fund Holdings, where he traded proprietary capital and oversaw the firm’s alternative asset division. Mr. Basic joined the MLC family of funds in 2000 as Managing Director. He was co-manager with Mr. Mastroddi of the MLC “house book”. Mr. Basic graduated from Brooklyn College of City University of New York with a B.S. in Business Management and Finance and he received his M.S. in Global Affairs from New York University. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn College Foundation as Treasurer and is a member of its Investment, Audit, and Finance Committees.

 

Tudor Investment Corporation

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Tudor Investment Corporation (“Tudor”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Tudor Emerald Momentum program. Tudor is a Connecticut-based investment manager. Tudor’s main office is located at 1275 King Street, Greenwich, Connecticut 06831, United States. The firm runs multiple strategies including but not limited to discretionary global macro, event driven and quantitative investment and trading strategies. The Tudor Emerald Momentum program trades a systematic trend following strategy across a broad range of global futures markets.

 

Steven Evans – Managing Director, Director – Tudor’s Systems Trading Group. Mr. Evans joined Tudor in August 1997 and is based in the Stamford office. He is Director of Tudor’s Systems Trading Group. Steve serves on various Tudor committees including the Management Committee and the Capital Allocation Committee. Prior to becoming Director of Tudor’s Systems Trading Group in January 2003, he held various positions at Tudor, including Chief Technology Officer. Prior to joining Tudor, he was a Vice President of Software Development at D.E. Shaw & Co., where he led the design and implementation

 

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of a multi-product risk management system (1996-1997). Prior to that, Steve was a Senior Manager in the Advanced Technology Group of Andersen Consulting, now Accenture Consulting, where he led the design and architecture of several large projects, including a real-time market surveillance system for a major international stock exchange (1987-1996). He also developed and sold video games during high school and college. He currently serves as a Director of Headlands Technologies LLC. Steve holds an M.A. (First Class Honours) in Mathematics from Wadham College, Oxford University (1987).

 

Daryl Cook – Managing Director, Quantitative Portfolio Manager – Tudor’s Systems Trading Group. Mr. Cook joined Tudor in July 1993 and is based in the London office. He is a member of Tudor’s Systems Trading Group’s Portfolio Advisory Group and has over twenty years of experience developing and implementing systematic trading models. Prior to joining Tudor in July 1993, he was employed by Reuters where he helped develop their IDN infrastructure (1988-1993) and Scicon Ltd. (1985-1988). Daryl holds a B.Sc. in Mathematics from Bristol University (1985).

 

Alejandro Belinky – Managing Director, Portfolio Manager. Mr. Belinky joined Tudor in August 2008 and is based in the Greenwich office. Prior to joining Tudor, Alejandro was a Research Analyst at Absolute Return Capital Partners, the systematic Global Macro Hedge Fund affiliate of Bain Capital, LLC (2006-2008), where he managed interest rate strategies in developed and emerging markets. Prior to joining Bain Capital, LLC, he was a Senior Associate in Global Tactical Asset Allocation at Mellon Capital Management (2004-2006). Alejandro holds a degree in Economics from Universidad Nacional Del Sur in Argentina (1999), a graduate degree (M.A. equivalent) in Capital Markets from Universidad De Buenos Aires (2000) and an M.Phil. as well as an M.S. in Finance and Economics from Columbia Business School (2004).

 

Welton Investment Partners LLC

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Welton Investment Partners LLC (“Welton”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Welton Trend program. Welton is a Delaware limited liability company formed in June 2014 to provide all of the investment advisory and day-to-day operational services previously assumed by Welton Investment Corporation (its “predecessor”), a Delaware corporation that merged in May 1997 with a California corporation originally formed in 1988. Welton’s main office is located at Eastwood Building, San Carlos between 5th and 6th, P.O. Box 6147, Carmel, California 93921, United States. Welton is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as both a Commodity Trading Advisor and a Commodity Pool Operator and is a member of the NFA in such capacities. Welton is also registered with the SEC as an investment adviser. Welton’s Trend program utilizes select medium and long-term trend-following models to capture specific recurrent market phenomena generated by behavioral inefficiencies amongst capital market participants. The systematic portfolio embeds risk management at multiple layers to ensure a stable risk profile over time.

 

Dr. Patrick Welton (Chief Investment Officer) – Dr. Welton is the founder and a principal of Welton and serves as the CIO. He chairs Welton’s Investment Committee and sets the strategic direction of the firm. Dr. Welton has served on committees for the Managed Funds Association and was a member of the Board of Directors of the NFA from 1997-2000. He has spoken at numerous conferences globally, participated in panel presentations, and has authored numerous articles about alternative investments, macroeconomic impacts on markets, and investment theory. Dr. Welton currently serves as chair of private pension and foundation investment committees. His former research experience includes molecular biological work in gene sequencing, biophysics with a focus on positron emission neurofunctional brain imaging, and oncology. He holds undergraduate, doctoral and postdoctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Stanford University, respectively.

 

Basil Williams (Chief Executive Officer) – Mr. Williams serves as Welton’s CEO and is based out of the firm’s New York office. He possesses a deep general management experience as a 30+ year industry leader in investment management. Mr. Williams is a proven investor in alternative strategies having traded a broad suite of relative value strategies during his 20 years at Concordia Advisors. Moreover, he possesses C-suite experience having built and led hedge fund businesses at Concordia and Mariner Investment Group. Prior to joining Welton, Mr. Williams was the Head of Portfolio Management at PAAMCO, one of the largest alternative allocators and emerging manager investors. He has been a regular speaker at industry conferences, and authored articles on topics ranging from monetary policy, risk management, technology and hedge fund management. Mr. Williams’ not-for-profit service

 

26

 

 

 

includes President of the Board of Elisabeth Morrow School, Finance Committee Member of the Dwight Englewood School, and Trustee of the Portsmouth Abbey School. He earned an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business, and a BA in Applied Mathematics (Summa Cum Laude) from Brown University. Mr. Williams joined the firm in 2019.

 

Todd Merrell, CPA, CA (Chief Financial Officer) – Mr. Merrell, who joined Welton in 2009, is a principal of the firm and is responsible for all aspects of finance, middle- and back-office operations for Welton. This includes: corporate finance, fund accounting, fund administration, trade oversight, and investor reporting. Prior to joining Welton, Mr. Merrell was employed with JPMorgan Chase Hedge Fund Services in Bermuda and previously worked for Deloitte in Canada where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CA). Mr. Merrell holds memberships with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) in both Bermuda and Saskatchewan. He earned a Master of Professional Accounting degree and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance from the University of Saskatchewan.

 

Guillaume Detrait (Chief Operating Officer & Chief Risk Officer) – Mr. Detrait joined Welton in 2008. He is a principal of the firm and chairs the Operating Committee. He is responsible for overseeing the overall operations of the firm, helping each department adopt sound business practices and mitigating all major risks. Previously he was a Vice President at HSBC and a Senior Business Manager at Capital One. He began his career with KPMG where he served as an audit manager to the firm’s Paris and Los Angeles practices. Mr. Detrait holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS from ESC Reims in France.

 

David Nowlin (Chief Compliance Officer) – Mr. Nowlin, who has been with Welton since 1993, is a principal of the firm and oversees compliance, legal and internal departmental reviews. Previously, he worked as an Associate with the firms formerly known as Price Waterhouse and Dean Witter Reynolds. Mr. Nowlin successfully completed the FINRA® Institute at Wharton Certified Regulatory and Compliance Professional (CRCP) program. Mr. Nowlin earned an MBA from Santa Clara University and a BA from Westmont College.

 

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

Pricing of Fund Shares

 

Class I Shares and Class C Shares of the Fund are sold at their NAV. Class A Shares and Class T Shares of the Fund are sold at their NAV, plus a front-end sales charge, if applicable. The NAV of a class of the Fund is calculated as follows:

 

 

Value of Assets Attributable to a Class

NAV = –

Value of Liabilities Attributable to the Same Class

 

Number of Outstanding Shares of the Class

 

The Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. The NYSE is generally open Monday through Friday, except national holidays. The NYSE also may be closed on national days of mourning or due to natural disaster or other extraordinary events or emergency. Due to the fact that different expenses are charged to the Class I Shares, Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares of the Fund, the NAV of the four classes of the Fund may vary. The Fund will effect purchases of Shares at the NAV, plus any applicable sales charge, next determined after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your purchase order in good order as described below. The Fund will effect redemptions of Shares at the NAV next calculated after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your redemption request in good order as described below. If the Fund holds securities that are primarily listed on non-U.S. exchanges, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Fund’s shares.

 

The Fund’s equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange market system will be valued at the last sale price, except for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (“NASDAQ”). Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ will be valued at the official closing price. Equity

 

27

 

 

 

securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at their closing prices. If there were no transactions on that day, equity securities will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. Fixed income securities are valued using an independent pricing service, which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings, and are deemed representative of market values at the close of the market. When prices are not available from such service or are deemed to be unreliable, securities may be valued by dealers who make markets in such securities. Forward exchange contracts are valued by interpolating between spot and forward currency rates as quoted by an independent pricing service. Futures contracts are generally valued using the settlement price determined by the relevant exchange. 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, will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. Options not traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last quoted bid price for long option positions and the closing ask price for short option positions.

 

Investments in other open-end investment companies are valued based on the NAV of those investment companies (which may use fair value pricing as discussed in their prospectuses). Investments in ETFs, REITs and closed-end funds will be valued at their market price.

 

If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Fund’s administrator, in consultation with the Adviser and Trading Advisers, securities will be valued by the Adviser and Trading Advisers in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board’s ultimate supervision. Relying on prices supplied by pricing services or dealers or using fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by the Fund to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other investment companies and investors to price the same investments.

 

Sales Charges

 

Different Service Organizations may impose different sales charge waivers and these variations are described in Appendix A to this Prospectus.

 

Class A Shares Sales Charges. Purchases of Class A Shares of the Fund are subject to a front-end sales charge of up to 5.75% of the total purchase price; however, sales charges may be reduced for large purchases as indicated below. For Class A Shares sold by the Distributor, the Distributor will receive the sales charge imposed on purchases of Class A Shares (or any contingent deferred sales charge paid on redemptions) and may retain the full amount of such sales charge. The sales charges or underwriter concessions (the difference between the sales charge and the dealer reallowance) received by the Distributor may be made available to the Fund for pre-approved marketing expenses or may be used to offset the compensation owed by the Adviser to the Distributor for its services. Sales charges are not imposed on Shares that are purchased with reinvested dividends or other distributions. The table below indicates the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested. The term “offering price” includes the front-end sales charge. Because of rounding in the calculation of the “offering price”, the actual sales charge you pay may be more or less than that calculated using the percentages shown below.

 

Amount of Purchase of Class A Shares

Sales Charge
as a % of
Offering Price

Sales Charge
as a % of
Net Amount
Invested

Dealer
Compensation
as a Percentage
of Offering
Price

Less than $25,000

5.75%

6.10%

5.00%

At least $25,000 but less than $50,000

5.00%

5.26%

4.25%

At least $50,000 but less than $100,000

4.75%

4.99%

4.00%

At least $100,000 but less than $250,000

3.75%

3.83%

3.25%

At least $250,000 but less than $500,000

2.50%

2.56%

2.00%

At least $500,000 but less than $1,000,000

2.00%

2.04%

1.75%

$1,000,000 or greater

None

None

*see below

 

 

*

No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1,000,000 or more; however, a 1% contingent deferred sales charge is imposed in the event of redemption within 12 months following any such purchase. The Fund’s Distributor will pay a commission at the rate of 1% to certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and

 

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other industry professionals, including affiliates of the Adviser who initiate and are responsible for purchases of $1,000,000 or more. Contingent deferred sale charges may be waived or varied by certain Service Organizations as described in Appendix A to this Prospectus.

 

Class T Shares Sales Charges. Purchases of Class T Shares of the Fund are subject to a front-end sales charge of up to 2.50% of the total purchase price; however, sales charges may be reduced for large purchases as indicated below. Sales charges are not imposed on Shares that are purchased with reinvested dividends or other distributions, and the Fund does not impose a deferred sales charge on Class T Shares. The table below indicates the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested. The term “offering price” includes the front-end sales charge.

 

Amount of Purchase of Class T Shares

Sales Charge
as a % of
Offering Price

Sales Charge
as a % of
Net Amount
Invested

Dealer
Compensation
as a Percentage
of Offering
Price

Less than $250,000

2.50%

2.56%

2.50%

At least $250,000 but less than $500,000

2.00%

2.04%

2.00%

At least $500,000 but less than $1,000,000

1.50%

1.52%

1.50%

$1,000,000 or greater

1.00%

1.01%

1.00%

 

Rights of Accumulation. You may combine your new purchase of Class A Shares with Class A Shares and/or Class C Shares currently owned for the purpose of qualifying for the lower initial sales charge rates that apply to larger purchases. The applicable sales charge for the new purchase is based on the total of your current purchase and the current NAV of all other shares you own. You may combine your account, your spouse’s account, and the account(s) of your children under age 25.

 

This privilege is also extended to certain employee benefit plans and trust estates. The following purchases may be combined for purposes of determining the “Amount of Purchase:” (a) individual purchases, if made at the same time, by a single purchaser, the purchaser’s spouse and children under the age of 25 purchasing Class A Shares for their own accounts, including shares purchased by a qualified retirement plan(s) exclusively for the benefit of such individual(s) (such as an IRA, individual-type section 403(b) plan or single-participant Keogh-type plan) or by a “Company,” as defined in Section 2(a)(8) of the 1940 Act, solely controlled as defined in the 1940 Act, by such individual(s), or (b) individual purchases by trustees or other fiduciaries purchasing Class A Shares (i) for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account, including an employee benefit plan, or (ii) concurrently by two or more employee benefit plans for a single employer or of employers affiliated with each other in accordance with Section 2(a)(3)(c) of the 1940 Act (excluding in either case an employee benefit plan described in (a) above), provided such trustees or other fiduciaries purchase shares in a single payment. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts may not be combined with purchases made for such other accounts. You may also further discuss the combined purchase privilege with your investment broker, brokerage firm, financial institution, or other industry professional, including affiliates of the Adviser.

 

You will need to provide written instruction with respect to the other accounts whose purchases should be considered in Rights of Accumulation.

 

Rights of Accumulation do not apply to Class T Shares and Class I Shares.

 

Letter of Intent. If you anticipate purchasing a specific dollar amount of Class A Shares within a 13-month period, the shares may be purchased at a reduced sales charge by completing and returning a Letter of Intent (the “Letter”), which can be provided to you by your investment broker or other Service Organization. The reduced sales charge may also be obtained on Class A Shares purchased within the 90 days prior to the date of receipt of the Letter. Shares purchased under the Letter are eligible for the same reduced sales charge that would have been available had all the shares been purchased at the same time. There is no obligation to purchase the full amount of shares indicated in the Letter. Should you invest more or less than indicated in the Letter during the 13-month period, the sales charge will be recalculated based on the actual amount purchased. A portion of the amount of the intended purchase normally will be held in escrow in the form of Shares pending completion of the intended purchase. If you do not purchase the full amount of Class A Shares indicated in the Letter, the appropriate amount of shares held in escrow will be redeemed by the Transfer Agent to pay the sales charge that was not applied to your purchase.

 

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Letters of Intent do not apply to Class T Shares.

 

Class T Shares Eligibility. Class T Shares, once available for sale, will be available only through certain Service Organizations that make the Shares available to their clients. Not all Service Organizations will make Class T Shares available to their clients. Certain Service Organizations, through whom you may invest in Class T Shares, may impose their own investment fees, policies and procedures for purchasing and selling Class T Shares, which are not described in this Prospectus or the SAI, and which will depend on the policies, procedures and trading platforms of the Service Organization. Consult Appendix A and a representative of your Service Organization about the availability of Class T Shares of the Fund and the Service Organization’s policies, procedures and other information. Rights of accumulation, letters of intent, rights of reinstatement and exchange privileges are not available on purchases of Class T Shares.

 

Class A Sales Charge Waivers. The sales charge on purchases of Class A Shares is waived for certain types of investors, including:

 

 

Current and retired directors and officers of the Fund sponsored by the Adviser or any of its subsidiaries, their families (e.g., spouse, children, mother or father) and any purchases referred through the Adviser.

 

 

Employees of the Adviser and their families, or any full-time employee or registered representative of the Distributor or of broker-dealers having selling agreements with the Distributor (a “Selling Broker”) and their immediate families (or any trust, pension, profit sharing or other benefit plan for the benefit of such persons).

 

 

Any full-time employee of a bank, savings and loan, credit union or other financial institution that utilizes a Selling Broker to clear purchases of the fund’s shares and their immediate families.

 

 

Participants in certain “wrap-fee” or asset allocation programs or other fee-based arrangements sponsored by broker-dealers and other financial institutions that have entered into agreements with the Distributor.

 

 

Clients of financial intermediaries that have entered into arrangements with the Distributor providing for the shares to be used in particular investment products made available to such clients and for which such registered investment advisors may charge a separate fee.

 

 

Institutional investors (which may include bank trust departments and registered investment advisers).

 

 

Any accounts established on behalf of registered investment advisers or their clients by broker dealers that charge a transaction fee and that have entered into agreements with the Distributor.

 

 

Separate accounts used to fund certain unregistered variable annuity contracts or Section 403(b) or 401(a) or (k) accounts.

 

 

Whether a sales charge waiver is available for your retirement plan or charitable account depends upon the policies and procedures of your Service Organization and if your Service Organization has entered into an agreement with the Company or the Distributor. Please consult your financial adviser for further information.

 

In order to take advantage of a sales charge waiver, a purchaser must certify to the Service Organization eligibility for a waiver and must notify the Service Organization whenever eligibility for a waiver ceases to exist. A Service Organization reserves the right to request additional information from a purchaser in order to verify that such purchaser is so eligible. Such information may include account statements or other records regarding Shares of the Fund held by you or your immediate family household members.

 

Appendix A of this Prospectus provides more information about special sales charge arrangements through Service Organizations, and the circumstances in which sales charges may be reduced or waived for certain investors and certain types of purchases or redemptions.

 

Class T Sales Charge Waivers. Class T Shares may be available for purchase by certain Service Organization clients with the front-end load waived as described in Appendix A to this Prospectus.

 

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Appendix A of this Prospectus provides more information about special sales charge arrangements through Service Organizations, and the circumstances in which sales charges may be reduced or waived for certain investors and certain types of purchases or redemptions.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions – Class A Shares. Purchases of $1,000,000 or more in Class A Shares are not subject to an initial sales charge; however, a contingent deferred sales charge is payable on these investments in the event of a share redemption within 12 months following the share purchase, at the rate of 1% of the lesser of the value of the shares redeemed (exclusive of reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions) or the total cost of such shares. In determining whether a contingent deferred sales charge is payable, and the amount of the charge, it is assumed that shares purchased with reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions and then other shares held the longest are the first redeemed. Contingent Deferred Sales Charges may be waived or reduced by certain Service Organizations as described in Appendix A to this Prospectus.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions – Class I Shares and Class T Shares. Contingent Deferred Sales Charges do not apply to redemptions of Class I Shares and Class T Shares.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions – Class C Shares. No sales load is payable by a shareholder at the time of purchase, although the Distributor advances applicable Service Organizations the first year distribution and services fee at a rate of 1.00% on investments in the Fund’s Class C Shares. This advancement is solely financed by the Adviser and not by investors or the Fund. As a result, the Fund imposes a CDSC of 1.00% on redemptions of investments made within 12 months of purchase. The financing party receives the CDSC from the Distributor as reimbursement for the up-front sales commission that has been financed. The CDSC is assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the offering price at the time of purchase of the shares redeemed and the NAV of shares redeemed at the time of redemption. When Class C Shares are redeemed, the redemption order is processed so that the lowest deferred sales charge is charged, and Class C Shares that are not subject to the deferred sales charge are redeemed first. Any CDSC paid on the redemptions of Class C Shares expressed as a percentage of the applicable redemption amount may be higher or lower than the charge described due to rounding. No CDSC is imposed on increases in NAV for Fund shares acquired as reinvested Fund distributions.

 

The CDSC will be waived for Class C Shares in the following circumstances:

 

 

Redemptions of shares purchased through certain employer-sponsored retirement plans and rollovers of current investments in the Fund through such plans;

 

Exchanges pursuant to the exchange privilege, as described in “Shareholder Information — Exchange Privilege”;

 

Redemptions made in connection with minimum required distributions from IRA or 403(b)(7) accounts due to the shareholder reaching the age of 70 1/2;

 

Certain post-retirement withdrawals from an IRA or other retirement plan if you are over 59 1/2 years old and you purchased your shares prior to October 2, 2006;

 

Redemptions made with respect to certain retirement plans sponsored by the Fund;

 

Redemptions resulting from shareholder death as long as the waiver request is made within one year of death or, if later, reasonably promptly following completion of probate (including in connection with the distribution of account assets to a beneficiary of the decedent);

 

Withdrawals resulting from shareholder disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) as long as the disability arose subsequent to the purchase of the shares;

 

Involuntary redemptions made of shares in accounts with low balances;

 

Redemptions related to the payment of custodial IRA fees, if any; and

 

Redemptions when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship, in the absolute discretion of the Fund.

 

Purchase of Fund Shares

 

Shares representing interests in the Fund are offered continuously for sale by Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”).

 

General. You may purchase Shares of the Fund at the NAV per Share, plus any applicable sales charge, next calculated after your order is received by the Transfer Agent in good order as described below. The Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. After an initial purchase is made, the Transfer Agent will set up an account for you on the Company records. The minimum initial investment in Class A Shares, Class

 

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C Shares and Class T Shares is $2,500, and the minimum initial investment for Class I Shares is $1,000,000. There is a minimum amount of $100 for subsequent investment in Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares and of $1,000 in Class I Shares. The Fund may accept initial investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion. You can purchase Shares of the Fund only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described in this section. Class T Shares are not currently available for sale.

 

Purchases Through Intermediaries. Shares of the Fund may also be available through certain Service Organizations. Certain features of the Shares, such as the initial and subsequent investment minimums and certain trading restrictions, may be modified or waived by Service Organizations. Service Organizations may impose minimum investment requirements. Service Organizations may also impose transaction or administrative charges or other direct fees, which charges and fees would not be imposed if Shares are purchased directly from the Company. Therefore, you should contact the Service Organization acting on your behalf concerning the fees (if any) charged in connection with a purchase or redemption of Shares and should read this Prospectus in light of the terms governing your accounts with the Service Organization. Service Organizations will be responsible for promptly transmitting client or customer purchase and redemption orders to the Company in accordance with their agreements with the Company or its agent and with clients or customers. Service Organizations or, if applicable, their designees that have entered into agreements with the Company or its agent may enter confirmed purchase orders on behalf of clients and customers, with payment to follow no later than the Company’s pricing on the following business day. If payment is not received by such time, the Service Organization could be held liable for resulting fees or losses. The Company will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when a Service Organization, or, if applicable, its authorized designee, accepts a purchase or redemption order in good order if the order is actually received by the Company in good order not later than the next business morning. If a purchase order is not received by the Fund in good order, the Transfer Agent will contact the financial intermediary to determine the status of the purchase order. Orders received by the Company in good order will be priced at the Fund’s NAV, plus any applicable sales charges, next computed after such orders are deemed to have been received by the Service Organization or its authorized designee.

 

For administration, sub-accounting, transfer agency and/or other services, the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Service Organizations and certain recordkeeping organizations a fee (the “Service Fee”) based on the average annual NAV of accounts with the Company maintained by such Service Organizations or recordkeepers. The Service Fee payable to any one Service Organization is determined based upon a number of factors, including the nature and quality of services provided, the operations processing requirements of the relationship and the standardized fee schedule of the Service Organization or recordkeeper.

 

In addition to fees that the Fund may pay to a Service Organization under a Plan of Distribution for the Class A Shares, the Class C Shares and the Class T Shares, the Fund may enter into agreements with Service Organizations pursuant to which the Fund will pay a Service Organization for networking, sub-transfer agency, sub-administration and/or sub-accounting services. These payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by the Service Organization or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by the Service Organization. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial.

 

Class I Shares may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Company to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Class I Shares through one of these programs, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker.

 

Purchases By Telephone. Investors may purchase additional Class I, Class A and Class C Shares of the Fund by calling 1-844-261-6484. If you elected this option on your account application, and your account has been open for at least 7 business days, telephone orders, in amounts of $100 or more for Class A Shares and Class C Shares, and $1,000 or more for Class I Shares, will be accepted via electronic funds transfer from your bank account through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. You must have banking information established on your account prior to making a purchase. If your order is received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, your shares will be purchased at the NAV, plus any applicable sales charge, calculated on the day your order is placed.

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close for same day pricing. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

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Initial Investment By Mail. Class I, Class A and Class C Shares of the Fund may be purchased by mail. Subject to acceptance by the Fund, an account may be opened by completing and signing an Account Application and mailing it to the Fund at the address noted below, together with a check payable to Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund. All checks must be in U.S. Dollars drawn on a domestic bank. The Fund will not accept payment in cash or money orders. The Fund does not accept post-dated checks or any conditional order or payment. To prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or starter checks for the purchase of Shares.

 

Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

or overnight to:

 

Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

The Transfer Agent will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Fund, for any payment that is returned. It is the policy of the Fund not to accept applications under certain circumstances or in amounts considered disadvantageous to shareholders. The Fund reserves the right to reject any application.

 

The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the transfer agent of the Fund. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

Shares will be purchased at the NAV plus any applicable sales charge next computed after the time the application and funds are received in proper order and accepted by the Fund.

 

Initial Investment By Wire. Class I, Class A and Class C Shares may also be purchased by wire. If you are making your first investment in the Fund, before you wire funds, the Transfer Agent must have a completed account application. You may mail or overnight deliver your account application to the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of your completed account application, the Transfer Agent will establish an account for you. The account number assigned will be required as part of the instruction that should be provided to your bank to send the wire. Your bank must include both the name of the Fund you are purchasing, the account number, and your name so that monies can be correctly applied. Your bank should transmit funds by wire to:

 

Wire Instructions:

 

U.S. Bank National Association
777 East Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee WI 53202
ABA 075000022
Credit:
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Account #112-952-137
For Further Credit to:
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund
(shareholder registration)
(shareholder account number)

 

Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to be eligible for same day pricing. The Fund and U.S. Bank, N.A. are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions.

 

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Subsequent Investments – By Wire. Before sending your wire, please contact the Transfer Agent to advise them of your intent to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit upon receipt of your wire.

 

Additional Investments. Additional investments may be made at any time by purchasing Shares at the NAV per Share, plus any applicable sales charge of the Fund by mailing a check to the Transfer Agent at the address noted above under “Investment by Mail” or by wiring as outlined above under “Investment by Wire”. Initial and additional purchases made by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network cannot be redeemed until payment of the purchase has been collected. This may take up to 15 calendar days from the purchase date. There is a minimum amount of $100 for subsequent investments in Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares, and of $1,000 in Class I Shares.

 

Retirement Plans/IRA Accounts. The Fund offers prototype documents for a variety of retirement accounts for individuals and small businesses. Please call 1-844-261-6484 for information.

 

There may be special distribution requirements for a retirement account, such as required distributions or mandatory Federal income tax withholding. For more information, call the number listed above. You may be charged a $15 annual account maintenance fee for each retirement account up to a maximum of $30 annually and a $25 fee for transferring assets to another custodian or for closing a retirement account.

 

Purchases in Kind. In certain circumstances, Shares of the Fund may be purchased “in kind” (i.e. in exchange for securities, rather than cash). The securities rendered in connection with an in-kind purchase must be liquid securities that are not restricted as to transfer and have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Company’s valuation procedures. Securities accepted by the Fund will be valued, as set forth in this Prospectus, as of the time of the next determination of NAV after such acceptance. The Shares of the Fund that are issued to the investor in exchange for the securities will be determined as of the same time. All dividend, subscription, or other rights that are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at the time of valuation become the property of the Fund and must be delivered to the Fund by the investor upon receipt from the issuer. The Fund will not accept securities in exchange for its Shares unless such securities are, at the time of the exchange, eligible to be held by the Fund and satisfy such other conditions as may be imposed by the Adviser or the Company. Purchases in-kind may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on the securities transferred to the Fund.

 

Other Purchase Information. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of Shares or to reject purchase orders when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interests of the Fund. The Adviser will monitor the Fund’s total assets and may, subject to Board’s approval, decide to close the Fund at any time to new investments or to new accounts due to concerns that a significant increase in the size of the Fund may adversely affect the implementation of the Fund’s strategy. The Adviser, subject to the Board’s approval, may also choose to reopen the Fund to new investments at any time, and may subsequently close the Fund again should concerns regarding the Fund’s size recur. If the Fund closes to new investments, the Fund may be offered only to certain existing shareholders of the Fund and certain other persons who may be subject to cumulative, maximum purchase amounts, as follows:

 

 

a.

persons who already hold Shares of the closed Fund directly or through accounts maintained by brokers by arrangement with the Adviser;

 

 

b.

existing and future clients of financial advisers and planners whose clients already hold Shares of the Fund;

 

 

c.

employees of the Adviser and their spouses, parents and children; and

 

 

d.

directors of the Company.

 

Distributions to all shareholders of the closed Fund will continue to be reinvested unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Adviser, subject to the Board’s discretion, reserves the right to implement other purchase limitations at the time of closing, including limitations on current shareholders.

 

Purchases of the Fund’s Shares will be made in full and fractional Shares of the Fund calculated to three decimal places. Certificates for Shares will not be issued.

 

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Shares may be purchased and subsequent investments may be made by principals and employees of the Adviser and their family members, either directly or through their IRAs, and by any pension and profit-sharing plan of the Adviser, without being subject to the minimum investment limitation. The Adviser is authorized to waive the minimum initial investment requirement.

 

Good Order. A purchase request is considered to be in good order when the purchase request includes the name of the Fund and share class, the dollar amount of shares to be purchased, your account application or investment stub, a check payable to the Fund, and any other information requested. Purchase requests not in good order may be rejected.

 

Customer Identification Program. In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, please note that the Transfer Agent will verify certain information on your account application as part of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. As requested on the account application, you must supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. If you are opening the account in the name of a legal entity (e.g., partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, etc.), you must also supply the identity of the beneficial owners. Mailing addresses containing only a P.O. Box will not be accepted. Applications without the required information, or without any indication that a social security or taxpayer identification number has been applied for, may not be accepted. After acceptance, to the extent permitted by applicable law or its customer identification program, the Company reserves the right (a) to place limits on transactions in any account until the identity of the investor is verified; or (b) to refuse an investment in a Company portfolio or to involuntarily redeem an investor’s shares and close an account in the event that an investor’s identity is not verified. The Company and its agents will not be responsible for any loss in an investor’s account resulting from the investor’s delay in providing all required identifying information or from closing an account and redeeming an investor’s Shares when an investor’s identity cannot be verified.

 

Redemption of Fund Shares

 

You may redeem Fund Shares at the next NAV calculated after a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. The Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. You can redeem Shares of the Fund only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described in this section. You may redeem Fund Shares by mail, or, if you are authorized, by telephone. The value of Shares redeemed may be more or less than the purchase price, depending on the market value of the investment securities held by the Fund.

 

Redemption By Mail. Your redemption request should be sent to:

Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P. O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

or overnight to:

Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the transfer agent of the Fund. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

A signature guarantee, from either a Medallion program member or a non-Medallion program member (as described below), is required in the following situations:

 

 

If ownership is being changed on your account;

 

When redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account not on record;

 

When a redemption is received by the Transfer Agent and the account address or bank details have changed within the last 15 calendar days; and

 

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For all redemptions in excess of $25,000 from any shareholder account.

 

The Fund may waive any of the above requirements in certain instances. In addition to the situations described above, the Fund and/or the Transfer Agent reserve the right to require a signature guarantee in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.

 

Non-financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services on an account, may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source.

 

Signature guarantees will generally be accepted from non-Medallion program members who are domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program and the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”). A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor.

 

Redemption By Telephone. In order to utilize the telephone redemption option, you must indicate that option on your Account Application. You may then initiate a redemption of Shares in an amount not exceeding $25,000 by calling the Transfer Agent at 1-844-261-6484.

 

Investors may have a check sent to the address of record, proceeds may be wired to a shareholder’s bank account of record, or funds may be sent via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, also to the bank account of record. Wires are subject to a $15 fee paid by the investor, but the investor does not incur any charge when proceeds are sent via the ACH system.

 

Once a telephone transaction has been placed, it cannot be canceled or modified after the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close for same day pricing. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

Before executing an instruction received by telephone, the Transfer Agent will use reasonable procedures to confirm that the telephone instructions are genuine. The telephone call may be recorded and the caller may be asked to verify certain personal identification information. If the Fund or its agents follow these procedures, they cannot be held liable for any loss, expense or cost arising out of any telephone redemption request that is reasonably believed to be genuine. This includes fraudulent or unauthorized requests. If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, the Fund will accept telephone instructions from any one owner or authorized person.

 

IRA and Other Retirement Plan Redemptions. If you have an IRA, you must indicate on your written redemption request whether or not to withhold federal income tax. Redemption requests failing to indicate an election to have tax withheld will be subject to 10% withholding.

 

Shares held in IRA accounts may be redeemed by telephone at 1-844-261-6484. Investors will be asked whether or not to withhold taxes from any distribution.

 

Involuntary Redemption. The Fund reserves the right to redeem a shareholder’s account in the Fund at any time the value of the account falls below $500 as a result of a redemption or an exchange request. Shareholders will be notified in writing that the value of their account in the Fund is less than $500 and will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed. The Fund may assert the right to redeem your Shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for Shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Other Redemption Information. Redemption proceeds for Shares of the Fund recently purchased by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network may not be distributed until payment for the purchase has been collected, which may take up to fifteen calendar days from the purchase date. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option. Other than as described above, payment of the redemption proceeds will be made within seven days after receipt of an order for a redemption. The Company may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date at times when the NYSE is closed

 

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or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC. The Funds typically expect to meet redemption requests by paying out proceeds from cash or cash equivalent portfolio holdings, or by selling portfolio securities. In stressed market conditions, redemption methods may include redeeming in kind.

 

If the Board determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of the Fund to make payment wholly or partly in cash, redemption proceeds may be paid in whole or in part by an in-kind distribution of readily marketable securities held by the Fund instead of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC and the Company’s Policy and Procedures Related to the Processing of In-Kind Redemptions. Investors generally will incur brokerage charges on the sale of portfolio securities so received in the payment of redemptions. If a shareholder receives redemption proceeds in-kind, the shareholder will bear the market risk of the securities received until their disposition and should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, so that the Fund is obligated to redeem its Shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund.

 

Good Order. A redemption request is considered to be in good order when the redemption request includes the name of the Fund and share class, the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, the account number, signatures by all of the shareholders whose names appear on the account registration with a signature guarantee, if applicable, and any other information requested. Redemption requests not in good order may be delayed.

 

Market Timing

 

In accordance with the policy adopted by the Board, the Company discourages and does not accommodate market timing and other excessive trading practices. Purchases should be made with a view to longer-term investment only. Excessive short-term (market timing) trading practices may disrupt portfolio management strategies, increase brokerage and administrative costs, harm Fund performance and result in dilution in the value of Fund Shares held by long-term shareholders. The Company and the Adviser reserve the right to (i) reject a purchase or exchange order, (ii) delay payment of immediate cash redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days, (iii) revoke a shareholder’s privilege to purchase Fund Shares (including exchanges), or (iv) limit the amount of any exchange involving the purchase of Fund Shares. An investor may receive notice that their purchase order or exchange has been rejected after the day the order is placed or after acceptance by a financial intermediary. It is currently expected that a shareholder would receive notice that its purchase order or exchange has been rejected within 48 hours after such purchase order or exchange has been received by the Company in good order. The Company and the Adviser will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected purchase orders. To minimize harm to the Company and its shareholders (or the Adviser), the Company (or the Adviser) will exercise its right if, in the Company’s (or the Adviser’s) judgment, an investor has a history of excessive trading or if an investor’s trading, in the judgment of the Company (or the Adviser), has been or may be disruptive to the Fund. No waivers of the provisions of the policy established to detect and deter market timing and other excessive trading activity are permitted that would harm the Fund and its shareholders or would subordinate the interests of the Fund and its shareholders to those of the Adviser or any affiliated person or associated person of the Adviser.

 

Pursuant to the policy adopted by the Board, the Adviser has developed criteria that it uses to identify trading activity that may be excessive. The Adviser reviews on a regular, periodic basis available information related to the trading activity in the Fund in order to assess the likelihood that the Fund may be the target of excessive trading. As part of its excessive trading surveillance process, the Adviser, on a periodic basis, examines transactions that exceed certain monetary thresholds or numerical limits within a period of time. If, in its judgment, the Adviser detects excessive, short-term trading, it may reject or restrict a purchase request and may further seek to close an investor’s account with the Fund. The Adviser may modify its surveillance procedures and criteria from time to time without prior notice regarding the detection of excessive trading or to address specific circumstances. The Adviser will apply the criteria in a manner that, in its judgment, will be uniform.

 

There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to identify market timers, particularly if they are investing through intermediaries.

 

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If necessary, the Company may prohibit additional purchases of Shares by a financial intermediary or by certain customers of the financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries may also monitor their customers’ trading activities in the Fund. The criteria used by intermediaries to monitor for excessive trading may differ from the criteria used by the Company. If a financial intermediary fails to enforce the Company’s excessive trading policies, the Company may take certain actions, including terminating the relationship.

 

Exchange Privilege

 

Beneficial holders with financial intermediary sponsored fee-based programs are eligible to exchange their Shares in a particular share class of the Fund for Shares in an identically registered account in a different share class of the Fund if the shareholder meets the eligibility requirements for that class of Shares or the shareholder is otherwise eligible to purchase that class of Shares. Such an exchange will be effected at the NAV of the Shares next calculated after the exchange request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. Investors who hold Class I shares of the Fund through a fee-based program, but who subsequently become ineligible to participate in the program or withdraw from the program, may be subject to conversion of their Class I shares by their program provider to another class of shares of the Fund having expenses (including Rule 12b-1 fees) that may be higher than the expenses of the Class I shares. Investors should contact their program provider to obtain information about their eligibility for the provider’s program and the class of shares they would receive upon such a conversion.

 

Shares of each class of the Fund represent equal pro rata interests in the Fund and accrue dividends and calculate NAV and performance quotations in the same manner. The performance of each class is quoted separately due to different actual expenses. Total return can be expected to differ among classes of the Fund. Shareholders who exercise the exchange privilege will generally not recognize a taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. The Fund reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to change or discontinue the exchange privilege, or to temporarily suspend the privilege during unusual market conditions when, in the judgment of management, such change or discontinuance is in the best interests of the Fund.

 

Exchange Privileges do not apply to Class T Shares.

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

The Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders. All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional Shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Fund will declare and pay dividends from net investment income annually. Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed by the Fund at least annually.

 

The Fund may pay additional distributions and dividends at other times if necessary for the Fund to avoid U.S. federal tax. The Fund’s distributions and dividends, whether received in cash or reinvested in additional Shares, are subject to U.S. federal income tax.

 

All distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares unless you elect to receive cash. If you elect to receive distributions and/or capital gains paid in cash, and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account, at the Fund’s current NAV, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions. You may change the distribution option on your account at any time. You should notify the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next distribution.

 

More Information About Taxes

 

The following is a summary of certain U.S. tax considerations relevant under current law, which may be subject to change in the future. Except where otherwise indicated, the discussion relates to investors who are individual U.S. citizens or residents. You should consult your tax adviser for further information regarding federal, state, local and/or foreign tax consequences relevant to your specific situation.

 

Distributions. The Fund contemplates distributing as dividends each year all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss).

 

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Except as otherwise discussed below, you will be subject to federal income tax on Fund distributions regardless of whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Fund distributions attributable to short-term capital gains and net investment income, and all distributions attributable to income and gains of the SPC, will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income, except as discussed below.

 

Distributions attributable to the net capital gain, as defined above, of the Fund (which does not include any income or gains of the SPC) will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. The maximum long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals, estates, and trusts is currently 23.8% (which includes a 3.8% Medicare tax). You will be notified annually of the tax status of distributions to you.

 

Distributions from the Fund will generally be taxable to you in the taxable year in which they are paid, with one exception. Distributions declared by the Fund in October, November or December and paid in January of the following year are taxed as though they were paid on December 31.

 

A portion of distributions paid by the Fund to shareholders that are corporations may also qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, subject to certain holding period requirements and debt financing limitations. The amount of the dividends qualifying for this deduction may, however, be reduced as the result of the Fund’s securities lending activities (if any), by a high portfolio turnover rate or by investments in debt securities or foreign corporations.

 

The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding or other foreign taxes on income or gain from certain foreign securities. If more than 50% of the value of the total assets of the Fund consists of stocks and securities (including debt securities) of foreign corporations at the close of a taxable year, the Fund may elect, for federal income tax purposes, to treat certain foreign taxes paid by it, including generally any withholding and other foreign income taxes, as paid by its shareholders. If the Fund makes this election, the amount of those foreign taxes paid by the Fund will be included in its shareholders’ income pro rata (in addition to taxable distributions actually received by them), and each such shareholder will be entitled either (1) to credit that proportionate amount of taxes against U.S. federal income tax liability as a foreign tax credit or (2) to take that amount as an itemized deduction. If the Fund is not eligible or chooses not to make this election, the Fund will be entitled to deduct any such foreign taxes in computing the amounts it is required to distribute.

 

If you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price will reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution, but you will be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of capital. This adverse tax result is known as “buying into a dividend.”

 

Sales of Shares. You will generally recognize taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on a sale or redemption of your shares based on the difference between your tax basis in the shares and the amount you receive for them. Generally, you will recognize long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for over twelve months at the time you dispose of them.

 

Any loss realized on shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends that were received on the shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a disposition of shares of the Fund may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the Fund within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in shares of the Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired.

 

The Fund (or relevant broker or financial adviser) is required to compute and report to the IRS and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information when such shares are sold. The Fund has elected to use the average cost method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different IRS-accepted cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale. If your account is held by your broker or other financial adviser, they may select a different cost basis method. In these cases, please contact your broker or other financial adviser to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal and state income tax returns. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

 

39

 

 

 

IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans. The one major exception to the preceding tax principles is that distributions on, and sales and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-qualified plan) will not be currently taxable unless such shares were acquired with borrowed funds.

 

Backup Withholding. The Fund may be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the IRS a percentage of taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale payable to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, or who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so or that they are “exempt recipients.” The current backup withholding rate is 24%.

 

U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders. Generally, nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign investors are subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividends paid by a U.S. corporation, although the rate may be reduced for an investor that is a qualified resident of a foreign country with an applicable tax treaty with the United States. In the case of a RIC such as the Fund, however, certain categories of dividends are exempt from the 30% withholding tax. These generally include dividends attributable to the Fund’s net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), dividends attributable to the Fund’s interest income from U.S. obligors and dividends attributable to net short-term capital gains of the Fund.

 

Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from the Fund.

 

In contrast, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in the Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor’s income from the Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.

 

The Fund will also generally be required to withhold 30% tax on certain payments to foreign entities that do not provide a Form W-8BEN-E that evidences their compliance with, or exemption from, specified information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

 

All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in the Fund.

 

Shares of the Fund have not been registered for sale outside of the United States and certain United States territories.

 

State and Local Taxes. You may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain from Fund shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of the Fund’s distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality.

 

Taxation of Futures Contracts. It is anticipated that the Fund’s assets will consist largely, if not entirely, of regulated futures contracts, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and interest-bearing obligations. Regulated futures contracts are subject to special treatment for federal income tax purposes: gains and losses on regulated futures contracts are generally treated as capital gains, which are 60% long-term and 40% short-term; and those contracts (and any related forward contracts) are required to be “marked to market” daily, with the result that gains or losses on them are recognized for tax purposes each year even though they continue to be held past the end of the year. For the Fund to avoid entity-level tax each year, it will generally be required to distribute out to shareholders the net income and gain that the Fund recognizes in the year. Accordingly, investors can generally expect to receive taxable distributions each year to the extent that the Fund assets appreciate in the year – i.e., for tax purposes, there will be no significant deferral of gains attributable to an investment in the Fund – and no more than approximately 60% of the taxable distributions each year are likely to be taxable at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. Moreover, the percentage may often be lower than 60% because all income attributable to the SPC, including all gains from regulated futures contracts held by the SPC, will constitute ordinary income for the Fund and will result in ordinary income distributions for Fund shareholders.

 

40

 

 

 

Taxation of the SPC. There is, at present, no direct taxation in the Cayman Islands and interest, dividends and gains payable to the SPC will be received free of all Cayman Islands taxes. Each of the Cayman Subsidiary and SPC is registered as an “exempted company” pursuant to the Companies Law (Revised) of the Cayman Islands (as amended). Each of the Cayman Subsidiary and the SPC has applied for, and received, an undertaking from the Governor in Cabinet of the Cayman Islands to the effect that, for a period of twenty years from the date of the undertaking, no law that thereafter is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax or duty to be levied on profits, income or on gains or appreciation, or any tax in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax, will apply to any property comprised in or any income arising under the Cayman Subsidiary or the SPC, or to the shareholders thereof, in respect of any such property or income.

 

More information about taxes is contained in the SAI.

 

Distribution Arrangements

 

The Board has adopted a Plan of Distribution for the Class A Shares, the Class C Shares and the Class T Shares (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Plan, the Fund’s Distributor is entitled to receive from the Fund a distribution fee with respect to the Shares, which is accrued daily and paid monthly, of up to 0.25% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares and Class T Shares and up to 1.00% of the Class C Shares. The actual amount of such compensation under the Plan is agreed upon by the Board and by the Distributor. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Amounts paid to the Distributor under the Plan may be used by the Distributor to cover expenses that are related to (i) the sale of the Shares, (ii) ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of shareholders, and (iii) sub-transfer agency services, sub-accounting services or administrative services related to the sale of the Shares, all as set forth in the Fund’s 12b-1 Plan. Ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of shareholders may include updating and mailing prospectuses and shareholder reports, responding to inquiries regarding shareholder accounts and acting as agent or intermediary between shareholders and the Fund or its service providers. The Distributor may delegate some or all of these functions to Service Organizations. See the section entitled “Purchases Through Intermediaries” for more information.

 

The Plan obligates the Fund, during the period it is in effect, to accrue and pay to the Distributor on behalf of the Shares the fee agreed to under the Distribution Agreement. Payments under the Plan are not tied exclusively to expenses actually incurred by the Distributor, and the payments may exceed distribution expenses actually incurred.

 

Additional Information

 

Householding. In an effort to decrease costs, the Fund intends to reduce the number of duplicate prospectuses and annual and semi-annual reports you receive by sending only one copy of each to those addresses shared by two or more accounts and to shareholders we reasonably believe are from the same family or household. Once implemented, if you would like to discontinue householding for your accounts, please call toll-free at 1-844-261-6484 to request individual copies of these documents. Once the Fund receives notice to stop householding, we will begin sending individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. This policy does not apply to account statements.

 

Lost Shareholders, Inactive Accounts and Unclaimed Property. It is important that the Fund maintains a correct address for each shareholder. An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other mailings to be returned to the Fund. Based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, the Fund will attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful owner of the account. If the Fund is unable to locate the shareholder, then it will determine whether the shareholder’s account can legally be considered abandoned. Your mutual fund account may be transferred to the state government of your state of residence if no activity occurs within your account during the “inactivity period” specified in your state’s abandoned property laws. The Fund is legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements. The shareholder’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction. Please proactively contact the Transfer Agent toll-free at 1-844-261-6484 at least annually to ensure your account remains in active status.

 

41

 

 

 

If you are a resident of the state of Texas, you may designate a representative to receive notifications that, due to inactivity, your mutual fund account assets may be delivered to the Texas Comptroller. Please contact the Transfer Agent if you wish to complete a Texas Designation of Representative form.

 

NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE FUND’S SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE COMPANY OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.

 

 

42

 

 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The table below sets forth certain financial information for the periods indicated, including per share information results for a single share of the Fund. The term “Total investment return” indicates how much your investment would have increased or decreased during this period of time and assumes that you have reinvested all dividends and distributions. This information has been derived from the Fund’s financial statements and has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. This information should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s financial statements, which, together with the report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request (see back cover for ordering instructions). Class T Shares had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus and financial highlights are not yet available for Class T Shares.

 

43

 

 

 

Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class I Shares

 

 

 

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2019

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2018

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2017

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2016

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2015

 

Per Share Operating Performance

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 11.36     $ 11.20     $ 11.80     $ 12.03     $ 10.36  

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.02       (0.05 )     (0.15 )     (0.21 )     (0.24 )

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) from investments

    1.19       0.21       (0.45 )     0.01       2.14  

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    1.21       0.16       (0.60 )     (0.20 )     1.90  

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                                       

Net investment income

    (0.02 )                 (0.03 )     (0.22 )

Net realized capital gains

                            (0.01 )

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.02 )                 (0.03 )     (0.23 )

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 12.55     $ 11.36     $ 11.20     $ 11.80     $ 12.03  

Total investment return(2)

    10.63 %     1.34 %     (5.00 )%     (1.68 )%     18.46 %

Ratios/Supplemental Data

                                       

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 707,564     $ 913,437     $ 772,413     $ 739,842     $ 220,441  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and/or reimbursements (including interest expense)(3)

    1.79 %     1.79 %     1.89 %     2.01 %     2.03 %

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and/or reimbursements (excluding interest expense)(3)

    1.79 %     1.79 %     1.89 %     1.99 %     1.99 %

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and/or reimbursements (including interest expense)(3)

    1.89 %     1.88 %     2.03 %     2.17 %     2.46 %

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

    0.20 %     (0.40 )%     (1.35 )%     (1.76 )%     (1.98 )%

Portfolio turnover rate(4)

    0 %     0 %     0 %     0 %     0 %

 

 

(1)

Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.

(2)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(3)

Effective February 28, 2017, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding acquired Fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) to 1.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares. Prior to February 28, 2017, the contractual fee waiver limited total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) to 1.99% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares.

(4)

Portfolio turnover rates is calculated for the Fund, as a whole, for the entire period.

 

 

44

 

 

 

Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class A Shares

 

 

 

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2019

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2018

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2017

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2016

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2015

 

Per Share Operating Performance

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 11.28     $ 11.15     $ 11.77     $ 12.01     $ 10.36  

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    (0.01 )     (0.07 )     (0.18 )     (0.24 )     (0.27 )

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) from investments

    1.18       0.20       (0.44 )     0.01       2.14  

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    1.17       0.13       (0.62 )     (0.23 )     1.87  

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                                       

Net investment income

                      (0.01 )     (0.21 )

Net realized capital gains

                            (0.01 )

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

                      (0.01 )     (0.22 )

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 12.45     $ 11.28     $ 11.15     $ 11.77     $ 12.01  

Total investment return/(loss)(2)

    10.37 %     1.08 %     (5.18 )%     (1.94 )%     18.17 %

Ratios/Supplemental Data

                                       

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 12,434     $ 15,539     $ 15,401     $ 17,125     $ 11,013  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and/or reimbursements (including interest expense)(3)

    2.04 %     2.04 %     2.14 %     2.26 %     2.28 %

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and/or reimbursements (excluding interest expense)(3)

    2.04 %     2.04 %     2.14 %     2.24 %     2.24 %

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and/or reimbursements (including interest expense)(3)

    2.14 %     2.13 %     2.28 %     2.42 %     2.71 %

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

    (0.05 )%     (0.65 )%     (1.60 )%     (2.01 )%     (2.23 )%

Portfolio turnover rate(4)

    0 %     0 %     0 %     0 %     0 %

 

 

(1)

Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.

(2)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any. Total return does not reflect any applicable sales charge.

(3)

Effective February 28, 2017, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding acquired Fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) to 2.04% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class A Shares. Prior to February 28, 2017, the contractual fee waiver limited total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) to 2.24% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class A Shares.

(4)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated for the Fund, as a whole, for the entire period.

 

45

 

 

 

Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class C Shares

 

 

 

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2019

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2018

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2017

   

For the
Period
Ended
August 31,
2016
(1)

 

Per Share Operating Performance

                               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 11.06     $ 11.01     $ 11.71     $ 11.99  

Net investment income/(loss)(2)

    (0.08 )     (0.16 )     (0.26 )     (0.30 )

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) from investments

    1.13       0.21       (0.44 )     0.03  

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    1.05       0.05       (0.70 )     (0.27 )

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                               

Net investment income

                      (0.01 )

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

                      (0.01 )

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 12.11     $ 11.06     $ 11.01     $ 11.71  

Total investment return/(loss)(3)

    9.49 %     0.36 %     (5.89 )%     (2.22 )%(4)

Ratios/Supplemental Data

                               

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 4,487     $ 8,481     $ 9,462     $ 8,380  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and/or reimbursements (including interest expense)(6)

    2.79 %     2.79 %     2.89 %     3.01 %(5)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and/or reimbursements (excluding interest expense)(6)

    2.79 %     2.79 %     2.89 %     2.99 %(5)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and/or reimbursements (including interest expense)(6)

    2.89 %     2.88 %     3.03 %     3.17 %(5)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

    (0.80 )%     (1.40 )%     (2.35 )%     (2.76 )%(5)

Portfolio turnover rate(7)

    0 %     0 %     0 %     0 %(4)

 

 

(1)

Inception date of Class C Shares of the Fund was October 6, 2015.

(2)

Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.

(3)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(4)

Not annualized.

(5)

Annualized.

(6)

Effective February 28, 2017, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding acquired Fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) to 2.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class C Shares. Prior to February 28, 2017, the contractual fee waiver limited total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) to 2.99% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class C Shares.

(7)

Portfolio Turnover Rate is calculated for the Fund, as a whole, for the entire period.

 

46

 

 

 

APPENDIX A

 

THE INFORMATION ENCLOSED IN THIS APPENDIX IS PART OF, AND INCORPORATED IN, THE ABBEY CAPITAL FUTURES STRATEGY FUND’S PROSPECTUS DATED DECEMBER 31, 2019.

 

Waivers and Discounts Available from Service Organizations

 

The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a Service Organization. Service Organizations may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales charge waivers or contingent deferred (back-end) sales charge (“CDSC”) waivers, which are discussed below.

 

In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s Service Organization at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. Some waivers and discounts may not be made available through a particular Service Organization, and shareholders will have to purchase Shares directly from the Fund or through another Service Organization to receive these waivers or discounts.

 

Merrill Lynch

 

Shareholders purchasing Class A Shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus or SAI.

 

Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available at Merrill Lynch

Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan
Class A Shares purchased by a 529 Plan (does not include 529 Plan units or 529-specific share classes or equivalents)
Class A Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program
Shares exchanged due to the holdings moving form a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch's policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers
Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch’s platform
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family)
Shares exchanged from Class C Shares (i.e. level-load) shares of the same fund pursuant to Merrill Lynch's policies relating to sales load discounts  and waivers
Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members
Directors of the Fund, and employees of the Adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this Prospectus
Eligible shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Automated transactions (i.e. systematic purchases and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay Merrill Lynch's account maintenance fees are not eligible for reinstatement

 

A-1

 

 

 

CDSC Waivers on Class A Shares available at Merrill Lynch

Death or disability of the shareholder
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s Prospectus
Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code
Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts  that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to certain fee based accounts or platforms (applicable to Class A Shares only)
Shares received through an exchange due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch's policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers

Front-end load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch:

Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent

Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus
Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts as described in the fund's prospectus will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts (including 529 program holdings, where applicable) within the purchaser’s household at Merrill Lynch.  Eligible Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within the Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time

 

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

 

Effective July 1, 2018, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (“Morgan Stanley”) transactional brokerage account will be eligible only for the following front-end sales charge waivers with respect to Class A shares, which may differ from and may be more limited than those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s Prospectus or SAI.

 

Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

 

 

Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans.

 

 

Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules.

 

 

Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund.

 

 

Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account.

 

 

Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s share class conversion program.

 

 

Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge.

 

A-2

 

 

 

Class T Eligibility

 

Class T Shares are available to Morgan Stanley clients who purchase Class T Shares through a transactional brokerage account. Other share classes offered through this Prospectus will not be available to Morgan Stanley clients through a Morgan Stanley account. Rights of accumulation, letter of intent, rights of reinstatement and exchange privileges are not available on purchases of Class T Shares.

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers for Class T Shares

 

Purchases of Class T Shares are subject to a front-end sales charge of up to 2.50% of the total purchase price. Sales charges are not imposed on Class T Shares that are purchased with reinvested dividends or other distributions. Sales charges for Morgan Stanley clients may be reduced for large purchases as indicated below:

 

Amount of Purchase of Class T Shares

Sales Charge as
a % of Offering
Price

Sales Charge
as a % of
Net Amount
Invested

Dealer
Compensation
as a Percentage
of Offering
Price

Less than $250,000

2.50%

2.56%

2.50%

At least $250,000 but less than $500,000

2.00%

2.04%

2.00%

At least $500,000 but less than $1,000,000

1.50%

1.52%

1.50%

$1,000,000 or greater

1.00%

1.01%

1.00%

 

Rights of Accumulation. Class T Shares offered to Morgan Stanley clients are not eligible for any waivers or reductions of the sales charges through Rights of Accumulation.

 

Letter of Intent. Morgan Stanley clients are not eligible for any waivers or reductions of the Class T Shares sales charges through Letters of Intent.

 

Sales Charge Waivers. Morgan Stanley clients may purchase Class T Shares with the sales charge waived as follows:

 

 

Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans does not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans; however these plans are eligible to purchase Class T Shares through a Morgan Stanley transactional brokerage account.

 

 

Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules.

 

 

Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund shares exchanged from an existing position in the Fund as part of a share class conversion instituted by Morgan Stanley.

 

Unless specifically described above, no other front-end load waivers are available to Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund purchases by Morgan Stanley clients in transactional brokerage accounts.

 

Raymond James

 

Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies

 

The availability of certain initial or deferred sales charge waivers and discounts may depend on the particular financial intermediary or type of account through which you purchase or hold Fund shares.

 

Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or CDSC (back-end) waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the fund or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any

 

A-3

 

 

 

relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase fund shares directly from the fund or through another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts.

 

RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC., RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC., AND EACH ENTITYS AFFILIATES (RAYMOND JAMES)

 

Effective March 1, 2019, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s Prospectus or SAI.

 

Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Raymond James

 

 

Shares purchased in an investment advisory program.

 

 

Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systemic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions.

 

 

Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James.

 

 

Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement).

 

 

A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James.

 

CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares available at Raymond James

 

 

Death or disability of the shareholder.

 

 

Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

 

Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.

 

 

Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the fund’s prospectus.

 

 

Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James.

 

 

Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

 

FRONT-END LOAD DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE AT RAYMOND JAMES: BREAKPOINTS, RIGHTS OF ACCUMULATION, AND/OR LETTERS OF INTENT

 

 

Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus.

 

 

Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

 

 

Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

 

A-4

 

 

 

PRIVACY NOTICE

 

FACTS

WHAT DOES THE ABBEY CAPITAL FUTURES STRATEGY FUND DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Why?

Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.

What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

 

● Social Security number

● account balances

● account transactions

● transaction history

● wire transfer instructions

● checking account information

 

When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

How?

All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons the Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

       

Reasons we can share your information

Does the Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund share?

Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purpose —
such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal
investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes

No

For our marketing purposes —
to offer our products and services to you

Yes

No

For joint marketing with other financial companies

No

We don’t share.

For affiliates’ everyday business purposes —
information about your transactions and experiences

Yes

No

For affiliates’ everyday business purposes —
information about your creditworthiness

No

We don’t share

For our affiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share

For nonaffiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share

 

Questions?

Call 1-844-261-6484 or go to www.abbeycapital.com

 

 

 

What we do

How does the Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.

How does the Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

 

● open an account

● provide account information

● give us your contact information

● make a wire transfer

● tell us where to send the money

 

We also collect your information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

 

● sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes — information about your creditworthiness

● affiliates from using your information to market to you

● sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

 

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation

In addition to the above information, where applicable, you have the following rights under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and U.S. Privacy Laws, as applicable and to the extent permitted by law, to

 

● Check whether we hold personal information about you and to access such data (in accordance with our policy)

● Request the correction of personal information about you that is inaccurate

● Have a copy of the personal information we hold about you provided to you or another “controller” where technically feasible

● Request the erasure of your personal information

● Request the restriction of processing concerning you

 

The legal grounds for processing of your personal information is for contractual necessity and compliance with law.

 

If you wish to exercise any of your rights above, please call: 1-844-261-6484.

 

You are required to ensure the personal information we hold about you is up-to-date and accurate and you must notify us of any changes to the personal data you provided to us.

 

The Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund shall retain your personal data for as long as you are an investor in the Fund and thereafter as long as necessary to comply with applicable laws that require the Fund to retain your personal data, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission’s data retention rules. Your personal data will be transferred to the United States so that the Fund may provide the agreed upon services for you. No adequacy decision has been rendered by the European Commission as to the data protection of your personal data when transferring it to the United States. However, the Fund does take the security of your personal data seriously.

 

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the appropriate regulatory authority with respect to issues you may have.

 

 

 

Definitions

Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

Our affiliates include Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund’s investment adviser, Abbey Capital Limited, and each sub-adviser.

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

The Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund doesn’t share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

 

The Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund does not jointly market.

Controller

“Controller” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by European Union or European Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by European Union or European Member State law.

 

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND

 

This Prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. Information about different sales charge variations is provided in Appendix A, which is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference. More information about the Fund is available free of charge, upon request, including:

 

Annual/Semi-annual Reports: These reports contain additional information about the Fund’s investments, describe the Fund’s performance, list portfolio holdings and discuss recent market conditions and economic trends. The annual report includes Fund strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders are available on the Adviser’s website at www.abbeycapital.com or by calling 1-844-261-6484.

 

Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”): The Fund’s SAI, dated February 28, 2020, has been filed with the SEC. The SAI, which includes additional information about the Fund, and the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual reports, may be obtained free of charge by calling 1-844-261-6484. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and is legally considered a part of this Prospectus. The SAI is available on the Adviser’s website at www.abbeycapital.com.

 

Shareholder Inquiries: Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday-Friday. Call: 1-844-261-6484.

 

Purchases and Redemptions: Call your registered representative or 1-844-261-6484.

 

Written Correspondence:
P.O. Box Address:
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

Street Address:
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Securities and Exchange Commission: You may view and copy information about the Company and the Fund, including the SAI, by visiting the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of Fund documents by paying a duplicating fee and sending an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

Investment Company Act File No. 811-05518

 

 

 

ABBEY CAPITAL MULTI ASSET FUND
of
THE RBB FUND, INC.

 


CLASS I SHARES (TICKER: MAFIX)
CLASS A SHARES (TICKER: MAFAX)
CLASS C SHARES (TICKER: MAFCX)

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

February 28, 2020

 

 

Investment Adviser:

ABBEY CAPITAL LIMITED

1-2 Cavendish Row
Dublin 1, Ireland

 


 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), paper copies of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. 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 anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or a bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-844-261-6484.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-844-261-6484 to inform the Fund that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held with the fund complex if you invest directly with the Fund.

 

The SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

     

SUMMARY SECTION

1

FUND INFORMATION

10

More Information About Fund Investments

10

More Information About Risks

11

Principal Risks

11

Non-Principal Risks

16

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

17

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

17

Investment Adviser

17

Trading Advisers

18

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

23

Pricing of Fund Shares

23

Sales Charges

24

Purchase of Fund Shares

26

Redemption of Fund Shares

30

Market Timing

32

Exchange Privilege

33

Dividends and Distributions

33

More Information About Taxes

33

Distribution Arrangements

36

Additional Information

36

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

37

APPENDIX A

A-1

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND

Back Cover

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund (the “Fund”) is to seek long-term capital appreciation. Current income is a secondary objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (the “Shares”). You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in Class A Shares of the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional, in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information – Sales Charges” and in the section of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) entitled “Purchase and Redemption Information – Reducing or Eliminating the Front-End Sales Charge.” Additionally, you may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Class I Shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

 

Class I

Class A

Class C

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

 

 

 

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)

None

5.75%

None

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)

None

None(1)

1.00%(2)

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends

None

None

None

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)

None

None

None

       

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     

Management Fees(3)

1.77%

1.77%

1.77%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

0.25%

1.00%

Other Expenses

0.50%

0.50%(4)

0.50%(4)

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

2.27%

2.52%

3.27%

Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements(5)

-0.48%

-0.48%

-0.48%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements

1.79%

2.04%

2.79%

 

(1)

A contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of Class A Shares made within 12 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at time of purchase as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more.

 

(2)

The CDSC applies to redemptions of Class C Shares made within 12 months of purchase and will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the offering price at the time of purchase of the shares redeemed and the net asset value of the shares redeemed at the time of redemption.

 

(3)

Management Fees include advisory fees paid to both Abbey Capital Limited (the “Adviser”) and one or more trading advisers (the “Trading Advisers”). There are no performance fees charged by the Adviser or Trading Advisers either at the Fund or at the Fund’s wholly-owned Subsidiary.

 

(4)

“Other Expenses” for Class A Shares and Class C Shares, which had not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus, are based on Class I Shares for the current fiscal year.

 

(5)

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) to 1.79%, 2.04% and 2.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 1.79%, 2.04% or

 

1

 

 

 

2.79%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 for Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, and may not be terminated prior to that date without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). If at any time the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.79%, 2.04% and 2.79%, as applicable, the Adviser may recoup any waived or reimbursed amounts from the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made by the Adviser, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in Class A and Class C Shares, and $1,000,000 in Class I Shares, of the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation until its expiration). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs of investing in the Fund would be:

 

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 YEARS

10 YEARS

Class I Shares

$18,187

$66,333

$117,142

$256,813

Class A Shares

$770

$1,271

$1,798

$3,233

Class C Shares

$382

$962

$1,666

$3,535

 

You would pay the following expenses on Class C Shares if you did not redeem your shares at the end of the period:

 

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 YEARS

10 YEARS

Class C Shares

$282

$962

$1,666

$3,535

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 0% of the average value of its portfolio. In accordance with industry practice, derivative instruments and instruments with a maturity of one year or less at the time of acquisition are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate, which leads to the 0% portfolio turnover rate reported above. If those instruments were included in the calculation, the Fund would have a higher portfolio turnover rate.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by allocating its assets among a “Managed Futures” strategy, a “Long U.S. Equity” strategy and a “Fixed Income” strategy.

 

The Managed Futures strategy will be achieved by the Fund investing in managed futures investments, including (i) options, (ii) futures, (iii) forwards, (iv) spot contracts, or (v) swaps, including total return swaps, each of which may be tied to (i) commodities, (ii) financial indices and instruments, (iii) foreign currencies, or (iv) equity indices (the “Futures Portfolio”). The Fund may make some or all of its investments in the Futures Portfolio through Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited, a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Subsidiary”), and may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary. The Adviser may allocate assets of the Subsidiary to a single Managed Futures portfolio or multiple Managed Futures portfolios that include investment styles or sub-strategies such as (i) trend following, (ii) discretionary, fundamentals-based investing with a focus on macroeconomic analysis, (iii) strategies that pursue both fundamental and technical trading

 

2

 

 

 

approaches, (iv) other specialized approaches to specific or individual market sectors such as equities, interest rates, metals, agricultural and soft commodities, and (v) systematic trading strategies which incorporate technical and fundamental variables.

 

The Managed Futures strategy investments are designed to achieve capital appreciation in the financial and commodities futures markets. The Adviser intends to allocate a portion of the assets of the Fund and the Subsidiary to one or more Trading Advisers to manage in percentages determined at the discretion of the Adviser. Each current Trading Adviser is registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) as a Commodity Trading Advisor (“CTA”). Trading Advisers that are not registered with the SEC as investment advisers provide advice only regarding matters that do not involve securities. The trading strategies employ several different trading styles using different research and trading methodologies, in a wide range of global financial and commodity markets operating over multiple time frames. Trading Advisers may use discretionary approaches aimed at identifying value investments and turning points in trends. The Fund invests in U.S. and non-U.S. markets and in developed and emerging markets.

 

The Long U.S. Equity strategy will be achieved by the Adviser targeting an allocation of approximately 50% of the Fund’s total assets in a portfolio of one or more U.S. equity index futures (the “Equity Portfolio”). The Adviser will monitor the percentage of the Fund’s total assets that form the Equity Portfolio on a daily basis. The Adviser will establish ‘rebalancing thresholds’ so that if at any time the percentage of the Fund’s total assets invested in the Equity Portfolio is above or below the target allocation of approximately 50% by a specific amount, then the Adviser will seek to rebalance the Equity Portfolio back towards its target allocation of approximately 50%. Such rebalancing thresholds will be determined by the Adviser and may be subject to change from time to time.

 

As part of the Long U.S. Equity strategy, the Fund may invest in all types of equity and equity-related securities, including without limitation exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, futures, warrants, options, rights, convertible securities, sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, participatory notes, limited partnership interests, and shares of other investment companies (including exchanged-traded funds (“ETFs”)) and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund may also participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPO”), a company’s first offering of stock to the public. The Fund defines United States companies as companies (i) that are organized under the laws of the United States; (ii) whose principal trading market is in a the United States; or (iii) that have a majority of their assets, or that derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from businesses, investments or sales, within the United States.

 

The Fixed Income strategy invests the Fund’s assets primarily in investment grade fixed income securities (of all durations and maturities) in order to generate interest income and capital appreciation, which may add diversification to the returns generated by the Fund’s Managed Futures and Long U.S. Equity strategies. The level of the Fund’s assets invested in the Fixed Income Strategy will be managed and rebalanced pursuant to thresholds determined by the Adviser, which may be subject to change from time to time. In line with these thresholds, any proceeds of maturing fixed income securities will be substantially reinvested into additional fixed income securities. The Fund must set aside liquid assets to “cover” open positions with respect to its managed futures investments. The Fixed Income strategy investments may be used to help cover the Fund’s derivative positions. The Subsidiary may also cover written options with offsetting purchased options in the same commodity and maturity, or by the purchase or sale of the underlying commodity future, in an amount great than or equal to that required by an exercised option.

 

To achieve its investment objective, the Fund’s Adviser will target approximately 100% exposure of the Fund’s net assets to Managed Futures strategy investments and approximately 50% exposure of the Fund’s net assets to Long U.S. Equity strategy investments. The Fund’s remaining net assets will be allocated to the Fixed Income strategy investments.

 

As much of the trading within the Fund is in futures markets, the Fund is likely to have cash balances surplus to margin requirements. The cash portfolio will be invested on a short-term, highly liquid, basis, to meet margin calls on the futures positions.

 

The Fund is “non-diversified” for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”), which means that the Fund may invest in fewer securities at any one time than a diversified fund. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. The Fund’s investments in certain derivative instruments and its short selling activities involve the use of leverage.

 

3

 

 

 

Generally, the Subsidiary will invest primarily in commodity futures, but it may also invest in financial futures, option and swap contracts, fixed income securities, pooled investment vehicles, including those that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivative positions. The Fund invests in the Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax laws, rules and regulations that apply to regulated investment companies. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivatives, however, the Subsidiary will comply with the same 1940 Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in commodity-linked derivatives that are applicable to the Fund’s transactions in derivatives. In addition, to the extent applicable to the investment activities of the Subsidiary, the Subsidiary will be subject to the same fundamental investment restrictions and will follow the same compliance policies and procedures as the Fund. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary will not seek to qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary and does not expect shares of the Subsidiary to be offered or sold to other investors.

 

Principal Investment Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

The principal risk factors affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund (and, indirectly, in the Subsidiary) are set forth below.

 

Commodity Sector Risk: Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. The prices of energy, industrial metals, precious metals, agriculture and livestock sector commodities may fluctuate widely due to factors such as changes in value, supply and demand and governmental regulatory policies. The commodity-linked securities in which the Fund invests may be issued by companies in the financial services sector, and events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s Share value to fluctuate.

 

Counterparty Risk: Counterparty risk is the risk that the other party(s) to an agreement or a participant to a transaction, such as a broker or the futures commission merchant, might default on a contract or fail to perform by failing to pay amounts due or failing to fulfill the obligations of the contract or transaction.

 

Credit Risk: Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of the security will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. Securities rated in the four highest categories by the rating agencies are considered investment grade but they may also have some speculative characteristics. Investment grade ratings do not guarantee that bonds will not lose value.

 

Currency Risk: Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts may limit potential gains from a favorable change in value between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Unanticipated changes in currency pricing may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in these contracts.

 

Cyber Security Risk: Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose

 

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operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its Adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk: The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments including options, forward currency exchange contracts, swaps and futures, which may be leveraged, may result in losses. Investments in derivative instruments may result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

Emerging Markets Risk: Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in foreign securities of developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers.

 

Equity and Equity-Related Securities Risk: Investments in equity securities and equity derivatives in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. Common stocks may decline over short or even extended periods of time. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. The value of securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk: Fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest are subject to certain risks, including: interest rate risk, prepayment risk and credit/default risk. Interest rate risk involves the risk that prices of fixed income securities will rise and fall in response to interest rate changes. Prepayment risk involves the risk that in declining interest rate environments prepayments of principal could increase and require the Fund to reinvest proceeds of the prepayments at lower interest rates. Credit risk involves the risk that the credit rating of a security may be lowered.

 

Foreign Investments Risk: International investing is subject to special risks, including currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers either directly or through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders.

 

Forward and Futures Risk: The successful use of forward and futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of instruments held by the Fund and the price of the forward or futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market, and possible regulatory position limits and restrictions, for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

 

Hedging Transactions Risk: The Adviser and Trading Advisers from time to time employ various hedging techniques. The success of the Fund’s hedging strategy will be subject to the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ ability to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the instruments used in the hedging strategy and the performance of the investments in the portfolio being hedged. Since the characteristics of many securities change as markets change or time passes, the success of the Fund’s

 

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hedging strategy will also be subject to the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ ability to continually recalculate, readjust, and execute hedges in an efficient and timely manner. For a variety of reasons, the Adviser and Trading Advisers may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to risk of loss. In addition, it is not possible to hedge fully or perfectly against any risk, and hedging entails its own cost.

 

High Portfolio Turnover Risk: The risk that when investing on a shorter-term basis, the Fund may as a result trade more frequently and incur higher levels of brokerage fees and commissions, and cause higher levels of current tax liability to shareholders in the Fund.

 

Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of fixed income securities generally increase when interest rates decline and decrease when interest rates increase. The Fund may lose money if short term or long term interest rates rise sharply or otherwise change in a manner not anticipated by the Adviser and Trading Advisers. It is likely there will be less governmental action in the near future to maintain low interest rates. The negative impact on fixed income securities from the resulting rate increases for that and other reasons could be swift and significant.

 

Leveraging Risk: Investments in derivative instruments may give rise to a form of leverage. Trading Advisers may engage in speculative transactions which involve substantial risk and leverage, such as making short sales. The use of leverage by the Adviser and Trading Advisers may increase the volatility of the Fund. These leveraged instruments may result in losses to the Fund or may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) or total return, because instruments that contain leverage are more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The Fund may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.

 

Limiting Operating History Risk: The Fund has a limited operating history. There is a risk that the Fund will not grow or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Board may determine to liquidate the Fund.

 

Management Risk: The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Manager Risk: If the Adviser and Trading Advisers make poor investment decisions, it will negatively affect the Fund’s investment performance.

 

Market Risk: The NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money.

 

Multi-Manager Dependence Risk: The success of the Fund’s investment strategy depends both on the Adviser’s ability to select Trading Advisers and to allocate assets to those Trading Advisers and on each Trading Adviser’s ability to execute the relevant strategy and select investments for the Fund and the Subsidiary. The Trading Advisers’ investment styles may not always be complementary, which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund.

 

New Adviser Risk: The Trading Advisers may be newly registered or not registered with the SEC and/or have not previously managed a mutual fund. Accordingly, investors in the Fund bear the risk that a Trading Adviser’s inexperience may limit its effectiveness.

 

Non-Diversification Risk: The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to other funds, the Fund may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of companies. Gains or losses on a single stock may have greater impact on the Fund.

 

Options Risk: Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities.

 

Quantitative Trading Strategies Risk: The Adviser and Trading Advisers may use quantitative methods to select investments. Securities or other investments selected using quantitative methods may perform differently from the market as a whole or from their expected performance for many reasons, including factors used in building the quantitative analytical framework, the weights placed on each

 

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factor, and changing sources of market returns, among others. Any errors or imperfections in quantitative analyses or models, or in the data on which they are based, could adversely affect the ability of the Adviser or a Trading Adviser to use such analyses or models effectively, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. There can be no assurance that these methodologies will help the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

 

Subsidiary Risk: By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The derivatives and other investments held by the Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the fund. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to continue to operate as it does currently and could adversely affect the Fund.

 

Tax Risk: In order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income, the diversification of its assets and the distribution of its income. Under the test regarding the source of a RIC’s income, at least 90% of the gross income of the RIC each year must be qualifying income, which consists of dividends, interest, gains on investment assets and other categories of investment income. In 2006, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) published a ruling that income realized from swaps with respect to a commodities index would not be qualifying income. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the Code for qualification as a RIC, but there is a risk that the IRS could assert that the income derived from the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary and certain commodity-linked structured notes will not be considered qualifying income for purposes of the Fund remaining qualified as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC and became subject to federal income tax, shareholders of the Fund would be subject to diminished returns. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or its Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus and the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Fund. The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Updated performance information is available online at www.abbeycapital.com or by calling 1-844-261-6484 (toll free).

 

The Fund commenced operations as a series of the Company on April 11, 2018, when all of the assets of Abbey Global LP (the “Predecessor Fund”) transferred to Class I Shares of the Fund. The Fund’s objectives, policies, guidelines and restrictions are in all material respects equivalent to the Predecessor Fund. Accordingly, the performance information shown below for periods prior to April 11, 2018 is that of the Predecessor Fund. The Predecessor Fund was not registered under the 1940 Act, and thus was not subject to certain investment and operational restrictions that are imposed by the 1940 Act. If the Predecessor Fund had been registered under the 1940 Act, its performance may have been adversely affected. Accordingly, future Fund performance may be different than the Predecessor Fund’s restated past performance. The Predecessor Fund was not a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and therefore did not distribute current or accumulated earnings and profits and was not subject to the diversification and source of income requirements applicable to regulated investment companies. Monthly returns since the inception of the Predecessor Fund are provided in Appendix A of the Prospectus.

 

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Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

During the period shown in the chart, the highest quarterly return was 17.10% (for the quarter ended September 30, 2010) and the lowest quarterly return was -15.91% (for the quarter ended September 30, 2011).

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The following table compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Class I shares, including the Predecessor Fund, before and after taxes for the past calendar year, five-year, ten-year and since inception periods to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods. Average annual returns for Class A Shares and Class C Shares of the Fund are not included because they had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

 

  AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE
PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019
Class I Shares 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years Since Inception
(May 14, 2002)
Returns Before Taxes 21.64% 6.04% 9.87% 10.12%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions (1) 16.33% 4.47% 9.05% 9.66%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares (1) 12.98% 4.08% 7.79% 8.56%
S&P 500® Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses and taxes) 31.49% 11.70% 13.56% 8.50%

 

(1)

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual Federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser and Trading Advisers

 

Abbey Capital Limited, 1-2 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, Ireland, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

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Aspect Capital Limited, Eclipse Capital Management, Inc., Revolution Capital Management, LLC, Tudor Investment Corporation, and Welton Investment Partners LLC each serve as a Trading Adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The Fund is managed by the following co-portfolio managers, who also served as co-portfolio managers to the Predecessor Fund.

 

 

Title

Portfolio Manager Since:

Abbey Capital Limited

 

 

Anthony Gannon

Founder and Chief Investment Officer

Inception (April 11, 2018)

Mick Swift

Chief Executive Officer

Inception (April 11, 2018)

 

Purchase and Sale Information

 

The minimum initial investment for Class A Shares and Class C Shares is $2,500, and the minimum initial investment for Class I Shares is $1,000,000. There is a minimum amount of $100 for subsequent investment in Class A Shares and Class C Shares, and $1,000 in Class I Shares. Certain features of the Shares, such as the initial and subsequent investment minimums and certain trading restrictions, may be modified or waived by Service Organizations, as further detailed in the section entitled “Purchase of Fund Shares – Purchases Through Intermediaries.”

 

You can purchase and redeem Shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. Shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals that have entered into a distribution agreement with the Distributor (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through the Company by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption by Mail:

 

Regular Mail:
Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

Overnight Delivery:
Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Purchase by Wire:

 

Before sending any wire, call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-844-261-6484 to confirm the current wire instructions for the Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund.

 

Redemption by Telephone:

 

Call the Transfer Agent at 1-844-261-6484.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

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Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

FUND INFORMATION

 

More Information About Fund Investments

 

This section provides some additional information about the Fund’s investments and certain portfolio management techniques that the Fund may use. The Adviser seeks returns, in part, by using (i) Managed Futures strategy investments that are not expected to have returns that are highly correlated to the broad equity market; (ii) Long U.S. Equity strategy investments that are expected to have returns that are highly correlated to the broad equity market; and (iii) actively managed Fixed Income strategy investments that are not expected to have returns that are highly correlated to the broad equity market or the Managed Futures strategy. The Adviser believes that utilizing non-correlated strategies may mitigate losses in generally declining markets. However, there can be no assurance that losses will be avoided. Investment strategies that have historically been non-correlated or demonstrated low correlations to one another or to major world financial market indices may become correlated at certain times, such as during a liquidity crisis in global financial markets. The Managed Futures strategy investments are designed to achieve capital appreciation in the financial and commodities futures markets. The trading strategies employ several different trading styles using different research and trading methodologies, in a wide range of global financial and commodity markets operating over multiple time frames. Many of the styles use systematic, automated trading systems, using a combination of mathematical, statistical, technical analysis, pattern recognition and macroeconomic models aimed at profiting from market trends of different durations. Trading Advisers may use discretionary approaches aimed at identifying value investments and turning points in trends. All Trading Advisers utilize a disciplined approach to risk management. The Adviser and Trading Advisers from time to time will employ hedging techniques. The Fund may sell an investment if it has obtained a target value for the relative sector, issuer, or specific security; if pricing performance or fundamental performance varies from expectations; if fundamentals deteriorate; or if the Adviser or a Trading Adviser believe that alternative investments offer the opportunity to achieve more favorable risk-adjusted returns. The markets traded include bond markets, money markets, foreign exchange markets and commodity markets. Most of the trading is done in derivative markets, usually listed futures markets, but some trading in cash markets may take place when this is the most effective way to enter or exit a trading position. Both long and short positions will be taken in all markets traded. Contracts are positioned either long or short based on various characteristics related to their prices. For example, the Fund may short a particular underlying security or instrument if the Adviser or a Trading Adviser believes the price of the underlying security or instrument will decrease. More information about the Fund’s investments and portfolio management techniques, and related risks, is included in the SAI.

 

The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders. However, as a matter of policy, the Fund would not materially change its investment objective without informing shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any such change.

 

The investments and strategies described in this Prospectus are those that the Fund uses under normal conditions. The Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by taking temporary defensive positions (up to 100% of its assets) in all types of money market and short-term debt securities. If the Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

 

This Prospectus describes the Fund’s principal investment strategies, and the Fund will normally invest in the types of securities described in this Prospectus. In addition to the investments and strategies described in this Prospectus, the Fund also may invest, to a lesser extent, in other securities, use other

 

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strategies and engage in other investment practices that are not part of its principal investment strategy. These investments and strategies, as well as those described in this Prospectus, are described in detail in the Fund’s SAI. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

More Information About Risks

 

The following provides additional information about the principal and certain non-principal risks of investing in the Fund and, indirectly, in the Subsidiary. More information about the Fund’s risks is included in the SAI.

 

Principal Risks

 

Commodity-Linked Derivatives. The Fund may gain exposure to the commodities markets through commodity-linked structured notes, swap agreements and commodity futures and options. These instruments have one or more commodity-dependent components. They are derivative instruments because at least part of their value is derived from the value of an underlying commodity index, commodity futures contract, index or other readily measurable economic variable. The prices of commodity-linked derivative instruments may move in different directions than investments in traditional equity and debt securities when the value of those traditional securities is declining due to adverse economic conditions. As an example, during periods of rising inflation, historically debt securities have tended to decline in value due to the general increase in prevailing interest rates. Conversely, during those same periods of rising inflation, historically the prices of certain commodities, such as oil and metals, have tended to increase. There cannot be any guarantee that derivative instruments will perform in that manner in the future, and at certain times the price movements of commodity-linked investments have been parallel to debt and equity securities.

 

Counterparties. To the extent the Fund invests in loans or securities traded over-the-counter, swaps, “synthetic” or derivative instruments, repurchase agreements, certain types of options or other customized financial instruments, the Fund takes the risk of non-performance by the other party to the contract. This risk may include credit risk of the counterparty and the risk of settlement default. This risk may differ materially from those entailed in exchange-traded transactions that generally are supported by guarantees of clearing organizations, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from such protections and expose the parties to the risk of counterparty default.

 

Credit/Default Risk. The credit rating of an issuer or guarantor of a security in which the Fund invests may be lowered or an issuer or guarantor of a security or the counterparty to a derivatives contract or a repurchase agreement may default on its payment obligations. The risk of loss due to default by issuers of lower-rated securities is greater because low-rated securities generally are unsecured and often are subordinated to the rights of other creditors of the issuers of such securities. The Fund also may incur additional expenses in seeking recovery on defaulted securities. The creditworthiness of firms used by the Fund to effect securities transactions in emerging and frontier market countries may not be as strong as in some developed countries. As a result, the Fund could be subject to a greater risk of loss on its securities transactions if a firm defaults on its responsibilities.

 

Cyber Security Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Fund’s Adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountant, custodian, transfer agent and administrator), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Adviser has established business continuity plans in

 

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the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

Derivative Contracts. The Fund may, but need not, use derivative contracts for any of the following purposes:

 

 

To seek to hedge against the possible adverse impact of changes in stock market prices, currency exchange rates or interest rates in the market value of its securities or securities to be purchased;

 

 

As a substitute for buying or selling currencies or securities; or

 

 

To seek to enhance the Fund’s return in non-hedging situations (which is considered a speculative activity).

 

Examples of derivative contracts include: futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies; options on these futures; forward foreign currency contracts; and interest rate or currency swaps. The Fund may use derivative contracts involving foreign currencies. A derivative contract will obligate or entitle the Fund to deliver or receive an asset or cash payment that is based on the change in value of one or more securities, currencies or indices. Even a small investment in derivative contracts can have a big impact on the Fund’s stock market, currency and interest rate exposure. Therefore, using derivatives can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when stock prices, currency rates or interest rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on derivatives if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. The other parties to certain derivative contracts present the same types of default risk as issuers of fixed income securities in that the counterparty may default on its payment obligations or become insolvent. Derivatives can also make the Fund less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets.

 

 

Forward and Futures Risk. The successful use of forward and futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of instruments held by the Fund and the price of the forward or futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market, and possible regulatory position limits and restrictions, for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

 

 

Forward Contracts. The Fund may utilize forward contracts that are not traded on exchanges and may not be regulated. There are no limitations on daily price movements of forward contracts. Banks and other dealers with which the Fund maintains accounts may require that the Fund deposit margin with respect to such trading. The Fund’s counterparties are not required to continue making markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain counterparties have refused to continue to quote prices for forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread (the price at which the counterparty is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to sell). Arrangements to trade forward contracts may be made with only one or a few counterparties, and liquidity problems therefore might be greater than if such arrangements were made with numerous counterparties. The imposition of credit controls by governmental authorities might limit such forward trading to less than the amount that the Adviser would otherwise recommend, to the possible detriment of the Fund.

 

 

Options. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a “call”) or sell (a “put”) an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may “cover” a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes

 

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in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund is not able to sell an option held in its portfolio, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities. Ownership of options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. To the extent that the Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk.

 

Equity and Equity-Related Securities Risk. Investments in equity securities and equity derivatives in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. Common stocks may decline over short or even extended periods of time. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. The value of securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. State law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded to investors in a limited partnership than investors in a corporation. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which a mutual fund invests will cause the Fund’s NAV to fluctuate. The number of issuers in the Fund’s portfolio will vary over time.

 

Fixed Income Investments. The Fund invests a portion of its assets in fixed income securities. Fixed income investments include bonds, notes (including structured notes), mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, convertible securities, Eurodollar and Yankee dollar instruments, preferred stocks and money market instruments. Fixed income securities may be issued by corporate and governmental issuers and may have all types of interest rate payment and reset terms, including (without limitation) fixed rate, adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment-in-kind and auction rate features. The principal debt investments of the Fund will be fixed and floating rate securities with no reset terms.

 

The credit quality of securities held in the Fund’s portfolio is determined at the time of investment. If a security is rated differently by multiple ratings organizations, the Fund treats the security as being rated in the higher rating category. The Fund invests primarily in investment grade fixed income securities that are rated as low as Baa by Moody’s Investors Service or BBB by S&P Global Ratings (or their equivalents, or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser or applicable Sub-Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). The Fund may choose not to sell securities that are downgraded below those credit ratings after their purchase. Periods of rising interest rates may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. Periods of rising interest rates may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets.

 

Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers that are traded or denominated in U.S. dollars (including equity securities of foreign issuers trading in U.S. markets) through American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”). Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depository, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depository without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders.

 

In addition, the Fund may invest in securities traded or denominated in foreign currencies and in multinational currencies such as the Euro. The Fund will value its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. Investments in securities of foreign entities and securities denominated or traded in foreign currencies involve special risks. These include possible political and economic instability and the possible imposition of exchange controls or other restrictions on investments. Changes in foreign currency rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of the Fund’s assets denominated or quoted in currencies other

 

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than the U.S. dollar. Emerging market investments offer the potential for significant gains but also involve greater risks than investing in more developed countries. Political or economic instability, lack of market liquidity and government actions such as currency controls or seizure of private business or property may be more likely in emerging markets.

 

Interest Rate Risk. During periods of rising interest rates, the market value of the Fund’s fixed-income securities will tend to be lower than prevailing market interest rates. In periods of falling interest rates, the market value of the Fund’s fixed-income securities generally will tend to be higher than prevailing market interest rates. Prices of longer-term fixed income securities are typically more sensitive to changes in interest rates than prices of shorter-term fixed-income securities. Significant upward pressure on domestic interest rates and a corresponding widening of credit spreads could negatively impact the market price of emerging debt markets.

 

Interest Rate Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Credit Default Swaps, Options on Swaps and Interest Rate Caps, Floors and Collars.

 

 

Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments. Like a traditional investment in a debt security, the Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely. For example, if the Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a floating rate of interest for a fixed rate of interest, the Fund may have to pay more money than it receives. Similarly, if the Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a fixed rate of interest for a floating rate of interest, the Fund may receive less money than it has agreed to pay.

 

 

Total Return Swaps. Total return swaps are contracts that obligate one party to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference during a specified period of time. The underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities or a non-asset reference such as a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference. The primary risks associated with total return swaps are credit risks (if the counterparty fails to meet its obligations) and market risk (if there is no liquid market for the agreement or unfavorable changes occur to the underlying asset).

 

 

Credit Default Swaps. Credit default swaps are contracts whereby one party makes periodic payments to a counterparty in exchange for the right to receive from the counterparty a payment equal to the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation in the event of a default by the issuer of the debt obligation.

 

 

Options on Swaps (“swaptions”). Swaptions are options to enter into a swap agreement. The Fund may also purchase and write (sell) swaptions. Like other types of options, the buyer of a swaption pays a non-refundable premium for the option and obtains the right, but not the obligation, to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. The seller of a swaption, in exchange for the premium, becomes obligated (if the option is exercised) to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms.

 

 

Interest Rate Caps. Interest rate caps entitle the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payment of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap.

 

 

Interest Rate Floors. Interest rate floors entitle the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling the interest rate floor.

 

 

Interest Rate Collars. Interest rate collars combine a cap and a floor that are designed to preserve a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates.

 

The Fund may enter into the transactions described above for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return (which is considered a speculative activity). The use of swaps, swaptions, and interest rate caps, floors and collars is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different

 

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from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If the Adviser or a Trading Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values and interest rates, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment techniques were not used.

 

Leveraging Risk. The Fund’s use of futures, forward contracts, swaps, other derivative instruments and selling securities short will have the economic effect of financial leverage. The use of leverage by the Adviser and Trading Advisers may increase the volatility of the Fund. These leveraged instruments may result in losses to the Fund or may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV or total return, because instruments that contain leverage are more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The Fund may also use borrowed funds to create leverage. Although the use of leverage by the Fund may create an opportunity for increased return, it also results in additional risks and can magnify the effect of any losses. If the income and gains earned on the securities and instruments purchased with leverage proceeds are greater than the cost of the leverage, the Fund’s return will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income and gains from the securities and instruments purchased with such proceeds does not cover the cost of leverage, the Fund’s return will be less than if leverage had not been used. In the event of a sudden, precipitous drop in value of the Fund’s assets, the Fund may not be able to liquidate assets quickly enough to pay off its borrowing. Short sales of securities also involve the use of leverage. Using this investment technique may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV or total return.

 

To limit leverage risk, the Fund will segregate assets determined by the Adviser to be liquid in accordance with procedures established by the Board, or, when permissible, enter into offsetting transactions, to cover its obligations resulting from its use of derivative instruments. Securities held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the futures contract, option or other derivative is outstanding, unless they are replaced with other suitable assets. As a result, it is possible that segregating a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

Quantitative Trading Strategies Risk. The Adviser and Trading Advisers may use quantitative methods to select investments. Securities or other investments selected using quantitative methods may perform differently from the market as a whole or from their expected performance for many reasons, including factors used in building the quantitative analytical framework, the weights placed on each factor, changing sources of market returns, changes from the factors’ historical trends, and technical issues in the construction and implementation of the models (including, for example, data problems and/or software issues), among others. Any errors or imperfections in quantitative analyses or models, or in the data on which they are based, could adversely affect the ability of the Adviser or a Trading Adviser to use such analyses or models effectively, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. There can be no assurance that these methodologies will help the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

 

Subsidiary Risk. The Fund will make investments through a wholly-owned Subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The derivatives and other investments held by a Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. These risks are described elsewhere in this Prospectus. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Subsidiary will be achieved.

 

The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, making it unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary will be subject to the same investment restrictions and limitations, and follow the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund. The Fund complies with Section 8 and Section 18 of the 1940 Act, governing investment policies and capital structure and leverage, respectively, on an aggregate basis with the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary also complies with Section 17 of the 1940 Act relating to affiliated transactions and custody.

 

Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of a fund and/or its Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus and in the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.

 

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Tax Risk. There is a risk that the IRS could assert that the income derived from the Fund’s investment in certain commodity-linked structured notes will not be considered qualifying income for purposes of the Fund remaining qualified as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In 2006, the IRS had published a ruling that income realized from swaps with respect to a commodities index would not be qualifying income. In a number of private letter rulings issued during 2006-2011, the IRS ruled that the income of such a foreign subsidiary would be qualified income each year even if it is not actually distributed to the RIC each year, but in 2011 the IRS suspended the issuance of such rulings. In addition, during 2006-2011, the IRS had also issued private letter rulings to regulated investment companies concluding that income derived from their investment in certain commodity-linked structured notes would constitute qualifying income to the fund. In 2011, the IRS indicated that the granting of these types of private letter rulings was suspended, pending further internal review of the subject. In 2016, the IRS announced that it would not issue any such rulings in the future, and it revoked the previously issued rulings. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC and became subject to federal income tax, shareholders of the Fund would be subject to diminished returns. For more information, see “More Information About Taxes”.

 

Non-Principal Risks

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories or certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

Indexed Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in indexed securities whose value is linked to securities indices. Most such securities have values that rise and fall according to the change in one or more specified indices and may have characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying securities. Depending on the index, such securities may have greater volatility than the market as a whole.

 

Other Investment Companies. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in the securities of other investment companies (including issues that would be investment companies but for sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act), but may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one investment company or acquire more than 3% of the voting securities of any other investment company. Among other things, the Fund may invest in money market mutual funds for cash management purposes by “sweeping” excess cash balances into such funds until the cash is invested or otherwise utilized. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by investment companies in which it invests in addition to the advisory and administration fees paid by the Fund. Investments in issues that would be investment companies but for sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act will generally be considered illiquid investments and would be subject to the Fund’s 15% limitation on investments in illiquid securities.

 

Redemptions. The Fund may need to sell its holdings in order to meet shareholder redemption requests. The Fund could experience a loss when selling securities to meet redemption requests if the redemption requests are unusually large or frequent, occur in times of overall market turmoil or declining prices for the securities sold, or when the securities the Fund wishes to or is required to sell are illiquid. The Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities at its desired time or price. Illiquidity can be caused by a drop in overall market trading volume, an inability to find a ready buyer, or legal restrictions on the securities’ resale. Certain securities that were liquid when purchased may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Liquidity issues may also make it difficult to value the Fund’s investments.

 

Short Sales. The Fund engages in short sales – including those that are not “against the box,” which means that the Fund may make short sales where the Fund does not currently own or have the right to acquire, at no added cost, securities identical to those sold short – in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. In a typical short sale, the Fund borrows from a broker a security in order to sell the security to a third party. The Fund is then obligated to return a security of the same issuer and quantity at some future date. The Fund realizes a loss to the extent the security increases in value or a profit to the extent the security declines in value (after taking into account any associated costs). Short sales “against the box”

 

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may protect the Fund against the risk of losses in the value of a portfolio security because any decline in value of the security should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. Any potential gains in the security, however, would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. Short sales that are not “against the box” involve a form of investment leverage, and the amount of the Fund’s loss on a short sale is potentially unlimited. The Fund will not make a short sale if, immediately before the transaction, the market value of all securities sold short exceeds 95% of the value of the Fund’s assets.

 

Until the Fund closes its short position, the Fund will: (a) maintain a segregated account containing cash or liquid securities at such a level that (i) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short; and (ii) the amount deposited in the segregated account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will not be less than the market value of the security at the time the security was sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund’s short position.

 

Temporary Investments. The Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by taking temporary defensive positions (up to 100% of its assets) in all types of money market and short-term debt securities. If the Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s SAI. The SAI is incorporated herein.

 

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Investment Adviser

 

Abbey Capital Limited, an Irish limited company founded in 2000, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser’s principal place of business is located at 1-2 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, Ireland. As of November 30, 2019, the Adviser had over $2.7 billion in assets under management. The Adviser is registered as an Investment Adviser with the SEC and as a CTA and a Commodity Pool Operator (or “CPO”) with the CFTC, and is a member of the National Futures Association (the “NFA”).

 

The Fund is managed by the Adviser and one or more Trading Advisers unaffiliated with the Adviser. The Adviser also has the ultimate responsibility to oversee the Trading Advisers, and to recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement, subject to approval by the Board. The Fund compensates the Adviser for its services at the annual rate of 1.77% of its average annual net assets, payable on a monthly basis in arrears. The Adviser compensates the Trading Advisers out of the advisory fee that it receives from the Fund.

 

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) to 1.79%, 2.04% and 2.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, Class A Shares, and Class C Shares, respectively. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 1.79%, 2.04% and 2.79% as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 for Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares and may not be terminated prior to that date without the approval of the Board. If at any time the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for a year are less than 1.79%, 2.04% or 2.79%, as applicable, the Adviser may recoup any waived amount from the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made by the Adviser if such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed existing expense limitations. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, after waivers, the Adviser received 1.29% of the Fund’s average net assets in investment advisory fees from the Fund. Had fee waivers not been in place, the Adviser would have received 1.77% of the Fund’s average net assets in investment advisory fees from the Fund.

 

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A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Adviser and trading advisory agreements with the Trading Advisers is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended August 31, 2019.

 

Anthony Gannon and Mick Swift are the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

 

Anthony Gannon (Founder and Chief Investment Officer) founded the Adviser in 2000 with a vision to create an alternative investment business providing multi-manager funds specializing in the managed futures and foreign exchange sectors of the hedge fund industry. Over its nineteen year history, Mr. Gannon has overseen the Adviser’s growth from a start-up to a global company which is currently one of the largest independent allocators in the CTA industry. Prior to founding the Adviser, Mr. Gannon was a co-founder of Allied Irish Capital Management (AICM), a multi-manager CTA, in conjunction with Allied Irish Banks. He helped to grow the company to become one of the largest European CTAs, with funds under management growing from an initial $50 million to in excess of $1.4 billion. Mr. Gannon has more than 25 years of investment experience in the managed futures industry. He is recognized and acknowledged as a leader in the industry globally and is a regular guest speaker at alternative investment industry conferences. Mr. Gannon graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Masters in Business Studies with Finance from University College Dublin, Ireland.

 

Mick Swift is the Chief Executive Officer at the Adviser. As CEO, Mr. Swift is responsible for ensuring the strategic goals of the company are successfully implemented and for overseeing the operation of the Adviser on a day to day basis. Mr. Swift is a member of the Adviser’s Board of Directors and Investment Committee. Mr. Swift was promoted to CEO in December 2019 following 7 years in the role of Deputy CEO and Research Director and has been one of the key drivers behind the growth and success of the Adviser since joining the firm in 2002. Prior to joining the Adviser, Mr. Swift was a Director at AICM, a Dublin-based CTA from 1998 to 2002. While at AICM, he worked in a trading capacity and also on product research and risk management. Previously, Mr. Swift was the Head of Foreign Exchange and European Interest Rate Trading at Bank of Ireland in Dublin from 1997 to 1998. Previously, Mr. Swift was Treasurer and EVP at Bank of Ireland’s New York branch, where he ran the trading and sales operation from 1994 to 1997. He initially joined the Treasury Division of Bank of Ireland in 1984 where he traded foreign exchange and interest rate markets on a proprietary basis. In 1992, he became Head of Interest Rate trading at the bank. A frequent guest speaker and presenter at conferences throughout Europe, Asia and the U.S., Mr. Swift has addressed topics including alternative investment policy development, risk management and the managed futures industry. Mr. Swift graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Commerce from University College Galway and holds an ACMA qualification.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of shares of the Fund.

 

Trading Advisers

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with each Trading Adviser to manage a portion of the Fund’s Futures Portfolio. Each Trading Adviser makes investment decisions for the assets it has been allocated to manage. The Adviser oversees the Trading Advisers for compliance with the Fund’s investment objective, policies, strategies and restrictions, and monitors each Trading Adviser’s adherence to its investment style. The Board supervises the Adviser and the Trading Advisers, establishes policies that they must follow in their management activities, and oversees the hiring, termination and replacement of Trading Advisers recommended by the Adviser.

 

The Fund and the Adviser have received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, without shareholder approval and subject to certain conditions, to terminate existing Trading Advisers or hire new Trading Advisers for the Fund, to materially amend the terms of particular agreements with Trading Advisers or to continue the employment of existing Trading Advisers after events that would otherwise cause an automatic termination of a trading advisory agreement. This arrangement has been approved by the Board and the Fund’s initial shareholder. Consequently, under the exemptive order, the Adviser has the right to hire, terminate and replace Trading Advisers when the Board and the Adviser feel that a change would benefit the Fund. The exemptive order enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of trading advisory agreements.

 

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Not all of the Trading Advisers listed may be actively managing Fund or Subsidiary assets at all times. Subject to the oversight of the Board, the Adviser may temporarily allocate assets away from a Trading Adviser. Situations in which the Adviser may make such a determination include changes in the level of assets in the Fund, changes to the Adviser’s view of the Trading Adviser’s current opportunities, changes in a Trading Adviser’s personnel or a Trading Adviser’s adherence to an investment strategy.

 

The following provides additional information about each Trading Adviser and the Trading Adviser’s investment teams.

 

Aspect Capital Limited

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Aspect Capital Limited (“Aspect”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Aspect Core Diversified Program. Aspect is a private limited company formed in 1998 and based in London, United Kingdom. Aspect’s main office is located at 10 Portman Square, London W1H 6AZ, United Kingdom. Aspect is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as both a Commodity Trading Advisor and a Commodity Pool Operator and is a member of the National Futures Association in such capacities. Aspect’s philosophy is predominantly focused on capturing medium-term trend opportunities across a broad spectrum of diversified market sectors, applying a systematic and research driven approach.

 

All portfolio and investment procedures for the Aspect Core Diversified Program are overseen by Aspect’s Risk Management Committee (“RMC”). Aspect’s RMC has overall responsibility for the operation of all of Aspect’s Programs. The RMC is chaired by Anthony Todd (Chief Executive Officer) and also comprises Martin Lueck (Research Director) and Christopher Reeve (Director of Risk).

 

Anthony Todd – Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

 

Mr. Todd co-founded Aspect in September 1997 and is the Chief Executive Officer of Aspect. He has been a CFTC listed principal, as an Associated Member and as an Associated Person of Aspect from October 13, 1999 to the present. Mr. Todd has also been listed with the CFTC as a principal of ACI since April 14, 2005 as he indirectly owns more than 10% of the share capital of ACI. Mr. Todd has been approved as a swaps Associated Person of Aspect since December 27, 2012. Mr. Todd chairs Aspect’s Executive Board, which determines Aspect’s overall corporate and strategic direction. Mr. Todd also chairs Aspect’s Risk Management Committee and is a member of Aspect’s Investment Management Committee. Before establishing Aspect, Mr. Todd worked for five years (from March 1992 to October 1997) at Adam, Harding and Lueck Limited (“AHL”) initially as Director of Financial Engineering and Product Development, before moving to Switzerland as Director of Marketing and Institutional Sales. Prior to this role, Mr. Todd was a strategy consultant at Mars & Co., a Paris based consultancy, from September 1990 to March 1992. From July 1989 to July 1990, Mr. Todd studied at INSEAD in France, and from September 1982 to June 1989 he was with UBS, an international investment bank, in London as Assistant Director in the International Government Bond Group. Mr. Todd holds a B.A. in Physics from Oxford University and an M.B.A. from INSEAD in France.

 

Martin Lueck – Co-Founder and Research Director

 

Mr. Lueck co-founded Aspect in September 1997, and has been listed with the CFTC as a principal, as an Associated Member and as an Associated Person of Aspect from October 13, 1999 to the present. As President of ACI, Mr. Lueck has also been listed with the CFTC as a principal of ACI since October 2004 and as an associated person of ACI since December 2004. Mr. Lueck has been approved as a swaps Associated Person of each of Aspect and ACI since December 27, 2012. His duties as a principal of ACI are to assist and supervise the sales team of ACI. As Research Director, he oversees the Research team which is responsible for generating and analyzing fundamental research hypotheses for development of all Aspect’s investment programs. Mr. Lueck chairs Aspect’s Investment Management Committee and is a member of Aspect’s Risk Management Committee. Prior to founding Aspect, Mr. Lueck was with AHL, which he co-founded in February 1987 with Michael Adam and David Harding. Man Group plc (a leading global provider of alternative investment products and solutions) completed the purchase of AHL in 1994 and Mr. Lueck left in 1996. At AHL, Mr. Lueck was instrumental in developing AHL’s trading systems and approach to research as well as the proprietary software language that provided the platform for all of AHL’s product engineering and implementation. During the period from May 1989 to April 1996, Mr. Lueck was listed with the CFTC as a principal and associated person of AHL. From May 1996 through August 1997, Mr. Lueck was on gardening leave from AHL during which time he helped establish his wife’s publishing business Barefoot Books. Mr. Lueck was a Director of Research at Brockham Securities Limited, a London based commodity trading advisor, from October 1984 to

 

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February 1987 and an executive in the Japanese Equity Sales department of Nomura International, a provider of financial services for individual, institutional, corporate, and government clients, from January to October 1984. Mr. Lueck serves on the Board of the National Futures Association. He holds an M.A. in Physics from Oxford University and currently serves as Chair of the Oxford Physics Development Board.

 

Christopher Reeve – Director of Risk

 

Christopher Reeve is Aspect’s Director of Risk. In this role, he takes responsibility for all investment risks associated with Aspect’s portfolios, focusing on the review of all new research and strategies. He is a member of the Risk Management Committee, which provides oversight of the performance and risks of all strategies and approval for any change to any Aspect Investment Program. He also coordinates the company’s product design processes, ensuring that Aspect’s investment strategy capabilities are assembled into coherent investment products which fit investor needs. This includes working closely with all of Aspect’s different research and portfolio management teams to customize products and mandates, as well as working with Aspect’s global client base to understand their requirements and ensure they have full transparency into Aspect’s strategies. Christopher has been a member of Aspect’s Senior Management Team (SMT) since 2015. The SMT is a group of Directors which supports the Executive Board in its management of the company and gives input into strategic business decisions. Christopher joined Aspect in January 2005 as a member of the Research Team, focusing on the risk reviews of new investment strategy research. He then became a member of what is now the Investment Solutions Team in 2006, Head of Investment Solutions in February 2014 and Director of Investment Solutions in May 2015. He was appointed to his current role in September 2018. Christopher holds a first class Masters degree in Chemistry from the University of Oxford. Christopher previously served in the British Army as a second lieutenant in the Welsh Guards, commanding an infantry platoon on training and ceremonial duties.

 

Eclipse Capital Management, Inc.

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Eclipse Capital Management, Inc (“Eclipse”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Eclipse Emerald Futures Program. Eclipse is a Missouri-based corporation formed in 1983. Eclipse’s main office is located at 7700 Bonhomme Avenue, Suite 500, St. Louis, Missouri 63135, United States. Eclipse is registered with CFTC as a CTA and is a member of the NFA. Eclipse focuses on a systematic approach designed to profit primarily from intermediate- and long-term price trends in multiple market sectors.

 

Thomas W. Moller – CEO:

 

Mr. Moller serves as CEO and head of Eclipse’s Business Management Group and drives the firm’s product development activities. Mr. Moller holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s in Accounting from the University of Kentucky. Prior to founding Eclipse, Mr. Moller fulfilled a number of roles including Associated Person of Geldermann & Company, principal of Interest Rate Management Inc. and Associated Person of Man International Inc.

 

Fran Olszweski – Managing Director and CIO:

 

Mr. Olszweski’s primary responsibility is the research and development, implementation, and maintenance of Eclipse’s trading strategies. Mr. Olszweski’s background is in Economics where he holds a Bachelor’s degree from Washington University. Previously, Mr. Olszweski served as trading manager for Hollingsworth Trading Company before moving to the Capital Markets Group of Nippon Credit Bank where he worked as a proprietary trader. Mr. Olszweski then held the role of Assistant Vice President and proprietary trader within the Derivatives Dealing Team of UFJ Group before joining Eclipse in 2001.

 

Revolution Capital Management, LLC

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Revolution Capital Management, LLC (“RCM”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Revolution Emerald Futures Program. RCM is a Colorado-based limited liability company formed in 2004. RCM’s main office is located at 1400 16th Street, Suite 510, Denver, Colorado 80202, United States. RCM is registered with the CFTC as a CTA and CPO and is a member of the NFA. RCM has been trading proprietary capital since January 2005. RCM focuses on short-term, systematic and quantitative trading, applying rigorous statistical analysis to all aspects of research, development, and operations.

 

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Michael Mundt – Principal:

 

Dr. Mundt’s tasks primarily consist of model development, business/marketing, and coordinating RCM’s overall business and trading strategy. Dr. Mundt’s background is in engineering and applied science. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado in 1989. He was awarded a PhD in Aerospace Engineering in 1993, also from the University of Colorado; his thesis involved the exploration of chaos and turbulence in simple weather/climate models. After the completion of his academic studies, Dr. Mundt transitioned into the technology industry. He was employed by Seagate Technology, a hard-disk drive company, as an engineer specializing in computational fluid mechanics between March 1998 and July 2007.

 

T. Robert Olson – Principal:

 

Dr. Olson oversees the architecture and development of the hardware and software computing infrastructure at RCM. Dr. Olson received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Arizona in 1989. He received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado in 1992 and 1996, respectively. Dr. Olson was employed at Raytheon Technology, an aerospace defense contractor, from June 1996 through June 2006. His primary job duties included code/software development, data analysis, and the development of statistical algorithms to process high-frequency real-time data.

 

Tudor Investment Corporation

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Tudor Investment Corporation (“Tudor”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Tudor Emerald Momentum program. Tudor is a Connecticut-based investment manager. Tudor’s main office is located at 1275 King Street, Greenwich, Connecticut 06831, United States. The firm runs multiple strategies including but not limited to discretionary global macro, event driven and quantitative investment and trading strategies. The Tudor Emerald Momentum program trades a systematic trend following strategy across a broad range of global futures markets.

 

Steven Evans – Managing Director, Director – Tudor’s Systems Trading Group. Mr. Evans joined Tudor in August 1997 and is based in the Stamford office. He is Director of Tudor’s Systems Trading Group. Steve serves on various Tudor committees including the Management Committee and the Capital Allocation Committee. Prior to becoming Director of Tudor’s Systems Trading Group in January 2003, he held various positions at Tudor, including Chief Technology Officer. Prior to joining Tudor, he was a Vice President of Software Development at D.E. Shaw & Co., where he led the design and implementation of a multi-product risk management system (1996-1997). Prior to that, Steve was a Senior Manager in the Advanced Technology Group of Andersen Consulting, now Accenture Consulting, where he led the design and architecture of several large projects, including a real-time market surveillance system for a major international stock exchange (1987-1996). He also developed and sold video games during high school and college. He currently serves as a Director of Headlands Technologies LLC. Steve holds an M.A. (First Class Honours) in Mathematics from Wadham College, Oxford University (1987).

 

Daryl Cook – Managing Director, Quantitative Portfolio Manager – Tudor’s Systems Trading Group. Mr. Cook joined Tudor in July 1993 and is based in the London office. He is a member of Tudor’s Systems Trading Group’s Portfolio Advisory Group and has over twenty years of experience developing and implementing systematic trading models. Prior to joining Tudor in July 1993, he was employed by Reuters where he helped develop their IDN infrastructure (1988-1993) and Scicon Ltd. (1985-1988). Daryl holds a B.Sc. in Mathematics from Bristol University (1985).

 

Alejandro Belinky – Managing Director, Portfolio Manager. Mr. Belinky joined Tudor in August 2008 and is based in the Greenwich office. Prior to joining Tudor, Alejandro was a Research Analyst at Absolute Return Capital Partners, the systematic Global Macro Hedge Fund affiliate of Bain Capital, LLC (2006-2008), where he managed interest rate strategies in developed and emerging markets. Prior to joining Bain Capital, LLC, he was a Senior Associate in Global Tactical Asset Allocation at Mellon Capital Management (2004-2006). Alejandro holds a degree in Economics from Universidad Nacional Del Sur in Argentina (1999), a graduate degree (M.A. equivalent) in Capital Markets from Universidad De Buenos Aires (2000) and an M.Phil. as well as an M.S. in Finance and Economics from Columbia Business School (2004).

 

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Welton Investment Partners LLC

 

The Adviser has entered into a trading advisory agreement with Welton Investment Partners LLC (“Welton”) to manage a portion of the Fund’s assets using the Welton Trend program. Welton is a Delaware limited liability company formed in June 2014 to provide all of the investment advisory and day-to-day operational services previously assumed by Welton Investment Corporation (its “predecessor”), a Delaware corporation that merged in May 1997 with a California corporation originally formed in 1988. Welton’s main office is located at Eastwood Building, San Carlos between 5th and 6th, P.O. Box 6147, Carmel, California 93921, United States. Welton is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as both a Commodity Trading Advisor and a Commodity Pool Operator and is a member of the NFA in such capacities. Welton is also registered with the SEC as an investment adviser. Welton’s Trend program utilizes select medium and long-term trend-following models to capture specific recurrent market phenomena generated by behavioral inefficiencies amongst capital market participants. The systematic portfolio embeds risk management at multiple layers to ensure a stable risk profile over time.

 

Dr. Patrick Welton (Chief Investment Officer) – Dr. Welton is the founder and a principal of Welton and serves as the CIO. He chairs Welton’s Investment Committee and sets the strategic direction of the firm. Dr. Welton has served on committees for the Managed Funds Association and was a member of the Board of Directors of the NFA from 1997-2000. He has spoken at numerous conferences globally, participated in panel presentations, and has authored numerous articles about alternative investments, macroeconomic impacts on markets, and investment theory. Dr. Welton currently serves as chair of private pension and foundation investment committees. His former research experience includes molecular biological work in gene sequencing, biophysics with a focus on positron emission neurofunctional brain imaging, and oncology. He holds undergraduate, doctoral and postdoctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Stanford University, respectively.

 

Basil Williams (Chief Executive Officer) – Mr. Williams serves as Welton’s CEO and is based out of the firm’s New York office. He possesses a deep general management experience as a 30+ year industry leader in investment management. Mr. Williams is a proven investor in alternative strategies having traded a broad suite of relative value strategies during his 20 years at Concordia Advisors. Moreover, he possesses C-suite experience having built and led hedge fund businesses at Concordia and Mariner Investment Group. Prior to joining Welton, Mr. Williams was the Head of Portfolio Management at PAAMCO, one of the largest alternative allocators and emerging manager investors. He has been a regular speaker at industry conferences, and authored articles on topics ranging from monetary policy, risk management, technology and hedge fund management. Mr. Williams’ not-for-profit service includes President of the Board of Elisabeth Morrow School, Finance Committee Member of the Dwight Englewood School, and Trustee of the Portsmouth Abbey School. He earned an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business, and a BA in Applied Mathematics (Summa Cum Laude) from Brown University. Mr. Williams joined the firm in 2019.

 

Todd Merrell, CPA, CA (Chief Financial Officer) – Mr. Merrell, who joined Welton in 2009, is a principal of the firm and is responsible for all aspects of finance, middle- and back-office operations for Welton. This includes: corporate finance, fund accounting, fund administration, trade oversight, and investor reporting. Prior to joining Welton, Mr. Merrell was employed with JPMorgan Chase Hedge Fund Services in Bermuda and previously worked for Deloitte in Canada where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CA). Mr. Merrell holds memberships with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) in both Bermuda and Saskatchewan. He earned a Master of Professional Accounting degree and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance from the University of Saskatchewan.

 

Guillaume Detrait (Chief Operating Officer & Chief Risk Officer) – Mr. Detrait joined Welton in 2008. He is a principal of the firm and chairs the Operating Committee. He is responsible for overseeing the overall operations of the firm, helping each department adopt sound business practices and mitigating all major risks. Previously he was a Vice President at HSBC and a Senior Business Manager at Capital One. He began his career with KPMG where he served as an audit manager to the firm’s Paris and Los Angeles practices. Mr. Detrait holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS from ESC Reims in France.

 

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David Nowlin (Chief Compliance Officer) – Mr. Nowlin, who has been with Welton since 1993, is a principal of the firm and oversees compliance, legal and internal departmental reviews. Previously, he worked as an Associate with the firms formerly known as Price Waterhouse and Dean Witter Reynolds. Mr. Nowlin successfully completed the FINRA® Institute at Wharton Certified Regulatory and Compliance Professional (CRCP) program. Mr. Nowlin earned an MBA from Santa Clara University and a BA from Westmont College.

 

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

Pricing of Fund Shares

 

Class I Shares and Class C Shares of the Fund are sold at their NAV. Class A Shares of the Fund are sold at their NAV, plus a front-end sales charge, if applicable. The NAV of a class of the Fund is calculated as follows:

 

 

 

 

Value of Assets Attributable to a Class

 
 

NAV

= –

Value of Liabilities Attributable to the Same Class

 
 

 

 

Number of Outstanding Shares of the Class

 

 

The Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. The NYSE is generally open Monday through Friday, except national holidays. The NYSE also may be closed on national days of mourning or due to natural disaster or other extraordinary events or emergency. Due to the fact that different expenses are charged to the Class I Shares, Class A Share, and Class C Shares of the Fund, the NAV of the three classes of the Fund may vary. The Fund will effect purchases of Shares at the NAV, plus any applicable sales charge, next determined after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your purchase order in good order as described below. The Fund will effect redemptions of Shares at the NAV next calculated after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your redemption request in good order as described below. If the Fund holds securities that are primarily listed on non-U.S. exchanges, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Fund’s shares.

 

The Fund’s equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange market system will be valued at the last sale price, except for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (“NASDAQ”). Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ will be valued at the official closing price. Equity securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at their closing prices. If there were no transactions on that day, equity securities will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. Fixed income securities are valued using an independent pricing service, which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings, and are deemed representative of market values at the close of the market. When prices are not available from such service or are deemed to be unreliable, securities may be valued by dealers who make markets in such securities. Forward exchange contracts are valued by interpolating between spot and forward currency rates as quoted by an independent pricing service. Futures contracts are generally valued using the settlement price determined by the relevant exchange. 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, will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. Options not traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last quoted bid price for long option positions and the closing ask price for short option positions.

 

Investments in other open-end investment companies are valued based on the NAV of those investment companies (which may use fair value pricing as discussed in their prospectuses). Investments in ETFs, REITs and closed-end funds will be valued at their market price.

 

If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Fund’s administrator, in consultation with the Adviser and Trading Advisers, securities will be valued by the Adviser and Trading Advisers in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board’s ultimate supervision. Relying

 

23

 

 

 

on prices supplied by pricing services or dealers or using fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by the Fund to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other investment companies and investors to price the same investments.

 

Sales Charges

 

Class A Shares Sales Charges. Purchases of Class A Shares of the Fund are subject to a front-end sales charge of up to 5.75% of the total purchase price; however, sales charges may be reduced for large purchases as indicated below. For Class A Shares sold by the Distributor, the Distributor will receive the sales charge imposed on purchases of Class A Shares (or any contingent deferred sales charge paid on redemptions) and may retain the full amount of such sales charge. The sales charges or underwriter concessions (the difference between the sales charge and the dealer reallowance) received by the Distributor may be made available to the Fund for pre-approved marketing expenses or may be used to offset the compensation owed by the Adviser to the Distributor for its services. Sales charges are not imposed on Shares that are purchased with reinvested dividends or other distributions. The table below indicates the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested. The term “offering price” includes the front-end sales charge. Because of rounding in the calculation of the “offering price”, the actual sales charge you pay may be more or less than that calculated using the percentages shown below.

 

Amount of Purchase of Class A Shares

Sales Charge
as a % of
Offering Price

Sales Charge
as a % of
Net Amount
Invested

Dealer
Compensation
as a Percentage
of Offering
Price

Less than $25,000

5.75%

6.10%

5.00%

At least $25,000 but less than $50,000

5.00%

5.26%

4.25%

At least $50,000 but less than $100,000

4.75%

4.99%

4.00%

At least $100,000 but less than $250,000

3.75%

3.83%

3.25%

At least $250,000 but less than $500,000

2.50%

2.56%

2.00%

At least $500,000 but less than $1,000,000

2.00%

2.04%

1.75%

$1,000,000 or greater

None

None

*see below

 

 

*

No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1,000,000 or more; however, a 1% contingent deferred sales charge is imposed in the event of redemption within 12 months following any such purchase. The Fund’s Distributor will pay a commission at the rate of 1% to certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals, including affiliates of the Adviser who initiate and are responsible for purchases of $1,000,000 or more.

 

Rights of Accumulation. You may combine your new purchase of Class A Shares with Class A Shares and/or Class C Shares currently owned for the purpose of qualifying for the lower initial sales charge rates that apply to larger purchases. The applicable sales charge for the new purchase is based on the total of your current purchase and the current NAV of all other shares you own. You may combine your account, your spouse’s account, and the account(s) of your children under age 25.

 

This privilege is also extended to certain employee benefit plans and trust estates. The following purchases may be combined for purposes of determining the “Amount of Purchase:” (a) individual purchases, if made at the same time, by a single purchaser, the purchaser’s spouse and children under the age of 25 purchasing Class A Shares for their own accounts, including shares purchased by a qualified retirement plan(s) exclusively for the benefit of such individual(s) (such as an IRA, individual-type section 403(b) plan or single-participant Keogh-type plan) or by a “Company,” as defined in Section 2(a)(8) of the 1940 Act, solely controlled as defined in the 1940 Act, by such individual(s), or (b) individual purchases by trustees or other fiduciaries purchasing Class A Shares (i) for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account, including an employee benefit plan, or (ii) concurrently by two or more employee benefit plans for a single employer or of employers affiliated with each other in accordance with Section 2(a)(3)(c) of the 1940 Act (excluding in either case an employee benefit plan described in (a) above), provided such trustees or other fiduciaries purchase shares in a single payment. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts

 

24

 

 

 

may not be combined with purchases made for such other accounts. You may also further discuss the combined purchase privilege with your investment broker, brokerage firm, financial institution, or other industry professional, including affiliates of the Adviser.

 

You will need to provide written instruction with respect to the other accounts whose purchases should be considered in Rights of Accumulation.

 

Letter of Intent. If you anticipate purchasing a specific dollar amount of Class A Shares within a 13-month period, the shares may be purchased at a reduced sales charge by completing and returning a Letter of Intent (the “Letter”), which can be provided to you by your investment broker or other Service Organization. The reduced sales charge may also be obtained on Class A Shares purchased within the 90 days prior to the date of receipt of the Letter. Shares purchased under the Letter are eligible for the same reduced sales charge that would have been available had all the shares been purchased at the same time. There is no obligation to purchase the full amount of shares indicated in the Letter. Should you invest more or less than indicated in the Letter during the 13-month period, the sales charge will be recalculated based on the actual amount purchased. A portion of the amount of the intended purchase normally will be held in escrow in the form of Shares pending completion of the intended purchase. If you do not purchase the full amount of Class A Shares indicated in the Letter, the appropriate amount of shares held in escrow will be redeemed by the Transfer Agent to pay the sales charge that was not applied to your purchase.

 

Class A Sales Charge Waivers. The sales charge on purchases of Class A Shares is waived for certain types of investors, including:

 

 

Current and retired directors and officers of the Fund sponsored by the Adviser or any of its subsidiaries, their families (e.g., spouse, children, mother or father) and any purchases referred through the Adviser.

 

 

Employees of the Adviser and their families, or any full-time employee or registered representative of the Distributor or of broker-dealers having selling agreements with the Distributor (a “Selling Broker”) and their immediate families (or any trust, pension, profit sharing or other benefit plan for the benefit of such persons).

 

 

Any full-time employee of a bank, savings and loan, credit union or other financial institution that utilizes a Selling Broker to clear purchases of the fund’s shares and their immediate families.

 

 

Participants in certain “wrap-fee” or asset allocation programs or other fee-based arrangements sponsored by broker-dealers and other financial institutions that have entered into agreements with the Distributor.

 

 

Clients of financial intermediaries that have entered into arrangements with the Distributor providing for the shares to be used in particular investment products made available to such clients and for which such registered investment advisors may charge a separate fee.

 

 

Institutional investors (which may include bank trust departments and registered investment advisers).

 

 

Any accounts established on behalf of registered investment advisers or their clients by broker dealers that charge a transaction fee and that have entered into agreements with the Distributor.

 

 

Separate accounts used to fund certain unregistered variable annuity contracts or Section 403(b) or 401(a) or (k) accounts.

 

 

Whether a sales charge waiver is available for your retirement plan or charitable account depends upon the policies and procedures of your Service Organization and if your Service Organization has entered into an agreement with the Company or the Distributor. Please consult your financial adviser for further information.

 

In order to take advantage of a sales charge waiver, a purchaser must certify to the Service Organization eligibility for a waiver and must notify the Service Organization whenever eligibility for a waiver ceases to exist. A Service Organization reserves the right to request additional information from a purchaser in order to verify that such purchaser is so eligible. Such information may include account statements or other records regarding Shares of the Fund held by you or your immediate family household members.

 

25

 

 

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions – Class A Shares. Purchases of $1,000,000 or more in Class A Shares are not subject to an initial sales charge; however, a contingent deferred sales charge is payable on these investments in the event of a share redemption within 12 months following the share purchase, at the rate of 1% of the lesser of the value of the shares redeemed (exclusive of reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions) or the total cost of such shares. In determining whether a contingent deferred sales charge is payable, and the amount of the charge, it is assumed that shares purchased with reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions and then other shares held the longest are the first redeemed.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions – Class I Shares. Contingent Deferred Sales Charges do not apply to redemptions of Class I Shares.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions – Class C Shares. No sales load is payable by a shareholder at the time of purchase, although the Distributor advances applicable Service Organizations the first year distribution and services fee at a rate of 1.00% on investments in the Fund’s Class C Shares. This advancement is solely financed by the Adviser and not by investors or the Fund. As a result, the Fund imposes a CDSC of 1.00% on redemptions of investments made within 12 months of purchase. The financing party receives the CDSC from the Distributor as reimbursement for the up-front sales commission that has been financed. The CDSC is assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the offering price at the time of purchase of the shares redeemed and the NAV of shares redeemed at the time of redemption. When Class C Shares are redeemed, the redemption order is processed so that the lowest deferred sales charge is charged, and Class C Shares that are not subject to the deferred sales charge are redeemed first. Any CDSC paid on the redemptions of Class C Shares expressed as a percentage of the applicable redemption amount may be higher or lower than the charge described due to rounding. No CDSC is imposed on increases in NAV for Fund shares acquired as reinvested Fund distributions.

 

The CDSC will be waived for Class C Shares in the following circumstances:

 

 

Redemptions of shares purchased through certain employer-sponsored retirement plans and rollovers of current investments in the Fund through such plans;

 

 

Exchanges pursuant to the exchange privilege, as described in “Shareholder Information — Exchange Privilege”;

 

 

Redemptions made in connection with minimum required distributions from IRA or 403(b)(7) accounts due to the shareholder reaching the age of 70 1/2;

 

 

Certain post-retirement withdrawals from an IRA or other retirement plan if you are over 59 1/2 years old and you purchased your shares prior to October 2, 2006;

 

 

Redemptions made with respect to certain retirement plans sponsored by the Fund;

 

 

Redemptions resulting from shareholder death as long as the waiver request is made within one year of death or, if later, reasonably promptly following completion of probate (including in connection with the distribution of account assets to a beneficiary of the decedent);

 

 

Withdrawals resulting from shareholder disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) as long as the disability arose subsequent to the purchase of the shares;

 

 

Involuntary redemptions made of shares in accounts with low balances;

 

 

Redemptions related to the payment of custodial IRA fees, if any; and

 

 

Redemptions when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship, in the absolute discretion of the Fund.

 

Purchase of Fund Shares

 

Shares representing interests in the Fund are offered continuously for sale by Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”).

 

General. You may purchase Shares of the Fund at the NAV per Share, plus any applicable sales charge, next calculated after your order is received by the Transfer Agent in good order as described below. The Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. After an initial purchase is made, the Transfer Agent will set up an account for you on the Company records. The minimum initial investment in Class A Shares and

 

26

 

 

 

Class C Shares is $2,500, and the minimum initial investment for Class I Shares is $1,000,000. There is a minimum amount of $100 for subsequent investment in Class A Shares and Class C Shares and of $1,000 in Class I Shares. The Fund may accept initial investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion. You can purchase Shares of the Fund only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described in this section.

 

Purchases Through Intermediaries. Shares of the Fund may also be available through certain Service Organizations. Certain features of the Shares, such as the initial and subsequent investment minimums and certain trading restrictions, may be modified or waived by Service Organizations. Service Organizations may impose minimum investment requirements. Service Organizations may also impose transaction or administrative charges or other direct fees, which charges and fees would not be imposed if Shares are purchased directly from the Company. Therefore, you should contact the Service Organization acting on your behalf concerning the fees (if any) charged in connection with a purchase or redemption of Shares and should read this Prospectus in light of the terms governing your accounts with the Service Organization. Service Organizations will be responsible for promptly transmitting client or customer purchase and redemption orders to the Company in accordance with their agreements with the Company or its agent and with clients or customers. Service Organizations or, if applicable, their designees that have entered into agreements with the Company or its agent may enter confirmed purchase orders on behalf of clients and customers, with payment to follow no later than the Company’s pricing on the following business day. If payment is not received by such time, the Service Organization could be held liable for resulting fees or losses. The Company will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when a Service Organization, or, if applicable, its authorized designee, accepts a purchase or redemption order in good order if the order is actually received by the Company in good order not later than the next business morning. If a purchase order is not received by the Fund in good order, the Transfer Agent will contact the financial intermediary to determine the status of the purchase order. Orders received by the Company in good order will be priced at the Fund’s NAV, plus any applicable sales charges, next computed after such orders are deemed to have been received by the Service Organization or its authorized designee.

 

For administration, sub-accounting, transfer agency and/or other services, the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Service Organizations and certain recordkeeping organizations a fee (the “Service Fee”) based on the average annual NAV of accounts with the Company maintained by such Service Organizations or recordkeepers. The Service Fee payable to any one Service Organization is determined based upon a number of factors, including the nature and quality of services provided, the operations processing requirements of the relationship and the standardized fee schedule of the Service Organization or recordkeeper.

 

In addition to fees that the Fund may pay to a Service Organization under a Plan of Distribution for the Class A Shares and the Class C Shares, the Fund may enter into agreements with Service Organizations pursuant to which the Fund will pay a Service Organization for networking, sub-transfer agency, sub-administration and/or sub-accounting services. These payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by the Service Organization or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by the Service Organization. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial.

 

Class I Shares may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Company to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Class I Shares through one of these programs, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker.

 

Purchases By Telephone. Investors may purchase additional Class I, Class A and Class C Shares of the Fund by calling 1-844-261-6484. If you elected this option on your account application, and your account has been open for at least 7 business days, telephone orders, in amounts of $100 or more for Class A Shares and Class C Shares, and $1,000 or more for Class I Shares, will be accepted via electronic funds transfer from your bank account through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. You must have banking information established on your account prior to making a purchase. If your order is received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, your shares will be purchased at the NAV, plus any applicable sales charge, calculated on the day your order is placed.

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close for same day pricing. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

27

 

 

 

Initial Investment By Mail. Class I, Class A and Class C Shares of the Fund may be purchased by mail. Subject to acceptance by the Fund, an account may be opened by completing and signing an Account Application and mailing it to the Fund at the address noted below, together with a check payable to Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund. All checks must be in U.S. Dollars drawn on a domestic bank. The Fund will not accept payment in cash or money orders. The Fund does not accept post-dated checks or any conditional order or payment. To prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or starter checks for the purchase of Shares.

 

Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

or overnight to:

 

Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

The Transfer Agent will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Fund, for any payment that is returned. It is the policy of the Fund not to accept applications under certain circumstances or in amounts considered disadvantageous to shareholders. The Fund reserves the right to reject any application.

 

The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the transfer agent of the Fund. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

Shares will be purchased at the NAV plus any applicable sales charge next computed after the time the application and funds are received in proper order and accepted by the Fund.

 

Initial Investment By Wire. Class I, Class A and Class C Shares may also be purchased by wire. If you are making your first investment in the Fund, before you wire funds, the Transfer Agent must have a completed account application. You may mail or overnight deliver your account application to the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of your completed account application, the Transfer Agent will establish an account for you. The account number assigned will be required as part of the instruction that should be provided to your bank to send the wire. Your bank must include both the name of the Fund you are purchasing, the account number, and your name so that monies can be correctly applied. Your bank should transmit funds by wire to:

 

Wire Instructions:

 

U.S. Bank National Association
777 East Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee WI 53202
ABA 075000022
Credit:
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Account #112-952-137
For Further Credit to:
Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund
(shareholder registration)
(shareholder account number)

 

Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to be eligible for same day pricing. The Fund and U.S. Bank, N.A. are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions.

 

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Subsequent Investments – By Wire. Before sending your wire, please contact the Transfer Agent to advise them of your intent to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit upon receipt of your wire.

 

Additional Investments. Additional investments may be made at any time by purchasing Shares at the NAV per Share, plus any applicable sales charge of the Fund by mailing a check to the Transfer Agent at the address noted above under “Investment by Mail” or by wiring as outlined above under “Investment by Wire. Initial and additional purchases made by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network cannot be redeemed until payment of the purchase has been collected. This may take up to 15 calendar days from the purchase date. There is a minimum amount of $100 for subsequent investments in Class A and Class C Shares, and of $1,000 in Class I Shares.

 

Retirement Plans/IRA Accounts. The Fund offers prototype documents for a variety of retirement accounts for individuals and small businesses. Please call 1-844-261-6484 for information.

 

There may be special distribution requirements for a retirement account, such as required distributions or mandatory Federal income tax withholding. For more information, call the number listed above. You may be charged a $15 annual account maintenance fee for each retirement account up to a maximum of $30 annually and a $25 fee for transferring assets to another custodian or for closing a retirement account.

 

Purchases in Kind. In certain circumstances, Shares of the Fund may be purchased “in kind” (i.e. in exchange for securities, rather than cash). The securities rendered in connection with an in-kind purchase must be liquid securities that are not restricted as to transfer and have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Company’s valuation procedures. Securities accepted by the Fund will be valued, as set forth in this Prospectus, as of the time of the next determination of NAV after such acceptance. The Shares of the Fund that are issued to the investor in exchange for the securities will be determined as of the same time. All dividend, subscription, or other rights that are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at the time of valuation become the property of the Fund and must be delivered to the Fund by the investor upon receipt from the issuer. The Fund will not accept securities in exchange for its Shares unless such securities are, at the time of the exchange, eligible to be held by the Fund and satisfy such other conditions as may be imposed by the Adviser or the Company. Purchases in-kind may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on the securities transferred to the Fund.

 

Other Purchase Information. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of Shares or to reject purchase orders when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interests of the Fund. The Adviser will monitor the Fund’s total assets and may, subject to Board’s approval, decide to close the Fund at any time to new investments or to new accounts due to concerns that a significant increase in the size of the Fund may adversely affect the implementation of the Fund’s strategy. The Adviser, subject to the Board’s approval, may also choose to reopen the Fund to new investments at any time, and may subsequently close the Fund again should concerns regarding the Fund’s size recur. If the Fund closes to new investments, the Fund may be offered only to certain existing shareholders of the Fund and certain other persons who may be subject to cumulative, maximum purchase amounts, as follows:

 

 

a.

persons who already hold Shares of the closed Fund directly or through accounts maintained by brokers by arrangement with the Adviser;

 

 

b.

existing and future clients of financial advisers and planners whose clients already hold Shares of the Fund;

 

 

c.

employees of the Adviser and their spouses, parents and children; and

 

 

d.

directors of the Company.

 

Distributions to all shareholders of the closed Fund will continue to be reinvested unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Adviser, subject to the Board’s discretion, reserves the right to implement other purchase limitations at the time of closing, including limitations on current shareholders.

 

Purchases of the Fund’s Shares will be made in full and fractional Shares of the Fund calculated to three decimal places. Certificates for Shares will not be issued.

 

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Shares may be purchased and subsequent investments may be made by principals and employees of the Adviser and their family members, either directly or through their IRAs, and by any pension and profit-sharing plan of the Adviser, without being subject to the minimum investment limitation. The Adviser is authorized to waive the minimum initial investment requirement.

 

Good Order. A purchase request is considered to be in good order when the purchase request includes the name of the Fund and share class, the dollar amount of shares to be purchased, your account application or investment stub, a check payable to the Fund, and any other information requested. Purchase requests not in good order may be rejected.

 

Customer Identification Program. In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, please note that the Transfer Agent will verify certain information on your account application as part of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. As requested on the account application, you must supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. If you are opening the account in the name of a legal entity (e.g., partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, etc.), you must also supply the identity of the beneficial owners. Mailing addresses containing only a P.O. Box will not be accepted. Applications without the required information, or without any indication that a social security or taxpayer identification number has been applied for, may not be accepted. After acceptance, to the extent permitted by applicable law or its customer identification program, the Company reserves the right (a) to place limits on transactions in any account until the identity of the investor is verified; or (b) to refuse an investment in a Company portfolio or to involuntarily redeem an investor’s shares and close an account in the event that an investor’s identity is not verified. The Company and its agents will not be responsible for any loss in an investor’s account resulting from the investor’s delay in providing all required identifying information or from closing an account and redeeming an investor’s Shares when an investor’s identity cannot be verified.

 

Redemption of Fund Shares

 

You may redeem Fund Shares at the next NAV calculated after a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. The Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. You can redeem Shares of the Fund only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described in this section. You may redeem Fund Shares by mail, or, if you are authorized, by telephone. The value of Shares redeemed may be more or less than the purchase price, depending on the market value of the investment securities held by the Fund.

 

Redemption By Mail. Your redemption request should be sent to:

Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P. O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

or overnight to:

Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the transfer agent of the Fund. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

A signature guarantee, from either a Medallion program member or a non-Medallion program member (as described below), is required in the following situations:

 

 

If ownership is being changed on your account;

 

When redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account not on record;

 

When a redemption is received by the Transfer Agent and the account address or bank details have changed within the last 15 calendar days; and

 

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For all redemptions in excess of $25,000 from any shareholder account.

 

The Fund may waive any of the above requirements in certain instances. In addition to the situations described above, the Fund and/or the Transfer Agent reserve the right to require a signature guarantee in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.

 

Non-financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services on an account, may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source.

 

Signature guarantees will generally be accepted from non-Medallion program members who are domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program and the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”). A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor.

 

Redemption By Telephone. In order to utilize the telephone redemption option, you must indicate that option on your Account Application. You may then initiate a redemption of Shares in an amount not exceeding $25,000 by calling the Transfer Agent at 1-844-261-6484.

 

Investors may have a check sent to the address of record, proceeds may be wired to a shareholder’s bank account of record, or funds may be sent via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, also to the bank account of record. Wires are subject to a $15 fee paid by the investor, but the investor does not incur any charge when proceeds are sent via the ACH system.

 

Once a telephone transaction has been placed, it cannot be canceled or modified after the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close for same day pricing. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

Before executing an instruction received by telephone, the Transfer Agent will use reasonable procedures to confirm that the telephone instructions are genuine. The telephone call may be recorded and the caller may be asked to verify certain personal identification information. If the Fund or its agents follow these procedures, they cannot be held liable for any loss, expense or cost arising out of any telephone redemption request that is reasonably believed to be genuine. This includes fraudulent or unauthorized requests. If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, the Fund will accept telephone instructions from any one owner or authorized person.

 

IRA and Other Retirement Plan Redemptions. If you are redeeming shares held in an IRA and receiving a distribution from the IRA of the cash proceeds of the redemption of shares, you must indicate on your written redemption request whether or not to withhold federal income tax. Redemption requests failing to indicate an election to have tax withheld will be subject to 10% withholding.

 

Shares held in IRA accounts may be redeemed by telephone at 1-844-261-6484. Investors will be asked whether or not to withhold taxes from any distribution.

 

Involuntary Redemption. The Fund reserves the right to redeem a shareholder’s account in the Fund at any time the value of the account falls below $500 as a result of a redemption or an exchange request. Shareholders will be notified in writing that the value of their account in the Fund is less than $500 and will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed. The Fund may assert the right to redeem your Shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for Shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Other Redemption Information. Redemption proceeds for Shares of the Fund recently purchased by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network may not be distributed until payment for the purchase has been collected, which may take up to fifteen calendar days from the purchase date. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option. Other than as described above, payment of the redemption proceeds will be made within seven days after receipt of an order for a redemption. The Company may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date at times when the NYSE is closed

 

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or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC. The Funds typically expect to meet redemption requests by paying out proceeds from cash or cash equivalent portfolio holdings, or by selling portfolio securities. In stressed market conditions, redemption methods may include redeeming in kind.

 

If the Board determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of the Fund to make payment wholly or partly in cash, redemption proceeds may be paid in whole or in part by an in-kind distribution of readily marketable securities held by the Fund instead of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC and the Company’s Policy and Procedures Related to the Processing of In-Kind Redemptions. Investors generally will incur brokerage charges on the sale of portfolio securities so received in the payment of redemptions. If a shareholder receives redemption proceeds in-kind, the shareholder will bear the market risk of the securities received until their disposition and should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, so that the Fund is obligated to redeem its Shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund.

 

Good Order. A redemption request is considered to be in good order when the redemption request includes the name of the Fund and share class, the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, the account number, signatures by all of the shareholders whose names appear on the account registration with a signature guarantee, if applicable, and any other information requested. Redemption requests not in good order may be delayed.

 

Market Timing

 

In accordance with the policy adopted by the Board, the Company discourages and does not accommodate market timing and other excessive trading practices. Purchases should be made with a view to longer-term investment only. Excessive short-term (market timing) trading practices may disrupt portfolio management strategies, increase brokerage and administrative costs, harm Fund performance and result in dilution in the value of Fund Shares held by long-term shareholders. The Company and the Adviser reserve the right to (i) reject a purchase or exchange order, (ii) delay payment of immediate cash redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days, (iii) revoke a shareholder’s privilege to purchase Fund Shares (including exchanges), or (iv) limit the amount of any exchange involving the purchase of Fund Shares. An investor may receive notice that their purchase order or exchange has been rejected after the day the order is placed or after acceptance by a financial intermediary. It is currently expected that a shareholder would receive notice that its purchase order or exchange has been rejected within 48 hours after such purchase order or exchange has been received by the Company in good order. The Company and the Adviser will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected purchase orders. To minimize harm to the Company and its shareholders (or the Adviser), the Company (or the Adviser) will exercise its right if, in the Company’s (or the Adviser’s) judgment, an investor has a history of excessive trading or if an investor’s trading, in the judgment of the Company (or the Adviser), has been or may be disruptive to the Fund. No waivers of the provisions of the policy established to detect and deter market timing and other excessive trading activity are permitted that would harm the Fund and its shareholders or would subordinate the interests of the Fund and its shareholders to those of the Adviser or any affiliated person or associated person of the Adviser.

 

Pursuant to the policy adopted by the Board, the Adviser has developed criteria that it uses to identify trading activity that may be excessive. The Adviser reviews on a regular, periodic basis available information related to the trading activity in the Fund in order to assess the likelihood that the Fund may be the target of excessive trading. As part of its excessive trading surveillance process, the Adviser, on a periodic basis, examines transactions that exceed certain monetary thresholds or numerical limits within a period of time. If, in its judgment, the Adviser detects excessive, short-term trading, it may reject or restrict a purchase request and may further seek to close an investor’s account with the Fund. The Adviser may modify its surveillance procedures and criteria from time to time without prior notice regarding the detection of excessive trading or to address specific circumstances. The Adviser will apply the criteria in a manner that, in its judgment, will be uniform.

 

There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to identify market timers, particularly if they are investing through intermediaries.

 

32

 

 

 

If necessary, the Company may prohibit additional purchases of Shares by a financial intermediary or by certain customers of the financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries may also monitor their customers’ trading activities in the Fund. The criteria used by intermediaries to monitor for excessive trading may differ from the criteria used by the Company. If a financial intermediary fails to enforce the Company’s excessive trading policies, the Company may take certain actions, including terminating the relationship.

 

Exchange Privilege

 

Beneficial holders with financial intermediary sponsored fee-based programs are eligible to exchange their Shares in a particular share class of the Fund for Shares in an identically registered account in a different share class of the Fund if the shareholder meets the eligibility requirements for that class of Shares or the shareholder is otherwise eligible to purchase that class of Shares. Such an exchange will be effected at the NAV of the Shares next calculated after the exchange request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. Investors who hold Class I shares of the Fund through a fee-based program, but who subsequently become ineligible to participate in the program or withdraw from the program, may be subject to conversion of their Class I shares by their program provider to another class of shares of the Fund having expenses (including Rule 12b-1 fees) that may be higher than the expenses of the Class I shares. Investors should contact their program provider to obtain information about their eligibility for the provider’s program and the class of shares they would receive upon such a conversion.

 

Shares of each class of the Fund represent equal pro rata interests in the Fund and accrue dividends and calculate NAV and performance quotations in the same manner. The performance of each class is quoted separately due to different actual expenses. Total return can be expected to differ among classes of the Fund. Shareholders who exercise the exchange privilege will generally not recognize a taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. The Fund reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to change or discontinue the exchange privilege, or to temporarily suspend the privilege during unusual market conditions when, in the judgment of management, such change or discontinuance is in the best interests of the Fund.

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

The Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders. All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional Shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Fund will declare and pay dividends from net investment income annually. Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed by the Fund at least annually.

 

The Fund may pay additional distributions and dividends at other times if necessary for the Fund to avoid U.S. federal tax. The Fund’s distributions and dividends, whether received in cash or reinvested in additional Shares, are subject to U.S. federal income tax.

 

All distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares unless you elect to receive cash. If you elect to receive distributions and/or capital gains paid in cash, and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account, at the Fund’s current NAV, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions. You may change the distribution option on your account at any time. You should notify the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next distribution.

 

More Information About Taxes

 

The following is a summary of certain U.S. tax considerations relevant under current law, which may be subject to change in the future. Except where otherwise indicated, the discussion relates to investors who are individual U.S. citizens or residents. You should consult your tax adviser for further information regarding federal, state, local and/or foreign tax consequences relevant to your specific situation.

 

Distributions. The Fund contemplates distributing as dividends each year all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss).

 

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Except as otherwise discussed below, you will be subject to federal income tax on Fund distributions regardless of whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Fund distributions attributable to short-term capital gains and net investment income, and all distributions attributable to income and gains of the Subsidiary, will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income, except as discussed below.

 

Distributions attributable to the net capital gain, as defined above, of the Fund (which does not include any income or gains of the Subsidiary) will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. The maximum long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals, estates, and trusts is currently 23.8% (which includes a 3.8% Medicare tax). You will be notified annually of the tax status of distributions to you.

 

Distributions from the Fund will generally be taxable to you in the taxable year in which they are paid, with one exception. Distributions declared by the Fund in October, November or December and paid in January of the following year are taxed as though they were paid on December 31.

 

A portion of distributions paid by the Fund to shareholders that are corporations may also qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, subject to certain holding period requirements and debt financing limitations. The amount of the dividends qualifying for this deduction may, however, be reduced as the result of the Fund’s securities lending activities (if any), by a high portfolio turnover rate or by investments in debt securities or foreign corporations.

 

If you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price will reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution, but you will be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of capital. This adverse tax result is known as “buying into a dividend.”

 

Sales of Shares. You will generally recognize taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on a sale or redemption of your shares based on the difference between your tax basis in the shares and the amount you receive for them. Generally, you will recognize long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for over twelve months at the time you dispose of them.

 

Any loss realized on shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends that were received on the shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a disposition of shares of the Fund may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the Fund within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in shares of the Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired.

 

The Fund (or relevant broker or financial adviser) is required to compute and report to the IRS and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information when such shares are sold. The Fund has elected to use the average cost method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different IRS-accepted cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale. If your account is held by your broker or other financial adviser, they may select a different cost basis method. In these cases, please contact your broker or other financial adviser to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal and state income tax returns. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

 

IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans. The one major exception to the preceding tax principles is that distributions on, and sales and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-qualified plan) will not be currently taxable unless such shares were acquired with borrowed funds.

 

Backup Withholding. The Fund may be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the IRS a percentage of taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale payable to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, or who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so or that they are “exempt recipients.” The current backup withholding rate is 24%.

 

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U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders. Generally, nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign investors are subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividends paid by a U.S. corporation, although the rate may be reduced for an investor that is a qualified resident of a foreign country with an applicable tax treaty with the United States. In the case of a RIC such as the Fund, however, certain categories of dividends are exempt from the 30% withholding tax. These generally include dividends attributable to the Fund’s net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), dividends attributable to the Fund’s interest income from U.S. obligors and dividends attributable to net short-term capital gains of the Fund.

 

Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from the Fund.

 

In contrast, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in the Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor’s income from the Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.

 

The Fund will also generally be required to withhold 30% tax on certain payments to foreign entities that do not provide a Form W-8BEN-E that evidences their compliance with, or exemption from, specified information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

 

All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in the Fund.

 

Shares of the Fund have not been registered for sale outside of the United States and certain United States territories.

 

State and Local Taxes. You may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain from Fund shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of the Fund’s distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality.

 

Taxation of Futures Contracts. It is anticipated that the Fund’s assets will consist largely of regulated futures contracts, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and interest-bearing obligations. Regulated futures contracts are subject to special treatment for federal income tax purposes: gains and losses on regulated futures contracts are generally treated as capital gains, which are 60% long-term and 40% short-term; and those contracts (and any related forward contracts) are required to be “marked to market” daily, or as of the end of the year, with the result that gains or losses on them are recognized for tax purposes each year even though they continue to be held past the end of the year. For the Fund to avoid entity-level tax each year, it will generally be required to distribute out to shareholders the net income and gain that the Fund recognizes in the year. Accordingly, investors can generally expect to receive taxable distributions each year to the extent that the Fund assets appreciate in the year - i.e., for tax purposes, there will be no significant deferral of gains attributable to an investment in the Fund - and no more than approximately 60% of the taxable distributions each year are likely to be taxable at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. Moreover, the percentage may often be lower than 60% because all income attributable to the Subsidiary, including all gains from regulated futures contracts held by the Subsidiary, will constitute ordinary income for the Fund and will result in ordinary income distributions for Fund shareholders.

 

Taxation of the Subsidiary. There is, at present, no direct taxation in the Cayman Islands and interest, dividends and gains payable to the Subsidiary will be received free of all Cayman Islands taxes. The Subsidiary is registered as an “exempted company” pursuant to the Companies Law (as amended). The Subsidiary has applied for, and expects to receive, an undertaking from the Governor in Cabinet of the Cayman Islands to the effect that, for a period of twenty years from the date of the undertaking, no law that thereafter is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax or duty to be levied on profits, income or on gains or appreciation, or any tax in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax, will apply to any property comprised in or any income arising under the Subsidiary, or to the shareholders thereof, in respect of any such property or income.

 

More information about taxes is contained in the SAI.

 

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Distribution Arrangements

 

The Board has adopted a Plan of Distribution for the Class A Shares and the Class C Shares (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Plan, the Fund’s Distributor is entitled to receive from the Fund a distribution fee with respect to the Shares, which is accrued daily and paid monthly, of up to 0.25% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares and up to 1.00% of the Class C Shares. The actual amount of such compensation under the Plan is agreed upon by the Board and by the Distributor. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Amounts paid to the Distributor under the Plan may be used by the Distributor to cover expenses that are related to (i) the sale of the Shares, (ii) ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of shareholders, and (iii) sub-transfer agency services, sub-accounting services or administrative services related to the sale of the Shares, all as set forth in the Fund’s 12b-1 Plan. Ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of shareholders may include updating and mailing prospectuses and shareholder reports, responding to inquiries regarding shareholder accounts and acting as agent or intermediary between shareholders and the Fund or its service providers. The Distributor may delegate some or all of these functions to Service Organizations. See “Purchases Through Intermediaries” above.

 

The Plan obligates the Fund, during the period it is in effect, to accrue and pay to the Distributor on behalf of the Shares the fee agreed to under the Distribution Agreement. Payments under the Plan are not tied exclusively to expenses actually incurred by the Distributor, and the payments may exceed distribution expenses actually incurred.

 

Additional Information

 

Householding. In an effort to decrease costs, the Fund intends to reduce the number of duplicate prospectuses and annual and semi-annual reports you receive by sending only one copy of each to those addresses shared by two or more accounts and to shareholders we reasonably believe are from the same family or household. Once implemented, if you would like to discontinue householding for your accounts, please call toll-free at 1-844-261-6484 to request individual copies of these documents. Once the Fund receives notice to stop householding, we will begin sending individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. This policy does not apply to account statements.

 

Lost Shareholders, Inactive Accounts and Unclaimed Property. It is important that the Fund maintains a correct address for each shareholder. An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other mailings to be returned to the Fund. Based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, the Fund will attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful owner of the account. If the Fund is unable to locate the shareholder, then it will determine whether the shareholder’s account can legally be considered abandoned. Your mutual fund account may be transferred to the state government of your state of residence if no activity occurs within your account during the “inactivity period” specified in your state’s abandoned property laws. The Fund is legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements. The shareholder’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction. Please proactively contact the Transfer Agent toll-free at 1-844-261-6484 at least annually to ensure your account remains in active status.

 

If you are a resident of the state of Texas, you may designate a representative to receive notifications that, due to inactivity, your mutual fund account assets may be delivered to the Texas Comptroller. Please contact the Transfer Agent if you wish to complete a Texas Designation of Representative form.

 

NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE FUND’S SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE COMPANY OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.

 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The table below sets forth certain financial information for the periods indicated, including per share information results for a single share of the Fund. The term “Total investment return” indicates how much your investment would have increased or decreased during this period of time and assumes that you have reinvested all dividends and distributions. This information has been derived from the Fund’s financial statements and has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. This information should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s financial statements, which, together with the report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request (see back cover for ordering instructions).

 

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Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund — Class I Shares

 

 

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2019

   

For the
Period Ended
August 31, 2018
(1)

 

Per Share Operating Performance

               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 10.65     $ 10.00  

Net investment income/(loss)(2)

    0.02       (0.01 )

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) from investments

    1.09       0.66  

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    1.11       0.65  

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

               

Net investments income

    (0.36 )      

Net realized capital gains

    (0.46 )      

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.82 )      

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 10.94     $ 10.65  

Total investment return/(loss)(3)

    12.20 %     6.50 %(4)

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

               

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 28,242     $ 21,608  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and/or reimbursements(6)

    1.79 %     1.79 %(5)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and/or reimbursements(6)

    2.27 %     2.84 %(5)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

    0.25 %     (0.25 )%(5)

Portfolio turnover rate

    0 %     0 %(4)

 

(1)

Inception date of Class I Shares of the Fund was April 11, 2018.

(2)

Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.

(3)

Total investment return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(4)

Not annualized.

(5)

Annualized.

(6)

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding acquired Fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) to 1.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares.

 

 

 

38

 

 

 

APPENDIX A

 

Additional Performance Information

 

The table below provides additional information about the long-term performance of the Predecessor Fund. The table below shows how the Predecessor Fund’s performance has varied from month to month and year by year since the Predecessor Fund’s inception on May 14, 2002. As with all such investments, past performance (either before or after taxes) is not an indication of future results.

 

Monthly Returns (Since May 14, 2002)

 

 

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

YTD

2002

0.1%

-2.0%

-5.5%

2.6%

-7.5%

2.3%

4.5%

-1.2%

-7.1%

2003

-0.8%

2.8%

-4.3%

9.3%

9.6%

-0.6%

2.0%

1.7%

0.2%

7.5%

2.3%

8.9%

44.9%

2004

1.8%

5.4%

-0.5%

-5.4%

-0.2%

0.2%

-4.8%

-0.8%

3.1%

3.0%

6.3%

3.5%

11.6%

2005

-4.5%

3.2%

-2.0%

-3.5%

2.8%

2.5%

3.6%

1.7%

3.5%

-3.2%

6.2%

2.6%

12.8%

2006

7.2%

-1.9%

4.1%

6.2%

-3.5%

-1.8%

-1.1%

2.8%

-0.1%

4.4%

3.6%

3.2%

24.8%

2007

2.0%

-3.3%

0.7%

6.1%

4.1%

0.4%

-5.2%

-2.4%

7.4%

5.5%

-4.7%

-0.9%

9.1%

2008

-5.0%

3.7%

-0.7%

3.6%

2.8%

-4.9%

-6.3%

-2.1%

-8.3%

-13.1%

-4.3%

6.0%

-26.6%

2009

-9.4%

-9.9%

6.3%

9.3%

9.8%

-2.2%

9.5%

4.5%

5.0%

-3.5%

6.7%

0.2%

26.1%

2010

-5.9%

2.8%

8.5%

0.8%

-10.3%

-4.6%

7.7%

-2.1%

11.0%

5.8%

-3.6%

9.9%

18.6%

2011

1.9%

4.2%

-2.2%

6.0%

-4.2%

-3.2%

-0.9%

-7.9%

-7.9%

7.0%

-1.1%

0.0%

-9.2%

2012

5.9%

5.4%

0.9%

-1.3%

-7.0%

2.8%

2.8%

1.3%

0.9%

-2.8%

1.5%

3.1%

13.7%

2013

6.6%

-0.3%

3.8%

4.7%

-1.4%

-3.7%

3.9%

-3.8%

5.4%

4.8%

3.3%

2.1%

27.7%

2014

-5.6%

5.1%

-0.8%

-0.2%

2.2%

2.0%

-1.6%

4.9%

3.3%

2.9%

6.5%

2.1%

22.2%

2015

4.4%

1.7%

0.9%

-3.7%

0.5%

-5.2%

3.4%

-5.0%

0.2%

1.7%

3.7%

-2.5%

-0.6%

2016

-0.1%

3.2%

0.5%

-0.9%

0.2%

2.4%

2.1%

-2.2%

-0.8%

-3.1%

2.9%

1.5%

5.6%

2017

-0.5%

3.6%

-1.5%

0.1%

0.6%

-1.6%

1.5%

1.3%

0.3%

4.7%

2.2%

1.1%

12.3%

2018

6.8%

-6.9%

-1.5%

-0.2%

-2.2%

 

 

A-1

 

 

 

PRIVACY NOTICE

 

FACTS

WHAT DOES THE ABBEY CAPITAL MULTI ASSET FUND DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Why?

Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.

What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

 

● Social Security number

● account balances

● account transactions

● transaction history

● wire transfer instructions

● checking account information

 

When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

How?

All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons the Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

       

Reasons we can share your information

Does the
Abbey Capital Multi Asset
Fund share?

Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purpose —
such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal
investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes

No

For our marketing purposes —
to offer our products and services to you

Yes

No

For joint marketing with other financial companies

No

We don’t share.

For affiliates’ everyday business purposes —
information about your transactions and experiences

Yes

No

For affiliates’ everyday business purposes —
information about your creditworthiness

No

We don’t share

For our affiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share

For nonaffiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share

 

Questions?

Call 1-844-261-6484 or go to www.abbeycapital.com

 

 

 

What we do

How does the Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.

How does the Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

 

● open an account

● provide account information

● give us your contact information

● make a wire transfer

● tell us where to send the money

 

We also collect your information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

 

● sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes — information about your creditworthiness

● affiliates from using your information to market to you

● sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

 

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation

In addition to the above information, where applicable, you have the following rights under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and U.S. Privacy Laws, as applicable and to the extent permitted by law, to

 

● Check whether we hold personal information about you and to access such data (in accordance with our policy)

 

● Request the correction of personal information about you that is inaccurate

 

● Have a copy of the personal information we hold about you provided to you or another “controller” where technically feasible

 

● Request the erasure of your personal information

 

● Request the restriction of processing concerning you

 

The legal grounds for processing of your personal information is for contractual necessity and compliance with law.

 

If you wish to exercise any of your rights above, please call: 1-844-261-6484.

 

You are required to ensure the personal information we hold about you is up-to-date and accurate and you must notify us of any changes to the personal data you provided to us.

 

 

 

 

The Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund shall retain your personal data for as long as you are an investor in the Fund and thereafter as long as necessary to comply with applicable laws that require the Fund to retain your personal data, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission’s data retention rules. Your personal data will be transferred to the United States so that the Fund may provide the agreed upon services for you. No adequacy decision has been rendered by the European Commission as to the data protection of your personal data when transferring it to the United States. However, the Fund does take the security of your personal data seriously.

 

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the appropriate regulatory authority with respect to issues you may have.

Definitions

Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

Our affiliates include Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund’s investment adviser, Abbey Capital Limited, and each sub-adviser.

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

The Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund doesn’t share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

 

The Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund does not jointly market.

Controller

“Controller” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by European Union or European Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by European Union or European Member State law.

 

 

 

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THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

 

 

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND

 

This Prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. More information about the Fund is available free of charge, upon request, including:

 

Annual/Semi-annual Reports: These reports contain additional information about the Fund’s investments, describe the Fund’s performance, list portfolio holdings and discuss recent market conditions and economic trends. The annual report includes Fund strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The Fund’s annual report to shareholders is and, once available the semi-annual report to shareholders will be, available on the Adviser’s website at www.abbeycapital.com or by calling 1-844-261-6484.

 

Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”): The Fund’s SAI, dated February 28, 2020, has been filed with the SEC. The SAI, which includes additional information about the Fund, and the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual reports, may be obtained free of charge by calling 1-844-261-6484. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and is legally considered a part of this Prospectus. The SAI is available on the Adviser’s website at www.abbeycapital.com.

 

Shareholder Inquiries: Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday-Friday. Call: 1-844-261-6484.

 

Purchases and Redemptions: Call your registered representative or 1-844-261-6484.

 

Written Correspondence:
P.O. Box Address:
Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

Street Address:
Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Securities and Exchange Commission: You may view and copy information about the Company and the Fund, including the SAI, by visiting the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of Fund documents by paying a duplicating fee and sending an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

Investment Company Act File No. 811-05518

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Institutional Class
Boston Partners Investment Funds

of The RBB Fund, Inc. 

 

Prospectus 

February 28, 2020

 

Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II – BPSIX 

Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund – BPAIX 

Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund – BPLSX 

Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – BPIRX 

WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund – WPGTX 

Boston Partners Global Equity Fund – BPGIX 

Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund – BGLSX 

Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund – BELSX 

Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund – BPEMX 

Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund – BPCIX

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), paper copies of the Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. 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 Funds electronically anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or a bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-888-261-4073.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Funds, you can call 1-888-261-4073 to inform the Funds that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports.

Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held with the fund complex if you invest directly with the Funds.

 

 

 

The securities described in this prospectus have been registered with the SEC. The SEC, however, has not judged these securities for their investment merit and has not determined the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Anyone who tells you otherwise is committing a criminal offense.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

  

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS SMALL CAP VALUE FUND II 3
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS ALL-CAP VALUE FUND 9
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS LONG/SHORT EQUITY FUND 15
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS LONG/SHORT RESEARCH FUND 21
SUMMARY SECTION — WPG PARTNERS SMALL/MICRO CAP VALUE FUND 28
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS GLOBAL EQUITY FUND 34
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS GLOBAL LONG/SHORT FUND 42
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS EMERGING MARKETS LONG/SHORT FUND 51
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS EMERGING MARKETS FUND 61
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS GLOBAL EQUITY ADVANTAGE FUND 70
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENTS AND RISKS 80
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS 93
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION 102
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 115
APPENDIX A 116
APPENDIX B 118
APPENDIX C 119
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 121
FOR MORE INFORMATION Back Cover

 

A look at the investment objectives, strategies, risks, expenses and financial history of each of the Boston Partners Investment Funds offered in this Prospectus.

 

Details about the Boston Partners Investment Funds’ service providers offered in this Prospectus.

 

Policies and instructions for opening, maintaining and closing an account in any of the Boston Partners Investment Funds offered in this Prospectus.

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS SMALL CAP VALUE FUND II

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital primarily through investment in equity securities. Current income is a secondary objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Institutional Class shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

  Institutional Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees (1)  0.95%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees 0%
Other expenses 0.21%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(2)  0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 1.17%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(3)  -0.07%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.10%

 

(1)  Prior to October 1, 2019, the management fee was 1.00%.

 

(2)  Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(3)  The Fund’s investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) for the Fund’s Institutional Class shares exceeds 1.10% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Institutional Class shares. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total annual Fund operating expenses to exceed 1.10%: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.10% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

3 

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Institutional Class $1,121 $3,647 $6,369 $14,142

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 29% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in a diversified portfolio consisting primarily of equity securities, such as common stocks of issuers with small market capitalizations and identified by the Adviser as having value characteristics. A small market capitalization issuer generally is considered to be one whose market capitalization is, at the time the Fund makes the investment, similar to the market capitalization of companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index. The Russell 2000® Value Index is an unmanaged index that contains stocks from the Russell 2000® Index with less than average growth orientation. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of this index was $666 million and the largest stock was $6.7 billion. Please note that this range is as of a particular point in time and is subject to change.

 

The Fund generally invests in the equity securities of small companies. The Adviser will seek to invest in companies it considers to be well managed and to have attractive fundamental financial characteristics. The Adviser believes greater potential for price appreciation exists among small companies since they tend to be less widely followed by other securities analysts and thus may be more likely to be undervalued by the market. The Fund may invest from time to time a portion of its assets, not to exceed 20% (under normal conditions) at the time of purchase, in companies with larger market capitalizations.

 

The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of such issuers including price to book value ratios and price to earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer’s operating and financial fundamentals such as return on equity, earnings growth and cash flow. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund based on a continuous study of trends in industries and companies, earnings power and growth and other investment criteria.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

The Fund may also invest up to 25% of its total assets in non U.S. dollar-denominated securities.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public.

 

In general, the Fund’s investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing a maximum of 25% of its total assets in any one industry.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

4 

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

5 

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Small Cap Companies Risk. The Fund will invest in smaller issuers which are more volatile and less liquid than investments in issuers with a market capitalization greater than the market capitalization of companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index. Small market capitalization issuers are not as diversified in their business activities as issuers with market capitalizations greater than the market capitalization of companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index and are more susceptible to changes in the business cycle.

 

The small capitalization equity securities in which the Fund invests may be traded only in the over-the-counter market or on a regional securities exchange, may be listed only in the quotation service commonly known as the “pink sheets,” and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. These securities may also be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. The trading market for any given small capitalization equity security may be sufficiently small as to make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a substantial block of such securities. The sale by the Fund of portfolio securities to meet redemptions may require the Fund to sell its small capitalization securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Adviser’s judgment, such sale is not desirable. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for these securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II’s Institutional Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

6 

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 14.78% (quarter ended December 31, 2010)
Worst Quarter: -20.45% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Institutional Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II      
Returns Before Taxes 28.02% 7.22% 10.83%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions(1) 27.26% 6.12% 10.18%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 17.07% 5.46% 8.87%
Russell 2000® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 22.39% 6.99% 10.56%

 

(1)  After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place 

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550 

New York, NY 10165

 

7 

 

Portfolio Managers 

David M. Dabora, Senior Portfolio Manager since 1998.
George Gumpert, Portfolio Manager since 2005.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 

Minimum Initial Investment: $100,000
Minimum Additional Investment: $5,000

 

You can purchase and redeem Institutional Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:
Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s
transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund Shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

8 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS ALL-CAP VALUE FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital primarily through investment in equity securities. Current income is a secondary objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Institutional Class shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

  Institutional Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 0.70%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.12%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(1)  0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.83%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(2)  -0.03%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 0.80%

  

(1)  Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(2)  The Fund’s investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) for the Fund’s Institutional Class shares exceeds 0.80% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Institutional Class shares. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total annual Fund operating expenses to exceed 0.80%: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 0.80% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

9 

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Institutional Class $817 $2,619 $4,575 $10,226

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 33% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in a diversified portfolio consisting primarily of equity securities, such as common stocks of issuers across the capitalization spectrum and identified by the Adviser as having value characteristics.

 

The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of such issuers including price to book value ratios and price to earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer’s operating and financial fundamentals, such as return on equity and earnings growth and cash flow. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund based on a continuous study of trends in industries and companies, earnings power and growth and other investment criteria.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its total assets in non U.S. dollar-denominated securities.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public.

 

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain debt securities and preferred stock.

 

The Fund may hedge overall portfolio exposure up to 40% of its net assets through the purchase and sale of index and individual put and call options.

 

In general, the Fund’s investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing less than 25% of its total assets in any one industry.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

10 

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

11 

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Micro-Cap Companies Risk. Micro-cap stocks may be very sensitive to changing economic conditions and market downturns because the issuers often have narrow markets for their products or services, fewer product lines, and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger issuers. The stocks of micro-cap companies may therefore be more volatile and the ability to sell them at a desirable time or price may be more limited.

 

Mid-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of mid-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies.

 

Options Risk. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a “call”) or sell (a “put”) an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may “cover” a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations.

 

Small-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of smaller companies may be subject to more abrupt, erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Small companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent on a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund’s Institutional Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

12 

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 13.23% (quarter ended December 31, 2011)
Worst Quarter: -17.49% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Institutional Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund      
Returns Before Taxes 27.88% 9.02% 12.03%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions(1) 27.09% 7.82% 10.94%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 17.05% 6.92% 9.76%
Russell 3000® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 26.26% 8.20% 11.71%

 

(1)  After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

13 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser 

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place 

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Manager 

Duilio Ramallo, Senior Portfolio Manager since 2007.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 

Minimum Initial Investment: $100,000
Minimum Additional Investment: $5,000

 

You can purchase and redeem Institutional Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:
Boston Partners All Cap Value Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

Purchase and Redemption By Wire:
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s
transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

14 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS LONG/SHORT EQUITY FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation while reducing exposure to general equity market risk. The Fund seeks a total return greater than that of the S&P 500® Index over a full market cycle.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Institutional Class shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

  Institutional Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 2.25%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees None
Other Expenses 0.21%
Short Sales Expenses:  
Dividend expense on short sales 0.22%
Interest expense on borrowings 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 2.68%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(1) -0.50%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 2.18%

 

(1)  Effective February 28, 2020, the Fund’s investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (other than short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for the Fund’s Institutional Class exceeds 1.96% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Institutional Class shares. Because dividend expenses on short sales, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes are excluded from the expense limitation, Total annual Fund operating expenses (after fee waivers and expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed 1.96%. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.96% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. Prior to February 28, 2020, the Fund's Institutional Class fee cap was 2.50%.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Institutional Class $2,211 $7,850 $13,755 $29,757

 

15 

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 64% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund invests in long positions in stocks identified by the Adviser as undervalued and takes short positions in stocks that the Adviser has identified as overvalued. The cash proceeds from short sales will be invested in short-term cash instruments to produce a return on such proceeds just below the federal funds rate. Short sales are considered speculative transactions and a form of leverage. The Fund invests, both long and short, in securities principally traded in the United States markets. The Fund may invest in securities of companies operating for three years or less (“unseasoned issuers”). The Adviser will determine the size of each long or short position by analyzing the tradeoff between the attractiveness of each position and its impact on the risk of the overall portfolio. The Fund seeks to construct a portfolio that has less volatility than the United States equity market generally. The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of such issuers including price-to-book value ratios and price-to-earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer’s operating and financial fundamentals such as return on equity, earnings growth and cash flow. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund based on a continuous study of trends in industries and companies, earnings power and growth and other investment criteria.

 

The Fund intends, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. Under normal circumstances, the Adviser expects that the Fund’s long positions will not exceed approximately 125% of the Fund’s net assets.

 

The Fund’s long and short positions may involve (without limit) equity securities of foreign issuers that are traded in the markets of the United States. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its total assets directly in equity securities of foreign issuers.

 

To meet margin requirements, redemptions or pending investments, the Fund may also temporarily hold a portion of its assets in full faith and credit obligations of the United States government and in short-term notes, commercial paper or other money market instruments.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public.

 

The Fund may invest from time to time a significant portion of its assets in smaller issuers which are more volatile and less liquid than investments in issuers with larger market capitalizations.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

In general, the Fund’s investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing a maximum of 25% of its total assets in any one industry.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, used by corporations and other business organizations. High yield debt obligations are referred to as “junk bonds” and are not considered to be investment grade.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

16 

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices.

 

High Yield Debt Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value. Such high yield debt obligations are referred to as “junk bonds” and are not considered to be investment grade.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

17 

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the Adviser may not be successful in its strategy of taking long positions in stocks the manager believes to be undervalued and short positions in stocks the manager believes to be overvalued. Further, since the Adviser will manage both a long and a short portfolio, there is the risk that the Adviser may make more poor investment decisions than an adviser of a typical stock mutual fund with only a long portfolio may make.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the long portfolio of the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. If the Fund frequently trades its portfolio securities, the Fund will incur higher brokerage commissions and transaction costs, which could lower the Fund’s performance. In addition to lower performance, high portfolio turnover could result in taxable capital gains. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. The annual portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is not expected to exceed 400%; however, it may be higher if the Adviser believes it will improve the Fund’s performance.

 

Segregated Account Risk. A security held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position it is covering is outstanding, unless it is replaced with a similar security. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

Short Sales Risk. Short sales of securities may result in gains if a security’s price declines, but may result in losses if a security’s price rises.

 

Small-Cap Companies Risk. The small capitalization equity securities in which the Fund may invest may be traded only in the over-the-counter market or on a regional securities exchange, may be listed only in the quotation service commonly known as the “pink sheets,” and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. These securities may also be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. The trading market for any given small capitalization equity security may be sufficiently small as to make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a substantial block of such securities. The sale by the Fund of portfolio securities to meet redemptions may require the Fund to sell its small capitalization securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Adviser’s judgment, such sale is not desirable. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for these securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Unseasoned Issuers Risk. Unseasoned issuers may not have an established financial history and may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Unseasoned issuers may depend on a few key personnel for management and may be susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy. As a result, such securities may be more volatile and difficult to sell.

 

18 

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund’s Institutional Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 13.47% (quarter ended December 31, 2010)
Worst Quarter: -9.97% (quarter ended June 30, 2010)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Institutional Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods. Although the Fund compares its average total return to a broad-based securities market index, the Fund seeks returns that are not correlated to securities market returns. The Fund seeks to achieve a 12-15% return over a full market cycle; however, there can be no guarantee that such returns will be achieved.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund      
Returns Before Taxes 9.12% 2.80% 6.93%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions(1) 6.69% 1.50% 5.21%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 7.10% 2.10% 5.28%
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 31.49% 11.70% 13.56%

 

(1)  After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return after Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period, since a higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.

 

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Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place 

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550 

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers

Robert T. Jones, Portfolio Manager since 1995.

Patrick Regan, Portfolio Manager since 2018.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment: $100,000
Minimum Additional Investment: $5,000

 

Effective March 18, 2019, Institutional Class shares of the Fund are available for purchase by new investors. The Adviser has discretion to close the Fund in the future should the assets of the Fund increase by more than 5% from the date of the reopening of the Fund.

 

You can purchase and redeem Institutional Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

Purchase and Redemption By Wire:
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s
transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

20 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS LONG/SHORT RESEARCH FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term total return.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Institutional Class shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

  Institutional Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 1.25%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.13%
Short Sales Expenses:  
Dividend expense on short sales 0.77%
Interest expense on borrowings 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(1) 

2.15%

 

(1)  The Fund’s investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to forgo all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (other than short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) exceeds 1.50% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Institutional Class shares. Because short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes are excluded from the expense limitation, Total annual Fund operating expenses (after fee waivers and expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed 1.50%. This contractual limitation is in effect until at least February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without Board approval. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.50% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Institutional Class $2,181 $6,730 $11,543 $24,827

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 60% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

21 

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund uses a hedged strategy. The Fund actively invests in long positions in stocks identified by the Adviser as undervalued and takes short positions in stocks that the Adviser has identified as overvalued. The cash proceeds from short sales (i.e. sales of securities the Fund does not own) are invested in short-term cash instruments to produce a return on such proceeds just below the federal funds rate. Short sales are considered speculative transactions and a form of leverage.

 

The Fund invests, both long and short, in equity securities issued by large-, mid- and small (or “micro”) cap companies, as well as other instruments that are convertible into equity securities. Selling securities short is a form of leverage. Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, rights, convertible securities, depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), and equity participations. An equity participation is a type of loan that gives the lender a portion of equity ownership in a property, in addition to principal and interest payments. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. The Fund may invest in securities of companies operating for three years or less (“unseasoned issuers”). The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts and equity securities of foreign companies (denominated in either U.S. dollars or foreign currencies), put and call options, futures, indexed securities and fixed-income securities (including bonds, notes, asset-backed securities, convertible securities, Eurodollar and Yankee dollar instruments, preferred stocks and money market instruments) and high yield securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”). Fixed income securities in which the Fund invests include those rated between AAA and D by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or deemed of comparable quality by the Adviser. The Adviser may also temporarily invest uninvested cash in money market funds and similar collective investment vehicles. The Fund may also seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities.

 

The Adviser determines the size of each long or short position by analyzing the tradeoff between the attractiveness of each position and its impact on the risk of the overall portfolio. The Fund seeks to construct a portfolio that has less volatility than the U.S. equity market by investing less than 100% of its assets in net long positions. Selection of individual securities to be held long or sold short will be based on a mix of quantitative techniques and fundamental security analysis. The Adviser selects stocks on the basis of three criteria: value, fundamental business strength and momentum. The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of such issuers including price-to-book value ratios and price-to-earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer’s operating and financial fundamentals such as return on equity, earnings growth and cash flow. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund based on a continuous study of trends in industries and companies, earnings power and growth and other investment criteria.

 

Although the Fund seeks to follow a hedged strategy, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s portfolio or investments will be insulated from market moves or effectively hedged against risk.

 

In general, the Fund’s investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing less than 25% of its total assets in any one industry, except that the Fund may invest in exchange traded funds to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), and applicable SEC orders.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

22 

 

The principal derivative instruments in which the Fund invests are futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies, options on these futures, forward foreign currency contracts and interest rate or currency swaps. The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Currency Risk. Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments, which include futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies, options on these futures, forward foreign currency contracts and interest rate or currency swaps, may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. Exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

23 

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and financial practices.

 

High Yield Debt Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations (of any rating, including defaulted securities and unrated securities), including bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and business organizations. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value. Such high yield debt obligations are referred to as “junk bonds” and are not considered to be investment grade.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

Indexed Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in indexed securities whose value is linked to securities indices. Most such securities have values that rise and fall according to the change in one or more specified indices and may have characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying securities. Depending on the index, such securities may have greater volatility than the market as a whole.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. The Adviser may be incorrect in the stocks it buys and believes to be undervalued and in stocks it sells short and believes to be overvalued. Further, since the Adviser will manage both a long and a short portfolio, there is the risk that the Adviser may make more poor investment decisions than an adviser of a typical stock mutual fund with only a long portfolio.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the long portfolio of the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the price of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. If the Fund frequently trades its portfolio securities, the Fund will incur higher brokerage commissions and transaction costs, which could lower the Fund’s performance. In addition to lower performance, high portfolio turnover could result in taxable capital gains. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. The annual portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is not expected to exceed 300%; however, it may be higher if the Adviser believes it will improve the Fund’s performance.

 

REITs Risk. REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to (i) qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable tax law or (ii) maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.

 

24 

 

Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker-dealers. The Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

Short Sales Risk. Short sales of securities may result in gains if a security’s price declines, but may result in losses if a security’s price rises. In a rising market, short positions may be more likely to result in losses because securities sold short may be more likely to increase in value. Short selling also involves the risks of: increased leverage, and its accompanying potential for losses; the potential inability to reacquire a security in a timely manner, or at an acceptable price; the possibility of the lender terminating the loan at any time, forcing the Fund to close the transaction under unfavorable circumstances; the additional costs that may be incurred; and the potential loss of investment flexibility caused by the Fund’s obligations to provide collateral to the lender and set aside assets to cover the open position. Short sales “against the box” may protect the Fund against the risk of losses in the value of a portfolio security because any decline in value of the security should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. Any potential gains in the security, however, would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. Short sales that are not “against the box” involve a form of investment leverage, and the amount of the Fund’s loss on a short sale is potentially unlimited.

 

Small-Cap Companies Risk. The small capitalization equity securities in which the Fund may invest may be traded only in the over-the-counter market or on a regional securities exchange, may be listed only in the quotation service commonly known as the “pink sheets,” and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. These securities may also be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. The trading market for any given small capitalization equity security may be sufficiently small as to make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a substantial block of such securities. The sale by the Fund of portfolio securities to meet redemptions may require the Fund to sell its small capitalization securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Adviser’s judgment, such sale is not desirable. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for these securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Unseasoned Issuers Risk. Unseasoned issuers may not have an established financial history and may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Unseasoned issuers may depend on a few key personnel for management and may be susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy. As a result, such securities may be more volatile and difficult to sell.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund’s Institutional Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

25 

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

  

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 8.37% (quarter ended December 31, 2011)
Worst Quarter: -9.89% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Institutional Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and since inception periods to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years Since
Inception
(September 30, 2010)
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund      
Returns Before Taxes 12.58% 3.11% 6.83%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions(1) 11.97% 2.57% 6.45%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 7.87% 2.37% 5.48%
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 31.49% 11.70% 14.26%

 

(1)  After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

26 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser 

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place 

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550 

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners, Portfolio Manager since inception of the Fund.
Eric Connerly, Director of Research-Quantitative, Portfolio Manager since inception of the Fund.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 

Minimum Initial Investment: $100,000
Minimum Additional Investment: $5,000

 

You can purchase and redeem Institutional Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
  Purchase and Redemption By Wire:
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

27 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — WPG PARTNERS SMALL/MICRO CAP VALUE FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks capital appreciation by investing primarily in common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks and in special situations.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Institutional Class shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

  Institutional Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 0.80%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.43%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 1.23%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(1)  -0.13%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.10%

 

(1)  The Fund’s investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) for the Fund’s Institutional Class shares exceeds 1.10% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Institutional Class shares. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total annual Fund operating expenses to exceed 1.10%: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time, the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.10% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Institutional Class $1,121 $3,775 $6,632 $14,772

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 79% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

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Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

Currently, the Fund pursues its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. companies that, at the time of purchase, have a market capitalization that is within the range of the market capitalization of issuers in the Russell 2000® Value Index. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index is $666 million and the largest stock is $6.7 billion. The Fund may invest in depositary receipts and equity securities of foreign companies. Although the Fund invests primarily in common stocks, the Fund may invest in all types of equity and equity-related securities, including (without limitation):

 

Securities convertible into common stocks.

 

Shares of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

 

Warrants and rights to purchase common stocks.

 

Preferred stocks.

 

Exchange-traded limited partnerships.

 

Special Situations: The Fund may invest in companies that may experience unusual and possibly unique developments which may create a special opportunity for significant returns. Special situations include: significant technological improvements or important discoveries; reorganizations, recapitalizations or mergers; favorable resolutions of litigation; new management or material changes in company policies; and actual or potential changes in control of a company.

 

Strategies: The Adviser uses a value approach to select the Fund’s investments. Using this investment style, the Adviser seeks securities selling at substantial discounts to their underlying values and then holds these securities until the market values reflect what the Adviser believes to be their intrinsic values. The Adviser employs a bottom-up strategy, focusing on undervalued industries that the Adviser believes are experiencing positive change. The Adviser then uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to assess a security’s potential value. The portfolio managers managing the Fund meet with a multitude of companies annually to identify companies with increasing returns on capital in their core businesses which are selling at attractive valuations.

 

Factors the Adviser looks for in selecting investments include (without limitation):

 

Increasing returns on invested capital.

 

Companies who have demonstrated an ability to generate high return on invested capital (ROIC).

 

Companies which provide solid cash flows with appropriate capital.

 

Potential catalysts such as new products, cyclical upturns and changes in management.

 

Low market valuations relative to earnings forecast, book value, cash flow and sales.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

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Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the price of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Micro-Cap Companies Risk. Micro-cap stocks may be very sensitive to changing economic conditions and market downturns because the issuers often have narrow markets for their products or services, fewer product lines, and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger issuers. The stocks of micro-cap companies may therefore be more volatile and the ability to sell them at a desirable time or price may be more limited.

 

REITs Risk. REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to (i) qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable tax law or (ii) maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.

 

30 

 

Rights and Warrants Risk. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

Small-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of smaller companies may be subject to more abrupt, erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Small companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent on a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.

 

Special Situations Risk. The Fund will seek to benefit from “special situations,” such as mergers, reorganizations, or other unusual events expected to affect a particular issuer. There is a risk that the “special situation” might not occur or involve longer time frames than originally expected, which could have a negative impact on the price of the issuer’s securities and fail to produce gains or produce a loss for the Fund.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund’s Institutional Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

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Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 15.93% (quarter ended March 31, 2012)
Worst Quarter: -25.00% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Institutional Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund      
Return Before Taxes 23.35% 1.03% 6.99%
Return After Taxes on Distributions(1) 23.14% -0.14% 5.69%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares 13.83% 0.42% 5.30%
Russell 2000® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 22.39% 6.99% 10.56%

 

(1)  After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In certain cases, the figure representing “Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period since a higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.

 

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Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser 

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place 

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550 

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers 

Richard Shuster, Senior Portfolio Manager since 1999.
Gregory Weiss, Portfolio Manager since 1999.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment: $100,000
Minimum Additional Investment: $5,000

 

You can purchase and redeem Institutional Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:
WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

  Purchase and Redemption By Wire:
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

33 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS GLOBAL EQUITY FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital growth.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Institutional Class shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

  Institutional Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 0.90%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.13%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(1) 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 1.04%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(2) -0.09%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 0.95%

 

(1) Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(2) The Fund's investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) for the Fund's Institutional Class shares exceeds 0.95% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund's Institutional Class shares. In determining the Adviser's obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total annual Fund operating expenses to exceed 0.95%: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund's Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 0.95% or the expense cap then in effect, or whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

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Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Institutional Class $969 $3,220 $5,653 $12,629

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 97% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in a non-diversified portfolio of equity and equity-related securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies of any capitalization size. The Fund may invest in all types of equity and equity- related securities, including without limitation exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, options, rights, convertible securities, sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, participatory notes, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies (including exchanged-traded funds ("ETFs")), real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and equity participations. An equity participation is a type of loan that gives the lender a portion of equity ownership in a property, in addition to principal and interest payments. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula.

 

The Fund defines non-U.S. companies as companies (i) that are organized under the laws of a foreign country; (ii) whose principal trading market is in a foreign country; or (iii) that have a majority of their assets, or that derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from businesses, investments or sales, outside of the United States. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests significantly (ordinarily at least 40% — unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Adviser, in which case the Fund would invest at least 30%) in non-U.S. companies. The Fund principally will be invested in issuers located in countries with developed securities markets, but may also invest in issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund will allocate its assets among various regions and countries, including the United States (but in no less than three different countries).

 

The Fund generally invests in the equity securities of issuers believed by the Adviser to be undervalued in the marketplace, focusing on issuers that combine attractive valuations with catalysts for change. The Adviser applies a bottom-up stock selection process (i.e., one that focuses primarily on issuer-specific factors) in managing the Fund, using a combination of fundamental and quantitative analysis. In selecting investments for the Fund, the Adviser considers various factors such as price-to-book value, price-to-sales and earnings ratios, dividend yields, strength of management, and cash flow to identify securities that are trading at a price that appears to be lower than the issuer's inherent value.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

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The Fund may (but is not required to) invest in derivatives, including put and call options, futures, forward contracts and swaps, in lieu of investing directly in a security, currency or instrument, for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities ("IPO"). An IPO is a company's first offering of stock to the public. The Fund may also seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund's assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund's principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.  Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

Currency Risk. Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund's investments in derivative instruments, which include futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies, options on these futures, forward foreign currency contracts and interest rate or currency swaps, may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in securities of issuers in developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers.

 

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Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. Exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund's own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the "ask" price quoted by a seller and the "bid" price offered by a buyer.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers either directly or depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Participatory notes ("P-notes") are derivative instruments used by investors to take positions in certain foreign securities. P-notes present similar risks to investing directly in such securities and also expose investors to counterparty risk.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund's ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund's asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund's performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund's assets grow, the effect of the Fund's investments in IPOs on the Fund's performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund's performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund's portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

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Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund's portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value ("NAV") of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Micro-Cap Companies Risk. Micro-cap stocks may be very sensitive to changing economic conditions and market downturns because the issuers often have narrow markets for their products or services, fewer product lines, and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger issuers. The stocks of micro-cap companies may therefore be more volatile and the ability to sell them at a desirable time or price may be more limited.

 

Mid-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of mid-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to other funds, the Fund may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of companies. Gains or losses on a single stock may have greater impact on the Fund.

 

Options Risk. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a "call") or sell (a "put") an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may "cover" a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations.

 

REITs Risk. REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to (i) qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable tax law or (ii) maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.

 

Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker- dealers. The Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

Small-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of smaller companies may be subject to more abrupt, erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Small companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent on a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.

 

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Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund's Institutional Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund's performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 11.70% (quarter ended March 31, 2012)
Worst Quarter: -14.86% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund's Institutional Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and since inception periods to the average annual total returns of broad-based securities market indices for the same periods.

 

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  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years Since
Inception
(December 30,
2011)
Boston Partners Global Equity Fund      
Return Before Taxes 18.77% 6.31% 10.15%
Return After Taxes on Distributions(1) 18.37% 5.60% 9.37%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares 11.39% 4.85% 8.10%
MSCI World Index - Net Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2) 27.67% 8.74% 11.21%
MSCI World Index - Gross Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2) 28.40% 9.36% 11.85%

 

(1) After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

(2) Effective August 31, 2019, the Fund changed its primary index from the MSCI World Index - Gross Return to the MSCI World Index - Net Return. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers

Christopher K. Hart, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception.
Joshua Jones, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2013.
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners, Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception and oversees both the team and the strategy.

Joshua White, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2018.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment: $100,000
Minimum Additional Investment: $5,000

 

You can purchase and redeem Institutional Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, "Service Organizations"). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:  
Boston Partners Global Equity Fund  
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services  
P.O. Box 701  
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:  
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund's transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

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Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund versus another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

 

 41

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS GLOBAL LONG/SHORT FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Institutional Class shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

  Institutional Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 1.50%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.14%
Short Sales Expenses:  
Dividend expense on short sales 0.83%
Interest expense on borrowings 0.00%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(1) 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(2) 2.48%

 

(1) Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(2) The Fund's investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (other than short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for the Fund's Institutional Class shares exceeds 2.00% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund's Institutional Class shares. Because dividend expenses on short sales, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes are excluded from the expense limitation, Total annual Fund operating expenses (after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed 2.00%. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund's Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 2.00% or the expense cap then in effect, or whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

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Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and Fund operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns might be different, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Institutional Class $2,511 $7,725 $13,205 $28,160

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 99% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund invests in long positions in stocks identified by the Adviser as undervalued and takes short positions in stocks that the Adviser has identified as overvalued. The cash proceeds from short sales will be invested in short-term cash instruments to produce a return on such proceeds just below the federal funds rate. Short sales are considered speculative transactions and a form of leverage. The Fund invests, both long and short, in securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies of any capitalization size.

 

With a long position, the Fund purchases a stock outright; with a short position, the Fund sells a security that it does not own and must borrow to meet its settlement obligations. The Fund may invest in securities of companies operating for three years or less ("unseasoned issuers"). The Adviser will determine the size of each long or short position by analyzing the tradeoff between the attractiveness of each position and its impact on the risk of the overall portfolio. The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of such issuers including price-to-book value ratios and price-to-earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer's operating and financial fundamentals, including return on equity, earnings growth and cash flow. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund based on a continuous study of trends in industries and companies, earnings power and growth and other investment criteria.

 

The Fund may invest in all types of equity and equity-related securities, including without limitation exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, options, rights, convertible securities, sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies (including exchanged-traded funds ("ETFs")), real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and equity participations. An equity participation is a type of loan that gives the lender a portion of equity ownership in a property, in addition to principal and interest payments. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula.

 

The Fund defines non-U.S. companies as companies (i) that are organized under the laws of a foreign country; (ii) whose principal trading market is in a foreign country; or (iii) that have a majority of their assets, or that derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from businesses, investments or sales, outside of the United States. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests significantly (ordinarily at least 40% — unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Adviser, in which case the Fund would invest at least 30%) in non-U.S. companies. The Fund principally will be invested in issuers located in countries with developed securities markets, but may also invest in issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund will allocate its assets among various regions and countries, including the United States (but in no less than three different countries).

 

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The Fund's portfolio is rebalanced regularly. The Adviser assesses each investment's changing characteristics relative to its contribution to portfolio risk. The Adviser will sell an investment held long or close out a short position that the Adviser believes no longer offers an appropriate return-to-risk tradeoff.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Adviser expects to sell securities short so that the Fund's portfolio is approximately 50% net long with an average of between 30% and 70% net long.

 

To meet margin requirements, redemptions or pending investments, the Fund may also temporarily hold a portion of its assets in full faith and credit obligations of the United States government and in short-term notes, commercial paper or other money market instruments.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities ("IPO"). An IPO is a company's first offering of stock to the public.

 

The Fund may invest from time to time a significant portion of its assets in smaller issuers which are more volatile and less liquid than investments in issuers with larger market capitalizations.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

In general, the Fund's investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing a maximum of 25% of its total assets in any one industry. The Fund is non-diversified, and may invest in fewer securities at any one time than a diversified fund.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, used by U.S. and foreign corporations and other business organizations (e.g. trusts or limited liability companies). Such high yield debt obligations are not considered to be investment grade. Non-investment grade fixed income securities (commonly known as "junk bonds") are rated BB or lower by S&P Global, or have a comparable rating by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (or, if unrated are determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of investment). The Fund may invest in securities of the lowest rating category, including securities in default. The Adviser may, but is not required to, sell a bond or note held by the Fund in the event that its credit rating is downgraded.

 

The Fund may (but is not required to) invest in derivatives, including put and call options, futures, forward contracts and swaps, in lieu of investing directly in a security, currency or instrument, for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund's assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund's principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.  Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

 44

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

Currency Risk. Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund's investments in derivative instruments, which include futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies, options on these futures, forward foreign currency contracts and interest rate or currency swaps, may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in securities of issuers in developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. Exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund's own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the "ask" price quoted by a seller and the "bid" price offered by a buyer.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

 45

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers either directly or through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Participatory notes ("P-notes") are derivative instruments used by investors to take positions in certain foreign securities. P-notes present similar risks to investing directly in such securities and also expose investors to counterparty risk.

 

High Yield Debt Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value. Such high yield debt obligations are referred to as "junk bonds" and are not considered to be investment grade.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund's ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund's asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund's performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund's assets grow, the effect of the Fund's investments in IPOs on the Fund's performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund's performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund's portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the Adviser may not be successful in its strategy of taking long positions in stocks the manager believes to be undervalued and short positions in stocks the manager believes to be overvalued. Further, since the Adviser will manage both a long and a short portfolio, there is the risk that the Adviser may make more poor investment decisions than an adviser of a typical stock mutual fund with only a long portfolio may make.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value ("NAV") of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the long portfolio of the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

 46

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to other funds, the Fund may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of companies. Gains or losses on a single stock may have greater impact on the Fund.

 

Options Risk. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a "call") or sell (a "put") an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may "cover" a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations. Losses incurred by the Fund in writing options can be potentially unlimited.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. If the Fund frequently trades its portfolio securities, the Fund will incur higher brokerage commissions and transaction costs, which could lower the Fund's performance. In addition to lower performance, high portfolio turnover could result in taxable capital gains. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. The annual portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is not expected to exceed 400%; however, it may be higher if the Adviser believes it will improve the Fund's performance.

 

REITs Risk. REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to (i) qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable tax law or (ii) maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.

 

Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker-dealers. The Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

Segregated Account Risk. A security held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position it is covering is outstanding, unless it is replaced with a similar security. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund's assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund's ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

Short Sales Risk. Short sales of securities may result in gains if a security's price declines, but may result in losses if a security's price rises. In a rising market, short positions may be more likely to result in losses because securities sold short may be more likely to increase in value. Short selling also involves the risks of: increased leverage, and its accompanying potential for losses; the potential inability to reacquire a security in a timely manner, or at an acceptable price; the possibility of the lender terminating the loan at any time, forcing the Fund to close the transaction under unfavorable circumstances; the additional costs that may be incurred; and the potential loss of investment flexibility caused by the Fund's obligations to provide collateral to the lender and set aside assets to cover the open position. Short sales "against the box" may protect the Fund against the risk of losses in the value of a portfolio security because any decline in value of the security should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. Any potential gains in the security, however, would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. Short sales that are not "against the box" involve a form of investment leverage, and the amount of the Fund's loss on a short sale is potentially unlimited. The use of short sales may cause the Fund to have higher expenses than those of other equity mutual funds because of higher transaction costs, premiums, interest or dividends payable to the lender.

 

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Small-Cap Companies Risk. The small capitalization equity securities in which the Fund may invest may be traded only in the over-the-counter market or on a regional securities exchange, may be listed only in the quotation service commonly known as the "pink sheets," and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. These securities may also be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. The trading market for any given small capitalization equity security may be sufficiently small as to make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a substantial block of such securities. The sale by the Fund of portfolio securities to meet redemptions may require the Fund to sell its small capitalization securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Adviser's judgment, such sale is not desirable. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for these securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Unseasoned Issuers Risk. Unseasoned issuers may not have an established financial history and may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Unseasoned issuers may depend on a few key personnel for management and may be susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy. As a result, such securities may be more volatile and difficult to sell.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund's Institutional Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund's performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 4.10% (quarter ended June 30, 2015)
Worst Quarter: -7.66% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

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Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund's Institutional Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and since inception periods to the average annual total returns of broad-based securities market indices for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended
December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years Since
Inception
(December 31,
2013)
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund      
Returns Before Taxes 4.59% 2.18% 2.05%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions(1) 4.27% 1.99% 1.89%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 2.95% 1.67% 1.58%
MSCI® World Index - Net Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2) 27.67% 8.74% 8.10%
MSCI® World Index - Gross Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2) 28.40% 9.36% 8.70%

 

(1) After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

(2) Effective August 31, 2019, the Fund changed its primary index from the MSCI World Index - Gross Return to the MSCI World Index - Net Return. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers

Christopher K. Hart, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception.
Joshua Jones, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2013.
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners, Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception and oversees both the team and the strategy.

Joshua White, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2018.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment: $100,000
Minimum Additional Investment: $5,000

 

You can purchase and redeem Institutional Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, "Service Organizations"). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

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Purchase and Redemption By Mail:  
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund  
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services  
P.O. Box 701  
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:  
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund's transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

 

 50

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS EMERGING MARKETS LONG/SHORT FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Institutional Class shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

  Institutional Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees (1) 1.50%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 0.59%
Short Sale Expenses:  
Dividend expense on short sales 0.00%
Interest expense on borrowings 0.00%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(2) 0.06%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 2.15%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(3) -0.65%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.50%

 

(1) Prior to October 1, 2019, the management fee was 1.85%.

 

(2) Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(3) The Fund's investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (other than short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for the Fund’s Institutional Class shares exceeds 1.50% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Institutional Class shares. Because short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes are excluded from the expense limitation, Total annual Fund operating expenses (after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed 1.50%. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2022 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.50% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

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  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Institutional Class $1,526 $6,104 $10,947 $24,315

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 186% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund will pursue its objective through investing in a non-diversified, multi-strategy long-short portfolio of equity securities and financial investments with equity like characteristics designed to provide exposure to emerging markets. Securities are selected by the Adviser using its "three circles" approach which combines a quantitative screening with a fundamental bottom up selection process. This investment strategy is grounded in the following principles: (1) low valuation stocks outperform high valuation stocks; (2) companies with strong fundamentals, e.g. high and sustainable returns on invested capital, outperform companies with weak fundamentals; and (3) stocks with positive business momentum, e.g. rising earnings estimates, outperform stocks with negative business momentum. With a long position, the Fund purchases a stock outright; with a short position, the Fund sells a security that it does not own and must borrow to meet its settlement obligations. The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of issuers, including price-to-book value ratios and price-to-earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer’s operating and financial fundamentals, such as return-on-equity and earnings growth and cash flow.

 

The Fund intends, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in the securities of emerging market issuers, related derivative instruments and other investments that are tied economically to emerging market countries. The Adviser considers an emerging market country to include any country that is: 1) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community, including the World Bank; 2) classified by the United Nations as a developing country; or 3) included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Due to the unique relationship between China and its separately administered regions, the Adviser includes Hong Kong and Macau as emerging markets, independent of above definitions 1 through 3. The Adviser determines that an investment is tied economically to an emerging market if such investment satisfies one or more of the following conditions: 1) the issuer’s primary trading market is in an emerging market; 2) the issuer is organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenue from, or has at least 50% of its assets in emerging markets; 3) the investment is included in an index representative of emerging markets; and 4) the investment is exposed to the economic risks and returns of emerging markets.

 

In managing the Fund’s portfolio, the Adviser will seek to identify mispriced publicly traded equity securities of emerging market companies including shorting securities that the Adviser believes will underperform and purchasing securities that the Adviser believes will outperform.

 

The long portion of the portfolio will emphasize low valuation, positive business momentum and high quality securities. The short portfolio will emphasize securities with high valuation risk, high balance sheet risk and signs of slowing sales and earnings momentum.

 

The Fund’s portfolio is rebalanced regularly to maintain the optimal risk/return trade-off. The Adviser assesses each stock’s changing characteristics relative to its contribution to portfolio risk. The Adviser will sell a stock held long or close out a short position in a stock that the Adviser believes no longer offers an appropriate return-to-risk tradeoff.

 

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The equity securities in which the Fund will invest include equity securities issued by large-, mid- and small- or micro-cap companies, as well as exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, options, rights, convertible securities, sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies (including exchanged-traded funds ("ETFs")), real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and equity participations. An equity participation is a type of loan that gives the lender a portion of equity ownership in a property, in addition to principal and interest payments. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. The Fund may invest in securities of companies operating for three years or less ("unseasoned issuers").

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, used by corporations and other business organizations (e.g. trusts or limited liability companies). Such high yield debt obligations are not considered to be investment grade. Non-investment grade fixed income securities (commonly known as "junk bonds") are rated BB or lower by S&P Global, or have a comparable rating by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (or, if unrated are determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of investment). The Fund may invest in securities of the lowest rating category, including securities in default. The Adviser may, but is not required to, sell a bond or note held by the Fund in the event that its credit rating is downgraded. The Fund will primarily invest in fixed income instruments, including high yield fixed income obligations, when the Fund believes that such instruments offer a better risk/reward profile than comparable equity opportunities.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Adviser expects that the Fund’s long positions will not exceed approximately 50% of the Fund’s net assets with a typical range of 30% to 70% net long.

 

The Fund’s long and short positions may involve (without limit) equity securities of non-U.S. issuers that are traded in the markets of the United States.

 

In addition to the short sales discussed above, the Fund may make short sales "against the box," a transaction in which the Fund enters into a short sale of a security which the Fund owns. The proceeds of the short sale will be held by a broker until the settlement date at which time the Fund delivers the security to close the short position. The Fund receives the net proceeds from the short sale. It is currently expected that the majority of the Fund’s short sales will not be against the box.

 

To meet margin requirements, redemptions or pending investments, the Fund may also temporarily hold a portion of its assets in full faith and credit obligations of the United States government and in short-term notes, commercial paper or other money market instruments.

 

The Fund is the sole shareholder of Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Offshore Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Subsidiary”). Generally, the Subsidiary invests primarily in futures contracts traded on Indian stock exchanges. The Fund and its Subsidiary comply with the same fundamental investment restrictions on an aggregate basis, to the extent those restrictions are applicable to the investment activities of the Subsidiary. The Fund is the sole shareholder of its Subsidiary and does not expect shares of its Subsidiary to be offered or sold to other investors. An election has been made to cause the Subsidiary to be a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes; accordingly, the assets and income of the Subsidiary will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes no differently from the other assets and income of the Fund.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

In general, the Fund’s investments will be spread over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing less than 25% of its total assets in any one industry, except that the Fund may invest in exchange traded funds to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), and applicable SEC orders.

 

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The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPOs”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The Fund may also seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities.

 

The Fund will invest in derivatives, including put and call options, futures, contracts for differences, forward contracts and swaps, in lieu of investing directly in a security, currency or instrument, for hedging and non-hedging purposes. Contracts for differences offer exposure to price changes in an underlying security without ownership of such security, typically by providing investors the ability to trade on margin. The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund's principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.  Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

Currency Risk. Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments, which include futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies, options on these futures, contracts for differences, forward foreign currency contracts and interest rate or currency swaps, may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

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Emerging Markets Risk. Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in securities of issuers in developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. Exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund's own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the "ask" price quoted by a seller and the "bid" price offered by a buyer.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices.

 

High Yield Debt Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value. Such high yield debt obligations are referred to as "junk bonds" and are not considered to be investment grade.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund's ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

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Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. The Adviser may not be successful in its strategy of taking long positions in securities the Adviser believes to be undervalued and short positions in securities the Adviser believes to be overvalued. Further, since the Adviser will manage both a long and a short portfolio, there is the risk that the Adviser may make more poor investment decisions than an adviser of a typical stock mutual fund with only a long portfolio may make. Investments the Fund makes may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices may not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value ("NAV") of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the long portfolio of the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Micro-Cap Companies Risk. Micro-cap stocks may be very sensitive to changing economic conditions and market downturns because the issuers often have narrow markets for their products or services, fewer product lines, and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger issuers. The stocks of micro-cap companies may therefore be more volatile and the ability to sell them at a desirable time or price may be more limited.

 

Mid-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of mid-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to other funds, the Fund may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of companies. Gains or losses on a single stock may have greater impact on the Fund.

 

Options Risk. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a "call") or sell (a "put") an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may "cover" a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations. Losses incurred by the Fund in writing options can be potentially unlimited.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. If the Fund frequently trades its portfolio securities, the Fund will incur higher brokerage commissions and transaction costs, which could lower the Fund’s performance. In addition to lower performance, high portfolio turnover could result in taxable capital gains. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. The annual portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is not expected to exceed 400%; however, it may be higher if the Adviser believes it will improve the Fund’s performance.

 

REITs Risk. REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to (i) qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable tax law or (ii) maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.

 

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Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker-dealers. The Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

Segregated Account Risk. A security held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position it is covering is outstanding, unless it is replaced with a similar security. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

Short Sales Risk. Short sales of securities may result in gains if a security’s price declines, but may result in losses if a security’s price rises. In a rising market, short positions may be more likely to result in losses because securities sold short may be more likely to increase in value. Short selling is speculative and also involves the risks of: increased leverage, and its accompanying potential for losses; the potential inability to reacquire a security in a timely manner, or at an acceptable price; the possibility of the lender terminating the loan at any time, forcing the Fund to close the transaction under unfavorable circumstances; the additional costs that may be incurred; and the potential loss of investment flexibility caused by the Fund’s obligations to provide collateral to the lender and set aside assets to cover the open position. Short sales "against the box" may protect the Fund against the risk of losses in the value of a portfolio security because any decline in the value of the security should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. Any potential gains in the security, however, would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. Short sales that are not "against the box" involve a form of investment leverage, and the amount of the Fund’s loss on a short sale is potentially unlimited. The use of short sales may cause the Fund to have higher expenses than those of other equity mutual funds because of higher transaction costs, premiums, interest or dividends payable to the lender.

 

Small-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of smaller companies may be subject to more abrupt, erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Small companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent on a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.

 

Subsidiary Risks. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The derivatives and other investments held by the Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to continue to operate as it does currently and could adversely affect the Fund.

 

Unseasoned Issuers Risk. Unseasoned issuers may not have an established financial history and may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Unseasoned issuers may depend on a few key personnel for management and may be susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy. As a result, such securities may be more volatile and difficult to sell.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Fund. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

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The Fund commenced operations as a series of The RBB Fund, Inc. on December 15, 2015, when substantially all of the assets of Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Equity (the “Prior Account”) transferred to the Fund. The Fund is managed in all material respects in a manner equivalent to the management of the Prior Account. Accordingly, the performance information shown below for periods prior to December 15, 2015 is that of the Prior Account. The Fund’s objectives, policies, guidelines and restrictions are in all material respects equivalent to the Prior Account. The Fund is managed by Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. and Paul Korngiebel, the same Prior Account portfolio managers that managed the Prior Account since its inception in 2015. The Prior Account was not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), and thus was not subject to certain investment and operational restrictions that are imposed by the 1940 Act. If the Prior Account had been registered under the 1940 Act, its performance may have been adversely affected. Accordingly, future Fund performance may be different than the Prior Account’s restated past performance. The Prior Account’s performance has been restated to reflect estimated expenses of the Fund. After-tax performance returns are not included for the Prior Account. The Prior Account was not a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and therefore did not distribute current or accumulated earnings and profits and was not subject to the diversification and source of income requirements applicable to regulated investment companies.

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 9.42% (quarter ended March 31, 2017)
Worst Quarter: -8.82% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

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Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund's Institutional Class, including the Prior Account, both before and after taxes for the past calendar year and since inception periods to the average annual total returns of broad-based securities market indices for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended
December 31, 2019
  1 Year Since
Inception
(March 1,
2015)
(1)
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund    
Returns Before Taxes 17.46% 4.25%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions(2) 16.74% 2.83%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 10.60% 2.69%
MSCI® Emerging Markets Index - Net Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (3) 18.42% 5.01%
MSCI® Emerging Markets Index - Gross Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (3) 18.88% 5.41%

 

(1) The “Since Inception” performance includes performance from the Prior Account beginning on March 1, 2015 until the Fund’s commencement of operations on December 15, 2015.

 

(2) After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

(3) Effective August 31, 2019, the Fund changed its primary index from the MSCI Emerging Markets Index - Gross Return to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index - Net Return. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners, Portfolio Manager since inception.
Paul Korngiebel, CFA, Global Generalist, Portfolio Manager since inception.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment: $100,000
Minimum Additional Investment: $5,000

 

You can purchase and redeem Institutional Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, "Service Organizations"). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

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Purchase and Redemption By Mail:  
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services  
P.O. Box 701  
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:  
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund Shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS EMERGING MARKETS FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Institutional Class shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

  Institutional Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 0.85%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees None
Other expenses 2.04%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(1) 0.04%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 2.93%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(2) -1.83%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.10%

 

(1) Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(2) The Fund's investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (other than short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for the Fund’s Institutional Class shares exceeds 1.10% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Institutional Class shares. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total annual Fund operating expenses to exceed 1.10%: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.10% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

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  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Institutional Class $1,121 $7,337 $13,812 $31,210

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 155% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund will pursue its objective through a value oriented, research-driven strategy of investing in equity securities and financial instruments with equity like characteristics designed to provide exposure to emerging markets. Securities are selected by the Adviser using its "three circles" approach which combines a quantitative screening with a fundamental bottom up selection process. This investment strategy is grounded in the following principles: (1) low valuation stocks outperform high valuation stocks; (2) companies with strong fundamentals, e.g. high and sustainable returns on invested capital, outperform companies with weak fundamentals; and (3) stocks with positive business momentum, e.g. rising earnings estimates, outperform stocks with negative business momentum. The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of issuers, including price-to-book value ratios and price-to-earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer’s operating and financial fundamentals, such as return-on-equity and earnings growth and cash flow.

 

The Fund intends, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in the securities of emerging market issuers, related derivative instruments and other investments that are tied economically to emerging market countries. The Adviser considers an emerging market country to include any country that is: 1) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community, including the World Bank; 2) classified by the United Nations as a developing country; or 3) included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Due to the unique relationship between China and its separately administered regions, the Adviser includes Hong Kong and Macau as emerging markets, independent of above definitions 1 through 3. The Adviser determines that an investment is tied economically to an emerging market if such investment satisfies one or more of the following conditions: 1) the issuer’s primary trading market is in an emerging market; 2) the issuer is organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenue from, or has at least 50% of its assets in emerging markets; 3) the investment is included in an index representative of emerging markets; and 4) the investment is exposed to the economic risks and returns of emerging markets.

 

In managing the Fund’s portfolio, the Adviser will seek to identify mispriced publicly traded equity securities of emerging market companies and purchase securities that the Adviser believes will outperform, emphasizing low valuation, positive business momentum and high quality.

 

The Fund’s portfolio is rebalanced regularly to maintain the optimal risk/return trade-off. The Adviser assesses each stock’s changing characteristics relative to its contribution to portfolio risk. The Adviser will sell a stock that the Adviser believes no longer offers an appropriate return-to-risk tradeoff. The Fund’s investment adviser may engage in active trading, and will not consider portfolio turnover a limiting factor in making decisions for the Fund.

 

The equity securities in which the Fund will invest, which may include equity securities of non-U.S. issuers that are traded in the markets of the United States, include equity securities issued by large-, mid- and small- or micro-cap companies, as well as exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, options, rights, convertible securities, sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies (including exchanged-traded funds ("ETFs")), real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and equity participations. An equity participation is a type of loan that gives the lender a portion of equity ownership in a property, in addition to principal and interest payments. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. The Fund may invest in securities of companies operating for three years or less ("unseasoned issuers").

 

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The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations (commonly known as “junk bonds”), such as bonds and debentures, used by corporations and other business organizations (e.g. trusts or limited liability companies). Such high yield debt obligations are not considered to be investment grade. Junk bonds are rated BB or lower by S&P Global, or have a comparable rating by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (or, if unrated are determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of investment). The Fund may invest in securities of the lowest rating category, including securities in default. The Adviser may, but is not required to, sell a bond or note held by the Fund in the event that its credit rating is downgraded. The Fund will primarily invest in fixed income instruments, including high yield debt obligations, when the Fund believes that such instruments offer a better risk/reward profile than comparable equity opportunities.

 

To meet margin requirements, redemptions or pending investments, the Fund may also temporarily hold a portion of its assets in full faith and credit obligations of the United States government and in short-term notes, commercial paper or other money market instruments.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

In general, the Fund’s investments will be spread over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing less than 25% of its total assets in any one industry, except that the Fund may invest in exchange traded funds to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), and applicable SEC orders.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPOs”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The Fund may also seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities.

 

The Fund will invest in derivatives, including put and call options, futures, contracts for differences, forward contracts and swaps, in lieu of investing directly in a security, currency or instrument, for hedging and non-hedging purposes. Contracts for differences offer exposure to price changes in an underlying security without ownership of such security, typically by providing investors the ability to trade on margin. The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund's principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.  Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

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Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

Currency Risk. Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments, which include futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies, options on these futures, contracts for differences, forward foreign currency contracts and interest rate or currency swaps, may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in securities of issuers in developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers.

 

Equity Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in, or have exposure to, equity securities. Equity securities tend to be more volatile than other investment choices, such as debt and money market instruments. The value of your investment may decrease in response to overall stock market movements or the value of individual securities.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. Exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund's own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the "ask" price quoted by a seller and the "bid" price offered by a buyer.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

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Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices.

 

High Yield Debt Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in Junk Bonds, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value. Such Junk Bonds are not considered to be investment grade.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund's ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

Large-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Fund to underperform investments that focus solely on small- or medium-capitalization stocks.

 

Limited Operating History Risk: The Fund has a limited operating history upon which prospective investors can evaluate its performance. Although the investment strategies described herein may have been utilized by investment accounts managed by the Adviser’s investment team, past performance is not indicative of future results.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund makes may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices may not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value ("NAV") of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the long portfolio of the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

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Mid-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of mid-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies.

 

Micro-Cap Companies Risk. Micro-cap stocks may be very sensitive to changing economic conditions and market downturns because the issuers often have narrow markets for their products or services, fewer product lines, and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger issuers. The stocks of micro-cap companies may therefore be more volatile and the ability to sell them at a desirable time or price may be more limited.

 

Options Risk. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a "call") or sell (a "put") an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may "cover" a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations. Losses incurred by the Fund in writing options can be potentially unlimited.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may frequently trade its portfolio securities, resulting in higher brokerage commissions and transaction costs, which could lower the Fund’s performance. In addition to lower performance, high portfolio turnover could result in taxable capital gains. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. The annual portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is not expected to exceed 400%; however, it may be higher if the Adviser believes it will improve the Fund’s performance.

 

REITs Risk. REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to (i) qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable tax law or (ii) maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.

 

Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker-dealers. The Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

Segregated Account Risk. The Fund’s transactions in derivative instruments may require the Fund to establish a segregated account consisting of cash or liquid securities in an amount sufficient to cover the transactions. A security held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position it is covering is outstanding, unless it is replaced with a similar security. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

Small-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of smaller companies may be subject to more abrupt, erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Small companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent on a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.

 

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Unseasoned Issuers Risk. Unseasoned issuers may not have an established financial history and may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Unseasoned issuers may depend on a few key personnel for management and may be susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy. As a result, such securities may be more volatile and difficult to sell.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the performance of the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund's Institutional Class. The bar chart below shows you the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class for one year. This also provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund's performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Year Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 13.92% (quarter ended March 31, 2019)
Worst Quarter: -11.07% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund's Institutional Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year and since inception periods to the average annual total returns of broad-based securities market indices for the same periods.

 

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  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year Since
Inception
(October 17,
2017)
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund    
Return Before Taxes 28.29% 2.57%
Return After Taxes on Distributions(1) 26.50% 1.84%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 17.42% 1.81%
MSCI Emerging Markets Index - Net Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2) 18.42% 1.98%
MSCI Emerging Markets Index - Gross Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2) 18.88% 2.37%

 

(1) After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

(2) Effective August 31, 2019, the Fund changed its primary index from the MSCI Emerging Markets Index - Gross Return to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index - Net Return. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners, Portfolio Manager since inception in 2017.
Paul Korngiebel, CFA, Global Generalist, Portfolio Manager since inception in 2017.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment: $100,000
Minimum Additional Investment: $5,000

 

You can purchase and redeem Institutional Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, "Service Organizations"). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

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Purchase and Redemption By Mail:  
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services  
P.O. Box 701  
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:  
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund Shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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SUMMARY SECTION - BOSTON PARTNERS GLOBAL EQUITY ADVANTAGE FUND

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell Institutional Class shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

  Institutional Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 1.00%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees  None
Other expenses(1) 0.88%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(2) 0.44%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 2.32%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(3) -1.27%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.05%

 

(1) “Other expenses” are estimated for the current fiscal year.

 

(2) Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(3) The Fund’s investment advisers, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (“Boston Partners” or a “Co-Adviser”) and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC (“Campbell” or a “Co-Adviser”), have contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of their advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) for the Fund’s Institutional Class shares exceeds 1.05% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Institutional Class shares. In determining the Co-Advisers’ obligations to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total annual Fund operating expenses to exceed 1.05%: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until December 31, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.05% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Co-Advisers are entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Co-Advisers to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same (taking into account the contractual expense limitation until its expiration). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

70 

 

  1 Year 3 Years
Institutional Class $1,071 6,024

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the period from the Fund’s inception on May 29, 2019 through the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 16% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in a non-diversified portfolio of equity and equity-related securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies of any capitalization size. The Fund may invest in all types of equity and equity- related securities, including exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, options, rights, convertible securities, sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, participatory notes, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies (including exchanged-traded funds (“ETFs”)), real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and equity participations. An equity participation is a type of loan that gives the lender a portion of equity ownership in a property, in addition to principal and interest payments. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula.

 

The Fund defines non-U.S. companies as companies (i) that are organized under the laws of a foreign country; (ii) whose principal trading market is in a foreign country; or (iii) that have a majority of their assets, or that derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from businesses, investments or sales, outside of the United States. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests significantly (ordinarily at least 40% - unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Fund, in which case the Fund would invest at least 30%) in non-U.S. companies. The Fund principally will be invested in issuers located in countries with developed securities markets, but may also invest in issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund will allocate its assets among various regions and countries, including the United States (but in no less than three different countries).

 

The Fund generally invests in the equity securities of issuers believed by a Co-Adviser to be undervalued in the marketplace, focusing on issuers that combine attractive valuations with catalysts for change. The Fund applies a bottom-up stock selection process (i.e., one that focuses primarily on issuer-specific factors) in managing the Fund, using a combination of fundamental and quantitative analysis. In selecting investments for the Fund, the Fund considers various factors such as price-to-book value, price-to-sales and earnings ratios, dividend yields, strength of management, and cash flow to identify securities that are trading at a price that appears to be lower than the issuer’s inherent value. The Fund may (but is not required to) invest in derivatives, including put and call options, futures, forward contracts and swaps, in lieu of investing directly in a security, currency or instrument, for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public. The Fund may also seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

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The Fund also seeks to diversify its overall portfolio by investing, under normal circumstances, up to 20% of its assets in the Campbell Advantage strategy, a systematic trend following program, which is diversified across global futures and forwards markets (types of derivative instruments). The Campbell Advantage strategy is designed to analyze market data to identify trends occurring within and across markets and asset classes globally. By trading four major asset classes (equity index futures, fixed income futures, commodities and foreign exchange), the portfolio composition is diverse and expected to maintain low correlation with equities over time. Additionally, portfolio risk is dynamically managed through a framework intended to maximize the Campbell Advantage strategy’s ability to complement the global long equity exposure in an attempt to limit the Fund’s downside risk during extended periods of high equity market volatility.

 

The Fund’s investments may include investments in registered and unregistered funds managed by Campbell or an affiliate to obtain exposure to the Campbell Advantage strategy. The Fund will invest in such affiliated funds only in accordance with the applicable restrictions of the 1940 Act, including Section 12(d)(1).

 

The Fund is “non-diversified” for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) which means that the Fund may invest in fewer securities at any one time than a diversified fund. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The Fund’s Co-Advisers are Boston Partners and Campbell. Boston Partners is primarily responsible for managing the equity portion of the Fund’s portfolio, including equity securities and related derivative contracts. Campbell is primarily responsible for managing the Fund’s exposure to the Campbell Advantage strategy. Campbell is also primarily responsible for determining the allocation of the Fund’s portfolio between equity and other investments. Each Co-Adviser may also from time to time consult and work collaboratively with, or be informed by the decisions of or information from, one or both of the other Co-Advisers in connection with making certain investment decisions in regards to the Fund’s investment strategies and portfolio, in addition to various compliance, operational and administrative matters. While the Co-Advisers may work collaboratively in connection with the management of the Fund’s portfolio as described above, under certain circumstances, such as, for example, when certain personnel at another Co-Adviser are not available, a Co-Adviser may make decisions or otherwise act independently from the other Co-Advisers.

 

The Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Co-Advisers will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Active Management Risk. The Co-Advisers’ judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential appreciation of the Fund’s investments may prove to be incorrect. The Fund could underperform in comparison to other funds with a similar benchmark or similar objectives and investment strategies if the Fund’s overall asset allocation, investment selections or strategies fail to produce the intended results.

 

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Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

Counterparty Risk. The derivative contracts entered into by the Fund may be privately negotiated in the over-the-counter market. These contracts also involve exposure to credit risk, since contract performance depends in part on the financial condition of the counterparty. Relying on a counterparty exposes the Fund to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Fund to suffer a loss. If a counterparty defaults on its payment obligations to the Fund, this default will cause the value of an investment in the Fund to decrease. In addition, to the extent the Fund deals with a limited number of counterparties, it will be more susceptible to the credit risks associated with those counterparties. The Fund is neither restricted from dealing with any particular counterparty nor from concentrating any or all of its transactions with one counterparty. The ability of the Fund to transact business with any one or number of counterparties and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement may increase the potential for losses by the Fund.

 

Credit Risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of the security or a counterparty in respect of a derivative instrument will not be able to satisfy its payment obligations to the Fund when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. Securities rated in the four highest categories by the rating agencies are considered investment grade but they may also have some speculative characteristics. Investment grade ratings do not guarantee that bonds will not lose value or default. In addition, the credit quality of securities may be lowered if an issuer’s financial condition changes.

 

Currency Risk. Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on, and are valued in relation to, one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks or indices, such as futures, options, swap agreements and forward contracts. Derivatives typically have economic leverage inherent in their terms. Such leverage will magnify any losses. See “Leverage/Volatility Risk” below. The primary types of derivatives in which the Fund invests in are swap agreements, futures contracts and forward contracts. Futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value, and changes in the value of such instruments held directly or indirectly by the Fund may not correlate with the underlying instrument or reference assets, or the Fund’s other investments. Although the value of futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements depend largely upon price movements in the underlying instrument or reference asset, there are additional risks associated with futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements that are possibly greater than the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying instruments or reference assets, including illiquidity risk, leveraging risk and counterparty credit risk. A small position in futures contracts, forward contracts or swap agreements could have a potentially large impact on the Fund’s performance. Trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange, and government regulations may restrict trading in swap agreements, futures contracts and options and forward contracts.

 

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Emerging Markets Risk. Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in securities of issuers in developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers.

 

Equity Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in, or have exposure to, equity securities. Equity securities tend to be more volatile than other investment choices, such as debt and money market instruments. The value of your investment may decrease in response to overall stock market movements or the value of individual securities.

 

Fixed Income Risk. Fixed income securities, such as U.S. Treasuries, or derivatives based on fixed income securities, are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk, as described more fully above, refers to the possibility that the issuer of a debt security will be unable to make interest payments or repay principal when it becomes due. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt security resulting from changes in the general level of interest rates. Prices of fixed income securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in rates will adversely affect fixed income security prices and, accordingly, the Fund’s returns and share price. In addition, the Fund may be subject to “call” risk, which is the risk that during a period of falling interest rates the issuer may redeem a security by repaying it early (which may reduce the Fund’s income if the proceeds are reinvested at lower interest rates), and “extension” risk, which occurs during a rising interest rate environment because certain obligations will be paid off by an issuer more slowly than anticipated (causing the value of those securities held by the Fund to fall).

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Fund may invest in, or have exposure to, securities of foreign issuers either directly or depositary receipts. Trading on foreign exchanges is subject to the risks presented by exchange controls, expropriation, increased tax burdens and exposure to local economic declines and political instability. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Participatory notes (“P-notes”) are derivative instruments used by investors to take positions in certain foreign securities. P-notes present similar risks to investing directly in such securities and also expose investors to counterparty risk. Some foreign derivative markets are so-called principals’ markets in which performance is the responsibility only of the individual counterparty with whom the trader has entered into a commodity interest transaction and not of the exchange or clearing corporation.

 

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Futures and Forward Contracts and Related Risks. The successful use of forward and futures contracts draws upon an investment adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of instruments held by the Fund and the price of the forward or futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market, and possible regulatory position limits and restrictions, for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. The use of futures contracts, forward contracts and derivative instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying an investment and results in increased volatility, which means the Fund will have the potential for greater losses than if the Fund did not employ leverage in its investment activity. Leveraging tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund’s exposure to an asset class and may cause the value of the Fund’s securities or related derivatives instruments to be volatile. Exposure to the commodities markets (including financial futures markets) may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.

 

Government Agency Risk. Direct obligations of the U.S. Government such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds are supported by its full faith and credit. Indirect obligations issued by Federal agencies and government-sponsored entities generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Accordingly, while U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities may be chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. Some of these indirect obligations may be supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency’s obligations; still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality.

 

Government Intervention and Regulatory Changes. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) (which was passed into law in July 2010) significantly expanded the rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement authority of federal bank, securities and commodities regulators. There can be no assurance that future regulatory actions including, but not limited to, those authorized by the Dodd-Frank Act will not adversely affect the Fund. Major changes resulting from legislative or regulatory actions could materially affect the profitability of the Fund or the value of investments made by the Fund or force the Fund to revise its investment strategy or divest certain of its investments. Any of these developments could expose the Fund to additional costs, taxes, liabilities, enforcement actions and reputational risk.

 

In addition, the SEC has proposed new regulations regarding mutual funds’ use of derivatives and leverage. These proposed rules, if adopted in substantially the same form as proposed, could have a substantial effect on the ability of the Fund to implement fully its investment strategy as described herein, which may limit the Fund’s ability to achieve its objective.

 

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Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of fixed income securities generally increase when interest rates decline and decrease when interest rates increase. The Fund may lose money if short term or long term interest rates rise sharply or otherwise change in a manner not anticipated by a Co-Adviser. Securities with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates causing them to be more volatile than securities with shorter maturities. Securities with shorter maturities tend to provide lower returns and be less volatile than securities with longer maturities. There will likely be less governmental action in the near future to maintain low interest rates. The negative effect on fixed income securities from the resulting rate increases for that and other reasons could be swift and significant.

 

Investment Company and Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. Investing in other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. The risk of owning an investment company or ETF generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying investments the investment company or ETF holds. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. Certain ETFs or closed-end funds traded on exchanges may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Co-Advisers cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

Large-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Fund to underperform investments that focus solely on small- or medium-capitalization stocks.

 

Leverage/Volatility Risk. Although the Fund will not borrow funds for trading, the Fund should be considered highly leveraged and is suitable only for investors with high tolerance for investment risk. Leverage embedded in the various derivative instruments traded may result in the Fund holding positions whose face or notional value may be many times the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”). For example, the amount of margin funds necessary to be deposited in order to enter into a futures, forward or option contract position is typically from 2% to 10% of the total face or notional value of the contract, and even a small movement in the price of a commodity can cause a correspondingly large profit or loss. Losses incurred on leveraged investments increase in direct proportion to the degree of leverage employed. Furthermore, derivative instruments and futures contracts are highly volatile and are subject to occasional rapid and substantial fluctuations. Consequently, you could lose all or substantially all of your investment in the Fund should the Fund’s trading positions suddenly turn unprofitable.

 

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Market Risk. The Fund’s NAV and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its investments. You could lose money on your investment in the Fund, or the Fund could underperform other investments.

 

Mid-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of mid-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies.

 

New Fund Risk. The Fund is new with no operating history and there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Board may determine to liquidate the Fund.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to other funds, the Fund may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of companies. Gains or losses on a single stock may have greater impact on the Fund.

 

Options Risk. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a “call”) or sell (a “put”) an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may “cover” a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Co-Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations.

 

OTC Trading Risk. Certain of the derivatives in which the Fund may invest may be traded (and privately negotiated) in the “over-the-counter” or “OTC” market. While the OTC derivatives market is the primary trading venue for many derivatives, it is largely unregulated. The Fund is subject to counterparty credit risk with respect to such derivative contracts.

 

REITs Risk. REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to (i) qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable tax law or (ii) maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.

 

Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker- dealers. The Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities, if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

Short Sales Risk. The Fund may take a short position in a derivative instrument, such as a future, forward or swap or security. A short position on a derivative instrument or security involves the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument. Short sales also involve transaction and other costs that will reduce potential Fund gains and increase potential Fund losses.

 

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Small-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of smaller companies may be subject to more abrupt, erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Small companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent on a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.

 

Performance Information

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund did not have one full calendar year of performance prior to the date of this Prospectus. Updated performance information will be available on the Fund’s website at www.boston-partners.com or by calling the Fund toll free at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Co-Adviser - Boston Partners

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.

 

One Grand Central Place, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550, New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers 

Christopher K. Hart, Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception in 2019. 

 

Joshua Jones, Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception in 2019. 

 

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr.,Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners, Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception in 2019. 

 

Joshua White, Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception in 2019.

 

Co-Adviser - Campbell 

Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC 

2850 Quarry Lake Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21209

 

Portfolio Managers

Campbell’s Investment Committee, led by co-chairs G. William Andrews and Dr. Kevin Cole, has been responsible for the daily management of the Fund since inception in 2019.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 

Minimum Initial Investment: $100,000 

 

Minimum Additional Investment: $5,000

 

You can purchase and redeem Institutional Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail: 

Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund 

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services 

P.O. Box 701 

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701 

Purchase and Redemption By Wire:

Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

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Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund versus another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

 

 

Each of Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II, Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund (collectively referred to as the “Boston Partners Investment Funds” or the “Funds”) is a series of the Company, a Maryland Corporation. This section provides some additional information about the Funds’ investments and certain portfolio management techniques that certain Funds may use. More information about the Funds’ investments and portfolio management techniques, some of which entail risks, is included in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

Investment Objectives

 

The Funds’ investment objectives may be changed by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company without shareholder approval. Shareholders will, however, receive 60 days’ prior notice of any changes. Any such changes may result in the Funds having investment objectives different from the objectives that the shareholder considered appropriate at the time of investment in the Funds.

 

Additional Information About the Funds’ Principal Investments and Risks

 

Contracts for Differences. The Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund and the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund may enter into contracts for differences (“CFDs”). CFDs are leveraged derivative instruments that allows the Funds to take a position on the change in the market price of an underlying asset, such as a stock, or the value of an index or currency exchange rate. With a long CFD, the Funds are seeking to profit from increases in the market price of a particular asset. With a short CFD the Funds are seeking to profit from falls in the market price of the asset. CFDs are subject to liquidity risk because the liquidity of CFDs is based on the liquidity of the underlying instrument, and are subject to counterparty risk, i.e., the risk that the counterparty to the CFD transaction may be unable or unwilling to make payments or to otherwise honor its financial obligations under the terms of the contract. It is also possible that the market price of the CFD will move between the time the order is placed by the Funds and when it is executed by the issuer, which can result in the trade being executed at a less favorable price. CFDs, like many other derivative instruments, involve the risk that, if the derivative security declines in value, additional margin would be required to maintain the margin level. The seller may require the Funds to deposit additional sums to cover this, and this may be at short notice. If additional margin is not provided in time, the seller may liquidate the positions at a loss for which a Fund is liable. Most CFDs are traded over-the-counter. CFDs are not registered with the SEC or any U.S. regulator, and are not subject to U.S. regulation.

 

 Counterparty Risk. Some of the derivatives entered into by a Fund are not traded on an exchange but instead will be privately negotiated in the over-the-counter market. This means that these instruments are traded between counterparties based on contractual relationships. Relying on a counterparty exposes a Fund to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing a Fund to suffer a loss. A counterparty defaulting on its payment obligations to a Fund will cause the value of an investment in the Fund to decrease. If a Fund deals with a limited number of counterparties, it will be more susceptible to the credit risks associated with those counterparties. The Fund is neither restricted from dealing with any particular counterparty nor from concentrating any or all of its transactions with one counterparty. The ability of a Fund to transact business with any one or number of counterparties and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement may increase the potential for losses by a Fund. When a Fund is required to post margin or other collateral with a counterparty, including with a futures commission merchant or a clearing organization for futures or other derivative contracts, the counterparty may fail to segregate the collateral or may commingle the collateral with the counterparty’s own assets. In the event of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency, a Fund’s collateral may be subject to the conflicting claims of the counterparty’s creditors and a Fund may be exposed to the risk of being treated as a general unsecured creditor of the counterparty, rather than as the owner of the collateral.

 

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A Fund is subject to the risk that issuers of the instruments in which it invests and trades may default on their obligations, and that certain events may occur that have an immediate and significant adverse effect on the value of those instruments. There can be no assurance that an issuer will not default, or that an event that has an immediate and significant adverse effect on the value of an instrument will not occur, and that a Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction as a result.

 

Transactions entered into by a Fund may be executed on various U.S. and non-U.S. exchanges, and may be cleared and settled through various clearing houses, custodians, depositories and prime brokers throughout the world. A failure by any such entity may lead to a loss to a Fund.

 

Credit Risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of the security will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of a Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation. Securities rated in the four highest categories (S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) (AAA, AA, A and BBB), Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”) (AAA, AA, A and BBB) or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) (Aaa, Aa, A and Baa)) by the rating agencies are considered investment grade but they may also have some speculative characteristics, meaning that they carry more risk than higher-rated securities and may have problems making principal and interest payments in difficult economic climates. Investment grade ratings do not guarantee that bonds will not lose value or default.

 

A security issuer’s default on its payment obligations to a Fund will cause the value of an investment in the Fund to decrease. Lower credit quality may lead to greater volatility in the price of a security and in shares of a Fund. Lower credit quality also may affect liquidity and make it difficult to sell the security. Default, or the market’s perception that an issuer is likely to default, could reduce the value and liquidity of securities, thereby reducing the value of your investment in Fund shares. In addition, default may cause a Fund to incur expenses in seeking recovery of principal or interest on its portfolio holdings.

 

When a Fund invests in over-the-counter derivatives (including options), it assumes a credit risk of the party with which it trades and also bears the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from risks associated with transactions effected on an exchange, which generally are backed by clearing organization guarantees, daily mark-to-market and settlement, segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from such protections. Relying on any counterparty exposes a Fund to the risk that such counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, causing the Fund to suffer a loss. A counterparty’s default on its payment obligations to a Fund will cause the value of an investment in the Fund to decrease.

 

If a Fund deals with a limited number of counterparties, it will be more susceptible to the credit risks associated with those counterparties. The Funds are neither restricted from dealing with any particular counterparty nor from concentrating any or all of its transactions with one counterparty. The ability of a Fund to transact business with any one or number of counterparties and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement may increase the potential for losses by the Fund.

 

U.S. Government Securities are generally considered to be among the safest type of investment in terms of credit risk, but they are not guaranteed against price movements due to changing interest rates. Obligations issued by some U.S. Government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, while obligations by others, such as Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and Federal Home Loan Banks, are backed solely by the ability of the entity to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or by the entity’s own resources. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to U.S. Government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if it is not obliged to do so by law.

 

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Currency Risk. The Fund’s exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. Dollar, or, in the case of short positions, that the U.S. Dollar will decline in value relative to the currency that the Fund is short. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad. In addition, the Fund may incur transaction costs in connection with conversions between various currencies.

 

Cyber Security Issues. With the increased use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business, the Fund (and its Subsidiary, if applicable) is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Fund’s Adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountant, custodian, transfer agent and administrator), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Adviser has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

Derivative Contracts. Each of the Funds, except for the Boston Partners Small Cap Value II Fund, may, but need not, use derivative contracts for any of the following purposes:

 

To seek to hedge against the possible adverse impact of changes in stock market prices, currency exchange rates or interest rates in the market value of its securities or securities to be purchased; or

 

As a substitute for buying or selling currencies or securities.

 

The Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund may, but need not, use derivative contracts for the following purpose:

 

To seek to enhance the Fund’s return in non-hedging situations.

 

The Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund will invest in derivatives through investment in the Campbell Advantage Strategy. Derivative contracts in which the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund may invest include: futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies; options on these futures; forward foreign currency contracts; and interest rate, total return or currency swaps. The Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund may use derivative contracts involving foreign currencies. A derivative contract will obligate or entitle a Fund to deliver or receive an asset or cash payment that is based on the change in value of one or more securities, currencies or indices. Even a small investment in derivative contracts can have a big impact on a Fund’s stock market, currency and interest rate exposure. Therefore, using derivatives can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when stock prices, currency rates or interest rates are changing. A Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on derivatives if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. The other parties to certain derivative contracts present the same types of default risk as issuers of fixed income securities in that the counterparty may default on its payment obligations or become insolvent. Derivatives can also make a Fund less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets.

 

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Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on, and are valued in relation to, one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks or indices, such as futures, options, swap agreements and forward contracts. The value of a derivative depends largely upon price movements in the underlying instrument. Many of the risks applicable to trading the underlying instrument are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, derivatives trading is subject to a number of additional risks. Transactions in certain derivatives are subject to clearance on a U.S. national exchange and to regulatory oversight, while other derivatives are subject to risks of trading in the over-the-counter markets or on non-U.S. exchanges. A small investment in derivative instruments could have a potentially large effect on the Fund’s performance. Over-the-counter derivatives are subject to the risk of mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative.

 

Liquidity of Futures Contracts. The Fund utilizes futures as part of its strategy. Futures positions may be illiquid because certain commodity exchanges limit fluctuations in certain futures contract prices during a single day by regulations referred to as “daily price fluctuation limits” or “daily limits.” Under such daily limits, during a single trading day no trades may be executed at prices beyond the daily limits. Once the price of a particular futures contract has increased or decreased by an amount equal to the daily limit, positions in that contract can neither be entered into nor liquidated unless traders are willing to effect trades at or within the limit. Futures prices have occasionally moved beyond the daily limits for several consecutive days with little or no trading. OTC instruments generally are not as liquid as instruments traded on recognized exchanges. These constraints could prevent the Fund from promptly liquidating unfavorable positions, thereby subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. In addition, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and various exchanges limit the number of positions that the Fund may indirectly hold or control in particular commodities.

 

Non-U.S. Futures Transactions. Foreign futures transactions involve the execution and clearing of trades on a foreign exchange. This is the case even if the foreign exchange is formally “linked” to a domestic exchange, whereby a trade executed on one exchange liquidates or establishes a position on the other exchange. No domestic organization regulates the activities of a foreign exchange, including the execution, delivery, and clearing of transactions on such an exchange, and no domestic regulator has the power to compel enforcement of the rules of the foreign exchange or the laws of the foreign country. Moreover, such laws or regulations will vary depending on the foreign country in which the transaction occurs. For these reasons, the Fund may not be afforded certain of the protections that apply to domestic transactions. In particular, funds received from the Fund to margin (collateralize) foreign futures transactions may not be provided the same protections as funds received to margin futures transactions on domestic exchanges. In addition, the price of any foreign futures or option contract and the resulting potential profit or loss, may be affected by any fluctuation in the foreign exchange rate between the time the order is placed and the foreign futures contract is liquidated or the foreign option contract is liquidated or exercised.

 

Forward Contracts. The Fund may utilize forward contracts that are not traded on exchanges and may not be regulated. There are no limitations on daily price movements of forward contracts. Banks and other dealers with which the Fund maintains accounts may require the Fund to deposit margin for such trading. The Fund’s counterparties are not required to continue making markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain counterparties have refused to continue to quote prices for forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread (the price at which the counterparty is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to sell). Arrangements to trade forward contracts may be made with only one or a few counterparties, and liquidity problems might be greater than if such arrangements were made with numerous counterparties. The imposition of credit controls by governmental authorities might limit such forward trading to less than the amount that a Co-Adviser would otherwise recommend, to the possible detriment of the Fund.

 

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Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into swap agreements. Swap agreements can be individually structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. Depending on their structure, swap agreements may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to interest rates, foreign currency values, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors such as security prices, baskets of securities, or inflation rates. Swap agreements can take many different forms and are known by a variety of names. The Fund is not limited to any particular form of swap agreement.

 

Swap agreements will tend to shift the Fund’s investment exposure from one type of investment to another. For example, if the Fund agrees to exchange payments in dollars for payments in foreign currency, the swap agreement would tend to decrease the Fund’s exposure to U.S. interest rates and increase its exposure to foreign currency and interest rates. Depending on how they are used, swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the Fund’s portfolio. The most significant factor in the performance of swap agreements is the change in the specific interest rate, currency, individual equity values or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from the Fund. The Fund must be prepared to make swap payments when due. In addition, the value of a swap agreement is likely to decline if the counterparty’s creditworthiness declines. Such a decrease in value might cause the Fund to incur losses.

 

Equity and Equity-Related Securities. Each of the Funds may invest in all types of equity securities. Equity securities include exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, rights, convertible securities, depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies and REITs, and equity participations. Investments in equity securities and equity derivatives in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. Common stocks may decline over short or even extended periods of time. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. The value of such securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. State law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded to investors in a limited partnership than investors in a corporation. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which a mutual fund invests will cause the Fund’s NAV to fluctuate. The number of issuers in the Funds’ portfolios will vary over time.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Each Fund may invest in ETFs to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC orders. ETFs are registered investment companies whose shares are listed and traded on U.S. stock exchanges or otherwise traded in the over-the-counter market. In general, ETFs seek to track a specified securities index or a basket of securities that an “index provider,” such as S&P Global, selects as representative of a market, market segment or industry sector. An ETF portfolio generally holds the same stocks or bonds as the index it tracks or it may hold a representative sample of such securities. Thus, an ETF typically is designed so that its performance will correspond closely with that of the index it tracks. In some cases, an ETF may be actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection, and the individual investments in an actively-managed ETF may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expected, and/or the actively-managed ETF’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result. As a shareholder in an ETF, the Fund will bear its pro rata portion of an ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to its own expenses.

 

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The market for an ETF’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares. An ETF’s market price may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. An active trading market for shares of the ETF may not develop or be maintained. In times of market stress, market makers or authorized participants may step away from their respective roles in making a market in shares of the ETF and in executing purchase or redemption orders, which could also lead to variances between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares. Certain ETFs or closed-end funds traded on exchanges may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quotes by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

Fixed Income Investments. The Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund may each invest a portion of their assets in fixed income securities. Fixed income investments include bonds, notes (including structured notes), asset-backed securities, convertible securities, Eurodollar and Yankee dollar instruments, preferred stocks and money market instruments. Fixed income securities may be issued by corporate and governmental issuers and may have all types of interest rate payment and reset terms, including (without limitation) fixed rate, adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment-in-kind and auction rate features.

 

The credit quality of securities held in a Fund’s portfolio is determined at the time of investment. If a security is rated differently by multiple ratings organizations, a Fund treats the security as being rated in the higher rating category. A Fund may choose not to sell securities that are downgraded below the Fund’s minimum accepted credit rating after their purchase. Periods of rising interest rates may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets.

 

Foreign Securities. Each of the Funds may invest in securities of foreign issuers that are traded or denominated in U.S. dollars (including equity securities of foreign issuers trading in U.S. markets) directly or through American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”). Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depository, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depository without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders.

 

In addition, the Funds may also invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and in multinational currencies such as the Euro. The Funds will value their securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. Investments in securities of foreign issuers and securities denominated in foreign currencies involve special risks. These include possible political and economic instability and the possible imposition of exchange controls or other restrictions on investments. Changes in foreign currency rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of a Fund’s assets denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Emerging market investments offer the potential for significant gains but also involve greater risks than investing in more developed countries. Political or economic instability, lack of market liquidity and government actions such as currency controls or seizure of private business or property may be more likely in emerging and frontier markets. Frontier markets are a sub-set of emerging markets. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging markets, and, as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier countries. The economies of frontier countries are less correlated to global economic cycles than those of their more developed counterparts and their markets have low trading volumes and the potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity. These factors make investing in frontier countries significantly riskier than in other countries and any one of them could cause the price of a Fund’s Shares to decline.

 

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The Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund will normally invest a significant portion of their assets in the equity securities and equity-related instruments issued by non-U.S. companies. The Funds may invest in securities denominated in the currencies of a variety of developed, emerging and frontier market countries. Unless hedged, currency fluctuations may have a material impact on the performance of a portfolio of non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities and such a portfolio may experience a decline or increase in value, in U.S. dollar terms, due to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Adviser (or Co-Adviser with respect to the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) may, from time to time, but is not required to, hedge foreign currency exposure in the Funds’ portfolios. Further, the Funds may also from time to time enter into speculative currency positions independent of other positions in the Funds’ portfolios.

 

The Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund may also invest in participatory notes. Participatory notes (commonly known as “P-notes”) are equity access products structured as debt obligations and used by investors to take positions in certain foreign securities. P-notes are generally issued by the associates of foreign-based foreign brokerages and domestic institutional brokerages. P-notes represent interests in securities listed on certain foreign exchanges, and thus present similar risks to investing directly in such securities. P-notes also expose investors to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the entity issuing the note may not be able to honor its financial commitments.

 

Interest Rate Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Credit Default Swaps and Options on Swaps.

 

Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments.

 

Total return swaps are contracts that obligate one party to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference during a specified period of time. The underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities or a non-asset reference such as a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference.

 

Credit default swaps are contracts whereby one party makes periodic payments to a counterparty in exchange for the right to receive from the counterparty a payment equal to the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation in the event of a default by the issuer of the debt obligation.

 

Options on swaps (“swaptions”) are options to enter into a swap agreement. The Funds may also purchase and write (sell) swaptions. Like other types of options, the buyer of a swaption pays a non-refundable premium for the option and obtains the right, but not the obligation, to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. The seller of a swaption, in exchange for the premium, becomes obligated (if the option is exercised) to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms.

 

The Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund may enter into the transactions described above for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return (which is considered a speculative activity). The use of swaps and swaptions is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If the Adviser (or Co-Adviser with respect to the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) is incorrect in its forecasts of market values and interest rates, the investment performance of the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment techniques were not used.

 

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Large Shareholder Transactions Risk. Each of the Funds may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of a Fund. Such large shareholder redemptions may cause a Fund to sell its securities at times it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact its liquidity. In addition, large redemptions could lead to an increase in a Fund’s expense ratio due to a smaller asset base. However, this risk may be limited to the extent that the Adviser (or Co-Adviser with respect to the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) and a Fund have entered into a fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement. Large Fund share purchases may adversely affect a Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.

 

LIBOR Risk. Many financial instruments may be tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate, or “LIBOR,” to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies, or investment value. LIBOR is the offered rate for short-term Eurodollar deposits between major international banks. On July 27, 2017, the head of the UK Financial Conduct Authority announced a desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. Regulators and industry working groups have suggested alternative reference rates, but global consensus is lacking and the process for amending existing contracts or instruments to transition away from LIBOR remains unclear. There also remains uncertainty and risk regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to include enhanced provisions in new and existing contracts or instruments. As such, the transition away from LIBOR may lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets that are tied to LIBOR, reduced values of LIBOR-related investments, and reduced effectiveness of hedging strategies, adversely affecting the Funds’ performance or NAV. In addition, the alternative reference rate may be an ineffective substitute resulting in prolonged adverse market conditions for the Funds.

 

Liquidity Risk. A Fund may be subject to liquidity risk primarily due to investments in derivatives. Each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments or instruments. Derivatives, such as swaps, options and warrants, may not be readily marketable and, therefore, may be deemed to be illiquid. An illiquid investment is an investment that a Fund reasonably expects can not be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Investments in illiquid assets involve the risk that a Fund may be unable to sell the asset or sell it at a reasonable price. In addition, a Fund may be required to liquidate positions or close out derivatives on unfavorable terms at a time contrary to the interests of the Fund in order to raise cash to pay redemptions.

 

Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Liquidity Rule”), the Company has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to the rule. If the limitation on illiquid securities is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the Board and, when required by the Liquidity Rule, to the SEC.

 

The Adviser (or Co-Adviser with respect to the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) will monitor the liquidity of restricted securities in a Fund under the supervision of the Board. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser or Co-Advisers may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

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An investment in derivatives is also subject to the risk that a Fund may not be able to terminate the derivatives effective on whatever date it chooses, or that the settlement of any early termination may depend on subsequent market movements. As a result, a Fund may be exposed to the risk of additional losses due to such delays.

 

Market Risk. A Fund’s NAV and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its investments. The market value of a Fund’s holdings are based upon the market’s perception of value and is not necessarily an objective measure of an investment’s value. There is no assurance that a Fund will realize its investment objective, and an investment in a Fund is not, by itself, a complete or balanced investment program. You could lose money on your investment in a Fund, or a Fund could underperform other investments.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. Each of the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund is a non-diversified investment company, which means that more of the Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than could be invested in the securities of a single issuer by a diversified investment company. This may make the value of the Funds’ shares more susceptible to certain risks than shares of a diversified investment company. As a non-diversified fund, the Funds have a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

 

Other Investment Companies. Each of the Funds may invest up to 10% of its total assets in the securities of other investment companies not affiliated with the Adviser (or co-adviser with respect to the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund), but may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one investment company or acquire more than 3% of the voting securities of any other investment company. Each Fund may rely on SEC orders that permit it to invest in certain ETFs beyond these limits, subject to certain terms and conditions. Among other things, the Funds may invest in money market mutual funds for cash management purposes by “sweeping” excess cash balances into such funds until the cash is invested or otherwise utilized. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by investment companies in which it invests in addition to the advisory and administration fees paid by the Fund.

 

Portfolio Concentration. Under normal market conditions, the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund portfolios will generally be diversified by country and geographic region.

 

Portfolio Turnover. Each of the Funds may engage in active and frequent trading, resulting in high portfolio turnover. This may lead to the realization and distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains, increasing their tax liability. Frequent trading may also increase transaction costs, which could detract from the Funds’ performance.

 

Private Investments in Public Equity. The WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund may purchase equity securities in private placements that are issued by issuers who have outstanding, publicly-traded equity securities of the same class (“private investments in public equity” or “PIPEs”). Shares in PIPEs generally are not registered with the SEC until after a certain time period from the date the private sale is completed. This restricted period can last many months. Until the public registration process is completed, PIPEs are restricted as to resale and the Fund cannot freely trade the securities. Generally, such restrictions cause the PIPEs to be illiquid during this time. PIPEs may contain provisions that the issuer will pay specified financial penalties to the holder if the issuer does not publicly register the restricted equity securities within a specified period of time, but there is no assurance that the restricted equity securities will be publicly registered, or that the registration will remain in effect. Please see the Fund’s SAI for more information regarding illiquid securities.

 

Securities Lending. Each Fund may seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker-dealers. Portfolio security loans are secured continuously by collateral maintained on a current basis at an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. The value of the securities loaned by a Fund will not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets. A Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

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Short Sales. The Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, and Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund will engage in short sales, and the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund and Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund may engage in short sales — including those that are not “against the box,” which means that each Fund may make short sales where the Fund does not currently own or have the right to acquire, at no added cost, securities identical to those sold short — in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. In a typical short sale, the Funds borrow from a broker a security in order to sell the security to a third party. The Funds are then obligated to return a security of the same issuer and quantity at some future date. The Funds realize a loss to the extent the security increases in value or a profit to the extent the security declines in value (after taking into account any associated costs). Short sales “against the box” may protect the Funds against the risk of losses in the value of a portfolio security because any decline in value of the security should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. Any potential gains in the security, however, would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. Short sales that are not “against the box” involve a form of investment leverage, and the amount of each Fund’s loss on a short sale is potentially unlimited.

 

Subsidiary Risk. The Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund will make investments through a wholly-owned Subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The derivatives and other investments held by the Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. These risks are described elsewhere in this Prospectus. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Subsidiary will be achieved.

 

The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, making it unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary will be subject to the same investment restrictions and limitations, and follow the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund. The Fund complies with Section 8 and Section 18 of the 1940 Act, governing investment policies and capital structure and leverage, respectively, on an aggregate basis with the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary also complies with Section 17 of the 1940 Act relating to affiliated transactions and custody.

 

Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and/or its Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus and in the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.

 

Temporary Investments. Each of the Funds may depart from its principal investment strategy in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by taking a temporary defensive position (up to 100% of its assets) in all types of money market and short-term debt securities. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable for a time to achieve its investment objective.

 

Active Management Risk. (Only a principal risk of the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund). Campbell’s trading is highly model driven, and is materially subject to possible flaws in the models. As market dynamics (for example, due to changed market conditions and participants) shift over time, a previously highly successful model often becomes outdated or inaccurate, sometimes without Campbell recognizing that fact before substantial losses are incurred. Even if the basic concepts of its models are sound, Campbell may make errors in developing algorithms for integrating the numerous factors and variables into them or in programming the algorithms. Those errors may cause the model to generate results different from those intended. They may be difficult to detect in many market conditions, possibly influencing outcomes only in periods of stress or change in market conditions. Campbell anticipates the continued modification, enhancement and development of models. Each new generation of models (including incremental improvements to current models) exposes the Fund to the possibility of unforeseen losses from a variety of factors, including conceptual failures and implementation failures. There can be no assurance that the models used by Campbell will be effective or that they will be effectively utilized by Campbell. Moreover, these can be no assurance that Campbell will be able to continue to develop, maintain and update the models so as to effectively implement its trading strategy.

 

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Commodities Risk. (Only a principal risk of the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund). Exposure to the commodities markets (including financial futures markets) may subject the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The values of commodities and commodity-linked investments are affected by events that might have less impact on the values of stocks and bonds and have recently experienced periods of significant volatility. Prices of commodities and related contracts may fluctuate significantly over short periods for a variety of reasons, including: changes in interest rates, supply and demand relationships and balances of payments and trade; weather and natural disasters; governmental, agricultural, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies; acts of terrorism, tariffs and U.S. and international economic, political, military and regulatory developments.

 

The commodity markets are subject to temporary distortions or other disruptions. U.S. futures exchanges and some foreign exchanges have regulations that limit the amount of fluctuation in futures contract prices, which may occur during a single business day. Once a limit price has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made at a different price. Limit prices have the effect of precluding trading in a particular contract or forcing the liquidation of contracts at disadvantageous times or prices. These circumstances could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s commodity-linked investments.

 

Government Intervention and Regulatory Changes (Only a principal risk of the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund). The Dodd-Frank Act significantly expanded the rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement authority of federal bank, securities and commodities regulators. There can be no assurance that future regulatory actions, including, but not limited to, those authorized by the Dodd-Frank Act will not adversely affect the Fund. Major changes could materially affect the profitability of the Fund or the value of investments made by the Fund or force the Fund to revise its investment strategy or divest certain of its investments. Any of these developments could expose the Fund to additional costs, taxes, liabilities, enforcement actions and reputational risk. The SEC has proposed new regulations regarding mutual funds’ use of derivatives and leverage. These proposed rules, if adopted in substantially the same form as proposed, could have a substantial impact on the ability of the Fund to implement fully its investment strategy as described herein, which may limit the Fund’s ability to achieve its objective.

 

Leverage/Volatility Risk (Only a principal risk of the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund). Although the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund will not borrow funds for trading, the Fund should be considered highly leveraged and is suitable only for investors with high tolerance for investment risk. Leverage embedded in the various derivative instruments traded may result in the Fund holding positions whose face or notional value may be many times the Fund’s NAV. For example, the amount of margin funds necessary to be deposited in order to enter into a futures, forward or option contract position is typically from 2% to 10% of the total face or notional value of the contract. Even a small movement in the price of a commodity can cause a correspondingly large profit or loss. Losses incurred on leveraged investments increase in direct proportion to the degree of leverage employed.

 

The Fund’s NAV is expected over short-term periods to be volatile because of the significant use of direct and indirect investments that have a leveraging effect. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the magnitude of up and down asset price fluctuations over time. Rapid and dramatic price swings will result in high volatility. The Fund’s returns are expected to be volatile; however, the actual or realized volatility level for longer or shorter periods may be materially higher or lower depending on market conditions and investors may suffer a significant and possibly a complete loss on their investment in the Fund.

 

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New Fund Risk (Only a principal risk of the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund). There can be no assurance that a newly organized Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Board may determine to liquidate the Fund. Liquidation can be initiated without shareholder approval by the Board if it determines it is in the best interest of shareholders. As a result, the timing of any liquidation may not be favorable to certain individual shareholders.

 

OTC Trading Risk (Only a principal risk of the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund). Certain of the derivatives in which the Fund may invest, including swap agreements, may be traded (and privately negotiated) in the OTC market. The OTC derivatives market is the primary trading venue for many derivatives, but is largely unregulated and lacks transparency of the terms of OTC transactions. OTC derivatives are complex and often valued subjectively. Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a loss of value to the Fund. Such derivative instruments are often highly customized and tailored to meet the needs of the counterparties. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price. The Fund is subject to counterparty credit risk for such derivative contracts.

 

Private Fund Risk (Only a principal risk of the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund). The Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund, as an investor in a private fund, will not have the benefit of protections afforded by the 1940 Act to investors in registered investment companies. An investment in a private fund will cause the Fund to incur higher and duplicative expenses.

 

Broad-Based Securities Market Indices

 

The MSCI EAFE Index (Europe, Australasia, Far East) is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the US & Canada.

 

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index - Net Return is a subset of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index that reflects the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. The 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 23 emerging market country indexes: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

 

The MSCI World Index - Net Return is a subset of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index that reflects the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. The MSCI World Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets.

 

The Russell 2000® Value Index is an unmanaged index that contains stocks from the Russell 2000® Index with less than average growth orientation. Companies in this index generally have low price-to-book and price-to- earnings ratios, higher dividend yields and lower forecasted growth values. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index is $666 million and the largest stock is $6.7 billion. Please note that this range is as of a particular point in time and is subject to change. The Russell 2000® Value Index is a registered trademark of the Frank Russell Corporation.

 

The Russell 3000® Value Index is an unmanaged index that measures the performance of those Russell 3000® Index companies that typically display lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The stocks in this index are also members of either the Russell 1000® Value or the Russell 2000® Value indices. The Russell 3000® Index measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization, which represents approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 3000® Value Index is $1.6 billion and the largest stock is $540.4 billion. The Russell 3000® Value Index is a registered trademark of the Frank Russell Corporation.

 

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The S&P 500® Index is an unmanaged index composed of 500 common stocks, classified in eleven industry sectors, which represent approximately 80% of the U.S. equities market. The S&P 500® Index assigns relative values to the stocks included in the index, weighted according to each stock’s total market value relative to the total market value of the other stocks included in the index.

 

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

The complete portfolio holdings (or long positions only with respect to the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund and Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund) of each of the Funds are publicly available on the Adviser’s website at www.boston-partners.com as of the end of each calendar month, 5 business days following the month end. Any postings will remain available on the website at least until the Funds file with the SEC their semi-annual or annual shareholder report or quarterly portfolio holdings report that includes such period. A further description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio securities is available in the Funds’ SAI.

 

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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

 

 

Investment Adviser- All Funds (other than Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund)

 

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. provides investment management and investment advisory services to investment companies and other institutional and proprietary accounts.

 

Subject to the general supervision of the Board, the Adviser manages the Funds’ portfolios and is responsible for the selection and management of all portfolio investments of the Funds in accordance with the Funds’ respective investment objectives and policies.

 

The Adviser, located at One Grand Central Place 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550, New York, NY 10165, is a subsidiary of Orix Corporation Europe N.V. (formerly Robeco Groep N.V.), a Dutch public limited liability company (“ORIX Europe”). Founded in 1929, ORIX Europe is one of the world’s oldest asset management organizations. ORIX Europe is owned by ORIX Corporation, an integrated financial services group based in Tokyo, Japan.

 

Investment Advisory Agreement

 

For its services to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to receive a monthly advisory fee under the Advisory Agreement computed at an annual rate of 2.25% of the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund’s average daily net assets,0.95% of the Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II’s average daily net assets, 0.70% of the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund’s average daily net assets, 1.25% of the Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund’s average daily net assets, 0.90% of the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund’s average daily net assets, 1.50% of the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund’s average daily net assets, 1.50% of the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund’s average daily net assets and 0.85% of the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund’s average daily net assets. Prior to October 1, 2019, the Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II’s advisory fee was 1.00% and Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund’s advisory fee was 1.85%.

 

Until February 28, 2021 (or February 28, 2022 with respect to the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund), the Adviser has agreed to waive its fees to the extent necessary to maintain an annualized expense ratio for Institutional Class Shares of the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, the Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, the Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund, of 1.96%, 0.80%, 1.50%, 0.95%, 2.00%, 1.10%, 1.50% and 1.10% (excluding certain items discussed below), respectively. Prior to February 28, 2020, the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund's fee cap was 2.50%. Prior to October 1, 2019, the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund's fee cap was 2.00%. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will continue such waivers after their termination date. In determining the Adviser's obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause a Fund's net annualized expense ratio to exceed the applicable expense limitation: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes.

 

For its services to the WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund, the Adviser is entitled to receive a monthly advisory fee under the Advisory Agreement:

 

0.80% of average daily net assets up to $500 million

 

0.75% of average daily net assets in excess of $500 million

 

Until February 28, 2021, the Adviser has agreed to waive its fees to the extent necessary to maintain an annualized expense ratio of 1.10% (excluding certain items discussed below) for the WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause the net annualized expense ratio of the WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund to exceed 1.10%: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will continue such waivers after February 28, 2021.

 

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If at any time a Fund’s total annual Fund operating expenses for a year are less than the Fund’s respective expense limitation (as noted above), the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Funds’ Advisory Agreement with the Adviser is available in the Funds’ annual report to shareholders dated August 31, 2019.

 

Investment Co-Advisers - Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund

 

Subject to the general supervision of the Board, each Co-Adviser of the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund manages its allocated portfolio of the Fund and is solely responsible for the selection and management of its allocated portfolio investments of the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives and policies.

 

Investment Co-Adviser - Boston Partners

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. provides investment management and advisory services to investment companies and other institutional and proprietary accounts.

 

Boston Partners, located at One Grand Central Place, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550, New York, New York 10165, is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of ORIX Corporation, an integrated financial services group based in Tokyo, Japan.

 

Investment Co-Adviser - Campbell

Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC, a Delaware limited liability company founded in January 2005, is located at 2850 Quarry Lake Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21209. Campbell is an SEC-registered investment adviser, is registered as a Commodity Trading Advisor (“CTA”) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and is a member of the National Futures Association.

 

Campbell is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Campbell & Company, LP (“Campbell & Company”). Campbell & Company and its predecessor organization, Campbell & Company, Inc., were organized in 1972 and have over forty years of experience in creating and managing alternative investment vehicles. Campbell has appointed Campbell & Company as the Fund’s Commodity Pool Operator (“CPO”). Campbell & Company is registered with the CFTC as a CPO and a CTA. Campbell & Company is a member of the NFA in such capacities.

 

Investment Advisory Agreement

For their services to the Fund, the Co-Advisers will each receive an equal amount of the advisory fee under their respective Advisory Agreements, computed at an annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

Until December 31, 2021, the Co-Advisers have agreed to waive their fees to the extent necessary to maintain an annualized expense ratio of 1.05% of the Fund’s average daily net assets (excluding certain items discussed below). There can be no assurance that the Co-Advisers will continue such waivers after December 31, 2021. In determining each Co-Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause the Fund’s net annualized expense ratio to exceed the applicable expense limitation: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes.

 

If the Fund’s total annual Fund operating expenses for a year are less than 1.05% of its average daily net assets, each Co-Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Co-Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

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A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund’s Advisory Agreements with each Co-Adviser is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders dated August 31, 2019.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The investment results for different strategies of the Adviser or Co-Adviser (with respect to the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) are not solely dependent on any one individual. There is a common philosophy and approach that is the backdrop for all of the investment strategies of the Adviser or Co-Adviser.

 

This philosophy is then executed through a very disciplined investment process managed by the designated portfolio manager for each of the strategies. This manager will be supported, not only by a secondary manager, but by the Adviser’s or Co-Adviser general research staff and, very often, by dedicated analysts to the particular strategy.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of shares in the Funds.

 

Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II

David M. Dabora is the primary portfolio manager for the Fund and George Gumpert is the secondary portfolio manager.

 

Mr. Dabora is a senior portfolio manager of the Adviser responsible for the Boston Partners Small Cap Value, Small Cap Value II, and Small/Mid Cap Value portfolios. Mr. Dabora joined the firm in 1995. Prior to taking on day-to-day responsibilities for the Small Cap Value Fund II, Mr. Dabora was an assistant portfolio manager/analyst of the premium equity product of the Adviser, an all-cap value institutional product. Additionally, he was a research analyst with responsibility for a wide variety of industries. Mr. Dabora holds a B.S. degree in business administration from Pennsylvania State University and an M.B.A. degree from The Anderson School of Management at the University of California at Los Angeles. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of San Francisco and has over 32 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Gumpert is a portfolio manager for the Boston Partners Small Cap Value products. Previously, he was a research analyst and specialized in the small capitalization sectors of the equity market. He joined the firm in 2000 from AIG International Asset Management where he was a commodities analyst. Mr. Gumpert holds a B.A. degree in economics from Amherst College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has over 20 years of investment experience.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid 0.93% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund

Duilio Ramallo is the primary portfolio manager for the Fund.

 

Mr. Ramallo is a senior portfolio manager of the Adviser. He is responsible for managing the Boston Partners Premium Equity portfolios. Prior to assuming this role, he was the assistant portfolio fund manager for Boston Partners Small Cap Value portfolios and a research analyst. Mr. Ramallo joined the firm in 1995. He joined the firm from Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he spent three years, most recently in the Los Angeles office. He holds a B.A. degree in economics/business from the University of California, Los Angeles and an M.B.A. degree from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. Mr. Ramallo holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He has over 24 years of investment experience.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid 0.68% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

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Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund

Robert T. Jones and Patrick Regan, CFA, serve as portfolio managers for the Fund.

 

Mr. Jones is a portfolio manager for Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund and related strategy. Previously, he was the Director of Research and portfolio manager for the Large Cap Value and Large Cap Value Focused products. He was a founding Partner of Boston Partners Asset Management. He joined the firm from The Boston Company Asset Management, Inc. where he spent seven years as Vice President and equity portfolio manager. Mr. Jones holds a B.A. degree in philosophy from Denison University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has over 31 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Regan is a portfolio manager for the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund. Prior to this role, he was a long/short generalist with Boston Partners specializing in fundamental research of stocks held in Boston Partners’ Long/Short Equity products. He rejoined the firm after spending nearly six years with Westfield Capital, where he managed the financial sector sleeves of Westfield Capital’s small, small/mid, mid, large and all cap funds. He was also a voting member on the Westfield Investment Committee. Before that, Mr. Regan was a research analyst with Boston Partners Asset Management for ten years, where he covered numerous market sectors, including the financial, consumer, and software sectors. He began his post-graduate career at Broadview International, LLC, where he was an associate specializing in technology mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Regan holds a B.A. degree in economics from Colby College, and an M.B.A. degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He has over 24 years of industry experience.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid 2.24% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. and Eric S. Connerly serve as portfolio managers for the Fund.

 

Mr. Feeney is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer for Boston Partners. He is responsible for the firm’s strategic, financial and operating decisions, and all aspects of investment management including the firm’s fundamental and quantitative research groups. He was one of the original partners of Boston Partners Asset Management in 1995. Prior to assuming these roles, he was Director of Research. Mr. Feeney joined the firm upon its inception in 1995 from Putnam Investments where he managed mortgage-backed securities portfolios. He began his career at the Bank of Boston where he was a loan officer specializing on highly leveraged loan portfolios. Mr. Feeney holds a B.S. degree in finance (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. with High Honors from the University of Chicago. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is past President of the Fixed Income Management Society of Boston. He has over 34 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Connerly is the Director of Research-Quantitative for Boston Partners. Prior to assuming this role, he was a research analyst covering the financial, electronics, defense, transportation, and energy sectors and managed a merger arbitrage portfolio. He joined the firm from John Hancock Mutual Funds where he was an analyst and assisted in the management of a small cap portfolio. Prior to that, he was a senior equity analyst at SEI Investments overseeing their small cap equity portfolios. Mr. Connerly holds a BSFS degree cum laude in development economics from Georgetown University and an MBA degree in security analysis and investment management, Beta Gamma Sigma, from Columbia Business School. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has over 26 years of experience.

 

For the fiscal period ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid 1.25% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund

Richard Shuster and Gregory Weiss serve as portfolio managers for the Fund.

 

Mr. Shuster is the senior portfolio manager for the WPG Partners Small and Micro Cap Equity Products. He has served as managing director of the Adviser since 1999 as well as head of the Adviser’s Small/Micro Cap Value Team. He holds a B.S. degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Shuster has over 31 years of investment experience fourteen of which were spent specializing in small cap equity investing.

 

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Mr. Weiss joined WPG in mid-1999 to work on the firm’s Small Cap Value team. He joined the firm from Bear Stearns where he began his investment career in 1995 as an equity analyst, responsible for covering the building materials, nonferrous metals, steel and steel-related industries. Mr. Weiss holds a B.A. degree in psychology from Cornell University. He has over 23 years of investment experience.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid 0.66% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Christopher K. Hart, Joshua Jones and Joshua White serve as portfolio managers for each Fund.

 

Mr. Feeney is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners. He is responsible for the firm’s strategic, financial and operating decisions, and all aspects of investment management including the firm’s fundamental and quantitative research groups. He was one of the original partners of Boston Partners Asset Management in 1995. Prior to assuming these roles, he was Director of Research. Mr. Feeney joined the firm upon its inception in 1995 from Putnam Investments where he managed mortgage-backed securities portfolios. He began his career at the Bank of Boston where he was a loan officer specializing on highly leveraged loan portfolios. Mr. Feeney holds a B.S. degree in finance (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. with High Honors from the University of Chicago. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is past President of the Fixed Income Management Society of Boston. He has over 34 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Hart is an equity portfolio manager for each Fund. Prior thereto, he was an assistant portfolio manager for the Boston Partners Small Cap Value products for three years. Before that, he was a research analyst and specialized in conglomerates, engineering and construction, building, machinery, aerospace & defense, and REITs sectors of the equity market. He joined the firm from Fidelity Investments where he was a research analyst. Mr. Hart holds a B.S. degree in finance, with a concentration in corporate finance from Clemson University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has over 28 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Jones is a portfolio manager of each Fund and also has research responsibilities for the the Adviser’s Boston Partners investment team, specializing in the energy, metals and mining sectors of the equity market and is a global generalist. Mr. Jones has been with Boston Partners since 2006. He joined the firm from Cambridge Associates where he was a consulting associate specializing in hedge fund clients. Mr. Jones holds a B.A. degree in economics from Bowdoin College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has over 15 years of professional experience.

 

Mr. White is a portfolio manager for the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund. Prior to this role, he was an equity analyst with Boston Partners serving as a global generalist. Mr. White holds a B.A. degree in mathematics from Middlebury College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and has over 13 years of industry experience.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund paid 0.81% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets), to the Adviser for its services.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund paid 1.50% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. and Paul Korngiebel serve as portfolio managers for the Fund.

 

Mr. Feeney is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer for Boston Partners. He is responsible for the firm’s strategic, financial and operating decisions, and all aspects of investment management including the firm’s fundamental and quantitative research groups. He was one of the original partners of Boston Partners Asset Management in 1995. Prior to assuming these roles, he was Director of Research. Mr. Feeney joined the firm upon its inception in 1995 from Putnam Investments where he managed mortgage-backed securities portfolios. He began his career at the Bank of Boston where he was a loan officer specializing on highly leveraged loan portfolios. Mr. Feeney holds a B.S. degree in finance (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. with High Honors from the University of Chicago. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is past President of the Fixed Income Management Society of Boston. He has over 34 years of investment experience.

 

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Mr. Korngiebel is a global generalist with Boston Partners dedicated to the Global Team. He focuses on non-U.S. opportunities. Mr. Korngiebel joined the firm from Deccan Value Advisors, which he co-founded, and prior to that he worked at Brandes Investment Partners. Both firms are dedicated to global value investing. Mr. Korngiebel holds a B.A. from Bowdoin (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), M.A. degrees from Harvard and St. Johns College, and an M.B.A. degree from Northwestern (Beta Gamma Sigma). He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He has over 19 years of investment experience.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund paid 1.37% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets), to the Adviser for its services.

 

Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. and Paul Korngiebel serve as portfolio managers for the Fund.

 

Mr. Feeney is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer for Boston Partners. He is responsible for the firm’s strategic, financial and operating decisions, and all aspects of investment management including the firm’s fundamental and quantitative research groups. He was one of the original partners of Boston Partners Asset Management in 1995. Prior to assuming these roles, he was Director of Research. Mr. Feeney joined the firm upon its inception in 1995 from Putnam Investments where he managed mortgage-backed securities portfolios. He began his career at the Bank of Boston where he was a loan officer specializing on highly leveraged loan portfolios. Mr. Feeney holds a B.S. degree in finance (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. with High Honors from the University of Chicago. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is past President of the Fixed Income Management Society of Boston. He has over 34 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Korngiebel is a global generalist with Boston Partners dedicated to the Global Team. He focuses on non-U.S. opportunities. Mr. Korngiebel joined the firm from Deccan Value Advisors, which he co-founded, and prior to that he worked at Brandes Investment Partners. Both firms are dedicated to global value investing. Mr. Korngiebel holds a B.A. from Bowdoin (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), M.A. degrees from Harvard and St. Johns College, and an M.B.A. degree from Northwestern (Beta Gamma Sigma). He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He has over 19 years of investment experience.

 

For the fiscal period ended August 31, 2019, the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund paid 0.00% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets), to the Adviser for its services. Had fee waivers not been in place, the Fund would have paid 0.85%.

 

Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Christopher K. Hart, Joshua Jones and Joshua White serve as portfolio managers for the Equity Portfolio of the Fund. Mr. Feeney is the Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners and oversees both the team and the strategy.

 

Mr. Feeney is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners. He is responsible for the firm’s strategic, financial and operating decisions, and all aspects of investment management including the firm’s fundamental and quantitative research groups. He was one of the original partners of Boston Partners Asset Management in 1995. Prior to assuming these roles, he was Director of Research. Mr. Feeney joined the firm upon its inception in 1995 from Putnam Investments where he managed mortgage-backed securities portfolios. He began his career at the Bank of Boston where he was a loan officer specializing on highly leveraged loan portfolios. Mr. Feeney holds a B.S. degree in finance (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. with High Honors from the University of Chicago. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is past President of the Fixed Income Management Society of Boston. He has over 34 years of investment experience.

 

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Mr. Hart is an equity portfolio manager for the Fund. Prior thereto, he was an assistant portfolio manager for the Boston Partners Small Cap Value products for three years. Before that, he was a research analyst and specialized in conglomerates, engineering and construction, building, machinery, aerospace & defense, and REITs sectors of the equity market. He joined the firm from Fidelity Investments where he was a research analyst. Mr. Hart holds a B.S. degree in finance, with a concentration in corporate finance from Clemson University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He has over 28 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Jones is a portfolio manager of the Fund and for the Boston Partners investment team, specializing in the energy, metals and mining sectors of the equity market and is a global generalist. Mr. Jones has been with Boston Partners since 2006. He joined the firm from Cambridge Associates where he was a consulting associate specializing in hedge fund clients. Mr. Jones holds a B.A. degree in economics from Bowdoin College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He has over 15 years of professional experience.

 

Mr. White is a portfolio manager for the Fund. Prior to this role, he was an equity analyst with Boston Partners serving as a global generalist. Mr. White holds a B.A. degree in mathematics from Middlebury College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and has over 13 years of industry experience.

 

Campbell

Campbell’s Investment Committee, led by co-chairs G. William Andrews and Dr. Kevin Cole, is responsible for portfolio risk management, capital allocation and portfolio construction, and approves all changes to the portfolio, including new models and enhancements.

 

G. William Andrews, Chief Executive Officer, joined Campbell in April 1997, and in November 2012 he was appointed to the Board of Directors and as Chief Executive Officer. He formerly held the positions of Co-Director of Research from November 2011 to October 2012, Chief Operating Officer from January 2010 to May 2012, Vice President & Director of Operations from April 2007 to January 2010, Vice President & Director of Research Operations from March 2006 to April 2007, and Research Assistant from April 1997 to February 2006. In March 2010, Mr. Andrews was appointed a Co-Chair of Campbell’s Investment Committee.

 

Dr. Kevin Cole, joined Campbell in October 2003 and has served as Chief Investment Officer since June 2017. Dr. Cole was appointed to Campbell’s Board of Directors in January 2019. Dr. Cole was appointed as Co-Chair of Campbell’s Investment Committee in September 2017. In February 2017, Dr. Cole was appointed to serve Campbell and its affiliates as an executive officer. Since joining the firm, Dr. Cole has had a significant role in the ongoing research and development of Campbell’s trading systems and models. As Chief Investment Officer, Dr. Cole is responsible for the management of the research and investment process at the firm.

 

For the period from May 29, 2019 (commencement of operations) through August 31, 2019, the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund paid 0.00% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets), to the Adviser and 0.00% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to Campbell for their services.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of shares in the Fund.

 

Marketing Arrangements

 

The Adviser, each Co-Adviser or their affiliates may pay additional compensation, out of profits derived from the Adviser’s or Co-Adviser’s management fees and not as an additional charge to the Funds managed by the Adviser or Co-Adviser, to certain financial institutions (which may include banks, securities dealers and other industry professionals) for the sale and/or distribution of Fund shares or the retention and/or servicing of Fund investors and Fund shares (“revenue sharing”).These payments are in addition to any distribution or servicing fees payable under a 12b-1 distribution and/or service plan of the Funds, any record keeping or sub-transfer agency fees payable by the Funds, or other fees described in the fee table or elsewhere in this Prospectus or the SAI. Examples of “revenue sharing” payments include, but are not limited to, payment to financial institutions for “shelf space” or access to a third party platform or fund offering list or other marketing programs, including, but not limited to, inclusion of the Funds on preferred or recommended sales lists, mutual fund “supermarket” platforms and other formal sales programs; granting the Adviser or Co-Advisor access to the financial institution’s sales force, conferences and meetings; assistance in training and educating the financial institution’s personnel; and obtaining other forms of marketing support. The level of revenue sharing payments made to financial institutions may be a fixed fee or based upon one or more of the following factors: gross sales, current assets and/or number of accounts of the Funds attributable to the financial institution, or other factors as agreed to by the Adviser or Co-Advisor and the financial institution or any combination thereof. The amount of these revenue sharing payments is determined at the discretion of the Adviser or Co-Advisor from time to time, may be substantial, and may be different for different financial institutions depending upon the services provided by the financial institution. Such payments may provide an incentive for the financial institution to make shares of the Funds available to its customers and may allow the Funds greater access to the financial institution’s customers.

 

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Other Service Providers. The following chart shows the Funds’ service providers and includes their addresses and principal activities.

 

 

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SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

 

Pricing of Fund Shares

 

Institutional Class shares of the Funds (“Shares”) are priced at their NAV. The NAV per share of each Fund is calculated as follows:

 

  Value of Assets Attributable to the Institutional Class
NAV =  - Value of Liabilities Attributable to the Institutional Class
  Number of Outstanding Shares of the Institutional Class

 

Each Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. The NYSE is generally open Monday through Friday, except national holidays. The NYSE also may be closed on national days of mourning or due to natural disaster or other extraordinary events or emergency. Each Fund will effect purchases and redemptions of Shares at the NAV next calculated after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your purchase order or redemption request in good order (as described below). If a Fund holds securities that are primarily held on non-U.S. exchanges, the NAV of the Fund’s Shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Fund’s Shares.

 

A Fund’s equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange market system will be valued at the last sale price, except for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (“NASDAQ”). Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ will be valued at the official closing price. Equity securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at their closing prices. If there were no transactions on that day, equity securities will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. Fixed income securities are valued using an independent pricing service, which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings, and are deemed representative of market values at the close of the market. Foreign securities, currencies and other securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of such currencies against the U.S. dollar provided by a pricing service. All assets denominated in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the time of valuation. If a Fund holds foreign equity securities, the calculation of the Fund’s NAV will not occur at the same time as the determination of the value of the foreign equities securities in the Fund’s portfolio, since these securities are traded on foreign exchanges.

 

Investments in other open-end investment companies are valued based on the NAV of those investment companies (which may use fair value pricing as discussed in their prospectuses). Investments in ETFs, REITs and closed-end investments companies will be valued at their market price.

 

If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Funds’ administrator, in consultation with the Adviser or Co-Adviser (with respect to the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund), securities will be valued by the Adviser or Co-Adviser in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board’s ultimate supervision. In addition, the prices of foreign securities may be affected by events that occur after the close of a foreign market but before a Fund prices its Shares. In such instances, a foreign security may be fair valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. Relying on prices supplied by pricing services or dealers or using fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by a Fund to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other investment companies and investors to price the same investments.

 

Market Timing

 

In accordance with the policy adopted by its Board, the Company discourages and does not accommodate market timing and other excessive trading practices. Purchases should be made with a view to longer-term investment only. Excessive short-term (market timing) trading practices may disrupt portfolio management strategies, increase brokerage and administrative costs, harm Fund performance and result in dilution in the value of Shares held by long-term shareholders. The Company and the Adviser or Co-Adviser, as applicable, reserve the right to (i) reject a purchase or exchange order, (ii) delay payment of immediate cash redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days, (iii) revoke a shareholder’s privilege to purchase Shares (including exchanges), or (iv) limit the amount of any exchange involving the purchase of Shares. An investor may receive notice that their purchase order or exchange has been rejected after the day the order is placed or after acceptance by a financial intermediary. It is currently expected that a shareholder would receive notice that its purchase order or exchange has been rejected within 48 hours after such purchase order or exchange has been received by the Company in good order. The Company and the Adviser or Co-Adviser will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected purchase orders. To minimize harm to the Company and its shareholders (or the Adviser/ Co-Adviser), the Company (or the Adviser/ Co-Adviser) will exercise its right if, in the Company’s (or the Adviser’s/ Co-Adviser’s) judgment, an investor has a history of excessive trading or if an investor’s trading, in the judgment of the Company (or the Adviser/ Co-Adviser), has been or may be disruptive to a Fund. No waivers of the provisions of the policy established to detect and deter market timing and other excessive trading activity are permitted that would harm a Fund and its shareholders or would subordinate the interests of a Fund and its shareholders to those of the Adviser, Co-Adviser or any affiliated person or associated person of the Adviser or Co-Adviser.

 

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The Funds generally limit the number of exchanges to six (6) exchanges per year and one exchange per calendar month. The Funds may waive such exchange limits in certain circumstances. For further information on exchanges, please see the section titled “Shareholder Information — Exchange Privilege.”

 

Pursuant to the policy adopted by the Board, the Adviser and Co-Advisers have developed criteria that they use to identify trading activity that may be excessive. If, in its judgment, the Adviser or a Co-Adviser detects excessive, short-term trading, the Adviser or Co-Adviser may reject or restrict a purchase request and may further seek to close an investor’s account with the Fund.

 

If necessary, the Company may prohibit additional purchases of Shares by a financial intermediary or by certain customers of the financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries may also monitor their customers’ trading activities in the Funds. The criteria used by intermediaries to monitor for excessive trading may differ from the criteria used by the Company. If a financial intermediary fails to enforce the Company’s excessive trading policies, the Company may take certain actions, including terminating the relationship.

 

There is no assurance that a Fund will be able to identify market timers, particularly if they are investing through intermediaries.

 

Shareholder Service Fees

 

The Board has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan (the “Plan”) for the WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund’s Institutional Class Shares authorizing the WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund to pay securities dealers, plan administrators or other service organizations (“Service Organizations”) who agree to provide certain shareholder and administrative services to plans or plan participants holding Institutional Class Shares of the Fund a service fee at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average daily net asset value of Institutional Class Shares beneficially owned by such plan participants. The services provided under the Plan include acting as a shareholder of record, processing purchase and redemption orders, maintaining participant account records and answering participant questions regarding the Fund. Please find more information on Service Organizations under the section entitled “Purchase of Fund Shares — Purchases through Intermediaries” in this Prospectus.

 

Purchase of Fund Shares

 

Shares representing interests in the Funds are offered continuously for sale by Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”). Institutional Class Shares of the Funds are available for purchase by investors who meet the investment minimums described below under “General.” An exchange between the Institutional Class shares and the Investor Class shares of any Fund is generally not permitted.

 

Purchases Through Intermediaries. Shares of the Funds may also be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Certain features of the Shares, such as the initial and subsequent investment minimums and certain trading restrictions, may be modified or waived by Service Organizations. Service Organizations may impose transaction or administrative charges or other direct fees, which charges and fees would not be imposed if Shares are purchased directly from the Company. Therefore, you should contact the Service Organization acting on your behalf concerning the fees (if any) charged in connection with a purchase or redemption of Shares and should read this Prospectus in light of the terms governing your accounts with the Service Organization. Service Organizations will be responsible for promptly transmitting client or customer purchase and redemption orders to the Company in accordance with their agreements with the Company or its agent and with clients or customers. Service Organizations or, if applicable, their designees that have entered into agreements with the Company or its agent may enter confirmed purchase orders on behalf of clients and customers, with payment to follow no later than the Company’s pricing on the following Business Day. If payment is not received by such time, the Service Organization could be held liable for resulting fees or losses. The Company will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when a Service Organization, or, if applicable, its authorized designee, accepts a purchase or redemption order in good order if the order is actually received by the Company in good order not later than the next business morning. If a purchase order is not received by a Fund in good order, the Transfer Agent will contact the financial intermediary to determine the status of the purchase order. Orders received by the Company in good order will be priced at the appropriate Fund’s NAV next computed after they are deemed to have been received by the Service Organization or its authorized designee.

 

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For administration, subaccounting, transfer agency and/or other services, the Adviser, Co-Adviser (with respect to the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) or their affiliates may pay Service Organizations and certain recordkeeping organizations a fee (the “Service Fee”) relating to the average annual NAV of accounts with the Company maintained by such Service Organizations or recordkeepers. The Service Fee payable to any one Service Organization is determined based upon a number of factors, including the nature and quality of services provided, the operations processing requirements of the relationship and the standardized fee schedule of the Service Organization or recordkeeper.

 

The Funds may enter into agreements with Service Organizations pursuant to which a Fund will pay a Service Organization for networking, sub-transfer agency, sub-administration and/or sub-accounting services. These payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by the Service Organization or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by the Service Organization. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial.

 

Institutional Class shares may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Company to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Institutional Class shares through one of these programs, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker. Shares of each of Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II, Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund are available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.

 

General. You may also purchase Shares of each Fund at the NAV per share next calculated after your order is received by the Transfer Agent in good order as described below. The Funds’ NAVs are calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. After an initial purchase is made, the Transfer Agent will set up an account for you on the Company records. The minimum initial investment in any Fund is $100,000 and the minimum additional investment is $5,000. The minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements may be reduced or waived from time to time. For purposes of meeting the minimum initial purchase, purchases by clients which are part of endowments, foundations or other related groups may be combined. You can purchase Shares of each Fund only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described below. Shares may be purchased by principals and employees of the Adviser or a Co-Adviser (with respect to the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) and its subsidiaries and by their spouses and children either directly or through any trust that has the principal, employee, spouse or child as the primary beneficiaries, their individual retirement accounts, or any pension and profit-sharing plan of the Adviser or a Co-Adviser and their subsidiaries without being subject to the minimum investment limitations.

 

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Initial Investment By Mail. Subject to acceptance by the Funds, an account may be opened by completing and signing an account application and mailing it to the Funds at the address noted below, together with a check payable to Boston Partners Investment Funds. All checks must be in U.S. Dollars drawn on a domestic bank. The Funds will not accept payment in cash or money orders. The Funds do not accept post-dated checks or any conditional order or payment. To prevent check fraud, the Funds will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares.

 

Regular Mail: Overnight Mail:
   

Boston Partners Investments Funds 

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services 

P.O. Box 701 

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

Boston Partners Investment Funds 

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services 

615 East Michigan Street 

Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207 

 

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the Transfer Agent of the Funds. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

Shares will be purchased at the NAV next computed after the time the application and funds are received in proper order and accepted by the Funds. The Transfer Agent will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Funds, for any payment that is returned. It is the policy of the Funds not to accept applications under certain circumstances or in amounts considered disadvantageous to shareholders. The Funds reserve the right to reject any application.

 

Initial Investment By Wire. If you are making your first investment in the Funds, before you wire funds, the Transfer Agent must have a completed account application. You may mail or overnight deliver your account application to the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of your completed account application, the Transfer Agent will establish an account for you. The account number assigned will be required as part of the instruction that should be provided to your bank to send the wire. Your bank must include both the name of the Fund you are purchasing, the account number, and your name so that monies can be correctly applied. Your bank should transmit funds by wire to:

 

U.S. Bank N.A.

777 East Wisconsin Ave 

Milwaukee WI 53202 

ABA 075000022 

Credit: 

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC 

Account #112-952-137 

For Further Credit to: 

Boston Partners Investment Funds 

(shareholder registration) 

(shareholder account number)

 

Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to be eligible for same day pricing. The Funds and U.S. Bank, N.A. are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions.

 

For Subsequent Investments – By wire

 

Before sending your wire, please contact the Transfer Agent to advise them of your intent to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit upon receipt of your wire.

 

Telephone Purchase. Investors may purchase additional shares of the Funds by calling 1-888- 261-4073. If you did not decline this option on your account application, and your account has been open for at least 7 business days, telephone orders, in amounts of $100 or more, will be accepted via electronic funds transfer from your bank account through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. You must have banking information established on your account prior to making a purchase. If you order is received prior to 4 p.m. Eastern time, your shares will be purchased at the NAV calculated on the day your order is placed.

 

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Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

Additional Investments. Additional investments may be made at any time (minimum additional investment $5,000) by purchasing Shares of any Fund at the NAV per Share of the Fund by mailing a check to the Transfer Agent at the address noted under “Initial Investment by Mail” (payable to Boston Partners [name of Fund]), by electronic funds transfer through the ACH network as indicated under “Telephone Purchase”, or by wiring monies as outlined under “Initial Investment by Wire.” Initial and/or additional purchases made by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network cannot be redeemed until payment of the purchase has been collected. This may take up to 15 calendar days from the date of purchase. This delay will not apply if you purchased your shares via wire payment.

 

Automatic Investment Plan. Once your account has been opened with the initial minimum investment you may make additional purchases at regular intervals through an automatic investment plan (the “Automatic Investment Plan”). The Automatic Investment Plan provides a convenient method to have monies deducted from your bank account, for investment into the Fund, on a monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual basis. In order to participate in the Automatic Investment Plan, each purchase must be in the amount of $5,000 or more ($50 or more for the WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund), and your financial institution must be a member of the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. If your bank rejects your payment, the Fund’s transfer agent will charge a $25 fee to your account. To begin participating in the Automatic Investment Plan, please complete the Automatic Investment Plan section on the account application or call the Funds’ transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073 for instructions. Any request to change or terminate your Automatic Investment Plan should be submitted to the Transfer Agent five (5) days prior to effective date.

 

Retirement Plans. The Funds offer prototype documents for a variety of retirement accounts for individuals and small businesses. Please call 1-888-261-4073 for information on:

 

Individual Retirement Plan, including Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs

 

Small Business Retirement Plans, including Simple IRAs and SEP IRAs

 

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts

 

There may be special distribution requirements for retirement accounts, such as required distributions or mandatory Federal income tax withholding. For more information, call the number listed above. You may be charged a $15 annual account maintenance fee for each retirement account up to a maximum of $30 annually and a $25 fee for transferring assets to another custodian or for closing a retirement account.

 

Purchases in Kind. In certain circumstances, Shares of the Funds may be purchased “in kind” (i.e. in exchange for securities, rather than cash). The securities rendered in connection with an in-kind purchase must be liquid securities that are not restricted as to transfer and have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Company’s valuation procedures. Securities accepted by the Funds will be valued, as set forth in this Prospectus, as of the time of the next determination of NAV after such acceptance. The Shares of the Funds that are issued to the investor in exchange for the securities will be determined as of the same time. All dividend, subscription, or other rights that are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at the time of valuation become the property of the Funds and must be delivered to the Funds by the investor upon receipt from the issuer. The Funds will not accept securities in exchange for its Shares unless such securities are, at the time of the exchange, eligible to be held by the Funds and satisfy such other conditions as may be imposed by the Adviser, a Co-Adviser (with respect to the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) or the Company. Purchases in-kind may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on the securities transferred to the Funds.

 

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Other Purchase Information. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of Shares or to reject purchase orders when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interests of the Funds. Subject to the Board’s discretion, the Adviser or Co-Adviser will monitor each Fund’s total assets and may decide to close any of the Funds at any time to new investments or to new accounts due to concerns that a significant increase in the size of a Fund may adversely affect the implementation of the Fund’s strategy. Subject to the Board’s discretion, the Adviser or Co-Adviser, as applicable, may also choose to reopen a closed Fund to new investments at any time, and may subsequently close such Fund again should concerns regarding the Fund’s size recur. If a Fund closes to new investments, generally the closed Fund would be offered only to certain existing shareholders of the Fund and certain other persons, who are generally subject to cumulative, maximum purchase amounts, as follows:

 

a. Fee-based advisory model programs or financial advisors who manage fee-based wrap accounts that systematically trade in and out of the closed Fund based on model portfolio allocations;

 

b. Persons who already hold Shares of the closed Fund directly or through accounts maintained by brokers by arrangement with the Company;

 

c. Existing and future clients of registered investment advisers and planners whose clients already hold Shares of the closed Fund on transaction fee and non-transaction fee platforms;

 

d. Existing and future clients of consultants whose clients already hold shares of the closed Fund;

 

e. Certain financial intermediaries by arrangement with the Company;

 

f. Employees of the Adviser or Co-Adviser, as applicable, and their spouses, parents and children;

 

g. Directors of the Company; and

 

h. Defined contribution retirement plans of private employers and governed by ERISA or of state and local governments.

 

Other persons who are shareholders of other Boston Partners Investment Funds are not permitted to acquire Shares of the closed Fund by exchange. Distributions to all shareholders of the closed Fund will continue to be reinvested unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Adviser or Co-Adviser, as applicable, subject to the Board’s discretion, reserves the right to implement other purchase limitations at the time of closing, including limitations on current shareholders.

 

Purchases of the Shares will be made in full and fractional shares of the Fund calculated to three decimal places.

 

The Adviser or a Co-Adviser, as applicable, is authorized to waive the minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements.

 

The Adviser reserves the right to close the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund to new investments from time to time at its discretion, should the assets of the Fund decline by more than 5% from the date of the last closing of the Fund. In addition, if the Adviser closes the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, the Adviser has discretion to open the Fund thereafter should the assets of the Fund increase by more than 5% from the date of the last reopening of the Fund. Subject to the approval of the Board, the Adviser may also choose to close the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund to new investments at any time, and may subsequently open the Fund again should concerns regarding the Fund’s size recur.

 

Good Order. A purchase request is considered to be in good order when the purchase request includes the name of the Fund, the dollar amount of shares to be purchased, your account application or investment stub, and a check payable to the Fund. Purchase requests not in good order may rejected.

 

Customer Identification Program. Please note that the Transfer Agent must verify certain information on your account application as part of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. You must supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. If you are opening the account in the name of a legal entity (e.g., partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, etc.), you must also supply the identity of the beneficial owners. Mailing addresses containing only a P. O. Box will not be accepted. Applications without the required information, or without any indication that a social security or taxpayer identification number has been applied for, may not be accepted. After acceptance, to the extent permitted by applicable law or its customer identification program, the Company reserves the right (a) to place limits on transactions in any account until the identity of the investor is verified; or (b) to refuse an investment in a Company portfolio or to involuntarily redeem an investor’s Shares and close an account in the event that an investor’s identity is not verified. The Company and its agents will not be responsible for any loss in an investor’s account resulting from the investor’s delay in providing all required identifying information or from closing an account and redeeming an investor’s Shares when an investor’s identity cannot be verified.

 

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Redemption of Fund Shares

 

Normally, your investment professional will send your request to redeem Shares to the Transfer Agent. Consult your investment professional for more information. You can redeem some or all of your Fund Shares directly through the Fund only if the account is registered in your name.

 

Investors may have a check sent to the address of record, proceeds may be wired to a shareholder’s bank account of record, or funds may be sent via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, also to the bank account of record. Wires are subject to a $15 fee paid by the investor, but the investor does not incur any charge when proceeds are sent via the ACH system.

 

IRA and other retirement plan redemptions

 

If you have an IRA, you must indicate on your written redemption request whether or not to withhold federal income tax. Redemption requests failing to indicate an election to have tax withheld will be subject to 10% withholding.

 

Shares held in IRA accounts may be redeemed by telephone at 1-888-261-4073. Investors will be asked whether or not to withhold taxes from any distribution.

 

Redemption By Mail. Your redemption request should be sent to: 

Boston Partners Investment Funds 

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services 

P. O. Box 701 

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701 

 

If sent by overnight mail to: 

Boston Partners Investment Funds 

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services 

615 East Michigan Street 

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the Transfer Agent of the Funds. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

A signature guarantee, from either a Medallion program member or a non-Medallion program member, is required in the following situations:

 

If ownership is being changed on your account;

 

When redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account not on record;

 

When a redemption is received by the Transfer Agent and the account address has changed within the last 15 calendar days.

 

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The Funds may waive any of the above requirements in certain instances. In addition to the situations described above, the Funds and /or the Transfer Agent reserve the right to require a signature guarantee in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.

 

Non-financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services on an account, may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source.

 

Signature guarantees will generally be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program and the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”). A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor.

 

Redemption By Telephone. Unless you have declined telephone transaction privileges on your account application, you may redeem your shares by telephone by calling the Transfer Agent at 1-888-261-4073. Adding telephone redemption to an existing account may require a signature guarantee or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source.

 

Investors may have a check sent to the address of record, proceeds may be wired to a shareholder’s bank account of record, or funds may be sent via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, also to the bank account of record. Wires are subject to a $15 fee paid by the investor, but the investor does not incur any charge when proceeds are sent via the ACH system.

 

Once a telephone transaction has been placed, it cannot be canceled or modified after the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

Before executing an instruction received by telephone, the Transfer Agent will use reasonable procedures to confirm that the telephone instructions are genuine. The telephone call may be recorded and the caller may be asked to verify certain personal identification information. If the Funds or its agents follow these procedures, they cannot be held liable for any loss, expense or cost arising out of any telephone redemption request that is reasonably believed to be genuine. This includes fraudulent or unauthorized requests. If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, the Funds will accept telephone instructions from any one owner or authorized person.

 

Systematic Withdrawal Plan — WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value. As another convenience, you may redeem your Fund shares through a systematic withdrawal plan (the “Systematic Withdrawal Plan”). Under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan, you may choose to receive a specified dollar amount, generated from the redemption of shares in your account, on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. In order to participate in the Systematic Withdrawal Plan, your account balance must be at least $10,000 and each payment should be a minimum of $50. If you elect this method of redemption, the Fund will send a check to your address of record, or will send the payment via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, directly to your bank account. For payment through the ACH network, your bank must be an ACH member and your bank account information must be maintained on your Fund account. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time by the Fund. You may also elect to terminate your participation in the Systematic Withdrawal Plan at any time by contacting the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next withdrawal.

 

A withdrawal under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan involves a redemption of shares and may result in a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. In addition, if the amount requested to be withdrawn exceeds the amount available in your account, which includes any dividends credited to your account, the account will ultimately be depleted.

 

Involuntary Redemption. The Funds reserve the right to redeem a shareholder's account in any Fund at any time the value of the account in such Fund falls below $500 as the result of a redemption or an exchange request. Shareholders will be notified in writing that the value of their account in a Fund is less than $500 and will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed.

 

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The Funds may assert the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse a Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of a Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Other Redemption Information. Redemption proceeds for Shares of the Funds recently purchased by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network may not be distributed until payment for the purchase has been collected, which may take up to fifteen calendar days from the purchase date. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option.

 

Other than as described above, payment of the redemption proceeds will be made within seven days after receipt of an order for a redemption. The Company may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date at times when the NYSE is closed or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC and the Company's Policy and Procedures Related to the Processing of In-Kind Redemptions. The Funds typically expect to meet redemption requests by paying out proceeds from cash or cash equivalent portfolio holdings, or by selling portfolio securities. In stressed market conditions, redemption methods may include redeeming in kind.

 

If the Board determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of the Funds to make payment wholly or partly in cash, redemption proceeds may be paid in whole or in part by an in-kind distribution of readily marketable securities held by a Fund instead of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC. Investors generally will incur brokerage charges on the sale of portfolio securities so received in payment of redemptions. If a shareholder receives redemption proceeds in-kind, the shareholder will bear the market risk of the securities received in the redemption until their disposition and should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, so that a Fund is obligated to redeem its Shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of a Fund.

 

Good Order. A redemption request is considered to be in good order when the redemption request includes the name of the Fund, the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, the account number, and signatures by all of shareholders whose names appear on the account registration with a signature guarantee, if applicable. Redemption requests not in good order may be delayed.

 

Exchange Privilege

 

The exchange privilege is available to shareholders residing in any state in which the Shares being acquired may be legally sold. The Boston Partners Investment Funds reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to change or discontinue the exchange privilege, or temporarily suspend the privilege during unusual market conditions when, in the judgment of management, such change or discontinuance is in the best interests of the Funds. A shareholder may exchange Institutional Class Shares of any Boston Partners Investment Fund for Institutional Class Shares in an identically registered account of another Boston Partners Investment Fund. Such an exchange will be effected at the NAV of the exchanged Institutional Class Shares and the NAV of the Institutional Class Shares to be acquired next determined after the Transfer Agent’s receipt of a request for an exchange. An exchange of Shares of one Boston Partners Investment Fund for Shares of another Boston Partners Investment Fund will be treated as a sale for federal income tax purposes. A shareholder may make an exchange by sending a written request to the Transfer Agent or, if authorized, by telephone (see "Redemption by Telephone" above). Defined contribution plans are not subject to the above exchange limitations.

 

If the exchanging shareholder does not currently own Institutional Class Shares of the Fund, a new account will be established with the same registration, dividend and capital gain options as the account from which Shares are exchanged, unless otherwise specified in writing by the shareholder with all signatures guaranteed. See “Redemption by Mail” for information on signature guarantees. The exchange privilege may be modified or terminated at any time, or from time to time, by the Funds, upon 60 days' written notice to shareholders.

 

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If a shareholder wants to exchange Shares into a new account in a Fund, the dollar value of the Shares acquired must equal or exceed the Fund's minimum investment requirement for a new account. If a shareholder wants to exchange Shares into an existing account, the dollar value of the Shares must equal or exceed the Fund's minimum investment requirement for additional investments. If an amount remains in the Fund from which the exchange is being made that is below the minimum account value required, the account will be subject to involuntary redemption.

 

In addition, beneficial holders with financial intermediary sponsored fee-based programs are eligible to exchange their shares in a particular share class of a Fund for Shares in a different share class of a Fund if the shareholder meets the eligibility requirement for that class of Shares or the shareholder is otherwise eligible to purchase that class of shares. Such an exchange will be affected at the NAV of the shares next calculated after the exchange request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. Investors who hold Institutional Class Shares of any Boston Partners Investment Fund through a financial intermediary sponsored fee-based program, but who subsequently become ineligible to participate in the program or withdraw from the program, may be subject to conversion of their Institutional Class Shares by their program provider to another class of shares of the Fund having expenses (including Rule 12b-1 fees) that may be higher than the expenses of the Institutional Class Shares. Investors should contact their program provider to obtain information about their eligibility for the provider’s program and the class of shares they would receive upon such a conversion.

 

The Funds' exchange privilege is not intended to afford shareholders a way to speculate on short-term movements in the market. Accordingly, in order to prevent excessive use of the exchange privilege, which may potentially disrupt the management of the Funds and increase transaction costs, the Funds have established a policy of limiting excessive exchange activity. Notwithstanding these limitations, the Funds reserve the right to reject any purchase request (including exchange purchases from other Boston Partners Investment Funds) that is deemed to be disruptive to efficient portfolio management.

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

Each Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders. All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional Shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects otherwise.

 

The Funds will declare and pay dividends from net investment income annually. Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed by the Funds at least annually. The estimated amount of any annual distribution will be posted to the Adviser's website at www.boston-partners.com or a free copy may be obtained by calling 1-888-261-4073.

 

The Funds may pay additional distributions and dividends at other times if necessary for a Fund to avoid U.S. federal tax. The Funds' distributions and dividends, whether received in cash or reinvested in additional Fund Shares, are subject to U.S. federal income tax.

 

All distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares unless you elect to receive cash. If you elect to receive distributions and/or capital gains paid in cash, and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months, the Funds reserve the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account, at the Funds' current NAV, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions. You may change the distribution option on your account at any time. You should notify the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next distribution.

 

Taxes

 

The following is a summary of certain United States tax considerations relevant under current law, which may be subject to change in the future. Except where otherwise indicated, the discussion relates to investors who are individual United States citizens or residents. You should consult your tax adviser for further information regarding federal, state, local and/or foreign tax consequences relevant to your specific situation.

 

Federal Taxes of Distributions. Each Fund contemplates distributing as dividends each year all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). Except as otherwise discussed below, you will be subject to federal income tax on Fund distributions regardless of whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Fund distributions attributable to short-term capital gains and net investment income will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income, except as discussed below.

 

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Distributions attributable to the net capital gain of a Fund will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. The maximum long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals, estates, and trusts is currently 23.8% (which includes a 3.8% Medicare tax). You will be notified annually of the tax status of distributions to you.

 

Distributions of "qualifying dividends" will also generally be taxable to you at long-term capital gain rates, as long as certain requirements are met. In general, if 95% or more of the gross income of a Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of dividends received from domestic corporations or "qualified" foreign corporations ("qualifying dividends"), then all distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be taxed at long-term capital gains rates. But if less than 95% of the gross income of a Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of qualifying dividends, then distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be qualifying dividends only to the extent they are derived from qualifying dividends earned by the Fund. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date (and the Fund will need to have met a similar holding period requirement with respect to the shares of the corporation paying the qualifying dividend).The amount of a Fund’s distributions that qualify for this favorable treatment may be reduced as a result of the Fund’s securities lending activities (if any), a high portfolio turnover rate or investments in debt securities or non-qualified foreign corporations.

 

A Fund may make distributions to you of “section 199A dividends” with respect to qualified dividends that it receives with respect to such Fund’s investments in REITs. A section 199A dividend is any dividend or part of such dividend that the Fund pays to you and reports as a section 199A dividend in written statements furnished to you. Distributions paid by a Fund that are eligible to be treated as section 199A dividends for a taxable year may not exceed the “qualified REIT dividends” received by the Fund from a REIT reduced by the Fund’s allocable expenses. Section 199A dividends may be taxed to individuals and other non-corporate shareholders at a reduced effective federal income tax rate, provided you have satisfied a holding period requirement for the Fund’s shares and satisfied certain other conditions. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your Fund shares for at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date, but only to the extent that you are not under an obligation (under a short-sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property.

 

Distributions from a Fund will generally be taxable to you in the taxable year in which they are paid, with one exception. Distributions declared by a Fund in October, November or December and paid in January of the following year are taxed as though they were paid on December 31.

 

It is expected that the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund will each be subject to foreign withholding or other foreign income taxes with respect to dividends or interest received from (and, in some cases, gains recognized on shares of stock of) non-U.S. companies. These Funds may, to the extent eligible, make an election to treat a proportionate amount of those taxes as constituting a distribution to each shareholder, which would allow you either (1) to credit that proportionate amount of taxes against U.S. federal income tax liability as a foreign tax credit, subject to applicable limitations, or (2) to take that amount as an itemized deduction.

 

A portion of distributions paid by a Fund to shareholders that are corporations may also qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, subject to certain holding period requirements and debt financing limitations. Only the portions of Fund dividends that are attributable to dividends a Fund receives from U.S. companies may qualify for this dividends-received deduction. The amount of the dividends qualifying for this deduction may, however, be reduced as a result of the Fund’s securities lending activities (if any), by a high portfolio turnover rate or by investments in debt securities or foreign corporations.

 

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If you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price will reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution, but you will be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of capital. This adverse tax result is known as “buying into a dividend.”

 

Sales and Exchanges. You will generally recognize taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on a sale, exchange or redemption of your shares, including an exchange for shares of another Fund, based on the difference between your tax basis in the shares and the amount you receive for them. Generally, you will recognize long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for over twelve months at the time you dispose of them.

 

Any loss realized on shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends that were received on the shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a disposition of shares of a Fund may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the same Fund within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in shares of a Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired.

 

For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, each Fund (or relevant broker or financial adviser) is required to compute and report to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information when such shares are sold or exchanged. Each Fund has elected to use the average cost method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different IRS-accepted cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale or exchange. If your account is held by your broker or other financial adviser, they may select a different cost basis method. In these cases, please contact your broker or other financial adviser to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal and state income tax returns. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

 

IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans. The one major exception to the preceding tax principles is that distributions on, and sales, exchanges and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-qualified plan) will not be currently taxable unless such shares were acquired with borrowed funds.

 

Backup Withholding. The Funds may be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the IRS a percentage of taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale payable to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, or who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so or that they are “exempt recipients.” The current backup withholding rate is 24%.

 

U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders. Generally, nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign investors are subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividends paid by a U.S. corporation, although the rate may be reduced for an investor that is a qualified resident of a foreign country with an applicable tax treaty with the United States. In the case of regulated investment companies such as the Funds, however, certain categories of dividends are exempt from the 30% withholding tax. These generally include dividends attributable to the Funds’ net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), dividends attributable to the Funds’ interest income from U.S. obligors and dividends attributable to net short-term capital gains of the Funds.

 

Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale, exchange or redemption of shares in the Funds, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from the Funds.

 

In contrast, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in a Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor’s income from the Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.

 

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The Funds will also generally be required to withhold 30% tax on certain payments to foreign entities that do not provide a Form W-8BEN-E that evidences their compliance with, or exemption from, specified information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

 

All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in a Fund.

 

Shares of the Funds have not been registered for sale outside of the United States and certain United States territories.

 

State and Local Taxes. You may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain from Fund shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of a Fund’s distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality.

 

More information about taxes is contained in the SAI.

 

Multi-Class Structure

 

Each Fund, except the WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund, the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund and the Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund, also offers Investor Class Shares, which are offered directly to individual investors in a separate prospectus. Shares of each class of a Fund represent equal pro rata interests in the Fund and accrue dividends and calculate NAV and performance quotations in the same manner. The performance of each class is quoted separately due to different actual expenses. The total return on Institutional Class Shares of a Fund can be expected to differ from the total return on Investor Class Shares of the same Fund. Information concerning other classes of the Funds can be requested by calling the Funds at 1-888-261-4073.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

Electronic Delivery

 

Consistent with the Funds’ commitment to environmental sustainability, you may sign up to receive quarterly statements, and tax forms statements electronically. You may also sign up to receive the Funds’ financial statements and Prospectuses electronically at www.boston-partners.com. You may change your delivery preference and resume receiving these documents through the mail at any time by updating your electronic delivery preferences at www.boston-partners.com or by contacting the Funds at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Householding

 

In an effort to decrease costs, the Funds intend to reduce the number of duplicate prospectuses and annual and semi-annual reports you receive by sending only one copy of each to those addresses shared by two or more accounts and to shareholders we reasonably believe are from the same family or household. Once implemented, if you would like to discontinue householding for your accounts, please call toll-free at 1-888- 261-4073 to request individual copies of these documents. Once the Funds receive notice to stop householding, we will begin sending individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. This policy does not apply to account statements.

 

Lost Shareholder, Inactive Accounts and Unclaimed Property

 

It is important that the Funds maintain a correct address for each shareholder. An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other mailings to be returned to the Fund. Based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, the Funds will attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful owner of the account. If the Funds are unable to locate the shareholder, then they will determine whether the shareholder’s account can legally be considered abandoned. Your mutual fund account may be transferred to the state government of your state of residence if no activity occurs within your account during the “inactivity period” specified in your state’s abandoned property laws. The Funds are legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements. The shareholder’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction. Please proactively contact the Transfer Agent at 1-888-261-4073 (toll free) at least annually to ensure your account remains in active status.

 

If you are a resident of the state of Texas, you may designate a representative to receive notifications that, due to inactivity, your mutual fund account assets may be delivered to the Texas Comptroller. Please contact the Transfer Agent if you wish to complete a Texas Designation of Representative form.

 

NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE FUNDS’ SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE COMPANY OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

 

Prior Performance of Similarly Advised Account of the Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund

 

The Adviser has experience in managing a private fund with substantially similar investment objectives, policies and strategies as the Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund. The table on the following page is provided to illustrate the past performance of the Adviser in managing the private fund and does not represent the performance of the Fund. Investors should not consider this performance information as a substitute for the performance of the Fund, nor should investors consider this information as an indication of the future performance of the Fund or of the Adviser. The performance information has been adjusted to show the performance of the private fund net of the Fund’s annual fund operating expenses for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 (after contractual waivers that were in place through December 31, 2012).The fees and expenses of the Fund are higher than those of the private fund, in part, because the general partner of the private fund waived its right to receive an incentive allocation from each limited partner’s capital account, generally equal to 20% of any profits achieved in a fiscal year after recoupment of prior losses. The Fund’s results in the future also may be different because the private fund is not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements and other restrictions imposed on mutual funds under applicable U.S. securities and tax laws that, if applicable, could have adversely affected the performance of the private fund. In addition, the securities held by the Fund will not be identical to the securities held by the private fund.

 

The performance of the private fund is also compared to the performance of an appropriate broad-based securities benchmark index. This index is unmanaged and is not subject to fees and expenses typically associated with managed funds, including the Fund. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index. The performance information is accompanied by additional disclosures, which are an integral part of the information.

 

Monthly Performance Table (since inception April 1, 2002)1,2,3,4

 

PRO FORMA NET OF FEES

 

  Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec   FY (ended
December 31)
2010   (1.02 )%   2.17 %   2.67 %   0.16 %   (3.71 )%   (3.46 )%   4.01 %   (3.71 )%   5.96 %                        
2009   (0.46 )%   (5.5 )%   3.55 %   6.04 %   3.68 %   2.12 %   2.16 %   2.78 %   (0.28 )%   (0.75 )%   2.80 %   1.35 %   18.40 %
2008   1.25 %   0.69 %   (4.35 )%   2.02 %   2.78 %   (3.24 )%   0.99 %   1.89 %   (3.10 )%   (4.68 )%   (5.19 )%   2.79 %   (8.38 )%
2007   0.98 %   0.73 %   0.61 %   2.69 %   1.29 %   (0.69 )%   (2.31 )%   0.87 %   2.37 %   (0.74 )%   0.78 %   (0.62 )%   6.01 %
2006   1.82 %   (1.19 )%   0.17 %   0.67 %   (0.58 )%   0.23 %   0.60 %   0.15 %   0.19 %   (0.07 )%   0.30 %   1.22 %   3.54 %
2005   (0.68 )%   1.22 %   0.32 %   (0.63 )%   (0.50 )%   0.93 %   2.41 %   2.36 %   2.29 %   0.76 %   0.39 %   0.66 %   9.87 %
2004   0.45 %   1.29 %   2.39 %   (1.14 )%   (0.01 )%   3.25 %   0.98 %   0.19 %   1.42 %   0.62 %   5.48 %   2.09 %   18.21 %
2003   0.29 %   (3.55 )%   0.05 %   (1.71 )%   (1.55 )%   (0.05 )%   0.11 %   (1.35 )%   (0.98 )%   (0.11 )%   0.65 %   0.19 %   (7.79 )%
2002                     0.10 %   3.62 %   (2.36 )%   (1.43 )%   1.97 %   (2.35 )%   0.15 %   1.38 %   1.83 %   2.76 %

 

GROSS OF FEES

 

  Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec   FY (ended
December 31)
2010   (0.82 )%   2.38 %   2.87 %   0.36 %   (3.51 )%   (3.26 )%   4.22 %   (3.50 )%   6.16 %                        
2009   (0.26 )%   (5.29 )%   3.75 %   6.25 %   3.88 %   2.32 %   2.36 %   2.99 %   (0.08 )%   (0.54 )%   3.01 %   1.56 %   21.31 %
2008   1.45 %   0.90 %   (4.15 )%   2.22 %   2.98 %   (3.04 )%   1.19 %   2.09 %   (2.89 )%   (4.47 )%   (4.99 )%   2.99 %   (6.08 )%
2007   1.18 %   0.93 %   0.81 %   2.89 %   1.49 %   (0.48 )%   (2.10 )%   1.08 %   2.57 %   (0.54 )%   0.99 %   (0.41 )%   8.64 %
2006   2.03 %   (0.99 )%   0.38 %   0.87 %   (0.38 )%   0.44 %   0.80 %   0.36 %   0.39 %   0.14 %   0.51 %   1.43 %   6.11 %
2005   (0.48 )%   1.43 %   0.52 %   (0.43 )%   (0.29 )%   1.13 %   2.61 %   2.57 %   2.50 %   0.96 %   0.60 %   0.87 %   12.59 %
2004   0.66 %   1.50 %   2.60 %   (0.93 )%   0.19 %   3.45 %   1.19 %   0.40 %   1.62 %   0.82 %   5.69 %   2.29 %   21.11 %
2003   0.49 %   (3.34 )%   0.25 %   (1.51 )%   (1.34 )%   0.15 %   0.31 %   (1.14 )%   (0.77 )%   0.10 %   0.85 %   0.40 %   (5.48 )%
2002                     0.31 %   3.83 %   (2.15 )%   (1.23 )%   2.17 %   (2.15 )%   0.36 %   1.58 %   2.03 %   4.67 %

 

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S&P 500 INDEX

 

  Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec   FY (ended
December 31)
2010   (3.60 )%   3.10 %   6.03 %   1.58 %   (7.98 )%   (5.24 )%   7.01 %   (4.51 )%   8.92 %                        
2009   (8.43 )%   (10.65 )%   8.76 %   9.57 %   5.59 %   0.20 %   7.56 %   3.61 %   3.73 %   (1.86 )%   6.00 %   1.93 %   26.45 %
2008   (6.00 )%   (3.25 )%   (0.43 )%   4.87 %   1.29 %   (8.43 )%   (0.84 )%   1.45 %   (8.91 )%   (16.79 )%   (7.17 )%   1.06 %   (36.99 )%
2007   1.51 %   (1.96 )%   1.12 %   4.43 %   3.49 %   (1.66 )%   (3.10 )%   1.50 %   3.74 %   1.59 %   (4.18 )%   (0.69 )%   5.50 %
2006   2.65 %   0.27 %   1.24 %   1.34 %   (2.88 )%   0.14 %   0.62 %   2.38 %   2.58 %   3.26 %   1.90 %   1.40 %   15.79 %
2005   (2.44 )%   2.10 %   (1.77 )%   (1.90 )%   3.18 %   0.14 %   3.72 %   (0.91 )%   0.81 %   (1.67 )%   3.78 %   0.03 %   4.89 %
2004   1.84 %   1.39 %   (1.51 )%   (1.57 )%   1.37 %   1.94 %   (3.31 )%   0.40 %   1.08 %   1.53 %   4.05 %   3.40 %   10.87 %
2003   (2.62 )%   (1.50 )%   0.97 %   8.24 %   5.27 %   1.27 %   1.76 %   1.95 %   (1.06 )%   5.66 %   0.88 %   5.24 %   28.68 %
2002                     (6.06 )%   (0.74 )%   (7.12 )%   (7.79 )%   0.66 %   (10.87 )%   8.80 %   5.89 %   (5.88 )%   (22.31 )%

 

CALENDAR YEAR RETURNS1,2,3,4

 

  2002   2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009
Pro Forma Net Of Fees   2.76 %   (7.79 )%   18.21 %   9.87 %   3.54 %   6.01 %   (8.38 )%   18.40 %
Gross Of Fees   4.67 %   (5.48 )%   21.11 %   12.59 %   6.11 %   8.64 %   (6.08 )%   21.31 %
S&P 500   (22.31 )%   28.68 %   10.87 %   4.89 %   15.79 %   5.50 %   (36.99 )%   26.45 %

 

SUMMARY STATISTICS (periods ended June 30, 2010)1,2,3,4 

RETURN

 

  YTD   1 Year   2 Year   3 Year   5 Year   7 Year   Since
Inception
Pro Forma Net Of Fees   2.57 %   6.07 %   6.22 %   3.42 %   4.46 %   6.93 %   4.91 %
Gross Of Fees   4.48 %   8.70 %   8.85 %   5.99 %   7.05 %   9.57 %   7.51 %
S&P 500   3.89 %   10.16 %   1.26 %   (7.16 )%   0.63 %   4.03 %   1.92 %

 

1 Performance was calculated using Global Investment Performance Standards (“GIPS”). This method of calculating performance differs from the SEC’s standardized methodology, which may produce different results.

 

2 Performance is calculated using a net asset value to net asset value methodology which incorporates all trades, prices, accruals and updated security records on a trade date basis.

 

3 Performance is presented gross and net of the Fund’s annual fund operating expenses for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 (after contractual waivers).

 

4 The S&P 500® Index is an unmanaged index composed of 500 common stocks, classified in eleven industry sectors, which represent approximately 75% of the U.S. equities market. The S&P 500® Index assigns relative values to the stocks included in the index, weighted according to each stock’s total market value relative to the total market value of the other stocks included in the index.

 

116 

 

APPENDIX B

 

 

Prior Performance of Similarly Advised Accounts of the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund

 

The Adviser has experience in managing other accounts with substantially similar investment objectives, policies and strategies as the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund. The table on the following pages is provided to illustrate the past performance of the Adviser in managing all such other accounts and does not represent the performance of the Fund. Investors should not consider this performance information as a substitute for the performance of the Fund, nor should investors consider this information as an indication of the future performance of the Fund or of the Adviser. The performance information has been adjusted to show the performance of the other accounts net of the Fund’s annual operating expenses for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 (after contractual waivers that were in place until September 30, 2013). The other accounts’ fees and expenses are lower than those of the Fund. The Fund’s results in the future also may be different because the other accounts are not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements and other restrictions imposed on mutual funds under applicable U.S. securities and tax laws that, if applicable, could have adversely affected the performance of the other accounts. In addition, the securities held by the Fund will not be identical to the securities held by the other accounts.

 

The performance of the other accounts is also compared to the performance of an appropriate broad-based securities benchmark index. This index is unmanaged and is not subject to fees and expenses typically associated with managed funds, including the Fund. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index. The performance information is accompanied by additional disclosures, which are an integral part of the information.

 

Monthly Returns (since July 31, 2008)1,2,3,4,5 

 

COMPOSITE — PRO FORMA NET OF FEES

 

    Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec   FY (ended December 31)  
2011     1.90 %   3.43 %   0.83 %   4.56 %   (1.85 )%   (1.16 )%   (1.11 )%   (7.73 )%   (8.67 )%   11.36 %   (2.36 )%            
2010     (3.84 )%   0.42 %   5.94 %   0.28 %   (9.73 )%   (4.56 )%   7.66 %   (3.68 )%   10.10 %   4.62 %   (2.53 )%   8.79 %   11.93 %
2009     (8.69 )%   (9.47 )%   5.20 %   11.74 %   8.46 %   0.05 %   7.44 %   5.34 %   4.35 %   (1.10 )%   2.87 %   2.10 %   29.35 %
2008                                         (2.35 )%   (0.54 )%   (9.54 )%   (19.20 )%   (6.15 )%   3.18 %      

 

COMPOSITE — GROSS OF FEES

 

    Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec   FY (ended December 31)  
2011     2.01 %   3.54 %   0.94 %   4.67 %   (1.74 )%   (1.05 )%   (1.00 )%   (7.62 )%   (8.56 )%   11.47 %   (2.25 )%            
2010     (3.73 )%   0.52 %   6.05 %   0.39 %   (9.62 )%   (4.46 )%   7.77 %   (3.58 )%   10.21 %   4.73 %   (2.42 )%   8.90 %   13.38 %
2009     (8.59 )%   (9.36 )%   5.31 %   11.85 %   8.57 %   0.16 %   7.54 %   5.45 %   4.46 %   (1.00 )%   2.98 %   2.21 %   31.01 %
2008                                         (2.24 )%   (0.43 )%   (9.43 )%   (19.09 )%   (6.04 )%   3.29 %      

 

MSCI WORLD INDEX

 

    Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec   FY (ended December 31)  
2011     2.28 %   3.55 %   (0.94 )%   4.31 %   (1.97 )%   (1.54 )%   (1.79 )%   (7.00 )%   (8.60 )%   10.37 %   (2.38 )%            
2010     (4.11 )%   1.45 %   6.25 %   0.07 %   (9.48 )%   (3.39 )%   8.13 %   (3.69 )%   9.36 %   3.75 %   (2.11 )%   7.39 %   13.24 %
2009     (8.73 )%   (10.17 )%   7.60 %   11.32 %   9.19 %   (0.41 )%   8.50 %   4.17 %   4.02 %   (1.76 )%   4.14 %   1.83 %   30.79 %
2008                                         (2.42 )%   (1.36 )%   (11.85 )%   (18.93 )%   (6.40 )%   3.26 %      

 

117 

 

SUMMARY STATISTICS (periods ended November 30, 2011)1,2,3,4,5 
RETURN

 

  YTD   1 Year   2 Years   3 Years   Since
July 1,
2008
 
Pro Forma Net Of Fees   (2.33 )%   6.26 %   5.65 %   13.42 %   (0.82 )%
Gross Of Fees   (1.15 )%   7.64 %   7.03 %   14.89 %   0.48 %
MSCI World Index   (5.00 )%   2.02 %   4.25 %   12.96 %   (2.17 )%

 

1 Performance was calculated using Global Investment Performance Standards (“GIPS”). This method of calculating performance differs from the SEC’s standardized methodology, which may produce different results.

 

2 Performance is calculated using a net asset value to net asset value methodology which incorporates all trades, prices, accruals and updated security records on trade date basis.

 

3 Performance is presented gross and net of the Fund’s annual fund operating expenses (after contractual waivers that were in place until September 30, 2013).

 

4 The MSCI World Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets.

 

5 Although the other accounts commenced operations on January 1, 2007 or April 17, 1998, the other accounts only began investing in accordance with their current investment strategies on July 1, 2008. The performance shown represents performance since the other accounts began investing in accordance with their current investment strategies.

 

APPENDIX C

 

 

Prior Performance of Similarly Advised Account of the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund

 

The Adviser has experience in managing a private fund with substantially similar investment objectives, policies and strategies as the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund. The table on the following page is provided to illustrate the past performance of the Adviser in managing the private fund and does not represent the performance of the Fund. Investors should not consider this performance information as a substitute for the performance of the Fund, nor should investors consider this information as an indication of the future performance of the Fund or of the Adviser. The performance information has been adjusted to show the performance of the private fund net of the Fund’s annual fund operating expenses (after contractual waivers that were in place through December 31, 2015). The Fund’s results in the future also may be different because the private fund is not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements and other restrictions imposed on mutual funds under applicable U.S. securities and tax laws that, if applicable, could have adversely affected the performance of the private fund. In addition, the securities held by the Fund will not be identical to the securities held by the private fund.

 

The performance of the private fund is also compared to the performance of an appropriate broad-based securities benchmark index. This index is unmanaged and is not subject to fees and expenses typically associated with managed funds, including the Fund. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index. The performance information is accompanied by additional disclosures, which are an integral part of the information.

 

118 

 

Monthly Performance Table (since inception July 1, 2013)1,2,3,4,5 

 

PRO FORMA NET OF FEES

 

    Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec  
2014     (1.99 )%   2.28 %   0.55 %   (0.81 )%   1.90 %   (0.18 )%   1.26 %   0.88 %   (1.18 )%   (0.18 )%   1.06 %    
2013                                         2.10 %   (2.25 )%   1.68 %   2.82 %   1.89 % 1.61 %

 

GROSS OF FEES

 

    Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec  
2014     (1.84 )%   2.28 %   0.70 %   (0.66 )%   2.05 %   (0.03 )%   1.40 %   1.03 %   (1.04 )%   (0.03 )%   1.20 %    
2013                                         2.25 %   (2.11 )%   1.82 %   2.96 %   2.04 % 1.76 %

 

MSCI WORLD INDEX

 

    Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec  
2014     (3.68 )%   5.06 %   0.20 %   1.08 %   2.06 %   1.83 %   (1.57 )%   2.24 %   (2.67 )%   0.67 %   2.05 %    
2013                                         5.29 %   (2.09 )%   5.04 %   3.94 %   1.82 % 2.15 %

 

SUMMARY STATISTICS (periods ended November 30, 2014)1,2,3,4,5 
RETURN

 

  3
Months
  YTD   Since
Inception
 
Pro Forma Net Of Fees   (0.32 )%   3.56 %   8.24 %
Gross Of Fees   0.12 %   5.09 %   10.03 %
MSCI World Index   (0.01 )%   7.19 %   17.39 %

 

1 Performance was calculated using Global Investment Performance Standards (“GIPS”). This method of calculating performance differs from the SEC’s standardized methodology, which may produce different results.

 

2 Performance is calculated using a net asset value to net asset value methodology which incorporates all trades, prices, accruals and updated security records on a trade date basis.

 

3 Performance is presented gross and net of the Fund’s annual fund operating expenses (after contractual waivers that were in place until December 31, 2014) of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

4 The MSCI World Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets.

 

5 Although the private fund commenced operations on March 1, 2013, the private fund only began investing in accordance with its current investment strategies on July 1, 2013. The performance shown represents performance since the private fund began investing in accordance with its current investment strategies.

 

119 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

The tables in the Financial Highlights section below set forth certain financial information for the periods indicated, including per share information results for a single Fund share. The term “Total investment return” indicates how much your investment would have increased or decreased during this period of time and assumes that you have reinvested all dividends and distributions. The information has been derived from the Funds’ financial statements and has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm. This information should be read in conjunction with the Funds’ financial statements, which, together with the report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the Funds’ annual report for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 and is available at no cost upon request (see back cover for ordering instructions).

 

    Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II  
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2019
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2018
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2017
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2016
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2015
 
    Institutional Class  
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 27.74     $ 24.96     $ 23.00     $ 21.89     $ 22.65  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.23       0.21       0.13       0.18       0.21  
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (3.12 )     3.75       2.38       2.00       (0.54 )
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (2.89 )     3.96       2.51       2.18       (0.33 )
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income     (0.12 )     (0.20 )     (0.21 )     (0.12 )     (0.15 )
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (1.31 )     (0.98 )     (0.34 )     (0.95 )     (0.28 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (1.43 )     (1.18 )     (0.55 )     (1.07 )     (0.43 )
Redemption fees*^                       (3)       
Net asset value, end of period   $ 23.42     $ 27.74     $ 24.96     $ 23.00     $ 21.89  
Total investment return(1), (2)      (9.92 )%     16.25 %     10.92 %     10.67 %     (1.45 )%
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 421,429     $ 476,179     $ 362,674     $ 279,049     $ 180,057  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (4)      1.10 %     1.10 %     1.10 %     1.10 %     1.10 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any     1.16 %     1.14 %     1.18 %     1.22 %     1.23 %
Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     0.97 %     0.78 %     0.53 %     0.86 %     0.91 %
Portfolio turnover rate     29 %     40 %     24 %     29 %     14 %

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.

^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, there was a 1.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed that were held 60 days or less on BP Small Cap Value Fund II. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.

(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.

(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.

(3) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.

(4) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

120 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

    Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund  
    For the 
Year Ended
August 31,
2019
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2018
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2017
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2016
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2015
 
    Institutional Class  
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 27.86     $ 25.57     $ 23.12     $ 22.08     $ 23.00  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.34       0.22       0.20       0.30       0.30  
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (1.76 )     3.20       3.17       2.15       (0.08 )
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (1.42 )     3.42       3.37       2.45       0.22  
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income     (0.29 )     (0.18 )     (0.27 )     (0.30 )     (0.22 )
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (1.18 )     (0.95 )     (0.65 )     (1.11 )     (0.92 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (1.47 )     (1.13 )     (0.92 )     (1.41 )     (1.14 )
Redemption fees*^                              
Net asset value, end of period   $ 24.97     $ 27.86     $ 25.57     $ 23.12     $ 22.08  
Total investment return(1),(2)      (4.65 )%     13.70 %     14.88 %     11.68 %     0.88 %
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 1,561,229     $ 1,853,976     $ 1,370,288     $ 1,016,106     $ 793,098  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupment, if any (4)      0.80 %     0.80 %     0.80 %     0.77 %     0.70 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments, if any     0.82 %     0.80 %     0.88 %     0.96 %     0.95 %
Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements and recoupments, if any     1.34 %     0.83 %     0.83 %     1.41 %     1.32 %
Portfolio turnover rate     33 %     33 %     27 %     30 %(3)      33 %

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.

^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.

(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.

(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.

(3) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities delivered/received from processing redemptions/ subscriptions in-kind.

(4) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

121 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

    Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund  
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

 
    Institutional Class  
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 20.51     $ 20.96     $ 20.09     $ 19.04     $ 22.65  
Net investment income/(loss)*     (0.18 )     (0.35 )     (0.26 )     (0.35 )     (0.84 )
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (1.06 )     0.07       1.13       3.04       (1.01 )
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (1.24 )     (0.28 )     0.87       2.69       (1.85 )
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income                              
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (1.53 )     (0.17 )           (1.64 )     (1.77 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (1.53 )     (0.17 )           (1.64 )     (1.77 )
Redemption fees*^                       (3)      0.01  
Net asset value, end of period   $ 17.74     $ 20.51     $ 20.96     $ 20.09     $ 19.04  
Total investment return(1)(2)      (6.05 )%     (1.38 )%     4.33 %     15.36 %     (8.35 )%
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 227,834     $ 651,325     $ 858,821     $ 731,894     $ 493,751  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (4)      2.67 %     3.01 %     2.80 %     3.57 %     5.64 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (excluding dividend and interest expense)     2.45 %     2.37 %     2.39 %     2.46 %     2.47 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any     2.68 %     3.01 %     2.80 %     3.57 %     5.64 %
Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     (0.94 )%     (1.62 )%     (1.21 )%     (1.79 )%     (4.22 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     64 %     58 %     63 %     72 %     75 %

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.

^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, there was a 2.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed that were held 365 days or less on the BP Long/Short Equity Fund. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.

(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.

(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.

(3) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.

(4) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

122 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

  

    Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund  
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

 
    Institutional Class  
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 16.64     $ 16.27     $ 15.23     $ 15.20     $ 15.14  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.09       (0.03 )     (0.12 )     (0.06) (4)        (0.14 )
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (0.79 )     0.40       1.16       0.67       0.40  
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (0.70 )     0.37       1.04       0.61       0.26  
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income     (0.01 )                        
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (0.78 )                 (0.58 )     (0.20 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (0.79 )                 (0.58 )     (0.20 )
Redemption fees*^                       (3)      (3) 
Net asset value, end of period   $ 15.15     $ 16.64     $ 16.27     $ 15.23     $ 15.20  
Total investment return (1), (2)      (4.05 %)     2.27 %     6.83 %     4.10 %     1.73 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data                                        
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 3,212,731     $ 6,636,897     $ 6,361,628     $ 6,403,404     $ 6,738,894  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (5)      2.15 %     2.09 %     2.23 %     2.51 %     2.43 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (excluding dividend and interest expense)     1.38 %     1.34 %     1.37 %     1.41 %     1.39 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any     2.15 %     2.09 %     2.23 %     2.51 %     2.43 %
Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     0.62 %     (0.19 )%     (0.75 )%     (0.38 )%(4)      (0.92 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     60 %     60 %     54 %     53 %     62 %

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.

^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, there was a 1.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed that were held 60 days or less on BP Long/Short Research Fund. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.

(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.

(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.

(3) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.

(4) Includes a non-recurring dividend. Without this dividend, net investment loss per share would have been $(0.10) for Institutional Class. The ratio of net investment loss would have been (0.66)% for Institutional Class.

(5) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

123 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

    WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund  
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

 
    Institutional Class  
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 17.52     $ 16.13     $ 15.50     $ 15.40     $ 20.42  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.06       0.04       0.05       0.07       0.13  
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (3.36 )     2.50       0.65       0.46       (2.84 )
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (3.30 )     2.54       0.70       0.53       (2.71 )
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income     (0.05 )     (0.06 )     (0.07 )     (0.10 )     (0.13 )
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (0.98 )     (1.09 )           (0.33 )     (2.18 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (1.03 )     (1.15 )     (0.07 )     (0.43 )     (2.31 )
Redemption fees*^                             (3) 
Net asset value, end of period   $ 13.19     $ 17.52     $ 16.13     $ 15.50     $ 15.40  
Total investment return (1)(2)      (18.85 )%     16.16 %     4.50 %     3.74 %     (14.01 )%
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 22,273     $ 32,436     $ 30,781     $ 33,929     $ 36,461  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupment, if any (4)      1.10 %     1.09 %     1.10 %     1.10 %     1.10 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and reimbursements and recoupments, if any     1.23 %     1.11 %     1.29 %     1.55 %     1.41 %
Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements and recoupments, if any     0.40 %     0.23 %     0.30 %     0.47 %     0.78 %
Portfolio turnover rate     79 %     80 %     78 %     62 %     80 %

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.

^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, the WPG Small/Micro Cap Value Fund had a 2.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.

(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.

(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.

(3) Amount is less than $0.005.

(4) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

124 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

  

    Boston Partners Global Equity Fund  
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

 
    Institutional Class  
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 18.73     $ 17.39     $ 15.60     $ 14.66     $ 15.59  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.25       0.16       0.14       0.35 (3)      0.13  
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (1.79 )     1.56       1.95       0.66       (0.40 )
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (1.54 )     1.72       2.09       1.01       (0.27 )
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income     (0.18 )     (0.12 )     (0.30 )     (0.05 )     (0.14 )
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (1.10 )     (0.26 )           (0.02 )     (0.52 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (1.28 )     (0.38 )     (0.30 )     (0.07 )     (0.66 )
Redemption fees*^                              
Net asset value, end of period   $ 15.91     $ 18.73     $ 17.39     $ 15.60     $ 14.66  
Total investment return (1)(2)      (7.92 )%     9.93 %     13.59 %     6.90 %     (1.75 )%
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 683,649     $ 666,271     $ 590,525     $ 415,999     $ 279,978  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements and recoupments, if any (4)      0.95 %     0.95 %     0.95 %     0.95 %     0.95 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and reimbursements and recoupments, if any     1.03 %     1.03 %     1.04 %     1.10 %     1.24 %
Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements and recoupments, if any     1.55 %     0.88 %     0.84 %     2.38 %(3)      0.86 %
Portfolio turnover rate     97 %     80 %     83 %     80 %     98 %

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.

^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, there was a 1.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed that were held 60 days or less on BP Global Equity Fund. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.

(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.

(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.

(3) Includes a non-recurring dividend. Without this dividend, net investment income per share would have been $0.18. The ratio of net investment income would have been 1.25%.

(4) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

125 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

    Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund  
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

 
    Institutional Class  
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 11.52     $ 11.34     $ 10.90     $ 10.55     $ 10.30  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.07       (0.01 )     (0.11 )     0.05 (4)      (0.13 )
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (0.65 )     0.19       0.57       0.34       0.38  
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (0.58 )     0.18       0.46       0.39       0.25  
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income                 (0.02 )            
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (0.20 )                 (0.04 )      
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (0.20 )           (0.02 )     (0.04 )      
Redemption fees*^                       (3)      (3) 
Net asset value, end of period   $ 10.74     $ 11.52     $ 11.34     $ 10.90     $ 10.55  
Total investment return(1), (2)      (5.00 %)     1.59 %     4.26 %     3.74 %     2.43 %
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 611,254     $ 913,237     $ 1,008,234     $ 853,621     $ 317,600  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupment, if any (5)      2.47 %     2.34 %     2.63 %     2.99 %     3.09 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (excluding dividend and interest expenses)     1.65 %     1.65 %     1.70 %     1.74 %     1.96 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments, if any     2.47 %     2.34 %     2.63 %     2.99 %     3.05 %
Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements and recoupments, if any     0.69 %     (0.11 )%     (0.94 )%     0.47 %(4)      (1.27 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     99 %     85 %     109 %     137 %     132 %

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding.

** Commencement of operations.

^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund does not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, there was a 1.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed that were held 60 days or less on BP Global Long/Short Fund. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.

(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.

(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.

(3) Amount is less than $0.005.

(4) Includes a non-recurring dividend. Without this dividend, net investment income (loss) per share would have been $(0.09) for Institutional Class. The ratio of net investment income (loss) would have been (0.88)% for Institutional Class.

 

126 

 

(5) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

127 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

  

    Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund  
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

   

December 15,

2015**

through

August 31,

2016

 
    Institutional Class  
Per Share Operating Performance                                
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 10.49     $ 12.12     $ 11.15     $ 10.00  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.04       (0.05 )     (0.07 )     (0.09 )
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (0.03 )     (0.87 )     1.96       1.24  
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     0.01       (0.92 )     1.89       1.15  
                                 
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income           (0.26 )     (0.82 )      
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (0.05 )     (0.45 )     (0.10 )      
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (0.05 )     (0.71 )     (0.92 )      
Redemption fees*^                        
Net asset value, end of period   $ 10.45     $ 10.49     $ 12.12     $ 11.15  
Total investment return(1)(2)      0.18 %     (8.11 )%     18.71 %     11.50 %
                                 
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 58,424     $ 58,245     $ 56,829     $ 10,938  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupment if any (6)      1.96 %     2.00 %     2.13 %     3.87 %(4) 
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (excluding dividend and interest expenses)     1.96 %     2.00 %     2.06 %     2.10 %(4) 
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any     2.44 %     2.37 %     2.99 %     7.82 %(4) 
Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     0.43 %     (0.47 )%     (0.60 )%     1.26 %(4) 
Portfolio turnover rate     186 %     222 %     184 %     229 %(3)(5) 

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding.

** Commencement of operations.

^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund does not impose a redemption fee.

(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.

(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.

(3) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities delivered/received from processing redemptions/subscriptions in-kind.

(4) Annualized.

(5) Not Annualized.

(6) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

128 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

   

Boston

Partners

Emerging

Markets Fund

 
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

   

October 17,

2017**

through

August 31,

2018

 
    Institutional Class  
Per Share Operating Performance                
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 9.13     $ 10.00  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.13       0.05  
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (0.08 )     (0.86 )
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     0.05       (0.81 )
                 
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income           (0.06 )
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains            
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders           (0.06 )
Redemption fees*            
Net asset value, end of period   $ 9.18     $ 9.13  
Total investment return(1)(2)      0.55 %     (8.11 )%
                 
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 9,468     $ 8,296  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupment if any (5)      1.07 %     1.10 %(3) 
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any     2.89 %     2.95 %(3) 
Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     1.41 %     0.58 %(3) 
Portfolio turnover rate     155 %     146 %(4) 

  

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding.

** Commencement of operations.

(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.

(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.

(3) Annualized.

(4) Not Annualized.

(5) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

129 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 

 

    Boston
Partners
Global
Equity
Advantage
Fund
 
   

May 29

2019**

through

August 31,

2019

 
   

Institutional

Class

 
Per Share Operating Performance        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 10.00  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.05  
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     0.52  
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     0.57  
         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income      
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains      
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders      
Redemption fees*      
Net asset value, end of period   $ 10.57  
Total investment return(1)(2)      5.70 %
         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 26,429  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupment if any     0.25 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any     1.88 %
Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     1.69 %
Portfolio turnover rate     16 %

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding.

** Commencement of operations.

(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.

(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.

 

130 

 

PRIVACY NOTICE
FACTS WHAT DO THE BOSTON PARTNERS INVESTMENT FUNDS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Why? Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.
What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

 

●           Social Security number

●           account balances

●           account transactions

●           transaction history

●           wire transfer instructions

●           checking account information

 

When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

How? All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons the Boston Partners Investment Funds chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.
       
Reasons we can share your personal information Do the Boston Partners Investment Funds share? Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purposes – 

such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes No

For our marketing purposes – 

to offer our products and services to you

Yes No
For joint marketing with other financial companies No We don’t share.
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences Yes No
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness No We don’t share.
For our affiliates to market to you Yes Yes
For nonaffiliates to market to you No We don’t share.

 

Questions? Call (888) 261-4073 or go to www.boston-partners.com

 

131 

 

What we do  
How do the Boston Partners Investment Funds protect my personal information? To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.
How do the Boston Partners Investment Funds collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

 

●           open an account

●           provide account information

●           give us your contact information

●           make a wire transfer

●           tell us where to send the money

 

We also collect your information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

 

●           sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes-information about your creditworthiness 

●           affiliates from using your information to market to you 

●           sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

 

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

European Union’s General Data Protection

Regulation

In addition to the above information, where applicable, you have the following rights under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and U.S. Privacy Laws, as applicable and to the extent permitted by law, to

 

●           Check whether we hold personal information about you and to access such data (in accordance with our policy) 

●           Request the correction of personal information about you that is 

●           inaccurate 

●           Have a copy of the personal information we hold about you provided to you or another “controller” where technically feasible 

●           Request the erasure of your personal information 

●           Request the restriction of processing concerning you

 

The legal grounds for processing of your personal information is for contractual necessity and compliance with law.

 

If you wish to exercise any of your rights above, please call: 1-888-261-4073.

 

You are required to ensure the personal information we hold about you is up-to-date and accurate and you must notify us of any changes to the personal data you provided to us.

 

The Boston Partners Investment Funds shall retain your personal data for as long as you are an investor in the Funds and thereafter as long as necessary to comply with applicable laws that require the Funds to retain your personal data, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission’s data retention rules. Your personal data will be transferred to the United States so that the Funds may provide the agreed upon services for you. No adequacy decision has been rendered by the European Commission as to the data protection of your personal data when transferring it to the United States. However, the Funds do take the security of your personal data seriously.

 

132 

 

Definitions  
Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. Our affiliates include:

●           ORIX Corporation. 

●           Robeco Investment Management, Inc. 

●           Robeco Securities, LLC 

●           Boston Partners Securities, LLC 

●           Campbell & Company, LP 

●           Campbell Financial Services, LLC 

●           Campbell & Company Delaware, LLC.

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

●           The Boston Partners Investment Funds don’t share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. The Boston Partners Investment Funds may share information with nonaffiliates that perform marketing services on our behalf. 

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

 

●           The Boston Partners Investment Funds may share your information with other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing arrangements who may suggest additional fund services or other investment products which may be of interest to you.

Controller “Controller” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by European union or European Member state law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by European union or European Member state law.

 

133 

 

BOSTON PARTNERS INVESTMENT FUNDS of
The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

1-888-261-4073
http://www.boston-partners.com

 

For More Information:

 

This Prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. More information about the Boston Partners Investment Funds is available free of charge, upon request, including:

 

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports

 

These reports contain additional information about each Fund’s investments, describe each Fund’s performance, list portfolio holdings, and discuss recent market conditions and economic trends. The annual report includes fund strategies that significantly affected the Funds’ performance during their last fiscal year. The annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders may be obtained by visiting http://www.boston-partners.com.

 

Statement of Additional Information

 

The Funds’ SAI, dated February 28, 2020, has been filed with the SEC. The SAI, which includes additional information about the Boston Partners Investment Funds, may be obtained free of charge, along with the annual and semi-annual reports, by calling 1-888-261-4073. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this prospectus (and is legally part of the prospectus).The SAI is available on the Adviser’s website at http://www.boston-partners.com.

  

Shareholder Inquiries

 

Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday-Friday. Call: 1-888-261-4073 or visit the website of the Adviser at http://www.boston-partners.com.

 

Purchases and Redemptions

 

Call 1-888-261-4073.

 

Written Correspondence

 

Street Address:

Boston Partners Investment Funds,

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services,

615 East Michigan Street,

Milwaukee, WI 53202

P.O. Box Address:

Boston Partners Investment Funds, 

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, 

P.O. Box 701, 

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701 

 

Securities and Exchange Commission

 

You may also view and copy information about the Company and the Funds, including the SAI, by visiting the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov.You may also obtain copies of Fund documents by paying a duplicating fee and sending an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-05518

 

RBB-BP-INST-18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investor Class
Boston Partners Investment Funds

 

of The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

Prospectus

February 28, 2020

 

Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II – BPSCX

Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund – BPAVX

Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund – BPLEX

Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – BPRRX

Boston Partners Global Equity Fund – BPGRX 

Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund – BGRSX

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), paper copies of the Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. 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 Funds electronically anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or a bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-888-261-4073.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Funds, you can call 1-888-261-4073 to inform the Funds that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held with the fund complex if you invest directly with the Funds.

 

The securities described in this prospectus have been registered with the SEC. The SEC, however, has not judged these securities for their investment merit and has not determined the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Anyone who tells you otherwise is committing a criminal offense.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS SMALL CAP VALUE FUND II 3
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS ALL-CAP VALUE FUND 9
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS LONG/SHORT EQUITY FUND 15
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS LONG/SHORT RESEARCH FUND 21
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS GLOBAL EQUITY FUND 28
SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS GLOBAL LONG/SHORT FUND 36
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENTS AND RISKS 45
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS 52
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION 57
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 70
APPENDIX A 71
APPENDIX B 73
APPENDIX C 75
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 77
FOR MORE INFORMATION Back Cover

 

A look at the investment objectives, strategies, risks, expenses and financial history of each of the Boston Partners Investment Funds offered in this Prospectus.

 

Details about the Boston Partners Investment Funds’ service providers offered in this Prospectus.

 

Policies and instructions for opening, maintaining and closing an account in any of the Boston Partners Investment Funds offered in this Prospectus. 

 

2 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS SMALL CAP VALUE FUND II

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital primarily through investment in equity securities. Current income is a secondary objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Investor Class shares of the Fund.

 

  Investor Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees (1)  0.95%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees 0.25%
Other expenses 0.21%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(2)  0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 1.42%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(3)  -0.07%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.35%

 

(1)  Prior to October 1, 2019, the management fee was 1.00%.

 

(2)  Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(3)  The Fund’s investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) for the Fund’s Investor Class shares exceeds 1.35% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Investor Class shares. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total annual Fund operating expenses to exceed 1.35%: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time, the Fund’s Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.35% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

3 

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Investor Class $138 $390 $662 $1,440

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 29% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in a diversified portfolio consisting primarily of equity securities, such as common stocks of issuers with small market capitalizations and identified by the Adviser as having value characteristics. A small market capitalization issuer generally is considered to be one whose market capitalization is, at the time the Fund makes the investment, similar to the market capitalization of companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index. The Russell 2000® Value Index is an unmanaged index that contains stocks from the Russell 2000® Index with less than average growth orientation. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of this index was $666 million and the largest stock was $6.7 billion. Please note that this range is as of a particular point in time and is subject to change.

 

The Fund generally invests in the equity securities of small companies. The Adviser will seek to invest in companies it considers to be well managed and to have attractive fundamental financial characteristics. The Adviser believes greater potential for price appreciation exists among small companies since they tend to be less widely followed by other securities analysts and thus may be more likely to be undervalued by the market. The Fund may invest from time to time a portion of its assets, not to exceed 20% (under normal conditions) at the time of purchase, in companies with larger market capitalizations.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of such issuers including price to book value ratios and price to earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer’s operating and financial fundamentals such as return on equity, earnings growth and cash flow. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund based on a continuous study of trends in industries and companies, earnings power and growth and other investment criteria.

 

The Fund may also invest up to 25% of its total assets in non U.S. dollar-denominated securities.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public.

 

In general, the Fund’s investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing a maximum of 25% of its total assets in any one industry.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

4 

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

5 

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Small Cap Companies Risk. The Fund will invest in smaller issuers which are more volatile and less liquid than investments in issuers with a market capitalization greater than the market capitalization of companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index. Small market capitalization issuers are not as diversified in their business activities as issuers with market capitalizations greater than the market capitalization of companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index and are more susceptible to changes in the business cycle.

 

The small capitalization equity securities in which the Fund invests may be traded only in the over-the- counter market or on a regional securities exchange, may be listed only in the quotation service commonly known as the “pink sheets,” and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. These securities may also be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. The trading market for any given small capitalization equity security may be sufficiently small as to make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a substantial block of such securities. The sale by the Fund of portfolio securities to meet redemptions may require the Fund to sell its small capitalization securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Adviser’s judgment, such sale is not desirable. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for these securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II’s Investor Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Investor Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

6 

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

  

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 14.79% (quarter ended December 31, 2010)
Worst Quarter: -20.47% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Investor Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II      
Returns Before Taxes 27.71% 6.96% 10.56%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions(1) 27.01% 5.89% 9.94%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 16.86% 5.27% 8.64%
Russell 2000® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 22.39% 6.99% 10.56%

 

(1) After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

7 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers 

David M. Dabora, Senior Portfolio Manager since 1998.
George Gumpert, Portfolio Manager since 2005.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 

Minimum Initial Investment: $2,500
Minimum Additional Investment: $100

 

You can purchase and redeem Investor Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Investor Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:
Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s
transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund Shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

8 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS ALL-CAP VALUE FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital primarily through investment in equity securities. Current income is a secondary objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Investor Class shares of the Fund.

 

  Investor Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 0.70%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees 0.25%
Other expenses 0.12%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(1)  0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 1.08%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(2)  -0.03%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.05%

 

(1)  Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(2)  The Fund’s investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) for the Fund’s Investor Class shares exceeds 1.05% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Investor Class shares. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total annual Fund operating expenses to exceed 1.05%: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.05% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Investor Class $107 $287 $483 $1,048

 

9 

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 33% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in a diversified portfolio consisting primarily of equity securities, such as common stocks of issuers across the capitalization spectrum and identified by the Adviser as having value characteristics.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of such issuers including price to book value ratios and price to earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer’s operating and financial fundamentals, such as return on equity and earnings growth and cash flow. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund based on a continuous study of trends in industries and companies, earnings power and growth and other investment criteria.

 

The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its total assets in non U.S. dollar denominated securities.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public.

 

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain debt securities and preferred stock.

 

The Fund may hedge overall portfolio exposure up to 40% of its net assets through the purchase and sale of index and individual put and call options.

 

In general, the Fund’s investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing less than 25% of its total assets in any one industry.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments.The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

10 

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

11 

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Options Risk. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a “call”) or sell (a “put”) an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may “cover” a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations.

 

Small/Mid-Cap Companies Risk. Investing in securities of companies with micro, small or mid-sized capitalizations tends to be riskier than investing in securities of companies with large capitalizations. Securities of companies with micro, small and mid-sized capitalizations tend to be more volatile than those of large cap companies and, on occasion, may fluctuate in the opposite direction of large cap company securities or the broader stock market averages.

 

The small capitalization equity securities in which the Fund invests may be traded only in the over-the- counter market or on a regional securities exchange, may be listed only in the quotation service commonly known as the “pink sheets,” and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. These securities may also be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. The trading market for any given small capitalization equity security may be sufficiently small as to make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a substantial block of such securities. The sale by the Fund of portfolio securities to meet redemptions may require the Fund to sell its small capitalization securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Adviser’s judgment, such sale is not desirable. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for these securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund’s Investor Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Investor Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

12 

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 13.26% (quarter ended December 31, 2011)
Worst Quarter: -17.62% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Investor Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund      
Return Before Taxes 27.54% 8.75% 11.78%
Return After Taxes on Distributions(1) 26.84% 7.61% 10.75%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 16.79% 6.71% 9.56%
Russell 3000® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 26.26% 8.20% 11.71%

 

(1) After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

13 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser 

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550 

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Manager 

Duilio Ramallo, Senior Portfolio Manager since 2007.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment: $2,500
Minimum Additional Investment: $100

 

You can purchase and redeem Investor Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Investor Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:
Boston Partners All Cap Value Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s
transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

14 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS LONG/SHORT EQUITY FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation while reducing exposure to general equity market risk. The Fund seeks a total return greater than that of the S&P 500® Index over a full market cycle.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Investor Class shares of the Fund.

 

  Investor Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 2.25%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees 0.25%
Other expenses 0.21%
Short Sale Expenses:  
Dividend expense on short sales 0.22%
Interest expense on borrowings 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 2.93%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(1) -0.50%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 2.43%

 

(1) Effective February 28, 2020, the Fund's investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the "Adviser"), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (other than short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for the Fund's Investor Class shares exceeds 2.21% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund's Investor Class shares. Because dividend expenses on short sales, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes are excluded from the expense limitation, Total annual Fund operating expenses (after fee waivers and expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed 2.21%. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 2.21% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. Prior to February 28, 2020, the Fund's Investor Class fee cap was 2.75%.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Investor Class $246 $810 $1,401 $3,001

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 64% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

15 

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund invests in long positions in stocks identified by the Adviser as undervalued and takes short positions in stocks that the Adviser has identified as overvalued. The cash proceeds from short sales will be invested in short-term cash instruments to produce a return on such proceeds just below the federal funds rate. Short sales are considered speculative transactions and a form of leverage. The Fund invests, both long and short, in securities principally traded in the United States markets. The Fund may invest in securities of companies operating for three years or less (“unseasoned issuers”). The Adviser will determine the size of each long or short position by analyzing the tradeoff between the attractiveness of each position and its impact on the risk of the overall portfolio. The Fund seeks to construct a portfolio that has less volatility than the United States equity market generally. The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of such issuers including price-to-book value ratios and price-to-earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer’s operating and financial fundamentals such as return on equity, earnings growth and cash flow. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund based on a continuous study of trends in industries and companies, earnings power and growth and other investment criteria.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

The Fund intends, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Adviser expects that the Fund’s long positions will not exceed approximately 125% of the Fund’s net assets.

 

The Fund’s long and short positions may involve (without limit) equity securities of foreign issuers that are traded in the markets of the United States. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its total assets directly in equity securities of foreign issuers.

 

To meet margin requirements, redemptions or pending investments, the Fund may also temporarily hold a portion of its assets in full faith and credit obligations of the United States government and in short-term notes, commercial paper or other money market instruments.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public.

 

The Fund may invest from time to time a significant portion of its assets in smaller issuers which are more volatile and less liquid than investments in issuers with larger market capitalizations.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

In general, the Fund’s investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing a maximum of 25% of its total assets in any one industry.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, used by corporations and other business organizations. High yield debt obligations are referred to as “junk bonds” and are not considered to be investment grade.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

16 

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices.

 

High Yield Debt Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value. Such high yield debt obligations are referred to as “junk bonds” and are not considered to be investment grade.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

17 

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the Adviser may not be successful in its strategy of taking long positions in stocks the manager believes to be undervalued and short positions in stocks the manager believes to be overvalued. Further, since the Adviser will manage both a long and a short portfolio, there is the risk that the Adviser may make more poor investment decisions than an adviser of a typical stock mutual fund with only a long portfolio may make.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the long portfolio of the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. If the Fund frequently trades its portfolio securities, the Fund will incur higher brokerage commissions and transaction costs, which could lower the Fund’s performance. In addition to lower performance, high portfolio turnover could result in taxable capital gains. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. The annual portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is not expected to exceed 400%; however, it may be higher if the Adviser believes it will improve the Fund’s performance.

 

Segregated Account Risk. A security held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position it is covering is outstanding, unless it is replaced with a similar security. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

Short Sales Risk. Short sales of securities may result in gains if a security’s price declines, but may result in losses if a security’s price rises.

 

Small-Cap Companies Risk. The small capitalization equity securities in which the Fund may invest may be traded only in the over-the-counter market or on a regional securities exchange, may be listed only in the quotation service commonly known as the “pink sheets,” and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. These securities may also be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. The trading market for any given small capitalization equity security may be sufficiently small as to make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a substantial block of such securities. The sale by the Fund of portfolio securities to meet redemptions may require the Fund to sell its small capitalization securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Adviser’s judgment, such sale is not desirable. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for these securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Unseasoned Issuers Risk. Unseasoned issuers may not have an established financial history and may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Unseasoned issuers may depend on a few key personnel for management and may be susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy. As a result, such securities may be more volatile and difficult to sell.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund’s Investor Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Investor Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

18 

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 13.42% (quarter ended December 31, 2010)
Worst Quarter: -9.99% (quarter ended June 30, 2010)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Investor Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods. Although the Fund compares its average total return to a broad-based securities market index, the Fund seeks returns that are not correlated to securities market returns. The Fund seeks to achieve a 12-15% return over a full market cycle; however, there can be no guarantee that such returns will be achieved.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund      
Returns Before Taxes 8.85% 2.54% 6.66%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions(1) 6.19% 1.13% 4.84%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 7.10% 1.89% 5.06%
S&P 500® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 31.49% 11.70% 13.56%

 

(1)  After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In certain cases, the figure representing “Return after Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period, since a higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.

 

19 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser 

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers 

Robert T. Jones, Portfolio Manager since 1995.

Patrick Regan, Portfolio Manager since 2018.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment: $2,500
Minimum Additional Investment: $100

 

You can purchase and redeem Investor Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Investor Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s
transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

20 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS LONG/SHORT RESEARCH FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term total return.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Investor Class shares of the Fund.

 

  Investor Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 1.25%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees 0.25%
Other expenses 0.13%
Short Sale Expenses:  
Dividend expense on short sales 0.77%
Interest expense on borrowings 0.00%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(1)  2.40%

 

(1)  The Fund’s investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to forgo all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total Annual Fund operating expenses (other than short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) exceeds 1.75% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Investor Class shares. Because short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes are excluded from the expense limitation, Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (after fee waivers and expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed 1.75%.This contractual limitation is in effect until at least February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without Board approval. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.75% or the expense cap then in effect, whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Investor Class $243 $698 $1,180 $2,508

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 60% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

21 

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund uses a hedged strategy. The Fund actively invests in long positions in stocks identified by the Adviser as undervalued and takes short positions in stocks that the Adviser has identified as overvalued. The cash proceeds from short sales (i.e. sales of securities the Fund does not own) are invested in short-term cash instruments to produce a return on such proceeds just below the federal funds rate. Short sales are considered speculative transactions and a form of leverage.

 

The Fund invests, both long and short, in equity securities issued by large-, mid- and small (or “micro”)-cap companies, as well as other instruments that are convertible into equity securities. Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, rights, convertible securities, depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), and equity participations. An equity participation is a type of loan that gives the lender a portion of equity ownership in a property, in addition to principal and interest payments. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. The Fund may invest in securities of companies operating for three years or less (“unseasoned issuers”). The Fund may also invest in depository receipts and equity securities of foreign companies (denominated in either U.S. dollars or foreign currencies), put and call options, futures, indexed securities and fixed-income securities (including bonds, notes, asset-backed securities, convertible securities, Eurodollar and Yankee dollar instruments, preferred stocks and money market instruments) and high yield securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”). Fixed income securities in which the Fund invests include those rated between AAA and D by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”), or deemed of comparable quality by the Adviser. The Adviser may also temporarily invest uninvested cash in money market funds and similar collective investment vehicles. The Fund may also seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities.

 

The Adviser determines the size of each long or short position by analyzing the tradeoff between the attractiveness of each position and its impact on the risk of the overall portfolio. The Fund seeks to construct a portfolio that has less volatility than the U.S. equity market by investing less than 100% of its assets in net long positions. Selection of individual securities to be held long or sold short will be based on a mix of quantitative techniques and fundamental security analysis. The Adviser selects stocks on the basis of three criteria: value, fundamental business strength and momentum. The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of such issuers including price-to-book value ratios and price-to-earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer’s operating and financial fundamentals such as return on equity, earnings growth and cash flow. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund based on a continuous study of trends in industries and companies, earnings power and growth and other investment criteria.

 

Although the Fund seeks to follow a hedged strategy, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s portfolio or investments will be insulated from market moves or effectively hedged against risk.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

In general, the Fund’s investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing less than 25% of its total assets in any one industry, except that the Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), and applicable SEC orders.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The principal derivative instruments in which the Fund invests are futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies, options on these futures, forward foreign currency contracts and interest rate or currency swaps. The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

22 

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Currency Risk. Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments, which include futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies, options on these futures, forward foreign currency contracts and interest rate or currency swaps, may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. Exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an Adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

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Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and financial practices.

 

High Yield Debt Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations (of any rating, including defaulted securities and unrated securities), including bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and business organizations. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value. Such high yield debt obligations are referred to as “junk bonds” and are not considered to be investment grade.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. Less liquid securities that the fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

Indexed Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in indexed securities whose value is linked to securities indices. Most such securities have values that rise and fall according to the change in one or more specified indices and may have characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying securities. Depending on the index, such securities may have greater volatility than the market as a whole.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. The Adviser may be incorrect in the stocks it buys and believes to be undervalued and in stocks it sells short and believes to be overvalued. Further, since the Adviser will manage both a long and a short portfolio, there is the risk that the Adviser may make more poor investment decisions than an adviser of a typical stock mutual fund with only a long portfolio.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the long portfolio of the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the price of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. If the Fund frequently trades its portfolio securities, the Fund will incur higher brokerage commissions and transaction costs, which could lower the Fund’s performance. In addition to lower performance, high portfolio turnover could result in taxable capital gains. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. The annual portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is not expected to exceed 300%; however, it may be higher if the Adviser believes it will improve the Fund’s performance.

 

REITs Risk. REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to (i) qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable tax law or (ii) maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.

 

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Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker- dealers. The Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

Short Sales Risk. Short sales of securities may result in gains if a security’s price declines, but may result in losses if a security’s price rises. In a rising market, short positions may be more likely to result in losses because securities sold short may be more likely to increase in value. Short selling also involves the risks of: increased leverage, and its accompanying potential for losses; the potential inability to reacquire a security in a timely manner, or at an acceptable price; the possibility of the lender terminating the loan at any time, forcing the Fund to close the transaction under unfavorable circumstances; the additional costs that may be incurred; and the potential loss of investment flexibility caused by the Fund’s obligations to provide collateral to the lender and set aside assets to cover the open position. Short sales “against the box” may protect the Fund against the risk of losses in the value of a portfolio security because any decline in value of the security should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. Any potential gains in the security, however, would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. Short sales that are not “against the box” involve a form of investment leverage, and the amount of the Fund’s loss on a short sale is potentially unlimited.

 

Small-Cap Companies Risk. The small capitalization equity securities in which the Fund may invest may be traded only in the over-the-counter market or on a regional securities exchange, may be listed only in the quotation service commonly known as the “pink sheets,” and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. These securities may also be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. The trading market for any given small capitalization equity security may be sufficiently small as to make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a substantial block of such securities. The sale by the Fund of portfolio securities to meet redemptions may require the Fund to sell its small capitalization securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Adviser’s judgment, such sale is not desirable. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for these securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Unseasoned Issuers Risk. Unseasoned issuers may not have an established financial history and may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Unseasoned issuers may depend on a few key personnel for management and may be susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy. As a result, such securities may be more volatile and difficult to sell.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund’s Investor Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Investor Class has varied year to year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073. 

 

25 

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 8.29% (quarter ended December 31, 2011)
Worst Quarter: -9.91% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Investor Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and since inception periods to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years Since
Inception
(November 29,
2010
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund      
Returns Before Taxes 12.28% 2.86% 6.24%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions(1) 11.73% 2.32% 5.85%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 7.65% 2.17% 4.98%
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 31.49% 11.70% 13.99%

 

(1)  After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

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Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place 

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550 

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers 

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners, Portfolio Manager since inception of the Fund.
Eric Connerly, Director of Research-Quantitative, Portfolio Manager since inception of the Fund.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 

Minimum Initial Investment: $2,500
Minimum Additional Investment: $100

 

You can purchase and redeem Investor Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Investor Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s
transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information. 

 

27 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS GLOBAL EQUITY FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to provide long-term capital growth.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Investor Class shares of the Fund.

 

  Investor Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 0.90%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees 0.25%
Other expenses 0.13%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(1)  0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 1.29%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement(2)  -0.09%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.20%

 

(1) Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(2) The Fund’s investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) for the Fund’s Investor Class shares exceeds 1.20% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Investor Class shares. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total annual Fund operating expenses to exceed 1.20%: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund’s Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.20% or the expense cap then in effect, or whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses of the Fund remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

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  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Investor Class $122 $348 $591 $1,288

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund’s Institutional Class was 97% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in a non-diversified portfolio of equity and equity-related securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies of any capitalization size. The Fund may invest in all types of equity and equity-related securities, including without limitation exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, options, rights, convertible securities, sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, participatory notes, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies (including exchanged-traded funds (“ETFs”)) and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), and equity participations. An equity participation is a type of loan that gives the lender a portion of equity ownership in a property, in addition to principal and interest payments. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula.

 

The Fund defines non-U.S. companies as companies (i) that are organized under the laws of a foreign country; (ii) whose principal trading market is in a foreign country; or (iii) that have a majority of their assets, or that derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from businesses, investments or sales, outside of the United States. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests significantly (ordinarily at least 40% — unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Adviser, in which case the Fund would invest at least 30%) in non-U.S. companies. The Fund principally will be invested in issuers located in countries with developed securities markets, but may also invest in issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund will allocate its assets among various regions and countries, including the United States (but in no less than three different countries).

 

The Fund generally invests in the equity securities of issuers believed by the Adviser to be undervalued in the marketplace, focusing on issuers that combine attractive valuations with catalysts for change. The Adviser applies a bottom-up stock selection process (i.e., one that focuses primarily on issuer-specific factors) in managing the Fund, using a combination of fundamental and quantitative analysis. In selecting investments for the Fund, the Adviser considers various factors such as price-to-book value, price-to-sales and earnings ratios, dividend yields, strength of management, and cash flow to identify securities that are trading at a price that appears to be lower than the issuer’s inherent value.

 

The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

The Fund may (but is not required to) invest in derivatives, including put and call options, futures, forward contracts and swaps, in lieu of investing directly in a security, currency or instrument, for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

29 

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities (“IPO”).An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public. The Fund may also seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund’s assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objective. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

Currency Risk. Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments, which include futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies, options on these futures, forward foreign currency contracts and interest rate or currency swaps, may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in securities of issuers in developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers.

 

30 

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. Exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees in addition to the Fund’s own expenses.Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers either directly or through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Participatory notes (“P-notes”) are derivative instruments used by investors to take positions in certain foreign securities. P-notes present similar risks to investing directly in such securities and also expose investors to counterparty risk.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

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Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to other funds, the Fund may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of companies. Gains or losses on a single stock may have greater impact on the Fund.

 

Options Risk. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a “call”) or sell (a “put”) an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may “cover” a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations.

 

REITs Risk. REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage fund and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to (i) qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable tax law, or (ii) maintain their exemptions from registrations under the 1940 Act.

 

Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker- dealers. The Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

Small/Mid-Cap Companies Risk. Investing in securities of companies with micro, small or mid-sized capitalizations tends to be riskier than investing in securities of companies with large capitalizations. Securities of companies with micro, small and mid-sized capitalizations tend to be more volatile than those of large cap companies and, on occasion, may fluctuate in the opposite direction of large cap company securities or the broader stock market averages.

 

The small capitalization equity securities in which the Fund invests may be traded only in the over-the- counter market or on a regional securities exchange, may be listed only in the quotation service commonly known as the “pink sheets,” and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. These securities may also be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. The trading market for any given small capitalization equity security may be sufficiently small as to make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a substantial block of such securities. Redemptions may require the Fund to sell its small capitalization securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Adviser’s judgment, such sale is not desirable. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for these securities may make them difficult to value.

 

32 

 

Performance Information

 

As of the date of this Prospectus, the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund’s Investor Class has not yet commenced operations. The bar chart and table below illustrate the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class, which is offered in a separate Prospectus. Had the Investor Class been operational during the periods in the chart and table below, it would have had substantially similar annual returns as the Institutional Class because the Investor Class is invested in the same portfolio of securities. Annual returns would differ only to the extent that the Investor Class and Institutional Class do not have the same expenses. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risk of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 11.70% (quarter ended March 31, 2012)
Worst Quarter: -14.86% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund’s Institutional Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and since inception periods to the average annual total returns of broad-based securities market indices for the same periods.

 

33 

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years Since
Inception
(December 30,
2011
Boston Partners Global Equity Fund - Institutional Class      
Return Before Taxes 18.77% 6.31% 10.15%
Return After Taxes on Distributions(1) 18.37% 5.60% 9.37%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares 11.39% 4.85% 8.10%
MSCI World Index - Net Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2) 27.67% 8.74% 11.21%
MSCI World Index - Gross Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2) 28.40% 9.36% 11.85%

 

(1)  After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

(2) Effective August 31, 2019, the Fund changed its primary index from the MSCI World Index - Gross Return to the MSCI World Index - Net Return. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place 

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers

Christopher K. Hart, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception.
Joshua Jones, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2013.
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners, Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception and oversees both the team and the strategy.

Joshua White, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2018.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment: $2,500
Minimum Additional Investment: $100

 

You can purchase and redeem Investor Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Investor Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:
Boston Partners Global Equity Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s
transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

34 

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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SUMMARY SECTION — BOSTON PARTNERS GLOBAL LONG/SHORT FUND

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Investor Class shares of the Fund.

 

  Investor Class
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management fees 1.50%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees 0.25%
Other expenses 0.14%
Short sale expenses:  
Dividend expense on short sales 0.83%
Interest expense on borrowings 0.00%
Acquired fund fees and expenses(1) 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(2) 2.73%

 

(1) Acquired fund fees and expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total annual Fund operating expenses and Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

(2) The Fund's investment adviser, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the "Adviser"), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the amount by which the Total annual Fund operating expenses (other than short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for the Fund's Investor Class shares exceeds 2.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to the Fund's Investor Class shares. Because dividend expenses on short sales, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes are excluded from the expense limitation, Total annual Fund operating expenses (after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed 2.25%. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. If at any time the Fund's Total annual Fund operating expenses (not including short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 2.25% or the expense cap then in effect, or whichever is less, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and Fund operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns might be different, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Investor Class $276 $798 $1,346 $2,841

 

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Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was 99% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund invests in long positions in stocks identified by the Adviser as undervalued and takes short positions in stocks that the Adviser has identified as overvalued. The cash proceeds from short sales will be invested in short-term cash instruments to produce a return on such proceeds just below the federal funds rate. Short sales are considered speculative transactions and a form of leverage The Fund invests, both long and short, in securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies of any capitalization size.

 

With a long position, the Fund purchases a stock outright; with a short position, the Fund sells a security that it does not own and must borrow to meet its settlement obligations. The Fund may invest in securities of companies operating for three years or less ("unseasoned issuers"). The Adviser will determine the size of each long or short position by analyzing the tradeoff between the attractiveness of each position and its impact on the risk of the overall portfolio. The Adviser examines various factors in determining the value characteristics of such issuers including price-to-book value ratios and price-to-earnings ratios. These value characteristics are examined in the context of the issuer's operating and financial fundamentals, including return on equity, earnings growth and cash flow. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund based on a continuous study of trends in industries and companies, earnings power and growth and other investment criteria.

 

The Fund may invest in all types of equity and equity-related securities, including without limitation exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, options, rights, convertible securities, sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies (including exchanged-traded funds ("ETFs")), real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and equity participations. An equity participation is a type of loan that gives the lender a portion of equity ownership in a property, in addition to principal and interest payments. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula.

 

The Fund defines non-U.S. companies as companies (i) that are organized under the laws of a foreign country; (ii) whose principal trading market is in a foreign country; or (iii) that have a majority of their assets, or that derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from businesses, investments or sales, outside of the United States. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests significantly (ordinarily at least 40% — unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Adviser, in which case the Fund would invest at least 30%) in non-U.S. companies. The Fund principally will be invested in issuers located in countries with developed securities markets, but may also invest in issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund will allocate its assets among various regions and countries, including the United States (but in no less than three different countries).

 

The Fund's portfolio is rebalanced regularly. The Adviser assesses each investment's changing characteristics relative to its contribution to portfolio risk. The Adviser will sell an investment held long or close out a short position that the Adviser believes no longer offers an appropriate return-to-risk tradeoff.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Adviser expects to sell securities short so that the Fund's portfolio is approximately 50% net long with an average of between 30% and 70% net long.

 

To meet margin requirements, redemptions or pending investments, the Fund may also temporarily hold a portion of its assets in full faith and credit obligations of the United States government and in short-term notes, commercial paper or other money market instruments.

 

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The Adviser will sell a stock when it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation established at purchase, which the Adviser constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.

 

The Fund may participate as a purchaser in initial public offerings of securities ("IPO"). An IPO is a company's first offering of stock to the public.

 

The Fund may invest from time to time a significant portion of its assets in smaller issuers which are more volatile and less liquid than investments in issuers with larger market capitalizations.

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

 

In general, the Fund's investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the Fund is limited to investing a maximum of 25% of its total assets in any one industry. The Fund is non-diversified and may invest in fewer securities at any one time than a diversified fund.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, used by U.S. and foreign corporations and other business organizations (e.g. trusts or limited liability companies). Such high yield debt obligations are not considered to be investment grade. Non-investment grade fixed income securities (commonly known as "junk bonds") are rated BB or lower by S&P Global, or have a comparable rating by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (or, if unrated are determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of investment). The Fund may invest in securities of the lowest rating category, including securities in default. The Adviser may, but is not required to, sell a bond or note held by the Fund in the event that its credit rating is downgraded.

 

The Fund may (but is not required to) invest in derivatives, including put and call options, futures, forward contracts and swaps, in lieu of investing directly in a security, currency or instrument, for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

While the Adviser intends to fully invest the Fund's assets at all times in accordance with the above-mentioned policies, the Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets, as a temporary defensive measure, in cash and eligible U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments and make investments inconsistent with its investment objectives. The Adviser will determine when market conditions warrant temporary defensive measures.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund's principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.  Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

Currency Risk. Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

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Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund's investments in derivative instruments, which include futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies, options on these futures, forward foreign currency contracts and interest rate or currency swaps, may be leveraged and result in losses exceeding the amounts invested.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Investment in emerging market securities involves greater risk than that associated with investment in securities of issuers in developed foreign countries. These risks include volatile currency exchange rates, periods of high inflation, increased risk of default, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, less governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets, weaker auditing and financial reporting standards, lack of liquidity in the markets, and the significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging market issuers.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. Exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund's own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the "ask" price quoted by a seller and the "bid" price offered by a buyer.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers either directly or through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Participatory notes ("P-notes") are derivative instruments used by investors to take positions in certain foreign securities. P-notes present similar risks to investing directly in such securities and also expose investors to counterparty risk.

 

39

 

High Yield Debt Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value. Such high yield debt obligations are referred to as "junk bonds" and are not considered to be investment grade.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Investing in illiquid securities is subject to certain risks, such as limitations on resale and uncertainty in determining valuation. Limitations on resale may adversely affect the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might, in order to dispose of restricted securities, have to register securities resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of such securities. Less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund's ability to buy or sell such securities.

 

IPO Risk. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund's asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund's performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund's assets grow, the effect of the Fund's investments in IPOs on the Fund's performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund's performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund's portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the Adviser may not be successful in its strategy of taking long positions in stocks the manager believes to be undervalued and short positions in stocks the manager believes to be overvalued. Further, since the Adviser will manage both a long and a short portfolio, there is the risk that the Adviser may make more poor investment decisions than an adviser of a typical stock mutual fund with only a long portfolio may make.

 

Market Risk. The net asset value ("NAV") of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the long portfolio of the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the prices of these stocks will not move even lower.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to other funds, the Fund may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of companies. Gains or losses on a single stock may have greater impact on the Fund.

 

Options Risk. An option is a type of derivative instrument that gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to buy (a "call") or sell (a "put") an asset in the near future at an agreed upon price prior to the expiration date of the option. The Fund may "cover" a call option by owning the security underlying the option or through other means. The value of options can be highly volatile, and their use can result in loss if the Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of price fluctuations. Losses incurred by the Fund in writing options can be potentially unlimited.

 

40

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. If the Fund frequently trades its portfolio securities, the Fund will incur higher brokerage commissions and transaction costs, which could lower the Fund's performance. In addition to lower performance, high portfolio turnover could result in taxable capital gains. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. The annual portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is not expected to exceed 400%; however, it may be higher if the Adviser believes it will improve the Fund's performance.

 

REITs Risk. REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to (i) qualify for favorable tax treatment under applicable tax law or (ii) maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.

 

Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker-dealers. The Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

Short Sales Risk. Short sales of securities may result in gains if a security's price declines, but may result in losses if a security's price rises. In a rising market, short positions may be more likely to result in losses because securities sold short may be more likely to increase in value. Short selling also involves the risks of: increased leverage, and its accompanying potential for losses; the potential inability to reacquire a security in a timely manner, or at an acceptable price; the possibility of the lender terminating the loan at any time, forcing the Fund to close the transaction under unfavorable circumstances; the additional costs that may be incurred; and the potential loss of investment flexibility caused by the Fund's obligations to provide collateral to the lender and set aside assets to cover the open position. Short sales "against the box" may protect the Fund against the risk of losses in the value of a portfolio security because any decline in value of the security should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. Any potential gains in the security, however, would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. Short sales that are not "against the box" involve a form of investment leverage, and the amount of the Fund's loss on a short sale is potentially unlimited. The use of short sales may cause the Fund to have higher expenses than those of other equity mutual funds because of higher transaction costs, premiums, interest or dividends payable to the lender.

 

Segregated Account Risk. A security held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position it is covering is outstanding, unless it is replaced with a similar security. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund's assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund's ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

Small-Cap Companies Risk. The small capitalization equity securities in which the Fund may invest may be traded only in the over-the-counter market or on a regional securities exchange, may be listed only in the quotation service commonly known as the "pink sheets," and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. These securities may also be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. The trading market for any given small capitalization equity security may be sufficiently small as to make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a substantial block of such securities. The sale by the Fund of portfolio securities to meet redemptions may require the Fund to sell its small capitalization securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Adviser's judgment, such sale is not desirable. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for these securities may make them difficult to value.

 

41

 

Unseasoned Issuers Risk. Unseasoned issuers may not have an established financial history and may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Unseasoned issuers may depend on a few key personnel for management and may be susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy. As a result, such securities may be more volatile and difficult to sell.

 

Performance Information

 

The bar chart and table below illustrate the long-term performance of the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund's Investor Class. The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Investor Class has varied year to year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund's performance would be reduced. Updated performance information is available at www.boston-partners.com or 1-888-261-4073.

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

  

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 4.01% (quarter ended June 30, 2015)
Worst Quarter: -7.65% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund's Investor Class both before and after taxes for the past calendar year, past five calendar years and since inception periods to the average annual total returns of broad-based securities market indices for the same periods.

 

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  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended
December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years Since
Inception
(April 11,
2014)
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund      
Returns Before Taxes 4.27% 1.91% 2.15%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions(1) 4.03% 1.74% 2.00%
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares 2.69% 1.46% 1.65%
MSCI World Index - Net Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2) 27.67% 8.74% 8.66%
MSCI World Index - Gross Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (2) 28.40% 9.36% 9.26%

 

(1) After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

(2) Effective August 31, 2019, the Fund changed its primary index from the MSCI World Index - Gross Return to the MSCI World Index - Net Return. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
One Grand Central Place

60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550

New York, NY 10165

 

Portfolio Managers

Christopher K. Hart, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception.
Joshua Jones, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2013.
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners, Portfolio Manager of the Fund since inception and oversees both the team and the strategy.

Joshua White, a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2018.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment: $2,500
Minimum Additional Investment: $100

 

You can purchase and redeem Investor Class shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange is open. Investor Class shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, "Service Organizations"). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:  
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund  
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services  
P.O. Box 701  
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701
Purchase and Redemption By Wire:  
Request routing instructions by calling the Fund's
transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073.

 

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Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

 

44

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS' INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

 

 

Each of Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II, Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund (collectively referred to as the "Boston Partners Investment Funds" or the "Funds") is a series of the Company, a Maryland Corporation. This section provides some additional information about the Funds' investments and certain portfolio management techniques that certain Funds may use. More information about the Funds' investments and portfolio management techniques, some of which entail risks, is included in the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI").

 

Investment Objectives

 

The Funds' investment objectives may be changed by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company without shareholder approval. Shareholders will, however, receive 60 days' prior notice of any changes. Any such changes may result in the Funds having investment objectives different from the objectives that the shareholder considered appropriate at the time of investment in the Funds.

 

Additional Information About the Funds' Principal Investments and Risks

 

Cyber Security Issues. With the increased use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business, the Fund (and its Subsidiary, if applicable) is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Fund's Adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountant, custodian, transfer agent and administrator), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund's ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Adviser has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

Derivative Contracts. Each of the Funds, except for the Boston Partners Small Cap Value II Fund, may, but need not, use derivative contracts for any of the following purposes:

 

To seek to hedge against the possible adverse impact of changes in stock market prices, currency exchange rates or interest rates in the market value of its securities or securities to be purchased; or

 

As a substitute for buying or selling currencies or securities.

 

The Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund may, but need not, use derivative contracts for the following purpose:

 

To seek to enhance the Fund's return in non-hedging situations.

 

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Derivative contracts in which the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund may invest include: futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies; options on these futures; forward foreign currency contracts; and interest rate, total return or currency swaps. The Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund may use derivative contracts involving foreign currencies. A derivative contract will obligate or entitle a Fund to deliver or receive an asset or cash payment that is based on the change in value of one or more securities, currencies or indices. Even a small investment in derivative contracts can have a big impact on a Fund's stock market, currency and interest rate exposure. Therefore, using derivatives can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when stock prices, currency rates or interest rates are changing. A Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on derivatives if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund's holdings. The other parties to certain derivative contracts present the same types of default risk as issuers of fixed income securities in that the counterparty may default on its payment obligations or become insolvent. Derivatives can also make a Fund less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets.

 

Equity and Equity-Related Securities. Each of the Funds may invest in all types of equity securities. Equity securities include exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, rights, convertible securities, depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, shares of other investment companies and REITs, and equity participations. Investments in equity securities and equity derivatives in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. Common stocks may decline over short or even extended periods of time. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right's or warrant's expiration. The value of such securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. State law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded to investors in a limited partnership than investors in a corporation. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which a mutual fund invests will cause the Fund's NAV to fluctuate. The number of issuers in the Funds' portfolios will vary over time.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Each Fund may invest in ETFs to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC orders. ETFs are registered investment companies whose shares are listed and traded on U.S. stock exchanges or otherwise traded in the over-the-counter market. In general, ETFs seek to track a specified securities index or a basket of securities that an "index provider," such as S&P Global, selects as representative of a market, market segment or industry sector. An ETF portfolio generally holds the same stocks or bonds as the index it tracks or it may hold a representative sample of such securities. Thus, an ETF is typically designed so that its performance will correspond closely with that of the index it tracks. In some cases, an ETF may be actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection, and the individual investments in an actively-managed ETF may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expected, and/or the actively-managed ETF's portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result. As a shareholder in an ETF, the Fund will bear its pro rata portion of an ETF's expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to its own expenses.

 

The market for an ETF’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares. An ETF’s market price may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. An active trading market for shares of the ETF may not develop or be maintained. In times of market stress, market makers or authorized participants may step away from their respective roles in making a market in shares of the ETF and in executing purchase or redemption orders, which could also lead to variances between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares. Certain ETFs or closed-end funds traded on exchanges may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the "ask" price quoted by a seller and the "bid" price offered by a buyer.

 

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Fixed Income Investments. The Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund may each invest a portion of its assets in fixed income securities. Fixed income investments include bonds, notes (including structured notes), asset-backed securities, convertible securities, Eurodollar and Yankee dollar instruments, preferred stocks and money market instruments. Fixed income securities may be issued by corporate and governmental issuers and may have all types of interest rate payment and reset terms, including (without limitation) fixed rate, adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment-in-kind and auction rate features.

 

The credit quality of securities held in a Fund's portfolio is determined at the time of investment. If a security is rated differently by multiple ratings organizations, a Fund treats the security as being rated in the higher rating category. A Fund may choose not to sell securities that are downgraded below the Fund's minimum accepted credit rating after their purchase. Periods of rising interest rates may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets.

 

Foreign Securities. Each of the Funds may invest in securities of foreign issuers that are traded or denominated in U.S. dollars (including equity securities of foreign issuers trading in U.S. markets) directly or through American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") or International Depositary Receipts ("IDRs"). Depositary receipts may be available through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depository, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depository without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders.

 

In addition, the Funds may also invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and in multinational currencies such as the Euro. The Funds will value their securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. Investments in securities of foreign issuers and securities denominated in foreign currencies involve special risks. These include possible political and economic instability and the possible imposition of exchange controls or other restrictions on investments. Changes in foreign currency rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of a Fund's assets denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Emerging market investments offer the potential for significant gains but also involve greater risks than investing in more developed countries. Political or economic instability, lack of market liquidity and government actions such as currency controls or seizure of private business or property may be more likely in emerging markets.

 

The Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund will normally invest a significant portion of their assets in the equity securities and equity-related instruments issued by non-U.S. companies. The Funds may invest in securities denominated in the currencies of a variety of developed, emerging and frontier market countries. Unless hedged, currency fluctuations may have a material impact on the performance of a portfolio of non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities and such a portfolio may experience a decline or increase in value, in U.S. dollar terms, due to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Adviser may, from time to time, but is not required to, hedge foreign currency exposure in the Funds' portfolios. Further, the Funds may also from time to time enter into speculative currency positions independent of other positions in the Funds' portfolios.

 

The Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund may also invest in participatory notes. Participatory notes (commonly known as "P-notes") are equity access products structured as debt obligations and used by investors to take positions in certain foreign securities. P-notes are generally issued by the associates of foreign-based foreign brokerages and domestic institutional brokerages. P-notes represent interests in securities listed on certain foreign exchanges, and thus present similar risks to investing directly in such securities. P-notes also expose investors to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the entity issuing the note may not be able to honor its financial commitments.

 

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Interest Rate Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Credit Default Swaps and Options on Swaps. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, and the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments.

 

Total return swaps are contracts that obligate one party to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference during a specified period of time. The underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities or a non-asset reference such as a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference.

 

Credit default swaps are contracts whereby one party makes periodic payments to a counterparty in exchange for the right to receive from the counterparty a payment equal to the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation in the event of a default by the issuer of the debt obligation.

 

Options on swaps ("swaptions") are options to enter into a swap agreement. The Funds may also purchase and write (sell) swaptions. Like other types of options, the buyer of a swaption pays a non-refundable premium for the option and obtains the right, but not the obligation, to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. The seller of a swaption, in exchange for the premium, becomes obligated (if the option is exercised) to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms.

 

The Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, and the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund may enter into the transactions described above for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return (which is considered a speculative activity). The use of swaps and swaptions is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values and interest rates, the investment performance of the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, and the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment techniques were not used.

 

Large Shareholder Transactions Risk. Each of the Funds may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of a Fund. Such large shareholder redemptions may cause a Fund to sell its securities at times it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact its liquidity. In addition, large redemptions could lead to an increase in a Fund’s expense ratio due to a smaller asset base. However, this risk may be limited to the extent that the Adviser and a Fund have entered into a fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement. Large Fund share purchases may adversely affect a Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.

 

LIBOR Risk. Many financial instruments may be tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate, or “LIBOR,” to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies, or investment value. LIBOR is the offered rate for short-term Eurodollar deposits between major international banks. On July 27, 2017, the head of the UK Financial Conduct Authority announced a desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. Regulators and industry working groups have suggested alternative reference rates, but global consensus is lacking and the process for amending existing contracts or instruments to transition away from LIBOR remains unclear. There also remains uncertainty and risk regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to include enhanced provisions in new and existing contracts or instruments. As such, the transition away from LIBOR may lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets that are tied to LIBOR, reduced values of LIBOR-related investments, and reduced effectiveness of hedging strategies, adversely affecting the Funds’ performance or NAV. In addition, the alternative reference rate may be an ineffective substitute resulting in prolonged adverse market conditions for the Funds.

 

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Liquidity Risk. A Fund may be subject to liquidity risk primarily due to investments in derivatives. Each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments or instruments. Derivatives, such as swaps, options and warrants, may not be readily marketable and, therefore, may be deemed to be illiquid. An illiquid investment is an investment that a Fund reasonably expects can not be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Investments in illiquid assets involve the risk that a Fund may be unable to sell the asset or sell it at a reasonable price. In addition, a Fund may be required to liquidate positions or close out derivatives on unfavorable terms at a time contrary to the interests of the Fund in order to raise cash to pay redemptions.

 

Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act (the "Liquidity Rule"), the Company has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to the rule. If the limitation on illiquid securities is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the Board and, when required by the Liquidity Rule, to the SEC.

 

The Adviser will monitor the liquidity of restricted securities in a Fund under the supervision of the Board. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

An investment in derivatives is also subject to the risk that a Fund may not be able to terminate the derivatives effective on whatever date it chooses, or that the settlement of any early termination may depend on subsequent market movements. As a result, a Fund may be exposed to the risk of additional losses due to such delays.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. Each of the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund are a non-diversified investment company, which means that more of the Fund's assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than could be invested in the securities of a single issuer by a diversified investment company. This may make the value of the Funds' shares more susceptible to certain risks than shares of a diversified investment company. As a non-diversified fund, the Funds have a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

 

Other Investment Companies. Each of the Funds may invest up to 10% of its total assets in the securities of other investment companies not affiliated with the Adviser, but may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one investment company or acquire more than 3% of the voting securities of any other investment company. Each Fund may rely on SEC orders that permit it to invest in certain ETFs beyond these limits, subject to certain terms and conditions. Among other things, the Funds may invest in money market mutual funds for cash management purposes by "sweeping" excess cash balances into such funds until the cash is invested or otherwise utilized. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by investment companies in which it invests in addition to the advisory and administration fees paid by the Fund.

 

Portfolio Concentration. Under normal market conditions, the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund portfolios will generally be diversified by country and geographic region.

 

Portfolio Turnover. Each of the Funds may engage in active and frequent trading, resulting in high portfolio turnover. This may lead to the realization and distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains, increasing their tax liability. Frequent trading may also increase transaction costs, which could detract from the Funds' performance.

 

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Securities Lending. Each Fund may seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker-dealers. Portfolio security loans are secured continuously by collateral maintained on a current basis at an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. The value of the securities loaned by a Fund will not exceed 331/3% of the value of the Fund's total assets. A Fund may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the Fund.

 

Short Sales. The Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund will engage in short sales and the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund may engage in short sales — including those that are not "against the box," which means that each Fund may make short sales where the Fund does not currently own or have the right to acquire, at no added cost, securities identical to those sold short — in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. In a typical short sale, the Funds borrow from a broker a security in order to sell the security to a third party. The Funds are then obligated to return a security of the same issuer and quantity at some future date. The Funds realize a loss to the extent the security increases in value or a profit to the extent the security declines in value (after taking into account any associated costs). Short sales "against the box" may protect the Funds against the risk of losses in the value of a portfolio security because any decline in value of the security should be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding gain in the short position. Any potential gains in the security, however, would be wholly or partially offset by a corresponding loss in the short position. Short sales that are not "against the box" involve a form of investment leverage, and the amount of each Fund's loss on a short sale is potentially unlimited.

 

Temporary Investments. Each of the Funds may depart from its principal investment strategy in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by taking a temporary defensive position (up to 100% of its assets) in all types of money market and short-term debt securities. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable for a time to achieve its investment objective.

 

Broad-Based Securities Market Indices

 

The MSCI EAFE Index (Europe, Australasia, Far East) is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the US & Canada.

 

The MSCI World Index - Net Return is a subset of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index that reflects the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. The MSCI World Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets.

 

The Russell 2000® Value Index is an unmanaged index that contains stocks from the Russell 2000® Index with less than average growth orientation. Companies in this index generally have low price-to-book and price-to- earnings ratios, higher dividend yields and lower forecasted growth values. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index is $666 million and the largest stock is $6.7 billion. Please note that this range is as of a particular point in time and is subject to change. The Russell 2000® Value Index is a registered trademark of the Frank Russell Corporation.

 

The Russell 3000® Value Index is an unmanaged index that measures the performance of those Russell 3000® Index companies that typically display lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The stocks in this index are also members of either the Russell 1000® Value or the Russell 2000® Value indices. The Russell 3000® Index measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization, which represents approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 3000® Value Index is $1.6 billion and the largest stock is $540.4 billion. Please note that this range is as of a particular point in time and is subject to change. The Russell 3000® Value Index is a registered trademark of the Frank Russell Corporation.

 

The S&P 500® Index is an unmanaged index composed of 500 common stocks, classified in eleven industry sectors, which represent approximately 75% of the U.S. equities market. The S&P 500® Index assigns relative values to the stocks included in the index, weighted according to each stock's total market value relative to the total market value of the other stocks included in the index.

 

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Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

The complete portfolio holdings (or long positions only with respect to the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund) of each of the Funds are publicly available on the Adviser's website at www.boston-partners.com as of the end of each calendar month, 5 business days following the month end. Any postings will remain available on the website at least until the Funds file with the SEC their semi-annual or annual shareholder report or quarterly portfolio holdings report that includes such period. A further description of the Company's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds' portfolio securities is available in the Funds' SAI.

 

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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

 

 

Investment Adviser

 

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. provides investment management and investment advisory services to investment companies and other institutional and proprietary accounts.

 

Subject to the general supervision of the Board, the Adviser manages the Funds' portfolios and is responsible for the selection and management of all portfolio investments of the Funds in accordance with the Funds' respective investment objectives and policies.

 

The Adviser, located at One Grand Central Place, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550, New York, NY10165, is a subsidiary of Orix Corporation Europe N.V. (formerly Robeco Groep N.V.), a Dutch public limited liability company ("ORIX Europe"). Founded in 1929, ORIX Europe is one of the world’s oldest asset management organizations. ORIX Europe is owned by ORIX Corporation, an integrated financial services group based in Tokyo, Japan.

 

For its services to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to receive a monthly advisory fee under the advisory agreement computed at an annual rate of 2.25% of the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund's average daily net assets, 0.95%, of the Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II's average daily net assets, 0.70% of the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund's average daily net assets, 1.25% of the Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund's average daily net assets, 0.90% of the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund's average daily net assets, and 1.50% of the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund's average daily net assets. Prior to October 1, 2019, the Small Cap Value Fund II's advisory fee was 1.00%.

 

Until February 28, 2021, the Adviser has agreed to waive its fees to the extent necessary to maintain an annualized expense ratio for the Investor Class shareholders of Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, the Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, the Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, and the Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II of 2.21%, 1.05%, 1.75%, 1.20%, 2.25%, and 1.35% (excluding certain items discussed below), respectively. Prior to February 28, 2020, the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund's fee cap was 2.75%. In determining the Adviser's obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause a Fund's net annualized expense ratio to exceed the applicable expense limitation: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will continue such waivers for the Funds after February 28, 2021.

 

If at any time a Fund's Total annual Fund operating expenses for a year are less than the Fund's respective expense limitation (as noted above), the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of waiver or reimbursement.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Funds’ advisory agreement with the Adviser is available in the Funds' annual report to shareholders dated August 31, 2019.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The investment results for different strategies of the Adviser are not solely dependent on any one individual. There is a common philosophy and approach that is the backdrop for all of the investment strategies of the Adviser. This philosophy is then executed through a very disciplined investment process managed by the designated portfolio manager for each of the strategies. This manager will be supported, not only by a secondary manager, but by the Adviser's general research staff and, very often, by dedicated analysts to the particular strategy.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers' ownership of shares in the Funds.

 

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Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II

 

David M. Dabora is the primary portfolio manager for the Fund and George Gumpert is the secondary portfolio manager.

 

Mr. Dabora is a senior portfolio manager of the Adviser responsible for the Boston Partners Small Cap Value, Small Cap Value II, and Small/Mid Cap Value portfolios. Mr. Dabora joined the firm in 1995. Prior to taking on day-to-day responsibilities for the Small Cap Value Fund II, Mr. Dabora was an assistant portfolio manager of the premium equity product of the Adviser, an all-cap value institutional product. Additionally, he was a research analyst with responsibility for a wide variety of industries. Mr. Dabora holds a B.S. degree in business administration from Pennsylvania State University and an M.B.A. degree from The Anderson School of Management at the University of California at Los Angeles. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of San Francisco and has over 32 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Gumpert is a portfolio manager for the Boston Partners Small Cap Value products. Previously, he was a research analyst and specialized in the small capitalization sectors of the equity market. He joined the firm in 2000 from AIG International Asset Management where he was a commodities analyst. Mr. Gumpert holds a B.A. degree in economics from Amherst College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has over 20 years of investment experience.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid 0.93% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund

 

Duilio Ramallo is the primary portfolio manager for the Fund.

 

Mr. Ramallo is a senior portfolio manager of the Adviser. He is responsible for managing the Boston Partners Premium Equity portfolios. Prior to assuming this role, he was the assistant portfolio fund manager for the Boston Partners Small Cap Value portfolios and a research analyst. Mr. Ramallo joined the firm in 1995. He joined the firm from Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he spent three years, most recently in the Los Angeles office. He holds a B.A. degree in economics/business from the University of California, Los Angeles and an M.B.A. degree from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. Mr. Ramallo holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He has over 24 years of investment experience.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid 0.68% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund

 

Robert T. Jones and Patrick Regan, CFA, serve as portfolio managers for the Fund.

 

Mr. Jones is a portfolio manager for Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund and related strategy. Previously, he was the Director of Research and portfolio manager for the Large Cap Value and Large Cap Value Focused products. He was a founding Partner of Boston Partners Asset Management. He joined the firm from The Boston Company Asset Management, Inc. where he spent seven years as Vice President and equity portfolio manager. Mr. Jones holds a B.A. degree in philosophy from Denison University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has over 31 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Regan is a portfolio manager for the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund. Prior to this role, he was a long/short generalist with Boston Partners specializing in fundamental research of stocks held in Boston Partners’ Long/Short Equity products. He rejoined the firm after spending nearly six years with Westfield Capital, where he managed the financial sector sleeves of Westfield Capital’s small, small/mid, mid, large and all cap funds. He was also a voting member on the Westfield Investment Committee.  Before that, Mr. Regan was a research analyst with Boston Partners Asset Management for ten years, where he covered numerous market sectors, including the financial, consumer, and software sectors.  He began his post-graduate career at Broadview International, LLC, where he was an associate specializing in technology mergers and acquisitions.  Mr. Regan holds a B.A. degree in economics from Colby College, and an M.B.A. degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He has over 24 years of industry experience.

 

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For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid 2.24% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund

 

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. and Eric S. Connerly serve as portfolio managers for the Fund.

 

Mr. Feeney is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer for Boston Partners. He is responsible for the firm's strategic, financial and operating decisions, and all aspects of investment management including the firm's fundamental and quantitative research groups. He was one of the original partners of Boston Partners Asset Management in 1995. Prior to assuming these roles, he was Director of Research. Mr. Feeney joined the firm upon its inception in 1995 from Putnam Investments where he managed mortgage-backed securities portfolios. He began his career at the Bank of Boston where he was a loan officer specializing on highly leveraged loan portfolios. Mr. Feeney holds a B.S. degree in finance (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. with High Honors from the University of Chicago. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is past President of the Fixed Income Management Society of Boston. He has over 34 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Connerly is the Director of Research-Quantitative for Boston Partners. Prior to assuming this role, he was a research analyst covering the financial, electronics, defense, transportation, and energy sectors and managed a merger arbitrage portfolio. He joined the firm from John Hancock Mutual Funds where he was an analyst and assisted in the management of a small cap portfolio. Prior to that, he was a senior equity analyst at SEI Investments overseeing their small cap equity portfolios. Mr. Connerly holds a BSFS degree cum laude in development economics from Georgetown University and an MBA degree in security analysis and investment management, Beta Gamma Sigma, from Columbia Business School. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has over 26 years of experience.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid 1.25% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund

 

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr., Christopher K. Hart, Joshua Jones and Joshua White serve as portfolio managers for each Fund.

 

Mr. Feeney is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners. He is responsible for the firm's strategic, financial and operating decisions, and all aspects of investment management including the firm's fundamental and quantitative research groups. He was one of the original partners of Boston Partners Asset Management in 1995. Prior to assuming these roles, he was Director of Research. Mr. Feeney joined the firm upon its inception in 1995 from Putnam Investments where he managed mortgage-backed securities portfolios. He began his career at the Bank of Boston where he was a loan officer specializing on highly leveraged loan portfolios. Mr. Feeney holds a B.S. degree in finance (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. with High Honors from the University of Chicago. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is past President of the Fixed Income Management Society of Boston. He has over 34 years of investment experience.

 

Mr. Hart is an equity portfolio manager for each Fund. Prior thereto, he was an assistant portfolio manager for the Boston Partners Small Cap Value products for three years. Before that, he was a research analyst and specialized in conglomerates, engineering and construction, building, machinery, aerospace & defense, and REITs sectors of the equity market. He joined the firm from Fidelity Investments where he was a research analyst. Mr. Hart holds a B.S. degree in finance, with a concentration in corporate finance from Clemson University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has over 28 years of investment experience.

 

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Mr. Jones is a portfolio manager of each Fund and also has research responsibilities for the the Adviser's Boston Partners investment team, specializing in the energy, metals and mining sectors of the equity market and is a global generalist. Mr. Jones has been with Boston Partners since 2006. He joined the firm from Cambridge Associates where he was a consulting associate specializing in hedge fund clients. Mr. Jones holds a B.A. degree in economics from Bowdoin College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has over 14 years of professional experience.

 

Mr. White is a portfolio manager for the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund. Prior to this role, he was an equity analyst with Boston Partners serving as a global generalist.  Mr. White holds a B.A. degree in mathematics from Middlebury College.  He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and has over 13 years of industry experience.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund paid 0.81% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund paid 1.50% (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) to the Adviser for its services.

 

Marketing Arrangements

 

The Adviser or its affiliates may pay additional compensation, out of profits derived from the Adviser's management fee and not as an additional charge to the Funds managed by the Adviser, to certain financial institutions (which may include banks, securities dealers and other industry professionals) for the sale and/or distribution of Fund shares or the retention and/or servicing of Fund investors and Fund shares ("revenue sharing"). These payments are in addition to any distribution or servicing fees payable under a 12b-1 distribution and/or service plan of the Funds, any record keeping or sub-transfer agency fees payable by the Funds, or other fees described in the fee table or elsewhere in the Prospectus or SAI. Examples of "revenue sharing" payments include, but are not limited to, payment to financial institutions for "shelf space" or access to a third party platform or fund offering list or other marketing programs, including, but not limited to, inclusion of the Funds on preferred or recommended sales lists, mutual fund "supermarket" platforms and other formal sales programs; granting the Adviser access to the financial institution's sales force; conferences and meetings; assistance in training and educating the financial institution's personnel; and obtaining other forms of marketing support. The level of revenue sharing payments made to financial institutions may be a fixed fee or based upon one or more of the following factors: gross sales, current assets and/or number of accounts of the Funds attributable to the financial institution, or other factors as agreed to by the Adviser and the financial institution or any combination thereof. The amount of these revenue sharing payments is determined at the discretion of the Adviser from time to time, may be substantial, and may be different for different financial institutions depending upon the services provided by the financial institution. Such payments may provide an incentive for the financial institution to make shares of the Funds available to its customers and may allow the Funds greater access to the financial institution's customers.

 

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Other Service Providers. The following chart shows the Funds' service providers and includes their addresses and principal activities.

 

 

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SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

 

Pricing of Fund Shares

 

Investor Class shares of the Funds ("Shares") are priced at their NAV.The NAV per share of each Fund is calculated as follows:

 

  Value of Assets Attributable to the Investor Class
NAV =  - Value of Liabilities Attributable to the Investor Class
  Number of Outstanding Shares of the Investor Class

 

Each Fund's NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. The NYSE is generally open Monday through Friday, except national holidays. The NYSE also may be closed on national days of mourning or due to natural disaster or other extraordinary events or emergency. Each Fund will effect purchases and redemptions of Shares at the NAV next calculated after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your purchase order or redemption request in good order (as described below). If a Fund holds securities that are primarily listed on non-U.S. exchanges, the NAV of the Fund's Shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Fund's shares.

 

A Fund's equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange market system will be valued at the last sale price, except for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System ("NASDAQ"). Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ will be valued at the official closing price. Equity securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at their closing prices. If there were no transactions on that day, equity securities will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. Fixed income securities are valued using an independent pricing service, which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings, and are deemed representative of market values at the close of the market. Foreign securities, currencies and other securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of such currencies against the U.S. dollar provided by a pricing service. All assets denominated in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the time of valuation. If a Fund holds foreign equity securities, the calculation of the Fund's NAV will not occur at the same time as the determination of the value of the foreign equities securities in the Fund's portfolio, since these securities are traded on foreign exchanges.

 

Investments in other open-end investment companies are valued based on the NAV of those investment companies (which may use fair value pricing as discussed in their prospectuses). Investments in ETFs, REITs and closed-end investment companies will be valued at their market price.

 

If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Funds' administrator, in consultation with the Adviser, securities will be valued by the Adviser in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board’s ultimate supervision. In addition, the prices of foreign securities may be affected by events that occur after the close of a foreign market but before a Fund prices its Shares. In such instances, a foreign security may be fair valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. Relying on prices supplied by pricing services or dealers or using fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by a Fund to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other investment companies and investors to price the same investments.

 

Market Timing

 

In accordance with the policy adopted by its Board, the Company discourages and does not accommodate market timing and other excessive trading practices. Purchases should be made with a view to longer-term investment only. Excessive short-term (market timing) trading practices may disrupt portfolio management strategies, increase brokerage and administrative costs, harm Fund performance and result in dilution in the value of Shares held by long-term shareholders. The Company and the Adviser reserve the right to (i) reject a purchase or exchange order, (ii) delay payment of immediate cash redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days, (iii) revoke a shareholder's privilege to purchase Shares (including exchanges), or (iv) limit the amount of any exchange involving the purchase of Shares. An investor may receive notice that their purchase order or exchange has been rejected after the day the order is placed or after acceptance by a financial intermediary. It is currently expected that a shareholder would receive notice that its purchase order or exchange has been rejected within 48 hours after such purchase order or exchange has been received by the Company in good order. The Company and the Adviser will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected purchase orders. To minimize harm to the Company and its shareholders (or the Adviser), the Company (or the Adviser) will exercise its right if, in the Company's (or the Adviser's) judgment, an investor has a history of excessive trading or if an investor's trading, in the judgment of the Company (or the Adviser), has been or may be disruptive to a Fund. No waivers of the provisions of the policy established to detect and deter market timing and other excessive trading activity are permitted that would harm a Fund and its shareholders or would subordinate the interests of a Fund and its shareholders to those of the Adviser or any affiliated person or associated person of the Adviser.

 

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The Funds generally limit the number of exchanges to six (6) exchanges per year (and one exchange per calendar month). The Funds may waive such exchange limits in certain instances. For further information on redemptions and exchanges, please see the section titled "Shareholder Information — Exchange Privilege."

 

Pursuant to the policy adopted by the Board, the Adviser has developed criteria that it uses to identify trading activity that may be excessive. If, in its judgment, the Adviser detects excessive, short-term trading, the Adviser may reject or restrict a purchase request and may further seek to close an investor's account with the Fund.

 

If necessary, the Company may prohibit additional purchases of Shares by a financial intermediary or by certain customers of the financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries may also monitor their customers' trading activities in the Funds. The criteria used by intermediaries to monitor for excessive trading may differ from the criteria used by the Company. If a financial intermediary fails to enforce the Company's excessive trading policies, the Company may take certain actions, including terminating the relationship.

 

There is no assurance that a Fund will be able to identify market timers, particularly if they are investing through intermediaries.

 

Purchase of Fund Shares

 

Shares representing interests in the Funds are offered continuously for sale by Quasar Distributors, LLC (the "Distributor").The Board has approved a Distribution Agreement and adopted a separate Plan of Distribution for the shares (the "Plan") pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Distributor is entitled to receive from the Funds a distribution fee with respect to the Shares, which is accrued daily and paid monthly, of up to 0.25% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets of the Shares. The actual amount of such compensation under the Plan is agreed upon by the Board and by the Distributor. Because these fees are paid out of the Funds' assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Amounts paid to the Distributor under the Plan may be used by the Distributor to cover expenses that are related to (i) the sale of the Shares, (ii) ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of shareholders, and (iii) sub-transfer agency services, subaccounting services or administrative services related to the sale of the Shares, all as set forth in the Funds' 12b-1 Plan. Ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of shareholders may include updating and mailing prospectuses and shareholder reports, responding to inquiries regarding shareholder accounts and acting as agent or intermediary between shareholders and the Funds or their service providers. The Distributor may delegate some or all of these functions to Service Organizations. See "Purchases Through Intermediaries" below.

 

The Plan obligates the Funds, during the period it is in effect, to accrue and pay to the Distributor on behalf of the Shares the fee agreed to under the Distribution Agreement. Payments under the Plan are not tied exclusively to expenses actually incurred by the Distributor, and the payments may exceed distribution expenses actually incurred.

 

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Purchases Through Intermediaries. Shares of the Funds may also be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, "Service Organizations"). Certain features of the Shares, such as the initial and subsequent investment minimums and certain trading restrictions, may be modified or waived by Service Organizations. Service Organizations may impose transaction or administrative charges or other direct fees, which charges and fees would not be imposed if Shares are purchased directly from the Company. Therefore, you should contact the Service Organization acting on your behalf concerning the fees (if any) charged in connection with a purchase or redemption of Shares and should read this Prospectus in light of the terms governing your accounts with the Service Organization. Service Organizations will be responsible for promptly transmitting client or customer purchase and redemption orders to the Company in accordance with their agreements with the Company or its agent and with clients or customers. Service Organizations or, if applicable, their designees that have entered into agreements with the Company or its agent may enter confirmed purchase orders on behalf of clients and customers, with payment to follow no later than the Company's pricing on the following Business Day. If payment is not received by such time, the Service Organization could be held liable for resulting fees or losses. The Company will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when a Service Organization, or, if applicable, its authorized designee, accepts a purchase or redemption order in good order if the order is actually received by the Company in good order not later than the next business morning. If a purchase order is not received by the Fund in good order, the Transfer Agent will contact the financial intermediary to determine the status of the purchase order. Orders received by the Company in good order will be priced at the appropriate Fund's NAV next computed after they are deemed to have been received by the Service Organization or its authorized designee.

 

For administration, subaccounting, transfer agency and/or other services, the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Service Organizations and certain recordkeeping organizations a fee (the "Service Fee") relating to the average annual NAV of accounts with the Company maintained by such Service Organizations or recordkeepers. The Service Fee payable to any one Service Organization is determined based upon a number of factors, including the nature and quality of services provided, the operations processing requirements of the relationship and the standardized fee schedule of the Service Organization or recordkeeper.

 

The Funds may enter into agreements with Service Organizations pursuant to which a Fund will pay a Service Organization for networking, sub-transfer agency, sub-administration and/or sub-accounting services. These payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by the Service Organization or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by the Service Organization. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial.

 

General. You may also purchase Shares of each Fund at the NAV per share next calculated after your order is received by the Transfer Agent in good order as described below. The Funds' NAVs are calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. After an initial purchase is made, the Transfer Agent will set up an account for you on the Company records. The minimum initial investment in any Fund is $2,500 and the minimum additional investment is $100. The minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements may be reduced or waived from time to time. For purposes of meeting the minimum initial purchase, purchases by clients which are part of endowments, foundations or other related groups may be combined. You can purchase Shares of each Fund only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described below. Shares may be purchased by principals and employees of the Adviser and its subsidiaries and by their spouses and children either directly or through any trust that has the principal, employee, spouse or child as the primary beneficiaries, their individual retirement accounts, or any pension and profit-sharing plan of the Adviser and its subsidiaries without being subject to the minimum investment limitations.

 

Initial Investment By Mail. Subject to acceptance by the Funds, an account may be opened by completing and signing an account application and mailing it to the Funds at the address noted below, together with a check payable to Boston Partners Investment Funds. All checks must be in U.S. Dollars drawn on a domestic bank. The Funds will not accept payment in cash or money orders. The Funds do not accept post-dated checks or any conditional order or payment. To prevent check fraud, the Funds will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares.

 

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Regular Mail: Overnight Mail:
   

Boston Partners Investments Funds

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

Boston Partners Investment Funds

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207 

 

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the Transfer Agent of the Funds. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

Shares will be purchased at the NAV next computed after the time the application and funds are received in proper order and accepted by the Funds. The Transfer Agent will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Funds, for any payment that is returned. It is the policy of the Funds not to accept applications under certain circumstances or in amounts considered disadvantageous to shareholders. The Funds reserve the right to reject any application.

 

Initial Investment By Wire. If you are making your first investment in the Funds, before you wire funds, the Transfer Agent must have a completed account application. You may mail or overnight deliver your account application to the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of your completed account application, the Transfer Agent will establish an account for you. The account number assigned will be required as part of the instruction that should be provided to your bank to send the wire. Your bank must include both the name of the Fund you are purchasing, the account number, and your name so that monies can be correctly applied. Your bank should transmit funds by wire to:

 

U.S. Bank N.A.

777 East Wisconsin Ave

Milwaukee WI 53202

ABA 075000022

Credit:

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

Account #112-952-137

For Further Credit to:

Boston Partners Investment Funds

(shareholder registration)

(shareholder account number)

 

Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to be eligible for same day pricing. The Funds and U.S. Bank, N.A. are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions.

 

For Subsequent Investments – By wire

 

Before sending your wire, please contact the Transfer Agent to advise them of your intent to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit upon receipt of your wire.

 

Telephone Purchase. Investors may purchase additional shares of the Funds by calling 1-888-261-4073. If you did not decline this option on your account application, and your account has been open for at least 7 business days, telephone orders, in amounts of $100 or more, will be accepted via electronic funds transfer from your bank account through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. You must have banking information established on your account prior to making a purchase. If you order is received prior to 4 p.m. Eastern time, your shares will be purchased at the NAV calculated on the day your order is placed.

 

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Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

Additional Investments. Additional investments may be made at any time (minimum additional investment $100) by purchasing Shares of any Fund at the NAV per Share of the Fund by mailing a check to the Transfer Agent at the address noted under "Initial Investment by Mail" (payable to Boston Partners [name of Fund]), by electronic funds transfer through the ACH network as indicated under “Telephone Purchase”, or by wiring monies as outlined under "Initial Investment by Wire." Initial and additional purchases made by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network cannot be redeemed until payment of the purchase has been collected. This may take up to 15 calendar days from the date of purchase. This delay will not apply if you purchased your shares via wire payment.

 

Automatic Investment Plan. Once your account has been opened with the initial minimum investment you may make additional purchases at regular intervals through an automatic investment plan (the “Automatic Investment Plan”). The Automatic Investment Plan provides a convenient method to have monies deducted from your bank account, for investment into the Fund, on a monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual basis. In order to participate in the Automatic Investment Plan, each purchase must be in the amount of $100 or more, and your financial institution must be a member of the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. If your bank rejects your payment, the Fund’s transfer agent will charge a $25 fee to your account. To begin participating in the Automatic Investment Plan, please complete the Automatic Investment Plan section on the account application or call the Funds’ transfer agent at 1-888-261-4073 for instructions. Any request to change or terminate your Automatic Investment Plan should be submitted to the Transfer Agent five (5) days prior to effective date.

 

Retirement Plans. The Funds offer prototype documents for a variety of retirement accounts for individuals and small businesses. Please call 1-888-261-4073 for information on:

 

Individual Retirement Plan, including Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs

 

Small Business Retirement Plans, including Simple IRAs and SEP IRAs

 

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts

 

There may be special distribution requirements for retirement accounts, such as required distributions or mandatory Federal income tax withholding. For more information, call the number listed above. You may be charged a $15 annual account maintenance fee for each retirement account up to a maximum of $30 annually and a $25 fee for transferring assets to another custodian or for closing a retirement account.

 

Purchases in Kind. In certain circumstances, Shares of the Funds may be purchased "in kind" (i.e. in exchange for securities, rather than cash). The securities rendered in connection with an in-kind purchase must be liquid securities that are not restricted as to transfer and have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Company's valuation procedures. Securities accepted by the Funds will be valued, as set forth in this Prospectus, as of the time of the next determination of NAV after such acceptance. Fund Shares that are issued to the investor in exchange for the securities will be determined as of the same time. All dividend, subscription, or other rights that are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at the time of valuation become the property of the receiving Fund and must be delivered to the Fund by the investor upon receipt from the issuer. A Fund will not accept securities in exchange for its Shares unless such securities are, at the time of the exchange, eligible to be held by the Fund and satisfy such other conditions as may be imposed by the Adviser or the Company. Purchases in-kind may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on the securities transferred to the receiving Fund.

 

Other Purchase Information. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of Shares or to reject purchase orders when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interests of the Funds. Subject to the Board’s discretion, the Adviser will monitor each Fund's total assets and may decide to close any of the Funds at any time to new investments or to new accounts due to concerns that a significant increase in the size of a Fund may adversely affect the implementation of the Fund's strategy. Subject to the Board’s discretion, the Adviser may also choose to reopen a closed Fund to new investments at any time, and may subsequently close such Fund again should concerns regarding the Fund's size recur. If a Fund closes to new investments, generally the closed Fund would be offered only to certain existing shareholders of the Fund and certain other persons, who are generally subject to cumulative, maximum purchase amounts, as follows:

 

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a. Fee-based advisory model programs or financial advisors who manage fee-based wrap accounts that systematically trade in and out of the closed Fund based on model portfolio allocations;

 

b. Persons who already hold Shares of the closed Fund directly or through accounts maintained by brokers by arrangement with the Company;

 

c. Existing and future clients of registered investment advisers and planners whose clients already hold Shares of the closed Fund on transaction fee and non-transaction fee platforms;

 

d. Existing and future clients of consultants whose clients already hold shares of the closed Fund;

 

e. Certain financial intermediaries by arrangement with the Company:

 

f. Employees of the Adviser and their spouses, parents and children;

 

g. Directors of the Company; and

 

h. Defined contribution retirement plans of private employers and governed by ERISA or of state and local governments.

 

Other persons who are shareholders of other Boston Partners Investment Funds are not permitted to acquire Shares of the closed Fund by exchange. Distributions to all shareholders of the closed Fund will continue to be reinvested unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Adviser, subject to the Board's discretion, reserves the right to implement other purchase limitations at the time of closing, including limitations on current shareholders.

 

Purchases of the Shares will be made in full and fractional shares of the Fund calculated to three decimal places.

 

The Adviser is authorized to waive the minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements.

 

The Adviser reserves the right to close the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund to new investments from time to time at its discretion, should the assets of the Fund decline by more than 5% from the date of the last closing of the Fund. In addition, if the Adviser closes the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, the Adviser has discretion to open the Fund thereafter should the assets of the Fund increase by more than 5% from the date of the last reopening of the Fund. Subject to the approval of the Board, the Adviser may also choose to close the Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund to new investments at any time, and may subsequently open the Fund again should concerns regarding the Fund’s size recur.

 

Good Order. A purchase request is considered to be in good order when the purchase request includes the name of the Fund, the dollar amount of shares to be purchased, your account application or investment stub, and a check payable to the Fund. Purchase requests not in good order may be delayed.

 

Customer Identification Program. Please note that the Transfer Agent must verify certain information on your account application as part of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. You must supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. If you are opening the account in the name of a legal entity (e.g., partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, etc.), you must also supply the identity of the beneficial owners. Mailing addresses containing only a P. O. Box will not be accepted. Applications without the required information, or without any indication that a social security or taxpayer identification number has been applied for, may not be accepted. After acceptance, to the extent permitted by applicable law or its customer identification program, the Company reserves the right (a) to place limits on transactions in any account until the identity of the investor is verified; or (b) to refuse an investment in a Company portfolio or to involuntarily redeem an investor's Shares and close an account in the event that an investor's identity is not verified. The Company and its agents will not be responsible for any loss in an investor's account resulting from the investor's delay in providing all required identifying information or from closing an account and redeeming an investor's Shares when an investor's identity cannot be verified.

 

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Redemption of Fund Shares

 

Normally, your investment professional will send your request to redeem Shares to the Transfer Agent. Consult your investment professional for more information. You can redeem some or all of your Fund Shares directly through the Fund only if the account is registered in your name.

 

Investors may have a check sent to the address of record, proceeds may be wired to a shareholder’s bank account of record, or funds may be sent via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, also to the bank account of record. Wires are subject to a $15 fee paid by the investor, but the investor does not incur any charge when proceeds are sent via the ACH system.

 

IRA and other retirement plan redemptions

 

If you have an IRA, you must indicate on your written redemption request whether or not to withhold federal income tax. Redemption requests failing to indicate an election to have tax withheld will be subject to 10% withholding.

 

Shares held in IRA accounts may be redeemed by telephone at 1-888-261-4073. Investors will be asked whether or not to withhold taxes from any distribution.

 

Redemption By Mail. Your redemption request should be sent to:

Boston Partners Investment Funds

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

P. O. Box 701

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

If sent by overnight mail to:

Boston Partners Investment Funds

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the Transfer Agent of the Funds. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

A signature guarantee, from either a Medallion program member or a non-Medallion program member, is required in the following situations:

 

If ownership is being changed on your account;

 

When redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account not on record;

 

When a redemption is received by the Transfer Agent and the account address has changed within the last 15 calendar days.

 

The Funds may waive any of the above requirements in certain instances. In addition to the situations described above, the Funds and /or the Transfer Agent reserve the right to require a signature guarantee in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.

 

Non-financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services on an account, may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source.

 

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Signature guarantees will generally be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program and the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”). A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor.

 

Redemption By Telephone. Unless you have declined telephone transaction privileges on your account application, you may redeem your shares by telephone by calling the Transfer Agent at 1-888-261-4073. Adding telephone redemption to an existing account may require a signature guarantee or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source.

 

Investors may have a check sent to the address of record, proceeds may be wired to a shareholder’s bank account of record, or funds may be sent via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, also to the bank account of record. Wires are subject to a $15 fee paid by the investor, but the investor does not incur any charge when proceeds are sent via the ACH system.

 

Once a telephone transaction has been placed, it cannot be canceled or modified after the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

Before executing an instruction received by telephone, the Transfer Agent will use reasonable procedures to confirm that the telephone instructions are genuine. The telephone call may be recorded and the caller may be asked to verify certain personal identification information. If the Funds or its agents follow these procedures, they cannot be held liable for any loss, expense or cost arising out of any telephone redemption request that is reasonably believed to be genuine. This includes fraudulent or unauthorized requests. If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, the Funds will accept telephone instructions from any one owner or authorized person.

 

Systematic Withdrawal Plan. As another convenience, you may redeem your Fund shares through a systematic withdrawal plan (the “Systematic Withdrawal Plan”). Under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan, you may choose to receive a specified dollar amount, generated from the redemption of shares in your account, on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. In order to participate in the Systematic Withdrawal Plan, your account balance must be at least $10,000 and each payment should be a minimum of $100. If you elect this method of redemption, the Fund will send a check to your address of record, or will send the payment via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, directly to your bank account. For payment through the ACH network, your bank must be an ACH member and your bank account information must be maintained on your Fund account. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time by the Fund. You may also elect to terminate your participation in the Systematic Withdrawal Plan at any time by contacting the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next withdrawal.

 

A withdrawal under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan involves a redemption of shares and may result in a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. In addition, if the amount requested to be withdrawn exceeds the amount available in your account, which includes any dividends credited to your account, the account will ultimately be depleted.

 

Involuntary Redemption. The Funds reserve the right to redeem a shareholder's account in any Fund at any time the value of the account in such Fund falls below $500 as the result of a redemption or an exchange request. Shareholders will be notified in writing that the value of their account in a Fund is less than $500 and will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed.

 

The Funds may assert the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if and to the extent that such redemption is necessary to reimburse a Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of a Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

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Other Redemption Information. Redemption proceeds for Shares of the Funds recently purchased by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network may not be distributed until payment for the purchase has been collected, which may take up to fifteen calendar days from the purchase date. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option.

 

Other than as described above, payment of the redemption proceeds will be made within seven days after receipt of an order for a redemption. The Company may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date at times when the NYSE is closed or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC and the Company's Policy and Procedures Related to the Processing of In-Kind Redemptions. The Funds typically expect to meet redemption requests by paying out proceeds from cash or cash equivalent portfolio holdings, or by selling portfolio securities. In stressed market conditions, redemption methods may include redeeming in kind.

 

If the Board determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of the Funds to make payment wholly or partly in cash, redemption proceeds may be paid in whole or in part by an in-kind distribution of readily marketable securities held by a Fund instead of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC. Investors generally will incur brokerage charges on the sale of portfolio securities so received in payment of redemptions. If a shareholder receives redemption proceeds in-kind, the shareholder will bear the market risk of the securities received in the redemption until their disposition and should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, so that a Fund is obligated to redeem its Shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of a Fund.

 

Good Order. A redemption request is considered to be in good order when the redemption request includes the name of the Fund, the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, the account number, and signatures by all of the shareholders whose names appear on the account registration with a signature guarantee, if applicable. Redemption requests not in good order may be delayed.

 

Exchange Privilege

 

The exchange privilege is available to shareholders residing in any state in which the Shares being acquired may be legally sold. The Boston Partners Investment Funds reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to change or discontinue the exchange privilege, or temporarily suspend the privilege during unusual market conditions when, in the judgment of management, such change or discontinuance is in the best interests of the Funds.

 

Beneficial holders with financial intermediary sponsored fee-based programs of Investor Class Shares of any Boston Partners Investment Fund are eligible to exchange their shares for Institutional Class Shares of the same Boston Partners Investment Fund if the accumulated value of their Investor Class Shares exceeds the minimum initial investment amount for Institutional Class Shares ($100,000) or the shareholder is otherwise eligible to purchase the Institutional Class Shares. The Fund will determine the eligibility of an investor to exercise the exchange privilege based on the current NAV of Investor Class Shares. Such an exchange will be effected at the NAV of the Investor Class Shares next calculated after the exchange request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. In addition, investors who hold Institutional Class Shares of any Boston Partners Investment Fund through a financial intermediary sponsored fee-based program, but who subsequently become ineligible to participate in the program or withdraw from the program, may be subject to conversion of their Institutional Class Shares by their program provider to another class of shares of the Fund having expenses (including Rule 12b-1 fees) that may be higher than the expenses of the Institutional Class Shares. Investors should contact their program provider to obtain information about their eligibility for the provider’s program and the class of shares they would receive upon such a conversion.

 

Shares of each class of a Boston Partners Investment Fund represent equal pro rata interests in the Funds and accrue dividends and calculate NAV and performance quotations in the same manner. The performance of each class is quoted separately due to different actual expenses. The total return on Institutional Class Shares can be expected to differ from the total return on Investor Class Shares. Shareholders who exercise the exchange privilege will generally not recognize a taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on an exchange of Investor Class Shares for Institutional Class Shares of the same Boston Partners Investment Fund. Under Internal Revenue Code section 1036, an exchange of shares of one class for shares of another class of the same Fund constitutes a nontaxable exchange for federal income tax purposes, and your basis and holding period for your existing shares will carry over to your new shares. The Funds intend to report any such exchange as an entirely nontaxable transaction.

 

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In addition, a shareholder may exchange Investor Class Shares of any Boston Partners Investment Fund for Investor Class Shares in an identically registered account of another Boston Partners Investment Fund. Such an exchange will be effected at the NAV of the exchanged Investor Class Shares and the NAV of the Investor Class Shares to be acquired next determined after the Transfer Agent’s receipt of a request for an exchange. An exchange of Investor Class Shares of one Boston Partners Investment Fund for Investor Class Shares of another Boston Partners Investment Fund will be treated as a sale for federal income tax purposes. A shareholder may make an exchange by sending a written request to the Transfer Agent or, if authorized, by telephone (see "Redemption by Telephone" above). Defined contribution plans are not subject to the above exchange limitations.

 

If the exchanging shareholder does not currently own Shares of the Fund, a new account will be established with the same registration, dividend and capital gain options as the account from which Shares are exchanged, unless otherwise specified in writing by the shareholder with all signatures guaranteed. See "Redemption by Mail" for information on signature guarantees. The exchange privilege may be modified or terminated at any time, or from time to time, by the Funds, upon 60 days' written notice to shareholders.

 

If a shareholder wants to exchange Shares into a new account in a Fund, the dollar value of the Shares acquired must equal or exceed the Fund's minimum investment requirement for a new account. If a shareholder wants to exchange Shares into an existing account, the dollar value of the Shares must equal or exceed the Fund's minimum investment requirement for additional investments. If an amount remains in the Fund from which the exchange is being made that is below the minimum account value required, the account will be subject to involuntary redemption.

 

The Funds' exchange privilege is not intended to afford shareholders a way to speculate on short-term movements in the market. Accordingly, in order to prevent excessive use of the exchange privilege, which may potentially disrupt the management of the Funds and increase transaction costs, the Funds have established a policy of limiting excessive exchange activity. Notwithstanding these limitations, the Funds reserve the right to reject any purchase request (including exchange purchases from other Boston Partners Investment Funds) that is deemed to be disruptive to efficient portfolio management.

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

Each Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders. All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional Shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects otherwise.

 

The Funds will declare and pay dividends from net investment income annually. Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed by the Funds at least annually. The estimated amount of any annual distribution will be posted to the Adviser's website at www.boston-partners.com or a free copy may be obtained by calling 1-888-261-4073.

 

The Funds may pay additional distributions and dividends at other times if necessary for the Fund to avoid U.S. federal tax. The Funds' distributions and dividends, whether received in cash or reinvested in additional Fund Shares, are subject to U.S. federal income tax.

 

All distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares unless you elect to receive cash. If you elect to receive distributions and/or capital gains paid in cash, and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months, the Funds reserve the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account, at the Funds’ current NAV, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions. You may change the distribution option on your account at any time. You should notify the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next distribution.

 

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Taxes

 

The following is a summary of certain United States tax considerations relevant under current law, which may be subject to change in the future. Except where otherwise indicated, the discussion relates to investors who are individual United States citizens or residents. You should consult your tax adviser for further information regarding federal, state, local and/or foreign tax consequences relevant to your specific situation.

 

Federal Taxes of Distributions. Each Fund contemplates distributing as dividends each year all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). Except as otherwise discussed below, you will be subject to federal income tax on Fund distributions regardless of whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Fund distributions attributable to short-term capital gains and net investment income will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income, except as discussed below.

 

Distributions attributable to the net capital gain of a Fund will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. The maximum long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals, estates, and trusts is currently 23.8% (which includes a 3.8% Medicare tax). You will be notified annually of the tax status of distributions to you.

 

Distributions of "qualifying dividends" will also generally be taxable to you at long-term capital gain rates, as long as certain requirements are met. In general, if 95% or more of the gross income of a Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of dividends received from domestic corporations or "qualified" foreign corporations ("qualifying dividends"), then all distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be taxed at long-term capital gains rates. But if less than 95% of the gross income of a Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of qualifying dividends, then distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be qualifying dividends only to the extent they are derived from qualifying dividends earned by the Fund. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the Fund's ex-dividend date (and the Fund will need to have met a similar holding period requirement with respect to the shares of the corporation paying the qualifying dividend).The amount of a Fund's distributions that qualify for this favorable treatment may be reduced as a result of the Fund's securities lending activities (if any), a high portfolio turnover rate or investments in debt securities or non-qualified foreign corporations.

 

A Fund may make distributions to you of “section 199A dividends” with respect to qualified dividends that it receives with respect to such Fund’s investments in REITs. A section 199A dividend is any dividend or part of such dividend that the Fund pays to you and reports as a section 199A dividend in written statements furnished to you. Distributions paid by a Fund that are eligible to be treated as section 199A dividends for a taxable year may not exceed the “qualified REIT dividends” received by the Fund from a REIT reduced by the Fund’s allocable expenses. Section 199A dividends may be taxed to individuals and other non-corporate shareholders at a reduced effective federal income tax rate, provided you have satisfied a holding period requirement for the Fund’s shares and satisfied certain other conditions. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your Fund shares for at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date, but only to the extent that you are not under an obligation (under a short-sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property.

 

Distributions from a Fund will generally be taxable to you in the taxable year in which they are paid, with one exception. Distributions declared by a Fund in October, November or December and paid in January of the following year are taxed as though they were paid on December 31.

 

It is expected that the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund will each be subject to foreign withholding or other foreign income taxes with respect to dividends or interest received from (and, in some cases, gains recognized on shares of stock of) non-U.S. companies. These Funds may, to the extent eligible, make an election to treat a proportionate amount of those taxes as constituting a distribution to each shareholder, which would allow you either (1) to credit that proportionate amount of taxes against U.S. federal income tax liability as a foreign tax credit, subject to applicable limitations, or (2) to take that amount as an itemized deduction.

 

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A portion of distributions paid by a Fund to shareholders that are corporations may also qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, subject to certain holding period requirements and debt financing limitations. The amount of the dividends qualifying for this deduction may, however, be reduced as a result of the Fund's securities lending activities (if any), by a high portfolio turnover rate or by investments in debt securities or foreign corporations.

 

If you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price will reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution, but you will be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of capital. This adverse tax result is known as "buying into a dividend."

 

Sales and Exchanges. You will generally recognize taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on a sale, exchange or redemption of your shares, including an exchange for shares of another Fund, based on the difference between your tax basis in the shares and the amount you receive for them. Generally, you will recognize long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for over twelve months at the time you dispose of them.

 

Any loss realized on shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends that were received on the shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a disposition of shares of a Fund may be disallowed under "wash sale" rules to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the same Fund within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in shares of a Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired.

 

For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, each Fund (or relevant broker or financial adviser) is required to compute and report to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information when such shares are sold or exchanged. Each Fund has elected to use the average cost method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different IRS-accepted cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale or exchange. If your account is held by your broker or other financial adviser, they may select a different cost basis method. In these cases, please contact your broker or other financial adviser to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal and state income tax returns. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

 

IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans. The one major exception to the preceding tax principles is that distributions on, and sales, exchanges and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-qualified plan) will not be currently taxable unless such shares were acquired with borrowed funds.

 

Backup Withholding. The Funds may be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the IRS a percentage of taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale payable to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, or who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so or that they are "exempt recipients." The current backup withholding rate is 24%.

 

U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign shareholders. Generally, nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign investors are subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividends paid by a U.S. corporation, although the rate may be reduced for an investor that is a qualified resident of a foreign country with an applicable tax treaty with the United States. In the case of regulated investment companies such as the Funds, however, certain categories of dividends are exempt from the 30% withholding tax. These generally include dividends attributable to the Funds' net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), dividends attributable to the Funds' interest income from U.S. obligors and dividends attributable to net short-term capital gains of the Funds.

 

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Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale, exchange or redemption of shares in the Funds, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from the Funds.

 

In contrast, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in a Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor's income from the Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.

 

The Funds will also generally be required to withhold 30% tax on certain payments to foreign entities that do not provide a Form W-8BEN-E that evidences their compliance with, or exemption from, specified information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

 

All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in the Funds.

 

Shares of the Funds have not been registered for sale outside of the United States and certain United States territories.

 

State and Local Taxes. You may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain from Fund shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of a Fund's distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality.

 

More information about taxes is contained in the SAI.

 

Multi-Class Structure

 

Each Fund also offers Institutional Class Shares, which are offered directly to institutional investors without distribution fees in a separate prospectus. Shares of each class of a Fund represent equal pro rata interests in the Fund and accrue dividends and calculate NAV and performance quotations in the same manner. The performance of each class is quoted separately due to different actual expenses. The total return on Investor Class Shares of a Fund can be expected to differ from the total return on Institutional Class Shares of the same Fund. Information concerning other classes of the Funds can be requested by calling the Funds at 1-888-261-4073.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

Electronic Delivery

 

Consistent with the Funds’ commitment to environmental sustainability, you may sign up to receive quarterly statements, and tax forms statements electronically. You may also sign up to receive the Funds’ financial statements and Prospectuses electronically at www.boston-partners.com. You may change your delivery preference and resume receiving these documents through the mail at any time by updating your electronic delivery preferences at www.boston-partners.com or by contacting the Funds at 1-888-261-4073.

 

Householding

 

In an effort to decrease costs, the Funds intend to reduce the number of duplicate prospectuses and annual and semi-annual reports you receive by sending only one copy of each to those addresses shared by two or more accounts and to shareholders we reasonably believe are from the same family or household. Once implemented, if you would like to discontinue householding for your accounts, please call toll-free at 1-888- 261-4073 to request individual copies of these documents. Once the Funds receive notice to stop householding, we will begin sending individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. This policy does not apply to account statements.

 

Lost Shareholder, Inactive Accounts and Unclaimed Property

 

It is important that the Funds maintain a correct address for each shareholder.  An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other mailings to be returned to the Fund.  Based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, the Funds will attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful owner of the account.  If the Funds are unable to locate the shareholder, then they will determine whether the shareholder’s account can legally be considered abandoned.  Your mutual fund account may be transferred to the state government of your state of residence if no activity occurs within your account during the “inactivity period” specified in your state’s abandoned property laws.  The Funds are legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements.  The shareholder’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction.  Please proactively contact the Transfer Agent at 1-888-261-4073 (toll free) at least annually to ensure your account remains in active status.

 

If you are a resident of the state of Texas, you may designate a representative to receive notifications that, due to inactivity, your mutual fund account assets may be delivered to the Texas Comptroller.  Please contact the Transfer Agent if you wish to complete a Texas Designation of Representative form.

 

NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE FUNDS' SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE COMPANY OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

 

Prior Performance of Similarly Advised Account of the Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund

 

The Adviser has experience in managing a private fund with substantially similar investment objectives, policies and strategies as the Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund. The table on the following page is provided to illustrate the past performance of the Adviser in managing the private fund and does not represent the performance of the Fund. Investors should not consider this performance information as a substitute for the performance of the Fund, nor should investors consider this information as an indication of the future performance of the Fund or of the Adviser. The performance information has been adjusted to show the performance of the private fund net of the Fund's annual fund operating expenses for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 (after contractual waivers that were in place through December 31, 2012).The fees and expenses of the Fund are higher than those of the private fund, in part, because the general partner of the private fund waived its right to receive an incentive allocation from each limited partner's capital account, generally equal to 20% of any profits achieved in a fiscal year after recoupment of prior losses. The Fund's results in the future also may be different because the private fund is not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements and other restrictions imposed on mutual funds under applicable U.S. securities and tax laws that, if applicable, could have adversely affected the performance of the private fund. In addition, the securities held by the Fund will not be identical to the securities held by the private fund.

 

The performance of the private fund is also compared to the performance of an appropriate broad-based securities benchmark index. This index is unmanaged and is not subject to fees and expenses typically associated with managed funds, including the Fund. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index. The performance information is accompanied by additional disclosures, which are an integral part of the information.

 

Monthly Returns (since inception April 1, 2002)1,2,3,4

 

PRO FORMA NET OF FEES

 

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec FY (ended
December 31)
2010   (1.05 )%   2.15 %   2.65 %   0.14 %   (3.73 )%   (3.48 )%   3.99 %   (3.73 )%   5.93 %                        
2009   (0.48 )%   (5.52 )%   3.53 %   6.02 %   3.65 %   2.10 %   2.14 %   2.76 %   (0.30 )%   (0.78 )%   2.78 %   1.33 %   18.11 %
2008   1.23 %   0.67 %   (4.37 )%   2.00 %   2.76 %   (3.27 )%   0.96 %   1.87 %   (3.12 )%   (4.70 )%   (5.21 )%   2.77 %   (8.61 )%
2007   0.96 %   0.71 %   0.59 %   2.67 %   1.27 %   (0.71 )%   (2.33 )%   0.85 %   2.35 %   (0.76 )%   0.76 %   (0.64 )%   5.75 %
2006   1.80 %   (1.21 )%   0.15 %   0.65 %   (0.60 )%   0.21 %   0.58 %   0.13 %   0.16 %   (0.09 )%   0.28 %   1.20 %   3.28 %
2005   (0.71 )%   1.20 %   0.30 %   (0.65 )%   (0.52 )%   0.91 %   2.39 %   2.34 %   2.27 %   0.74 %   0.37 %   0.64 %   9.60 %
2004   0.43 %   1.27 %   2.37 %   (1.16 )%   (0.03 )%   3.23 %   0.96 %   0.17 %   1.39 %   0.60 %   5.46 %   2.07 %   17.92 %
2003   0.27 %   (3.57 )%   0.03 %   (1.73 )%   (1.57 )%   (0.08 )%   0.09 %   (1.37 )%   (1.00 )%   (0.13 )%   0.63 %   0.17 %   (8.03 )%
2002                     0.08 %   3.60 %   (2.38 )%   (1.45 )%   1.95 %   (2.37 )%   0.13 %   1.36 %   1.81 %   2.57 %

 

GROSS OF FEES

 

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec FY (ended
December 31)
2010   (0.82 )%   2.38 %   2.87 %   0.36 %   (3.51 )%   (3.26 )%   4.22 %   (3.50 )%   6.16 %                        
2009   (0.26 )%   (5.29 )%   3.75 %   6.25 %   3.88 %   2.32 %   2.36 %   2.99 %   (0.08 )%   (0.54 )%   3.01 %   1.56 %   21.31 %
2008   1.45 %   0.90 %   (4.15 )%   2.22 %   2.98 %   (3.04 )%   1.19 %   2.09 %   (2.89 )%   (4.47 )%   (4.99 )%   2.99 %   (6.08 )%
2007   1.18 %   0.93 %   0.81 %   2.89 %   1.49 %   (0.48 )%   (2.10 )%   1.08 %   2.57 %   (0.54 )%   0.99 %   (0.41 )%   8.64 %
2006   2.03 %   (0.99 )%   0.38 %   0.87 %   (0.38 )%   0.44 %   0.80 %   0.36 %   0.39 %   0.14 %   0.51 %   1.43 %   6.11 %
2005   (0.48 )%   1.43 %   0.52 %   (0.43 )%   (0.29 )%   1.13 %   2.61 %   2.57 %   2.50 %   0.96 %   0.60 %   0.87 %   12.59 %
2004   0.66 %   1.50 %   2.60 %   (0.93 )%   0.19 %   3.45 %   1.19 %   0.40 %   1.62 %   0.82 %   5.69 %   2.29 %   21.11 %
2003   0.49 %   (3.34 )%   0.25 %   (1.51 )%   (1.34 )%   0.15 %   0.31 %   (1.14 )%   (0.77 )%   0.10 %   0.85 %   0.40 %   (5.48 )%
2002                     0.31 %   3.83 %   (2.15 )%   (1.23 )%   2.17 %   (2.15 )%   0.36 %   1.58 %   2.03 %   4.67 %

 

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S&P 500 INDEX

 

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec FY (ended
December 31)
2010   (3.60 )%   3.10 %   6.03 %   1.58 %   (7.98 )%   (5.24 )%   7.01 %   (4.51 )%   8.92 %                        
2009   (8.43 )%   (10.65 )%   8.76 %   9.57 %   5.59 %   0.20 %   7.56 %   3.61 %   3.73 %   (1.86 )%   6.00 %   1.93 %   26.45 %
2008   (6.00 )%   (3.25 )%   (0.43 )%   4.87 %   1.29 %   (8.43 )%   (0.84 )%   1.45 %   (8.91 )%   (16.79 )%   (7.17 )%   1.06 %   (36.99 )%
2007   1.51 %   (1.96 )%   1.12 %   4.43 %   3.49 %   (1.66 )%   (3.10 )%   1.50 %   3.74 %   1.59 %   (4.18 )%   (0.69 )%   5.50 %
2006   2.65 %   0.27 %   1.24 %   1.34 %   (2.88 )%   0.14 %   0.62 %   2.38 %   2.58 %   3.26 %   1.90 %   1.40 %   15.79 %
2005   (2.44 )%   2.10 %   (1.77 )%   (1.90 )%   3.18 %   0.14 %   3.72 %   (0.91 )%   0.81 %   (1.67 )%   3.78 %   0.03 %   4.89 %
2004   1.84 %   1.39 %   (1.51 )%   (1.57 )%   1.37 %   1.94 %   (3.31 )%   0.40 %   1.08 %   1.53 %   4.05 %   3.40 %   10.87 %
2003   (2.62 )%   (1.50 )%   0.97 %   8.24 %   5.27 %   1.27 %   1.76 %   1.95 %   (1.06 )%   5.66 %   0.88 %   5.24 %   28.68 %
2002                     (6.06 )%   (0.74 )%   (7.12 )%   (7.79 )%   0.66 %   (10.87 )%   8.80 %   5.89 %   (5.88 )%   (22.31 )%

 

CALENDAR YEAR RETURNS1,2,3,4

 

  2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Pro Forma Net Of Fees   2.76 %   (8.03 )%   17.92 %   9.60 %   3.28 %   5.75 %   (8.61 )%   18.11 %
Gross Of Fees   4.67 %   (5.48 )%   21.11 %   12.59 %   6.11 %   8.64 %   (6.08 )%   21.31 %
S&P 500   (22.31 )%   28.68 %   10.87 %   4.89 %   15.79 %   5.50 %   (36.99 )%   26.45 %

 

SUMMARY STATISTICS (periods ended September 30, 2010)1,2,3,4
RETURN

 

  YTD 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 5 Year 7 Year Since
Inception
Pro Forma Net Of Fees   2.38 %   5.81 %   5.95 %   3.17 %   4.20 %   6.66 %   4.65 %
Gross Of Fees   4.48 %   8.70 %   8.85 %   5.99 %   7.05 %   9.57 %   7.51 %
S&P 500   3.89 %   10.16 %   1.26 %   (7.16 )%   0.63 %   4.03 %   1.92 %

 

1 Performance was calculated using Global Investment Performance Standards ("GIPS"). This method of calculating performance differs from the SEC's standardized methodology, which may produce different results.

 

2 Performance is calculated using a net asset value to net asset value methodology which incorporates all trades, prices, accruals and updated security records on trade date basis.

 

3 Performance is presented gross and net of the Fund's annual fund operating expenses for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 (after contractual waivers).

 

4 The S&P 500® Index is an unmanaged index composed of 500 common stocks, classified in eleven industry sectors, which represent approximately 75% of the U.S. equities market. The S&P 500® Index assigns relative values to the stocks included in the index, weighted according to each stock's total market value relative to the total market value of the other stocks included in the index.

 

 72

 

APPENDIX B

 

 

Prior Performance of Similarly Advised Accounts of the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund

 

The Adviser has experience in managing other accounts with substantially similar investment objectives, policies and strategies as the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund. The table on the following pages is provided to illustrate the past performance of the Adviser in managing all such other accounts and does not represent the performance of the Fund. Investors should not consider this performance information as a substitute for the performance of the Fund, nor should investors consider this information as an indication of the future performance of the Fund or of the Adviser. The performance information has been adjusted to show the performance of the other accounts net of the Fund's annual operating expenses (after contractual waivers that were in place until September 30, 2013).The other accounts' fees and expenses are lower than those of the Fund. The Fund's results in the future also may be different because the other accounts are not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements and other restrictions imposed on mutual funds under applicable U.S. securities and tax laws that, if applicable, could have adversely affected the performance of the other accounts. In addition, the securities held by the Fund will not be identical to the securities held by the other accounts.

 

The performance of the other accounts is also compared to the performance of an appropriate broad-based securities benchmark index. This index is unmanaged and is not subject to fees and expenses typically associated with managed funds, including the Fund. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index. The performance information is accompanied by additional disclosures, which are an integral part of the information.

 

Monthly Returns (since July 31, 2008)1,2,3,4,5

 

COMPOSITE — PRO FORMA NET OF FEES

 

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec FY (ended
December 31)
2011     1.88 %   3.41 %   0.81 %   4.54 %   (1.87 )%   (1.18 )%   (1.13 )%   (7.75 )%   (8.69 )%   11.34 %   (2.38 )%            
2010     (3.86 )%   0.39 %   5.92 %   0.26 %   (9.75 )%   (4.59 )%   7.64 %   (3.71 )%   10.08 %   4.6 %   (2.55 )%   8.77 %   11.65 %
2009     (8.72 )%   (9.49 )%   5.18 %   11.72 %   8.44 %   0.03 %   7.41 %   5.32 %   4.33 %   (1.12 )%   2.85 %   2.08 %   29.03 %
2008                                         (2.37 )%   (0.56 )%   (9.56 )%   (19.22 )%   (6.17 )%   3.16 %      

 

COMPOSITE — GROSS OF FEES

 

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec FY (ended
December 31)
2011     2.01 %   3.54 %   0.94 %   4.67 %   (1.74 )%   (1.05 )%   (1.00 )%   (7.62 )%   (8.56 )%   11.47 %   (2.25 )%            
2010     (3.73 )%   0.52 %   6.05 %   0.39 %   (9.62 )%   (4.46 )%   7.77 %   (3.58 )%   10.21 %   4.73 %   (2.42 )%   8.90 %   13.38 %
2009     (8.59 )%   (9.36 )%   5.31 %   11.85 %   8.57 %   0.16 %   7.54 %   5.45 %   4.46 %   (1.00 )%   2.98 %   2.21 %   30.01 %
2008                                         (2.24 )%   (0.43 )%   (9.43 )%   (19.09 )%   (6.04 )%   3.29 %      

 

MSCI WORLD INDEX

 

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec FY (ended
December 31)
2011     2.28 %   3.55 %   (0.94 )%   4.31 %   (1.97 )%   (1.54 )%   (1.79 )%   (7.00 )%   (8.60 )%   10.37 %   (2.38 )%            
2010     (4.11 )%   1.45 %   6.25 %   0.07 %   (9.48 )%   (3.39 )%   8.13 %   (3.69 )%   9.36 %   3.75 %   (2.11 )%   7.39 %   12.34 %
2009     (8.73 )%   (10.17 )%   7.60 %   11.32 %   9.19 %   (0.41 )%   8.50 %   4.17 %   4.02 %   (1.76 )%   4.14 %   1.83 %   30.79 %
2008                                         (2.42 )%   (1.36 )%   (11.85 )%   (18.93 )%   (6.40 )%   3.26 %      

 

 73

 

SUMMARY STATISTICS (periods ended November 30, 2011)1,2,3,4,5
RETURN

 

  YTD 1 Year 2 Years 3 Years Since
July 1,
2008
Pro Forma Net Of Fees   (2.55 )%   5.99 %   5.39 %   13.14 %   (1.07 )%
Gross Of Fees   (1.15 )%   7.64 %   7.03 %   14.89 %   0.48 %
MSCI World Index   (5.00 )%   2.02 %   4.25 %   12.96 %   (2.17 )%

 

1 Performance was calculated using Global Investment Performance Standards ("GIPS"). This method of calculating performance differs from the SEC's standardized methodology, which may produce different results.

 

2 Performance is calculated using a net asset value to net asset value methodology which incorporates all trades, prices, accruals and updated security records on trade date basis.

 

3 Performance is presented gross and net of the Fund's annual fund operating expenses (after contractual waivers that were in place until September, 2013).

 

4 The MSCI World Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets.

 

5 Although the other accounts commenced operations on January 1, 2007 or April 17, 1998, the other accounts only began investing in accordance with their current investment strategies on July 1, 2008.The performance shown represents performance since the other accounts began investing in accordance with their current investment strategies.

 

 74

 

APPENDIX C

 

 

Prior Performance of Similarly Advised Account of the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund

 

The Adviser has experience in managing a private fund with substantially similar investment objectives, policies and strategies as the Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund. The table on the following page is provided to illustrate the past performance of the Adviser in managing the private fund and does not represent the performance of the Fund. Investors should not consider this performance information as a substitute for the performance of the Fund, nor should investors consider this information as an indication of the future performance of the Fund or of the Adviser. The performance information has been adjusted to show the performance of the private fund net of the Fund's annual fund operating expenses (after contractual waivers that were in place through December 31, 2015). The Fund's results in the future also may be different because the private fund is not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements and other restrictions imposed on mutual funds under applicable U.S. securities and tax laws that, if applicable, could have adversely affected the performance of the private fund. In addition, the securities held by the Fund will not be identical to the securities held by the private fund.

 

The performance of the private fund is also compared to the performance of an appropriate broad-based securities benchmark index. This index is unmanaged and is not subject to fees and expenses typically associated with managed funds, including the Fund. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index. The performance information is accompanied by additional disclosures, which are an integral part of the information.

 

Monthly Performance Table (since inception July 1, 2013)1,2,3,4,5

 

PRO FORMA NET OF FEES

 

 

    Jan     Feb     Mar     Apr     May     Jun     Jul     Aug     Sep     Oct     Nov     Dec  
2014     (1.99 )%     2.28 %     0.55 %     (0.81 )%     1.90 %     (0.18 )%     1.26 %     0.88 %     (1.18 )%     (0.18 )%     1.06 %    
2013                                                     2.10 %     (2.25 )%     1.68 %     2.82 %     1.89 %     1.61 %

 

GROSS OF FEES

 

    Jan     Feb     Mar     Apr     May     Jun     Jul     Aug     Sep     Oct     Nov     Dec  
2014     (1.84 )%     2.28 %     0.70 %     (0.66 )%     2.05 %     (0.03 )%     1.40 %     1.03 %     (1.04 )%     0.03 %     1.20 %    
2013                                                     2.25 %     (2.11 )%     1.82 %     2.96 %     2.04 %     1.76 %

 

MSCI WORLD INDEX

 

    Jan     Feb     Mar     Apr     May     Jun     Jul     Aug     Sep     Oct     Nov     Dec  
2014     (3.68 )%     5.06 %     0.20 %     1.08 %     2.06 %     1.83 %     (1.57 )%     2.24 %     (2.67 )%     0.67 %     2.05 %    
2013                                                     5.29 %     (2.09 )%     5.04 %     3.94 %     1.82 %     2.15 %

 

SUMMARY STATISTICS (periods ended November 30, 2014)1,2,3,4,5
RETURN

 

  3
Months
YTD Since
Inception
Pro Forma Net Of Fees   (0.32 )%   3.56 %   8.24 %
Gross Of Fees   0.12 %   5.09 %   10.03 %
MSCI World Index   (0.01 )%   7.19 %   17.39 %

 

1 Performance was calculated using Global Investment Performance Standards ("GIPS"). This method of calculating performance differs from the SEC's standardized methodology, which may produce different results.

 

 75

 

2 Performance is calculated using a net asset value to net asset value methodology which incorporates all trades, prices, accruals and updated security records on a trade date basis.

 

3 Performance is presented gross and net of the Fund's annual fund operating expenses (after contractual waivers that were in place until December 31, 2014) of the Fund's average daily net assets.

 

4 The MSCI World Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets.

 

5 Although the private fund commenced operations on March 1, 2013, the private fund only began investing in accordance with its current investment strategies on July 1, 2013. The performance shown represents performance since the private fund began investing in accordance with its current investment strategies.

 

 76

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

The tables in the Financial Highlights section below set forth certain financial information for the periods indicated, including per share information results for a single Fund share. The term "Total investment return" indicates how much your investment would have increased or decreased during this period of time and assumes that you have reinvested all dividends and distributions. The information has been derived from the Funds' financial statements and has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm. This information should be read in conjunction with the Funds' financial statements, which, together with the report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the Funds' annual report for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 and is available free of charge upon request (see back cover for ordering instructions). Because the Investor Class Shares of the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund have not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus, the financial highlights table provided below is for that Fund's Institutional Class Shares. The returns of Investor Class Shares would have been substantially similar to the returns of Institutional Class Shares; however, Investor Class Shares are subject to a 12b-1 fee, while Institutional Class Shares are not. Had the Investor Class Shares of the Boston Partners Global Equity Fund been operational during the periods shown, the dividend distributions (if any) and investment performance would have been lower.

 

 77

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

    Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

    Investor Class
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 26.53     $ 23.92     $ 22.06     $ 21.04     $ 21.79  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.16       0.14       0.07       0.12       0.14  
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (2.99 )     3.59       2.29       1.92       (0.51 )
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (2.83 )     3.73       2.36       2.04       (0.37 )
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income     (0.06 )     (0.14 )     (0.16 )     (0.07 )     (0.10 )
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (1.31 )     (0.98 )     (0.34 )     (0.95 )     (0.28 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (1.37 )     (1.12 )     (0.50 )     (1.02 )     (0.38 )
Redemption fees*^                       (3)       
Net asset value, end of period   $ 22.33     $ 26.53     $ 23.92     $ 22.06     $ 21.04  
Total investment return(1), (2)     10.20 %     15.94 %     10.68 %     10.38 %     (1.68 )%
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 122,703     $ 144,315     $ 159,271     $ 126,461     $ 129,474  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (4)     1.35 %     1.35 %     1.35 %     1.35 %     1.35 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any     1.41 %     1.39 %     1.43 %     1.47 %     1.48 %
Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     0.72 %     0.53 %     0.28 %     0.61 %     0.66 %
Portfolio turnover rate     29 %     40 %     24 %     29 %     14 %

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding, unless otherwise noted.
^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, there was a 1.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed that were held 60 days or less on BP Small Cap Value Fund II. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.
(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.
(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.
(3) Amount is less than $0.005.
(4) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

 78

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

    Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

 

    Investor Class
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 27.69     $ 25.42     $ 23.00     $ 21.98     $ 22.90  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.27       0.16       0.14       0.25       0.25  
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (1.75 )     3.18       3.15       2.13       (0.08 )
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations     (1.48 )     3.34       3.29       2.38       0.17  
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income     (0.21 )     (0.12 )     (0.22 )     (0.25 )     (0.17 )
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (1.18 )     (0.95 )     (0.65 )     (1.11 )     (0.92 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (1.39 )     (1.07 )     (0.87 )     (1.36 )     (1.09 )
Redemption fees*                              
Net asset value, end of period   $ 24.82     $ 27.69     $ 25.42     $ 23.00     $ 21.98  
Total investment return(1),(2)     (4.90 )%     13.44 %     14.56 %     11.39 %     0.66 %
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 320,962     $ 510,737     $ 426,904     $ 347,954     $ 248,643  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupment, if any (4)     1.05 %     1.05 %     1.05 %     1.02 %     0.95 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments, if any     1.07 %     1.05 %     1.13 %     1.21 %     1.20 %
Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     1.09 %     0.58 %     0.58 %     1.16 %     1.07 %
Portfolio turnover rate     33 %     33 %     27 %     30 %(3)     33 %

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding.
(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.
(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.
(3) Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities delivered/received from processing redemptions/ subscriptions in-kind.
(4) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

 79

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

    Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

 

    Investor Class
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 18.88     $ 19.36     $ 18.60     $ 17.79     $ 21.33  
Net investment income/(loss)*     (0.20 )     (0.38 )     (0.29 )     (0.37 )     (0.84 )
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (0.98 )     0.07       1.05       2.82       (0.94 )
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (1.18 )     (0.31 )     0.76       2.45       (1.78 )
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income                              
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (1.53 )     (0.17 )           (1.64 )     (1.77 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (1.53 )     (0.17 )           (1.64 )     (1.77 )
Redemption fees*^                       (3)      0.01  
Net asset value, end of period   $ 16.17     $ 18.88     $ 19.36     $ 18.60     $ 17.79  
Total investment return(1)(2)     (6.27 )%     (1.65 )%     4.09 %     15.07 %     (8.55 )%
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 28,156     $ 54,167     $ 88,103     $ 97,417     $ 94,459  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (4)     2.92 %     3.26 %     3.05 %     3.82 %     5.89 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (excluding dividend and interest expense)     2.70 %     2.62 %     2.64 %     2.71 %     2.72 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any     2.93 %     3.26 %     3.05 %     3.82 %     5.89 %
Ratio of net investment income/loss to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     (1.19 )%     (1.87 )%     (1.46 )%     (2.04 )%     (4.47 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     64 %     58 %     63 %     72 %     75 %

 

 
* Calculated based on average shares outstanding.
^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, there was a 2.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed that were held 365 days or less on the BP Long/ Short Equity Fund. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.
(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.
(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.
(3) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(4) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

 80

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

    Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

 

    Investor Class
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 16.31     $ 15.99     $ 15.00     $ 15.01     $ 15.00  
Net investment income/(loss)*   $ 0.06       (0.08 )     (0.15 )     (0.09) (4)     (0.18 )
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments   $ (0.78 )     0.40       1.14       0.66       0.39  
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations   $ (0.72 )     0.32       0.99       0.57       0.21  
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income                              
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains   $ 0.78                   (0.58 )     (0.20 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders   $ 0.78                   (0.58 )     (0.20 )
Redemption fees*^                       (3)      (3) 
Net asset value, end of period   $ 14.81     $ 16.31     $ 15.99     $ 15.00     $ 15.01  
Total investment return (1), (2)     (4.27 %)     2.00 %     6.60 %     3.88 %     1.41 %
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 54,570     $ 118,905     $ 211,455     $ 259,400     $ 300,586  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (5)     2.40 %     2.34 %     2.48 %     2.76 %     2.68 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any (excluding  dividend and interest expense)     1.63 %     1.59 %     1.63 %     1.66 %     1.64 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments if any     2.40 %     2.34 %     2.48 %     2.76 %     2.68 %
Ratio of net investment income/loss to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     0.37 %     (0.44 )%     (1.00 )%     (0.63 )%(4)     (1.17 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     60 %     60 %     54 %     53 %     62 %

  

 
* Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.
^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, there was a 1.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed that were held 60 days or less on BP Long/Short Research Fund. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.
(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.
(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.
(3) Amount is less than $0.005.
(4) Includes a non-recurring dividend. Without this dividend, net investment loss per share would have been $(0.13) for Investor Class. The ratio of net investment loss would have been (0.91)% for Investor Class.
(5) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

 81

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

    Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

 

    Investor Class
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 11.40     $ 11.25     $ 10.85     $ 10.51     $ 10.29  
Net investment income/(loss)*     0.05       (0.04 )     (0.13 )     0.02 (5)     (0.16 )
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (0.84 )     0.19       0.54       0.36       0.38  
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations     (0.79 )     0.15       0.41       0.38       0.22  
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income                 (0.01 )            
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains                       (0.04 )      
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders                 (0.01 )     (0.04 )      
Redemption fees*^                       (4)      (4) 
Net asset value, end of period   $ 10.61     $ 11.40     $ 11.25     $ 10.85     $ 10.51  
Total investment return(1), (2)     (5.14 %)     1.33 %     3.92 %     3.66 %     2.14 %
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 14,610     $ 23,987     $ 34,030     $ 31,294     $ 59,919  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments, if any (6)     2.72 %     2.59 %     2.88 %     3.24 %     3.34 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, reimbursements and recoupments, if any (excluding dividend and interest expenses)     1.90 %     1.90 %     1.95 %     1.99 %     2.21 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, reimbursements and recoupments, if any     2.72 %     2.59 %     2.88 %     3.24 %     3.30 %
Ratio of net investment income/loss to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements     0.44 %     (0.36 )%     (1.17 )%     0.22 %(5)     (1.52 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     99 %     85 %     109 %     137 %     132 %

 

 

* Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.
^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, there was a 1.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed that were held 60 days or less on BP Global Long/Short Fund. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.
** Commencement of operations.
(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.
(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.
(3) Portfolio turnover, rate excludes securities delivered / received from processing redemptions/ subscriptions in-kind.
(4) Amount is less than $0.005.
(5) Includes a non-recurring dividend. Without this dividend, net investment income (loss) per share would have been $(0.12) for Investor Class. The ratio of net investment income (loss) would have been (1.13)% for Investor Class.
(6) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

 82

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

    Boston Partners Global Equity Fund
   

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2019

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2018

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2017

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2016

 

 

For the

Year Ended

August 31,

2015

 

    Institutional Class
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 18.73     $ 17.39     $ 15.60     $ 14.66     $ 15.59  
Net investment income/(loss)*   $ 0.25       0.16       0.14       0.35 (3)     0.13  
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments     (1.79 )     1.56       1.95       0.66       (0.40 )
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     (1.54 )     1.72       2.09       1.01       (0.27 )
                                         
Dividends to shareholders from net investment income     (0.18 )     (0.12 )     (0.30 )     (0.05 )     (0.14 )
Distributions to shareholders from net realized gains     (1.10 )     (0.26 )           (0.02 )     (0.52 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (1.28 )     (0.38 )     (0.30 )     (0.07 )     (0.66 )
Redemption fees*^                              
Net asset value, end of period   $ 15.91     $ 18.73     $ 17.39     $ 15.60     $ 14.66  
Total investment return (1)(2)     (7.92 )%     9.93 %     13.59 %     6.90 %     (1.75 )%
                                         
Net assets, end of period (000)   $ 683,649     $ 666,271     $ 590,525     $ 415,999     $ 279,978  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers,  reimbursements and recoupment, if any (4)     0.95 %     0.95 %     0.95 %     0.95 %     0.95 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, and reimbursements and recoupments, if any     1.03 %     1.03 %     1.04 %     1.10 %     1.24 %
Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements and recoupment     1.55 %     0.88 %     0.84 %     2.38 %(3)     0.86 %
Portfolio turnover rate     97 %     80 %     83 %     80 %     98 %

 

 
* Calculated based on average shares outstanding for the period.
^ Effective January 1, 2016, the Fund did not impose a redemption fee. Prior to January 1, 2016, there was a 1.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed that were held 60 days or less on BP Global Equity Fund. The redemption fees were retained by the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and recorded as paid-in capital.
(1) Total return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of the period and is not annualized if period is less than one year.
(2) Redemption fees, if any, are reflected in total return calculations.
(3) Includes a non-recurring dividend. Without this dividend, net investment income per share would have been $0.18. The ratio of net investment income would have been 1.25%.
(4) Beginning on September 1, 2018, the expense limitation includes acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). AFFE are not reflected as expenses in these financial statements and therefore this may cause the net expense ratios after waivers/reimbursements to be lower than the expense limitation in place.

 

 83

 

PRIVACY NOTICE
FACTS WHAT DO THE BOSTON PARTNERS INVESTMENT FUNDS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Why? Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.
What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

 

●       Social Security number

●       account balances

●       account transactions

●       transaction history

●       wire transfer instructions

●       checking account information

 

When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

How? All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons the Boston Partners Investment Funds chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

 

Reasons we can share your personal information Do the Boston Partners
Investment Funds share?
Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purposes

such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes No

For our marketing purposes

to offer our products and services to you

Yes No
For joint marketing with other financial companies No We don’t share.
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes
information about your transactions and experiences
Yes No
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes
information about your creditworthiness
No We don’t share.
For our affiliates to market to you Yes Yes
For nonaffiliates to market to you No We don’t share.

 

Questions? Call (888) 261-4073 or go to www.boston-partners.com

 

 

 

What we do
How do the Boston Partners Investment Funds protect my personal information? To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.
How do the Boston Partners Investment Funds collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

 

●       open an account

●       provide account information

●       give us your contact information

●       make a wire transfer

●       tell us where to send the money

 

We also collect your information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

 

●       sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes-information about your creditworthiness

●       affiliates from using your information to market to you

●       sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

 

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation

In addition to the above information, where applicable, you have the following rights under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and U.S. Privacy Laws, as applicable and to the extent permitted by law, to

 

●       Check whether we hold personal information about you and to access such data (in accordance with our policy)

●       Request the correction of personal information about you that is inaccurate

●       Have a copy of the personal information we hold about you provided to you or another “controller” where technically feasible

●       Request the erasure of your personal information

●       Request the restriction of processing concerning you

 

The legal grounds for processing of your personal information is for contractual necessity and compliance with law.

 

If you wish to exercise any of your rights above, please call: 1-888-261-4073.

 

You are required to ensure the personal information we hold about you is up-to-date and accurate and you must notify us of any changes to the personal data you provided to us.

 

The Boston Partners Investment Funds shall retain your personal data for as long as you are an investor in the Funds and thereafter as long as necessary to comply with applicable laws that require the Funds to retain your personal data, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission’s data retention rules. Your personal data will be transferred to the United States so that the Funds may provide the agreed upon services for you. No adequacy decision has been rendered by the European Commission as to the data protection of your personal data when transferring it to the United States. However, the Funds do take the security of your personal data seriously. 

 

 

 

Definitions
Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. Our affiliates include:

 

●       ORIX Corporation.

●       Robeco Investment Management, Inc.

●       Robeco Securities, LLC 

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

●       The Boston Partners Investment Funds don’t share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. The Boston Partners Investment Funds may share information with nonaffiliates that perform marketing services on our behalf.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

 

●       The Boston Partners Investment Funds may share your information with other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing arrangements who may suggest additional fund services or other investment products which may be of interest to you.

Controller “Controller” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by European union or European Member state law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by European union or European Member state law.

 

 

 

BOSTON PARTNERS INVESTMENT FUNDS of
The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

1-888-261-4073
http://www.boston-partners.com

 

For More Information:

 

This Prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. More information about the

 

Boston Partners Investment Funds

 

is available free of charge, upon request, including:

 

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports

 

These reports contain additional information about each Fund's investments, describe each Fund's performance, list portfolio holdings, and discuss recent market conditions and economic trends. The annual report includes fund strategies that significantly affected the Funds' performance during their last fiscal year. The annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders may be obtained by visiting http://www.boston-partners.com.

 

Statement of Additional Information

 

The Funds' SAI, dated February 28, 2020, has been filed with the SEC. The SAI, which includes additional information about the Boston Partners Investment Funds, may be obtained free of charge, along with the annual and semi-annual reports, by calling 1-888-261-4073. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this prospectus (and is legally part of the prospectus).The SAI is available on the Adviser's website at http://www.boston-partners.com. 

 

Shareholder Inquiries

 

Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday-Friday. Call: 1-888-261-4073 or visit the website of the Adviser at http://www.boston-partners.com.

 

Purchases and Redemptions

 

Call 1-888-261-4073.

 

Written Correspondence

 

Street Address:

Boston Partners Investment Funds,

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services,

615 East Michigan Street,

Milwaukee, WI 53202

P.O. Box Address:

Boston Partners Investment Funds,

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services,

P.O. Box 701,

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

Securities and Exchange Commission

 

You may also view and copy information about the Company and the Funds, including the SAI, by visiting the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov.You may also obtain copies of Fund documents by paying a duplicating fee and sending an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-05518

 

RBB-BP-INST-18

 

 

 

 

FREE MARKET U.S. EQUITY FUND

FREE MARKET INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUND

FREE MARKET FIXED INCOME FUND

of

The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

PROSPECTUS

 

February 28, 2020

 

Investment Adviser:

 

MATSON MONEY, INC.
5955 Deerfield Blvd.
Mason, OH 45040

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), paper copies of the Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. 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 Funds electronically anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or a bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-866-780-0357 ext. 3863.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Funds, you can call 1-866-780-0357 ext. 3863 to inform the Funds that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held with the fund complex if you invest directly with the Funds.

 

The securities described in this Prospectus have been registered with the SEC. The SEC, however, has not judged these securities for their investment merit and has not determined the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Anyone who tells you otherwise is committing a criminal offense.

 

Ticker Symbols

 

Free Market U.S. Equity Fund

– FMUEX

Free Market International Equity Fund

– FMNEX

Free Market Fixed Income Fund

– FMFIX

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

   

SUMMARY SECTIONS

1

FREE MARKET U.S. EQUITY FUND

1

FREE MARKET INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUND

7

FREE MARKET FIXED INCOME FUND

13

MORE ABOUT EACH FUND’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

20

Investment Strategies

20

More About Underlying Investment Company Investments

21

Investment Risks

24

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

27

Broad-Based and Composite Indices

27

Credit Ratings

29

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

29

Investment Adviser

29

Portfolio Managers

29

Management Fees

30

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

30

Pricing of Fund Shares

30

Market Timing

31

Purchase of Fund Shares

31

Redemption of Fund Shares

33

Exchange Privilege

34

Dividends and Distributions

35

Taxes

35

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

38

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MATSON MONEY FAMILY OF FUNDS

Back Cover

 

i

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTIONS

FREE MARKET U.S. EQUITY FUND

FMUEX

 

Investment Objective

 

The Free Market U.S. Equity Fund (for this section only, the “Fund”) seeks long-term capital appreciation.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fees

0.49%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

Other Expenses

0.06%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1)

0.30%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.85%

 

 

(1)

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses have been restated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns might be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$ 87

$ 272

$ 473

$ 1,053

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 7% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing under normal circumstances at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in shares of registered, open-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “investment companies”) that have either adopted policies to invest at least 80% of their assets in equity securities, such as common stocks, preferred stocks or securities convertible into

 

1

 

 

 

stocks, of U.S. companies, or invest substantially all of their assets in such equity securities. The Fund will diversify its investments by investing primarily in investment companies focusing on different segments of the equity markets, including large (“large-cap”), small (“small-cap”) and micro-capitalization (“micro-cap”) equity securities that the Fund’s investment adviser (“Adviser”) believes offer the prospect of long-term capital appreciation. The purchase of shares of investment companies may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects substantially all of the Fund’s net assets to be invested in the securities of investment companies that invest in the types of securities described in each asset class below, with less than 2% of the net assets invested in cash or money market instruments.

 

U.S. Large Cap Value Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase common stocks and other equity securities of large cap companies that the underlying investment adviser(s) determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. An issuer’s securities are considered value stocks primarily because they have a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, the underlying investment adviser(s) may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios. The criteria used for assessing value are subject to change from time to time. Large cap companies are generally considered companies whose market capitalizations are generally in the highest 90% of total market capitalization or companies whose market capitalizations are larger than or equal to the 1,000th largest U.S. company, whichever results in the higher market capitalization break. Total market capitalization is based on the market capitalization of U.S. operating companies listed on a securities exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the underlying investment adviser(s). The dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

U.S. Small Cap Value Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase common stocks and other equity securities of small cap companies that the underlying investment adviser(s) determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. An issuer’s securities are considered value stocks primarily because they have a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, the underlying investment adviser(s) may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios. The criteria used for assessing value are subject to change from time to time. Small cap companies are generally considered companies whose market capitalizations are generally in the lowest 10% of total market capitalization or companies whose market capitalizations are smaller than the 1,000th largest U.S. company, whichever results in the higher market capitalization break. Total market capitalization is based on the market capitalization of U.S. operating companies listed on a securities exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the underlying investment adviser(s). The dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

U.S. Large Company Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase all of the stocks that comprise the S&P 500® Index in approximately the proportions they are represented in the S&P 500® Index. Generally, these are the U.S. stocks with the largest market capitalizations and, as a group, they represent approximately 80% of the total market capitalization of all publicly traded U.S. stocks.

 

U.S. Small Cap Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase common stocks and other equity securities of small cap companies primarily based on market capitalization. Small cap companies are generally considered companies whose market capitalizations are generally in the lowest 10% of total market capitalization or companies whose market capitalizations are smaller than the 1,000th largest U.S. company, whichever results in the higher market capitalization break. Total market capitalization is based on the market capitalization of U.S. operating companies listed on a securities exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the underlying investment adviser(s). The dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions. There may be some overlap in the companies in which the U.S. small cap asset class and the U.S. micro cap asset class invest.

 

U.S. Micro Cap Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase common stocks and other equity securities of micro cap companies. Micro cap companies are generally considered companies whose market capitalizations are generally in the lowest 5% of total market capitalization or companies whose market capitalizations are smaller than the 1,500th largest U.S. company, whichever results in the higher market capitalization break. Total market capitalization is based on the market capitalization of U.S. operating companies listed on a securities

 

2

 

 

 

exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the underlying investment adviser(s). The dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions. There may be some overlap in the companies in which the U.S. micro cap asset class and the U.S. small cap asset class invest.

 

The underlying investment companies may use derivatives, such as futures contracts and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices, to adjust market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the underlying investment company. Underlying index-based ETFs may use derivatives, including futures contracts, options on futures contracts, options and swaps to help the ETF track its underlying index.

 

The Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets as a temporary defensive measure in cash and money market instruments such as U.S. government securities, bank obligations and commercial paper. To the extent the Fund employs a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Periodically the Adviser will review the allocations for the Fund in each underlying investment company and may add or remove underlying investment companies and/or change the investment allocation percentages of the Fund in the underlying investment companies without notice to shareholders.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

 

Stocks of large cap, small cap or micro cap companies in which the Fund’s underlying investment companies invest or in which the Fund invests directly may temporarily fall out of favor with investors or may be more volatile than the rest of the U.S. market as a whole.

 

 

The smaller the capitalization of a company, generally the less liquid its stock and the more volatile its price. Companies with smaller market capitalizations also tend to have unproven track records and are more likely to fail than companies with larger market capitalizations.

 

 

Although the Fund will invest in other investment companies that follow a value oriented strategy, value stocks may perform differently from the market as a whole and such a strategy may cause the Fund at times to underperform equity funds that use other investment strategies.

 

 

Companies in which the Fund’s underlying investment companies invest may suffer unexpected losses or lower than expected earnings or their securities may become difficult or impossible to sell at the time and for the price that the underlying investment adviser(s) would like.

 

 

The Adviser’s judgment about the attractiveness or potential appreciation of a particular underlying investment company security could prove to be wrong or the Fund could miss out on an investment opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of such opportunity are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

 

Because under normal circumstances the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in shares of registered investment companies that emphasize investments in U.S. equity securities, the NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the share prices of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.

 

 

There is a risk that large, small or micro capitalization stocks may not perform as well as other asset classes or the U.S. stock market as a whole. In the past, large, small and micro capitalization stocks have gone through cycles of doing better or worse than the stock market in general.

 

 

There is a risk that the Fund, which is passively managed, may not perform as well as funds with more active methods of investment management, such as selecting securities based on economic, financial, and market analysis.

 

3

 

 

 

 

The derivative instruments in which the underlying investment companies may invest are subject to a number of risks including liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, and the risk of improper valuation. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and it is possible to lose more than the principal amount invested.

 

 

The performance of the Fund will depend on how successfully the investment adviser(s) to the underlying investment companies pursue their investment strategies.

 

 

ETFs are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

 

Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

 

More information about the Fund’s investments and risks is contained under the section entitled “More About Each Fund’s Investments and Risks.”

 

Performance Information

 

The chart below illustrates the long-term performance of the Fund. The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated information is available at www.matsonmoney.com or by calling (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863.

 

4

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above)

 

Best Quarter: 15.21% (quarter ended December 31, 2010)

Worst Quarter: -21.03% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns of the Fund before and after taxes for the past calendar year, the past five calendar years, and past ten calendar years to the average total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns for the
Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Fund Returns Before Taxes 22.47% 7.28% 11.62%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions* 20.93% 5.87% 10.63%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 14.40% 5.49% 9.51%
Russell 2500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 27.77% 8.93% 12.58%
Composite Index** 26.63% 8.85% 11.96%

 

 

*

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

**

The Composite Index is comprised of the S&P 500® Index, Russell 1000® Value Index, Russell 2000® Index and Russell 2000® Value Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. Additional information about the Composite Index can be found under the section entitled “More About Each Fund’s Investments and Risks.”

 

5

 

 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Matson Money, Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers

Mark E. Matson: Chief Executive Officer and Director, since 1991
Daniel List: Portfolio Manager, since 2019

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund has no minimum initial investment or minimum subsequent investment. The Fund is exclusively available to clients or customers of service organizations approved by the Adviser, including certain brokerage firms, investment advisers, financial institutions and other industry professionals (“Service Organizations”). Only persons or entities having relationships with these Service Organizations may invest in the Fund. You may submit redemption requests on any business day to your Service Organization in person or by telephone, mail or wire.

 

You can purchase and redeem shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

6

 

 

 

FREE MARKET INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUND

FMNEX

 

Investment Objective

 

The Free Market International Equity Fund (for this section only, the “Fund”) seeks long-term capital appreciation.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fees

0.49%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

Other Expenses

0.09%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1)

0.43%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

1.01%

 

 

(1)

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses have been restated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns might be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$103

$322

$558

$1,236

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 4% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing under normal circumstances at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in shares of registered, open-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “investment companies”) that have either adopted policies to invest at least 80% of their assets in equity securities, such as common stocks, preferred stocks or securities convertible into stocks, of foreign companies, or invest substantially all of their assets in such equity securities. The Fund will diversify its investments by investing primarily in investment companies that focus on different segments of the foreign equity

 

7

 

 

 

markets, including emerging markets, with little or no focus on domestic equity markets. The purchase of shares of investment companies may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects substantially all of the Fund’s net assets to be invested in the securities of investment companies that invest in the types of securities described in each asset class below, with less than 5% of the net assets invested in cash or money market instruments.

 

International Small Cap Value Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase the stocks and other equity securities, directly or through sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts, of small companies in foreign countries with developed markets that the underlying investment adviser(s) determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. An issuer’s securities are considered value stocks primarily because they have a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, the underlying investment adviser(s) may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios, as well as economic conditions and developments in the issuer’s industry. The criteria used for assessing value are subject to change from time to time. The underlying investment adviser(s) determine the maximum market capitalization of a small company with respect to each country. The threshold will vary by country or region, and the dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

International Large Cap Value Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase the stocks and other equity securities, directly or through sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts, of large companies in foreign countries with developed markets that the underlying investment adviser(s) determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. An issuer’s securities are considered value stocks primarily because they have a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, the underlying investment adviser(s) may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios, as well as economic conditions and developments in the issuer’s industry. The criteria used for assessing value are subject to change from time to time. The underlying investment adviser(s) determine the minimum market capitalization of a large company with respect to each country or region. The threshold will vary by country or region, and the dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

International Small Company Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase the stocks and other equity securities, directly or through sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts, of small companies in foreign countries with developed markets. The underlying investment adviser(s) determine the maximum market capitalization of a small company with respect to each country. The threshold will vary by country or region, and the dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

International Large Cap Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase the stocks and other equity securities, directly or through sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts, of large companies in foreign countries with developed markets. The underlying investment adviser(s) determine the minimum market capitalization of a large company with respect to each country or region. The threshold will vary by country or region, and the dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

Emerging Markets Asset Class, Emerging Markets Value Asset Class, and Emerging Markets Small Cap Asset Class (collectively, the “Emerging Markets Asset Classes”): Underlying investment companies comprising each Emerging Markets Asset Class generally will purchase stocks and other equity securities, directly or through sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts, of companies located in emerging market countries, including frontier markets (emerging market countries in an earlier stage of development). The underlying investment companies investing in securities of the Emerging Markets Asset Class and the Emerging Markets Small Cap Asset Class will generally purchase the equity securities of larger and smaller companies, respectively, within each country. The underlying investment adviser(s) determine company size primarily based on market capitalization. The thresholds will vary by country or region, and the dollar amounts will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

8

 

 

 

The underlying investment companies in the Emerging Markets Value Asset Class generally will purchase emerging market equity securities that are deemed by the underlying investment adviser(s) to be value stocks at the time of purchase. An issuer’s securities are considered value stocks primarily because they have a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, the underlying investment adviser(s) may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios. The criteria used for assessing value are subject to change from time to time.

 

The underlying investment companies may use derivatives, such as futures contracts and options on futures contracts for equity securities and indices, to hedge currency exposure or to adjust market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows or outflows from the underlying investment company. Underlying index-based ETFs may use derivatives, including futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts, options and swaps to help the ETF track its underlying index.

 

The Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets as a temporary defensive measure in cash and money market instruments such as U.S. government securities, bank obligations and commercial paper. To the extent the Fund employs a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Periodically the Adviser will review the allocations for the Fund in each underlying investment company and may add or remove underlying investment companies and/or change the investment allocation percentages of the Fund in the underlying investment companies without notice to shareholders.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

 

The value of particular foreign equity securities which the Fund’s underlying investment companies may purchase or foreign stock markets on which the securities they may purchase are traded may decline in value.

 

 

Stocks of large cap or small cap foreign companies in which the Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest may temporarily fall out of favor with investors or may be more volatile than particular foreign stock markets or foreign stock markets as a whole.

 

 

The smaller the capitalization of a company, generally the less liquid its stock and the more volatile its price. Companies with smaller market capitalizations also tend to have unproven track records and are more likely to fail than companies with larger market capitalizations.

 

 

Stocks of large cap or small cap foreign companies in which the Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest may suffer unexpected losses or lower than expected earnings or such securities may become difficult or impossible to sell at the time and for the price the underlying investment advisers would like.

 

 

Because the Fund owns shares of underlying investment companies that invest in foreign issuers, the Fund is subject to risks presented by investments in such issuers. Securities of foreign issuers may be negatively affected by political events, economic conditions, or inefficient, illiquid or unregulated markets in foreign countries. Foreign issuers may be subject to inadequate regulatory or accounting standards.

 

 

Investments in emerging market securities by underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests are subject to higher risks than those in developed market countries because there is greater uncertainty in less established markets and economics. The foregoing risks may be greater in frontier markets, which are among the smallest and least mature investment markets.

 

9

 

 

 

 

Currency risk is the risk that exchange rates for currencies in which securities held by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests are denominated will fluctuate daily. In general, the underlying investment companies do not hedge currency risk. As a result, if currencies in which foreign holdings are denominated depreciate against the U.S. Dollar, the value of your investment in the Fund may be adversely affected.

 

 

ETFs are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

 

The Adviser’s judgment about the attractiveness or potential appreciation of a particular underlying investment company security could prove to be wrong or the Fund could miss out on an investment opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of such opportunity are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

 

Because under normal circumstances the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in shares of registered investment companies that emphasize investments in equity securities of foreign companies, the NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the share prices of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.

 

 

There is a risk that the Fund, which is passively managed, may not perform as well as funds with more active methods of investment management, such as selecting securities based on economic, financial, and market analysis.

 

 

The derivative instruments in which the underlying investment companies may invest are subject to a number of risks including liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, and the risk of improper valuation. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and it is possible to lose more than the principal amount invested.

 

 

The performance of the Fund will depend on how successfully the investment adviser(s) to the underlying investment companies pursue their investment strategies.

 

 

Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

 

More information about the Fund’s investments and risks is contained under the section entitled “More About Each Fund’s Investments and Risks.”

 

Performance Information

 

The chart below illustrates the long-term performance of the Fund. The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated information is available at www.matsonmoney.com or by calling (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863.

 

10

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above)

 

Best Quarter: 17.69% (quarter ended September 30, 2010)

Worst Quarter: -22.38% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns of the Fund before and after taxes for the past calendar year, the past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns for the
Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Fund Returns Before Taxes 17.71% 4.86% 5.17%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions* 17.12% 4.00% 4.42%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 11.09% 3.66% 4.04%
MSCI World (excluding U.S.) Index (reflects no deduction expenses or taxes) 22.49% 5.42% 5.32%
Composite Index** 21.10% 6.33% 5.77%

 

 

*

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

**

The Composite Index is comprised of the MSCI EAFE Index, MSCI EAFE Value Index, MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index, and MSCI Emerging Markets Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. Additional information about the Composite Index can be found under the section entitled “More About Each Fund’s Investments and Risks.”

 

11

 

 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Matson Money, Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers

Mark E. Matson: Chief Executive Officer and Director, since 1991
Daniel List: Portfolio Manager, since 2019

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund has no minimum initial investment or minimum subsequent investment. The Fund is exclusively available to clients or customers of service organizations approved by the Adviser, including certain brokerage firms, investment advisers, financial institutions and other industry professionals (“Service Organizations”). Only persons or entities having relationships with these Service Organizations may invest in the Fund. You may submit redemption requests on any business day to your Service Organization in person or by telephone, mail or wire.

 

You can purchase and redeem shares of the Fund only on days the NYSE is open.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

12

 

 

 

FREE MARKET FIXED INCOME FUND

FMFIX

 

Investment Objective

 

The Free Market Fixed Income Fund (for this section only, the “Fund”) seeks total return (consisting of current income and capital appreciation).

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fees

0.49%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

Other Expenses

0.06%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1)

0.12%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.67%

 

 

(1)

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses have been restated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns might be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$68

$214

$373

$833

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 3% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing under normal circumstances at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in shares of registered, open-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “investment companies”) that have either adopted policies to invest

 

13

 

 

 

at least 80% of their assets in fixed income securities that the Adviser believes offer the prospect of providing total return, or invest substantially all of their assets in such fixed income securities. The purchase of shares of investment companies may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects substantially all of the Fund’s net assets to be invested in the securities of investment companies that invest in the types of securities described in each asset class below, with less than 2% of the net assets invested in cash or money market instruments.

 

One-Year Fixed Income Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase U.S. government obligations, U.S. government agency obligations, dollar-denominated obligations of foreign issuers issued in the U.S., securities of domestic or foreign issuers denominated in U.S. dollars but not trading in the U.S.; foreign government and agency obligations, bank obligations, including the obligations of U.S. subsidiaries and branches of foreign banks, corporate obligations, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, and obligations of supranational organizations such as the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank. Generally, obligations comprising this asset class will mature within one year from the date of settlement, but substantial investments may be made in obligations maturing within two years from the date of settlement when greater returns are available.

 

Two-Year Global Fixed Income Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. and foreign governments, their agencies and instrumentalities, corporate debt obligations, bank obligations, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, and other debt obligations of domestic and foreign issuers with maturities of no more than two years. In making purchase decisions, if the expected term premium is greater for longer-term securities in the eligible maturity range, the underlying investment adviser(s) will focus investment in the longer-term area, otherwise, the underlying investment companies will focus investment in the shorter-term area of the eligible maturity range. Because many of the investments of the underlying investment companies in this asset class will be denominated in foreign currencies, the underlying investment companies may also enter into foreign currency forward contracts to attempt to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency rates, to hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or to transfer balances from one currency to another.

 

Intermediate Government Fixed Income Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase debt obligations of the U.S. government and U.S. government agencies. Generally, investment companies in the asset class will purchase securities with maturities of between five and fifteen years, however such investment companies ordinarily will have an average weighted maturity of between three and ten years. The underlying investment companies may invest a portion of their assets in the obligations of foreign governments. Those obligations at the time of purchase must be either rated in the highest rating category of a nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, in the case of any obligation that is unrated, of comparable quality.

 

Five-Year Global Fixed Income Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. and foreign governments, their agencies and instrumentalities, corporate debt obligations, bank obligations, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, obligations of other domestic and foreign issuers, securities of domestic or foreign issuers denominated in U.S. dollars but not trading in the United States, and obligations of supranational organizations. Generally, obligations comprising this asset class have a weighted average maturity not exceeding five years. In making purchase decisions, if the expected term premium is greater for longer-term securities in the eligible maturity range, the underlying investment adviser(s) will focus investment in the longer-term area, otherwise, the underlying investment companies will focus investment in the shorter-term area of the eligible maturity range. Because many of the investments of the underlying investment companies in this asset class will be denominated in foreign currencies, the underlying investment companies may also enter into foreign currency forward contracts to attempt to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency rates, to hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or to transfer balances from one currency to another.

 

14

 

 

 

Short-Term Corporate Bond Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will track the investment results of the ICE BofAML 1-5 Year US Corporate Index, which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non- U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market and have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than five years.

 

Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will track the investment results of the ICE BofAML 5-10 Year US Corporate Index, which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market and have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to five years and less than ten years.

 

Inflation Protected Securities Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will track the investment results of the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index (Series-L), which measures the performance of the inflation-protected public obligations of the U.S. Treasury, commonly known as “TIPS.” TIPS are securities issued by the U.S. Treasury that are designed to provide inflation protection to investors. TIPS are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflation - a sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, the consumer price index (“CPI”), and TIPS’ principal payments are adjusted according to changes in the CPI. A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase.

 

The underlying investment companies may also use derivatives, such as futures contracts and options on futures contracts for equity securities and indices, to hedge currency exposure or to adjust market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows or outflows from the underlying investment company. Underlying index-based ETFs may use derivatives, including futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts, options and swaps to help the ETF track its underlying index.

 

Certain underlying investment companies may concentrate their investments (invest more than 25% of its total assets) in obligations of U.S. and foreign banks and bank holding companies when the yield to maturity on eligible portfolio investments in banking securities as a group generally exceeds the yield to maturity on all other eligible portfolio investments as a group generally for a period of five consecutive days when the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading. While the Fund will not concentrate its investments in any one industry, the Fund may be focused on banking sectors under certain circumstances.

 

The Fund reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets as a temporary defensive measure in cash and money market instruments such as U.S. government securities, bank obligations and commercial paper. To the extent the Fund employs a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Periodically the Adviser will review the allocations for the Fund in each underlying investment company and may add or remove underlying investment companies and/or change the investment allocation percentages of the Fund in the underlying investment companies without notice to shareholders.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

 

Fixed income securities in which the Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest are subject to certain risks, including: interest rate risk, reinvestment risk, prepayment and extension risk, credit/default risk, and the risks associated with investing in repurchase agreements.

 

 

Interest rate risk involves the risk that prices of fixed income securities will rise and fall in response to interest rate changes.

 

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Reinvestment risk involves the risk that proceeds from matured investments may be re-invested at lower interest rates.

 

 

Prepayment risk involves the risk that in declining interest rates environments prepayments of principal could increase and require the Fund to reinvest proceeds of the prepayments at lower interest rates.

 

 

Extension risk involves the risk that prepayments of principal will decrease when interest rates rise resulting in a longer effective maturity of a security.

 

 

Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a security may be unable to make interest payments and/or repay principal when due. Credit risk also involves the risk that the credit rating of a security may be lowered.

 

 

Repurchase agreement risk involves the risk that the other party to a repurchase agreement will be unable to complete the transaction and the underlying investment company in which the Fund invests may suffer a loss as a result.

 

 

Because the Fund owns shares of underlying investment companies that invest in foreign issuers, the Fund is subject to risks presented by investments in such issuers. Securities of foreign issuers may be negatively affected by political events, economic conditions, or inefficient, illiquid or unregulated markets in foreign countries. Foreign issuers may be subject to inadequate regulatory or accounting standards.

 

 

Currency risk is the risk that exchange rates for currencies in which securities held by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests are denominated will fluctuate daily. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts may limit potential gains from a favorable change in value between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Unanticipated changes in currency pricing may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in these contracts.

 

 

ETFs are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

 

Inflation protected securities, such as TIPS, generally will fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates, generally decreasing when real interest rates rise and increasing when real interest rates fall. In addition, interest payments on inflation-protected securities will generally vary up or down along with the rate of inflation. Real interest rates are generally measured as a nominal interest less an inflation rate. As such, investors should be aware that an investment in TIPS over a particular timeframe may decrease in value even in an inflationary environment. There can be no assurance that the inflation index used will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Because of their inflation adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds.

 

 

The Adviser’s judgment about the attractiveness or potential appreciation of a particular underlying investment company security could prove to be wrong or the Fund could miss out on an investment opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of such opportunity are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

 

Because under normal circumstances the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in shares of registered investment companies that emphasize investments in fixed income securities, the NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the share prices of the investment companies in which the Fund invests.

 

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Not all obligations of U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Some are backed only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality. Accordingly, there may be some risk of default by the issuer in such cases.

 

 

There is a risk that the Fund, which is passively managed, may not perform as well as funds with more active methods of investment management, such as selecting securities based on economic, financial, and market analysis.

 

 

The derivative instruments in which the underlying investment companies may invest are subject to a number of risks including liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, and the risk of improper valuation. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and it is possible to lose more than the principal amount invested.

 

 

The performance of the Fund will depend on how successfully the investment adviser(s) to the underlying investment companies pursue their investment strategies.

 

 

Banks are very sensitive to changes in money market and general economic conditions. Adverse general economic conditions can cause financial difficulties for a bank’s borrowers and the borrowers’ failure to repay their loans can adversely affect the bank’s financial situation. Banks are subject to extensive regulation and decisions by regulators may limit the loans banks make and the interest rates and fees they charge, which could reduce bank profitability.

 

 

Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

 

More information about the Fund’s investments and risks is contained under the section entitled “More About Each Fund’s Investments and Risks.”

 

Performance Information

 

The chart below illustrates the long-term performance of the Fund. The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated information is available at www.matsonmoney.com or by calling (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863.

 

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TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above)

 

Best Quarter: 1.99% (quarter ended March 31, 2019)

Worst Quarter: -1.44% (quarter ended June 30, 2013)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns of the Fund before and after taxes for the past calendar year, the past five calendar years, and past ten calendar years to the average total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns for the
Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Fund Returns Before Taxes 4.78% 1.58% 1.53%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions* 4.17% 1.06% 1.04%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 2.83% 0.99% 0.99%
FTSE World Government Bond Index 1-5 Years(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 3.86% 1.92% 1.85%
Composite Index** 5.34% 2.04% 2.17%

 

 

*

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

**

The Composite Index is comprised of the Three-Month Treasury Bill Index, Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate Government Bond Index, ICE BofAML 1-3 Year US Government/Corporate Index and Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. Additional information about the Composite Index can be found under the section entitled “ More About Each Fund’s Investments and Risks.”

 

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Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Matson Money, Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers

Mark E. Matson: Chief Executive Officer and Director, since 1991
Daniel J. List: Portfolio Manager, since 2019

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund has no minimum initial investment or minimum subsequent investment. The Fund is exclusively available to clients or customers of service organizations approved by the Adviser, including certain brokerage firms, investment advisers, financial institutions and other industry professionals (“Service Organizations”). Only persons or entities having relationships with these Service Organizations may invest in the Fund. You may submit redemption requests on any business day to your Service Organization in person or by telephone, mail or wire.

 

You can purchase and redeem shares of the Fund only on days the NYSE is open.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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MORE ABOUT EACH FUND’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

 

 

Investment Strategies

 

The Summary of Principal Investment Strategies and Summary of Principal Investment Risks sections describe the investment objective and principal investment strategies and risks of each Fund. This section provides some additional information about the Funds and the underlying investment companies in which the Funds may invest and certain portfolio management techniques that such underlying investment companies may use. More information about the Funds’ investments and related risks is included in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

Each Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) upon prior written notice to shareholders. Shareholders will be given at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change to a Fund’s investment objective.

 

Each Fund pursues its investment objective by investing under normal circumstances at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in shares of registered investment companies and ETFs. The Adviser focuses on the returns of investment companies within each of the asset classes while keeping trading costs to a minimum. Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects substantially all of the Funds’ net assets to be invested in the securities of investment companies with less than 2% of the net assets of the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund, and 5% of the net assets of the Free Market International Equity Fund invested in cash or money market instruments.

 

Periodically, the Adviser will review the allocations for each Fund in each underlying investment company. From time to time, the Adviser may add or remove underlying investment companies and/or change the investment allocation percentages of a Fund in the underlying investment companies without notice to shareholders. In addition, when the Adviser determines that market forces have caused fundamental changes in the relative values of the assets of the underlying investment companies, the Adviser may modify the allocations of the Fund. To maintain allocation ranges, adjustments may be made by purchasing or selling shares of the underlying investment companies or applying future investments and redemptions by the Fund in proportions necessary to rebalance the investments in the underlying investment companies.

 

Each Fund may invest directly in individual securities. However, the Adviser will not invest directly in individual securities without prior approval of the Board, except as described in this Prospectus.

 

Investments in Investment Companies and the Investment Company Industry. Each Fund invests exclusively in investment companies that are not affiliated with it. These investment companies may be within the same fund complex and/or advised by the same investment adviser. The Funds invest primarily in securities of registered investment companies and will attempt to identify investment companies that have demonstrated superior management, favorable investment results, and relatively lower costs and expenses. There can be no assurance that this result will be achieved. Each Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by the investment companies in which it invests, including the advisory and administration fees paid by the underlying fund. Fees and expenses related to each Fund’s investments in underlying funds during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 are disclosed in each Fund’s expense table under “Acquired Fund fees and expenses.” Some underlying investment companies may concentrate their investments in various industries or industry sectors and may use options, futures, or options on futures in their investment programs.

 

Investment decisions by the investment advisers of the underlying investment companies are made independently of the Funds and the Adviser. Therefore, the investment adviser of one underlying investment company may be purchasing shares of the same issuer whose shares are being sold by the investment adviser of another underlying investment company. The result of this would be an indirect expense to a Fund without accomplishing any investment purpose.

 

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Each Fund expects that it will select the investment companies in which it will invest based, in part, upon an analysis of the past and projected performance and investment structure of the underlying investment companies. However, each Fund may consider other factors in the selection of investment companies. These other factors include, but are not limited to the investment company’s size, shareholder services, liquidity, investment objective and investment techniques. Each Fund will be affected by the losses of its underlying investment companies and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of such investment companies and has no control over the risks taken by such investment companies.

 

Investing in investment companies does not eliminate investment risk. When the Adviser has identified a significant upward trend in a particular asset class, each Fund retains the right to invest in investment companies that invest primarily in that particular asset class. Investment companies may have greater fluctuations in value when compared to other categories of investment companies that are not invested primarily in the particular asset class selected by the Adviser.

 

Each Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Adviser’s ability to select the appropriate mix of underlying investment companies. In addition, achieving each Fund’s investment objective will depend on the performance of the underlying investment companies, which depends on the ability of the underlying investment companies to meet their investment objectives. There can be no assurance that either the Funds or their underlying investment companies will achieve their investment objectives.

 

ETFs are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. A Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares.

 

More About Underlying Investment Company Investments

 

Underlying Investment Companies. The underlying investment companies in which the Funds may invest reflect a broad spectrum of investment opportunities including equities, fixed income, domestic, foreign and emerging markets. These investment companies may invest in various obligations and employ various investment techniques. The following describes these obligations and techniques:

 

Derivative Contracts. The underlying investment companies in which each of the Funds invests may, but need not, use derivative contracts to seek to hedge against the possible adverse impact of changes in stock market prices, currency exchange rates (with respect to the Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund only) or interest rates in the market value of its securities or securities to be purchased.

 

Examples of derivative contracts include: futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies; options on these futures; forward foreign currency contracts, and interest rate or currency swaps. A derivative contract will obligate or entitle an underlying investment company to deliver or receive an asset or cash payment that is based on the change in value of one or more securities, currencies or indices. Even a small investment in derivative contracts can have a big impact on an underlying investment company’s stock market, currency and interest rate exposure. Therefore, using derivatives can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when stock prices, currency rates or interest rates are changing. An underlying investment company may not fully benefit from or may lose money on derivatives if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the investment company’s holdings. The other parties to certain derivative contracts present the same types of default risk as issuers of fixed income securities in that the counterparty may default on its payment obligations or become insolvent. Derivatives can also make an underlying investment company less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets. The underlying investment companies may also utilize derivative contracts to gain market exposure on their uninvested cash pending investment in securities or to maintain liquidity to pay redemptions. The underlying

 

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investment companies of the Free Market International Equity Fund and the Free Market Fixed Income Fund may also enter into forward foreign currency contracts to transfer balances from one currency to another. The use of derivatives for non-hedging purposes may be considered more speculative than other types of investments.

 

Equity Investments. The underlying investment companies in which the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund and Free Market International Equity Fund invest may purchase all types of equity securities. The Free Market Fixed Income Fund may invest a portion of its assets in underlying investment companies that invest in equity securities, although these investments are not part of the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies. Equity securities include exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, rights, convertible securities, depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, and equity participations. Investments in equity securities and equity derivatives in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. Common stocks may decline over short or even extended periods of time. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that an underlying investment company could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. The value of such securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. State law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded to investors in a limited partnership than investors in a corporation.

 

Fixed Income Investments. The underlying investment companies in which the Free Market Fixed Income Fund invests may purchase all types of fixed income securities. The Free Market U.S. Equity Fund and the Free Market International Equity Fund may invest a portion of their assets in underlying investment companies that invest in fixed income securities, although these investments are not part of such Funds’ principal investment strategies. Fixed income investments include bonds, notes (including structured notes), mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, convertible securities, Eurodollar and Yankee dollar instruments, preferred stocks and money market instruments. Fixed income securities may be issued by corporate, governmental and foreign issuers and may have all types of interest rate payment and reset terms, including (without limitation) fixed rate, adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment-in-kind and auction rate features.

 

Foreign Securities. The securities held by the underlying investment companies in which the Free Market International Equity Fund invests are generally traded or denominated in foreign currencies. In addition, many of the securities held by the underlying investment companies in which the Free Market Fixed Income Fund invests are traded or denominated in foreign currencies. Investments in securities of foreign entities and securities denominated or traded in foreign currencies involve special risks. These include possible political and economic instability and the possible imposition of exchange controls or other restrictions on investments. Changes in foreign currency rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of an underlying investment company’s assets denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Emerging market investments offer the potential for significant gains but also involve greater risks than investing in more developed countries. Political or economic instability, lack of market liquidity and government actions such as currency controls or seizure of private business or property may be more likely in emerging markets.

 

The underlying investment companies in which the Free Market International Equity Fund invests may purchase depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depository, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depository without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders.

 

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The underlying investment companies investing in stocks and other equity securities of issuers located in developed markets may invest in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The investment adviser(s) of the underlying investment companies may also invest from time to time in securities of issuers located in other developed countries, at their discretion.

 

The underlying investment companies investing in stocks and other equity securities of issuers located in emerging market countries may invest in the following countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey. The investment adviser(s) of the underlying investment companies may also invest from time to time in securities of issuers located in other emerging market countries, at their discretion.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities. The underlying investment companies in which the Free Market Fixed Income Fund invests may purchase mortgage-backed securities as part of their principal investment strategies. Mortgage-backed securities in which the underlying investment companies invest may be issued by private companies or by agencies of the U.S. government. Mortgage-backed securities represent direct or indirect participation in, or are collateralized by and payable from, mortgage loans secured by real property.

 

Certain debt instruments may only pay principal at maturity or may only represent the right to receive payments of principal or payments of interest on underlying pools of mortgage or government securities, but not both. The value of these types of instruments may change more drastically than debt securities that pay both principal and interest during periods of changing interest rates. Principal only mortgage-backed securities are particularly subject to prepayment risk. An underlying investment company may obtain a below market yield or incur a loss on such instruments during periods of declining interest rates. Interest only instruments are particularly subject to extension risk, which is the risk that principal repayments will not occur as quickly as anticipated, causing the expected maturity of a security to increase and making its price more sensitive to rate changes and more volatile. Mortgage derivatives and structural securities often employ features that have the effect of leverage. As a result, small changes in interest or prepayment rates may cause large and sudden price movements, especially compared to an investment in a security that is not leveraged. Mortgage derivatives can also become illiquid and hard to value in declining markets. Mortgage-backed securities also include mortgage pass-through certificates and multiple-class pass-through certificates, such as collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs).

 

The market for mortgage related securities has previously experienced substantial, often dramatic volatility with lower valuations and greatly reduced liquidity. These instruments may be subject to liquidity constraints, price volatility, credit downgrades and unexpected increases in default rates, and therefore may be more difficult to value and more difficult to dispose of than previously. These events may have an adverse impact on the Funds to the extent underlying investment companies invest in mortgage-related or other fixed income securities or instruments affected by the volatility in the fixed income markets.

 

Securities Lending. The underlying investment companies of the Funds may seek to increase their income by lending portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker-dealers. Portfolio securities loans are secured continuously by collateral maintained on a current basis at an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. The value of the securities loaned by the underlying investment company will not exceed 331/3% of the value of the investment company’s total assets. The underlying investment company may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the investment company. Lending portfolio securities involves the risk of delay in receiving additional collateral if the value of the securities goes up while they are on loan.

 

Borrowing. The underlying investment companies of the Funds may borrow money for temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes. A Fund will not make any additional investments in an investment company while such investment company’s borrowings exceed 5% of its total assets.

 

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Temporary Investments. The Funds may depart from their principal investment strategies in response to adverse market, economic or political conditions by taking temporary defensive positions in cash or money market instruments. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective.

 

Investment Risks

 

The following provides additional information about the risks of investing in the Funds:

 

Cash Flow Risk. The underlying investment companies in which the Free Market Fixed Income Fund invests purchase fixed income securities as part of their principal investment strategies. Payment of principal on the mortgages or other assets underlying a particular fixed income security in which an underlying investment company invests may be faster or slower than estimated. Interest only instruments are particularly subject to extension risk, which is the risk that principal repayment will not occur as quickly as anticipated, causing the expected maturity of a security to increase and making its price more sensitive to rate change and more volatile. When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages or other loans sooner than expected and will typically shorten the average life of these instruments. This is known as prepayment risk.

 

Concentration. Concentration of investments within one industry or market sector may subject an underlying investment company to greater market fluctuations. The Funds will not knowingly concentrate their investments, directly or indirectly, in any industry.

 

Credit/Default Risk. The underlying investment companies in which the Free Market Fixed Income Fund invests purchase fixed income securities as part of their principal investment strategies. The credit rating of an issuer or guarantor of a security in which an underlying investment company invests may be lowered or an issuer or guarantor of a security or the counterparty to a derivatives contract or a repurchase agreement may default on its payment obligations.

 

Currency Risk. With respect to investments in foreign securities by underlying investment companies in which the Free Market International Equity Fund and the Free Market Fixed Income Fund invest, exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The combination of currency risk and market risk tends to make securities traded in foreign markets more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the U.S. Foreign securities are usually denominated in a foreign currency; therefore, changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the NAV of an underlying investment company. Diversification among foreign currencies will not protect the underlying investment companies against a general increase in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies.

 

Cyber Security Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Fund’s Adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountant, custodian, transfer agent and administrator), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Adviser has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

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Derivatives Risk. The underlying investment companies of each Fund may utilize derivatives as part of their principal investment strategies. Loss may result from an underlying investment company’s investments in futures, swaps, options and other derivative instruments. These instruments may be leveraged so that small changes in value may produce disproportionate losses to the underlying investment company. Using derivative instruments may involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. An underlying investment company’s investment in a derivative instrument could lose more than the principal amount invested. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the underlying investment company will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when they would be beneficial. Pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940 and its rules and SEC interpretations thereunder, the registered investment companies in which the Funds invest are required to segregate cash or liquid securities or otherwise “cover” their positions in certain derivatives.

 

Emerging Market Securities. Underlying investment companies in which the Free Market International Equity Fund invests may purchase the securities of issuers located in developing or emerging market countries. The risks of foreign investments are typically increased in less developed countries, which are sometimes referred to as emerging markets, because there is greater uncertainty in less established markets and economies. These risks include political, social or economic systems, smaller securities markets, lower trading volume, and substantial rates of inflation. To the extent an underlying investment company is invested in emerging market securities, it will be subject to higher risk than those investing in securities of developed market countries.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Each Fund may invest in ETFs to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC orders. ETFs are registered investment companies whose shares are listed and traded on U.S. stock exchanges or otherwise traded in the over-the-counter market. In general, ETFs seek to track a specified securities index or a basket of securities that an “index provider,” such as S&P Global, selects as representative of a market, market segment or industry sector. An ETF portfolio generally holds the same stocks or bonds as the index it tracks or it may hold a representative sample of such securities. Thus, an ETF typically is designed so that its performance will correspond closely with that of the index it tracks. In some cases, an ETF may be actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection, and the individual investments in an actively-managed ETF may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expected, and/or the actively-managed ETF’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result. As a shareholder in an ETF, a Fund will bear its pro rata portion of an ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to its own expenses.

 

The market for an ETF’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares. An ETF’s market price may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. An active trading market for shares of the ETF may not develop or be maintained. In times of market stress, market makers or authorized participants may step away from their respective roles in making a market in shares of the ETF and in executing purchase or redemption orders, which could also lead to variances between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The underlying investment companies of the Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the underlying investment company’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the underlying investment company’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

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Foreign Investing. Foreign securities in which the Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest pose additional risks over U.S.-based securities for a number of reasons. Investments in foreign securities may adversely affect the value of an investment in certain underlying investment companies. Foreign economic, governmental, and political systems may be less favorable than those of the U.S. Foreign governments and may exercise greater control over their economies, industries, and citizens’ rights. Specific risk factors related to foreign securities include: inflation, structure and regulation of financial markets, liquidity and volatility of investments, currency exchange rates and regulations, and accounting standards. Foreign companies may also be subject to significantly higher levels of taxation than U.S. companies, including potentially confiscatory levels of taxation, thereby reducing their earnings potential, and amounts realized on foreign securities may be subject to high levels of foreign taxation and withholding. In addition, these underlying investment companies may incur higher costs and expenses when making foreign investments, which will affect the underlying investment companies’ total return.

 

Interest Rate Risk. The underlying investment companies in which the Free Market Fixed Income Fund invests purchase fixed income securities as part of their Principal Investment Strategies. During periods of rising interest rates, an underlying investment company’s yield and the market value of the investment company’s fixed-income securities will tend to be lower than prevailing market interest rates. Periods of rising interest rates may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. In periods of falling interest rates, the underlying investment company’s yield and the market value of the underlying investment company’s fixed-income securities generally will tend to be higher than prevailing market interest rates. Prices of longer-term fixed income securities are typically more sensitive to changes in interest rates than prices of shorter-term fixed-income securities.

 

Non-Diversified Investments. The performance of large positions in certain equity or fixed income securities may significantly impact the performance of an underlying investment company of a Fund, resulting in greater volatility.

 

Other Investment Companies. Each Fund’s NAV will fluctuate due to business developments concerning a particular issuer or industry as well as general market and economic conditions affecting securities held by the particular underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. Investment decisions by the investment advisers of the underlying investment companies in which the Funds invest are made independently of the Funds and the Adviser. Each Fund will be affected by the losses of its underlying investment companies and the risks involved in the investment practices of such investment companies. Neither the Funds nor the Adviser has any control over the risks taken by such investment companies. Some underlying investment companies may concentrate their investments in various industries or sectors and may invest in derivative securities, options or futures.

 

Small Company Securities. While the securities of small capitalization companies in which the Free Market U.S. Equity and Free Market International Equity Funds’ underlying investment companies invest may offer greater opportunity for capital appreciation than larger companies, investment in such companies presents greater risks than investment in larger, more established companies. Historically, small capitalization stocks have been more volatile in price than larger capitalization stocks. Among the reasons for the greater price volatility of these securities are the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such stocks, and the potentially greater sensitivity of such small companies to changes in or failure of management, and to many other changes in competitive, business, industry and economic conditions, including risks associated with limited product lines, markets, management depth, or financial resources. Besides exhibiting greater volatility, micro and small company stocks may, to a degree, fluctuate independently of larger company stocks. Small company stocks may decline in price as large company stocks rise, or rise in price as large company stocks decline. Additionally, while the markets in securities of small companies have grown rapidly in recent years, such securities may trade less frequently and in smaller volume than more widely held securities. The values of these securities may fluctuate more sharply than those of other securities, and the underlying investment companies in which the Funds invest may experience some difficulty in establishing or closing out positions in these securities at prevailing market prices. There may be less publicly available information about the issuers of these securities or less market interest in such securities than in the case of larger companies and it may take a longer period of time for the prices of such securities to reflect the full value of their issuers’ underlying earnings potential or assets.

 

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Stock Market. Underlying investment companies in which the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund and Free Market International Equity Fund may invest are subject to fluctuations in the stock markets, which have periods of increasing and decreasing values. Equity securities typically have greater volatility than fixed income securities.

 

U.S. Government Securities Risk. Although a Fund’s investments in U.S. government securities are considered to be among the safest investments, they are not guaranteed against price movements due to changing interest rates. Obligations issued by certain U.S. government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises, such as the Government National Mortgage Association, are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, while obligations issued by others, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and Federal Home Loan Banks, are backed solely by the ability of the entity to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or by the entity’s own resources. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to U.S. government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if it is not obligated to do so by law.

 

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be placed in conservatorship under the FHFA. On June 16, 2010, FHFA ordered Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s stock de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange after the price of common stock in Fannie Mae fell below the New York Stock Exchange’s minimum average closing price of $1 for more than 30 days. The future status and role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s operations and activities as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the U.S. Treasury, market responses to developments at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any Mortgage-Backed Securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including any such Mortgage-Backed Securities held by a Fund.

 

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The SAI is incorporated herein.

 

Broad-Based and Composite Indices

 

Each Fund intends to evaluate its performance as compared to that of a broad-based index and a Composite Index. The information below reflects the most current information available to the Company as of the date of this Prospectus:

 

Free Market U.S. Equity Fund. The broad-based index is the Russell 2500® Index. The Composite Index is comprised of the S&P 500® Index, Russell 1000® Value Index, Russell 2000® Index and Russell 2000® Value Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. The following is a description of the broad-based index and each index comprising the Composite Index:

 

The Russell 2500® Index consists of the small- to mid-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe, commonly referred to as “smid” cap. The Russell 2500® Index is constructed on a market-cap weighted basis to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer for the small to mid-cap segment and is completely reconstituted annually to ensure larger stocks do not distort the performance and characteristics of the Index. The Russell 2500® Index includes the smallest 2,500 securities in the Russell 3000® Index. The Russell 3000® Index is made up of 3,000 of the biggest U.S. stocks. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 2500® Index was $1.2 billion and the largest stock was $20.7 billion.

 

The S&P 500® Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry grouping, among other factors. The S&P 500® Index is designed to be an indicator of U.S. equities and is meant to reflect the risk/return characteristics of the large-cap universe. The S&P 500® Index is a market-value weighted index and each stock’s weight in the index is proportionate to its market value.

 

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The Russell 1000® Value Index consists of the large-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 1000® Value Index is constructed to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer of the large-cap value market.

 

The Russell 2000® Index consists of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® Index is constructed on a market-cap weighted basis to provide a comprehensive and unbiased small-cap barometer and is completely reconstituted annually to ensure larger stocks do not distort the performance and characteristics of the Index. The Russell 2000® Index includes the smallest 2000 securities in the Russell 3000® Index.

 

The Russell 2000® Value Index consists of the small-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® Value Index is constructed to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer of the small-cap value market.

 

Free Market International Equity Fund. The broad-based index is the MSCI World (excluding U.S.) Index. The Composite Index is comprised of the MSCI EAFE Index, MSCI EAFE Value Index, MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index, and MSCI Emerging Markets Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. The following is a description of the broad-based index and each index comprising the Composite Index:

 

The MSCI World (excluding U.S.) Index is a stock market index of ‘world’ stocks maintained by Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”). The index includes a selection of stocks of developed markets, as defined by MSCI. As of November 30, 2019, this index contains securities from the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. As of November 30, 2019, the median capitalization of the MSCI World (excluding U.S.) Index was $7.7 billion and the weighted average market capitalization was $15.7 billion.

 

The MSCI Europe, Australasia, and Far East (“EAFE”) Index is a stock market index of foreign stocks that covers approximately 85% of the equity market of the following developed countries as of November 30, 2019: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

 

The MSCI EAFE Value Index is a subset of the EAFE Index and includes securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia) and the Far East. The Index generally represents approximately 50% of the market capitalization of the EAFE Index and consists of those securities classified by MSCI as most representing the value style.

 

The MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index targets approximately the bottom 15% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization within each country. MSCI defines the small cap universe as all listed securities that have a market capitalization of approximately less than $4.1 billion. The small cap segment covers the 85% - 99% range of each market’s free float-adjusted market capitalization.

 

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is designed to measure equity market performance in global emerging markets. As of November 30, 2019, the Index contained securities from the following emerging market countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

 

Free Market Fixed Income Fund. The broad-based index is the FTSE World Government Bond Index 1-5 Year Currency Hedged U.S. Dollar Index. The Composite Index is comprised of the Three-Month Treasury Bill Index, Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate Government Bond Index, ICE BofAML 1-3 Year US Government/Corporate Index and Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. The following is a description of the broad-based index and each index comprising the Composite Index:

 

FTSE World Government Bond Index 1-5 Year Currency Hedged U.S. Dollar Index includes the most significant and liquid government bond markets globally that carry at least an investment grade rating. Currently, this includes the 23 government bond markets of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

 

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Three Month Treasury-Bill Index consists of three-month Treasury bills purchased at the beginning of each of three consecutive months. As each bill matures, all proceeds are rolled over or reinvested in a new three-month bill. The income used to calculate the monthly return is derived by subtracting the original amount invested from the maturity value. The index is rebalanced monthly by market capitalization.

 

Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate Government Bond Index is a weighted index of U.S. government and government agency securities (other than mortgage securities) with maturities of one year to ten years.

 

ICE BofAML 1-3 Year U.S. Government/Corporate Index is an unmanaged index of short-term U.S. government securities and short-term domestic investment-grade corporate bonds with maturities between 1 and 2.99 years.

 

Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a market capitalization-weighted index, meaning the securities in the index are weighted according to the market size of each bond type. Most U.S. traded investment grade bonds are represented. Municipal bonds and Treasury Inflation-Protected securities are excluded. The Index includes Treasury securities, Government agency bonds, mortgage-backed bonds, corporate bonds, and a small amount of foreign bonds traded in the U.S. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is an intermediate term index. The average maturity is 7.9 years as of November 30, 2019.

 

Credit Ratings

 

Corporate debt obligations and dollar-denominated obligations of foreign issuers issued in the U.S. in which the underlying investment companies of the Free Market Fixed Income Fund may invest will be (i) rated Aa3 or better by Moody’s, or AA- or better by S&P, or AA- or better by Fitch; or (ii) if there is no rating for the debt security, (ii) determined by the investment adviser(s) to the underlying investment companies to be of comparable quality to equivalent issues of the same issuer rated at least AA- or Aa3.

 

Commercial paper in which the underlying investment companies may invest will be rated, at the time of purchase, A-1 or better by S&P or Prime-1 by Moody’s, or, if unrated, issued by a corporation having an outstanding unsecured debt issue rated Aaa by Moody’s or AAA by S&P.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

 

 

Investment Adviser

 

Matson Money, Inc. (“Matson Money” or the “Adviser”) is located at 5955 Deerfield Blvd., Mason, OH 45040. Matson Money was founded in 1991 and provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, corporations, non-profit organizations, retirement plans and foundations. Mark E. Matson, President, Chief Financial Officer and a Director of Matson Money, controls Matson Money through his majority ownership. Matson Money had approximately $8.4 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2019.

 

Subject to the general supervision of the Board, Matson Money manages the Funds’ portfolios and is responsible for the selection and management of all investments of the Funds in accordance with the Funds’ respective investment objectives and policies.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Mark E. Matson and Daniel J. List are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Funds.

 

Mark E. Matson, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Adviser, founded the Adviser in 1991 and serves as head portfolio manager at the Adviser.

 

Daniel J. List, Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President of the Adviser, has been employed by the Adviser since 1994. He is responsible for the portfolio design, compliance, trading and system designs.

 

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The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of shares in the Funds.

 

Management Fees

 

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Company, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee at the annual rate of 0.50% of the first $1 billion of each Fund’s average daily net assets, 0.49% of each Fund’s average daily net assets over $1 billion to $3 billion, 0.48% of each Fund’s average daily net assets over $3 billion to $5 billion, and 0.47% of each Fund’s average daily net assets over $5 billion, computed daily and payable monthly. The Adviser has voluntarily agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to 1.13%, 1.35% and 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund, respectively. The Adviser may not recoup waived advisory fees or reimbursed expenses. The Adviser may discontinue these arrangements at any time. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, and Free Market Fixed Income Fund paid 0.49%, 0.49%, and 0.49% (expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets), respectively, to the Adviser for its services.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for Board’s approval of the investment advisory agreement with respect to the Funds is available in the Funds’ annual report to shareholders dated August 31, 2019.

 

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

 

Pricing of Fund Shares

 

The Funds’ shares (“Shares”) are priced at their NAV. The NAV per Share of each Fund is calculated as follows:

 

 

Value of Assets Attributable to the Fund’s Shares

 

NAV = -

Value of Liabilities Attributable to the Fund’s Shares

 

 

Number of Outstanding Shares of the Fund

 

 

Each Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. The NYSE also may be closed on national days of mourning or due to natural disaster or other extraordinary events or emergency. The NYSE is generally open Monday through Friday, except national holidays. The Funds will effect purchases and redemptions of Shares at the NAV next calculated after receipt by the Fund’s Transfer Agent of your purchase order or redemption request in good order (as described below). If a Fund holds securities that are primarily listed on non-U.S. exchanges, the NAV of the Fund’s Shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Fund’s Shares.

 

Investments in underlying open-end investment companies are valued based on the NAV of those investment companies at the close of business that day. Investments in ETFs and closed-end funds will be valued at their market price. A Fund’s direct investments in equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange will be valued at the last sale price for all exchanges, except the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (“NASDAQ”). Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ will be valued at the official closing price. Direct investments in equity securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at their closing prices. If there were no transactions on that day, equity securities will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. A Fund’s direct investments in fixed income securities are valued using an independent pricing service, which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings, and are deemed representative of market values at the close of the market. Direct investments in foreign securities, currencies and other securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of such currencies against the U.S. dollar provided by a pricing service. All assets denominated in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates

 

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in effect at the time of valuation. If a Fund holds foreign securities, the calculation of the Fund’s NAV will not occur at the same time as the determination of the value of the foreign equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio, since these securities are traded on foreign exchanges.

 

If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Funds’ administrator, in consultation with the Adviser, the Fund’s investments will be valued by the Adviser in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board’s ultimate supervision. In addition, the prices of foreign securities may be affected by events that occur after the close of a foreign market but before a Fund prices its shares. In such instances, a foreign security may be fair valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. The use of a pricing service and fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by a Fund to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other mutual funds and investors to price the same investments.

 

Market Timing

 

In accordance with the policy adopted by its Board, the Company discourages and does not accommodate market timing and other excessive trading practices. Purchases should be made with a view to longer-term investment only. Excessive short-term (market timing) trading practices may disrupt Fund management strategies, increase brokerage and administrative costs, harm Fund performance and result in dilution in the value of Fund Shares held by long-term shareholders. The Company and the Adviser reserve the right to (i) reject a purchase or exchange order, (ii) delay payment of immediate cash redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days, (iii) revoke a shareholder’s privilege to purchase Fund Shares (including exchanges), or (iv) limit the amount of any exchange involving the purchase of Fund Shares. An investor may receive notice that their purchase order or exchange has been rejected after the day the order is placed or after acceptance by a financial intermediary. It is currently expected that a shareholder would receive notice that its purchase order or exchange has been rejected within 48 hours after such purchase order or exchange has been received by the Company in good order. The Company and the Adviser will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected purchase orders. To minimize harm to the Company and its shareholders (or the Adviser), the Company (or the Adviser) will exercise their right if, in the Company’s (or the Adviser’s) judgment, an investor has a history of excessive trading or if an investor’s trading, in the judgment of the Company or the Adviser, has been or may be disruptive to a Fund. No waivers of the provisions of the policy established to detect and deter market timing and other excessive trading activity are permitted that would harm a Fund and its shareholders or would subordinate the interests of a Fund and its shareholders to those of the Adviser or any affiliated person or associated person of the Adviser.

 

Pursuant to the policy adopted by the Board, the Adviser has developed criteria that it uses to identify trading activity that may be excessive. If, in its judgment, the Adviser detects excessive, short-term trading, the Adviser may reject or restrict a purchase request and may further seek to close an investor’s account with a Fund.

 

There is no assurance that the Funds will be able to identify market timing, particularly if shareholders invest through intermediaries.

 

If necessary, the Company may prohibit additional purchases of Fund shares by a financial intermediary or by certain customers of the financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries may also monitor their customers’ trading activities in the Funds. The criteria used by intermediaries to monitor for excessive trading may differ from the criteria used by the Company. If a financial intermediary fails to enforce the Company’s excessive trading policies, the Company may take certain actions, including terminating the relationship.

 

Purchase of Fund Shares

 

General. Shares of the Funds are offered continuously for sale at NAV by Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Underwriter”). You can only purchase Shares through the means described below. The Funds have no minimum initial investment or minimum subsequent investment.

 

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Purchases Through Intermediaries. The Funds are exclusively available to clients or customers of service organizations approved by the Adviser, including certain brokerage firms, investment advisers, financial institutions and other industry professionals (“Service Organizations”). Only persons or entities having relationships with these Service Organizations may invest in the Funds. If a shareholder terminates his or her relationship with a Service Organization, the shareholder will not be permitted to purchase additional Fund Shares except for Shares purchased as a result of the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Service Organizations may impose transaction or administrative charges or other direct fees, which would not be imposed if shares of the Fund were purchased directly from the Company. Therefore, investors should contact the Service Organization acting on their behalf concerning the fees, if any, charged in connection with a purchase or redemption of shares of the Funds and should read this Prospectus in light of the terms governing their accounts with the Service Organization. Service Organizations may impose minimum initial and minimum subsequent investment requirements with respect to their clients’ or customers’ investments in the Funds and will be responsible for promptly transmitting client or customer purchase and redemption orders to the Company in accordance with their agreements with the Company and with clients and customers. A Service Organization or, if applicable, its designee that has entered into such an agreement with the Company or its agent may enter confirmed purchase orders on behalf of clients and customers, with payment to follow no later than the Fund’s pricing on the following business day. If payment is not received by such time, the Service Organization could be held liable for resulting fees or losses.

 

For administration, sub-accounting, transfer agency and/or other services, the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Service Organizations and certain recordkeeping organizations a fee (the “Service Fee”) relating to the average annual NAV of accounts with the Company maintained by such Service Organizations or recordkeepers. The Service Fee payable to any one Service Organization is determined based upon a number of factors, including the nature and quality of services provided, the operations processing requirements of the relationship and the standardized fee schedule of the Service Organization or recordkeeper.

 

In addition, a Fund may enter into agreements with Service Organizations pursuant to which the Fund will pay a Service Organization for networking, sub-transfer agency, sub-administration and/or sub-accounting services. These payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by the Service Organization or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by the Service Organization. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial.

 

Good Order. The Company will be deemed to have received a purchase order when a Service Organization, or if applicable, its authorized designee, accepts a purchase order in good order (i.e., the purchase request includes the name of the Fund; the dollar amount of shares to be purchased; an account application or investment stub; and a check payable to the Fund). Orders received by a Service Organization in good order will be executed at the Fund’s next determined NAV after they are accepted by the Service Organization or its authorized designee.

 

Retirement Plans. Shares of a Fund may be purchased in connection with various retirement plans, including Individual Retirement Accounts (“IRAs”) and retirement plans for self-employed individuals, partnerships and corporations and their employees. Detailed information concerning retirement plans is available from your Service Organization. A $15 annual account maintenance fee for each retirement account is charged (up to a maximum of $30 annually) and a $25 fee is charged for transferring assets to another custodian or for closing a retirement account. For further information as to applications and annual fees, contact your Service Organization. To determine whether the benefits of an IRA are available and/or appropriate, you should consult with a tax advisor.

 

Other Purchase Information: The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of Shares or to reject purchase orders when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interests of a Fund. The Adviser will monitor each Fund’s total assets and may decide to close any of the Funds at any time to new investments or to new accounts due to concerns that a significant increase in the size of a Fund may adversely affect the implementation of the Fund’s strategy. Subject to the Board’s discretion, the Adviser may also choose to reopen

 

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a Fund to new investments at any time and may subsequently close the Fund again should concerns regarding the Fund’s size recur. If a Fund closes to new investments, the Fund would be offered only to certain existing shareholders of the Fund and certain other persons, who are generally subject to cumulative, maximum purchase amounts, as follows:

 

 

a.

persons who already hold Shares of the closed Fund directly or through accounts maintained by brokers by arrangement with the Company;

 

 

b.

existing and future clients of financial advisers and planners whose clients already hold Shares of the closed Fund;

 

 

c.

employees of the Adviser and their spouses, parents and children; and

 

 

d.

directors of the Company.

 

Other persons who are shareholders of the other Free Market Funds are not permitted to acquire Shares of the closed Fund by exchange. Distributions to all shareholders of a closed Fund will continue to be reinvested unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Adviser, subject to the Board’s discretion, reserves the right to implement other purchases limitations at the time of closing, including limitations on current shareholders.

 

Customer Identification Program: Federal law requires the Company to obtain, verify and record identifying information, which may include the name, residential or business street address, date of birth (for an individual), social security or taxpayer identification number or other identifying information for each investor who opens or reopens an account with the Company. If you are opening the account in the name of a legal entity (e.g., partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, etc.), you must also supply the identity of the beneficial owners. Mailing addresses containing only a P.O. Box will not be accepted. Applications without the required information, or without any indication that a social security or taxpayer identification number has been applied for, may not be accepted. After acceptance, to the extent permitted by applicable law or its customer identification program, the Company reserves the right (a) to place limits on transactions in any account until the identity of the investor is verified; or (b) to refuse an investment in a Fund or to involuntarily redeem an investor’s Shares and close an account in the event that an investor’s identity is not verified. The Company and its agents will not be responsible for any loss in an investor’s account resulting from the investor’s delay in providing all required identifying information or from closing an account and redeeming an investor’s Shares when an investor’s identity cannot be verified.

 

Redemption of Fund Shares

 

General: You may submit redemption requests to your Service Organization in person, by telephone, or by mail. Redemption requests are effected at the NAV next calculated after receipt of the redemption request by your Service Organization in proper form and transmission of the request to the Transfer Agent. The Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. You can redeem Shares of a Fund only on days the NYSE is open. Your Service Organization may refuse a telephone redemption request if it believes it is advisable to do so. You will bear the risk of loss from fraudulent or unauthorized instructions received over the telephone provided your Service Organization reasonably believes that the instructions are genuine. Shareholders requesting redemptions by wire are charged a transaction fee of $15.

 

Telephone Redemptions: During periods of dramatic economic or market changes, you may experience difficulty in implementing a telephone redemption with your Service Organization because of increased telephone volume.

 

Involuntary Redemption: Each Fund reserves the right to redeem a shareholder’s account in the Fund at any time the value of the account falls below $500 as the result of a redemption or an exchange request. Shareholders will be notified in writing that the value of their account in a Fund is less than $500 and will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed.

 

Each Fund may assert the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

33

 

 

 

Other Redemption Information: Redemption proceeds for Shares of a Fund recently purchased by check may not be distributed until payment for the purchase has been collected, which may take up to fifteen days from the purchase date. Shareholders can avoid this delay by purchasing shares electronically through a wire transfer.

 

Other than as described above, payment of the redemption proceeds will be made within seven days after receipt of an order for a redemption. The Company may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date at times when the NYSE is closed or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC. The Funds typically expect to meet redemption requests by paying out proceeds from cash or cash equivalent portfolio holdings, or by selling portfolio securities. In stressed market conditions, redemption methods may include redeeming in kind.

 

If the Board determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of a Fund to make payment wholly or partly in cash, redemption proceeds may be paid in whole or in part by an in-kind distribution of readily marketable securities held by the Fund instead of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC and the Company’s Policy and Procedure Related to the Processing of In-Kind Redemptions. If a shareholder receives redemption proceeds in-kind, the shareholders will bear the market risk of the securities received in the redemption until their disposition and should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, so that a Fund is obligated to redeem its Shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund.

 

Good Order: A redemption request is considered to be in good order when all necessary information is provided and all required documents are properly completed, signed and delivered. Redemption requests not in good order may be delayed.

 

Exchange Privilege

 

The exchange privilege is available to shareholders residing in any state in which the Shares being acquired may be legally sold. A shareholder may exchange Shares of any Free Market Fund for Shares of another Free Market Fund up to six (6) times per year (one exchange per calendar month). Such an exchange will be effected at the NAV of the exchanged Shares and the NAV of the Shares to be acquired next determined after a Service Organization’s receipt of a request for an exchange. An exchange of Shares will be treated as a sale for federal income tax purposes. A shareholder may make an exchange, if authorized, by telephone. Defined contribution plans and IRA accounts are not subject to the above exchange limitations.

 

If the exchanging shareholder does not currently own Shares of the Fund, a new account will be established with the same registration, dividend and capital gain options as the account from which Shares are exchanged, unless otherwise specified in writing by the shareholder. The exchange privilege may be modified or terminated at any time, or from time to time, by the Funds, upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders. If a shareholder wants to exchange Shares into a new account in a Fund, the dollar value of the Shares acquired must equal or exceed the Fund’s minimum investment requirement for a new account. If a shareholder wants to exchange Shares into an existing account, the dollar value of the shares must equal or exceed the Fund’s minimum investment requirement for additional investments. If an amount remains in the Fund from which the exchange is being made that is below the minimum account value required, the account will be subject to involuntary redemption.

 

The Funds’ exchange privilege is not intended to afford shareholders a way to speculate on short-term movements in the market. Accordingly, in order to prevent excessive use of the exchange privilege, which may potentially disrupt the management of the Funds and increase transaction costs, the Funds have established a policy of limiting excessive exchange activity. Notwithstanding these limitations, the Funds reserve the right to reject any purchase request that is deemed to be disruptive to efficient portfolio management.

 

34

 

 

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

Each Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders. All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional Shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects otherwise.

 

The Free Market U.S. Equity Fund and the Free Market International Equity Fund will declare and pay dividends from net investment income annually. The Free Market Fixed Income Fund will declare and pay dividends from net investment income quarterly. Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed by the Funds at least annually.

 

All distributions will be reinvested in additional Fund shares unless you elect to receive cash via one of the following options: (1) receive distributions of net capital gains in cash, while reinvesting net investment income distributions in additional Fund shares; (2) receive all distributions in cash; or (3) reinvest net capital gain distributions in additional Fund shares, while receiving distributions of net investment income in cash. If you elect to receive distributions and/or capital gains paid in cash, and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account, at the Fund’s current NAV, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions. You may change the distribution option on your account as any time. You should notify the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next distribution.

 

Taxes

 

The following is a summary of certain United States tax considerations relevant under current law, which may be subject to change in the future. Except where otherwise indicated, the summary assumes you are a U.S. citizen or resident or otherwise subject to U.S. federal income tax. Potential investors should consult their tax advisers for further information regarding federal, state, local and/or foreign tax consequences relevant to their specific situations.

 

Each Fund contemplates declaring as dividends each year all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). Distributions attributable to the net capital gain of a Fund (including distributions attributable to net capital gains of underlying investment companies) will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long you have held your Shares. The maximum long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals, estates, and trusts is 23.8% (which includes a 3.8% Medicare tax). Other Fund distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income, except as discussed below. A portion of those distributions, however, may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable to non-corporate U.S. shareholders at long-term capital gain rates, as long as certain requirements are met. A distribution is treated as qualified dividend income to the extent a Fund or an underlying investment company receives dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations, provided that the holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund, the underlying investment company and the shareholder. Additionally, a portion of the distributions paid by a Fund may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. Except as otherwise discussed below, you will be subject to federal income tax on Fund distributions regardless of whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares. You will be notified annually of the tax status of distributions to you.

 

Distributions from a Fund will generally be taxable to you in the taxable year in which they are paid, with one exception. Distributions declared by a Fund in October, November or December and paid in January of the following year are taxed as though they were paid on December 31.

 

It is expected that the underlying funds of the Free Market International Equity Fund will be subject to foreign withholding or other foreign income taxes with respect to dividends or interest received from (and, in some cases, gains recognized on shares of stock of) non-U.S. companies. These underlying funds and the Free Market International Equity Fund may, to the extent eligible, make an election to treat a proportionate amount of those taxes as constituting a distribution to each shareholder, which would allow you either (1) to credit that proportionate amount of taxes against U.S. federal income tax liability as a foreign tax credit, subject to applicable limitations, or (2) to take that amount as an itemized deduction.

 

35

 

 

 

You should note that if you purchase Shares just before a distribution, the purchase price will reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution, but you will be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of a portion of your purchase price. This adverse tax result is known as “buying into a dividend.”

 

You will generally recognize taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on a sale, exchange or redemption of your Shares, based on the difference, if any, between your tax basis in the Shares and the amount you receive for them. This gain or loss will generally be capital gain or loss if you hold your Fund Shares as capital assets and will be long-term if you held your Shares for more than twelve months at the time you dispose of them. Additionally, any loss realized on a disposition of Shares of a Fund may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules to the extent the Shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the same Fund within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the Shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in Shares of the Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the Shares acquired.

 

Any loss realized on Shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends that were received on the Shares.

 

For Shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, the Funds (or relevant broker or financial adviser) are required to compute and report to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information when such Shares are sold or exchanged. The Funds have elected to use the average cost method, unless you instruct the Funds to use a different IRS-accepted cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your Shares at the time of each sale or exchange. If your account is held by your broker or other financial adviser, they may select a different cost basis method. In these cases, please contact your broker or other financial adviser to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Funds and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal and state income tax returns. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

 

The Funds may be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the IRS a percentage of taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale payable to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, or who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so or that they are “exempt recipients.” The current backup withholding rate is 24%.

 

IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans: One major exception to the preceding tax principles is that distributions on, and sales, exchanges and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-qualified plan) will not be currently taxable unless such Shares were acquired with borrowed funds.

 

U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders: Generally, nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign investors are subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividends paid by a U.S. corporation, although the rate may be reduced for an investor that is a qualified resident of a foreign country with an applicable tax treaty with the United States. In the case of regulated investment companies such as the Funds, however, certain categories of dividends are exempt from the 30% witholding tax. These generally include dividends attributable to the Funds’ net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), dividends attributable to the Funds’ interest income from U.S. obligors and dividends attributable to net short-term capital gains of the Funds.

 

Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale, exchange or redemption of Shares in the Funds, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from the Funds.

 

36

 

 

 

In contrast, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in a Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor’s income from the Funds will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.

 

The Funds will also generally be required to withhold 30% tax on certain payments to foreign entities that do not provide a Form W-8BEN-E that evidences their compliance with, or exemption from, specified information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

 

All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in the Funds.

 

Shares of the Funds have not been registered for sale outside of the United States and certain United States territories.

 

State and Local Taxes: Shareholders may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain from Fund Shares. Shareholders should consult their advisers regarding the tax status of distributions in their state and locality.

 

More information about taxes is contained in the Funds’ SAI.

 

Additional Information

 

Lost Shareholders, Inactive Accounts and Unclaimed Property. It is important that the Funds maintain a correct address for each shareholder. An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other mailings to be returned to the Fund. Based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, the Fund will attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful owner of the account. If the Funds are unable to locate the shareholder, then it will determine whether the shareholder’s account can legally be considered abandoned. Your mutual fund account may be transferred to the state government of your state of residence if no activity occurs within your account during the “inactivity period” specified in your state’s abandoned property laws. The Funds are legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements. The shareholder’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction. Please proactively contact your service organization at least annually to ensure your account remains in active status.

 

If you are a resident of the state of Texas, you may designate a representative to receive notifications that, due to inactivity, your mutual fund account assets may be delivered to the Texas Comptroller. Please contact your service organization if you wish to complete a Texas Designation of Representative form.

 

NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE FUNDS’ SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE COMPANY OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.

 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance for the periods indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in each Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm. This information should be read in conjunction with the Funds’ financial statements, which, together with the report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request (see back cover for ordering instructions).

 

FREE MARKET U.S. EQUITY FUND

 

 

 

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2019

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2018

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2017

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2016

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2015

 

Per Share Operating Performance

                               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 20.37     $ 17.60     $ 16.18     $ 16.08     $ 17.37  

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.17       0.15       0.12       0.18       0.13  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    (2.73 )     3.34       2.13       1.18       (0.71 )

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    (2.56 )     3.49       2.25       1.36       (0.58 )

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                                       

Net investment income

    (0.15 )     (0.20 )     (0.15 )     (0.15 )     (0.11 )

Net realized capital gains

    (0.76 )     (0.52 )     (0.68 )     (1.11 )     (0.60 )

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.91 )     (0.72 )     (0.83 )     (1.26 )     (0.71 )

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 16.90     $ 20.37     $ 17.60     $ 16.18     $ 16.08  

Total investment return/(loss)(2)

    (12.09 )%     20.11 %     13.97 %     9.10 %     (3.55 )%
                                         

Ratio/Supplemental Data

                                       

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 2,899,018     $ 3,413,559     $ 2,724,995     $ 2,303,041     $ 1,971,430  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets(3)

    0.55 %     0.55 %     0.56 %     0.59 %     0.60 %

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets(3)

    0.96 %     0.76 %     0.72 %     1.15 %     0.74 %

Portfolio turnover rate

    7 %     2 %     5 %     1 %     6 %

 

 

(1)

The selected per share data is calculated using the average shares outstanding method for the period.

(2)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(3)

The Fund also will indirectly bear its prorated share of expenses of the underlying funds. Such expenses are not included in the calculation of this ratio.

 

 

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FREE MARKET INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUND

 

 

 

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2019

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2018

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2017

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2016

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2015

 

Per Share Operating Performance

                               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 10.72     $ 10.97     $ 9.24     $ 9.28     $ 10.92  

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.21       0.22       0.14       0.23       0.17  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    (1.47 )     (0.10 )     1.89       0.05       (1.39 )

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    (1.26 )     0.12       2.03       0.28       (1.22 )

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                                       

Net investment income

    (0.18 )     (0.26 )     (0.19 )     (0.16 )     (0.22 )

Net realized capital gains

    (0.19 )     (0.11 )     (0.11 )     (0.16 )     (0.20 )

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.37 )     (0.37 )     (0.30 )     (0.32 )     (0.42 )

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 9.09     $ 10.72     $ 10.97     $ 9.24     $ 9.28  

Total investment return/(loss)(2)

    (11.66 )%     0.98 %     22.50 %     3.13 %     (11.25 )%
                                         

Ratio/Supplemental Data

                                       

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 2,154,908     $ 2,312,863     $ 2,190,068     $ 1,672,452     $ 1,443,094  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets(3)

    0.58 %     0.57 %     0.58 %     0.63 %     0.64 %

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets(3)

    2.22 %     1.93 %     1.42 %     2.60 %     1.72 %

Portfolio turnover rate

    4 %     3 %     2 %     1 %     3 %

 

 

(1)

The selected per share data is calculated using the average shares outstanding method for the period.

(2)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(3)

The Fund also will indirectly bear its prorated share of expenses of the underlying funds. Such expenses are not included in the calculation of this ratio.

 

 

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FREE MARKET FIXED INCOME FUND

 

 

 

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2019

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2018

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2017

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2016

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2015

 

Per Share Operating Performance

                               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 10.22     $ 10.36     $ 10.43     $ 10.25     $ 10.31  

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.27       0.10       0.10       0.06       0.06  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    0.24       (0.14 )     (0.06 )     0.17       (0.02 )

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    0.51       (0.04 )     0.04       0.23       0.04  

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                                       

Net investment income

    (0.26 )     (0.09 )     (0.11 )     (0.03 )     (0.07 )

Net realized capital gains

    (2)      (0.01 )           (0.02 )     (0.03 )

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.26 )     (0.10 )     (0.11 )     (0.05 )     (0.10 )

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 10.47     $ 10.22     $ 10.36     $ 10.43     $ 10.25  

Total investment return/(loss)(3)

    5.11 %     (0.35 )%     0.39 %     2.26 %     0.37 %
                                         

Ratio/Supplemental Data

                                       

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 2,748,593     $ 2,867,621     $ 2,503,032     $ 2,126,457     $ 2,004,504  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets(4)

    0.55 %     0.55 %     0.56 %     0.59 %     0.60 %

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets(4)

    2.62 %     1.02 %     0.94 %     0.54 %     0.55 %

Portfolio turnover rate

    3 %     0 %     0 %     31 %     2 %

 

 

(1)

The selected per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding method for the period.

(2)

Amount less than $(0.005) per share.

(3)

Total investment return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(4)

The Fund also will indirectly bear its prorated share of expenses of the underlying funds. Such expenses are not included in the calculation of this ratio.

 

 

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FACTS

WHAT DO THE FREE MARKET FUNDS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Why?

Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.

What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

 

● Social Security number

● account balances

● account transactions

● transaction history

● wire transfer instructions

● checking account information

 

When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

How?

All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons the Free Market Funds choose to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

       

Reasons we can share your information

Do the Free Market Funds share?

Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purposes —
such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes

No

For our marketing purposes —
to offer our products and services to you

Yes

No

For joint marketing with other financial companies

Yes

No

For affiliates’ everyday business purposes —
information about your transactions and experiences

Yes

No

For affiliates’ everyday business purposes —
information about your creditworthiness

No

We don’t share

For our affiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share

For nonaffiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share

Questions

Call (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863 or go to www.MatsonMoney.com

 

 

41

 

 

 

What we do

 

How does the Free Market Funds protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.

How does the Free Market Funds collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

 

● open an account

● provide account information

● give us your contact information

● make a wire transfer

● tell us where to send the money

 

We also collect your information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

 

● sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness

● affiliates from using your information to market to you

● sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

 

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

Definitions

 

Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

Our affiliates include McGriff Video Productions and Matson Money, Inc.

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

The Free Market Funds don’t share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. The Funds may share information with nonaffiliates that perform marketing services on our behalf.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

 

The Free Market Funds may share your information with other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing arrangements who may suggest additional fund services or other investment products which may be of interest to you.

 

 

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MATSON MONEY FAMILY OF FUNDS

 

 

This Prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. More information about the Funds is available free of charge, upon request, including:

 

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports

 

These reports contain additional information about the Funds’ investments, describe the Funds’ performance, list portfolio holdings, and discuss recent market conditions and economic trends. The Annual Report includes market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds’ performance during the last fiscal year.

 

Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”)

 

The Funds’ SAI, dated February 28, 2020 has been filed with the SEC. The SAI, which includes additional information about the Funds, may be obtained free of charge, along with the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports by calling (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863 or by visiting the Adviser’s website at http://hosted.rightprospectus.com/matsonmoney.

 

The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus (and is legally part of the Prospectus).

 

Shareholder Inquiries

 

Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature programs and services available. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday-Friday. Call: (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863.

 

Purchases and Redemptions

Call (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863

 

Written Correspondence

Street Address:

Matson Money, Inc. Family of Funds
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Securities and Exchange Commission

 

You may also view and copy information about the Company and the Fund, including the SAI, by visiting EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of fund documents by paying a duplicating fee and sending an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

Investment Company Act File No. 811-05518

 

 

 

MATSON MONEY U.S. EQUITY VI PORTFOLIO

MATSON MONEY INTERNATIONAL EQUITY VI PORTFOLIO

MATSON MONEY FIXED INCOME VI PORTFOLIO

of

The Rbb Fund, Inc.

 

PROSPECTUS

 

February 28, 2020

 

Investment Adviser:

 

MATSON MONEY, INC.
5955 Deerfield Blvd.
Mason, OH 45040

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), paper copies of the Portfolios’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. 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 Portfolios electronically anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or a bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-866-780-0357 ext. 3863.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Portfolios, you can call 1-866-780-0357 ext. 3863 to inform the Portfolios that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all portfolios held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all portfolios held with the portfolios complex if you invest directly with the Portfolios.

 

The securities described in this Prospectus have been registered with the SEC. The SEC, however, has not judged these securities for their investment merit and has not determined the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Anyone who tells you otherwise is committing a criminal offense.

 

Shares of the Portfolios are offered to separate accounts of participating life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Shares of the Portfolios are not offered directly to the general public.

 

Ticker Symbols

 

Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio

– FMVUX

Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio

– FMVIX

Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio

– FMVFX

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

   

SUMMARY SECTIONS

1

MATSON MONEY U.S. EQUITY VI PORTFOLIO

1

MATSON MONEY INTERNATIONAL EQUITY VI PORTFOLIO

7

MATSON MONEY FIXED INCOME VI PORTFOLIO

13

MORE ABOUT EACH PORTFOLIO’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

20

Investment Strategies

20

More About Underlying Investment Company Investments

21

Investment Risks

24

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

27

Broad-Based and Composite Indices

27

Credit Ratings

29

MANAGEMENT OF THE PORTFOLIOS

29

Investment Adviser

29

Portfolio Managers

29

Management Fees

30

PRIOR PERFORMANCE OF SIMILAR ACCOUNTS

30

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

36

Pricing of Portfolio Shares

36

Market Timing

36

Purchase of Portfolio Shares

37

Redemption of Portfolio Shares

38

Voting Rights

38

Dividends and Distributions

39

Taxes

39

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

40

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MATSON MONEY FAMILY OF PORTFOLIOS

Back Cover

 

i

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTIONS

 

MATSON MONEY U.S. EQUITY VI PORTFOLIO

FMVUX

 

Investment Objective

 

The Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio (for this section only, the “Portfolio”) seeks long-term capital appreciation.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Portfolio. This table does not reflect the fees and expenses associated with any variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy that uses the Portfolio as an investment option. Had those fees and expenses been included, overall fees and expenses would be higher.

 

Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fees

0.50%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

Other Expenses

0.26%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1)

0.29%

Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses

1.05%

 

 

(1)

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Portfolio incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Portfolio and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses have been restated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. This Example does not reflect the fees and expenses associated with any variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy that uses the Portfolio as an investment option. Had those fees and expenses been included, the costs shown below would be higher.

 

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and that you sell your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns might be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$107

$334

$579

$1,281

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Portfolio shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 17% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

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Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Portfolio pursues its investment objective by investing under normal circumstances at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in shares of registered, open-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “investment companies”) that have either adopted policies to invest at least 80% of their assets in equity securities, such as common stocks, preferred stocks or securities convertible into stocks, of U.S. companies, or invest substantially all of their assets in such equity securities. The Portfolio will diversify its investments by investing primarily in investment companies focusing on different segments of the equity markets, including large (“large-cap”), small (“small-cap”) and micro-capitalization (“micro-cap”) equity securities that the Portfolio’s investment adviser (“Adviser”) believes offer the prospect of long-term capital appreciation. The purchase of shares of investment companies may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Portfolio’s own expenses.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects substantially all of the Portfolio’s net assets to be invested in the securities of investment companies, including other investment companies funded by insurance company separate accounts, that invest in the types of securities described in each asset class below, with less than 2% of the net assets invested in cash or money market instruments.

 

U.S. Large Cap Value Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase common stocks and other equity securities of large cap companies that the underlying investment adviser(s) determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. An issuer’s securities are considered value stocks primarily because they have a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, the underlying investment adviser(s) may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios. The criteria used for assessing value are subject to change from time to time. Large cap companies are generally considered companies whose market capitalizations are generally in the highest 90% of total market capitalization or companies whose market capitalizations are larger than or equal to the 1,000th largest U.S. company, whichever results in the higher market capitalization break. Total market capitalization is based on the market capitalization of U.S. operating companies listed on a securities exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the underlying investment adviser(s). The dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

U.S. Small Cap Value Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase common stocks and other equity securities of small cap companies that the underlying investment adviser(s) determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. An issuer’s securities are considered value stocks primarily because they have a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, the underlying investment adviser(s) may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios. The criteria used for assessing value are subject to change from time to time. Small cap companies are generally considered companies whose market capitalizations are generally in the lowest 10% of total market capitalization or companies whose market capitalizations are smaller than the 1,000th largest U.S. company, whichever results in the higher market capitalization break. Total market capitalization is based on the market capitalization of U.S. operating companies listed on a securities exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the underlying investment adviser(s). The dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

U.S. Large Company Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase all of the stocks that comprise the S&P 500® Index in approximately the proportions they are represented in the S&P 500® Index. Generally, these are the U.S. stocks with the largest market capitalizations and, as a group, they represent approximately 80% of the total market capitalization of all publicly traded U.S. stocks.

 

U.S. Small Cap Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase common stocks and other equity securities of small cap companies primarily based on market capitalization. Small cap companies are generally considered companies whose market capitalizations are generally in the lowest 10% of total market capitalization or companies whose market capitalizations are smaller than the 1,000th largest U.S. company, whichever results in the higher market capitalization break. Total market capitalization is based on the market capitalization of U.S. operating companies listed on a securities exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the underlying investment adviser(s). The dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions. There may be some overlap in the companies in which the U.S. small cap asset class and the U.S. micro cap asset class invest.

 

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U.S. Micro Cap Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase common stocks and other equity securities of micro cap companies. Micro cap companies are generally considered companies whose market capitalizations are generally in the lowest 5% of total market capitalization or companies whose market capitalizations are smaller than the 1,500th largest U.S. company, whichever results in the higher market capitalization break. Total market capitalization is based on the market capitalization of U.S. operating companies listed on a securities exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the underlying investment adviser(s). The dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions. There may be some overlap in the companies in which the U.S. micro cap asset class and the U.S. small cap asset class invest.

 

The underlying investment companies may use derivatives, such as futures contracts and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices, to adjust market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the underlying investment company. Underlying index-based ETFs may use derivatives, including futures contracts, options on futures contracts, options and swaps to help the ETF track its underlying index.

 

The Portfolio reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets as a temporary defensive measure in cash and money market instruments such as U.S. government securities, bank obligations and commercial paper. To the extent the Portfolio employs a temporary defensive measure, the Portfolio may not achieve its investment objective. Periodically the Adviser will review the allocations for the Portfolio in each underlying investment company and may add or remove underlying investment companies and/or change the investment allocation percentages of the Portfolio in the underlying investment companies without notice to shareholders or the holders of the variable annuity or variable life insurance policies.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Portfolio, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Portfolio or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Portfolio, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

 

Stocks of large cap, small cap or micro cap companies in which the Portfolio’s underlying investment companies invest or in which the Portfolio invests directly may temporarily fall out of favor with investors or may be more volatile than the rest of the U.S. market as a whole.

 

 

The smaller the capitalization of a company, generally the less liquid its stock and the more volatile its price. Companies with smaller market capitalizations also tend to have unproven track records and are more likely to fail than companies with larger market capitalizations.

 

 

Although the Portfolio will invest in other investment companies that follow a value oriented strategy, value stocks may perform differently from the market as a whole and such a strategy may cause the Portfolio at times to underperform equity funds that use other investment strategies.

 

 

Companies in which the Portfolio’s underlying investment companies invest may suffer unexpected losses or lower than expected earnings or their securities may become difficult or impossible to sell at the time and for the price that the underlying investment adviser(s) would like.

 

 

The Adviser’s judgment about the attractiveness or potential appreciation of a particular underlying investment company security could prove to be wrong or the Portfolio could miss out on an investment opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of such opportunity are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

 

Because under normal circumstances the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its net assets in shares of registered investment companies that emphasize investments in U.S. equity securities, the NAV of the Portfolio will change with changes in the share prices of the investment companies in which the Portfolio invests.

 

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There is a risk that large, small or micro capitalization stocks may not perform as well as other asset classes or the U.S. stock market as a whole. In the past, large, small and micro capitalization stocks have gone through cycles of doing better or worse than the stock market in general.

 

 

There is a risk that the Portfolio, which is passively managed, may not perform as well as funds with more active methods of investment management, such as selecting securities based on economic, financial, and market analysis.

 

 

The derivative instruments in which the underlying investment companies may invest are subject to a number of risks including liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, and the risk of improper valuation. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and it is possible to lose more than the principal amount invested.

 

 

The performance of the Portfolio will depend on how successfully the investment adviser(s) to the underlying investment companies pursue their investment strategies.

 

 

ETFs are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. the Portfolio may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Portfolio’s own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

 

Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Portfolio assets, Portfolio or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Portfolio, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Portfolio investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Portfolio and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Portfolio or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Portfolio or its shareholders.

 

 

More information about the Portfolio’s investments and risks is contained under the section entitled “More About Each Portfolio’s Investments and Risks.”

 

4

 

 

 

Performance Information

 

The chart below illustrates the performance of the Portfolio. The information shows you how the Portfolio’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Updated information is available at www.matsonmoney.com or by calling (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863.

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above)

 

Best Quarter: 11.66% (quarter ended March 31, 2019)

Worst Quarter: -17.62% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The following table compares the average annual total returns of the Portfolio before and after taxes for the past calendar year, the past five calendar years, and since inception to the average total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns for the
Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 years Since
Inception  
(February 18,  
2014)
Portfolio Returns Before Taxes 22.69% 7.07% 7.30%
Portfolio Returns After Taxes on Distributions* 21.11% 5.73% 6.14%
Portfolio Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Portfolio Shares 14.53% 5.36% 5.61%
Russell 2500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 27.77% 8.93% 9.17%
Composite Index*** 26.63% 8.85% 9.60%

 

 

*

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Portfolio shares through tax deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

**

The Composite Index is comprised of the S&P 500® Index, Russell 1000® Value Index, Russell 2000® Index and Russell 2000® Value Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. Additional information about the Composite Index can be found under the section entitled “More About Each Portfolio’s Investments and Risks.”

 

5

 

 

 

Management of the Portfolio

 

Investment Adviser

Matson Money, Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers

Mark E. Matson: Chief Executive Officer and Director, since 1991
Daniel J. List: Portfolio Manager, since 2019

 

Purchase and Sale of Portfolio Shares

 

Portfolio shares are not sold directly to the public. Portfolio shares may be purchased and redeemed by separate accounts that fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts issued by participating insurance companies. Orders received from separate accounts to purchase or redeem Portfolio shares are effected on business days. Individual investors may purchase or redeem Portfolio shares indirectly through variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies offered through the separate accounts.

 

Taxes

 

Provided that the Portfolio and separate accounts investing in the Portfolio satisfy applicable tax requirements, the Portfolio will not be subject to federal tax, and the separate accounts will not be taxable on distributions from, or gains with respect to, the Portfolio. Special tax rules apply to life insurance companies, variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance contracts. For information on federal income taxation of owners of variable annuity or variable life insurance contracts, see the prospectus for the applicable contract.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

The Portfolio may pay participating insurance companies and securities dealers for the sale of Portfolio shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the insurance company and your salesperson to recommend the Portfolio over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your insurance company’s website for more information.

 

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MATSON MONEY INTERNATIONAL EQUITY VI PORTFOLIO

FMVIX

 

Investment Objective

 

The Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio (for this section only, the “Portfolio”) seeks long-term capital appreciation.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Portfolio. This table does not reflect the fees and expenses associated with any variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy that uses the Portfolio as an investment option. Had those fees and expenses been included, overall fees and expenses would be higher.

 

Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fees

0.50%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

Other Expenses

0.36%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1)

0.43%

Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses

1.29%

 

 

(1)

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Portfolio incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Portfolio and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses have been restated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. This Example does not reflect the fees and expenses associated with any variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy that uses the Portfolio as an investment option. Had those fees and expenses been included, the costs shown below would be higher.

 

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and that you sell your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns might be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$132

$410

$710

$1,561

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Portfolio shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 13% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

7

 

 

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Portfolio pursues its investment objective by investing under normal circumstances at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in shares of registered, open-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “investment companies”) that have either adopted policies to invest at least 80% of their assets in equity securities, such as common stocks, preferred stocks or securities convertible into stocks, of foreign companies, or invest substantially all of their assets in such equity securities. The Portfolio will diversify its investments by investing primarily in investment companies that focus on different segments of the foreign equity markets, including emerging markets, with little or no focus on domestic equity markets. The purchase of shares of investment companies may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Portfolio’s own expenses.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects substantially all of the Portfolio’s net assets to be invested in the securities of investment companies, including other investment companies funded by insurance company separate accounts, that invest in the types of securities described in each asset class below, with less than 5% of the net assets invested in cash or money market instruments.

 

International Small Cap Value Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase the stocks and other equity securities, directly or through sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts, of small companies in foreign countries with developed markets that the underlying investment adviser(s) determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. An issuer’s securities are considered value stocks primarily because they have a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, the underlying investment adviser(s) may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios, as well as economic conditions and developments in the issuer’s industry. The criteria used for assessing value are subject to change from time to time. The underlying investment adviser(s) determine the maximum market capitalization of a small company with respect to each country. The threshold will vary by country or region, and the dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

International Large Cap Value Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase the stocks and other equity securities, directly or through sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts, of large companies in foreign countries with developed markets that the underlying investment adviser(s) determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. An issuer’s securities are considered value stocks primarily because they have a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, the underlying investment adviser(s) may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios, as well as economic conditions and developments in the issuer’s industry. The criteria used for assessing value are subject to change from time to time. The underlying investment adviser(s) determine the minimum market capitalization of a large company with respect to each country or region. The threshold will vary by country or region, and the dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

International Small Company Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase the stocks and other equity securities, directly or through sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts, of small companies in foreign countries with developed markets. The underlying investment adviser(s) determine the maximum market capitalization of a small company with respect to each country. This threshold will vary by country or region, and the dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

International Large Cap Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase the stocks and other equity securities, directly or through sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts, of large companies in foreign countries with developed markets. The underlying investment adviser(s) determine the minimum market capitalization of a large company with respect to each country or region. The threshold will vary by country or region, and the dollar amount will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

Emerging Markets Asset Class, Emerging Markets Value Asset Class, and Emerging Markets Small Cap Asset Class (collectively, the “Emerging Markets Asset Classes”): Underlying investment companies comprising each Emerging Markets Asset Class generally will purchase stocks and other equity securities, directly or through sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts, of companies located in emerging market countries, including frontier markets

 

8

 

 

 

(emerging market countries in an earlier stage of development). The underlying investment companies investing in securities of the Emerging Markets Asset Class and the Emerging Markets Small Cap Asset Class will generally purchase the equity securities of larger and smaller companies, respectively, within each country. The underlying investment adviser(s) determine company size primarily based on market capitalization. The thresholds will vary by country or region, and the dollar amounts will change from time to time due to market conditions.

 

The underlying investment companies in the Emerging Markets Value Asset Class generally will purchase emerging market equity securities that are deemed by the underlying investment adviser(s) to be value stocks at the time of purchase. An issuer’s securities are considered value stocks primarily because they have a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, the underlying investment adviser(s) may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios. The criteria used for assessing value are subject to change from time to time.

 

The underlying investment companies may use derivatives, such as futures contracts and options on futures contracts for equity securities and indices, to hedge currency exposure or to adjust market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows or outflows from the underlying investment company. Underlying index-based ETFs may use derivatives, including futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts, options and swaps to help the ETF track its underlying index.

 

The Portfolio reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets as a temporary defensive measure in cash and money market instruments such as U.S. government securities, bank obligations and commercial paper. To the extent the Portfolio employs a temporary defensive measure, the Portfolio may not achieve its investment objective. Periodically the Adviser will review the allocations for the Portfolio in each underlying investment company and may add or remove underlying investment companies and/or change the investment allocation percentages of the Portfolio in the underlying investment companies without notice to shareholders or the holders of the variable annuity or variable life insurance policies.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Portfolio, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Portfolio or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Portfolio, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

 

The value of particular foreign equity securities which the Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may purchase or foreign stock markets on which the securities they may purchase are traded may decline in value.

 

 

Stocks of large cap or small cap foreign companies in which the Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest may temporarily fall out of favor with investors or may be more volatile than particular foreign stock markets or foreign stock markets as a whole.

 

 

The smaller the capitalization of a company, generally the less liquid its stock and the more volatile its price. Companies with smaller market capitalizations also tend to have unproven track records and are more likely to fail than companies with larger market capitalizations.

 

 

Stocks of large cap or small cap foreign companies in which the Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest may suffer unexpected losses or lower than expected earnings or such securities may become difficult or impossible to sell at the time and for the price the underlying investment advisers would like.

 

 

Because the Portfolio owns shares of underlying investment companies that invest in foreign issuers, the Portfolio is subject to risks presented by investments in such issuers. Securities of foreign issuers may be negatively affected by political events, economic conditions, or inefficient, illiquid or unregulated markets in foreign countries. Foreign issuers may be subject to inadequate regulatory or accounting standards.

 

9

 

 

 

 

Investments in emerging market securities by underlying investment companies in which the Portfolio invests are subject to higher risks than those in developed market countries because there is greater uncertainty in less established markets and economics. The foregoing risks may be greater in frontier markets, which are among the smallest and least mature investment markets.

 

 

Currency risk is the risk that exchange rates for currencies in which securities held by the underlying investment companies in which the Portfolio invests are denominated will fluctuate daily. In general, the underlying investment companies do not hedge currency risk. As a result, if currencies in which foreign holdings are denominated depreciate against the U.S. Dollar, the value of your investment in the Portfolio may be adversely affected.

 

 

The Adviser’s judgment about the attractiveness or potential appreciation of a particular underlying investment company security could prove to be wrong or the Portfolio could miss out on an investment opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of such opportunity are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

 

Because under normal circumstances the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its net assets in shares of registered investment companies that emphasize investments in equity securities of foreign companies, the NAV of the Portfolio will change with changes in the share prices of the investment companies in which the Portfolio invests.

 

 

There is a risk that the Portfolio, which is passively managed, may not perform as well as funds with more active methods of investment management, such as selecting securities based on economic, financial, and market analysis.

 

 

The derivative instruments in which the underlying investment companies may invest are subject to a number of risks including liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, and the risk of improper valuation. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and it is possible to lose more than the principal amount invested.

 

 

The performance of the Portfolio will depend on how successfully the investment adviser(s) to the underlying investment companies pursue their investment strategies.

 

 

ETFs are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. the Portfolio may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Portfolio’s own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

 

Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Portfolio assets, Portfolio or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Portfolio, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Portfolio investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Portfolio and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Portfolio or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Portfolio or its shareholders.

 

 

More information about the Portfolio’s investments and risks is contained under the section entitled “More About Each Portfolio’s Investments and Risks.”

 

10

 

 

 

Performance Information

 

The chart below illustrates the performance of the Portfolio. The information shows you how the Portfolio’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Updated information is available at www.matsonmoney.com or by calling (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863.

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above)

 

Best Quarter: 9.78% (quarter ended December 31, 2019)

Worst Quarter: -14.64% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The following table compares the average annual total returns of the Portfolio before and after taxes for the past calendar year, the past five calendar years, and since inception to the average total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years Since
Inception
(February 18,
2014)
Portfolio Returns Before Taxes 17.36% 4.54% 2.53%
Portfolio Returns After Taxes on Distributions* 16.30% 3.72% 1.80%
Portfolio Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Portfolio Shares** 11.27% 3.45% 1.89%
MSCI World (excluding U.S.) Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 22.49% 5.42% 4.51%
Composite Index*** 21.10% 6.33% 5.20%

 

 

*

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Portfolio shares through tax deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

**

In certain cases, the figure representing “Portfolio Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Portfolio Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period, since a higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.

***

The Composite Index is comprised of the MSCI EAFE Index, MSCI EAFE Value Index, MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index, and MSCI Emerging Markets Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. Additional information about the Composite Index can be found under the section entitled “More About Each Portfolio’s Investments and Risks.”

 

11

 

 

 

Management of the Portfolio

 

Investment Adviser

Matson Money, Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers

Mark E. Matson: Chief Executive Officer and Director, since 1991
Daniel J. List: Portfolio Manager, since 2019

 

Purchase and Sale of Portfolio Shares

 

Portfolio shares are not sold directly to the public. Portfolio shares may be purchased and redeemed by separate accounts that fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts issued by participating insurance companies. Orders received from separate accounts to purchase or redeem Portfolio shares are effected on business days. Individual investors may purchase or redeem Portfolio shares indirectly through variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies offered through the separate accounts.

 

Taxes

 

Provided that the Portfolio and separate accounts investing in the Portfolio satisfy applicable tax requirements, the Portfolio will not be subject to federal tax, and the separate accounts will not be taxable on distributions from, or gains with respect to, the Portfolio. Special tax rules apply to life insurance companies, variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance contracts. For information on federal income taxation of owners of variable annuity or variable life insurance contracts, see the prospectus for the applicable contract.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

The Portfolio may pay participating insurance companies and securities dealers for the sale of Portfolio shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the insurance company and your salesperson to recommend the Portfolio over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your insurance company’s website for more information.

 

12

 

 

 

MATSON MONEY FIXED INCOME VI PORTFOLIO

FMVFX

 

Investment Objective

 

The Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio (for this section only, the “Portfolio”) seeks total return (consisting of current income and capital appreciation).

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Portfolio. This table does not reflect the fees and expenses associated with any variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy that uses the Portfolio as an investment option. Had those fees and expenses been included, overall fees and expenses would be higher.

 

Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fees

0.50%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

Other Expenses

0.24%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1)

0.12%

Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses

0.86%

 

 

(1)

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Portfolio incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Portfolio and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses have been restated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. This Example does not reflect the fees and expenses associated with any variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy that uses the Portfolio as an investment option. Had those fees and expenses been included, the costs shown below would be higher.

 

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and that you sell your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns might be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$88

$274

$476

$1,058

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Portfolio shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 19% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

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Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Portfolio pursues its investment objective by investing under normal circumstances at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in shares of registered, open-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “investment companies”) that have either adopted policies to invest at least 80% of their assets in fixed income securities that the Adviser believes offer the prospect of providing total return, or invest substantially all of their assets in such fixed income securities. The purchase of shares of investment companies may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Portfolio’s own expenses.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects substantially all of the Portfolio’s net assets to be invested in the securities of investment companies, including other investment companies funded by insurance company separate accounts, that invest in the types of securities described in each asset class below, with less than 2% of the net assets invested in cash or money market instruments.

 

One-Year Fixed Income Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase U.S. government obligations, U.S. government agency obligations, dollar-denominated obligations of foreign issuers issued in the U.S., securities of domestic or foreign issuers denominated in U.S. dollars but not trading in the U.S., foreign government and agency obligations, bank obligations, including the obligations of U.S. subsidiaries and branches of foreign banks, corporate obligations, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, and obligations of supranational organizations such as the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Generally, obligations comprising this asset class will mature within one year from the date of settlement, but substantial investments may be made in obligations maturing within two years from the date of settlement when greater returns are available.

 

Two-Year Global Fixed Income Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. and foreign governments, their agencies and instrumentalities, corporate debt obligations, bank obligations, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, and other debt obligations of domestic and foreign issuers with maturities of no more than two years. In making purchase decisions, if the expected term premium is greater for longer-term securities in the eligible maturity range, the underlying investment adviser(s) will focus investment in the longer-term area, otherwise, the underlying investment companies will focus investment in the shorter-term area of the eligible maturity range. Because many of the investments of the underlying investment companies in this asset class will be denominated in foreign currencies, the underlying investment companies may also enter into foreign currency forward contracts to attempt to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency rates, to hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or to transfer balances from one currency to another.

 

Intermediate Government Fixed Income Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase debt obligations of the U.S. government and U.S. government agencies. Generally, investment companies in the asset class will purchase securities with maturities of between five and fifteen years, however such investment companies ordinarily will have an average weighted maturity of between three and ten years. The underlying investment companies may invest a portion of their assets in the obligations of foreign governments. Those obligations at the time of purchase must be either rated in the highest rating category of a nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, in the case of any obligation that is unrated, of comparable quality.

 

Five-Year Global Fixed Income Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will purchase obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. and foreign governments, their agencies and instrumentalities, corporate debt obligations, bank obligations, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, obligations of other domestic and foreign issuers, securities of domestic or foreign issuers denominated in U.S. dollars but not trading in the United States, and obligations of supranational organizations. Generally, obligations comprising this asset class have a weighted average maturity not exceeding five years. In making purchase decisions, if the expected term premium is greater for longer-term securities in the eligible maturity range, the underlying investment adviser(s) will focus investment in the longer-term area, otherwise, the underlying investment companies will focus investment in the shorter-term area of the eligible maturity range. Because many of the investments of the underlying investment companies in this asset class will be denominated in foreign currencies, the underlying investment companies may also enter into foreign currency forward contracts to attempt to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency rates, to hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or to transfer balances from one currency to another.

 

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Short-Term Corporate Bond Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will track the investment results of the ICE BofAML 1-5 Year US Corporate Index, which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non- U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market and have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than five years.

 

Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will track the investment results of the ICE BofAML 5-10 Year US Corporate Index, which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market and have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to five years and less than ten years.

 

Inflation Protected Securities Asset Class: The underlying investment companies generally will track the investment results of the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index (Series-L), which measures the performance of the inflation-protected public obligations of the U.S. Treasury, commonly known as “TIPS.” TIPS are securities issued by the U.S. Treasury that are designed to provide inflation protection to investors. TIPS are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflation - a sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, the consumer price index (“CPI”), and TIPS’ principal payments are adjusted according to changes in the CPI. A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase.

 

The underlying investment companies may also use derivatives, such as futures contracts and options on futures contracts for equity securities and indices, to hedge currency exposure or to adjust market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows or outflows from the underlying investment company. Underlying index-based ETFs may use derivatives, including futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts, options and swaps to help the ETF track its underlying index.

 

Certain underlying investment companies may concentrate their investments (invest more than 25% of its total assets) in obligations of U.S. and foreign banks and bank holding companies when the yield to maturity on eligible portfolio investments in banking securities as a group generally exceeds the yield to maturity on all other eligible portfolio investments as a group generally for a period of five consecutive days when the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for trading. While the Portfolio will not concentrate its investments in any one industry, the Portfolio may be focused on banking sectors under certain circumstances.

 

The Portfolio reserves the right to hold up to 100% of its assets as a temporary defensive measure in cash and money market instruments such as U.S. government securities, bank obligations and commercial paper. To the extent the Portfolio employs a temporary defensive measure, the Portfolio may not achieve its investment objective. Periodically the Adviser will review the allocations for the Portfolio in each underlying investment company and may add or remove underlying investment companies and/or change the investment allocation percentages of the Portfolio in the underlying investment companies without notice to shareholders or the holders of the variable annuity or variable life insurance policies.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Portfolio, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Portfolio or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Portfolio, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

 

Fixed income securities in which the Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest are subject to certain risks, including: interest rate risk, reinvestment risk, prepayment and extension risk, credit/default risk, and the risks associated with investing in repurchase agreements.

 

15

 

 

 

 

Interest rate risk involves the risk that prices of fixed income securities will rise and fall in response to interest rate changes.

 

 

Reinvestment risk involves the risk that proceeds from matured investments may be re-invested at lower interest rates.

 

 

Prepayment risk involves the risk that in declining interest rates environments prepayments of principal could increase and require the Portfolio to reinvest proceeds of the prepayments at lower interest rates.

 

 

Extension risk involves the risk that prepayments of principal will decrease when interest rates rise resulting in a longer effective maturity of a security.

 

 

Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a security may be unable to make interest payments and/or repay principal when due. Credit risk also involves the risk that the credit rating of a security may be lowered.

 

 

Repurchase agreement risk involves the risk that the other party to a repurchase agreement will be unable to complete the transaction and the underlying investment company in which the Portfolio invests may suffer a loss as a result.

 

 

Because the Portfolio owns shares of underlying investment companies that invest in foreign issuers, the Portfolio is subject to risks presented by investments in such issuers. Securities of foreign issuers may be negatively affected by political events, economic conditions, or inefficient, illiquid or unregulated markets in foreign countries. Foreign issuers may be subject to inadequate regulatory or accounting standards.

 

 

Currency risk is the risk that exchange rates for currencies in which securities held by the underlying investment companies in which the Portfolio invests are denominated will fluctuate daily. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts may limit potential gains from a favorable change in value between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Unanticipated changes in currency pricing may result in poorer overall performance for the Portfolio than if it had not engaged in these contracts.

 

 

The Adviser’s judgment about the attractiveness or potential appreciation of a particular underlying investment company security could prove to be wrong or the Portfolio could miss out on an investment opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of such opportunity are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

 

Because under normal circumstances the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its net assets in shares of registered investment companies that emphasize investments in fixed income securities, the NAV of the Portfolio will change with changes in the share prices of the investment companies in which the Portfolio invests.

 

 

Not all obligations of U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Some are backed only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality. Accordingly, there may be some risk of default by the issuer in such cases.

 

 

There is a risk that the Portfolio, which is passively managed, may not perform as well as funds with more active methods of investment management, such as selecting securities based on economic, financial, and market analysis.

 

 

The derivative instruments in which the underlying investment companies may invest are subject to a number of risks including liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, and the risk of improper valuation. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and it is possible to lose more than the principal amount invested.

 

 

The performance of the Portfolio will depend on how successfully the investment adviser(s) to the underlying investment companies pursue their investment strategies.

 

16

 

 

 

 

Banks are very sensitive to changes in money market and general economic conditions. Adverse general economic conditions can cause financial difficulties for a bank’s borrowers and the borrowers’ failure to repay their loans can adversely affect the bank’s financial situation. Banks are subject to extensive regulation and decisions by regulators may limit the loans banks make and the interest rates and fees they charge, which could reduce bank profitability.

 

 

Inflation protected securities, such as TIPS, generally will fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates, generally decreasing when real interest rates rise and increasing when real interest rates fall. In addition, interest payments on inflation-protected securities will generally vary up or down along with the rate of inflation. Real interest rates are generally measured as a nominal interest less an inflation rate. As such, investors should be aware that an investment in TIPS over a particular timeframe may decrease in value even in an inflationary environment. There can be no assurance that the inflation index used will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Because of their inflation adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds.

 

 

ETFs are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection. The Portfolio may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Portfolio’s own expenses. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

 

Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Portfolio assets, Portfolio or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Portfolio, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Portfolio investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Portfolio and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Portfolio or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Portfolio or its shareholders.

 

 

More information about the Portfolio’s investments and risks is contained under the section entitled “More About Each Portfolio’s Investments and Risks.”

 

 

17

 

 

 

Performance Information

 

The chart below illustrates the performance of the Portfolio. The information shows you how the Portfolio’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Updated information is available at www.matsonmoney.com or by calling (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863.

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above)

 

Best Quarter: 1.89% (quarter ended March 31, 2019)

Worst Quarter: -1.33% (quarter ended December 31, 2016)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns of the Portfolio before and after taxes for the past calendar year, the past five calendar years, and since inception to the average total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns for the
Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years Since
Inception  
(February 18,  
2014)
Portfolio Returns Before Taxes 4.52% 1.28% 1.12%
Portfolio Returns After Taxes on Distributions* 3.82% 0.80% 0.67%
Portfolio Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Portfolio Shares 2.68% 0.78% 0.67%
FTSE World Government Bond Index 1-5 Years (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 3.86% 1.92% 1.87%
Composite Index** 5.34% 2.04% 2.03%

 

 

*

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Portfolio shares through tax deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

**

The Composite Index is comprised of the Three-Month Treasury Bill Index, Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate Government Bond Index, ICE BofAML 1-3 Year US Government/Corporate Index and Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. Additional information about the Composite Index can be found under the section entitled “More About Each Portfolio’s Investments and Risks.”

 

18

 

 

 

Management of the Portfolio

 

Investment Adviser

Matson Money, Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers

Mark E. Matson: Chief Executive Officer and Director, since 1991
Daniel J. List: Portfolio Manager, since 2019

 

Purchase and Sale of Portfolio Shares

 

Portfolio shares are not sold directly to the public. Portfolio shares may be purchased and redeemed by separate accounts that fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts issued by participating insurance companies. Orders received from separate accounts to purchase or redeem Portfolio shares are effected on business days. Individual investors may purchase or redeem Portfolio shares indirectly through variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies offered through the separate accounts.

 

Taxes

 

Provided that the Portfolio and separate accounts investing in the Portfolio satisfy applicable tax requirements, the Portfolio will not be subject to federal tax, and the separate accounts will not be taxable on distributions from, or gains with respect to, the Portfolio. Special tax rules apply to life insurance companies, variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance contracts. For information on federal income taxation of owners of variable annuity or variable life insurance contracts, see the prospectus for the applicable contract.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

The Portfolio may pay participating insurance companies and securities dealers for the sale of Portfolio shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the insurance company and your salesperson to recommend the Portfolio over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your insurance company’s website for more information.

 

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MORE ABOUT EACH PORTFOLIO’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

 

 

Investment Strategies

 

The Summary of Principal Investment Strategies and Summary of Principal Investment Risks sections describe the investment objective and principal investment strategies and risks of each Portfolio. This section provides some additional information about the Portfolios and the underlying investment companies in which the Portfolios may invest and certain portfolio management techniques that such underlying investment companies may use. More information about the Portfolios’ investments and related risks is included in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

Each Portfolio’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) upon prior written notice to shareholders. Shareholders will be given at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change to a Portfolio’s investment objective.

 

Each Portfolio pursues its investment objective by investing under normal circumstances at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in shares of registered investment companies and ETFs. The Adviser focuses on the returns of investment companies within each of the asset classes while keeping trading costs to a minimum. Under normal market conditions, the Adviser expects substantially all of the Portfolios’ net assets to be invested in the securities of investment companies, including other investment companies funded by insurance company separate accounts, with less than 2% of the net assets of the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio, and 5% of the net assets of the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio invested in cash or money market instruments.

 

Periodically, the Adviser will review the allocations for each Portfolio in each underlying investment company. From time to time, the Adviser may add or remove underlying investment companies and/or change the investment allocation percentages of a Portfolio in the underlying investment companies without notice to shareholders or the holders of the variable annuity or variable life insurance policies. In addition, when the Adviser determines that market forces have caused fundamental changes in the relative values of the assets of the underlying investment companies, the Adviser may modify the allocations of the Portfolio. To maintain allocation ranges, adjustments may be made by purchasing or selling shares of the underlying investment companies or applying future investments and redemptions by the Portfolio in proportions necessary to rebalance the investments in the underlying investment companies.

 

Each Portfolio may invest directly in individual securities. However, the Adviser will not invest directly in individual securities without prior approval of the Board, except as described in this Prospectus.

 

Investments in Investment Companies and the Investment Company Industry. Each Portfolio invests exclusively in investment companies that are not affiliated with it. These investment companies may be within the same fund complex and/or advised by the same investment adviser. The Portfolios invest primarily in securities of registered investment companies and will attempt to identify investment companies that have demonstrated superior management, favorable investment results, and relatively lower costs and expenses. There can be no assurance that this result will be achieved. Each Portfolio will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by the investment companies in which it invests, including the advisory and administration fees paid by the underlying fund. Fees and expenses related to each Portfolio’s investments in underlying funds for the fiscal period ended August 31, 2019 are disclosed in each Portfolio’s expense table under “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.” Some underlying investment companies may concentrate their investments in various industries or industry sectors and may use options, futures, or options on futures in their investment programs.

 

Investment decisions by the investment advisers of the underlying investment companies are made independently of the Portfolios and the Adviser. Therefore, the investment adviser of one underlying investment company may be purchasing shares of the same issuer whose shares are being sold by the investment adviser of another underlying investment company. The result of this would be an indirect expense to a Portfolio without accomplishing any investment purpose.

 

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Each Portfolio expects that it will select the investment companies in which it will invest based, in part, upon an analysis of the past and projected performance and investment structure of the underlying investment companies. However, each Portfolio may consider other factors in the selection of investment companies. These other factors include, but are not limited to the investment company’s size, shareholder services, liquidity, investment objective and investment techniques. Each Portfolio will be affected by the losses of its underlying investment companies and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of such investment companies and has no control over the risks taken by such investment companies.

 

Investing in investment companies does not eliminate investment risk. When the Adviser has identified a significant upward trend in a particular asset class, each Portfolio retains the right to invest in investment companies that invest primarily in that particular asset class. Investment companies may have greater fluctuations in value when compared to other categories of investment companies that are not invested primarily in the particular asset class selected by the Adviser.

 

Each Portfolio’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Adviser’s ability to select the appropriate mix of underlying investment companies. In addition, achieving each Portfolio’s investment objective will depend on the performance of the underlying investment companies, which depends on the ability of the underlying investment companies to meet their investment objectives. There can be no assurance that either the Portfolios or their underlying investment companies will achieve their investment objectives.

 

ETFs are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities that they are designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its being more volatile. Some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to risk of poor investment selection. A Portfolio may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares.

 

More About Underlying Investment Company Investments

 

Underlying Investment Companies. The underlying investment companies in which the Portfolios may invest reflect a broad spectrum of investment opportunities including equities, fixed income, domestic, foreign and emerging markets. These investment companies may invest in various obligations and employ various investment techniques. The following describes these obligations and techniques:

 

Derivative Contracts. The underlying investment companies in which each of the Portfolios invests may, but need not, use derivative contracts to seek to hedge against the possible adverse impact of changes in stock market prices, currency exchange rates (with respect to the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio only) or interest rates in the market value of its securities or securities to be purchased.

 

Examples of derivative contracts include: futures and options on securities, securities indices or currencies; options on these futures; forward foreign currency contracts, and interest rate or currency swaps. A derivative contract will obligate or entitle an underlying investment company to deliver or receive an asset or cash payment that is based on the change in value of one or more securities, currencies or indices. Even a small investment in derivative contracts can have a big impact on an underlying investment company’s stock market, currency and interest rate exposure. Therefore, using derivatives can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when stock prices, currency rates or interest rates are changing. An underlying investment company may not fully benefit from or may lose money on derivatives if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the investment company’s holdings. The other parties to certain derivative contracts present the same types of default risk as issuers of fixed income securities in that the counterparty may default on its payment obligations or become insolvent. Derivatives can also make an underlying investment company less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets.

 

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The underlying investment companies may also utilize derivative contracts to gain market exposure on their uninvested cash pending investment in securities or to maintain liquidity to pay redemptions. The underlying investment companies of the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio may also enter into forward foreign currency contracts to transfer balances from one currency to another. The use of derivatives for non-hedging purposes may be considered more speculative than other types of investments.

 

Equity Investments. The underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio invest may purchase all types of equity securities. The Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio may invest a portion of its assets in underlying investment companies that invest in equity securities, although these investments are not part of the Portfolio’s principal investment strategies. Equity securities include exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants, rights, convertible securities, depositary receipts and shares, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, and equity participations. Investments in equity securities and equity derivatives in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. Common stocks may decline over short or even extended periods of time. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that an underlying investment company could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. The value of such securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. State law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded to investors in a limited partnership than investors in a corporation.

 

Fixed Income Investments. The underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio invests may purchase all types of fixed income securities. The Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio and the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio may invest a portion of their assets in underlying investment companies that invest in fixed income securities, although these investments are not part of such Portfolios’ principal investment strategies. Fixed income investments include bonds, notes (including structured notes), mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, convertible securities, Eurodollar and Yankee dollar instruments, preferred stocks and money market instruments. Fixed income securities may be issued by corporate, governmental and foreign issuers and may have all types of interest rate payment and reset terms, including (without limitation) fixed rate, adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment-in-kind and auction rate features.

 

Foreign Securities. The securities held by the underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio invests are generally traded or denominated in foreign currencies. In addition, many of the securities held by the underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio invests are traded or denominated in foreign currencies. Investments in securities of foreign entities and securities denominated or traded in foreign currencies involve special risks. These include possible political and economic instability and the possible imposition of exchange controls or other restrictions on investments. Changes in foreign currency rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of an underlying investment company’s assets denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Emerging market investments offer the potential for significant gains but also involve greater risks than investing in more developed countries. Political or economic instability, lack of market liquidity and government actions such as currency controls or seizure of private business or property may be more likely in emerging markets.

 

The underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio invests may purchase depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depository, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depository without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders.

 

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The underlying investment companies investing in stocks and other equity securities of issuers located in developed markets may invest in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The investment adviser(s) of the underlying investment companies may also invest from time to time in securities of issuers located in other developed countries, at their discretion.

 

The underlying investment companies investing in stocks and other equity securities of issuers located in emerging market countries may invest in the following countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey. The investment adviser(s) of the underlying investment companies may also invest from time to time in securities of issuers located in other emerging market countries, at their discretion.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities. The underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio invests may purchase mortgage-backed securities as part of their principal investment strategies. Mortgage-backed securities in which the underlying investment companies invest may be issued by private companies or by agencies of the U.S. government. Mortgage-backed securities represent direct or indirect participation in, or are collateralized by and payable from, mortgage loans secured by real property.

 

Certain debt instruments may only pay principal at maturity or may only represent the right to receive payments of principal or payments of interest on underlying pools of mortgage or government securities, but not both. The value of these types of instruments may change more drastically than debt securities that pay both principal and interest during periods of changing interest rates. Principal only mortgage-backed securities are particularly subject to prepayment risk. An underlying investment company may obtain a below market yield or incur a loss on such instruments during periods of declining interest rates. Interest only instruments are particularly subject to extension risk, which is the risk that principal repayments will not occur as quickly as anticipated, causing the expected maturity of a security to increase and making its price more sensitive to rate changes and more volatile. Mortgage derivatives and structural securities often employ features that have the effect of leverage. As a result, small changes in interest or prepayment rates may cause large and sudden price movements, especially compared to an investment in a security that is not leveraged. Mortgage derivatives can also become illiquid and hard to value in declining markets. Mortgage-backed securities also include mortgage pass-through certificates and multiple-class pass-through certificates, such as collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs).

 

The market for mortgage related securities has previously experienced substantial, often dramatic volatility with lower valuations and greatly reduced liquidity. These instruments may be subject to liquidity constraints, price volatility, credit downgrades and unexpected increases in default rates, and therefore may be more difficult to value and more difficult to dispose of than previously. These events may have an adverse impact on the Portfolios to the extent underlying investment companies invest in mortgage-related or other fixed income securities or instruments affected by the volatility in the fixed income markets.

 

Securities Lending. The underlying investment companies of the Portfolios may seek to increase their income by lending portfolio securities to institutions, such as certain broker-dealers. Portfolio securities loans are secured continuously by collateral maintained on a current basis at an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. The value of the securities loaned by the underlying investment company will not exceed 331/3% of the value of the investment company’s total assets. The underlying investment company may experience a loss or delay in the recovery of its securities if the borrowing institution breaches its agreement with the investment company.

 

Lending portfolio securities involves the risk of delay in receiving additional collateral if the value of the securities goes up while they are on loan.

 

Borrowing. The underlying investment companies of the Portfolios may borrow money for temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes. A Portfolio will not make any additional investments in an investment company while such investment company’s borrowings exceed 5% of its total assets.

 

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Temporary Investments. The Portfolios may depart from their principal investment strategies in response to adverse market, economic or political conditions by taking temporary defensive positions in cash or money market instruments. If a Portfolio were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective.

 

Investment Risks

 

The following provides additional information about the risks of investing in the Portfolios:

 

Cash Flow Risk. The underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio invests purchase fixed income securities as part of their principal investment strategies. Payment of principal on the mortgages or other assets underlying a particular fixed income security in which an underlying investment company invests may be faster or slower than estimated. Interest only instruments are particularly subject to extension risk, which is the risk that principal repayment will not occur as quickly as anticipated, causing the expected maturity of a security to increase and making its price more sensitive to rate change and more volatile. When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages or other loans sooner than expected and will typically shorten the average life of these instruments. This is known as prepayment risk.

 

Concentration. Concentration of investments within one industry or market sector may subject an underlying investment company to greater market fluctuations. The Portfolios will not knowingly concentrate their investments, directly or indirectly, in any industry.

 

Credit/Default Risk. The underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio invests purchase fixed income securities as part of their principal investment strategies. The credit rating of an issuer or guarantor of a security in which an underlying investment company invests may be lowered or an issuer or guarantor of a security or the counterparty to a derivatives contract or a repurchase agreement may default on its payment obligations.

 

Currency Risk. With respect to investments in foreign securities by underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio invest, exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The combination of currency risk and market risk tends to make securities traded in foreign markets more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the U.S. Foreign securities are usually denominated in a foreign currency; therefore, changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the NAV of an underlying investment company. Diversification among foreign currencies will not protect the underlying investment companies against a general increase in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies.

 

Cyber Security Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business, the Portfolio is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Portfolio’s Adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, Portfolio accountant, custodian, transfer agent and administrator), and the issuers of securities in which the Portfolio invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Portfolio’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Portfolio shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Adviser has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Portfolio cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Portfolio and issuers in which the Portfolio invests. The Portfolio and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

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Derivatives Risk. The underlying investment companies of each Portfolio may utilize derivatives as part of their principal investment strategies. Loss may result from an underlying investment company’s investments in futures, swaps, options and other derivative instruments. These instruments may be leveraged so that small changes in value may produce disproportionate losses to the underlying investment company. Using derivative instruments may involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. An underlying investment company’s investment in a derivative instrument could lose more than the principal amount invested. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the underlying investment company will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when they would be beneficial. Pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940 and its rules and SEC interpretations thereunder, the registered investment companies in which the Portfolios invest are required to segregate cash or liquid securities or otherwise “cover” their positions in certain derivatives.

 

Emerging Market Securities. Underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio invests may purchase the securities of issuers located in developing or emerging market countries. The risks of foreign investments are typically increased in less developed countries, which are sometimes referred to as emerging markets, because there is greater uncertainty in less established markets and economies. These risks include political, social or economic systems, smaller securities markets, lower trading volume, and substantial rates of inflation. To the extent an underlying investment company is invested in emerging market securities, it will be subject to higher risk than those investing in securities of developed market countries.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Each Portfolio may invest in ETFs to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC orders. ETFs are registered investment companies whose shares are listed and traded on U.S. stock exchanges or otherwise traded in the over-the-counter market. In general, ETFs seek to track a specified securities index or a basket of securities that an “index provider,” such as S&P Global, selects as representative of a market, market segment or industry sector. An ETF portfolio generally holds the same stocks or bonds as the index it tracks or it may hold a representative sample of such securities. Thus, an ETF typically is designed so that its performance will correspond closely with that of the index it tracks. In some cases, an ETF may be actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection, and the individual investments in an actively-managed ETF may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expected, and/or the actively-managed ETF’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result. As a shareholder in an ETF, a Portfolio will bear its pro rata portion of an ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to its own expenses.

 

The market for an ETF’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares. An ETF’s market price may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. An active trading market for shares of the ETF may not develop or be maintained. In times of market stress, market makers or authorized participants may step away from their respective roles in making a market in shares of the ETF and in executing purchase or redemption orders, which could also lead to variances between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The underlying investment companies of the Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the underlying investment company’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the underlying investment company’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

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Foreign Investing. Foreign securities in which the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio’s and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest pose additional risks over U.S.-based securities for a number of reasons. Investments in foreign securities may adversely affect the value of an investment in certain underlying investment companies. Foreign economic, governmental, and political systems may be less favorable than those of the U.S. Foreign governments and may exercise greater control over their economies, industries, and citizens’ rights. Specific risk factors related to foreign securities include: inflation, structure and regulation of financial markets, liquidity and volatility of investments, currency exchange rates and regulations, and accounting standards. Foreign companies may also be subject to significantly higher levels of taxation than U.S. companies, including potentially confiscatory levels of taxation, thereby reducing their earnings potential, and amounts realized on foreign securities may be subject to high levels of foreign taxation and withholding. In addition, these underlying investment companies may incur higher costs and expenses when making foreign investments, which will affect the underlying investment companies’ total return.

 

Interest Rate Risk. The underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio invests purchase fixed income securities as part of their principal investment strategies. During periods of rising interest rates, an underlying investment company’s yield and the market value of the investment company’s fixed-income securities will tend to be lower than prevailing market interest rates. Periods of rising interest rates may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. In periods of falling interest rates, the underlying investment company’s yield and the market value of the underlying investment company’s fixed-income securities generally will tend to be higher than prevailing market interest rates. Prices of longer-term fixed income securities are typically more sensitive to changes in interest rates than prices of shorter-term fixed-income securities.

 

Non-Diversified Investments. The performance of large positions in certain equity or fixed income securities may significantly impact the performance of an underlying investment company of a Portfolio, resulting in greater volatility.

 

Other Investment Companies. Each Portfolio’s NAV will fluctuate due to business developments concerning a particular issuer or industry as well as general market and economic conditions affecting securities held by the particular underlying investment companies in which the Portfolio invests. Investment decisions by the investment advisers of the underlying investment companies in which the Portfolios invest are made independently of the Portfolios and the Adviser. Each Portfolio will be affected by the losses of its underlying investment companies and the risks involved in the investment practices of such investment companies. Neither the Portfolios nor the Adviser has any control over the risks taken by such investment companies. Some underlying investment companies may concentrate their investments in various industries or sectors and may invest in derivative securities, options or futures.

 

Small Company Securities. While the securities of small capitalization companies in which the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio’s and Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio’s underlying investment companies invest may offer greater opportunity for capital appreciation than larger companies, investment in such companies presents greater risks than investment in larger, more established companies. Historically, small capitalization stocks have been more volatile in price than larger capitalization stocks. Among the reasons for the greater price volatility of these securities are the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such stocks, and the potentially greater sensitivity of such small companies to changes in or failure of management, and to many other changes in competitive, business, industry and economic conditions, including risks associated with limited product lines, markets, management depth, or financial resources. Besides exhibiting greater volatility, micro and small company stocks may, to a degree, fluctuate independently of larger company stocks. Small company stocks may decline in price as large company stocks rise, or rise in price as large company stocks decline. Additionally, while the markets in securities of small companies have grown rapidly in recent years, such securities may trade less frequently and in smaller volume than more widely held securities. The values of these securities may fluctuate more sharply than those of other securities, and the underlying investment companies in which the Portfolios invest may experience some difficulty in establishing or closing out positions in these securities at prevailing market prices. There may be less publicly available information about the issuers of these securities or less market interest in such securities than in the case of larger companies and it may take a longer period of time for the prices of such securities to reflect the full value of their issuers’ underlying earnings potential or assets.

 

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Stock Market. Underlying investment companies in which the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio may invest are subject to fluctuations in the stock markets, which have periods of increasing and decreasing values. Equity securities typically have greater volatility than fixed income securities.

 

U.S. Government Securities Risk. Although a Portfolio’s investments in U.S. government securities are considered to be among the safest investments, they are not guaranteed against price movements due to changing interest rates. Obligations issued by certain U.S. government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises, such as the Government National Mortgage Association, are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, while obligations issued by others, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and Federal Home Loan Banks, are backed solely by the ability of the entity to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or by the entity’s own resources. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to U.S. government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if it is not obligated to do so by law.

 

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be placed in conservatorship under the FHFA. On June 16, 2010, FHFA ordered Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s stock de-listed from the NYSE after the price of common stock in Fannie Mae fell below the NYSE’s minimum average closing price of $1 for more than 30 days. The future status and role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s operations and activities as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the U.S. Treasury, market responses to developments at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any Mortgage-Backed Securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including any such Mortgage-Backed Securities held by a Portfolio.

 

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Portfolios’ portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The SAI is incorporated herein.

 

Broad-Based and Composite Indices

 

Each Portfolio intends to evaluate its performance as compared to that of a broad-based index and a Composite Index. The information below reflects the most current information available to the Company as of the date of this Prospectus:

 

Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio. The broad-based index is the Russell 2500® Index. The Composite Index is comprised of the S&P 500® Index, Russell 1000® Value Index, Russell 2000® Index and Russell 2000® Value Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. The following is a description of the broad-based index and each index comprising the Composite Index:

 

The Russell 2500® Index consists of the small- to mid-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe, commonly referred to as “smid” cap. The Russell 2500® Index is constructed on a market-cap weighted basis to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer for the small to mid-cap segment and is completely reconstituted annually to ensure larger stocks do not distort the performance and characteristics of the Index. The Russell 2500® Index includes the smallest 2,500 securities in the Russell 3000® Index. The Russell 3000® Index is made up of 3,000 of the biggest U.S. stocks on a market-cap weighted basis. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 2500® Index was $1.2 billion and the largest stock was $20.7 billion.

 

The S&P 500® Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry grouping, among other factors. The S&P 500® Index is designed to be an indicator of U.S. equities and is meant to reflect the risk/return characteristics of the large-cap universe. The S&P 500® Index is a market-value weighted index and each stock’s weight in the index is proportionate to its market value.

 

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The Russell 1000® Value Index consists of the large-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 1000® Value Index is constructed to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer of the large-cap value market.

 

The Russell 2000® Index consists of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® Index is constructed on a market-cap weighted basis to provide a comprehensive and unbiased small-cap barometer and is completely reconstituted annually to ensure larger stocks do not distort the performance and characteristics of the Index. The Russell 2000® Index includes the smallest 2000 securities in the Russell 3000® Index.

 

The Russell 2000® Value Index consists of the small-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Russell 2000® Value Index is constructed to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer of the small-cap value market.

 

Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio. The broad-based index is the MSCI World (excluding U.S.) Index. The Composite Index is comprised of the MSCI EAFE Index, MSCI EAFE Value Index, MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index, and MSCI Emerging Markets Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. The following is a description of the broad-based index and each index comprising the Composite Index:

 

The MSCI World (excluding U.S.) Index is a stock market index of ‘world’ stocks maintained by Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”). The index includes a selection of stocks of developed markets, as defined by MSCI. As of November 30, 2019, this index contains securities from the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. As of November 30, 2019, the median capitalization of the MSCI World (excluding U.S.) Index was $7.7 billion and the weighted average market capitalization was $15.7 billion.

 

The MSCI Europe, Australasia, and Far East (“EAFE”) Index is a stock market index of foreign stocks that covers 85% of the equity market of the following developed countries as of November 30, 2019: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

 

The MSCI EAFE Value Index is a subset of the EAFE Index and includes securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia) and the Far East. The Index generally represents approximately 50% of the market capitalization of the EAFE Index and consists of those securities classified by MSCI as most representing the value style.

 

The MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index targets approximately the bottom 15% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization within each country. MSCI defines the small cap universe as all listed securities that have a market capitalization of approximately less than $4.1 billion. The small cap segment covers the 85% - 99% range of each market’s free float-adjusted market capitalization.

 

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is designed to measure equity market performance in global emerging markets. As of November 30, 2019, the Index contained securities from the following emerging market countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

 

Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio. The broad-based index is the FTSE World Government Bond Index 1-5 Year Currency Hedged U.S. Dollar Index. The Composite Index is comprised of the Three-Month Treasury Bill Index, Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate Government Bond Index, ICE BofAML 1-3 Year US Government/Corporate Index and Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. The following is a description of the broad-based index and each index comprising the Composite Index:

 

FTSE World Government Bond Index 1-5 Year Currency Hedged U.S. Dollar Index includes the most significant and liquid government bond markets globally that carry at least an investment grade rating. Currently, this includes the 23 government bond markets of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

 

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Three Month Treasury-Bill Index consists of three-month Treasury bills purchased at the beginning of each of three consecutive months. As each bill matures, all proceeds are rolled over or reinvested in a new three-month bill. The income used to calculate the monthly return is derived by subtracting the original amount invested from the maturity value. The index is rebalanced monthly by market capitalization.

 

Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate Government Bond Index is a weighted index of U.S. government and government agency securities (other than mortgage securities) with maturities of one year or more.

 

ICE BofAML 1-3 Year U.S. Government/Corporate Index is an unmanaged index of short-term U.S. government securities and short-term domestic investment-grade corporate bonds with maturities between 1 and 2.99 years.

 

Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a market capitalization-weighted index, meaning the securities in the index are weighted according to the market size of each bond type. Most U.S. traded investment grade bonds are represented. Municipal bonds and Treasury Inflation-Protected securities are excluded. The Index includes Treasury securities, Government agency bonds, mortgage-backed bonds, corporate bonds, and a small amount of foreign bonds traded in the U.S. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is an intermediate term index. The average maturity is 7.9 years as of November 30, 2019.

 

Credit Ratings

 

Corporate debt obligations and dollar-denominated obligations of foreign issuers issued in the U.S. in which the underlying investment companies of the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio may invest will be (i) rated Aa3 or better by Moody’s, or AA- or better by S&P, or AA- or better by Fitch; or (ii) if there is no rating for the debt security, (ii) determined by the investment adviser(s) to the underlying investment companies to be of comparable quality to equivalent issues of the same issuer rated at least AA- or Aa3.

 

Commercial paper in which the underlying investment companies may invest will be rated, at the time of purchase, A-1 or better by S&P or Prime-1 by Moody’s, or, if unrated, issued by a corporation having an outstanding unsecured debt issue rated Aaa by Moody’s or AAA by S&P.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE PORTFOLIOS

 

 

Investment Adviser

 

Matson Money, Inc. (“Matson Money” or the “Adviser”) is located at 5955 Deerfield Blvd., Mason, OH 45040. Matson Money was founded in 1991 and provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, corporations, non-profit organizations, retirement plans and foundations. Mark E. Matson, President, Chief Financial Officer and a Director of Matson Money, controls Matson Money through his majority ownership. Matson Money had approximately $8.4 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2019.

 

Subject to the general supervision of the Board, Matson Money manages the Portfolios’ portfolios and is responsible for the selection and management of all investments of the Portfolios in accordance with the Portfolios’ respective investment objectives and policies.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Mark E. Matson and Daniel J. List are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Portfolios.

 

Mark E. Matson, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Adviser, founded the Adviser in 1991 and serves as head portfolio manager at the Adviser.

 

Daniel J. List, Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President of the Adviser, has been employed by the Adviser since 1994. He is responsible for the portfolio design, compliance, trading and system designs.

 

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The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of shares in the Portfolios.

 

Management Fees

 

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Company, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee at the annual rate of 0.50% of the first $1 billion of each Portfolio’s average daily net assets, 0.49% of each Portfolio’s average daily net assets over $1 billion to $5 billion and 0.47% of each Portfolio’s average daily net assets over $5 billion. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses to 1.13%, 1.35% and 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio, respectively. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and certain of these expenses could cause net Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses to exceed 1.13%, 1.35% and 1.00%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. If at any time a Portfolio’s Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.13%, 1.35%, or 1.00%, respectively, the Adviser may recoup any waived or reimbursed amounts from the applicable Portfolio within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made by the Adviser, provided such reimbursement does not cause such Portfolio to exceed the expense limitation that was in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Adviser received 0.50%, 0.50% and 0.50% of the average daily net assets of the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio, respectively.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for Board’s approval of the investment advisory agreement with respect to the Portfolios is available in the Portfolios’ annual report to shareholders dated August 31, 2019.

 

PRIOR PERFORMANCE OF SIMILAR ACCOUNTS

 

 

The following performance information is of the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, the Free Market International Equity Fund and the Free Market Fixed Income Fund, each an investment portfolio of the Company (collectively, the “Free Market Funds”). The Adviser serves as investment adviser to both the Matson Money Portfolios and the Free Market Funds. The Matson Money Portfolios and the Free Market Funds also share the same portfolio managers. Each Matson Money Portfolio’s portfolio will be managed substantially similarly to that of the corresponding Free Market Fund and therefore the following performance information below indicates some of the risks of investing in the Free Market Portfolios.

 

Free Market U.S. Equity Fund

 

The chart below illustrates the long-term performance of the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund. The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund, and therefore the Free Market U.S. Equity VI Portfolio. The performance for the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio would differ from the information below only to the extent that the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio and the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund do not have the same expenses. If the fees and expenses imposed by the investment vehicle through which an investment in the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio is made were reflected, they would reduce returns. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Total returns would have

 

30

 

 

 

been lower had certain fees and expenses not been waived or reimbursed. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund or the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio will perform in the future.

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above)

 

Best Quarter: 22.80% (quarter ended June 30, 2009)

Worst Quarter: -21.03% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns of the Fund before and after taxes for the past calendar year, the past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns for the
Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Fund Returns Before Taxes 22.47% 7.28% 11.62%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions* 20.93% 5.87% 10.63%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 14.40% 5.49% 9.51%
Russell 2500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 27.77% 8.93% 12.58%
Composite Index** 26.63% 8.85% 11.96%

 

 

*

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

**

The Composite Index is comprised of the S&P 500® Index, Russell 1000® Value Index, Russell 2000® Index and Russell 2000® Value Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. Additional information about the Composite Index can be found under the section entitled “More About Each Portfolio’s Investments and Risks.”

 

31

 

 

 

Free Market International Equity Fund

 

The chart below illustrates the long-term performance of the Free Market International Equity Fund. The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund, and therefore the Free Market International Equity VI Portfolio. The performance for the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio would differ from the information below only to the extent that the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and the Free Market International Equity Fund do not have the same expenses. If the fees and expenses imposed by the investment vehicle through which an investment in the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio is made were reflected, they would reduce returns. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Total returns would have been lower had certain fees and expenses not been waived or reimbursed. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Free Market International Equity Fund or the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio will perform in the future.

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above)

 

Best Quarter: 33.53% (quarter ended June 30, 2009)

Worst Quarter: -22.38% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

32

 

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns of the Fund before and after taxes for the past calendar year, the past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns for the
Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Fund Returns Before Taxes 17.71% 4.86% 5.17%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions* 17.12% 4.00% 4.42%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 11.09% 3.66% 4.04%
MSCI World (excluding U.S.) Index (reflects no deduction expenses or taxes) 22.49% 5.42% 5.32%
Composite Index*** 21.10% 6.33 5.77%

 

 

*

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

**

The Composite Index is comprised of the MSCI EAFE Index, MSCI EAFE Value Index, MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index, and MSCI Emerging Markets Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. Additional information about the Composite Index can be found under the section entitled “More About Each Portfolio’s Investments and Risks.”

 

33

 

 

 

Free Market Fixed Income Fund

 

The chart below illustrates the long-term performance of the Free Market Fixed Income Fund. The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund, and therefore the Free Market Fixed Income VI Portfolio. The performance for the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio would differ from the information below only to the extent that the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio and the Free Market Fixed Income Fund do not have the same expenses. If the fees and expenses imposed by the investment vehicle through which an investment in the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio is made were reflected, they would reduce returns. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Total returns would have been lower had certain fees and expenses not been waived or reimbursed. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Free Market Fixed Income Fund or the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio will perform in the future.

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above)

 

Best Quarter: 1.67% (quarter ended March 31, 2016)

Worst Quarter: -1.44% (quarter ended June 30, 2013)

 

34

 

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns of the Fund before and after taxes for the past calendar year, the past five calendar years and past ten calendar years to the average total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

  Average Annual Total Returns for the
Periods Ended December 31, 2019
  1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Fund Returns Before Taxes 4.78% 1.58% 1.53%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions* 4.17% 1.06% 1.04%
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 2.83% 0.99% 0.99%
FTSE World Government Bond Index 1-5 Years Currency Hedged U.S. Dollar Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 3.86% 1.92% 1.85%
Composite Index** 5.34% 2.04% 2.17%

 

 

*

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns will depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

**

The Composite Index is comprised of the Three-Month Treasury Bill Index, Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate Government Bond Index, ICE BofAML 1-3 Year US Government/Corporate Index and Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, each weighted 25%, 25%, 25% and 25%, respectively. Additional information about the Composite Index can be found under the section entitled “More About Each Portfolio’s Investments and Risks.”

 

35

 

 

 

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

 

Pricing of Portfolio Shares

 

The Portfolios’ shares (“Shares”) are priced at their NAV. The NAV per Share of each Portfolio is calculated as follows:

 

 

Value of Assets Attributable to the Portfolio’s Shares

 

NAV = -

Value of Liabilities Attributable to the Portfolio’s Shares

 

 

Number of Outstanding Shares of the Portfolio

 

 

Each Portfolio’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. The NYSE is generally open Monday through Friday, except national holidays. The NYSE also may be closed on national days of mourning or due to natural disaster or other extraordinary events or emergency. The Portfolios will effect purchases and redemptions of Shares at the NAV next calculated after receipt by the Portfolio’s Transfer Agent of your purchase order or redemption request in good order as (described below). If a Portfolio holds securities that are primarily listed on non-U.S. exchanges, the NAV of the Portfolio’s Shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Portfolio’s Shares.

 

Investments in underlying open-end investment companies are valued based on the NAV of those investment companies at the close of business that day. Investments in ETFs and closed-end funds will be valued at their market price. A Portfolio’s direct investments in equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange will be valued at the last sale price for all exchanges, except the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (“NASDAQ”). Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ will be valued at the official closing price. Direct investments in equity securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at their closing prices. If there were no transactions on that day, equity securities will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. A Portfolio’s direct investments in fixed income securities are valued using an independent pricing service, which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings, and are deemed representative of market values at the close of the market. Direct investments in foreign securities, currencies and other securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of such currencies against the U.S. dollar provided by a pricing service. All assets denominated in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the time of valuation. If a Portfolio holds foreign securities, the calculation of the Portfolio’s NAV will not occur at the same time as the determination of the value of the foreign equity securities in the Portfolio’s portfolio, since these securities are traded on foreign exchanges.

 

If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Portfolios’ administrator, in consultation with the Adviser, the Portfolio’s investments will be valued by the Adviser in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board’s ultimate supervision. In addition, the prices of foreign securities may be affected by events that occur after the close of a foreign market but before a Portfolio prices its shares. In such instances, a foreign security may be fair valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. The use of a pricing service and fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by a Portfolio to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other mutual funds and investors to price the same investments.

 

Market Timing

 

In accordance with the policy adopted by its Board, the Company discourages and does not accommodate market timing and other excessive trading practices. Purchases should be made with a view to longer-term investment only. Excessive short-term (market timing) trading practices may disrupt Portfolio management strategies, increase brokerage and administrative costs, harm Portfolio performance and result in dilution in the value of Portfolio Shares held by long-term shareholders. The Company and the Adviser reserve the right to (i) reject a purchase or exchange order, (ii) delay payment of immediate cash redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days, (iii) revoke a shareholder’s privilege to purchase Portfolio Shares (including exchanges), or (iv) limit the amount of any exchange involving the purchase of Portfolio Shares. An investor may receive notice that their purchase order or exchange

 

36

 

 

 

has been rejected after the day the order is placed or after acceptance by a financial intermediary. It is currently expected that a shareholder would receive notice that its purchase order or exchange has been rejected within 48 hours after such purchase order or exchange has been received by the Company in good order. The Company and the Adviser will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected purchase orders. To minimize harm to the Company and its shareholders (or the Adviser), the Company (or the Adviser) will exercise their right if, in the Company’s (or the Adviser’s) judgment, an investor has a history of excessive trading or if an investor’s trading, in the judgment of the Company or the Adviser, has been or may be disruptive to a Portfolio. No waivers of the provisions of the policy established to detect and deter market timing and other excessive trading activity are permitted that would harm a Portfolio and its shareholders or would subordinate the interests of a Portfolio and its shareholders to those of the Adviser or any affiliated person or associated person of the Adviser.

 

Pursuant to the policy adopted by the Board, the Adviser has developed criteria that it uses to identify trading activity that may be excessive. If, in its judgment, the Adviser detects excessive, short-term trading, the Adviser may reject or restrict a purchase request and may further seek to close an investor’s account with a Portfolio.

 

Portfolio shares are generally held through omnibus arrangements maintained by participating insurance companies or other intermediaries. There is no assurance that the Portfolios will be able to identify market timing, particularly if shareholders invest through intermediaries.

 

If necessary, the Company may prohibit additional purchases of Portfolio shares by a financial intermediary or by certain customers of the financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries may also monitor their customers’ trading activities in the Portfolios. The criteria used by intermediaries to monitor for excessive trading may differ from the criteria used by the Company. If a financial intermediary fails to enforce the Company’s excessive trading policies, the Company may take certain actions, including terminating the relationship.

 

Purchase of Portfolio Shares

 

General. Shares of the Portfolio are not sold directly to the public. Instead, Portfolio shares are sold to separate accounts that fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts issued by participating insurance companies. You may purchase or sell (redeem) shares of the Portfolio through variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies offered through separate accounts. The variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies are described in the separate prospectuses issued by the participating insurance companies. You should refer to those prospectuses for information on how to purchase a variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy, how to select a specific Portfolio as an investment option for your contract or policy and how to redeem monies from the Portfolio.

 

The separate accounts of the participating insurance companies place orders to purchase and redeem shares of the Portfolios based on, among other things, the amount of premium payments to be invested and the amount of surrender and transfer requests (as defined in the prospectus describing the variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by the participating insurance companies) to be effected on that day pursuant to variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies.

 

Shares of the Portfolios may be purchased by separate accounts of both affiliated and unaffiliated participating insurance companies in order to fund both variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, and also may be purchased by qualified plans. This may present certain conflicts of interests among variable annuity owners, variable life insurance policy owners and plan investors. The Board will monitor the Company for the existence of any materials irreconcilable conflict of interest. The Company currently does not foresee any disadvantages to the holders of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies arising from the fact that interests of the holders of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies may differ due to differences of tax treatment or other considerations or due to conflicts among the participating insurance companies. If, however, a material irreconcilable conflict arises between the holders of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies of participating insurance companies, a participating insurance company may be required to withdraw the assets allocable to some or all of the separate accounts from the Portfolio. Any such withdrawal could disrupt orderly portfolio management to the potential detriment of such holders.

 

37

 

 

 

The Portfolios do not currently anticipate offering shares directly to qualified pension and profit-sharing plans.

 

Good Order. Purchase or redemption orders received by the Transfer Agent in good order will be executed at the Portfolio’s next determined NAV.

 

Other Purchase Information. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of Shares or to reject purchase orders when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interests of a Portfolio. The Adviser will monitor each Portfolio’s total assets and may decide to close any of the Portfolios at any time to new investments or to new accounts due to concerns that a significant increase in the size of a Portfolio may adversely affect the implementation of the Portfolio’s strategy. Subject to the Board’s discretion, the Adviser may also choose to reopen a Portfolio to new investments at any time and may subsequently close the Portfolio again should concerns regarding the Portfolio’s size recur. If a Portfolio closes to new investments, the Portfolio would be offered only to certain existing shareholders of the Portfolio.

 

Other persons who are shareholders of the other Matson Money VI Portfolios are not permitted to acquire Shares of the closed Portfolio by exchange. Distributions to all shareholders of the Portfolios will continue to be reinvested unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Adviser reserves the right to implement other purchases limitations at the time of closing, including limitations on current shareholders.

 

Redemption of Portfolio Shares

 

General. Redemption requests may be placed by separate accounts of participating insurance companies. Redemption requests are effected at the NAV next calculated after receipt of the redemption request by the Transfer Agent in good order. The Portfolio’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. Shares of a Portfolio can be redeemed only on days the NYSE is open. Redemptions by wire are charged a transaction fee of $15.

 

Other Redemption Information. Payment of the redemption proceeds will be made within seven days after receipt of an order for a redemption. The Company may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date at times when the NYSE is closed or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC. The Portfolios typically expect to meet redemption requests by paying out proceeds from cash or cash equivalent portfolio holdings, or by selling portfolio securities. In stressed market conditions, redemption methods may include redeeming in kind.

 

If the Board determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of a Portfolio to make payment wholly or partly in cash, redemption proceeds may be paid in whole or in part by an in-kind distribution of readily marketable securities held by the Portfolio instead of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC and the Company’s Policy and Procedure Related to the Processing of In-Kind Redemptions. If a shareholder receives redemption proceeds in-kind, the shareholders will bear the market risk of the securities received in the redemption until their disposition and should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, so that a Portfolio is obligated to redeem its Shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Portfolio’s NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Portfolio.

 

Good Order. A redemption request is considered to be in good order when all necessary information is provided and all required documents are properly completed, signed and delivered. Redemption requests not in good order may be delayed.

 

Voting Rights

 

Participating insurance companies, not the owners of the variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies or participants therein, are shareholders of the Portfolios. To the extent required by law:

 

 

The participating insurance companies will vote Portfolio Shares held in the separate accounts in a manner consistent with timely voting instructions received from the holders of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies.

 

38

 

 

 

 

The participating insurance companies will vote Portfolio Shares held in the separate accounts for which no timely instructions are received from the holders of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies, as well as shares they own, in the same proportion as those shares for which voting instructions are received.

 

As a result of proportional voting, a small number of holders of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies could determine the outcome of a proposition subject to shareholder vote. It is anticipated that Portfolio Shares held by unregistered separate accounts or qualified plans generally will be voted for or against any proposition in the same proportion as all other Portfolio Shares are voted unless the unregistered separate account’s participating insurance company or the plan makes other arrangements.

 

Additional information concerning voting rights of the participants in the separate accounts is more fully set forth in the prospectus relating to those accounts issued by the participating insurance companies.

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

Each Portfolio will distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders. All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional Shares of the Portfolio unless a shareholder elects otherwise.

 

The Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio and the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio will declare and pay dividends from net investment income annually. The Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio will declare and pay dividends from net investment income quarterly. Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed by the Portfolios at least annually.

 

All distributions will be reinvested in additional Portfolio shares unless you elect to receive cash via one of the following options: (1) receive distributions of net capital gains in cash, while reinvesting net investment income distributions in additional Portfolio shares; (2) receive all distributions in cash; or (3) reinvest net capital gain distributions in additional Portfolio shares, while receiving distributions of net investment income in cash. If you elect to receive distributions and/or capital gains paid in cash, and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months, the Portfolio reserves the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account, at the Portfolio’s current NAV, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions. You may change the distribution option on your account as any time. You should notify the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next distribution.

 

Taxes

 

Each Portfolio is treated as a separate corporate entity for federal tax purposes. Each Portfolio has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company and intends to qualify for such treatment for each taxable year under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). In addition, each Portfolio intends to qualify under the Code with respect to the diversification requirements related to variable contracts. Provided that a Portfolio and a separate account investing in the Portfolio satisfy applicable tax requirements, the Portfolio will not be subject to federal tax, and the separate accounts will not be taxable on distributions from, or gains with respect to, the Portfolio.

 

Persons investing in variable annuity or variable life insurance contracts should refer to the prospectuses with respect to such contracts for further information regarding the tax treatment of the contracts and the separate accounts in which the contracts are invested.

 

NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE PORTFOLIOS’ SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE COMPANY OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.

 

39

 

 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each Portfolio’s financial performance for the periods indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Portfolio share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in each Portfolio (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Portfolios’ independent registered public accounting firm. This information should be read in conjunction with the Portfolios’ financial statements, which, together with the report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the Portfolios’ annual report, which is available upon request (see back cover for ordering instructions).

 

MATSON MONEY U.S. EQUITY VI PORTFOLIO

 

 

 

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2019

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2018

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2017

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2016

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2015

 

Per Share Operating Performance

               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 33.12     $ 29.15     $ 26.80     $ 25.65     $ 26.79  

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.21       0.18       0.14       0.19       0.03  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    (4.34 )     5.40       3.44       1.96       (1.07 )

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    (4.13 )     5.58       3.58       2.15       (1.04 )

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                                       

Net investment income

    (0.27 )     (0.33 )     (0.21 )     (0.15 )     (0.10 )

Net realized capital gains

    (1.64 )     (1.28 )     (1.02 )     (0.85 )      

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (1.91 )     (1.61 )     (1.23 )     (1.00 )     (0.10 )

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 27.08     $ 33.12     $ 29.15     $ 26.80     $ 25.65  

Total investment return/(loss)(2)

    (11.89 )%     19.56 %     13.42 %     8.68 %     (3.92 )%
                                         

Ratio/Supplemental Data

                                       

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 24,839     $ 26,181     $ 20,093     $ 17,491     $ 13,598  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, if any(3)

    0.76 %     0.73 %     0.81 %     0.93 %     1.13 %

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, if any(3)

    0.76 %     0.73 %     0.81 %     0.93 %     1.44 %

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets with waivers(3)

    0.72 %     0.58 %     0.49 %     0.74 %     0.12 %

Portfolio turnover rate

    17 %     12 %     21 %     7 %     14 %

 

 

(1)

The selected per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding method for the period.

(2)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(3)

The Portfolio also will indirectly bear its prorated share of expenses of the underlying funds. Such expenses are not included in the calculation of this ratio.

 

 

 

40

 

 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

MATSON MONEY INTERNATIONAL EQUITY VI PORTFOLIO

 

 

 

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2019

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2018

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2017

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2016

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2015

 

Per Share Operating Performance

               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 26.16     $ 26.60     $ 22.54     $ 22.48     $ 25.82  

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.43       0.47       0.29       0.44       0.22  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    (3.51 )     (0.13 )     4.51       0.10       (3.26 )

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    (3.08 )     0.34       4.80       0.54       (3.04 )

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                                       

Net investment income

    (0.39 )     (0.54 )     (0.44 )     (0.24 )     (0.30 )

Net realized capital gains

    (0.42 )     (0.24 )     (0.30 )     (0.24 )     (2) 

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.81 )     (0.78 )     (0.74 )     (0.48 )     (0.30 )

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 22.27     $ 26.16     $ 26.60     $ 22.54     $ 22.48  

Total investment return/(loss)(3)

    (11.62 )%     1.13 %     21.90 %     2.47 %     (11.77 )%
                                         

Ratio/Supplemental Data

                                       

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 18,228     $ 17,950     $ 15,019     $ 12,567     $ 9,641  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, if any(4)

    0.86 %     0.79 %     0.88 %     1.02 %     1.35 %

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, if any(4)

    0.86 %     0.79 %     0.88 %     1.02 %     1.67 %

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets with waivers(4)

    1.82 %     1.70 %     1.22 %     2.03 %     0.91 %

Portfolio turnover rate

    13 %     8 %     21 %     5 %     15 %

 

 

(1)

The selected per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding method for the period.

(2)

Amount is less than $(0.005) per share.

(3)

Total investment return is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(4)

The Portfolio also will indirectly bear its prorated share of expenses of the underlying funds. Such expenses are not included in the calculation of this ratio.

 

 

 

41

 

 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

MATSON MONEY FIXED INCOME VI PORTFOLIO

 

 

 

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2019

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2018

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2017

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2016

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31, 2015

 

Per Share Operating Performance

               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 24.74     $ 25.12     $ 25.31     $ 24.93     $ 25.08  

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.59       0.23       0.18       0.05       0.03  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    0.61       (0.36 )     (0.13 )     0.36       (0.04 )

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    1.20       (0.13 )     0.05       0.41       (0.01 )

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                                       

Net investment income

    (0.56 )     (0.22 )     (0.12 )           (0.14 )

Net realized capital gains

    (2)      (0.03 )     (0.12 )     (0.03 )      

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.56 )     (0.25 )     (0.24 )     (0.03 )     (0.14 )

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 25.38     $ 24.74     $ 25.12     $ 25.31     $ 24.93  

Total investment return(3)

    4.98 %     (0.50 )%     0.19 %     1.66 %     (0.06 )%
                                         

Ratio/Supplemental Data

                                       

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 29,546     $ 30,405     $ 26,017     $ 21,927     $ 18,098  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers, if any(4)

    0.74 %     0.71 %     0.77 %     0.85 %     1.00 %

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers, if any(4)

    0.74 %     0.71 %     0.77 %     0.85 %     1.37 %

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets with waivers(4)

    2.39 %     0.93 %     0.70 %     0.21 %     0.10 %

Portfolio turnover rate

    19 %     2 %     11 %     40 %     11 %

 

 

(1)

The selected per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding method for the period.

(2)

Amount less than ($0.005) per share.

(3)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated by assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(4)

The Portfolio also will indirectly bear its prorated share of expenses of the underlying funds. Such expenses are not included in the calculation of this ratio.

 

 

 

 

42

 

 

 

PRIVACY NOTICE

 

FACTS

WHAT DO THE MATSON MONEY VI PORTFOLIOS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Why?

Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.

What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

 

● Social Security number

● account balances

● account transactions

● transaction history

● wire transfer instructions

● checking account information

 

When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

How?

All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons the Matson Money VI Portfolios choose to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

       

Reasons we can share your personal information

Do the Matson Money VI Portfolios share?

Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purposes —
such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes

No

For our marketing purposes —
to offer our products and services to you

Yes

No

For joint marketing with other financial companies

Yes

No

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes —
information about your transactions and experiences

Yes

No

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes —
information about your creditworthiness

No

We don’t share.

For our affiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share.

For nonaffiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share.

Questions?

Call (866)780-0357 Ext. 3863 or go to www.MatsonMoney.com

 

43

 

 

 

What we do

 

How do the Matson Money VI Portfolios protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.

How do the Matson Money VI Portfolios collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

 

● open an account

● provide account information

● give us your contact information

● make a wire transfer

● tell us where to send the money

 

We also collect your information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

 

● sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness

● affiliates from using your information to market to you

● sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

 

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

Definitions

 

Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

Our affiliates include McGriff Video Productions and Matson Money, Inc.

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

The Matson Money VI Portfolios don’t share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. The Portfolios may share information with nonaffiliates that perform marketing services on our behalf.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

 

The Matson Money VI Portfolios may share your information with other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing arrangements who may suggest additional fund services or other investment products which may be of interest to you.

 

 

 

44

 

 

 

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

 

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MATSON MONEY FAMILY OF PORTFOLIOS

 

 

This Prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. More information about the Portfolios is available free of charge, upon request, including:

 

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports

 

These reports contain additional information about the Portfolios’ investments, describe the Portfolios’ performance, list portfolio holdings, and discuss recent market conditions and economic trends. The Annual Report includes market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Portfolios’ performance during the last fiscal year.

 

Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”)

 

The Portfolios’ SAI, dated February 28, 2020 has been filed with the SEC. The SAI, which includes additional information about the Portfolios, may be obtained free of charge, along with the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, by calling (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863 or at the Adviser’s website at http://hosted.rightprospectus.com/MatsonMoney. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus (and is legally part of the Prospectus).

 

Shareholder Inquiries

 

Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature programs and services available. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday-Friday. Call: (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863.

 

Purchases and Redemptions

Call (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863

 

Written Correspondence

Street Address:

Matson Money, Inc. Family of Portfolios
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Securities and Exchange Commission

 

You may also view and copy information about the Company and the Portfolios, including the SAI, by visiting the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of Portfolio documents by paying a duplicating fee and sending an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

Investment Company Act File No. 811-05518

 

 

 

 

Orinda Income Opportunities Fund

of The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

Prospectus February 28, 2020

Class I

OIOIX

     

Class A

OIOAX

     

Class D

OIODX

     

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), paper copies of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. 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 anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or a bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-855-467-4632.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-855-467-4632 to inform the Fund that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held with the fund complex if you invest directly with the Fund.

 

The securities described in this prospectus have been registered with the SEC. The SEC, however, has not judged these securities for their investment merit and has not determined the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Anyone who tells you otherwise is committing a criminal offense.

 

 

 

A look at the investment objective, strategies, risks, expenses and financial history of the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund offered in this Prospectus.

 

 

Details about the service providers for the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund offered in this Prospectus.

 

 

Policies and instructions for opening, maintaining and closing an account in the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund offered in this Prospectus.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     

SUMMARY SECTION — ORINDA INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND

1

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

7

Investment Objective

7

Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies and Risks

7

Temporary Defensive Strategy

8

Principal Investment Risks

8

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

13

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

13

Investment Adviser

13

Portfolio Managers

14

Marketing Arrangements

14

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

16

Pricing of Fund Shares

16

Market Timing

16

Purchase of Fund Shares

17

DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES

26

Description of Classes

26

Minimum Investments

28

General Policies

28

Conversion Feature

29

Fund Mailings

29

Householding

29

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

31

Appendix A

A-1

For More Information

Back Cover

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION — ORINDA INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND

 

Investment Objective

 

The Orinda Income Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to maximize current income with potential for modest growth of capital.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund’s Class A shares. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the “Distribution of Fund Shares” section of the Fund’s Prospectus and the “Other Information Regarding Maximum Sales Charge, Purchases and Redemptions” section of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). Each financial intermediary may impose different sales charges and these variations are described in Appendix A of the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

Additionally, you may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Class I Shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

Class I

Class A

Class D

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)

None

5.00%

None

       

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fees

1.00%

1.00%

1.00%

Distribution and/or Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

None

0.25%

1.00%

Other Expenses

0.29%

0.33%

0.28%

Short Sale Expenses

 

 

 

Dividend and Interest Expense

0.50%

0.46%

0.52%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1)

0.12%

0.12%

0.12%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1)

1.91%

2.16%

2.92%

 

 

(1)

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $100,000 in Class I Shares of the Fund and $10,000 in Class A and Class D Shares of the Fund (the minimum initial investment for Class A and Class D Shares is $5,000) for the time periods indicated and that you sell your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that each year your investment has a 5% return and Fund operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns might be different, your approximate costs of investing in the Fund would be:

 

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

Class I

$1,940

$6,000

$10,316

$22,327

Class A

$708

$1,142

$1,601

$2,868

Class D

$295

$904

$1,538

$3,242

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 131% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

1

 

 

 

Summary of Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund will attempt to achieve its investment objective by investing in U.S. and non-U.S. securities and investment instruments including, but not limited to, equity securities, debt securities, and derivatives. The Fund’s allocation to these various security types and asset classes will vary over time in response to changing market opportunities with the goal of maximizing current income.

 

The Fund may invest without limit in equity securities of issuers of any market capitalization. The types of equity securities in which the Fund will generally invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), master limited partnerships (“MLPs”), rights, warrants, depositary receipts and other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). The Fund’s equity investments may also take the form of depositary receipts including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). The Fund generally invests in dividend paying stocks. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). The Fund may also invest without limit in foreign securities, including up to 50% of its net assets in securities of issuers located in emerging markets.

 

The Fund will generally invest at least 50% of its net assets in REITs. As a result of its investments in REITs, the Fund will be concentrated in the real estate industry. The Fund may invest in “Rule 144A” securities, which are privately placed, restricted securities that may only be resold under certain circumstances to other qualified institutional buyers.

 

The Fund may invest without limit in debt securities, provided that no more than 30% of its net assets are invested in debt securities rated below investment grade (known as “junk bonds”). The types of debt securities in which the Fund may invest generally include instruments and obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. corporate and other non-governmental entities, those of U.S. and non-U.S. governmental entities, mortgage-related or mortgage-backed securities (including “sub-prime” mortgages), asset-backed securities, exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”), floating rate loans, convertible securities, inflation-linked debt securities and subordinated debt securities. The Fund invests in debt securities with a broad range of maturities and the Fund’s investments may have fixed or variable principal payments.

 

The Fund may invest up to 85% of its net assets in derivatives, including options, futures (such as bond, index, interest rate and currency futures, but excluding commodities futures) and swaps (such as credit-default swaps, interest rate swaps and total return swaps). These derivative instruments may be used for investment purposes, to modify or hedge the Fund’s exposure to a particular investment market related risk, to manage the volatility of the Fund, to hedge against adverse changes in the market price of securities, interest rates or currency exchange rates and as a substitute for purchasing or selling securities.

 

The Fund may utilize leverage (by borrowing against a line of credit for investment purposes) up to one-third of the value of its assets as part of the portfolio management process. The Fund may also sell securities short with respect to 100% of its net assets and may lend its portfolio securities to generate additional income. A short sale is the sale by the Fund of a security that it does not own in anticipation of purchasing the same security in the future at a lower price to close the short position.

 

The Fund will sell (or close a position in) a security when Orinda Asset Management LLC (the “Adviser”) determines that a particular security has achieved its investment expectations or the reasons for maintaining that position are no longer valid. It is expected that the Fund will have a portfolio turnover in excess of 100% on an annual basis. The Fund’s investment strategies may periodically result in a significant portion of its assets being invested in the securities of companies in the same sector of the market.

 

The Adviser may also invest up to 100% of the Fund’s total assets in cash, money-market instruments, bank obligations and other high-quality debt securities for temporary defensive purposes.

 

Summary of Principal Risks

 

Losing all or a portion of your investment is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Convertible Bond Risk. Convertible bonds are hybrid securities that have characteristics of both bonds and common stocks and are therefore subject to both debt security risks and equity risk. Convertible bonds are subject to equity risk especially when their conversion value is greater than the interest and principal value of the bond. The prices of equity securities may rise or fall because of economic or political changes and may decline over short or extended periods of time.

 

Credit Risk. The issuers of the bonds and other debt securities held by the Fund may not be able to make interest or principal payments. The degree of credit risk depends on the issuer’s financial condition and on the terms of the securities.

 

2

 

 

 

Currency Risk. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of what the Fund owns and the Fund’s share price. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, an investment in that country loses value because that currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Devaluation of a currency by a country’s government or banking authority also will have a significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that currency. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Depositary Receipt Risk. Depositary receipts may be purchased through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the depositary security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts of the deposited securities. In addition, investment in ADRs, EDRs and GDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s use of derivatives (which may include options, futures and swaps, among others) may reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve the risk of improper valuation, the risk of ambiguous documentation, and the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security. Derivatives are also subject to market risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, counterparty risk and liquidity risk. Derivatives may be more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund and Mutual Fund Risk. When the Fund invests in an ETF or mutual fund, it will bear additional expenses based on its pro rata share of the ETFs or mutual fund’s operating expenses, including the potential duplication of management fees. The risk of owning an ETF or mutual fund generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF or mutual fund holds. The Fund also will incur brokerage costs when it purchases ETFs. Index ETFs may not track their underlying indices.

 

Exchange-Traded Note Risk. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying securities’ markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced index. In addition, the notes issued by ETNs and held by the Fund are unsecured debt of the issuer.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. Fixed income securities are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk. There is also the risk that an issuer may “call,” or repay, its high yielding bonds before their maturity dates.

 

Foreign and Emerging Market Securities Risk. Foreign investments may carry risks associated with investing outside the United States, such as currency fluctuation, economic or financial instability, lack of timely or reliable financial information or unfavorable political or legal developments. Those risks are increased for investments in emerging markets.

 

Futures Risk. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in correlation with the value of the underlying instrument. Risks of futures contracts may arise from an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and the price of the underlying instrument. The Fund’s use of futures contracts (and related options) exposes the Fund to leverage risk because of the small margin requirements relative to the value of the futures contract. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures could exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts.

 

Government-Sponsored Entities Risk. Securities issued by government-sponsored entities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.

 

3

 

 

 

High-Yield Securities Risk. Fixed income securities that are rated below investment grade (i.e., “junk bonds”) are subject to additional risk factors due to the speculative nature of these securities, such as increased possibility of default liquidation of the security, and changes in value based on public perception of the issuer.

 

Initial Public Offering Risk. The market value of IPO shares may fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk.

 

Interest Rate Risk. The market value of fixed income securities changes in response to interest rate changes and other factors. Generally, prices of fixed income securities will increase as interest rates fall and will decrease as interest rates rise. It is likely there will be less governmental action in the near future to maintain low interest rates. The negative impact on fixed income securities from the resulting rate increases for that and other reasons could be swift and significant.

 

Large Companies Risk. The securities of large capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain or maintain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.

 

Leverage and Short Sales Risk. Leverage is the practice of borrowing money to purchase securities. If the securities decrease in value, the Fund will suffer a greater loss than would have resulted without the use of leverage. A short sale will be successful if the price of the shorted security decreases, however, if the underlying security goes up in price during the period in which the short position is outstanding, the Fund will realize a loss. The risk on a short sale is unlimited because the Fund must buy the shorted security at the higher price to complete the transaction. Therefore, short sales may be subject to greater risks than investments in long positions.

 

Management Risk. The skill of the Adviser will play a significant role in the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends on the investment skill and ability of the Adviser and on its ability to correctly identify economic trends.

 

Market Risk. The value of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate as a result of the movement of the overall stock market or the value of the individual securities held by the Fund, and you could lose money.

 

Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in securities (units) of MLPs involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. To the extent that an MLP’s interests are all in a particular industry, the MLP will be negatively impacted by economic events adversely impacting that industry. Additionally, holders of the units of MLPs have more limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. There are also certain tax risks associated with an investment in units of MLPs.

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Generally, rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed rate mortgage-related securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, if the Fund holds mortgage-related securities, it may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as extension risk. In addition, adjustable and fixed rate mortgage-related securities are subject to prepayment risk. When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected. This can reduce the returns of the Fund because it may have to reinvest that money at the lower prevailing interest rates. The risk of default is generally higher in mortgage-related investments that include sub-prime mortgages. Asset-backed securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-related securities.

 

Options Risk. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. A high portfolio turnover rate (100% or more on an annualized basis) increases the Fund’s transaction costs (including brokerage commissions and dealer costs), which adversely impacts the Fund’s performance. Higher portfolio turnover may result in the realization of more short-term capital gains than if the Fund had lower portfolio turnover.

 

Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stocks may be more volatile than fixed income securities and are more correlated with the issuer’s underlying common stock than fixed income securities. Additionally, the dividend on a preferred stock may be changed or omitted by the issuer.

 

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Real Estate and REIT Concentration Risk. The Fund is vulnerable to the risks of the real estate industry, such as the risk that a decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, the failure to collect rents, increased competition from other properties, or poor management. The value and performance of REITs depends on how well the underlying properties owned by the REIT are managed. In addition, the value of an individual REIT’s securities can decline if the REIT fails to continue qualifying for special tax treatment. Investments in REITs may involve duplication of management fees and other expenses.

 

Rule 144A Securities Risk. The market for Rule 144A securities typically is less active than the market for publicly-traded securities. Rule 144A securities carry the risk that the liquidity of these securities may become impaired, making it more difficult for the Fund to sell these bonds.

 

Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies in the same sector of the market, the Fund is more susceptible to economic, political, regulatory and other occurrences influencing those sectors.

 

Small and Medium Companies Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization companies may involve greater volatility than investing in larger and more established companies because small and medium capitalization companies can be subject to more abrupt or erratic share price changes than larger, more established companies.

 

Swaps Risk. In a swap transaction, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the return, based upon an agreed-upon notional value, of a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference (such as an index) during a specified period of time. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference based upon an agreed-upon notional value. Swaps could result in losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. The value of swaps, like many other derivatives, may move in unexpected ways and may result in losses for the Fund. Such transactions can have the potential for unlimited losses.

 

Performance Information

 

The Fund was reorganized following the close of business on April 28, 2017, to acquire the assets and liabilities of the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund, a series of Advisors Series Trust (the “Predecessor Fund”), in exchange for shares of the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund is the successor to the Predecessor Fund, and the following performance information shown prior to May 1, 2017, is that of the Predecessor Fund. The Fund has an investment objective, strategies and policies substantially similar to the Predecessor Fund, which was also advised by the Adviser.

 

The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Class I performance from year to year. The table shows how the Fund’s average annual returns for 1-year, 5-year and since inception periods compare with those of broad measures of market performance. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.orindafunds.com or by calling the Fund toll-free at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA).

 

Total Returns for the Calendar Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance of the Fund (for the periods reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter:

13.63% (quarter ended March 31, 2019)

Worst Quarter:

-9.55% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

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Average Annual Total Returns

 

The table below compares the average annual total returns for the Fund before taxes for the past calendar year, the past five calendar years, and since inception periods to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods.

 

Average Annual Total Returns
(For the periods ended December 31, 2019)
1 Year 5 Years Since Inception (6/28/2013)(1) Since Inception (9/27/2013)(2)
Class I        
Return Before Taxes 20.95% 4.72% 4.78% N/A
Return After Taxes on Distributions* 19.19% 2.82% 2.83% N/A
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares** 12.79% 2.96% 2.97% N/A
Class A        
Return Before Taxes 14.59% 3.34% 3.64% N/A
Class D        
Return Before Taxes 19.71% 3.71% N/A 3.92%

Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

8.72% 3.05% 3.32% 3.35%

 

 

(1)

The Predecessor Fund’s Class I and Class A shares commenced operations on June 28, 2013.

(2)

The Predecessor Fund’s Class D shares commenced operations on September 27, 2013.

 

* After-tax returns were calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to those who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). After-tax returns are shown only for Class I; after-tax returns for Class A and Class D will vary, to the extent each class has different expenses.

 

** In certain cases, the figure representing "Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares" may be higher than the other return figures for the same period, since a higher after-tax return results when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and provides an assumed tax deduction that benefits the investor.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

Orinda Asset Management LLC
3390 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Suite 250, Lafayette, CA 94549

 

Portfolio Managers

Paul Gray
Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser
Co-Portfolio Manager since June 28, 2013.

 

Ian Goltra
Portfolio Manager of the Adviser
Co-Portfolio Manager since September 2016.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

Type of Account

Minimum Initial Investment

Minimum Subsequent Investment

Class I

 

 

All Accounts

$100,000

Any amount

     

Class A and Class D

 

 

All Accounts

$5,000

Any amount

 

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You can purchase and redeem shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. Shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:

Orinda Income Opportunities Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701

Purchase and Redemption By Wire:

Request routing instructions by calling the Fund’s transfer agent at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA).

 

Redemption By Telephone: If you select the option on your account application, you may call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA).

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gain rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

 

This section provides some additional information about the Fund’s investments and certain portfolio management techniques that the Fund may use. More information about the Fund’s investments and portfolio management techniques, some of which entail risks, is included in the SAI.

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to maximize current income with potential for modest growth of capital. The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company without shareholder approval. Shareholders will, however, receive 60 days’ prior notice of any changes. Any such changes may result in the Fund having investment objectives different from the objectives that the shareholder considered appropriate at the time of investment in the Fund.

 

Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies and Risks

 

The Fund will attempt to achieve its investment objective by investing in U.S. and non-U.S. securities and investment instruments including, but not limited to, equity securities, debt securities, and derivatives. The Fund’s allocation to these various security types and asset classes will vary over time in response to changing market opportunities with the goal of maximizing current income.

 

The Fund may invest without limit in equity securities of issuers of any market capitalization. The types of equity securities in which the Fund will generally invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, REITs, MLPs, rights, warrants, depositary receipts and other investment companies, including ETFs. The Fund’s equity investments may also take the form of depositary receipts including ADRs, EDRs and GDRs. The Fund generally invests in dividend paying stocks. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in IPOs. The Fund may also invest without limit in foreign securities, including up to 50% of its net assets in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. As a result of its investments in REITs, the Fund will be concentrated in the real estate industry. The Fund may invest in “Rule 144A” securities, which are privately placed, restricted securities that may only be resold under certain circumstances to other qualified institutional buyers.

 

The Fund may invest without limit in debt securities, provided that no more than 30% of its net assets are invested in debt securities rated below investment grade (known as “junk bonds”). The types of debt securities in which the Fund may invest generally include instruments and obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. corporate and other non-governmental entities, those of U.S. and non-U.S. governmental entities, mortgage-related or mortgage-backed securities (including “sub-prime” mortgages), asset-backed securities,

 

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ETNs, floating rate loans, convertible securities, inflation-linked debt securities and subordinated debt securities. The Fund invests in debt securities with a broad range of maturities. The Fund’s investments may have fixed or variable principal payments and all types of interest rate payment and reset terms, including fixed rate, adjustable rate, floating rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment in kind and auction rate features. The Fund’s investments may include instruments that allow for balloon payments or negative amortization payments.

 

The Fund may invest up to 85% of its net assets in derivatives, including options, futures (such as bond, index, interest rate and currency futures, but excluding commodities futures) and swaps (such as credit-default swaps, interest rate swaps and total return swaps). These derivative instruments may be used for investment purposes, to modify or hedge the Fund’s exposure to a particular investment market related risk, to manage the volatility of the Fund, to hedge against adverse changes in the market price of securities, interest rates or currency exchange rates and as a substitute for purchasing or selling securities.

 

The Fund may utilize leverage (by borrowing against a line of credit for investment purposes) up to one-third of the value of its assets as part of the portfolio management process. The Fund may also sell securities short with respect to 100% of its net assets and may lend its portfolio securities to generate additional income.

 

The Adviser will generally use a bottom up approach when selecting equity investments, with an emphasis on dividend yield, earnings growth and valuation. The Fund will invest in companies that the Adviser believes offer attractive yields with the potential for long-term capital appreciation. Debt securities will be evaluated using traditional fundamental analysis of the issuer to determine credit quality, combined with valuation metrics of the fixed-income security, including spread compared to relevant government securities and yield compared to fixed income securities with similar credit risk. Distressed and below investment grade securities analysis may also include likelihood of capital appreciation. Derivative securities will be evaluated based on their ability to meet the Adviser’s exposure objective for the derivative security. For example, the correlation of a derivative security to the security or basket of securities it is intended to hedge, or the annualized yield premium on a covered call intended to increase income.

 

The Fund will sell (or close a position in) a security when the Adviser determines that a particular security has achieved its investment expectations or the reasons for maintaining that position are no longer valid. It is expected that the Fund will have a portfolio turnover in excess of 100% on an annual basis. The Fund’s investment strategies may periodically result in a significant portion of its assets being invested in the securities of companies in the same sector of the market.

 

Temporary Defensive Strategy

 

When adverse market, economic, political or other conditions dictate a more defensive investment strategy, the Fund may, on a temporary basis, hold cash or invest a portion or all of its assets in money-market instruments including money market funds, obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, obligations of foreign sovereignties, other high-quality debt securities, including prime commercial paper, repurchase agreements and bank obligations, such as bankers’ acceptances and certificates of deposit. Under normal market conditions, the potential for capital appreciation on these securities will tend to be lower than the potential for capital appreciation on other securities that may be owned by the Fund. In taking such a defensive position, the Fund would temporarily not be pursuing its principal investment strategies and may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Principal Investment Risks

 

Convertible Bond Risk. Convertible bonds are hybrid securities that have characteristics of both bonds and common stocks and are therefore subject to both debt security risk and conversion value-related equity risk. Convertible bonds are similar to other fixed-income securities because they usually pay a fixed interest rate and are obligated to repay principal on a given date in the future. The market value of fixed-income securities tends to decline as interest rates increase. Convertible bonds are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates when their conversion to equity feature is small relative to the interest and principal value of the bond. Convertible issuers may not be able to make principal and interest payments on the bond as they become due. Convertible bonds may also be subject to prepayment or redemption risk. If a convertible bond held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to surrender the security for redemption and convert it into the issuing company’s common stock or cash at a time that may be unfavorable to the Fund. Convertible securities have characteristics similar to common stocks especially when their conversion value is greater than the interest and principal value of the bond. The prices of equity securities may rise or fall because of economic or political changes. Stock prices in general may decline over short or even extended periods of time. Market prices of equity securities in broad market segments may be adversely affected by a prominent issuer having experienced losses or by the lack of earnings or such an issuer’s failure to meet the market’s expectations with respect to new products or services, or even by factors wholly unrelated to the value or condition of the issuer, such as changes in interest rates. When a convertible bond’s value is more closely tied to its conversion to stock feature, it is sensitive to the underlying stock’s price.

 

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Credit Risk. The issuers of the bonds and other debt securities held by the Fund may not be able to make interest or principal payments. Even if these issuers are able to make interest or principal payments, they may suffer adverse changes in financial condition that would lower the credit quality of the security, leading to greater volatility in the price of the security.

 

Currency Risk. If the Fund invests directly in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, or in derivatives that provide exposure to foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, it will be subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged. Currency rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad.

 

Cyber Security Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Fund’s Adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountant, custodian, transfer agent and administrator), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Adviser has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

Depositary Receipt Risk. Depositary receipts may be purchased through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the depositary security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts of the deposited securities. ADRs, which are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations, are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. GDRs, which are similar to ADRs, are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets around the world. In addition, EDRs, similar to GDRs, are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by European banks that trade on exchanges outside of the bank’s home country. Investment in ADRs, GDRs and EDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile.

 

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends on, or are derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index. The Fund typically uses derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset and/or as part of a strategy designed to reduce exposure to other risks, such as interest rate or currency risk. The various derivative instruments that the Fund may use are options, futures and swaps, among others. The Fund may also use derivatives for leverage, in which case their use would involve leveraging risk. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks, such as liquidity risk, interest rate risk, market risk, credit risk and management risk. They also involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. A fund investing in a derivative instrument could lose more than the principal amount invested. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Fund will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when that would be beneficial.

 

ETF and Mutual Fund Risk. ETFs are typically open-end investment companies that are bought and sold on a national securities exchange. When the Fund invests in an ETF, it will bear additional expenses based on its pro rata share of the ETF’s operating expenses, including the potential duplication of management fees. The risk of owning an ETF generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities it holds. Many ETFs seek to replicate a specific benchmark index. However, an ETF may not fully replicate

 

9

 

 

 

the performance of its benchmark index for many reasons, including because of the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or discrepancies between the ETF and the index with respect to the weighting of securities or the number of stocks held. Some ETFs are actively-managed and do not seek to replicate or track any benchmark index. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to risk of poor investment, and the individual investments of an actively-managed ETF may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expect, and/or the actively managed ETF’s portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result. Lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in an ETF being more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities it holds. In addition, because of ETF expenses, compared to owning the underlying securities directly, it may be more costly to own an ETF. The Fund also will incur brokerage costs when it purchases ETFs.

 

If the Fund invests in shares of another mutual fund, shareholders will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the underlying mutual funds in which the Fund invests in addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses. Furthermore, investments in other mutual funds could affect the timing, amount and character of distributions to shareholders and therefore may increase the amount of taxes payable by investors in the Fund.

 

The market for an ETF’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares. An ETF’s market price may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. An active trading market for shares of the ETF may not develop or be maintained. In times of market stress, market makers or authorized participants may step away from their respective roles in making a market in shares of the ETF and in executing purchase or redemption orders, which could also lead to variances between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

Exchange-Traded Note Risk. ETNs are subject to the credit risk of the issuer. The value of an ETN will vary and will be influenced by its time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying securities, currency and commodities markets as well as changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced index. There may be restrictions on the Fund’s right to redeem its investment in an ETN, which is meant to be held until maturity. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. In addition to interest rate risk and credit risk, there is also the risk that an issuer may “call,” or repay, its high yielding bonds before their maturity dates. Fixed income securities subject to prepayment can offer less potential for gains during a declining interest rate environment and similar or greater potential for loss in a rising interest rate environment. Limited trading opportunities for certain fixed income securities may make it more difficult to sell or buy a security at a favorable price or time.

 

Foreign and Emerging Market Securities Risk. Foreign investments may carry risks associated with investing outside the United States, such as currency fluctuation, economic or financial instability, lack of timely or reliable financial information or unfavorable political or legal developments. Those risks are increased for investments in emerging markets.

 

Foreign securities include dollar-denominated foreign securities and securities purchased directly on foreign exchanges. Foreign securities may be subject to more risks than U.S. domestic investments. These additional risks may potentially include lower liquidity, greater price volatility and risks related to adverse political, regulatory, market or economic developments. Foreign companies also may be subject to significantly higher levels of taxation than U.S. companies, including potentially confiscatory levels of taxation, thereby reducing the earnings potential of such foreign companies. Because there is usually less supervision and governmental regulation of foreign exchanges, brokers and dealers than there is in the United States, the Fund may experience settlement difficulties or delays not usually encountered in the United States.

 

In addition, amounts realized on sales of foreign securities may be subject to high and potentially confiscatory levels of foreign taxation and withholding when compared to comparable transactions in U.S. securities. The Fund will generally not be eligible to pass through to shareholders any U.S. federal income tax credits or deductions with respect to foreign taxes paid unless it meets certain requirements regarding the percentage of its total assets invested in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities involve exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. Such fluctuations may reduce the value of the investment. Foreign investments are also subject to risks including potentially higher withholding and other taxes, trade settlement, custodial, and other operational risks and less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards in certain foreign markets. In addition, foreign markets can and often do perform differently from U.S. markets.

 

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Futures Risk. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in correlation with the value of the underlying instrument. Risks of futures contracts may arise from an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and the price of the underlying instrument. The Fund’s use of futures contracts (and related options) exposes the Fund to leverage risk because of the small margin requirements relative to the value of the futures contract. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionately larger impact on the funds that the Fund has deposited or will have to deposit with a broker to maintain its futures position. Leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intraday price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading. Additionally, government regulation may further reduce liquidity through similar trading restrictions. As a result, the Fund may be unable to close out its futures contracts at a time that is advantageous. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures could exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts.

 

Government Sponsored Entities Risk. Securities issued or guaranteed by government-sponsored entities may not be guaranteed or insured by the United States Government, and may only be supported by the credit of the issuing agency.

 

High-Yield Securities Risk. Fixed income securities receiving below investment grade ratings (i.e., “junk bonds”) may have speculative characteristics, and, compared to higher-grade securities, may have a weakened capacity to make principal and interest payments in economic conditions or other circumstances. High-yield, high risk, and lower-rated securities are subject to additional risk factors due to the speculative nature of these securities, such as increased possibility of default, decreased liquidity, and fluctuations in value due to public perception of the issuer of such securities. These bonds are almost always uncollateralized and subordinate to other debt that an issuer may have outstanding. In addition, both individual high-yield securities and the entire high-yield bond market can experience sharp price swings due to a variety of factors, including changes in economic forecasts, stock market activity, large sustained sales by major investors, or, a higher profile default.

 

Initial Public Offering Risk. The Fund may purchase securities of companies that are offered pursuant to an IPO. The risk exists that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Bond prices generally rise when interest rates decline and decline when interest rates rise. The longer the duration of a bond, the more a change in interest rates affects the bond’s price. Short-term and long-term interest rates may not move the same amount and may not move in the same direction. It is likely there will be less governmental action in the near future to maintain low interest rates, or that governmental actions will be less effective in maintaining low interest rates. The negative impact on fixed income securities from the resulting rate increases for that and other reasons could be swift and significant, including falling market values and reduced liquidity. Substantial redemptions from bond and other income funds may worsen that impact. Other types of securities also may be adversely affected from an increase in interest rates.

 

Large Companies Risk. The securities of large capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Large market capitalization companies may be unable to attain or maintain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

 

Leverage and Short Sales Risk. Subject to certain limitations, the Fund may use leverage in connection with its investment activities and may effect short sales of securities. These investment practices involve special risks. Leverage is the practice of borrowing money to purchase securities. If the securities decrease in value, the Fund will suffer a greater loss than would have resulted without the use of leverage. The use of leverage may further cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral segregation requirements. Additionally, money borrowed will be subject to certain costs, such as commitment fees and the cost of maintaining minimum average balances, as well as interest. Unless the income and capital appreciation, if any, on securities acquired with borrowed funds exceed the costs of borrowing, the use of leverage will diminish the investment performance of the Fund.

 

A short sale is the sale by the Fund of a security that it does not own in anticipation of purchasing the same security in the future at a lower price to close the short position. A short sale will be successful if the price of the shorted security decreases. However, if the underlying security goes up in price during the period in which the short position is outstanding, the Fund will realize a loss. The risk on a short sale is unlimited because the Fund must buy the shorted security at the higher price to complete the transaction. Therefore, short sales may be subject to greater risks than investments in long positions. With a long position, the maximum sustainable loss is limited to the amount paid for the security plus the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum attainable price of the shorted

 

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security. The Fund would also incur increased transaction costs associated with selling securities short. In addition, if the Fund sells securities short, it must maintain a segregated account with its custodian containing cash or high-grade securities equal to (i) the greater of the current market value of the securities sold short or the market value of such securities at the time they were sold short, less (ii) any collateral deposited with the Fund’s broker (not including the proceeds from the short sales). The Fund may be required to add to the segregated account as the market price of a shorted security increases. As a result of maintaining and adding to its segregated account, the Fund may maintain higher levels of cash or liquid assets (for example, U.S. Treasury bills, repurchase agreements, high quality commercial paper and long equity positions) for collateral needs thus reducing its overall managed assets available for trading purposes. In lieu of maintaining cash or high-grade securities in a segregated account to cover the Fund’s short sale obligations, the Fund may earmark cash or high-grade securities on the Fund’s records or hold offsetting positions.

 

Management Risk. The skill of the Adviser will play a significant role in the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends on the investment skill and ability of the Adviser and on its ability to correctly identify economic trends. In addition, the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends on the Adviser’s ability to select investments, particularly in volatile markets. The Adviser could be incorrect in its analysis of industries, companies’ projected dividends and growth rates and the relative attractiveness of investments.

 

Market Risk. The Fund is designed for long-term investors who can accept the risks of investing in a portfolio with significant equity holdings. Equity holdings tend to be more volatile than other investment choices such as bonds and money market instruments. The value of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate as a result of the movement of the overall stock market or of the value of the individual securities held by the Fund, and you could lose money.

 

Master Limited Partnership Risk. To the extent that an MLP’s interests are all in a particular industry, the MLP will be negatively impacted by economic events adversely impacting that industry. The risks of investing in a MLP are generally those involved in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation. For example, state law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded to investors in a MLP than investors in a corporation. For example, investors in MLPs may have limited voting rights or be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of their investment. In addition, an MLP may be taxed, contrary to its intention, as a corporation, resulting in decreased returns.

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities often involve risks that are different from or more acute than risks associated with other types of debt instruments. Generally, rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed rate mortgage-related securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, if the Fund holds mortgage-related securities, it may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as extension risk. In addition, adjustable and fixed rate mortgage-related securities are subject to prepayment risk. When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected. This can reduce the returns of the Fund because it may have to reinvest that money at the lower prevailing interest rates. The risk of default is generally higher in mortgage-related investments that include sub-prime mortgages. Sub-prime borrowers typically have weakened credit histories that include payment delinquencies, and possibly more severe problems such as charge-offs, judgments and bankruptcies. They may also display reduced repayment capacity as measured by credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, or other criteria that may encompass borrowers with incomplete credit histories. The Fund’s investments in other asset-backed securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-related securities, as well as additional risks associated with the nature of the assets and the servicing of those assets.

 

Options Risk. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund is not able to sell an option held in its portfolio, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities. Ownership of options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. To the extent that the Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may sell securities without regard to the length of time they have been held to take advantage of new investment opportunities, when the Adviser feels either the securities no longer meet its investment criteria or the potential for capital appreciation has lessened, or for other reasons. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may vary from year to year. A high portfolio turnover rate (100% or more) increases the Fund’s transaction costs (including brokerage commissions and dealer costs), which would adversely impact the Fund’s performance. Higher portfolio turnover may result in the realization of more short-term capital gains than if the Fund had lower portfolio turnover. The turnover rate will not be a limiting factor, however, if the Adviser considers portfolio changes appropriate.

 

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Preferred Stock Risk. The value of preferred stocks may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company or to factors affecting a particular industry or industries. Preferred stocks may be more volatile than fixed income securities and are more correlated with the issuer’s underlying common stock than fixed income securities. While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, the Fund may purchase preferred stock where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividend.

 

Real Estate and REIT Concentration Risk. The value and performance of REITs depends on how well the property owned by the REIT is managed. A REIT’s performance also depends on that company’s ability to finance property purchases and renovations and manage its cash flows. Since the Fund will concentrate its portfolio in REITs and other commercial real estate-oriented companies, the Fund’s performance will be exposed to the same risks that are associated with the direct ownership of real estate. Some of the risks involved in the real estate market include a general decline in the value of real estate, fluctuations in rental income, changes in interest rates, increases in property taxes, increased operating costs, overbuilding, changes in zoning laws, and changes in consumer demand for real estate. In recent years, the real estate industry has been subject to substantial declines in value.

 

Rule 144A Securities Risk. The market for Rule 144A securities typically is less active than the market for publicly-traded securities. Rule 144A securities carry the risk that the trading market may not continue and the Fund might be unable to dispose of these securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemption requirements.

 

Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies in the same sector of the market, the Fund is more susceptible to economic, political, regulatory and other occurrences influencing those sectors.

 

Small and Medium Companies Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization companies may involve greater volatility than investing in larger and more established companies because small and medium capitalization companies can be subject to more abrupt or erratic share price changes than larger, more established companies. Small and medium capitalization companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and their management may be dependent on a limited number of key individuals. Securities of those companies may have limited market liquidity and their prices may be more volatile.

 

Swaps Risk. In a swap transaction, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the return, based upon an agreed-upon notional value, of a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference (such as an index) during a specified period of time. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference based upon an agreed-upon notional value. Swaps could result in losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. The value of swaps, like many other derivatives, may move in unexpected ways and may result in losses for the Fund. Such transactions can have the potential for unlimited losses. Such risk is heightened in the case of swap transactions involving short exposures. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in the underlying asset, because swaps may be leveraged (creating leverage risk in that the Fund’s exposure and potential losses are greater than the amount invested) and are subject to counterparty risk (the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or be able to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument), hedging risk (the risk that a hedging strategy may not eliminate the risk that it is intended to offset), pricing risk (swaps may be difficult to value) and liquidity risk (it may not be possible to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price), each of which may result in significant and unanticipated losses to the Fund.

 

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

Currently, disclosure of the Fund’s holdings is required to be made quarterly within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter in the annual report and semi-annual report to Fund shareholders and in the quarterly holdings report on Form N-Q. The annual and semi-annual reports are available by contacting the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701, or calling 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA), on the Fund’s website at www.orindafunds.com, and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. A further description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s SAI.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Investment Adviser

 

Orinda Asset Management LLC provides investment management and investment advisory services to investment companies and other pooled investment vehicles.

 

Subject to the general supervision of the Board, the Adviser manages the Fund’s portfolio and is responsible for the selection and management of all portfolio investments of the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies.

 

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The Adviser is located at 3390 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Suite 250, Lafayette, California 94549. The Adviser is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm formed in 2010. As of September 30, 2019, the Adviser had approximately $292 million in assets under management.

 

For its services to the Fund, the Adviser is entitled to receive a monthly advisory fee under the advisory agreement computed at an annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. For the fiscal year end August 31, 2019, the Adviser received a management fee of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Until February 28, 2021, the Adviser has agreed to waive its fees to the extent necessary to maintain annualized expense ratios for the Class I, Class A and Class D shares of average daily net assets of 1.40%, 1.70%, and 2.40%, respectively (excluding certain items discussed below). In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause the Fund’s net annualized expense ratio to exceed the applicable expense limitation: acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will continue such waiver for the Fund after February 28, 2021.

 

If at any time the Fund’s total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.40%, 1.70%, and 2.40%, for the Fund’s Class I, Class A and Class D Shares, respectively, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the forgone advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s advisory agreement with the Adviser is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders dated August 31, 2019.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Paul Gray and Ian Goltra serve as co-portfolio managers for the Fund.

 

Paul Gray brings over 25 years of investment experience to the Adviser. He is responsible for the Adviser’s research, investment strategy, investment process, and overall portfolio management of the real estate and income products. From June 2009 through February 2013, Mr. Gray served as a portfolio manager at Forward Management LLC managing three private hedge funds. From 1994 to June 2009, Mr. Gray served as a portfolio manager and acted as co-chief investment officer for Kensington Investment Group, Inc., where he directed the firm’s research and co-directed the investment strategy for the firm.

 

Ian Goltra is jointly responsible for the Fund’s investment research, investment strategy, investment process and overall investment management of the Fund. From March 2010 to July 2016, Mr. Goltra served as a portfolio manager at Salient Partners (formerly, Forward Management LLC) after joining the company as a Senior Analyst in June 2009. Mr. Goltra served as Lead Portfolio Manager to the Salient Tactical Real Estate Fund (previously the “Forward Real Estate Long/Short Fund”) and co-led the portfolio management team of the Salient Real Estate Fund (previously the “Forward Real Estate Fund”), later serving as its Lead Manager.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of shares in the Fund.

 

Marketing Arrangements

 

The Adviser or its affiliates may pay additional compensation, out of profits derived from the Adviser’s management fee and not as an additional charge to the Fund, to certain financial institutions (which may include banks, securities dealers and other industry professionals) for the sale and/or distribution of Fund shares or the retention and/or servicing of Fund investors and Fund shares (“revenue sharing”). These payments are in addition to any distribution or servicing fees payable under a 12b-1 distribution and/or service plan of the Fund, any record keeping or sub-transfer agency fees payable by the Fund, or other fees described in the fee table or elsewhere in this Prospectus or the SAI. Examples of “revenue sharing” payments include, but are not limited to, payments to financial institutions for “shelf space” or access to a third party platform or fund offering list or other marketing programs, including, but not limited to, inclusion of the Fund on preferred or recommended sales lists, mutual fund “supermarket” platforms and other formal sales programs; granting the Adviser access to the financial institution’s sales force; conferences and meetings; assistance in training and educating the financial institution’s personnel; and obtaining other forms of marketing support. The level of revenue sharing payments made to financial institutions may be a fixed fee or based upon one or more of the following factors: gross sales, current assets and/or number of accounts of the Fund attributable to the financial institution, or other factors as agreed to by the Adviser and the financial institution or any combination thereof. The amount of these revenue sharing payments is determined at the discretion of the Adviser from time to time, may be substantial, and may be different for different financial institutions depending upon the services provided by the financial institution. Such payments may provide an incentive for the financial institution to make shares of the Fund available to its customers and may allow the Fund greater access to the financial institution’s customers.

 

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Other Service Providers. The following chart shows the Fund’s service providers and includes their addresses and principal activities.

 

   

Shareholding Information

 
             

Distribution
and
Shareholder
Services

Principal Underwriter

 

Quasar Distributors, LLC
777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Floor 6
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

 

Facilitates the distribution of shares and provides administrative services to beneficial shareholders of each Fund.

   

Transfer Agent and Dividend
Disbursing Agent

 

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services*
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

 

Handles shareholder services, including recordkeeping and statements, distribution of dividends and processing of buy, sell and exchange requests.

 

*Do not use this address for purchase and redemptions. Please see “Purchase of Fund Shares” and “Redemption of Fund Shares” sections for further instructions.

   
         

Asset
Management

Investment Adviser

 

Orinda Asset Management LLC
3390 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Suite 250
Lafayette, California 94549

 

Manages the Fund’s investment activities.

   

Custodian

 

U.S. Bank National Association
Custody Operations
1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

 

Holds the Fund’s assets, settles all portfolio trades and collects income and maturity proceeds.

   
         

Fund
Operations

Administrator and Fund Accounting Agent

 

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

 

Provides facilities, equipment and personnel to carry out administrative services related to the Fund and calculates the Fund’s net asset value, dividends and distributions.

     
         
   

Board of Directors

 

Supervises the Fund’s activities

 

 

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SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

Pricing of Fund Shares

 

Class I, Class A and Class D shares of the Fund (“Shares”) are priced at their net asset value (“NAV”). The NAV per share of the Fund is calculated as follows:

 

 

Value of Assets Attributable to a Class

NAV =

- Value of Liabilities Attributes to the same Class

 

Number of Outstanding shares of the Class

 

The Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. The NYSE is generally open Monday through Friday, except national holidays. Due to the fact that different expenses are charged to the Class I shares, Class A shares, and Class D shares of the Fund, the NAV of the three classes of the Fund may vary. The Fund will effect purchases and redemptions of Shares at the NAV next calculated after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your purchase order or redemption request in good order (as described below). If the Fund holds securities that are primarily listed on non-U.S. exchanges, the NAV of the Shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Shares.

 

The Fund’s equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange market system will be valued at the last sale price, except for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (“NASDAQ”). Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ will be valued at the official closing price. Equity securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at their closing prices. If there were no transactions on that day, equity securities will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. Fixed income securities are valued using an independent pricing service, which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings, and are deemed representative of market value at the close of the market. When prices are not available from such services or are deemed to be unreliable, securities may be valued by dealers who make markets in such securities. Foreign securities, currencies and other securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of such currencies against the U.S. dollar provided by a pricing service. All assets denominated in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the time of valuation. If the Fund holds foreign equity securities, the calculation of the Fund’s NAV will not occur at the same time as the determination of the value of the foreign equities securities in the Fund’s portfolio, since these securities are traded on foreign exchanges.

 

Investments in other open-end investment companies are valued based on the NAV of those investment companies (which may use fair value pricing as discussed in their prospectuses). Investments in ETFs, REITs and closed-end investment companies will be valued at their market price.

 

If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Fund’s administrator, in consultation with the Adviser, securities will be valued by the Adviser in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board’s ultimate supervision. In addition, the prices of foreign securities may be affected by events that occur after the close of a foreign market but before the Fund prices its Shares. In such instances, a foreign security may be fair valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. Relying on prices supplied by pricing services or dealers or using fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by the Fund to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other investment companies and investors to price the same investments.

 

Market Timing

 

In accordance with the policy adopted by its Board, the Company discourages and does not accommodate market timing and other excessive trading practices. Purchases should be made with a view to longer-term investment only. Excessive short-term (market timing) trading practices may disrupt portfolio management strategies, increase brokerage and administrative costs, harm Fund performance and result in dilution in the value of Shares held by long-term shareholders. The Company and the Adviser reserve the right to (i) reject a purchase or exchange order, (ii) delay payment of immediate cash redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days, (iii) revoke a shareholder’s privilege to purchase Shares (including exchanges), or (iv) limit the amount of any exchange involving the purchase of Shares. An investor may receive notice that their purchase order or exchange has been rejected after the day the order is placed or after acceptance by a financial intermediary. It is currently expected that a shareholder would receive notice that its purchase order or exchange has been rejected within 48 hours after such purchase order or exchange has been received by the Company in good order. The Company and the Adviser will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected purchase orders. To minimize harm to the Company and its shareholders (or the Adviser), the Company (or the Adviser) will exercise its right if, in the Company’s (or the Adviser’s) judgment, an investor has a history of excessive trading or if an investor’s trading, in the judgment

 

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of the Company (or the Adviser), has been or may be disruptive to the Fund. No waivers of the provisions of the policy established to detect and deter market timing and other excessive trading activity are permitted that would harm the Fund and its shareholders or would subordinate the interests of the Fund and its shareholders to those of the Adviser or any affiliated person or associated person of the Adviser.

 

Pursuant to the policy adopted by the Board, the Adviser has developed criteria that it uses to identify trading activity that may be excessive. If, in its judgment, the Adviser detects excessive, short-term trading, the Adviser may reject or restrict a purchase request and may further seek to close an investor’s account with the Fund.

 

If necessary, the Company may prohibit additional purchases of Shares by a financial intermediary or by certain customers of the financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries may also monitor their customers’ trading activities in the Fund. The criteria used by intermediaries to monitor for excessive trading may differ from the criteria used by the Company. If a financial intermediary fails to enforce the Company’s excessive trading policies, the Company may take certain actions, including terminating the relationship.

 

There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to identify market timers, particularly if they are investing through intermediaries.

 

Purchase of Fund Shares

 

Shares representing interests in the Fund are offered continuously for sale by Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”). Shares of the Fund are available for purchase by investors who meet the investment minimums described below under “General.”

 

The Board has approved a Distribution Agreement and adopted Plans of Distribution for Class A and Class D shares (the “Plans”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Under the Plans, the Distributor is entitled to receive from the Fund a distribution fee with respect to Class A and Class D Shares of the Fund, which is accrued daily and paid monthly, of up to 0.25% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares, and of up to 1.00% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets of the Class D Shares. The actual amount of such compensation under the Plans is agreed upon by the Board and by the Distributor. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment in Class A Shares and Class D Shares and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Amounts paid to the Distributor under the Plans may be used by the Distributor to cover expenses that are related to (i) the sale of Class A Shares and Class D Shares, (ii) ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of Class A and Class D shareholders, and (iii) sub-transfer agency services, sub-accounting services or administrative services related to the sale of Class A Shares and Class D Shares, all as set forth in the Plans. Under the Plan, for Class D Shares, 0.75% of the fee may be used for marketing and distribution expenses and the remaining 0.25% may be used for shareholder servicing expenses. Ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of Class A and Class D shareholders may include updating and mailing prospectuses and shareholder reports, responding to inquiries regarding shareholder accounts and acting as agent or intermediary between shareholders and the Fund or its service providers. The Distributor may delegate some or all of these functions to Service Organizations. See “Purchases Through Intermediaries” below.

 

The Plans obligate the Fund, during the period it is in effect, to accrue and pay to the Distributor on behalf of the Class A Shares and Class D Shares the fee agreed to under the Distribution Agreement. Payments under the Plans are not tied exclusively to expenses actually incurred by the Distributor, and the payments may exceed distribution expenses actually incurred.

 

Purchases Through Intermediaries. Shares of the Fund may also be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Certain features of the Shares, such as the initial and subsequent investment minimum and certain trading restrictions, may be modified or waived by Service Organizations. Service Organizations may impose transaction or administrative charges or other direct fees, which charges and fees would not be imposed if Shares are purchased directly from the Company. Therefore, you should contact the Service Organization acting on your behalf concerning the fees (if any) charged in connection with a purchase or redemption of Shares and should read this Prospectus in light of the terms governing your accounts with the Service Organization. Appendix A of this Prospectus provides more information about the special sales charge arrangements through Service organizations, and the circumstances in which sales charges may be reduced or waived for certain investors and certain types of purchases or redemptions. Service Organizations will be responsible for promptly transmitting client or customer purchase and redemption orders to the Company in accordance with their agreements with the Company or its agent and with clients or customers. Service Organizations or, if applicable, their designees that have entered into agreements with the Company or its agent may enter confirmed purchase orders on behalf of clients and customers, with payment to follow no later than the Company’s pricing on the following business day. If payment is not received by such time, the Service Organization could be held liable for resulting fees or losses. The Company will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when a Service Organization, or, if applicable, its authorized designee, accepts a purchase or redemption order

 

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in good order if the order is actually received by the Company in good order not later than the next business morning. If a purchase order is not received by the Fund in good order, the Transfer Agent will contact the financial intermediary to determine the status of the purchase order. Orders received by the Company in good order will be priced at the Fund’s NAV, plus any applicable sales charge, next computed after they are deemed to have been received by the Service Organization or its authorized designee.

 

For administration, sub-accounting, transfer agency and/or other services, the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Service Organizations and certain recordkeeping organizations a fee (the “Service Fee”) relating to the average annual NAV of accounts with the Company maintained by such Service Organizations or recordkeepers. The Service Fee payable to any one Service Organization is determined based upon a number of factors, including the nature and quality of services provided, the operations processing requirements of the relationship and the standardized fee schedule of the Service Organization or recordkeeper.

 

In addition to fees that the Fund may pay to a Service Organization pursuant to the Plans, the Fund may enter into agreements with Service Organizations pursuant to which the Fund will pay a Service Organization for networking, sub-transfer agency, sub-administration and/or sub-accounting services. These payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by the Service Organization or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by the Service Organization. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial.

 

Class I Shares may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Company to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Class I Shares through one of these programs, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker.

 

General. You may also purchase Shares of the Fund at the NAV per share next calculated, plus any applicable sales charge, after your order is received by the Transfer Agent in good order as described below. The Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. After an initial purchase is made, the Transfer Agent will set up an account for you on the Company records. The minimum initial investment in Class I Shares of the Fund is $100,000 and there is no minimum subsequent investment amount. The minimum initial investment in Class A and Class D Shares of the Fund is $5,000 and there is no minimum subsequent investment amount. The minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements may be reduced or waived from time to time. For purposes of meeting the minimum initial purchase, purchases by clients that are part of endowments, foundations or other related groups may be combined. You can purchase Shares of the Fund only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described below. Shares may be purchased by principals and employees of the Adviser and its subsidiaries and by their spouses and children either directly or through any trust that has the principal, employee, spouse or child as the primary beneficiaries, their individual retirement accounts, or any pension and profit-sharing plan of the Adviser and its subsidiaries without being subject to the minimum investment limitations.

 

Initial Investment By Mail. Subject to acceptance by the Fund, an account may be opened by completing and signing an account application and mailing it to the Transfer Agent at the address noted below, together with a check payable to the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund.

 

Regular Mail:

Orinda Income Opportunities Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701

Overnight Mail:

Orinda Income Opportunities Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

 

The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the transfer agent of the Fund. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

All checks must be in U.S. Dollars drawn on a domestic bank. The Fund will not accept payment in cash or money orders. The Fund does not accept post- dated checks or any conditional order or payment. To prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares.

 

Shares will be purchased at the NAV next computed, plus any applicable sales charge, after the time the application and funds are received in proper order and accepted by the Fund. The Transfer Agent will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Fund, for any payment that is returned. It is the policy of the Fund not to accept applications under certain circumstances or in amounts considered disadvantageous to shareholders. The Fund reserves the right to reject any application.

 

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Initial Investment By Wire. If you are making your first investment in the Fund, before you wire funds, the Transfer Agent must have a completed account application. You may mail or overnight deliver your account application to the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of your completed account application, the Transfer Agent will establish an account for you. The account number assigned will be required as part of the instruction that should be provided to your bank to send the wire. Your bank must include both the name of the Fund you are purchasing, the account number, and your name so that monies can be correctly applied. Your bank should transmit funds by wire to:

 

U.S. Bank, N.A.
777 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53202
ABA #075000022
Credit:
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
Account #112-952-137
Further Credit:
Orinda Income Opportunities Fund
(shareholder registration)
(shareholder account number)

 

Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to be eligible for same day pricing. The Fund and U.S. Bank, N.A. are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions.

 

For Subsequent Investments By Wire. Before sending your wire, please contact the Transfer Agent to advise them of your intent to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit upon receipt of your wire.

 

Additional Investments. Additional investments may be made at any time (for any amount) by purchasing Shares at the NAV, plus any applicable sales charge, of the Fund by mailing a check to the Transfer Agent at the address noted under “Initial Investment by Mail” (payable to Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) or by wiring monies as outlined under “Initial Investment by Wire.” Notification must be given to the Transfer Agent at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA) prior to 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the wire date. Initial and additional purchases made by check or electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) network cannot be redeemed until payment of the purchase has been collected. This may take up to 15 calendar days from the date of purchase.

 

Investors may purchase additional shares of the Fund by calling 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA). If you accepted this option on your account application, and your account has been open for at least 7 business days, telephone orders will be accepted via electronic funds transfer from your bank account through the ACH network. You must have banking information established on your account prior to making a purchase. If your order is received prior to 4 p.m. Eastern time, your shares will be purchased at the net asset value, plus any applicable sales charge, calculated on the day your order is placed.

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

Automatic Investment Plan. Once your account has been opened with the initial minimum investment, you may make additional purchases at regular intervals through an automatic investment plan (the “Automatic Investment Plan”). The Automatic Investment Plan provides a convenient method to have monies deducted from your bank account, for investment into the Fund, on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis. In order to participate in the Automatic Investment Plan, each purchase must be in the amount of $100 or more, and your financial institution must be a member of the ACH network. If your bank rejects your payment, the Fund’s transfer agent will charge a $25 fee to your account. To begin participating in the Automatic Investment Plan, please complete the Automatic Investment Plan section on the account application or call the Fund’s transfer agent at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA) for instructions. Any request to change or terminate your Automatic Investment Plan should be submitted to the Transfer Agent five (5) days prior to effective date.

 

Retirement Plans.

 

The Fund offers prototype documents for a variety of retirement accounts for individuals and small businesses. Please call 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA) for information on:

 

 

Individual Retirement Plan, including Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs

 

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Small Business Retirement Plans, including Simple IRAs and SEP IRAs

 

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts

 

There may be special distribution requirements for a retirement account, such as required distributions or mandatory Federal income tax withholding. For more information, call the number listed above. You may be charged a $15 annual account maintenance fee for each retirement account up to a maximum of $30 annually and a $25 fee for transferring assets to another custodian or for closing a retirement account.

 

Purchases in Kind. In certain circumstances, Shares of the Fund may be purchased “in kind” (i.e. in exchange for securities, rather than cash). The securities rendered in connection with an in-kind purchase must be liquid securities that are not restricted as to transfer and have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Company’s valuation procedures. Securities accepted by the Fund will be valued, as set forth in this Prospectus, as of the time of the next determination of NAV after such acceptance. Fund Shares that are issued to the investor in exchange for the securities will be determined as of the same time. All dividend, subscription, or other rights that are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at the time of valuation become the property of the Fund and must be delivered to the Fund by the investor upon receipt from the issuer. The Fund will not accept securities in exchange for its Shares unless such securities are, at the time of the exchange, eligible to be held by the Fund and satisfy such other conditions as may be imposed by the Adviser or the Company. Purchases in-kind may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on the securities transferred to the Fund.

 

Other Purchase Information. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of Shares or to reject purchase orders when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interests of the Fund. Subject to the Board’s discretion, the Adviser will monitor the Fund’s total assets and may decide to close the Fund at any time to new investments or to new accounts due to concerns that a significant increase in the size of the Fund may adversely affect the implementation of the Fund’s strategy. Subject to the Board’s discretion, the Adviser may also choose to reopen a closed Fund to new investments at any time, and may subsequently close the Fund again should concerns regarding the Fund’s size recur. If the Fund closes to new investments, generally the closed Fund would be offered only to certain existing shareholders of the Fund and certain other persons, who are generally subject to cumulative, maximum purchase amounts, as follows:

 

a.

Fee-based advisory model programs or financial advisors who manage fee-based wrap accounts that systematically trade in and out of the closed Fund based on model portfolio allocations;

 

b.

Persons who already hold Shares of the closed Fund directly or through accounts maintained by brokers by arrangement with the Company;

 

c.

Existing and future clients of registered investment advisers and planners whose clients already hold Shares of the closed Fund on transaction fee and non-transaction fee platforms;

 

d.

Existing and future clients of consultants whose clients already hold shares of the closed Fund;

 

e.

Certain financial intermediaries by arrangement with the Company;

 

f.

Employees of the Adviser and their spouses, parents and children;

 

g.

Directors of the Company; and

 

h.

Defined contribution retirement plans of private employers and governed by ERISA or of state and local governments.

 

Distributions to all shareholders of the closed Fund will continue to be reinvested unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Adviser, subject to the Board’s discretion, reserves the right to implement other purchase limitations at the time of closing, including limitations on current shareholders.

 

Purchases of the Shares will be made in full and fractional shares of the Fund calculated to three decimal places.

 

The Adviser is authorized to waive the minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements.

 

Certificates for Shares will not be issued.

 

Good Order. A purchase request is considered to be in good order when the purchase request includes the name of the Fund, the dollar amount of shares to be purchased, your account application or investment stub, and a check payable to the Fund. Purchase requests not in good order may be rejected.

 

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Customer Identification Program. In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, please note that the Transfer Agent will verify certain information on your account application as part of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. As requested on the account application, you must supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. If you are opening the account in the name of a legal entity (e.g., partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, etc.), you must also supply the identity of the beneficial owners. Mailing addresses containing only a P.O. Box will not be accepted. Applications without the required information, or without any indication that a social security or taxpayer identification number has been applied for, may not be accepted. After acceptance, to the extent permitted by applicable law or its customer identification program, the Company reserves the right (a) to place limits on transactions in any account until the identity of the investor is verified; or (b) to refuse an investment in a Company portfolio or to involuntarily redeem an investor’s Shares and close an account in the event that an investor’s identity is not verified. The Company and its agents will not be responsible for any loss in an investor’s account resulting from the investor’s delay in providing all required identifying information or from closing an account and redeeming an investor’s Shares when an investor’s identity cannot be verified.

 

Redemption of Fund Shares

 

Normally, your investment professional will send your request to redeem Shares to the Transfer Agent. Consult your investment professional for more information. You can redeem some or all of your Fund Shares directly through the Fund only if the account is registered in your name.

 

You may redeem Shares of the Fund at the next NAV calculated after a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. The Fund’s NAVs are calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. You can redeem Shares only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described below.

 

You may redeem Shares of the Fund by mail, or, if you are authorized, by telephone. The value of Shares redeemed may be more or less than the purchase price, depending on the market value of the investment securities held by the Fund. There is generally no charge for a redemption.

 

Redemption By Mail. Your redemption requests should be addressed to Orinda Income Opportunities Fund, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701; for overnight delivery, requests should be addressed to Orinda Income Opportunities Fund, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

 

The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the transfer agent of the Fund. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

Signature guarantees will generally be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program and the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”). A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor.

 

A signature guarantee, from either a Medallion program member or a non-Medallion program member, is required in the following situations:

 

 

If ownership is being changed on your account;

 

When redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account not on record;

 

When a redemption is received by the Transfer Agent and the account address has changed within the last 15 calendar days;

 

For all redemptions in excess of $100,000 from any shareholder account.

 

In addition to the situations described above, the Fund and/or the Transfer Agent reserve the right to require a signature guarantee in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.

 

Non financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services on an account, may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source.

 

21

 

 

 

Redemption By Telephone. In order to utilize the telephone redemption option, you must indicate that option on your Account Application. You may then initiate a redemption of Shares in the amount of up to $100,000 by calling the Transfer Agent at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA).

 

Investors may have a check sent to the address of record, proceeds may be wired to a shareholder’s bank account of record, or funds may be sent via electronic funds transfer through the ACH network, also to the bank account of record. Wires are subject to a $15 fee paid by the investor, but the investor does not incur any charge when proceeds are sent via the ACH system.

 

Once a telephone transaction has been placed, it cannot be canceled or modified after the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

Before executing an instruction received by telephone, the Transfer Agent will use reasonable procedures to confirm that the telephone instructions are genuine. The telephone call may be recorded and the caller may be asked to verify certain personal identification information. If the Fund or its agents follow these procedures, they cannot be held liable for any loss, expense or cost arising out of any telephone redemption request that is reasonably believed to be genuine. This includes fraudulent or unauthorized requests. If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, the Fund will accept telephone instructions from any one owner or authorized person.

 

IRA and Other Retirement Plan Redemptions. If you have an IRA, you must indicate on your written redemption request whether or not to withhold federal income tax. Redemption requests failing to indicate an election to have tax withheld will be subject to 10% withholding.

 

Shares held in IRA accounts may be redeemed by telephone at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA). Investors will be asked whether or not to withhold taxes from any distribution.

 

Involuntary Redemption. The Fund reserves the right to redeem a shareholder’s account in the Fund at any time the value of the account in the Fund falls below $2,000 as the result of a redemption or an exchange request. Shareholders will be notified in writing that the value of their account in the Fund is less than $2,000 and will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed.

 

The Fund may assert the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Other Redemption Information. Redemption proceeds for Shares of the Fund recently purchased by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network may not be distributed until payment for the purchase has been collected, which may take up to fifteen calendar days from the purchase date. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option.

 

Other than as described above, payment of the redemption proceeds will be made within seven days after receipt of an order for a redemption. The Company may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date at times when the NYSE is closed or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC. The Fund typically expects to meet redemption requests by paying out proceeds from cash or cash equivalent portfolio holdings, or by selling portfolio securities. In stressed market conditions, redemption methods may include redeeming in kind.

 

If the Board determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of the Fund to make payment wholly or partly in cash, redemption proceeds may be paid in whole or in part by an in-kind distribution of readily marketable securities held by the Fund instead of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC and the Company’s Policy and Procedures Related to the Processing of In-Kind Redemptions. Investors generally will incur brokerage charges on the sale of portfolio securities so received in payment of redemptions. If a shareholder receives redemption proceeds in-kind, the shareholder will bear the market risk of the securities received in the redemption until their disposition and should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, so that the Fund is obligated to redeem its Shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund.

 

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Systematic Withdrawal Plan

 

As another convenience, you may redeem your Fund shares through the Systematic Withdrawal Plan (“SWP”). Under the SWP, shareholders or their financial intermediaries may request that a payment drawn in a predetermined amount be sent to them on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. In order to participate in the SWP, your account balance must be at least $20,000 and each withdrawal amount must be for a minimum of $100. If you elect this method of redemption, the Fund will send a check directly to your address of record or will send the payment directly to your bank account via electronic funds transfer through the ACH network. For payment through the ACH network, your bank must be an ACH member and your bank account information must be previously established on your account. The SWP may be terminated at any time by the Fund. You may also elect to terminate your participation in the SWP by communicating in writing or by telephone to the Transfer Agent no later than five days before the next scheduled withdrawal at:

 

Regular Mail

Orinda Income Opportunities Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701

Overnight Express Mail

Orinda Income Opportunities Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

 

A withdrawal under the SWP involves a redemption of shares and may result in a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. In addition, if the amount requested to be withdrawn exceeds the amount available in your account, which includes any dividends credited to your account, the account will ultimately be depleted. To establish a SWP, an investor must complete the appropriate sections of the account application. For additional information on the SWP, please call the Transfer Agent at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA).

 

If shares of the Fund are held in a “street name” account with a financial intermediary, all recordkeeping, transaction processing and payments of distributions relating to the beneficial owner’s account will be performed by the intermediary, and not by the Fund or its Transfer Agent. Since the Fund will have no record of the beneficial owner’s transactions, a beneficial owner should contact the financial intermediary to purchase, redeem or exchange shares, to make changes in or give instructions concerning the account or to obtain information about the account.

 

Good Order. A redemption request is considered to be in good order when the redemption request includes the name of the Fund, the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, the account number, and signatures by all of the shareholders whose names appear on the account registration with a signature guarantee, if applicable. Please see “Redemption of Fund Shares” for instructions. Redemption requests not in good order may be delayed.

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

The Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders. All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional Shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects otherwise.

 

The Fund will declare and pay dividends from net investment income quarterly. Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed by the Fund at least annually. The estimated amount of any annual distribution will be posted to the Adviser’s website at www.orindafunds.com, or a free copy may be obtained by calling 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA).

 

The Fund may pay additional distributions and dividends at other times if necessary for the Fund to avoid U.S. federal tax. The Fund’s distributions and dividends, whether received in cash or reinvested in additional Fund Shares, are subject to U.S. federal income tax.

 

All distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares unless you elect to receive cash. If you elect to receive distributions and/or capital gains paid in cash, and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account, at the Fund’s current NAV, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions. You may change the distribution option on your account at any time by telephone or in writing. You should notify the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next distribution.

 

Taxes

 

The following is a summary of certain United States tax considerations relevant under current law, which may be subject to change in the future. Except where otherwise indicated, the discussion relates to investors who are individual United States citizens or residents. You should consult your tax adviser for further information regarding federal, state, local and/or foreign tax consequences relevant to your specific situation.

 

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Federal Taxes of Distributions. The Fund contemplates distributing as dividends each year all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). Except as otherwise discussed below, you will be subject to federal income tax on Fund distributions regardless of whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Fund distributions attributable to short-term capital gains and net investment income will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income, except as discussed below.

 

Distributions attributable to the net capital gain of the Fund will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. The maximum long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals, estates, and trusts is currently 23.8% (which includes a 3.8% Medicare tax). You will be notified annually of the tax status of distributions to you.

 

Distributions of “qualifying dividends” will also generally be taxable to you at long-term capital gain rates, as long as certain requirements are met. In general, if 95% or more of the gross income of the Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of dividends received from domestic corporations or “qualified” foreign corporations (“qualifying dividends”), then all distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be taxed at long-term capital gains rates. But if less than 95% of the gross income of the Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of qualifying dividends, then distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be qualifying dividends only to the extent they are derived from qualifying dividends earned by the Fund. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date (and the Fund will need to have met a similar holding period requirement with respect to the shares of the corporation paying the qualifying dividend).The amount of the Fund’s distributions that qualify for this favorable treatment may be reduced as a result of the Fund’s securities lending activities (if any), a high portfolio turnover rate or investments in debt securities or non-qualified foreign corporations.

 

The Fund may make distributions to you of “section 199A dividends” with respect to qualified dividends that it receives with respect to the Fund’s investments in REITs. A section 199A dividend is any dividend or part of such dividend that the Fund pays to you and reports as a section 199A dividend in written statements furnished to you. Distributions paid by the Fund that are eligible to be treated as section 199A dividends for a taxable year may not exceed the “qualified REIT dividends” received by the Fund from a REIT reduced by the Fund’s allocable expenses. Section 199A dividends may be taxed to individuals and other non-corporate shareholders at a reduced effective federal income tax rate, provided you have satisfied a holding period requirement for the Fund’s shares and satisfied certain other conditions. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your Fund shares for at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date, but only to the extent that you are not under an obligation (under a short-sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property.

 

Distributions from the Fund will generally be taxable to you in the taxable year in which they are paid, with one exception. Distributions declared by the Fund in October, November or December and paid in January of the following year are taxed as though they were paid on December 31.

 

The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding or other foreign taxes on income or gain from certain foreign securities. If more than 50% of the value of the total assets of the Fund consists of stocks and securities (including debt securities) of foreign corporations at the close of a taxable year, the Fund may elect, for federal income tax purposes, to treat certain foreign taxes paid by it, including generally any withholding and other foreign income taxes, as paid by its shareholders. If the Fund makes this election, the amount of those foreign taxes paid by the Fund will be included in its shareholders’ income pro rata (in addition to taxable distributions actually received by them), and each such shareholder will be entitled either (1) to credit that proportionate amount of taxes against U.S. federal income tax liability as a foreign tax credit or (2) to take that amount as an itemized deduction. If the Fund is not eligible or chooses not to make this election, the Fund will be entitled to deduct any such foreign taxes in computing the amounts it is required to distribute.

 

A portion of distributions paid by the Fund to shareholders that are corporations may also qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, subject to certain holding period requirements and debt financing limitations. Only the portions of Fund dividends that are attributable to dividends the Fund receives from U.S. companies may qualify for this dividends-received deduction. The amount of the dividends qualifying for this deduction may, however, be reduced as a result of the Fund’s securities lending activities (if any), by a high portfolio turnover rate or by investments in debt securities or foreign corporations.

 

If you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price will reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution, but you will be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of capital. This adverse tax result is known as “buying into a dividend.”

 

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Sales of Shares. You will generally recognize taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on a sale or redemption of your shares based on the difference between your tax basis in the shares and the amount you receive for them. Generally, you will recognize long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for over twelve months at the time you dispose of them.

 

Any loss realized on shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends that were received on the shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a disposition of shares of the Fund may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the Fund within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in shares of the Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired.

 

The Fund (or relevant broker or financial adviser) is required to compute and report to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information when such shares are sold. The Fund has elected to use the average cost method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different IRS-accepted cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale. If your account is held by your broker or other financial adviser, they may select a different cost basis method. In these cases, please contact your broker or other financial adviser to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal and state income tax returns. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

 

IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans. The one major exception to the preceding tax principles is that distributions on, and sales and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-qualified plan) will not be currently taxable unless such shares were acquired with borrowed funds.

 

Backup Withholding. The Fund may be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the IRS a percentage of taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale payable to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, or who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so or that they are “exempt recipients.” The current backup withholding rate is 24%.

 

U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders. Generally, nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign investors are subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividends paid by a U.S. corporation, although the rate may be reduced for an investor that is a qualified resident of a foreign country with an applicable tax treaty with the United States. In the case of a regulated investment company such as the Fund, however, certain categories of dividends are exempt from the 30% withholding tax. These generally include dividends attributable to the Fund’s net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), dividends attributable to the Fund’s interest income from U.S. obligors and dividends attributable to net short-term capital gains of the Fund.

 

Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale or redemption of shares in the Fund, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from the Fund.

 

In contrast, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in the Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor’s income from the Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.

 

The Fund will also generally be required to withhold 30% tax on certain payments to foreign entities that do not provide a Form W-8BEN-E that evidences their compliance with, or exemption from, specified information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

 

All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in the Fund.

 

Shares of the Fund have not been registered for sale outside of the United States and certain U.S. territories.

 

State and Local Taxes. You may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain from Fund shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of the Fund’s distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality.

 

More information about taxes is contained in the SAI.

 

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DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES

 

Description of Classes

 

The Company has adopted a multiple class plan that allows the Fund to offer one or more classes of shares. The Fund has registered three classes of shares – Class I, Class A, and Class D. This Prospectus offers Class I shares, Class A shares, and Class D shares of the Fund. The different classes of shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to different expenses as outlined below and may have different share prices:

 

Class I shares do not impose a sales charge, CDSC or a Rule 12b-1 fee. If you purchase Class I shares, you will pay the NAV per share next determined after your order is received.

Class A shares are charged a front-end sales load. Class A shares are also charged a 0.25% Rule 12b-1 distribution and servicing fee. Class A shares do not have a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”).

Class D shares do not charge a front-end sales load. Class D shares are charged a 1.00% Rule 12b-1 distribution and servicing fee. Class D shares do not have a CDSC.

 

More about Class I Shares

Class I shares do not carry a sales charge. If you purchase Class I shares of the Fund you will pay the NAV per share next determined after your order is received.

 

The following persons are eligible to invest in Class I shares:

 

1.

Institutional investors including banks, savings institutions, credit unions and other financial institutions, pension, profit sharing and employee benefit plans and trusts, insurance companies, investment companies, investment advisers, broker-dealers and financial advisers acting for their own accounts or for the accounts of their clients;

 

2.

Full-time employees, agents, employees of agents, retirees and directors (trustees), and members of their families (i.e., parent, child, spouse, domestic partner, sibling, set or adopted relationships, grandparent, grandchild and UTMA accounts naming qualifying persons) of the Adviser and its affiliated companies; and

 

3.

Shareholders investing through accounts at approved broker-dealers who act as selling agents for the Fund.

 

More About Class A Shares

Class A shares of the Fund are retail shares that require that you pay a sales charge when you invest in the Fund unless you qualify for a reduction or waiver of the sales charge. As described earlier, Class A shares are also subject to Rule 12b-1 fees (or distribution and service fees) of 0.25% of average daily net assets, which are assessed against the shares of the Fund.

 

If you purchase Class A shares of the Fund you will pay the public offering price (“POP”) which is the NAV next determined after your order is received plus a sales charge (shown in percentages below) depending on the amount of your investment. Since sales charges are reduced for Class A share purchases above certain dollar amounts, known as “breakpoint thresholds,” the POP is lower for these purchases. The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the POP of the shares purchased (based on the applicable sales charge in the table below) and the NAV of those shares. Because of rounding in the calculation of the POP, the actual sales charge you pay may be more or less than that calculated using the percentages shown below. The sales charge is calculated as follows:

 

Investment Amount

Sales Charge
as a % of
Offering Price
(1)

Sales Charge
as a % of
Net Amount
Invested

Dealer
Reallowance

Less than $50,000

5.00%

5.26%

5.00%

$50,000 but less than $100,000

4.50%

4.71%

4.50%

$100,000 but less than $250,000

3.50%

3.63%

3.50%

$250,000 but less than $500,000

2.50%

2.56%

2.50%

$500,000 but less than $750,000

2.25%

2.30%

2.25%

$750,000 but less than $1,000,000

1.75%

1.78%

1.75%

$1,000,000 and above

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

 

 

(1)

Offering price includes the front-end sales load. The sales charge you pay may differ slightly from the amount set forth above because of rounding that occurs in the calculation used to determine your sales charge.

 

26

 

 

 

The Distributor will receive all initial sales charges for the purchase of Class A shares of the Fund without a dealer of record.

 

Class A Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers

 

You may be able to reduce the sales charge on Class A shares of the Fund based on the type of transaction, the combined market value of your accounts or intended investment, and for certain groups or classes of shareholders. If you believe you are eligible for any of the following reductions or waivers, it is up to you to ask the selling agent or shareholder servicing agent for the reduction and to provide appropriate proof of eligibility. The programs described below and others are explained in greater detail in the SAI.

 

Reinvested Distributions: You pay no sales charges on Class A shares you buy with reinvested distributions from Class A distributions from the Fund.

 

Account Reinstatement: You pay no sales charges on Class A shares you purchase with the proceeds of a redemption of Class A shares of the Fund within 120 days of the date of the redemption. To reinvest in Class A shares at NAV (without paying a sales charge), you must notify the Fund in writing or notify your financial intermediary.

 

Letter of Intent (“LOI”): By signing an LOI prior to purchase, you pay a lower sales charge now in exchange for promising to invest an amount within the next 13 months sufficient to meet one of the above breakpoint thresholds. The investment must satisfy the initial purchase agreement. Reinvested distributions do not count as purchases made during this period. The Fund will hold in escrow shares equal to approximately 5.00% of the amount of shares you indicate in the LOI. If you do not invest the amount specified in the LOI before the expiration date, the Transfer Agent will redeem a sufficient amount of escrowed shares to pay the difference between the reduced sales load you paid and the sales load you would have paid based on the total amount actually invested in Class A shares as of the expiration date. Otherwise, the Transfer Agent will release the escrowed shares when you have invested the agreed amount. Any shares purchased within 90 days of the date you sign the LOI may be used as credit toward completion, but the reduced sales charge will only apply to new purchases made on or after that date.

 

Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”): You may combine the value at the current public offering price of Class A shares of the Fund with a new purchase of Class A shares of the Fund to reduce the sales charge on the new purchase. The sales charge for the new shares will be figured at the rate in the table above that applies to the combined value of your currently owned shares and the amount of the new investment. ROA allows you to combine the value of your account with the value of other eligible accounts for purposes of meeting the breakpoint thresholds above.

 

You may aggregate your eligible accounts with the eligible accounts of members of your immediate family to obtain a breakpoint discount. The types of eligible accounts that may be aggregated to obtain the breakpoint discounts described above include individual accounts, joint accounts and certain IRAs.

 

For the purpose of obtaining a breakpoint discount, members of your “immediate family” include your spouse, child, stepchild, parent, sibling, grandchild and grandparent, in each case including in-law and adoptive relationships. In addition, a fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a trust, estate or other fiduciary account (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same employer) that has multiple accounts. Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of your financial intermediary through which you own shares in the Fund.

 

Certain groups or classes of shareholders: If you fall into any of the following categories, you can buy Class A shares at NAV without a sales charge:

 

 

Current and retired employees, directors/trustees and officers of:

 

The Company;

 

The Adviser and its affiliates; and

 

Family members (spouse, domestic partner, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren and siblings (including step and in-law)) of any of the above.

 

Any trust, pension, profit sharing or other benefit plan for current employees, directors/trustees and officers of the Adviser and its affiliates.

 

Current employees of:

 

The Transfer Agent;

 

Broker-dealers who act as selling agents for the Fund/Trust; and

 

Family members (spouse, domestic partner, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren and siblings (including step and in-law)) of any of the above.

 

Qualified registered investment advisers who buy through a broker-dealer or service agent who has entered into an agreement with the Distributor that allows for load-waived Class A shares purchases.

 

27

 

 

 

 

The Adviser’s clients, their employees and immediate family members of such employees.

 

Different financial intermediaries may impose different sales charges and these variations are described in Appendix A of this Prospectus.

 

More about Class D Shares

Class D shares do not carry a sales charge. Class D shares are subject to Rule 12b-1 fees (or distribution and service fees) of 1.00% of average daily net assets, which are assessed against the shares of the Fund. If you purchase Class D shares of the Fund you will pay the NAV per share next determined after your order is received.

 

More information regarding the Fund’s sales charges, breakpoint thresholds and waivers is available in the SAI and free of charge on the Fund’s website: www.orindafunds.com, by clicking on “Breakpoints and Sales Loads.”

 

Minimum Investments

 

You may open a Fund account with a minimum initial investment as listed in the table below.

 

Type of Account

To Open Your Account

To Add to Your Account

All Accounts

 

 

Class I shares

$100,000

Any amount

Class A shares

$5,000

Any amount

Class D shares

$5,000

Any amount

 

The Fund’s minimum investment requirements may be waived from time to time by the Adviser, and for the following types of shareholders:

 

current and retired employees, directors/trustees and officers of the Company, the Adviser and its affiliates and certain family members of each of them (i.e., spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, sibling, grandchild and grandparent, in each case including in-law, step and adoptive relationships);

any trust, pension, profit sharing or other benefit plan for current and retired employees, directors/trustees and officers of the Adviser and its affiliates;

current employees of the Transfer Agent, broker-dealers who act as selling agents for the Fund, intermediaries that have marketing agreements in place with the Adviser and the immediate family members of any of them;

registered investment advisers who buy through a broker-dealer or service agent who has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor;

qualified broker-dealers who have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor; and

existing clients of the Adviser, their employees and immediate family members of such employees.

 

General Policies

 

Some of the following policies are mentioned above. In general, the Fund reserves the right to:

 

Refuse, change, discontinue, or temporarily suspend account services, including purchase, or telephone redemption privileges, for any reason;

Reject any purchase request for any reason. Generally, the Fund will do this if the purchase is disruptive to the efficient management of the Fund (due to the timing of the investment or an investor’s history of excessive trading);

Redeem all shares in your account if your balance falls below $2,000 due to redemption activity. If, within 30 days of the Fund’s written request, you have not increased your account balance, you may be required to redeem your shares. The Fund will not require you to redeem shares if the value of your account drops below the investment minimum due to fluctuations of NAV;

Delay paying redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days after receiving a request, if an earlier payment could adversely affect the Fund; and

Reject any purchase or redemption request that does not contain all required documentation.

 

If you elect telephone privileges on the account application or in a letter to the Fund, you may be responsible for any fraudulent telephone orders as long as the Fund has taken reasonable precautions to verify your identity. If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, the Fund will accept telephone instructions for any one owner or authorized person. In addition, once you place a telephone transaction request, it cannot be canceled or modified after the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

28

 

 

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call wait times. Please allow sufficient time to ensure that you will be able to complete your telephone transaction prior to market close. If you are unable to contact the Fund by telephone, you may also mail your request to the Fund at the address listed under “How to Buy Shares.”

 

Your financial intermediary may establish policies that differ from those of the Fund. For example, the organization may charge transaction fees, set higher minimum investments, or impose certain limitations on buying or selling shares in addition to those identified in this Prospectus. Contact your financial intermediary for details.

 

Conversion Feature

 

Class A shares and Class D shares of the Fund that have been purchased by a financial intermediary may be converted into Class I shares of the Fund. The minimum initial investment requirement for Class I shares may be waived by the Adviser for existing clients. Any such conversion will be effected at NAV without the imposition of any fee or other charges by the Fund. Please contact your financial intermediary about any fees that it may charge.

 

Investors who hold Class I shares of the Fund through a financial intermediary sponsored fee-based program, but who subsequently become ineligible to participate in the program or withdraw from the program, may be subject to conversion of their Class I shares by their program provider to another class of shares of the Fund having expenses (including Rule 12b-1 fees) that may be higher than the expenses of the Class I shares. Investors should contact their program provider to obtain information about their eligibility for the provider’s program and the class of shares they would receive upon such a conversion.

 

Fund Mailings

 

Statements and reports that the Fund sends to you include the following:

 

Confirmation statements (after every transaction that affects your account balance or your account registration);

Annual and semi-annual shareholder reports (every six months); and

Quarterly account statements.

 

Householding

 

In an effort to decrease costs, the Fund intends to reduce the number of duplicate prospectuses, annual and semi-annual reports, proxy statements and other similar documents you receive by sending only one copy of each to those addresses shared by two or more accounts and to shareholders the Transfer Agent reasonably believes are from the same family or household. Once implemented, if you would like to discontinue householding for your accounts, please call toll-free at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA) to request individual copies of these documents. Once the Transfer Agent receives notice to stop householding, the Transfer Agent will begin sending individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. This policy does not apply to account statements.

 

Lost Shareholder, Inactive Accounts and Unclaimed Property

 

It is important that the Fund maintains a correct address for each shareholder. An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other mailings to be returned to the Fund. Based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, the Fund will attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful owner of the account. If the Fund is unable to locate the shareholder, then it will determine whether the shareholder’s account can legally be considered abandoned. Your mutual fund account may be transferred to the state government of your state of residence if no activity occurs within your account during the “inactivity period” specified in your state’s abandoned property laws. The Fund is legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements. The shareholder’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction. Please proactively contact the Transfer Agent at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA) (toll free) at least annually to ensure your account remains in active status.

 

If you are a resident of the state of Texas, you may designate a representative to receive notifications that, due to inactivity, your mutual fund account assets may be delivered to the Texas Comptroller. Please contact the Transfer Agent if you wish to complete a Texas Designation of Representative form.

 

NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE FUND’S SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH

 

29

 

 

 

REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE COMPANY OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.

 

 

30

 

 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past 5 years. The financial information presented for each applicable period prior to May 1, 2017 is that of the Predecessor Fund. The Fund is the accounting successor to the Predecessor Fund as a result of the reorganization of the Predecessor Fund into the Fund following the close of business on April 28, 2017. The Fund has adopted the financial statements of the Predecessor Fund. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been audited by Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

For a capital share outstanding throughout the period

 

Class I Shares

 

 

 

Year Ended
August 31,
2019

   

Year Ended
August 31,
2018

   

Six Months
Ended
August 31,
2017
(2)(3)

   

Year Ended
February 28,
2017

   

Year Ended
February 29,
2016

   

Year Ended
February 28,
2015

 

Net Asset Value – Beginning of Period

  $ 22.50     $ 23.42     $ 23.66     $ 21.36     $ 25.29     $ 25.60  

Income from Investment Operations:

                                               

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.95       0.86       0.63       1.10       0.99       1.15  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    (0.12 )     (0.17 )     (0.02 )     2.90       (3.36 )     0.12  

Total from investment operations

    0.83       0.69       0.61       4.00       (2.37 )     1.27  

Less Distributions:

                                               

Dividends from net investment income

    (1.14 )     (1.15 )     (0.63 )     (1.10 )     (1.02 )     (1.39 )

Distributions from net realized gains

                                  (0.01 )

Return of Capital

    (0.36 )     (0.46 )     (0.22 )     (0.60 )     (0.54 )     (0.18 )

Total distributions

    (1.50 )     (1.61 )     (0.85 )     (1.70 )     (1.56 )     (1.58 )

Net Asset Value – End of Period

  $ 21.83     $ 22.50     $ 23.42     $ 23.66     $ 21.36     $ 25.29  

Total Return/(loss)

    4.17 %     3.24 %     2.62 %(4)     19.29 %     (9.81 )%     5.08 %
                                                 

Ratios and Supplemental Data:

                                               

Net assets, end of period (thousands)

  $ 206,355     $ 193,184     $ 193,361     $ 180,360     $ 121,400     $ 151,017  

Ratio of operating expenses to average net assets:

                                               

Before Recoupments/Reimbursements

    1.79 %     1.92 %     1.82 %(5)     2.01 %     1.85 %     1.64 %

After Recoupments/Reimbursements

    1.79 %     1.92 %     1.82 %(5)     2.01 %     1.84 %     1.70 %

Ratio of interest expense and dividends on short positions to average net assets

    0.50 %     0.63 %     0.55 %(5)     0.68 %     0.49 %     0.27 %

Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets:

                                               

Before Recoupments/Reimbursements

    4.43 %     3.83 %     5.33 %(5)     4.68 %     4.21 %     4.71 %

After Recoupments/Reimbursements

    4.43 %     3.83 %     5.33 %(5)     4.68 %     4.22 %     4.65 %

Portfolio turnover rate

    131 %     102 %     46 %(4)     121 %     127 %     185 %

 

 

(1)

Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.

(2)

Effective as of the close of business on April 28, 2017, the Fund acquired all the assets and liabilities of the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund, a series of Advisors Series Trust (the “Predecessor Fund”). The financial highlights for the periods prior to that date reflect the performance of the Predecessor Fund.

(3)

The Fund changed its fiscal year end to August 31.

(4)

Not annualized.

(5)

Annualized.

 

 

31

 

 

 

For a capital share outstanding throughout the period

 

Class A Shares

 

 

 

Year Ended
August 31,
2019

   

Year Ended
August 31,
2018

   

Six Months
Ended
August 31,
2017
(2)(3)

   

Year Ended
February 28,
2017

   

Year Ended
February 29,
2016

   

Year Ended
February 28,
2015

 

Net Asset Value – Beginning of Period

  $ 22.46     $ 23.33     $ 23.58     $ 21.31     $ 25.25     $ 25.57  

Income from Investment Operations:

                                               

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.85       0.77       0.59       1.03       0.93       0.97  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    (0.10 )     (0.14 )     (0.02 )     2.88       (3.37 )     0.22  

Total from investment operations

    0.75       0.63       0.57       3.91       (2.44 )     1.19  

Less Distributions:

                                               

Dividends from net investment income

    (1.08 )     (1.04 )     (0.60 )     (1.04 )     (0.96 )     (1.32 )

Distributions from net realized gains

                                  (0.01 )

Return of Capital

    (0.36 )     (0.46 )     (0.22 )     (0.60 )     (0.54 )     (0.18 )

Total distributions

    (1.44 )     (1.50 )     (0.82 )     (1.64 )     (1.50 )     (1.51 )

Net Asset Value – End of Period

  $ 21.77     $ 22.46     $ 23.33     $ 23.58     $ 21.31     $ 25.25  

Total Return/(loss)

    3.82 %     2.94 %     2.49 %(4)     18.90 %     (10.09 )%     4.79 %
                                                 

Ratios and Supplemental Data:

                                               

Net assets, end of period (thousands)

  $ 62,963     $ 45,783     $ 112,549     $ 101,270     $ 66,375     $ 74,834  

Ratio of operating expenses to average net assets:

                                               

Before Recoupments/Reimbursements

    2.04 %     2.07 %     2.12 %(5)     2.29 %     2.15 %     1.96 %

After Recoupments/Reimbursements

    2.04 %     2.07 %     2.12 %(5)     2.29 %     2.15 %     2.00 %

Ratio of interest expense and dividends on short positions to average net assets

    0.46 %     0.51 %     0.55 %(5)     0.66 %     0.48 %     0.28 %

Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets:

                                               

Before Recoupments/Reimbursements

    3.96 %     3.37 %     5.03 %(5)     4.34 %     3.97 %     4.53 %

After Recoupments/Reimbursements

    3.96 %     3.37 %     5.03 %(5)     4.34 %     3.97 %     4.49 %

Portfolio turnover rate

    131 %     102 %     46 %(4)     121 %     127 %     185 %

 

 

(1)

Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.

(2)

Effective as of the close of business on April 28, 2017, the Fund acquired all the assets and liabilities of the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund, a series of Advisors Series Trust (the “Predecessor Fund”). The financial highlights for the periods prior to that date reflect the performance of the Predecessor Fund.

(3)

The Fund changed its fiscal year end to August 31.

(4)

Not annualized.

(5)

Annualized.

 

 

 

32

 

 

 

For a capital share outstanding throughout the period

 

Class D Shares

 

 

 

Year Ended
August 31,
2019

   

Year Ended
August 31,
2018

   

Six Months
Ended
August 31,
2017
(2)(3)

   

Year Ended
February 28,
2017

   

Year Ended
February 29,
2016

   

Year Ended
February 28,
2015

 

Net Asset Value – Beginning of Period

  $ 22.23     $ 23.18     $ 23.49     $ 21.25     $ 25.17     $ 25.51  

Income from Investment Operations:

                                               

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.73       0.63       0.51       0.87       0.82       0.92  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    (0.13 )     (0.16 )     (0.02 )     2.88       (3.37 )     0.07  

Total from investment operations

    0.60       0.47       0.49       3.75       (2.55 )     0.99  

Less Distributions:

                                               

Dividends from net investment income

    (0.95 )     (0.96 )     (0.58 )     (0.90 )     (0.83 )     (1.14 )

Distributions from net realized gains

                                  (0.01 )

Return of Capital

    (0.36 )     (0.46 )     (0.22 )     (0.61 )     (0.54 )     (0.18 )

Total distributions

    (1.31 )     (1.42 )     (0.80 )     (1.51 )     (1.37 )     (1.33 )

Net Asset Value – End of Period

  $ 21.52     $ 22.23     $ 23.18     $ 23.49     $ 21.25     $ 25.17  

Total Return/(loss)

    3.12 %     2.23 %     2.13 %(4)     18.10 %     (10.56 )%     3.97 %
                                                 

Ratios and Supplemental Data:

                                               

Net assets, end of period (thousands)

  $ 17,939     $ 20,497     $ 22,274     $ 23,963     $ 21,405     $ 23,336  

Ratio of operating expenses to average net assets:

                                               

Before Recoupments/Reimbursements

    2.80 %     2.93 %     2.79 %(5)     2.98 %     2.81 %     2.70 %

After Recoupments/Reimbursements

    2.80 %     2.93 %     2.79 %(5)     2.98 %     2.67 %     2.76 %

Ratio of interest expense and dividends on short positions to average net assets

    0.52 %     0.64 %     0.55 %(5)     0.67 %     0.49 %     0.27 %

Ratio of net investment income/ (loss) to average net assets:

                                               

Before Recoupments/Reimbursements

    3.43 %     2.90 %     4.36 %(5)     3.76 %     3.32 %     3.75 %

After Recoupments/Reimbursements

    3.43 %     2.90 %     4.36 %(5)     3.76 %     3.46 %     3.69 %

Portfolio turnover rate

    131 %     102 %     46 %(4)     121 %     127 %     185 %

 

 

(1)

Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.

(2)

Effective as of the close of business on April 28, 2017, the Fund acquired all the assets and liabilities of the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund, a series of Advisors Series Trust (the “Predecessor Fund”). The financial highlights for the periods prior to that date reflect the performance of the Predecessor Fund.

(3)

The Fund changed its fiscal year end to August 31.

(4)

Not annualized.

(5)

Annualized.

 

 

 

33

 

 

 

Appendix A

 

THE INFORMATION ENCLOSED IN THIS APPENDIX IS PART OF, AND INCORPORATED INTO, THE ORINDA INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND’S PROSPECTUS DATED DECEMBER 31, 2019.

 

Waivers and Discounts Available from Intermediaries

 

The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from a Fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or contingent deferred (back-end) sales load (“CDSC”) waivers, which are discussed below.

 

In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts.

 

Merrill Lynch

 

Effective April 10, 2017, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in the Fund’s prospectus or SAI.

 

Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at Merrill Lynch

Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan

Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan

Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program

Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch’s platform

Shares of funds purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform (if applicable)

Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family)

Shares exchanged from Class C (i.e. level-load) shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date

Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members

Directors of the Fund, and employees of the Adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus

Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement)

 

CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares available at Merrill Lynch

Death or disability of the shareholder

Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus

Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account

Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70½

Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch

Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement

Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to certain fee based accounts or platforms (applicable to A and C shares only)

 

A-1

 

 

 

Front-end load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch:
Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent

Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.

Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets

Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time (if applicable)

 

 

 

A-2

 

 

 

PRIVACY NOTICE

 

FACTS

WHAT DOES THE ORINDA INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Why?

Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.

What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

 

● Social Security number

● account balances

● account transactions

● transaction history

● wire transfer instructions

● checking account information

 

When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

How?

All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

       

Reasons we can share your personal information

Does the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund share?

Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purposes —
such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes

No

For our marketing purposes —
to offer our products and services to you

Yes

No

For joint marketing with other financial companies

No

We don’t share.

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes —
information about your transactions and experiences

Yes

No

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes —
information about your creditworthiness

No

We don’t share.

For our affiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share.

For nonaffiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share.

       

Questions

Call (855)-467-4632 or go to www.orindafunds.com

 

 

 

 

What we do

 

How does the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.

How does the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

 

● open an account

● provide account information

● give us your contact information

● make a wire transfer

● tell us where to send the money

 

We also collect your information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

 

● sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes –
information about your creditworthiness

● affiliates from using your information to market to you

● sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

 

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

Definitions

 

Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

Our affiliates include Orinda Investment Partners, LLC (“OIP”) and Orinda Asset Management, LLC (“OAM”).

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

The Orinda Income Opportunities Fund doesn’t share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. The Fund may share information with nonaffiliates that perform marketing services on our behalf.

Joint Marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

 

The Orinda Income Opportunities Fund does not jointly market.

 

 

 

 

 

ORINDA INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
of
The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA)
www.orindafunds.com

 

For More Information:

 

This Prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. Information about different sales load variations is provided in Appendix A, which is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference. More information about the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund is available free of charge, upon request, including:

 

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports

 

These reports contain additional information about the Fund’s investments, describe the Fund’s performance, list portfolio holdings, and discuss recent market conditions and economic trends. The annual report will include market conditions and fund investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The annual report and semi-annual report to shareholders may be obtained free of charge by calling 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA), or by visiting www.orindafunds.com.

 

Statement of Additional Information

 

The Fund’s SAI, dated February 28, 2020, has been filed with the SEC. The SAI, which includes additional information about the Fund, may be obtained free of charge, along with the annual and semi-annual reports, by calling 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA). The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this prospectus (and is legally part of the prospectus).The SAI is available on the Adviser’s website at www.orindafunds.com.

 

Shareholder Inquiries

 

Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday–Friday. Call: 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA) or visit the website of the Adviser at www.orindafunds.com.

 

Purchases and Redemptions

 

Call 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA).

 

Written Correspondence

 

Street Address:
Orinda Income Opportunities Fund, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

 

P.O. Box Address:
Orinda Income Opportunities Fund, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701

 

Securities and Exchange Commission

 

You may also view and copy information about the Company and the Fund, including the SAI, by visiting the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov.You may also obtain copies of Fund documents by paying a duplicating fee and sending an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-05518

 

 

 

 

Summit Global Investments
Prospectus

 

SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund

 

Class I Shares (Ticker: SILVX)
Class A Shares (Ticker: LVOLX)
Class C Shares (Ticker: SGICX)

 

SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund

 

Class I Shares (Ticker: SCLVX)
Class A Shares (Ticker: LVSMX)
Class C Shares (Ticker: SMLVX)

 

SGI Global Equity Fund

 

Class I Shares (Ticker: SGLIX)
Class A Shares (Ticker: SGLAX)
Class C Shares (Ticker: SGLOX)

 

February 28, 2020

 

of The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), paper copies of the Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. 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 Funds electronically anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or a bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-855-744-8500.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Funds, you can call 1-855-744-8500 to inform the Funds that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held with the fund complex if you invest directly with the Funds.

 

This prospectus gives vital information about the SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, the SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund and the SGI Global Equity Fund (each a “Fund” and together the “Funds”), each an investment portfolio of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”), including information on investment policies, risks and fees. For your own benefit and protection, please read it before you invest and keep it on hand for future reference.

 

THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED IN THIS PROSPECTUS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SEC. THE SEC, HOWEVER, HAS NOT JUDGED THESE SECURITIES FOR THEIR INVESTMENT MERIT AND HAS NOT DETERMINED THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU OTHERWISE IS COMMITTING A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

A look at the goals, strategies, risks and financial history of the Funds.

Details about the Funds’ service providers.

Policies and instructions for opening, maintaining and closing an account in a Fund.

 

   

SUMMARY SECTIONS

1

U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund

1

U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund

7

Global Equity Fund

14

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT EACH FUND’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

21

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

25

Investment Adviser

25

Portfolio Managers

26

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

27

Pricing of Fund Shares

27

Sales Charges — Class A Shares ONLY

28

Market Timing

29

Purchase of Fund Shares

30

Redemption of Fund Shares

34

Dividends and Distributions

37

Taxes

37

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

40

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

41

Appendix A — Prior Performance of Similarily Advised Accounts

A-1

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Back Cover

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTIONS

 

 

U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund

 

Investment Objective

 

The SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund (for this section only, the “Fund”) seeks to outperform the S&P 500® Index over a market cycle while reducing overall volatility. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on Class A Shares if you invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional, in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information — Sales Charges” and in the section of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) entitled “Purchase and Redemption Information — Reducing or Eliminating the Front-End Sales Charge.” Additionally, you may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Class I Shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

 

Class I

Class A

Class C

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)

None

5.25%

None

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)

None

None(1)

None

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends

None

None

None

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)

None

None

None

 

 

 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

 

 

Management Fees

0.70%

0.70%

0.70%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

0.25%

1.00%

Other Expenses (2)

0.23%

0.23%

0.23%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.93%

1.18%

1.93%

 

 

(1)

A contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of Class A Shares made within 18 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at time of purchase as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more.

 

(2)

“Other Expenses” includes fees and expenses reimbursed by the Fund during the most recent fiscal year.

 

1

 

 

 

Example:

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Class A Shares or Class C Shares or $1,000,000 in the Class I Shares of the Fund and for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

Class I

$9,489

$28,138

$48,363

$106,722

Class A

$639

$866

$1,111

$1,812

Class C

$196

$592

$1,012

$2,185

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 104% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities, primarily common stocks, of companies within the Russell 1000® Index and S&P 500® Index. The Fund’s investments will generally consist of securities, which may include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock. The Fund purchases equity securities traded in the U.S. on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter market. The Fund may also invest in other registered investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”).

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC (the “Adviser”) attempts to lower the Fund’s market risk by investing in U.S. equity securities that lower the overall volatility of the Fund’s portfolio as compared to the S&P 500® Index. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the magnitude of up and down fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index. The Fund invests in stocks that often exhibit less volatile stock price patterns, strengthening business metrics (i.e., earnings, debt, return on assets, competition, customers, industry, etc.) and quantitative factors such as earnings variability, leverage, volatility, price/book, price/cash flow, etc. In addition, the Adviser reviews the idiosyncratic risks associated with each stock if these risks are deemed elevated with increased downside risks, due to environmental, social and/or governance (“ESG”) issues. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund that it anticipates will produce a portfolio with less volatility with more capital protection and consistent returns. While the Adviser attempts to manage the Fund’s volatility, there is no guarantee that the strategy will be successful or that the Fund’s portfolio will not experience periods of volatility.

 

The Fund may sell a stock if the Adviser identifies fundamental, ESG, or legal risks and/or if the risk/return ranking declines due to increasing risk and/or decreasing return potential. The Fund may also decrease weight in an investment for risk control purposes.

 

2

 

 

 

Principal Risks

 

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

 

Common Stock Risk. Investments in common stocks are subject to market, economic and business risks that will cause their price to fluctuate over time. Therefore, an investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these fluctuations. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

 

Environmental, Social and Governance Investing Risk. ESG investing risk is the risk stemming from the environmental, social and governance factors that the Fund applies in selecting securities. The Fund intends to invest in companies with measurable high ESG ratings relative to their sector peers, and screen out particular companies that do not meet its ESG criteria. This may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries and cause the Fund to forego certain investment opportunities. The Fund’s results may be lower than other funds that do not seek to invest in companies based on ESG ratings and/or screen out certain companies or industries. The Fund seeks to identify companies that it believes may have a societal impact outcome, but investors may differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative societal impact outcomes. As a result, the Fund may invest in companies that do not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor.

 

 

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The risk that when investing on a shorter-term basis, the Fund may as a result trade more frequently and incur higher levels of brokerage fees and commissions and cause higher levels of current tax liability to shareholders of the Fund. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. For the last fiscal year, the annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund was lower than 100%, but the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is expected to vary from year to year. The Adviser may engage in active trading, and will not consider portfolio turnover a limiting factor in making decisions for the Fund.

 

 

Investment Companies and ETFs Risk. Investing in other investment companies, including ETFs, may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. The risk of owning an investment company or ETF generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying investments the investment company or ETF holds. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. Certain ETFs maybe thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

 

Large-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Fund to underperform investments that focus solely on small- or medium- capitalization stocks.

 

3

 

 

 

 

Low Volatility Risk. Although subject to the risks of common stocks, low volatility stocks are seen as having a lower risk profile than the overall markets. However, a portfolio comprised of low volatility stocks may not produce investment exposure that has lower variability to changes in such stocks’ price levels. Investing in low volatility stocks may limit the Fund’s gains in rising markets.

 

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices may not work to achieve their desired result.

 

 

Market Risk. The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes will produce less volatility, there is no guarantee that the stocks will perform as expected.

 

 

Mid-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of mid-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies.

 

 

Opportunity Risk. As with all mutual funds, the Fund is subject to the risk of missing out on an opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of it are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

 

Warrants Risk. The purchase of warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the warrant’s expiration. Also, the purchase of warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

Performance Information

 

The chart below illustrates the performance of the Fund’s Class I Shares (the Class with the longest performance). The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information may be obtained at www.sgiam.com or by calling 1-855-744-8500.

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31*

 

 

 

 

*

The returns in the bar chart are for Class I Shares. Class A Shares and Class C Shares would have substantially similar annual returns because each class of shares would have invested in the same portfolio of securities, and the annual returns would differ only to the extent that the classes have different expenses. The Fund’s Class A Shares are subject to a sales charge (load). Sales charges (loads) or account fees are not reflected in the bar chart and if these amounts were reflected, returns would be less than those shown.

 

4

 

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 13.53% (quarter ended March 31, 2013)
Worst Quarter: -13.11% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS

 

The following table, which includes all applicable sales charges (loads) and account fees, compares the Fund’s Class I, Class A and Class C Shares average annual total returns for the periods indicated to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indicator of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019

 

U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund 1 Year 5 Years Since Inception
Class I Shares*      
Return Before Taxes 27.01% 10.80% 12.57%
Return After Taxes on Distributions(1) 26.18% 9.50% 11.40%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares(1) 16.52% 8.25% 9.95%
Class A Shares**      
Return Before Taxes 20.02% N/A 10.11%
Class C Shares***      
Return Before Taxes 25.70% N/A 11.43%
S&P 500® Index  (reflects reinvestment of dividends and no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) 31.49% 11.70% 13.96%

 

 

(1)

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”).

 

*

Class I Shares of the Fund commenced operations on February 29, 2012.

 

**

Class A Shares of the Fund commenced operations on October 29, 2015.

 

***

Class C Shares of the Fund commenced operations on December 31, 2015.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC

 

5

 

 

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Name

Title with Adviser

Tenure with the Fund

David Harden

President and Portfolio Manager

Since Inception in 2012

Matthew Hanna

Portfolio Manager

Since 2018

Aash Shah

Portfolio Manager

Since 2018

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

 

Minimum Initial Investment

Subsequent Minimum Investment

Class I

$1,000,000

No minimum

Class A

$1,000

No minimum

Class C

$1,000

No minimum

 

You can purchase and redeem shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. Shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals. Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through the Company by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:

 

SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

Overnight Mail:
SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Purchase and Redemption By Wire:

 

Before sending any wire, call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 855-744-8500 to confirm the current wire instructions for the Fund.

 

Redemption By Telephone:

 

If you select the option to redeem by telephone on your account application, you may call the Transfer Agent at 855-744-8500.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

6

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION

 

 

U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund

 

Investment Objective

 

The SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund (for this section only, the “Fund”) seeks to outperform the Russell 2000® Index over a market cycle while reducing overall volatility. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on Class A Shares if you invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional, in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information — Sales Charges” and in the section of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) entitled “Purchase and Redemption Information — Reducing or Eliminating the Front-End Sales Charge.” Additionally, you may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Class I Shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

 

Class I

Class A

Class C

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)

None

5.25%

None

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)

None

None(1)

None

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends

None

None

None

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)

None

None

None

       

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

 

 

Management Fees

0.95%

0.95%

0.95%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

0.25%

1.00%

Other Expenses

0.45%

0.45%

0.45%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(2)

0.52%

0.52%

0.52%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

1.92%

2.17%

2.92%

Less Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements(3)

(0.17)%

(0.17)%

(0.17)%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements

1.75%

2.00%

2.75%

 

 

(1)

A contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of Class A Shares made within 18 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at the time of purchase as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more.

 

(2)

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds. Please note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table will differ from the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.

 

(3)

Summit Global Investments, LLC (the “Adviser”), the Fund’s investment adviser, has contractually agreed to waive management fees and reimburse expenses through February 28, 2021 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) exceed 1.23%, 1.48% and 2.23% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, Class A and Class C Shares, respectively. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and are expected to cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 1.23%, 1.48% or 2.23%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation may not be terminated before February 28, 2021 without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). If at any time the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.23%, 1.48% and 2.23% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

7

 

 

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Class A Shares or Class C Shares or $1,000,000 in the Class I Shares of the Fund and for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

Class I

$17,784

$58,663

$102,098

$222,948

Class A

$717

$1,153

$1,614

$2,884

Class C

$278

$888

$1,523

$3,230

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 145% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities, primarily common stocks of U.S. issuers with small market capitalizations. A small market capitalization issuer generally is considered to be one whose market capitalization is, at the time the Fund makes the investment, similar to the market capitalization of companies in the Russell 2000® Index. The Russell 2000® Index is a small cap stock market index measuring the performance of approximately 2,000 small cap U.S. companies. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of this index was $786 million and the largest stock was $9.1 billion. The Fund’s investments will generally consist of securities, which may include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock. The Fund purchases equity securities traded in the U.S. on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter market. The Fund may also invest in other registered investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), and may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

 

The Adviser attempts to lower the Fund’s market risk by investing in U.S. equity securities that lower the overall volatility of the Fund’s portfolio as compared to the Russell 2000® Index. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the magnitude of up and down fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index. The Fund invests in stocks that often exhibit less volatile stock price patterns, strengthening business metrics (i.e., earnings, debt, return on assets, competition, customers, industry, etc.) and quantitative factors such as earnings variability, leverage, volatility, price/book, price/cash flow, etc.

 

8

 

 

 

In addition, the Adviser reviews the idiosyncratic risks associated with each stock if these risks are deemed elevated with increased downside risks, due to environmental, social and/or governance (“ESG”) issues. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund that it anticipates will produce a portfolio with less volatility with more capital protection and consistent returns. While the Adviser attempts to manage the Fund’s volatility, there is no guarantee that the strategy will be successful or that the Fund’s portfolio will not experience periods of volatility.

 

The Fund may sell a stock if the Adviser identifies fundamental, ESG, or legal risks and/or if the risk/return ranking declines due to increasing risk and/or decreasing return potential. The Fund may also decrease weight in an investment for risk control purposes.

 

Principal Risks

 

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

 

Common Stock Risk. Investments in common stocks are subject to market, economic and business risks that will cause their price to fluctuate over time. Therefore, an investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these fluctuations.

 

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities

 

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

 

Environmental, Social and Governance Investing Risk. ESG investing risk is the risk stemming from the environmental, social and governance factors that the Fund applies in selecting securities. The Fund intends to invest in companies with measurable high ESG ratings relative to their sector peers, and screen out particular companies that do not meet its ESG criteria. This may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries and cause the Fund to forego certain investment opportunities. The Fund’s results may be lower than other funds that do not seek to invest in companies based on ESG ratings and/or screen out certain companies or industries. The Fund seeks to identify companies that it believes may have a societal impact outcome, but investors may differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative societal impact outcomes. As a result, the Fund may invest in companies that do not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor.

 

 

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The risk that when investing on a shorter-term basis, the Fund may as a result trade more frequently and incur higher levels of brokerage fees and commissions and cause higher levels of current tax liability to shareholders of the Fund. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. The Adviser may engage in active trading, and will not consider portfolio turnover a limiting factor in making decisions for the Fund.

 

 

Investment Companies and ETFs Risk. Investing in other investment companies, including ETFs, may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. The risk of owning an investment company or ETF generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying investments the investment

 

9

 

 

 

 

company or ETF holds. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

 

Low Volatility Risk. Although subject to the risks of common stocks, low volatility stocks are seen as having a lower risk profile than the overall markets. However, a portfolio comprised of low volatility stocks may not produce investment exposure that has lower variability to changes in such stocks’ price levels. Investing in low volatility stocks may limit the Fund’s gains in rising markets.

 

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices may not work to achieve their desired result.

 

 

Market Risk. The NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes will produce less volatility, there is no guarantee that the stocks will perform as expected.

 

 

Opportunity Risk. As with all mutual funds, the Fund is subject to the risk of missing out on an opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of it are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

 

REITs Risk. The Fund’s investments in REITs may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. These risks include possible declines in the value of real estate, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds and unexpected vacancies of properties. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidating interest rate risks (especially mortgage REITs) and liquidity risk. REITs that invest in real estate mortgages are also subject to prepayment risk. Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, engage in dilutive offerings, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the securities of larger companies. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index.

 

 

Small Cap Risk. Stocks of small companies may be more volatile than, and not as readily marketable as, those of larger companies. Small companies may also have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and may be dependent on relatively small or inexperienced management groups. Additionally, the trading volume of small company securities may make them more difficult to sell than those of larger companies. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for the securities may make them difficult to value.

 

 

Warrants Risk. The purchase of warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the warrant’s expiration. Also, the purchase of warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

 

10

 

 

 

Performance Information

 

The chart below illustrates the performance of the Fund’s Class I Shares. The information shows the Fund’s performance for one year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information may be obtained at www.sgiam.com or by calling 1-855-744-8500.

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31*

 

 

 

 

*

The returns in the bar chart are for Class I Shares. Class A Shares and Class C Shares would have substantially similar annual returns because each class of shares would have invested in the same portfolio of securities, and the annual returns would differ only to the extent that the classes have different expenses. The Fund’s Class A Shares are subject to a sales charge (load). Sales charges (loads) or account fees are not reflected in the bar chart and if these amounts were reflected, returns would be less than those shown.

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 10.94% (quarter ended March 31, 2019)
Worst Quarter: -19.35% (quarter ended December 31, 2018)

 

11

 

 

 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS

 

The table below, which includes all applicable sales charges (loads) and account fees, compares the Fund’s Class I, Class A and Class C Shares average annual total returns for the periods indicated to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indicator of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019

 

U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund 1 Year Since Inception
(March 31, 2016)
Class I Shares 20.66% 10.30%
Return Before Taxes 20.32% 8.91%
Return After Taxes on Distributions(1) 12.42% 7.69%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares(1)    
Class A Shares(2)    
Return Before Taxes 14.06% 8.51%
Class C Shares    
Return Before Taxes 19.43% 9.23%
Russell 2000® Index (reflects reinvestment of dividends and no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) 25.52% 12.91%

 

 

(1)

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares commenced operations on March 31, 2016.

 

(2)

Effective as of January 1, 2018, Class A Shares of the Fund are charged a 5.25% sales load. Accordingly, performance information for Class A Shares for periods prior to January 1, 2018 has been restated to reflect the effect of the sales load.

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Name

Title with Adviser

Tenure with the Fund

David Harden

President and Portfolio Manager

Since Inception in 2016

Richard Thawley

Portfolio Manager

Since Inception in 2016

Matthew Hanna

Portfolio Manager

Since 2018

Aash Shah

Portfolio Manager

Since 2018

 

 

12

 

 

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

 

Minimum Initial Investment

Subsequent Minimum Investment

Class I

$1,000,000

No minimum

Class A

$1,000

No minimum

Class C

$1,000

No minimum

 

You can purchase and redeem shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. Shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals. Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through the Company by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:

 

SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

Overnight Mail:
SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Purchase and Redemption By Wire:

 

Before sending any wire, call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 855-744-8500 to confirm the current wire instructions for the Fund.

 

Redemption By Telephone:

 

If you select the option to redeem by telephone on your account application, you may call the Transfer Agent at 855-744-8500.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

13

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION

 

 

Global Equity Fund

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the SGI Global Equity Fund (for this section only, the “Fund”) is to seek long-term capital appreciation. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell Fund shares. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on Class A Shares if you invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional, in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information — Sales Charges” and in the section of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) entitled “Purchase and Redemption Information — Reducing or Eliminating the Front-End Sales Charge.” Additionally, you may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Class I Shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

 

 

Class I

Class A

Class C

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)

None

5.25%

None

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)

None

None(1)

None

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends

None

None

None

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)

None

None

None

       

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

 

 

Management Fees

0.70%

0.70%

0.70%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

0.25%

1.00%

Other Expenses (2)

0.41%

0.41%

0.41%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

1.11%

1.36%

2.11%

Less Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements(3)

(0.27)%

(0.27)%

(0.27)%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements

0.84%

1.09%

1.84%

 

 

(1)

A contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of Class A Shares made within 18 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at time of purchase as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more.

 

(2)

“Other Expenses” for Class A Shares and Class C Shares, which had not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, are estimated based on Class I Shares for the current fiscal year.

 

(3)

Summit Global Investments, LLC (the “Adviser”), the Fund’s investment adviser, has contractually agreed to waive management fees and reimburse expenses through February 28, 2021 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) exceed 0.84%, 1.09%, and 1.84% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, Class A and Class C Shares, respectively. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and are expected to cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 0.84%,1.09% or 1.84%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation may not be terminated before February 28, 2021 without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). If at any time the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 0.84%, 1.09% and 1.84%, of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

14

 

 

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $1,000,000 in Class I Shares or $10,000 in Class A Shares or Class C Shares of the Fund for the time periods indicated and that you sell your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that each year your investment has a 5% return and Fund operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

Class I

$8,575

$32,606

$58,544

$132,750

Class A

$630

$908

$1,206

$2,052

Class C

$187

$635

$1,109

$2,420

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 74% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities. The Fund invests, under normal market conditions, significantly (ordinarily at least 40% - unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Adviser, in which case the Fund would invest at least 30%) in non-U.S. companies. The Fund defines non-U.S. companies as companies that (i) are organized under the laws of a foreign country; (ii) whose principal trading market is in a foreign country; or (iii) that have a majority of their assets or derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from businesses, investments or sales, outside of the United States.

 

The Fund’s investments in equity securities include, without limitation, common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock.The Fund’s investments will generally consist of securities, which may include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock. The Fund purchases equity securities traded on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter market. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers either directly or through depository receipts, including American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”). The Fund may also invest in other registered investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may invest in or have exposure to companies of any size, but primarily invests in large- and mid- capitalization companies.

 

The Adviser attempts to lower the Fund’s market risk by investing in equity securities that lower the overall volatility of the Fund’s portfolio as compared to global equity benchmarks. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the magnitude of up and down fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index. The Fund invests in stocks that exhibit less volatile stock price patterns, strengthening business metrics (i.e., earnings, debt, return on assets, competition, customers, industry, etc.) and quantitative factors such as earnings variability, leverage, volatility, price/book, price/cash flow, etc. In addition, the Adviser reviews the idiosyncratic risks associated with each stock if these risks are deemed elevated with

 

15

 

 

 

increased downside risks, due to environmental, social and/or governance (“ESG”) issues. The Adviser selects securities for the Fund that it anticipates will produce a portfolio with less volatility with more capital protection and consistent returns. While the Adviser attempts to manage the Fund’s volatility, there is no guarantee that the strategy will be successful or that the Fund’s portfolio will not experience periods of volatility.

 

The Fund may sell a stock if the Adviser identifies fundamental, ESG, or legal risks and/or if the risk/return ranking declines due to increasing risk and/or decreasing return potential. The Fund may also decrease weight in an investment for risk control purposes.

 

Principal Risks

 

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund’s principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

 

Common Stock Risk. Investments in common stocks are subject to market, economic and business risks that will cause their price to fluctuate over time. Therefore, an investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these fluctuations.

 

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Securities that can be converted into common stock, such as certain securities and preferred stock, are subject to the usual risks associated with fixed income investments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, because they react to changes in the value of the equity securities into which they will convert, convertible securities are also subject to the risks associated with equity securities.

 

 

Currency Risk. Investment in foreign securities also involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and which may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

 

Environmental, Social and Governance Investing Risk. ESG investing risk is the risk stemming from the environmental, social and governance factors that the Fund applies in selecting securities. The Fund intends to invest in companies with measurable high ESG ratings relative to their sector peers, and screen out particular companies that do not meet its ESG criteria. This may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries and cause the Fund to forego certain investment opportunities. The Fund’s results may be lower than other funds that do not seek to invest in companies based on ESG ratings and/or screen out certain companies or industries. The Fund seeks to identify companies that it believes may have a societal impact outcome, but investors may differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative societal impact outcomes. As a result, the Fund may invest in companies that do not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor.

 

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain

 

16

 

 

 

 

countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

 

Foreign Securities Risk. International investing is subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices.

 

 

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The risk that when investing on a shorter-term basis, the Fund may as a result trade more frequently and incur higher levels of brokerage fees and commissions and cause higher levels of current tax liability to shareholders of the Fund. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% is considered to be high. For the last fiscal year, the annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund was lower than 100%, but the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is expected to vary from year to year. The Adviser may engage in active trading, and will not consider portfolio turnover a limiting factor in making decisions for the Fund.

 

 

Investment Companies and ETFs Risk. Investing in other investment companies, including ETFs, may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. The risk of owning an investment company or ETF generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying investments the investment company or ETF holds. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. Certain ETFs maybe thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

 

Large-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Fund to underperform investments that focus solely on small- or medium- capitalization stocks.

 

 

Low Volatility Risk. Although subject to the risks of common stocks, low volatility stocks are seen as having a lower risk profile than the overall markets. However, a portfolio comprised of low volatility stocks may not produce investment exposure that has lower variability to changes in such stocks’ price levels. Investing in low volatility stocks may limit the Fund’s gains in rising markets.

 

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor stock selection. In other words, the individual stocks in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices may not work to achieve their desired result.

 

 

Market Risk. The NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in stocks the Adviser believes will produce less volatility, there is no guarantee that the stocks will perform as expected.

 

 

Mid-Cap Companies Risk. The stocks of mid-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies.

 

 

Opportunity Risk. As with all mutual funds, the Fund is subject to the risk of missing out on an opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of it are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

 

Warrants Risk. The purchase of warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the warrant’s expiration. Also, the purchase of warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

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Performance Information

 

Returns shown were generated under the management of the Fund’s former investment adviser and reflect a previous investment strategy. The Fund operated as a series of Scotia Institutional Funds prior to the close of business on March 21, 2014 (the “Predecessor Fund”). Before the Fund commenced operations, all of the assets and liabilities of the Predecessor Fund were transferred to the Fund in a tax-free reorganization (the “Reorganization”). The Reorganization occurred on March 21, 2014. As a result of the Reorganization, the Fund assumed the performance and accounting history of the Predecessor Fund prior to the date of the Reorganization. The performance shown for periods prior to March 21, 2014 is that of the Predecessor Fund.

 

The Board approved the Adviser to serve as the Global Equity Fund’s investment adviser effective January 1, 2017. Returns shown for periods prior to January 1, 2017 were generated under the management of the Global Equity Fund’s former investment adviser.

 

The chart below illustrates the performance of the Fund’s Class I Shares. Performance for Class A Shares and Class C Shares is not shown because Class A Shares and Class C Shares had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The chart assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Performance reflects fee waivers in effect. If fee waivers were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Updated performance information may be obtained at www.sgiam.com or by calling 855-744-8500.

 

TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31

 

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Performance (for the period reflected in the chart above):

 

Best Quarter: 23.87% (quarter ended September 30, 2013)
Worst Quarter: -16.50% (quarter ended September 30, 2011)

 

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AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS

 

The table below compares the Fund’s Class I Shares average annual total returns for the periods indicated to the average annual total returns of a broad-based securities market index for the same periods. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indicator of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019

 

Global Equity Fund 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years Since Inception
(April 1, 2009)*
Return Before Taxes 24.02% 7.99% 13.92% 16.62%
Return After Taxes on Distributions(1) 23.17% 7.34% 12.75% 15.07%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 15.09% 6.17% 11.22% 13.46%
MSCI ACWI Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) 26.60% 8.41% 8.79% 12.36%

 

 

 

*

While the Predecessor Fund commenced operations on March 31, 2009, the Predecessor Fund began investing consistent with its investment objective on April 1, 2009.

 

(1)

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”).

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Name

Title with Adviser

Tenure with the Fund

David Harden

President and Portfolio Manager

Since 2017

Matthew Hanna

Portfolio Manager

Since 2018

Aash Shah

Portfolio Manager

Since 2018

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

 

Minimum Initial Investment

Subsequent Minimum Investment

Class I

$1,000,000

No minimum

Class A

$1,000

No minimum

Class C

$1,000

No minimum

 

You can purchase and redeem shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. Shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through the Company by the means described below.

 

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Purchase and Redemption by Mail:

 

Regular Mail:
SGI Global Equity Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

Overnight Mail:
SGI Global Equity Fund
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Purchase and Redemption by Wire:

 

Before sending any wire, call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the “Transfer Agent”) at 855-744-8500 to confirm the current wire instructions for the Fund.

 

Redemption By Telephone:

 

If you select the option to redeem by telephone on your account application, you may call the Transfer Agent at 855-744-8500.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund Shares and other related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT EACH FUND’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

 

 

This section provides some additional information about the Funds’ investments and certain portfolio management techniques that the Funds may use. More information about the Funds’ investments and portfolio management techniques, and related risks, is included in the SAI.

 

Investment Objectives

 

Each Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company without shareholder approval. Shareholders will, however, receive 60 days’ prior notice of any changes. Any such changes may result in a Fund having an investment objective different from the objective that the shareholder considered appropriate at the time of investment in the Fund.

 

SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund

 

The SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund (the “U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund”) invests in stocks that exhibit lower volatile stock price patterns strengthening business metrics and quantitative factors that the Adviser anticipates will produce lower volatility. The U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund may sell a stock if it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, including if the Adviser identifies fundamental, ESG or legal risks or if the risk/return ranking declines due to increasing risk and/or decreasing return potential.

 

Portfolio Composition

 

The U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund has a policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities, primarily common stocks, of companies within the Russell 1000® Index and S&P 500® Index (for this paragraph only, the “80% Policy”). The 80% Policy is non-fundamental and can be changed by the Board upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders. The U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund must comply with its 80% Policy at the time the Fund invests its assets. Accordingly, when the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund no longer meets the 80% requirement as a result of circumstances beyond its control, such as changes in the value of portfolio holdings, it would not have to sell its holdings, but any new investments it makes would be consistent with its 80% Policy.

 

SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund

 

The SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund (the “U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund”) invests in stocks that exhibit lower volatile stock price patterns strengthening business metrics and quantitative factors that the Adviser anticipates will produce lower volatility. The U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund may sell a stock if it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, including if the Adviser identifies fundamental, ESG or legal risks or if the risk/return ranking declines due to increasing risk and/or decreasing return potential.

 

Portfolio Composition

 

Under normal circumstances, the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities, primarily common stocks of U.S. issuers with small market capitalizations (for this paragraph only, the “80% Policy”). A small market capitalization issuer generally is considered to be one whose market capitalization is, at the time the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund makes the investment, similar to the market capitalization of companies in the Russell 2000® Index. The Russell 2000® Index is a small cap stock market index measuring the performance of approximately 2,000 small cap U.S. companies. As of November 30, 2019, the median market capitalization of this index was $786 million and the largest stock was $9.1 billion. This policy is non-fundamental and can be changed by the Board upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders. The U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund must comply with its 80% Policy at the time the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund invests its assets. Accordingly, when the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund no longer meets the 80% requirement as a result of circumstances beyond its control, such as changes in the value of portfolio holdings, it would not have to sell its holdings, but any new investments it makes would be consistent with its 80% Policy.

 

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SGI Global Equity Fund

 

The SGI Global Equity Fund (the “Global Equity Fund”) invests in both U.S. and foreign stocks that exhibit lower volatile stock price patterns strengthening business metrics and quantitative factors that the Adviser anticipates will produce lower volatility. The Global Equity Fund may sell a stock if it no longer meets one or more investment criteria, including if the Adviser identifies fundamental, ESG or legal risks or if the risk/return ranking declines due to increasing risk and/or decreasing return potential.

 

Portfolio Composition

 

Under normal market conditions, the SGI Global Equity Fund invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities (for this paragraph only, the “80% Policy”). The Fund expects, under normal market conditions, to invest in at least three different countries and invest at least 40% (or, if conditions are not favorable, invest at least 30%) of its assets in non-U.S. companies (for this paragraph only, the “40% Policy”). The Fund defines non-U.S. companies as companies that (i) are organized under the laws of a foreign country; (ii) whose principal trading market is in a foreign country; or (iii) that have a majority of their assets or derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from businesses, investments or sales, outside of the United States. The 80% Policy and the 40% Policy are non-fundamental policies and can be changed by the Board upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders. The Fund must comply with the 80% Policy and the 40% Policy at the time the Fund invests its assets. Accordingly, when the SGI Global Equity Fund no longer meets the 80% Policy or the 40% Policy as a result of circumstances beyond its control, such as changes in the value of portfolio holdings, it would not have to sell its holdings but any new investment it makes would be consistent with its 80% Policy and 40% Policy.

 

Additional Information About Each Fund’s Principal Investments and Risks

 

Borrowing. Each Fund may borrow money for temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes. A Fund will not make any additional investments while borrowings exceed 5% of its total assets.

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities have characteristics of both equity and fixed income securities. The value of a convertible security tends to move with the market value of the underlying stock, but may also be affected by interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provisions. In particular, when interest rates rise, fixed income securities will decline in value.

 

Cyber Security Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Fund’s Adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountant, custodian, transfer agent and administrator), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Adviser has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

ESG Investing Risk. ESG investing risk is the risk stemming from the ESG factors that the Funds apply in selecting securities. The Funds intend to invest in companies with measurable high ESG ratings relative to their sector peers, and screen out particular companies that do not meet their ESG criteria. This may affect the Funds’ exposure to certain companies or industries and cause the Funds to forego certain investment opportunities. The Funds’ results may be lower than other funds that do not seek to invest in companies based on ESG ratings and/or screen out certain companies or industries. The Funds

 

22

 

 

 

seek to identify companies that they believe may have a societal impact outcome, but investors may differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative societal impact outcomes. As a result, the Funds may invest in companies that do not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor.

 

Equity and Equity-Related Securities. Each Fund will invest in equity securities as part of its principal investment strategies, including exchange-traded and over-the-counter common and preferred stocks, warrants and convertible securities. Investments in equity securities are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. Common stocks may decline over short or even extended periods of time. The purchase of warrants involves the risk that a Fund could lose the purchase value of a warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the warrant’s expiration. The value of such securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. The market value of a portfolio holding may fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. The prices of equity securities change in response to many factors, including the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of its assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity. Decreases in market value of a Fund’s portfolio securities could adversely affect the Fund’s NAV.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Investments. The Global Equity Fund will invest in foreign investments as part of its principal investment strategies. International investing is subject to special risks, including political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Global Equity Fund will invest in securities of foreign issuers that are traded or denominated in U.S. Dollars primarily through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders.

 

Mid-Cap Companies. The U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund and Global Equity Fund may each invest in mid-cap company securities as part of its principal investment strategies. Investing in securities of companies with mid-sized capitalizations tends to be riskier than investing in securities of companies with large capitalizations. Securities of companies with mid-sized capitalizations tend to be more volatile than those of large cap companies and, on occasion, may fluctuate in the opposite direction of large cap company securities or the broader stock market averages.

 

Other Investment Companies and ETFs. Each Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in the securities of other investment companies and ETFs not affiliated with the Adviser, but may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one investment company or acquire more than 3% of the voting securities of any other investment company. Among other things, a Fund may invest in money market mutual funds for cash management purposes by “sweeping” excess cash balances into such funds until the cash is invested or otherwise utilized. Rule 12d1-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), permits a Fund to invest an unlimited amount of its uninvested cash in a money market fund so long as, among other things, said investment is consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives and policies. Each Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by investment companies in which it invests in addition to the advisory and administration fees paid by the Fund.

 

Portfolio Turnover. Each Fund may engage in active and frequent trading, resulting in high portfolio turnover. This may lead to the realization and distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains, increasing their tax liability. Frequent trading may also increase transaction costs, which could detract from a Fund’s performance.

 

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Small-Cap Companies. The U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund will invest in small-cap companies as part of its principal investment strategies. Investments in common stocks in general are subject to market, economic and business risks that will cause their price to fluctuate over time. Therefore, an investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these fluctuations. Furthermore, while securities of small capitalization companies may offer greater opportunity for capital appreciation than larger companies, investment in such companies presents greater risks than investment in larger, more established companies. Indeed, historically, small capitalization stocks have been more volatile in price than larger capitalization stocks. Among the reasons for the greater price volatility of these securities are the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such stocks, and the potentially greater sensitivity of such small companies to changes in or failure of management, and to many other changes in competitive, business, industry and economic conditions, including risks associated with limited product lines, markets, management depth, or financial resources. Besides exhibiting greater volatility, micro and small company stocks may, to a degree, fluctuate independently of larger company stocks. Small company stocks may decline in price as large company stocks rise, or rise in price as large company stocks decline. Investors should therefore expect that the price of the Fund’s shares will be more volatile than the shares of a fund that invests in larger capitalization stocks. Additionally, while the markets in securities of small companies have grown rapidly in recent years, such securities may trade less frequently and in smaller volume than more widely held securities. The values of these securities may fluctuate more sharply than those of other securities, and the Fund may experience some difficulty in establishing or closing out positions in these securities at prevailing market prices. There may be less publicly available information about the issuers of these securities or less market interest in such securities than in the case of larger companies, and it may take a longer period of time for the prices of such securities to reflect the full value of their issuers’ underlying earnings potential or assets.

 

Temporary Investments. Each Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by taking a temporary defensive position (up to 100% of its assets) in cash, cash equivalents and all types of money market and short-term debt securities. The value of money market instruments tends to fall when current interest rates rise. Money market instruments are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than longer-term securities. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

 

Broad-Based Securities Market Index

 

The S&P 500® Index is an unmanaged index composed of 500 common stocks, classified in eleven industry sectors, which represent approximately 75% of the U.S. equities market. The S&P 500® Index assigns relative values to the stocks included in the index, weighted according to each stock’s total market value relative to the total market value of the other stocks included in the index.

 

The Russell 2000® Index is an unmanaged index that consists of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000® Index and represents approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000® Index.

 

The MSCI ACWI Index captures large and mid cap representation across 23 Developed Markets (“DM”) and 26 Emerging Markets (“EM”) countries.

 

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of each Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Funds’ SAI. The SAI is incorporated herein.

 

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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

 

 

Investment Adviser

 

The Adviser’s principal address is 620 South Main St., Bountiful, Utah 84010. The Adviser provides investment management and investment advisory services to investment companies and other institutional accounts. The Adviser is 100% privately-owned, and was founded in 2010.

 

The Board approved the Adviser to serve as the Global Equity Fund’s investment adviser effective January 1, 2017. Returns shown for periods prior to January 1, 2017 were generated under the management of the Global Equity Fund’s former investment adviser.

 

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Company, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee computed daily and payable monthly at the annual rate of 0.70%, 0.95%, and 0.70% of the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund’s, the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund’s, and the Global Equity Fund’s average daily net assets, respectively. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive management fees and reimburse expenses through February 28, 2021 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) of the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund exceed 0.98%, 1.23% and 1.98% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive management fees and reimburse expenses through February 28, 2021 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) of the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund 1.23%, 1.48% and 2.23% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its advisory fee and reimburse expenses in order to keep Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) of the Global Equity Fund from exceeding 0.84% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares, 1.09% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class A Shares and 1.84% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class C Shares until February 28, 2021.

 

In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses with respect to the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively, to exceed 0.98%, 1.23% or 1.98%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation may not be terminated before February 28, 2021 without the approval of the Board. If at any time the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses with respect to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares for that year are less than 0.98%, 1.23% or 1.98%, as applicable, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, after recoupments, the Adviser received 0.77% of the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund’s average net assets in investment advisory fees from the Fund. Had the ability to recoup previously waived/reimbursed amounts not been in place, the Adviser would have received 0.70% of the Fund’s average net assets in advisory fees from the Fund.

 

In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses with respect to the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively, to exceed 1.23%, 1.48% or 2.23%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation may not be terminated before February 28, 2021 without the approval of the Board. If at any time the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses with respect to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares for that year are less than 1.23%, 1.48% or 2.23%, as applicable, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, after waivers, the Adviser received 0.78% of the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund’s average net assets in investment advisory fees from the Fund. Had fee waivers not been in place, the Adviser would have received 0.95% of the Fund’s average net assets in advisory fees from the Fund.

 

25

 

 

 

In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses with respect to the Global Equity Fund, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively, to exceed 0.84%, 1.09% or 1.84%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation may not be terminated before February 28, 2021 without the approval of the Board. If at any time the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses with respect to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares for that year are less than 0.84%, 1.09% or 1.84%, as applicable, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, after waivers, the Adviser received 0.43% of the Global Equity Fund’s average net assets in investment advisory fees from the Fund. Had fee waivers not been in place, the Adviser would have received 0.70% of the Fund’s average net assets in advisory fees from the Fund.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the investment advisory agreements for the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, and the Global Equity Fund with the Adviser is available in the Funds’ annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The President of the Adviser, David Harden, is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s investment portfolio. Mr. Harden founded the Adviser in 2010, and has managed the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund and U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund since their inception dates of February 29, 2012 and March 31, 2016, respectively. Mr. Harden has managed the Global Equity Fund since January 1, 2017. He started his career in 1993 and has worked for such firms as Fidelity Investments, Wellington Management and Evergreen Investments. From 2007 to 2012, Mr. Harden worked with Ensign Peak Advisors, Inc., most recently as Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, where he managed and oversaw day-to-day research, portfolio management and trading for all index, quantitative and low volatility strategies.

 

Richard Thawley is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Thawley joined the Adviser in 2013 as an Investment Analyst. Mr. Thawley has a BS from Brigham Young University. From 2009 to 2010, Mr. Thawley worked as a marketing analyst at Aegon, N.V. From 2010 to 2011, he worked as an analyst at Provident Generation. From 2012 to 2013, Mr. Thawley worked at BYU Broadcasting as a research analyst.

 

Matthew Hanna is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s investment portfolio. Mr. Hanna joined the Adviser in 2017 as a Portfolio Manager. At the Adviser, Mr. Hanna focuses on all aspects of the investment process with a primary focus on quantitative investment management. Some of Mr. Hanna’s key responsibilities are factor research, optimization methodologies, asset allocation, and portfolio risk management. Mr. Hanna was previously employed at Raymond James for over 10 years in the Asset Management Services. Mr. Hanna’s role as an officer involved leading research on asset allocation, risk management, and global market analysis on over $35 billion. Mr. Hanna earned his Master of Science in Finance from the University of Tampa. He is a CFA Charterholder, Certified FRM, and CAIA Charterholder.

 

Aash Shah is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s investment portfolio. Mr. Shah joined the Adviser in 2017 as a Portfolio Manager. Mr. Shah has over 26 years of investment management experience including over 21 years as a portfolio manager. Previously, Mr. Shah managed small, mid, and large cap funds for Federated Investors in both New York City and Pittsburgh. Mr. Shah also managed private client portfolios for Key Bank in Denver prior to joining the Adviser. Mr. Shah has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the Tepper School at Carnegie Mellon University. He also holds a CFA charter.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of shares of the Funds.

 

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SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

 

Pricing of Fund Shares

 

Class I Shares and Class C Shares of the Funds are sold at their NAV. Class A Shares of the Funds are sold at their NAV, plus a front-end sales charge, if applicable. The NAV per share of each class of shares of the Funds is calculated as follows:

 

     

Value of Assets Attributable to a Class

 
 

NAV

=

– Value of Liabilities Attributable to the same Class

 
     

Number of Outstanding of the Class

 

 

Each Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. The NYSE is generally open Monday through Friday, except national holidays. The NYSE also may be closed on national days of mourning or due to natural disaster or other extraordinary events or emergency. Due to the fact that different expenses are charged to each Class of shares, the NAV of each Class of a Fund may vary. A Fund will effect purchases of Fund shares at the NAV, plus any applicable sales charge, next calculated after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your purchase order in good order. The Funds will effect redemptions of Fund shares at the NAV next calculated after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your redemption request in good order.

 

A Fund’s equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange market system will be valued at the last sale price, except for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (“NASDAQ”). Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ will be valued at the official closing price. Equity securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at their closing prices. If there were no transactions on that day, equity securities will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. Fixed income securities are valued using an independent pricing service, which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings, and deemed representative of market values at the close of the market.

 

Investments in other open-end investment companies are valued based on the NAV of those investment companies (which may use fair value pricing as discussed in their prospectuses). Investments in exchange-traded and closed-end funds will be valued at their market price.

 

If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Funds’ administrator, in consultation with the Adviser, securities will be valued by the Adviser in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board’s ultimate supervision. Relying on prices supplied by pricing services or dealers or using fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by a Fund to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other investment companies and investors to price the same investments.

 

 

27

 

 

 

Sales Charges — Class A Shares ONLY

 

General. Purchases of Class A Shares of the Funds are subject to a front-end sales charge of up to five and one-quarter percent (5.25%) of the total purchase price; however, sales charges may be reduced for large purchases as indicated below. Sales charges are not imposed on shares that are purchased with reinvested dividends or other distributions. The table below indicates the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested. The term “offering price” includes the front-end sales charge. Because of rounding in the calculation of the “offering price”, the actual sales charge you pay may be more or less than that calculated using the percentages shown below.

 

Amount of Purchase of Class A Shares

Sales Charge as a
% of Offering Price

Commission as a
% of Offering Price

Less than $50,000

5.25%

4.75%

At least $50,000 but less than $100,000

4.75%

4.25%

At least $100,000 but less than $250,000

3.50%

3.25%

At least $250,000 but less than $500,000

2.50%

2.25%

At least $500,000 but less than $750,000

2.00%

1.90%

At least $750,000 but less than $1,000,000

1.50%

1.45%

$1,000,000 or greater

None*

**

 

 

*

No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1,000,000 or more; however, a 1% contingent deferred sales charge is imposed in the event of redemption within 18 months following any such purchase. See the section entitled “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions.”

 

**

Brokers who initiate and are responsible for purchases of $1,000,000 or more may receive a commission of up to 1% of the offering price of Class A Shares.

 

Rights of Accumulation. You will have the benefit of a reduced sales charge by combining your purchase of Class A shares of a Fund in a single transaction with your purchase of Class A shares of another Fund. You may also combine your new purchase of Class A shares of a Fund with Class C shares currently owned for the purpose of qualifying for the lower initial sales charge rates that apply to larger purchases. The applicable sales charge for the new purchase is based on the total of your current purchase and the current NAV of all other shares you own. You may combine your account, your spouse’s account, and the account(s) of your children under age 25.

 

This privilege is also extended to certain employee benefit plans and trust estates. The following purchases may be combined for purposes of determining the “Amount of Purchase:” (a) individual purchases, if made at the same time, by a single purchaser, the purchaser’s spouse and children under the age of 25 purchasing shares for their own accounts, including shares purchased by a qualified retirement plan(s) exclusively for the benefit of such individual(s) (such as an IRA, individual-type section 403(b) plan or single-participant Keogh-type plan) or by a “Company,” as defined in Section 2(a)(8) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), solely controlled, as defined in the 1940 Act, by such individual(s), or (b) individual purchases by trustees or other fiduciaries purchasing shares (i) for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account, including an employee benefit plan, or (ii) concurrently by two or more employee benefit plans for a single employer or of employers affiliated with each other in accordance with Section 2(a)(3)(c) of the 1940 Act (excluding in either case an employee benefit plan described in (a) above), provided such trustees or other fiduciaries purchase shares in a single payment. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts may not be combined with purchases made for such other accounts. You may also further discuss Rights of Accumulation with your investment broker, brokerage firm, financial institution, or other industry professional, including affiliates of the Adviser (collectively, “Service Organizations”).

 

You will need to provide written instruction with respect to the other accounts whose purchases should be considered in rights of accumulation.

 

Letter of Intent. By signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) you can reduce your Class A sales charge. Your individual purchases will be made at the applicable sales charge based on the amount you intend to invest over a 13-month period. The LOI will apply to all purchases of the Funds’ Class A Shares. Any shares purchased within 90 days of the date you sign the

 

28

 

 

 

letter of intent may be used as credit toward completion, but the reduced sales charge will only apply to new purchases made on or after that date. Purchases resulting from the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains do not apply toward fulfillment of the LOI. Shares equal to 5.25% of the amount of the LOI will be held in escrow during the 13-month period. If, at the end of that time the total amount of purchases made is less than the amount intended, you will be required to pay the difference between the reduced sales charge and the sales charge applicable to the individual purchases had the LOI not been in effect. This amount will be obtained from redemption of the escrow shares. Any remaining escrow shares will be released to you.

 

If you establish an LOI with the Funds, you can aggregate your accounts as well as accounts defined in the Combined Purchase Privilege section of the prospectus. You will need to provide written instruction with respect to the other accounts whose purchases should be considered in fulfillment of the LOI.

 

Sales Charge Waivers. The Funds sell Class A Shares at NAV without imposition of a sales charge to the following persons:

 

 

current and retired (as determined by the Adviser) employees of the Adviser and its affiliates, their spouses and children under the age of 25 and employee benefit plans for such employees, provided orders for such purchases are placed by the employee;

 

 

any other investment company in connection with the combination of such company with the Fund by merger, acquisition of assets or otherwise;

 

 

Directors of the Company and registered representatives of Service Organizations;

 

 

existing advisory clients of the Adviser on purchases effected by transferring all or a portion of their investment management or trust account to the Fund, provided that such account had been maintained for a period of six months prior to the date of purchase of Fund shares;

 

 

trust companies, bank trust departments and registered investment advisers purchasing for accounts over which they exercise investment authority and which are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity, provided that the amount collectively invested or to be invested in the Fund by such entity or adviser during the subsequent 13-month period totals at least $50,000;

 

 

employer-sponsored retirement plans with assets of at least $50,000 or 25 or more eligible participants; and

 

 

accounts established under a fee-based program sponsored and maintained by a registered broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and approved by the Distributor.

 

In order to take advantage of a sales charge waiver, a purchaser must certify to the Service Organization eligibility for a waiver and must notify the Service Organization whenever eligibility for a waiver ceases to exist. A Service Organization reserves the right to request additional information from a purchaser in order to verify that such purchaser is so eligible. Such information may include account statements or other records regarding shares of the Fund held by you or your immediate family household members.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions. Purchases of $1,000,000 or more are not subject to an initial sales charge; however, a contingent deferred sales charge is payable on these investments in the event of a share redemption within 18 months following the share purchase, at the rate of 1% of the lesser of the value of the shares redeemed (exclusive of reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions) or the total cost of such shares. In determining whether a contingent deferred sales charge is payable, and the amount of the charge, it is assumed that shares purchased with reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions and then other shares held the longest are the first redeemed. The contingent deferred sales charge is further discussed in the SAI.

 

Market Timing

 

In accordance with the policy adopted by its Board, the Company discourages and does not accommodate market timing and other excessive trading practices. Purchases should be made with a view to longer-term investment only. Excessive short-term (market timing) trading practices may disrupt portfolio management strategies, increase brokerage

 

29

 

 

 

and administrative costs, harm Fund performance and result in dilution in the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders. The Company and the Adviser reserve the right to (i) reject a purchase or exchange order, (ii) delay payment of immediate cash redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days, (iii) revoke a shareholder’s privilege to purchase Fund shares (including exchanges), or (iv) limit the amount of any exchange involving the purchase of Fund shares. An investor may receive notice that their purchase order or exchange has been rejected after the day the order is placed or after acceptance by a financial intermediary. It is currently expected that a shareholder would receive notice that its purchase order or exchange has been rejected within 48 hours after such purchase order or exchange has been received by the Company in good order. The Company and the Adviser will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected purchase orders. To minimize harm to the Company and its shareholders (or the Adviser), the Company (or the Adviser) will exercise its right if, in the Company’s (or the Adviser’s) judgment, an investor has a history of excessive trading or if an investor’s trading, in the judgment of the Company (or the Adviser), has been or may be disruptive to a Fund. No waivers of the provisions of the policy established to detect and deter market timing and other excessive trading activity are permitted that would harm a Fund and its shareholders or would subordinate the interests of a Fund and its shareholders to those of the Adviser or any affiliated person or associated person of the Adviser.

 

There is no assurance that the Adviser will be able to identify market timers, particularly if they are investing through intermediaries.

 

If necessary, the Company may prohibit additional purchases of Fund shares by a financial intermediary or by certain customers of the financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries may also monitor their customers’ trading activities in the Funds. The criteria used by intermediaries to monitor for excessive trading may differ from the criteria used by the Company. If a financial intermediary fails to enforce the Company’s excessive trading policies, the Company may take certain actions, including terminating the relationship.

 

Purchase of Fund Shares

 

Shares representing interests in a Fund are offered continuously for sale by Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”).

 

The Board has approved a Distribution Agreement and adopted Plans of Distribution for Class A Shares and Class C Shares (the “Plans”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Plans, the Distributor is entitled to receive from each respective Fund a distribution fee with respect to Class A Shares and Class C Shares of the Funds, which is accrued daily and paid monthly, of up to 0.25% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares and of up to 1.00% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets of the Class C Shares. The actual amount of such compensation under the Plans is agreed upon by the Board and by the Distributor. Because these fees are paid out of each respective Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment in Class A Shares and Class C Shares and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Amounts paid to the Distributor under the Plans may be used by the Distributor to cover expenses that are related to (i) the sale of Class A Shares and Class C Shares, (ii) ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of Class A and Class C shareholders, and (iii) sub-transfer agency services, subaccounting services or administrative services related to the sale of Class A Shares and Class C Shares, all as set forth in the Plans. Ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of Class A and Class C shareholders may include updating and mailing prospectuses and shareholder reports, responding to inquiries regarding shareholder accounts and acting as agent or intermediary between shareholders and the respective Fund or its service providers. The Distributor may delegate some or all of these functions to Service Organizations. See “Purchases Through Intermediaries” below.

 

The Plans obligate each respective Fund, during the period it is in effect, to accrue and pay to the Distributor on behalf of the Class A Shares and Class C Shares the fee agreed to under the Distribution Agreement. Payments under the Plans are not tied exclusively to expenses actually incurred by the Distributor, and the payments may exceed distribution expenses actually incurred.

 

Purchases Through Intermediaries. Shares of the Funds may also be available through Service Organizations. Certain features of the shares, such as the initial and subsequent investment minimums and certain trading restrictions, may be modified or waived by Service Organizations. Service Organizations may impose transaction or administrative charges or other direct fees, which charges and fees would not be imposed if shares are purchased directly from the Company.

 

30

 

 

 

Therefore, you should contact the Service Organization acting on your behalf concerning the fees (if any) charged in connection with a purchase or redemption of shares and should read this Prospectus in light of the terms governing your accounts with the Service Organization. Service Organizations will be responsible for promptly transmitting client or customer purchase and redemption orders to the Company in accordance with their agreements with the Company or its agent and with clients or customers. Service Organizations or, if applicable, their designees that have entered into agreements with the Company or its agent may enter confirmed purchase orders on behalf of clients and customers, with payment to follow no later than the Company’s pricing on the following Business Day. If payment is not received by such time, the Service Organization could be held liable for resulting fees or losses. The Company will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when a Service Organization, or, if applicable, its authorized designee, accepts a purchase or redemption order in good order if the order is actually received by the Company in good order not later than the next business morning. If a purchase order is not received by a Fund in good order, the Transfer Agent will contact the financial intermediary to determine the status of the purchase order. Orders received by the Company in good order will be priced at the appropriate Fund’s NAV, plus any applicable sales charge, next computed after they are deemed to have been received by the Service Organization or its authorized designee.

 

For administration, sub-accounting, transfer agency and/or other services, the Adviser, the Distributor or their affiliates may pay Service Organizations and certain recordkeeping organizations a fee (the “Service Fee”) relating to the average annual NAV of accounts with the Company maintained by such Service Organizations or recordkeepers. The Service Fee payable to any one Service Organization is determined based upon a number of factors, including the nature and quality of services provided, the operations processing requirements of the relationship and the standardized fee schedule of the Service Organization or recordkeeper.

 

In addition to fees a Fund may pay to a Service Organization under the Plans, a Fund may enter into agreements with Service Organizations pursuant to which the Fund will pay a Service Organization for networking, sub-transfer agency, sub-administration and/or sub-accounting services. These payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by the Service Organization or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by the Service Organization. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial.

 

Class I Shares of each Fund may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Company to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Class I Shares of a Fund through one of these programs, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker.

 

General. You may also purchase shares of the Funds at the NAV per share, plus any applicable sales charge, next calculated after your order is received by the Transfer Agent in good order as described below. Each Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. After an initial purchase is made, the Transfer Agent will set up an account for you on the Company’s records. The minimum initial investment in the Funds is $1,000,000 for Class I Shares. The minimum initial investment in the Funds for Class A Shares and Class C Shares is $1,000. Investors in Class A Shares and Class C Shares under the Automatic Investment Plan must invest at least $100 on a monthly basis via the Automatic Investment Plan. The minimum initial investment requirements may be reduced or waived from time to time. For purposes of meeting the minimum initial purchase, purchases by clients which are part of endowments, foundations or other related groups may be combined. You can purchase shares of the Funds only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described below. Shares may be purchased by principals and employees of the Adviser and its subsidiaries and by their spouses and children either directly or through any trust that has the principal, employee, spouse or child as the primary beneficiaries, their individual retirement accounts, or any pension and profit-sharing plan of the Adviser and its subsidiaries without being subject to the minimum investment limitations.

 

Initial Investment By Mail. Subject to acceptance by the Funds, an account may be opened by completing and signing an Account Application and mailing it to the Transfer Agent at the address noted below, together with a check payable to the Fund that you are purchasing. All checks must be in U.S. Dollars drawn on a domestic bank. The Funds will not accept payment in cash or money orders. The Funds do not accept post-dated checks or any conditional order or payment. To prevent check fraud, the Funds will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares.

 

31

 

 

 

Regular Mail

 

Summit Global Investments Funds
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

Overnight or Express Mail

 

Summit Global Investments Funds
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207

 

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the Transfer Agent of the Fund. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

Shares will be purchased at the NAV plus any applicable sales charges next computed after the time the application and funds are received in proper order and accepted by the Funds. The Transfer Agent will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Funds, for any payment that is returned. It is the policy of the Funds not to accept applications under certain circumstances or in amounts considered disadvantageous to shareholders. The Funds reserve the right to reject any application.

 

Initial Investment By Wire. If you are making your first investment in the Funds, before you wire funds, the Transfer Agent must have a completed account application. You may mail or overnight deliver your account application to the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of your completed account application, the Transfer Agent will establish an account for you. The account number assigned will be required as part of the instruction that should be provided to your bank to send the wire. Your bank must include both the name of the Fund you are purchasing, the account number, and your name so that monies can be correctly applied. Your bank should transmit funds by wire to:

 

Wire Instructions:
U.S. Bank National Association
777 East Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee WI 53202
ABA 075000022
Credit:
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services
Account #112-952-137
For Further Credit to:
[Summit Fund Name]
(shareholder registration)
(shareholder account number)

 

Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to be eligible for same day pricing. The Funds and U.S. Bank, N.A. are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions.

 

Subsequent Investments – By Wire. Before sending your wire, please contact the Transfer Agent to advise them of your intent to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit upon receipt of your wire.

 

Telephone Purchase. Investors may purchase additional shares of the Funds by calling 1-855-744-8500. If you did not decline this option on your account application, and your account has been open for at least 7 business days, telephone orders, in amounts of $100 or more, will be accepted via electronic funds transfer from your bank account through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) network. You must have banking information established on your account prior to making a purchase. If your order is received prior to 4 p.m. Eastern time, your shares will be purchased at the NAV calculated on the day your order is placed.

 

In order to arrange for telephone options after an account has been opened or to change your bank account, a written request must be sent to the Transfer Agent. The request must be signed by each shareholder of the account and may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other form of signature authentication from a financial institution source.

 

32

 

 

 

Additional Investments. Additional investments may be made at any time by purchasing shares at the NAV per share plus any applicable sales charge of a Fund by mailing a check to the Transfer Agent at the address noted above under “Investment by Mail” or by wiring as outlined above under “Investment by Wire”. Initial and additional purchases made by check or electronic funds transfer (ACH) cannot be redeemed until payment of the purchase has been collected. This may take up to 15 calendar days from the purchase date. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option.

 

Automatic Investment Plan. Once your account has been opened with the initial minimum investment, you may make additional purchases at regular intervals through an automatic investment plan (the “Automatic Investment Plan”). The Automatic Investment Plan provides a convenient method to have monies deducted from your bank account, for investment into a Fund, on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis. Investors in Class A Shares and Class C Shares under the Automatic Investment Plan must invest at least $100 on a monthly basis via the Automatic Investment Plan. In order to participate in the Automatic Investment Plan, your financial institution must be a member of the ACH network. Minimum monthly payments are $100 for Class A Shares and Class C Shares and $1,000 for Class I Shares. If your bank rejects your payment, the Funds’ transfer agent will charge a $25 fee to your account. To begin participating in the Automatic Investment Plan, please complete the Automatic Investment Plan section on the account application or call the Funds’ Transfer Agent at 1-855-744-8500 for instructions. Any request to change or terminate your Automatic Investment Plan should be submitted to the Transfer Agent five (5) days prior to effective date.

 

Retirement Plans/IRA Accounts. The Funds offer prototype documents for a variety of retirement accounts for individuals and small businesses. Please call 1-855-744-8500 for information on:

 

 

Individual Retirement Plan, including Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs

 

 

Small Business Retirement Plans, including Simple IRAs and SEP IRAs

 

 

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts

 

There may be special distribution requirements for a retirement account, such as required distributions or mandatory federal income tax withholding. For more information, call the number listed above. You may be charged a $15 annual account maintenance fee for each retirement account up to a maximum of $30 annually and a $25 fee for transferring assets to another custodian or for closing a retirement account.

 

Purchases in Kind. In certain circumstances, shares of the Funds may be purchased “in kind” (i.e. in exchange for securities, rather than cash). The securities rendered in connection with an in-kind purchase must be liquid securities that are not restricted as to transfer and have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Company’s valuation procedures. Securities accepted by a Fund will be valued, as set forth in this Prospectus, as of the time of the next determination of NAV after such acceptance. The shares of the Fund that are issued to the investor in exchange for the securities will be determined as of the same time. All dividends, subscriptions, or other rights that are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at the time of valuation become the property of the Fund and must be delivered to the Fund by the investor upon receipt from the issuer. A Fund will not accept securities in exchange for its shares unless such securities are, at the time of the exchange, eligible to be held by the Fund and satisfy such other conditions as may be imposed by the Adviser or the Company. Purchases in-kind may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on securities transferred to the Funds.

 

Other Purchase Information. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of shares or to reject purchase orders when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interest of the Funds. The Adviser will monitor each Fund’s total assets and may, subject to Board approval, decide to close a Fund at any time to new investments or to new accounts due to concerns that a significant increase in the size of the Fund may adversely affect the implementation of the Fund’s strategy. The Adviser, subject to Board approval, may also choose to reopen a Fund to new investments at any time, and may subsequently close the Fund again should concerns regarding the Fund’s size recur. If a Fund closes to new investments, the Fund may be offered only to certain existing shareholders of the Fund and certain other persons who may be subject to cumulative, maximum purchase amounts, as follows:

 

 

a.

persons who already hold shares of the closed Fund directly or through accounts maintained by brokers by arrangement with the Adviser;

 

33

 

 

 

 

b.

employees of the Adviser and their spouses, parents and children; and

 

 

c.

Directors of the Company.

 

Distributions to all shareholders of a closed Fund will continue to be reinvested unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Adviser, subject to the Board’s discretion, reserves the right to implement specific purchase limitations at the time of closing, including limitations on current shareholders.

 

Purchases of a Fund’s shares will be made in full and fractional shares of the Fund calculated to three decimal places. Certificates for shares will not be issued.

 

Shares may be purchased and subsequent investments may be made by principals and employees of the Adviser and their family members, either directly or through their IRAs and by any pension and profit-sharing plan of the Adviser, without being subject to the minimum investment limitation.

 

The Adviser is authorized to waive the minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements.

 

Good Order. A purchase request is considered to be in good order when all necessary information is provided and all required documents are properly completed, signed and delivered (i.e. the purchase request includes the name of the Fund; the dollar amount of shares to be purchased; your account application or investment stub; and a check payable to the Fund). Purchase requests not in good order may be rejected.

 

Customer Identification Program. In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, please note that the Transfer Agent will verify certain information on your account application as part of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. As requested on the account application, you must supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. If you are opening the account in the name of a legal entity (e.g., partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, etc.), you must also supply the identity of the beneficial owners. Mailing addresses containing only a P. O. Box will not be accepted. If you need additional assistance when completing your account application, please contact the Transfer Agent at 1-855-744-8500.

 

Applications without the required information, may not be accepted. After acceptance, to the extent permitted by applicable law or its customer identification program, the Company reserves the right (a) to place limits on transactions in any account until the identity of the investor is verified; or (b) to refuse an investment in a Company portfolio or to involuntarily redeem an investor’s shares and close an account in the event that an investor’s identity is not verified. The Company and its agents will not be responsible for any loss in an investor’s account resulting from the investor’s delay in providing all required identifying information or from closing an account and redeeming an investor’s shares when an investor’s identity cannot be verified.

 

Redemption of Fund Shares

 

You may redeem shares of the Funds at the next NAV calculated after a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. A Fund’s NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. You can redeem shares of a Fund only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described below.

 

You may redeem shares of a Fund by mail, or, if you are authorized, by telephone. The value of shares redeemed may be more or less than the purchase price, depending on the market value of the investment securities held by the Fund.

 

Redemption By Mail. Your redemption requests should be addressed to [Summit Fund Name], c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701, or for overnight delivery to [Summit Fund Name], c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 and must include:

 

A signature guarantee, from either a Medallion program member or a non-Medallion program member, is required in the following situations:

 

 

If ownership is being changed on your account;

 

 

When redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account not on record; and

 

34

 

 

 

 

When a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent and the account address has changed within the last 15 calendar days.

 

The Funds may waive any of the above requirements in certain instances. In addition to the situations described above, the Funds and/or the Transfer Agent reserve the right to require a signature guarantee in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.

 

Non-financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services on an account, may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source.

 

Signature guarantees will generally be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in the NYSE Medallion Signature Program and the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”). A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor.

 

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the Transfer Agent of the Funds. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

Redemption By Telephone. If you did not decline telephone options on your account application, you may initiate a redemption of shares in the amount up to the total value of the account by calling the Transfer Agent at 1-855-744-8500.

 

Investors may have a check sent to the address of record, proceeds may be wired to a shareholder’s bank account of record, or funds may be sent via electronic funds transfer through the ACH network, also to the bank account of record. Wires are subject to a $15 fee paid by the investor, but the investor does not incur any charge when proceeds are sent via the ACH system. Once a telephone transaction has been placed, it cannot be canceled or modified after the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

In order to arrange for telephone options after an account has been opened or to change your bank account, a written request must be sent to the Transfer Agent. The request must be signed by each shareholder of the account and may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other form of signature authentication from a financial institution source.

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

Before executing an instruction received by telephone, the Transfer Agent will use reasonable procedures to confirm that the telephone instructions are genuine. The telephone call may be recorded and the caller may be asked to verify certain personal identification information. If the Funds or their agents follow these procedures, they cannot be held liable for any loss, expense or cost arising out of any telephone redemption request that is reasonably believed to be genuine. This includes fraudulent or unauthorized requests. If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, the Funds will accept telephone instructions from any one owner or authorized person.

 

Exchange Privilege. You can exchange your shares of a Fund for shares of the same class in an identically registered account of another Fund on any day that both the Fund and the Fund into which you are exchanging are open for business. Any new account established through an exchange will be subject to the minimum investment requirements applicable to the shares acquired. Exchanges will be executed on the basis of the relative NAV of the shares exchanged. Consequently, you may receive fewer shares or more shares than originally owned, depending on that day’s NAVs. Your total value of the initially held shares will equal the total value of the new shares. Be sure to read the current Prospectus for the Fund into which you are exchanging.

 

Beneficial holders with financial intermediary sponsored fee-based programs may be eligible to exchange their shares in a particular share class of a Fund for Shares in a different share class of that Fund if the shareholder meets the eligibility requirements for that class of shares or the shareholder is otherwise eligible to purchase that class of shares. Such an

 

35

 

 

 

exchange will be effected at the NAV of the shares next calculated after the exchange request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. Investors who hold Class I Shares of the Fund through a fee-based program, but who subsequently become ineligible to participate in the program or withdraw from the program, may be subject to conversion of their Class I Shares by their program provider to another class of shares of the Fund having expenses (including Rule 12b-1 fees) that may be higher than the expenses of the Class I Shares. Investors should contact their program provider to obtain information about their eligibility for the provider’s program and the class of shares they would receive upon such a conversion.

 

An exchange of shares of one Fund for shares of another Fund is considered a sale and generally results in a capital gain or loss for federal income tax purposes unless you are a tax-exempt investor or hold your shares through a tax-deferred account such as an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

IRA and other retirement plan redemptions. If you have an IRA, you must indicate on your written redemption request whether or not to withhold federal income tax. Redemption requests failing to indicate an election to have tax withheld will be subject to 10% withholding.

 

Shares held in IRA accounts may be redeemed by telephone at 1-855-744-8500. Investors will be asked whether or not to withhold taxes from any distribution.

 

Other Redemption Information. Redemption proceeds for shares of a Fund recently purchased by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network may not be distributed until payment for the purchase has been collected, which may take up to fifteen calendar days from the purchase date. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option. Redemption proceeds will ordinarily be paid within seven business days after a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. The Company may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date at times when the NYSE or the bond market is closed or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC. The Fund typically expects to meet redemption requests by paying out proceeds from cash or cash equivalent holdings, or by selling portfolio securities. In stressed market conditions, redemption methods may include redeeming in kind.

 

If the Board determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of a Fund to make payment wholly or partly in cash, redemption proceeds may be paid in whole or in part by an in-kind distribution of readily marketable securities held by the Fund instead of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC and the Company’s Policy and Procedure Related to the Processing of In-Kind Redemptions. Investors generally will incur brokerage charges on the sale of portfolio securities so received in the payment of redemptions. If a shareholder receives redemption proceeds in-kind, the shareholder will bear the market risk of the securities received in the redemption until their disposition and should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, so that each Fund is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund.

 

Good Order. A redemption request is considered to be in good order when your request includes: (1) the name of the Fund, (2) the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, (3) the account number and (4) signatures by all of the shareholders whose names appear on the account registration with a signature guarantee, if applicable. Redemption requests not in good order may be delayed.

 

Involuntary Redemption. The Funds reserve the right to redeem your account at any time the value of the account falls below $500 as the result of a redemption or an exchange request.

 

You will be notified in writing that the value of your account is less than $500 and will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed.

 

The Funds may assert the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse a Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

36

 

 

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

Each Fund will distribute substantially all of the net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, of the Fund to the Fund’s shareholders. All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional shares unless you elect otherwise.

 

Each Fund will declare and pay dividends from net investment income annually. Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed at least annually.

 

The ex-dividend, record and payable dates of any annual distribution will be available by calling 855-744-8500.

 

All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional shares unless you elect one the following options: (1) receive dividends in cash while reinvesting capital gain distributions in additional Fund shares; (2) receive capital gain distributions in cash while reinvesting dividends in additional Fund shares; or (3) receive all distributions in cash. If you elect to receive distributions and/or capital gains paid in cash, and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months, the Funds reserve the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account, at a Fund’s current NAV, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions. You may change the distribution option on your account as any time. You should notify the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next distribution.

 

Taxes

 

The following is a summary of certain United States tax considerations relevant under current law, which may be subject to change in the future. Except where otherwise indicated, the discussion relates to investors who are individual United States citizens or residents. You should consult your tax adviser for further information regarding federal, state, local and/or foreign tax consequences relevant to your specific situation.

 

Distributions. Each Fund contemplates distributing as dividends each year all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). Except as otherwise discussed below, you will be subject to federal income tax on Fund distributions regardless of whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Fund distributions attributable to short-term capital gains and net investment income will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income, except as discussed below.

 

Distributions attributable to the net capital gain of a Fund will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. The maximum long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals, estates, and trusts is currently 23.8% (which includes a 3.8% Medicare tax). You will be notified annually of the tax status of distributions to you.

 

Distributions of “qualifying dividends” will also generally be taxable to you at long-term capital gain rates, as long as certain requirements are met. In general, if 95% or more of the gross income of a Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of dividends received from domestic corporations or “qualified” foreign corporations (“qualifying dividends”), then all distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be taxed at long-term capital gains rates. But if less than 95% of the gross income of a Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of qualifying dividends, then distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be qualifying dividends only to the extent they are derived from qualifying dividends earned by the Fund. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before a Fund’s ex-dividend date (and the Fund will need to have met a similar holding period requirement with respect to the shares of the corporation paying the qualifying dividend). The amount of a Fund’s distributions that qualify for this favorable treatment may be reduced as a result of the Fund’s securities lending activities (if any), a high portfolio turnover rate or investments in debt securities or non-qualified foreign corporations.

 

Each Fund may make distributions to you of “section 199A dividends” with respect to qualified dividends that it receives with respect to such Fund’s investments in REITs. A section 199A dividend is any dividend or part of such dividend that such Fund pays to you and reports as a section 199A dividend in written statements furnished to you. Distributions paid by a Fund that are eligible to be treated as section 199A dividends for a taxable year may not exceed the “qualified REIT dividends” received by such Fund from a REIT reduced by the Fund’s allocable expenses. Section 199A dividends may be

 

37

 

 

 

taxed to individuals and other non-corporate shareholders at a reduced effective federal income tax rate, provided you have satisfied a holding period requirement for such Fund’s shares and satisfied certain other conditions. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your applicable Fund shares for at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date, but only to the extent that you are not under an obligation (under a short-sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property.

 

Distributions from a Fund will generally be taxable to you in the taxable year in which they are paid, with one exception. Distributions declared by a Fund in October, November or December and paid in January of the following year are taxed as though they were paid on December 31.

 

The Funds may be subject to foreign withholding or other foreign taxes on income or gain from certain foreign securities. If more than 50% of the value of the total assets of a Fund consists of stocks and securities (including debt securities) of foreign corporations at the close of a taxable year, a Fund may elect, for federal income tax purposes, to treat certain foreign taxes paid by it, including generally any withholding and other foreign income taxes, as paid by its shareholders. If a Fund makes this election, the amount of those foreign taxes paid by a Fund will be included in its shareholders’ income pro rata (in addition to taxable distributions actually received by them), and each such shareholder will be entitled either (1) to credit that proportionate amount of taxes against U.S. federal income tax liability as a foreign tax credit or (2) to take that amount as an itemized deduction. If a Fund is not eligible or chooses not to make this election, the Fund will be entitled to deduct any such foreign taxes in computing the amounts it is required to distribute.

 

A portion of distributions paid by a Fund to shareholders that are corporations may also qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, subject to certain holding period requirements and debt financing limitations. The amount of the dividends qualifying for this deduction may, however, be reduced as a result of a Fund’s securities lending activities (if any), by a high portfolio turnover rate or by investments in debt securities or foreign corporations.

 

If you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price will reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution, but you will be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of capital. This adverse tax result is known as “buying into a dividend.”

 

Sales of Shares. You will generally recognize taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on a sale or redemption of your shares based on the difference between your cost basis in the shares and the amount you receive for them. Generally, you will recognize long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for over twelve months at the time you dispose of them.

 

Any loss realized on shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends that were received on the shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a disposition of shares of a Fund may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the same Fund within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in shares of a Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired.

 

For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, each Fund (or relevant broker or financial adviser) is required to compute and report to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information when such shares are sold. The Funds have elected to use the average cost method, unless you instruct a Fund to use a different IRS-accepted cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale. If your account is held by your broker or other financial adviser, they may select a different cost basis method. In these cases, please contact your broker or other financial adviser to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Funds and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal and state income tax returns. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

 

IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans. The one major exception to the preceding tax principles is that distributions on, and sales and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-qualified plan) will not be currently taxable unless such shares were acquired with borrowed funds.

 

38

 

 

 

Backup Withholding. Each Fund may be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the IRS a percentage of taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale payable to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, or who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so or that they are “exempt recipients.” The current backup withholding rate is 24%.

 

U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders. Generally, nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign investors are subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividends paid by a U.S. corporation, although the rate may be reduced for an investor that is a qualified resident of a foreign country with an applicable tax treaty with the United States. In the case of a regulated investment company such as a Fund, however, certain categories of dividends are exempt from the 30% withholding tax. These generally include dividends attributable to a Fund’s net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), dividends attributable to a Fund’s interest income from U.S. obligors, and dividends attributable to net short-term capital gains of a Fund.

 

Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale or redemption of shares of a Fund, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from the Fund.

 

In contrast, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in a Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor’s income from the Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.

 

Each Fund will also generally be required to withhold 30% tax on certain payments to foreign entities that do not provide a Form W-8BEN-E that evidences their compliance with, or exemption from, specified information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

 

All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in a Fund.

 

Shares of the Fund have not been registered for sale outside of the United States and certain U.S. territories.

 

State and Local Taxes. You may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain from Fund shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of the Fund’s distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality.

 

More information about taxes is contained in the Funds’ SAI.

 

39

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

Householding. In an effort to decrease costs, the Funds intend to reduce the number of duplicate prospectuses and annual and semi-annual reports you receive by sending only one copy of each to those addresses shared by two or more accounts and to shareholders we reasonably believe are from the same family or household. Once implemented, if you would like to discontinue householding for your accounts, please call the Transfer Agent toll-free at 1-855-744-8500 to request individual copies of these documents. Once the Funds receive notice to stop householding, we will begin sending individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. This policy does not apply to account statements.

 

Lost Shareholder, Inactive Accounts and Unclaimed Property. It is important that the Fund maintains a correct address for each shareholder. An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other mailings to be returned to the Fund. Based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, the Fund will attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful owner of the account. If the Fund is unable to locate the shareholder, then it will determine whether the shareholder’s account can legally be considered abandoned. Your mutual fund account may be transferred to the state government of your state of residence if no activity occurs within your account during the “inactivity period” specified in your state’s abandoned property laws. The Fund is legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements. The shareholder’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction. Please proactively contact the Transfer Agent at 1-855-744-8500 (toll free) at least annually to ensure your account remains in active status.

 

If you are a resident of the state of Texas, you may designate a representative to receive notifications that, due to inactivity, your mutual fund account assets may be delivered to the Texas Comptroller. Please contact the Transfer Agent if you wish to complete a Texas Designation of Representative form.

 

NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE FUNDS’ SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE COMPANY OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.

 

40

 

 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

The following tables set forth certain financial information for the periods indicated. The term “Total investment return” indicates how much your investment would have increased or decreased during this period of time and assumes that you have reinvested all dividends and distributions.

 

This information for the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund and the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund has been derived from the financial statements and has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm.

 

The information for the years ended August 31, 2019 and 2018 for the Global Equity Fund has been derived from the financial statements and has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm. The information for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 for the Global Equity Fund has been derived from the financial statements and has been audited by another independent registered public accounting firm. Class A Shares and Class C shares of the Global Equity Fund had not commenced operations as of the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, and therefore no financial highlights information is presented for these Classes of the Global Equity Fund.

 

This information should be read in conjunction with the Funds’ financial statements, which, together with the report of the independent registered public accounting firm, are included in the Funds’ annual reports, which are available upon request (see back cover for ordering instructions).

 

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    U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund —
Class I Shares
 
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2019
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2018
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2017
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2016
    For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2015
 
Per Share Operating Performance                                        
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 17.97     $ 15.43     $ 14.69     $ 13.78     $ 13.72  

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.18       0.16       0.22       0.21       0.21  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments(2)

    0.75       3.52       0.90       1.66       0.44  
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations     0.93       3.68       1.12       1.87       0.65  
                                         
Dividends and distributions to Shareholders from:                                        
Net investment income     (0.11 )     (0.18 )     (0.16 )     (0.21 )     (0.16 )
Net realized capital gains     (0.55 )     (0.96 )     (0.22 )     (0.75 )     (0.43 )
Total dividends and distributions to shareholders     (0.66 )     (1.14 )     (0.38 )     (0.96 )     (0.59 )
Net asset value, end of period   $ 18.24     $ 17.97     $ 15.43     $ 14.69     $ 13.78  

Total investment return/(loss)(3)

    5.83 %     24.98 %     7.73 %     13.99 %     4.82 %
                                         
Ratios/Supplemental Data                                        
Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)   $ 497,097     $ 437,424     $ 91,977     $ 106,110     $ 72,850  
Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and/or reimbursements net of amounts recouped     0.93 %     0.98 %     0.98 %     0.98 %     0.98 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and/or reimbursements net of amounts recouped     0.86 %     0.94 %     1.14 %     1.14 %     1.20 %
Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets     1.07 %     0.87 %     1.32 %     1.49 %     1.47 %

Portfolio turnover rate(4)

    104 %     85 %     31 %     41 %     42 %

 

 

(1)

The selected per share data is calculated based on average shares outstanding method for the period.

(2)

The amount shown may not correlate with the change in the aggregate gains and losses due to the timing of sales and purchases of the Fund’s shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund’s portfolio.

(3)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(4)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated for the Fund, as a whole, for the entire period.

 

 

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U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund —
Class A Shares

 

 

 

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2019

   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2018

   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2017

   

For the Period
October 29,
2015
(1) to
August 31,
2016

 

Per Share Operating Performance

                               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 17.99     $ 15.40     $ 14.67     $ 14.69  

Net investment income/(loss)(2)

    0.14       0.10       0.16       0.14  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments(3)

    0.76       3.55       0.92       0.79  

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    0.90       3.65       1.08       0.93  
                                 

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                               

Net investment income

    (0.05 )     (0.10 )     (0.13 )     (0.20 )

Net realized capital gains

    (0.55 )     (0.96 )     (0.22 )     (0.75 )

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.60 )     (1.06 )     (0.35 )     (0.95 )

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 18.29     $ 17.99     $ 15.40     $ 14.67  

Total investment return/(loss)(4)

    5.61 %     24.68 %     7.48 %     6.74 %(5)
                                 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

                               

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 14,751     $ 9,530     $ 22,195     $ 19,288  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and/or reimbursements net of amounts recouped

    1.18 %     1.23 %     1.23 %     1.23 %(6)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and/or reimbursements net of amounts recouped

    1.11 %     1.27 %     1.39 %     1.38 %(6)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

    0.84 %     0.62 %     1.07 %     1.15 %(6)

Portfolio turnover rate(7)

    104 %     85 %     31 %     41 %(5)

 

 

(1)

Commencement of operations.

(2)

The selected per share data is calculated based on average shares outstanding method for the period.

(3)

The amount shown may not correlate with the change in the aggregate gains and losses due to the timing of sales and purchases of the Fund’s shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund’s portfolio.

(4)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any. Total investment return does not reflect any applicable sales charge.

(5)

Not annualized.

(6)

Annualized.

(7)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated for the Fund, as a whole, for the entire period.

 

43

 

 

 

   

U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund —
Class C Shares

 

 

 

For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2019

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2018

   

For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2017

   

For the Period
December 31,
2015
(1) to
August 31,
2016

 

Per Share Operating Performance

                               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 17.59     $ 15.15     $ 14.51     $ 13.57  

Net investment income/(loss)(2)

    0.01       (0.02 )     0.04       0.03  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments(3)

    0.74       3.48       0.93       0.91  

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    0.75       3.46       0.97       0.94  
                                 

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                               

Net investment income

          (0.06 )     (0.11 )      

Net realized capital gains

    (0.55 )     (0.96 )     (0.22 )      

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.55 )     (1.02 )     (0.33 )      

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 17.79     $ 17.59     $ 15.15     $ 14.51  

Total investment return/(loss)(4)

    4.78 %     23.80 %     6.74 %     6.93 %(5)
                                 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

                               

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 2,350     $ 1,916     $ 1,226     $ 373  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and/or reimbursements net of amounts recouped

    1.93 %     1.98 %     1.98 %     1.99 %(6)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and/or reimbursements net of amounts recouped

    1.86 %     2.00 %     2.15 %     2.16 %(6)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

    0.07 %     (0.11) %     0.30 %     0.32 %(6)

Portfolio turnover rate(7)

    104 %     85 %     31 %     41 %(5)

 

 

(1)

Commencement of operations.

(2)

The selected per share data is calculated based on average shares outstanding method for the period.

(3)

The amount shown may not correlate with the change in the aggregate gains and losses due to the timing of sales and purchases of the Fund’s shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund’s portfolio.

(4)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(5)

Not annualized.

(6)

Annualized.

(7)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated for the Fund, as a whole, for the entire period.

 

 

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U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund —
Class I Shares

 
   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2019

   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2018

   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2017

   

For the Period
March 31,
2016
(1) through
August 31,
2016

 

Per Share Operating Performance

                               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 13.82     $ 12.39     $ 10.83     $ 10.00  

Net investment income/(loss)(2)

    0.14       (0.01 )     0.04       0.02  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments(3)

    (1.89 )     2.61       1.57       0.81  

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    (1.75 )     2.60       1.61       0.83  
                                 

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                               

Net investment income

    (0.04 )     (0.05 )     (0.05 )      

Net realized capital gains

    (0.54 )     (1.12 )     (7)       

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.58 )     (1.17 )     (0.05 )      

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 11.49     $ 13.82     $ 12.39     $ 10.83  

Total investment return/(loss)(4)

    (12.43 )%     22.26 %     14.86 %     8.30 %(5)
                                 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

                               

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 33,707     $ 31,559     $ 12,919     $ 10,095  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements

    1.23 %     1.23 %     1.23 %     1.23 %(6)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and reimbursements

    1.40 %     1.60 %     2.21 %     4.43 %(6)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

    1.19 %     (0.05) %     0.31 %     0.53 %(6)

Portfolio turnover rate(8)

    145 %     122 %     95 %     0.01 %(5)

 

 

(1)

Commencement of operations.

(2)

The selected per share data is calculated based on average shares outstanding method for the period.

(3)

The amount shown may not correlate with the change in the aggregate gains and losses due to the timing of sales and purchases of the Fund’s shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund’s portfolio.

(4)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(5)

Not annualized.

(6)

Annualized.

(7)

Amount represents less than $0.005 per share.

(8)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated for the Fund, as a whole, for the entire period.

 

45

 

 

 

   

U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund —
Class A Shares

 
   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2019

   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2018

   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2017

   

For the Period
March 31,
2016
(1) through
August 31,
2016

 

Per Share Operating Performance

                               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 13.80     $ 12.38     $ 10.83     $ 10.00  

Net investment income/(loss)(2)

    0.11       (0.03 )     0.01       0.01  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments(3)

    (1.88 )     2.59       1.57       0.82  

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    (1.77 )     2.56       1.58       0.83  
                                 

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                               

Net investment income

    (0.03 )     (0.02 )     (0.03 )      

Net realized capital gains

    (0.54 )     (1.12 )     (7)       

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.57 )     (1.14 )     (0.03 )      

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 11.46     $ 13.80     $ 12.38     $ 10.83  

Total investment return/(loss)(4)

    (12.61 )%     21.90 %     14.63 %     8.30 %(5)
                                 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

                               

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 3,892     $ 3,560     $ 3,132     $ 2,010  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements

    1.48 %     1.48 %     1.48 %     1.48 %(6)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and reimbursements

    1.65 %     1.86 %     2.44 %     4.68 %(6)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

    0.94 %     (0.23) %     0.06 %     0.28 %(6)

Portfolio turnover rate(8)

    145 %     122 %     95 %     0.01 %(5)

 

 

(1)

Commencement of operations.

(2)

The selected per share data is calculated based on average shares outstanding method for the period.

(3)

The amount shown may not correlate with the change in the aggregate gains and losses due to the timing of sales and purchases of the Fund’s shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund’s portfolio.

(4)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any. Total investment return does not reflect any applicable sales charge.

(5)

Not annualized.

(6)

Annualized.

(7)

Amount represents less than $0.005 per share.

(8)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated for the Fund, as a whole, for the entire period.

 

 

46

 

 

 

   

U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund —
Class C Shares

 
   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2019

   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2018

   

For the
Year ended
August 31,
2017

   

For the Period
March 31,
2016
(1) through
August 31,
2016

 

Per Share Operating Performance:

                               

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 13.59     $ 12.27     $ 10.80     $ 10.00  

Net investment income/(loss)(2)

    0.01       (0.12 )     (0.08 )     (0.02 )

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments(3)

    (1.84 )     2.56       1.55       0.82  

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    (1.83 )     2.44       1.47       0.80  
                                 

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                               

Net realized capital gains

    (0.54 )     (1.12 )     (7)       

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.54 )     (1.12 )     (7)       

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 11.22     $ 13.59     $ 12.27     $ 10.80  

Total investment return/(loss)(4)

    (13.30 )%     21.05 %     13.63 %     8.00 %(5)
                                 

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                               

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 114     $ 200     $ 168     $ 26  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements

    2.23 %     2.23 %     2.23 %     2.23 %(6)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and reimbursements

    2.40 %     2.61 %     2.89 %     5.43 %(6)

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

    0.09 %     (0.95) %     (0.67) %     (0.47) %(6)

Portfolio turnover rate(8)

    145 %     122 %     95 %     0.01 %(5)

 

 

(1)

Commencement of operations.

(2)

The selected per share data is calculated based on average shares outstanding method for the period.

(3)

The amount shown may not correlate with the change in the aggregate gains and losses due to the timing of sales and purchases of the Fund’s shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund’s portfolio.

(4)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(5)

Not annualized.

(6)

Annualized.

(7)

Amount represents less than $0.005 per share.

(8)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated for the Fund, as a whole, for the entire period.

 

 

 

47

 

 

 

   

Global Equity Fund —
Class I Shares

 

 

 

For the
Year Ended
August 31,
2019

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2018

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2017

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2016

   

For the
Year
Ended
August 31,
2015

 

Per Share Operating Performance:

                                       

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 30.30     $ 27.20     $ 24.93     $ 28.29     $ 27.64  

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    0.53       0.35       0.06       (0.19 )     (0.21 )

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments

    2.20       2.75       2.21       (1.25 )     3.04  

Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    2.73       3.10       2.27       (1.44 )     2.83  
                                         

Dividends and distributions to shareholders from:

                                       

Net investment income

    (0.41 )                        

Net realized capital gains

                      (1.93 )     (2.18 )

Total dividends and distributions to shareholders

    (0.41 )                 (1.93 )     (2.18 )

Redemption fees added to paid-in capital(1)

    (2)      (2)      (2)      0.01       (2) 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 32.62     $ 30.30     $ 27.20     $ 24.93     $ 28.29  

Total investment return(3)

    9.18 %     11.36 %     9.15 %     (5.44 )%     11.49 %
                                         

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                                       

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 21,520     $ 19,530     $ 22,765     $ 64,378     $ 71,523  

Ratio of expenses to average net assets with waivers and reimbursements

    0.84 %     0.84 %     0.84 %     0.84 %     0.84 %

Ratio of expenses to average net assets without waivers and reimbursements

    1.11 %     1.25 %     1.32 %     1.13 %     1.20 %

Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets

    1.75 %     1.19 %     0.26 %     (0.76) %     (0.77) %

Portfolio turnover rate (4)

    74 %     44 %     247 %     375 %     297 %

 

 

(1)

The selected per share data was calculated based on average shares outstanding method for the period.

(2)

Amount represents less than $0.005 per share.

(3)

Total investment return/(loss) is calculated assuming purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestments of dividends and distributions, if any.

(4)

Portfolio turnover rate is calculated for the Fund, as a whole, for the entire period.

 

48

 

 

 

Appendix A — Prior Performance of Similarly Advised Accounts

 

U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund

 

The Adviser has experience in managing other accounts with substantially similar investment objectives, policies and strategies as the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund. The table below is provided to illustrate the past performance of the Adviser in managing all such other accounts and does not represent the performance of the Fund. Investors should not consider this performance information as a substitute for the performance of the Fund, nor should investors consider this information as an indication of the future performance of the Fund or of the Adviser. This performance history is net of all fees (including any applicable sales loads) charged to investors in the other accounts. The net returns are derived using the investment advisory fixed rate fee of 1.00% on total assets applicable for each other account and calculated on a monthly basis. The composite includes other accounts that pay lower expenses than those paid by shareholders of the Fund. Higher expenses reduce returns to investors. The use of the Fund’s expense structure would have lowered the performance results. The Fund’s results in the future also may be different because the other accounts are not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements and other restrictions imposed on mutual funds under applicable U.S. securities and tax laws that, if applicable, could have adversely affected the performance of the other accounts. In addition, the securities held by the Fund will not be identical to the securities held by the other accounts.

 

The performance of the other accounts is also compared to the performance of an appropriate broad-based securities benchmark index. This index is unmanaged and is not subject to fees and expenses typically associated with managed funds, including the Fund. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index. The performance information is accompanied by additional disclosures, which are an integral part of the information.

 

COMPOSITE — MONTHLY PERFORMANCE TABLE NET OF FEES
(SINCE INCEPTION JANUARY 14, 2011 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2011)
1,2,3

 

 

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

US Equity Low Volatility Composite

(1.72)%

1.92%

1.97%

4.13%

0.71%

0.11%

(2.82)%

(1.63)%

(2.17)%

4.80%

0.41%

1.84%

S&P 500® Index

(0.55)%

3.20%

(0.10)%

2.85%

(1.35)%

(1.83)%

(2.15)%

(5.68)%

(7.18)%

10.77%

(0.51)%

0.85%

 

 

1

Performance was calculated using a time-weighted total return methodology, as set forth in Global Investment Performance Standards (“GIPS”) Section 3.3. This method of calculating performance differs from the SEC’s standardized methodology, which may produce different results.

 

2

Performance shown is composite performance of all similarly advised accounts. The first similarly advised account commenced operations on January 14, 2011, but other accounts commenced operations subsequent to January 14, 2011.

 

3

The S&P 500® Index is an unmanaged index composed of 500 common stocks, classified in eleven industry sectors, which represents approximately 75% of the U.S. equities market. The S&P 500® Index assigns relative values to the stocks included in the index, weighted according to each stock’s total market value relative to the total market value of the other stocks included in the index.

 

U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund

 

The Adviser has experience in managing other accounts with substantially similar investment objectives, policies and strategies as the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund. The table below is provided to illustrate the past performance of the Adviser in managing all such other accounts and does not represent the performance of the Fund. Investors should not consider this performance information as a substitute for the performance of the Fund, nor should investors consider this information as an indication of the future performance of the Fund or of the Adviser. This performance history is net of all fees (including any applicable sales loads) charged to investors in the other accounts. The net returns are derived using the investment advisory fixed rate fee of 1.23% on total assets applicable for each other account and calculated on a monthly basis. Other accounts managed by the Adviser may pay lower expenses than those paid by shareholders of the Fund. Higher expenses

 

A-1

 

 

 

reduce returns to investors. The use of the Fund’s expense structure may have lowered the performance results. The Fund’s results in the future also may be different because the other accounts are not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements and other restrictions imposed on mutual funds under applicable U.S. securities and tax laws that, if applicable, could have adversely affected the performance of the other accounts. In addition, the securities held by the Fund will not be identical to the securities held by the other accounts.

 

The performance of the other accounts is also compared to the performance of an appropriate broad-based securities benchmark index. This index is unmanaged and is not subject to fees and expenses typically associated with managed funds, including the Fund. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index. The performance information is accompanied by additional disclosures, which are an integral part of the information.

 

COMPOSITE – MONTHLY PERFORMANCE TABLE NET OF FEES
(SINCE INCEPTION APRIL 1, 2014 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2016)
1,2,3

 

U.S. Small Cap Equity Returns

 

 

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2016

(1.15)%

1.57%

5.51%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015

(2.35)%

3.12%

2.20%

(3.77)%

1.70%

1.05%

0.81%

(4.24)%

(0.49)%

3.71%

1.81%

(1.78)%

2014

 

 

 

(3.09)%

0.59%

3.78%

(4.22)%

4.33%

(4.04)%

10.27%

0.77%

3.25%

 

Russell 2000® Index

 

 

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2016

(8.79)%

0.00%

7.98%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015

(3.22)%

5.94%

1.74%

(2.55)%

2.28%

0.75%

(1.16)%

(6.28)%

(4.91)%

5.63%

3.25%

(5.02)%

2014

 

 

 

(3.88)%

0.80%

5.32%

(6.05)%

4.96%

(6.05)%

6.59%

0.09%

2.85%

 

 

1

Performance was calculated using a time-weighted total return methodology (which is a measure of the compound rate of growth in a portfolio), as set forth in Global Investment Performance Standards (“GIPS”) Section 3.3. This method of calculating performance differs from the SEC’s standardized methodology, which may produce different results.

 

2

Performance shown is net composite performance of all similarly advised accounts. The first similarly advised account commenced operations on April 1, 2014.

 

3

The Russell 2000® Index is a leading small cap index which is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index. The Russell 2000® Index is comprised of the bottom 2000 stocks in the Russell 3000® Index.

 

A-2

 

 

 

PRIVACY NOTICE

FACTS

WHAT DO THE SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS FUNDS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Why?

Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.

What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

 

● Social Security number

● account balances

● account transactions

● transaction history

● wire transfer instructions

● checking account information

 

When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

How?

All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons Summit Global Investments Funds chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

       

Reasons we can share your information

Do the Summit Global Investments Funds share?

Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purpose —

 

such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes

No

For our marketing purposes —

 

to offer our products and services to you

Yes

No

For joint marketing with other financial companies

Yes

No

For affiliates’ everyday business purposes —

 

information about your transactions and experiences

Yes

No

For affiliates’ everyday business purposes —

 

information about your creditworthiness

No

We don’t share

For our affiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share

For nonaffiliates to market to you

No

We don’t share

 

Questions?

Call 1-888-251-4847 or go to www.sgiam.com

 

 

 

What we do

 

How do the Summit Global Investments Funds protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.

How do the Summit Global Investments Funds collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

 

● open an account

● provide account information

● give us your contact information

● make a wire transfer

● tell us where to send the money

 

We also collect your information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

 

● sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes — information about your creditworthiness

● affiliates from using your information to market to you

● sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

 

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

Definitions

 

Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

Our affiliates include Summit Global Investments, LLC, the investment adviser to the SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund and SGI Global Equity Fund.

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund and SGI Global Equity Fund don’t share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

 

SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund and SGI Global Equity Fund may share your information with other financial institutions with whom they have joint marketing arrangements who may suggest additional fund services or other investment products which may be of interest to you. We do not currently have any joint marketing arrangements with other financial institutions.

 

 

 

[THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

 

 

SGI U.S. LARGE CAP EQUITY FUND, SGI U.S. SMALL CAP EQUITY FUND, SGI GLOBAL EQUITY FUND

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

This Prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. More information about the Funds is available free of charge, upon request, including:

 

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports:

 

These reports contain additional information about the Funds’ investments, describe the Funds’ performance, list portfolio holdings, and discuss recent market conditions and economic trends. The annual report includes Fund strategies and market conditions that significantly affected the Funds’ performance during its last fiscal year.

 

Statement of Additional Information:

 

The Funds’ SAI, dated February 28, 2020, has been filed with the SEC. The SAI, which includes additional information about the Funds, along with the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports, are available on the Adviser’s website at www.sgiam.com or may be obtained free of charge by calling 855-744-8500. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.

 

Shareholder Account Service Representatives:

 

Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday-Friday. Call: 855-744-8500.

 

Purchases and Redemptions:

 

Call your registered representative or 855-744-8500.

 

Written Correspondence

 

Post Office Address:

Summit Global Investments Funds
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
PO Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

Street Address:

Summit Global Investments Funds
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Securities and Exchange Commission:

 

You may view and copy information about the Company and the Funds, including the SAI, by visiting the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of Fund documents by paying a duplicating fee and sending an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-05518

 

SGI-001

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

ABBEY CAPITAL FUTURES STRATEGY FUND

 

a series of THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

CLASS I SHARES (TICKER: ABYIX)

CLASS A SHARES (TICKER: ABYAX)

CLASS C SHARES (TICKER: ABYCX)

CLASS T SHARES (Not Currently Available for Sale)

 

February 28, 2020

Investment Adviser:

 

ABBEY CAPITAL LIMITED

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides supplementary information pertaining to shares of four classes, Class I Shares, Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares (collectively, the “Shares”), representing interests in the Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund (the “Fund”) of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read only in conjunction with the Fund’s Prospectus dated February 28, 2020 (the “Prospectus”) and the Fund’s Annual Report dated August 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”). Copies of the prospectus and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports may be obtained free of charge by calling toll-free 1-844-261-6484. The financial statements and notes contained in the Annual Report are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other part of the Annual Report is incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

GENERAL INFORMATION 1
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE 1
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS 1
NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS 10
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 13
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 15
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER 15
MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY 15
CODE OF ETHICS 21
PROXY VOTING 21
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 22
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 23
INVESTMENT ADVISER 23
INVESTMENT TRADING ADVISERS 24
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS 25
ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING AGREEMENT 26
CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT 26
TRANSFER AGENCY AGREEMENT 27
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION 27
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES 28
FUND TRANSACTIONS 28
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION 29
TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES 32
VALUATION OF SHARES 32
TAXES 32
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES 33
MISCELLANEOUS 34
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 34
APPENDIX A A-1

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Company is an open-end management investment company currently consisting of 34 separate portfolios. The Company is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) and was organized as a Maryland corporation on February 29, 1988. This SAI pertains to the Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund, a non-diversified portfolio. Abbey Capital Limited (“Abbey Capital” or the “Adviser”), serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

 

The following supplements the information contained in the Prospectus concerning the investment objective and policies of the Fund.

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. Current income is a secondary objective. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The Fund may not necessarily invest in all of the instruments or use all of the investment techniques permitted by the Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI, or invest in such instruments or engage in such techniques to the full extent permitted by the Fund’s investment policies and limitations.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

 

Asset-Backed Securities. The Fund may invest in asset-backed securities, which represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets such as motor vehicle installment sale contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements and other categories of receivables. Asset-backed securities may also be collateralized by a portfolio of U.S. government securities but are not direct obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Such asset pools are securitized through the use of privately-formed trusts or special purpose corporations. Payments or distributions of principal and interest on asset-backed securities may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation, or other credit enhancements may be present, although privately issued obligations collateralized by a portfolio of privately issued asset-backed securities do not involve any government-related guarantee or insurance. In addition to the risks that are presented by mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral that is comparable to mortgage assets. See “Mortgage-Backed Securities” below for additional information.

 

Asset-backed securities acquired by the Fund may also include collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”). CDOs include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”) and collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities.

 

A CBO is a trust or other special purpose entity (“SPE”) that is typically backed by a diversified pool of fixed-income securities (which may include high risk, below investment grade securities). A CLO is a trust or other SPE that is typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. Although certain CDOs may receive credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure, over-collateralization or bond insurance, such enhancement may not always be present and may fail to protect the Fund against the risk of loss on default of the collateral. Certain CDOs may use derivatives contracts to create “synthetic” exposure to assets rather than holding such assets directly, which entails the risks of derivative instruments described elsewhere in this SAI. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses, which are in addition to those of the Fund.

 

For both CBOs and CLOs, the cashflows from the SPE are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche, which bears the first loss from defaults from the bonds or loans in the SPE and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default (though such protection is not complete). Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO or CLO typically has higher ratings and lower yields than its underlying securities, and may be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as investor aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class. Interest on certain tranches of a CDO may be paid in kind (paid in the form of obligations of the same type rather than cash), which involves continued exposure to default risk with respect to such payments.

 

The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which the Fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities. However, an active dealer market may exist for CDOs, allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income securities and asset-backed securities generally discussed elsewhere in this SAI, CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results; and (v) the CDO’s manager may perform poorly or default.

 

Commodity-Linked Investments. The Fund may attempt to provide exposure to the returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets without direct investment in physical commodities. Real assets include oil, gas, industrial and precious metals, livestock, and agricultural or meat products, or other items that have tangible properties. Commodity-linked derivative instruments include commodity index-linked securities and other derivative instruments that provide exposure to the investment returns of the commodities markets. Commodity-linked investments may be more volatile and less liquid than the underlying instruments and their value may be affected by the performance of commodities as well as weather, tax, and other regulatory or political developments, overall market movements and other factors affecting the value of particular industries or commodities, such as disease, embargoes, acts of war or terrorism.

 

The Fund may invest in commodity-linked derivative instruments such as commodity-linked structured notes. The Fund may invest in commodity-linked notes that pay a return linked to the performance of a commodities index or basket of futures contracts with respect to all of the commodities in an index. In some cases, the return will be based on some multiple of the performance of the index, and this embedded leverage will magnify the positive and negative return the Fund earns from these notes as compared to the index. The principal and/or interest payments of commodity-linked derivatives are tied to the value of a real asset or commodity index. Structured notes may be structured by the issuer and the purchaser of the note. The notes are derivative debt instruments with principal payments generally linked to the value of commodities, commodity futures contracts or the performance of commodity indices and interest and coupon payments pegged to a market-based interest rate, such as LIBOR or a bank’s prime rate. The value of these notes will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying commodity or related index or investment. These notes expose the Fund economically to movements in commodity prices.

 

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Corporate Obligations. The Fund may invest in debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations without limit on credit quality or maturity of debt securities. See Appendix “A” to this SAI for a description of corporate debt ratings. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value.

 

Credit Default Swaps, Interest Rate Swaps, Mortgage Swaps, Currency Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Options on Swaps and Interest Rate Caps, Floors and Collars. The Fund may enter into credit default, interest rate and total return swaps. The Fund may also enter into interest rate caps, floors and collars. In addition, the Fund may enter into mortgage swaps and currency swaps.

 

The Fund may enter into swap transactions for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. As examples, the Fund may enter into swap transactions for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique, to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or to gain exposure to certain markets in an economical way.

 

Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency or security, or in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. As examples, credit default swaps involve the receipt of floating or fixed rate payments in exchange for assuming potential credit losses of an underlying security. Credit default swaps give one party to a transaction the right to dispose of or acquire an asset (or group of assets), or the right to receive from or make a payment to the other party, upon the occurrence of specified credit events. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments. Mortgage swaps are similar to interest rate swaps in that they represent commitments to pay and receive interest. The notional principal amount, however, is tied to a reference pool or pools of mortgages. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the parties’ respective rights to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Total return swaps are contracts that obligate a party to pay or receive interest in exchange for payment by the other party of the total return generated by a security, a basket of securities, an index, or an index component.

 

The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payment of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling the interest rate floor. An interest rate collar is the combination of a cap and a floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates.

 

A great deal of flexibility is possible in the way swap transactions are structured. However, generally the Fund will enter into credit default, interest rate, total return and mortgage swaps on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Credit default, interest rate, total return and mortgage swaps do not normally involve the delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to credit default, interest rate, total return and mortgage swaps is normally limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to a credit default, interest rate, total return or mortgage swap defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any. In contrast, currency swaps may involve the delivery of the entire principal amount of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency. Therefore, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations.

 

A credit default swap may have as reference obligations one or more securities that may, or may not, be currently held by the Fund. The protection “buyer” in a credit default swap is generally obligated to pay the protection “seller” an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the swap provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value” (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. The Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer generally may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose value may have significantly decreased. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. If a credit event occurs, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the Fund as seller, coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Fund.

 

To the extent that the Fund’s exposure in a transaction involving a swap or an interest rate floor, cap or collar is covered by the segregation of cash or liquid assets, or is covered by other means in accordance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) guidance, the Fund and the Adviser believe that the transactions do not constitute senior securities under the Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions. The SEC has recently issued the concept release “Use of Derivatives by Investment Companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940,” which discusses, among other matters, whether current market practices involving derivatives are consistent with the leverage provisions of the Act. Accordingly, investors should be aware that the SEC may offer additional guidance in the future that may impact the manner in which the Fund operates.

 

The Fund will not enter into any credit default, interest rate, total return or mortgage swap transactions unless the unsecured commercial paper, senior debt or claims-paying ability of the other party thereto is rated investment grade by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or, if unrated by such rating organization, determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.

 

The use of credit default, interest rate, mortgage, total return and currency swaps, as well as interest rate caps, floors and collars, is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions. If the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, credit quality, interest rates and currency exchange rates, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment instruments were not used.

 

Cyber Security Risk. The Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Fund or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber security breaches may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value (“NAV”), cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value. While the Fund and its service providers have established information technology and data security programs and have in place business continuity plans and other systems designed to prevent losses and mitigate cyber security risk, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that cyber-attacks may be highly sophisticated. Furthermore, the Fund has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers.

 

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Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers that are denominated or traded in foreign currencies. The Fund may also invest in securities of foreign issuers that are traded or denominated in U.S. dollars (including equity securities of foreign issuers trading in U.S. markets) through American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”). ADRs are securities, typically issued by a U.S. financial institution (a “depository”), that evidence ownership interests in a security or pool of securities issued by a foreign issuer and deposited with the depository. ADRs may be listed on a national securities exchange or may trade in the over-the-counter market. ADR prices are denominated in U.S. dollars; the underlying security may be denominated in a foreign currency. GDRs, EDRs and IDRs are securities that represent ownership interests in a security or pool of securities issued by a non-U.S. or U.S. corporation. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depository, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depository without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Investments in depositary receipts do not eliminate the risks in investing in foreign issuers. The underlying security may be subject to foreign government taxes, which would reduce the yield on such securities.

 

Investments in foreign securities involve higher costs than investments in U.S. securities, including higher transaction costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. In addition, foreign investments may include additional risks associated with currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity and political stability. Volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility or price can be greater than in the United States. Future political and economic information, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest income, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions, might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on foreign obligations. Inability to dispose of Fund securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the securities, or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth or gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.

 

Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on their portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States.

 

Settlement mechanics (e.g., mail service between the United States and foreign countries) may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities.

 

Although the Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund values its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. As a result, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates as well as the price changes of the Fund’s securities in the various local markets and currencies. Thus, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the currencies in which the Fund makes its investments could reduce the effect of increases and magnify the effect of decreases in the price of the Fund’s securities in their local markets. Conversely, a decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar may have the opposite effect of magnifying the effect of increases and reducing the effect of decreases in the prices of the Fund’s securities in its foreign markets. In addition to favorable and unfavorable currency exchange rate developments, the Fund is subject to the possible imposition of exchange control regulations or freezes on convertibility of currency. The Fund may invest in obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks (Eurodollars) and U.S. branches of foreign banks (Yankee dollars) as well as foreign branches of foreign banks. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities of U.S. banks, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, different tax provisions, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect payment of principal or interest. The Fund may also invest in Yankee bonds, which are issued by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign corporations but pay interest in U.S. dollars and are typically issued in the United States.

 

European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union ("EU") countries have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions.

 

In June of 2016, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” which sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound and heightened risk of continued worldwide economic volatility. Pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, the UK gave notice in March 2017 of its withdrawal from the EU and commenced negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. Following years of negotiations and multiple withdrawal deadline extensions, the UK withdrew from the EU on January 31, 2020. A transition period, currently set to last through December 31, 2020, will be used for the UK and EU to negotiate their future relationship. The effects of this withdrawal will depend, in part, on agreements the UK negotiates to retain access to EU markets either during the transitional period or more permanently including, but not limited to, current trade and finance agreements. As a result of the UK's exit from the EU, the Fund may be exposed to volatile trading markets and significant and unpredictable currency fluctuations over a short period of time, and potentially lower economic growth in the UK, Europe and globally. Securities issued by companies domiciled in the UK could be subject to changing regulatory and tax regimes. Banking and financial services companies that operate in the UK or EU could be disproportionately affected by Brexit. Further insecurity in EU membership or the abandonment of the euro could exacerbate market and currency volatility and negatively affect the Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in the EU. The effects of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, are not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.

 

Forward Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to seek to increase total return. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days (usually less than one year) from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the spread) between the price at which they are buying and selling various currencies.

 

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The Fund may engage in cross-hedging by using forward contracts in one currency to hedge against fluctuations in the value in securities denominated or quoted in a different currency or to seek to increase total return. Cross-hedging may also include entering into a forward transaction involving two foreign currencies, using one foreign currency as a proxy for the U.S. dollar to hedge against variations in the other foreign currency.

 

At the consummation of the forward contract, the Fund may terminate its contractual obligation by purchasing an offsetting contract obligating it to purchase at the same maturity date, the same amount of such foreign currency. If the Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, the Fund will realize a gain or a loss to the extent that there has been a change in forward contract prices. Closing purchase transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract.

 

The Fund’s transactions in forward contracts will be limited to those described above. Of course, the Fund is not required to enter into such transactions with regard to its foreign currency quoted or denominated securities, and the Fund will not do so unless deemed appropriate by the Adviser or Trading Adviser, as applicable.

 

When the Fund enters into forward contracts the Fund is required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks. To cover its position, the Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the forward contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities. Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the Fund arising from such investment activities.

 

The Fund or the Subsidiaries may enter into agreements with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements.

 

If the Fund uses forward contracts as a method of protecting the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities against a decline in the value of a currency, this does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange which can be achieved at some future point in time. The precise projection of short-term currency market movements is not possible, and short-term hedging provides a means of fixing the U.S. dollar value of only a portion of the Fund’s foreign assets. It also reduces any potential gain which may have otherwise occurred had the currency value increased above the settlement price of the contract.

 

While the Fund may enter into forward contracts to seek to reduce currency exchange rate risks or to seek to increase total return, transactions in such contracts involve certain other risks. Thus, while the Fund may benefit from such transactions, unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between the Fund’s portfolio holdings or securities quoted or denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts entered into by the Fund. Such imperfect correlation may cause the Fund to sustain losses, which will prevent the Fund from achieving a complete hedge, or expose the Fund to the risk of foreign exchange loss.

 

Forward contracts are subject to the risks that the counterparty to such contract will default on its obligations. Since a forward foreign currency exchange contract is not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing house, a default on the contract would deprive the Fund of unrealized profits, transaction costs or the benefits of a currency hedge or force the Fund to cover its purchase or sale commitments, if any, at the current market price.

 

The Fund’s foreign currency transactions (including related options, futures and forward contracts) may be limited by the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for qualification as a regulated investment company.

 

Futures And Options On Futures. Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific security at a specified future time and at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. The Fund may use futures contracts and related options for: bona fide hedging; attempting to offset changes in the value of securities held or expected to be acquired or be disposed of; attempting to minimize fluctuations in foreign currencies; attempting to gain exposure to a particular market, index or instrument; or other risk management purposes.

 

The Fund and the Subsidiaries, through which it invests, are subject to regulation by the CFTC as commodity pools and the Adviser is subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) with respect to the Fund under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). The Adviser does not currently rely on an exclusion from the definition of CPO in CFTC Rule 4.5 with respect to the Fund.

 

Transactions in futures and options by the Fund are subject to limitations established by futures and option exchanges governing the maximum number of futures and options that may be written or held by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the futures or options were written or purchased on the same or different exchanges or are held in one or more accounts or through one or more different exchanges or through one or more brokers. Thus the number of futures or options which the Fund may write or hold may be affected by futures or options written or held by other entities, including other investment companies advised by the Adviser or a Trading Adviser. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of those limits and may impose certain other sanctions.

 

An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified currency amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the securities comprising the index is made; generally contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contract.

 

When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, or sells an option thereon, the Fund is required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks. To cover its position, the Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the futures contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities. Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the Fund arising from such investment activities.

 

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The Fund or the Subsidiaries may enter into agreements with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements.

 

The Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by purchasing a put option on the same futures contract with a strike price (i.e., an exercise price) as high or higher than the price of the futures contract. In the alternative, if the strike price of the put is less than the price of the futures contract, the Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by taking a short position in the instruments underlying the futures contract, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures contract. The Fund may cover its short position in a futures contract by taking a long position in the instruments underlying the futures contracts, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures contract.

 

The Fund may cover its sale of a call option on a futures contract by taking a long position in the underlying futures contract at a price less than or equal to the strike price of the call option. In the alternative, if the long position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price greater than the strike price of the written (sold) call, the Fund will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the call and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its sale of a call option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the call option. The Fund may cover its sale of a put option on a futures contract by taking a short position in the underlying futures contract at a price greater than or equal to the strike price of the put option, or, if the short position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price less than the strike price of the written put, the Fund will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its sale of a put option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the put option.

 

There are significant risks associated with the Fund’s use of futures contracts and related options, including the following: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on the Adviser’s or Trading Adviser’s ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures and options on futures; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract or option; (4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in futures contracts and options on futures. In addition, some strategies reduce the Fund’s exposure to price fluctuations, while others tend to increase its market exposure.

 

Investing in Emerging Countries, including Asia and Eastern Europe. The Fund may invest in securities of issuers located in emerging countries. The securities markets of emerging countries are less liquid and subject to greater price volatility, and have a smaller market capitalization, than the U.S. securities markets. In certain countries, there may be fewer publicly traded securities and the market may be dominated by a few issues or sectors. Issuers and securities markets in such countries are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements or as comprehensive government regulations as are issuers and securities markets in the U.S. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of emerging country issuers may not reflect their financial position or results of operations in the same manner as financial statements for U.S. issuers. Substantially less information may be publicly available about emerging country issuers than is available about issuers in the United States.

 

Emerging country securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. The markets for securities in certain emerging countries are in the earliest stages of their development. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging country securities may also affect the Fund’s ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

 

With respect to investments in certain emerging market countries, antiquated legal systems may have an adverse impact on the Fund. For example, while the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation is generally limited to the amount of the shareholder’s investment, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain emerging market countries. Similarly, the rights of investors in emerging market companies may be more limited than those of shareholders in U.S. corporations.

 

Transaction costs, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups, in emerging countries may be higher than in the United States and other developed securities markets. In addition, existing laws and regulations are often inconsistently applied. As legal systems in emerging countries develop, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In circumstances where adequate laws exist, it may not be possible to obtain swift and equitable enforcement of the law.

 

Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain emerging countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit the Fund’s investment in certain emerging countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer’s outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals. In addition, the repatriation of both investment income and capital from emerging countries may be subject to restrictions which require governmental consents or prohibit repatriation entirely for a period of time. Even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation of capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect certain aspects of the operation of the Fund. The Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before investing in certain emerging countries.

 

Emerging countries may be subject to a substantially greater degree of economic, political and social instability and disruption than is the case in the United States, Japan and most Western European countries. This instability may result from, among other things, the following: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision making, including changes or attempted changes in governments through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic or social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection or conflict; and (vi) the absence of developed legal structures governing foreign private investments and private property. Such economic, political and social instability could disrupt the principal financial markets in which the Fund may invest and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s assets. The Fund’s investments can also be adversely affected by any increase in taxes or by political, economic or diplomatic developments.

 

The Fund may seek investment opportunities within former “east bloc” countries in Eastern Europe. Most Eastern European countries had a centrally planned, socialist economy for a substantial period of time. The governments of many Eastern European countries have more recently been implementing reforms directed at political and economic liberalization, including efforts to decentralize the economic decision-making process and move towards a market economy. However, business entities in many Eastern European countries do not have an extended history of operating in a market-oriented economy, and the ultimate impact of Eastern European countries’ attempts to move toward more market-oriented economies is currently unclear. In addition, any change in the leadership or policies of Eastern European countries may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities. As a result of recent events involving Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporations. Additional broader sanctions may be imposed in the future. These sanctions, or even the threat of further sanctions, may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Russian securities, a weakening of the ruble or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy. These sanctions could also result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities, impairing the ability of a Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities. Sanctions could also result in Russia taking counter measures or retaliatory actions which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian and/or Ukrainian securities.

 

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The economies of emerging countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources, self-sufficiency and balance of payments. Many emerging countries have experienced in the past, and continue to experience, high rates of inflation. In certain countries inflation has at times accelerated rapidly to hyperinflationary levels, creating a negative interest rate environment and sharply eroding the value of outstanding financial assets in those countries. Other emerging countries, on the other hand, have recently experienced deflationary pressures and are in economic recessions. The economies of many emerging countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by protective trade barriers and the economic conditions of their trading partners. In addition, the economies of some emerging countries are vulnerable to weakness in world prices for their commodity exports. The Fund’s income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign stocks and securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund remain uninvested and no return is earned on such assets. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases or sales due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio securities or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser.

 

LIBOR Risk. Many financial instruments may be tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate, or “LIBOR,” to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies, or investment value. LIBOR is the offered rate for short-term Eurodollar deposits between major international banks. On July 27, 2017, the head of the UK Financial Conduct Authority announced a desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. Regulators and industry working groups have suggested alternative reference rates, but global consensus is lacking and the process for amending existing contracts or instruments to transition away from LIBOR remains unclear. There also remains uncertainty and risk regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to include enhanced provisions in new and existing contracts or instruments. As such, the transition away from LIBOR may lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets that are tied to LIBOR, reduced values of LIBOR-related investments, and reduced effectiveness of hedging strategies, adversely affecting the Fund's performance or NAV. In addition, the alternative reference rate may be an ineffective substitute resulting in prolonged adverse market conditions for the Fund.

 

Margin Deposits and Cover Requirements. Unlike the purchase or sale of portfolio securities, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Initially, the Subsidiaries will be required to deposit with the broker an amount of cash or cash equivalents, known as initial margin, based on the value of the contract. The nature of initial margin in futures transactions is different from that of margin in securities transactions in that futures contract margin does not involve the borrowing of funds by the customer to finance the transactions. Rather, the initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract which is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, called variation margin, to and from the broker, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying instruments fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking to the market.” For example, when the Fund has purchased a futures contract and the price of the contract has risen in response to a rise in the price of the underlying instruments, that position will have increased in value and the Fund will be entitled to receive from the broker a variation margin payment equal to that increase in value. Conversely, where the Fund has purchased a futures contract and the price of the futures contract has declined in response to a decrease in the underlying instruments, the position would be less valuable and the Fund would be required to make a variation margin payment to the broker. At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Adviser or Trading Adviser may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, subject to the availability of a secondary market, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a loss or gain.

 

The Fund will comply with guidelines established by the SEC with respect to coverage of forwards, futures, swaps and options. For example, when entering into a contract that must be cash settled, the Fund will cover (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) its position in an amount that, when added to the amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, is equal to the daily mark-to-market obligation, rather than the notional value of the contract.

 

When entering into a contract that does not need to be settled in cash, the Fund is also required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks. To cover its position, the Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities. Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the Fund arising from such investment activities. Segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations. Each Subsidiary will comply with these coverage requirements to the same extent as the Fund that holds the Subsidiary’s securities.

 

The Fund or the Subsidiaries may enter into agreements with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements.

 

The Fund may also cover its position in relation to forwards, futures, swaps and options through ownership of the underlying security, financial instrument or currency or by other portfolio positions or by other means consistent with applicable regulatory policies.

 

Multi-Manager Structure. The Fund, Abbey Capital Master Offshore Fund Limited, a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the "Cayman Subsidiary"), Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC, an indirect wholly-owned and controlled segregated portfolio company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “SPC”), and Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, a wholly-owned and controlled Delaware series limited liability company (the “Onshore Subsidiary” and, together with the Cayman Subsidiary and the SPC, the “Subsidiaries”), are managed by the Adviser and one or more asset managers who are unaffiliated with the Adviser (each a “Trading Adviser” and together, the “Trading Advisers”). Subject to review by the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), the Adviser is responsible for selecting the Fund’s investment strategies and for allocating and reallocating assets among the Trading Advisers consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and strategies. The Adviser may allocate assets of the SPC and the Onshore Subsidiary to multiple managed futures portfolios (the “Segregated Portfolios”). The Adviser is also responsible for recommending to the Board whether an agreement with a Trading Adviser should be approved, renewed, modified or terminated and for monitoring and evaluating the Trading Advisers. The Adviser is also responsible for implementing procedures to ensure that each Trading Adviser complies with the Fund’s investment objective, strategies and restrictions.

 

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Options. The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on indices and enter into related closing transactions. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at any time during the option period. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period. The premium paid to the writer is the consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract.

 

The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on foreign currencies (traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or over-the-counter markets) to manage its exposure to exchange rates or to seek and increase in total return. Call options on foreign currency written by the Fund will be “covered” as set out below.

 

Put and call options on indices are similar to options on securities except that options on an index give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is greater than (or less than, in the case of puts) the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option, expressed in dollars multiplied by a specified number. Thus, unlike options on individual securities, all settlements are in cash, and gain or loss depends on price movements in the particular market represented by the index generally, rather than the price movements in individual securities.

 

All options written on indices or securities must be covered. When the Fund writes an option on a security, an index or a foreign currency, the Fund is required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks. To cover its position, the Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the option or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities. Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the Fund arising from such investment activities.

 

The Fund or the Subsidiaries may enter into agreements with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements.

 

The Fund may trade put and call options on securities, securities indices and currencies, as the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser determines is appropriate in seeking the Fund’s investment objective, and except as restricted by the Fund’s investment limitations. See “Investment Limitations.”

 

The initial purchase (sale) of an option contract is an “opening transaction.” In order to close out an option position, the Fund may enter into a “closing transaction,” which is simply the sale (purchase) of an option contract on the same security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option contract originally opened. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has written, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the security upon exercise.

 

The Fund may purchase put and call options on securities to protect against a decline in the market value of the securities in its portfolio, to anticipate an increase in the market value of securities that the Fund may seek to purchase in the future or to seek to increase total return. The Fund purchasing put and call options pays a premium therefore. If price movements in the underlying securities are such that exercise of the options would not be profitable for the Fund, loss of the premium paid may be offset by an increase in the value of the Fund’s securities or by a decrease in the cost of acquisition of securities by the Fund.

 

The Fund may write covered call options on securities as a means of increasing the yield on its assets and as a means of providing limited protection against decreases in its market value. When the Fund writes an option, if the underlying securities do not increase or decrease to a price level that would make the exercise of the option profitable to the holder thereof, the option generally will expire without being exercised and the Fund will realize as profit the premium received for such option. When a call option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to sell the underlying securities to the option holder at the strike price, and will not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price. When a put option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the market value of such securities.

 

The Fund may purchase and write options on an exchange or over-the-counter. Over-the-counter options (“OTC options”) differ from exchange-traded options in several respects. They are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation, and therefore entail the risk of non-performance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities and for a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than are available for exchange-traded options. Because OTC options are not traded on an exchange, pricing is done normally by reference to information from a market maker. It is the SEC’s position that OTC options are generally illiquid.

 

The market value of an option generally reflects the market price of an underlying security. Other principal factors affecting market value include supply and demand, interest rates, the pricing volatility of the underlying security and the time remaining until the expiration date.

 

Risks associated with options transactions include: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on an ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for options; and (4) while the Fund will receive a premium when it writes covered call options, it may not participate fully in a rise in the market value of the underlying security.

 

Portfolio Turnover Rate. Portfolio turnover rate is defined under SEC rules as the greater of the value of the securities purchased or securities sold, excluding all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one-year or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this definition, instruments with remaining maturities of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include the futures contracts in which the Fund may invest since such contracts generally have remaining maturities of less than one-year. The Fund may at times hold investments in other short-term instruments, such as repurchase agreements, which are excluded for purposes of computing portfolio turnover.

 

Restricted and Illiquid Investments. Pursuant to Rule 22-4 under the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is an investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments include: repurchase agreements and time deposits with a notice or demand period of more than seven days; interest rate; currency and mortgage swaps; interest rate caps; floors and collars; municipal leases; certain restricted securities, such as those purchased in a private placement of securities, unless it is determined, based upon a review of the trading markets for a specific restricted security, that such restricted security is liquid; and certain over-the-counter options. Securities that have legal or contractual restrictions on resale but have a readily available market are not considered illiquid for purposes of this limitation.

 

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Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of restricted or other illiquid investments because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and a mutual fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid investments promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty in satisfying redemptions within seven days. A mutual fund might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities. To the extent an investment held by the Fund is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund will be exposed to greater liquidity risk.

 

The Fund may purchase securities which are not registered under the Securities Act but which may be sold to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act (“Restricted Securities”). These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser that an adequate trading market exists for the securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in an underlying investment company during any period that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing restricted securities.

 

The Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser will monitor the liquidity of Restricted Securities held by the portion of the assets of the Fund it manages. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser or Trading Adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the unregistered nature of the security; (2) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (3) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (5) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities normally reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, since the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.

 

As consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives, the Fund may also invest in Section 4(2) commercial paper. Section 4(2) commercial paper is issued in reliance on an exemption from registration under Section 4(2) of the Act and is generally sold to institutional investors who purchase for investment. Any resale of such commercial paper must be in an exempt transaction, usually to an institutional investor through the issuer or investment dealers who make a market in such commercial paper. The Fund believes that Section 4(2) commercial paper is liquid to the extent it meets the criteria established by the Board. The Fund intends to treat such commercial paper as liquid and not subject to the investment limitations applicable to illiquid securities or restricted securities.

 

The Company has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22e-4. If the limitation on illiquid securities is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the Board and, when required by the Liquidity Rule, to the SEC.

 

Rights Offerings and Purchase Warrants. Rights offerings and purchase warrants are privileges issued by a corporation which enable the owner to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short lifespan to expiration. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

Risk Considerations of Medium Grade Securities. Obligations in the lowest investment grade (i.e., BBB or Baa), referred to as “medium grade” obligations, have speculative characteristics, and changes in economic conditions and other factors are more likely to lead to weakened capacity to make interest payments and repay principal on these obligations than is the case for higher rated securities. In the event that a security purchased by the Fund is subsequently downgraded below investment grade, the Adviser and Trading Advisers will consider such event in its determination of whether the Fund should continue to hold the security.

 

Short Sales. As consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives, the Fund may engage in short sales that are either “uncovered” or “against the box.” A short sale is “against the box” if at all times during which the short position is open, the Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short. A short sale against the box is generally a taxable transaction to the Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.

 

Uncovered short sales are transactions under which the Fund sells a security it does not own. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of the replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.

 

Until the Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the Fund will: (a) maintain a segregated account containing cash or liquid securities at such a level that (i) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short; and (ii) the amount deposited in the segregated account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will not be less than the market value of the security at the time the security was sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund’s short position.

 

Special Note Regarding Market Events. Events in the financial sector over the past several years have resulted in reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets and in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestically and internationally. While entire markets have been impacted, issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected. These events and the potential for continuing market turbulence may have an adverse effect on the underlying investment companies’ investments. It is uncertain how long these conditions will continue.

 

The instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. government to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and certain segments of the financial markets. Federal, state and foreign governments, regulatory agencies, and self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude an underlying investment company’s, and thus the Fund’s, ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such ownership or disposition may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of the underlying investment companies’ holdings.

 

Structured Securities. The Fund may invest in structured securities to the extent consistent with its investment objective. The value of the principal of and/or interest on structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of specific currencies, commodities, securities, indices or other financial indicators (the “Reference”) or the relative change in two or more References. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may be increased or decreased depending upon changes in the applicable Reference. Examples of structured securities include, but are not limited to, notes where the principal repayment at maturity is determined by the value of the relative change in two or more specified securities or securities indices.

 

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The terms of some structured securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity and, therefore, the Fund could suffer a total loss of its investment. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the Reference may produce an increase or decrease in the interest rate or value of the security at maturity. In addition, changes in the interest rate or the value of the security at maturity may be a multiple of the changes in the value of the Reference. Consequently, structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of securities. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities due to their derivative nature.

 

Subsidiary Risk. The Fund makes investments through the wholly-owned and controlled Subsidiaries of the Fund: Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC (via the Cayman Subsidiary) and Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC. Investment in the SPC (via the Cayman Subsidiary) provides the Fund with exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code. The SPC is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands and the Onshore Subsidiary is a Delaware series limited liability company. The Fund is the direct or indirect sole shareholder of each Subsidiary, and it is not currently expected that shares of the Subsidiaries will be sold or offered to other investors.

 

The SPC and the Onshore Subsidiary will invest primarily in derivative instruments, such as, commodity futures contracts, non-commodity futures contracts, such as equity index, government bond, fixed income and foreign exchange futures contracts, forward foreign currency exchange contracts, commodity and non-commodity swap agreements. The SPC and the Onshore Subsidiary may also invest in fixed income securities and money market instruments, cash and cash equivalents with two years or less term to maturity, and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivative positions. All commodities futures and commodities-related investments will be made in the segregated portfolios of the SPC. The Fund’s investment in each Subsidiary may vary depending on the types of instruments selected by the Adviser or Trading Advisers to gain exposure to the commodities markets. To the extent that the Fund invests in the Subsidiaries, the Fund may be subject to the risks associated with the above-mentioned derivative instruments and other securities, which are discussed elsewhere in the Prospectus and this SAI.

 

The Fund intends to treat physically settled futures contracts in the same manner as cash settled futures contracts through the use of a swap and/or letter agreement with each Subsidiary’s futures commission merchant for the purposes of complying with Section 18 of 1940 Act. The SEC has not declared whether or not the use of such a letter agreement is sufficient for the purpose of compliance with Section 18 of the 1940 Act. There is a risk, therefore, that the SEC may deem the use of the letter agreement as insufficient and that the Fund may not be permitted to continue to gain exposure to these contracts through the use of the letter agreement.

 

The Fund intends to treat physically settled fx forward transactions in the same manner as cash settled fx forward transactions through the use of a letter agreement (the “Letter”) with each Subsidiary’s FX Prime Broker (“FXPB”) for the purposes of complying with Section 18 of 1940 Act. The Letter provides that the Subsidiary will ensure the liquidation of any deliverable transactions by entering into offsetting FX spot, forward or swap transactions or by rolling forward the net currency positions under such transactions. Failing that, where the transaction is not liquidated prior to the settlement date of such transaction, the FXPB will liquidate the position prior to the settlement date at the applicable prevailing market rate. Therefore, the Letter provides that the Fund and/or the Subsidiary will never be left with an obligation to purchase or deliver the currency underlying the forward transaction.

 

While the Subsidiaries may be considered similar to an investment company, they are not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted in the Prospectus and this SAI, are not subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act and other U.S. regulations. Changes in the laws of the United States, Delaware and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiaries to operate as described in the Prospectuses and this SAI and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

 

Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into equity index or interest rate swap agreements for purposes of attempting to gain exposure to the stocks making up an index of securities in a market without actually purchasing those stocks, or to hedge a position. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one-year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. Forms of swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap,” interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level, or “floor,” and interest rate dollars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

 

Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.” Consequently, the Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The Fund’s current obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by segregating assets determined to be liquid.

 

Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be “senior securities” for purposes of the Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities. Because they are two party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for the Fund’s illiquid investment limitation. The Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.

 

The Fund may enter into swap agreements to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in circumstances in which direct investment is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable. The counterparty to any swap agreement will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker/dealer. The counter-party will generally agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. The Fund will agree to pay to the counter-party a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to the Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.

 

Swap agreements typically are settled on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term. Swap agreements do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swap agreements is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to a swap agreement defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each equity swap will be accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or liquid assets, having an NAV at least equal to such accrued excess will be maintained in a segregated account by the Fund’s custodian. Inasmuch as these transactions are entered into for hedging purposes or are offset by segregated cash of liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, the Fund and the Adviser believe that these transactions do not constitute senior securities under the 1940 Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions.

 

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The Adviser and Trading Advisers, under the supervision of the Board, are responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of Fund transactions in swap agreements. The use of equity swaps is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.

 

Tax Risk. The Fund intends to continue to qualify annually to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Code. To qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code, the Fund must invest in assets which produce the types of income specified in the Code and the Treasury regulations (“Qualifying Income”). Whether the income from certain derivatives, swaps, commodity-linked derivatives and other commodity/natural resource-related securities, including income from the Fund’s investment in its subsidiary, is Qualifying Income is unclear. The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") has issued a ruling that income realized from certain types of commodity-linked derivatives would not be Qualifying Income. The Fund's investment in the SPC (via the Cayman Subsidiary) is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the Code for qualification as a regulated investment company, but there is a risk that certain commodity-linked structured notes will not be considered Qualifying Income. If the Fund’s income from these types of securities is determined to not be Qualifying Income, it may cause the Fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code. Moreover, an investment in a subsidiary generally may not exceed 25% of the value of the gross assets of the Fund at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year. If the SPC does exceed 25% of the value of the gross assets of the Fund, in any quarter, the Fund may fail to qualify as a registered investment company under the Code. See “Taxes” below for additional information related to these restrictions.

 

U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

 

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

 

See “Mortgage-Backed Securities” above for additional information about the September 7, 2008 federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

 

U.S. Treasury Obligations. U.S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities (“STRIPS”) and Treasury Receipts (“TRs”).

 

Receipts. Interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S. government obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U.S. government obligations into a special account at a custodian bank. The custodian holds the interest and principal payments for the benefit of the registered owners of the certificates or receipts. The custodian arranges for the issuance of the certificates or receipts evidencing ownership and maintains the register. TRs and STRIPS are interests in accounts sponsored by the U.S. Treasury. Receipts are sold as zero coupon securities.

 

U.S. Government Zero Coupon Securities. STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons. Zero coupon securities are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of interest or principal. The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes. Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically. Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with similar maturity and credit qualities.

 

U.S. Government Agencies. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U.S. government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. Guarantees of principal by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities nor to the value of the Fund’s shares.

 

NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

 

Equity Securities. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the NAV of the Fund to fluctuate. The Fund purchases equity securities traded in the U.S. on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:

 

Common Stock. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

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Preferred Stock. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.

 

Warrants. Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.

 

Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their “conversion value,” which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Issuers. Investing in equity securities of small and medium capitalization companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in larger capitalization companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth of management. The securities of smaller companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and even if listed on a national securities exchange may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange. Consequently, the securities of smaller companies are less likely to be liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established growth companies or the market averages in general.

 

Investment Company Shares. The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions. These investment companies typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by the Fund. The Fund’s purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses, such that shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying the Fund’s expenses. Unless an exception is available, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act prohibits a fund from (i) acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any one investment company, (ii) investing more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, and (iii) investing more than 10% of its total assets in all investment companies combined, including its exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) investments.

 

For hedging or other purposes, the Fund may invest in investment companies that seek to track the composition and/or performance of specific indexes or portions of specific indexes. Certain of these investment companies, known as exchange-traded funds, are traded on a securities exchange. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with changes in the underlying portfolio securities of the investment company and also due to supply and demand of the investment company’s shares on the exchange upon which the shares are traded. Index-based investments may not replicate or otherwise match the composition or performance of their specified index due to transaction costs, among other things.

 

Pursuant to orders issued by the SEC to each of certain ETFs and procedures approved by the Board, the Fund may invest in the ETFs in excess of the limits described above, provided that the Fund has described the ETF investments in its prospectus and otherwise complies with the conditions of the SEC, as it may be amended, and any other applicable investment limitations. Neither the ETFs nor their investment advisers make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in the ETFs.

 

Large Shareholder Purchase and Redemption Risk. The Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund. Such large shareholder redemptions may cause the Fund to sell its securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and liquidity. Similarly, large share purchases may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would. In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio. However, this risk may be limited to the extent that the Adviser and the Fund have entered into a fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Fund may invest in mortgage pass-through certificates and multiple-class pass-through securities, such as real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMIC”), pass-through certificates and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”).

 

Guaranteed mortgage pass-through securities represent participation interests in pools of residential mortgage loans and are issued by U.S. governmental or private lenders and guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, including but not limited to the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”). Ginnie Mae certificates are guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government for timely payment of principal and interest on the certificates. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac certificates are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Fannie Mae certificates are guaranteed by Fannie Mae, a federally chartered and privately owned corporation, for full and timely payment of principal and interest on the certificates. Fannie Mae is authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet its obligations. Freddie Mac certificates are guaranteed by Freddie Mac, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. government, for timely payment of interest and the ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans.

 

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be placed in conservatorship under the FHFA. On June 16, 2010, FHFA ordered Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s stock de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) after the price of common stock in Fannie Mae fell below the NYSE’s minimum average closing price of $1 for more than 30 days. The future status and role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s operations and activities as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the U.S. Treasury, market responses to developments at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any Mortgage-Backed Securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including any such Mortgage-Backed Securities held by the Fund.

 

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There is risk that the U.S. government will not provide financial support to its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. The Fund may purchase U.S. government securities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government securities held by the Fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.

 

CMOs and REMIC pass-through or participation certificates may be issued by, among others, U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities as well as private lenders. CMOs and REMIC certificates are issued in multiple classes and the principal of and interest on the mortgage assets may be allocated among the several classes of CMOs or REMIC certificates in various ways. Each class of CMOs or REMIC certificates, often referred to as a “tranche,” is issued at a specific adjustable or fixed interest rate and must be fully retired no later than its final distribution date. Generally, interest is paid or accrues on all classes of CMOs or REMIC certificates on a monthly basis.

 

Typically, CMOs are collateralized by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac certificates but also may be collateralized by other mortgage assets such as whole loans or private mortgage pass-through securities. Debt service on CMOs is provided from payments of principal and interest on collateral of mortgaged assets and any reinvestment income thereon.

 

A REMIC is a CMO that qualifies for special tax treatment under the Code and invests in certain mortgages primarily secured by interests in real property and other permitted investments. Investors may purchase “regular” and “residual” interest shares of beneficial interest in REMIC trusts, although the Fund does not intend to invest in residual interests.

 

The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by trusts or other entities formed or sponsored by private originators of and institutional investors in mortgage loans and other non-governmental entities (or representing custodial arrangements administered by such institutions). These private originators and institutions include savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, insurance companies, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing.

 

Privately issued mortgage-backed securities are generally backed by pools of conventional (i.e., non-government guaranteed or insured) mortgage loans. Since such mortgage-backed securities normally are not guaranteed by an entity having the credit standing of Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, in order to receive a high quality rating from the rating organizations (e.g., S&P’s or Moody’s), they often are structured with one or more types of “credit enhancement.” Such credit enhancement falls into two categories: (1) liquidity protection and (2) protection against losses resulting after default by a borrower and liquidation of the collateral (e.g., sale of a house after foreclosure). Liquidity protection refers to the payment of cash advances to holders of mortgage-backed securities when a borrower on an underlying mortgage fails to make its monthly payment on time. Protection against losses resulting after default and liquidation is designed to cover losses resulting when, for example, the proceeds of a foreclosure sale are insufficient to cover the outstanding amount on the mortgage. Such protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit, through various means of structuring the securities or through a combination of such approaches.

 

Examples of credit enhancement arising out of the structure of the transaction include “senior-subordinated securities” (multiple class securities with one or more classes entitled to receive payment before other classes, with the result that defaults on the underlying mortgages are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class), creation of “spread accounts” or “reserve funds” (where cash or investments are held in reserve against future losses) and “over-collateralization” (where the scheduled payments on the underlying mortgages in a pool exceed the amount required to be paid on the mortgage-backed securities). The degree of credit enhancement for a particular issue of mortgage-backed securities is based on the level of credit risk associated with the particular mortgages in the related pool. Losses on a pool in excess of anticipated levels could nevertheless result in losses to security holders since credit enhancement rarely covers every dollar owed on a pool.

 

Investing in mortgage-backed securities (such as those described above) involves certain risks, including the failure of a counter-party to meet its commitments, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows. Further, the yield characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from those of traditional fixed income securities. The major differences typically include more frequent interest and principal payments (usually monthly), the adjustability of interest rates, and the possibility that prepayments of principal may be made substantially earlier than their final distribution dates.

 

Prepayment rates are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors and cannot be predicted with certainty. Both adjustable rate mortgage loans and fixed rate mortgage loans may be subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment. Under certain interest rate and prepayment rate scenarios, the Fund may fail to recoup fully its investment in mortgage-backed securities notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee. When the Fund reinvests amounts representing payments and unscheduled prepayments of principal, it may receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on existing adjustable rate mortgage pass-through securities. Thus, mortgage-backed securities, and adjustable rate mortgage pass-through securities in particular, may be less effective than other types of U.S. government securities as a means of “locking in” interest rates.

 

Conversely, in a rising interest rate environment, a declining prepayment rate will extend the average life of many mortgage-backed securities. This possibility is often referred to as extension risk. Extending the average life of a mortgage-backed security increases the risk of depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates. The market for certain types of mortgage-backed securities (i.e., certain CMOs) may not be liquid under all interest rate scenarios, which may prevent the Fund from selling such securities held in its portfolio at times or prices that it desires.

 

Different types of derivative debt securities are subject to different combinations of prepayment, extension and/or interest rate risk. Conventional mortgage pass-through securities and sequential pay CMOs are subject to all of these risks, but are typically not leveraged. Thus, the magnitude of exposure may be less than for more leveraged mortgage-backed securities.

 

Planned amortization class (“PAC”) and target amortization class (“TAC”) CMO bonds involve less exposure to prepayment, extension and interest rate risk than other mortgage-backed securities, provided that prepayment rates remain within expected prepayment ranges or “collars.” To the extent that prepayment rates remain within these prepayment ranges, the residual or support tranches of PAC and TAC CMOs assume the extra prepayment extension and interest rate risk associated with the underlying mortgage assets.

 

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The Fund may invest in floating rate securities based on the Cost of Funds Index (“COFI floaters”), other “lagging rate” floating rate securities, floating rate securities that are subject to a maximum interest rate (“capped floaters”), and mortgage-backed securities purchased at a discount. The primary risks associated with these derivative debt securities are the potential extension of average life and/or depreciation due to rising interest rates.

 

Recently, rating agencies have placed on credit watch or downgraded the ratings previously assigned to a large number of mortgage-related securities (which may include certain of the mortgage-related securities in which the Fund may have invested or may in the future be invested), and may continue to do so in the future. In the event that any mortgage-related security held by the Fund is placed on credit watch or downgraded, the value of such mortgage-related security may decline and the Fund may consequently experience losses in respect of such mortgage-related security.

 

Risk Considerations of Lower Rated Securities. The Fund may invest in fixed income securities that are not investment grade but are rated as low as B by Moody’s or B by S&P (or their equivalents or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). In the case of a security that is rated differently by two or more rating services, the higher rating is used in connection with the foregoing limitation. In the event that the rating on a security held in the Fund’s portfolio is downgraded by a rating service, such action will be considered by the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser in its evaluation of the overall investment merits of that security, but will not necessarily result in the sale of the security. The widespread expansion of government, consumer and corporate debt within the U.S. economy has made the corporate sector, especially cyclically sensitive industries, more vulnerable to economic downturns or increased interest rates. An economic downturn could severely disrupt the market for high yield fixed income securities and adversely affect the value of outstanding fixed income securities and the ability of the issuers to repay principal and interest.

 

The Fund may invest in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. The Fund may invest in high yield debt instruments when the Fund believes that such instruments offer a better risk/reward profile than comparable equity opportunities. High yield fixed income securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are considered speculative investments while generally providing greater income than investments in higher rated securities, involve greater risk of loss of principal and income (including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities) and may involve greater volatility of price (especially during periods of economic uncertainty or change) than securities in the higher rating categories. Since yields vary over time, no specific level of income can ever be assured.

 

The prices of high yield fixed income securities have been found to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. Also, during an economic downturn or substantial period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress, which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals and to obtain additional financing. If the issuer of a fixed income security owned by the Fund defaulted, the Fund could incur additional expenses in attempting to obtain a recovery. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices of high yield fixed income securities and the Fund’s NAV to the extent it holds such securities.

 

High yield fixed income securities also present risks based on payment expectations. For example, high yield fixed income securities may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, the Fund may, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities, have to replace the securities with a lower yielding security, which may result in a decreased return for investors. Conversely, a high yield fixed income security’s value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of the Fund’s assets, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities. In addition, to the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield fixed income securities, and this may have an impact on the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ ability to accurately value such securities and the Fund’s assets and on the Fund’s ability to dispose of such securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield fixed income securities, especially in a thinly traded market.

 

New laws proposed or adopted from time to time may have an impact on the market for high yield securities.

 

Finally, there are risks involved in applying credit or dividend ratings as a method for evaluating high yield securities. For example, ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest or dividend payments, not market value risk of high yield securities. Also, since rating agencies may fail to timely change the credit ratings to reflect subsequent events, the Fund will continuously monitor the issuers of high yield securities in its portfolio, if any, to determine if the issuers will have sufficient cash flow and profits to meet required principal and interest payments, and to assure the security’s liquidity so the Fund can meet redemption requests.

 

Securities Lending. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the Board. These loans, if and when made, may not exceed 33 1/3% of the total asset value of the Fund (including the loan collateral). The Fund will not lend portfolio securities to the Adviser or their affiliates unless permissible under the 1940 Act and the rules and promulgations thereunder. Loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, and the collateral will be maintained in an amount equal to at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned domestic securities (105% of loaned foreign securities) by marking to market daily. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of the Fund.

 

The Fund may pay a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral, or other fee, to an unaffiliated or, to the extent consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder, affiliated third party for acting as the Fund’s securities lending agent.

 

By lending its securities, the Fund may increase its income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral. The Fund does not have the right to vote loaned securities. The Fund will attempt to call all loaned securities back to permit the exercise of voting rights on material matters, if time and jurisdictional restrictions permit. There is no guarantee that all loans can be recalled.

 

Temporary Defensive Positions. In anticipation of or in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions (up to 100% of its assets) in cash, cash equivalents and short-term U.S. government securities. If the Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

  

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

The Fund has adopted the following fundamental investment limitations which may not be changed with respect to the Fund without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares (as defined in Section 2(a) (42) of the 1940 Act). As used in this SAI and in the Prospectus, “shareholder approval” and a “majority of the outstanding shares” of the Fund means, with respect to the approval of an investment advisory agreement, a distribution plan or a change in a fundamental investment limitation, the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Unless otherwise noted, the Fund’s investment goals and strategies described in the Prospectus may be changed by the Board without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

13

 

The Fund may not:

 

1. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements provided that there is at least 300% asset coverage for the borrowings of the Fund. The Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. However, the amount shall not be in excess of lesser of the dollar amounts borrowed or 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing, provided that: (a) short sales and related borrowings of securities are not subject to this restriction; and (b) for the purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, short sales, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin and collateral arrangements with respect to derivatives instruments are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with the Fund’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation;

 

2. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

 

3. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts;

 

4. Purchase or sell commodities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by the regulatory authority having jurisdiction from time to time;

 

5. Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan; or

 

6. Invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that (a) there is no limitation with respect to (i) instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and (ii) repurchase agreements secured by the instruments described in clause (i); (b) wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; and (c) utilities will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry.

 

In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the Fund is subject to the following non-fundamental limitations, which may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. The Fund may not:

 

1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by the Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or management; or

 

2. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments, including foreign exchange forward contracts, shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

 

The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act. Pursuant to orders issued by the SEC to ETFs and procedures approved by the Board, the Fund may invest in ETFs in excess of the limits of the 1940 Act. As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

 

Securities held by the Fund generally may not be purchased from, sold or loaned to the Adviser, any Trading Adviser or their affiliates or any of their directors, officers or employees, acting as principal, unless pursuant to a rule or exemptive order under the 1940 Act. None of the Fund, the Adviser, or any Trading Adviser has obtained such an exemptive order as of the date of this SAI.

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Fund will be required to maintain asset coverage of at least 300% for borrowings from a bank. In the event that such asset coverage is below 300%, the Fund will be required to reduce the amount of its borrowings to obtain 300% asset coverage within three business days (not including Sundays and holidays).

 

The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company’s ability to invest in commodities, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The Fund has adopted fundamental policies that would permit direct investment in commodities.

 

Any collateral arrangements with respect to, if applicable, the writing of options and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, short sales and other similar instruments, and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets. The Fund may pledge, mortgage or hypothecate assets to secure borrowings permitted by the Fund’s fundamental limitation on borrowing.

 

Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.

 

If a percentage restriction under one of the Fund’s investment policies or limitations or the use of assets is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation (except with respect to any restrictions that may apply to borrowings or senior securities issued by the Fund).

 

14

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Company has adopted, on behalf of the Fund, a policy relating to the selective disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings by the Adviser, Board, officers, or third party service providers, in accordance with regulations that seek to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio holdings is in the best interest of Fund shareholders. The policies relating to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information where necessary to the Fund’s operation without compromising the integrity or performance of the Fund. It is the policy of the Company that disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings to a select person or persons prior to the release of such holdings to the public (“selective disclosure”) is prohibited, unless there are legitimate business purposes for selective disclosure.

 

The Company discloses portfolio holdings information as required in regulatory filings and shareholder reports, discloses portfolio holdings information as required by federal and state securities laws and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities. As required by the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the Company will disclose the Fund’s portfolio holdings in applicable regulatory filings, including shareholder reports, reports on Form N-CSR, Form N-CEN, and Form N-Q (or Form N-Q's successor, Form N-PORT) or such other filings, reports or disclosure documents as the applicable regulatory authorities may require.

 

Generally, after the 30th business day of the month following each calendar quarter end, the Fund may provide, at the Adviser’s discretion, its portfolio holdings to various rating and ranking organizations. In addition, generally after the 30th business day of the month following each calendar quarter end, the Fund may post to its website a list of the Fund’s top ten holdings or full portfolio holdings at the discretion of the Adviser. The timing, frequency and type (i.e., ratings/rankings/holdings) of disclosure may change at the Adviser’s discretion, as well as whether to post to the Fund’s website.

 

The Company may distribute or authorize the distribution of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings that is not publicly available to its third-party service providers, which include U.S. Bank, N.A., the custodian; U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), the administrator, accounting agent and transfer agent; Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, legal counsel; FilePoint, the financial printer; the Fund’s proxy voting service(s); and the Company’s liquidity classification agent. These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the Fund. Such holdings are released on conditions of confidentiality, which include appropriate trading prohibitions. “Conditions of confidentiality” include confidentiality terms included in written agreements, implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g. attorney-client relationship), or required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody services provided by financial institutions).

 

Portfolio holdings may also be disclosed, upon authorization by a designated officer of the Adviser, to (i) certain independent reporting agencies recognized by the SEC as acceptable agencies for the reporting of industry statistical information and (ii) financial consultants to assist them in determining the suitability of the Fund as an investment for their clients, in each case in accordance with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the Company’s and the Adviser’s fiduciary duties to Fund shareholders. Disclosures to financial consultants are also subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions. The foregoing disclosures are made pursuant to the Company’s policy on selective disclosure of portfolio holdings. The Board or a committee thereof may, in limited circumstances, permit other selective disclosure of portfolio holdings subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions. Portfolio holdings may also be provided earlier to shareholders and their agents who receive redemptions in kind that reflect a pro rata allocation of all securities held in the Fund’s portfolio.

 

The Adviser reserves the right to refuse to fulfill any request for portfolio holdings information from a shareholder or non-shareholder if it believes that providing such information will be contrary to the best interests of the Fund.

 

The Board provides ongoing oversight of the Company’s policies and procedures and compliance with such policies and procedures. As part of this oversight function, the Board receives from the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) as necessary, reports on compliance with these policies and procedures. In addition, the Board receives an annual assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the policies and procedures with respect to the Fund, and any changes thereto, and an annual review of the operation of the policies and procedures. Any violation of the policy set forth above as well as any corrective action undertaken to address such violation must be reported by the Adviser, director, officer or third party service provider to the Company’s CCO, who will determine whether the violation should be reported immediately to the Board or at its next quarterly Board meeting.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

Portfolio turnover measures the percentage of the Fund’s total portfolio market value that was purchased or sold during the period. The Fund’s turnover rate provides an indication of how transaction costs (which are not included in the Fund’s expenses) may affect the Fund’s performance. Also, funds with a high turnover may be more likely to distribute capital gains that may be taxable to shareholders. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is calculated by the value of the investment securities purchased or sold, excluding all instruments whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this calculation, instruments, including options and futures contracts, with remaining maturities of less than one year are excluded from the portfolio turnover rate. If such instruments were included, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate would be higher.

 

The Fund’s portfolio turnover rates for the two most recent fiscal years are stated below. Portfolio turnover rates could change significantly in response to turbulent market conditions.

 

Portfolio Turnover
Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2019 Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2018
0% 0%

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

 

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the oversight of the Board, subject to the laws of the State of Maryland and the Company’s Charter. The Directors are responsible for deciding matters of overall policy and overseeing the actions of the Company’s service providers. The officers of the Company conduct and supervise the Company’s daily business operations.

 

Directors who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) are referred to as “Independent Directors.” Directors who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company are referred to as “Interested Directors.” The Board is currently composed of seven Independent Directors and one Interested Director. The Board has selected Arnold M. Reichman, an Independent Director, to act as Chairman. Mr. Reichman’s duties include presiding at meetings of the Board and interfacing with management to address significant issues that may arise between regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings. In the performance of his duties, Mr. Reichman will consult with the other Independent Directors and the Company’s officers and legal counsel, as appropriate. The Chairman may perform other functions as requested by the Board from time to time.

 

15

 

The Board meets as often as necessary to discharge its responsibilities. Currently, the Board conducts regular, in-person meetings at least four times a year, and holds special in-person or telephonic meetings as necessary to address specific issues that require attention prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board also relies on professionals, such as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms and legal counsel, to assist the Directors in performing their oversight responsibilities.

 

The Board has established nine standing committees — Audit, Contract, Executive, Investment and Liquidity Risk, Nominating and Governance, Product Development, Regulatory Oversight, Strategic Oversight, and Valuation Committees. The Board may establish other committees, or nominate one or more Directors to examine particular issues related to the Board’s oversight responsibilities, from time to time. Each Committee meets periodically to perform its delegated oversight functions and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board. For more information on the Committees, see the section entitled “Standing Committees.”

 

The Board has determined that the Company’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities.

 

16

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

The Directors and executive officers of the Company, their ages, business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

 

Name, Address,

and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of Tim

Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund

Complex Overseen by Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

Julian A. Brodsky

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 86

Director 1988 to present From 1969 to 2011, Director and Vice Chairman, Comcast Corporation (cable television and communications). 34 AMDOCS Limited (service provider to telecommunications companies).

J. Richard Carnall

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 81

Director 2002 to present Since 1984, Director of Haydon Bolts, Inc. (bolt manufacturer) and Parkway Real Estate Company (subsidiary of Haydon Bolts, Inc.); since 2004, Director of Cornerstone Bank. 34 None

Gregory P. Chandler

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 53

Director 2012 to present Since 2009, Chief Financial Officer, Emtec, Inc. (information technology consulting/services). 34

Emtec, Inc. (until December 2019); FS Investment Corporation (business development company) (until December 2018); FS Energy and Power Fund (business development company);

Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company).

Nicholas A. Giordano

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 76

Director 2006 to present Since 1997, Consultant, financial services organizations. 34

IntriCon Corporation (biomedical device manufacturer);

Kalmar Pooled Investment Trust (registered investment company) (until September 2017); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company); Independence Blue Cross (healthcare insurance).

Arnold M. Reichman

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 71

Chairman

Director

2005 to present

1991 to present

From 2006-2016, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lifebooker, LLC (online beauty and health appointment booking service). 34 Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company)

Brian T. Shea

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 59

Director 2018 to present From 2014-2017, Chief Executive Officer, BNY Mellon Investment Services (fund services, global custodian and securities clearing firm); from 1983-2014, Chief Executive Officer and various positions, Pershing LLC (broker dealer, clearing and custody firm). 34

WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (asset management company) (until March 2019); Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (financial services technology company); Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (financial services).

Robert A. Straniere

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 78

Director 2006 to present Since 2009, Administrative Law Judge, New York City; since 1980, Founding Partner, Straniere Law Group (law firm). 34 Reich and Tang Group (asset management) (until 2015).
INTERESTED DIRECTOR2

Robert Sablowsky

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 81

Vice Chairman

Director

2016 to present

1991 to present

Since 2002, Senior Director - Investments and prior thereto, Executive Vice President, of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (a registered broker-dealer). 34 None
OFFICERS

Salvatore Faia, JD,

CPA, CFE

Vigilant Compliance, LLC

Gateway Corporate

Center Suite 216

223 Wilmington West

Chester Pike

Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Age: 57

President

Chief Compliance Officer

2009 to present

2004 to present

Since 2004, President, Vigilant Compliance, LLC (investment management services company); since 2005, Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

 

 

N/A N/A

 

17

 

Name, Address,

and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of Tim

Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund

Complex Overseen by Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

James G. Shaw

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 59

Treasurer

and

Secretary

2016 to present Since 2016, Treasurer and Secretary of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2005 to 2016, Assistant Treasurer of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 1995 to 2016, Senior Director and Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (financial services company). N/A N/A

Craig A. Urciuoli

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 45

Director of Marketing & Business Development

2019 to present

Since 2019, Director of Marketing & Business Development, The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2000-2019, Managing Director, Third Avenue Management LLC.

N/A N/A

Jennifer Witt

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 37

Assistant Treasurer 2018 to present Since 2016, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm); from 2007 to 2016, Supervisor, Nuveen Investments (registered investment company). N/A N/A

Edward Paz

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 49

Assistant Secretary

2016 to present Since 2007, Vice President and Counsel, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm). N/A N/A

Michael P. Malloy

One Logan Square

Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 60

Assistant

Secretary

1999 to present Since 1993, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm). N/A N/A

Jillian L. Bosmann

One Logan Square

Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 41

Assistant

Secretary

2017 to present Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm) (2017-Present); Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (2006-Present). N/A N/A

 

* Each Director oversees 34 portfolios of the Company.

1. Subject to the Company’s Retirement Policy, each Director may continue to serve as a Director until the last day of the calendar year in which the applicable Director attains age 75 or until his successor is elected and qualified or his death, resignation or removal. The Board reserves the right to waive the requirements of the Policy with respect to an individual Director. The Board has approved waivers of the policy with respect to Messrs. Brodsky, Carnall, Giordano, Sablowsky and Straniere. Each officer holds office at the pleasure of the Board until the next special meeting of the Company or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed.

2. Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “interested person” of the Company as that term is defined in the 1940 Act and is referred to as an “Interested Director.” Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “Interested Director” of the Company by virtue of his position as an employee of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

 

Director Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and/or Skills

 

The information above includes each Director’s principal occupations during the last five years. Each Director possesses extensive additional experience, skills and attributes relevant to his qualifications to serve as a Director. The cumulative background of each Director led to the conclusion that each Director should serve as a Director of the Company. Mr. Giordano has years of experience as a consultant to financial services organizations and also serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Mr. Reichman brings decades of investment management experience to the Board, in addition to senior executive-level management experience. Mr. Straniere has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and has served on the boards of an asset management company and another registered investment company. Mr. Brodsky has over 40 years of senior executive-level management experience in the cable television and communications industry. Mr. Sablowsky has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the financial services industry. Mr. Carnall has decades of senior executive-level management experience in the banking and financial services industry and also serves on the boards of various corporations and a bank. Mr. Chandler has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the investment technology consulting/services and investment banking/brokerage industries, and also serves on various boards. Mr. Shea has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the brokerage, clearing and investment services industry, including service on the boards of industry regulatory organizations and a university.

 

Standing Committees

 

The responsibilities of each Committee of the Board and its members are described below.

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler and Giordano. The Audit Committee, among other things, reviews results of the annual audit and approves the firm(s) to serve as independent auditors. The Audit Committee convened three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

18

 

Contract Committee. The Board has a Contract Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Contract Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler, Sablowsky and Straniere. The Contract Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the approval and continuation of agreements and plans of the Company. The Contract Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Executive Committee. The Board has an Executive Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Executive Committee are Messrs. Chandler, Giordano, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Executive Committee may generally carry on and manage the business of the Company when the Board is not in session. The Executive Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee. The Board has an Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two Independent Directors. The current members of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee are Messrs. Reichman, Sablowsky and Shea. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee ensures that the Company’s investment advisers have adopted investment and liquidity risk management policies and procedures. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee met one time during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Giordano and Reichman. The Nominating and Governance Committee recommends to the Board all persons to be nominated as Directors of the Company. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Committee care of the Company’s Secretary. The Nominating and Governance Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Product Development Committee. The Board has a Product Development Committee comprised of the Interested Director and one Independent Director. The current members of the Product Development Committee are Messrs. Reichman and Sablowsky. The Product Development Committee oversees the process regarding the addition of new investment advisers and investment products to the Company. The Product Development Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Regulatory Oversight Committee. The Board has a Regulatory Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and four Independent Directors. The current members of the Regulatory Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Reichman, Sablowsky, Shea and Straniere. The Regulatory Oversight Committee monitors regulatory developments in the mutual fund industry and focuses on various regulatory aspects of the operation of the Company. The Regulatory Oversight Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Strategic Oversight Committee. The Board has a Strategic Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Strategic Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Chandler, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Strategic Oversight Committee assists the Board in its oversight and review of the Company’s strategic plan and operations. The Strategic Oversight Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Valuation Committee. The Board has a Valuation Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two officers of the Company. The members of the Valuation Committee are Messrs. Faia, Sablowsky and Shaw. The Valuation Committee is responsible for reviewing fair value determinations. The Valuation Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Risk Oversight

 

The Board performs its risk oversight function for the Company through a combination of (1) direct oversight by the Board as a whole and Board committees and (2) indirect oversight through the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, Company officers and the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer. The Company is subject to a number of risks, including but not limited to investment risk, compliance risk, operational risk, reputational risk, credit risk and counterparty risk. Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Company is the responsibility of the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk) that carry out the Company’s investment management and business affairs. Each of the investment advisers and the other service providers have their own independent interest in risk management and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models and may differ from the Company’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.

 

The Board provides risk oversight by receiving and reviewing on a regular basis reports from the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers, receiving and approving compliance policies and procedures, periodic meetings with the Company’s portfolio managers to review investment policies, strategies and risks, and meeting regularly with the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer to discuss compliance reports, findings and issues. The Board also relies on the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, with respect to the day-to-day activities of the Company, to create and maintain procedures and controls to minimize risk and the likelihood of adverse effects on the Company’s business and reputation.

 

Board oversight of risk management is also provided by various Board Committees. For example, the Audit Committee meets with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms to ensure that the Company’s respective audit scopes include risk-based considerations as to the Company’s financial position and operations.

 

The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight. The Board’s oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Company’s investments or activities.

 

19

 

Director Ownership of Shares of the Company

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in the Fund and in all of the portfolios of the Company (which for each Director comprise all registered investment companies within the Company’s family of investment companies overseen by him), as of December 31, 2019:

 

Name of Director

Dollar Range of Equity

Securities in the Fund

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director within the Family of Investment Companies

  INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS  
Julian A. Brodsky None Over $100,000
J. Richard Carnall $10,001- $50,000 $10,001-$50,000
Gregory P. Chandler None $10,001-$50,000
Nicholas A. Giordano $10,001- $50,000 $10,001-$50,000
Arnold M. Reichman None Over $100,000
Brian T. Shea None $10,001-$50,000
Robert A. Straniere None $1-$10,000
  INTERESTED DIRECTOR  
Robert Sablowsky Over $100,000 Over $100,000

 

Directors’ and Officers’ Compensation

 

Effective April 1, 2019, the Company pays each Director a retainer at the rate of $125,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each receives an additional fee of $20,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee each receives an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services. The Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee each receives an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $35,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $75,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

From January 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, the Company paid each Director a retainer at the rate of $100,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each received an additional fee of $15,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee received an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services, and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee each received an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $25,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $50,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

Directors are reimbursed for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board or any committee thereof. An employee of Vigilant Compliance, LLC serves as President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Company. Vigilant Compliance, LLC is compensated for the services provided to the Company, and such compensation is determined by the Board. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, Vigilant Compliance LLC received $30,047 from the Fund and $770,742 in aggregate from all series of the Company for services provided. An employee of the Company serves as a Treasurer and Secretary and is compensated for services provided. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from the Company in the following amounts:

 

20

 

Name of Director/Officer

Aggregate

Compensation

from the Fund

Pension or

Retirement

Benefits Accrued

Estimated

Annual

Benefits

Upon

Retirement

Total

Compensation

From

Fund Complex

Paid to

Directors

or Officer

Independent Directors:        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director $7,622 N/A N/A $148,750
J. Richard Carnall, Director $7,781 N/A N/A $152,250
Gregory P. Chandler, Director $8,808 N/A N/A $178,500
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director $7,978 N/A N/A $156,875
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman $10,035 N/A N/A $208,500
Brian T. Shea, Director $5,921 N/A N/A $152,500
Robert A. Straniere, Director $7,887 N/A N/A $155,750
Interested Director:        
Robert Sablowsky, Director $9,856 N/A N/A $205,250
Officer:        
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary $11,740 N/A N/A $288,000

 

Each compensated Director is entitled to participate in the Company’s deferred compensation plan (the “DC Plan”). Under the DC Plan, a compensated Director may elect to defer all or a portion of his compensation and have the deferred compensation treated as if it had been invested by the Company in shares of one or more of the portfolios of the Company. The amount paid to the Directors under the DC Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Independent Directors and their respective immediate family members (spouse or dependent children) did not own beneficially or of record any securities of the Company’s investment advisers or distributor, or of any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment advisers or distributor.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Company and the Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permits personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Company, subject to certain restrictions.

 

PROXY VOTING

 

The Board has delegated the responsibility of voting proxies with respect to the portfolio securities purchased and/or held by the Fund to the Fund’s Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. In exercising its voting obligations, the Adviser is guided by its general fiduciary duty to act prudently and in the interest of the Fund. The Adviser will consider factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments and the rights of shareholders in its determination on voting portfolio securities.

 

The Adviser will vote proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which provide the Adviser’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for seeing that proxies required to be voted are voted on behalf of the Fund and in the Fund’s best interests. The Chief Compliance Officer may choose to appoint one or both of the Portfolio Managers to consider options and propose decisions.

 

The Company is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. The Fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available upon request by calling toll-free 1-844-261-6484 or by writing to the Fund at: Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53201-0701. The Fund’s Form N-PX is also available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

21

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

As of January 31, 2020, to the Company’s knowledge, the following named persons at the addresses shown below were owners of record of approximately 5% or more of the total outstanding shares of a class of the Fund as indicated below. See “Additional Information Concerning Company Shares” below. Any shareholder that owns 25% or more of the outstanding shares of a portfolio or class may be presumed to “control” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) the portfolio or class. Shareholders controlling a portfolio or class could have the ability to vote a majority of the shares of the portfolio or class on any matter requiring approval of the shareholders of the portfolio or class.

 

Name of Fund Shareholder Name and Address Percentage of
Shares Owned as of
January 31, 2020
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class I Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith,
For The Sole Benefit Of Its Customers
4800 Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484
29.06%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class I Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
For The Exclusive Benefit Of Its Customers
1 New York Plz, FL 12
New York, NY 10004-1901
14.39%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class I Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC
Special Custody Acct for the
Exlusive benefit of Customer
2801 Market St
St. Louis, MO 63103-2523
11.09%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class I UBS WM USA
000 11011 6100
SPEC CDY A/C EBOC UBSFSI
1000 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761
9.18%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class I Wells Fargo Bank NA
FBO Omnibus Account Cash  XXXXO
PO Box 1533
Minneapolis, MN 55480-1533
7.58%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class A Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit Of Its Customers
1 New York Plz, FL 12
New York, NY 10004-1901
59.18%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class A Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith,
For The Sole Benefit Of Its Customers
4800 Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484
17.29%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class A UBS WM USA
000 11011 6100
SPEC CDY A/C EBOC UBSFSI
1000 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761
8.86%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class A National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd Fl 4th
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
7.64%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class C Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
For The Exclusive Benefit Of Its Customers
1 New York Plz, FL 12
New York, NY 10004-1901
51.68%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class C UBS WM USA
000 11011 6100
SPEC CDY A/C EBOC UBSFSI
1000 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761
32.33%
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class C US Bank NA
FBO Clients
PO Box 1787
Milwaukee, WI 53202
8.31%

 

As of January 31, 2020, the Directors and Officers as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each Portfolio of the Company.

 

Ownership information is not provided for Class T shares because Class T shares were not available for sale prior to the date of this SAI.

 

22

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER

 

Abbey Capital Limited (“Abbey Capital” or the “Adviser”), 1-2 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, Ireland, is an Irish limited company founded in 2000. Cavendish Capital Limited owns 100% of Abbey Capital.

 

The Adviser also serves as the investment adviser to the Cayman Subsidiary, the SPC and the Onshore Subsidiary, pursuant to separate investment advisory agreements. The Cayman Subsidiary is a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company. The SPC is a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Cayman Subsidiary and is an exempted company and a segregated portfolio company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. The Onshore Subsidiary is a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund organized as a Delaware series limited liability company. The Adviser does not receive additional compensation for its management of the Subsidiaries.

 

Advisory Agreement with the Company. The Adviser renders advisory services to the Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (“Advisory Agreement”) dated as of June 30, 2014, as amended.

 

Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser will provide for the overall management of the Fund including (i) the provision of a continuous investment program for the Fund, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents, (ii) the determination from time to time of the securities and other investments to be purchased, retained, or sold by the Fund, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for all purchases and sales of securities and other investments made for the Fund. The Adviser will provide the services rendered by it in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, restrictions and policies as stated in the Prospectus and in this SAI. The Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment, mistake of law, or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Advisory Agreement.

 

For its services to the Fund, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee computed daily and payable monthly at the annual rate of 1.77% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Adviser compensates the Trading Advisers out of the advisory fee that it receives from the Fund. There are no performance fees charged by the Adviser or Trading Advisers either at the Fund or at the Fund’s wholly-owned Subsidiaries. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses through February 28, 2021 for Class I Shares, Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) to 1.79%, 2.04%, 2.79% and 2.04%, respectively, of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Fund paid the Adviser the following advisory fees and the Adviser waived/reimbursed the following advisory fees as follows:

 

 

Advisory Fees Paid

(after waivers and

reimbursements)

Waivers Reimbursements
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 $12,225,681 $770,182 $0
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018 $15,638,843 $815,529 $0
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 $14,831,562 $1,087,123 $0

 

The Adviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under the Advisory Agreement. The Fund bears all of its own expenses not specifically assumed by the Adviser. General expenses of the Company not readily identifiable as belonging to a portfolio of the Company are allocated among all investment portfolios by or under the direction of the Board in such manner as it deems to be fair and equitable. Expenses borne by the Fund include, but are not limited to the following (or the Fund’s share of the following): (a) the cost (including brokerage commissions) of securities and other investments, including futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, and options, purchased or sold by the Fund and any losses incurred in connection therewith; (b) fees payable to and expenses incurred on behalf of the Fund by the Adviser; (c) filing fees and expenses relating to the registration and qualification of the Company and the Fund’s shares under federal and/or state securities laws and maintaining such registrations and qualifications; (d) fees and salaries payable to the Company’s Directors and officers; (e) taxes (including any income or franchise taxes) and governmental fees; (f) costs of any liability and other insurance or fidelity bonds; (g) any costs, expenses or losses arising out of a liability of or claim for damages or other relief asserted against the Company or the Fund for violation of any law; (h) legal, accounting and auditing expenses, including legal fees of special counsel for the independent Directors; (i) charges of custodians and other agents; (j) expenses of setting in type and printing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto for existing shareholders, reports, statements, and confirmations to shareholders and proxy materials that are not attributable to a class; (k) costs of mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto to existing shareholders, as well as reports to shareholders and proxy materials that are not attributable to a class; (1) any extraordinary expenses; (m) fees, voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; (n) costs of mailing and tabulating proxies and costs of shareholders’ and Directors’ meetings; (o) costs of independent pricing services to value the Fund’s securities; and (p) the costs of investment company literature and other publications provided by the Company to its Directors and officers. Distribution expenses, transfer agency expenses, expenses of preparation, printing and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy statements and reports to shareholders, and organizational expenses and registration fees, identified as belonging to a particular class of the Company, are allocated to such class.

 

If at any time the Fund's total annual fund operating expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than the relevant share class's Expense Cap, the Adviser may recoup any waived or reimbursed amounts from the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursements was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

23

 

As of August 31, 2019, the Fund had amounts available for recoupments as follows:

 

Expiration

August 31, 2020 August 31, 2021 August 31, 2022 Total
$1,087,123 $815,529 $770,182 $2,672,834

 

The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall at all times have all rights in and to the Fund’s name and all investment models used by or on behalf of the Fund. The Adviser may use the Fund’s name or any portion thereof in connection with any other mutual fund or business activity without the consent of any shareholder, and the Company has agreed to execute and deliver any and all documents required to indicate its consent to such use.

 

INVESTMENT TRADING ADVISERS

 

The Adviser may allocate assets of the SPC and the Onshore Subsidiary to multiple Segregated Portfolios. Each Trading Adviser shall, subject to the supervision and oversight of the Adviser, manage the investment and reinvestment of such portion of the assets of the Segregated Portfolios, as the Adviser may from time to time allocate to such Trading Adviser for management. The Adviser pays the Trading Advisers out of its advisory fees.

 

The Fund and the Adviser have received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, without shareholder approval and subject to certain conditions, to terminate existing Trading Advisers or hire new Trading Advisers for the Fund, to materially amend the terms of particular agreements with Trading Advisers or to continue the employment of existing Trading Advisers after events that would otherwise cause an automatic termination of a trading advisory agreement. This arrangement has been approved by the Board and the Fund’s initial shareholder. Consequently, under the exemptive order, the Adviser has the right to hire, terminate and replace Trading Advisers when the Board and the Adviser feel that a change would benefit the Fund. The exemptive order enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of trading advisory agreements.

 

The Adviser does not determine what investments will be purchased or sold for the Fund with respect to the portions of the Fund managed by the Trading Advisers. Because each Trading Adviser manages its portion of the Fund independently from the others, the same security may be held in two or more different portions of the Fund or may be acquired for one portion at a time when a Trading Adviser of another portion deems it appropriate to dispose of the security from that other portion. Similarly, under some market conditions, one or more of the Trading Advisers may believe that temporary, defensive investments in short-term instruments or cash are appropriate when another Trading Adviser or Trading Advisers believe continued exposure to the broader securities market is appropriate. Because each Trading Adviser directs the trading for its portion of the Fund and does not aggregate its transactions with those of the other Trading Advisers, the Fund may incur higher brokerage costs than would be the case if a single adviser or Trading Adviser were managing the Fund.

 

24

 

The current Trading Advisers to the Fund are set forth below.

 

Trading Advisers  

Aspect Capital Limited (“Aspect”)

10 Portman Square

London W1H 6AZ

United Kingdom

Aspect is a majority employee owned investment manager which is primarily controlled by founders Anthony Todd and Martin Lueck. Aspect seeks to capture medium-term trend opportunities across a broad spectrum of diversified market sectors, applying a systematic and research driven approach.

Crabel Capital Management, LLC (“Crabel”)

10250 Constellation Boulevard, Suite 2650

Los Angeles, CA 90067

Crabel is a global alternative investment firm specializing in systematic, automated trading of worldwide futures and currencies. The Crabel Advanced Trend Program is a portfolio of systematic trading strategies designed to efficiently capture long-term trend following returns across a diverse set of global futures and foreign exchange instruments. Crabel is controlled by Toby Crabel.

Eclipse Capital Management, Inc. (“Eclipse”)

7700 Bonhomme Ave, Suite 500

St. Louis, MO 63105

Eclipse is controlled by its founder, Thomas W. Moller. Eclipse focuses on a systematic approach designed to profit primarily from intermediate- and long-term price trends in multiple market sectors.

Episteme Capital Partners (UK) LLP

(“Episteme”)

38 Dover Street

London, W1S 4NL

Episteme is a London-based investment manager founded in 2009. Episteme is privately owned by certain current senior officers. The Episteme Capital Emerald Program is a quantitative systematic macro program, which blends fundamental and technical strategies implemented through a diversified set of futures and FX markets.

GAM Systematic LLP

(“GAM Systematic Cambridge”)

City House

126-130 Hills Road

Cambridge, CB2 1RE, UK

GAM Systematic Cambridge is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GAM Holding, AG, which is listed on the SIX Swiss Stock Exchange. Its investment philosophy is based on a multi-strategy, multi-asset approach looking to identify several distinct sources of return from persistent statistical relationships between assets.

Graham Capital Management, LP (“GCM”)

Rock Ledge Financial Centre

40 Highland Avenue

Rowayton, CT 06853

KGT, Inc. is the General Partner of GCM. GCM’s quantitative trading programs or models produce trading signals on a largely automated basis when applied to market data. In GCM’s discretionary trading programs, trades are determined subjectively on the basis of its traders’ assessment of market conditions rather than through application of an automated system.

P/E Global, LLC (“P/E”)

75 State Street, 1st Floor

Boston, MA 02109

Warren Naphtal and Mary Stephens Naphtal are managing members of P/E. P/E uses fundamental macroeconomic and financial factors in all aspects of its research in order to develop adaptive quantitative processes.

Revolution Capital Management, LLC (“RCM”)

1400 16th Street, Suite 510

Denver, CO 80202

Michael Mundt and T. Robert Olson are managing members of RCM. RCM focuses on short-term, systematic and quantitative trading, applying rigorous statistical analysis to all aspects of research, development, and operations.

Trigon Investment Advisors, LLC (“Trigon”)

Wall Street Plaza

88 Pine Street

New York, NY 10005

Trigon is jointly owned by Ante Basic and Paul D. Mastroddi. Trigon manages with a focus on top-down analysis of fundamentals.

Tudor Investment Corporation (“Tudor”)

1275 King Street

Greenwich, CT 06831

United States

Tudor is a Connecticut-based investment manager. Tudor is privately owned by certain current and former senior officers. The firm runs multiple strategies including but not limited to discretionary global macro, event driven and quantitative investment and trading strategies. The Tudor Emerald Momentum program trades a systematic trend following strategy across a broad range of global futures markets.

Welton Investment Partners LLC (“Welton”)

Eastwood Building

San Carlos between 5th and 6th

P.O. Box 6147

Carmel, CA 93921

Welton is a majority employee owned investment manager, which is primarily controlled by the founder Dr. Patrick Welton. Welton seeks to harness recurrent market opportunities by utilizing systematic, research driven, medium and long-term trend-following models across a broad range of diversified global futures markets.

 

 

Trading Advisory Agreements with the Adviser. Each of the Trading Advisory Agreements provides that the Trading Adviser will manage the investment and reinvestment of such portion of the assets of the Fund or the Segregated Portfolios, as the Adviser may from time to time allocate to such Trading Adviser in accordance with the Fund’s objective, policies and restrictions and any investment guidelines established by the Adviser. Each Trading Adviser will, subject to the supervision and control of the Adviser, determine in its discretion which issuers and securities will be purchased, held, sold or exchanged by the Fund and/or the Segregated Portfolios, and will place orders with and give instruction to brokers and dealers to cause the execution of such transactions. The Trading Advisers are required to furnish at their own expense all investment facilities necessary to perform its obligations under the Trading Advisory Agreements.

 

Generally, each Trading Advisory Agreement may be terminated without penalty by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, upon 60 days’ written notice, or by the Adviser immediately upon notice to the Trading Adviser, and each such agreement terminates automatically in the event of an assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). Each Trading Advisory Agreement also may be terminated by a Trading Adviser upon 30 days’ written notice and automatically terminates upon termination of the Advisory Agreement.

 

THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

This section includes information about the Fund’s portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Shares they own and how they are compensated.

 

25

 

Abbey Capital

 

Other Accounts. In addition to the Fund, the portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. The information below is provided as of December 31, 2019.

 

Name of Portfolio Manager

or Team Member

Type of Accounts

Total

# of

Accounts

Managed

Total Assets

# of Accounts

Managed that

Advisory Fee

Based on

Performance

Total Assets

that Advisory

Fee Based on

Performance

1. Anthony Gannon

Other Registered Investment Companies:

1 $27 million 0 $0
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 8 $2.5 billion 4 $2.5 billion
  Other Accounts: 0 $0 0 $0
2. Mick Swift

Other Registered Investment Companies:

1 $27 million 0 $0
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 8 $2.5 billion 4 $2.5 billion
  Other Accounts: 0 $0 0 $0

 

Compensation. As of the date of this SAI, Abbey Capital compensates the Fund’s portfolio managers for their management of the Fund. The portfolio managers’ compensation consists of a cash base salary and a discretionary bonus that is based on the individual performance of the portfolio manager and overall profitability of Abbey Capital, which is, in part, dependent on the performance of the Fund, and therefore in part based on the value of the Fund’s net assets and other client accounts they are managing.

 

Conflicts of Interests. The portfolio managers’ management of other accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby a portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio managers’ knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, Abbey Capital has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities and other investments among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio managers did not own any shares of the Fund.

 

ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING AGREEMENT

 

Fund Services, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as fund administrator to the Fund pursuant to a fund administration servicing agreement and serves as fund accountant pursuant to a fund accounting servicing agreement (the “Administration Agreements”). Under the fund accounting servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to furnish to the Fund statistical and research data, clerical, accounting and bookkeeping services, and certain other services required by the Fund. Under the fund administration servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to provide fund administration services to the Company. These services include the preparation and coordination of the Company’s annual post-effective amendment filing and supplements to the Fund’s registration statement, the preparation and assembly of board meeting materials, and certain other services necessary to the Company’s fund administration. In addition, Fund Services has agreed to prepare and file various reports with the appropriate regulatory agencies and prepare materials required by the SEC or any state securities commission having jurisdiction over the Fund.

 

The Administration Agreements provide that Fund Services shall be obligated to exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties and that Fund Services shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Company in connection with its duties under the Administration Agreements, except a loss resulting from Fund Services’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the applicable Administration Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties thereunder.

 

Fund Services receives a fee under the Administration Agreements based on the average daily net assets of the Company.

 

Effective November 21, 2016, Fund Services replaced the Fund’s prior administrator as fund administrator and fund accountant to the Fund. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Fund paid Fund Services and the Fund’s prior administrator certain administration, accounting and regulatory administration fees and related out-of- pocket expenses as follows:

 

 

Administration, Accounting and Regulatory Administration Fees Paid (after waivers and reimbursements)

Waivers Reimbursements
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 $355,144 $0 $0
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018 $400,972 $0 $0
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 $406,347 $0 $0

 

CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT

 

U.S. Bank, N.A., (the “Custodian”) 1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, is custodian of the Fund’s assets pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”). Under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian: (a) maintains a separate account or accounts in the name of the Fund; (b) holds and transfers portfolio investments on account of the Fund; (c) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of the Fund; (d) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of the Fund’s portfolio investments; and (e) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the Fund’s operations. The Custodian is authorized to select one or more banks or trust companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Fund, provided that the Custodian remains responsible for the performance of all of its duties under the Custodian Agreement and holds the Fund harmless from the acts and omissions of any affiliate, sub-custodian or domestic sub-custodian. For its services to the Fund under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian receives a fee based on the Fund’s average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Fund.

 

26

 

TRANSFER AGENCY AGREEMENT

 

Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund pursuant to a transfer agency and servicing agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”), under which Fund Services: (a) issues and redeems shares of the Fund; (b) addresses and mails all communications by the Fund to record owners of the shares, including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and proxy materials for its meetings of shareholders; (c) maintains shareholder accounts and, if requested, sub-accounts; and (d) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the operations of the Fund. Fund Services may, subject to the Board’s approval, assign its duties as transfer and dividend disbursing agent to any affiliate. For its services to the Fund under the Transfer Agency Agreement, Fund Services receives an annual fee based on the number of accounts in the Fund and the Fund’s average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Fund.

 

Fund Services also provides services relating to the implementation of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. In addition, Fund Services provides services relating to the implementation of the Fund’s Customer Identification Program, including verification of required customer information and the maintenance of records with respect to such verification.

 

DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

Quasar Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”), whose principal business address is 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, 6th Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the underwriter to the Fund pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor, the Custodian and Fund Services are affiliates.

 

Under the Distribution Agreement with the Fund, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Fund. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company.

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Fund. With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Fund and/or the Adviser, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements. These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor. These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Fund.

 

Investors who purchase shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein. Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares. Investors purchasing shares of the Fund through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary. The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote shares depending upon their arrangement with the financial intermediary. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Fund for its distribution services except the distribution/service fees with respect to the shares of those classes for which a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan is effective. The Adviser pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.

 

The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Company on behalf of the Fund on no less than 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement, or by the Distributor, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any loss suffered by the Company in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof.

 

Class I Shares. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of the Fund’s shares. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Company for the distribution of the Fund’s Class I Shares; however, the Adviser pays an annual fee to the Distributor as compensation for underwriting services rendered to the Fund pursuant to the Distribution Agreement.

 

Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement and the related Plans of Distribution for Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares (together, the “Plans”), which were adopted by the Company in the manner prescribed by Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Distributor will act as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering for the sale of the Fund’s Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares, respectively. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company. Payments to the Distributor under the Plans are to compensate it for distribution assistance and expenses assumed and activities intended to result in the sale of Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares, including advertising, printing and mailing of prospectuses to others than current shareholders, compensation of underwriters, compensation to broker-dealers, compensation to sales personnel, and interest, carrying or other financing changes. As compensation for its distribution services, the Distributor receives, pursuant to the terms of the Distribution Agreement, a distribution fee under the Plans, to be calculated daily and paid monthly by the Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares of the Fund at the annual rates set forth in the Prospectus.

 

Among other things, the Plans provide that: (1) the Distributor shall be required to submit quarterly reports to the Directors of the Company regarding all amounts expended under the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made, including commissions, advertising, printing, interest, carrying charges and any allocated overhead expenses; (2) the Plans will continue in effect only so long as they are approved at least annually, and any material amendment thereto is approved, by the Company’s Directors, including a majority of those Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plans or any agreements related to the Plans, acting in person at a meeting called for said purpose; (3) the aggregate amount to be spent by the Fund on the distribution of the Fund’s Class A Shares and Class C Shares under the respective Plans shall not be materially increased without shareholder approval; and (4) while the Plans remain in effect, the selection and nomination of the Company’s Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) shall be committed to the discretion of such Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company.

 

27

 

Mr. Sablowsky, a Director of the Company, has an indirect interest in the operation of the Plans by virtue of his position with Oppenheimer Co., Inc., a broker-dealer.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund’s Plan expenses were spent for the following purposes:

 

  Class A Shares Class C Shares
Compensation to broker/dealers $31,665 $39,662
Compensation to sales personnel $0 $0
Advertising $0 $0
Printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current shareholders $0 $0
Compensation to underwriters $0 $0
Interest, financing charges $0 $0
Other $0 $0

 

 

 

12b-1 Plan expenses for Class T Shares are not provided because Class T Shares had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates, at their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, its service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Fund and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.

 

These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Fund, the Distributor or shareholders of the Fund through the financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets. Payments may also be made through the financial intermediary’s retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing the Fund in a financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about the Fund; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.

 

Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in the Fund by financial intermediaries’ customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.

 

FUND TRANSACTIONS

 

Subject to policies established by the Board and applicable rules, the Adviser and Trading Advisers are responsible for the execution of portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage transactions for the Fund. In executing portfolio transactions, the Adviser and Trading Advisers seek to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for the Fund, taking into account such factors as the price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of the order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm involved. While the Adviser and Trading Advisers generally seek reasonably competitive commission rates, payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions.

 

Brokerage Transactions

 

Generally, equity securities, both listed and over-the-counter, are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, the Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer’s mark up or reflect a dealer’s mark down. When the Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.

 

In addition, the Adviser and Trading Advisers may place a combined order for two or more accounts they manage, including the Fund, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or the Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Adviser, the Trading Advisers and the Board that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions. Nonetheless, the Adviser and Trading Advisers believe that the ability of the Fund to participate in higher volume transactions will generally be beneficial to the Fund.

 

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For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid commissions to brokers on account of research services as follows:

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 $0

 

For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Fund paid the aggregated brokerage commissions as follows:

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 $2,389,836
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018 $2,476,609
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 $2,410,599

 

The Fund is required to identify any securities of the Company’s regular broker-dealers (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) or their parents held by the Fund as of the end of the most recent fiscal year. As of August 31, 2019, there were no securities held by the Fund of its regular broker-dealers.

 

Brokerage Selection

 

The Company does not expect to use one particular broker or dealer, and when one or more brokers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Fund’s Adviser and Trading Advisers may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser. The Adviser and Trading Advisers may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for such services only if a good faith determination is made that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

 

Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits an investment adviser or sub-adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause a fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, certain Trading Advisers may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the applicable Trading Advisers believe that access to independent investment research is beneficial to their investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Fund.

 

To the extent research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the applicable Trading Advisers might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Trading Advisers may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the Trading Advisers will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Trading Adviser under its Trading Advisory Agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Trading Advisers are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.

 

In some cases a Trading Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a “research” and a “non-research” use. When this occurs, the applicable Trading Adviser makes a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the applicable Trading Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Trading Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but each applicable Trading Adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.

 

From time to time, the Fund may purchase new issues of securities for clients in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the Adviser and Trading Advisers with research services. The FINRA has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research “credits” in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

 

Read the Fund’s Prospectus for information regarding the purchase and redemption of Fund shares, including, in the case of Class A Shares and Class T Shares, any applicable sales charges, and in the case of Class C Shares, any applicable contingent deferred sales charges. The following information supplements information in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

You may purchase shares through an account maintained by certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals that have entered into a distribution agreement with the Distributor (“Service Organizations”) and you may also purchase shares directly by mail or wire. The Company reserves the right, if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase of the Fund’s shares by making payment in whole or in part in securities chosen by the Company and valued in the same way as they would be valued for purposes of computing the Fund’s NAV. If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction costs in converting these securities into cash. A shareholder will also bear any market risk or tax consequences as a result of a payment in securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act so that the Fund is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund. A shareholder will bear the risk of a decline in market value and any tax consequences associated with a redemption in securities.

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Company may suspend the right to redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), or during which the SEC restricts trading on the NYSE or determines an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or valuation of portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC may permit. (The Company may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions).

 

29

 

Shares of the Company are subject to redemption by the Company, at the redemption price of such shares as in effect from time to time, including, without limitation: (1) to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder as provided in the Prospectus from time to time; (2) if such redemption is, in the opinion of the Board, desirable in order to prevent the Company or the Fund from being deemed a “personal holding company” within the meaning of the Code; (3) or if the net income with respect to any particular class of common stock should be negative or it should otherwise be appropriate to carry out the Company’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

 

The Fund has the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Class A Shares and Class T Shares of the Fund may be subject to sales charge waivers as described below.

 

Reducing or Eliminating the Front-End Sales Charge

 

Different Service Organizations may impose different sales charges and these variations are described in Appendix A of the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

Class A Shares

 

The Fund’s Class A Shares are offered to the public at NAV plus a front-end sales charge. You can reduce or eliminate the front-end sales charge on Class A Shares of the Fund as follows:

 

Quantity Discounts. Purchases of at least $25,000 can reduce the sales charges you pay, and purchases of at least $1,000,000 can eliminate the sales charges you pay.

 

Rights of Accumulation. You may combine your new purchase of Class A Shares with Class A Shares and/or Class C Shares currently owned for the purpose of qualifying for the lower initial sales charge rates that apply to larger purchases. The applicable sales charge for the new purchase is based on the total of your current purchase and the current NAV of all other shares you own. You may combine your account, your spouse’s account, and the account(s) of your children under age 25.

 

This privilege is also extended to certain employee benefit plans and trust estates. The following purchases may be combined for purposes of determining the “Amount of Purchase:” (a) individual purchases, if made at the same time, by a single purchaser, the purchaser’s spouse and children under the age of 25 purchasing Class A Shares for their own accounts, including shares purchased by a qualified retirement plan(s) exclusively for the benefit of such individual(s) (such as an IRA, individual-type section 403(b) plan or single-participant Keogh-type plan) or by a “Company,” as defined in Section 2(a)(8) of the 1940 Act, solely controlled as defined in the 1940 Act, by such individual(s), or (b) individual purchases by trustees or other fiduciaries purchasing Class A Shares (i) for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account, including an employee benefit plan, or (ii) concurrently by two or more employee benefit plans for a single employer or of employers affiliated with each other in accordance with Section 2(a)(3)(c) of the 1940 Act (excluding in either case an employee benefit plan described in (a) above), provided such trustees or other fiduciaries purchase shares in a single payment. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts may not be combined with purchases made for such other accounts. You may also further discuss the combined purchase privilege with your investment broker, brokerage firm, financial institution, or other industry professional, including affiliates of the Adviser.

 

You will need to provide written instruction with respect to the other accounts whose purchases should be considered in Rights of Accumulation.

 

Letter of Intent. You can sign a Letter of Intent committing to purchase of a specific dollar amount of Class A Shares of the Fund within a 13-month period to combine such purchases in calculating the sales charge. A portion of your Fund shares will be held in escrow. If you complete your purchase commitments as stated in the Letter of Intent, your Fund shares held in escrow will be released to your account. If you do not purchase the full amount of Class A Shares indicated in the Letter of Intent, the appropriate amount of shares held in escrow will be redeemed by the Transfer Agent to pay the sales charge that was not applied to your purchase.

 

Dealer Reallowances

 

Different Service Organizations may impose different sales charge waivers and these variations are described in Appendix A of the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

As shown in the table below, the Distributor, may provide dealer reallowances up to the full sales charge for purchases of the Fund’s Class A Shares in which a front-end sales charge is applicable. Any residual allowance is retained by the Distributor to be used solely for distribution related expenses and not retained as profit.

 

Amount of Purchase of

Class A Shares

Sales Charge as a

% of Offering

Price

Sales Charge as

% of Net Amount

Invested

Dealer Concession

as a Percentage of

Offering Price

Less than $25,000 5.75% 6.10% 5.00%
At least $25,000 but less than $50,000 5.00% 5.26% 4.25%
At least $50,000 but less than $100,000 4.75% 4.99% 4.00%
At least $100,000 but less than $250,000 3.75% 3.83% 3.25%
At least $250,000 but less than $500,000 2.50% 2.56% 2.00%
At least $500,000 but less than $1,000,000 2.00% 2.04% 1.75%
$1,000,000 or greater None None * see below

 

 

* No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1,000,000 or more. The Fund’s distributor may pay a commission at the rate of 1% to certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals, including affiliates of the Adviser, who initiate and are responsible for purchases of $1,000,000 or more.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions. Purchases of $1,000,000 or more in Class A Shares are not subject to an initial sales charge; however, a contingent deferred sales charge is payable on these investments in the event of a share redemption within 12 months following the share purchase, at the rate of 1% of the lesser of the value of the shares redeemed (exclusive of reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions) or the total cost of such shares. In determining whether a contingent deferred sales charge is payable, and the amount of the charge, it is assumed that shares purchased with reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions and then other shares held the longest are the first redeemed. Contingent Deferred Sales Charges may be waived or reduced by certain Service Organizations as described in Appendix A of the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

30

 

Class C Shares

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions. No sales load is payable by a shareholder at the time of purchase, although the Distributor advances broker-dealers the first year distribution and services fee at a rate of 1.00% on investments in the Fund’s Class C Shares. This advancement is solely financed by the Adviser’s affiliated broker dealer and not by investors or the Fund. As a result, the Fund imposes a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% on redemptions of investments made within 12 months of purchase. The financing party receives the CDSC from the Distributor as reimbursement for the up-front sales commission that has been financed. The CDSC is assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the initial value of the shares redeemed and the value of shares redeemed at the time of redemption. When Class C Shares are redeemed, the redemption order is processed so that the lowest deferred sales charge is charged, and Class C Shares that are not subject to the deferred sales charge are redeemed first. Any CDSC paid on the redemptions of Class C Shares expressed as a percentage of the applicable redemption amount may be higher or lower than the charge described due to rounding. No CDSC is imposed on increases in NAV above the initial purchase price or Fund shares acquired as reinvested Fund distributions.

 

The CDSC will be waived for Class C Shares in the following circumstances:

 

Redemptions of shares purchased through certain employer-sponsored retirement plans and rollovers of current investments in the Fund through such plans;

Exchanges pursuant to the exchange privilege, as described in the Fund’s Prospectus under “Shareholder Information — Exchange Privilege”;

Redemptions made in connection with minimum required distributions from IRA or 403(b)(7) accounts due to the shareholder reaching the age of 70 1/2;

Certain post-retirement withdrawals from an IRA or other retirement plan if you are over 59 1⁄2 years old and you purchased your shares prior to October 2, 2006;

Redemptions made with respect to certain retirement plans sponsored by the Fund;

Redemptions resulting from shareholder death as long as the waiver request is made within one year of death or, if later, reasonably promptly following completion of probate (including in connection with the distribution of account assets to a beneficiary of the decedent);

Withdrawals resulting from shareholder disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) as long as the disability arose subsequent to the purchase of the shares;

Involuntary redemptions made of shares in accounts with low balances;

Redemptions related to the payment of custodial IRA fees, if any; and

Redemptions when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship, in the absolute discretion of the Fund.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charges may be waived or reduced by certain Service Organizations as described in Appendix A to the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

Class T Shares

 

Class T Shares of the Fund, once available, will be offered to the clients of certain Service Organizations at NAV plus a front-end sales charge. No reductions or waivers of sales charges are available for Class T shares except as noted in the Prospectus.

 

Quantity Discounts. Quantity Discounts do not apply to Class T Shares.

 

Rights of Accumulation. Rights of Accumulation do not apply to Class T Shares.

 

Letter of Intent. Letters of Intent do not apply to Class T Shares.

 

Dealer Reallowances

 

Different Service Organizations may impose different sales charge waivers and these variations are described in Appendix A of the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

As shown in the table below, the Distributor, may provide dealer reallowances up to the full sales charge for purchases of the Fund’s Class T Shares in which a front-end sales charge is applicable. Any residual allowance is retained by the Distributor to be used solely for distribution related expenses and not retained as profit.

 

Amount of Purchase of

Class T Shares

Sales Charge as a

% of Offering Price

Sales Charge as a % of Net Amount Invested

Dealer Compensation as a Percentage of

Offering Price

Less than $250,000 2.50% 2.56% 2.50%
At least $250,000 but less than $500,000 2.00% 2.04% 2.00%
At least $500,000 but less than $1,000,000 1.50% 1.52% 1.50%
$1,000,000 or greater 1.00% 1.01% 1.00%

 

Other Purchase Information

 

If shares of the Fund are held in a “street name” account with an authorized dealer, all recordkeeping, transaction processing and payments of distributions relating to the beneficial owner’s account will be performed by the authorized dealer, and not by the Fund and its Transfer Agent. Since the Fund will have no record of the beneficial owner’s transactions, a beneficial owner should contact the authorized dealer to purchase, redeem or exchange shares, to make changes in or give instructions concerning the account or to obtain information about the account. The transfer of shares in a “street name” account to an account with another dealer or to an account directly with the Fund involves special procedures and will require the beneficial owner to obtain historical purchase information about the shares in the account from the authorized dealer.

 

Share Class Conversion

 

Some shareholders may hold shares of the Fund through fee-based programs, often referred to as "wrap accounts," that are managed by investment dealers, financial advisors or other investment professionals (each, a "wrap account intermediary"). A wrap account intermediary may impose eligibility requirements on a shareholder's participation in the fee-based program and ownership of shares through the program which are additional to the ownership requirements described in the Prospectus. Under the terms of its fee-based program, a wrap account intermediary may also be permitted to effect a conversion (sometimes referred to as an "in-kind exchange") of a shareholder's shares in the Fund, including those shares purchased by the shareholder during the shareholder's participation in the program, to a different class of shares of the Fund in situations when the shareholder no longer meets the wrap account intermediary's stated eligibility requirements for the ownership of the class of shares that the shareholder initially purchased. For example, the terms of its fee-based program may permit a wrap account intermediary to effect this type of conversion when a shareholder moves his position in a class of shares of the Fund out of the program that offered that class of shares and into a program or account through which the wrap account intermediary only offers a different class or classes of shares of the Fund. Under other circumstances, a financial intermediary may effect this type of conversion with respect to new clients who held one class of shares of the Fund before becoming a client of the intermediary, and who are eligible for a wrap account through which the intermediary offers a different class of shares of the Fund. Any such conversion by a wrap account intermediary will be made in accordance with the Prospectus of the Fund, and will be made without the imposition by the Fund of any sales load, fee or other charge. The class of shares that a shareholder owns after the conversion may bear higher fees and expenses than the class of shares that the shareholder initially purchased.

 

31

 

If you own shares of the Fund through a fee-based program, you should consult with your wrap account intermediary to determine whether there are any additional eligibility requirements that the wrap account intermediary imposes on your participation in their program and your ownership of the Fund's shares through the program, and whether the wrap account intermediary prescribes any circumstances which may result in the type of share class conversion described herein.

 

TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES

 

The Company’s telephone transaction procedures include the following measures: (1) requiring the appropriate telephone transaction privilege forms; (2) requiring the caller to provide the names of the account owners, the account social security number and name of the Fund, all of which must match the Company’s records; (3) requiring the Company’s service representative to complete a telephone transaction form, listing all of the above caller identification information; (4) permitting exchanges (if applicable) only if the two account registrations are identical; (5) requiring that redemption proceeds be sent only by check to the account owners of record at the address of record, or by electronic funds transfer through the ACH network or wire only to the owners of record at the bank account of record; (6) sending a written confirmation for each telephone transaction to the owners of record at the address of record within five (5) business days of the call; and (7) maintaining tapes of telephone transactions for six months, if the Company elects to record shareholder telephone transactions. For accounts held of record by broker-dealers, financial institutions, securities dealers, financial planners and other industry professionals, additional documentation or information regarding the scope of a caller’s authority is required. Finally, for telephone transactions in accounts held jointly, additional information regarding other account holders is required.

 

VALUATION OF SHARES

 

In accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, the NAV per share of the Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to the Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or such other time as the NYSE or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the NYSE is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The NYSE is generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (observed), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Company reserves the right to reprocess purchase, redemption and exchange transactions that were initially processed at a NAV other than the Fund’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders based on the official closing NAV. The Company reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, the Fund may compute its NAV as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.

 

The securities of the Fund are valued under the direction of the Fund’s administrator and under the general supervision of the Board. Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices. Subject to the approval of the Board, the Fund may employ outside organizations, which may use a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indices, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments in determining the approximate market value of portfolio investments. This may result in the investments being valued at a price that differs from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used. All cash, receivables, and current payables are carried on the Fund’s books at their face value. Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s Valuation Committee under the direction of the Board.

 

The procedures used by any pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Company under the general supervision of the Board.

 

The Fund may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges. These securities may trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not calculate NAV. As a result, the value of these investments may change on days when you cannot purchase or sell Fund shares.

 

TAXES

 

The following summarizes certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Potential investors should consult their tax advisers with specific reference to their own tax situations.

 

The discussions of the federal tax consequences in the Prospectus and this SAI are based on the Code and the regulations issued under it, and court decisions and administrative interpretations, as in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly alter the statements included herein, and any such changes or decisions may be retroactive.

 

General

 

The Fund qualified during its last taxable year and intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. As such, the Fund generally is exempt from federal income tax on its net investment income and realized capital gains that it distributes to shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, it must meet three important tests each year.

 

32

 

First, the Fund must derive with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies, or net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Second, generally, at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of the issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer, and no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of (1) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), (2) two or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or (3) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Third, the Fund must distribute an amount equal to at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) before taking into account any deduction for dividends paid, and 90% of its tax-exempt income, if any, for the year.

 

The Fund intends to comply with these requirements. If the Fund were to fail to make sufficient distributions, it could be liable for corporate income tax and for excise tax in respect of the shortfall or, if the shortfall is large enough, the Fund could be disqualified as a regulated investment company. If for any taxable year the Fund were not to qualify as a regulated investment company, all its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In that event, shareholders would recognize dividend income on distributions to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, and corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends-received deduction.

 

The Code imposes a nondeductible 4% excise tax on regulated investment companies that fail to distribute each year an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions each year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

 

Because of the special rules applicable to regulated futures contracts under section 1256 of the Code, they are required to be “marked to market” as of the end of each taxable year, and the unrealized gain or loss on the contracts must be taken into account at that time. As a result, to the extent that there is net unrealized gain in the Fund’s positions in futures contracts as of the end of any year, the Fund will generally be required to make a distribution of that amount to its shareholders. The Fund may need to liquidate positions or to borrow funds to finance such a distribution.

 

As of August 31, 2019, the Fund had no capital loss carryforward for federal income tax purposes.

 

Taxation of Certain Investments

 

The tax principles applicable to transactions in financial instruments, such as futures contracts and options, that may be engaged in by the Fund, and investments in passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”), are complex and, in some cases, uncertain. Such transactions and investments may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income prior to the receipt of cash, thereby requiring the Fund to liquidate other positions, or to borrow money, so as to make sufficient distributions to shareholders to avoid corporate-level tax. Moreover, some or all of the taxable income recognized may be ordinary income or short-term capital gain, so that the distributions may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

 

In addition, in the case of any shares of a PFIC in which the Fund invests, the Fund may be liable for corporate-level tax on any ultimate gain or distributions on the shares if the Fund fails to make an election to recognize income annually during the period of its ownership of the shares.

 

Any annual net profit attributable to the SPC will ultimately be recognized as ordinary income by the Fund, but any annual net loss attributable to the SPC will not be recognized and will not carry forward.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

Although the Fund expects to qualify as a “regulated investment company” and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, the Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES

 

The Company has authorized capital of 100 billion shares of common stock at a par value of $0.001 per share. Currently, 87.423 billion shares have been classified into 185 classes, however, the Company only has 47 active share classes that have begun investment operations. Under the Company’s charter, the Board has the power to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of common stock from time to time.

 

The Fund has registered four classes of shares: Class I Shares, Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares. Class T Shares are not currently available for sale. Each share that represents an interest in the Fund has an equal proportionate interest in the assets belonging to such Fund with each other share that represents an interest in such Fund, even where a share has a different class designation than another share representing an interest in that Fund. Shares of the Company do not have preemptive or conversion rights. When issued for payment as described in the Prospectus, shares of the Company will be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

The Company does not currently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. The Company’s amended By-Laws provide that shareholders owning at least ten percent of the outstanding shares of all classes of common stock of the Company have the right to call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more directors. To the extent required by law, the Company will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.

 

Holders of shares of each class of the Company will vote in the aggregate and not by class on all matters, except where otherwise required by law. Further, shareholders of the Company will vote in the aggregate and not by portfolio except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular portfolio or class of shares. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted by the provisions of such Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Company shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each portfolio affected by the matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a portfolio shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each portfolio in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the portfolio. Under Rule 18f-2 the approval of an investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement or any change in a fundamental investment objective or fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a portfolio only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such portfolio. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the selection of independent public accountants and the election of directors are not subject to the separate voting requirements and may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of an investment company voting without regard to a portfolio. Shareholders of the Company are entitled to one vote for each full share held (irrespective of class or portfolio) and fractional votes for fractional shares held. Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate shares of common stock of the Company may elect all of the Directors.

 

33

 

Notwithstanding any provision of Maryland law requiring a greater vote of shares of the Company’s common stock (or of any class voting as a class) in connection with any corporate action, unless otherwise provided by law (for example by Rule 18f-2 discussed above), or by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, the Company may take or authorize such action upon the favorable vote of the holders of more than 50% of all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock voting without regard to class (or portfolio).

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Anti-Money Laundering Program

 

The Fund has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Fund’s Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures, and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that certain of its service providers have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, and conducting a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Fund will not transact business with any person or legal entity whose identity and beneficial owners, if applicable, cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

Counsel

 

The law firm of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Ste. 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996, serves as independent counsel to the Company and the Independent Directors.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Ernst & Young LLP, One Commerce Square, Suite 700, 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, and in that capacity audits the Fund’s financial statements.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The audited financial statements and notes thereto in the Fund’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”) are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other parts of the Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. The financial statements included in the Annual Report have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report thereon also appears in the Annual Report and is incorporated by reference into this SAI. Such financial statements have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon such report given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing. Copies of the Annual Report may be obtained at no charge by telephoning the Fund at the telephone number appearing on the front page of this SAI.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

 

“A-1” - A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

“A-2” - A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

“A-3” - A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

“C” - A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“D” - A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer will differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

 

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

“P-1” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-2” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-3” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“NP” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issuer.

 

Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

 

“F1” - Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

“F2” - Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

“F3” - Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

“B” - Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

“C” - Securities possess high short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

“RD” - Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

 

A-1

 

“D” - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The “F1” rating may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show the relative status within that major rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS® Ratings Limited (“DBRS”) short-term debt rating scale provides an opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer and the relative ranking of claims. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the sub-categories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for commercial paper and short-term debt:

 

“R-1 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“R-1 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from “R-1 (high)” by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-1 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“R-2 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-2 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

“R-2 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

“R-3” - Short-term debt rated “R-3” is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

“R-4” - Short-term debt rated “R-4” is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

“R-5” - Short-term debt rated “R-5” is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

“D” - Short-term debt rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:

 

“AAA” - An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

“AA” - An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

 

“A” - An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

 

“BBB” - An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” - Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

 

“BB” - An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

A-2

 

“CCC” - An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CC” - An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

 

“C” - An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

 

“D” - An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

 

“NR” - This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. An issuer’s foreign currency rating will differ from its local currency rating when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:

 

“Aaa” - Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

 

“Aa” - Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

“A” - Obligations rated “A” are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

“Baa” - Obligations rated “Baa” are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

“Ba” - Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

“B” - Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

“Caa” - Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

“Ca” - Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

“C” - Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to unrated obligations.

 

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:

 

“AAA” - Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

“AA” - Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

“A” - Securities considered to be of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

“BBB” - Securities considered to be of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

“BB” - Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicate that there is an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

“B” - Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

“CCC” - A “CCC” rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

 

A-3

 

“CC” - A “CC” rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

 

“C” - A “C” rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned “RD” or “D” ratings but are instead rated in the “CCC” to “C” rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below “CCC”.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS long-term rating scale provides an opinion on the risk of default. That is, the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy its financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which an obligation has been issued. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer, and the relative ranking of claims. All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for long-term debt:

 

“AAA” - Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“AA” - Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from “AAA” only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“A” - Long-term debt rated “A” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than “AA.” May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“BBB” - Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“BB” - Long-term debt rated “BB” is of speculative, non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

“B” - Long-term debt rated “B” is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

“CCC”, “CC” and “C” - Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although “CC” and “C” ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the “CCC” to “B” range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the “C” category.

 

“D” - A security rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Municipal Note Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:

 

Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

Source of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

 

Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

“SP-1” - A municipal note rated “SP-1” exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

“SP-2” - A municipal note rated “SP-2” exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

“SP-3” - A municipal note rated “SP-3” exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

“D” - This rating is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

 

Moody’s uses the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) scale to rate U.S. municipal bond anticipation notes of up to five years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels - “MIG-1” through “MIG-3” while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated “SG”. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for short-term municipal obligations:

 

A-4

 

“MIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

“MIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

“MIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or “VMIG” scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

 

“VMIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

About Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

 

Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

 

Fitch’s credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Fitch credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch’s credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance, and public finance entities (including supranational and sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.

 

Credit ratings provided by DBRS are forward-looking opinions about credit risk which reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, security and/or obligation. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. While historical statistics and performance can be important considerations, credit ratings are not based solely on such; they include subjective considerations and involve expectations for future performance that cannot be guaranteed. To the extent that future events and economic conditions do not match expectations, credit ratings assigned to issuers, entities, securities and/or obligations can change. Credit ratings are also based on approved and applicable Methodologies (“Methodologies”), which are periodically updated and when material changes are deemed necessary, this may also lead to rating changes.

 

Credit ratings typically provide an opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the obligation was issued. In some cases, credit ratings may also include consideration for the relative ranking of claims and recovery, should default occur. Credit ratings are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of any specific default probability, nor are they meant to predict such.

 

The data and information on which DBRS bases its opinions is not audited or verified by DBRS, although, DBRS conducts a reasonableness review of information received and relied upon in accordance with its Methodologies and policies.

 

DBRS uses rating symbols as a concise method of expressing its opinion to the market, but there are a limited number of rating categories for the possible slight risk differentials that exist across the rating spectrum and DBRS does not assert that credit ratings in the same category are of “exactly” the same quality.

 

A-5 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

ABBEY CAPITAL MULTI ASSET FUND

 

a series of THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

CLASS I SHARES (TICKER: MAFIX)

CLASS A SHARES (TICKER: MAFAX)

CLASS C SHARES (TICKER: MAFCX)

 

February 28, 2020

 

Investment Adviser:

 

ABBEY CAPITAL LIMITED

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides supplementary information pertaining to shares of three classes, Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares (collectively, the “Shares”), representing interests in the Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund (the “Fund”) of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read only in conjunction with the Fund’s Prospectus dated February 28, 2020 (the “Prospectus”) and the Fund’s Annual Report dated August 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”). Copies of the Prospectus and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports may be obtained free of charge by calling toll-free 1-844-261-6484. The financial statements and notes contained in the Annual Report are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other part of the Annual Report is incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

GENERAL INFORMATION 1
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE 1
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS 1
NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS 11
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 14
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 15
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER 16
MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY 16
CODE OF ETHICS 20
PROXY VOTING 20
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 21
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 21
INVESTMENT ADVISER 21
INVESTMENT TRADING ADVISERS 22
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS 23
ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING AGREEMENT 23
CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT 24
TRANSFER AGENCY AGREEMENT 25
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION 25
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES 26
FUND TRANSACTIONS 26
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION 27
TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES 29
VALUATION OF SHARES 29
TAXES 30
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES 30
MISCELLANEOUS 31
APPENDIX A A-1

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Company is an open-end management investment company currently consisting of 34 separate portfolios. The Company is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and was organized as a Maryland corporation on February 29, 1988. This SAI pertains to the Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund, a non-diversified portfolio. Abbey Capital Limited (“Abbey Capital” or the “Adviser”), serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

 

The following supplements the information contained in the Prospectus concerning the investment objective and policies of the Fund.

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. Current income is a secondary objective. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The Fund may not necessarily invest in all of the instruments or use all of the investment techniques permitted by the Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI, or invest in such instruments or engage in such techniques to the full extent permitted by the Fund’s investment policies and limitations.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

 

Asset-Backed Securities. The Fund may invest in asset-backed securities, which represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets such as motor vehicle installment sale contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements and other categories of receivables. Asset-backed securities may also be collateralized by a portfolio of U.S. government securities but are not direct obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Such asset pools are securitized through the use of privately-formed trusts or special purpose corporations. Payments or distributions of principal and interest on asset-backed securities may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation, or other credit enhancements may be present, although privately issued obligations collateralized by a portfolio of privately issued asset-backed securities do not involve any government-related guarantee or insurance. In addition to the risks that are presented by mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral that is comparable to mortgage assets. See “Mortgage-Backed Securities” below for additional information.

 

Asset-backed securities acquired by the Fund may also include collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”). CDOs include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”) and collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities.

 

A CBO is a trust or other special purpose entity (“SPE”) that is typically backed by a diversified pool of fixed-income securities (which may include high risk, below investment grade securities). A CLO is a trust or other SPE that is typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. Although certain CDOs may receive credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure, over-collateralization or bond insurance, such enhancement may not always be present and may fail to protect the Fund against the risk of loss on default of the collateral. Certain CDOs may use derivatives contracts to create “synthetic” exposure to assets rather than holding such assets directly, which entails the risks of derivative instruments described elsewhere in this SAI. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses, which are in addition to those of the Fund.

 

For both CBOs and CLOs, the cashflows from the SPE are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche, which bears the first loss from defaults from the bonds or loans in the SPE and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default (though such protection is not complete). Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO or CLO typically has higher ratings and lower yields than its underlying securities, and may be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as investor aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class. Interest on certain tranches of a CDO may be paid in kind (paid in the form of obligations of the same type rather than cash), which involves continued exposure to default risk with respect to such payments.

 

The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which the Fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities. However, an active dealer market may exist for CDOs, allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income securities and asset-backed securities generally discussed elsewhere in this SAI, CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results; and (v) the CDO’s manager may perform poorly or default.

 

Commodity-Linked Investments. The Fund may attempt to provide exposure to the returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets without direct investment in physical commodities. Real assets include oil, gas, industrial and precious metals, livestock, and agricultural or meat products, or other items that have tangible properties. Commodity-linked derivative instruments include commodity index-linked securities and other derivative instruments that provide exposure to the investment returns of the commodities markets. Commodity-linked investments may be more volatile and less liquid than the underlying instruments and their value may be affected by the performance of commodities as well as weather, tax, and other regulatory or political developments, overall market movements and other factors affecting the value of particular industries or commodities, such as disease, embargoes, acts of war or terrorism.

 

The Fund may invest in commodity-linked derivative instruments such as commodity-linked structured notes. The Fund may invest in commodity-linked notes that pay a return linked to the performance of a commodities index or basket of futures contracts with respect to all of the commodities in an index. In some cases, the return will be based on some multiple of the performance of the index, and this embedded leverage will magnify the positive and negative return the Fund earns from these notes as compared to the index. The principal and/or interest payments of commodity-linked derivatives are tied to the value of a real asset or commodity index. Structured notes may be structured by the issuer and the purchaser of the note. The notes are derivative debt instruments with principal payments generally linked to the value of commodities, commodity futures contracts or the performance of commodity indices and interest and coupon payments pegged to a market-based interest rate, such as LIBOR or a bank’s prime rate. The value of these notes will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying commodity or related index or investment. These notes expose the Fund economically to movements in commodity prices.

 

Corporate Obligations. The Fund may invest in debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations without limit on credit quality or maturity of debt securities. See Appendix “A” to this SAI for a description of corporate debt ratings. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value.

 

1

 

Credit Default Swaps, Interest Rate Swaps, Mortgage Swaps, Currency Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Options on Swaps and Interest Rate Caps, Floors and Collars. The Fund may enter into credit default, interest rate and total return swaps. The Fund may also enter into interest rate caps, floors and collars. In addition, the Fund may enter into mortgage swaps and currency swaps.

 

The Fund may enter into swap transactions for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. As examples, the Fund may enter into swap transactions for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique, to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or to gain exposure to certain markets in an economical way.

 

Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency or security, or in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. As examples, credit default swaps involve the receipt of floating or fixed rate payments in exchange for assuming potential credit losses of an underlying security. Credit default swaps give one party to a transaction the right to dispose of or acquire an asset (or group of assets), or the right to receive from or make a payment to the other party, upon the occurrence of specified credit events. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments. Mortgage swaps are similar to interest rate swaps in that they represent commitments to pay and receive interest. The notional principal amount, however, is tied to a reference pool or pools of mortgages. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the parties’ respective rights to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Total return swaps are contracts that obligate a party to pay or receive interest in exchange for payment by the other party of the total return generated by a security, a basket of securities, an index, or an index component.

 

The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payment of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling the interest rate floor. An interest rate collar is the combination of a cap and a floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates.

 

A great deal of flexibility is possible in the way swap transactions are structured. However, generally the Fund will enter into credit default, interest rate, total return and mortgage swaps on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Credit default, interest rate, total return and mortgage swaps do not normally involve the delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to credit default, interest rate, total return and mortgage swaps is normally limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to a credit default, interest rate, total return or mortgage swap defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any. In contrast, currency swaps may involve the delivery of the entire principal amount of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency. Therefore, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations.

 

A credit default swap may have as reference obligations one or more securities that may, or may not, be currently held by the Fund. The protection “buyer” in a credit default swap is generally obligated to pay the protection “seller” an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the swap provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value” (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. The Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer generally may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose value may have significantly decreased. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. If a credit event occurs, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the Fund as seller, coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Fund.

 

To the extent that the Fund’s exposure in a transaction involving a swap or an interest rate floor, cap or collar is covered by the segregation of cash or liquid assets, or is covered by other means in accordance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) guidance, the Fund and the Adviser believe that the transactions do not constitute senior securities under the Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions. The SEC has recently issued the concept release “Use of Derivatives by Investment Companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940,” which discusses, among other matters, whether current market practices involving derivatives are consistent with the leverage provisions of the Act. Accordingly, investors should be aware that the SEC may offer additional guidance in the future that may impact the manner in which the Fund operates.

 

The Fund will not enter into any credit default, interest rate, total return or mortgage swap transactions unless the unsecured commercial paper, senior debt or claims-paying ability of the other party thereto is rated investment grade by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or, if unrated by such rating organization, determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.

 

The use of credit default, interest rate, mortgage, total return and currency swaps, as well as interest rate caps, floors and collars, is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions. If the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, credit quality, interest rates and currency exchange rates, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment instruments were not used.

 

Cyber Security Risk. The Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Fund or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber security breaches may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value. While the Fund and its service providers have established information technology and data security programs and have in place business continuity plans and other systems designed to prevent losses and mitigate cyber security risk, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that cyber-attacks may be highly sophisticated. Furthermore, the Fund has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers.

 

2

 

Equity Markets. Funds may invest in equity markets. Equity markets can be highly volatile, so that investing in the Funds involves substantial risk. As a result, investing in the Funds involves the risk of loss of capital.

 

Equity Securities. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund to fluctuate. The Fund purchases equity securities traded in the U.S. on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:

 

Common Stock. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

Preferred Stock. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.

 

Warrants. Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.

 

Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their “conversion value,” which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Issuers. Investing in equity securities of small and medium capitalization companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in larger capitalization companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth of management. The securities of smaller companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and even if listed on a national securities exchange may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange. Consequently, the securities of smaller companies are less likely to be liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established growth companies or the market averages in general.

 

Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers that are denominated or traded in foreign currencies. The Fund may also invest in securities of foreign issuers that are traded or denominated in U.S. dollars (including equity securities of foreign issuers trading in U.S. markets) through American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”). ADRs are securities, typically issued by a U.S. financial institution (a “depository”), that evidence ownership interests in a security or pool of securities issued by a foreign issuer and deposited with the depository. ADRs may be listed on a national securities exchange or may trade in the over-the-counter market. ADR prices are denominated in U.S. dollars; the underlying security may be denominated in a foreign currency. GDRs, EDRs and IDRs are securities that represent ownership interests in a security or pool of securities issued by a non-U.S. or U.S. corporation. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depository, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depository without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Investments in depositary receipts do not eliminate the risks in investing in foreign issuers. The underlying security may be subject to foreign government taxes, which would reduce the yield on such securities.

 

Investments in foreign securities involve higher costs than investments in U.S. securities, including higher transaction costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. In addition, foreign investments may include additional risks associated with currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity and political stability. Volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility or price can be greater than in the United States. Future political and economic information, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest income, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions, might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on foreign obligations. Inability to dispose of Fund securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the securities, or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth or gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.

 

3

 

Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on their portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States.

 

Settlement mechanics (e.g., mail service between the United States and foreign countries) may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities.

 

Although the Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund values its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. As a result, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates as well as the price changes of the Fund’s securities in the various local markets and currencies. Thus, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the currencies in which the Fund makes its investments could reduce the effect of increases and magnify the effect of decreases in the price of the Fund’s securities in their local markets. Conversely, a decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar may have the opposite effect of magnifying the effect of increases and reducing the effect of decreases in the prices of the Fund’s securities in its foreign markets. In addition to favorable and unfavorable currency exchange rate developments, the Fund is subject to the possible imposition of exchange control regulations or freezes on convertibility of currency. The Fund may invest in obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks (Eurodollars) and U.S. branches of foreign banks (Yankee dollars) as well as foreign branches of foreign banks. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities of U.S. banks, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, different tax provisions, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect payment of principal or interest. The Fund may also invest in Yankee bonds, which are issued by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign corporations but pay interest in U.S. dollars and are typically issued in the United States.

 

European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union ("EU") countries have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions.

 

In June of 2016, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” which sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound and heightened risk of continued worldwide economic volatility. Pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, the UK gave notice in March 2017 of its withdrawal from the EU and commenced negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. Following years of negotiations and multiple withdrawal deadline extensions, the UK withdrew from the EU on January 31, 2020. A transition period, currently set to last through December 31, 2020, will be used for the UK and EU to negotiate their future relationship. The effects of this withdrawal will depend, in part, on agreements the UK negotiates to retain access to EU markets either during the transitional period or more permanently including, but not limited to, current trade and finance agreements. As a result of the UK's exit from the EU, the Fund may be exposed to volatile trading markets and significant and unpredictable currency fluctuations over a short period of time, and potentially lower economic growth in the UK, Europe and globally. Securities issued by companies domiciled in the UK could be subject to changing regulatory and tax regimes. Banking and financial services companies that operate in the UK or EU could be disproportionately affected by Brexit. Further insecurity in EU membership or the abandonment of the euro could exacerbate market and currency volatility and negatively affect the Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in the EU. The effects of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, are not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.

 

Forward Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to seek to increase total return. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days (usually less than one year) from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the spread) between the price at which they are buying and selling various currencies.

 

The Fund may engage in cross-hedging by using forward contracts in one currency to hedge against fluctuations in the value in securities denominated or quoted in a different currency or to seek to increase total return. Cross-hedging may also include entering into a forward transaction involving two foreign currencies, using one foreign currency as a proxy for the U.S. dollar to hedge against variations in the other foreign currency.

 

At the consummation of the forward contract, the Fund may terminate its contractual obligation by purchasing an offsetting contract obligating it to purchase at the same maturity date, the same amount of such foreign currency. If the Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, the Fund will realize a gain or a loss to the extent that there has been a change in forward contract prices. Closing purchase transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract.

 

The Fund’s transactions in forward contracts will be limited to those described above. Of course, the Fund is not required to enter into such transactions with regard to its foreign currency quoted or denominated securities, and the Fund will not do so unless deemed appropriate by the Adviser or Trading Adviser, as applicable.

 

When the Fund enters into forward contracts the Fund is required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks. To cover its position, the Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the forward contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities. Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the Fund arising from such investment activities.

 

The Fund or the Subsidiary may enter into agreements with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements.

 

If the Fund uses forward contracts as a method of protecting the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities against a decline in the value of a currency, this does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange which can be achieved at some future point in time. The precise projection of short-term currency market movements is not possible, and short-term hedging provides a means of fixing the U.S. dollar value of only a portion of the Fund’s foreign assets. It also reduces any potential gain which may have otherwise occurred had the currency value increased above the settlement price of the contract.

 

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While the Fund may enter into forward contracts to seek to reduce currency exchange rate risks or to seek to increase total return, transactions in such contracts involve certain other risks. Thus, while the Fund may benefit from such transactions, unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between the Fund’s portfolio holdings or securities quoted or denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts entered into by the Fund. Such imperfect correlation may cause the Fund to sustain losses, which will prevent the Fund from achieving a complete hedge, or expose the Fund to the risk of foreign exchange loss.

 

Forward contracts are subject to the risks that the counterparty to such contract will default on its obligations. Since a forward foreign currency exchange contract is not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing house, a default on the contract would deprive the Fund of unrealized profits, transaction costs or the benefits of a currency hedge or force the Fund to cover its purchase or sale commitments, if any, at the current market price.

 

The Fund’s foreign currency transactions (including related options, futures and forward contracts) may be limited by the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for qualification as a regulated investment company.

 

Futures And Options On Futures. Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific security at a specified future time and at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. The Fund may use futures contracts and related options for: bona fide hedging; attempting to offset changes in the value of securities held or expected to be acquired or be disposed of; attempting to minimize fluctuations in foreign currencies; attempting to gain exposure to a particular market, index or instrument; or other risk management purposes.

 

The Fund and the Subsidiary, through which it invests, are subject to regulation by the CFTC as commodity pools and the Adviser is subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) with respect to the Fund under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). The Adviser does not currently rely on an exclusion from the definition of CPO in CFTC Rule 4.5 with respect to the Fund.

 

Transactions in futures and options by the Fund are subject to limitations established by futures and option exchanges governing the maximum number of futures and options that may be written or held by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the futures or options were written or purchased on the same or different exchanges or are held in one or more accounts or through one or more different exchanges or through one or more brokers. Thus the number of futures or options which the Fund may write or hold may be affected by futures or options written or held by other entities, including other investment companies advised by the Adviser or a Trading Adviser. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of those limits and may impose certain other sanctions.

 

An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified currency amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the securities comprising the index is made; generally contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contract.

 

When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, or sells an option thereon, the Fund is required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks. To cover its position, the Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the futures contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities. Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the Fund arising from such investment activities.

 

The Fund or the Subsidiary may enter into agreements with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements.

 

The Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by purchasing a put option on the same futures contract with a strike price (i.e., an exercise price) as high or higher than the price of the futures contract. In the alternative, if the strike price of the put is less than the price of the futures contract, the Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by taking a short position in the instruments underlying the futures contract, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures contract. The Fund may cover its short position in a futures contract by taking a long position in the instruments underlying the futures contracts, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures contract.

 

The Fund may cover its sale of a call option on a futures contract by taking a long position in the underlying futures contract at a price less than or equal to the strike price of the call option. In the alternative, if the long position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price greater than the strike price of the written (sold) call, the Fund will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the call and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its sale of a call option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the call option. The Fund may cover its sale of a put option on a futures contract by taking a short position in the underlying futures contract at a price greater than or equal to the strike price of the put option, or, if the short position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price less than the strike price of the written put, the Fund will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its sale of a put option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the put option.

 

There are significant risks associated with the Fund’s use of futures contracts and related options, including the following: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on the Adviser’s or Trading Adviser’s ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures and options on futures; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract or option; (4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in futures contracts and options on futures. In addition, some strategies reduce the Fund’s exposure to price fluctuations, while others tend to increase its market exposure.

 

Investing in Emerging Countries, including Asia and Eastern Europe. The Fund may invest in securities of issuers located in emerging countries. The securities markets of emerging countries are less liquid and subject to greater price volatility, and have a smaller market capitalization, than the U.S. securities markets. In certain countries, there may be fewer publicly traded securities and the market may be dominated by a few issues or sectors. Issuers and securities markets in such countries are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements or as comprehensive government regulations as are issuers and securities markets in the U.S. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of emerging country issuers may not reflect their financial position or results of operations in the same manner as financial statements for U.S. issuers. Substantially less information may be publicly available about emerging country issuers than is available about issuers in the United States.

 

5

 

Emerging country securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. The markets for securities in certain emerging countries are in the earliest stages of their development. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging country securities may also affect the Fund’s ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

 

With respect to investments in certain emerging market countries, antiquated legal systems may have an adverse impact on the Fund. For example, while the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation is generally limited to the amount of the shareholder’s investment, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain emerging market countries. Similarly, the rights of investors in emerging market companies may be more limited than those of shareholders in U.S. corporations.

 

Transaction costs, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups, in emerging countries may be higher than in the United States and other developed securities markets. In addition, existing laws and regulations are often inconsistently applied. As legal systems in emerging countries develop, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In circumstances where adequate laws exist, it may not be possible to obtain swift and equitable enforcement of the law.

 

Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain emerging countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit the Fund’s investment in certain emerging countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer’s outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals. In addition, the repatriation of both investment income and capital from emerging countries may be subject to restrictions which require governmental consents or prohibit repatriation entirely for a period of time. Even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation of capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect certain aspects of the operation of the Fund. The Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before investing in certain emerging countries.

 

Emerging countries may be subject to a substantially greater degree of economic, political and social instability and disruption than is the case in the United States, Japan and most Western European countries. This instability may result from, among other things, the following: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision making, including changes or attempted changes in governments through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic or social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection or conflict; and (vi) the absence of developed legal structures governing foreign private investments and private property. Such economic, political and social instability could disrupt the principal financial markets in which the Fund may invest and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s assets. The Fund’s investments can also be adversely affected by any increase in taxes or by political, economic or diplomatic developments.

 

The Fund may seek investment opportunities within former “east bloc” countries in Eastern Europe. Most Eastern European countries had a centrally planned, socialist economy for a substantial period of time. The governments of many Eastern European countries have more recently been implementing reforms directed at political and economic liberalization, including efforts to decentralize the economic decision-making process and move towards a market economy. However, business entities in many Eastern European countries do not have an extended history of operating in a market-oriented economy, and the ultimate impact of Eastern European countries’ attempts to move toward more market-oriented economies is currently unclear. In addition, any change in the leadership or policies of Eastern European countries may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities. As a result of recent events involving Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporations. Additional broader sanctions may be imposed in the future. These sanctions, or even the threat of further sanctions, may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Russian securities, a weakening of the ruble or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy. These sanctions could also result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities, impairing the ability of a Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities. Sanctions could also result in Russia taking counter measures or retaliatory actions which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian and/or Ukrainian securities.

 

The economies of emerging countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources, self-sufficiency and balance of payments. Many emerging countries have experienced in the past, and continue to experience, high rates of inflation. In certain countries inflation has at times accelerated rapidly to hyperinflationary levels, creating a negative interest rate environment and sharply eroding the value of outstanding financial assets in those countries. Other emerging countries, on the other hand, have recently experienced deflationary pressures and are in economic recessions. The economies of many emerging countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by protective trade barriers and the economic conditions of their trading partners. In addition, the economies of some emerging countries are vulnerable to weakness in world prices for their commodity exports. The Fund’s income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign stocks and securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund remain uninvested and no return is earned on such assets. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases or sales due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio securities or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser.

 

LIBOR Risk. Many financial instruments may be tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate, or “LIBOR,” to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies, or investment value. LIBOR is the offered rate for short-term Eurodollar deposits between major international banks. On July 27, 2017, the head of the UK Financial Conduct Authority announced a desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. Regulators and industry working groups have suggested alternative reference rates, but global consensus is lacking and the process for amending existing contracts or instruments to transition away from LIBOR remains unclear. There also remains uncertainty and risk regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to include enhanced provisions in new and existing contracts or instruments. As such, the transition away from LIBOR may lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets that are tied to LIBOR, reduced values of LIBOR-related investments, and reduced effectiveness of hedging strategies, adversely affecting the Fund's performance or NAV. In addition, the alternative reference rate may be an ineffective substitute resulting in prolonged adverse market conditions for the Fund.

 

6

 

Margin Deposits and Cover Requirements. Unlike the purchase or sale of portfolio securities, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Initially, the Subsidiary will be required to deposit with the broker an amount of cash or cash equivalents, known as initial margin, based on the value of the contract. The nature of initial margin in futures transactions is different from that of margin in securities transactions in that futures contract margin does not involve the borrowing of funds by the customer to finance the transactions. Rather, the initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract which is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, called variation margin, to and from the broker, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying instruments fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking to the market.” For example, when the Fund has purchased a futures contract and the price of the contract has risen in response to a rise in the price of the underlying instruments, that position will have increased in value and the Fund will be entitled to receive from the broker a variation margin payment equal to that increase in value. Conversely, where the Fund has purchased a futures contract and the price of the futures contract has declined in response to a decrease in the underlying instruments, the position would be less valuable and the Fund would be required to make a variation margin payment to the broker. At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Adviser or Trading Adviser may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, subject to the availability of a secondary market, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a loss or gain.

 

The Fund will comply with guidelines established by the SEC with respect to coverage of forwards, futures, swaps and options. For example, when entering into a contract that must be cash settled, the Fund will cover (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) its position in an amount that, when added to the amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, is equal to the daily mark-to-market obligation, rather than the notional value of the contract.

 

When entering into a contract that does not need to be settled in cash, the Fund is also required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks. To cover its position, the Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities. Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the Fund arising from such investment activities. Segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations. Each Subsidiary (as defined below) will comply with these coverage requirements to the same extent as the Fund that holds the Subsidiary’s securities.

 

The Fund or the Subsidiary may enter into agreements with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements.

 

The Fund may also cover its position in relation to forwards, futures, swaps and options through ownership of the underlying security, financial instrument or currency or by other portfolio positions or by other means consistent with applicable regulatory policies.

 

Multi-Manager Structure. The Fund and Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited, a wholly owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, (the “Subsidiary”) are managed by the Adviser and one or more asset managers who are unaffiliated with the Adviser (each a “Trading Adviser” and together, the “Trading Advisers”). Subject to review by the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), the Adviser is responsible for selecting the Fund’s investment strategies and for allocating and reallocating assets among the Trading Advisers consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and strategies. The Adviser is also responsible for recommending to the Board whether an agreement with a Trading Adviser should be approved, renewed, modified or terminated and for monitoring and evaluating the Trading Advisers. The Adviser is also responsible for implementing procedures to ensure that each Trading Adviser complies with the Fund’s investment objective, strategies and restrictions.

 

Options. The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on indices and enter into related closing transactions. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at any time during the option period. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period. The premium paid to the writer is the consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract.

 

The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on foreign currencies (traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or over-the-counter markets) to manage its exposure to exchange rates or to seek and increase in total return. Call options on foreign currency written by the Fund will be “covered” as set out below.

 

Put and call options on indices are similar to options on securities except that options on an index give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is greater than (or less than, in the case of puts) the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option, expressed in dollars multiplied by a specified number. Thus, unlike options on individual securities, all settlements are in cash, and gain or loss depends on price movements in the particular market represented by the index generally, rather than the price movements in individual securities.

 

All options written on indices or securities must be covered. When the Fund writes an option on a security, an index or a foreign currency, the Fund is required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks. To cover its position, the Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the option or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities. Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the Fund arising from such investment activities.

 

The Fund or the Subsidiary may enter into agreements with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements.

 

The Fund may trade put and call options on securities, securities indices and currencies, as the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser determines is appropriate in seeking the Fund’s investment objective, and except as restricted by the Fund’s investment limitations. See “Investment Limitations.”

 

The initial purchase (sale) of an option contract is an “opening transaction.” In order to close out an option position, the Fund may enter into a “closing transaction,” which is simply the sale (purchase) of an option contract on the same security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option contract originally opened. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has written, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the security upon exercise.

 

7

 

The Fund may purchase put and call options on securities to protect against a decline in the market value of the securities in its portfolio, to anticipate an increase in the market value of securities that the Fund may seek to purchase in the future or to seek to increase total return. The Fund purchasing put and call options pays a premium therefore. If price movements in the underlying securities are such that exercise of the options would not be profitable for the Fund, loss of the premium paid may be offset by an increase in the value of the Fund’s securities or by a decrease in the cost of acquisition of securities by the Fund.

 

The Fund may write covered call options on securities as a means of increasing the yield on its assets and as a means of providing limited protection against decreases in its market value. When the Fund writes an option, if the underlying securities do not increase or decrease to a price level that would make the exercise of the option profitable to the holder thereof, the option generally will expire without being exercised and the Fund will realize as profit the premium received for such option. When a call option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to sell the underlying securities to the option holder at the strike price, and will not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price. When a put option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the market value of such securities.

 

The Fund may purchase and write options on an exchange or over-the-counter. Over-the-counter options (“OTC options”) differ from exchange-traded options in several respects. They are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation, and therefore entail the risk of non-performance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities and for a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than are available for exchange-traded options. Because OTC options are not traded on an exchange, pricing is done normally by reference to information from a market maker. It is the SEC’s position that OTC options are generally illiquid.

 

The market value of an option generally reflects the market price of an underlying security. Other principal factors affecting market value include supply and demand, interest rates, the pricing volatility of the underlying security and the time remaining until the expiration date.

 

Risks associated with options transactions include: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on an ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for options; and (4) while the Fund will receive a premium when it writes covered call options, it may not participate fully in a rise in the market value of the underlying security.

 

Portfolio Turnover Rate. Portfolio turnover rate is defined under SEC rules as the greater of the value of the securities purchased or securities sold, excluding all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one-year or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this definition, instruments with remaining maturities of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include the futures contracts in which the Fund may invest since such contracts generally have remaining maturities of less than one-year. The Fund may at times hold investments in other short-term instruments, such as repurchase agreements, which are excluded for purposes of computing portfolio turnover.

 

Restricted and Illiquid Investments. Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is an investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments may include: repurchase agreements and time deposits with a notice or demand period of more than seven days; interest rate; currency and mortgage swaps; interest rate caps; floors and collars; municipal leases; certain restricted securities, such as those purchased in a private placement of securities, unless it is determined, based upon a review of the trading markets for a specific restricted security, that such restricted security is liquid; and certain over-the-counter options. Securities that have legal or contractual restrictions on resale but have a readily available market are not considered illiquid for purposes of this limitation.

 

Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of restricted or other illiquid securities because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and a mutual fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid investments promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty in satisfying redemptions within seven days. A mutual fund might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities. To the extent an investment held by the Fund is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund will be exposed to greater liquidity risk.

 

The Fund may purchase securities which are not registered under the Securities Act but which may be sold to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act (“Restricted Securities”). These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser that an adequate trading market exists for the securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in an underlying investment company during any period that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing restricted securities.

 

The Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser will monitor the liquidity of Restricted Securities held by the portion of the assets of the Fund it manages. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser or Trading Adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the unregistered nature of the security; (2) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (3) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (5) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities normally reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, since the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.

 

As consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives, the Fund may also invest in Section 4(2) commercial paper. Section 4(2) commercial paper is issued in reliance on an exemption from registration under Section 4(2) of the Act and is generally sold to institutional investors who purchase for investment. Any resale of such commercial paper must be in an exempt transaction, usually to an institutional investor through the issuer or investment dealers who make a market in such commercial paper. The Fund believes that Section 4(2) commercial paper is liquid to the extent it meets the criteria established by the Board. The Fund intends to treat such commercial paper as liquid and not subject to the investment limitations applicable to illiquid securities or restricted securities.

 

The Company has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22e-4. If the limitation on illiquid securities is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the Board and, when required by the Liquidity Rule, to the SEC.

 

Rights Offerings and Purchase Warrants. Rights offerings and purchase warrants are privileges issued by a corporation which enable the owner to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short lifespan to expiration. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

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Risk Considerations of Medium Grade Securities. Obligations in the lowest investment grade (i.e., BBB or Baa), referred to as “medium grade” obligations, have speculative characteristics, and changes in economic conditions and other factors are more likely to lead to weakened capacity to make interest payments and repay principal on these obligations than is the case for higher rated securities. In the event that a security purchased by the Fund is subsequently downgraded below investment grade, the Adviser and Trading Advisers will consider such event in its determination of whether the Fund should continue to hold the security.

 

Short Sales. As consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives, the Fund may engage in short sales that are either “uncovered” or “against the box.” A short sale is “against the box” if at all times during which the short position is open, the Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short. A short sale against the box is generally a taxable transaction to the Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.

 

Uncovered short sales are transactions under which the Fund sells a security it does not own. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of the replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.

 

Until the Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the Fund will: (a) maintain a segregated account containing cash or liquid securities at such a level that (i) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short; and (ii) the amount deposited in the segregated account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will not be less than the market value of the security at the time the security was sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund’s short position.

 

Special Note Regarding Market Events. Events in the financial sector over the past several years have resulted in reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets and in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestically and internationally. While entire markets have been impacted, issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected. These events and the potential for continuing market turbulence may have an adverse effect on the underlying investment companies’ investments. It is uncertain how long these conditions will continue.

 

The instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. government to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and certain segments of the financial markets. Federal, state and foreign governments, regulatory agencies, and self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude an underlying investment company’s, and thus the Fund’s, ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such ownership or disposition may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of the underlying investment companies’ holdings.

 

Structured Securities. The Fund may invest in structured securities to the extent consistent with its investment objective. The value of the principal of and/or interest on structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of specific currencies, commodities, securities, indices or other financial indicators (the “Reference”) or the relative change in two or more References. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may be increased or decreased depending upon changes in the applicable Reference. Examples of structured securities include, but are not limited to, notes where the principal repayment at maturity is determined by the value of the relative change in two or more specified securities or securities indices.

 

The terms of some structured securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity and, therefore, the Fund could suffer a total loss of its investment. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the Reference may produce an increase or decrease in the interest rate or value of the security at maturity. In addition, changes in the interest rate or the value of the security at maturity may be a multiple of the changes in the value of the Reference. Consequently, structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of securities. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities due to their derivative nature.

 

Subsidiary Risk. The Fund makes investments through a wholly-owned and controlled Subsidiary of the Fund (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited). Investment in the Subsidiary provides the Fund with exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. The Subsidiary is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, and it is not currently expected that shares of the Subsidiary will be sold or offered to other investors.

 

The Subsidiary will invest primarily in derivative instruments, such as, commodity futures contracts, non-commodity futures contracts, such as equity index, government bond, fixed income and foreign exchange futures contracts, commodity and non-commodity swap agreements. The Subsidiary may also invest in fixed income securities and money market instruments, cash and cash equivalents with two years or less term to maturity, and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivative positions. Although the Fund may enter into these commodity-linked derivative instruments directly, the Fund will likely gain exposure to these derivative instruments indirectly by investing in the Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may vary depending on the types of instruments selected by the Adviser or Trading Advisers to gain exposure to the commodities markets. To the extent that the Fund invests in the Subsidiary, the Fund may be subject to the risks associated with the abovementioned derivative instruments and other securities, which are discussed elsewhere in the Prospectus and this SAI.

 

The Fund intends to treat physically settled futures contracts in the same manner as cash settled futures contracts through the use of a swap and/or letter agreement with the Subsidiary’s futures commission merchant for the purposes of complying with Section 18 of 1940 Act. The SEC has not declared whether or not the use of such a letter agreement is sufficient for the purpose of compliance with Section 18 of the 1940 Act. There is a risk, therefore, that the SEC may deem the use of the letter agreement as insufficient and that the Fund may not be permitted to continue to gain exposure to these contracts through the use of the letter agreement.

 

The Fund intends to treat physically settled fx forward transactions in the same manner as cash settled fx forward transactions through the use of a letter agreement (the “Letter”) with the Subsidiary’s FX Prime Broker (“FXPB”) for the purposes of complying with Section 18 of 1940 Act. The Letter provides that the Subsidiary will ensure the liquidation of any deliverable transactions by entering into offsetting FX spot, forward or swap transactions or by rolling forward the net currency positions under such transactions. Failing that, where the transaction is not liquidated prior to the settlement date of such transaction, the FXPB will liquidate the position prior to the settlement date at the applicable prevailing market rate. Therefore, the Letter provides that the Fund and/or the Subsidiary will never be left with an obligation to purchase or deliver the currency underlying the forward transaction.

 

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While the Subsidiary may be considered similar to an investment company, it is not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted in the Prospectus and this SAI, is not subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act and other U.S. regulations. Although the Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, the Adviser and each of the Trading Advisers complies with provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts with respect to the Subsidiary. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in the Prospectuses and this SAI and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

 

Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into equity index or interest rate swap agreements for purposes of attempting to gain exposure to the stocks making up an index of securities in a market without actually purchasing those stocks, or to hedge a position. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one-year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. Forms of swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap,” interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level, or “floor,” and interest rate dollars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

 

Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.” Consequently, the Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The Fund’s current obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by segregating assets determined to be liquid.

 

Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be “senior securities” for purposes of the Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities. Because they are two party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for the Fund’s illiquid investment limitation. The Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.

 

The Fund may enter into swap agreements to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in circumstances in which direct investment is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable. The counterparty to any swap agreement will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker/dealer. The counter-party will generally agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. The Fund will agree to pay to the counter-party a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to the Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.

 

Swap agreements typically are settled on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term. Swap agreements do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swap agreements is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to a swap agreement defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each equity swap will be accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or liquid assets, having an aggregate NAV at least equal to such accrued excess will be maintained in a segregated account by the Fund’s custodian. Inasmuch as these transactions are entered into for hedging purposes or are offset by segregated cash of liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, the Fund and the Adviser believe that these transactions do not constitute senior securities under the 1940 Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions.

 

The Adviser and Trading Advisers, under the supervision of the Board, are responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of Fund transactions in swap agreements. The use of equity swaps is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.

 

Tax Risk. The Fund intends to continue to qualify annually to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Code. To qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code, the Fund must invest in assets which produce the types of income specified in the Code and the Treasury regulations (“Qualifying Income”). Whether the income from certain derivatives, swaps, commodity-linked derivatives and other commodity-related securities, including income from the Fund’s investment in its subsidiary, is Qualifying Income is unclear. The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") has issued a ruling that income realized from certain types of commodity-linked derivatives would not be Qualifying Income. The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the Code for qualification as a regulated investment company, but there is a risk that certain commodity-linked structured notes will not be considered Qualifying Income. If the Fund’s income from these types of securities is determined to not be Qualifying Income, it may cause the Fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code. Moreover, an investment in a subsidiary generally may not exceed 25% of the value of the gross assets of the Fund at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year. If the Subsidiary does exceed 25% of the value of the gross assets of the Fund, in any quarter, the Fund may fail to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code. See “Taxes” below for additional information related to these restrictions.

 

U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

 

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

 

10

 

See “Mortgage-Backed Securities” below for additional information about the September 7, 2008 federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

 

U.S. Treasury Obligations. U.S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities (“STRIPS”) and Treasury Receipts (“TRs”).

 

Receipts. Interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S. government obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U.S. government obligations into a special account at a custodian bank. The custodian holds the interest and principal payments for the benefit of the registered owners of the certificates or receipts. The custodian arranges for the issuance of the certificates or receipts evidencing ownership and maintains the register. TRs and STRIPS are interests in accounts sponsored by the U.S. Treasury. Receipts are sold as zero coupon securities.

 

U.S. Government Zero Coupon Securities. STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons. Zero coupon securities are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of interest or principal. The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes. Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically. Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with similar maturity and credit qualities.

 

U.S. Government Agencies. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U.S. government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. Guarantees of principal by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities nor to the value of the Fund’s shares.

 

NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

 

Exchange-Traded Funds ("ETFs"). The Fund may invest in open-end investment companies whose shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange or the Nasdaq Market System. ETF shares typically trade like shares of common stock and provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the component stocks of a widely recognized index such as the S&P 500® Index. There can be no assurance, however, that this can be accomplished as it may not be possible for an ETF to replicate the composition and relative weightings of the securities of its corresponding index. Additionally, some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers and do not seek to provide investment results that correspond to an index.

 

ETFs are subject to risks of an investment in a broadly based portfolio of common stocks, including the risk that the general level of stock prices may decline, thereby adversely affecting the value of such investment. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to risk of poor investment, and the individual investments of an actively-managed ETF may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expect, and/or the actively-managed ETFs portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result. Individual shares of an ETF are generally not redeemable at their NAV, but trade on an exchange during the day at prices that are normally close to, but not the same as, their NAV. There is no assurance that an active trading market will be maintained for the shares of an ETF or that market prices of the shares of an ETF will be close to their NAV.

 

Investments in securities of ETFs beyond the limitations set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act are subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an exemptive order issued by the SEC to the exchange-traded fund. Section 12(d)(1)(A) states that a mutual fund may not acquire shares of other investment companies, such as ETFs, in excess of: 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the investment company; 5% of its total assets invested in the investment company; or more than 10% of the fund’s total assets were to be invested in the aggregate in all investment companies. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to a mutual fund’s own expenses.

 

The Fund may acquire investment company shares received or acquired as dividends, through offers of exchange or as a result of reorganization, consolidation or merger. The purchase of shares of other investment companies may result in duplication of expenses such that investors indirectly bear a proportionate share of the expenses of such mutual funds including operating costs and investment advisory and administrative fees.

 

Investment Company Shares. The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions. These investment companies typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by the Fund. The Fund’s purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses, such that shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying the Fund’s expenses. Unless an exception is available, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act prohibits a fund from (i) acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any one investment company, (ii) investing more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, and (iii) investing more than 10% of its total assets in all investment companies combined, including its ETF investments.

 

For hedging or other purposes, the Fund may invest in investment companies that seek to track the composition and/or performance of specific indexes or portions of specific indexes. Certain of these investment companies, known as exchange-traded funds, are traded on a securities exchange. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with changes in the underlying portfolio securities of the investment company and also due to supply and demand of the investment company’s shares on the exchange upon which the shares are traded. Index-based investments may not replicate or otherwise match the composition or performance of their specified index due to transaction costs, among other things.

 

Pursuant to orders issued by the SEC to each of certain exchange-traded funds (collectively, the “ETFs”) and procedures approved by the Board, the Fund may invest in the ETFs in excess of the limits described above, provided that the Fund has described the ETF investments in its prospectus and otherwise complies with the conditions of the SEC, as it may be amended, and any other applicable investment limitations. Neither the ETFs nor their investment advisers make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in the ETFs.

 

Large Shareholder Purchase and Redemption Risk. The Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund. Such large shareholder redemptions may cause the Fund to sell its securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and liquidity. Similarly, large share purchases may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would. In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio. However, this risk may be limited to the extent that the Adviser and the Fund have entered into a fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement.

 

11

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Fund may invest in mortgage pass-through certificates and multiple-class pass-through securities, such as real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMIC”), pass-through certificates and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”).

 

Guaranteed mortgage pass-through securities represent participation interests in pools of residential mortgage loans and are issued by U.S. governmental or private lenders and guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, including but not limited to the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”). Ginnie Mae certificates are guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government for timely payment of principal and interest on the certificates. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac certificates are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Fannie Mae certificates are guaranteed by Fannie Mae, a federally chartered and privately owned corporation, for full and timely payment of principal and interest on the certificates. Fannie Mae is authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet its obligations. Freddie Mac certificates are guaranteed by Freddie Mac, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. government, for timely payment of interest and the ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans.

 

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be placed in conservatorship under the FHFA. On June 16, 2010, FHFA ordered Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s stock de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) after the price of common stock in Fannie Mae fell below the NYSE’s minimum average closing price of $1 for more than 30 days. The future status and role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s operations and activities as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the U.S. Treasury, market responses to developments at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any Mortgage-Backed Securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including any such Mortgage-Backed Securities held by the Fund.

 

There is risk that the U.S. government will not provide financial support to its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. The Fund may purchase U.S. government securities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government securities held by the Fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.

 

CMOs and REMIC pass-through or participation certificates may be issued by, among others, U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities as well as private lenders. CMOs and REMIC certificates are issued in multiple classes and the principal of and interest on the mortgage assets may be allocated among the several classes of CMOs or REMIC certificates in various ways. Each class of CMOs or REMIC certificates, often referred to as a “tranche,” is issued at a specific adjustable or fixed interest rate and must be fully retired no later than its final distribution date. Generally, interest is paid or accrues on all classes of CMOs or REMIC certificates on a monthly basis.

 

Typically, CMOs are collateralized by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac certificates but also may be collateralized by other mortgage assets such as whole loans or private mortgage pass-through securities. Debt service on CMOs is provided from payments of principal and interest on collateral of mortgaged assets and any reinvestment income thereon.

 

A REMIC is a CMO that qualifies for special tax treatment under the Code and invests in certain mortgages primarily secured by interests in real property and other permitted investments. Investors may purchase “regular” and “residual” interest shares of beneficial interest in REMIC trusts, although the Fund does not intend to invest in residual interests.

 

The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by trusts or other entities formed or sponsored by private originators of and institutional investors in mortgage loans and other non-governmental entities (or representing custodial arrangements administered by such institutions). These private originators and institutions include savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, insurance companies, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing.

 

Privately issued mortgage-backed securities are generally backed by pools of conventional (i.e., non-government guaranteed or insured) mortgage loans. Since such mortgage-backed securities normally are not guaranteed by an entity having the credit standing of Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, in order to receive a high quality rating from the rating organizations (e.g., S&P’s or Moody’s), they often are structured with one or more types of “credit enhancement.” Such credit enhancement falls into two categories: (1) liquidity protection and (2) protection against losses resulting after default by a borrower and liquidation of the collateral (e.g., sale of a house after foreclosure). Liquidity protection refers to the payment of cash advances to holders of mortgage-backed securities when a borrower on an underlying mortgage fails to make its monthly payment on time. Protection against losses resulting after default and liquidation is designed to cover losses resulting when, for example, the proceeds of a foreclosure sale are insufficient to cover the outstanding amount on the mortgage. Such protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit, through various means of structuring the securities or through a combination of such approaches.

 

Examples of credit enhancement arising out of the structure of the transaction include “senior-subordinated securities” (multiple class securities with one or more classes entitled to receive payment before other classes, with the result that defaults on the underlying mortgages are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class), creation of “spread accounts” or “reserve funds” (where cash or investments are held in reserve against future losses) and “over-collateralization” (where the scheduled payments on the underlying mortgages in a pool exceed the amount required to be paid on the mortgage-backed securities). The degree of credit enhancement for a particular issue of mortgage-backed securities is based on the level of credit risk associated with the particular mortgages in the related pool. Losses on a pool in excess of anticipated levels could nevertheless result in losses to security holders since credit enhancement rarely covers every dollar owed on a pool.

 

Investing in mortgage-backed securities (such as those described above) involves certain risks, including the failure of a counter-party to meet its commitments, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows. Further, the yield characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from those of traditional fixed income securities. The major differences typically include more frequent interest and principal payments (usually monthly), the adjustability of interest rates, and the possibility that prepayments of principal may be made substantially earlier than their final distribution dates.

 

Prepayment rates are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors and cannot be predicted with certainty. Both adjustable rate mortgage loans and fixed rate mortgage loans may be subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment. Under certain interest rate and prepayment rate scenarios, the Fund may fail to recoup fully its investment in mortgage-backed securities notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee. When the Fund reinvests amounts representing payments and unscheduled prepayments of principal, it may receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on existing adjustable rate mortgage pass-through securities. Thus, mortgage-backed securities, and adjustable rate mortgage pass-through securities in particular, may be less effective than other types of U.S. government securities as a means of “locking in” interest rates.

 

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Conversely, in a rising interest rate environment, a declining prepayment rate will extend the average life of many mortgage-backed securities. This possibility is often referred to as extension risk. Extending the average life of a mortgage-backed security increases the risk of depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates. The market for certain types of mortgage-backed securities (i.e., certain CMOs) may not be liquid under all interest rate scenarios, which may prevent the Fund from selling such securities held in its portfolio at times or prices that it desires.

 

Different types of derivative debt securities are subject to different combinations of prepayment, extension and/or interest rate risk. Conventional mortgage pass-through securities and sequential pay CMOs are subject to all of these risks, but are typically not leveraged. Thus, the magnitude of exposure may be less than for more leveraged mortgage-backed securities.

 

Planned amortization class (“PAC”) and target amortization class (“TAC”) CMO bonds involve less exposure to prepayment, extension and interest rate risk than other mortgage-backed securities, provided that prepayment rates remain within expected prepayment ranges or “collars.” To the extent that prepayment rates remain within these prepayment ranges, the residual or support tranches of PAC and TAC CMOs assume the extra prepayment extension and interest rate risk associated with the underlying mortgage assets.

 

The Fund may invest in floating rate securities based on the Cost of Funds Index (“COFI floaters”), other “lagging rate” floating rate securities, floating rate securities that are subject to a maximum interest rate (“capped floaters”), and mortgage-backed securities purchased at a discount. The primary risks associated with these derivative debt securities are the potential extension of average life and/or depreciation due to rising interest rates.

 

Recently, rating agencies have placed on credit watch or downgraded the ratings previously assigned to a large number of mortgage-related securities (which may include certain of the mortgage-related securities in which the Fund may have invested or may in the future be invested), and may continue to do so in the future. In the event that any mortgage-related security held by the Fund is placed on credit watch or downgraded, the value of such mortgage-related security may decline and the Fund may consequently experience losses in respect of such mortgage-related security.

 

Real Estate Investment Trust Securities. The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Individual REITs may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. A REIT is a corporation, or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation, which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level Federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for Federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs) or cash and government securities, derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and distribute to shareholders annually a substantial portion of its otherwise taxable income.

 

Generally, REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. The values of securities issued by REITs are affected by tax and regulatory requirements and by perceptions of management skill. They also are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers or tenants, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status under the Code or to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. Unexpected high rates of default on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to a mortgage REIT. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. To the extent that a mortgage REIT’s portfolio is exposed to lower-rated, unsecured or subordinated instruments, the risk of loss may increase, which may have a negative impact on the Fund.

 

The REITs in which the Fund may invest may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. REITs are sensitive to factors such as changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use and rents, and management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws. REITS whose underlying assets include long-term health care properties; such as nursing, retirement and assisted living homes, may be impacted by federal regulations concerning the health care industry. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses, including management fees, paid by each REIT in which it invests in addition to the expenses of the Fund. The Fund is also subject to the risk that the REITs in which it invests will fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, and/or fail to qualify for an exemption from registration as an investment company under the 1940 Act. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. A REIT’s return may be adversely affected when interest rates are high or rising.

 

Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500®.

 

Risk Considerations of Lower Rated Securities. The Fund may invest in fixed income securities that are not investment grade but are rated as low as B by Moody’s or B by S&P (or their equivalents or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). In the case of a security that is rated differently by two or more rating services, the higher rating is used in connection with the foregoing limitation. In the event that the rating on a security held in the Fund’s portfolio is downgraded by a rating service, such action will be considered by the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser in its evaluation of the overall investment merits of that security, but will not necessarily result in the sale of the security. The widespread expansion of government, consumer and corporate debt within the U.S. economy has made the corporate sector, especially cyclically sensitive industries, more vulnerable to economic downturns or increased interest rates. An economic downturn could severely disrupt the market for high yield fixed income securities and adversely affect the value of outstanding fixed income securities and the ability of the issuers to repay principal and interest.

 

The Fund may invest in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. The Fund may invest in high yield debt instruments when the Fund believes that such instruments offer a better risk/reward profile than comparable equity opportunities. High yield fixed income securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are considered speculative investments while generally providing greater income than investments in higher rated securities, involve greater risk of loss of principal and income (including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities) and may involve greater volatility of price (especially during periods of economic uncertainty or change) than securities in the higher rating categories. Since yields vary over time, no specific level of income can ever be assured.

 

The prices of high yield fixed income securities have been found to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. Also, during an economic downturn or substantial period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress, which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals and to obtain additional financing. If the issuer of a fixed income security owned by the Fund defaulted, the Fund could incur additional expenses in attempting to obtain a recovery. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices of high yield fixed income securities and the Fund’s NAV to the extent it holds such securities.

 

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High yield fixed income securities also present risks based on payment expectations. For example, high yield fixed income securities may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, the Fund may, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities, have to replace the securities with a lower yielding security, which may result in a decreased return for investors. Conversely, a high yield fixed income security’s value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of the Fund’s assets, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities. In addition, to the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield fixed income securities, and this may have an impact on the Adviser’s and Trading Advisers’ ability to accurately value such securities and the Fund’s assets and on the Fund’s ability to dispose of such securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield fixed income securities, especially in a thinly traded market.

 

New laws proposed or adopted from time to time may have an impact on the market for high yield securities.

 

Finally, there are risks involved in applying credit or dividend ratings as a method for evaluating high yield securities. For example, ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest or dividend payments, not market value risk of high yield securities. Also, since rating agencies may fail to timely change the credit ratings to reflect subsequent events, the Fund will continuously monitor the issuers of high yield securities in its portfolio, if any, to determine if the issuers will have sufficient cash flow and profits to meet required principal and interest payments, and to assure the security’s liquidity so the Fund can meet redemption requests.

 

Securities Lending. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the Board. These loans, if and when made, may not exceed 33 1/3% of the total asset value of the Fund (including the loan collateral). The Fund will not lend portfolio securities to the Adviser or their affiliates unless permissible under the 1940 Act and the rules and promulgations thereunder. Loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, and the collateral will be maintained in an amount equal to at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned domestic securities (105% of loaned foreign securities) by marking to market daily. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of the Fund.

 

The Fund may pay a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral, or other fee, to an unaffiliated or, to the extent consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder, affiliated third party for acting as the Fund’s securities lending agent.

 

By lending its securities, the Fund may increase its income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral. The Fund does not have the right to vote loaned securities. The Fund will attempt to call all loaned securities back to permit the exercise of voting rights on material matters, if time and jurisdictional restrictions permit. There is no guarantee that all loans can be recalled.

 

Securities of Unseasoned Issuers. The Fund may invest in securities of unseasoned issuers, including equity securities of unseasoned issuers which are not readily marketable, to the extent consistent with the Fund’s primary investment strategies as set forth in the Prospectuses and with each Fund’s policy on investments in illiquid securities.

 

Special Situation Companies. The Fund may invest in “Special Situations.” The term “Special Situation” shall be deemed to refer to a security of a company in which an unusual and possibly non-repetitive development is taking place which, in the opinion of the investment adviser of the Fund, may cause the security to attain a higher market value independently, to a degree, of the trend in the securities market in general. The particular development (actual or prospective), which may qualify a security as a “Special Situation,” may be one of many different types.

 

Such developments may include, among others, a technological improvement or important discovery or acquisition which, if the expectation for it materialized, would effect a substantial change in the company’s business; a reorganization; a recapitalization or other development involving a security exchange or conversion; a merger, liquidation or distribution of cash, securities or other assets; a breakup or workout of a holding company; litigation which, if resolved favorably, would improve the value of the company’s stock; a new or changed management; or material changes in management policies. A “Special Situation” may often involve a comparatively small company, which is not well known, and which has not been closely watched by investors generally, but it may also involve a large company. The fact, if it exists, that an increase in the company’s earnings, dividends or business is expected, or that a given security is considered to be undervalued, would not in itself be sufficient to qualify as a “Special Situation.” A Fund may invest in securities (even if not “Special Situations”) which, in the opinion of the investment adviser of the Fund, are appropriate investments for the Fund, including securities which the investment adviser of the Fund believes are undervalued by the market. A Fund shall not be required to invest any minimum percentage of its aggregate portfolio in “Special Situations,” nor shall it be required to invest any minimum percentage of its aggregate portfolio in securities other than “Special Situations.”

 

Temporary Defensive Positions. In anticipation of or in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions (up to 100% of its assets) in cash, cash equivalents and short-term U.S. government securities. If the Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

 

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

The Fund has adopted the following fundamental investment limitations which may not be changed with respect to the Fund without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares (as defined in Section 2(a) (42) of the 1940 Act). As used in this SAI and in the Prospectus, “shareholder approval” and a “majority of the outstanding shares” of the Fund means, with respect to the approval of an investment advisory agreement, a distribution plan or a change in a fundamental investment limitation, the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Unless otherwise noted, the Fund’s investment goals and strategies described in the Prospectus may be changed by the Board without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

The Fund may not:

 

1. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements provided that there is at least 300% asset coverage for the borrowings of the Fund. The Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. However, the amount shall not be in excess of lesser of the dollar amounts borrowed or 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing, provided that: (a) short sales and related borrowings of securities are not subject to this restriction; and (b) for the purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, short sales, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin and collateral arrangements with respect to derivatives instruments are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with the Fund’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation;

 

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2. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

 

3. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts;

 

4. Purchase or sell commodities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by the regulatory authority having jurisdiction from time to time;

 

5. Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan; or

 

6. Invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries, provided that (a) there is no limitation with respect to (i) instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and (ii) repurchase agreements secured by the instruments described in clause (i); (b) wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; and (c) utilities will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry.

 

In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the Fund is subject to the following non-fundamental limitations, which may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. The Fund may not:

 

1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by the Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or management; or

 

2. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments, including foreign exchange forward contracts, shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

 

The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act. Pursuant to orders issued by the SEC to ETFs and procedures approved by the Board, the Fund may invest in ETFs in excess of the limits of the 1940 Act. As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

 

Securities held by the Fund generally may not be purchased from, sold or loaned to the Adviser, any Trading Adviser or their affiliates or any of their directors, officers or employees, acting as principal, unless pursuant to a rule or exemptive order under the 1940 Act. None of the Fund, the Adviser, or any Trading Adviser has obtained such an exemptive order as of the date of this SAI.

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Fund will be required to maintain asset coverage of at least 300% for borrowings from a bank. In the event that such asset coverage is below 300%, the Fund will be required to reduce the amount of its borrowings to obtain 300% asset coverage within three business days (not including Sundays and holidays).

 

The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company’s ability to invest in commodities, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The Fund has adopted fundamental policies that would permit direct investment in commodities.

 

Any collateral arrangements with respect to, if applicable, the writing of options and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, short sales and other similar instruments, and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets. The Fund may pledge, mortgage or hypothecate assets to secure borrowings permitted by the Fund’s fundamental limitation on borrowing.

 

Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.

 

If a percentage restriction under one of the Fund’s investment policies or limitations or the use of assets is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation (except with respect to any restrictions that may apply to borrowings or senior securities issued by the Fund).

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Company has adopted, on behalf of the Fund, a policy relating to the selective disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings by the Adviser, Board, officers, or third party service providers, in accordance with regulations that seek to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio holdings is in the best interest of Fund shareholders. The policies relating to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information where necessary to the Fund’s operation without compromising the integrity or performance of the Fund. It is the policy of the Company that disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings to a select person or persons prior to the release of such holdings to the public (“selective disclosure”) is prohibited, unless there are legitimate business purposes for selective disclosure.

 

The Company discloses portfolio holdings information as required in regulatory filings and shareholder reports, discloses portfolio holdings information as required by federal and state securities laws and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities. As required by the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the Company will disclose the Fund’s portfolio holdings in applicable regulatory filings, including shareholder reports, reports on Form N-CSR, Form N-CEN, and Form N-Q (or Form N-Q's successor, Form N-PORT) or such other filings, reports or disclosure documents as the applicable regulatory authorities may require.

 

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Generally, after the 30th business day of the month following each calendar quarter end, the Fund may provide, at the Adviser’s discretion, its portfolio holdings to various rating and ranking organizations. In addition, generally after the 30th business day of the month following each calendar quarter end, the Fund may post to its website a list of the Fund’s top ten holdings or full portfolio holdings at the discretion of the Adviser. The timing, frequency and type (i.e., ratings/rankings/holdings) of disclosure may change at the Adviser’s discretion, as well as whether to post to the Fund’s website.

 

The Company may distribute or authorize the distribution of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings that is not publicly available to its third-party service providers, which include U.S. Bank, N.A., the custodian; U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), the administrator, accounting agent and transfer agent; Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, legal counsel; FilePoint, the financial printer; the Fund’s proxy voting service(s); and the Company’s liquidity classification agent. These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the Fund. Such holdings are released on conditions of confidentiality, which include appropriate trading prohibitions. “Conditions of confidentiality” include confidentiality terms included in written agreements, implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g. attorney-client relationship), or required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody services provided by financial institutions). Portfolio holdings may also be provided earlier to shareholders and their agents who receive redemptions in kind that reflect a pro rata allocation of all securities held in the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Portfolio holdings may also be disclosed, upon authorization by a designated officer of the Adviser, to (i) certain independent reporting agencies recognized by the SEC as acceptable agencies for the reporting of industry statistical information and (ii) financial consultants to assist them in determining the suitability of the Fund as an investment for their clients, in each case in accordance with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the Company’s and the Adviser’s fiduciary duties to Fund shareholders. Disclosures to financial consultants are also subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions. The foregoing disclosures are made pursuant to the Company’s policy on selective disclosure of portfolio holdings. The Board or a committee thereof may, in limited circumstances, permit other selective disclosure of portfolio holdings subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions.

 

The Adviser reserves the right to refuse to fulfill any request for portfolio holdings information from a shareholder or non-shareholder if it believes that providing such information will be contrary to the best interests of the Fund.

 

The Board provides ongoing oversight of the Company’s policies and procedures and compliance with such policies and procedures. As part of this oversight function, the Board receives from the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) as necessary, reports on compliance with these policies and procedures. In addition, the Board receives an annual assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the policies and procedures with respect to the Fund, and any changes thereto, and an annual review of the operation of the policies and procedures. Any violation of the policy set forth above as well as any corrective action undertaken to address such violation must be reported by the Adviser, director, officer or third party service provider to the Company’s CCO, who will determine whether the violation should be reported immediately to the Board or at its next quarterly Board meeting.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

Portfolio turnover measures the percentage of the Fund’s total portfolio market value that was purchased or sold during the period. The Fund’s turnover rate provides an indication of how transaction costs (which are not included in the Fund’s expenses) may affect the Fund’s performance. Also, funds with a high turnover may be more likely to distribute capital gains that may be taxable to shareholders. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is calculated by the value of the investment securities purchased or sold, excluding all instruments whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this calculation, instruments, including options and futures contracts, with remaining maturities of less than one year are excluded from the portfolio turnover rate. If such instruments were included, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate would be higher.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 and the fiscal period from April 11, 2018 through August 31, 2018, the Fund had a portfolio turnover rate of 0% and 0%, respectively.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

 

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the oversight of the Board, subject to the laws of the State of Maryland and the Company’s Charter. The Directors are responsible for deciding matters of overall policy and overseeing the actions of the Company’s service providers. The officers of the Company conduct and supervise the Company’s daily business operations.

 

Directors who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) are referred to as “Independent Directors.” Directors who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company are referred to as “Interested Directors.” The Board is currently composed of seven Independent Directors and one Interested Director. The Board has selected Arnold M. Reichman, an Independent Director, to act as Chairman. Mr. Reichman’s duties include presiding at meetings of the Board and interfacing with management to address significant issues that may arise between regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings. In the performance of his duties, Mr. Reichman will consult with the other Independent Directors and the Company’s officers and legal counsel, as appropriate. The Chairman may perform other functions as requested by the Board from time to time.

 

The Board meets as often as necessary to discharge its responsibilities. Currently, the Board conducts regular, in-person meetings at least four times a year, and holds special in-person or telephonic meetings as necessary to address specific issues that require attention prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board also relies on professionals, such as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms and legal counsel, to assist the Directors in performing their oversight responsibilities.

 

The Board has established nine standing committees — Audit, Contract, Executive, Investment and Liquidity Risk, Nominating and Governance, Product Development, Regulatory Oversight, Strategic Oversight, and Valuation Committees. The Board may establish other committees, or nominate one or more Directors to examine particular issues related to the Board’s oversight responsibilities, from time to time. Each Committee meets periodically to perform its delegated oversight functions and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board. For more information on the Committees, see the section entitled “Standing Committees.”

 

The Board has determined that the Company’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities.

 

16

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

The Directors and executive officers of the Company, their ages, business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

 

Name, Address,

and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of Time

Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

Julian A. Brodsky

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 86

Director 1988 to present From 1969 to 2011, Director and Vice Chairman, Comcast Corporation (cable television and communications). 34 AMDOCS Limited (service provider to telecommunications companies).

J. Richard Carnall

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 81

Director 2002 to present Since 1984, Director of Haydon Bolts, Inc. (bolt manufacturer) and Parkway Real Estate Company (subsidiary of Haydon Bolts, Inc.); since 2004, Director of Cornerstone Bank. 34 None

Gregory P. Chandler

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 53

Director 2012 to present Since 2009, Chief Financial Officer, Emtec, Inc. (information technology consulting/services). 34

Emtec, Inc. (until December 2019); FS Investment Corporation (business development company) (until December 2018); FS Energy and Power Fund (business development company); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company).

Nicholas A. Giordano

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 76

Director 2006 to present Since 1997, Consultant, financial services organizations. 34

IntriCon Corporation (biomedical device manufacturer);

Kalmar Pooled Investment Trust (registered investment company)(until September 2017); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios)(registered investment company); Independence Blue Cross (healthcare insurance).

Arnold M. Reichman

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 71

Chairman

Director

2005 to present

1991 to present

From 2006-2016, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lifebooker, LLC (online beauty and health appointment booking service). 34 Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

Brian T. Shea

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 59

Director 2018 to present From 2014-2017, Chief Executive Officer, BNY Mellon Investment Services (fund services, global custodian and securities clearing firm); from 1983-2014, Chief Executive Officer and various positions, Pershing LLC (broker dealer, clearing and custody firm). 34

WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (asset management company) (until March 2019); Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (financial services technology company); Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (financial services).

Robert A. Straniere

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 78

Director 2006 to present Since 2009, Administrative Law Judge, New York City; since 1980, Founding Partner, Straniere Law Group (law firm). 34 Reich and Tang Group (asset management) (until 2015).
INTERESTED DIRECTOR2

Robert Sablowsky

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 81

Vice Chairman

Director

2016 to present

1991 to present

Since 2002, Senior Director - Investments and prior thereto, Executive Vice President, of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (a registered broker-dealer). 34 None
OFFICERS

Salvatore Faia, JD,

CPA, CFE

Vigilant Compliance, LLC

Gateway Corporate

Center Suite 216

223 Wilmington West

Chester Pike

Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Age: 57

President

Chief Compliance Officer

2009 to present

2004 to present

Since 2004, President, Vigilant Compliance, LLC (investment management services company); since 2005, Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company). N/A N/A

James G. Shaw

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 59

Treasurer and

Secretary

2016 to present

Since 2016, Treasurer and Secretary of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2005 to 2016 Assistant Treasurer of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 1995 to 2016, Senior Director and Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (financial services company).

N/A N/A

 

17

 

Name, Address,

and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of Time

Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

Craig A. Urciuoli

615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 Age: 45

Director of Marketing & Business Development 2019 to present Since 2019, Director of Marketing & Business Development, The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2000-2019, Managing Director, Third Avenue Management LLC. N/A N/A

Jennifer Witt

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 37

Assistant Treasurer 2018 to present Since 2016, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm); from 2007 to 2016, Supervisor, Nuveen Investments (registered investment company). N/A N/A

Edward Paz

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 49

Assistant Secretary 2016 to present Since 2007, Vice President and Counsel, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm). N/A N/A

Michael P. Malloy

One Logan Square

Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 60

Assistant

Secretary

1999 to present Since 1993, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm). N/A N/A

Jillian L. Bosmann

One Logan Square

Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 41

Assistant

Secretary

2017 to present Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm) (2017-Present); Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (2006-Present). N/A N/A

 

* Each Director oversees 34 portfolios of the Company.

1. Subject to the Company’s Retirement Policy, each Director may continue to serve as a Director until the last day of the calendar year in which the applicable Director attains age 75 or until his successor is elected and qualified or his death, resignation or removal. The Board reserves the right to waive the requirements of the Policy with respect to an individual Director. The Board has approved waivers of the policy with respect to Messrs. Brodsky, Carnall, Giordano, Sablowsky and Straniere. Each officer holds office at the pleasure of the Board until the next special meeting of the Company or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed.

2. Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “interested person” of the Company as that term is defined in the 1940 Act and is referred to as an “Interested Director.” Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “Interested Director” of the Company by virtue of his position as an employee of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

 

Director Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and/or Skills

 

The information above includes each Director’s principal occupations during the last five years. Each Director possesses extensive additional experience, skills and attributes relevant to his qualifications to serve as a Director. The cumulative background of each Director led to the conclusion that each Director should serve as a Director of the Company. Mr. Giordano has years of experience as a consultant to financial services organizations and also serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Mr. Reichman brings decades of investment management experience to the Board, in addition to senior executive-level management experience. Mr. Straniere has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and has served on the boards of an asset management company and another registered investment company. Mr. Brodsky has over 40 years of senior executive-level management experience in the cable television and communications industry. Mr. Sablowsky has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the financial services industry. Mr. Carnall has decades of senior executive-level management experience in the banking and financial services industry and also serves on the boards of various corporations and a bank. Mr. Chandler has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the investment technology consulting/services and investment banking/brokerage industries, and also serves on various boards. Mr. Shea has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the brokerage, clearing and investment services industry, including service on the boards of industry regulatory organizations and a university.

 

Standing Committees

 

The responsibilities of each Committee of the Board and its members are described below.

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler and Giordano. The Audit Committee, among other things, reviews results of the annual audit and approves the firm(s) to serve as independent auditors. The Audit Committee convened three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Contract Committee. The Board has a Contract Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Contract Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler, Sablowsky and Straniere. The Contract Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the approval and continuation of agreements and plans of the Company. The Contract Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Executive Committee. The Board has an Executive Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Executive Committee are Messrs. Chandler, Giordano, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Executive Committee may generally carry on and manage the business of the Company when the Board is not in session. The Executive Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee. The Board has an Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two Independent Directors. The current members of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee are Messrs. Reichman, Sablowsky and Shea. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee ensures that the Company’s investment advisers have adopted investment and liquidity risk management policies and procedures. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee met one time during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

18

 

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Giordano and Reichman. The Nominating and Governance Committee recommends to the Board all persons to be nominated as Directors of the Company. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Committee care of the Company’s Secretary. The Nominating and Governance Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Product Development Committee. The Board has a Product Development Committee comprised of the Interested Director and one Independent Director. The current members of the Product Development Committee are Messrs. Reichman and Sablowsky. The Product Development Committee oversees the process regarding the addition of new investment advisers and investment products to the Company. The Product Development Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Regulatory Oversight Committee. The Board has a Regulatory Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and four Independent Directors. The current members of the Regulatory Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Reichman, Sablowsky, Shea and Straniere. The Regulatory Oversight Committee monitors regulatory developments in the mutual fund industry and focuses on various regulatory aspects of the operation of the Company. The Regulatory Oversight Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Strategic Oversight Committee. The Board has a Strategic Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Strategic Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Chandler, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Strategic Oversight Committee assists the Board in its oversight and review of the Company’s strategic plan and operations. The Strategic Oversight Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Valuation Committee. The Board has a Valuation Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two officers of the Company. The members of the Valuation Committee are Messrs. Faia, Sablowsky and Shaw. The Valuation Committee is responsible for reviewing fair value determinations. The Valuation Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Risk Oversight

 

The Board performs its risk oversight function for the Company through a combination of (1) direct oversight by the Board as a whole and Board committees and (2) indirect oversight through the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, Company officers and the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer. The Company is subject to a number of risks, including but not limited to investment risk, compliance risk, operational risk, reputational risk, credit risk and counterparty risk. Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Company is the responsibility of the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk) that carry out the Company’s investment management and business affairs. Each of the investment advisers and the other service providers have their own independent interest in risk management and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models and may differ from the Company’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.

 

The Board provides risk oversight by receiving and reviewing on a regular basis reports from the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers, receiving and approving compliance policies and procedures, periodic meetings with the Company’s portfolio managers to review investment policies, strategies and risks, and meeting regularly with the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer to discuss compliance reports, findings and issues. The Board also relies on the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, with respect to the day-to-day activities of the Company, to create and maintain procedures and controls to minimize risk and the likelihood of adverse effects on the Company’s business and reputation.

 

Board oversight of risk management is also provided by various Board Committees. For example, the Audit Committee meets with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms to ensure that the Company’s respective audit scopes include risk-based considerations as to the Company’s financial position and operations.

 

The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight. The Board’s oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Company’s investments or activities.

 

Director Ownership of Shares of the Company

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in the Fund and in all of the portfolios of the Company (which for each Director comprise all registered investment companies within the Company’s family of investment companies overseen by him), as of December 31, 2019:

 

Name of Director

Dollar Range of

Equity Securities in the

Fund

Aggregate Dollar Range of

Equity Securities in All

Registered Investment Companies

Overseen by Director within the

Family of Investment Companies

  INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS  
Julian A. Brodsky None Over $100,000
J. Richard Carnall None $10,001-$50,000
Gregory P. Chandler None $10,001-$50,000
Nicholas A. Giordano None $10,001-$50,000
Arnold M. Reichman None Over $100,000
Brian T. Shea None $10,001-$50,000
Robert A. Straniere None $1-$10,000
  INTERESTED DIRECTOR  
Robert Sablowsky None Over $100,000

 

19

 

Directors’ and Officers’ Compensation

 

Effective April 1, 2019, the Company pays each Director a retainer at the rate of $125,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each receives an additional fee of $20,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee each receives an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services. The Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee each receives an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $35,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $75,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

From January 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, the Company paid each Director a retainer at the rate of $100,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each received an additional fee of $15,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee received an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services, and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee each received an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $25,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $50,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

Directors are reimbursed for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board or any committee thereof. An employee of Vigilant Compliance, LLC serves as President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Company. Vigilant Compliance, LLC is compensated for the services provided to the Company, and such compensation is determined by the Board. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, Vigilant Compliance LLC received $341 from the Fund and $770,742 in aggregate from all series of the Company for services provided. An employee of RBB serves as a Treasurer and Secretary and is compensated for services provided. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from the Company in the following amounts:

 

Name of Director/Officer

Aggregate

Compensation

from the Fund

Pension or

Retirement

Benefits Accrued

Estimated

Annual

Benefits

Upon

Retirement

Total

Compensation

From

Fund Complex

Paid to

Directors

or Officer

Independent Directors:        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director $122 N/A N/A $148,750
J. Richard Carnall, Director $118 N/A N/A $152,250
Gregory P. Chandler, Director $131 N/A N/A $178,500
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director $121 N/A N/A $156,875
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman $142 N/A N/A $208,500
Brian T. Shea, Director $58 N/A N/A $152,500
Robert A. Straniere, Director $122 N/A N/A $155,750
Interested Director:        
Robert Sablowsky, Director $141 N/A N/A $205,250
Officer:        
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary $0 N/A N/A $288,000

 

Each compensated Director is entitled to participate in the Company’s deferred compensation plan (the “DC Plan”). Under the DC Plan, a compensated Director may elect to defer all or a portion of his compensation and have the deferred compensation treated as if it had been invested by the Company in shares of one or more of the portfolios of the Company. The amount paid to the Directors under the DC Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Independent Directors and their respective immediate family members (spouse or dependent children) did not own beneficially or of record any securities of the Company’s investment advisers or distributor, or of any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment advisers or distributor.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Company and the Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permits personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Company, subject to certain restrictions.

 

PROXY VOTING

 

The Board has delegated the responsibility of voting proxies with respect to the portfolio securities purchased and/or held by the Fund to the Fund’s Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. In exercising its voting obligations, the Adviser is guided by its general fiduciary duty to act prudently and in the interest of the Fund. The Adviser will consider factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments and the rights of shareholders in its determination on voting portfolio securities.

 

The Adviser will vote proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which provide the Adviser’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for seeing that proxies required to be voted are voted on behalf of the Fund and in the Fund’s best interests. The Chief Compliance Officer may choose to appoint one or both of the Portfolio Managers to consider options and propose decisions.

 

20

 

The Company is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. The Fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th is available upon request by calling toll-free 1-844-261-6484 or by writing to the Fund at: Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53201-0701. The Fund’s Form N-PX is also available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

As of January 31, 2020 to the Company’s knowledge, the following named persons at the addresses shown below were owners of record of approximately 5% or more of the total outstanding shares of the Fund as indicated below. See “Additional Information Concerning Company Shares” below. Any shareholder that owns 25% or more of the outstanding shares of a portfolio or class may be presumed to “control” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) the portfolio or class. Shareholders controlling a portfolio or class could have the ability to vote a majority of the shares of the portfolio or class on any matter requiring approval of the shareholders of the portfolio or class.

 

Name of Fund Shareholder Name and Address

Percentage of
Shares Owned as of
January 31, 2020

Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund — Class I

Abbey Capital Limited*

1-2 Cavendish Row

Dublin 1

Ireland

95.73%

 

* Beneficial Owner.

 

As of January 31, 2020, the Directors and Officers as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.

 

Ownership information is not provided for Class A Shares and Class C Shares because Class A Shares and Class C Shares were not available for sale prior to the date of this SAI.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER

 

Abbey Capital Limited (“Abbey Capital” or the “Adviser”), 1-2 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, Ireland, is an Irish limited company founded in 2000. Cavendish Capital Limited owns 100% of Abbey Capital.

 

The Adviser also serves as the investment adviser to the Subsidiary, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited, a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company, pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Subsidiary. The Adviser does not receive additional compensation for its management of the Subsidiary.

 

Advisory Agreement with the Company. The Adviser renders advisory services to the Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (“Advisory Agreement”).

 

Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser will provide for the overall management of the Fund including (i) the provision of a continuous investment program for the Fund, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents, (ii) the determination from time to time of the securities and other investments to be purchased, retained, or sold by the Fund, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for all purchases and sales of securities and other investments made for the Fund. The Adviser will provide the services rendered by it in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, restrictions and policies as stated in the Prospectus and in this SAI. The Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment, mistake of law, or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Advisory Agreement.

 

For its services to the Fund, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee computed daily and payable monthly at the annual rate of 1.77% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Adviser compensates the Trading Advisers out of the advisory fee that it receives from the Fund. There are no performance fees charged by the Adviser or Trading Advisers either at the Fund or at the Fund’s wholly-owned Subsidiary. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses through February 28, 2021 for Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes) to 1.79%, 2.04% and 2.79%, respectively, of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

For the fiscal periods shown below, the Fund paid the Adviser the following advisory fees and the Adviser waived/reimbursed the following advisory fees as follows:

 

 

Advisory Fees Paid

(after waivers and

reimbursements)

Waivers Reimbursements
Fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 $283,515 $106,779 $0
Fiscal period from April 11, 2018* through August 31, 2018 $59,491 $84,306 $0

 

* The Fund commenced operations on April 11, 2018.

 

The Adviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under the Advisory Agreement. The Fund bears all of its own expenses not specifically assumed by the Adviser. General expenses of the Company not readily identifiable as belonging to a portfolio of the Company are allocated among all investment portfolios by or under the direction of the Board in such manner as it deems to be fair and equitable. Expenses borne by the Fund include, but are not limited to the following (or the Fund’s share of the following): (a) the cost (including brokerage commissions) of securities and other investments, including futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, and options, purchased or sold by the Fund and any losses incurred in connection therewith; (b) fees payable to and expenses incurred on behalf of the Fund by the Adviser; (c) filing fees and expenses relating to the registration and qualification of the Company and the Fund’s shares under federal and/or state securities laws and maintaining such registrations and qualifications; (d) fees and salaries payable to the Company’s Directors and officers; (e) taxes (including any income or franchise taxes) and governmental fees; (f) costs of any liability and other insurance or fidelity bonds; (g) any costs, expenses or losses arising out of a liability of or claim for damages or other relief asserted against the Company or the Fund for violation of any law; (h) legal, accounting and auditing expenses, including legal fees of special counsel for the independent Directors; (i) charges of custodians and other agents; (j) expenses of setting in type and printing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto for existing shareholders, reports, statements, and confirmations to shareholders and proxy materials that are not attributable to a class; (k) costs of mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto to existing shareholders, as well as reports to shareholders and proxy materials that are not attributable to a class; (1) any extraordinary expenses; (m) fees, voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; (n) costs of mailing and tabulating proxies and costs of shareholders’ and Directors’ meetings; (o) costs of independent pricing services to value the Fund’s securities; and (p) the costs of investment company literature and other publications provided by the Company to its Directors and officers. Distribution expenses, transfer agency expenses, expenses of preparation, printing and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy statements and reports to shareholders, and organizational expenses and registration fees, identified as belonging to a particular class of the Company, are allocated to such class.

 

21

 

If at any time the Fund's total annual fund operating expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than the relevant share class's Expense Cap, the Adviser may recoup any waived or reimbursed amounts from the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursements was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

As of August 31, 2019, the Fund had amounts available for recoupments as follows:

 

Expiration

August 31, 2021 August 31, 2022 Total
$84,306 $106,779 $191,085

 

The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall at all times have all rights in and to the Fund’s name and all investment models used by or on behalf of the Fund. The Adviser may use the Fund’s name or any portion thereof in connection with any other mutual fund or business activity without the consent of any shareholder, and the Company has agreed to execute and deliver any and all documents required to indicate its consent to such use.

 

INVESTMENT TRADING ADVISERS

 

Each Trading Adviser shall, subject to the supervision and oversight of the Adviser, manage the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s Futures Portfolio (as defined in the Prospectus) as the Adviser may from time to time allocate to such Trading Adviser for management. The Adviser pays the Trading Advisers out of its advisory fees.

 

The Fund and the Adviser have received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser, without shareholder approval and subject to certain conditions, to terminate existing Trading Advisers or hire new Trading Advisers for the Fund, to materially amend the terms of particular agreements with Trading Advisers or to continue the employment of existing Trading Advisers after events that would otherwise cause an automatic termination of a trading advisory agreement. This arrangement has been approved by the Board and the Fund’s initial shareholder. Consequently, under the exemptive order, the Adviser has the right to hire, terminate and replace Trading Advisers when the Board and the Adviser feel that a change would benefit the Fund. The exemptive order enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of trading advisory agreements.

 

The Adviser does not determine what investments will be purchased or sold for the Fund with respect to the portions of the Fund managed by the Trading Advisers. Because each Trading Adviser manages its portion of the Fund independently from the others, the same security may be held in two or more different portions of the Fund or may be acquired for one portion at a time when a Trading Adviser of another portion deems it appropriate to dispose of the security from that other portion. Similarly, under some market conditions, one or more of the Trading Advisers may believe that temporary, defensive investments in short-term instruments or cash are appropriate when another Trading Adviser or Trading Advisers believe continued exposure to the broader securities market is appropriate. Because each Trading Adviser directs the trading for its portion of the Fund and does not aggregate its transactions with those of the other Trading Advisers, the Fund may incur higher brokerage costs than would be the case if a single adviser or Trading Adviser were managing the Fund.

 

The current Trading Advisers to the Fund are set forth below.

 

Trading Advisers  

Aspect Capital Limited (“Aspect”)

10 Portman Square

London W1H 6AZ

United Kingdom

Aspect is a majority employee owned investment manager which is primarily controlled by founders Anthony Todd and Martin Lueck. Aspect seeks to capture medium-term trend opportunities across a broad spectrum of diversified market sectors, applying a systematic and research driven approach

Eclipse Capital Management, Inc. (“Eclipse”)

7700 Bonhomme Ave, Suite 500

St. Louis, MO 63105

Eclipse is controlled by its founder, Thomas W. Moller. Eclipse focuses on a systematic approach designed to profit primarily from intermediate- and long-term price trends in multiple market sectors.

Revolution Capital Management, LLC (“RCM”)

1400 16th Street, Suite 510

Denver, CO 80202

Michael Mundt and T. Robert Olson are managing members of RCM. RCM focuses on short-term, systematic and quantitative trading, applying rigorous statistical analysis to all aspects of research, development, and operations.

Tudor Investment Corporation (“Tudor”)

1275 King Street

Greenwich, CT 06831

Tudor is a Connecticut-based investment manager. Tudor is privately owned by certain current and former senior officers. The firm runs multiple strategies including but not limited to discretionary global macro, event driven and quantitative investment and trading strategies. The Tudor Emerald Momentum program trades a systematic trend following strategy across a broad range of global futures markets.

Welton Investment Partners LLC

(“Welton”)

Eastwood Building

San Carlos between 5th and 6th

P.O. Box 6147

Carmel, CA 93921

Welton is a majority employee owned investment manager, which is primarily controlled by the founder Dr. Patrick Welton. Welton seeks to harness recurrent market opportunities by utilizing systematic, research driven, medium and long-term trend-following models across a broad range of diversified global futures markets.

 

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Trading Advisory Agreements with the Adviser. Each of the Trading Advisory Agreements provides that the Trading Adviser will manage the investment and reinvestment of such portion of the assets of the Fund or the Subsidiary as the Adviser may from time to time allocate to the Trading Adviser in accordance with the Fund’s objective, policies and restrictions and any investment guidelines established by the Adviser. Each Trading Adviser will, subject to the supervision and control of the Adviser, determine in its discretion which issuers and securities will be purchased, held, sold or exchanged by the Fund and/or the Subsidiary, and will place orders with and give instruction to brokers and dealers to cause the execution of such transactions. The Trading Advisers are required to furnish at their own expense all investment facilities necessary to perform its obligations under the Trading Advisory Agreements.

 

Generally, each Trading Advisory Agreement may be terminated without penalty by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, upon 60 days’ written notice, or by the Adviser immediately upon notice to the Trading Adviser, and each such agreement terminates automatically in the event of an assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). Each Trading Advisory Agreement also may be terminated by a Trading Adviser upon 30 days’ written notice and automatically terminates upon termination of the Advisory Agreement.

 

THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

This section includes information about the Fund’s portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Shares they own and how they are compensated.

 

Abbey Capital

 

Other Accounts. In addition to the Fund, the portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. The information below is provided as of December 31, 2019.

 

Name of Portfolio Manager
or Team Member
Type of Accounts Total
# of
Accounts
Managed
Total Assets # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Total Assets
that Advisory
Fee Based on
Performance
1. Anthony Gannon Other Registered Investment Companies:  1 $744 million 0 $0
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 8 $2.5 billion 4 $2.5 billion
  Other Accounts: 0 $0 0 $0
2. Mick Swift Other Registered Investment Companies: 1 $744 million 0 $0
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 8 $2.5 billion 4 $2.5 billion
  Other Accounts: 0 $0 0 $0

 

Compensation. As of the date of this SAI, Abbey Capital compensates the Fund’s portfolio managers for their management of the Fund. The portfolio managers’ compensation consists of a cash base salary and a discretionary bonus that is based on the individual performance of the portfolio manager and overall profitability of Abbey Capital, which is, in part, dependent on the performance of the Fund, and therefore in part based on the value of the Fund’s net assets and other client accounts they are managing.

 

Conflicts of Interests. The portfolio managers’ management of other accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby a portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio managers’ knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, Abbey Capital has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities and other investments among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio managers did not own any shares of the Fund.

 

ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING AGREEMENT

 

Fund Services, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as fund administrator to the Fund pursuant to a fund administration servicing agreement and serves as fund accountant pursuant to a fund accounting servicing agreement (the “Administration Agreements”). Under the fund accounting servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to furnish to the Fund statistical and research data, clerical, accounting and bookkeeping services, and certain other services required by the Fund. Under the fund administration servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to provide fund administration services to the Company. These services include the preparation and coordination of the Company’s annual post-effective amendment filing and supplements to the Fund’s registration statement, the preparation and assembly of board meeting materials, and certain other services necessary to the Company’s fund administration. In addition, Fund Services has agreed to prepare and file various reports with the appropriate regulatory agencies and prepare materials required by the SEC or any state securities commission having jurisdiction over the Fund.

 

The Administration Agreements provide that Fund Services shall be obligated to exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties and that Fund Services shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Company in connection with its duties under the Administration Agreements, except a loss resulting from Fund Services’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the applicable Administration Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties thereunder.

 

Fund Services receives a fee under the Administration Agreements based on the average daily net assets of the Company.

 

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The Fund paid Fund Services certain administration, accounting and regulatory administration fees and related out-of-pocket expenses as follows:

 

  Fees Paid Waivers Reimbursements
Fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 $34,157 $0 $0
Fiscal period from April 11, 2018* through August 31, 2018 $15,653 $0 $0

 

* The Fund commenced operations on April 11, 2018.

 

CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT

 

U.S. Bank, N.A., (the “Custodian”) 1555 North RiverCenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, is custodian of the Fund’s assets pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”). Under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian: (a) maintains a separate account or accounts in the name of the Fund; (b) holds and transfers portfolio investments on account of the Fund; (c) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of the Fund; (d) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of the Fund’s portfolio investments; and (e) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the Fund’s operations. The Custodian is authorized to select one or more banks or trust companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Fund, provided that the Custodian remains responsible for the performance of all of its duties under the Custodian Agreement and holds the Fund harmless from the acts and omissions of any affiliate, sub-custodian or domestic sub-custodian. For its services to the Fund under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian receives a fee based on the Fund’s average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Fund.

 

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TRANSFER AGENCY AGREEMENT

 

Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund pursuant to a transfer agency and servicing agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”), under which Fund Services: (a) issues and redeems shares of the Fund; (b) addresses and mails all communications by the Fund to record owners of the shares, including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and proxy materials for its meetings of shareholders; (c) maintains shareholder accounts and, if requested, sub-accounts; and (d) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the operations of the Fund. Fund Services may, subject to the Board’s approval, assign its duties as transfer and dividend disbursing agent to any affiliate. For its services to the Fund under the Transfer Agency Agreement, Fund Services receives an annual fee based on the number of accounts in the Fund and the Fund’s average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Fund.

 

Fund Services also provides services relating to the implementation of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. In addition, Fund Services provides services relating to the implementation of the Fund’s Customer Identification Program, including verification of required customer information and the maintenance of records with respect to such verification.

 

DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

Quasar Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”), whose principal business address is 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, 6th Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the underwriter to the Fund pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor, the Custodian and Fund Services are affiliates.

 

Under the Distribution Agreement with the Fund, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Fund. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company.

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Fund. With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Fund and/or the Adviser, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements. These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor. These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Fund.

 

Investors who purchase shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein. Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares. Investors purchasing shares of the Fund through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary. The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote shares depending upon their arrangement with the financial intermediary. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Fund for its distribution services except the distribution/service fees with respect to the shares of those classes for which a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan is effective. The Adviser pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.

 

The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Company on behalf of the Fund on no less than 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement, or by the Distributor, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any loss suffered by the Company in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof.

 

Class I Shares. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of the Fund’s shares. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Company for the distribution of the Fund’s Class I Shares; however, the Adviser pays an annual fee to the Distributor as compensation for underwriting services rendered to the Fund pursuant to the Distribution Agreement.

 

Class A Shares and Class C Shares. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement and the related Plans of Distribution for Class A Shares and Class C shares (together, the “Plans”), which were adopted by the Company in the manner prescribed by Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Distributor will act as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering for the sale of the Fund’s Class A Shares and Class C Shares. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company. Payments to the Distributor under the Plans are to compensate it for distribution assistance and expenses assumed and activities intended to result in the sale of Class A Shares and Class C Shares, including advertising, printing and mailing of prospectuses to others than current shareholders, compensation of underwriters, compensation to broker-dealers, compensation to sales personnel, and interest, carrying or other financing changes. As compensation for its distribution services, the Distributor receives, pursuant to the terms of the Distribution Agreement, a distribution fee under the Plans, to be calculated daily and paid monthly by the Class A Shares and Class C Shares of the Fund at the annual rates set forth in the Prospectus.

 

Among other things, the Plans provide that: (1) the Distributor shall be required to submit quarterly reports to the Directors of the Company regarding all amounts expended under the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made, including commissions, advertising, printing, interest, carrying charges and any allocated overhead expenses; (2) the Plans will continue in effect only so long as they are approved at least annually, and any material amendment thereto is approved, by the Company’s Directors, including a majority of those Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plans or any agreements related to the Plans, acting in person at a meeting called for said purpose; (3) the aggregate amount to be spent by the Fund on the distribution of the Fund’s Class A Shares and Class C Shares under the respective Plans shall not be materially increased without shareholder approval; and (4) while the Plans remain in effect, the selection and nomination of the Company’s Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) shall be committed to the discretion of such Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company.

 

Mr. Sablowsky, a Director of the Company, has an indirect interest in the operation of the Plans by virtue of his position with Oppenheimer Co., Inc., a broker-dealer.

 

25

 

No 12b-1 fee information is available since the Class A Shares and Class C Shares had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates, at their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, its service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Fund and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.

 

These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Fund, the Distributor or shareholders of the Fund through the financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets. Payments may also be made through the financial intermediary’s retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing the Fund in a financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about the Fund; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.

 

Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in the Fund by financial intermediaries’ customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.

 

FUND TRANSACTIONS

 

Subject to policies established by the Board and applicable rules, the Adviser and Trading Advisers are responsible for the execution of portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage transactions for the Fund. In executing portfolio transactions, the Adviser and Trading Advisers seek to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for the Fund, taking into account such factors as the price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of the order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm involved. While the Adviser and Trading Advisers generally seek reasonably competitive commission rates, payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions.

 

Brokerage Transactions

 

Generally, equity securities, both listed and over-the-counter, are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, the Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer’s mark up or reflect a dealer’s mark down. When the Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.

 

In addition, the Adviser and Trading Advisers may place a combined order for two or more accounts they manage, including the Fund, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or the Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Adviser, the Trading Advisers and the Board that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions. Nonetheless, the Adviser and Trading Advisers believe that the ability of the Fund to participate in higher volume transactions will generally be beneficial to the Fund.

 

The Fund is required to identify any securities of the Company’s regular broker-dealers (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) or their parents held by the Fund as of the end of the most recent fiscal year. As of August 31, 2019, there were no securities held by the Fund of its regular broker-dealers.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid commissions to brokers on account of research services as follows:

 

Fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 $0

 

For the fiscal periods shown below, the Fund paid the aggregated brokerage commissions as follows:

 

Fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 $93,173
Fiscal period ended August 31, 2018* $35,494

 

* The Fund commenced operations on April 11, 2018.

 

Brokerage Selection

 

The Company does not expect to use one particular broker or dealer, and when one or more brokers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Fund’s Adviser and Trading Advisers may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to the Adviser or applicable Trading Adviser. The Adviser and Trading Advisers may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for such services only if a good faith determination is made that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

 

26

 

Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits an investment adviser or sub-adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause a fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, certain Trading Advisers may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the applicable Trading Advisers believe that access to independent investment research is beneficial to their investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Fund.

 

To the extent research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the applicable Trading Advisers might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Trading Advisers may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the Trading Advisers will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Trading Adviser under its Trading Advisory Agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Trading Advisers are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.

 

In some cases a Trading Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a “research” and a “non-research” use. When this occurs, the applicable Trading Adviser makes a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the applicable Trading Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Trading Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but each applicable Trading Adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.

 

From time to time, the Fund may purchase new issues of securities for clients in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the Adviser and Trading Advisers with research services. The FINRA has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research “credits” in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

 

Read the Fund’s Prospectus for information regarding the purchase and redemption of Fund shares, including, in the case of Class A Shares, any applicable sales charges, and in the case of Class C Shares, any applicable contingent deferred sales charges. The following information supplements information in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

You may purchase shares through an account maintained by certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals that have entered into a distribution agreement with the Distributor (“Service Organizations”) and you may also purchase shares directly by mail or wire. The Company reserves the right, if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase of the Fund’s shares by making payment in whole or in part in securities chosen by the Company and valued in the same way as they would be valued for purposes of computing the Fund’s NAV. If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction costs in converting these securities into cash. A shareholder will also bear any market risk or tax consequences as a result of a payment in securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act so that the Fund is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund. A shareholder will bear the risk of a decline in market value and any tax consequences associated with a redemption in securities.

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Company may suspend the right to redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), or during which the SEC restricts trading on the NYSE or determines an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or valuation of portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC may permit. (The Company may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions).

 

Shares of the Company are subject to redemption by the Company, at the redemption price of such shares as in effect from time to time, including, without limitation: (1) to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder as provided in the Prospectus from time to time; (2) if such redemption is, in the opinion of the Board, desirable in order to prevent the Company or the Fund from being deemed a “personal holding company” within the meaning of the Code; (3) or if the net income with respect to any particular class of common stock should be negative or it should otherwise be appropriate to carry out the Company’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

 

The Fund has the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Class A Shares of the Fund may be subject to sales charge waivers as described below.

 

Reducing or Eliminating the Front-End Sales Charge

 

Class A Shares

 

The Fund’s Class A Shares are offered to the public at NAV plus a front-end sales charge. You can reduce or eliminate the front-end sales charge on Class A Shares of the Fund as follows:

 

Quantity Discounts. Purchases of at least $25,000 can reduce the sales charges you pay, and purchases of at least $1,000,000 can eliminate the sales charges you pay.

 

27

 

Rights of Accumulation. You may combine your new purchase of Class A Shares with Class A Shares and/or Class C Shares currently owned for the purpose of qualifying for the lower initial sales charge rates that apply to larger purchases. The applicable sales charge for the new purchase is based on the total of your current purchase and the current NAV of all other shares you own. You may combine your account, your spouse’s account, and the account(s) of your children under age 25.

 

This privilege is also extended to certain employee benefit plans and trust estates. The following purchases may be combined for purposes of determining the “Amount of Purchase:” (a) individual purchases, if made at the same time, by a single purchaser, the purchaser’s spouse and children under the age of 25 purchasing Class A Shares for their own accounts, including shares purchased by a qualified retirement plan(s) exclusively for the benefit of such individual(s) (such as an IRA, individual-type section 403(b) plan or single-participant Keogh-type plan) or by a “Company,” as defined in Section 2(a)(8) of the 1940 Act, solely controlled as defined in the 1940 Act, by such individual(s), or (b) individual purchases by trustees or other fiduciaries purchasing Class A Shares (i) for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account, including an employee benefit plan, or (ii) concurrently by two or more employee benefit plans for a single employer or of employers affiliated with each other in accordance with Section 2(a)(3)(c) of the 1940 Act (excluding in either case an employee benefit plan described in (a) above), provided such trustees or other fiduciaries purchase shares in a single payment. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts may not be combined with purchases made for such other accounts. You may also further discuss the combined purchase privilege with your investment broker, brokerage firm, financial institution, or other industry professional, including affiliates of the Adviser.

 

You will need to provide written instruction with respect to the other accounts whose purchases should be considered in Rights of Accumulation.

 

Letter of Intent. You can sign a Letter of Intent committing to purchase of a specific dollar amount of Class A Shares of the Fund within a 13-month period to combine such purchases in calculating the sales charge. A portion of your Fund shares will be held in escrow. If you complete your purchase commitments as stated in the Letter of Intent, your Fund shares held in escrow will be released to your account. If you do not purchase the full amount of Class A Shares indicated in the Letter of Intent, the appropriate amount of shares held in escrow will be redeemed by the Transfer Agent to pay the sales charge that was not applied to your purchase

 

Dealer Reallowances

 

As shown in the table below, the Distributor, may provide dealer reallowances up to the full sales charge for purchases of the Fund’s Class A Shares in which a front-end sales charge is applicable. Any residual allowance is retained by the Distributor to be used solely for distribution related expenses and not retained as profit.

 

Amount of Purchase of

Class A Shares

Sales Charge as

% of Offering

Price

Sales Charge as

% of Net Amount

Invested

Dealer Concession

as a Percentage of

Offering Price

Less than $25,000 5.75% 6.10% 5.00%
At least $25,000 but less than $50,000 5.00% 5.26% 4.25%
At least $50,000 but less than $100,000 4.75% 4.99% 4.00%
At least $100,000 but less than $250,000 3.75% 3.83% 3.25%
At least $250,000 but less than $500,000 2.50% 2.56% 2.00%
At least $500,000 but less than $1,000,000 2.00% 2.04% 1.75%
$1,000,000 or greater None None * see below

 

 

* No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1,000,000 or more. The Fund’s distributor may pay a commission at the rate of 1% to certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals, including affiliates of the Adviser, who initiate and are responsible for purchases of $1,000,000 or more.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions. Purchases of $1,000,000 or more in Class A Shares are not subject to an initial sales charge; however, a contingent deferred sales charge is payable on these investments in the event of a share redemption within 12 months following the share purchase, at the rate of 1% of the lesser of the value of the shares redeemed (exclusive of reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions) or the total cost of such shares. In determining whether a contingent deferred sales charge is payable, and the amount of the charge, it is assumed that shares purchased with reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions and then other shares held the longest are the first redeemed.

 

Class C Shares

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions. No sales load is payable by a shareholder at the time of purchase, although the Distributor advances broker-dealers the first year distribution and services fee at a rate of 1.00% on investments in the Fund’s Class C Shares. This advancement is solely financed by the Adviser’s affiliated broker dealer and not by investors or the Fund. As a result, the Fund imposes a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% on redemptions of investments made within 12 months of purchase. The financing party receives the CDSC from the Distributor as reimbursement for the up-front sales commission that has been financed. The CDSC is assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the initial value of the shares redeemed and the value of shares redeemed at the time of redemption. When Class C Shares are redeemed, the redemption order is processed so that the lowest deferred sales charge is charged, and Class C Shares that are not subject to the deferred sales charge are redeemed first. Any CDSC paid on the redemptions of Class C Shares expressed as a percentage of the applicable redemption amount may be higher or lower than the charge described due to rounding. No CDSC is imposed on increases in NAV above the initial purchase price or Fund shares acquired as reinvested Fund distributions.

 

The CDSC will be waived for Class C Shares in the following circumstances:

 

Redemptions of shares purchased through certain employer-sponsored retirement plans and rollovers of current investments in the Fund through such plans;

Exchanges pursuant to the exchange privilege, as described in the Fund’s Prospectus under “Shareholder Information — Exchange Privilege”;

Redemptions made in connection with minimum required distributions from IRA or 403(b)(7) accounts due to the shareholder reaching the age of 70 1/2;

Certain post-retirement withdrawals from an IRA or other retirement plan if you are over 59 1⁄2 years old and you purchased your shares prior to October 2, 2006;

Redemptions made with respect to certain retirement plans sponsored by the Fund;

Redemptions resulting from shareholder death as long as the waiver request is made within one year of death or, if later, reasonably promptly following completion of probate (including in connection with the distribution of account assets to a beneficiary of the decedent);

Withdrawals resulting from shareholder disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) as long as the disability arose subsequent to the purchase of the shares;

Involuntary redemptions made of shares in accounts with low balances;

 

28

 

Redemptions related to the payment of custodial IRA fees, if any; and

Redemptions when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship, in the absolute discretion of the Fund.

 

Other Purchase Information

 

If shares of the Fund are held in a “street name” account with an authorized dealer, all recordkeeping, transaction processing and payments of distributions relating to the beneficial owner’s account will be performed by the authorized dealer, and not by the Fund and its Transfer Agent. Since the Fund will have no record of the beneficial owner’s transactions, a beneficial owner should contact the authorized dealer to purchase, redeem or exchange shares, to make changes in or give instructions concerning the account or to obtain information about the account. The transfer of shares in a “street name” account to an account with another dealer or to an account directly with the Fund involves special procedures and will require the beneficial owner to obtain historical purchase information about the shares in the account from the authorized dealer.

 

Share Class Conversion

 

Some shareholders may hold shares of the Fund through fee-based programs, often referred to as "wrap accounts," that are managed by investment dealers, financial advisors or other investment professionals (each, a "wrap account intermediary"). A wrap account intermediary may impose eligibility requirements on a shareholder's participation in the fee-based program and ownership of shares through the program which are additional to the ownership requirements described in the Prospectus. Under the terms of its fee-based program, a wrap account intermediary may also be permitted to effect a conversion (sometimes referred to as an "in-kind exchange") of a shareholder's shares in the Fund, including those shares purchased by the shareholder during the shareholder's participation in the program, to a different class of shares of the Fund in situations when the shareholder no longer meets the wrap account intermediary's stated eligibility requirements for the ownership of the class of shares that the shareholder initially purchased. For example, the terms of its fee-based program may permit a wrap account intermediary to effect this type of conversion when a shareholder moves his position in a class of shares of the Fund out of the program that offered that class of shares and into a program or account through which the wrap account intermediary only offers a different class or classes of shares of the Fund. Under other circumstances, a financial intermediary may effect this type of conversion with respect to new clients who held one class of shares of the Fund before becoming a client of the intermediary, and who are eligible for a wrap account through which the intermediary offers a different class of shares of the Fund. Any such conversion by a wrap account intermediary will be made in accordance with the Prospectus of the Fund, and will be made without the imposition by the Fund of any sales load, fee or other charge. The class of shares that a shareholder owns after the conversion may bear higher fees and expenses than the class of shares that the shareholder initially purchased.

 

If you own shares of the Fund through a fee-based program, you should consult with your wrap account intermediary to determine whether there are any additional eligibility requirements that the wrap account intermediary imposes on your participation in their program and your ownership of the Fund's shares through the program, and whether the wrap account intermediary prescribes any circumstances which may result in the type of share class conversion described herein.

 

TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES

 

The Company’s telephone transaction procedures include the following measures: (1) requiring the appropriate telephone transaction privilege forms; (2) requiring the caller to provide the names of the account owners, the account social security number and name of the Fund, all of which must match the Company’s records; (3) requiring the Company’s service representative to complete a telephone transaction form, listing all of the above caller identification information; (4) permitting exchanges (if applicable) only if the two account registrations are identical; (5) requiring that redemption proceeds be sent only by check to the account owners of record at the address of record, or by electronic funds transfer through the ACH network or wire only to the owners of record at the bank account of record; (6) sending a written confirmation for each telephone transaction to the owners of record at the address of record within five (5) business days of the call; and (7) maintaining tapes of telephone transactions for six months, if the Company elects to record shareholder telephone transactions. For accounts held of record by broker-dealers, financial institutions, securities dealers, financial planners and other industry professionals, additional documentation or information regarding the scope of a caller’s authority is required. Finally, for telephone transactions in accounts held jointly, additional information regarding other account holders is required.

 

VALUATION OF SHARES

 

In accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, the NAV per share of the Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to the Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or such other time as the NYSE or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the NYSE is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The NYSE is generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (observed), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Company reserves the right to reprocess purchase, redemption and exchange transactions that were initially processed at a NAV other than the Fund’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders based on the official closing NAV. The Company reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, the Fund may compute its NAV as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.

 

The securities of the Fund are valued under the direction of the Fund’s administrator and under the general supervision of the Board. Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices. Subject to the approval of the Board, the Fund may employ outside organizations, which may use a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indices, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments in determining the approximate market value of portfolio investments. This may result in the investments being valued at a price that differs from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used. All cash, receivables, and current payables are carried on the Fund’s books at their face value. Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s Valuation Committee under the direction of the Board.

 

The procedures used by any pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Company under the general supervision of the Board.

 

The Fund may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges. These securities may trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not calculate NAV. As a result, the value of these investments may change on days when you cannot purchase or sell Fund shares.

 

29

 

TAXES

 

The following summarizes certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Potential investors should consult their tax advisers with specific reference to their own tax situations.

 

The discussions of the federal tax consequences in the Prospectus and this SAI are based on the Code and the regulations issued under it, and court decisions and administrative interpretations, as in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly alter the statements included herein, and any such changes or decisions may be retroactive.

 

General

 

The Fund intends to qualify and continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. As such, the Fund generally will be exempt from federal income tax on its net investment income and realized capital gains that it distributes to shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, it must meet three important tests each year.

 

First, the Fund must derive with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies, or net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Second, generally, at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of the issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer, and no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of (1) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), (2) two or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or (3) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Third, the Fund must distribute an amount equal to at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) before taking into account any deduction for dividends paid, and 90% of its tax-exempt income, if any, for the year.

 

The Fund intends to comply with these requirements. If the Fund were to fail to make sufficient distributions, it could be liable for corporate income tax and for excise tax in respect of the shortfall or, if the shortfall is large enough, the Fund could be disqualified as a regulated investment company. If for any taxable year the Fund were not to qualify as a regulated investment company, all its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In that event, shareholders would recognize dividend income on distributions to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, and corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends-received deduction.

 

The Code imposes a nondeductible 4% excise tax on regulated investment companies that fail to distribute each year an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions each year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

 

Taxation of Certain Investments

 

The tax principles applicable to transactions in financial instruments, such as futures contracts and options, that may be engaged in by the Fund, and investments in passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”), are complex and, in some cases, uncertain. Such transactions and investments may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income prior to the receipt of cash, thereby requiring the Fund to liquidate other positions, or to borrow money, so as to make sufficient distributions to shareholders to avoid corporate-level tax. Moreover, some or all of the taxable income recognized may be ordinary income or short-term capital gain, so that the distributions may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

 

In addition, in the case of any shares of a PFIC in which the Fund invests, the Fund may be liable for corporate-level tax on any ultimate gain or distributions on the shares if the Fund fails to make an election to recognize income annually during the period of its ownership of the shares.

 

Any annual net profit of the Subsidiary will be recognized as ordinary income by the Fund, but any annual net loss of the Subsidiary will not be recognized and will not carry forward.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

Although the Fund expects to qualify as a “regulated investment company” and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, the Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES

 

The Company has authorized capital of 100 billion shares of common stock at a par value of $0.001 per share. Currently, 87.423 billion shares have been classified into 185 classes, however, the Company only has 47 active share classes that have begun investment operations. Under the Company’s charter, the Board has the power to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of common stock from time to time.

 

The Fund has registered three classes of shares: Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares. Each share that represents an interest in the Fund has an equal proportionate interest in the assets belonging to such Fund with each other share that represents an interest in such Fund, even where a share has a different class designation than another share representing an interest in that Fund. Shares of the Company do not have preemptive or conversion rights. When issued for payment as described in the Prospectus, shares of the Company will be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

30

 

The Company does not currently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. The Company’s amended By-Laws provide that shareholders owning at least ten percent of the outstanding shares of all classes of common stock of the Company have the right to call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more directors. To the extent required by law, the Company will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.

 

Holders of shares of each class of the Company will vote in the aggregate and not by class on all matters, except where otherwise required by law. Further, shareholders of the Company will vote in the aggregate and not by portfolio except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular portfolio or class of shares. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted by the provisions of such Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Company shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each portfolio affected by the matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a portfolio shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each portfolio in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the portfolio. Under Rule 18f-2 the approval of an investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement or any change in a fundamental investment objective or fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a portfolio only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such portfolio. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the selection of independent public accountants and the election of directors are not subject to the separate voting requirements and may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of an investment company voting without regard to a portfolio. Shareholders of the Company are entitled to one vote for each full share held (irrespective of class or portfolio) and fractional votes for fractional shares held. Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate shares of common stock of the Company may elect all of the Directors.

 

Notwithstanding any provision of Maryland law requiring a greater vote of shares of the Company’s common stock (or of any class voting as a class) in connection with any corporate action, unless otherwise provided by law (for example by Rule 18f-2 discussed above), or by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, the Company may take or authorize such action upon the favorable vote of the holders of more than 50% of all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock voting without regard to class (or portfolio).

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Anti-Money Laundering Program

 

The Fund has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Fund’s Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures, and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that certain of its service providers have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, and conducting a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Fund will not transact business with any person or legal entity whose identity and beneficial owners, if applicable, cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

Counsel

 

The law firm of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Ste. 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996, serves as independent counsel to the Company and the Independent Directors.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Ernst & Young LLP, located at One Commerce Square, Suite 700, 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, and in that capacity audits the Fund’s financial statements.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The audited financial statements and notes thereto in the Fund’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”) are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other parts of the Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. The financial statements included in the Annual Report have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report thereon also appears in the Annual Report and is incorporated by reference into this SAI. Such financial statements have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon such report given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing. Copies of the Annual Report may be obtained at no charge by calling the Fund at the telephone number appearing on the front page of this SAI.

 

31

 

APPENDIX A

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

 

“A-1” - A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

“A-2” - A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

“A-3” - A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

“C” - A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“D” - A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer will differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

 

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

“P-1” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-2” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-3” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“NP” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issuer.

 

Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

 

“F1” - Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

“F2” - Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

“F3” - Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

“B” - Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

“C” - Securities possess high short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

“RD” - Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

 

A-1

 

“D” - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The “F1” rating may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show the relative status within that major rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS® Ratings Limited (“DBRS”) short-term debt rating scale provides an opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer and the relative ranking of claims. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the sub-categories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for commercial paper and short-term debt:

 

“R-1 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“R-1 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from “R-1 (high)” by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-1 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“R-2 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-2 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

“R-2 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

“R-3” - Short-term debt rated “R-3” is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

“R-4” - Short-term debt rated “R-4” is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

“R-5” - Short-term debt rated “R-5” is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

“D” - Short-term debt rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:

 

“AAA” - An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

“AA” - An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

 

“A” - An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

 

“BBB” - An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” - Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

 

“BB” - An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

A-2

 

“CCC” - An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CC” - An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

 

“C” - An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

 

“D” - An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

 

“NR” - This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. An issuer’s foreign currency rating will differ from its local currency rating when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:

 

“Aaa” - Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

 

“Aa” - Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

“A” - Obligations rated “A” are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

“Baa” - Obligations rated “Baa” are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

“Ba” - Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

“B” - Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

“Caa” - Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

“Ca” - Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

“C” - Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to unrated obligations.

 

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:

 

“AAA” - Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

“AA” - Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

“A” - Securities considered to be of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

“BBB” - Securities considered to be of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

“BB” - Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicate that there is an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

“B” - Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

“CCC” - A “CCC” rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

 

A-3

 

“CC” - A “CC” rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

 

“C” - A “C” rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned “RD” or “D” ratings but are instead rated in the “CCC” to “C” rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below “CCC”.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS long-term rating scale provides an opinion on the risk of default. That is, the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy its financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which an obligation has been issued. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer, and the relative ranking of claims. All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for long-term debt:

 

“AAA” - Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“AA” - Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from “AAA” only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“A” - Long-term debt rated “A” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than “AA.” May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“BBB” - Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“BB” - Long-term debt rated “BB” is of speculative, non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

“B” - Long-term debt rated “B” is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

“CCC”, “CC” and “C” - Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although “CC” and “C” ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the “CCC” to “B” range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the “C” category.

 

“D” - A security rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Municipal Note Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:

 

Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

Source of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

 

Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

“SP-1” - A municipal note rated “SP-1” exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

“SP-2” - A municipal note rated “SP-2” exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

“SP-3” - A municipal note rated “SP-3” exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

“D” - This rating is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

 

Moody’s uses the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) scale to rate U.S. municipal bond anticipation notes of up to five years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels - “MIG-1” through “MIG-3” while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated “SG”. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for short-term municipal obligations:

 

A-4

 

“MIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

“MIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

“MIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or “VMIG” scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

 

“VMIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

About Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

 

Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

 

Fitch’s credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Fitch credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch’s credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance, and public finance entities (including supranational and sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.

 

Credit ratings provided by DBRS are forward-looking opinions about credit risk which reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, security and/or obligation. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. While historical statistics and performance can be important considerations, credit ratings are not based solely on such; they include subjective considerations and involve expectations for future performance that cannot be guaranteed. To the extent that future events and economic conditions do not match expectations, credit ratings assigned to issuers, entities, securities and/or obligations can change. Credit ratings are also based on approved and applicable Methodologies (“Methodologies”), which are periodically updated and when material changes are deemed necessary, this may also lead to rating changes.

 

Credit ratings typically provide an opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the obligation was issued. In some cases, credit ratings may also include consideration for the relative ranking of claims and recovery, should default occur. Credit ratings are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of any specific default probability, nor are they meant to predict such.

 

The data and information on which DBRS bases its opinions is not audited or verified by DBRS, although, DBRS conducts a reasonableness review of information received and relied upon in accordance with its Methodologies and policies.

 

DBRS uses rating symbols as a concise method of expressing its opinion to the market, but there are a limited number of rating categories for the possible slight risk differentials that exist across the rating spectrum and DBRS does not assert that credit ratings in the same category are of “exactly” the same quality.

 

A-5 

 

STATEMENT OF

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

BOSTON PARTNERS INVESTMENT FUNDS

of

The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

Institutional Class

Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II - BPSIX

Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund - BPAIX

Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund - BPLSX

Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund - BPIRX

WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund - WPGTX

Boston Partners Global Equity Fund — BPGIX

Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund – BGLSX

Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund – BELSX

Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund – BPEMX

Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund – BPCIX

 

Investor Class

Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II — BPSCX

Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund — BPAVX

Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund — BPLEX

Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund — BPRRX

Boston Partners Global Equity Fund — BPGRX

Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund — BGRSX

 

February 28, 2020

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides information about the Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II (the “Small Cap Value Fund”), Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund (the “All-Cap Value Fund”), Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund (the “Long/Short Equity Fund”), Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund (the “Long/Short Research Fund”), Boston Partners Global Equity Fund (the “Global Equity Fund”), Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund (the “Global Long/Short Fund”), Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund (the “Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund”), Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund (the “Emerging Markets Fund”), Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund (the "Global Equity Advantage Fund") (collectively, the “Boston Partners Funds”) and the WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund (the “WPG Fund”), (each, a “Fund,” two or more together, the “Funds”). The Funds are series of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). This information is in addition to the information contained in the Institutional Class  shares’ Prospectus of the Funds dated February 28, 2020 and the Investor Class shares’ Prospectus of the Funds dated February 28, 2020 (each, a “Prospectus” and together, the “Prospectuses”).

 

This SAI is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectuses and the Funds’ Annual Report dated August 31, 2019. Copies of the Prospectuses and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports may be obtained by calling toll-free 1-888-261-4073. The financial statements and notes contained in the Annual Report are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other part of the Annual Report is incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS AND POLICIES 1
NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS 17
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 19
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 24
CODE OF ETHICS 31
PROXY VOTING 31
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 32
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 37
DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS 47
FUND TRANSACTIONS 49
SECURITIES LENDING 69
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION 52
OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING MAXIMUM SALES CHARGE, PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS 52
TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES 53
VALUATION OF SHARES 53
TAXES 54
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES 55
MISCELLANEOUS 56
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 56
APPENDIX A A-1
APPENDIX B B-1

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Company is an open-end management investment company currently consisting of 34 separate portfolios. The Company is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) and was organized as a Maryland corporation on February 29, 1988. This SAI pertains to the Institutional Class and Investor Class shares representing interests in the Boston Partners Investment Funds, which are offered by the Prospectuses.  Each of the Funds except for the Global Equity Fund, the Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, and the Global Equity Advantage Fund is diversified. Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (formerly, Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) (the “Adviser” or "Boston Partners") serves as the investment adviser to the Funds, other than the Global Equity Advantage Fund for which Boston Partners serves as a Co-Adviser, as discussed below.

 

Boston Partners and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC (“Campbell”) serve as the investment co-advisers (each, a "Co-Adviser" and together the "Co-Advisers") to the Global Equity Advantage Fund.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS AND POLICIES

 

The following supplements the information contained in the Prospectuses concerning the investment objectives and policies of the Funds.  To the extent an investment policy is discussed in this SAI but not in the Prospectuses, such policy is not a principal policy of the Funds.  Except as indicated, the information below relates only to those Funds that are authorized to invest in the instruments or securities described below.

 

The Small Cap Value Fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital primarily through investment in equity securities. Current income is a secondary objective.

 

The All-Cap Value Fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital primarily through investment in equity securities. Current income is a secondary objective.

 

The Long/Short Equity Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation while reducing exposure to general equity market risk. The Fund seeks a total return greater than that of the S&P 500® Index over a full market cycle.

 

The Long/Short Research Fund seeks to provide long-term total return.

 

The WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund seeks capital appreciation by investing primarily in common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks and in special situations.

 

The Global Equity Fund seeks to provide long-term capital growth.

 

The Global Long/Short Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

 

The Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

 

The Emerging Markets Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation.

 

The Adviser or Co-Advisers. as applicable, may not necessarily invest in all of the instruments or use all of the investment techniques permitted by the Funds’ Prospectuses and this SAI, or invest in such instruments or engage in such techniques to the full extent permitted by the Funds’ investment policies and limitations.

 

Asset-Backed Securities. The Long/Short Equity Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, and Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund may invest in asset-backed securities, which represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets such as motor vehicle installment sale contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements and other categories of receivables. Asset-backed securities may also be collateralized by a portfolio of U.S. government securities, but are not direct obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Such asset pools are securitized through the use of privately-formed trusts or special purpose corporations. Payments or distributions of principal and interest on asset-backed securities may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation, or other credit enhancements may be present; however privately issued obligations collateralized by a portfolio of privately issued asset-backed securities do not involve any government-related guarantee or insurance. Asset-backed securities present credit risks that are not presented by mortgage-backed securities. That is because asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral that is comparable to mortgage assets.

 

Bank and Corporate Obligations. Each Fund may purchase obligations of issuers in the banking industry, such as short-term obligations of bank holding companies, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits issued by U.S. or foreign banks or savings institutions having total assets at the time of purchase in excess of $1 billion. Investment in obligations of foreign banks or foreign branches of U.S. banks may entail risks that are different from those of investments in obligations of U.S. banks due to differences in political, regulatory and economic systems and conditions. The Funds may also make interest-bearing savings deposits in commercial and savings banks in amounts not in excess of 5% of its total assets.

 

The activities of banks are subject to extensive regulations which may limit both the amount and types of loans that may be made and the interest rates that may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry is largely dependent upon the availability and costs of funds for the purpose of financing lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions as well as exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties play an important part in the operation of this industry.

 

Each of the Boston Partners Funds may invest in debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations that are rated at the time of purchase within the three highest ratings categories of S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”), Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) or Moody’s Investors, Inc. (“Moody’s”) (or which, if unrated, are determined by the Adviser or Co-Adviser to be of comparable quality). Unrated securities will be determined to be of comparable quality to rated debt obligations if, among other things, other outstanding obligations of the issuers of such securities are rated A or better. See Appendix A to this SAI for a description of corporate debt ratings. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value.

 

Borrowing. Each Fund may borrow up to 331/3% of its respective total assets. The Adviser and Co-Advisers intend to borrow only for temporary or emergency purposes, including to meet portfolio redemption requests so as to permit the orderly disposition of portfolio securities, or to facilitate settlement transactions on portfolio securities. With respect to the Small Cap Value Fund, All-Cap Value Fund, Global Equity Fund and WPG Fund, investments will not be made when borrowings exceed 5% of a Fund’s total assets. The Long/Short Equity Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, and Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund may make investments when borrowings exceed 5% of a Fund’s total assets. Although the principal of such borrowings will be fixed, a Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. Each Fund expects that some of its borrowings may be made on a secured basis. In such situations, either the custodian will segregate the pledged assets for the benefit of the lender or arrangements will be made with a suitable subcustodian, which may include the lender. If the securities held by a Fund should decline in value while borrowings are outstanding, the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund’s outstanding shares will decline in value by proportionately more than the decline in value suffered by the Fund’s securities. As a result, a Fund’s share price may be subject to greater fluctuation until the borrowing is paid off. A Fund’s short sales and related borrowings are not subject to the restrictions outlined above. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund will be required to maintain asset coverage of at least 300% for borrowings from a bank. In the event that such asset coverage is below 300%, the Fund will be required to reduce the amount of its borrowings to obtain 300% asset coverage within three business days.

 

1 

 

Contracts for Differences. The Global Long/Short Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and Emerging Markets Fund (for this section only, each a “Fund”) may enter into Contracts for Differences (“CFDs”). CFDs are leveraged derivative instruments that allow a Fund to take a position on the change in the market price of an underlying asset, such as a stock, or the value of an index or currency exchange rate. With a long CFD, a Fund is looking to profit from increases in the market price of a particular asset. With a short CFD a Fund is seeking to profit from falls in the market price of the asset. CFDs are subject to liquidity risk because the liquidity of CFDs is based on the liquidity of the underlying instrument, and are subject to counterparty risk, i.e., the risk that the counterparty to the CFD transaction may be unable or unwilling to make payments or to otherwise honor its financial obligations under the terms of the contract. It is also possible that the market price of the CFD will move between the time the order is placed by a Fund and when it is executed by the issuer, which can result in the trade being executed at a less favorable price. CFDs, like many other derivative instruments, involve the risk that, if the derivative security declines in value, additional margin would be required to maintain the margin level. The seller may require a Fund to deposit additional sums to cover this, and this may be at short notice. If additional margin is not provided in time, the seller may liquidate the positions at a loss for which a Fund is liable.  Most CFDs are traded over-the-counter. CFDs are not registered with the SEC or any U.S. regulator, and are not subject to U.S. regulation.

 

Convertible Securities and Preferred Stocks. Each Fund may invest in convertible securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible debt securities; they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporation’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. Investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than the corporation’s common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally: (1) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities; (2) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying stock since they have fixed income characteristics; and (3) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.

 

The value of a convertible security is a function of its “investment value” (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its “conversion value” (the security’s worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock). The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock and may vary in response to changes in the price of the underlying common stock, with greater volatility. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. Generally the conversion value decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed income security.

 

A convertible security might be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption, that Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. The Small Cap Value Fund and WPG Fund do not presently intend to invest more than 5% (10% with respect to the All-Cap Value Fund, Long/Short Equity Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, and Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund) of each Fund’s respective net assets, in convertible securities, or securities received by a Fund upon conversion thereof.

 

Preferred stocks are securities that represent an ownership interest in an issuer and provide their owner with claims on the company’s earnings and assets prior to the claims of owners of common stocks but after those of bond owners. Preferred stocks in which the Long/Short Equity Fund, WPG Fund, Global Equity Fund,  Global Long/Short Fund and Global Equity Advantage Fund may invest include sinking fund, convertible, perpetual fixed and adjustable rate (including auction rate) preferred stocks. There is no minimum credit rating applicable to a Fund’s investment in preferred stocks and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock.

 

Currency Swaps and Total Return Swaps.  The Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and Emerging Markets Fund may enter into currency swaps and total return swaps.

 

The Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and Emerging Markets Fund may enter into swap transactions for hedging purposes, and the Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and Emerging Markets Fund may also use these swaps to seek to increase total return. As examples, a Fund may enter into swap transactions for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique, to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or to gain exposure to certain markets in an economical way.

 

Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a particular foreign currency or security, or in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. Swaps agreements can be structured to provide for periodic payments over the term of the swap contract or a single payment at maturity (also known as a “bullet swap”). Currency swaps involve the exchange of the parties’ respective rights to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Total return swaps are contracts that obligate a party to pay or receive interest in exchange for payment by the other party of the total return generated by a security, a basket of securities, an index, or an index component.

 

A great deal of flexibility is possible in the way swap transactions are structured. However, generally a Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with a Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Total return swaps do not normally involve the delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to total return swaps is normally limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to a total return swap defaults, a Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any. In contrast, currency swaps may involve the delivery of the entire principal amount of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency. Therefore, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations.

 

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has issued the concept release “Use of Derivatives by Investment Companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940,” which discusses, among other matters, whether current market practices involving derivatives are consistent with the leverage provisions of the Act.  Accordingly, investors should be aware that the SEC may offer additional guidance in the future that may impact the manner in which a Fund operates.

 

To the extent that a Fund’s exposure in a transaction involving a swap is covered by the segregation of cash or liquid assets, or is covered by other means in accordance with SEC guidance, the Fund and the Adviser believe that the transactions do not constitute senior securities under the Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions.

 

The Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and Emerging Markets Fund will not enter into any swap transactions unless the unsecured commercial paper, senior debt or claims-paying ability of the other party thereto is rated investment grade by S&P’s or Moody’s, or, if unrated by such rating organization, determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and Emerging Markets Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.

 

The use of swaps is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, credit quality, interest rates and currency exchange rates, the investment performance of the Funds would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment instruments were not used.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Each Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Funds to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Funds or the Adviser, Co-Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Funds. For instance, cyber security breaches may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund’s ability to calculate its NAVs, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Funds to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Funds may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Funds may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause a Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value. While a Fund and its service providers have established IT and data security programs and have in place business continuity plans and other systems designed to prevent losses and mitigate cyber security risk, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that cyber-attacks may be highly sophisticated. Furthermore, the Funds have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers.

 

Equity Markets. The Funds invest primarily in equity markets at all times. Equity markets can be highly volatile, so that investing in the Funds involves substantial risk.

 

European Currency Unification. As of January 1, 1999, the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) introduced a new single currency called the euro. The euro has replaced the national currencies of many European countries. The European Central Bank has control over each member country’s monetary policies. Therefore, the member countries no longer control their own monetary policies by directing independent interest rates for their currencies. The national governments of the participating countries, however, have retained the authority to set tax and spending policies and public debt levels.

 

European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the EMU imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union (“EU”) countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions. Also, it is possible that the EU’s single currency, the euro, could be abandoned in the future by countries that have already adopted its use. These or other events, including political and economic developments, could cause market disruptions, and could affect adversely the values of securities held by the Funds. Because of the number of countries using this single currency, a significant portion of the assets held by certain Funds may be denominated in the euro.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Each Fund may invest in open-end investment companies whose shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange or the Nasdaq Market System. ETF shares typically trade like shares of common stock and provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the component stocks of a widely recognized index such as the S&P 500® Index. There can be no assurance, however, that this can be accomplished as it may not be possible for an ETF to replicate the composition and relative weightings of the securities of its corresponding index. Additionally, some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers and do not seek to provide investment results that correspond to an index.

 

ETFs are subject to risks of an investment in a broadly based portfolio of common stocks, including the risk that the general level of stock prices may decline, thereby adversely affecting the value of such investment. Actively-managed ETFs may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expect, and/or the actively-managed ETFs portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result. Individual shares of an ETF are generally not redeemable at their NAV, but trade on an exchange during the day at prices that are normally close to, but not the same as, their NAV. There is no assurance that an active trading market will be maintained for the shares of an ETF or that market prices of the shares of an ETF will be close to their NAVs.

 

Investments in securities of ETFs beyond the limitations set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act are subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an exemptive order issued by the SEC to the exchange-traded fund. Section 12(d)(1)(A) states that a mutual fund may not acquire shares of other investment companies, such as ETFs, in excess of: 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the investment company; 5% of its total assets invested in the investment company; or more than 10% of the fund’s total assets were to be invested in the aggregate in all investment companies. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to a mutual fund’s own expenses.

 

Each Fund may also acquire investment company shares received or acquired as dividends, through offers of exchange or as a result of reorganization, consolidation or merger. The purchase of shares of other investment companies may result in duplication of expenses such that investors indirectly bear a proportionate share of the expenses of such mutual funds including operating costs and investment advisory and administrative fees.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Funds may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by a Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on a Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

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Foreign Securities. Each Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers either directly or through American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”). ADRs are securities, typically issued by a U.S. financial institution (a “depositary”), that evidence ownership interests in a security or pool of securities issued by a foreign issuer and deposited with the depositary. ADRs may be listed on a national securities exchange or may trade in the over-the-counter market. ADR prices are denominated in U.S. dollars; the underlying security may be denominated in a foreign currency. GDRs, EDRs and IDRs are securities that represent ownership interests in a security or pool of securities issued by a non-U.S. or U.S. corporation. Depositary receipts may be available through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and the depositary, whereas an unsponsored facility is established by the depositary without participation by the issuer of the underlying security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depositary of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depositary of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Investments in depositary receipts do not eliminate the risks in investing in foreign issuers. The underlying security may be subject to foreign government taxes, which would reduce the yield on such securities.

 

Investments in foreign securities involve higher costs than investments in U.S. securities, including higher transaction costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. In addition, foreign investments may include additional risks associated with currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity and political stability. Volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility or price can be greater than in the United States. Future political and economic information, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest income, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions, might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on foreign obligations. Inability to dispose of Fund securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to a Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the securities, or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth or gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.

 

Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the Funds endeavor to achieve the most favorable net results on their portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States.

 

Settlement mechanics (e.g., mail service between the United States and foreign countries) may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of a Fund is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of the Funds to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause a Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities.

 

Although the Funds may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies, each Fund values its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. As a result, the NAV of a Fund’s shares may fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates as well as the price changes of the Fund’s securities in the various local markets and currencies. Thus, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the currencies in which a Fund makes its investments could reduce the effect of increases and magnify the effect of decreases in the price of the Fund’s securities in their local markets. Conversely, a decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar may have the opposite effect of magnifying the effect of increases and reducing the effect of decreases in the prices of a Fund’s securities in its foreign markets. In addition to favorable and unfavorable currency exchange rate developments, each Fund is subject to the possible imposition of exchange control regulations or freezes on convertibility of currency.

 

Each Fund may invest in obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks (Eurodollars) and U.S. branches of foreign banks (Yankee dollars) as well as foreign branches of foreign banks. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities of U.S. banks, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, different tax provisions, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect payment of principal or interest. The Funds may also invest in Yankee bonds, which are issued by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign corporations, but pay interest in U.S. dollars and are typically issued in the United States.

 

European countries can be affected by the significant fiscal and monetary controls that the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union (“EU”) countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal, have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions.

 

In June of 2016, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” which sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound and heightened risk of continued worldwide economic volatility. Pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, the UK gave notice in March 2017 of its withdrawal from the EU and commenced negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. Following years of negotiations and multiple withdrawal deadline extensions, the UK withdrew from the EU on January 31, 2020. A transition period, currently set to last through December 31, 2020, will be used for the UK and EU to negotiate their future relationship. The effects of this withdrawal will depend, in part, on agreements the UK negotiates to retain access to EU markets either during the transitional period or more permanently including, but not limited to, current trade and finance agreements. As a result of the UK's exit from the EU, each Fund may be exposed to volatile trading markets and significant and unpredictable currency fluctuations over a short period of time, and potentially lower economic growth in the UK, Europe and globally. Securities issued by companies domiciled in the UK could be subject to changing regulatory and tax regimes. Banking and financial services companies that operate in the UK or EU could be disproportionately affected by Brexit. Further insecurity in EU membership or the abandonment of the euro could exacerbate market and currency volatility and negatively affect a Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in the EU. The effects of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, are not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.

 

Investing in Emerging Countries, including Asia and Eastern Europe. The Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund may invest in securities of issuers located in emerging countries. The securities markets of emerging countries are less liquid and subject to greater price volatility, and have a smaller market capitalization, than the U.S. securities markets. In certain countries, there may be fewer publicly traded securities and the market may be dominated by a few issues or sectors. Issuers and securities markets in such countries are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements or as comprehensive government regulations as are issuers and securities markets in the U.S. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of emerging country issuers may not reflect their financial position or results of operations in the same manner as financial statements for U.S. issuers. Substantially less information may be publicly available about emerging country issuers than is available about issuers in the United States.

 

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Emerging country securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. The markets for securities in certain emerging countries are in the earliest stages of their development. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging country securities may also affect the Fund’s ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

 

With respect to investments in certain emerging market countries, antiquated legal systems may have an adverse impact on the Fund. For example, while the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation is generally limited to the amount of the shareholder’s investment, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain emerging market countries. Similarly, the rights of investors in emerging market companies may be more limited than those of shareholders in U.S. corporations.

 

Transaction costs, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups, in emerging countries may be higher than in the United States and other developed securities markets. In addition, existing laws and regulations are often inconsistently applied. As legal systems in emerging countries develop, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In circumstances where adequate laws exist, it may not be possible to obtain swift and equitable enforcement of the law.

 

Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain emerging countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit a Fund’s investment in certain emerging countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer’s outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals. In addition, the repatriation of both investment income and capital from emerging countries may be subject to restrictions which require governmental consents or prohibit repatriation entirely for a period of time. Even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation of capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect certain aspects of the operation of the Funds. The Funds may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before investing in certain emerging countries.

 

Emerging countries may be subject to a substantially greater degree of economic, political and social instability and disruption than is the case in the United States, Japan and most Western European countries. This instability may result from, among other things, the following: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision making, including changes or attempted changes in governments through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic or social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection or conflict; and (vi) the absence of developed legal structures governing foreign private investments and private property. Such economic, political and social instability could disrupt the principal financial markets in which the Funds may invest and adversely affect the value of the Funds’ assets. The Funds’ investments can also be adversely affected by any increase in taxes or by political, economic or diplomatic developments.

 

The Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund and Global Equity Advantage Fund may seek investment opportunities within former “east bloc” countries in Eastern Europe. Most Eastern European countries had a centrally planned, socialist economy for a substantial period of time. The governments of many Eastern European countries have more recently been implementing reforms directed at political and economic liberalization, including efforts to decentralize the economic decision-making process and move towards a market economy. However, business entities in many Eastern European countries do not have an extended history of operating in a market-oriented economy, and the ultimate impact of Eastern European countries’ attempts to move toward more market-oriented economies is currently unclear. In addition, any change in the leadership or policies of Eastern European countries may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities.

 

The economies of emerging countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources, self-sufficiency and balance of payments. Many emerging countries have experienced in the past, and continue to experience, high rates of inflation. In certain countries inflation has at times accelerated rapidly to hyperinflationary levels, creating a negative interest rate environment and sharply eroding the value of outstanding financial assets in those countries. Other emerging countries, on the other hand, have recently experienced deflationary pressures and are in economic recessions. The economies of many emerging countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by protective trade barriers and the economic conditions of their trading partners. In addition, the economies of some emerging countries are vulnerable to weakness in world prices for their commodity exports. A Fund’s income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign stocks and securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates.

 

Investments in China A-shares. The Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund may each invest in equity securities of companies domiciled in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) that are listed and traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (“China A-shares”). Historically, foreign investors have been restricted from investing in China A-shares, other than through a license granted under regulations in the PRC that permits investment in China A-shares only up to a specified quota. In November 2014, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (“HKEx”), the Shanghai Stock Exchange and China Securities Depositary and Clearing Corporation Limited (“ChinaClear”) launched the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, an investment channel that established cross-border, mutual stock market access. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program (together with the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, “Stock Connect”) launched in 2016. Stock Connect provides foreign investors, such as a Fund, access to invest in China A-shares through their brokers in Hong Kong without obtaining a license.

 

Investments in Chinese securities involve the risks of investing in emerging markets, which may include an authoritarian government, nationalization or expropriation of private assets, less developed markets and currency devaluations. China A-shares are settled only in Renminbi (“RMB”), which may subject a Fund to the risk of currency fluctuations. Trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange is also subject to daily price limits. Orders for China A-shares may not vary from the previous day’s closing price by more than 10%. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist for any particular China A-share.

 

Investments through Stock Connect may be subject to additional risks. Stock Connect recently launched and regulations governing access to and use of Stock Connect are untested. The regulations are subject to change and there is no certainty as to how the regulations will be applied or interpreted. Regulators in the PRC or Hong Kong may issue additional regulations that impact a foreign investor’s ability to transact in China A-shares through Stock Connect, which regulations may adversely impact a Fund. Investments in China A-shares through Stock Connect are subject to Chinese securities regulations and listing rules. Securities regulations implemented in the PRC and Hong Kong differ significantly and trading through Stock Connect may give rise to issues based on these differences. Different fees, costs and taxes are imposed on foreign investors acquiring China A-shares through Stock Connect, and these fees, costs and taxes may be higher than comparable fees, costs and taxes imposed on owners of other securities providing similar investment exposure.

 

The Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of HKEx (“HKSCC”), and ChinaClear are responsible for the clearing, settlement and the provision of depositary, nominee and other related services for trades initiated by investors in their respective markets. China A-shares purchased by a foreign investor through Stock Connect are held in an omnibus account registered in the name of HKSCC, as nominee on behalf of investors. The nature and rights, and methods of enforcing any rights, of a Fund as beneficial owner of China A-shares held through HKSCC as nominee are not well-defined under PRC law. There is lack of a clear definition of, and distinction between, legal ownership and beneficial ownership under PRC law and there have been few cases involving a nominee account structure in the PRC courts. The exact nature and methods of enforcement of the rights and interests of a Fund under PRC law is also uncertain. In the event that HKSCC becomes subject to winding up proceedings in Hong Kong there is a risk that the China A-shares may not be regarded as held for the beneficial ownership of a Fund or as part of the general assets of HKSCC available for general distribution to its creditors. Notwithstanding the fact that HKSCC does not claim proprietary interests in the China A-shares held in its omnibus stock account at ChinaClear, ChinaClear as the share registrar for China A-shares will still treat HKSCC as one of the shareholders when it handles corporate actions in respect of such China A-shares. HKSCC monitors the corporate actions affecting China A-shares and keeps participants of HKEx’s Central Clearing and Settlement System (“CCASS”) informed of all such corporate actions that require CCASS participants to take steps in order to participate in them. Investors may only exercise their voting rights by providing their voting instructions to the HKSCC through participants of the CCASS. All voting instructions from CCASS participants will be consolidated by HKSCC, who will then submit a combined single voting instruction to the relevant listed company.

 

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A Fund’s investments in China A-shares through Stock Connect are not covered by Hong Kong’s Investor Compensation Fund. Hong Kong’s Investor Compensation Fund is established to pay compensation to investors of any nationality who suffer pecuniary losses as a result of default of a licensed intermediary or authorized financial institution in relation to exchange-traded products in Hong Kong. In addition, since a Fund is carrying out trading in China A-shares through securities brokers in Hong Kong but not PRC brokers, it is not protected by the China Securities Investor Protection Fund in the PRC.

 

Trading through Stock Connect may only be done on days when both PRC and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services in both markets are available on the corresponding settlement days. If either market is closed, a Fund will not be able to buy or sell China A-shares through Stock Connect in a timely manner. Therefore, an investment in China A-shares through Stock Connect may subject a Fund to the risk of price fluctuations on days where the Chinese market is open, but Stock Connect is not trading. Additionally, same day trading in China A-shares is not permitted. China A-shares will settle on the trade date (T), with cash settlement on the following day (T+1). An investor transacting in China A-shares must have a cash amount not less than the purchase price, or a number of shares not less than the size of the sell order, in its brokerage account on the day prior to the trade date. If an investor does not have sufficient funds or shares in its account, the investor’s buy or sell order will be rejected. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange conducts pre-trading checks to ensure compliance with these requirements.Foreign investors trading China A-shares through Stock Connect are not subject to any individual investment quotas on trading activity, but are subject to daily quotas on the level of all trading activity through Stock Connect on a “net buy” basis. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange tracks daily trading activity in China A-shares through Stock Connect in real time. If trading activity on any given day exceeds the daily quota, buy orders will not be accepted for the rest of that trading day, unless cancellation orders result in a positive daily quota balance during the trading day. Investors may continue to sell China A-shares or input order cancellation requests after the daily quota has been exceeded. The investment quotas may restrict a Fund from investing in China A-shares on a timely basis, which could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to effectively pursue its investment strategy, and such quotas are subject to change.

 

China A-shares purchased through Stock Connect may only be sold through Stock Connect and are not otherwise transferable. China A-shares designated as eligible for trading through Stock Connect may lose such designation at any time, and thereafter may be sold, but not purchased, through Stock Connect. Moreover, since all trades of eligible China A-shares through Stock Connect must be settled in RMB, investors must have timely access to a reliable supply of offshore RMB, which cannot be guaranteed.

 

Forward Commitment and When-Issued Transactions. Each Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis (subject to its investment policies and restrictions). These transactions involve a commitment by a Fund to purchase or sell securities at a future date (ordinarily one or two months later). The price of the underlying securities (usually expressed in terms of yield) and the date when the securities will be delivered and paid for (the settlement date) are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. When-issued purchases and forward commitments are negotiated directly with the other party, and such commitments are not traded on exchanges. A Fund will not enter into such transactions for the purpose of leverage.

 

When-issued purchases and forward commitments enable a Fund to lock in what is believed by the Adviser or a Co-Adviser to be an attractive price or yield on a particular security for a period of time, regardless of future changes in interest rates. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices, a Fund might sell securities it owns on a forward commitment basis to limit its exposure to falling prices. In periods of falling interest rates and rising prices, a Fund might sell securities it owns and purchase the same or a similar security on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, thereby obtaining the benefit of currently higher yields. When-issued securities or forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date.

 

The value of securities purchased on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and any subsequent fluctuations in their value are reflected in the computation of a Fund’s NAV starting on the date of the agreement to purchase the securities, and the Fund is subject to the rights and risks of ownership of the securities on that date. A Fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. When a Fund makes a forward commitment to sell securities it owns, the proceeds to be received upon settlement are included in the Fund’s assets. Fluctuations in the market value of the underlying securities are not reflected in the Fund’s NAV as long as the commitment to sell remains in effect. Settlement of when-issued purchases and forward commitment transactions generally takes place within two months after the date of the transaction, but a Fund may agree to a longer settlement period.

 

A Fund will make commitments to purchase securities on a when-issued basis or to purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis only with the intention of completing the transaction and actually purchasing or selling the securities. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, a Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment. A Fund also may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Fund on the settlement date. A Fund may realize a capital gain or loss in connection with these transactions, and its distributions from any net realized capital gains will be taxable to shareholders.

 

When a Fund purchases securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, the Fund or its custodian will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities having a value (determined daily) at least equal to the amount of the Fund’s purchase commitments. These procedures are designed to ensure that the Fund will maintain sufficient assets at all times to cover its obligations under when-issued purchases and forward commitments.

 

Forward Foreign Currency Transactions. Each of the Long/Short Research Fund, WPG Fund, Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund and Global Equity Advantage Fund may, to the extent that it invests in foreign securities, enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates. The Funds will conduct their foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days (usually less than one year) from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the spread) between the price at which they are buying and selling various currencies.

 

A Fund is permitted to enter into forward contracts for foreign currency under two circumstances. First, when a Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security quoted or denominated in a foreign currency, it may desire to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of the security. By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed number of U.S. dollars, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying security transactions, the Fund will be able to insulate itself from a possible loss resulting from a change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the subject foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received.

 

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Second, when the Adviser or a Co-Adviser believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar, it may cause a Fund to enter a forward contract to sell, for a fixed U.S. dollar amount, the amount of foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of a Fund’s portfolio securities quoted or denominated in such foreign currency. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible since the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures.  There is no current intention to hedge the currency exposure of any of the Funds.

 

The Funds may engage in cross-hedging by using forward contracts in one currency to hedge against fluctuations in the value in securities denominated or quoted in a different currency if the Adviser or a Co-Adviser determines that there is a pattern of correlation between the two currencies. Cross-hedging may also include entering into a forward transaction involving two foreign currencies, using one foreign currency as a proxy for the U.S. dollar to hedge against variations in the other U.S. foreign currency, if the Adviser or a Co-Adviser determines that there is a pattern of correlation between the proxy currency and the U.S. dollar.

 

The Funds will not enter into forward contracts to sell currency or maintain a net exposure to such contracts if the consummation of such contracts would obligate the Funds to deliver an amount of foreign currency in excess of the value of the Funds’ respective portfolio securities or other assets quoted or denominated in that currency. At the consummation of the forward contract, the Funds may either make delivery of the foreign currency or terminate its contractual obligation by purchasing an offsetting contract obligating it to purchase at the same maturity date, the same amount of such foreign currency. If a Fund chooses to make delivery of foreign currency, it may be required to obtain such delivery through the sale of portfolio securities quoted or denominated in such currency or through conversion of other assets of a Fund into such currency. If a Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, the Fund will realize a gain or a loss to the extent that there has been a change in forward contract prices. Closing purchase transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the currency trader who is party to the original forward contract.

 

The Funds’ transactions in forward contracts will be limited to those described above. Of course, a Fund is not required to enter into such transactions with regard to its foreign currency quoted or denominated securities, and a Fund will not do so unless deemed appropriate by the Adviser or a Co-Adviser.

 

When entering into a forward contract, the Funds will segregate either cash or liquid securities quoted or denominated in any currency in an amount equal to the value of the Funds’ total assets committed to the consummation of forward currency exchange contracts which require the Funds to purchase a foreign currency. If the value of the segregated securities declines, additional cash or securities will be segregated by the Funds on a daily basis so that the value of the segregated securities will equal the amount of the Funds’ commitments with respect to such contracts.

 

This method of protecting the value of the Funds’ portfolio securities against a decline in the value of a currency does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange which can be achieved at some future point in time. The precise projection of short-term currency market movements is not possible, and short-term hedging provides a means of fixing the U.S. dollar value of only a portion of the Funds’ foreign assets. It also reduces any potential gain which may have otherwise occurred had the currency value increased above the settlement price of the contract.

 

While the Funds may enter into forward contracts to seek to reduce currency exchange rate risks, transactions in such contracts involve certain other risks. Thus, while the Funds may benefit from such transactions, unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the Funds than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be an imperfect correlation between the Funds’ portfolio holdings or securities quoted or denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts entered into by the Funds. Such imperfect correlation may cause the Funds to sustain losses, which will prevent the Funds from achieving a complete hedge, or expose the Funds to the risk of foreign exchange loss.

 

Forward contracts are subject to the risks that the counterparty to such contract will default on its obligations. Since a forward foreign currency exchange contract is not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing house, a default on the contract would deprive the Funds of unrealized profits, transaction costs or the benefits of a currency hedge or force the Funds to cover its purchase or sale commitments, if any, at the current market price.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund may enter into agreements with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements. The SEC has not declared whether or not the use of such agreements are sufficient for the purpose of compliance with Section 18 of the 1940 Act. There is a risk, therefore, that the SEC may deem the use of such agreements as insufficient and that the Fund may not be permitted to continue to gain exposure to these contracts through the use of such agreements.

 

The Funds’ foreign currency transactions (including related options, futures and forward contracts) may be limited by the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) for qualification as a regulated investment company.

 

Foreign Currency Hedging Strategies. A “settlement hedge” or “transaction hedge” is designed to protect the Global Equity Advantage Fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date an instrument is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars “locks in” the U.S. dollar price of the instrument. The Global Equity Advantage Fund may also use forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency when it anticipates purchasing or selling instruments denominated in foreign currency, even if it has not yet selected the specific investments.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund may use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in foreign currency. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a “position hedge,” would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in values caused by other factors. The Global Equity Advantage Fund could also hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the currency in which the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s investment is denominated. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a “proxy hedge,” could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.

 

Transaction and position hedging do not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the instruments that the Global Equity Advantage Fund owns or intends to purchase or sell, they establish a rate of exchange that one can achieve at some future point in time. These techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency and to limit any potential gain that might result from the increase in value of such currency.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. Such transactions may call for the delivery of one foreign currency in exchange for another foreign currency, including currencies in which its holdings are not then denominated. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a “crosshedge,” will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased. Cross-hedges may protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency, but will cause the Global Equity Advantage Fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases. Cross hedging transactions also involve the risk of imperfect correlation between changes in the values of the currencies involved.

 

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The market value of portfolio holding at the expiration or maturity of a forward or futures contract cannot be forecast with precision and the Global Equity Advantage Fund may have to transact additional foreign currency on the spot market.

 

There can be no assurance that any foreign currency hedge will be effective or that there will be a hedge in place at any given time.

 

Futures Contracts. The Long/Short Research Fund, WPG Fund, Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund may invest in futures contracts.  A futures contract may generally be described as an agreement between two parties to buy and sell particular financial instruments for an agreed price during a designated month (or to deliver the final cash settlement price, in the case of a contract relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the end of trading in the contract). When interest rates are rising or securities prices are falling, a Fund can seek to offset a decline in the value of its current portfolio securities through the sale of futures contracts. When interest rates are falling or securities prices are rising, a Fund, through the purchase of futures contracts, can attempt to secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when it effects anticipated purchases.

 

To seek to increase total return, to equalize cash or to hedge against changes in interest rates or securities prices a Fund may purchase and sell various kinds of futures contracts, and purchase and write call and put options on any of such futures contracts. A Fund may also enter into closing purchase and sale transactions with respect to any of such contracts and options. The futures contracts may be based on various securities (such as U.S. government securities), securities indices, and any other financial instruments and indices. A Fund will engage in futures and related options transactions for bona fide hedging purposes as described below or for purposes of seeking to increase total return, in each case, only to the extent permitted by regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). All futures contracts entered into by a Fund are traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that are licensed and regulated by the CFTC or on foreign exchanges.

 

The Funds will limit investments in futures to below the de minimis thresholds adopted by the CFTC in its amendments to Rule 4.5 (see below for a description of these thresholds).

 

With respect to investments in swap transactions, commodity futures, commodity options or certain other derivatives used for purposes other than bona fide hedging purposes, an investment company must meet one of the following tests under the amended regulations in order to claim an exemption from being considered a “commodity pool” or a CPO. First, the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish an investment company’s positions in such investments may not exceed five percent (5%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments). Alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time of the most recent position established, may not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the investment company may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps and derivatives markets.

 

Positions taken in the futures markets are not normally held to maturity but are instead liquidated through offsetting transactions, which may result in a profit or a loss. While futures contracts on securities will usually be liquidated in this manner, a Fund may instead make, or take, delivery of the underlying securities or currency whenever it appears economically advantageous to do so. A clearing corporation associated with the exchange on which futures on securities are traded guarantees that, if still open, the sale or purchase will be performed on the settlement date. Hedging, by use of futures contracts, seeks to establish with more certainty than would otherwise be possible the effective price or rate of return on portfolio securities or securities that a Fund proposes to acquire or the exchange rate of currencies in which portfolio securities are quoted or denominated. A Fund may, for example, take a “short” position in the futures market by selling futures contracts to seek to hedge against an anticipated rise in interest rates or a decline in market prices that would adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Such futures contracts may include contracts for the future delivery of securities held by a Fund or securities with characteristics similar to those of the Fund’s portfolio securities. If, in the opinion of the Adviser or a Co-Adviser, there is a sufficient degree of correlation between price trends for a Fund’s portfolio securities and futures contracts based on other financial instruments, securities indices or other indices, the Fund may also enter into such futures contracts as part of its hedging strategy. Although under some circumstances prices of securities in a Fund’s portfolio may be more or less volatile than prices of such futures contracts, the Adviser or a Co-Adviser will attempt to estimate the extent of this volatility difference based on historical patterns and compensate for any such differential by having the Fund enter into a greater or lesser number of futures contracts or by seeking to achieve only a partial hedge against price changes affecting the Fund’s portfolio securities. When hedging of this character is successful, any depreciation in the value of portfolio securities will be substantially offset by appreciation in the value of the futures position. On the other hand, any unanticipated appreciation in the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities would be substantially offset by a decline in the value of the futures position.

 

On other occasions, a Fund may take a “long” position by purchasing futures contracts. This would be done, for example, when a Fund anticipates the subsequent purchase of particular securities when it has the necessary cash, but expects the prices then available in the applicable market to be less favorable than prices that are currently available.

 

Options on Futures Contracts. The WPG Fund, Long/Short Equity Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund may purchase and sell various kinds of futures contracts, and purchase and write call and put options on any of such futures contracts. The acquisition of put and call options on futures contracts will give the Funds the right (but not the obligation) for a specified price to sell or to purchase, respectively, the underlying futures contract at any time during the option period. As the purchaser of an option on a futures contract, a Fund obtains the benefit of the futures position if prices move in a favorable direction but limits its risk of loss in the event of an unfavorable price movement to the loss of the premium and transaction costs.

 

The writing of a call option on a futures contract generates a premium, which may partially offset a decline in the value of the Fund’s assets. By writing a call option, a Fund becomes obligated, in exchange for the premium, (upon exercise of the option) to sell a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value higher than the exercise price. Conversely, the writing of a put option on a futures contract generates a premium, which may partially offset an increase in the price of securities that the Fund intends to purchase. However, a Fund becomes obligated (upon exercise of the option) to purchase a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value lower than the exercise price. Thus, the loss incurred by a Fund in writing options on futures is potentially unlimited and may exceed the amount of the premium received. A Fund will incur transaction costs in connection with the writing of options on futures.

 

The holder or writer of an option on a futures contract may terminate its position by selling or purchasing an offsetting option on the same financial instrument. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected. The Funds’ ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid market.

 

The Funds will engage in futures and related options transactions for bona fide hedging and to seek to increase total return as permitted by the CFTC regulations.  The Funds will determine that the price fluctuations in the futures contracts and options on futures used for hedging purposes are substantially related to price fluctuations in securities held by the Funds or securities or instruments which it expects to purchase. Except as stated below, the Funds’ futures transactions will be entered into for traditional hedging purposes — i.e., futures contracts will be sold to protect against a decline in the price of securities that the Funds own or futures contracts will be purchased to protect the Funds against an increase in the price of securities it intends to purchase. As evidence of this hedging intent, each Fund expects that on 75% or more of the occasions on which it takes a long futures or option position (involving the purchase of futures contracts), the Fund will have purchased, or will be in the process of purchasing, equivalent amounts of related securities in the cash market at the time when the futures or option position is closed out. However, in particular cases, when it is economically advantageous for the Fund to do so, a long futures position may be terminated or an option may expire without the corresponding purchase of securities or other assets.

 

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The Funds will engage in transactions in currency forward contracts, futures contracts and options only to the extent such transactions are consistent with the requirements of the Code, for maintaining its qualification as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes.

 

Transactions in futures contracts and options on futures involve brokerage costs, require margin deposits and, in some cases, may require the applicable Fund to establish a segregated account consisting of cash or liquid securities in an amount equal to the underlying value of such contracts and options.

 

The use of futures contracts entails certain risks, including but not limited to the following: no assurance that futures contracts transactions can be offset at favorable prices; possible reduction of the Fund’s income due to the use of hedging; possible reduction in value of both the securities hedged and the hedging instrument; possible lack of liquidity due to daily limits on price fluctuations; imperfect correlation between the contract and the securities being hedged; and potential losses in excess of the amount initially invested in the futures contracts themselves. If the expectations of the Adviser or a Co-Adviser regarding movements in securities prices or interest rates are incorrect, the Fund may have experienced better investment results without hedging. The use of futures contracts and options on futures contracts requires special skills in addition to those needed to select portfolio securities.

 

While transactions in futures contracts and options on futures may reduce certain risks, such transactions themselves entail certain other risks. Thus, while a Fund may benefit from the use of futures and options on futures, unanticipated changes in interest rates or securities prices may result in a poorer overall performance for a Fund than if it had not entered into any futures contracts or options transactions. In the event of an imperfect correlation between a futures position and a portfolio position which is intended to be protected, the desired protection may not be obtained and a Fund may be exposed to risk of loss.

 

Perfect correlation between a Fund’s futures positions and portfolio positions will be impossible to achieve. There are no futures contracts based upon individual securities, except certain U.S. government securities. Other futures contracts available to hedge the Funds’ portfolio investments generally are limited to futures on various securities indices.

 

Initial Public Offerings. Each of the Funds may purchase stock in an initial public offering (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public. Risks associated with IPOs may include considerable fluctuation in the market value of IPO shares due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, a limited number of shares available for trading, lack of information about the issuer and limited operating history. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. When a Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As a Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, a Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the Adviser or a Co-Adviser cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

Investment Company Securities. Each Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, each Fund’s investments in such securities currently are limited to, subject to certain exceptions, (i) 3% of the total voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the Fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company and (iii) 10% of the Fund’s total assets with respect to investment companies in the aggregate. Investments in the securities of other investment companies will involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act permits a Fund to invest an unlimited amount of its uninvested cash in a money market fund so long as, among other things, said investment is consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives and policies. As a shareholder in an investment company, a Fund would bear its pro rata portion of the investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to its own expenses.

 

Lending of Portfolio Securities. Each Fund may lend its portfolio securities to financial institutions in accordance with the investment restrictions described below. Such loans would involve risks of delay in receiving additional collateral in the event the value of the collateral decreased below the value of the securities loaned or of delay in recovering the securities loaned or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, loans will be made only to borrowers deemed by the Adviser or a Co-Adviser to be of good standing and only when, in the Adviser’s or a Co-Adviser's judgment, the income to be earned from the loans justifies the attendant risks. Any loans of a Fund’s securities will be fully collateralized and marked to market daily. The Funds do not have the right to vote loaned securities. A Fund will attempt to call all loaned securities back to permit the exercise of voting rights, if time and jurisdictional restrictions permit. There is no guarantee that all loans can be recalled.

 

Leveraging.  The Long/Short Equity Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, and Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund may employ leverage in accordance with the fundamental investment limitations described below.  Leveraging the Fund creates an opportunity for increased net income, but, at the same time, creates special risk considerations. For example, leveraging may exaggerate changes in the NAV of the Fund’s shares and in the yield on the Fund’s portfolio. Although the principal of such borrowings will be fixed, the Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. Leveraging creates interest expenses for the Fund which could exceed the income from the assets retained. To the extent the income derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest that the Fund will have to pay, the Fund’s net income will be greater than if leveraging were not used. Conversely, if the income from the assets retained with borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leveraging, the net income of the Fund will be less than if leveraging were not used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to stockholders as dividends will be reduced. Because the SEC staff believes both reverse repurchase agreements and dollar roll transactions are collateralized borrowings, the SEC staff believes that they create leverage, which is a speculative factor. The requirement that such transactions be fully collateralized by assets segregated by the Fund’s custodian imposes a practical limit on the leverage these transactions create.

 

Market Fluctuation. The market value of each Fund’s investments, and thus each Fund’s NAV, will change in response to market conditions affecting the value of its portfolio securities. When interest rates decline, the value of fixed rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of fixed rate obligations can be expected to decline. In contrast, as interest rates on adjustable rate loans are reset periodically, yields on investments in such loans will gradually align themselves to reflect changes in market interest rates, causing the value of such investments to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed rate obligations. Because the investment alternatives available to each Fund may be limited by the specific objective of that Fund, investors should be aware that an investment in a particular Fund may be subject to greater market fluctuation than an investment in a portfolio of securities representing a broader range of investment alternatives. In view of the specialized nature of the investment activities of each Fund, an investment in any single Fund should not be considered a complete investment program.

 

Micro-Cap, Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Stocks. Each Fund may invest in securities of companies with micro-, small- and mid-size capitalizations which tend to be riskier than securities of companies with large capitalizations. This is because micro-, small- and mid-cap companies typically have smaller product lines and less access to liquidity than large cap companies, and are therefore more sensitive to economic downturns. In addition, growth prospects of micro-, small- and mid-cap companies tend to be less certain than large cap companies, and the dividends paid on micro-, small- and mid-cap stocks are frequently negligible. Moreover, micro-, small- and mid-cap stocks have, on occasion, fluctuated in the opposite direction of large cap stocks or the general stock market. Consequently, securities of micro-, small- and mid-cap companies tend to be more volatile than those of large-cap companies. The market for micro- and small-cap securities may be thinly traded and as a result, greater fluctuations in the price of micro- and small-cap securities may occur.

 

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Options on Securities and Securities Indices. The All-Cap Value Fund, Long/Short Equity Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, WPG Fund, Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund and Global Equity Advantage Fund may each write covered call and secured put options on any securities in which it may invest or on any domestic stock indices based on securities in which it may invest. A Fund may purchase and write such options on securities that are listed on national domestic securities exchanges or foreign securities exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter market. A call option written by a Fund obligates the Fund to sell specified securities to the holder of the option at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date, regardless of the market price of the security. All call options written by a Fund are covered, which means that the Fund will own the securities subject to the option so long as the option is outstanding or use the other methods described below. The purpose of a Fund in writing covered call options is to realize greater income than would be realized in portfolio securities transactions alone. However, in writing covered call options for additional income, a Fund may forego the opportunity to profit from an increase in the market price of the underlying security.

 

A put option written by a Fund obligates the Fund to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date, regardless of the market price for the security. The purpose of writing such options is to generate additional income. However, in return for the option premium, the Fund accepts the risk that it will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the securities’ market value at the time of purchase.

 

All call and put options written by a Fund are covered. A written call option or put option may be covered by (i) maintaining cash or liquid securities, either of which, in the case of the WPG Fund, may be quoted or denominated in any currency, in a segregated account noted on the Fund’s records or maintained by the Fund’s custodian with a value at least equal to the Fund’s obligation under the option, (ii) entering into an offsetting forward commitment and/or (iii) purchasing an offsetting option or any other option which, by virtue of its exercise price or otherwise, reduces the Fund’s net exposure on its written option position.

 

A Fund may terminate its obligations under an exchange-traded call or put option by purchasing an option identical to the one it has written. Obligations under over-the-counter options may be terminated only by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counterparts to such option. Such purchases are referred to as “closing purchase transactions” and do not result in the ownership of an option. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying security from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying security or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying security. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transaction costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the Fund will have incurred a loss in the transaction.

 

A Fund may also write (sell) covered call and put options on any securities index composed of securities in which it may invest. Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash settlement payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. The amount of this settlement will be equal to the difference between the closing price of the of the securities index at the time of exercise and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars, times a specified amount. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.

 

The Funds may cover call options on a securities index by owning securities whose price changes are expected to be similar to those of the underlying index or by having an absolute and immediate right to acquire such securities without additional cash consideration (or for additional cash consideration held in a segregated account) upon conversion or exchange of other securities in its portfolio. A Fund may also cover call and put options on a securities index by using the other methods described above.

 

The All-Cap Value Fund, Long/Short Equity Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, WPG Fund, Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund may each purchase put and call options on any securities in which it may invest or on any securities index based on securities in which it may invest, and a Fund may enter into closing sale transactions in order to realize gains or minimize losses on options it had purchased.

 

A Fund would normally purchase call options in anticipation of an increase, or put options in anticipation of a decrease (“protective puts”) in the market value of securities of the type in which it may invest. The purchase of a call option would entitle a Fund, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified securities at a specified price during the option period. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain on the purchase of a call option if, during the option period, the value of such securities exceeded the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid and transaction costs; otherwise the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option. The purchase of a put option would entitle a Fund, in exchange for the premium paid, to sell specified securities at a specified price during the option period. The purchase of protective puts is designed to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of a Fund’s securities. Put options may also be purchased by a Fund for the purpose of affirmatively benefiting from a decline in the price of securities which it does not own. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying securities decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to cover the premium and transaction costs; otherwise the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the put option. Gains and losses on the purchase of put options may be offset by countervailing changes in the value of the underlying portfolio securities.

 

A Fund may purchase put and call options on securities indices for the same purposes as it may purchase options on securities. Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.

 

Transactions by a Fund in options on securities and securities indices will be subject to limitations established by each of the exchanges, boards of trade or other trading facilities on which such options are traded governing the maximum number of options in each class which may be written or purchased by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the options are written or purchased on the same or different exchanges, boards of trade or other trading facilities or are held or written in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers. Thus, the number of options that a Fund may write or purchase may be affected by options written or purchased by other investment advisory clients of the Adviser. An exchange, board of trade or other trading facility may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.

 

Although the Funds may use option transactions to seek to generate additional income and to seek to reduce the effect of any adverse price movement in the securities or currency subject to the option, they do involve certain risks that are different in some respects from investment risks associated with similar mutual funds, which do not engage in such activities. These risks include the following: for writing call options, the inability to effect closing transactions at favorable prices and the inability to participate in the appreciation of the underlying securities above the exercise price; for writing put options, the inability to effect closing transactions at favorable prices and the obligation to purchase the specified securities or to make a cash settlement on the securities index at prices which may not reflect current market values; and for purchasing call and put options, the possible loss of the entire premium paid. In addition, the effectiveness of hedging through the purchase or sale of securities index options, including options on the S&P 500® Index, will depend upon the extent to which price movements in the portion of the securities portfolio being hedged correlate with the price movements in the selected securities index. Perfect correlation may not be possible because the securities held or to be acquired by a Fund may not exactly match the composition of the securities index on which options are written. If the forecasts of the Adviser regarding movements in securities prices or interest rates are incorrect, a Fund’s investment results may have been better without the hedge transactions.

 

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There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on a domestic or foreign options exchange will exist for any particular exchange-traded option or at any particular time. If a Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to covered options it has written, the Fund will not be able to sell the underlying securities or dispose of assets held in a segregated account until the options expire or are exercised. Similarly, if a Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options it has purchased, it would have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit and will incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of underlying securities or currencies.

 

Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

 

A Fund’s ability to terminate over-the-counter options is more limited than with exchange-traded options and may involve the risk that broker-dealers participating in such transactions will not fulfill their obligations. The Adviser will monitor the liquidity of over-the-counter options and, if it determines that such options are not readily marketable, a Fund’s ability to enter such options will be subject to the Fund’s limitation on investments on illiquid securities.

 

The writing and purchase of options is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The successful use of options for hedging purposes depends in part on the Adviser’s ability to predict future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the options and securities markets.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund may enter into agreements with a FCM which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements. The SEC has not declared whether or not the use of such agreements are sufficient for the purpose of compliance with Section 18 of the 1940 Act. There is a risk, therefore, that the SEC may deem the use of such agreements as insufficient and that the Fund may not be permitted to continue to gain exposure to these contracts through the use of such agreements.

 

Pay-in-Kind Securities, Zero Coupon and Capital Appreciation Bonds. To the extent consistent with its investment objective, the All-Cap Value Fund may invest up to 5% of its net assets in pay-in-kind (“PIK”) securities. PIK securities may be debt obligations or preferred shares that provide the issuer with the option of paying interest or dividends on such obligations in cash or in the form of additional securities rather than cash. Similarly, zero coupon and capital appreciation bonds are debt securities issued or sold at a discount from their face value and do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity or a specified date. The amount of the discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity or cash payment date, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. These securities also may take the form of debt securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons, the coupons themselves or receipts or certificates representing interests in such stripped debt obligations or coupons. A portion of the discount with respect to stripped tax-exempt securities or their coupons may be taxable. Such securities are designed to give an issuer flexibility in managing cash flow. PIK securities that are debt securities can either be senior or subordinated debt and generally trade flat (i.e., without accrued interest). The trading price of PIK debt securities generally reflects the market value of the underlying debt plus an amount representing accrued interest since the last interest payment.

 

PIK securities, zero coupon bonds and capital appreciation bonds involve the additional risk that, unlike securities that periodically pay interest to maturity, the Fund will realize no cash until a specified future payment date unless a portion of such securities is sold and, if the issuer of such securities defaults, the Fund may obtain no return at all on its investment. In addition, even though such securities may not provide for the payment of current interest in cash, the Fund is nonetheless required to accrue income on such investments for each taxable year and generally is required to distribute such accrued amounts (net of deductible expenses, if any) to avoid being subject to tax. Because no cash is generally received at the time of the accrual, the Fund may be required to liquidate other portfolio securities to obtain sufficient cash to satisfy federal tax distribution requirements applicable to the Fund. Additionally, the market prices of PIK securities, zero coupon bonds and capital appreciation bonds generally are more volatile than the market prices of interest bearing securities and are likely to respond to a greater degree to changes in interest rates than interest bearing securities having similar maturities and credit quality.

 

Portfolio Turnover. Those investment strategies that require periodic changes to portfolio holdings with the expectation of outperforming equity indices are typically referred to as “active” strategies. These strategies contrast with “passive” (“index”) strategies that buy and hold only the stocks in the equity indices. Passive strategies tend to trade infrequently—only as the stocks in the indices change (largely due to changes in the sizes of the companies in the indices, takeovers or bankruptcies). Most equity mutual funds pursue active strategies, which have higher turnover than passive strategies.

 

The generally higher portfolio turnover of active investment strategies can adversely affect taxable investors, especially those in higher marginal tax brackets, in two particularly significant ways. First, short-term capital gains, which often accompany higher turnover investment strategies, are currently taxed at ordinary income rates. Ordinary income tax rates are generally higher than long-term capital gain tax rates. Thus, the tax liability is often higher for investors in active strategies. Second, the more frequent realization of gains caused by higher turnover investment strategies means that taxes will be paid sooner. Such acceleration of the tax liability is financially more costly to investors. Less frequent realization of capital gains allows the payment of taxes to be deferred until later years, allowing more of the gains to compound before taxes are paid. Consequently, after-tax compound rates of return will generally be higher for taxable investors using investment strategies with very low turnover, compared with high turnover strategies. The difference is particularly large when the general market rates of return are higher than average.

 

There are no limitations on the length of time that securities must be held by any Fund and a Fund’s annual portfolio turnover rate may vary significantly from year to year. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) involves correspondingly greater transaction costs, which must be borne by the applicable Fund and its shareholders.

 

In determining such portfolio turnover, U.S. government securities and all other securities (including options) which have maturities at the time of acquisition of one year or less (“short-term securities”) are excluded. The annual portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of the cost of purchases or proceeds from sales of portfolio securities for the year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the applicable Fund during the year. The monthly average is calculated by totaling the values of the portfolio securities as of the beginning and end of the first month of the year and as of the end of the succeeding 11 months and dividing the sum by 13. A turnover rate of 100% would occur if all of a Fund’s portfolio securities (other than short-term securities) were replaced once in a period of one year. If a Fund were to write a substantial number of options, which are exercised, the portfolio turnover rate of that Fund would increase. Increased portfolio turnover results in increased brokerage costs, which a Fund must pay, and the possibility of more short-term gains, distributions of which are taxable as ordinary income.

 

The Funds will trade their portfolio securities without regard to the length of time for which they have been held. To the extent that a Fund’s portfolio is traded for short-term market considerations and portfolio turnover rate exceeds 100%, the annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund could be higher than most mutual funds.

 

Real Estate Investment Trust Securities. Each Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Individual REITs may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. A REIT is a corporation, or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation, which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level Federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for Federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs) or cash and government securities, derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and distribute to shareholders annually a substantial portion of its otherwise taxable income.

 

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Generally, REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. The values of securities issued by REITs are affected by tax and regulatory requirements and by perceptions of management skill. They also are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers or tenants, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status under the Code or to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. Unexpected high rates of default on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to a mortgage REIT. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. To the extent that a mortgage REIT’s portfolio is exposed to lower-rated, unsecured or subordinated instruments, the risk of loss may increase, which may have a negative impact on the Fund.

 

The REITs in which the Funds may invest may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. REITs are sensitive to factors such as changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use and rents, and management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws. REITS whose underlying assets include long-term health care properties; such as nursing, retirement and assisted living homes, may be impacted by federal regulations concerning the health care industry. Each Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses, including management fees, paid by each REIT in which it invests in addition to the expenses of the Fund. Each Fund is also subject to the risk that the REITs in which it invests will fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, and/or fail to qualify for an exemption from registration as an investment company under the 1940 Act. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. A REIT’s return may be adversely affected when interest rates are high or rising.

 

Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500®

 

The REIT investments of a Fund may not provide complete tax information to the Fund until after the calendar year-end. Consequently, because of the delay, it may be necessary for the Fund to request permission to extend the deadline for issuance of Forms 1099-DIV beyond January 31. Also, under current provisions of the Code, distributions attributable to operating income of REITs in which a Fund invests are not eligible for favorable tax treatment as long-term capital gains and will be taxable to you as ordinary income. A Fund, however, may designate such distributions as “section 199A dividends” to the extent of the excess of the ordinary REIT dividends, other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income, that the Fund receives from a REIT for a taxable year over the Fund’s expenses allocable to such dividends. Section 199A dividends may be taxed to individuals and other non-corporate shareholders at a reduced effective federal income tax rate, provided you have satisfied a holding period requirement for the Fund’s shares and satisfied certain other conditions.

 

Restricted and Illiquid Investments. Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, each of the Funds may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is an investment that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments include securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale. Illiquid investments may include: repurchase agreements and time deposits with a notice or demand period of more than seven days; interest rate; currency, mortgage and credit default swaps; interest rate caps; floors and collars; municipal leases; certain restricted securities, such as those purchased in a private placement of securities, unless it is determined, based upon a review of the trading markets for a specific restricted security, that such restricted security is liquid; and certain over-the-counter options. Securities that have legal or contractual restrictions on resale but have a readily available market are not considered illiquid for purposes of this limitation. With respect to each Fund, repurchase agreements subject to demand are deemed to have a maturity equal to the notice period.

 

Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of restricted or other illiquid investments because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and a mutual fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid investments promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty in satisfying redemptions within seven days. A mutual fund might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities. To the extent an investment held by a Fund is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund will be exposed to a greater liquidity risk.

 

Each Fund may purchase securities which are not registered under the Securities Act but which may be sold to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act (“Restricted Securities”). These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the Adviser or a Co-Adviser that an adequate trading market exists for the securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in a Fund during any period that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing restricted securities.

 

The Adviser and Co-Advisers will monitor the liquidity of Restricted Securities held by a Fund under the supervision of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”). In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser and Co-Advisers may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the unregistered nature of the security; (2) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (3) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (5) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities normally reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, since the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.

 

The Company has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22-4. If the limitation on illiquid securities is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the Board and, when required, to the SEC.

 

Risk Considerations of Medium Grade Securities. Obligations in the lowest investment grade (i.e., BBB or Baa), referred to as “medium grade” obligations, have speculative characteristics, and changes in economic conditions and other factors are more likely to lead to weakened capacity to make interest payments and repay principal on these obligations than is the case for higher rated securities. In the event that a security purchased by a Fund is subsequently downgraded below investment grade, the Adviser or a Co-Adviser will consider such event in its determination of whether the Fund should continue to hold the security.

 

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Risk Considerations of Lower Rated Securities. The WPG Fund and the All-Cap Value Fund may invest in fixed income securities that are not investment grade but are rated as low as B by Moody’s or B by S&P (or their equivalents or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). In the case of a security that is rated differently by two or more rating services, the higher rating is used in connection with the foregoing limitation. In the event that the rating on a security held in a Fund’s portfolio is downgraded by a rating service, such action will be considered by the Adviser in its evaluation of the overall investment merits of that security, but will not necessarily result in the sale of the security. The widespread expansion of government, consumer and corporate debt within the U.S. economy has made the corporate sector, especially cyclically sensitive industries, more vulnerable to economic downturns or increased interest rates.

 

An economic downturn could severely disrupt the market for high yield fixed income securities and adversely affect the value of outstanding fixed income securities and the ability of the issuers to repay principal and interest.

 

The Long/Short Equity Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and Emerging Markets Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield fixed income obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. The Funds will invest in high yield fixed income instruments when the Funds believe that such instruments offer a better risk/reward profile than comparable equity opportunities. High yield fixed income securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are considered speculative investments and, while generally providing greater income than investments in higher rated securities, involve greater risk of loss of principal and income (including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities) and may involve greater volatility of price (especially during periods of economic uncertainty or change) than securities in the higher rating categories. However, since yields vary over time, no specific level of income can ever be assured.

 

The prices of high yield fixed income securities have been found to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. Also, during an economic downturn or substantial period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress, which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals, and to obtain additional financing. If the issuer of a fixed income security owned by a Fund defaulted, the Fund could incur additional expenses to seek recovery. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices of high yield fixed income securities and a Fund’s NAV, to the extent it holds such securities.

 

High yield fixed income securities also present risks based on payment expectations. For example, high yield fixed income securities may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, a Fund may, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities, have to replace the securities with a lower yielding security, which may result in a decreased return for investors. Conversely, a high yield fixed income security’s value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of a Fund’s assets, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities.

 

In addition, to the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield fixed income securities, and this may have an impact on the Adviser’s ability to accurately value such securities and a Fund’s assets and on the Fund’s ability to dispose of such securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield fixed income securities, especially in a thinly traded market.

 

New laws proposed or adopted from time to time may have an impact on the market for high yield securities.

 

Finally, there are risks involved in applying credit or dividend ratings as a method for evaluating high yield securities. For example, ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest or dividend payments, not market value risk of high yield securities. Also, since rating agencies may fail to timely change the credit ratings to reflect subsequent events, a Fund will continuously monitor the issuers of high yield securities in its portfolio, if any, to determine if the issuers will have sufficient cash flow and profits to meet required principal and interest payments, and to assure the security’s liquidity so the Fund can meet redemption requests.

 

Securities Lending.  Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the Board.  These loans, if and when made, may not exceed 331/3% of the total asset value of a Fund (including the loan collateral).  The Funds will not lend portfolio securities to the Adviser (or, with respect to the Global Equity Advantage Fund, a Co-Adviser) or its affiliates unless permissible under the 1940 Act and the rules and promulgations thereunder.  Loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, and the collateral will be maintained in an amount equal to at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned domestic securities (105% of loaned foreign securities) by marking to market daily.  Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of the applicable Fund.

 

Each Fund may pay a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral, or other fee, to an unaffiliated or, to the extent consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder, affiliated third party for acting as the Fund’s securities lending agent.

 

By lending its securities, a Fund may increase its income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral.  The Funds do not have the right to vote loaned securities.  A Fund will attempt to call all loaned securities back to permit the exercise of voting rights on material matters, if time and jurisdictional restrictions permit.  There is no guarantee that all loans can be recalled.

 

Special Situation Companies. Each Fund, except the Small Cap Value Fund, may invest in “Special Situations.” The term “Special Situation” shall be deemed to refer to a security of a company in which an unusual and possibly non-repetitive development is taking place which, in the opinion of the investment adviser of the Fund, may cause the security to attain a higher market value independently, to a degree, of the trend in the securities market in general. The particular development (actual or prospective), which may qualify a security as a “Special Situation,” may be one of many different types.

 

Such developments may include, among others, a technological improvement or important discovery or acquisition which, if the expectation for it materialized, would effect a substantial change in the company’s business; a reorganization; a recapitalization or other development involving a security exchange or conversion; a merger, liquidation or distribution of cash, securities or other assets; a breakup or workout of a holding company; litigation which, if resolved favorably, would improve the value of the company’s stock; a new or changed management; or material changes in management policies. A “Special Situation” may often involve a comparatively small company, which is not well known, and which has not been closely watched by investors generally, but it may also involve a large company. The fact, if it exists, that an increase in the company’s earnings, dividends or business is expected, or that a given security is considered to be undervalued, would not in itself be sufficient to qualify as a “Special Situation.” A Fund may invest in securities (even if not “Special Situations”) which, in the opinion of the investment adviser of the Fund, are appropriate investments for the Fund, including securities which the investment adviser of the Fund believes are undervalued by the market. A Fund shall not be required to invest any minimum percentage of its aggregate portfolio in “Special Situations,” nor shall it be required to invest any minimum percentage of its aggregate portfolio in securities other than “Special Situations.”

 

Securities of Unseasoned Issuers. Each of the Funds may invest in securities of unseasoned issuers, including equity securities of unseasoned issuers which are not readily marketable, to the extent consistent with each Fund’s primary investment strategies as set forth in the Prospectuses and with each Fund’s policy on investments in illiquid securities.  The aggregate investment in such securities will not exceed (a) 25% of net assets for the Long/Short Equity Fund, WPG Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, and Emerging Markets Fund or (b) 5% of net assets for each of the Small Cap Value and All-Cap Value Funds. The term “unseasoned” refers to issuers which, together with their predecessors, have been in operation for less than three years.

 

Short Sales. The All-Cap Value, Long/Short Equity, Long/Short Research, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund may each enter into short sales. The Global Equity Advantage Fund may enter into short sales that are "uncovered," which are short sale transactions in which the Fund sells an instrument it does not own. Short sales are transactions in which a Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividend which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. Until a Fund replaces a borrowed security in connection with a short sale, the Fund will: (a) maintain daily a segregated account, containing cash, cash equivalents, or liquid marketable securities, at such a level that the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short or (b) otherwise cover its short position in accordance with positions taken by the staff of the SEC.

 

A Fund will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. This result is the opposite of what one would expect from a cash purchase of a long position in a security. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium or amounts in lieu of interest the Fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale. A Fund may purchase call options to provide a hedge against an increase in the price of a security sold short by the Fund. See the section entitled “Options” above.

 

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Short Sales “Against the Box.” In addition to the short sales discussed above, the All-Cap Value Fund, Long/Short Equity Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund may each make short sales “against the box,” transactions in which a Fund enters into a short sale of a security that the Fund owns or has the right to obtain at no additional cost. The proceeds of the short sale will be held by a broker until the settlement date at which time the Fund delivers the security to close the short position. The Fund receives the net proceeds from the short sale.

 

Structured Securities. The All-Cap Value Fund, Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund may invest in structured securities. The value of the principal of and/or interest on structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of specific currencies, commodities, securities, indices or other financial indicators (the “Reference”) or the relative change in two or more References. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may be increased or decreased depending upon changes in the applicable Reference. Examples of structured securities include, but are not limited to, notes where the principal repayment at maturity is determined by the value of the relative change in two or more specified securities or securities indices. The All-Cap Value Fund does not presently intend to invest more than 5% of its net assets in structured securities.

 

The terms of some structured securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity and, therefore, a Fund could suffer a total loss of its investment. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the Reference may produce an increase or decrease in the interest rate or value of the security at maturity. In addition, changes in the interest rate or the value of the security at maturity may be a multiple of the changes in the value of the Reference. Consequently, structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of securities. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities due to their derivative nature.

 

Subsidiary Risk. The Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund makes investments through a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund, the Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short OffShore Ltd. (the “Subsidiary”). Investment in the Subsidiary provides the Fund with exposure to Indian futures markets. The Subsidiary is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, and it is not currently expected that shares of the Subsidiary will be sold or offered to other investors. Although the Fund may enter into these instruments directly, the Fund will likely gain exposure to these derivative instruments indirectly by investing in the Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may vary depending on the types of instruments selected by the Adviser to gain exposure to the Indian futures markets. To the extent that the Fund invests in the Subsidiary, the Fund may be subject to the risks associated with the above mentioned derivative instruments and other securities, which are discussed elsewhere in the Prospectus and this SAI.

 

While the Subsidiary may be considered similar to an investment company, it is not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted in the Prospectus and this SAI, is not subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act and other U.S. regulations. Although the Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, the Adviser complies with provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts with respect to the Subsidiary. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in the Prospectuses and this SAI and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

 

U.S. Government Obligations. Each Fund may purchase U.S. government agency and instrumentality obligations that are debt securities issued by U.S. government-sponsored enterprises and federal agencies. Some obligations of agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government or by U.S. Treasury guarantees, such as securities of the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) and the Federal Housing Authority; others, by the ability of the issuer to borrow, provided approval is granted, from the U.S. Treasury, such as securities of Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and others, only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality issuing the obligation, such as securities of Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and the Federal Home Loan Banks (“FHLBs”). Such guarantees of U.S. government securities held by a Fund do not, however, guarantee the market value of the shares of the Fund. There is no guarantee that the U.S. government will continue to provide support to its agencies or instrumentalities in the future. U.S. government obligations that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are subject to greater risks than those that are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. All U.S. government obligations are subject to interest rate risk.

 

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and Federal Housing finance Agency (“FHFA”) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be placed in conservatorship under the FHFA. On June 16, 2010, FHFA ordered Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s stock de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) after the price of common stock in Fannie Mae fell below the NYSE’s minimum average closing price of $1 for more than 30 days. The long-term effect that this conservatorship will have on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s debt and equity and on securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is unclear.

 

Each Fund’s net assets may be invested in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or the agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government, including, if applicable, options and futures on such obligations. The maturities of U.S. government securities usually range from three months to thirty years. Examples of types of U.S. government obligations include U.S. Treasury Bills, Treasury Notes and Treasury Bonds and the obligations of Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration, Fannie Mae, GNMA, General Services Administration, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Freddie Mac, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Maritime Administration, the Asian-American Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. U.S. government securities may include inflation-indexed fixed income securities, such as U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (“TIPS”). The interest rate of TIPS, which is set at auction, remains fixed throughout the term of the security and the principal amount of the security is adjusted for inflation. The inflation-adjusted principal is not paid until maturity.

 

There is risk that the U.S. government will not provide financial support to its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. Each Fund may purchase U.S. government securities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government securities held by a Fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.

 

The Small Cap Value and All-Cap Value Funds do not presently intend to invest more than 5% of each Fund’s respective net assets in U.S. government obligations.

 

Special Note Regarding Market Events. Events in the financial sector over the past several years have resulted in reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets and in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestically and internationally. While entire markets have been impacted, issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected. These events and the potential for continuing market turbulence may have an adverse effect on the Funds’ investments. It is uncertain how long these conditions will continue.

 

The instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. government to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and certain segments of the financial markets. Federal, state and foreign governments, regulatory agencies, and self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such ownership or disposition may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of the Funds’ holdings.

 

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Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such ownership or disposition may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of the Funds’ holdings.

 

Commodity-Linked Investments. The Global Equity Advantage Fund may attempt to provide exposure to the returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets without direct investment in real assets. Real assets include oil, gas, industrial and precious metals, livestock, and agricultural or meat products, or other items that have tangible properties. Commodity-linked derivative instruments include commodity index-linked securities and other derivative instruments that provide exposure to the investment returns of the commodities markets. Commodity-linked investments may be more volatile and less liquid than the underlying instruments and their value may be affected by the performance of commodities as well as weather, tax, and other regulatory or political developments, overall market movements and other factors affecting the value of particular industries or commodities, such as disease, embargoes, acts of war or terrorism.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund may invest in commodity-linked derivative instruments such as commodity-linked structured notes. The Global Equity Advantage Fund may invest in commodity-linked notes that pay a return linked to the performance of a commodities index or basket of futures contracts with respect to all of the commodities in an index. In some cases, the return will be based on some multiple of the performance of the index, and this embedded leverage will magnify the positive and negative return the Global Equity Advantage Fund earns from these notes as compared to the index. The principal and/or interest payments of commodity-linked derivatives are tied to the value of a real asset or commodity index. Structured notes may be structured by the issuer and the purchaser of the note. The notes are derivative debt instruments with principal payments generally linked to the value of commodities, commodity futures contracts or the performance of commodity indices and interest and coupon payments pegged to a market-based interest rate, such as LIBOR or a bank’s prime rate. The value of these notes will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying commodity or related index or investment. These notes expose the Global Equity Advantage Fund economically to movements in commodity prices.

 

Investing in Frontier Countries. The Global Equity Advantage Fund may invest in securities of issuers located in frontier countries. Frontier markets are a sub-set of emerging market countries. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging markets, and, as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier countries. The economies of frontier countries are less correlated to global economic cycles than those of their more developed counterparts and their markets have low trading volumes and the potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity. These factors make investing in frontier countries significantly riskier than in other countries and any one of them could cause the price of the Fund’s NAV to decline.

 

Margin Deposits and Cover Requirements. Unlike the purchase or sale of portfolio securities, no price is paid or received by the Global Equity Advantage Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Initially, the Global Equity Advantage Fund will be required to deposit with the broker an amount of cash or cash equivalents, known as initial margin, based on the value of the contract. The nature of initial margin in futures transactions is different from that of margin in securities transactions in that futures contract margin does not involve the borrowing of funds by the customer to finance the transactions. Rather, the initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract which is returned to the Global Equity Advantage Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, called variation margin, to and from the broker, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying instruments fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking to the market.” For example, when the Global Equity Advantage Fund has purchased a futures contract and the price of the contract has risen in response to a rise in the price of the underlying instruments, that position will have increased in value and the Global Equity Advantage Fund will be entitled to receive from the broker a variation margin payment equal to that increase in value. Conversely, where the Global Equity Advantage Fund has purchased a futures contract and the price of the futures contract has declined in response to a decrease in the underlying instruments, the position would be less valuable and the Fund would be required to make a variation margin payment to the broker. At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, Campbell may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, subject to the availability of a secondary market, which will operate to terminate the Global Equity Advantage Fund's position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Global Equity Advantage Fund, and the Fund realizes a loss or gain.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund will comply with guidelines established by the SEC with respect to coverage of forwards, futures, swaps and options. For example, when entering into a contract that must be cash settled, the Global Equity Advantage Fund will cover (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) its position, when added to the amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the daily mark-to-market obligation, rather than the notional value of the contract.

 

When entering into a contract that does not need to be settled in cash, the Global Equity Advantage Fund is also required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks.  To cover its position, the Global Equity Advantage Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid assets that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Global Equity Advantage Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio holdings.  Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the Global Equity Advantage Fund arising from such investment activities. Segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. As a result, there is a possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund may enter into agreements with a FCM which require the FCM to accept physical settlement for certain financial instruments.  If this occurs, the Global Equity Advantage Fund would treat the financial instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements. The SEC has not declared whether or not the use of such agreements are sufficient for the purpose of compliance with Section 18 of the 1940 Act. There is a risk, therefore, that the SEC may deem the use of such agreements as insufficient and that the Global Equity Advantage Fund may not be permitted to continue to gain exposure to these contracts through the use of such agreements.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund may also cover its position in relation to forwards, futures, swaps and options through ownership of the underlying financial instrument, commodity index, or currency or by other portfolio positions or by other means consistent with applicable regulatory policies.

 

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 Swap Agreements. The Global Equity Advantage Fund may enter into Swap agreements. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one-year.  In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments.  The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index.  Forms of swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap,” interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level, or “floor,” and interest rate dollars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

 

Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.”  Consequently, the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The Global Equity Advantage Fund’s current obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by segregating assets determined to be liquid.

 

Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be “senior securities” for purposes of the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities.  Because they are two party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s illiquid investment limitation.  The Global Equity Advantage Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless Campbell believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy.  The Global Equity Advantage Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund may enter into swap agreements to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in circumstances in which direct investment is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable.  The counterparty to any swap agreement will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker/dealer.  The counter-party will generally agree to pay the Global Equity Advantage Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks.  The Global Equity Advantage Fund will agree to pay to the counter-party a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks.  Therefore, the return to the Global Equity Advantage Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.

 

Swap agreements typically are settled on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Global Equity Advantage Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments.  Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term.  Swap agreements do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets.  Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swap agreements is limited to the net amount of payments that the Global Equity Advantage Fund is contractually obligated to make.  If the other party to a swap agreement defaults, the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Global Equity Advantage Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any.  The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each equity swap will be accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or liquid assets, having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to such accrued excess will be maintained in a segregated account by the Fund’s custodian.  Inasmuch as these transactions are entered into for hedging purposes or are offset by segregated cash of liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, the Global Equity Advantage Fund and Campbell believe that these transactions do not constitute senior securities under the 1940 Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions.

 

Global regulatory changes could adversely affect the Global Equity Advantage Fund by restricting its trading activities and/or increasing the costs or taxes to which its investors are subject. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) in the U.S., and the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (“EMIR”) in the EU (among others), grant prudential and financial regulators (notably the SEC and CFTC in the U.S. and European Securities and Markets Authority in the EU) the jurisdictional and rule making authority necessary to impose comprehensive regulations on the OTC and cleared derivatives markets. These regulations include, but are not limited to, requirements relating to disclosure, trade processing, trade reporting, margin and registration requirements. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, regulations are now in effect that require swap dealers to post and collect variation margin (comprised of specified liquid instruments and subject to a required haircut) in connection with trading of OTC swaps with the Fund. Requirements for posting of initial margin in connection with OTC swaps will be phased-in through 2020. The implementation of these margin requirements with respect to OTC swaps, as well as the other types of regulations described above and other global regulatory initiatives, could adversely impact the Global Equity Advantage Fund by increasing transaction costs and/or regulatory compliance costs, limiting the availability of certain derivatives or otherwise adversely affecting the value or performance of derivatives that the Fund trades. Other potentially adverse regulatory obligations can develop suddenly and be imposed without notice.

 

          Total Return Swaps. Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make payments of the total return from the underlying asset during the specified period, in return for payments equal to a fixed or floating rate of interest or the total return from another underlying asset. The total return includes appreciation or depreciation on the underlying asset, plus any interest or dividend payments. Payments under the swap are based upon an agreed upon principal amount but since the principal amount is not exchanged, it represents neither an asset nor a liability to either counterparty, and is referred to as notional. Total return swaps are marked to market daily using different sources, including quotations from counterparties, pricing services, brokers or market makers. The unrealized appreciation (depreciation) related to the change in the valuation of the notional amount of the swap is combined with the amount due to the Global Equity Advantage Fund at termination or settlement. The primary risks associated with total returns swaps are credit risks (if the counterparty fails to meet its obligations) and market risk (if there is no liquid market for the agreement or unfavorable changes occur to the underlying asset).

 

●          Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified dates in the future. Some of the different types of interest rate swaps are “fixed-for floating rate swaps,” “termed basis swaps” and “index amortizing swaps.” Fixed-for floating rate swaps involve the exchange of fixed interest rate cash flows for floating rate cash flows. Termed basis swaps entail cash flows to both parties based on floating interest rates, where the interest rate indices are different. Index amortizing swaps are typically fixed-for floating swaps where the notional amount changes if certain conditions are met.

 

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Like a traditional investment in a debt security, the Global Equity Advantage Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely. For example, if the Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a floating rate of interest for a fixed rate of interest, the Global Equity Advantage Fund may have to pay more money than it receives. Similarly, if the Global Equity Advantage Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a fixed rate of interest for a floating rate of interest, the Fund may receive less money than it has agreed to pay.

 

●          Currency Swaps. A currency swap is an agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to make interest rate payments in one currency and the other promises to make interest rate payments in another currency. The Global Equity Advantage Fund may enter into a currency swap when it has one currency and desires a different currency. Typically the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the contract and returned at the end of the contract. Changes in foreign exchange rates and changes in interest rates, as described above may negatively affect currency swaps.

 

●          Caps, Collars and Floors. Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level. The seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. An interest rate collar combines elements of buying a cap and selling a floor.

 

Each Co-Adviser, under the supervision of the Board, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of Global Equity Advantage Fund transactions in swap agreements. The use of swaps is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.

 

Recent market developments related to swaps have prompted increased scrutiny with respect to these instruments. As a result of the Dodd-Frank Act, swaps may in the future be subject to increased regulation. Such regulation may limit the Global Equity Advantage Fund's ability to use swaps and increase the cost of using swaps.

 

NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

 

Asset-Backed Securities. The Emerging Markets Fund may invest in asset-backed securities, which represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets such as motor vehicle installment sale contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements and other categories of receivables. Asset-backed securities may also be collateralized by a portfolio of U.S. government securities, but are not direct obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Such asset pools are securitized through the use of privately-formed trusts or special purpose corporations. Payments or distributions of principal and interest on asset-backed securities may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation, or other credit enhancements may be present; however privately issued obligations collateralized by a portfolio of privately issued asset-backed securities do not involve any government-related guarantee or insurance. Asset-backed securities present credit risks that are not presented by mortgage-backed securities. That is because asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral that is comparable to mortgage assets.

 

Commercial Paper. Each Fund may purchase commercial paper rated (at the time of purchase) “A-1” by S&P® or “Prime-1” by Moody’s or, when deemed advisable by the Adviser or a Co-Adviser, issues rated “A-2” or “Prime-2” by S&P® or Moody’s, respectively. These rating categories are described in Appendix “A” to this SAI. The Funds may also purchase unrated commercial paper provided that such paper is determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser or a Co-Adviser pursuant to guidelines approved by the Board. Commercial paper issues in which a Fund may invest include securities issued by corporations without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) in reliance on the exemption from such registration afforded by Section 3(a) (3) thereof, and commercial paper issued in reliance on the so-called “private placement” exemption from registration, which is afforded by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act (“Section 4(2) paper”). Section 4(2) paper is restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws in that any resale must similarly be made in an exempt transaction. Section 4(2) paper is normally resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of investment dealers who make a market in Section 4(2) paper, thus providing liquidity. Each Fund does not presently intend to invest more than 5% of its net assets in commercial paper.

 

Holding Company Depository Receipts. The Funds may invest in Holding Company Depository Receipts (“HOLDRS”). HOLDRS represent trust-issued receipts that represent individual and undivided beneficial ownership interests in the common stock or ADRs of specific companies in a particular industry, sector or group. Each of the Funds do not presently intend to invest more than 5% of their respective net assets in HOLDRS.

 

Indexed Securities. The Funds may invest in indexed securities whose value is linked to securities indices. Most such securities have values which rise and fall according to the change in one or more specified indices, and may have characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying securities. Depending on the index, such securities may have greater volatility than the market as a whole.   Each of the Funds do not presently intend to invest more than 5% of their respective net assets in indexed securities.

 

Large Shareholder Purchase and Redemption Risk.  The Funds may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Funds.  Such large shareholder redemptions may cause a Fund to sell its securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and liquidity.  Similarly, large share purchases may adversely affect a Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.  In addition, a large redemption could result in a Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio. However, this risk may be limited to the extent that the Adviser or a Co-Adviser and a Fund have entered into a fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement.

 

Leveraging.  The Emerging Markets Fund may employ leverage in accordance with the fundamental investment limitations described below.  Leveraging the Fund creates an opportunity for increased net income, but, at the same time, creates special risk considerations. For example, leveraging may exaggerate changes in the NAV of the Fund’s shares and in the yield on the Fund’s portfolio. Although the principal of such borrowings will be fixed, the Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. Leveraging creates interest expenses for the Fund which could exceed the income from the assets retained. To the extent the income derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest that the Fund will have to pay, the Fund’s net income will be greater than if leveraging were not used. Conversely, if the income from the assets retained with borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leveraging, the net income of the Fund will be less than if leveraging were not used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to stockholders as dividends will be reduced. Because the SEC staff believes both reverse repurchase agreements and dollar roll transactions are collateralized borrowings, the SEC staff believes that they create leverage, which is a speculative factor. The requirement that such transactions be fully collateralized by assets segregated by the Fund’s custodian imposes a practical limit on the leverage these transactions create.

 

Money Market Instruments. Each Fund may invest a portion of its assets in short-term, high-quality instruments for purposes of temporary defensive measures, which instruments include, among other things, bank obligations. Bank obligations include bankers’ acceptances, negotiable certificates of deposit, and non-negotiable time deposits earning a specified return and issued by a U.S. bank which is a member of the Federal Reserve System or insured by the Bank Insurance Fund of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), or by a savings and loan association or savings bank which is insured by the Savings Association Insurance Fund of the FDIC. Such deposits are not FDIC insured and a Fund bears the risk of bank failure. Bank obligations also include U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and obligations of domestic branches of foreign banks. Such investments may involve risks that are different from investments in securities of domestic branches of U.S. banks. These risks may include future unfavorable political and economic developments, possible withholding taxes on interest income, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations, or other governmental restrictions which might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held in a Fund. Additionally, these institutions may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements and to different accounting, auditing, reporting and recordkeeping requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks. A Fund will invest in obligations of domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks only when the Adviser or a Co-Adviser believes that the risks associated with such investment are minimal. The value of money market instruments tends to fall when current interest rates rise. Money market instruments are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than longer-term securities.

 

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Purchase Warrants. Each Fund may invest in purchase warrants and similar rights. Purchase warrants are privileges issued by a corporation which enable the owner to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short lifespan to expiration. The purchase of warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the warrants’ expiration. Also, the purchase of warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security. These Funds may not invest more than 5% of each Fund’s respective net assets in purchase warrants and similar rights.

 

Repurchase Agreements. The Funds may agree to purchase securities from financial institutions subject to the seller’s agreement to repurchase them at an agreed-upon time and price (“repurchase agreements”). The securities held subject to a repurchase agreement may have stated maturities exceeding 397 days, provided the repurchase agreement itself matures in less than 13 months. Default by or bankruptcy of the seller would, however, expose a Fund to possible loss because of adverse market action or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying obligations.

 

The repurchase price under the repurchase agreements described above generally equals the price paid by a Fund plus interest negotiated on the basis of current short-term rates (which may be more or less than the rate on the securities underlying the repurchase agreement). The financial institutions with whom the Funds may enter into repurchase agreements will be banks which the Adviser or a Co-Adviser considers creditworthy pursuant to criteria approved by the Board of Directors and non-bank dealers of U.S. government securities that are listed on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s list of reporting dealers. The Adviser or a Co-Adviser will consider the creditworthiness of a seller in determining whether to have a Fund enter into a repurchase agreement. The seller under a repurchase agreement will be required to maintain the value of the securities subject to the agreement at not less than the repurchase price plus accrued interest. The Adviser or a Co-Adviser will mark to market daily the value of the securities, and will, if necessary, require the seller to maintain additional securities, to ensure that the value is not less than the repurchase price.

 

Default by or bankruptcy of the seller would, however, expose a Fund to possible loss because of adverse market action or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying obligations.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Funds may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with respect to portfolio securities for temporary purposes (such as to obtain cash to meet redemption requests) when the liquidation of portfolio securities is deemed disadvantageous or inconvenient by the Adviser or a Co-Adviser. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by a Fund subject to the Fund’s agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and rate of interest. Such agreements are considered to be borrowings under the 1940 Act, and may be entered into only for temporary or emergency purposes. While reverse repurchase transactions are outstanding, a Fund will maintain in a segregated account with the Fund’s custodian or a qualified sub-custodian, cash or liquid securities of an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities, plus accrued interest, subject to the agreement and will monitor the account to ensure that such value is maintained. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by the Fund may decline below the price of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase and the interest received on the cash exchanged for the securities.

 

Temporary Investments. Although the Funds invest primarily in equity securities, for temporary defensive purposes, the Funds may hold cash or invest in a variety of money market instruments and short-term and medium-term debt securities including: (a) obligations of the United States or foreign governments, their respective agencies or instrumentalities; (b) bank deposits and bank obligations (including certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers’ acceptances) of U.S. or foreign banks denominated in any currency; (c) floating rate securities and other instruments denominated in any currency issued by international development agencies; (d) finance company and corporate commercial paper and other short-term corporate debt obligations of U.S. and foreign corporations; and (e) repurchase agreements with banks and broker-dealers with respect to such securities. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

 

Failure to Receive Timely and Accurate Market Data from Third Party Vendors Could Cause Disruptions or the Inability to Trade. Campbell’s strategies for the Global Equity Advantage Fund are dependent to a significant degree on the receipt of timely and accurate market data from third party vendors. Accordingly, the failure to receive such data in a timely manner or the receipt of inaccurate data, whether due to acts or omissions of such third party vendors or otherwise, could disrupt trading to the detriment of the Global Equity Advantage Fund or make trading impossible until such failure or inaccuracy is remedied. Any such failure or inaccuracy could, in certain market conditions, cause the Global Equity Advantage Fund to experience significant trading losses, effect trades in a manner which it otherwise would not have done, or miss opportunities for profitable trading. For example, the receipt of inaccurate market data may cause Campbell to establish (or exit) a position which it otherwise would not have established (or exited), or fail to establish (or exit) a position which it otherwise would have established (or exited), and any subsequent correction of such inaccurate data may cause Campbell to reverse such action or inaction, all of which may ultimately be to the detriment of the Global Equity Advantage Fund.

 

Global Equity Advantage Fund Service Providers Could Fail. The institutions with which the Fund trades or invests may encounter financial difficulties that impair the operational capabilities or the capital position of the Global Equity Advantage Fund. A futures broker is generally required by U.S. law to segregate all funds received from such broker’s customers from such broker’s proprietary assets. If the futures broker did not do so to the full extent required by law, the assets of the Global Equity Advantage Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the futures broker. Furthermore, in the event of the futures broker’s bankruptcy, the Fund could be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the futures broker’s combined customer accounts, even though certain property specifically traceable to the Fund (for example, Treasury bills deposited by the Global Equity Advantage Fund with the futures broker as margin) was held by the futures broker.

 

Although Campbell regularly monitors the financial condition of the counterparties it uses, if the counterparties were to become insolvent or the subject of liquidation proceedings in the United States (either under the Securities Investor Protection Act of the United States Bankruptcy Code), there exists the risk that the recovery of the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s assets from such counterparty will be delayed or be a value less than the value of the assets originally entrusted to such counterparty.

 

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

The Funds have adopted the following fundamental investment limitations which may not be changed with respect to the Funds without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Funds’ outstanding shares (as defined in Section 2(a) (42) of the 1940 Act). As used in this SAI and in the Prospectuses, “shareholder approval” and a “majority of the outstanding shares” of a Fund means, with respect to the approval of an investment advisory agreement, a distribution plan or a change in a fundamental investment limitation, the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of the particular Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such Fund are present in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such Fund. Each Fund’s investment goals and strategies described in the Prospectuses may be changed by the Board without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

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Each Boston Partners Fund other than the Long/Short Research Fund, Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund may not:

 

1. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that each Fund may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements, and the Small Cap Value Fund and All-Cap Value Fund may enter into dollar rolls for temporary purposes in amounts up to one-third of the value of each Fund’s respective total assets at the time of such borrowing and provided that, for any borrowing with respect to the All-Cap Value Fund and Long/Short Equity Fund there is at least 300% asset coverage for the borrowings of the Fund. A Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. However, with respect to the All-Cap Value Fund and Long/Short Equity Fund the amount shall not be in excess of lesser of the dollar amounts borrowed or 331/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing, provided that for the All-Cap Value Fund and Long/Short Equity Fund: (a) short sales and related borrowings of securities are not subject to this restriction; and (b) for the purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, short sales, stock index, interest rate, currency or other futures, options on futures contracts, collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin and collateral arrangements with respect to swaps and other derivatives are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets, and provided that for the All-Cap Value Fund, any collateral arrangements with respect to the writing of options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets. The Small Cap Value and All-Cap Value Funds will not purchase securities while aggregate borrowings (including reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls and borrowings from banks) are in excess of 5% of total assets. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with a Fund’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation; (For purposes of this Limitation No. 1, any collateral arrangements with respect to, if applicable, the writing of options and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets)

 

2. Issue any senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act; (For purposes of this Limitation No. 2, neither the collateral arrangements with respect to options and futures identified in Limitation No. 1, nor the purchase or sale of futures or related options are deemed to be the issuance of senior securities).

 

3. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the Securities Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts;

 

5. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that a Fund may deal in forward foreign exchanges between currencies of the different countries in which it may invest and purchase and sell stock index and currency options, stock index futures, financial futures and currency futures contracts and related options on such futures;

 

6. Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan; or

 

7. Invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of one or more issuers in any particular industry (excluding the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities).

 

Additionally, each Boston Partners Fund other than the Long/Short Research Fund, Global Equity Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund may not:

 

Purchase the securities of any one issuer, other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, if immediately after and as a result of such purchase, more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that up to 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations.

 

For purposes of Investment Limitation No. 1, collateral arrangements with respect to, if applicable, the writing of options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets and neither such arrangements nor the purchase or sale of futures or related options are deemed to be the issuance of a senior security for purposes of Investment Limitation No. 2.  Neither the purchase nor the sale of futures or related options will be deemed to be the issuance of senior securities because such transactions will be covered by the segregation of cash or liquid assets or by other means in compliance with applicable SEC guidance.

 

For purposes of Investment Limitation No. 7, with respect to the Long/Short Equity Fund may not:

 

Purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that (a) there is no limitation with respect to (i) instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and (ii) repurchase agreements secured by the instruments described in clause (i); (b) wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; and (c) utilities will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry.

 

In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the Long/Short Equity Fund is subject to the following non-fundamental limitations. These non-fundamental restrictions may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. The Long/Short Equity Fund may not:

 

1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by the Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or management; or

 

2. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, transactions in currencies or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

 

19 

 

The Long/Short Research Fund may not:

 

1. Borrow money except that (a) the Fund may borrow from banks or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 331/3% of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed); and (b) the Fund may engage in transactions in mortgage dollar rolls which are accounted for as financings.  For purposes of this limitation, investment strategies which either obligate the Fund to purchase securities or require the Fund to segregate assets are not considered to be borrowings.  Asset coverage of at least 300% is required for all borrowings, except where the Fund has borrowed money for temporary purposes in amounts not exceeding 5% of its total assets;

 

2. Issue senior securities as defined in the 1940 Act, except as permitted by rule, regulation or order of the SEC;

 

3. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the Securities Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts;

 

5. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may deal in forward foreign exchanges between currencies of the different countries in which it may invest and purchase and sell stock index and currency options, stock index futures, financial futures and currency futures contracts and related options on such futures;

 

6. Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan;

 

7. Invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of one or more issuers in any particular industry (excluding the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities); or

 

8. Purchase the securities of any one issuer, other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, if immediately after and as a result of such purchase, more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that up to 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations.

 

For purposes of Investment Limitation No. 1, collateral arrangements with respect to, if applicable, the writing of options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets and neither such arrangements nor the purchase or sale of futures or related options are deemed to be the issuance of a senior security for purposes of Investment Limitation No. 2. Neither the purchase nor the sale of futures or related options will be deemed to be the issuance of senior securities because such transactions will be covered by the segregation of cash or liquid assets or by other means in compliance with applicable SEC guidance.

 

For purposes of Investment Limitation No.7, the Long/Short Research Fund may not:

 

Purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that (a) there is no limitation with respect to (i) instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and (ii) repurchase agreements secured by the instruments described in clause (i); (b) wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; and (c) utilities will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry.

 

In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the Long/Short Research Fund is subject to the following non-fundamental limitations. These non-fundamental restrictions may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. The Long/Short Research Fund may not:

 

1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by the Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or management; or

 

2. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, transactions in currencies or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

 

3. Pledge, manage or hypothecate assets, except as permitted by the 1940 Act.

 

Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.

 

The Global Equity Fund may not:

 

1. Borrow money except that a Fund may borrow from banks or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 331/3% of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed). For purposes of this limitation, investment strategies which either obligate a Fund to purchase securities or require the Fund to segregate assets are not considered to be borrowings. Asset coverage of at least 300% is required for all borrowings, except where a Fund has borrowed money for temporary purposes in amounts not exceeding 5% of its total assets;

 

2. Issue senior securities as defined in the 1940 Act, except as permitted by rule, regulation or order of the SEC;

 

3. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the Securities Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

 

20 

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts;

 

5. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that a Fund may deal in forward foreign exchanges between currencies of the different countries in which it may invest and purchase and sell stock index and currency options, stock index futures, financial futures and currency futures contracts and related options on such futures;

 

6. Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan; or

 

7. Invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of one or more issuers in any particular industry (excluding the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities).

 

For purposes of Investment Restriction No.7, the Global Equity Fund may not:

 

Purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that (a) there is no limitation with respect to (i) instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States or any of its authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and (ii) repurchase agreements secured by the instruments described in clause (i); (b) wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; and (c) utilities will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry.

 

In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the Global Equity Fund is subject to the following non-fundamental limitations. These non-fundamental restrictions may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. The Fund may not:

 

1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by a Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or management; or

 

2. Purchase securities on margin, except that a Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, transactions in currencies or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

 

3. Pledge, manage or hypothecate assets, except as permitted by the 1940 Act.

 

4. Hold illiquid securities in an amount exceeding, in the aggregate, 15% of the Fund’s net assets.

 

Any collateral arrangements with respect to, if applicable, the writing of options and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, short sales and other similar instruments, and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets.

 

Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.

 

The Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and Emerging Markets Fund may not:

 

1. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements for temporary purposes in amounts up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing and provided that there is at least 300% asset coverage for the borrowings of the Fund. The Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. However, the amount shall not be in excess of lesser of the dollar amounts borrowed or 331/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing, provided that: (a) short sales and related borrowings of securities are not subject to this restriction; and (b) for the purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, short sales, stock index, interest rate, currency or other futures, options on futures contracts, collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin and collateral arrangements with respect to swaps and other derivatives are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets.  Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with the Fund’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation;

 

2. Issue any senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act;

 

3. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the Securities Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts;

 

5. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may deal in forward foreign exchanges between currencies of the different countries in which it may invest and purchase and sell stock index and currency options, stock index futures, financial futures and currency futures contracts and related options on such futures;

 

6. Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan; or

 

7. Invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of one or more issuers in any particular industry (excluding the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities).

 

21 

 

For purposes of Investment Limitation No. 1, collateral arrangements with respect to, if applicable, the writing of options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets and neither such arrangements nor the purchase or sale of futures or related options are deemed to be the issuance of a senior security for purposes of Investment Limitation No. 2. Neither the purchase nor the sale of futures or related options will be deemed to be the issuance of senior securities because such transactions will be covered by the segregation of cash or liquid assets or by other means in compliance with applicable SEC guidance.

 

In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the Global Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund and Emerging Markets Fund are subject to the following non-fundamental limitations. These non-fundamental restrictions may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. Each Fund may not:

 

1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by the Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or management; or

 

2. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, transactions in currencies or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

 

3. Hold illiquid securities in an amount exceeding, in the aggregate, 15% of the Fund’s net assets.

 

The Global Equity Advantage Fund may not:

 

  1. Borrow money, except that the Fund may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements provided that there is at least 300% asset coverage for the borrowings of the Fund. The Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. However, the amount shall not be in excess of lesser of the dollar amounts borrowed or 33% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing, provided that: (a) short sales and related borrowings of securities are not subject to this restriction; and (b) for the purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, short sales, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin and collateral arrangements with respect to derivatives instruments are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with the Fund’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation;

 

  2. Issue senior securities as defined in the 1940 Act, except as permitted by rule, regulation or order of the SEC;

 

  3. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the Securities Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

 

  4. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts;

 

  5. Purchase or sell commodities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by the regulatory authority having jurisdiction from time to time;

 

  6. Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan; or

 

  7. Invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of one or more issuers in any particular industry or group of industries (excluding the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities).

 

For purposes of Investment Restriction No.7, the Fund may not:

 

Purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries, provided that (a) there is no limitation with respect to (i) instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States or any of its authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and (ii) repurchase agreements secured by the instruments described in clause (i); (b) wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; and (c) utilities will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry.

 

22 

 

In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the Fund is subject to the following non-fundamental limitations. These non-fundamental restrictions may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. The Fund may not:

 

  1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by the Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or management; or

 

  2. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments, including foreign exchange forward contracts, shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

 

Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by the Fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.

 

The Boston Partners Funds may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act. As a shareholder of another investment company, a Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that a Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

 

Securities held by the Boston Partners Funds generally may not be purchased from, sold or loaned to the Adviser or Co-Adviser or its affiliates or any of their directors, officers or employees, acting as principal, unless pursuant to a rule or exemptive order under the 1940 Act. Neither the Company nor the Adviser or Co-Adviser has obtained such an exemptive order.

 

If a percentage restriction under one of the Boston Partners Funds’ investment policies or limitations or the use of assets is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation (except with respect to any restrictions that may apply to borrowings or senior securities issued by the Fund).

 

The WPG Fund may not:

 

1. Purchase securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activity in the same industry, if immediately after such purchase the value of its investments in such industry would exceed 25% or more of its total assets provided that this restriction shall not apply to securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; provided, however, that the Fund may invest all or part of its investable assets in an open-end investment company with substantially the same investment objective, policies and restrictions as the Fund.

 

2. With respect to 75% of its total assets, the Fund may not purchase securities of an issuer (other than the U.S. government, its agencies, instrumentalities or authorities or repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities and other investment companies), if:

 

(a) such purchase would cause more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets taken at market value to be invested in the securities of such issuer; or

 

(b) such purchase would at the time result in more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer being held by the Fund; provided, however, that the Fund may invest all or part of its investable assets in an open-end investment company with substantially the same investment objective, policies and restrictions as the Fund.

 

3. Lease, acquire, purchase, sell or hold real estate, but it may lease office space for its own use and invest in marketable securities of companies holding real estate or interests in real estate, including real estate investment trusts.

 

4. Purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts, except futures contracts, including but not limited to contracts for the future delivery of securities and contracts based on securities indices and options on such futures contracts, and forward foreign currency exchange contracts.

 

5. Lend money, except that it may (i) invest in all or a portion of an issue of bonds, debentures and other obligations distributed publicly or of a type commonly purchased by financial institutions (e.g., certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances or other short-term debt obligations) or other debt obligations in accordance with its objectives or (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; provided that the Fund will not enter into repurchase agreements of more than one week’s duration if more than 15% of its net assets would be invested therein together with other illiquid or not readily marketable securities.

 

6. Lend its portfolio securities unless the borrower is a broker, dealer, bank or other qualified financial institution; provided that the terms, the structure and the aggregate amount of such loans are not inconsistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations or interpretations of the SEC thereunder.

 

7. Engage in the business of underwriting the securities of others, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act when it purchases or sells portfolio securities; provided, however, that the Fund may invest all or part of its investable assets in an open-end investment company with substantially the same investment objective, policies and restrictions as the Fund.

 

8. Borrow money except as a temporary measure to facilitate the meeting of redemption requests or for extraordinary or emergency purposes, provided that the aggregate amount of such borrowings may not exceed 33% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed), at the time of such borrowing.

 

9. Issue senior securities except as permitted under the 1940 Act and except that the Fund may issue shares of beneficial interest in multiple classes or series.

 

The Fund may, notwithstanding any other fundamental or non-fundamental investment restriction or policy, invest all of its assets in the securities of a single open-end investment company with substantially the same investment objectives, restrictions and policies as that Fund.

 

For purposes of the above fundamental investment restrictions regarding industry concentration, the Adviser generally classifies issuers by industry in accordance with classifications established by nationally recognized third-party statistical information services, such as S&P. In the absence of such classification or if the Adviser determines in good faith based on its own information that the economic characteristics affecting a particular issuer make it more appropriately considered to be engaged in a different industry, the Adviser may classify an issuer according to its own sources.

 

In addition to the fundamental policies mentioned above, the Board has adopted the following non-fundamental policies which may be changed or amended by action of the Board without approval of shareholders. So long as these non-fundamental restrictions are in effect, the Fund may not:

 

(a) Invest in the securities of an issuer for the purpose of exercising control or management, but it may do so where it is deemed advisable to protect or enhance the value of an existing investment.

 

(b) Purchase securities of any other investment company except as permitted by the 1940 Act.

 

(c) Purchase securities on margin, except any short-term credits, which may be necessary for the clearance of transactions and the initial, or maintenance margin in connection with options and futures contracts and related options.

 

23 

 

(d) Invest more than 15% of its net assets in securities which are illiquid.

 

(e) Purchase additional securities if the Fund’s borrowings exceed 5% of its net assets.

 

Except with respect to the WPG Fund’s fundamental investment restriction regarding borrowings, any investment limitation of the WPG Fund that is expressed as a percentage is determined at the time of investment by the Fund. An increase or decrease in a Fund’s NAV or a company’s market capitalization subsequent to a Fund’s initial investment will not affect the Fund’s compliance with the percentage limitation or the company’s status as small, medium or large cap. From time to time, the Adviser may include as small, medium or large cap certain companies having market capitalizations outside the definitions described in the Prospectuses. Under the 1940 Act, the WPG Fund will be required to maintain continuous asset coverage of at least 300% for borrowings from a bank. In the event that such asset coverage is below 300%, the applicable Fund will be required to reduce the amount of its borrowings to obtain 300% asset coverage, within three days (not including weekends and holidays) or such longer period as the rules and regulations of the SEC prescribe. In addition, under the 1940 Act, the WPG Fund may not invest more than 5% of its assets in the securities of any issuer that derives more than 15% of its gross revenue from a securities-related business, unless an exemption is available under the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Company has adopted, on behalf of the Funds, a policy relating to the selective disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings by the Adviser, Co-Adviser, Board, officers, or third party service providers, in accordance with regulations that seek to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio holdings is in the best interest of a Fund’s shareholders. The policies relating to the disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information where necessary to the Fund’s operation without compromising the integrity or performance of the Fund. It is the policy of the Company that disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings to a select person or persons prior to the release of such holdings to the public (“selective disclosure”) is prohibited, unless there are legitimate business purposes for selective disclosure.

 

The Company discloses portfolio holdings information as required in regulatory filings and shareholder reports, discloses portfolio holdings information as required by federal and state securities laws and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities. As required by the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the Company will disclose each Fund’s portfolio holdings in applicable regulatory filings, including shareholder reports, reports on Form N-CSR, Form N-CEN, and Form N-Q (or Form N-Q's successor, Form N-PORT) such other filings, reports or disclosure documents as the applicable regulatory authorities may require.

 

The Adviser currently makes the Funds’ complete portfolio holdings, top ten holdings, sector weightings and other portfolio characteristics publicly available on its web site, www.boston-partners.com as disclosed in the following table:

 

Information Posting Frequency of Disclosure Date of Web Posting
Complete Portfolio Holdings and top 10 Portfolio Holdings Monthly/Quarterly* 5 business days after the end of each calendar month for the Funds

 

 

* For the Long/Short Equity Fund, Long/Short Research Fund, Global Long/Short Fund, and Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund the complete long positions only for the Funds will be publicly available on the Adviser’s website at www.boston-partners.com.

 

The scope of the information relating to the Funds’ portfolios that is made available on the web site may change from time to time without notice. The Adviser, Co-Adviser, or their affiliates may include a Fund’s portfolio holdings that have already been made public through a Web posting or SEC filing in marketing literature and other communications to shareholders, advisors or other parties, provided that, in the case of holdings made public through the Web, the information is disclosed no earlier than the day after the date of posting to the Web site.

 

The Company may distribute or authorize the distribution of information about a Fund’s portfolio holdings that is not publicly available to its third-party service providers, which include U.S. Bank, N.A., the custodian; U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), the administrator, accounting agent and transfer agent; Ernst & Young LLP, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, legal counsel; FilePoint, the financial printer; the Funds’ proxy voting service(s); and the Company’s liquidity classification agent. These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to a Fund. Such holdings are released on conditions of confidentiality, which include appropriate trading prohibitions. “Conditions of confidentiality” include confidentiality terms included in written agreements, implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g. attorney-client relationship), or required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody services provided by financial institutions).

 

Portfolio holdings may also be disclosed, upon authorization by a designated officer of the Adviser, to (i) certain independent reporting agencies recognized by the SEC as acceptable agencies for the reporting of industry statistical information, and (ii) financial consultants to assist them in determining the suitability of the Funds as an investment for their clients, in each case in accordance with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the Company’s, Adviser’s, and Co-Adviser's fiduciary duties to the Funds’ shareholders. Disclosures to financial consultants are also subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions. The foregoing disclosures are made pursuant to the Company’s policy on selective disclosure of portfolio holdings. The Board or a committee thereof may, in limited circumstances, permit other selective disclosure of portfolio holdings subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions. Portfolio holdings may also be provided earlier to shareholders and their agents who receive redemptions in kind that reflect a pro rata allocation of all securities held in the Fund’s portfolio.

 

The Adviser and Co-Adviser reserve the right to refuse to fulfill any request for portfolio holdings information from a shareholder or non-shareholder if it believes that providing such information will be contrary to the best interests of a Fund.

 

The Board provides ongoing oversight of the Company’s policies and procedures and compliance with such policies and procedures. As part of this oversight function, the Board receives from the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) as necessary, reports on compliance with these policies and procedures. In addition, the Board receives an annual assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the policies and procedures with respect to a Fund, and any changes thereto, and an annual review of the operation of the policies and procedures. Any violation of the policy set forth above as well as any corrective action undertaken to address such violation must be reported by the Adviser, Co-Adviser, officers or third party service providers to the Company’s CCO, who will determine whether the violation should be reported immediately to the Board or at its next quarterly Board meeting.

 

24 

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

Portfolio turnover measures the percentage of each Fund’s total portfolio market value that was purchased or sold during the period. Each Fund’s turnover rate provides an indication of how transaction costs (which are not included in the Fund’s expenses) may affect the Fund’s performance. Also, funds with a high turnover may be more likely to distribute capital gains that may be taxable to shareholders.

 

Each Fund’s portfolio turnover rates for the two most recent fiscal years are stated below. Portfolio turnover rates could change significantly in response to turbulent market conditions.

 

  Portfolio Turnover
 

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2019

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2018

Small Cap Value Fund II 29% 40%
Long/Short Equity Fund 64% 58%
Long/Short Research Fund 60% 60%
All-Cap Value Fund 33% 33%
WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund 79% 80%
Global Equity Fund 97% 80%
Global Long/Short Fund 99% 85%
Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund 186% 222%
Emerging Markets Fund* 155% 146%
Global Equity Advantage Fund ** 16% N/A

 

* The Emerging Markets Fund commenced operations on October 17, 2017.
** The Global Equity Advantage Fund commenced operations on May 29, 2019.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

 

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the oversight of the Board, subject to the laws of the State of Maryland and the Company’s Charter. The Directors are responsible for deciding matters of overall policy and overseeing the actions of the Company’s service providers. The officers of the Company conduct and supervise the Company’s daily business operations.

 

Directors who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) are referred to as “Independent Directors.” Directors who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company are referred to as “Interested Directors.” The Board is currently composed of seven Independent Directors and one Interested Director. The Board has selected Arnold M. Reichman, an Independent Director, to act as Chairman. Mr. Reichman’s duties include presiding at meetings of the Board and interfacing with management to address significant issues that may arise between regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings. In the performance of his duties, Mr. Reichman will consult with the other Independent Directors and the Company’s officers and legal counsel, as appropriate. The Chairman may perform other functions as requested by the Board from time to time.

 

The Board meets as often as necessary to discharge its responsibilities. Currently, the Board conducts regular, in-person meetings at least four times a year, and holds special in-person or telephonic meetings as necessary to address specific issues that require attention prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board also relies on professionals, such as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms and legal counsel, to assist the Directors in performing their oversight responsibilities.

 

The Board has established nine standing committees — Audit, Contract, Executive, Investment and Liquidity Risk, Nominating and Governance, Product Development, Regulatory Oversight, Strategic Oversight, and Valuation Committees. The Board may establish other committees, or nominate one or more Directors to examine particular issues related to the Board’s oversight responsibilities, from time to time. Each Committee meets periodically to perform its delegated oversight functions and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board. For more information on the Committees, see the section entitled “Standing Committees.”

 

The Board has determined that the Company’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities.

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

The Directors and executive officers of the Company, their ages, business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

 

Name, Address, and

Age

Position(s)
Held with

Company

Term of

Office

and Length of

Time Served1

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund 

Complex

Overseen by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

Julian A. Brodsky

615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 86

 

Director 1988 to present From 1969 to 2011, Director and Vice Chairman, Comcast Corporation (cable television and communications). 34 AMDOCS Limited (service provider to telecommunications companies).

 

25

 

Name, Address, and

Age

Position(s)
Held with

Company

Term of

Office

and Length of

Time Served1

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund 

Complex

Overseen by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

J. Richard Carnall

615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 81

Director 2002 to present Since 1984, Director of Haydon Bolts, Inc. (bolt manufacturer) and Parkway Real Estate Company (subsidiary of Haydon Bolts, Inc.); since 2004, Director of Cornerstone Bank. 34 None

Gregory P. Chandler

615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 53

Director 2012 to present Since 2009, Chief Financial Officer, Emtec, Inc. (information technology consulting services). 34

Emtec, Inc. (until December 2019); FS Investment Corporation (business development company) (until December 2018); FS Energy and Power Fund (business development company);

Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company).

Nicholas A. Giordano

615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 76

 

Director 2006 to present Since 1997, Consultant, financial services organizations. 34

IntriCon Corporation

(biomedical device

manufacturer);

Kalmar Pooled Investment Trust (registered investment company) (until September 2017); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company); Independence Blue Cross (healthcare insurance).

Arnold M. Reichman

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 71

Chairman

 

Director 

2005 to present

 

1991 to present 

From 2006-2016, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lifebooker, LLC (online beauty and health appointment booking service). 34 Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

Brian T. Shea

615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 59

 

Director 2018 to present From 2014-2017, Chief Executive Officer, BNY Mellon Investment Services (fund services, global custodian and securities clearing firm); from 1983-2014, Chief Executive Officer and various positions, Pershing LLC (broker dealer, clearing and custody firm). 34

WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (asset management company) (until March 2019); Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (financial services technology company); Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (financial services company).

Robert A. Straniere

615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 78

Director 2006 to present Since 2009, Administrative Law Judge, New York City; since 1980, Founding Partner, Straniere Law Group (law firm). 34

Reich and Tang Group (asset management) (until 2015).

INTERESTED DIRECTOR2

Robert Sablowsky

615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 81 

Vice Chairman

 

Director 

2016 to present

 

1991 to present 

Since 2002, Senior Director - Investments and prior thereto, Executive Vice President, of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (a registered broker-dealer). 34 None
OFFICERS

Salvatore Faia, JD,

CPA, CFE

Vigilant Compliance, LLC
Gateway Corporate Center
Suite 216

223 Wilmington
West Chester Pike

Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Age: 57

President

 

Chief Compliance Officer

 

2009 to present

 

2004 to present

 

Since 2004, President, Vigilant Compliance, LLC (investment management services company); since 2005, Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

N/A N/A

James G. Shaw

615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 59

 

Treasurer

and

Secretary

 

2016 to present Since 2016, Treasurer and Secretary of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2005 to 2016, Assistant Treasurer of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 1995 to 2016, Senior Director and Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (financial services company). N/A N/A

 

26

 

Name, Address, and

Age

Position(s)
Held with

Company

Term of

Office

and Length of

Time Served1

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund 

Complex

Overseen by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

Craig A. Urciuoli

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 45 

Director of Marketing & Business Development 2019 to present Since 2019, Director of Marketing & Business Development, The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2000-2019, Managing Director, Third Avenue Management LLC. N/A N/A

Jennifer Witt

615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 37 

Assistant Treasurer 2018 to present Since 2016, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm); from 2007 to 2016, Supervisor, Nuveen Investments (registered investment company). N/A N/A

Edward Paz

615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 49

Assistant Secretary

2016 to present Since 2007, Vice President and Counsel, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm). N/A N/A

Michael P. Malloy

One Logan Square

Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103
Age: 60

Assistant
Secretary
1999 to present Since 1993, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm). N/A N/A

Jillian L. Bosmann

One Logan Square

Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 41

Assistant
Secretary
2017 to present Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle&Reath LLP (law firm) (2017-Present); Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (2006-Present). N/A N/A

 

* Each Director oversees 34 portfolios of the Company.

 

1. Subject to the Company’s Retirement Policy, each Director may continue to serve as a Director until the last day of the calendar year in which the applicable Director attains age 75 or until his successor is elected and qualified or his death, resignation or removal. The Board reserves the right to waive the requirements of the Policy with respect to an individual Director. The Board has approved waivers of the policy with respect to Messrs. Brodsky, Carnall, Giordano, Sablowsky and Straniere. Each officer holds office at the pleasure of the Board until the next special meeting of the Company or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed.

 

2. Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “interested person” of the Company as that term is defined in the 1940 Act and is referred to as an “Interested Director.” Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “Interested Director” of the Company by virtue of his position as an employee of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

 

Director Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and/or Skills

 

The information above includes each Director’s principal occupations during the last five years.  Each Director possesses extensive additional experience, skills and attributes relevant to his qualifications to serve as a Director.  The cumulative background of each Director led to the conclusion that each Director should serve as a Director of the Company.  Mr. Giordano has years of experience as a consultant to financial services organizations and also serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Mr. Reichman brings decades of investment management experience to the Board, in addition to senior executive-level management experience.  Mr. Straniere has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and has served on the boards of an asset management company and another registered investment company.  Mr. Brodsky has over 40 years of senior executive-level management experience in the cable television and communications industry.  Mr. Sablowsky has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the financial services industry.  Mr. Carnall has decades of senior executive-level management experience in the banking and financial services industry and also serves on the boards of various corporations and a bank. Mr. Chandler has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive level positions in the investment technology consulting/services and investment banking/brokerage industries, and also serves on various boards. Mr. Shea has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the brokerage, clearing, and investment services industry, including service on the boards of industry regulatory organizations and a university.

 

Standing Committees

 

The responsibilities of each Committee of the Board and its members are described below.

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler and Giordano. The Audit Committee, among other things, reviews results of the annual audit and approves the firm(s) to serve as independent auditors. The Audit Committee convened three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Contract Committee. The Board has a Contract Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Contract Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler, Sablowsky and Straniere. The Contract Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the approval and continuation of agreements and plans of the Company. The Contract Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Executive Committee. The Board has an Executive Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Executive Committee are Messrs. Chandler, Giordano, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Executive Committee may generally carry on and manage the business of the Company when the Board is not in session. The Executive Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee. The Board has an Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two Independent Directors. The current members of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee are Messrs. Reichman, Sablowsky and Shea. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee ensures that the Company’s investment advisers have adopted investment and liquidity risk management policies and procedures. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee met one time during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

27

 

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Giordano and Reichman. The Nominating and Governance Committee recommends to the Board all persons to be nominated as Directors of the Company. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Committee care of the Company’s Secretary. The Nominating and Governance Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Product Development Committee. The Board has a Product Development Committee comprised of the Interested Director and one Independent Director. The current members of the Product Development Committee are Messrs. Reichman and Sablowsky. The Product Development Committee oversees the process regarding the addition of new investment advisers and investment products to the Company. The Product Development Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Regulatory Oversight Committee. The Board has a Regulatory Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and four Independent Directors. The current members of the Regulatory Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Reichman, Sablowsky, Shea and Straniere. The Regulatory Oversight Committee monitors regulatory developments in the mutual fund industry and focuses on various regulatory aspects of the operation of the Company. The Regulatory Oversight Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Strategic Oversight Committee. The Board has a Strategic Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Strategic Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Chandler, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Strategic Oversight Committee assists the Board in its oversight and review of the Company’s strategic plan and operations. The Strategic Oversight Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Valuation Committee. The Board has a Valuation Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two officers of the Company. The members of the Valuation Committee are Messrs. Faia, Sablowsky and Shaw. The Valuation Committee is responsible for reviewing fair value determinations. The Valuation Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Risk Oversight

 

The Board performs its risk oversight function for the Company through a combination of (1) direct oversight by the Board as a whole and Board committees and (2) indirect oversight through the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, Company officers and the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer.  The Company is subject to a number of risks, including but not limited to investment risk, compliance risk, operational risk, reputational risk, credit risk and counterparty risk.  Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Company is the responsibility of the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk) that carry out the Company’s investment management and business affairs.  Each of the investment advisers and the other service providers have their own independent interest in risk management and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models and may differ from the Company’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.

 

The Board provides risk oversight by receiving and reviewing on a regular basis reports from the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers, receiving and approving compliance policies and procedures, periodic meetings with the Company’s portfolio managers to review investment policies, strategies and risks, and meeting regularly with the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer to discuss compliance reports, findings and issues.  The Board also relies on the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, with respect to the day-to-day activities of the Company, to create and maintain procedures and controls to minimize risk and the likelihood of adverse effects on the Company’s business and reputation.

 

Board oversight of risk management is also provided by various Board Committees.  For example, the Audit Committee meets with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms to ensure that the Company’s respective audit scopes include risk-based considerations as to the Company’s financial position and operations.

 

The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight.  The Board’s oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Company’s investments or activities.

 

Director Ownership of Shares of the Company

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in the Funds and in all of the portfolios of the Company (which for each Director comprise all registered investment companies within the Company’s family of investment companies overseen by him), as of December 31, 2019.

 

Name of Director

Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Funds

Aggregate Dollar Range of  
Equity Securities in All  
Registered Investment Companies  
Overseen by Director within the  
Family of Investment Companies
Independent Directors    
Julian A. Brodsky Over $100,000 Over $100,000
J. Richard Carnall $10,001-$50,000 $10,001-$50,000
Gregory P. Chandler $1-$10,000 $10,001-$50,000
Nicholas A. Giordano $10,001-$50,000 $10,001-$50,000
Arnold M. Reichman Over $100,000 Over $100,000
Brian T. Shea None $10,001-$50,000
Robert A. Straniere $1-$10,000 $1-$10,000
Interested Director    
Robert Sablowsky Over $100,000 Over $100,000

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in each individual Fund as of December 31, 2019:

 

28

 

Name of Director/Officer Boston
Partners Small  
Cap Value  
Fund II
Boston
Partners  
All-Cap  
Value Fund
Boston
Partners  
Long/Short  
Equity Fund
Boston
Partners  
Long/Short  
Research Fund
Independent Directors:        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director None None Over $100,000 None
J. Richard Carnall, Director None None $10,001-$50,000 None
Gregory P. Chandler, Director None None $1-$10,000 None
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director None $10,001-$50,000 None None
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman None None Over $100,000 None
Brian T. Shea, Director None None None None
Robert A. Straniere, Director None None None None
Interested Director:        
Robert Sablowsky, Director None None None Over $100,000

 

Name of Director/Officer WPG Partners
Small/  
Micro Cap  
Value Fund
Boston Partners
Global  
Equity Fund
Boston Partners
Global  
Long/Short  
Fund
Boston Partners
Emerging Markets  
Long/Short  
Fund

Boston Partners
Emerging Markets
Fund

Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund*
Independent Directors:            
Julian A. Brodsky, Director None None None None None None
J. Richard Carnall, Director None None None None None None
Gregory P. Chandler, Director None None None None None None
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director None None None None None None
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman None None None None Over $100,000 None
Brian T. Shea, Director None None None None None None
Robert A. Straniere, Director $1-$10,000 None None None None None
Interested Director:            
Robert Sablowsky, Director None None None None None None

 

* The Fund commenced operations on May 29, 2019.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Independent Directors and their respective immediate family members (spouse or dependent children) did not own beneficially or of record any securities of the Company’s investment advisers or distributor, or of any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment advisers or distributor.

 

Directors’ and Officers’ Compensation

 

Effective April 1, 2019, the Company pays each Director a retainer at the rate of $125,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each receives an additional fee of $20,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee each receives an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services. The Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee receives an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $35,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $75,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

From January 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, the Company paid each Director a retainer at the rate of $100,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each received an additional fee of $15,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee received an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services, and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee each received an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $25,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $50,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

Directors are reimbursed for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board or any committee thereof. An employee of Vigilant Compliance, LLC serves as President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Company. Vigilant Compliance, LLC is compensated for the services provided to the Company, and such compensation is determined by the Board. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, Vigilant Compliance, LLC received $770,742 in the aggregate from all series of the Company for services provided. An employee of the Company serves as the Treasurer and Secretary and is compensated for services provided.

 

29

 

Fund  

Compensation Paid to

Vigilant Compliance, LLC for

the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2019

 
Small Cap Value II Fund   $ 15,551  
All-Cap Value Fund   $ 57,058  
Long/Short Equity Fund   $ 14,070  
Long/Short Research Fund   $ 149,619  
Global Equity Fund   $ 18,643  
Global Long/Short Fund   $ 24,262  
Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund   $ 1,734  
WPG Fund   $ 747  
Emerging Markets Fund   $ 197  
Global Equity Advantage Fund*   $ 0  

 

* The Fund commenced operations on May 29, 2019.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from the Funds in the following amounts:

 

 Name of Director/Officer   Aggregate  
Compensation  
from the Funds
    Pension or  
Retirement  
Benefits Accrued
 

Estimated
Annual
Benefits

Upon
Retirement

 

Total
Compensation
From 
Fund Complex
Paid to

Directors
or Officer

 
Independent Directors:                        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director   $ 66,494      N/A    N/A   $ 148,750  
J. Richard Carnall, Director   $ 68,514        N/A      N/A   $ 152,250  
Gregory P. Chandler, Director   $ 79,949      N/A    N/A   $ 178,500  
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director   $ 70,388         N/A      N/A   $ 156,875  
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman   $ 93,428      N/A    N/A   $ 208,500  
Brian T. Shea, Director   $ 69,240         N/A      N/A   $ 152,500  
Robert A. Straniere, Director   $ 70,009      N/A    N/A   $ 155,750  
Interested Director:                        
Robert Sablowsky, Director   $ 92,020      N/A    N/A   $ 205,250  
Officer:                        
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary   $ 150,160      N/A    N/A   $ 288,000  

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from each of the Funds in the following amounts:

 

30

 

Name of Director/Officer  

Boston

Partners Small
Cap Value
Fund II

   

Boston

Partners
All-Cap
Value Fund

   

Boston

Partners
Long/Short
Equity Fund

   

Boston

Partners
Long/Short
Research Fund

    WPG Partners
Small/  
Micro Cap  
Value Fund
 
Independent Directors:                                        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director   $ 3,556     $ 13,186     $ 3,554     $ 35,895     $ 174  
J. Richard Carnall, Director   $ 3,641     $ 13,530     $ 3,702     $ 37,129     $ 179  
Gregory P. Chandler, Director   $ 4,261     $ 15,803     $ 4,312     $ 43,261     $ 209  
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director   $ 3,745     $ 13,899     $ 3,814     $ 38,146     $ 184  
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman   $ 4,966     $ 18,406     $ 5,074     $ 50,673     $ 244  
Brian T. Shea, Director   $ 3,696     $ 13,716     $ 3,710     $ 37,430     $ 181  
Robert A. Straniere, Director   $ 3,734     $ 13,869     $ 3,745     $ 37,835     $ 183  
Interested Director:                                        
Robert Sablowsky, Director   $ 4,901     $ 18,173     $ 4,968     $ 49,802     $ 241  
Officer:                                        
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary   $ 7,418     $ 27,796     $ 9,404     $ 84,399     $ 196  

 

Name of Director/Officer   Boston Partners
Global  
Equity Fund
    Boston Partners
Global  
Long/Short  
Fund
    Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund    

Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short

Fund

    Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund*  
Independent Directors:                                        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director   $ 4,149     $ 5,565     $ 34     $ 381     $ 0  
J. Richard Carnall, Director   $ 4,217     $ 5,696     $ 32     $ 387     $ 0  
Gregory P. Chandler, Director   $ 4,944     $ 6,664     $ 39     $ 455     $ 0  
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director   $ 4,325     $ 5,845     $ 33     $ 398     $ 0  
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman   $ 5,726     $ 7,767     $ 44     $ 528     $ 0  
Brian T. Shea, Director   $ 4,299     $ 5,780     $ 35     $ 395     $ 0  
Robert A. Straniere, Director   $ 4,356     $ 5,852     $ 35     $ 400     $ 0  
Interested Director:                                        
Robert Sablowsky, Director   $ 5,689     $ 7,676     $ 45     $ 524     $ 0  
Officer:                                        
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary   $ 8,292     $ 11,802     $ 54     $ 799     $ 0  

 

* The Fund commenced operations on May 29, 2019.

 

Each compensated Director is entitled to participate in the Company’s deferred compensation plan (the “DC Plan”). Under the DC Plan, a compensated Director may elect to defer all or a portion of his compensation and have the deferred compensation treated as if it had been invested by the Company in shares of one or more of the portfolios of the Company. The amount paid to the Directors under the DC Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Company, the Adviser and Co-Advisers (with respect to the Global Equity Advantage Fund) have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permits personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Company, subject to certain restrictions.

 

PROXY VOTING

 

The Board has delegated the responsibility of voting proxies with respect to the portfolio securities purchased and/or held by each Fund to the Fund’s Adviser (or Co-Advisers with respect to the Global Equity Advantage Fund), subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. In exercising its voting obligations, each Adviser and Co-Adviser is guided by its general fiduciary duty to act prudently and in the interest of the Funds. The Adviser and Co-Advisers will consider factors affecting the value of the Funds’ investments and the rights of shareholders in its determination on voting portfolio securities.

 

For the Global Equity Advantage Fund, Boston Partners and Campbell have agreed that Campbell will abstain from voting any proxies received relating to its management of this Fund.

 

The Adviser has adopted proxy voting procedures with respect to voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Funds. The Adviser employs a third party service provider, Institutional Shareholder Services, to assist in the voting of proxies. These procedures have been provided to the service provider, who analyzes the proxies and makes recommendations, based on the Adviser’s policy, as to how to vote such proxies. A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policy is included with this SAI.  Please see Appendix B to this SAI for further information.

 

31

 

Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-888-261-4073 or by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

As January 31, 2020, to the Company’s knowledge, the following named persons at the addresses shown below were owners of record of approximately 5% or more of the total outstanding shares of each Fund as indicated below. See “Additional Information Concerning Company Shares” below. Any shareholder that owns 25% or more of the outstanding shares of a portfolio or class may be presumed to “control” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) the portfolio or class. Shareholders controlling a portfolio or class could have the ability to vote a majority of the shares of the portfolio or class on any matter requiring approval of the shareholders of the portfolio or class.

 

Name of Fund and

Shareholder Name and Address

Percentage of Shares Owned

as of January 31, 2020

WPG Small/Micro Cap Value Fund Institutional Class
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Reinvest Account
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept.
101 Montgomery St.
San Francisco, CA 94101
7.03%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
6.82%
Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II Institutional Class
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
38.7%
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
21.34%
PIMS / Prudential Retirement
As Nominee for the TTEE
Autozone Inc., 401(K) Plan
123 South Front St.
PO 2198
Memphis, TN 38103-3607
7.29%
C/O Fascore LLC
Wells Fargo Bank NA Trustee
City of Tallahassee
8515 E Orchard Rd. 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002
6.32%
OLTRUST & CO - CASH/CASH
PO Box 966
Evansville, IN 47706-0966
5.09%
Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II Investor Class
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
49.04%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
24.13%

 

32

 

Reliance Trust Company FBO
Mass Mutual Registered Product
PO Box 28004
Atlanta, GA 30358-0004
8.07%
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund Institutional Class
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
16.87%
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
14.12%
SEI Private Trust Company
Attn: Mutual Funds Administrator
C/O Suntrust Bank ID 866
One Freedom Valley Dr.
Oaks, PA 19456-9989
11.53%
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith
For the Sole Benefit of its Customers
4800 Deer Lake Dr. E
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484
9.63%
Pershing LLC
1 Pershing Plz.
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0002
9.19%
Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC
Special Custody Acct. For the Exclusive Benefit of its Customers
2801 Market St.
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523
9.07%
TD Ameritrade Inc.
For the Exclusive Benefit of its Clients
PO Box 2226
Omaha, NE 68103-2226
7.66%
Vanguard Marketing Corporation
100 Vanguard Blvd.
Malvern, PA 19355-2331
6.27%
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund Investor Class
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
60.08%
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
9.93%
TD Ameritrade Inc.
For the Exclusive Benefit of its Clients
PO Box 2226
Omaha, NE 68103-2226
7.66%
Pershing LLC
1 Pershing Plz.
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0002
5.47%

 

33

 

Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund Institutional Class
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
22.83%
SEI Private Trust Company
Attn: Mutual Funds
One Freedom Valley Dr.
Oaks, PA 19456-9989
13.35%
Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC
Special Custody Acct For the Exclusive Benefit of its Customers
2801 Market St.
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523
13.30%
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
11.80%
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith
For the Sole Benefit of its Customers
4800 Deer Lake Dr. E
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484
7.01%
Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund Investor Class
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
51.44%
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
20.41%
TD Ameritrade Inc.
For the Exclusive Benefit of its Clients
PO Box 2226
Omaha, NE 68103-2226
14.06%
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund Institutional Class
Wells Fargo Bank FBO
Various Retirement Plans
1525 West WT Harris Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28288-1076
26.80%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
15.14%
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith
For the Sole Benefit of its Customers
4800 Deer Lake Dr. E
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6486
15.04%

 

34

 

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
13.25%
Pershing LLC
1 Pershing Plz.
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0002
7.20%
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund Investor Class
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
44.34%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
30.50%
LPL Financial
Omnibus Customer Account
Attn: Lindsay O’Toole
4707 Executive Dr.
San Diego, CA 92121-3091
8.67%
Boston Partners Global Equity Fund Institutional Class
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
67.32%
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
14.99%
Patrick Dolan Jr. Pres. Ent. Assoc.
401K Plan FBO Anthony Saporito EVP
27-08 40th Ave. 2nd FL
Long Is. City, NY 11101-3725
5.60%
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund Institutional Class
Texas County & District
Retirement System
Barton Oaks Plaza IV
901 Mopac South Suite 500
Austin, TX 78746-5928
 38.29%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of its Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
20.55%
UBS WM USA
Spec. Cdy. A/C EBOC UBSFI
1000 Harbor Blvd.
Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761
12.97%

 

35

 

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
11.24%
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith
For the Sole Benefit of its Customers
4800 Deer Lake Dr. E
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6486
7.15%
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund Investor Class
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefits of our Customers
Attn:  Mutual Funds Dept., 4th FL
499 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
46.15%
TD Ameritrade Inc.
For the Exclusive Benefit of its Clients
PO Box 2226
Omaha, NE 68154-2631
27.76%
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
18.95%
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund Investor Class
Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
909 3rd Ave. FL 32
Attn:  Lynn Jian
New York, NY 10022-4751
75.11%
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
14.25%
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund Institutional Class
Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
909 3rd Ave. FL 32
Attn:  Lynn Jian
New York, NY 10022-4751
100%
Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund Institutional Class  
D Keith Campbell Declaration of Trust
D Keith Campbell TR
U/A 12/20/2004
2850 Quarry Lake Dr.
Baltimore, MD 21209-3874
72.99%
Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
909 3rd Ave. FL 32
Attn: Lynn Jian
New York, NY 10022-4751
26.68%

 

As of January 31, 2020, Directors and Officers as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each Fund.

 

36

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

Investment Adviser - All Funds (other than the Global Equity Advantage Fund)

 

The Adviser, located at One Grand Central Place, 60 E. 42nd Street, Suite 1550, New York NY 10165, is a subsidiary of Orix Corporation Europe N.V. (formerly Robeco Groep N.V.), a Dutch public limited liability company (“ORIX Europe”). Founded in 1929, ORIX Europe is one of the world’s oldest asset management organizations. ORIX Europe is owned by ORIX Corporation, an integrated financial services group based in Tokyo, Japan. The Adviser provides investment management and investment advisory services to other institutional and proprietary accounts.

 

The Adviser also serves as the investment adviser to the Subsidiary, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short OffShore Ltd., a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company, pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Subsidiary. The Adviser does not receive additional compensation for its management of the Subsidiary.

 

The Adviser has investment discretion for the Funds and will make all decisions affecting the assets of those Funds under the supervision of the Board and in accordance with each Fund’s stated policies. The Adviser will select investments for the Funds.

 

Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser will provide for the overall management of the Funds, including (i) the provision of a continuous investment program for the Funds, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents, (ii) the determination from time to time of what securities and other investments will be purchased, retained or sold by the Funds, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for all purchases and sales made for the Funds. The Adviser will provide the services rendered by it in accordance with the Funds’ investment goals, restrictions and policies as stated in the Prospectuses and in this SAI.

 

For its services to the Boston Partners Funds under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to receive a monthly advisory fee computed at an annual rate of 0.95% of the Small Cap Value Fund’s average daily net assets, 2.25% of the Long/Short Equity Fund’s average daily net assets, 1.25% of the Long/Short Research Fund’s average daily net assets, 0.70% of the All-Cap Value Fund’s average daily net assets, 0.90% of the Global Equity Fund’s average daily net assets, 1.50% of the Global Long/Short Fund’s average daily net assets, 1.85% of Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund’s average daily net assets, and 0.85% of the Emerging Markets Fund’s average daily net assets, respectively. Prior to October 1, 2019, the Small Cap Value Fund's advisory fee was 1.00%, and the Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund's advisory fee was 1.85%.

 

For its services to the WPG Fund, the Adviser is entitled to receive advisory fees, accrued daily and paid monthly, as follows:

 

0.80% of average daily net assets up to $500 million

 

0.75% of average daily net assets in excess of $500 million

 

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fees to the extent necessary to maintain the following expense ratios (excluding certain items noted below) for the Funds:

 

  Institutional Investor
Long/Short Equity Fund* 1.96% 2.21%
All-Cap Value Fund 0.80% 1.05%
Long/Short Research Fund 1.50% 1.75%
Global Long/Short Fund 2.00% 2.25%
Global Equity Fund 0.95% 1.20%
Small Cap Value Fund 1.10% 1.35%
WPG Fund 1.10% N/A
Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund** 1.50% N/A
Emerging Markets Fund 1.10% N/A

 

* Prior to February 28, 2020, the fee cap for the Long/Short Equity Fund's Institutional Class and Investor class was 2.50% and 2.75%, respectively.
** Prior to October 1, 2019, the fee cap for the Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund was 2.00%.

 

These limits are calculated daily based on the Funds’ average daily net assets.  These limitations are effected in waivers of advisory fees and reimbursements of expenses exceeding the advisory fee as necessary. The contractual limitations are in effect until at least February 28, 2021, except for the Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, which limitation is in effect until at least February 28, 2022, and may not be terminated without approval of the Board.

 

If at any time a Fund’s total annual Fund operating expenses for a year are less than the above-listed expense limitation, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Funds of the advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause a Fund’s net annualized expense ratio to exceed the applicable expense limitation: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes and other items as agreed upon by both parties from time to time.

 

Investment Co-Advisers - Global Equity Advantage Fund

 

For its services to the Global Equity Advantage Fund, Boston Partners and Campbell & Company are Co-Advisers. Boston Partners has investment discretion for the equity portion of the Global Equity Advantage Fund's portfolio, including equity securities and related derivative contracts.

 

Campbell is located at 2850 Quarry Lake Drive, Baltimore, MD 21209.  Campbell was founded in 2005.  Campbell is registered as an Investment Adviser with the SEC and as a Commodity Trading Adviser with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and is a member of the National Futures Association. Campbell is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Campbell & Company, LP (“Campbell & Company”). Campbell & Company LLC is the General Partner of Campbell & Company. Campbell & Company, LLC is controlled by KC Holding, Inc. Campbell & Company and its predecessor organization, Campbell & Company, Inc., was formed in 1972 and have over forty years of experience in creating and managing alternative investment vehicles.  Campbell & Company is registered with the CFTC as a CPO and a CTA.  Campbell & Company is a member of the NFA in such capacities. Campbell has appointed Campbell & Company as the Fund’s Commodity Pool Operator.  Campbell & Company’s officers are:  G. William Andrews, Chief Executive Officer; Kevin Cole, Chief Research Officer; Michael S. Harris, President; and Thomas P. Lloyd, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Campbell is primarily responsible for investing approximately 20% of the Fund’s assets in the Campbell Advantage strategy, a systematic trend following program, which is diversified across global futures and forwards markets (types of derivative instruments). Campbell is also primarily responsible for determining the allocation of the Fund's portfolio between equity and other investments.

 

37

 

Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Co-Advisers will provide for the overall management of the Fund, including (i) the provision of a continuous investment program for the Fund, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents, (ii) the determination from time to time of what securities and other investments will be purchased, retained or sold by the Fund, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for all purchases and sales made for the Fund. Each Co-Adviser will provide the services rendered by it in accordance with the Fund’s investment goals, restrictions and policies as stated in the Prospectus and in this SAI.

 

For their services to the Fund, the Co-Advisers will each receive an equal amount of the advisory fee under their respective Advisory Agreements, computed at an annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund's average daily net assets.

 

Until December 31, 2021, the Co-Advisers have agreed to waive their fees to the extent necessary to maintain an annualized expense ratio of 1.05% of the Fund’s average daily net assets (excluding certain items discussed below). There can be no assurance that the Co-Advisers will continue such waivers after December 31, 2021. In determining each Co-Adviser's obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause the Fund's net annualized expense ratio to exceed the applicable expense limitation: short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes.

 

If at any time the Fund’s total annual Fund operating expenses for a year are less than 1.05% of its average daily net assets, each Co-Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees waived and other payments remitted by the Co-Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, the Boston Partners Funds paid the Adviser (or Co-Advisers) advisory fees and the Adviser (or Co-Advisers) waived advisory fees as follows:

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended   Advisory Fees Paid
(after waivers and  
reimbursements)
    Waivers     Recoupments  
August 31, 2019                        
Small Cap Value   $ 5,179,015     $ 406,176     $ 0  
Long/Short Equity   $ 9,431,861     $ 45,543     $ 0  
All-Cap Value   $ 13,820,632     $ 476,070     $ 0  
Long/Short Research   $ 60,698,375     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Equity   $ 5,600,292     $ 608,508     $ 0  
Global Long/Short   $ 12,334,955     $ 0     $ 0  
Emerging Markets Long/Short   $ 826,591     $ 291,221     $ 0  
Emerging Markets Fund   $ 0     $ 162,027     $ 0  
Global Equity Advantage Fund*   $ 0     $ 110,276     $ 0  

 

* The Fund commenced operations on May 29, 2019.

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended   Advisory Fees Paid
(after waivers and  
reimbursements)
    Waivers     Reimbursements  
August 31, 2018                        
Small Cap Value   $ 5,561,028     $ 242,966     $ 0  
Long/Short Equity   $ 20,267,197     $ 0     $ 0  
All-Cap Value   $ 14,501,171     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Research   $ 86,450,170     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Equity   $ 5,240,492     $ 523,243     $ 0  
Global Long/Short   $ 15,045,899     $ 0     $ 0  
Emerging Markets Long/Short   $ 979,743     $ 245,314     $ 0  
Emerging Market Fund*   $ 0     $ 135,327     $ 0  

 

* The Fund commenced operations on October 17, 2017.

 

38

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended   Advisory Fees Paid
(after waivers and  
reimbursements)
    Waivers     Reimbursements  
August 31, 2017                        
Small Cap Value   $ 4,782,247     $ 374,421     $ 0  
Long/Short Equity   $ 21,002,382     $ 0     $ 0  
All-Cap Value   $ 11,601,703     $ 1,300,485     $ 0  
Long/Short Research   $ 81,234,584     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Equity   $ 4,244,838     $ 407,721     $ 0  
Global Long/Short   $ 13,678,992     $ 0     $ 0  
Emerging Markets Long/Short   $ 479,386     $ 220,693     $ 0  

 

For services provided by the Adviser to the WPG Fund for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the following advisory fees were paid:

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended   Advisory Fees Paid
(after waivers and  
reimbursements)
    Waivers     Recoupments  
August 31, 2019                        
WPG Fund   $ 169,941     $ 35,330     $ 0  
August 31, 2018                        
WPG Fund   $ 253,334     $ 5,324     $ 1,433  
August 31, 2017                        
WPG Fund   $ 272,433     $ 64,536     $ 0  

 

Each class of the Funds bears its own expenses not specifically assumed by the Adviser or Co-Adviser. General expenses of the Company not readily identifiable as belonging to a portfolio of the Company are allocated among all investment portfolios by or under the direction of the Board in such manner as it deems to be fair and equitable. Expenses borne by a portfolio include, but are not limited to the expenses listed in the Prospectuses and the following (or a portfolio’s share of the following): (a) the cost (including brokerage commissions) of securities purchased or sold by a portfolio and any losses incurred in connection therewith; (b) fees payable to and expenses incurred on behalf of a portfolio by the Adviser or Co-Adviser; (c) any costs, expenses or losses arising out of a liability of or claim for damages or other relief asserted against the Company or a portfolio for violation of any law; (d) any extraordinary expenses; (e) fees, voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; (f) the cost of investment company literature and other publications provided by the Company to its Directors and officers; (g) organizational costs; (h) fees to the investment advisers and Fund Services; (i) fees and expenses of officers and Directors who are not affiliated with a portfolio’s investment adviser or Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”); (j) taxes; (k) interest; (l) legal fees; (m) custodian fees; (n) auditing fees; (o) brokerage fees and commissions; (p) certain of the fees and expenses of registering and qualifying the portfolios and their shares for distribution under federal and state securities laws; (q) expenses of preparing prospectuses and statements of additional information and distributing annually to existing shareholders that are not attributable to a particular class of shares of the Company; (r) the expense of reports to shareholders, shareholders’ meetings and proxy solicitations that are not attributable to a particular class of shares of the Company; (s) fidelity bond and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance premiums; (t) the expense of using independent pricing services; and (u) other expenses which are not expressly assumed by a portfolio’s investment adviser under its advisory agreement with the portfolio. Each class of the Funds pays its own distribution fees, if applicable, and may pay a different share than other classes of other expenses (excluding advisory and custodial fees) if those expenses are actually incurred in a different amount by such class or if it receives different services.

 

Under the Advisory Agreements, the Adviser and Co-Advisers (with respect to the Global Equity Advantage Fund) will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Funds or the Company in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreements, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser or Co-Advisers in the performance of their respective duties or from reckless disregard of their duties and obligations there under.

 

The Advisory Agreements are terminable with respect to each Fund by vote of the Board or by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund, at any time without penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser or Co-Advisers. The Advisory Agreement may also be terminated by the Adviser or Co-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Company. The Advisory Agreements terminate automatically in the event of assignment thereof.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Description of Compensation- Boston Partners. As of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers’ compensation is comprised of an industry competitive base salary and a discretionary bonus and long-term incentives. Through the firm’s bonus program, key investment professionals are rewarded primarily for strong investment performance. The discretionary bonus is based upon the unique structure of each team and consideration may be given to one or more of the following criteria, depending on the team.

 

Individual Contribution: an evaluation of the professional’s individual contribution based on the expectations established at the beginning of each year;

 

Product Investment Performance: the performance of the investment product(s) with which the individual is involved versus the pre-designed index based on the excess return;

 

Investment Team Performance: the financial results of the Portfolio Manager’s investment group; and

 

Firm-Wide Performance: the overall financial performance of the firm.

 

Compensation for portfolio managers who are also members of the Adviser’s or Co-Adviser's senior management team is typically derived from a base salary and a discretionary bonus. The bonus is largely tied to firm financial performance against established goals and aligned with the primary focus on investment performance results versus benchmarks.

 

The firm also provides a long-term incentive program. Portions of the annual bonuses are deferred for up to 3 years.

 

39

 

Description of Compensation - Campbell. Campbell compensates the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s portfolio managers for their management of the Fund. As of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers’ compensation consists of a cash base salary and a discretionary bonus that is based on the individual performance of the portfolio manager and overall profitability of Campbell, which is, in part, dependent on the performance of the Global Equity Advantage Fund, and therefore in part based on the value of the Fund’s net assets and other client accounts they are managing.

 

Other Accounts. The table below discloses accounts, other than the Funds, for which each Portfolio Manager is primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management, as of December 31, 2019.

 

Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
  Type of Accounts   Total # of
Accounts
Managed
  Total
Assets
  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
David M. Dabora*   Other Registered Investment Company   3   $ 850 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   1   $ 145 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   52   $ 3.5 billion   3   $ 199 million  
                         
George Gumpert*   Other Registered Investment Company   3   $ 850 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   1   $ 145 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   52   $ 3.5 billion   3   $ 199 million  

 

Boston Partners All Cap Value Fund

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
  Type of Accounts   Total # of
Accounts
Managed
  Total
Assets
  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Duilio Ramallo   Other Registered Investment Company   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   1   $ 5.4 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   59   $ 4.6 billion   2   $ 406 million  

 

Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
  Type of Accounts   Total # of
Accounts
Managed
  Total
Assets
  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Joseph F. Feeney. Jr.*   Other Registered Investment Company   4   $ 2.4 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                           
Eric Connerly*   Other Registered Investment Company   1   $ 103 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  

 

Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
  Type of Accounts   Total # of
Accounts
Managed
  Total
Assets
  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Robert T. Jones   Other Registered Investment Company   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   1   $ 127 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  
                         .  
Patrick Regan   Other Registered Investment Company   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   1   $ 127 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  

 

40 

 

Boston Partners Global Equity Fund

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
  Type of Accounts   Total # of
Accounts
Managed
  Total
Assets
  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr.   Other Registered Investment Company   4   $ 2.4 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                         
Christopher K. Hart   Other Registered Investment Company   2   $ 2.1 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                         
Joshua Jones   Other Registered Investment Company   2   $ 2.1 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                         
Joshua White   Other Registered Investment Companies   2   $ 2.4 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  

 

WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
  Type of Accounts   Total # of
Accounts
Managed
  Total
Assets
  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Richard A. Shuster*   Other Registered Investment Company   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   1   $ 12 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   6   $ 2.1 billion   0   $ 0  
                           
Gregory N. Weiss*   Other Registered Investment Company   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   1   $ 12 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   6   $ 2.1 billion   0   $ 0  

 

41 

 

Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
  Type of Accounts   Total # of
Accounts
Managed
  Total
Assets
  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr.   Other Registered Investment Company   4   $ 2.4 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                         
Christopher K. Hart   Other Registered Investment Company   2   $ 2.1 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                         
Joshua Jones   Other Registered Investment Company   2   $ 2.1 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                         
Joshua White   Other Registered Investment Companies   2   $ 2.4 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  

 

Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
  Type of Accounts   Total # of
Accounts
Managed
  Total
Assets
  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr.   Other Registered Investment Company   4   $ 2.4 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                           
Paul Korngiebel   Other Registered Investment Company   1   $ 146 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  

 

Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
  Type of Accounts   Total # of
Accounts
Managed
  Total
Assets
  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr.   Other Registered Investment Company   4   $ 2.4 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                           
Paul Korngiebel   Other Registered Investment Company   1   $ 146 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   0   $ 0   0   $ 0  

 

42 

 

Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
  Type of Accounts   Total # of
Accounts
Managed
  Total
Assets
  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr.   Other Registered Investment Company   4   $ 2.4 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                         
Christopher K. Hart   Other Registered Investment Company   2   $ 2.1 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                         
Joshua Jones   Other Registered Investment Company   2   $ 2.1 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                         
Joshua White   Other Registered Investment Companies   2   $ 2.4 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   9   $ 3.2 billion   0   $ 0  
    Other Accounts   36   $ 2.9 billion   0   $ 0  
                         
G. William Andrew   Other Registered Investment Companies   3   $ 111 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   13   $ 1.2 billion   11   $ 1.1 billion  
    Other Accounts   9   $ 2.2 billion            
                2   $ 1.5 billion  
Dr. Kevin Cole   Other Registered Investment Companies   3   $ 111 million   0   $ 0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   13   $ 1.2 billion   11   $ 1.1 billion  
    Other Accounts   9   $ 2.2 billion   2   $ 1.5 billion  

 

 

*

The portfolio managers utilize a team based approach to other accounts managed. The portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for the management of a portion of the total assets and number of accounts shown.

 

Conflict of Interest- Boston Partners. Investment decisions for the Fund’s portfolios are made in conjunction with decisions for other accounts and/or funds for the same strategy. The Adviser or Co-Adviser recognizes that potential conflicts may arise with respect to the side-by-side management of registered investment companies and “investment accounts,” which include privately offered funds, separately managed accounts of high net worth individuals and institutional investors, and the other funds. These risks include, but may not be limited to: differing fee structures (including performance based fees), differing investments selected for various vehicles, and inequitable allocation and aggregation trading practices. Private investment partnerships, registered funds and separately managed accounts are generally invested pari passu thus mitigating many of the perceived risk associated with simultaneous management if possible. Additionally, the Compliance Department has developed comprehensive monitoring policies and procedures designed to mitigate any actual or perceived conflicts.

 

Conflicts of Interests - Campbell. The portfolio managers’ management of other accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Global Equity Advantage Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby a portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio managers’ knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Global Equity Advantage Fund. However, Campbell has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities and other investments among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

 

Campbell, its affiliates and their respective employees manage other investment funds that may pursue investment objectives similar to, or materially different from, those of the Global Equity Advantage Fund. Campbell, its affiliates and their respective employees may also manage discretionary accounts in which the Global Equity Advantage Fund will have no interest, some of which may have investment objectives similar to, or materially different from, those of the Global Equity Advantage Fund. Conflicts of interest among the Global Equity Advantage Fund and any such affiliated entities may include, but are not limited to, those described herein.

 

Principals of Campbell and its affiliates may trade futures, forward and options contracts for his or her own account. In addition, Campbell and its affiliates manage proprietary accounts for itself, its deferred compensation plan and for certain principals and employees. There are written procedures that govern proprietary trading by principals and employees. For instance, Campbell and its affiliates have implemented employee trading policies that prohibit employee trading in futures and options on futures unless consent is given to the employee in writing. Such consent will only be given on a case by case basis. All employees must preclear all trades in equities, equity options, equity indices or equity index options through a computer-based system. The proposed trades are compared to a restricted list that includes positions traded in material amounts. The daily feed received from its approved brokerage firms is compared against the preclearance lists to assure compliance. A conflict of interest exists if proprietary trades are executed and cleared at more favorable rates than trades executed and cleared on behalf of the Global Equity Advantage Fund. It is Campbell’s policy to objectively allocate trade executions that afford each account the same likelihood of receiving favorable or unfavorable executions over time.

 

43 

 

Conflicts of interest may also arise from the fact that Campbell and its affiliates generally will be carrying on substantial investment activities for other clients, including other investment funds and discretionary accounts, in which the Global Equity Advantage Fund will have no interest. Campbell may have financial incentives to favor certain of such accounts over the Global Equity Advantage Fund. Any of their proprietary accounts and other customer accounts may use the same or different information and trading strategies as those which are utilized on behalf of the Global Equity Advantage Fund, may compete with the Fund for specific trades, or may hold positions opposite to positions maintained on behalf of the Fund. Campbell may give advice and recommend securities to, or buy or sell securities for, the Global Equity Advantage Fund, which advice or securities may differ from advice given to, or securities recommended or bought or sold for, other accounts and customers, even though their investment objectives may be the same as, or similar to, those of the Fund. The performance of the Global Equity Advantage Fund may be adversely affected by the manner in which particular orders are entered for all accounts managed by and customers of Campbell.

 

Campbell may determine that an investment opportunity is appropriate for a particular investment fund or discretionary account that it manages or for itself, but not for the Global Equity Advantage Fund. Situations may arise in which private investment funds managed by Campbell or its affiliates have made investments that would have been suitable for investment by the Global Equity Advantage Fund but, for various reasons, were not pursued by, or available to, the Fund. To the extent that entities affiliated with Campbell trade pursuant to portfolios other than that which is traded on behalf of the Global Equity Advantage Fund, the Fund may not participate in certain investment opportunities pursued by such other portfolios. Campbell, its affiliates, their respective employees and other investment funds or discretionary accounts, other than the Global Equity Advantage Fund, managed by Campbell or its affiliates may invest on terms more favorable than those available to the Fund and may act in ways adverse to the interest of the Fund. Campbell and its affiliates regard their analyses as proprietary and confidential, and Campbell will not disclose its analyses, opinions or purchase and sale activities on behalf of the Global Equity Advantage Fund, except to Shareholders in the periodic reports distributed by the Fund.

 

Campbell and its affiliates are major participants in the global currency, equity, commodity, fixed income, derivative and other markets. As such, Campbell and its affiliates are actively engaged in transactions in the same securities and other instruments in which the Global Equity Advantage Fund may invest. Campbell and its affiliates are not under any obligation to share any investment opportunity, idea or strategy with the Global Equity Advantage Fund. As a result, Campbell and its affiliates may indirectly compete with the Global Equity Advantage Fund for appropriate investment opportunities, or engage in trading activities, either for its proprietary account or on behalf of other clients, that is detrimental to the trading positions of the Global Equity Advantage Fund. The proprietary activities or other portfolio strategies of Campbell or its affiliates, or the activities or strategies used for other accounts managed by Campbell or its affiliates, could conflict with the transactions and strategies employed on behalf of the Global Equity Advantage Fund and may affect the prices and availability of the securities and instruments in which the Fund invests.

 

Campbell may invest the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s cash reserve in investment funds managed or maintained by Campbell or its affiliates, to the extent permitted by applicable law. In such event, the Global Equity Advantage Fund pays any expenses and fees associated with such investment, including any fees payable to Campbell or its affiliates. Accordingly, Campbell has a conflict of interest in evaluating any such investment.

 

Market quotations regarding certain investments by Campbell may not always be available. In such cases, valuations of such Global Equity Advantage Fund investments may be made by Campbell in accordance with the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s valuation procedures. Campbell will have a conflict of interest in making certain valuations, because any such valuation will affect the Global Equity Advantage Fund’s NAV and, consequently, the amount of the advisory fee that Campbell receives for its services. However, any determination of the value of the Global Equity Advantage Fund is ultimately the responsibility of the Board.

 

Other present and future activities of Campbell or its affiliates may give rise to additional conflicts of interest.

 

Securities Ownership. The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each portfolio manager in the Fund or Funds managed by such Portfolio Manager as of December 31, 2019.

 

44 

 

Portfolio Manager Dollar ($) Value of Fund Shares
Beneficially Owned
Small Cap Value Fund II  
David Dabora Over $1,000,000
George Gumpert $10,001-$50,000
All-Cap Value Fund  
Duilio Ramallo Over $1,000,000
Long/Short Equity Fund  
Robert Jones Over $1,000,000
Patrick Regan Over $1,000,000
Long/Short Research Fund  
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. Over $1,000,000
Eric Connerly Over $1,000,000
Global Equity Fund  
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. Over $1,000,000
Christopher K. Hart $500,001-$1,000,000
Joshua Jones None
Joshua White None
WPG Partners Small /Micro Cap Value Fund  
Richard A. Shuster $10,001-$50,000
Gregory N. Weiss $100,001-$500,000
Global Long/Short Fund  
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. Over $1,000,000
Christopher K. Hart Over $1,000,000
Joshua Jones $500,001-$1,000,000
Joshua White Over $1,000,000
Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund  
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. Over $1,000,000
Paul Korngiebel Over $1,000,000
Emerging Markets Fund  
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. None
Paul Korngiebel None
Global Equity Advantage Fund*  
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr. None
Christopher K. Hart None
Joshua Jones None
Joshua White None
G. William Andrews None
Dr. Kevin Cole None

 

* The Global Equity Advantage Fund commenced operations on May 29, 2019.

 

Custodian Agreement

 

U.S. Bank, N.A., 1555 North River Center Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212 (the “Custodian”), is custodian of the Funds’ assets pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”). Under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian: (a) maintains a separate account or accounts in the name of each Fund; (b) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of each Fund; (c) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of each Fund; (d) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of each Fund’s portfolio securities; and (e) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the Funds’ operations. The Custodian is authorized to select one or more banks or trust companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Funds, provided that the Custodian remains responsible for the performance of all of its duties under the Custodian Agreement and holds the Funds harmless from the acts and omissions of any sub-custodian. For its services to the Funds under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian receives a fee based on each Fund’s average daily gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Fund.

 

Transfer Agency Agreement

 

Fund Services serves as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Funds pursuant to a transfer agency and servicing agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”), under which Fund Services: (a) issues and redeems shares of each Fund; (b) addresses and mails all communications by the Funds to record owners of the shares, including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and proxy materials for its meetings of shareholders; (c) maintains shareholder accounts and, if requested, sub-accounts; and (d) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the operations of the Funds. Fund Services may, subject to the Board’s approval, assign its duties as transfer and dividend disbursing agent to any other affiliate of Fund Services. For its services to the Funds under the Transfer Agency Agreement, Fund Services receives an annual fee based on the number of accounts in the Funds and the Funds’ average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Funds.

 

45 

 

Fund Services also provides services relating to the implementation of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. In addition, Fund Services provides services relating to the implementation of the Funds’ Customer Identification Program, including verification of required customer information and the maintenance of records with respect to such verification.

 

Administration and Accounting Agreement

 

Fund Services, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202, serves as Fund Administrator to the Funds pursuant to a fund administration servicing agreement and serves as fund accountant pursuant to a fund accounting servicing agreement (the “Administration Agreements”). Under the fund accounting servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to furnish to the Funds statistical and research data, clerical, accounting and bookkeeping services, and certain other services required by the Funds. Under the fund administration servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to provide fund administration services to the Company. These services include the preparation and coordination of the Company’s annual post-effective amendment filing and supplements to the Funds’ registration statement, the preparation and assembly of board meeting materials, and certain other services necessary to the Company’s fund administration. In addition, Fund Services has agreed to prepare and file various reports with the appropriate regulatory agencies and prepare materials required by the SEC or any state securities commission having jurisdiction over the Funds.

 

The Administration Agreements provide that Fund Services shall be obligated to exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties and that Fund Services shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Company in connection with its duties under the Administration Agreements, except a loss resulting from Fund Services’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the applicable Administration Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties thereunder.

 

Fund Services receives a fee under the Administration Agreements based on the average daily net assets of the Company.

 

Effective November 2016, Fund Services replaced the Funds’ prior administrator as fund administrator and fund accountant to the Funds. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Boston Partners Funds paid Fund Services and the Funds’ prior administrator, as applicable, certain administration, accounting and regulatory administration fees and related out-of-pocket expenses as follows:

 

46 

 

Fund   Administration,
Accounting and
Regulatory
Administration
Fees Paid
(after waivers and
reimbursements)
    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2019                  
Small Cap Value   $ 170,642     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Equity   $ 164,664     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Research   $ 1,530,127     $ 0     $ 0  
All Cap Value   $ 572,982     $ 0     $ 0  
WPG Fund   $ 25,762     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Equity   $ 194,270     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Long/Short   $ 260,689     $ 0     $ 0  
Emerging Markets Long/Short   $ 72,369     $ 0     $ 0  
Emerging Markets Fund   $ 29,242     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Equity Advantage Fund**   $ 3,231     $ 0     $ 0  
                         
Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2018                        
Small Cap Value   $ 155,602     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Equity   $ 265,121     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Research   $ 1,831,904     $ 0     $ 0  
All Cap Value   $ 542,628     $ 0     $ 0  
WPG Fund   $ 12,991     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Equity   $ 196,517     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Long/Short   $ 290,758     $ 0     $ 0  
Emerging Markets Long/Short   $ 63,360     $ 0     $ 0  
Emerging Markets Fund*   $ 26,755     $ 0     $ 0  
                         
Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017                        
Small Cap Value   $ 184,952     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Equity   $ 366,099     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Research   $ 1,972,313     $ 0     $ 0  
All Cap Value   $ 499,654     $ 0     $ 0  
WPG Fund   $ 32,248     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Equity   $ 187,796     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Long/Short   $ 336,464     $ 0     $ 0  
Emerging Markets Long/Short   $ 62,199     $ 0     $ 0  

 

 

*

The Emerging Markets Fund commenced operations on October 17, 2017.

** The Global Equity Advantage Fund commenced operations on May 29, 2019.

 

DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS

 

Distribution Agreement and Plans of Distribution

 

Quasar Distributors, LLC, whose principal business address is 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, 6th Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the underwriter to the Funds pursuant to a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor is not affiliated with the Company or the Adviser or Co-Advisers. The Distributor, U.S. Bank, N.A., and Fund Services are affiliates.

 

Under the Distribution Agreement with the Company, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Funds. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Funds on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company.

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Funds. With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Funds and/or the Adviser or Co-Adviser, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements. These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor. These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Funds.

 

Investors who purchase shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein. Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares. Investors purchasing shares of the Funds through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary. The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote shares depending upon their arrangement with the financial intermediary. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Funds for its distribution services except the distribution/service fees with respect to the shares of those classes for which a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan is effective. The Adviser or Co-Adviser pay the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.

 

47 

 

The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Company on behalf of the Funds on no less than 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund or by vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement, or by the Distributor, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any loss suffered by the Company in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof.

 

Institutional Class. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, Quasar Distributors, LLC will use best efforts to distribute each Fund’s shares. Quasar Distributors, LLC does not receive compensation from the Company for the distribution of the Funds’ Institutional Class shares; however, the Adviser or Co-Adviser pay an annual fee to Quasar Distributors, LLC as compensation for underwriting services rendered to the Funds pursuant to the Distribution Agreement.

 

Investor Class. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement and the related Plans of Distribution, as amended, for the Investor Class (together, the “Investor Class Plans”), which were adopted by the Company in the manner prescribed by Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, Quasar Distributors, LLC will use best efforts to distribute each Fund’s shares. Payments to Quasar Distributors, LLC under the Investor Class Plans are to compensate it for distribution assistance and expenses assumed and activities intended to result in the sale of shares of the Investor Class including advertising, printing and mailing of prospectuses to others than current shareholders, compensation to underwriters, compensation to broker-dealers, compensation to sales personnel, and interest, carrying or other financing changes. As compensation for its distribution services, Quasar Distributors, LLC receives, pursuant to the terms of the Distribution Agreement, a distribution fee under the Investor Class Plans, to be calculated daily and paid monthly by the Investor Class of each of the Funds at the annual rate set forth in the Investor Class Prospectus.

 

For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 the Investor Class of each of the Funds paid the Funds’ distributor fees as follows:

 

Fund   Distribution Fees
Paid (after waivers
and reimbursements)
    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2019                  
Small Cap Value   $ 324,992     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Equity   $ 95,054     $ 0     $ 0  
All-Cap Value   $ 976,084     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Equity   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Research   $ 213,020     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Long/Short   $ 50,020     $ 0     $ 0  
Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2018                        
Small Cap Value   $ 370,187     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Equity   $ 193,526     $ 0     $ 0  
All-Cap Value   $ 1,226,757     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Equity   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Research   $ 403,348     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Long/Short   $ 79,947     $ 0     $ 0  
Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017                        
Small Cap Value   $ 344,345     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Equity   $ 254,424     $ 0     $ 0  
All-Cap Value   $ 972,559     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Equity   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Long/Short Research   $ 580,807     $ 0     $ 0  
Global Long/Short   $ 81,361     $ 0     $ 0  

 

Among other things, the Plans provide that: (1) Quasar Distributors, LLC shall be required to submit quarterly reports to the Directors of the Company regarding all amounts expended under the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made, including commissions, advertising, printing, interest, carrying charges and any allocated overhead expenses; (2) the Plans will continue in effect only so long as they are approved at least annually, and any material amendment thereto is approved, by the Company’s Directors, including a majority of those Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plans or any agreements related to the Plans, acting in person at a meeting called for said purpose; (3) the aggregate amount to be spent by each Fund on the distribution of the Fund’s shares of a Class under the Plans shall not be materially increased without shareholder approval; and (4) while the Plans remain in effect, the selection and nomination of the Company’s Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) shall be committed to the discretion of such Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company.

 

Mr. Sablowsky, a Director of the Company, had an indirect interest in the operation of the Plans by virtue of his position with Oppenheimer Co., Inc., formerly Fahnestock Co., Inc., a broker-dealer.

 

48 

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Funds’ Plan expenses were spent for the following purposes:

 

Investor Class*   Small Cap
Value
    Long/
Short
Equity
    All-Cap
Value
    Long/Short
Research
    Global
Equity
    Global
Long/Short
 
Compensation to broker/dealers   $ 324,878     $ 94,968     $ 975,648     $ 213,020     $ 0     $ 50,020  
Compensation to sales personnel   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Advertising   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current shareholders   $ 114     $ 86     $ 436     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Compensation to underwriters   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Other   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  

 

 

* The WPG Fund, Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Emerging Markets Fund, and Global Equity Advantage Fund are currently offered as Institutional Class Shares only, excluding them from 12b-1 fees.

 

FUND TRANSACTIONS

 

Subject to policies established by the Board and applicable rules, the Adviser or Co-Advisers, as applicable, are responsible for the execution of portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage transactions for the Funds. In executing portfolio transactions, the Adviser or Co-Advisers, are applicable, seek to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for the Funds, taking into account such factors as the price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of the order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm involved. While the Adviser or Co-Advisers, as applicable, generally seek reasonably competitive commission rates, payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions.

 

The Funds have no obligation to deal with any broker or group of brokers in the execution of portfolio transactions. The Adviser or Co-Adviser may, consistent with the interests of the Funds and subject to the approval of the Board, select brokers on the basis of the research, statistical and pricing services they provide to the Funds and other clients of the Adviser or Co-Adviser. Information and research received from such brokers will be in addition to, and not in lieu of, the services required to be performed by the Adviser or Co-Adviser under its respective contracts. A commission paid to such brokers may be higher than that which another qualified broker would have charged for effecting the same transaction, provided that the Adviser or Co-Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in terms either of the transaction or the overall responsibility of the Adviser or Co-Adviser to a Fund and its other clients and that the total commissions paid by a Fund will be reasonable in relation to the benefits to a Fund over the long-term.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Funds paid the following commissions to brokers on account of research services:

 

Fund  

Commissions Paid

to Brokers Who
Supplied Research Services

   

Total Dollar

Amount Involved in
Such Transactions

 
Small Cap Value   $ 68,814     $ 139,751,766  
Long/Short Equity   $ 165,507     $ 340,325,766  
Long/Short Research   $ 2,479,819     $ 8,415,201,300  
All-Cap Value   $ 161,971     $ 776,652,870  
WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value   $ 59,533     $ 41,356,432  
Global Equity   $ 183,455     $ 667,765,737  
Global Long/Short   $ 413,620     $ 1,458,561,490  
Emerging Markets Long/Short   $ 16,969     $ 54,980,518  
Emerging Markets Fund   $ 2,899     $ 9,083,109  
Global Equity Advantage Fund*   $ 2,175     $ 6,377,854  

 

* Global Equity Advantage Fund commenced operations on May 29, 2019.

 

49 

 

The following chart shows the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by each Boston Partners Fund for the past three fiscal years ended August 31:

 

Fund   2019     2018     2017  
Small Cap Value   $ 192,332     $ 363,654     $ 196,246  
Long/Short Equity   $ 699,330     $ 1,807,687     $ 1,695,298  
Long/Short Research   $ 6,231,711     $ 8,465,909     $ 7,607,285  
All-Cap Value   $ 466,664     $ 613,744     $ 378,420  
Global Equity   $ 587,558     $ 575,230     $ 466,490  
Global Long/Short   $ 1,602,088     $ 2,089,792     $ 2,095,098  
Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund   $ 113,638     $ 183,928     $ 78,442  
Emerging Markets Fund*   $ 16,899     $ 20,471       N/A  
Global Equity Advantage Fund**   $ 9,609       N/A       N/A  

 

* Emerging Markets Fund commenced operations on October 17, 2017.

** Global Equity Advantage Fund commenced operations on May 29, 2019.

 

The following chart shows the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the WPG Fund for the past three fiscal years ended August 31:

 

Fund   2019     2018     2017  
WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund   $ 89,447     $ 122,081     $ 142,753  

 

50 

 

The Funds are required to identify any securities of the Company’s regular broker-dealers (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) or their parents held by the Funds as of the end of the most recent fiscal year. As of August 31, 2019, the following Funds held the following securities of their regular broker-dealers or their parents:

 

Fund Broker Dealer   Market Value    
Long/Short Equity Fund Citigroup, Inc.   $ 5,260,548    
  Bank of America Corp.   $ 3,150,143    
  Morgan Stanley   $ 2,759,209    
             
All-Cap Value Fund Bank of America Corp.   $ 39,707,301    
  J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.   $ 37,651,769    
  Citigroup, Inc.   $ 34,773,582    
  Wells Fargo & Co.   $ 24,566,700    
  The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.   $ 15,955,346    
  Raymond James Financial Inc.   $ 10,129,439    
  State Street Corp.   $ 4,355,706    
             
Long/Short Research Fund J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.   $ 42,558,446    
  Citigroup, Inc.   $ 42,280,524    
  Bank of America Corp   $ 40,499,012    
  Wells Fargo & Co.   $ 27,770,622    
  SunTrust Banks, Inc   $ 13,157,481    
  The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.   $ 13,079,399    
  Morgan Stanley   $ 6,336,477    
             
Global Equity Fund Wells Fargo & Co.   $ 8,068,347    
  Citigroup, Inc.   $ 6,531,075    
  The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.   $ 5,518,620    
             
Global Long/Short Equity Fund Wells Fargo & Co.   $ 8,803,313    
  The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.   $ 6,098,744    
  Citigroup, Inc.   $ 5,694,589    
             
Global Equity Advantage Fund* Wells Fargo & Co.   $ 270,386    
  Citigroup, Inc.   $ 218,919    
  The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.   $ 184,946    

 

* Global Equity Advantage Fund commenced operations on May 29, 2019.

 

Investment decisions for each Fund and for other investment accounts managed by the Adviser or Co-Adviser are made independently of each other in the light of differing conditions. However, the same investment decision may be made for two or more of such accounts. In such cases, simultaneous transactions are inevitable. Purchases or sales are then averaged as to price and allocated as to amount according to a formula deemed equitable to each such account. While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect upon the price or value of the security as far as a Fund is concerned, in other cases it is believed to be beneficial to a Fund.

 

SECURITIES LENDING

 

U.S. Bank, N.A. serves as securities lending agent for the Funds and in that role administers the Funds’ securities lending program pursuant to the terms of a Master Securities Lending Agreement entered into between the Funds and U.S. Bank, N.A.

 

As securities lending agent, U.S. Bank, N.A. is responsible for marketing to approved borrowers available securities from the Fund’s portfolio. U.S. Bank, N.A. is responsible for the administration and management of the Funds’ securities lending program, including the preparation and execution of a participant agreement with each borrower governing the terms and conditions of any securities loan, ensuring that securities loans are properly coordinated and documented with the Funds’ custodian, ensuring that loaned securities are daily valued and that the corresponding required cash collateral of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities is delivered by the borrower(s), using best efforts to obtain additional collateral on the next business day if the value of the collateral falls below the required amount, and arranging for the investment of cash collateral received from borrowers in accordance with the Funds’ investment guidelines.

 

U.S. Bank, N.A. receives as compensation for its services a portion of the amount earned by the Funds for lending securities.

 

51 

 

The table below sets forth, for a Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Fund’s gross income received from securities lending activities, including income from cash collateral reinvestment, the fees and/or other compensation paid by the Fund for securities lending activities, and the net income earned by the Fund for securities lending activities.

 

    All-Cap Value Fund     Global Equity Fund     Long/Short Equity
Fund
    Small Cap Value
Fund II
    WPG Partners Small
Micro Cap Value
Fund
 
Gross income from securities lending activities:   $ 8,611,826     $ 961,823     $ 1,411,956     $ 3,665,219     $ 165,921  
Fees paid to securities lending agent from a revenue split:   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Fees paid for any cash collateral management service that are not included in the revenue split:   $ 101,069     $ 11,344     $ 16,358     $ 42,976     $ 1,940  
Administrative fees not included in revenue split:   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Indemnification fee not included in revenue split:   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Rebates (paid to borrower):   $ 7,964,299     $ 861,091     $ 1,233,398     $ 3,360,314     $ 145,140  
Other fees not included in revenue split:   $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ 0  
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities:   $ 8,065,369     $ 872,435     $ 1,249,756     $ 3,403,289     $ 147,080  
Net income from securities lending activities:   $ 546,457     $ 89,388     $ 162,199     $ 261,930     $ 18,841  

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

 

You may purchase shares through an account maintained by your brokerage firm and you may also purchase shares directly by mail or wire. The Company reserves the right, if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase of a Fund’s shares by making payment in whole or in part in securities chosen by the Company and valued in the same way as they would be valued for purposes of computing that Fund’s NAV. If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction costs in converting these securities into cash. A shareholder will also bear any market risk or tax consequences as a result of a payment in securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act so that each Fund is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund. A shareholder will bear the risk of a decline in market value and any tax consequences associated with a redemption in securities.

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Company may suspend the right to redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), or during which the SEC restricts trading on the NYSE or determines an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or valuation of portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC may permit. (The Company may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions).

 

Shares of the Company are subject to redemption by the Company, at the redemption price of such shares as in effect from time to time, including, without limitation: (1) to reimburse a Fund for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder as provided in the Prospectuses from time to time; (2) if such redemption is, in the opinion of the Board, desirable in order to prevent the Company or any Fund from being deemed a “personal holding company” within the meaning of the Code; (3) or if the net income with respect to any particular class of common stock should be negative or it should otherwise be appropriate to carry out the Company’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

 

Each Fund has the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the particular Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Automatic Investment Plan

 

The Automatic Investment Plan enables investors to make regular (monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis) investments (Boston Partners Funds: $5,000 minimum for Institutional Class and $100 minimum for Investor Class: WPG Fund $50 minimum), in shares of any Fund through an automatic withdrawal from your designated bank account by simply completing the Automatic Investment Plan section on the application. Please call the Transfer Agent at (888) 261-4073 for instructions. By completing the enrollment form, you authorize the Funds’ Custodians to periodically draw money from your designated account, and to invest such amounts in account(s) with the fund(s) specified.

 

If you elect the Automatic Investment Plan, please be aware that: (1) the privilege may be revoked without prior notice if any check is not paid upon presentation; (2) the Funds’ Custodian is under no obligation to notify you as to the non-payment of any check, and (3) this service may be modified or discontinued by the Funds’ Custodian upon five (5) business days’ written notice to you prior to any payment date, or may be discontinued by you by written notice to the Transfer Agent at least five (5) days before the next payment date.

 

OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING MAXIMUM SALES CHARGE, PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS

 

The following information supplements the information in the Prospectuses under the caption “Shareholder Information.” Please see the Prospectuses for more complete information.

 

Other Purchase Information

 

If shares of a Fund are held in a “street name” account with an Authorized Dealer, all recordkeeping, transaction processing and payments of distributions relating to the beneficial owner’s account will be performed by the Authorized Dealer, and not by the Fund and its Transfer Agent. Since the Funds will have no record of the beneficial owner’s transactions, a beneficial owner should contact the Authorized Dealer to purchase, redeem or exchange shares, to make changes in or give instructions concerning the account or to obtain information about the account. The transfer of shares in a “street name” account to an account with another dealer or to an account directly with the Fund involves special procedures and will require the beneficial owner to obtain historical purchase information about the shares in the account from the Authorized Dealer.

 

52 

 

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

 

A systematic withdrawal plan (the “Systematic Withdrawal Plan”) is available to shareholders of the WPG Fund and Investor Class Shares of the Boston Partners Funds whose shares are worth at least $10,000. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan provides for payments to the participating shareholder of any amount not less than $100 ($50 with respect to the WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund) on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis.

 

Dividends and capital gain distributions on shares held under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan are reinvested in additional full and fractional shares of the applicable Fund at NAV. The Transfer Agent acts as agent for the shareholder in redeeming sufficient full and fractional shares to provide the amount of the systematic withdrawal payment. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time. Withdrawal payments should not be considered to be dividends, yield or income. If periodic withdrawals continuously exceed new purchases and reinvested dividends and capital gains distributions, the shareholder’s original investment will be correspondingly reduced and ultimately exhausted. See “Shareholder Information” in the Prospectuses. In addition, each withdrawal constitutes a redemption of shares, and any gain or loss realized must be reported for federal and state income tax purposes. A shareholder should consult his or her own tax adviser with regard to the tax consequences of participating in the Systematic Withdrawal Plan. For further information or to request a Systematic Withdrawal Plan, please write or call the Transfer Agent.

 

Share Class Conversion

 

Some shareholders may hold shares of a Fund through fee-based programs, often referred to as “wrap accounts,” that are managed by investment dealers, financial advisors or other investment professionals (each, a “wrap account intermediary”). A wrap account intermediary may impose eligibility requirements on a shareholder’s participation in the fee-based program and ownership of shares through the program, which are additional to the ownership requirements described in a Fund’s Prospectus. Under the terms of its fee-based program, a wrap account intermediary may also be permitted to effect a conversion (sometimes referred to as an “in-kind exchange”) of a shareholder’s shares in a Fund, including those shares purchased by the shareholder during the shareholder’s participation in the program, to a different class of shares of that Fund in situations when the shareholder no longer meets the wrap account intermediary’s stated eligibility requirements for the ownership of the class of shares that the shareholder initially purchased. For example, the terms of its fee-based program may permit a wrap account intermediary to effect this type of conversion when a shareholder moves his position in a class of shares of a Fund out of the program that offered that class of shares and into a program or account through which the wrap account intermediary only offers a different class or classes of shares of that Fund. Under other circumstances, a financial intermediary may effect this type of conversion with respect to new clients who held one class of shares of a Fund before becoming a client of the intermediary, and who are eligible for a wrap account through which the intermediary offers a different class of shares of that Fund. Any such conversion by a wrap account intermediary will be made in accordance with the Prospectus of the applicable Fund, and will be made without the imposition by that Fund of any sales load, fee or other charge. The class of shares that a shareholder owns after the conversion may bear higher fees and expenses than the class of shares that the shareholder initially purchased.

 

If you own shares of a Fund through a fee-based program, you should consult with your wrap account intermediary to determine whether there are any additional eligibility requirements that the wrap account intermediary imposes on your participation in their program and your ownership of a Fund’s shares through the program, and whether the wrap account intermediary prescribes any circumstances which may result in the type of share class conversion described herein.

 

TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES

 

The Company’s telephone transaction procedures include the following measures: (1) requiring the appropriate telephone transaction privilege forms; (2) requiring the caller to provide the names of the account owners, the account social security number and name of the Fund, all of which must match the Company’s records; (3) requiring the Company’s service representative to complete a telephone transaction form, listing all of the above caller identification information; (4) permitting exchanges (if applicable) only if the two account registrations are identical; (5) requiring that redemption proceeds be sent only by check to the account owners of record at the address of record, or by electronic funds transfer through the ACH network or wire only to the owners of record at the bank account of record; (6) sending a written confirmation for each telephone transaction to the owners of record at the address of record within five (5) business days of the call; and (7) maintaining tapes of telephone transactions for six months, if the Company elects to record shareholder telephone transactions. For accounts held of record by broker-dealers, financial institutions, securities dealers, financial planners and other industry professionals, additional documentation or information regarding the scope of a caller’s authority is required. Finally, for telephone transactions in accounts held jointly, additional information regarding other account holders is required.

 

VALUATION OF SHARES

 

In accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, the NAV per share of each Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to the Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or such other time as the NYSE or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the NYSE is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The NYSE is generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (observed), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Company reserves the right to reprocess purchase, redemption and exchange transactions that were initially processed at a NAV other than a Fund’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders based on the official closing NAV. The Company reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, a Fund may compute its NAV as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.

 

The securities of the Funds are valued under the direction of the Funds’ administrator and under the general supervision of the Board. Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices. Subject to the approval of the Board, the Funds may employ outside organizations, which may use a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indices, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments in determining the approximate market value of portfolio investments. This may result in the investments being valued at a price that differs from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used. All cash, receivables, and current payables are carried on a Fund’s books at their face value. Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Funds’ Valuation Committee under the direction of the Board.

 

The procedures used by any pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Company under the general supervision of the Board.

 

The Funds may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges. These securities may trade on weekends or other days when the Funds do not calculate NAV. As a result, the value of these investments may change on days when you cannot purchase or sell Fund shares.

 

53 

 

TAXES

 

The following summarizes certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and their shareholders that are not described in the Prospectuses. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Funds or their shareholders, and the discussions here and in the Prospectuses are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Potential investors should consult their tax advisers with specific reference to their own tax situations.

 

The discussions of the federal tax consequences in the Prospectuses and this SAI are based on the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and the regulations issued under it, and court decisions and administrative interpretations, as in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly alter the statements included herein, and any such changes or decisions may be retroactive.

 

General

 

Each Fund qualified during its last taxable year and intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. As such, each Fund generally is exempt from federal income tax on its net investment income and realized capital gains that it distributes to shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, each Fund must meet three important tests each year.

 

First, each Fund must derive with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies, or net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Second, generally, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of each Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of such issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer), and no more than 25% of the value of each Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of (1) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), (2) two or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or (3) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Third, each Fund must distribute an amount equal to at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) before taking into account any deduction for dividends paid, and 90% of its tax-exempt income, if any, for the year.

 

Each Fund intends to comply with these requirements. If a Fund were to fail to make sufficient distributions, it could be liable for corporate income tax and for excise tax in respect of the shortfall or, if the shortfall is large enough, the Fund could be disqualified as a regulated investment company. If for any taxable year a Fund were not to qualify as a regulated investment company, all its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In that event, taxable shareholders would recognize dividend income on distributions to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, and corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends-received deduction.

 

The Code imposes a nondeductible 4% excise tax on regulated investment companies that fail to distribute each year an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). Each Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions each year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

 

Loss Carryforwards

 

Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, the Funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an unlimited period. Any losses incurred during those future taxable years will be required to be utilized prior to any losses incurred in pre-enactment taxable years. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered all short-term as under the previous law.

 

As of August 31, 2019, the WPG Small/Micro Cap Value Fund had short-term post-enactment capital losses of $721,223 and long-term post-enactment capital losses of $433,041. The Global Long/Short Fund had short-term post-enactment capital losses of $10,180,630. The Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund had short-term post-enactment capital losses of $4,713,024 and long-term post-enactment capital losses of $1,244,096. The Emerging Markets Fund had short-term post-enactment capital losses of $738,136 and long-term post-enactment capital losses of $262,130. The Global Equity Advantage Fund had short-term post-enactment capital losses of $8,220. The capital losses can be carried forward for an unlimited period.

 

Taxation of Certain Investments

 

The tax principles applicable to transactions in financial instruments, such as futures contracts and options, that may be engaged in by a Fund, and investments in passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”), are complex and, in some cases, uncertain. Such transactions and investments may cause a Fund to recognize taxable income prior to the receipt of cash, thereby requiring the Fund to liquidate other positions, or to borrow money, so as to make sufficient distributions to shareholders to avoid corporate-level tax. Moreover, some or all of the taxable income recognized may be ordinary income or short-term capital gain, so that the distributions may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

 

In addition, in the case of any shares of a PFIC in which a Fund invests, the Fund may be liable for corporate-level tax on any ultimate gain or distributions on the shares if the Fund fails to make an election to recognize income annually during the period of its ownership of the shares.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

Although each Fund expects to qualify as a regulated investment company and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, a Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.

 

Taxation of the Subsidiary of the Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund

 

There is, at present, no direct taxation in the Cayman Islands and interest, dividends and gains payable to the Subsidiary will be received free of all Cayman Islands taxes. The Subsidiary is registered as an “exempted company” pursuant to the Companies Law (as amended).

 

54 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES

 

The Company has authorized capital of 100 billion shares of common stock at a par value of $0.001 per share. Currently, 87.423 billion shares have been classified into 185 classes; however, the Company only has approximately 47 active share classes that have begun investment operations. Under the Company’s charter, the Board has the power to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of common stock from time to time.

 

Each share that represents an interest in a Fund has an equal proportionate interest in the assets belonging to such Fund with each other share that represents an interest in such Fund, even where a share has a different class designation than another share representing an interest in that Fund. Shares of the Company do not have preemptive or conversion rights. When issued for payment as described in the Prospectus, shares of the Company will be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

The Company does not currently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. The Company’s amended By-Laws provide that shareholders owning at least ten percent of the outstanding shares of all classes of Common Stock of the Company have the right to call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more directors. To the extent required by law, the Company will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.

 

Holders of shares of each Fund will vote in the aggregate on all matters, except where otherwise required by law. Further, shareholders of the Company will vote in the aggregate and not by portfolio except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular portfolio or class of shares. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted by the provisions of such Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Company shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each portfolio affected by the matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a portfolio shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each portfolio in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the portfolio. Under Rule 18f-2 the approval of an investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement or any change in a fundamental investment objective or fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a portfolio only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such portfolio. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the selection of independent public accountants and the election of directors are not subject to the separate voting requirements and may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of an investment company voting without regard to a portfolio. Shareholders of the Company are entitled to one vote for each full share held (irrespective of class or portfolio) and fractional votes for fractional shares held. Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate shares of common stock of the Company may elect all of the Directors.

 

Notwithstanding any provision of Maryland law requiring a greater vote of shares of the Company’s common stock (or of any class voting as a class) in connection with any corporate action, unless otherwise provided by law (for example by Rule 18f-2 discussed above), or by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, the Company may take or authorize such action upon the favorable vote of the holders of more than 50% of all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock voting without regard to class (or portfolio).

 

55 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Anti-Money Laundering Program

 

The Funds have established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Funds’ Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures, and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that certain of their service providers have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, and conducting a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Funds will not transact business with any person or legal entity whose identity and beneficial owners, if applicable, cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

Counsel

 

The law firm of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Suite 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996, serves as independent counsel to the Company and the Independent Directors.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Ernst & Young LLP, One Commerce Square, Suite 700, 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, and in that capacity audits the Funds’ financial statements.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The audited financial statements, financial highlights, and notes thereto in the Funds’ Annual Report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”) have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, whose report thereon also appears in the Annual Report, which is incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other parts of the Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. Such financial statements have been incorporated herein in reliance upon such report given upon the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing. Copies of the Annual Report may be obtained at no charge by telephoning the Transfer Agent at the telephone number appearing on the front page of this SAI.

 

56 

 

APPENDIX A

  

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

  

Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

 

“A-1” - A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

“A-2” - A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

“A-3” - A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

“C” - A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“D” - A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer will differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

 

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

“P-1” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-2” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-3” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“NP” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issuer.

 

Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

 

“F1” - Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

“F2” - Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

“F3” - Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

“B” - Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

“C” - Securities possess high short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

“RD” - Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

 

“D” - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

 A- 1

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The “F1” rating may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show the relative status within that major rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS® Ratings Limited (“DBRS”) short-term debt rating scale provides an opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer and the relative ranking of claims. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the sub-categories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for commercial paper and short-term debt:

 

“R-1 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“R-1 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from “R-1 (high)” by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-1 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“R-2 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-2 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

“R-2 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

“R-3” - Short-term debt rated “R-3” is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

“R-4” - Short-term debt rated “R-4” is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

“R-5” - Short-term debt rated “R-5” is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

“D” - Short-term debt rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:

 

“AAA” - An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

“AA” - An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

 

“A” - An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

 

“BBB” - An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” - Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

 

“BB” - An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CCC” - An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

 A- 2

 

“CC” - An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

 

“C” - An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

 

“D” - An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

 

“NR” - This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. An issuer’s foreign currency rating will differ from its local currency rating when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:

 

“Aaa” - Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

 

“Aa” - Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

“A” - Obligations rated “A” are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

“Baa” - Obligations rated “Baa” are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

“Ba” - Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

“B” - Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

“Caa” - Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

“Ca” - Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

“C” - Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to unrated obligations.

 

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:

 

“AAA” - Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

“AA” - Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

“A” - Securities considered to be of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

“BBB” - Securities considered to be of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

“BB” - Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicate that there is an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

“B” - Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

“CCC” - A “CCC” rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

 

“CC” - A “CC” rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

 

“C” - A “C” rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 A- 3

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned “RD” or “D” ratings but are instead rated in the “CCC” to “C” rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below “CCC”.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS long-term rating scale provides an opinion on the risk of default. That is, the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy its financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which an obligation has been issued. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer, and the relative ranking of claims. All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for long-term debt:

 

“AAA” - Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“AA” - Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from “AAA” only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“A” - Long-term debt rated “A” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than “AA.” May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“BBB” - Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“BB” - Long-term debt rated “BB” is of speculative, non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

“B” - Long-term debt rated “B” is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

“CCC”, “CC” and “C” - Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although “CC” and “C” ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the “CCC” to “B” range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the “C” category.

 

“D” - A security rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Municipal Note Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:

 

Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

Source of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

 

Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

“SP-1” - A municipal note rated “SP-1” exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

“SP-2” - A municipal note rated “SP-2” exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

“SP-3” - A municipal note rated “SP-3” exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

“D” - This rating is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

 

Moody’s uses the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) scale to rate U.S. municipal bond anticipation notes of up to five years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels - “MIG-1” through “MIG-3” while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated “SG”. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for short-term municipal obligations:

 

“MIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

“MIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 A- 4

 

“MIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or “VMIG” scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

 

“VMIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

About Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

 

Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

 

Fitch’s credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Fitch credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch’s credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance, and public finance entities (including supranational and sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.

 

Credit ratings provided by DBRS are forward-looking opinions about credit risk which reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, security and/or obligation. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. While historical statistics and performance can be important considerations, credit ratings are not based solely on such; they include subjective considerations and involve expectations for future performance that cannot be guaranteed. To the extent that future events and economic conditions do not match expectations, credit ratings assigned to issuers, entities, securities and/or obligations can change. Credit ratings are also based on approved and applicable Methodologies (“Methodologies”), which are periodically updated and when material changes are deemed necessary, this may also lead to rating changes.

 

Credit ratings typically provide an opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the obligation was issued. In some cases, credit ratings may also include consideration for the relative ranking of claims and recovery, should default occur. Credit ratings are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of any specific default probability, nor are they meant to predict such.

 

The data and information on which DBRS bases its opinions is not audited or verified by DBRS, although, DBRS conducts a reasonableness review of information received and relied upon in accordance with its Methodologies and policies.

 

DBRS uses rating symbols as a concise method of expressing its opinion to the market, but there are a limited number of rating categories for the possible slight risk differentials that exist across the rating spectrum and DBRS does not assert that credit ratings in the same category are of “exactly” the same quality.

 

 A- 5

 

APPENDIX B

 

BOSTON PARTNERS 

WPG PARTNERS

 

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures 

April 2019

 

Boston Partners 

One Grand Central Place, 60 E. 42nd St- Suite 1550 

New York, NY 10165 - Telephone 212-908-9500 - www.boston-partners.com

 

 B-1

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES SUMMARY

 

The Boston Partners Governance Committee (the “Committee”) is responsible for administering and overseeing Boston Partners’ proxy voting process.  The Committee makes decisions on proxy policy, establishes formal Proxy Voting Policies (the “Policies”) and updates the Policies as necessary, but no less frequently than annually.  In addition, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may delegate certain functions to internal departments and/or engage third-party vendors to assist in the proxy voting process.  Finally, selected members of the Committee will be responsible for evaluating and resolving conflicts of interest relating to Boston Partners’ proxy voting process.

  

To assist Boston Partners in carrying out our responsibilities with respect to proxy activities, the firm has engaged Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”), a third-party corporate governance research service, which is registered as an investment adviser.  ISS receives all proxy-related materials for securities held in client accounts and votes the proposals in accordance with Boston Partners’ Policies.  While Boston Partners may consider ISS’s recommendations on proxy issues, Boston Partners bears ultimate responsibility for proxy voting decisions.  ISS also provides recordkeeping and vote-reporting services.

 

How Boston Partners Votes

 

In determining how proxies should be voted, Boston Partners primarily focuses on maximizing the economic value of its clients’ investments.  In the case of social and political responsibility issues that, in its view, do not primarily involve financial considerations, it is Boston Partners’ objective to support shareholder proposals that it believes promote good corporate citizenship.

 

Boston Partners has identified for ISS certain routine issues that enable them to vote in a consistent manner with regard to those proposals.  In addition, Boston Partners has outlined certain procedures for addressing non-routine issues.  Although Boston Partners has instructed ISS to vote in accordance with the Policies, Boston Partners retains the right to deviate from the Policies if, in its estimation, doing so would be in the best interest of clients.  Boston Partners may refrain from voting proxies where it is unable or unwilling to do so because of legal or operational difficulties or because it believes the administrative burden and/or associated cost exceeds the expected benefit to a client.

 

Conflicts

 

ISS is a third-party service provider engaged to make recommendations and to vote proxies in accordance with the Policies.  Because Boston Partners votes proxies based on predetermined Policies, Boston Partners believes clients are sufficiently insulated from any actual or perceived conflicts Boston Partners may encounter between its interests and those of its clients.  However, Boston Partners may deviate from the Policies in certain circumstances or its Policies may not address certain proxy voting proposals.  If a member of Boston Partners’ research or portfolio management team recommends that it vote a particular proxy proposal in a manner inconsistent with the Policies or if its Policies do not address a particular proposal, Boston Partners will adhere to certain procedures designed to ensure that the decision to vote the particular proxy proposal is based on the best interest of Boston Partners’ clients.  In summary, these procedures require the individual requesting a deviation from the Policies to complete a Conflicts Questionnaire (the “Questionnaire”) along with written document of the economic rationale supporting the request.  The Questionnaire seeks to identify possible relationships with the parties involved in the proxy that may not be readily apparent.  Based on the responses to the Questionnaire, the Committee (or a subset of the Committee) will determine whether it believes a material conflict of interest is present.  If a material conflict of interest is found to exist, Boston Partners will vote in accordance with the instructions of the client, seek the recommendation of an independent third party or resolve the conflict in such other manner as Boston Partners believes is appropriate, including by making its own determination that a particular vote is, notwithstanding the conflict, in the best interest of clients.

 

Disclosures

 

A copy of Boston Partners’ Proxy Voting Procedures, as updated from time to time, as well as information regarding the voting of securities for a client account is available upon request from your Boston Partners relationship manager. For general inquires, contact (617) 832-8153. 

 

 B-2

 

Boston Partners Proxy Policy contains a General Policy as well as country specific Policies. The information provided for each specific country cited should be viewed as supplemental to the General Policy

 

GENERAL POLICY
I. The Board of Directors  
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections 1
Independence 1
Composition 1
Responsiveness 2
Accountability 3
Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections 8
Vote-No Campaigns 8
Proxy Contests/Proxy Access - Voting for Director Nominees in Contested Elections 8
Other Board-Related Proposals 9
Adopt Anti-Hedging/Pledging/Speculative Investments Policy 9
Age/Term Limits 9
Board Size 9
Classification/Declassification of the Board 9
CEO Succession Planning 9
Cumulative Voting 10
Director and Officer Indemnification and Liability Protection 10
Establish/Amend Nominee Qualifications 10
Establish Other Board Committee Proposals 11
Filling Vacancies/Removal of Directors 11
Independent Chair (Separate Chair/CEO) 12
Majority of Independent Directors/Establishment of Independent Committees 12
Majority Vote Standard for the Election of Directors 12
Proxy Access 12
Shareholder Engagement Policy (Shareholder Advisory Committee) 12
II. Audit-Related 13
Auditor Indemnification and Limitation of Liability 13
Auditor Ratification 13
Appointment of Internal Statutory Auditors 14
Shareholder Proposals Limiting Non-Audit Services 14
Shareholder Proposals on Audit Firm Rotation 14
III. Shareholder Rights and Defenses 15
Shareholder Proposals 15
Advance Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals/Nominations 15
Amend By-laws without Shareholder Consent 15
Control Share Acquisition Provisions 16
Control Share Cash-Out Provisions 16
Disgorgement Provisions 16
Fair Price Provisions 16
Freeze-Out Provisions 17
Greenmail 17
Litigation Rights (including Exclusive Venue and Fee-Shifting By-law Provisions) 17
Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans) 17

 

 B-3

 

Shareholder Proposals to Put Pill to a Vote and/or Adopt a Pill Policy 18
Management Proposals to Ratify a Poison Pill 18
Net Operating Losses (NOLs) Protective Amendments and Management Proposals to Ratify a Pill to Preserve NOLs  
Proxy Voting Disclosure, Confidentiality, and Tabulation 19
Ratification Proposals: Management Proposals to Ratify Existing Charter or By-law Provisions 19
Reimbursing Proxy Solicitation Expenses 20
Reincorporation Proposals 20
Shareholder Ability to Act by Written Consent 20
Shareholder Ability to Call Special Meetings 20
Stakeholder Provisions 21
State Antitakeover Statutes 21
Supermajority Vote Requirements 21
IV. Capital/ Restructuring 21
Adjustments to Par Value of Common Stock 21
Share Issuance Requests 21
Shelf Registration Program 22
Common Stock Authorization 22
Reduction of Capital 23
Dual Class Structure 23
Issue Stock for Use with Rights Plan 23
Preemptive Rights 23
Preferred Stock Authorization 23
Recapitalization Plans 24
Reverse Stock Splits 24
Share Repurchase Programs 25
Reissuance of Repurchased Shares 26
Stock Distributions: Splits and Dividends 26
Tracking Stock 26
Appraisal Rights 26
Asset Purchases 26
Asset Sales 27
Pledging of Assets for Debt 27
Increase in Borrowing Powers 27
Bundled Proposals 27
Conversion of Securities 27
Corporate Reorganization/Debt Restructuring/Prepackaged Bankruptcy Plans/Reverse Leveraged Buyouts/Wrap Plans 28
Formation of Holding Company 28
Going Private and Going Dark Transactions (LBOs and Minority Squeeze-outs) 28
Joint Ventures 29
Liquidations 29
Mergers and Acquisitions 29
Private Placements/Warrants/Convertible Debentures 30
Reorganization/Restructuring Plan (Bankruptcy) 32
Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations (SPACs) 32
Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations (SPACs) - Proposals for Extensions 32
Spin-offs 32
Value Maximization Shareholder Proposals 33
V. Compensation 33
Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation-Management Proposals (Management Say-on-Pay) 33
Primary Evaluation Factors for Executive Pay 34

 

 B-4

 

Problematic Pay Practices 34
Problematic Pay Practices related to Non-Performance-Based Compensation Elements 35
Options Backdating 35
Frequency of Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation ("Say When on Pay") 35
Voting on Golden Parachutes in an Acquisition, Merger, Consolidation, or Proposed Sale 36
Equity-Based and Other Incentive Plans 36
Further Information on Certain EPSC Factors 37
Operating Partnership (OP) Units in Equity Plan Analysis of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) 40
Other Compensation Plans 40
401(k) Employee Benefit Plans 40
Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) 40
Employee Stock Purchase Plans-Qualified Plans 40
Employee Stock Purchase Plans-Non-Qualified Plans 40
Option Exchange Programs/Repricing Options 41
Stock Plans in Lieu of Cash 41
Transfer Stock Option (TSO) Programs 42
Director Compensation 42
Non- Executive Directors 42
Equity Plans for Non- Executive Directors 43
Non- Executive Director Retirement Plans 44
Shareholder Proposals on Compensation 44
Compensation Consultants-Disclosure of Board or Company’s Utilization 44
Golden Coffins/Executive Death Benefits 44
Hold Equity Past Retirement or for a Significant Period of Time 45
Non-Deductible Compensation (U.S.) 45
Pay Disparity 45
Pay for Performance/Performance-Based Awards 45
Pay for Superior Performance 46
Pre-Arranged Trading Plans (10b5-1 Plans) 47
Prohibit Outside CEOs from Serving on Compensation Committees 47
Recoupment of Incentive or Stock Compensation in Specified Circumstances 47
Severance Agreements for Executives/Golden Parachutes 48
Share Buyback Proposals 48
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs) 48
Tax Gross-Up Proposals 49
Termination of Employment Prior to Severance Payment/Eliminating Accelerated Vesting of Unvested Equity 49
VI. Routine/ Miscellaneous/ Operational 49
Adjourn Meeting 49
Amend Quorum Requirements 49
Amend Minor By-laws 49
Change Company Name 50
Change Date, Time, or Location of Annual Meeting 50
Other Business 50
Management Supported Shareholder Proposals: Reporting 50
Allocation of Income 50
Stock (Scrip) Dividend Alternative 50
Amendments to Articles of Association 50
Change in Company Fiscal Term 51
Lower Disclosure Threshold for Stock Ownership 51
Expansion of Business Activities 51

 

 B-5

 

Related-Party Transactions 51
Charitable Donations 51
Virtual Meetings 52
VII. Social and Environmental  
Endorsement of Principles 52
Animal Welfare 53
Animal Welfare Policies 53
Animal Testing 53
Animal Slaughter 53
Consumer Issues 53
Genetically Modified Ingredients 53
Reports on Potentially Controversial Business/Financial Practices 54
Pharmaceutical Pricing, Access to Medicines, and Prescription Drug Reimportation 54
Product Safety and Toxic/Hazardous Materials 55
Tobacco-Related Proposals 55
Climate Change 56
Climate Change/Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions 56
Energy Efficiency 56
Renewable Energy 57
Diversity 57
Board Diversity 57
Equality of Opportunity 58
Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Domestic Partner Benefits 58
Gender Pay Gap 58
Environment and Sustainability 58
Facility and Workplace Safety 58
General Environmental Proposals and Community Impact Assessments 59
Hydraulic Fracturing 59
Operations in Protected Areas 59
Recycling 60
Sustainability Reporting 60
Water Issues 60
General Corporate Issues 61
Charitable Contributions 61
Data Security, Privacy, and Internet Issues 61
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Compensation-Related Proposals 61
Human Rights, Labor Issues, and International Operations 61
Political Activities 63
Lobbying 63
Political Contributions 63
Political Ties 64
VIII. Mutual Fund Proxies 64
Election of Directors 64
Converting Closed-end Fund to Open-end Fund 64
Proxy Contests 65
Investment Advisory Agreements 65
Approving New Classes or Series of Shares 65
Preferred Stock Proposals 65
1940 Act Policies (U.S.) 65
Changing a Fundamental Restriction to a Nonfundamental Restriction 66

 

 B-6

 

Change Fundamental Investment Objective to Nonfundamental 66
Name Change Proposals 66
Change in Fund's Subclassification 66
Business Development Companies-Authorization to Sell Shares of Common Stock at a Price below Net Asset Value…... 66
Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation 67
Changes to the Charter Document 67
Changing the Domicile of a Fund 68
Authorizing the Board to Hire and Terminate Subadvisers Without Shareholder Approval 68
Distribution Agreements 68
Master-Feeder Structure 68
Mergers 68
Shareholder Proposals for Mutual Funds 68
Reimburse Shareholder for Expenses Incurred 69
Terminate the Investment Advisor 69
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND  
I. General 70
Constitutional Amendment 70
Renewal of "Proportional Takeover" Clause in Constitution 70
Significant Change in Activities 70
II. Share Capital 70
Non-Voting Shares 70
Reduction of Share Capital: Cash Consideration Payable to Shareholders 70
Reduction of Share Capital: Absorption of Losses 70
Buybacks/Repurchases 71
Issue of Shares (Placement): Advance Approval 71
Issue of Shares (Placement): Retrospective Approval 72
III. Board of Directors 72
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections 72
Shareholder Nominees 72
Problematic Remuneration Practices (Australia) 72
Removal of Directors (New Zealand) 72
IV. Remuneration 73
Remuneration Report (Australia) 73
Remuneration of Executive Directors: Share Incentive Schemes (Australia) 74
Remuneration of Executives: Options and Other Long-Term Incentives 74
Non-Executive Director Perks/Fringe Benefits (Australia) 77
Remuneration of Non-Executive Directors: Increase in Aggregate Fee Cap 77
Remuneration of Non-Executive Directors: Issue of Options (New Zealand) 78
Remuneration of Non-Executive Directors: Approval of Share Plan 78
Transparency of CEO Incentives (New Zealand) 78
Shareholder Resolutions (New Zealand) 78
BRAZIL  
I. Board of Directors 79
Minimum Independence Levels 79
Unbundled Elections 79
Election of Minority Nominees (Separate Election) 79
Combined Chairman/CEO 80
Board Structure 80

 

 B-7

 

II. Capital Structure 80
Share Repurchase Plans 80
III. Compensation 80
Management Compensation 80
Compensation Plans 81
IV. Other 82
Items Antitakeover Mechanisms 82
CANADA: TSX- LISTED AND VENTURE LISTED COMPANIES  
I. Board of Directors 83
Slate Ballots (Bundled Director Elections) 83
Audit Fee Disclosure 83
Board Responsiveness 84
Unilateral Adoption of an Advance Notice Provision 84
Externally-Managed Issuers (EMIs) 84
Proxy Access 85
Proxy Contests - Voting for Director Nominees in Contested Elections 85
II. Shareholder Rights & Defenses 85
Advance Notice Requirements 85
Enhanced Shareholder Meeting Quorum for Contested Director Elections 86
Appointment of Additional Directors Between Annual Meetings 86
Article/By-law Amendments 87
Confidential Voting 87
Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans) 87
III. Capital/ Restructuring 89
Increases in Authorized Capital 89
Private Placement Issuances 89
Blank Check Preferred Stock 89
Dual-class Stock 90
Escrow Agreements 90
IV. Compensation 90
Pay for Performance Evaluation 90
Problematic Pay Practices 92
Equity-Based Compensation Plans 93
Plan Cost 94
Overriding Negative Factors 94
Non- Executive Director (NED) Participation 95
Limited Participation 95
Individual Grants 95
Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs, ESOPs) 95
Management Deferred Share Unit (DSU) Plans 96
Non- Executive Director (NED) Deferred Share Unit (DSU) Plans 96
Problematic Director Compensation Practices 97
Shareholder Proposals on Compensation 98
Shareholder Advisory Vote Proposals 98
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP) Proposals 98
CHINA AND HONG KONG  
I. Remuneration 99
Director Remuneration 99

 

 B-8

 

Equity-based Compensation 99
Employee Stock Purchase Plans 100
II. Capital Raising 100
Share Issuance Requests 100
Share Repurchase Plans (Repurchase Mandate) (Hong Kong) 100
Adjustments of Conversion Price of Outstanding Convertible Bonds 101
Debt Issuance Request/Increase in Borrowing Powers 101
Provision of Guarantees/ Loan Guarantee Requests 102
III. Amendments to Articles of Association/ Company By-laws 102
Communist Party Committee 102
Other Article of Association/By-law Amendments 102
IV. Related Party Transactions 103
Loan Financing Requests 103
Group Finance Companies 103
V. Proposals to Invest in Financial Products Using Idle Funds 103
CONTINENTAL EUROPE  
I. Operational Items 105
Appointment of Auditors and Auditor Fees 105
II. Director Elections 105
Non-Contested Director Elections 105
Director Terms 105
Bundling of Proposals to Elect Directors 105
Board Independence 105
Disclosure of Names of Nominees 106
Election of a Former CEO as Chairman of the Board 106
Voto di Lista (Italy) 106
One Board Seat per Director 106
Composition of Committees 106
MEA Markets 108
Committee of Representatives and Corporate Assembly Elections (Denmark and Norway) 108
III. Capital Structure 108
Share Issuance Requests 108
General Issuances 108
For French companies: 109
Capital Structures 109
Share Repurchase Plans 109
IV. Compensation 110
Executive Compensation-related Proposals 110
Non-Executive Director Compensation 111
Equity-based Compensation Guidelines 112
Compensation-Related Voting Sanctions 112
Stock Option Plans - Adjustment for Dividend (Nordic Region) 113
Share Matching Plans (Sweden and Norway) 113
V. Other Items 114
Antitakeover Mechanisms 114
Authority to Reduce Minimum Notice Period for Calling a Meeting 114
Auditor Report Including Related Party Transactions (France) 115

 

 B-9

 

INDIA  
I. Board of Directors  
Executive Appointment 116
II. Remuneration  
Director Commission and Executive Compensation 116
Equity Compensation Plans 116
III. Share Issuance Requests 117
Preferential Issuance Requests and Preferential Issuance of Warrants 117
IV. Debt Issuance Requests 117
Debt Related Proposals 117
Increase in Borrowing Powers 117
Pledging of Assets for Debt 118
Financial Assistance 118
V. Miscellaneous 119
Acceptance of Deposits 119
Charitable Donations 119
Increase in Foreign Shareholding Limit 119
JAPAN  
I. Routine Miscellaneous 120
Income Allocation 120
Election of Statutory Auditors 120
II. Election of Directors 120
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections 120
III. Article Amendments 121
Adoption of a U.S.-style Three Committee Board Structure 121
Adoption of a Board with Audit Committee Structure 121
Increase in Authorized Capital 121
Creation/Modification of Preferred Shares/Class Shares 121
Repurchase of Shares at Board’s Discretion 121
Allow Company to Make Rules Governing the Exercise of Shareholders’ Rights 122
Limit Rights of Odd Shareholders 122
Amendments Related to Takeover Defenses 122
Decrease in Maximum Board Size 122
Supermajority Vote Requirement to Remove a Director 122
Creation of Advisory Positions (Sodanyaku or Komon) 122
Payment of Dividends at the Board’s Discretion 122
Management Buyout Related Amendments 123
IV. Compensation 123
Annual Bonuses for Directors/Statutory Auditors 123
Retirement Bonuses 123
Special Payments in Connection with Abolition of Retirement Bonus System 123
Stock Option Plans/Deep-Discounted Stock Option Plans 123
Stock Option Plans 123
Deep-Discounted Stock Option Plans 124
Director Compensation Ceiling 124
Statutory Auditor Compensation Ceiling 124

 

 B-10

 

KOREA  
I.  Amendments to the Articles of Incorporation 125
Issuance Limit on New Shares or Convertible Securities 125
Preferred Stock / Non-voting Common Shares 125
Establishment of Audit Committee 125
Stock Option Grant 125
Golden Parachute Clause 125
Authorizing Board to Approve Financial Statements and Income Allocation 125
II. Election of Directors 126
Director Elections 126
Independence 126
Composition 126
III. Compensation 126
Remuneration Cap for Directors 126
Remuneration Cap for Internal Auditors 126
Stock Option Grants 126
Amendments to Terms of Severance Payments to Executives 127
IV. Spinoff Agreement 127
V. Reduction in Capital 127
Reduction in Capital Accompanied by Cash Consideration 127
Reduction in Capital Not Accompanied by Cash Consideration 128
VI. Merger Agreement, Sales/ Acquisition of Company Assets, and Formation of Holding Company 128
SINGAPORE  
I. Remuneration 129
Director Remuneration 129
Equity Compensation Plans 129
II. Share Issuance Requests 129
Issuance Requests 129
General Issuance Requests - Real Estate Investment Trusts 129
Specific Issuance Requests 130
Share Repurchase Plans 130
III. Articles and By-law Amendments 130
IV. Related Party Transactions 130
SOUTH AFRICA  
I. Operational Items 131
Authority to Ratify and Execute Approved Resolutions 131
II. Board of Directors 131
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections 131
Accountability 131
Social and Ethics Committee Elections 131
III. Capital Structure 132
Share Issuance Authorities 132
Share Buyback Authorities 132
IV. Remuneration 132
Approval of Remuneration Policy 132
Approval of Implementation Report 133
New Equity Incentive Scheme or Amendment to Existing Scheme 134
Financial Assistance 134
V. Other Items 135
New Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI)/ Amendments to the MOI 135

 

 B-11

 

Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Transactions 135
Social and Ethics Committee Report 135
TAIWAN  
I. Allocation of Income and Dividends 136
Allocation of Income and Dividends 136
Cash Dividends or New Shares from Capital and Legal Reserves 136
Stock Dividends 136
II. Capital Reduction 136
III. Capital Raising 136
IV. Compensation 137
Equity Based Compensation 137
V. Release of Restrictions on Directors Competitive Activities 137
UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND  
I. Operational Items 138
Accept Financial Statements and Statutory Reports 138
II. Director Elections 138
Board Independence 138
III. Compensation 139
Remuneration Policy 139
Remuneration Report 140
Approval of a New or Amended LTIP 141
IV. Capital Structure 142
Authorize Issue of Equity with and without Pre-emptive Rights 142
Authorize Market Purchase of Ordinary Shares 142
V. Other Items 143
Authorize EU Political Donations and Expenditure 143
Continuation of Investment Trust 143

 

 B-12

 

 Boston Partners

 

Proxy Voting Policies 

As of April 2019

 

GENERAL POLICY

 

I. The Board of Directors

 

Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

 

Votes for director nominees on a CASE-BY-CASE basis. Boston Partners will generally vote FOR director nominees when names of the nominee(s) and adequate disclosure have been provided in a timely manner, except under the following circumstances:

 

Independence

 

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from non-independent directors (Executive Directors and Non-Independent Non-Executive Directors) when:

 

1. Independent directors comprise one-third or less of the board;
2. A non-independent director, not including employee/ labor representatives required to sit on a board committee(s) by law, serves on the audit, compensation, or nominating committee;
3. The company lacks an audit, compensation or nominating committee so that the full board functions as that committee; or
4. The company lacks a formal nominating committee, even if the board attests that the independent directors fulfill the functions of such a committee.

 

Vote AGAINST individual directors, members of a committee, or the entire board due to a conflict of interest that raises significant potential risk, in the absence of mitigating measures and/or procedures.

 

Boston Partners uses a three-year cooling-off period in determining whether a nominee is or is not independent. However, Boston Partners will vote in accordance with specific country or region thresholds required by law.

 

Composition

 

Attendance at Board and Committee Meetings

 

Generally, vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from directors (except new nominees (have served on board for less than a year), who should be considered case-by-case) who attend less than 75 percent of the of their board and committee meetings for the period for which they served, unless an acceptable reason for absences is disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing. Acceptable reasons for director absences are generally limited to the following:

 

1. Medical issues/illness;
2. Family emergencies; and
3. Missing only one meeting (when the total of all meetings is three or fewer).

 

In cases of chronic poor attendance without reasonable justification, in addition to voting against the director(s) with poor attendance, generally vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from appropriate members of the nominating/governance committees or the full board.

 

If the proxy disclosure is unclear and insufficient to determine whether a director attended at least 75 percent of the aggregate of his/her board and committee meetings during his/her period of service, vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the director(s) in question.

 

Overboarded Directors (Executive and Non-Executive)

 

Vote AGAINST nominees sitting on more than three (3) total public company boards. Additionally, vote AGAINST nominees if a country or region has a lesser threshold required by law.

 

Gender Diversity

 

Vote AGAINST board representatives of the nominating committee if there is not at least one (1) board member that is not of the majority board gender for boards with six (6) or fewer total members or at least two (2) board members that are not of the majority board gender for boards with seven (7) or greater board members.

 

WITHOLD votes from the Chair of the Nominating Committee when the company has not disclosed a formal written gender diversity policy.

 

More Candidates than Seats

 

Where the number of candidates exceeds the number of board seats, vote FOR all or a limited number of the independent director nominees considering factors including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Past composition of the board, including proportion of the independent directors vis-a-vis the size of the board;
2. Nominee(s) qualification, knowledge, and experience;
3. Attendance record of the director nominees;
4. Company's free float.

 

Vote AGAINST shareholder proposals that would require a company to nominate more candidates than the number of open board seats.

 B-13

 

Responsiveness

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on individual directors, committee members, or the entire board of directors as appropriate if:

 

1. The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received the support of a majority of the shares cast in the previous year or acted on a management proposal that was opposed by a majority of the shares cast in the previous year. Factors considered will be:
a. Disclosed outreach efforts by the board to shareholders in the wake of the vote;
b. Rationale provided in the proxy statement for the level of implementation;
c. The subject matter of the proposal;
d. The level of support for and opposition to the resolution in past meetings;
e. Actions taken by the board in response to the majority vote and its engagement with shareholders;
f. The continuation of the underlying issue as a voting item on the ballot (as either shareholder or management proposals); and
g. Other factors as appropriate.
2. The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of shares are tendered;
3. At the previous board election, any director received more than 50 percent AGAINST or WITHHOLD votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high AGAINST or WITHHOLD vote.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on Compensation Committee members (or, in exceptional cases, the full board) and the Say on Pay proposal if:

 

1. The company failed to respond to majority-supported shareholder proposals on executive pay topics.
2. The company failed to adequately respond to the company's previous say-on-pay proposal that received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account:
a. The company's response, including:
i. Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors, including the frequency and timing of engagements and the company participants (including whether independent directors participated);
ii. Disclosure of the specific concerns voiced by dissenting shareholders that led to the say-on-pay opposition;
iii. Disclosure of specific and meaningful actions taken to address shareholders' concerns;
b. Other recent compensation actions taken by the company;
c. Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated;
d. The company's ownership structure; and
e. Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness.
3. The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the plurality of votes cast.

 

Accountability

 

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the entire board of directors (except new nominees, who should be considered CASE-BY-CASE) for the following:

 

Problematic Takeover Defenses/Governance Structure

 

Mandatory Takeover Bid Waivers

 

Vote proposals to waive mandatory takeover bid requirements on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

Poison Pills

 

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from all nominees (except new nominees, who should be considered CASE-BY-CASE) if:

 

1. The company has a poison pill that was not approved by shareholders. However, vote CASE-BY-CASE on nominees if the board adopts an initial pill with a term of one year or less, depending on the disclosed rationale for the adoption, and other factors as relevant (such as a commitment to put any renewal to a shareholder vote).
2. The board makes a material adverse modification to an existing pill, including, but not limited to, extension, renewal, or lowering the trigger, without shareholder approval.

 

Classified Board Structure

 

The board is classified, and a continuing director responsible for a problematic governance issue at the board/committee level that would warrant a WITHHOLD or AGAINST vote is not up for election. All appropriate nominees (except new) may be held accountable.

 

Removal of Shareholder Discretion on Classified Boards

 

The company has opted into, or failed to opt out of, state laws requiring a classified board structure.

 B-14

 

Director Performance Evaluation

 

The board lacks mechanisms to promote accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers. Sustained poor performance is measured by one-, three-, and five-year total shareholder returns in the bottom half of a company’s four-digit GICS industry group (Russell 3000 companies only). Take into consideration the company’s operational metrics and other factors as warranted. Problematic provisions include but are not limited to:

 

1. A classified board structure;
2. A supermajority vote requirement;
3. Either a plurality vote standard in uncontested director elections, or a majority vote standard in contested elections;
4. The inability of shareholders to call special meetings;
5. The inability of shareholders to act by written consent;
6. A multi-class capital structure; and/or
7. A non-shareholder-approved poison pill.

 

Unilateral By-law/Charter Amendments and Problematic Capital Structures

 

Generally, vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees, who should be considered CASE-BY-CASE) if the board amends the company's by-laws or charter without shareholder approval in a manner that materially diminishes shareholders' rights or that could adversely impact shareholders, considering the following factors:

 

1. The board's rationale for adopting the by-law/charter amendment without shareholder ratification;
2. Disclosure by the company of any significant engagement with shareholders regarding the amendment;
3. The level of impairment of shareholders' rights caused by the board's unilateral amendment to the by-laws/charter;
4. The board's track record with regard to unilateral board action on by-law/charter amendments or other entrenchment provisions;
5. Whether the amendment was made prior to or in connection with the company’s initial public offering;
6. The company's ownership structure;
7. The company's existing governance provisions;
8. The timing of the board's amendment to the by-laws/charter in connection with a significant business development; and
9. Other factors, as deemed appropriate, that may be relevant to determine the impact of the amendment on shareholders.

 

Unless the adverse amendment is reversed or submitted to a binding shareholder vote, in subsequent years vote CASE-BY-CASE on director nominees. Generally, vote AGAINST (except new nominees, who should be considered CASE-BY-CASE) if the directors:

 

1. Classified the board;
2. Adopted supermajority vote requirements to amend the by-laws or charter; or
3. Eliminated shareholders' ability to amend by-laws.

 

Problematic Governance Structure - Newly public companies

 

For newly public companies, generally vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees, who should be considered CASE-BY-CASE) if, prior to or in connection with the company's public offering, the company or its board adopted by-law or charter provisions materially adverse to shareholder rights, or implemented a multi-class capital structure in which the classes have unequal voting rights considering the following factors:

 

1. The level of impairment of shareholders' rights;
2. The disclosed rationale;
3. The ability to change the governance structure (e.g., limitations on shareholders’ right to amend the by-laws or charter, or supermajority vote requirements to amend the by-laws or charter);
4. The ability of shareholders to hold directors accountable through annual director elections, or whether the company has a classified board structure;
5. Any reasonable sunset provision; and
6. Other relevant factors.

 

Unless the adverse provision and/or problematic capital structure is reversed or removed, vote CASE-BY-CASE on director nominees in subsequent years.

 

Restrictions on Shareholders’ Rights

 

Restricting Binding Shareholder Proposals

 

Generally, vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the members of the governance committee if:

 

1. The company’s governing documents impose undue restrictions on shareholders’ ability to amend the by-laws. Such restrictions include but are not limited to: outright prohibition on the submission of binding shareholder proposals or share ownership requirements or time holding requirements in excess of SEC Rule 14a-8. Vote AGAINST on an ongoing basis.
2. There are any records of abuses against minority shareholder interests.

 

Problematic Audit-Related Practices

 

Generally, vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the members of the Audit Committee if:

 

1. The non-audit fees paid to the auditor are excessive (greater than 50 percent);
2. The company receives an adverse opinion on the company’s financial statements from its auditor;
3. There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm;
4. The company did not disclose the audit fees and/or non-audit fees in the latest fiscal year; or
5. There are clear concerns over questionable finances or restatements.

 B-15

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on members of the Audit Committee and potentially the full board if poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a level of serious concern, such as: fraud; misapplication of GAAP or other acceptable accounting practices; and material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures. Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence, and duration, as well as the company’s efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether AGAINST or WITHHOLD votes are warranted.

 

Problematic Compensation Practices

 

In the absence of an Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say on Pay) ballot item or in egregious situations, vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:

 

1. There is an unmitigated misalignment between CEO pay and company performance (pay for performance);
2. The company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or
3. The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the Compensation Committee chair, other committee members, or potentially the full board if:

 

1. The company fails to include a Say on Pay ballot item when required under SEC provisions, or under the company’s declared frequency of say on pay; or
2. The company fails to include a Frequency of Say on Pay ballot item when required under SEC provisions.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST members of the board committee responsible for approving/setting non- executive director compensation if there is a pattern (i.e. two or more years) of awarding excessive non- executive director compensation without disclosing a compelling rationale or other mitigating factors.

 

Problematic Pledging of Company Stock

 

Vote AGAINST the members of the committee that oversees risks related to pledging, or the full board, where a significant level of pledged company stock by executives or directors raises concerns. The following factors will be considered:

 

1. The presence of an anti-pledging policy, disclosed in the proxy statement, that prohibits future pledging activity;
2. The magnitude of aggregate pledged shares in terms of total common shares outstanding, market value, and trading volume;
3. Disclosure of progress or lack thereof in reducing the magnitude of aggregate pledged shares over time;
4. Disclosure in the proxy statement that shares subject to stock ownership and holding requirements do not include pledged company stock; and
5. Any other relevant factors.

 

Governance Failures

 

Under extraordinary circumstances, vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board, due to:

 

1. Criminal wrong doing of material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight, or fiduciary responsibilities at the company including, but not limited to: bribery; large or serial fines or sanctions from regulatory bodies; significant adverse legal judgments or settlement; or hedging of company stock;
2. Failure to replace management as appropriate; or
3. Egregious actions related to a director’s service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company.

 

Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections

 

For contested elections of directors, e.g. the election of shareholder nominees or the dismissal of incumbent directors, Boston Partners will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, determining which directors are best suited to add value for shareholders.

 

The analysis will generally be based on, but not limited to, the following major decision factors:

 

1. Company performance relative to its peers;
2. Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents;
3. Independence of directors/nominees;
4. Experience and skills of board candidates;
5. Governance profile of the company;
6. Evidence of management entrenchment;
7. Responsiveness to shareholders;
8. Whether a takeover offer has been rebuffed;
9. Whether minority or majority representation is being sought.

 

When analyzing a contested election of directors, Boston Partners will generally focus on two central questions: (1) Have the dissidents proved that board change is warranted? And (2) if so, are the dissident board nominees likely to affect positive change? (i.e., maximize long-term shareholder value).

 

Vote-No Campaigns

 

In cases where companies are targeted in connection with public “vote-no” campaigns, evaluate director nominees under the existing governance policies for voting on director nominees in uncontested elections. Take into consideration the arguments submitted by shareholders and other publicly available information.

 B-16

 

Proxy Contests/Proxy Access - Voting for Director Nominees in Contested Elections

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the election of directors in contested elections, considering the following factors:

 

1. Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry;
2. Management’s track record;
3. Background to the contested election;
4. Nominee qualifications (both slates) and any compensatory arrangements;
5. Strategic plan of dissident slate and quality of the critique against management;
6. Likelihood that the proposed goals and objectives can be achieved (both slates); and
7. Stock ownership positions.

 

In the case of candidates nominated pursuant to proxy access, vote CASE-BY-CASE considering any applicable factors listed above or additional factors which may be relevant, including those that are specific to the company, to the nominee(s) and/or to the nature of the election (such as whether there are more candidates than board seats).

 

Other Board-Related Proposals

 

Adopt Anti-Hedging/Pledging/Speculative Investments Policy

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals seeking a policy that prohibits named executive officers from engaging in derivative or speculative transactions involving company stock, including hedging, holding stock in a margin account, or pledging stock as collateral for a loan. However, the company’s existing policies regarding responsible use of company stock will be considered.

 

Age/Term Limits

 

Vote AGAINST management and shareholder proposals to limit the tenure of outside directors through mandatory retirement ages.

 

Vote AGAINST management proposals to limit the tenure of outside directors through term limits. However, scrutinize boards where the average tenure of all directors exceeds 15 years for independence from management and for sufficient turnover to ensure that new perspectives are being added to the board.

 

Board Size

 

Vote FOR proposals seeking to fix the size of the board. Vote AGAINST if the proposal would result in the board size being fewer than five (5) or more than fifteen (15) seats.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals that give management the ability to alter the size of the board without shareholder approval.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to alter board structure or size in the context of a fight for control of the company or the board.

 

Classification/Declassification of the Board

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to classify (stagger) the board.

 

Vote FOR proposals to repeal classified boards and to elect all directors annually.

 

CEO Succession Planning

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals seeking disclosure on a CEO succession planning policy, considering, at a minimum, the following factors:

 

1. The reasonableness/scope of the request; and
2. The company’s existing disclosure on its current CEO succession planning process.

 

Cumulative Voting

 

Generally, vote AGAINST management proposals to eliminate cumulative voting unless:

 

1. The company has proxy access, thereby allowing shareholders to nominate directors to the company’s ballot; and
2. The company has adopted a majority vote standard, with a carve-out for plurality voting in situations where there are more nominees than seats, and a director resignation policy to address failed elections.

 

Vote FOR proposals for cumulative voting at controlled companies (insider voting power > 50%).

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals that restore or introduce cumulative voting.

 

Director and Officer Indemnification and Liability Protection

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals on director and officer indemnification and liability protection.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals that would:

 

1. Limit or eliminate entirely directors' and officers' liability for monetary damages for violating the duty of care.
2. Expand coverage beyond just legal expenses to liability for acts that are more serious violations of fiduciary obligation than mere carelessness.
3. Expand the scope of indemnification to provide for mandatory indemnification of company officials in connection with acts that previously the company was permitted to provide indemnification for, at the discretion of the company's board (i.e., "permissive indemnification"), but that previously the company was not required to indemnify.

 

Vote FOR only those proposals providing such expanded coverage in cases when a director’s or officer’s legal defense was unsuccessful if both of the following apply:

 B-17

 

1. If the director was found to have acted in good faith and in a manner that s/he reasonably believed was in the best interests of the company; and
2. If only the director’s legal expenses would be covered.

 

Establish/Amend Nominee Qualifications

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals that establish or amend director qualifications. Votes should be based on the reasonableness of the criteria and the degree to which they may preclude dissident nominees from joining the board.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder resolutions seeking a director nominee who possesses a particular subject matter expertise, considering:

 

1. The company’s board committee structure, existing subject matter expertise, and board nomination provisions relative to that of its peers;
1. The company’s existing board and management oversight mechanisms regarding the issue for which board oversight is sought;
2. The company’s disclosure and performance relating to the issue for which board oversight is sought and any significant related controversies; and
3. The scope and structure of the proposal.

 

Establish Other Board Committee Proposals

 

Generally, vote AGAINST shareholder proposals to establish a new board committee, as such proposals seek a specific oversight mechanism/structure that potentially limits a company’s flexibility to determine an appropriate oversight mechanism for itself. However, the following factors will be considered:

 

1. Existing oversight mechanisms (including current committee structure) regarding the issue for which board oversight is sought;
2. Level of disclosure regarding the issue for which board oversight is sought;
3. Company performance related to the issue for which board oversight is sought;
4. Board committee structure compared to that of other companies in its industry sector; and
5. The scope and structure of the proposal.

 

Filling Vacancies/Removal of Directors

 

Generally, vote FOR the discharge of directors, including members of the management board and/or supervisory board, unless there is reliable information about significant and compelling controversies as to whether the board is fulfilling its fiduciary duties, as evidenced by:

 

1. A lack of oversight or actions by board members that invoke shareholder distrust related to malfeasance or poor supervision, such as operating in private or company interest rather than in shareholder interest; or
2. Any legal proceedings (either civil or criminal) aiming to hold the board responsible for breach of trust in the past or related to currently alleged actions yet to be confirmed (and not only the fiscal year in question), such as price fixing, insider trading, bribery, fraud, and other illegal actions; or
3. Other egregious governance issues where shareholders will bring legal action against the company or its directors.

 

For markets that do not routinely request discharge resolutions (e.g. common law countries or markets where discharge is not mandatory), analysts may voice concern in other appropriate agenda items, such as approval of the annual accounts or other relevant resolutions, to enable shareholders to express discontent with the board.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals that provide that directors may be removed only for cause.

 

Vote FOR proposals to restore shareholders’ ability to remove directors with or without cause.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals that provide that only continuing directors may elect replacements to fill board vacancies.

 

Vote FOR proposals that permit shareholders to elect directors to fill board vacancies.

 

Independent Chair (Separate Chair/CEO)

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by an independent director and separation of the offices of CEO and chair.

 

Majority of Independent Directors/Establishment of Independent Committees

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals asking that a majority or more of directors be independent.

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals asking that board audit, compensation, and/or nominating committees be composed exclusively of independent directors.

 

Majority Vote Standard for the Election of Directors

 

Vote for proposals requiring a majority vote standard.

 

Companies are strongly encouraged to also adopt a post-election policy (also known as a director resignation policy) that will provide guidelines so that the company will promptly address the situation of a holdover director.

 

Proxy Access

 

Generally, vote FOR management and shareholder proposals for proxy access with the following provisions:

 

1. Ownership threshold: maximum requirement not more than three percent (3%) of the voting power;
2. Ownership duration: maximum requirement not longer than three (3) years of continuous ownership for each member of the nominating group;
3. Aggregation: minimal or no limits on the number of shareholders permitted to form a nominating group;
4. Cap: cap on nominees of generally twenty-five percent (25%) of the board.

 

Review for reasonableness any other restrictions on the right of proxy access.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals that are more restrictive than these guidelines.

 B-18

 

Shareholder Engagement Policy (Shareholder Advisory Committee)

 

Generally, vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting that the board establish an internal mechanism/process, which may include a committee, in order to improve communications between directors and shareholders, unless the company has the following features, as appropriate:

 

1. Established a communication structure that goes beyond the exchange requirements to facilitate the exchange of information between shareholders and members of the board;
2. Effectively disclosed information with respect to this structure to its shareholders;
3. Company has not ignored majority-supported shareholder proposals or a majority WITHHOLD vote on a director nominee; and
4. The company has an independent chairman or a lead director. This individual must be made available for periodic consultation and direct communication with major shareholders.

 

I. Audit-Related

 

Auditor Indemnification and Limitation of Liability

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the issue of auditor indemnification and limitation of liability. Factors to be assessed include, but are not limited to:

 

1. The terms of the auditor agreement-the degree to which these agreements impact shareholders' rights;
2. The motivation and rationale for establishing the agreements;
3. The quality of the company’s disclosure; and
4. The company’s historical practices in the audit area.

 

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from members of an audit committee in situations where there is persuasive evidence that the audit committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm.

 

Auditor Ratification

 

Vote AGAINST incumbent audit committee members if the ratification of auditors is not up for shareholder vote.

 

Vote FOR proposals to ratify auditors and/or proposals authorizing the board to fix auditor fees, unless:

 

1. The name(s) of the proposed auditors has not been published;
2. The auditors are being changed without explanation;
3. An auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company, for example, external auditors have previously served the company in an executive capacity and is therefore not independent;
4. There is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position;
5. There are serious concerns about the procedures used by the auditor or poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a serious level of concern, such as fraud or misapplication of GAAP or other acceptable accounting standards; or
6. Fees for non-audit services (“Other” fees) are excessive (greater than 50 percent).

 

Non-audit fees are excessive if non-audit (“other”) fees > audit fees + audit-related fees + tax compliance/preparation fees

 

Tax compliance and preparation include the preparation of original and amended tax returns and refund claims, and tax payment planning. All other services in the tax category, such as tax advice, planning, or consulting, should be added to “Other” fees. If the breakout of tax fees cannot be determined, add all tax fees to “Other” fees.

 

In circumstances where "Other" fees include fees related to significant one-time capital structure events (such as initial public offerings, bankruptcy emergence, and spin-offs) and the company makes public disclosure of the amount and nature of those fees that are an exception to the standard "non-audit fee" category, then such fees may be excluded from the non-audit fees considered in determining the ratio of non-audit to audit/audit-related fees/tax compliance and preparation for purposes of determining whether non-audit fees are excessive.

 

For concerns related to the audit procedures, independence of auditors, and/or name of auditors, Boston Partners may vote AGAINST the auditor's (re)election. For concerns related to fees paid to the auditors, Boston Partners may vote AGAINST remuneration of auditors if this is a separate voting item; otherwise Boston Partners may vote AGAINST the auditor election.

 

Appointment of Internal Statutory Auditors

 

Vote FOR the appointment or (re)election of statutory auditors, unless:

 

1. There are serious concerns about the statutory reports presented or the audit procedures used;
2. Questions exist concerning any of the statutory auditors being appointed; or
3. The auditors have previously served the company in an executive capacity or can otherwise be considered affiliated with the company.

 

Shareholder Proposals Limiting Non-Audit Services

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals asking companies to prohibit or limit their auditors from engaging in non-audit services.

 

Shareholder Proposals on Audit Firm Rotation

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals asking for audit firm rotation, taking into account:

 B-19

 

1. The tenure of the audit firm;
2. The length of rotation specified in the proposal;
3. Any significant audit-related issues at the company;
4. The number of Audit Committee meetings held each year;
5. The number of financial experts serving on the committee; and
6. Whether the company has a periodic renewal process where the auditor is evaluated for both audit quality and competitive price.

 

II. Shareholder Rights and Defenses

 

Shareholder Proposals

 

Vote all shareholder proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

Vote FOR proposals that would improve the company’s corporate governance or business profile at a reasonable cost.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals that limit the company’s business activities or capabilities or result in significant costs being incurred with little or no benefit.

 

Advance Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals/Nominations

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on advance notice proposals, giving support to those proposals which allow shareholders to submit proposals/nominations as close to the meeting date as reasonably possible and within the broadest window possible, recognizing the need to allow sufficient notice for company, regulatory, and shareholder review.

 

To be reasonable, the company’s deadline for shareholder notice of a proposal/nominations must not be more than 60 days prior to the meeting, with a submittal window of at least 30 days prior to the deadline. The submittal window is the period under which a shareholder must file his proposal/nominations prior to the deadline.

 

In general, support additional efforts by companies to ensure full disclosure in regard to a proponent’s economic and voting position in the company so long as the informational requirements are reasonable and aimed at providing shareholders with the necessary information to review such proposals.

 

Amend By-laws without Shareholder Consent

 

Vote AGAINST proposals giving the board exclusive authority to amend the by-laws.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals giving the board the ability to amend the by-laws in addition to shareholders, taking into account the following:

 

1. Any impediments to shareholders' ability to amend the by-laws (i.e. supermajority voting requirements);
2. The company's ownership structure and historical voting turnout;
3. Whether the board could amend by-laws adopted by shareholders; and
4. Whether shareholders would retain the ability to ratify any board-initiated amendments.

 

Control Share Acquisition Provisions

 

Control share acquisition statutes function by denying shares their voting rights when they contribute to ownership in excess of certain thresholds. Voting rights for those shares exceeding ownership limits may only be restored by approval of either a majority or supermajority of disinterested shares. Thus, control share acquisition statutes effectively require a hostile bidder to put its offer to a shareholder vote or risk voting disenfranchisement if the bidder continues buying up a large block of shares.

 

Vote FOR proposals to opt out of control share acquisition statutes unless doing so would enable the completion of a takeover that would be detrimental to shareholders.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to amend the charter to include control share acquisition provisions.

 

Vote FOR proposals to restore voting rights to the control shares.

 

Control Share Cash-Out Provisions

 

Control share cash-out statutes give dissident shareholders the right to "cash-out" of their position in a company at the expense of the shareholder who has taken a control position. In other words, when an investor crosses a preset threshold level, remaining shareholders are given the right to sell their shares to the acquirer, who must buy them at the highest acquiring price.

 

Vote FOR proposals to opt out of control share cash-out statutes.

 

Disgorgement Provisions

 

Disgorgement provisions require an acquirer or potential acquirer of more than a certain percentage of a company's stock to disgorge, or pay back, to the company any profits realized from the sale of that company's stock purchased 24 months before achieving control status. All sales of company stock by the acquirer occurring within a certain period of time (between 18 months and 24 months) prior to the investor's gaining control status are subject to these recapture-of-profits provisions.

 

Vote FOR proposals to opt out of state disgorgement provisions.

 

Fair Price Provisions

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to adopt fair price provisions (provisions that stipulate that an acquirer must pay the same price to acquire all shares as it paid to acquire the control shares), evaluating factors such as the vote required to approve the proposed acquisition, the vote required to repeal the fair price provision, and the mechanism for determining the fair price.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST fair price provisions with shareholder vote requirements greater than a majority of disinterested shares.

 

Freeze-Out Provisions

 

Vote FOR proposals to opt out of state freeze-out provisions. Freeze-out provisions force an investor who surpasses a certain ownership threshold in a company to wait a specified period of time before gaining control of the company.

 B-20

 

Greenmail

 

Greenmail payments are targeted share repurchases by management of company stock from individuals or groups seeking control of the company. Since only the hostile party receives payment, usually at a substantial premium over the market value of its shares, the practice discriminates against all other shareholders.

 

Vote FOR proposals to adopt anti-greenmail charter or by-law amendments or otherwise restrict a company’s ability to make greenmail payments.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on anti-greenmail proposals when they are bundled with other charter or by-law amendments.

 

Litigation Rights (including Exclusive Venue and Fee-Shifting By-law Provisions)

 

By-law provisions impacting shareholders' ability to bring suit against the company may include exclusive venue provisions, which provide that the state of incorporation shall be the sole venue for certain types of litigation, and fee-shifting provisions that require a shareholder who sues a company unsuccessfully to pay all litigation expenses of the defendant corporation.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on by-laws which impact shareholders' litigation rights, taking into account factors such as:

 

1. The company's stated rationale for adopting such a provision;
2. Disclosure of past harm from shareholder lawsuits in which plaintiffs were unsuccessful or shareholder lawsuits outside the jurisdiction of incorporation;
3. The breadth of application of the by-law, including the types of lawsuits to which it would apply and the definition of key terms; and
4. Governance features such as shareholders' ability to repeal the provision at a later date (including the vote standard applied when shareholders attempt to amend the by-laws) and their ability to hold directors accountable through annual director elections and a majority vote standard in uncontested elections.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST by-laws that mandate fee-shifting whenever plaintiffs are not completely successful on the merits (i.e., in cases where the plaintiffs are partially successful).

 

Unilateral adoption by the board of by-law provisions which affect shareholders' litigation rights will be evaluated under Unilateral By-law/Charter Amendments.

 

Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)

 

Generally. vote AGAINST all antitakeover proposals, unless they are structured in such a way that they give shareholders the ultimate decision on any proposal or offer.

 

Shareholder Proposals to Put Pill to a Vote and/or Adopt a Pill Policy

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting that the company submit its poison pill to a shareholder vote or redeem it unless the company has: (1) A shareholder approved poison pill in place; or (2) The company has adopted a policy concerning the adoption of a pill in the future specifying that the board will only adopt a shareholder rights plan if either:

 

1. Shareholders have approved the adoption of the plan; or
2. The board, in its exercise of its fiduciary responsibilities, determines that it is in the best interest of shareholders under the circumstances to adopt a pill without the delay in adoption that would result from seeking stockholder approval (i.e., the “fiduciary out” provision). A poison pill adopted under this fiduciary out will be put to a shareholder ratification vote within 12 months of adoption or expire. If the pill is not approved by a majority of the votes cast on this issue, the plan will immediately terminate.

 

If the shareholder proposal calls for a time period of less than 12 months for shareholder ratification after adoption, vote FOR the proposal, but add the caveat that a vote within 12 months would be considered sufficient implementation.

 

Management Proposals to Ratify a Poison Pill

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals on poison pill ratification, focusing on the features of the shareholder rights plan. Rights plans should contain the following attributes:

 

1. No lower than a 20 percent trigger, flip-in or flip-over;
2. A term of no more than three years;
3. No dead-hand, slow-hand, no-hand, or similar feature that limits the ability of a future board to redeem the pill;
4. Shareholder redemption feature (qualifying offer clause); if the board refuses to redeem the pill 90 days after a qualifying offer is announced, 10 percent of the shares may call a special meeting or seek a written consent to vote on rescinding the pill.

 

In addition, the rationale for adopting the pill should be thoroughly explained by the company. In examining the request for the pill, take into consideration the company’s existing governance structure, including: board independence, existing takeover defenses, and any problematic governance concerns.

 

Net Operating Losses (NOLs) Protective Amendments and Management Proposals to Ratify a Pill to Preserve NOLs

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to adopt a protective amendment or poison pill for the stated purpose of protecting a company's net operating losses (NOL) if the term of the protective amendment or pill would exceed the shorter of three years and the exhaustion of the NOL.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals for protective amendments or poison pill ratification, considering the following factors, if the term of the pill would be the shorter of three years (or less) and the exhaustion of the NOL:

 

1. The ownership threshold to transfer NOL protective amendments and pills generally prohibit stock ownership transfers that would result in a new 5-percent holder or increase the stock ownership percentage of an existing 5-percent holder);
2. The value of the NOLs;
3. Shareholder protection mechanisms (sunset provision or commitment to cause expiration of the pill upon exhaustion or expiration of NOLs);
4. The company's existing governance structure including: board independence, existing takeover defenses, track record of responsiveness to shareholders, and any other problematic governance concerns; and
5. Any other factors that may be applicable.

 B-21

 

Proxy Voting Disclosure, Confidentiality, and Tabulation

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals regarding proxy voting mechanics, taking into consideration whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder rights. Specific issues covered under the policy include, but are not limited to, confidential voting of individual proxies and ballots, confidentiality of running vote tallies, and the treatment of abstentions and/or broker non-votes in the company's vote-counting methodology.

 

While a variety of factors may be considered in each analysis, the guiding principles are: transparency, consistency, and fairness in the proxy voting process. The factors considered, as applicable to the proposal, may include:

 

1. The scope and structure of the proposal;
2. The company's stated confidential voting policy (or other relevant policies) and whether it ensures a "level playing field" by providing shareholder proponents with equal access to vote information prior to the annual meeting;
3. The company's vote standard for management and shareholder proposals and whether it ensures consistency and fairness in the proxy voting process and maintains the integrity of vote results;
4. Whether the company's disclosure regarding its vote counting method and other relevant voting policies with respect to management and shareholder proposals are consistent and clear;
5. Any recent controversies or concerns related to the company's proxy voting mechanics;
6. Any unintended consequences resulting from implementation of the proposal; and
7. Any other factors that may be relevant.

 

Ratification Proposals: Management Proposals to Ratify Existing Charter or By-law Provisions

 

Generally, vote AGAINST management proposals to ratify provisions of the company’s existing charter or by-laws, unless these governance provisions align with best practice.

 

In addition, voting AGAINST or WITHHOLD from individual directors, members of the governance committee, or the full board may be warranted, considering:

 

1. The presence of a shareholder proposal addressing the same issue on the same ballot;
2. The board's rationale for seeking ratification;
3. Disclosure of actions to be taken by the board should the ratification proposal fail;
4. Disclosure of shareholder engagement regarding the board’s ratification request;
5. The level of impairment to shareholders' rights caused by the existing provision;
6. The history of management and shareholder proposals on the provision at the company’s past meetings;
7. Whether the current provision was adopted in response to the shareholder proposal;
8. The company's ownership structure; and
9. Previous use of ratification proposals to exclude shareholder proposals.

 

Reimbursing Proxy Solicitation Expenses

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to reimburse proxy solicitation expenses.

 

When voting in conjunction with support of a dissident slate, vote FOR the reimbursement of all appropriate proxy solicitation expenses associated with the election.

 

Generally, vote FOR shareholder proposals calling for the reimbursement of reasonable costs incurred in connection with nominating one or more candidates in a contested election where the following apply:

 

1. The election of fewer than 50 percent of the directors to be elected is contested in the election;
2. One or more of the dissident’s candidates is elected;
3. Shareholders are not permitted to cumulate their votes for directors; and
4. The election occurred, and the expenses were incurred, after the adoption of this by-law.

 

Reincorporation Proposals

 

Management or shareholder proposals to change a company's state of incorporation should be evaluated CASE-BY-CASE, giving consideration to both financial and corporate governance concerns including the following:

 

1. Reasons for reincorporation;
2. Comparison of company's governance practices and provisions prior to and following the reincorporation; and
3. Comparison of corporation laws of original state and destination state.
4. Vote FOR reincorporation when the economic factors outweigh any neutral or negative governance changes.

 

Shareholder Ability to Act by Written Consent

 

Vote AGAINST management and shareholder proposals to restrict or prohibit shareholders' ability to act by written consent.

 

Shareholder Ability to Call Special Meetings

 

Vote AGAINST management or shareholder proposals to restrict or prohibit shareholders’ ability to call special meetings.

 

Vote FOR management or shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to call special meetings as long as the proposed minimum threshold is 10 percent or higher, with 10 percent being the preferred percentage.

 

Stakeholder Provisions

 

Vote AGAINST proposals that ask the board to consider non-shareholder constituencies or other non-financial effects when evaluating a merger or business combination.

 B-22

 

State Antitakeover Statutes

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to opt in or out of state takeover statutes (including fair price provisions, stakeholder laws, poison pill endorsements, severance pay and labor contract provisions, and anti-greenmail provisions).

 

Supermajority Vote Requirements

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote.

 

Vote FOR management or shareholder proposals to reduce supermajority vote requirements.

 

III. Capital/ Restructuring

 

Adjustments to Par Value of Common Stock

 

In the U.S., vote FOR management proposals to reduce the par value of common stock unless the action is being taken to facilitate an anti-takeover device or some other negative corporate governance action.

 

Vote FOR management proposals to eliminate par value.

 

For countries and regions outside the U.S., vote FOR requests to capitalize reserves for bonus issues of shares or to increase par value.

 

Share Issuance Requests

 

General Issuances

 

Vote FOR issuance requests with preemptive rights to a maximum of 50 percent over currently issued capital.
Vote FOR issuance requests without preemptive rights to a maximum of 10 percent of currently issued capital.

 

In Malaysia, for real estate investment trusts (REITs), vote FOR issuance requests without preemptive rights to a maximum of 20 percent of currently issued capital.

 

Specific Issuances

 

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis on all requests, with or without preemptive rights.

 

Shelf Registration Program

 

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis on all requests, with or without preemptive rights.

 

Approval of a multi-year authority for the issuance of securities under Shelf Registration Programs will be considered on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, taking into consideration, but not limited to, the following:

 

1. Whether the company has provided adequate and timely disclosure including detailed information regarding the rationale for the proposed program;
2. Whether the proposed amount to be approved under such authority, the use of the resources, the length of the authorization, the nature of the securities to be issued under such authority, including any potential risk of dilution to shareholders is disclosed; and
3. Whether there are concerns regarding questionable finances, the use of the proceeds, or other governance concerns

 

Common Stock Authorization

 

Vote FOR proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares where the primary purpose of the increase is to issue shares in connection with a transaction on the same ballot that warrants support.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals at companies with more than one class of common stock to increase the number of authorized shares of the class of common stock that has superior voting rights.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares if a vote FOR a reverse stock split on the same ballot is warranted despite the fact that the authorized shares would not be reduced proportionally.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on all other proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance. Take into account company-specific factors that include, at a minimum, the following:

 

1. Past Board Performance, including the company's use of authorized shares during the last three years;
2. The Current Request:
a. Disclosure in the proxy statement of the specific purposes of the proposed increase;
b. Disclosure in the proxy statement of specific and severe risks to shareholders of not approving the request; and
c. The dilutive impact of the request as determined relative to an allowable increase (typically 100 percent of existing authorized shares for a specific purpose and no more than 50 percent if for a non-specific purpose) that reflects the company's need for shares and total shareholder returns. Regarding a specific purpose, Boston Partners would generally not support a proposal where the increase would leave the company with less than 30 percent of its new authorization outstanding after adjusting for all proposed issuances.

 

If there is an acquisition, private placement, or similar transaction on the ballot (not including equity incentive plans) where Boston Partners is voting FOR, the allowable increase will be the greater of (i) twice the amount needed to support the transactions on the ballot, and (ii) the allowable increase as calculated above.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to adopt unlimited capital authorizations.

 B-23

 

Reduction of Capital

 

Vote FOR proposals to reduce capital for routine accounting purposes unless the terms are unfavorable to shareholders.

 

Vote proposals to reduce capital in connection with corporate restructuring on a CASE-BY-CASE basis

 

Dual Class Structure

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals to create or maintain a new class of common stock unless:

 

1. The company discloses a compelling rationale for the dual-class capital structure, such as:
a. The company's auditor has concluded that there is substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern; or
b. The new class of shares will be transitory;
2. The new class is intended for financing purposes with minimal or no dilution to current shareholders in both the short term and long term; and
3. The new class is not designed to preserve or increase the voting power of an insider or significant shareholder.

 

Issue Stock for Use with Rights Plan

 

Vote AGAINST proposals that increase authorized common stock for the explicit purpose of implementing a non-shareholder-approved shareholder rights plan (poison pill).

 

Preemptive Rights

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals that seek preemptive rights, taking into consideration:

 

1. The size of the company;
2. The shareholder base; and
3. The liquidity of the stock.

 

Preferred Stock Authorization

 

Vote FOR the creation of a new class of preferred stock or for issuances of preferred stock up to 50 percent of issued capital unless the terms of the preferred stock would adversely affect the rights of existing shareholders.

 

Vote FOR proposals to increase the number of authorized preferred shares where the primary purpose of the increase is to issue shares in connection with a transaction on the same ballot that warrants support.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals at companies with more than one class or series of preferred stock to increase the number of authorized shares of the class or series of preferred stock that has superior voting rights.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on all other proposals to increase the number of shares of preferred stock authorized for issuance. Take into account company-specific factors that include, at a minimum, the following:

 

1. Past Board Performance:
a. The company's use of authorized preferred shares during the last three years;
2. The Current Request:
a. Disclosure in the proxy statement of the specific purposes for the proposed increase;
b. Disclosure in the proxy statement of specific and severe risks to shareholders of not approving the request;
c. In cases where the company has existing authorized preferred stock, the dilutive impact of the request as determined by an allowable increase (typically 100 percent of existing authorized shares) that reflects the company's need for shares and total shareholder returns; and
d. Whether the shares requested are blank check preferred shares that can be used for antitakeover purposes. If they are, vote AGAINST. If not, vote CASE-BY-CASE.

 

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible preferred stock as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issue requests.

 

Recapitalization Plans

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on recapitalizations (reclassifications of securities), taking into account the following:

 

1. More simplified capital structure;
2. Enhanced liquidity;
3. Fairness of conversion terms;
4. Impact on voting power and dividends;
5. Reasons for the reclassification;
6. Conflicts of interest; and
7. Other alternatives considered.

 

Reverse Stock Splits

 

Vote FOR management proposals to implement a reverse stock split if the number of authorized shares will be proportionately reduced.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals that do not meet the above condition, taking into consideration the following factors:

 

1. Stock exchange notification to the company of a potential delisting;
2. Disclosure of substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern without additional financing;
3. The company's rationale; or
4. Other factors as applicabl

 B-24

 

Share Repurchase Programs

 

Generally, vote FOR market repurchase authorities (share repurchase programs) if the terms comply with the following criteria:

 

1. A repurchase limit of up to 10 percent of outstanding issued share capital;
2. A holding limit of up to 10 percent of a company’s issued share capital in treasury (“on the shelf”); and
3. A duration that does not exceed market practice. In Asian markets, a duration of no more than five years, or such lower threshold as may be set by applicable law, regulation or code of governance best practice.

 

Authorities to repurchase shares in excess of the 10 percent repurchase limit will be assessed on a CASE-BY-CASE basis. Boston Partners may support such share repurchase authorities under special circumstances, which are required to be publicly disclosed by the company, provided that, on balance, the proposal is in shareholders’ interests. In such cases, the authority must comply with the following criteria:

 

1. A holding limit of up to 10 percent of a company’s issued share capital in treasury (“on the shelf”); and
2. A duration of no more than 18 months.

 

In markets where it is normal practice not to provide a repurchase limit, Boston Partners will evaluate the proposal based on the company’s historical practice. However, Boston Partners expects companies to disclose such limits and, in the future, may vote AGAINST companies that fail to do so. In such cases, the authority must comply with the following criteria:

 

1. A holding limit of up to 10 percent of a company’s issued share capital in treasury (“on the shelf”); and
2. A duration of no more than 18 months.

 

In addition, Boston Partners will vote AGAINST any proposal where:

 

1. The repurchase can be used for takeover defenses;
2. There is clear evidence of abuse;
3. There is no safeguard against selective buybacks; and/or
4. Pricing provisions and safeguards are deemed to be unreasonable in light of market practice.

 

Reissuance of Repurchased Shares

 

Vote FOR requests to reissue any repurchased shares unless there is clear evidence of abuse of this authority in the past.

 

Stock Distributions: Splits and Dividends

 

Generally, vote FOR management proposals to increase the common share authorization for stock split or stock dividend, provided that the effective increase in authorized shares is equal to or is less than the allowable increase(s).

 

Tracking Stock

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the creation of tracking stock, weighing the strategic value of the transaction against such factors as:

 

1. Adverse governance changes;
2. Excessive increases in authorized capital stock;
3. Unfair method of distribution;
4. Diminution of voting rights;
5. Adverse conversion features;
6. Negative impact on stock option plans; and
7. Alternatives such as spin-off.

 

Appraisal Rights

 

Vote FOR proposals to restore or provide shareholders with rights of appraisal.

 

Asset Purchases

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on asset purchase proposals, considering the following factors:

 

1. Purchase price;
2. Fairness opinion;
3. Financial and strategic benefits;
4. How the deal was negotiated;
5. Conflicts of interest;
6. Other alternatives for the business;
7. Non-completion risk.

 

Asset Sales

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on asset sales, considering the following factors:

 

1. Impact on the balance sheet/working capital;
2. Potential elimination of diseconomies;
3. Anticipated financial and operating benefits;
4. Anticipated use of funds;
5. Value received for the asset;
6. Fairness opinion;
7. How the deal was negotiated;
8. Conflicts of interest.

 B-25

 

Pledging of Assets for Debt

 

Vote proposals to approve the pledging of assets for debt on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

Increase in Borrowing Powers

 

Vote proposals to approve increases in a company’s borrowing powers on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

Bundled Proposals

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on bundled or “conditional” proxy proposals. In the case of items that are conditioned upon each other, examine the benefits and costs of the packaged items. In instances when the joint effect of the conditioned items is not in shareholders’ best interests, vote AGAINST the proposals. If the combined effect is positive, support such proposals. In the case of bundled director elections, vote AGAINST nominees where the overboarding threshold is exceeded (nominee sits on more than three (3) public company boards).

 

Conversion of Securities

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals regarding conversion of securities. When evaluating these proposals, the investor should review the dilution to existing shareholders, the conversion price relative to market value, financial issues, control issues, termination penalties, and conflicts of interest.

 

Vote FOR the conversion if it is expected that the company will be subject to onerous penalties or will be forced to file for bankruptcy if the transaction is not approved.

 

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible debt instruments as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

 

Corporate Reorganization/Debt Restructuring/Prepackaged Bankruptcy Plans/Reverse Leveraged Buyouts/Wrap Plans

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to increase common and/or preferred shares, with or without preemptive rights, and to issue shares as part of a debt restructuring plan, after evaluating:

 

1. Dilution to existing shareholders' positions;
2. Terms of the offer - discount/premium in purchase price to investor, including any fairness opinion; termination penalties; exit strategy;
3. Financial issues - company's financial situation; degree of need for capital; use of proceeds; effect of the financing on the company's cost of capital;
4. Management's efforts to pursue other alternatives;
5. Control issues - change in management; change in control, guaranteed board and committee seats; standstill provisions; voting agreements; veto power over certain corporate actions; and
6. Conflict of interest - arm's length transaction, managerial incentives.

 

Vote FOR the debt restructuring if it is expected that the company will file for bankruptcy if the transaction is not approved.

 

Formation of Holding Company

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals regarding the formation of a holding company, taking into consideration the following:

 

1. The reasons for the change;
2. Any financial or tax benefits;
3. Regulatory benefits;
4. Increases in capital structure; and
5. Changes to the articles of incorporation or by-laws of the company.

 

Absent compelling financial reasons for the transaction, vote AGAINST the formation of a holding company if the transaction would include either of the following:

 

1. Increases in common or preferred stock in excess of the allowable maximum (see discussion under “Capital”); or
2. Adverse changes in shareholder rights.

 

Going Private and Going Dark Transactions (LBOs and Minority Squeeze-outs)

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on going private transactions, taking into account the following:

 

1. Offer price/premium;
2. Fairness opinion;
3. How the deal was negotiated;
4. Conflicts of interest;
5. Other alternatives/offers considered; and
6. Non-completion risk.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on going dark transactions, determining whether the transaction enhances shareholder value by taking into consideration:

 

1. Whether the company has attained benefits from being publicly-traded (examination of trading volume, liquidity, and market research of the stock);
2. Balanced interests of continuing vs. cashed-out shareholders, taking into account the following:
a. Are all shareholders able to participate in the transaction?
b. Will there be a liquid market for remaining shareholders following the transaction?
c. Does the company have strong corporate governance?
d. Will insiders reap the gains of control following the proposed transaction?
e. Does the state of incorporation have laws requiring continued reporting that may benefit shareholders?

 

Joint Ventures

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to form joint ventures, taking into account the following:

 B-26

 

1. Percentage of assets/business contributed;
2. Percentage ownership;
3. Financial and strategic benefits;
4. Governance structure;
5. Conflicts of interest;
6. Other alternatives; and
7. Non-completion risk.

 

Liquidations

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on liquidations, taking into account the following:

 

1. Management’s efforts to pursue other alternatives;
2. Appraisal value of assets; and
3. The compensation plan for executives managing the liquidation.

 

Vote FOR the liquidation if the company will file for bankruptcy if the proposal is not approved.

 

Mergers and Acquisitions

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on mergers and acquisitions. Review and evaluate the merits and drawbacks of the proposed transaction, balancing various and sometimes countervailing factors including:

 

1. Valuation - Is the value to be received by the target shareholders (or paid by the acquirer) reasonable? While the fairness opinion may provide an initial starting point for assessing valuation reasonableness, emphasis is placed on the offer premium, market reaction, and strategic rationale.
2. Market reaction - How has the market responded to the proposed deal? A negative market reaction should cause closer scrutiny of a deal.
3. Strategic rationale - Does the deal make sense strategically? From where is the value derived? Cost and revenue synergies should not be overly aggressive or optimistic, but reasonably achievable. Management should also have a favorable track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions.
4. Negotiations and process - Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arm's-length? Was the process fair and equitable? A fair process helps to ensure the best price for shareholders. Significant negotiation "wins" can also signify the deal makers' competency. The comprehensiveness of the sales process (e.g., full auction, partial auction, no auction) can also affect shareholder value.
5. Conflicts of interest - Are insiders benefiting from the transaction disproportionately and inappropriately as compared to non-insider shareholders? As the result of potential conflicts, the directors and officers of the company may be more likely to vote to approve a merger than if they did not hold these interests. Consider whether these interests may have influenced these directors and officers to support or recommend the merger.
6. Governance - Will the combined company have a better or worse governance profile than the current governance profiles of the respective parties to the transaction? If the governance profile is to change for the worse, the burden is on the company to prove that other issues (such as valuation) outweigh any deterioration in governance.

 

Vote AGAINST if the companies do not provide sufficient information upon request to make an informed voting decision.

 

Private Placements/Warrants/Convertible Debentures

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals regarding private placements, warrants, and convertible debentures taking into consideration:

 

1. Dilution to existing shareholders' position: The amount and timing of shareholder ownership dilution should be weighed against the needs and proposed shareholder benefits of the capital infusion. Although newly issued common stock, absent preemptive rights, is typically dilutive to existing shareholders, share price appreciation is often the necessary event to trigger the exercise of "out of the money" warrants and convertible debt. In these instances from a value standpoint, the negative impact of dilution is mitigated by the increase in the company's stock price that must occur to trigger the dilutive event.
2. Terms of the offer (discount/premium in purchase price to investor, including any fairness opinion, conversion features, termination penalties, exit strategy):
a. The terms of the offer should be weighed against the alternatives of the company and in light of company's financial condition. Ideally, the conversion price for convertible debt and the exercise price for warrants should be at a premium to the then prevailing stock price at the time of private placement.
b. When evaluating the magnitude of a private placement discount or premium, consider factors that influence the discount or premium, such as, liquidity, due diligence costs, control and monitoring costs, capital scarcity, information asymmetry, and anticipation of future performance.
3. Financial issues:
a. The company's financial condition;
b. Degree of need for capital;
c. Use of proceeds;
d. Effect of the financing on the company's cost of capital;
e. Current and proposed cash burn rate;
f. Going concern viability and the state of the capital and credit markets.
4. Management's efforts to pursue alternatives and whether the company engaged in a process to evaluate alternatives: A fair, unconstrained process helps to ensure the best price for shareholders. Financing alternatives can include joint ventures, partnership, merger, or sale of part or all of the company.
5. Control issues:
a. Change in management;
b. Change in control;
c. Guaranteed board and committee seats;
d. Standstill provisions;
e. Voting agreements;
f. Veto power over certain corporate actions; and
g. Minority versus majority ownership and corresponding minority discount or majority control premium.
6. Conflicts of interest:
a. Conflicts of interest should be viewed from the perspective of the company and the investor.
b. Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arm's length? Are managerial incentives aligned with shareholder interests?

 B-27

 

7. Market reaction:
a. The market's response to the proposed deal. A negative market reaction is a cause for concern. Market reaction may be addressed by analyzing the one day impact on the unaffected stock price.

 

Vote FOR the private placement, or for the issuance of warrants and/or convertible debentures in a private placement, if it is expected that the company will file for bankruptcy if the transaction is not approved.

 

Reorganization/Restructuring Plan (Bankruptcy)

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to common shareholders on bankruptcy plans of reorganization, considering the following factors including, but not limited to:

 

1. Estimated value and financial prospects of the reorganized company;
2. Percentage ownership of current shareholders in the reorganized company;
3. Whether shareholders are adequately represented in the reorganization process (particularly through the existence of an Official Equity Committee);
4. The cause(s) of the bankruptcy filing, and the extent to which the plan of reorganization addresses the cause(s);
5. Existence of a superior alternative to the plan of reorganization; and
6. Governance of the reorganized company.

 

Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations (SPACs)

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on SPAC mergers and acquisitions taking into account the following:

 

1. Valuation
2. Market reaction
3. Deal timing
4. Negotiations and process.
5. Conflicts of interest
6. Voting agreements
7. Governance

 

Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations (SPACs) - Proposals for Extensions

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on SPAC extension proposals taking into account the length of the requested extension, the status of any pending transaction(s) or progression of the acquisition process, any added incentive for non-redeeming shareholders, and any prior extension requests.

 

Spin-offs

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on spin-offs, considering:

 

1. Tax and regulatory advantages;
2. Planned use of the sale proceeds;
3. Valuation of spinoff;
4. Fairness opinion;
5. Benefits to the parent company;
6. Conflicts of interest;
7. Managerial incentives;
8. Corporate governance changes;
9. Changes in the capital structure.

 

Value Maximization Shareholder Proposals

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals seeking to maximize shareholder value by:

 

1. Hiring a financial advisor to explore strategic alternatives;
2. Selling the company; or
3. Liquidating the company and distributing the proceeds to shareholders.

 

These proposals should be evaluated based on the following factors:

 

1. Prolonged poor performance with no turnaround in sight;
2. Signs of entrenched board and management (such as the adoption of takeover defenses);
3. Strategic plan in place for improving value;
4. Likelihood of receiving reasonable value in a sale or dissolution; and
5. The company actively exploring its strategic options, including retaining a financial advisor.

 

I. Compensation

 

Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation-Management Proposals (Management Say-on-Pay)

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on ballot items related to executive pay and practices, as well as certain aspects of outside director compensation.

 

Vote AGAINST Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay or “SOP”) if:

 

1. There is an unmitigated misalignment between CEO pay and company performance (pay for performance);
2. The company maintains significant problematic pay practices;
3. The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.

 

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:

 B-28

 

1. There is no SOP on the ballot, and an AGAINST vote on SOP would otherwise be warranted due to pay-for-performance misalignment, problematic pay practices, or the lack of adequate responsiveness on compensation issues raised previously, or a combination thereof;
2. The board fails to respond adequately to a previous SOP proposal that received less than 70 percent support of votes cast;
3. The company has recently practiced or approved problematic pay practices, such as option repricing or option backdating; or
4. The situation is egregious.

 

Primary Evaluation Factors for Executive Pay

 

Pay-for-Performance Evaluation

 

Analysis considers the following:

 

1. Peer Group Alignment:
a. The degree of alignment between the company's annualized TSR rank and the CEO's annualized total pay rank within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period.
b. The rankings of CEO total pay and company financial performance within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period.
c. The multiple of the CEO's total pay relative to the peer group median in the most recent fiscal year.
2. Absolute Alignment - the absolute alignment between the trend in CEO pay and company TSR over the prior five fiscal years - i.e., the difference between the trend in annual pay changes and the trend in annualized TSR during the period.

 

If the above analysis demonstrates significant unsatisfactory long-term pay-for-performance alignment or, in the case of companies outside the Russell indices, misaligned pay and performance are otherwise suggested, our analysis may include any of the following qualitative factors, as relevant to evaluating how various pay elements may work to encourage or to undermine long-term value creation and alignment with shareholder interests:

 

1. The ratio of performance- to time-based incentive awards;
2. The overall ratio of performance-based compensation;
3. The completeness of disclosure and rigor of performance goals;
4. The company's peer group benchmarking practices;
5. Actual results of financial/operational metrics, both absolute and relative to peers;
6. Special circumstances related to, for example, a new CEO in the prior FY or anomalous equity grant practices (e.g., bi-annual awards);
7. Realizable pay compared to grant pay; and
8. Any other factors deemed relevant.

 

Problematic Pay Practices

 

The focus is on executive compensation practices that contravene the global pay principles, including:

 

1. Problematic practices related to non-performance-based compensation elements;
2. Incentives that may motivate excessive risk-taking or present a windfall risk; and
3. Pay decisions that circumvent pay-for-performance, such as options backdating or waiving performance requirements.

 

Problematic Pay Practices related to Non-Performance-Based Compensation Elements

 

Pay elements that are not directly based on performance are generally evaluated CASE-BY-CASE considering the context of a company's overall pay program and demonstrated pay-for-performance philosophy. The list below highlights the problematic practices that carry significant weight in this overall consideration and may result in an adverse vote:

 

1. Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/SARS without prior shareholder approval (including cash buyouts and voluntary surrender of underwater options);
2. Extraordinary perquisites or tax gross-ups;
3. New or materially amended agreements that provide for:
a. Excessive termination or CIC severance payments (generally exceeding 3 times base salary and average/target/most recent bonus);
b. CIC severance payments without involuntary job loss or substantial diminution of duties ("single" or "modified single" triggers) or in connection with a problematic Good Reason definition;
c. CIC excise tax gross-up entitlements (including "modified" gross-ups);
d. Multi-year guaranteed awards that are not at risk due to rigorous performance conditions;
e. Liberal CIC definition combined with any single-trigger CIC benefits;
4. Insufficient executive compensation disclosure by externally-managed issuers (EMIs) such that a reasonable assessment of pay programs and practices applicable to the EMI's executives is not possible;
5. Any other provision or practice deemed to be egregious and present a significant risk to investors.

 

Options Backdating

 

The following factors should be examined CASE-BY-CASE to allow for distinctions to be made between “sloppy” plan administration versus deliberate action or fraud:

 

1. Reason and motive for the options backdating issue, such as inadvertent vs. deliberate grant date changes;
2. Duration of options backdating;
3. Size of restatement due to options backdating;
4. Corrective actions taken by the board or compensation committee, such as canceling or re-pricing backdated options, the recouping of option gains on backdated grants; and
5. Adoption of a grant policy that prohibits backdating and creates a fixed grant schedule or window period for equity grants in the future.

 

Frequency of Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation ("Say When on Pay")

 

Vote FOR annual advisory votes on compensation, which provide the most consistent and clear communication channel for shareholder concerns about companies' executive pay programs.

 B-29

 

Voting on Golden Parachutes in an Acquisition, Merger, Consolidation, or Proposed Sale

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on Golden Parachute proposals, including consideration of existing change-in-control arrangements maintained with named executive and non-executive officers rather than focusing primarily on new or extended arrangements.

 

Features that may result in an AGAINST vote include one or more of the following, depending on the number, magnitude, and/or timing of issue(s):

 

1. Single- or modified-single-trigger cash severance;
2. Single-trigger acceleration of unvested equity awards;
3. Full acceleration of equity awards granted shortly before the change in control;
4. Acceleration of performance awards above the target level of performance without compelling rationale;
5. Excessive cash severance (generally >3x base salary and bonus);
6. Excise tax gross-ups triggered and payable;
7. Excessive golden parachute payments (on an absolute basis or as a percentage of transaction equity value); or
8. Recent amendments that incorporate any problematic features (such as those above) or recent actions (such as extraordinary equity grants) that may make packages so attractive as to influence merger agreements that may not be in the best interests of shareholders; or
9. The company's assertion that a proposed transaction is conditioned on shareholder approval of the golden parachute advisory vote.

 

Recent amendment(s) that incorporate problematic features will tend to carry more weight on the overall analysis. However, the presence of multiple legacy problematic features will also be closely scrutinized.

 

In cases where the golden parachute vote is incorporated into a company's advisory vote on compensation (management say-on-pay), evaluate the say-on-pay proposal in accordance with these guidelines, which may give higher weight to that component of the overall evaluation.

 

Equity-Based and Other Incentive Plans

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on certain equity-based compensation plans depending on a combination of certain plan features and equity grant practices, where positive factors may counterbalance negative factors, and vice versa, as evaluated using an "Equity Plan Scorecard" (EPSC) approach with three pillars:

 

1. Plan Cost: The total estimated cost of the company’s equity plans relative to industry/market cap peers, measured by the company's estimated Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT) in relation to peers and considering both:
a. SVT based on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants, plus outstanding unvested/unexercised grants; and
b. SVT based only on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants.
2. Plan Features:
a. General quality of disclosure, especially around vesting upon a change in control (CIC);
b. Discretionary vesting authority;
c. Liberal share recycling on various award types;
d. Lack of minimum vesting period for grants made under the plan;
e. Dividends payable prior to award vesting.
3. Grant Practices:
a. The company’s three-year burn rate relative to its industry/market cap peers (shouldn’t exceed 3.5%);
b. Vesting requirements in CEO's recent equity grants (3-year look-back);
c. The estimated duration of the plan (based on the sum of shares remaining available and the new shares requested, divided by the average annual shares granted in the prior three years);
d. The proportion of the CEO's most recent equity grants/awards subject to performance conditions;
e. Whether the company maintains a sufficient claw-back policy;
f. Whether the company maintains sufficient post-exercise/vesting share-holding requirements.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST the plan proposal if the combination of above factors indicates that the plan is not, overall, in shareholders' interests, or if any of the following egregious factors ("overriding factors") apply:

 

1. Awards may vest in connection with a liberal change-of-control definition;
2. The plan would permit repricing or cash buyout of underwater options without shareholder approval (either by expressly permitting it - for NYSE and Nasdaq listed companies - or by not prohibiting it when the company has a history of repricing - for non-listed companies);
3. The plan is a vehicle for problematic pay practices or a significant pay-for-performance disconnect under certain circumstances;
4. The plan is excessively dilutive to shareholders' holdings; or
5. Any other plan features are determined to have a significant negative impact on shareholder interests.

 

Further Information on Certain EPSC Factors:

 

SVT

 

The cost of the equity plans is expressed as SVT, which is measured using a binomial option pricing model that assesses the amount of shareholders’ equity flowing out of the company to employees and directors. SVT is expressed as both a dollar amount and as a percentage of market value, and includes the new shares proposed, shares available under existing plans, and shares granted but unexercised (using two measures, in the case of plans subject to the Equity Plan Scorecard evaluation, as noted above). All award types are valued. For omnibus plans, unless limitations are placed on the most expensive types of awards (for example, full-value awards), the assumption is made that all awards to be granted will be the most expensive types. See discussion of specific types of awards.

 

Except for proposals subject to Equity Plan Scorecard evaluation, SVT is reasonable if it falls below a company-specific benchmark. The benchmark is determined as follows: The top quartile performers in each industry group (using the Global Industry Classification Standard: GICS) are identified. Benchmark SVT levels for each industry are established based on these top performers’ historic SVT. Regression analyses are run on each industry group to identify the variables most strongly correlated to SVT. The benchmark industry SVT level is then adjusted upwards or downwards for the specific company by plugging the company-specific performance measures, size and cash compensation into the industry cap equations to arrive at the company’s benchmark.

 

Three-Year Burn Rate Burn-rate benchmarks (utilized in Equity Plan Scorecard evaluations) are calculated as the greater of: (1) the mean (ì) plus one standard deviation (ó) of the company's GICS group segmented by S&P 500, Russell 3000 index (less the S&P500), and non-Russell 3000 index; and (2) two percent of weighted common shares outstanding. In addition, year-over-year burn-rate benchmark changes will be limited to a maximum of two (2) percentage points plus or minus the prior year's burn-rate benchmark. Boston Partners will vote AGAINST plans if the three-year average burn rate exceeds 3.5 percent.

 B-30

 

Egregious Factors

 

Liberal Change in Control Definition

 

Generally, vote AGAINST equity plans if the plan has a liberal definition of change in control and the equity awards could vest upon such liberal definition of change in control, even though an actual change in control may not occur. Examples of such a definition include, but are not limited to, announcement or commencement of a tender offer, provisions for acceleration upon a “potential” takeover, shareholder approval of a merger or other transactions, or similar language.

 

Repricing Provisions

 

Vote AGAINST plans that expressly permit the repricing or exchange of underwater stock options/stock appreciate rights (SARs) without prior shareholder approval. "Repricing" typically includes the ability to do any of the following:

 

1. Amend the terms of outstanding options or SARs to reduce the exercise price of such outstanding options or SARs;
2. Cancel outstanding options or SARs in exchange for options or SARs with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original options or SARs;
3. The cancellation of underwater options in exchange for stock awards; or
4. Cash buyouts of underwater options.

 

While the above cover most types of repricing, Boston Partners may view other provisions as akin to repricing depending on the facts and circumstances.

 

Also, vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from members of the Compensation Committee who approved repricing (as defined above or otherwise determined by Boston Partners), without prior shareholder approval, even if such repricings are allowed in their equity plan.

 

Vote AGAINST plans that do not expressly prohibit repricing or cash buyout of underwater options without shareholder approval if the company has a history of repricing/buyouts without shareholder approval, and the applicable listing standards would not preclude them from doing so.

 

Problematic Pay Practices or Significant Pay-for-Performance Disconnect

 

If the equity plan on the ballot is a vehicle for problematic pay practices, vote AGAINST the plan.

 

May vote AGAINST the equity plan if the plan is determined to be a vehicle for pay-for-performance misalignment. Considerations in voting AGAINST the equity plan may include, but are not limited to:

 

1. Severity of the pay-for-performance misalignment;
2. Whether problematic equity grant practices are driving the misalignment; and/or
3. Whether equity plan awards have been heavily concentrated to the CEO and/or the other NEOs.

 

Amending Cash and Equity Plans

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on amendments to cash and equity incentive plans.

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals to amend executive cash, stock, or cash and stock incentive plans if the proposal addresses administrative features only.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on all other proposals to amend cash incentive plans. This includes plans presented to shareholders for the first time after the company's IPO and/or proposals that bundle material amendment(s).

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on all other proposals to amend equity incentive plans, considering the following:

 

1. If the proposal requests additional shares and/or the amendments include a term extension or addition of full value awards as an award type, the vote will be based on the Equity Plan Scorecard evaluation as well as an analysis of the overall impact of the amendments.
2. If the plan is being presented to shareholders for the first time (including after the company's IPO), whether or not additional shares are being requested, the vote will be based on the Equity Plan Scorecard evaluation as well as an analysis of the overall impact of any amendments.
3. If there is no request for additional shares and the amendments do not include a term extension or addition of full value awards as an award type, then the vote will be based entirely on an analysis of the overall impact of the amendments, and the EPSC evaluation will be shown only for informational purposes.

 

In the first two CASE-BY-CASE evaluation scenarios, the EPSC evaluation/score is the more heavily weighted consideration.

 

Specific Treatment of Certain Award Types in Equity Plan Evaluations: Dividend Equivalent Rights

 

Options that have Dividend Equivalent Rights (DERs) associated with them will have a higher calculated award value than those without DERs under the binomial model, based on the value of these dividend streams. The higher value will be applied to new shares, shares available under existing plans, and shares awarded but not exercised per the plan specifications. DERS transfer more shareholder equity to employees and non- executive directors and this cost should be captured.

 

Operating Partnership (OP) Units in Equity Plan Analysis of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

 

For Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS), include the common shares issuable upon conversion of outstanding Operating Partnership (OP) units in the share count for the purposes of determining: (1) market capitalization in the SVT analysis and (2) shares outstanding in the burn rate analysis.

 

Other Compensation Plans

 

401(k) Employee Benefit Plans

 

Vote FOR proposals to implement a 401(k) savings plan for employees.

 

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)

 

Vote FOR proposals to implement an ESOP or increase authorized shares for existing ESOPs, unless the number of shares allocated to the ESOP is excessive (more than five percent of outstanding shares).

 B-31

 

Employee Stock Purchase Plans-Qualified Plans

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on qualified employee stock purchase plans. Vote FOR employee stock purchase plans where all of the following apply:

 

1. Purchase price is at least 85 percent of fair market value;
2. Offering period is 27 months or less; and
3. The number of shares allocated to the plan is 10 percent or less of the outstanding shares.

 

Vote AGAINST qualified employee stock purchase plans where any of the following apply:

 

1. Purchase price is less than 85 percent of fair market value; or
2. Offering period is greater than 27 months; or
3. The number of shares allocated to the plan is more than 10 percent of the outstanding shares.

 

Employee Stock Purchase Plans-Non-Qualified Plans

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on nonqualified employee stock purchase plans. Vote FOR nonqualified employee stock purchase plans with all the following features:

 

1. Broad-based participation (i.e., all employees of the company with the exclusion of individuals with 5 percent or more of beneficial ownership of the company);
2. Limits on employee contribution, which may be a fixed dollar amount or expressed as a percent of base salary;
3. Company matching contribution up to 25 percent of employee’s contribution, which is effectively a discount of 20 percent from market value; and
4. No discount on the stock price on the date of purchase when there is a company matching contribution.

 

Vote AGAINST nonqualified employee stock purchase plans when the plan features do not meet all of the above criteria. If the matching contribution or effective discount exceeds the above, may evaluate the SVT cost of the plan as part of the assessment.

 

Option Exchange Programs/Repricing Options

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals seeking approval to exchange/reprice options taking into consideration:

 

1. Historic trading patterns--the stock price should not be so volatile that the options are likely to be back “in-the-money” over the near term;
2. Rationale for the re-pricing--was the stock price decline beyond management's control?;
3. Is this a value-for-value exchange?;
4. Are surrendered stock options added back to the plan reserve?;
5. Timing--repricing should occur at least one year out from any precipitous drop in company's stock price;
6. Option vesting--does the new option vest immediately or is there a black-out period?;
7. Term of the option--the term should remain the same as that of the replaced option;
8. Exercise price--should be set at fair market or a premium to market;
9. Participants--executive officers and directors must be excluded.

 

If the surrendered options are added back to the equity plans for re-issuance, then also take into consideration the company’s total cost of equity plans and its three-year average burn rate (shouldn’t exceed 3.5%).

 

In addition to the above considerations, evaluate the intent, rationale, and timing of the repricing proposal. The proposal should clearly articulate why the board is choosing to conduct an exchange program at this point in time. Repricing underwater options after a recent precipitous drop in the company’s stock price demonstrates poor timing and warrants additional scrutiny. Also, consider the terms of the surrendered options, such as the grant date, exercise price and vesting schedule. Grant dates of surrendered options should be far enough back (two to three years) so as not to suggest that repricings are being done to take advantage of short-term downward price movements. Similarly, the exercise price of surrendered options should be above the 52-week high for the stock price.

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals to put option repricings to a shareholder vote.

 

Stock Plans in Lieu of Cash

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on plans that provide participants with the option of taking all or a portion of their cash compensation in the form of stock.

 

Vote non- executive director-only equity plans that provide a dollar-for-dollar cash-for-stock exchange.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on plans which do not provide a dollar-for-dollar cash for stock exchange. In cases where the exchange is not dollar-for-dollar, the request for new or additional shares for such equity program will be considered using the binomial option pricing model. In an effort to capture the total cost of total compensation, no adjustments will be made to carve out the in-lieu-of cash compensation.

 

Transfer Stock Option (TSO) Programs

 

One-time Transfers: Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from compensation committee members if they fail to submit one-time transfers to shareholders for approval.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on one-time transfers. Vote FOR if:

 

1. Executive officers and non- executive directors are excluded from participating;
2. Stock options are purchased by third-party financial institutions at a discount to their fair value using option pricing models such as Black-Scholes or a Binomial Option Valuation or other appropriate financial models; and
3. There is a two-year minimum holding period for sale proceeds (cash or stock) for all participants.

 

Additionally, management should provide a clear explanation of why options are being transferred to a third-party institution and whether the events leading up to a decline in stock price were beyond management's control. A review of the company's historic stock price volatility should indicate if the options are likely to be back “in-the-money” over the near term.

 

Ongoing TSO program: Vote AGAINST equity plan proposals if the details of ongoing TSO programs are not provided to shareholders. Since TSOs will be one of the award types under a stock plan, the ongoing TSO program, structure and mechanics must be disclosed to shareholders. The specific criteria to be considered in evaluating these proposals include, but not limited, to the following:

 B-32

 

1. Eligibility;
2. Vesting;
3. Bid-price;
4. Term of options;
5. Cost of the program and impact of the TSOs on company’s total option expense; and
6. Option repricing policy.

 

Amendments to existing plans that allow for introduction of transferability of stock options should make clear that only options granted post-amendment shall be transferable.

 

Director Compensation

 

Non- Executive Directors

 

Vote FOR proposals to award cash fees to non-executive directors unless the amounts are excessive relative to other companies in the country or industry.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals seeking ratification of non- executive director compensation, based on the following factors:

 

1. If the equity plan under which non- executive director grants are made is bundled into a single resolution or is on the ballot, whether or not it warrants support; and
2. An assessment of the following qualitative factors:
a. The relative magnitude of director compensation as compared to companies of a similar profile;
b. The presence of problematic pay practices relating to director compensation;
c. Director stock ownership guidelines and holding requirements;
d. Equity award vesting schedules;
e. The mix of cash and equity-based compensation;
f. Meaningful limits on director compensation;
g. The availability of retirement benefits or perquisites; and
h. The quality of disclosure surrounding director compensation.

 

Equity Plans for Non- Executive Directors

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on compensation plans for non- executive directors, based on:

 

1. The total estimated cost of the company’s equity plans relative to industry/market cap peers, measured by the company’s estimated SVT based on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants, plus outstanding unvested/unexercised grants;
2. The company’s three-year burn rate relative to its industry/market cap peers (in certain circumstances) (shouldn’t exceed 3.5%); and
3. The presence of any egregious plan features (such as an option repricing provision or liberal CIC vesting risk).

 

On occasion, non- executive director stock plans will exceed the plan cost or burn-rate benchmarks when combined with employee or executive stock plans. In such cases, vote CASE-BY-CASE on the plan taking into consideration the following qualitative factors:

 

1. The relative magnitude of director compensation as compared to companies of a similar profile;
2. The presence of problematic pay practices relating to director compensation;
3. Director stock ownership guidelines and holding requirements;
4. Equity award vesting schedules;
5. The mix of cash and equity-based compensation;
6. Meaningful limits on director compensation;
7. The availability of retirement benefits or perquisites; and
8. The quality of disclosure surrounding director compensation.

 

Non- Executive Director Retirement Plans

 

Vote AGAINST retirement plans for non- executive directors. Vote FOR shareholder proposals to eliminate retirement plans for non- executive directors.

 

Shareholder Proposals on Compensation

 

Bonus Banking/Bonus Banking “Plus”

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals seeking deferral of a portion of annual bonus pay, with ultimate payout linked to sustained results for the performance metrics on which the bonus was earned (whether for the named executive officers or a wider group of employees), taking into account the following factors:

 

1. The company’s past practices regarding equity and cash compensation;
2. Whether the company has a holding period or stock ownership requirements in place, such as a meaningful retention ratio (at least 50 percent for full tenure); and
3. Whether the company has a rigorous claw-back policy in place.

 

Compensation Consultants-Disclosure of Board or Company’s Utilization

 

Generally, vote FOR shareholder proposals seeking disclosure regarding the Company, Board, or Compensation Committee’s use of compensation consultants, such as company name, business relationship(s), and fees paid.

 

Disclosure/Setting Levels or Types of Compensation for Executives and Directors

 

Generally, vote FOR shareholder proposals seeking additional disclosure of executive and director pay information, provided the information requested is relevant to shareholders' needs, would not put the company at a competitive disadvantage relative to its industry, and is not unduly burdensome to the company.

 B-33

 

Generally, vote AGAINST shareholder proposals seeking to set absolute levels on compensation or otherwise dictate the amount or form of compensation (such as types of compensation elements or specific metrics) to be used for executive or directors.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST shareholder proposals that mandate a minimum amount of stock that directors must own in order to qualify as a director or to remain on the board.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on all other shareholder proposals regarding executive and director pay, taking into account relevant factors, including but not limited to: company performance, pay level and design versus peers, history of compensation concerns or pay-for-performance disconnect, and/or the scope and prescriptive nature of the proposal.

 

Golden Coffins/Executive Death Benefits

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals calling for companies to adopt a policy of obtaining shareholder approval for any future agreements and corporate policies that could oblige the company to make payments or awards following the death of a senior executive in the form of unearned salary or bonuses, accelerated vesting or the continuation in force of unvested equity grants, perquisites and other payments or awards made in lieu of compensation. This would not apply to any benefit programs or equity plan proposals for which the broad-based employee population is eligible.

 

Hold Equity Past Retirement or for a Significant Period of Time

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals asking companies to adopt policies requiring senior executive officers to retain a portion of net shares acquired through compensation plans. The following factors will be taken into account:

 

1. The percentage/ratio of net shares required to be retained;
2. The time period required to retain the shares;
3. Whether the company has equity retention, holding period, and/or stock ownership requirements in place and the robustness of such requirements;
4. Whether the company has any other policies aimed at mitigating risk taking by executives;
5. Executives' actual stock ownership and the degree to which it meets or exceeds the proponent’s suggested holding period/retention ratio or the company’s existing requirements; and
6. Problematic pay practices, current and past, which may demonstrate a short-term versus long-term focus.

 

Non-Deductible Compensation (U.S.)

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals seeking disclosure of the extent to which the company paid non-deductible compensation to senior executives under U.S. Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m), while considering the company’s existing disclosure practices. Section 162(m) imposes a $1 million annual limit on the amount of compensation that a publicly held corporation can deduct with respect to certain executives.

 

Pay Disparity

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals calling for an analysis of the pay disparity between corporate executives and other non-executive employees. The following factors will be considered:

 

1. The company’s current level of disclosure of its executive compensation setting process, including how the company considers pay disparity;
2. If any problematic pay practices or pay-for-performance concerns have been identified at the company; and
3. The level of shareholder support for the company's pay programs.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals calling for the company to use the pay disparity analysis or pay ratio in a specific way to set or limit executive pay.

 

Pay for Performance/Performance-Based Awards

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting that a significant amount of future long-term incentive compensation awarded to senior executives shall be performance-based and requesting that the board adopt and disclose challenging performance metrics to shareholders, based on the following analytical steps:

 

1. First, vote FOR shareholder proposals advocating the use of performance-based equity awards, such as performance contingent options or restricted stock, indexed options or premium-priced options, unless the proposal is overly restrictive or if the company has demonstrated that it is using a “substantial” portion of performance-based awards for its top executives. Standard stock options and performance-accelerated awards do not meet the criteria to be considered as performance-based awards. Further, premium-priced options should have a meaningful premium to be considered performance-based awards.
2. Second, assess the rigor of the company’s performance-based equity program. If the bar set for the performance-based program is too low based on the company’s historical or peer group comparison, generally vote FOR the proposal. Furthermore, if target performance results in an above target payout, vote FOR the shareholder proposal due to program’s poor design. If the company does not disclose the performance metric of the performance-based equity program, vote FOR the shareholder proposal regardless of the outcome of the first step to the test.

 

In general, vote FOR the shareholder proposal if the company does not meet both of the above two steps.

 

Pay for Superior Performance

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals that request the board establish a pay-for-superior performance standard in the company's executive compensation plan for senior executives. These proposals generally include the following principles:

 

1. Set compensation targets for the plan’s annual and long-term incentive pay components at or below the peer group median;
2. Deliver a majority of the plan’s target long-term compensation through performance-vested, not simply time-vested, equity awards;
3. Provide the strategic rationale and relative weightings of the financial and non-financial performance metrics or criteria used in the annual and performance-vested long-term incentive components of the plan;
4. Establish performance targets for each plan financial metric relative to the performance of the company’s peer companies;
5. Limit payment under the annual and performance-vested long-term incentive components of the plan to when the company’s performance on its selected financial performance metrics exceeds peer group median performance.

 

Consider the following factors in evaluating this proposal:

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1. What aspects of the company’s annual and long-term equity incentive programs are performance driven?
2. If the annual and long-term equity incentive programs are performance driven, are the performance criteria and hurdle rates disclosed to shareholders or are they benchmarked against a disclosed peer group?
3. Can shareholders assess the correlation between pay and performance based on the current disclosure?
4. What type of industry and stage of business cycle does the company belong to?

 

Pre-Arranged Trading Plans (10b5-1 Plans)

 

Generally, vote FOR shareholder proposals calling for certain principles regarding the use of prearranged trading plans (10b5-1 plans) for executives. These principles include:

 

1. Adoption, amendment, or termination of a 10b5-1 Plan must be disclosed within two business days in a Form 8-K;
2. Amendment or early termination of a 10b5-1 Plan is allowed only under extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the board;
3. Ninety days must elapse between adoption or amendment of a 10b5-1 Plan and initial trading under the plan;
4. Reports on Form 4 must identify transactions made pursuant to a 10b5-1 Plan;
5. An executive may not trade in company stock outside the 10b5-1 Plan;
6. Trades under a 10b5-1 Plan must be handled by a broker who does not handle other securities transactions for the executive.

 

Prohibit Outside CEOs from Serving on Compensation Committees

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals seeking a policy to prohibit any outside CEO from serving on a company’s compensation committee, unless the company has demonstrated problematic pay practices that raise concerns about the performance and composition of the committee.

 

Recoupment of Incentive or Stock Compensation in Specified Circumstances

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to recoup incentive cash or stock compensation made to senior executives if it is later determined that the figures upon which incentive compensation is earned turn out to have been in error, or if the senior executive has breached company policy or has engaged in misconduct that may be significantly detrimental to the company's financial position or reputation, or if the senior executive failed to manage or monitor risks that subsequently led to significant financial or reputational harm to the company. Many companies have adopted policies that permit recoupment in cases where an executive's fraud, misconduct, or negligence significantly contributed to a restatement of financial results that led to the awarding of unearned incentive compensation. However, such policies may be narrow given that not all misconduct or negligence may result in significant financial restatements. Misconduct, negligence or lack of sufficient oversight by senior executives may lead to significant financial loss or reputational damage that may have long-lasting impact.

 

In considering whether to support such shareholder proposals, Boston Partners will consider the following factors:

 

1. If the company has adopted a formal recoupment policy;
2. The rigor of the recoupment policy focusing on how and under what circumstances the company may recoup incentive or stock compensation;
3. Whether the company has chronic restatement history or material financial problems;
4. Whether the company’s policy substantially addresses the concerns raised by the proponent;
5. Disclosure of recoupment of incentive or stock compensation from senior executives or lack thereof; or
6. Any other relevant factors.

 

Severance Agreements for Executives/Golden Parachutes

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring that golden parachutes or executive severance agreements be submitted for shareholder ratification, unless the proposal requires shareholder approval prior to entering into employment contracts.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to ratify or cancel golden parachutes. An acceptable parachute should include, but is not limited to, the following:

 

1. The triggering mechanism should be beyond the control of management;
2. The amount should not exceed 2.99 times base amount (defined as the average annual taxable W-2 compensation during the five years prior to the year in which the change of control occurs);
3. Change-in-control payments should be double-triggered, i.e., (1) after a change in control has taken place, and (2) termination of the executive as a result of the change in control. Change in control is defined as a change in the company ownership structure.

 

Share Buyback Proposals

 

Generally, vote AGAINST shareholder proposals prohibiting executives from selling shares of company stock during periods in which the company has announced that it may or will be repurchasing shares of its stock.

 

Vote FOR the proposal when there is a pattern of abuse by executives exercising options or selling shares during periods of share buybacks.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting the company exclude the impact of share buybacks from the calculation of incentive program metrics, considering the following factors:

 

1. The frequency and timing of the company's share buybacks;
2. The use of per-share metrics in incentive plans;
3. The effect of recent buybacks on incentive metric results and payouts; and
4. Whether there is any indication of metric result manipulation.

 

Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs)

 

Generally, vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting to put extraordinary benefits contained in SERP agreements to a shareholder vote unless the company’s executive pension plans do not contain excessive benefits beyond what is offered under employee-wide plans.

 B-35

 

Generally, vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting to limit the executive benefits provided under the company’s supplemental executive retirement plan (SERP) by limiting covered compensation to a senior executive’s annual salary or those pay elements covered for the general employee population.

 

Tax Gross-Up Proposals

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals calling for companies to adopt a policy of not providing tax gross-up payments to executives, except in situations where gross-ups are provided pursuant to a plan, policy, or arrangement applicable to management employees of the company, such as a relocation or expatriate tax equalization policy.

 

Termination of Employment Prior to Severance Payment/Eliminating Accelerated Vesting of Unvested Equity

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals seeking a policy requiring termination of employment prior to severance payment and/or eliminating accelerated vesting of unvested equity.

 

The following factors will be considered:

 

1. The company's current treatment of equity upon employment termination and/or in change-in-control situations (i.e., vesting is double triggered and/or pro rata, does it allow for the assumption of equity by acquiring company, the treatment of performance shares, etc.);
2. Current employment agreements, including potential poor pay practices such as gross-ups embedded in those agreements.

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals seeking a policy that prohibits automatic acceleration of the vesting of equity awards to senior executives upon a voluntary termination of employment or in the event of a change in control (except for pro rata vesting considering the time elapsed and attainment of any related performance goals between the award date and the change in control).

 

I. Routine/ Miscellaneous/ Operational

 

Adjourn Meeting

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals to provide management with the authority to adjourn an annual or special meeting absent compelling reasons to support the proposal.

 

Vote FOR proposals that relate specifically to soliciting votes for a merger or transaction if supporting that merger or transaction.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals if the wording is too vague or if the proposal includes "other business."

 

Amend Quorum Requirements

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to reduce quorum requirements for shareholder meetings below a majority of the shares outstanding unless there are compelling reasons to support the proposal. Otherwise, vote CASE-BY-CASE.

 

Amend Minor By-laws

 

Vote FOR by-law or charter changes that are of a housekeeping nature (updates or corrections).

 

Change Company Name

 

Vote FOR proposals to change the corporate name unless there is compelling evidence that the change would adversely impact shareholder value.

 

Change Date, Time, or Location of Annual Meeting

 

Vote FOR management proposals to change the date, time, or location of the annual meeting unless the proposed change is unreasonable.

 

Vote AGAINST shareholder proposals to change the date, time, or location of the annual meeting unless the current scheduling or location is unreasonable.

 

Other Business

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to approve other business when it appears as a voting item.

 

Management Supported Shareholder Proposals: Reporting

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals for additional reporting beyond what is regulatorily required when the proposal is supported by management.

 

Allocation of Income

 

Vote FOR approval of the allocation of income, unless:

 

1. The dividend payout ratio has been consistently below 30 percent without adequate explanation or in the absence of positive shareholder returns; or

2. The payout is excessive given the company's financial position.

 

Stock (Scrip) Dividend Alternative

 

Vote FOR most stock (scrip) dividend proposals considering whether the proposal is in line with market standards.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals that do not allow for a cash option unless management demonstrates that the cash option is harmful to shareholder value.

 

Amendments to Articles of Association

 

Vote amendments to the articles of association on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

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Change in Company Fiscal Term

 

Vote FOR resolutions to change a company's fiscal term unless a company's motivation for the change is to postpone its AGM.

 

Lower Disclosure Threshold for Stock Ownership

 

Vote AGAINST resolutions to lower the stock ownership disclosure threshold below 5 percent unless specific reasons exist to implement a lower threshold.

 

Expansion of Business Activities

 

Vote FOR resolutions to expand business activities unless a company has performed poorly for several years and the new business takes the company into risky areas and enterprises unrelated to its core business.

 

Related-Party Transactions

 

In evaluating resolutions that seek shareholder approval on related-party transactions (RPTs), vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering factors including, but not limited to, the following:

 

1. The parties on either side of the transaction;
2. The nature of the asset to be transferred/service to be provided;
3. The pricing of the transaction (and any associated professional valuation);
4. The views of independent directors (where provided);
5. The views of an independent financial adviser (where appointed);
6. Whether any entities party to the transaction (including advisers) is conflicted; and
7. The stated rationale for the transaction, including discussions of timing.

 

If there is a transaction that Boston Partners deemed problematic and that was not put to a shareholder vote, Boston Partners may vote AGAINST the election of the director involved in the related-party transaction or the full board.

 

Charitable Donations

 

Vote proposals seeking the approval of donations on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering factors including, but not limited to, the following:

 

1. Size of the proposed donation request;
2. The destination of the proposed allocation of funds; and
3. The company’s historical donations practices, including allocations approved at prior shareholder meetings.

 

Virtual Meetings

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals allowing for the convening of hybrid shareholder meetings if it is clear that it is not the intention to hold virtual-only AGMs.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals allowing for the convening of virtual-only shareholder meetings.

 

II. Social and Environmental

 

Generally, vote CASE-BY-CASE, examining primarily whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value. The following factors will be considered:

 

1. If the issues presented in the proposal are more appropriately or effectively dealt with through legislation or government regulation;
2. If the company has already responded in an appropriate and sufficient manner to the issue(s) raised in the proposal;
3. Whether the proposal's request is unduly burdensome (scope or timeframe) or overly prescriptive;
4. The company's approach compared with any industry standard practices for addressing the issue(s) raised by the proposal;
5. Whether there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company's environmental or social practices;
6. If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether reasonable and sufficient information is currently available to shareholders from the company or from other publicly available sources; and
7. If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether implementation would reveal proprietary or confidential information that could place the company at a competitive disadvantage.

 

Endorsement of Principles

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals seeking a company's endorsement of principles that support a particular public policy position. Endorsing a set of principles may require a company to take a stand on an issue that is beyond its own control and may limit its flexibility with respect to future developments. Management and the board should be afforded the flexibility to make decisions on specific public policy positions based on their own assessment of the most beneficial strategies for the company.

 

Animal Welfare

 

Animal Welfare Policies

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals seeking a report on a company’s animal welfare standards, or animal welfare-related risks, unless:

 

1. The company has already published a set of animal welfare standards and monitors compliance;
2. The company’s standards are comparable to industry peers; and
3. There are no recent significant fines, litigation, or controversies related to the company’s and/or its suppliers' treatment of animals.

 

Animal Testing

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals to phase out the use of animals in product testing, unless:

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1. The company is conducting animal testing programs that are unnecessary or not required by regulation;
2. The company is conducting animal testing when suitable alternatives are commonly accepted and used by industry peers; or
3. There are recent, significant fines or litigation related to the company’s treatment of animals.

 

Animal Slaughter

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals requesting the implementation of Controlled Atmosphere Killing (CAK) methods at company and/or supplier operations unless such methods are required by legislation or generally accepted as the industry standard.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting a report on the feasibility of implementing CAK methods at company and/or supplier operations considering the availability of existing research conducted by the company or industry groups on this topic and any fines or litigation related to current animal processing procedures at the company.

 

Consumer Issues

 

Genetically Modified Ingredients

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals requesting that a company voluntarily label genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in its products. The labeling of products with GE ingredients is best left to the appropriate regulatory authorities.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals asking for a report on the feasibility of labeling products containing GE ingredients, taking into account:

 

1. The potential impact of such labeling on the company's business;
2. The quality of the company’s disclosure on GE product labeling, related voluntary initiatives, and how this disclosure compares with industry peer disclosure; and
3. Company’s current disclosure on the feasibility of GE product labeling.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals seeking a report on the social, health, and environmental effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Studies of this sort are better undertaken by regulators and the scientific community.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals to eliminate GE ingredients from the company's products, or proposals asking for reports outlining the steps necessary to eliminate GE ingredients from the company’s products. Such decisions are more appropriately made by management with consideration of current regulations.

 

Reports on Potentially Controversial Business/Financial Practices

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on requests for reports on a company’s potentially controversial business or financial practices or products, taking into account:

 

1. Whether the company has adequately disclosed mechanisms in place to prevent abuses;
2. Whether the company has adequately disclosed the financial risks of the products/practices in question;
3. Whether the company has been subject to violations of related laws or serious controversies; and
4. Peer companies’ policies/practices in this area.

 

Pharmaceutical Pricing, Access to Medicines, and Prescription Drug Reimportation

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals requesting that companies implement specific price restraints on pharmaceutical products unless the company fails to adhere to legislative guidelines or industry norms in its product pricing practices.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting that a company report on its product pricing or access to medicine policies, considering:

 

1. The potential for reputational, market, and regulatory risk exposure;
2. Existing disclosure of relevant policies;
3. Deviation from established industry norms;
4. Relevant company initiatives to provide research and/or products to disadvantaged consumers;
5. Whether the proposal focuses on specific products or geographic regions;
6. The potential burden and scope of the requested report;
7. Recent significant controversies, litigation, or fines at the company.

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals requesting that a company report on the financial and legal impact of its prescription drug reimportation policies unless such information is already publicly disclosed.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals requesting that companies adopt specific policies to encourage or constrain prescription drug reimportation. Such matters are more appropriately the province of legislative activity and may place the company at a competitive disadvantage relative to its peers.

 

Product Safety and Toxic/Hazardous Materials

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals requesting that a company report on its policies, initiatives/procedures, and oversight mechanisms related to toxic/hazardous materials or product safety in its supply chain, unless:

 

1. The company already discloses similar information through existing reports such as a supplier code of conduct and/or a sustainability report;
2. The company has formally committed to the implementation of a toxic/hazardous materials and/or product safety and supply chain reporting and monitoring program based on industry norms or similar standards within a specified time frame; and
3. The company has not been recently involved in relevant significant controversies, fines, or litigation.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on resolutions requesting that companies develop a feasibility assessment to phase-out of certain toxic/hazardous materials, or evaluate and disclose the potential financial and legal risks associated with utilizing certain materials, considering:

 

1. The company’s current level of disclosure regarding its product safety policies, initiatives, and oversight mechanisms;
2. Current regulations in the markets in which the company operates; and
3. Recent significant controversies, litigation, or fines stemming from toxic/hazardous materials at the company.

 B-38

 

Generally, vote AGAINST resolutions requiring that a company reformulate its products.

 

Tobacco-Related Proposals

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on resolutions regarding the advertisement of tobacco products, considering:

 

1. Recent related fines, controversies, or significant litigation;
2. Whether the company complies with relevant laws and regulations on the marketing of tobacco;
3. Whether the company’s advertising restrictions deviate from those of industry peers;
4. Whether the company entered into the Master Settlement Agreement, which restricts marketing of tobacco to youth; and
5. Whether restrictions on marketing to youth extend to foreign countries.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals regarding second-hand smoke, considering;

 

1. Whether the company complies with all laws and regulations;
2. The degree that voluntary restrictions beyond those mandated by law might hurt the company’s competitiveness; and
3. The risk of any health-related liabilities.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST resolutions to cease production of tobacco-related products, to avoid selling products to tobacco companies, to spin-off tobacco-related businesses, or prohibit investment in tobacco equities. Such business decisions are better left to company management or portfolio managers.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals regarding tobacco product warnings. Such decisions are better left to public health authorities.

 

Climate Change

 

Climate Change/Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

 

Generally, vote FOR resolutions requesting that a company disclose information on the financial, physical, or regulatory risks it faces related to climate change on its operations and investments or on how the company identifies, measures, and manages such risks, considering:

 

1. Whether the company already provides current, publicly-available information on the impact that climate change may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities;
2. The company's level of disclosure compared to industry peers; and
3. Whether there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company's climate change-related performance.

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals requesting a report on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from company operations and/or products and operations, unless:

 

1. The company already discloses current, publicly-available information on the impacts that GHG emissions may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities;
2. The company's level of disclosure is comparable to that of industry peers; and
3. There are no significant, controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company's GHG emissions.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals that call for the adoption of GHG reduction goals from products and operations, taking into account:

 

1. Whether the company provides disclosure of year-over-year GHG emissions performance data;
2. Whether company disclosure lags behind industry peers;
3. The company's actual GHG emissions performance;
4. The company's current GHG emission policies, oversight mechanisms, and related initiatives; and
5. Whether the company has been the subject of recent, significant violations, fines, litigation, or controversy related to GHG emissions.

 

Energy Efficiency

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals requesting that a company report on its energy efficiency policies, unless:

 

1. The company complies with applicable energy efficiency regulations and laws, and discloses its participation in energy efficiency policies and programs, including disclosure of benchmark data, targets, and performance measures; or
2. The proponent requests adoption of specific energy efficiency goals within specific timelines.

 

Renewable Energy

 

Generally, vote FOR requests for reports on the feasibility of developing renewable energy resources unless the report would be duplicative of existing disclosure or irrelevant to the company’s line of business.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals requesting that the company invest in renewable energy resources. Such decisions are best left to management’s evaluation of the feasibility and financial impact that such programs may have on the company.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals that call for the adoption of renewable energy goals, taking into account:

 

1. The scope and structure of the proposal;
2. The company's current level of disclosure on renewable energy use and GHG emissions; and
3. The company's disclosure of policies, practices, and oversight implemented to manage GHG emissions and mitigate climate change risks.

 

Diversity

 

Board Diversity

 

Generally, vote FOR requests for reports on a company's efforts to diversify the board, unless:

 

1. The gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business; and

 B-39

 

2. The board already reports on its nominating procedures and gender and racial minority initiatives on the board and within the company.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals asking a company to increase the gender and racial minority representation on its board, taking into account:

 

1. The degree of existing gender and racial minority diversity on the company’s board and among its executive officers;
2. The level of gender and racial minority representation that exists at the company’s industry peers;
3. The company’s established process for addressing gender and racial minority board representation;
4. Whether the proposal includes an overly prescriptive request to amend nominating committee charter language;
5. The independence of the company’s nominating committee;
6. Whether the company uses an outside search firm to identify potential director nominees; and
7. Whether the company has had recent controversies, fines, or litigation regarding equal employment practices.

 

Equality of Opportunity

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals requesting a company disclose its diversity policies or initiatives, or proposals requesting disclosure of a company’s comprehensive workforce diversity data, including requests for EEO-1 data, unless:

 

1. The company publicly discloses equal opportunity policies and initiatives in a comprehensive manner;
2. The company already publicly discloses comprehensive workforce diversity data; and
3. The company has no recent significant EEO-related violations or litigation.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals seeking information on the diversity efforts of suppliers and service providers. Such requests may pose a significant burden on the company.

 

Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Domestic Partner Benefits

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals seeking to amend a company’s EEO statement or diversity policies to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity, unless the change would be unduly burdensome.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals to extend company benefits to, or eliminate benefits from, domestic partners. Decisions regarding benefits should be left to the discretion of the company.

 

Gender Pay Gap

 

Generally, vote CASE-BY-CASE on requests for reports on a company's pay data by gender, or a report on a company’s policies and goals to reduce any gender pay gap, taking into account:

 

1. The company's current policies and disclosure related to both its diversity and inclusion policies and practices and its compensation philosophy and fair and equitable compensation practices;
2. Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation, or regulatory actions related to gender pay gap issues; and
3. Whether the company's reporting regarding gender pay gap policies or initiatives is lagging its peers.

 

Environment and Sustainability

 

Facility and Workplace Safety

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on requests for workplace safety reports, including reports on accident risk reduction efforts, taking into account:

 

1. The company’s current level of disclosure of its workplace health and safety performance data, health and safety management policies, initiatives, and oversight mechanisms;
2. The nature of the company’s business, specifically regarding company and employee exposure to health and safety risks;
3. Recent significant controversies, fines, or violations related to workplace health and safety; and
4. The company's workplace health and safety performance relative to industry peers.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on resolutions requesting that a company report on safety and/or security risks associated with its operations and/or facilities, considering:

 

1. The company’s compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines;
2. The company’s current level of disclosure regarding its security and safety policies, procedures, and compliance monitoring; and
3. The existence of recent, significant violations, fines, or controversy regarding the safety and security of the company’s operations and/or facilities.

 

General Environmental Proposals and Community Impact Assessments

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on requests for reports on policies and/or the potential (community) social and/or environmental impact of company operations, considering:

 

1. Current disclosure of applicable policies and risk assessment report(s) and risk management procedures;
2. The impact of regulatory non-compliance, litigation, remediation, or reputational loss that may be associated with failure to manage the company’s operations in question, including the management of relevant community and stakeholder relations;
3. The nature, purpose, and scope of the company’s operations in the specific region(s);
4. The degree to which company policies and procedures are consistent with industry norms; and
5. The scope of the resolution.

 

Hydraulic Fracturing

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals requesting greater disclosure of a company's (natural gas) hydraulic fracturing operations, including measures the company has taken to manage and mitigate the potential community and environmental impacts of those operations, considering:

 

1. The company's current level of disclosure of relevant policies and oversight mechanisms;
2. The company's current level of such disclosure relative to its industry peers;

 B-40

 

3. Potential relevant local, state, or national regulatory developments; and
4. Controversies, fines, or litigation related to the company's hydraulic fracturing operations.

 

Operations in Protected Areas

 

Generally, vote FOR requests for reports on potential environmental damage as a result of company operations in protected regions, unless:

 

1. Operations in the specified regions are not permitted by current laws or regulations;
2. The company does not currently have operations or plans to develop operations in these protected regions; or
3. The company’s disclosure of its operations and environmental policies in these regions is comparable to industry peers.

 

Recycling

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to report on an existing recycling program, or adopt a new recycling program, taking into account:

 

1. The nature of the company’s business;
2. The current level of disclosure of the company's existing related programs;
3. The timetable and methods of program implementation prescribed by the proposal;
4. The company’s ability to address the issues raised in the proposal; and
5. How the company's recycling programs compare to similar programs of its industry peers.

 

Sustainability Reporting

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals requesting that a company report on its policies, initiatives, and oversight mechanisms related to social, economic, and environmental sustainability, unless:

 

1. The company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies such as an environment, health, and safety (EHS) report; a comprehensive code of corporate conduct; and/or a diversity report; or
2. The company has formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines or a similar standard within a specified time frame.

 

Water Issues

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting a company report on, or adopt a new policy on, water-related risks and concerns, taking into account:

 

1. The company's current disclosure of relevant policies, initiatives, oversight mechanisms, and water usage metrics;
2. Whether or not the company's existing water-related policies and practices are consistent with relevant internationally recognized standards and national/local regulations;
3. The potential financial impact or risk to the company associated with water-related concerns or issues; and
4. Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding water use by the company and its suppliers.

 

General Corporate Issues

 

Charitable Contributions

 

Vote AGAINST proposals restricting a company from making charitable contributions. Charitable contributions are generally useful for assisting worthwhile causes and for creating goodwill in the community. In the absence of bad faith, self-dealing, or gross negligence, management should determine which, and if, contributions are in the best interests of the company.

 

Data Security, Privacy, and Internet Issues

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting the disclosure or implementation of data security, privacy, or information access and management policies and procedures, considering:

 

1. The level of disclosure of company policies and procedures relating to data security, privacy, freedom of speech, information access and management, and Internet censorship;
2. Engagement in dialogue with governments or relevant groups with respect to data security, privacy, or the free flow of information on the Internet;
3. The scope of business involvement and of investment in countries whose governments censor or monitor the Internet and other telecommunications;
4. Applicable market-specific laws or regulations that may be imposed on the company; and
5. Controversies, fines, or litigation related to data security, privacy, freedom of speech, or Internet censorship.

 

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Compensation-Related Proposals

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to link, or report on linking, executive compensation to sustainability (environmental and social) criteria, considering:

 

1. The scope and prescriptive nature of the proposal;
2. Whether the company has significant and/or persistent controversies or regulatory violations regarding social and/or environmental issues;
3. Whether the company has management systems and oversight mechanisms in place regarding its social and environmental performance;
4. The degree to which industry peers have incorporated similar non-financial performance criteria in their executive compensation practices; and
5. The company's current level of disclosure regarding its environmental and social performance.

 

Human Rights, Labor Issues, and International Operations

 

Human Rights Proposals

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals requesting a report on company or company supplier labor and/or human rights standards and policies unless such information is already publicly disclosed.

 B-41

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to implement company or company supplier labor and/or human rights standards and policies, considering:

 

1. The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed;
2. Whether or not existing relevant policies are consistent with internationally recognized standards;
3. Whether company facilities and those of its suppliers are monitored and how;
4. Company participation in fair labor organizations or other internationally recognized human rights initiatives;
5. Scope and nature of business conducted in markets known to have higher risk of workplace labor/human rights abuse;
6. Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers;
7. The scope of the request; and
8. Deviation from industry sector peer company standards and practices.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting that a company conduct an assessment of the human rights risks in its operations or in its supply chain, or report on its human rights risk assessment process, considering:

 

1. The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed, including information on the implementation of these policies and any related oversight mechanisms;
2. The company’s industry and whether the company or its suppliers operate in countries or areas where there is a history of human rights concerns;
3. Recent significant controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights involving the company or its suppliers, and whether the company has taken remedial steps; and
4. Whether the proposal is unduly burdensome or overly prescriptive.

 

Operations in High Risk Markets

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on requests for a report on a company’s potential financial and reputational risks associated with operations in “high-risk” markets, such as a terrorism-sponsoring state or politically/socially unstable region, taking into account:

 

1. The nature, purpose, and scope of the operations and business involved that could be affected by social or political disruption;
2. Current disclosure of applicable risk assessment(s) and risk management procedures;
3. Compliance with U.S. sanctions and laws;
4. Consideration of other international policies, standards, and laws; and
5. Whether the company has been recently involved in recent, significant controversies, fines, or litigation related to its operations in "high-risk" markets.

 

Outsourcing/Offshoring

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals calling for companies to report on the risks associated with outsourcing/plant closures, considering:

 

1. Controversies surrounding operations in the relevant market(s);
2. The value of the requested report to shareholders;
3. The company’s current level of disclosure of relevant information on outsourcing and plant closure procedures; and
4. The company’s existing human rights standards relative to industry peers.

 

Weapons and Military Sales

 

Vote AGAINST reports on foreign military sales or offsets. Such disclosures may involve sensitive and confidential information. Moreover, companies must comply with government controls and reporting on foreign military sales.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals asking a company to cease production or report on the risks associated with the use of depleted uranium munitions or nuclear weapons components and delivery systems, including disengaging from current and proposed contracts. Such contracts are monitored by government agencies, serve multiple military and non-military uses, and withdrawal from these contracts could have a negative impact on the company’s business.

 

Political Activities

 

Lobbying

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting information on a company’s lobbying (including direct, indirect, and grassroots lobbying) activities, policies, or procedures, considering:

 

1. The company’s current disclosure of relevant lobbying policies, and management and board oversight;
2. The company’s disclosure regarding trade associations or other groups that it supports, or is a member of, that engage in lobbying activities; and
3. Recent significant controversies, fines, or litigation regarding the company’s lobbying-related activities.

 

Boston Partners will vote AGAINST proposals that impose significantly higher standards of reporting and oversight than required by legislation and-or industry standard and that would put the firm at a competitive disadvantage.

 

Political Contributions

 

Generally, vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting greater disclosure of a company's political contributions and trade association spending policies and activities, considering:

 

1. The company's policies, and management and board oversight related to its direct political contributions and payments to trade associations or other groups that may be used for political purposes;
2. The company's disclosure regarding its support of, and participation in, trade associations or other groups that may make political contributions; and
3. Recent significant controversies, fines, or litigation related to the company's political contributions or political activities.

 

Boston Partners will vote AGAINST proposals that impose significantly higher standards of reporting and oversight than required by legislation and-or industry standard and that would put the firm at a competitive disadvantage.

 B-42

 

Vote AGAINST proposals barring a company from making political contributions. Businesses are affected by legislation at the federal, state, and local level; barring political contributions can put the company at a competitive disadvantage.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to publish in newspapers and other media a company's political contributions. Such publications could present significant cost to the company without providing commensurate value to shareholders.

 

Political Ties

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals asking a company to affirm political nonpartisanship in the workplace, so long as:

 

1. There are no recent, significant controversies, fines, or litigation regarding the company’s political contributions or trade association spending; and
2. The company has procedures in place to ensure that employee contributions to company-sponsored political action committees (PACs) are strictly voluntary and prohibit coercion.

 

Vote AGAINST proposals asking for a list of company executives, directors, consultants, legal counsels, lobbyists, or investment bankers that have prior government service and whether such service had a bearing on the business of the company. Such a list would be burdensome to prepare without providing any meaningful information to shareholders.

 

III. Mutual Fund Proxies

 

Election of Directors

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the election of directors and trustees, following the same guidelines for uncontested directors for public company shareholder meetings. However, mutual fund boards do not usually have compensation committees, so do not withhold for the lack of this committee.

 

Converting Closed-end Fund to Open-end Fund

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on conversion proposals, considering the following factors:

 

1. Past performance as a closed-end fund;
2. Market in which the fund invests;
3. Measures taken by the board to address the discount; and
4. Past shareholder activism, board activity, and votes on related proposals.

 

Proxy Contests

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proxy contests, considering the following factors:

 

1. Past performance relative to its peers;
2. Market in which the fund invests;
3. Measures taken by the board to address the issues;
4. Past shareholder activism, board activity, and votes on related proposals;
5. Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents;
6. Independence of directors;
7. Experience and skills of director candidates;
8. Governance profile of the company;
9. Evidence of management entrenchment.

 

Investment Advisory Agreements

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on investment advisory agreements, considering the following factors:

 

1. Proposed and current fee schedules;
2. Fund category/investment objective;
3. Performance benchmarks;
4. Share price performance as compared with peers;
5. Resulting fees relative to peers;
6. Assignments (where the advisor undergoes a change of control).

 

Approving New Classes or Series of Shares

 

Vote FOR the establishment of new classes or series of shares.

 

Preferred Stock Proposals

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the authorization for or increase in preferred shares, considering the following factors:

 

1. Stated specific financing purpose;
2. Possible dilution for common shares;
3. Whether the shares can be used for antitakeover purposes.

 

1940 Act Policies (U.S.)

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on policies under the Investment Advisor Act of 1940, considering the following factors:

 

1. Potential competitiveness;
2. Regulatory developments;
3. Current and potential returns; and

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4. Current and potential risk.

 

Generally, vote FOR these amendments as long as the proposed changes do not fundamentally alter the investment focus of the fund and do comply with the current SEC interpretation.

 

Changing a Fundamental Restriction to a Nonfundamental Restriction

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to change a fundamental restriction to a non-fundamental restriction, considering the following factors:

 

1. The fund's target investments;
2. The reasons given by the fund for the change; and
3. The projected impact of the change on the portfolio.

 

Change Fundamental Investment Objective to Nonfundamental

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to change a fund’s fundamental investment objective to non-fundamental.

 

Name Change Proposals

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on name change proposals, considering the following factors:

 

1. Political/economic changes in the target market;
2. Consolidation in the target market; and
3. Current asset composition.

 

Change in Fund's Subclassification

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on changes in a fund's sub-classification, considering the following factors:

 

1. Potential competitiveness;
2. Current and potential returns;
3. Risk of concentration;
4. Consolidation in target industry.

 

Business Development Companies-Authorization to Sell Shares of Common Stock at a Price below Net Asset Value

 

Vote FOR proposals authorizing the board to issue shares below Net Asset Value (NAV) if:

 

1. The proposal to allow share issuances below NAV has an expiration date no more than one year from the date shareholders approve the underlying proposal, as required under the Investment Company Act of 1940;
2. The sale is deemed to be in the best interests of shareholders by (1) a majority of the company's independent directors and (2) a majority of the company's directors who have no financial interest in the issuance; and
3. The company has demonstrated responsible past use of share issuances by either:
a. Outperforming peers in its 8-digit GICS group as measured by one- and three-year median TSRs; or
b. Providing disclosure that its past share issuances were priced at levels that resulted in only small or moderate discounts to NAV and economic dilution to existing non-participating shareholders.

 

Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to dispose of assets, to terminate or liquidate, considering the following factors:

 

1. Strategies employed to salvage the company;
2. The fund’s past performance;
3. The terms of the liquidation.

 

Changes to the Charter Document

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on changes to the charter document, considering the following factors:

 

1. The degree of change implied by the proposal;
2. The efficiencies that could result;
3. The state of incorporation;
4. Regulatory standards and implications.

 

Vote AGAINST any of the following changes:

 

1. Removal of shareholder approval requirement to reorganize or terminate the trust or any of its series;
2. Removal of shareholder approval requirement for amendments to the new declaration of trust;
3. Removal of shareholder approval requirement to amend the fund's management contract, allowing the contract to be modified by the investment manager and the trust management, as permitted by the 1940 Act;
4. Allow the trustees to impose other fees in addition to sales charges on investment in a fund, such as deferred sales charges and redemption fees that may be imposed upon redemption of a fund's shares;
5. Removal of shareholder approval requirement to engage in and terminate subadvisory arrangements;
6. Removal of shareholder approval requirement to change the domicile of the fund.

 

Changing the Domicile of a Fund

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on re-incorporations, considering the following factors:

 B-44

 

1. Regulations of both states;
2. Required fundamental policies of both states;
3. The increased flexibility available.

 

Authorizing the Board to Hire and Terminate Subadvisers Without Shareholder Approval

 

Vote AGAINST proposals authorizing the board to hire or terminate subadvisers without shareholder approval if the investment adviser currently employs only one subadviser.

 

Distribution Agreements

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on distribution agreement proposals, considering the following factors:

 

1. Fees charged to comparably sized funds with similar objectives;
2. The proposed distributor’s reputation and past performance;
3. The competitiveness of the fund in the industry;
4. The terms of the agreement.

 

Master-Feeder Structure

 

Vote FOR the establishment of a master-feeder structure.

 

Mergers

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on merger proposals, considering the following factors:

 

1. Resulting fee structure;
2. Performance of both funds;
3. Continuity of management personnel;
4. Changes in corporate governance and their impact on shareholder rights.

 

Shareholder Proposals for Mutual Funds

 

Establish Director Ownership Requirement

 

Generally, vote AGAINST shareholder proposals that mandate a specific minimum amount of stock that directors must own in order to qualify as a director or to remain on the board.

 

Reimburse Shareholder for Expenses Incurred

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals to reimburse proxy solicitation expenses. When supporting the dissidents, vote FOR the reimbursement of the proxy solicitation expenses.

 

Terminate the Investment Advisor

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to terminate the investment advisor, considering the following factors:

 

1. Performance of the fund’s Net Asset Value (NAV);
2. The fund’s history of shareholder relations;
3. The performance of other funds under the advisor’s management.

 

 B-45

 

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

 

I. General

 

Constitutional Amendment

 

Vote case-by case on proposals to amend the company's constitution.

 

Any proposals to amend the company's constitution, including updating of various clauses to reflect changes in corporate law, to complete replacement of an existing constitution with a new "plain language," and updated, version, are required to be approved by a special resolution (with a 75 percent super majority of votes cast requirement).

 

Renewal of "Proportional Takeover" Clause in Constitution

 

Vote FOR the renewal of the proportional takeover clause in the company’s constitution.

 

Significant Change in Activities

 

Vote FOR resolutions to change the nature or scale of business activities provided the notice of meeting and explanatory statement provide a sound business case for the proposed change.

 

II. Share Capital

 

Non-Voting Shares

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to create a new class of non-voting or sub-voting shares. Only vote FOR if:

 

1. It is intended for financing purposes with minimal or no dilution to current shareholders;

2. It is not designed to preserve the voting power of an insider or significant shareholder.

 

Generally, vote FOR the cancellation of classes of non-voting or sub-voting shares.

 

Reduction of Share Capital: Cash Consideration Payable to Shareholders

 

Generally, vote FOR the reduction of share capital with the accompanying return of cash to shareholders.

 

Reduction of Share Capital: Absorption of Losses

 

Vote FOR reduction of share capital proposals, with absorption of losses as they represent routine accounting measures.

 

Buybacks/Repurchases

 

Generally, vote FOR requests to repurchase shares, unless:

 

1. There is clear evidence available of past abuse of this authority; or

2. It is a selective buyback, and the notice of meeting and explanatory statement does not provide a sound business case for it.

 

Consider the following conditions in buyback plans:

 

1. Limitations on a company's ability to use the plan to repurchase shares from third parties at a premium;

2. Limitations on the exercise of the authority to thwart takeover threats; and

3. A requirement that repurchases be made at arms-length through independent third parties.

 

Some shareholders object to companies repurchasing shares, preferring to see extra cash invested in new businesses or paid out as dividends. However, when timed correctly, buybacks are a legitimate use of corporate funds and can add to long-term shareholder returns.

 

Issue of Shares (Placement): Advance Approval

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on requests for the advance approval of issue of shares.

 

The ASX Listing Rules contain a general cap on non-pro rata share issues of 15 percent of total equity in a rolling 12-month period. Listing Rule 7.1 allows shareholders to vote to carve out from the "15-percent-in-12-months" cap a particular, proposed issue of shares. If shareholders vote to approve this type of resolution, then the share allotments in question will not be counted in calculating the 15-percent-in-12-months cap for the company. From 2009, the NZX Listing Rules contain a general cap on non-pro rata share issues of 20 percent of total equity in a rolling 12-month period (the limit was formerly 15 percent). Listing Rule 7.3.5(c) allows shareholders to vote to carve out from the "20-percent-in-12-months" cap a particular, proposed issue of shares. If shareholders vote to approve this type of resolution, then the share allotments in question will not be counted in calculating the 20-percent-in-12-months cap for the company.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on all requests taking into consideration:

 

1. Dilution to shareholders where, in some cases, companies may need the ability to raise funds for routine business contingencies without the expense of carrying out a rights issue. Such contingencies could include the servicing of option plans, small acquisitions, or payment for services. When companies make issuance requests without preemptive rights, shareholders not participating in the placement will suffer dilution. While conventions regarding this type of authority vary widely among countries, support issuance requests without preemptive rights for up to 20 percent of a company's outstanding capital;

2. Discount/premium in purchase price to the investor;

3. Use of proceeds;

4. Any fairness opinion;

B-46

 

5. Results in a change in control;

6. Financing or strategic alternatives explored by the company;

7. Arms-length negotiations; and,

8. Conversion rates on convertible equity (if applicable).

 

Issue of Shares (Placement): Retrospective Approval

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on retrospective approval of issue of shares.

 

Australia: Listing Rule 7.4 allows shareholders to vote to carve out from the 15-percent-in-12-months cap an issue of shares made some time in the previous 12 months. If shareholders vote to approve this type of resolution, then the share allotments in question will not be counted in calculating the 15-percent in-12-months cap for the company.

 

New Zealand: Listing Rule 7.3.5(c) allows shareholders to vote to carve out from the 20-percent-in-12-months cap an issue of shares made some time in the previous 12 months. If shareholders vote to approve this type of resolution, then the share allotments in question will not be counted in calculating the 20-percent in-12-months cap for the company. As long as the prior issuances conform to dilution guidelines above, vote FOR such proposals.

 

III. Board of Directors

 

Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

 

Shareholder Nominees

 

Generally, vote AGAINST shareholder-nominated candidates who lack board endorsement and do not present conclusive rationale to justify their nomination, including unmatched skills and experience, or other reason. Vote FOR such candidates if they demonstrate a clear ability to contribute positively to board deliberations.

 

Problematic Remuneration Practices (Australia)

 

Generally, vote AGAINST members of the remuneration committee if the remuneration resolution at the previous general meeting (usually the previous year) received support of less than 75 percent of votes cast, taking into account:

 

1. The company's response in addressing specific concerns, engagement with institutional investors, and other compensation practices;

2. The company's ownership structure;

3. Whether the issues are considered to be recurring or isolated; and

4. Whether the level of support was less than 50 percent.

 

Removal of Directors (New Zealand)

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on resolutions for the removal of directors, taking into consideration:

 

1. Company performance relative to its peers;

2. Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents;

3. Independence of directors/nominees;

4. Experience and skills of board candidates;

5. Governance profile of the company;

6. Evidence of management entrenchment;

7. Responsiveness to shareholders; and,

8. Level of disclosure by company to shareholders.

 

IV. Remuneration

 

Remuneration Report (Australia)

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the remuneration report, taking into account the pay of executives and non-executive directors, including where applicable:

 

1. The quantum of total fixed remuneration and short-term incentive payments relative to peers;

2. Whether any increases, either to fixed or variable remuneration, for the year under review or the upcoming year were well-explained and not excessive;

3. The listed entity's workforce;

4. Financial performance and alignment with shareholder returns;

5. The adequacy and quality of the company's disclosure generally;

6. The appropriateness and quality of the company's disclosure linking identified material business risks and pre-determined key performance indicators (KPIs) that determine annual variable executive compensation outcomes;

7. The existence of appropriate performance criteria against which vesting and the quantum of cash and equity bonuses are assessed prior to any payment being made;

8. Whether appropriate targets for incentives, including in the STI or LTI, are in place and are disclosed with an appropriate level of detail;

9. Whether performance measures and targets for incentives, including in the STI and LTI, are measured over an appropriate period and are sufficiently stretching;

10. Any special arrangements for new joiners were in line with good market practice;

11. The remuneration committee exercised discretion appropriately, and such discretion is appropriately explained; and

12. The alignment of CEO and executive pay with the company's financial performance and returns for shareholders.

 

Where a remuneration report contains multiple areas of non-compliance with good practice, the vote will reflect the severity of the issues identified. A small number of minor breaches may still result in an overall qualified FOR vote whereas a single, serious deviation may be sufficient to justify an AGAINST vote.

 

In cases where a serious breach of good practice, or departure from accepted market standards and shareholder requirements, is identified and typically where issues have been raised by shareholders over one or more years, the chair of the remuneration committee (or, where relevant, another member of the remuneration committee) may also receive a negative vote.

B-47

 

Elements of the remuneration report include:

 

1. Base Pay;

2. Superannuation, pension contributions and benefits;

3. Short term incentive (STI);

4. Long-term incentive (LTI);

5. Dilution Limits;

6. Malus/ clawback;

7. Good leavers;

8. Change in control;

9. Shareholding requirement;

10. Executive' service contracts, including exit payments;

11. Arrangements for new joiners;

12. Discretion;

13. Non-executive director fees;

14. All-employee schemes.

 

Remuneration of Executive Directors: Share Incentive Schemes (Australia)

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on share-based incentives for executive directors.

 

Remuneration of Executives: Options and Other Long-Term Incentives

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on options and long-term incentives for executives. Vote AGAINST plans and proposed grants under plans if:

 

1. The company failed to disclose adequate information regarding any element of the scheme;

2. The performance hurdles are not sufficiently demanding;

3. The plan permits retesting of grants based on rolling performance;

4. The plan allows for excessive dilution.

 

Evaluate long-term incentive plans (and proposed grants of equity awards to particular directors) according to the following criteria:

 

Exercise Price

 

1. Option exercise prices should not be at a discount to market price at the grant date (in the absence of demanding performance hurdles).

2. Plans should not allow the repricing of underwater options.

 

Vesting Period

 

1. Appropriate time restrictions before options can be exercised (if 50 percent or more of securities can vest in two to three years or less, this is generally considered too short).

 

Performance Hurdles

 

1. Generally, a hurdle that relates to total shareholder return (TSR) is preferable to a hurdle that specifies an absolute share price target or an accounting measure of performance (such as earnings per share (EPS)).

2. Where a relative hurdle is used (comparing the company's performance against a group of peers or against an index), no vesting should occur for sub-median performance.

3. The use of ‘indexed options’ - where the exercise price of an option is increased by the movement in a suitable index of peer companies - is generally considered a sufficiently demanding hurdle.

4. A sliding-scale hurdle - under which the percentage of rights that vest increases according to a sliding scale of performance (whether absolute or relative) - is generally preferable to a hurdle under which 100 percent of the award vests once a single target is achieved (i.e. no "cliff vesting").

5. In the absence of relative performance hurdles, absolute share price hurdles may be appropriate so long as they are sufficiently stretching. Where an absolute share-price target is used, executives can be rewarded by a rising market even if their company does relatively poorly. In addition, even if a share price hurdle is set at a significantly higher level than the prevailing share price, if the option has a long life then the hurdle may not be particularly stretching.

6. In determining whether an absolute share price target is sufficiently stretching, take into consideration the company’s explanation of how the target share price has been calculated. ISS will be more likely to consider an absolute share price target as sufficiently stretching when the target price is reflected in the option exercise price.

7. The issue of options with no performance conditions other than continued service and the exercise price (set as being equal to the share price on date of issue) is not generally considered to be a sufficiently demanding hurdle.

8. Support incentive schemes with accounting-based hurdles if they are sufficiently demanding. An accounting-based hurdle does not necessarily require that shareholder value be improved before the incentive vests as it is possible for incentives to vest - and executives to be rewarded - without any medium- to long-term improvement in returns to shareholders. Growth in EPS may, but does not always, translate into a material increase in share price and dividends over the medium to long-term.

9. Hurdles which relate option vesting to share price performance against a company’s cost of capital may be considered acceptable if the exercise price is adjusted to reflect the cost of capital over the vesting period. Shareholders must also be given sufficient information to determine if the cost of capital will be calculated or reviewed independently of management.

10. Two different types of options should be distinguished: (1) grants of market-exercise-price options (traditional options), and (2) zero exercise price options (also called conditional awards, performance shares, and performance rights). Traditional options have an in-built share price appreciation hurdle, because the share price must increase above its level at grant date for the executive to have an incentive to exercise. Performance rights have no exercise price; the executive pays nothing to the company on exercising the rights. An EPS hurdle can lead to executive reward without any increase in shareholder return if the instruments are performance rights, but not if they are traditional options. Therefore, an EPS hurdle can more readily be supported if traditional options, rather than performance rights, are being granted.

11. For an EPS target to be sufficiently stretching, where a single target is used (with 100 percent of options/rights vesting on the target being achieved), the target should generally specify a challenging target that is at least in line with analyst and management earnings forecasts. For targets which see rewards vest based on a sliding scale, vesting should start at a level below consensus forecasts only if a substantial portion of the award vests for performance above consensus forecasts.

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Retesting

 

1. Do not support excessive retesting of options grants against performance hurdles. Many NZ companies use performance hurdles such as cost of capital relative to share price that allow for continual retesting and the issue of retesting against performance hurdles does not appear to have been raised with companies in the past and many equity grants to executive directors have been modest in size. As such, it is not appropriate for Boston Partners to vote AGAINST a particular options grant on the basis of excessive retesting.

2. Generally, vote AGAINST incentive schemes that provide for retesting against performance hurdles on a rolling-basis. For retesting to be acceptable, at a minimum it should assess performance against the hurdle from the inception date to the date of vesting.

 

Transparency

 

1. The methodology for determining exercise price of options should be disclosed.

2. Shareholders should be presented with sufficient information to determine whether an incentive scheme will reward superior future performance.

3. The proposed volume of securities which may be issued under an incentive scheme should be disclosed to enable shareholders to assess dilution.

4. Time restrictions before options can be exercised should be disclosed, as should the expiry date of the options. Any restrictions on disposing of shares received on the exercise of options should be disclosed.

5. If a value has been assigned to the options, the method used to calculate cost of options should be disclosed.

6. The method of purchase or issue of shares on exercise of options should be disclosed.

 

Dilution of Existing Shareholders' Equity

 

Aggregate number of all shares and options issued under all employee and executive incentive schemes should not exceed 10 percent of issued capital.

 

Level of Reward

 

Value of options granted (assuming performance hurdles are met) should be consistent with comparable schemes operating in similar companies.

 

Eligibility for Participation in the Scheme

 

1. Scheme should be open to all key executives.

2. Scheme should not be open to non-executive directors.

 

Other

 

1. Incentive plans should include reasonable change-in-control provisions (i.e. pro-rata vesting based on the proportion of the vesting period expired and performance against the hurdles taking into account the size of awards).

2. Incentive plans should include ‘good’ leaver/’bad’ leaver provisions to minimize excessive and unearned payouts.

 

Non-Executive Director Perks/Fringe Benefits (Australia)

 

Where a company provides fringe benefits to non-executive directors in addition to directors' board and committee fees, vote CASE-BY-CASE on:

 

1. The remuneration report;

2. Proposals to increase the non-executive directors’ aggregate fee cap; and/or

3. The election of the chairman of the board, chairman of the remuneration committee, or any member of the remuneration committee standing for re-election.

 

Vote AGAINST when post-employment fringe benefits are paid to non-executive directors, which are often represented as an entitlement per year of service on the board of the company.

 

Remuneration of Non-Executive Directors: Increase in Aggregate Fee Cap

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on resolution that seeks shareholder approval for an increase in the maximum aggregate level of fees payable to the company's non-executive directors.

 

In assessing director remuneration, consider how remuneration relates to shareholders’ interests, specifically:

 

1. The size of the proposed increase;

2. The level of fees compared to those at peer companies;

3. The explanation the board has given for the proposed increase;

4. Whether the company has discontinued retirement benefits;

5. The company’s absolute and relative performance over (at least) the past three years based on measures such as (but not limited to) share price, earnings per share and return on capital employed;

6. The company’s policy and practices on non-executive director remuneration, including equity ownership;

7. The number of directors presently on the board and any planned increases to the size of the board;

8. The level of board turnover.

 

Generally, vote FOR a fee cap resolution that also seeks to allow directors to receive part or all of their fees in shares.

 

In Australia, vote AGAINST the increase if the company has an active retirement benefits plan for non-executive directors. Vote AGAINST where a company is seeking an increase after a period of poor absolute and relative performance, where the same board (or largely the same board) has overseen this period of poor performance and where the fee cap increase is not sought for the purposes of board renewal.

 

Remuneration of Non-Executive Directors: Issue of Options (New Zealand)

 

Generally, vote AGAINST the issue of options to non-executive directors.

 

Remuneration of Non-Executive Directors: Approval of Share Plan

 

For New Zealand, generally vote AGAINST the issue of options to non-executive directors. For Australia, generally, vote FOR the approval of NED share plans which are essentially salary-sacrifice structures and have the effect of increasing directors' shareholdings and alignment with investors.

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Transparency of CEO Incentives (New Zealand)

 

Vote AGAINST the re-election of members of the remuneration committee if:

 

1. The remuneration of the CEO is not subject to any shareholder approval or scrutiny; or

2. There is evidence that the CEO has been granted a substantial quantity of equity incentives; and,

3. There is no apparent credible explanation for the CEO not being a member of the board;

 

Shareholder Resolutions (New Zealand)

 

Generally, vote FOR appropriately-structured shareholder resolutions calling for increased disclosure of executive remuneration and/or the introduction of a non-binding shareholder vote on a company’s remuneration policy.

 

Executives are employees of shareholders, and it is therefore appropriate for shareholders to be informed as to the level of executive remuneration, and how it is determined. It is also appropriate for shareholders to be given a non-binding vote on a company’s general approach to executive remuneration, and a number of jurisdictions, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, Sweden, and the Netherlands, have adopted such non-binding votes. These votes can be a valuable and relatively inexpensive way for shareholders to communicate concerns over remuneration to a company.

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BRAZIL

 

I. Board of Directors

 

Minimum Independence Levels

 

Vote AGAINST the bundled election of directors if the post-election board at Novo Mercado and Nivel 2 companies would not be at least 30-percent independent.

 

Vote AGAINST the bundled election of directors if the post-election board of Nivel 1 and Traditional companies would not have at least one independent member.

 

Unbundled Elections

 

In an unbundled election, if the board’s independent level is greater than one-third, support all director nominees if:

 

1. Minority shareholders have not timely disclosed board nominees to be elected under minority separate elections, as allowed by the Brazilian Corporate Law (see Election of Minority Nominees - Separate Election below); and

2. There are no concerns regarding the candidate(s) and/or the company.

 

However, if the proposed board is one-third or less independent:

 

1. Support the independent nominees presented individually under the majority election; and

2. Vote AGAINST the non-independent candidates in the majority election.

 

Generally, will not vote AGAINST the election of the chairman, due to the relevance of the board leadership position in the absence of other governance concerns.

 

Election of Minority Nominees (Separate Election)

 

Vote FOR the election of minority board nominees (ordinary and preferred holders), as well as minority fiscal council nominees, presented under a separate election when timely disclosure is provided of their names and biographical information, in the absence of other concerns regarding the proposed nominees. If competing minority nominees are disclosed by different minority shareholders, the contested election policy will be applied.

 

When a separate election is presented for minority board and/or fiscal council nominees, prioritize the support for the election of minority representatives, if timely disclosure is provided, and a DO NOT VOTE vote may be issued for the management nominees.

 

On the other hand, in the absence of timely disclosure regarding minority nominees, a DO NOT VOTE or an ABSTAIN vote may be issued for the separate minority election proposal, and a vote would be presented for the management slate in accordance with the aforementioned policy.

 

Vote on a best effort basis, whenever the names and biographical information of minority nominees are disclosed following the publication of the original report, up to a minimum of eight (8) days prior to the shareholder meeting, in which case priority will be given to allow minority shareholders to elect a representative to the board of directors and/or fiscal council.

 

Combined Chairman/CEO

 

Vote AGAINST the bundled election of directors of companies listed under the differentiated corporate governance segments of the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange (BM&Fbovespa)-Novo Mercado, Nivel 2, and Nivel 1-if the company maintains or proposes a combined chairman/CEO structure, after three (3) years from the date the company’s shares began trading on the respective differentiated corporate governance segment.

 

Vote AGAINST the election of the company’s chairman, if the nominee is also the company’s CEO, when it is presented as a separate election at companies listed under the differentiated corporate governance segments of the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange (BM&Fbovespa), Novo Mercado, Nivel 2, and Nivel 1-after three (3) years from the date the company’s shares began trading on the respective differentiated corporate governance segment.

 

Board Structure

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to increase board terms.

 

II. Capital Structure

 

Share Repurchase Plans

 

Boston Partners will generally vote AGAINST any proposal where:

 

1. The repurchase can be used for takeover defenses;

2. There is clear evidence of abuse;

3. There is no safeguard against selective buybacks; or

 

Pricing provisions and safeguards are deemed to be unreasonable in light of market practice.

 

III. Compensation

 

Management Compensation

 

Generally, vote FOR management compensation proposals that are presented in a timely manner and include all disclosure elements required by the Brazilian Securities Regulator (CVM).

 

Vote AGAINST management compensation proposals when:

 

1. The company fails to present a detailed remuneration proposal or the proposal lacks clarity;

2. The company does not disclose the total remuneration of its highest-paid executive; or

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3. The figure provided by the company for the total compensation of its highest-paid administrator is not inclusive of all elements of the executive’s pay.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on global remuneration cap (or company’s total remuneration estimate, as applicable) proposals that represent a significant increase of the amount approved at the previous AGM (year-over-year increase). When further scrutinizing year-over-year significant remuneration increases, jointly consider some or all of the following factors, as relevant:

 

1. Whether there is a clearly stated and compelling rationale for the proposed increase;

2. Whether the remuneration increase is aligned with the company’s long-term performance and/or operational performance targets disclosed by the company;

3. Whether the company has had positive TSR for the most recent one- and/or three-year periods;

4. Whether the relation between fixed and variable executive pay adequately aligns compensation with the company’s future performance.

 

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis when the company proposes to amend previously-approved compensation caps, paying particular attention as to whether the company has presented a compelling rationale for the request.

 

Compensation Plans

 

Boston Partners will generally support reasonable equity pay plans that encourage long-term commitment and ownership by its recipients without posing significant risks to shareholder value.

 

Vote AGAINST a stock option plan and/or restricted share plan, or an amendment to the plan, if:

 

1. The plan lacks a minimum vesting cycle of three years;

2. The plan permits options to be issued with an exercise price at a discount to the current market price, or permits restricted shares to be awarded (essentially shares with a 100 percent discount to market price), in the absence of explicitly stated, challenging performance hurdles related to the company’s historical financial performance or the industry benchmarks;

3. The maximum dilution exceeds 5 percent of issued capital for a mature company and 10 percent for a growth company. However, Boston Partners will support plans at mature companies with dilution levels up to 10 percent if the plan includes other positive features such as challenging performance criteria and meaningful vesting periods, as these features partially offset dilution concerns by reducing the likelihood that options will become exercisable unless there is a clear improvement in shareholder value; or

4. Directors eligible to receive options or shares under the scheme are involved in the administration of the plan.

 

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis if non-executive directors are among the plan’s potential beneficiaries, paying special attention to:

 

1. Whether there are sufficient safeguards to ensure that beneficiaries do not participate in the plan’s administration; and

2. The type of grant (if time-based, performance-based, or in lieu of cash), considering the long-term strategic role of boards of directors.

 

Specifically for share matching plans, in addition to the abovementioned factors, vote AGAINST the plan, or an amendment to the plan, if:

 

1. The shares to be acquired by the participant to become eligible to the share matching plan lack a minimum three-year lock-up period.

 

Furthermore, for share matching plans with no disclosed performance criteria, Boston Partners will vote AGAINST the plan if:

 

1. The shares of the initial investment may be purchased by the participant at a discount to the market price;

2. The initial investment is made using resources other than the annual variable remuneration received by the participant; or

3. The plan lacks a reasonable ratio between the number of shares awarded by the company (matching) and each share acquired by the participant.

 

IV. Other

 

Items Antitakeover Mechanisms

 

Vote FOR mandatory bid provisions that are structured in line with the recommendations of the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange’s Novo Mercado listing segment:

 

1. Ownership trigger of 30 percent or higher; and

2. Reasonable pricing provisions.

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CANADA: TSX- LISTED AND VENTURE LISTED COMPANIES

 

I. Board of Directors

 

Slate Ballots (Bundled Director Elections)

 

Generally, vote WITHHOLD for all directors nominated only by slate ballot at the annual/general or annual/special shareholders’ meetings. This policy will not apply to contested director elections.

 

Individual director elections are required for companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).

 

Policy Considerations for Majority Owned Companies

 

Support a one-share, one-vote principle. In recognition of the substantial equity stake held by certain shareholders, on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, director nominees who are or who represent a controlling shareholder of a majority owned company may be supported if the company meets all of the following independence and governance criteria:

 

1. The number of directors related to the controlling shareholder should not exceed the proportion of common shares controlled by the controlling shareholder. In no event, however, should the number of directors related to the controlling shareholder exceed two-thirds of the board;

2. In addition to the above, if the CEO is related to the controlling shareholder, no more than one-third of the board should be related to management (as distinct from the controlling shareholder);

3. If the CEO and chair roles are combined or the CEO is or is related to the controlling shareholder, then there should be an independent lead director and the board should have an effective and transparent process to deal with any conflicts of interest between the company, minority shareholders, and the controlling shareholder;

4. A majority of the audit and nominating committees should be either independent directors or in addition to at least one independent director, may be directors who are related to the controlling shareholder. All members of the compensation committee should be independent of management. If the CEO is related to the controlling shareholder, no more than one member of the compensation committee should be a director who is related to the controlling shareholder; and

5. Prompt disclosure of detailed vote results following each shareholder meeting.

 

This policy will not be considered at dual class companies having common shares with unequal voting or board representation rights.

 

Audit Fee Disclosure

 

For Canada Venture Listed companies, vote WITHHOLD for the members of the audit committee as constituted in the most recently completed fiscal year if n audit fee information is disclosed by the company within 120 days after its fiscal year end. In the event that the shareholders’ meeting at which ratification of auditors is a voting item is scheduled prior to the end of the 120 day reporting deadline and the audit fees for the most recently completed fiscal year have not yet been provided, the vote will be based on the fee disclosure for the prior fiscal year.

 

Vote WITHHOLD for individual director nominees if the company has not adopted a majority voting director resignation policy and a pattern of low attendance exists based on prior years’ meeting attendance.

 

Board Responsiveness

 

Vote WITHHOLD for continuing individual directors, nominating committee members, or the continuing members of the entire board of directors if at the previous board election, any director received more than 50 percent WITHHOLD votes of the votes cast under a majority voting director resignation policy and the nominating committee has not required that the director leave the board after 90 days, or has not provided another form of acceptable response to the shareholder vote which will be reviewed on a CASE-BY-CASE basis;

 

Unilateral Adoption of an Advance Notice Provision

 

Vote WITHHOLD for individual directors, committee members, or the entire board as appropriate in situations where an advance notice policy has been adopted by the board but has not been included on the voting agenda at the next shareholders’ meeting.

 

Continued lack of shareholder approval of the advanced notice policy in subsequent years may result in further WITHHOLD votes.

 

Externally-Managed Issuers (EMIs)

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on say-on-pay resolutions where provided, or on individual directors, committee members, or the entire board as appropriate, when an issuer is externally-managed and has provided minimal or no disclosure about their management services agreements and how senior management is compensated. Factors taken into consideration may include but are not limited to:

 

1. The size and scope of the management services agreement;

2. Executive compensation in comparison to issuer peers and/or similarly structured issuers;

3. Overall performance;

4. Related party transactions;

5. Board and committee independence;

6. Conflicts of interest and process for managing conflicts effectively;

7. Disclosure and independence of the decision-making process involved in the selection of the management services provider;

8. Risk mitigating factors included within the management services agreement such as fee recoupment mechanisms;

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9. Historical compensation concerns;

10. Executives’ responsibilities; and

11. Other factors that may reasonably be deemed appropriate to assess an externally-managed issuer’s governance framework.

 

Proxy Access

 

Proxy Contests - Voting for Director Nominees in Contested Elections

 

In addition to the General Policy when a dissident seeks a majority of board seats, Boston Partners will require from the dissident a well-reasoned and detailed business plan, including the dissident’s strategic initiatives, a transition plan and the identification of a qualified and credible new management team. The detailed dissident plan will be compared against the incumbent plan and the dissident director nominees and management team will be compared against the incumbent team in order to arrive at a vote decision.

 

When a dissident seeks a minority of board seats, the burden of proof imposed on the dissident is lower. In such cases, Boston Partners will not require from the dissident a detailed plan of action, nor is the dissident required to prove that its plan is preferable to the incumbent plan. Instead, the dissident will be required to prove that board change is preferable to the status quo and that the dissident director slate will add value to board deliberations including by, among other factors, considering issues from a viewpoint different from that of the current board members.

 

II. Shareholder Rights & Defenses

 

Advance Notice Requirements

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to adopt or amend an advance notice board policy or to adopt or amend articles or by-laws containing or adding an advance notice requirement. These provisions will be evaluated to ensure that all of the provisions included within the requirement solely support the stated purpose of the requirement. The purpose of advance notice requirements, as generally stated in the market, is:

 

1. To prevent stealth proxy contests;

2. To provide a reasonable framework for shareholders to nominate directors by allowing shareholders to submit director nominations within a reasonable timeframe; and

3. To provide all shareholders with sufficient information about potential nominees in order for them to make informed voting decisions on such nominees.

 

Features that may be considered problematic include but are not limited to:

 

1. For annual notice of meeting given not less than 50 days prior to the meeting date, the notification timeframe within the advance notice requirement should allow shareholders the ability to provide notice of director nominations at any time not less than 30 days prior to the shareholders’ meeting. The notification timeframe should not be subject to any maximum notice period. If notice of annual meeting is given less than 50 days prior to the meeting date, a provision to require shareholder notice by close of business on the 10th day following first public announcement of the annual meeting is supportable. In the case of a special meeting, a requirement that a nominating shareholder must provide notice by close of business on the 15th day following first public announcement of the special shareholders’ meeting is also acceptable;

2. The board’s inability to waive all sections of the advance notice provision under the policy or by-law, in its sole discretion;

3. A requirement that any nominating shareholder provide representation that the nominating shareholder be present at the meeting in person or by proxy at which his or her nominee is standing for election for the nomination to be accepted, notwithstanding the number of votes obtained by such nominee;

4. A requirement that any proposed nominee deliver a written agreement wherein the proposed nominee acknowledges and agrees, in advance, to comply with all policies and guidelines of the company that are applicable to directors;

5. Any provision that restricts the notification period to that established for the originally scheduled meeting in the event that the meeting has been adjourned or postponed;

6. Any disclosure request within the advance notice requirement, or the company’s ability to request additional disclosure of the nominating shareholder(s) or the shareholder nominee(s) that: exceeds what is required in a dissident proxy circular; goes beyond what is necessary to determine director nominee qualifications, relevant experience, shareholding or voting interest in the company, or independence in the same manner as would be required for management nominees; or, goes beyond what is required under law or regulation;

7. Stipulations within the provision that the corporation will not be obligated to include any information provided by dissident director nominees or nominating shareholders in any shareholder communications, including the proxy statement; and

8. Any other feature or provision determined to have a negative impact on shareholders’ interests and deemed outside the purview of the stated purpose of the advance notice requirement.

 

Enhanced Shareholder Meeting Quorum for Contested Director Elections

 

Vote AGAINST new by-laws or amended by-laws that would establish two different quorum levels which would result in implementing a higher quorum solely for those shareholder meetings where common share investors seek to replace the majority of current board members (“Enhanced Quorum”).

 

Appointment of Additional Directors Between Annual Meetings

 

Vote FOR these resolutions where:

 

1. The company is incorporated under a statute (such as the Canada Business Corporations Act) that permits removal of directors by simple majority vote;

2. The number of directors to be appointed between meetings does not exceed one-third of the number of directors appointed at the previous annual meeting; and

3. Such appointments must be ratified by shareholders at the annual meeting immediately following the date of their appointment.

 

Article/By-law Amendments

 

Vote FOR proposals to adopt or amend articles/by-laws unless the resulting document contains any of the following:

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1. The quorum for a meeting of shareholders is set below two persons holding 25 percent of the eligible vote (this may be reduced to no less than 10 percent in the case of a small company that can demonstrate, based on publicly disclosed voting results, that it is unable to achieve a higher quorum and where there is no controlling shareholder);

2. The quorum for a meeting of directors is less than 50 percent of the number of directors;

3. The chair of the board has a casting vote in the event of a deadlock at a meeting of directors;

4. An alternate director provision that permits a director to appoint another person to serve as an alternate director to attend board or committee meetings in place of the duly elected director;

5. An advance notice requirement that includes one or more provisions which could have a negative impact on shareholders’ interests and which are deemed outside the purview of the stated purpose of the requirement;

6. Authority is granted to the board with regard to altering future capital authorizations or alteration of the capital structure without further shareholder approval; or

7. Any other provisions that may adversely impact shareholders’ rights or diminish independent effective board oversight.

 

In any event, proposals to adopt or amend articles or by-laws will generally be opposed if the complete article or by-law document is not included in the meeting materials for thorough review or referenced for ease of location on SEDAR, which is the equivalent to the U.S.’ EDGAR System.

 

Vote FOR proposals to adopt or amend articles/by-laws if the proposed amendment is limited to only that which is required by regulation or will simplify share registration.

 

Confidential Voting

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting that corporations adopt confidential voting, use independent vote tabulators, and use independent inspectors of election, as long as the proposal includes a provision for proxy contests as follows: In the case of a contested election, management should be permitted to request that the dissident group honor its confidential voting policy. If the dissidents agree, the policy remains in place. If the dissidents will not agree, the confidential voting policy is waived for that particular vote.

 

Generally, vote FOR management proposals to adopt confidential voting.

 

Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)

 

As required by the TSX, the adoption of a shareholder rights plan must be ratified by shareholders within six months of adoption.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals to ratify a shareholder rights plan (poison pill) taking into account whether it conforms to ‘new generation’ rights plan best practice guidelines and its scope is limited to the following two specific purposes:

 

1. To give the board more time to find an alternative value enhancing transaction; and

2. To ensure the equal treatment of all shareholders.

 

Vote AGAINST plans that go beyond these purposes if:

 

1. The plan gives discretion to the board to either:

a. Determine whether actions by shareholders constitute a change in control;

b. Amend material provisions without shareholder approval;

c. Interpret other provisions;

d. Redeem the rights or waive the plan’s application without a shareholder vote; or

e. Prevent a bid from going to shareholders.
2. The plan has any of the following characteristics:

a. Unacceptable key definitions;

b. Reference to Derivatives Contracts within the definition of Beneficial Owner;

c. Flip over provision;

d. Permitted bid minimum period greater than 105 days;

e. Maximum triggering threshold set at less than 20 percent of outstanding shares;

f. Does not permit partial bids;

g. Includes a Shareholder Endorsed Insider Bid (SEIB) provision;

h. Bidder must frequently update holdings;

i. Requirement for a shareholder meeting to approve a bid; and

j. Requirement that the bidder provide evidence of financing.

1. The plan does not:

a. Include an exemption for a “permitted lock up agreement”;

b. Include clear exemptions for money managers, pension funds, mutual funds, trustees, and custodians who are not making a takeover bid; and

c. Exclude reference to voting agreements among shareholders.

 

III. Capital/ Restructuring

 

Increases in Authorized Capital

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance. Generally, vote FOR proposals to approve increased authorized capital if:

 

1. A company’s shares are in danger of being de-listed; or

2. A company’s ability to continue to operate as a going concern is uncertain.

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Generally, vote AGAINST proposals to approve unlimited capital authorization.

 

Private Placement Issuances

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on private placement issuances taking into account:

 

1. Whether other resolutions are bundled with the issuance;

2. Whether the rationale for the private placement issuance is disclosed;

3. Dilution to existing shareholders’ position;

4. Issuance that represents no more than 30 percent of the company’s outstanding shares on a non-diluted basis is considered generally acceptable;

5. Discount/premium in issuance price to the unaffected share price before the announcement of the private placement;

6. Market reaction: The market’s response to the proposed private placement since announcement; and

7. Other applicable factors, including conflict of interest, change in control/management, evaluation of other alternatives.

 

Generally, vote FOR the private placement issuance if it is expected that the company will file for bankruptcy if the transaction is not approved or the company’s auditor/management has indicated that the company has going concern issues.

 

Blank Check Preferred Stock

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to create unlimited blank check preferred shares or increase blank cheque preferred shares where:

 

1. The shares carry unspecified rights, restrictions, and terms; or

2. The company does not specify any specific purpose for the increase in such shares.

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals to create a reasonably limited number of preferred shares where both of the following apply:

 

1. The company has stated in writing and publicly disclosed that the shares will not be used for antitakeover purposes; and

2. The voting, conversion, and other rights, restrictions, and terms of such stock where specified in the articles, are reasonable.

 

Dual-class Stock

 

Vote AGAINST proposals to create a new class of common stock that will create a class of common shareholders with diminished or superior voting rights.

 

The following is an exceptional set of circumstances under which Boston Partners would generally support a dual class capital structure. Such a structure must meet all of the following criteria:

 

1. It is required due to foreign ownership restrictions and financing is required to be done out of country;

2. It is not designed to preserve the voting power of an insider or significant shareholder;

3. The subordinate class may elect some board nominees;

4. There is a sunset provision; and

5. There is a coattail provision that places a prohibition on any change in control transaction without approval of the subordinate class shareholders.

 

Escrow Agreements

 

Vote AGAINST an amendment to an existing escrow agreement where the company is proposing to delete all performance-based release requirements in favor of time-driven release requirements.

 

IV. Compensation

 

Pay for Performance Evaluation

 

This policy will be applied at all S&P/TSX Composite Index Companies and for all management say-on-pay proposals (MSOP)resolutions.

 

On a CASE-BY-CASE basis, Boston Partners will evaluate the alignment of the CEO’s total compensation with company performance over time, focusing particularly on companies that have underperformed their peers over a sustained period. From a shareholder’s perspective, performance is predominantly gauged by the company’s share price performance over time. Even when financial or operational measures are used as the basis for incentive awards, the achievement related to these measures should ultimately translate into superior shareholder returns in the long term.

 

Vote AGAINST MSOP proposals and/or vote WITHHOLD for compensation committee members (or, in rare cases where the full board is deemed responsible, all directors including the CEO) and/or AGAINST an equity-based incentive plan proposal if there is significant long-term misalignment between CEO pay and company performance.

 

The determination of long-term pay for performance alignment is a two-step process: step one is a quantitative screen, which includes a relative and absolute analysis on pay for performance, and step two is a qualitative assessment of the CEO’s pay and company performance. A pay for performance disconnect will be determined as follows:

 

Step I: Quantitative Screen

 

Relative:

 

1. The Relative Degree of Alignment (RDA) is the difference between the company’s annualized TSR rank and the CEO’s annualized total pay rank within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period or less if pay or performance data is unavailable for the full three years;

2. The Financial Performance Assessment (FPA) is the ranking of CEO total pay and company financial performance within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period;

3. Multiple of Median (MOM) is the total compensation in the last reported fiscal year relative to the median compensation of the peer group; and

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Absolute:

 

1. The CEO Pay-to-TSR Alignment (PTA) over the prior five fiscal years, i.e., the difference between absolute pay changes and absolute TSR changes during the prior five-year period (or less as company disclosure permits).

 

Step II: Qualitative Analysis

 

Companies identified by the methodology as having potential misalignment will receive a qualitative assessment to determine the ultimate vote, considering a range of CASE-BY-CASE factors which may include:

 

1. The ratio of performance- to time-based equity grants and the overall mix of performance-based compensation relative to total compensation (considering whether the ratio is more than 50 percent); standard time-vested stock options and restricted shares are not considered to be performance-based for this consideration;

2. The quality of disclosure and appropriateness of the performance measure(s) and goal(s) utilized, so that shareholders can assess the rigor of the performance program. The use of non-GAAP financial metrics also makes it challenging for shareholders to ascertain the rigor of the program as shareholders often cannot tell the type of adjustments being made and if the adjustments were made consistently. Complete and transparent disclosure helps shareholders to better understand the company’s pay for performance linkage;

3. The trend in other financial metrics, such as growth in revenue, earnings, return measures such as ROE, ROA, ROIC, etc.;

4. The use of discretionary out-of-plan payments or awards and the rationale provided as well as frequency of such payments or awards;

5. The trend considering prior years’ P4P concern;

6. Extraordinary situation due to a new CEO in the last reported FY; and

7. Any other factors deemed relevant.

 

Problematic Pay Practices

 

Vote AGAINST MSOP resolutions and/or vote WITHHOLD for compensation committee members if the company has significant problematic compensation practices. Generally, vote AGAINST equity plans if the plan is a vehicle for problematic compensation practices.

 

Generally, vote based on the preponderance of problematic elements; however, certain adverse practices may warrant WITHHOLD or AGAINST votes on a stand-alone basis in particularly egregious cases. The following practices, while not an exhaustive list, are examples of problematic compensation practices that may warrant an AGAINST or WITHHOLD vote:

 

Poor disclosure practices:

 

1. General omission of timely information necessary to understand the rationale for compensation setting process and outcomes, or omission of material contracts, agreements or shareholder disclosure documents;

 

New CEO with overly generous new hire package:

 

1. Excessive “make whole” provisions;

2. Any of the problematic pay practices listed in this policy;

 

Egregious employment contracts:

 

1. Contracts containing multiyear guarantees for salary increases, bonuses, or equity compensation;

 

Employee Loans:

 

1. Interest free or low interest loans extended by the company to employees for the purpose of exercising options or acquiring equity to meet holding requirements or as compensation;

 

Excessive severance and/or change-in-control provisions:

 

2. Inclusion of excessive change-in-control or severance payments, especially those with a multiple in excess of 2X cash pay (salary + bonus);

3. Severance paid for a “performance termination” (i.e., due to the executive’s failure to perform job functions at the appropriate level);

4. Employment or severance agreements that provide for modified single triggers, under which an executive may voluntarily leave following a change in control without cause and still receive the severance package;

5. Perquisites for former executives such as car allowance, personal use of corporate aircraft, or other inappropriate arrangements;

6. Change-in-control payouts without loss of job or substantial diminution of job duties (single-triggered);

 

Abnormally large bonus payouts without justifiable performance linkage or proper disclosure:

 

1. Performance metrics that are changed, canceled, or replaced during the performance period without adequate explanation of the action and the link to performance;

 

Excessive perks:

 

1. Overly generous cost and/or reimbursement of taxes for personal use of corporate aircraft, personal security systems maintenance and/or installation, car allowances, and/or other excessive arrangements relative to base salary;

 

Payment of dividends on performance awards:

 

1. Performance award grants for which dividends are paid during the period before the performance criteria or goals have been achieved, and therefore not yet earned;

 

Problematic option granting practices:

 

1. Backdating options (i.e. retroactively setting a stock option’s exercise price lower than the prevailing market value at the grant date);

2. Springloading options (i.e. timing the grant of options to effectively guarantee an increase in share price shortly after the grant date);

3. Cancellation and subsequent re-grant of options;

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Internal Pay Disparity:

 

1. Excessive differential between CEO total pay and that of next highest-paid named executive officer (NEO);

 

Absence of pay practices that discourage excessive risk taking:

 

1. These provisions include but are not limited to: clawbacks, holdbacks, stock ownership requirements, deferred bonus and equity award compensation practices, etc.;

2. Financial institutions will be expected to have adopted or at least addressed the provisions listed above in accordance with the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) Compensation Practices and standards for financial companies;

 

Other excessive compensation payouts or problematic pay practices at the company.

 

Equity-Based Compensation Plans

 

In addition to the General Policy, consider the following:

 

1. Plan Features:

a. Detailed disclosure regarding the treatment of outstanding awards under a change in control (CIC)

b. No financial assistance to plan participants for the exercise or settlement of awards;

c. Public disclosure of the full text of the plan document; and

d. Reasonable share dilution from equity plans relative to market best practices. For Canada Venture Listed Companies, the basic dilution (i.e. not including warrants or shares reserved for equity compensation) represented by all equity compensation plans should not be greater than 10 percent.

e. For Canada Venture Listed Companies, vote AGAINST if the plan expressly permits the repricing of options without shareholder approval and the company has repriced options within the past three years.

 

2. Grant Practices:

a. Reasonable three-year average burn rate relative to market best practices (shouldn’t exceed 3.5%);

b. Meaningful time vesting requirements for the CEO’s most recent equity grants (three-year lookback);

c. The issuance of performance-based equity to the CEO;

d. A clawback provision applicable to equity awards; and

e. Post-exercise or post-settlement share-holding requirements (S&P/TSX Composite Index only).

 

Generally, vote AGAINST the plan proposal if the combination of above factors, as determined by an overall score, indicates that the plan is not in shareholders’ best interests.

 

Overriding Negative Factors: In addition, vote AGAINST the plan if any of the following unacceptable factors have been identified:

 

1. Discretionary or insufficiently limited non- executive director participation;

2. An amendment provision which fails to adequately restrict the company’s ability to amend the plan without shareholder approval;

3. A history of repricing stock options without shareholder approval (three-year look-back);

4. The plan is a vehicle for problematic pay practices or a significant pay-for-performance disconnect under certain circumstances; or

5. Any other plan features that are determined to have a significant negative impact on shareholder interests.

 

Plan Cost

 

Vote AGAINST equity plans if the cost is unreasonable.

 

Overriding Negative Factors

 

Plan Amendment Provisions

 

Vote AGAINST the approval of proposed Amendment Procedures that do not require shareholder approval for the following types of amendments under any security-based compensation arrangement, whether or not such approval is required under current regulatory rules:

 

1. Any increase in the number of shares reserved for issuance under a plan or plan maximum;

2. Any reduction in exercise price or cancellation and reissue of options or other entitlements;

3. Any amendment that extends the term of options beyond the original expiry;

4. Amendments to eligible participants that may permit the introduction or reintroduction of non- executive directors on a discretionary basis or amendments that increase limits previously imposed on non- executive director participation;

5. Any amendment which would permit options granted under the Plan to be transferable or assignable other than for normal estate settlement purposes; and

6. Amendments to the plan amendment provisions.

 

To clarify application of the above criteria, all items will apply to all equity-based compensation arrangements under which treasury shares are reserved for grants of, for example: restricted stock, restricted share units, or deferred share units, except those items that specifically refer to option grants.

 

Non- Executive Director (NED) Participation

 

Discretionary Participation

 

Vote AGAINST a management equity compensation plan that permits discretionary NED participation.

 

Limited Participation

 

Vote AGAINST an equity compensation plan proposal where:

 

1. The NED aggregate share reserve under the plan exceeds 1 percent of the outstanding common shares; or

2. The equity plan document does not specify an annual individual NED grant limit with a maximum value of (i) $100,000 worth of stock options, or (ii) $150,000 worth of shares.

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The maximum annual individual NED limit should not exceed $150,000 under any type of equity compensation plan, of which no more than $100,000 of value may comprise stock options.

 

Individual Grants

 

Vote AGAINST individual equity grants to NEDs in the following circumstances:

 

1. In conjunction with an equity compensation plan that is on the agenda at the shareholder meeting if voting AGAINST the underlying equity compensation plan; and

2. Outside of an equity compensation plan if the director’s annual grant would exceed the above individual director limit.

 

Shares taken in lieu of cash fees and a one-time initial equity grant upon a director joining the board will not be included in the maximum award limit.

 

Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs, ESOPs)

 

Vote FOR broadly based (preferably all employees of the company with the exclusion of individuals with 5 percent or more beneficial ownership of the company) employee stock purchase plans where the following apply:

 

1. Reasonable limit on employee contribution (may be expressed as a fixed dollar amount or as a percentage of base salary excluding bonus, commissions and special compensation);

2. Employer contribution of up to 25 percent of employee contribution and no purchase price discount or employer contribution of more than 25 percent of employee contribution and SVT cost of the company’s equity plans is within the allowable cap for the company;

3. Purchase price is at least 80 percent of fair market value with no employer contribution;

4. Potential dilution together with all other equity-based plans is 10 percent of outstanding common shares or less; and

5. The Plan Amendment Provision requires shareholder approval for amendments to:

a. The number of shares reserved for the plan;

b. The allowable purchase price discount;

c. The employer matching contribution amount.

 

Treasury funded ESPPs, as well as market purchase funded ESPPs requesting shareholder approval, will be considered to be incentive-based compensation if the employer match is greater than 25 percent of the employee contribution. In this case, Boston Partners will assess the SVT cost of the plan together with the company’s other equity-based compensation plans.

 

Eligibility and administration are also key factors in determining the acceptability of an ESPP/ESOP plan.

 

Management Deferred Share Unit (DSU) Plans

 

Vote FOR deferred compensation plans if:

 

1. SVT cost of the plan does not exceed the company’s allowable cap;

2. If the SVT cost cannot be calculated, potential dilution together with all other equity-based compensation is 10 percent of the outstanding common shares or less;

3. NED participation is acceptably limited or the plan explicitly states that NEDs may only receive DSUs in lieu of cash in a value for value exchange (please refer to Overriding Negative Factors/NED Participation above);

4. The plan amendment provisions require shareholder approval for any amendment to:

5. Increase the number of shares reserved for issuance under the plan;

6. Change the eligible participants that may permit the introduction or reintroduction of non- executive directors on a discretionary basis or amendments that increase limits previously imposed on NED participation;

7. Amend the plan amendment provisions.

 

In addition, for Canada Venture Listed Companies, vote FOR deferred compensation plans if:

 

1. Potential dilution together with all other equity-based compensation is 10 percent of the outstanding common shares or less;

2. The average annual burn rate is no more than 3.5 percent per year (generally averaged over most recent three-year period and rounded to the nearest whole number for policy application purposes.

 

Non- Executive Director (NED) Deferred Share Unit (DSU) Plans

 

Vote FOR a NED deferred compensation plan if:

 

1. DSUs may ONLY be granted in lieu of cash fees on a value for value basis (no discretionary or other grants are permitted), and

2. Potential dilution together with all other equity-based compensation is 10 percent of the outstanding common shares or less.

 

Vote FOR NED deferred compensation plans that permit discretionary grants (not ONLY in lieu of cash fees) if:

 

1. Potential dilution together with all other equity-based compensation is 10 percent of the outstanding common shares or less;

2. If the plan includes a company matching or top-up provision, the SVT cost of the plan does not exceed the company’s allowable cap;

3. NED participation is acceptably limited (please refer to Overriding Negative Factors/NED Participation above);

4. The plan amendment provisions require shareholder approval for any amendment to:

a. Increase the number of shares reserved for issuance under the plan; Change the eligible participants that may permit the introduction or reintroduction of non- executive directors on a discretionary basis or amendments that increase limits previously imposed on NED participation;

b. Amend the plan amendment provisions.

1. In addition, for Canada Venture Listed Companies, vote FOR deferred compensation plans if the average annual burn rate is no more than 3.5 percent per year (generally averaged over most recent three-year period and rounded to the nearest whole number for policy application purposes.

 

Other elements of director compensation evaluated in conjunction with DSU plan proposals include:

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1. Director stock ownership guidelines of a minimum of three times annual cash retainer;

2. Vesting schedule or mandatory deferral period which requires that shares in payment of deferred units may not be paid out until the end of board service;

3. The mix of remuneration between cash and equity; and

4. Other forms of equity-based compensation, i.e. stock options, restricted stock.

 

Problematic Director Compensation Practices

 

On a CASE-BY-CASE basis, generally vote WITHHOLD for members of the committee responsible for director compensation (or, where no such committee has been identified, the board chair or full board) where director compensation practices which pose a risk of compromising a non- executive director’s independence or which otherwise appear problematic from the perspective of shareholders have been identified, including:

 

1. Excessive (relative to standard market practice) inducement grants issued upon the appointment or election of a new director to the board (consideration will be given to the form in which the compensation has been issued and the board’s rationale for the inducement grant);

2. Performance-based equity grants to non- executive directors which could pose a risk of aligning directors’ interests away from those of shareholders and toward those of management; and

3. Other significant problematic practices relating to director compensation.

 

Shareholder Proposals on Compensation

 

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis for shareholder proposals targeting executive and director pay, taking into account the target company’s performance, absolute and relative pay levels as well as the wording of the proposal itself.

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting that the exercise of some, but not all stock options be tied to the achievement of performance hurdles.

 

Shareholder Advisory Vote Proposals

 

Vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting the adoption of a non-binding advisory shareholder vote to ratify the report of the compensation committee.

 

Vote AGAINST shareholder proposals requesting a binding vote on executive or director compensation as being overly prescriptive and which may lead to shareholder micro-management of compensation issues that are more appropriately within the purview of the compensation committee of the board of directors.

 

Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP) Proposals

 

Vote AGAINST shareholder proposals requesting the exclusion of bonus amounts and extra service credits to determine SERP payouts, unless the company’s SERP disclosure includes the following problematic pay practices:

 

1. Inclusion of equity-based compensation in the pension calculation;

2. Inclusion of excessive bonus amounts in the pension calculation;

3. Addition of extra years’ service credited in other than exceptional circumstances and without compelling rationale;

4. No absolute limit on SERP annual pension benefits (ideally expressed in dollar terms);

5. No reduction in benefits on a pro-rata basis in the case of early retirement.

 

In addition, consideration will also be given to the extent to which executive compensation is performance driven and “at risk,” as well as whether bonus payouts can exceed 100 percent of base salary.

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CHINA AND HONG KONG

 

I. Remuneration

 

Director Remuneration

 

Generally, vote FOR resolutions regarding directors’ and supervisors’ fees unless they are excessive relative to fees paid by other companies of similar size.

 

Equity-based Compensation

 

A-share Stock Option Schemes and Performance Share Schemes

 

Vote AGAINST a stock option and/or performance share scheme if:

 

1. Pricing Basis - The plan permits the exercise price of the stock options and/or grant price of the performance shares to be set at an unreasonable price compared to the market price without sufficient justification;

2. Dilution - The maximum dilution level for the scheme exceeds 10 percent of issued capital; or of 5 percent of issued capital for a mature company and 10 percent for a growth company. However, Boston Partners will support plans at mature companies with dilution levels up to 10 percent if the plan includes other positive features such as challenging performance criteria and meaningful vesting periods, as these features partially offset dilution concerns by reducing the likelihood that options will become exercisable unless there is a clear improvement in shareholder value;

3. Performance benchmark - The scheme is proposed in the second half of the year and the measurement of the company’s financial performance starts from the same year. The rationale is that the company’s financial performance has been largely determined for that particular year and thus by linking the vesting conditions of part of the options and/or performance shares to that year’s financial performance, the company is providing incentives for the period of the second half only, which can either be too aggressive (if the target is far out of reach) or too insufficient (i.e., the target has already been reached); or

4. Incentive plan administration - Directors eligible to receive options and/or performance shares under the scheme are involved in the administration of the scheme are involved in the administration of the scheme.

 

Additionally, in Hong Kong, generally vote FOR an equity-based compensation plan unless:

 

1. The maximum dilution level for the scheme, together with all outstanding schemes, exceeds 5 percent of issued capital for a mature company and 10 percent for a growth company. In addition, Boston Partners will support a plan’s dilution limit that exceeds these thresholds if the annual grant limit under all plans is 0.5 percent or less for a mature company (1 percent or less for a mature company with clearly disclosed performance criteria) and 1 percent or less for a growth company.

2. The plan permits options to be issued with an exercise price at a discount to the current market price; or

3. Directors eligible to receive options or awards under the scheme are involved in the administration of the scheme and the administrator has the discretion over their awards.

 

Employee Stock Purchase Plans

 

Generally, vote FOR employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) unless any of the following applies:

 

1. The total stock allocated to the ESPP exceeds 10 percent of the company’s total shares outstanding at any given time;

2. The share purchase price is less than 90 percent of the market price4 when the share purchase is conducted solely through private placement;

3. The company’s significant shareholders (i.e. individuals with 5 percent or more of beneficial ownership of the company) are involved as plan participants;

4. The ESPP is proposed in connection with an equity financing scheme which does not warrant shareholder support; or

5. The ESPP contains any other terms that are deemed disadvantageous to shareholders.

 

II. Capital Raising

 

Share Issuance Requests

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on share issuance request, with reference to the identity of the places, the use of proceeds, and the company’s past share issuance requests.

 

For Hong Kong, generally vote FOR the general share issuance mandate for companies that:

 

1. Limit the issuance request to 10 percent or less of the relevant class of issued share capital;

2. Limit the discount to 10 percent of the market price of shares (rather than the maximum 20 percent permitted by the Listing Rules); and

3. Have no history of renewing the general issuance mandate several times within a period of one year which may result in the share issuance limit exceeding 10 percent of the relevant class of issued share capital within the 12 month period.

 

Share Repurchase Plans (Repurchase Mandate) (Hong Kong)

 

Generally, vote FOR resolutions seeking for share repurchase mandate.

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Reissuance of Shares Repurchased (Share Reissuance Mandate) (Hong Kong)

Generally, vote FOR the share reissuance mandate for companies that:

1. Limit the aggregate issuance request - that is, for the general issuance mandate and the share reissuance mandate combined - to 10 percent or less of the relevant class of issued share capital;

2. Limit the discount to 10 percent of the market price of shares (rather than the maximum 20 percent permitted by the Listing Rules); and

3. Have no history of renewing the general issuance mandate several times within a period of one year.

 

A-share Private Placement Issuance Requests (Hong Kong)

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on share issuance requests, with reference to the identity of the places, the use of proceeds, and the company’s past share issuance requests.

 

Adjustments of Conversion Price of Outstanding Convertible Bonds

 

Generally, vote AGAINST the downward adjustment of the conversion price of A-share convertible bonds unless the proposed adjusted conversion price is deemed reasonable given the company’s justification; and the company is under extraordinary circumstances, such as liquidation or debt restructuring process due to financial distress.

 

Debt Issuance Request/Increase in Borrowing Powers

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on non-convertible debt issuance requests, proposals to approve the specific pledging of assets for debt, and increases in borrowing power. Generally, vote FOR such requests if:

 

1. The size of the debt being requested is disclosed;

2. A credible reason for the need for additional funding is provided;

3. Details regarding the assets to be pledged are disclosed (for specific asset pledge proposals); and

4. There are no significant causes for shareholder concerns regarding the terms and conditions of the debt.

 

A vote AGAINST will be warranted only in extremely egregious cases or where the company fails to provide sufficient information to enable a meaningful shareholder review.

 

For the issuance of convertible debt instruments, as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion is acceptable on equity issuance requests, a vote FOR will be warranted. Boston Partners will vote FOR proposals to restructure existing debt arrangements unless the terms of the restructuring would adversely affect the rights of shareholders.

 

Moreover, where a general authority to issue debt or pledge assets is requested, in addition to the above criteria, we will oppose such a proposal if it could result in a potentially excessive increase in debt. A potential increase in debt may be considered excessive when:

 

1. The proposed maximum amount is more than twice the company’s total debt;

2. It could result in the company’s debt-to-equity ratio exceeding 300 percent (for non-financial companies); and

3. The maximum hypothetical debt-to-equity ratio is more than three times the industry and/or market norm.

 

If data on the normal level of debt in that particular industry or market is not available, only the company-specific information will be considered.

 

For Hong Kong, for proposals seeking a general authority to pledge assets for debt, the specific assets to be pledged need not be disclosed. However, in such cases, the authority should be limited such that it would not result in an excessive increase in debt. If the proposal grants excessive authority to the board or management, vote AGAINST.

 

In certain countries, shareholder approval is required when a company needs to secure a debt issuance with its assets. In many cases, this is a routine request and is a formality under the relevant law. When reviewing such proposals, Boston Partners takes into account the terms of the proposed debt issuance, the company’s overall debt level, and the company’s justification for the pledging of assets.

 

Boston Partners will vote AGAINST specific requests to pledge an asset in cases where no information regarding the size of the debt to be raised is disclosed, no credible explanation for the need of funding is provided, no details regarding the assets to be pledged are disclosed, or in extreme cases where shareholders’ rights and economic interests could be negatively affected.

 

Provision of Guarantees/ Loan Guarantee Requests

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to provide loan guarantees for subsidiaries, affiliates, and related parties. Generally, vote AGAINST the provision of a guarantee where:

 

1. The identity of the entity receiving the guarantee is not disclosed;

2. The guarantee is being provided to a director, executive, parent company or affiliated entities where the company has no direct or indirect equity ownership; or

3. The guarantee is provided to an entity in which the company’s ownership stake is less than 75 percent; and such guarantee is not proportionate to the company’s equity stake or other parties have not provided a counter guarantee.

 

When the proposed guarantee does not fall into the above criteria, vote FOR such request provided that there are no significant concerns regarding the entity receiving the guarantee, the relationship between the listed company and the entity receiving the guarantee, the purpose of the guarantee, or the terms of the guarantee agreement. Examples of such concerns include a previous default by the entity receiving the guarantee or a sub-investment grade credit rating.

 

III. Amendments to Articles of Association/ Company By-laws

 

Communist Party Committee

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals for article and/or by-law amendments regarding Party Committees where the proposed amendments lack transparency or are not considered to adequately provide for accountability and transparency to shareholders.

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Other Article of Association/By-law Amendments

 

Generally, vote FOR by-law amendments if:

 

1. They are driven by regulatory changes and are technical in nature; or

2. They are meant to update company-specific information in the by-laws such as registered capital, address, and business scope, etc.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST the amendments if:

 

1. There is no disclosure on the proposed amendments or full text of the amended by-law; or

2. The amendments include the increase in the decision authority which is considered excessive and the company fails to provide a compelling justification.

 

IV. Related Party Transactions

 

Loan Financing Requests

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on loans and financing proposals.

 

In assessing requests for loan financing provided by a related party:

 

1. Boston Partners will examine stated uses of proceeds, the size or specific amount of the loan requested, and the interest rate to be charged. Boston Partners also gives importance to, and seeks disclosure on, the specific relation of the party providing the loan to the company.

 

In assessing requests to provide loan financing to a related party:

 

1. Boston Partners will examine stated uses of proceeds, the size or specific amount of the loan requested, and interest rates to be charged. Boston Partners also gives importance to, and seeks disclosure on, the specific relation of the party to be granted the loan by the company.

2. Boston Partner will generally vote AGAINST the provision of loans to clients, controlling shareholders, and actual controlling persons of the company.

3. Boston Partners will generally vote AGAINST the provision of loans to an entity in which the company’s ownership stake is less than 75 percent and the financing provision is not proportionate to the company’s equity stake.

 

Group Finance Companies

 

Vote AGAINST requests to deposit monies with a group finance company.

 

V. Proposals to Invest in Financial Products Using Idle Funds

 

Vote on proposals to invest in financial products using idle funds on a CASE-BY-CASE basis. Key factors for evaluating such requests include:

 

1. Any known concerns with previous investments;

2. The amount of the proposed investment relative to the company’s assets;

3. Disclosure of the nature of the products in which the company proposes to invest; and

4. Disclosure of associated risks of the proposed investments and related risk management efforts by the company.

 

Generally, vote FOR such proposals unless the company fails to provide sufficient information to enable a meaningful shareholder or there are significant concerns with the company’s previous similar investments.

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CONTINENTAL EUROPE

 

Applies to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland. Also applies to the United Kingdom and Ireland to the extent policies are shared. For specific United Kingdom and Ireland, please see that section of the Policy.

 

I. Operational Items

 

Appointment of Auditors and Auditor Fees

 

Vote FOR proposals to (re)appoint auditors and/or proposals authorizing the board to fix auditor fees, unless:

 

1. The lead audit partner(s) has been linked with a significant auditing controversy; and

2. For widely-held companies, fees for non-audit services exceed either 100 percent of standard audit-related fees or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

 

II. Director Elections

 

Non-Contested Director Elections

 

Boston Partners may vote AGAINST proposals due to concerns related to at least one of the following specific factors, which are presented below as separate subsections:

 

Director Terms

 

1. For Belgium, France, Greece, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland, vote AGAINST the election or re-election of any director when his/her term is not disclosed or when it exceeds four years and adequate explanation for non-compliance has not been provided.

2. Vote AGAINST article amendment proposals to extend board terms.

 

Bundling of Proposals to Elect Directors

 

1. Directors should be elected individually.

2. For the markets of Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland*, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, vote AGAINST the election or reelection of any directors if individual director elections are an established market practice and the company proposes a single slate of directors.

a. * Bundled director elections in Poland may be supported for companies that go beyond market practice by disclosing the names of nominees on a timely basis.

 

Board Independence

 

1. Non-controlled companies

a. Generally, vote AGAINST the election or reelection of any non-independent directors (excluding the CEO) if fewer than 50 percent of the board members elected by shareholders - excluding, where relevant, employee shareholder representatives - would be independent (Greece and Portugal are excluded from this provision.)

 

Disclosure of Names of Nominees

 

1. Vote AGAINST the election or reelection of any and all director nominees when the names of the nominees are not available

 

Election of a Former CEO as Chairman of the Board

 

1. Generally, vote AGAINST the election or reelection of a former CEO as chairman to the supervisory board or board of directors at widely held companies in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.

2. In Germany, generally vote against the election or reelection of a former CEO, unless the company has publicly confirmed prior to the general meeting that he will not proceed to become chairman of the board.

3. Considerations should be given to any of the following exceptional circumstances on a CASE-BY-CASE basis if:

a. There are compelling reasons that justify the election or reelection of a former CEO as chairman; or

b. The former CEO is proposed to become the board’s chairman only on an interim or temporary basis; or

c. The former CEO is proposed to be elected as the board’s chairman for the first time after a reasonable cooling-off period.

 

Voto di Lista (Italy)

 

1. Boston Partners will vote CASE-BY-CASE.

 

One Board Seat per Director

 

1. In cases where a director holds more than one board seat on a single board and the corresponding votes, manifested as one seat as a physical person plus an additional seat(s) as a representative of a legal entity, vote AGAINST the election/reelection of such legal entities and in favor of the physical person.

2. If the representative of the legal entity holds the position of CEO, generally vote in favor of the legal entity and AGAINST the election/reelection of the physical person.

 

Composition of Committees

 

1. For widely-held companies, generally vote AGAINST the (re)election of any non-independent members of the audit committee if:

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a. Fewer than 50 percent of the audit committee members, who are elected by shareholders in such capacity or another - excluding, where relevant, employee shareholder representatives - would be independent; or

b. Fewer than one-third of all audit committee members would be independent.

2. For companies whose boards are legally required to have 50 percent of directors not elected by shareholders, the second criterion is not applicable.

3. Generally, vote AGAINST the election or reelection of the non-independent member of the audit committee designated as chairman of that committee.

4. For widely-held companies in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, vote AGAINST the (re)election of non-independent members of the remuneration committee if their (re)election would lead to a non-independent majority on that committee.

5. In Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, vote AGAINST the (re)election of executives who serve on the company’s audit or remuneration committee. Boston Partners may vote AGAINST if the disclosure is too poor to determine whether an executive serves or will serve on a committee. If a company does not have an audit or a remuneration committee, Boston Partners may consider that the entire board fulfills the role of a committee. In such case, Boston Partners may vote AGAINST the executives, including the CEO, up for election to the board.

6. Composition of Nominating Committee (Finland, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway)

a. Vote FOR proposals in Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden to elect or appoint a nominating committee consisting mainly of non-board members.

b. Vote FOR shareholder proposals calling for disclosure of the names of the proposed candidates at the meeting, as well as the inclusion of a representative of minority shareholders in the committee.

c. Vote AGAINST proposals where the names of the candidates (in the case of an election) or the principles for the establishment of the committee have not been disclosed in a timely manner.

d. Vote AGAINST proposals in Sweden to elect or appoint such a committee if the company is on the MSCI-EAFE or local main index and the following conditions exist:

I. A member of the executive management would be a member of the committee;

II. More than one board member who is dependent on a major shareholder would be on the committee; or

III. The chair of the board would also be the chair of the committee.

e. In cases where the principles for the establishment of the nominating committee, rather than the election of the committee itself, are being voted on, vote AGAINST the adoption of the principles if any of the above conditions are met for the current committee, and there is no publicly available information indicating that this would no longer be the case for the new nominating committee.

7. Election of Censors (France)

a. For widely held companies, Boston Partners will generally vote AGAINST proposals seeking shareholder approval to elect a censor, to amend by-laws to authorize the appointment of censors, or to extend the maximum number of censors to the board.

b. Boston Partners will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis when the company provides assurance that the censor would serve on a short-term basis (maximum one year) with the intent to retain the nominee before his/her election as director. In this case, consideration shall also be given to the nominee’s situation (notably overboarding or other factors of concern).

c. Vote AGAINST any proposal to renew the term of a censor or to extend the statutory term of censors.

 

MEA Markets

 

For MEA markets, in cases where:

 

1. Directors are proposed for (re)election through a cumulative voting system, or

2. Director elections do not take place through a cumulative voting system, but the number of nominees up for (re)election exceeds the number of board vacancies,

 

Boston Partners will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering additional factors, for the purpose of identifying the best suited nominees to add value for shareholders. Positive votes will be issued preferentially in favor of the following categories of candidates:

 

1. Candidates who can be identified as representatives of minority shareholders of the company, or independent candidates, namely:

a. Candidates who can be classified as independent according to ISS' policy, or, failing that,

b. Candidates explicitly classified as independent per the company's director classification.

2. Candidates whose professional background may have the following benefits:

a. Increasing the diversity of incumbent directors ' professional profiles and skills (thanks to their financial expertise, international experience, executive positions/directorships at other listed companies, or other relevant factors).

b. Bringing to the current board of directors relevant experience in areas linked to the company's business, evidenced by current or past board memberships or management functions at other companies.

3. Incumbent board members and candidates explicitly supported by the company's management.

 

Committee of Representatives and Corporate Assembly Elections (Denmark and Norway)

 

For Norwegian and Danish companies where shareholders vote on elections for members of the corporate assembly or committee of representatives, but not directly on the board of directors, vote CASE-BY-CASE on corporate assembly and committee of representative elections based on the board of directors’ compliance with Boston Partners’ director election policy.

 

III. Capital Structure

 

Share Issuance Requests

 

General Issuances

 

Vote FOR issuance authorities with pre-emptive rights to a maximum of 50 percent over currently issued capital and as long as the share issuance authorities’ periods are clearly disclosed (or implied by the application of a legal maximum duration) and in line with market-specific practices and/or recommended guidelines (e.g. issuance periods limited to 18 months for the Netherlands).

 

Vote FOR issuance authorities without pre-emptive rights to a maximum of 10 percent (or a lower limit if local market best practice recommendations provide) of currently issued capital as long as the share issuance authorities’ periods are clearly disclosed (or implied by the application of a legal maximum duration) and in line with market-specific practices and/or recommended guidelines (e.g. issuance periods limited to 18 months for the Netherlands).

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For French companies:

 

Vote FOR general issuance requests with preemptive rights, or without preemptive rights but with a binding “priority right,” for a maximum of 50 percent over currently issued capital.

 

Generally, vote FOR general authorities to issue shares without preemptive rights up to a maximum of 10 percent of share capital. When companies are listed on a regulated market, the maximum discount on share issuance price proposed in the resolution must, in addition, comply with the legal discount (i.e., a maximum of 5 percent discount to the share listing price) for a vote FOR to be warranted.

 

Capital Structures

 

Vote AGAINST French companies that:

 

1. Did not have a by-law allowing for double voting rights before the enactment of the Law of 29 March 2014 (Florange Act); and

2. Do not currently have a by-law prohibiting double-voting rights; and either

a. Do not have on their ballot for shareholder approval a by-law amendment to prohibit double-voting, submitted by either management or shareholders; or

b. Have not made a public commitment to submit such a by-law amendment to shareholder vote before April 3, 2016;

 

Boston Partners will generally vote AGAINST the following types of proposals:

 

1. The reelection of directors or supervisory board members; or

2. The approval of the discharge of directors; or

3. If neither reelection of directors/supervisory board members nor approval of discharge is considered appropriate, then the approval of the annual report and accounts.

 

Share Repurchase Plans

 

For Italy and Germany, vote FOR share-repurchase plans and share reissuance plans that would use call and put options if the following criteria are met:

 

1. The duration of the options is limited in time to no more than 18 months;

2. The total number of shares covered by the authorization is disclosed;

3. The number of shares that would be purchased with call options and/or sold with put options is limited to a maximum of 5 percent of currently outstanding capital (or half of the total amounts allowed by law in Italy and Germany);

4. A financial institution, with experience conducting sophisticated transactions, is indicated as the party responsible for the trading; and

5. The company has a clean track record regarding repurchases.

 

IV. Compensation

 

Executive Compensation-related Proposals

 

Boston Partners will generally vote AGAINST a company’s compensation-related proposal if such proposal fails to comply with one or a combination of several of the global principles and their corresponding rules:

 

1. Provide shareholders with clear and comprehensive compensation disclosures:

a. Information on compensation-related proposals shall be made available to shareholders in a timely manner;

b. The level of disclosure of the proposed compensation policy shall be sufficient for shareholders to make an informed decision and shall be in line with what local market best practice standards dictate;

c. Companies shall adequately disclose all elements of the compensation, including:

I. Any short- or long-term compensation component must include a maximum award limit.

II. Long-term incentive plans must provide sufficient disclosure of (i) the exercise price/strike price (options); (ii) discount on grant; (iii) grant date/period; (iv) exercise/vesting period; and, if applicable, (v) performance criteria.

III. Discretionary payments, if applicable.
1. Maintain appropriate pay structure with emphasis on long-term shareholder value:

a. The structure of the company’s short-term incentive plan shall be appropriate.

 

The compensation policy must notably avoid guaranteed or discretionary compensation.

 

b. The structure of the company’s long-term incentives shall be appropriate, including, but not limited to, dilution, vesting period, and, if applicable, performance conditions.

i. Equity-based plans or awards that are linked to long-term company performance will be evaluated using Boston Partners’ General Policy for equity-based plans; and

ii. For awards granted to executives, generally require a clear link between shareholder value and awards, and stringent performance-based elements.

c. The balance between short- and long-term variable compensation shall be appropriate.

 

The company’s executive compensation policy must notably avoid disproportionate focus on short-term variable element(s).

 

2. Avoid arrangements that risk “pay for failure”:

a. The board shall demonstrate good stewardship of investor’s interests regarding executive compensation practices (principle being supported by Pay for Performance Evaluation).

i. There shall be a clear link between the company’s performance and variable awards.

ii. There shall not be significant discrepancies between the company’s performance and real executive payouts.

iii. The level of pay for the CEO and members of executive management should not be excessive relative to peers, company performance, and market practices.

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iv. Significant pay increases shall be explained by a detailed and compelling disclosure.

b. Severance pay agreements must not be in excess of (i) 24 months’ pay or of (ii) any more restrictive provision pursuant to local legal requirements and/or market best practices.

c. Arrangements with a company executive regarding pensions and post-mandate exercise of equity-based awards must not result in an adverse impact on shareholders’ interests or be misaligned with good market practices.

3. Maintain an independent and effective compensation committee:

a. No executives may serve on the compensation committee.

b. In certain markets the compensation committee shall be composed of a majority of independent members.

 

In addition, Boston Partners will generally vote AGAINST a compensation-related proposal if such proposal is in breach of any other Boston Partners’ voting policy.

 

Non-Executive Director Compensation

 

Though always seeking to avoid inappropriate pay to non-executive directors, Boston Partners will generally vote FOR proposals to award cash fees to non-executive directors, and will otherwise vote AGAINST where:

 

1. Documents (including general meeting documents, annual report) provided prior to the general meeting do not mention fees paid to non-executive directors.

2. Proposed amounts are excessive relative to other companies in the country or industry.

3. The company intends to increase the fees excessively in comparison with market/sector practices, without stating compelling reasons that justify the increase.

4. Proposals provide for the granting of stock options, performance-based places compensation (including stock appreciation rights and performance-vesting restricted stock), and performance-based cash to non-executive directors.

5. Proposals introduce retirement benefits for non-executive directors.

 

Boston Partners will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis where:

 

1. Proposals include both cash and share-based components to non-executive directors.

2. Proposals bundle compensation for both non-executive and executive directors into a single resolution.

 

Equity-based Compensation Guidelines

 

Boston Partners will generally vote FOR equity-based compensation proposals for employees if the plan(s) are in line with long-term shareholder interests and align the award with shareholder value. This assessment includes, but is not limited to, the following factors:

 

The volume of awards transferred to participants must not be excessive: the potential volume of fully diluted issued share capital from equity-based compensation plans must not exceed the following Boston Partners guidelines:

 

1. The shares reserved for all share plans may not exceed 5 percent of a company’s issued share capital, except in the case of high-growth companies or particularly well-designed plans, in which case we allow dilution of between 5 and 10 percent;

2. The plan(s) must be sufficiently long-term in nature/structure: the minimum vesting period must be no less than three years from date of grant;

3. The awards must be granted at market price. Discounts, if any, must be mitigated by performance criteria or other features that justify such discount.

4. If applicable, performance standards must be fully disclosed, quantified, and long-term, with relative performance measures preferred.

 

For France,

 

1. The potential volume from equity-based compensation plans must not exceed 10 percent of fully diluted issued share capital.

2. In addition, for companies that refer to the AFEP-MEDEF Code, all awards (including stock options and warrants) to executives shall be conditional upon challenging performance criteria or premium pricing. For companies referring to the Middlenext Code (or not referring to any code) at least part of the awards to executives shall be conditional upon performance criteria or premium pricing. In both cases, free shares shall remain subject to performance criteria for all beneficiaries.

 

Compensation-Related Voting Sanctions

 

Should a company be deemed to have egregious remuneration practices (as a result of one or a combination of several factors highlighted above) and has not followed market practice by submitting a resolution on executive compensation, vote AGAINST other “appropriate” resolutions as a mark of discontent against such practices.

 

An adverse vote could be applied to any of the following on a case-by case basis:

 

1. The (re)election of members of the remuneration committee;

2. The discharge of directors; or

3. The annual report and accounts.

 

Failure to propose a resolution on executive compensation to shareholders in a market where this is routine practice may, by itself, lead to one of the above adverse vote regardless of the companies’ remuneration practices.

 

Stock Option Plans - Adjustment for Dividend (Nordic Region)

 

Vote AGAINST stock option plans in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden if evidence is found that they contain provisions that may result in a disconnect between shareholder value and employee/executive reward. This includes one or a combination of the following:

 

1. Adjusting the strike price for future ordinary dividends AND including expected dividend yield above 0 percent when determining the number of options awarded under the plan;

2. Having significantly higher expected dividends than actual historical dividends;

3. Favorably adjusting the terms of existing options plans without valid reason; and/or

4. Any other provisions or performance measures that result in undue award.

 

Boston Partners will make an exception if a company proposes to reduce the strike price by the amount of future special (extraordinary) dividends only.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST if the potential increase of share capital amounts to more than 5 percent for mature companies or 10 percent for growth companies or if options may be exercised below the market price of the share at the date of grant, or that employee options do not lapse if employment is terminated.

B-67

 

Share Matching Plans (Sweden and Norway)

 

Boston Partners considers the following factors when evaluating share matching plans:

 

1. For every share matching plan, Boston Partners requires a holding period.

2. For plans without performance criteria, the shares must be purchased at market price.

3. For broad-based share matching plans directed at all employees, Boston Partners accepts an arrangement up to a 1:1 ratio, i.e. no more than one free share is awarded for every share purchased at market value.

4. In addition, for plans directed at executives, we require that sufficiently challenging performance criteria be attached to the plan. Higher discounts demand proportionally higher performance criteria.

 

The dilution of the plan when combined with the dilution from any other proposed or outstanding employee stock purchase/stock matching plans, must comply with Boston Partners guidelines.

 

V. Other Items

 

Antitakeover Mechanisms

 

For the Netherlands, votes regarding management proposals to approve protective preference shares will be determined on a CASE-BY-CASE basis. In general, Boston Partners will vote FOR protective preference shares (PPS) only if:

 

1. The supervisory board needs to approve an issuance of shares and the supervisory board is independent within the meaning Boston Partners’ guidelines and the Dutch Corporate Governance Code (i.e. a maximum of one member can be non-independent);

2. No call / put option agreement exists between the company and a foundation for the issuance of PPS;

3. The issuance authority is for a maximum of 18 months;

4. The board of the company-friendly foundation is fully independent;

5. There are no priority shares or other egregious protective or entrenchment tools;

6. The company states specifically that the issue of PPS is not meant to block a takeover, but will only be used to investigate alternative bids or to negotiate a better deal;

7. The foundation buying the PPS does not have as a statutory goal to block a takeover; and

8. The PPS will be outstanding for a period of maximum 6 months (an EGM must be called to determine the continued use of such shares after this period).

 

For French companies listed on a regulated market, generally vote AGAINST any general authorities impacting the share capital (i.e. authorities for share repurchase plans and any general share issuances with or without preemptive rights, including by capitalization of reserves) if they can be used for antitakeover purposes without shareholders’ prior explicit approval.

 

Authority to Reduce Minimum Notice Period for Calling a Meeting

 

A FOR vote to approve the “enabling” authority proposal would be on the basis that Boston Partners would generally expect companies to call EGMs/GMs using a notice period of less than 21 days only in limited circumstances where a shorter notice period will be to the advantage of shareholders as a whole, for example, to keep a period of uncertainty about the future of the company to a minimum. This is particularly true of capital raising proposals or other price sensitive transactions. By definition, AGMs, being regular meetings of the company, should not merit a notice period of less than 21 days.

 

In a market where local legislation permits an EGM/GM to be called at no less than 14-days’ notice, Boston will generally vote FOR a resolution to approve the enabling authority if the company discloses that the shorter notice period of between 20 and 14 days would not be used as a matter of routine for such meetings, but only when the flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting. Where the proposal(s) at a given EGM/GM is (are) not time-sensitive, such as the approval of incentive plans, Boston Partners would not expect a company to invoke the shorter notice notwithstanding any prior approval of the enabling authority proposal by shareholders.

 

In evaluating an enabling authority proposal, Boston Partners would first require that the company make a clear disclosure of its compliance with any hurdle conditions for the authority imposed by applicable law, such as the provision of an electronic voting facility for shareholders. In addition, with the exception of the first AGM at which approval of the enabling authority is sought following implementation of the European Shareholder Rights Directive, when evaluating an enabling authority proposal Boston Partners will take into consideration the company’s use (if any) of shorter notice periods in the preceding year to ensure that such shorter notice periods were invoked solely in connection with genuinely time-sensitive matters. Where the company has not limited its use of the shorter notice periods to such time sensitive-matters and fails to provide a clear explanation for this, Boston Partners will consider a vote AGAINST the enabling authority for the coming year.

 

Auditor Report Including Related Party Transactions (France)

 

Boston Partners will review all auditor reports on related-party transactions and screen for and evaluate agreements with respect to the following issues:

 

1. Director Remuneration (including Severance Packages and Pension Benefits)

2. Consulting Services

3. Liability Coverage

4. Certain Business Transactions

 

In general, Boston Partners expects companies to provide the following regarding related-party transactions:

 

1. Adequate disclosure of terms under listed transactions (including individual details of any severance, consulting, or other remuneration agreements with directors and for any asset sales and/or acquisitions);

2. Sufficient justification on transactions that appear to be unrelated to operations and/or not in shareholders’ best interests;

3. Fairness opinion (if applicable in special business transactions); and

4. Any other relevant information that may affect or impair shareholder value, rights, and/or judgment.

 

In the event that the company fails to provide an annual report in a timely manner, generally at least 21 days prior to the meeting, Boston Partners will vote AGAINST these proposals.

B-68

 

INDIA

 

I. Board of Directors

 

Executive Appointment

 

Vote FOR executive appointment and remuneration proposals, unless there is evidence of problems in the past or significant concerns with the individual’s qualifications, proposed remuneration, or performance or the position.

 

II. Remuneration

 

Director Commission and Executive Compensation

 

Generally, vote FOR resolutions regarding director fees unless there is a clear indication that directors are being rewarded for poor performance, or the fees are excessive relative to fees paid by other companies of similar size.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST the payment of remuneration in excess of the minimum remuneration and the waiver of recovery of excess remuneration paid to executives in the event of loss or inadequate profit unless compelling justification is provided in support of the proposal.

 

Equity Compensation Plans

 

Generally, vote FOR option plans and restricted share plans.

 

Vote AGAINST an option plan if:

 

1. The maximum dilution level for the plan exceeds:

a. 5 percent of issued share capital for a mature company (this may be increased to 10 percent if the plan includes other positive features such as a challenging performance criteria and meaningful vesting periods as these partially offset dilution concerns by reducing the likelihood that options will become exercisable or performance shares are issued unless there is a clear improvement in shareholder value);

b. 10 percent for a growth company; or

2. The plan permits options to be issued with an exercise price at a discount to the current market price.

 

Vote AGAINST a restricted share plan if:

 

1. The maximum dilution level for the plan exceeds 5 percent of issued share capital for a mature company or 10 percent for a growth company; or

 

2. The plan does not include a challenging performance criteria and meaningful vesting periods to partially offset dilution concerns by reducing the likelihood that performance shares are issued unless there is a clear improvement in shareholder valu

 

III. Share Issuance Requests

 

Preferential Issuance Requests and Preferential Issuance of Warrants

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on requests for preferential issuance (private placements) and issuance of preferential warrants.

 

I. Debt Issuance Requests

 

Debt Related Proposals

 

In evaluating debt-related proposals, consider the following factors:

 

1. Rationale/use of proceeds: Why does the company need additional capital? How will that capital be used?

2. Terms of the debts: Are the debt instruments convertible into equity? What are the interest rate and maturity dates? Any call or put options? Often these terms will not be determined until the time of issuance of debt instruments (or when the actual loan agreement is signed). The terms of the debts would generally be determined by the market conditions, and lack of disclosure concerning these terms should not be a cause for significant concern so long as the debt is not convertible into equity.

3. Size: At a minimum, the size of the debt issuance/potential borrowing should be disclosed.

4. The company’s financial position: What is the company’s current leverage and how does that compare to its peers?

5. The risk of non-approval: What might happen if the proposal is not approved? Are there any alternative sources of funding? Could the company continue to fund its operations? Would it hinder the company’s ability to realize opportunities?

 

A distinction should be made between a specific debt issuance or pledging of assets, and authority to issue or increase debt; as in the case of specific equity issuances and requests for authority to issue equity.

 

Increase in Borrowing Powers

 

Vote FOR proposals to approve increases in a company’s borrowing powers if:

 

1. The size of the debt being requested is disclosed;

2. A credible reason for the need for additional funding is provided;

3. The potential increase in debt is not excessive; and

4. There are no significant causes for shareholder concern regarding the terms and conditions of the debt.

B-69

 

For non-financial companies, the following criteria are used to assess whether the potential increase in debt is considered excessive:

 

1. The proposed maximum amount is more than twice the company’s total debt;

2. It could result in the company’s debt-to-equity ratio, or gearing level, exceeding 300 percent; and

3. The maximum hypothetical debt-to-equity ratio is more than three times the industry and/or market norm.

 

Generally, vote FOR debt-related proposals of financial companies taking into account the current financial standing of the company, including but not limited to:

 

1. The capital adequacy to risk (weighted) assets; or

2. Capital adequacy ratio vis-à-vis the regulatory norm;

3. Revenue growth; and

4. Asset base.

 

Pledging of Assets for Debt

 

Vote FOR proposals to approve the specific pledging of assets for debt if:

 

1. The size of the debt being requested is disclosed;

2. A credible reason for the need for additional funding is provided;

3. Details regarding the assets to be pledged are disclosed; and

4. There are no significant causes for shareholder concern regarding the terms and conditions of the debt.

 

For proposals seeking a general authority to pledge assets for debt, the specific assets to be pledged need not be disclosed. However, in such cases, the authority should be limited such that it would not result in an excessive increase in debt. Vote AGAINST proposals that grant excessive authority to the board or management.

 

Financial Assistance

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on requests for financial assistance. Generally, vote AGAINST the provision of a guarantee where:

 

1. The identity of the entity receiving the guarantee is not disclosed;

2. The guarantee is being provided to a director, executive, parent company, or affiliated entities where the company has no direct or indirect equity ownership; or

3. The guarantee is provided to an entity in which the company’s ownership stake is less than 75 percent; and such guarantee is not proportionate to the company’s equity stake or other parties have not provided a counter guarantee.

 

When the proposed guarantee does not fall into the above criteria, generally vote FOR the request provided that there are no significant concerns regarding the entity receiving the guarantee, the relationship between the listed company and the entity receiving the guarantee, the purpose of the guarantee, or the terms of the guarantee agreement. Examples of such concerns include a previous default by the entity receiving the guarantee or a sub-investment grade credit rating.

 

I. Miscellaneous

 

Acceptance of Deposits

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals to accept deposits from shareholders and/or the public, unless there are no significant causes for shareholder concern regarding the terms and conditions of the deposit. Sufficient information regarding the deposits must be disclosed, including:

 

1. Justification for the need for additional funding; and

2. The interest rate offered, which must not exceed the interest rate prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for acceptance of deposits by non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).

 

Charitable Donations

 

Vote AGAINST proposed charitable donations, unless:

 

1. Adequate disclosure on the rationale for the donation and exact term of the authority are provided in the meeting materials, and

2. The party receiving the charitable donation is an independent third party.

 

Increase in Foreign Shareholding Limit

 

Vote FOR requests for increases in foreign shareholder limits, unless there are outstanding issues concerning the company.

B-70

 

JAPAN

 

I. Routine Miscellaneous

 

Income Allocation

 

Generally, vote FOR approval of income allocation, unless:

 

1. Payout ratio is consistently low without adequate justification; or

2. Payout ratio is too high, potentially damaging financial health.

 

Election of Statutory Auditors

 

Generally, vote FOR the election of statutory auditors, unless:

 

1. The outside statutory auditor nominee is regarded as non-independent; or

2. The outside statutory nominee attended less than 75 percent of meetings of the board of directors or board of statutory auditors during the year under review; or

3. The statutory auditor is judged to be responsible for clear mismanagement or shareholder-unfriendly behavior.

4. Egregious actions related to a statutory auditor’s service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company.

 

II. Election of Directors

 

Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

 

There are three policies for director elections in Japan: one for companies with a statutory auditor board structure, one for companies with a U.S.-type three committee structure, and one for companies with a board with audit committee structure.

 

1. At companies with a statutory auditory structure: vote FOR the election of directors, except:

a) Top executive(s) at a company that has underperformed in terms of capital efficiency (i.e., when the company has posted average return on equity (ROE) of less than five percent over the last five fiscal years), unless an improvement is observed;

b) Top executive(s) if the board, after the shareholder meeting, will not include at least two outside directors;

c) Top executive(s) at a company that has a controlling shareholder, where the board, after the shareholder meeting, will not include at least two independent directors; or

d) Top executive(s) who are responsible for not implementing a shareholder proposal which has received a majority of votes cast, or not putting a similar proposal on the ballot as a management proposal the following year (with a management recommendation of FOR), when that proposal is deemed to be in the interest of independent shareholders.
2. At companies with a U.S.-type three committee structure: (In addition to the guidelines for companies with a statutory auditor structure) vote FOR the election of directors, except:

a) Where an outside director nominee is regarded as non-independent and the board, after the shareholder meeting, is not majority independent; or

b) Where the company has a controlling shareholder, a director nominee sits on the nomination committee and is an insider, or non-independent outsider, when the board, after the shareholder meeting, does not include at least two independent directors.

 

III. Article Amendments

 

Adoption of a U.S.-style Three Committee Board Structure

 

Generally, vote FOR the adoption of a U.S. style, three-committee board structure.

 

Adoption of a Board with Audit Committee Structure

 

Generally, vote FOR an article amendment to adopt a board with audit committee structure. However, if the adoption of the new governance structure would eliminate shareholders’ ability to submit shareholder proposals on income allocation, vote AGAINST the article amendments. Vote CASE-BY-CASE if the board currently has a three-committee structure.

 

Increase in Authorized Capital

 

Generally, vote CASE-BY-CASE on this request if the company explicitly provides reasons for the increase.

 

If the company does not provide reasons for the increase, generally vote FOR proposals to increase authorized capital, unless the increase is intended for a poison pill.

 

Creation/Modification of Preferred Shares/Class Shares

 

Generally, vote CASE-BY-CASE on this request.

 

Repurchase of Shares at Board’s Discretion

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on article amendments to give the board discretionary authority over share repurchases, taking into account the company’s:

 

1. Balance sheet conditions;

2. Capital efficiency and return on equity;

3. Past share buybacks and dividend payouts;

B-71

 

4. Board composition;

5. Shareholding structure; and

6. Other relevant factors.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST these amendments if shareholders will lose the ability to submit shareholder proposals on share repurchases.

 

Allow Company to Make Rules Governing the Exercise of Shareholders’ Rights

 

Generally, vote AGAINST this change.

 

Limit Rights of Odd Shareholders

 

Generally, vote FOR this change.

 

Amendments Related to Takeover Defenses

 

Generally, vote FOR this proposal, unless Boston Partners opposes or has opposed the poison pill proposal by itself.

 

Decrease in Maximum Board Size

 

Generally, vote FOR this proposal, unless the decrease eliminates all vacant seats, leaving no flexibility to add shareholder nominees or other outsiders to the board without removing an incumbent director.

 

Supermajority Vote Requirement to Remove a Director

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals seeking a supermajority requirement to remove a director.

 

Creation of Advisory Positions (Sodanyaku or Komon)

 

Generally, vote AGAINST amendments to articles of incorporation to create new advisory positions such as “sodanyaku” or “komon,” unless the advisors will serve on the board of directors and thus be accountable to shareholders.

 

Payment of Dividends at the Board’s Discretion

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals allowing the board to pay dividends at its discretion. However, if the company employs board with committee structure and the proposal would not eliminate shareholders’ ability to submit shareholder proposals on income allocation, vote FOR the article amendments.

 

Management Buyout Related Amendments

 

Generally, vote CASE-BY-CASE on management related buyout amendments.

 

IV. Compensation

 

Annual Bonuses for Directors/Statutory Auditors

 

Vote FOR approval of annual bonuses, unless recipients include those who are judged to be responsible for clear mismanagement or shareholder-unfriendly behavior.

 

Retirement Bonuses

 

Generally, vote FOR approval of retirement bonuses, unless:

 

1. Recipients include outsiders; or

2. Neither the individual payments nor the aggregate amount of the payments is disclosed; or

3. Recipients include those who are judged to be responsible for clear mismanagement or shareholder-unfriendly behavior.

 

Special Payments in Connection with Abolition of Retirement Bonus System

 

Generally, vote FOR approval of special payments in connection with abolition of retirement bonus system, unless:

 

1. Recipients include outsiders; or

2. Neither the individual payments nor the aggregate amount of the payments is disclosed; or

3. Recipients include those who are judged to be responsible for clear mismanagement or shareholder-unfriendly behavior.

 

Stock Option Plans/Deep-Discounted Stock Option Plans

 

Stock Option Plans

 

Generally, vote FOR approval of stock option plans, unless:

 

1. Total dilution from proposed plan(s) and previous option plans exceeds 5 percent for mature companies, or 10 percent for growth companies; or;

2. Recipients include individuals who are not in a position to affect the company’s stock price, including employees of business partners or unspecified “collaborators;” or

3. The maximum number of options that can be issued per year is not disclosed.

B-72

 

Deep-Discounted Stock Option Plans

 

Generally, vote FOR approval of deep-discounted stock option plans10, unless:

 

1. Total dilution from proposed plan(s) and previous option plans exceeds 5 percent for mature companies, or 10 percent for growth companies; or

2. Recipients include individuals who are not in a position to affect the company’s stock price, including employees of business partners or unspecified “collaborators;” or

3. The maximum number of options that can be issued per year is not disclosed; or

4. No specific performance hurdles are specified (However, if the vesting period before exercise lasts for at least three years, this policy may not apply).

 

Director Compensation Ceiling

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals seeking to increase director fees, if:

 

1. The specific reason(s) for the increase are explained; or

2. The company is introducing or increasing a ceiling for performance-based compensation.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals seeking to increase director fees, taking into account the company’s stock price performance and capital efficiency if:

 

1. The proposals are intended to increase fixed cash compensation or do not specify whether it is fixed or performance-based compensation which will be increased.

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals seeking to increase director fees if there are serious concerns about corporate malfeasance.

 

Statutory Auditor Compensation Ceiling

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals seeking to increase statutory auditor compensation ceiling, unless statutory auditors are judged to be responsible for clear mismanagement or shareholder-unfriendly behavior.

B-73

 

KOREA

 

I. Amendments to the Articles of Incorporation

 

Issuance Limit on New Shares or Convertible Securities

 

The most contentious aspect in this proposal pertains to articles that permit companies to issue new shares, convertible bonds, and/or bonds with warrants without triggering existing shareholders' preemptive rights. Only vote FOR these article amendments if:

 

1. The potential dilution ratio to existing shareholders does not exceed 20 percent; and

2. The proposed issuance limit of new shares is set at no higher than 20 percent of issued shares.

 

Preferred Stock / Non-voting Common Shares

 

Generally, vote FOR the creation of a new class of preferred stock, or the issuance of preferred stock up to 50 percent of the issued capital, unless the terms of the preferred stock would adversely affect the rights of existing shareholders.

 

Establishment of Audit Committee

 

Generally, vote FOR the establishment of an audit committee as a replacement for the internal auditor system.

 

Stock Option Grant

 

Generally, vote FOR a proposed stock option grant, unless:

 

1. The maximum dilution level under the plan exceeds 5 percent of issued capital for a mature company; or

2. The maximum dilution level under the plan exceeds 10 percent for a growth company.

 

Golden Parachute Clause

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals to introduce a provision that entitles the company's directors to an excessive level of remuneration in the event that they are dismissed or terminated.

 

Authorizing Board to Approve Financial Statements and Income Allocation

 

Generally, vote AGAINST proposals to introduce a provision that gives the board of directors the authority to approve financial statements and income allocation (including dividend payout). Insertion of such a clause would potentially take away shareholders' right to approve the company's dividend payment decision without any countervailing benefits.

 

II. Election of Directors

 

Director Elections

 

Independence:

 

Vote AGAINST any non-independent director nominees where the board is less than majority-independent (in the case of large companies) or less than 25 percent independent (in the case of small companies).

 

Composition:

 

For cases where the election of multiple directors are presented as a bundled item, vote AGAINST the entire slate of directors if one of the nominees presents any governance concerns.

 

III. Compensation

 

Remuneration Cap for Directors

 

Generally, vote FOR approval of the remuneration cap for directors, unless:

 

1. The proposed cap on directors' remuneration is excessive relative to peer companies' remuneration without reasonable justification; or

2. The company is asking for an increase in the remuneration cap where the company has not provided a reasonable justification for the proposed increase.

 

Remuneration Cap for Internal Auditors

 

Generally, vote FOR the remuneration cap for internal auditors, unless:

 

1. The proposed remuneration cap for internal auditors is excessive relative to peer companies' remuneration caps without reasonable justification; or

2. The company is asking for an increase in the remuneration cap where the company has not provided a reasonable justification for the proposed increase; or

3. There are serious concerns about the statutory reports presented or audit procedures used.

B-74

 

Stock Option Grants

 

In Korea, the manner in which stock options are granted and exercised is stipulated under the law.

 

Under Korean law, companies are allowed to grant stock options up to 15 percent of the total number of issued shares pursuant to a shareholder meeting resolution. The board is also allowed to grant stock options up to 3 percent of the total issued shares and to seek shareholders' approval retrospectively at the first general meeting after the grant.

 

Generally, vote FOR stock option grant proposals, unless:

 

1. The maximum dilution level under the plan exceeds 5 percent of issued capital for a mature company; or

2. The maximum dilution level under the plan exceeds 10 percent for a growth company.

 

Amendments to Terms of Severance Payments to Executives

 

Generally, vote FOR the establishment of, or amendments, to executives' severance payment terms, unless:

 

1. The company fails to provide any information in regard to the changes to the terms of severance payments to executives;

2. The negative provisions proposed in a resolution outweigh any positive ones; and/or

3. The company proposes to introduce a new clause that is effectively a golden parachute clause.

 

IV. Spinoff Agreement

 

Generally, vote FOR the approval of a spinoff agreement, unless:

 

1. The impact on earnings or voting rights for one class of shareholders is disproportionate to the relative contributions of the group;

2. The company's structure following the spinoff does not reflect good corporate governance;

3. There are concerns over the process of negotiation that may have had an adverse impact on the valuation of the terms of the offer; and/or

4. The company does not provide sufficient information upon request to make an informed voting decision.

5. There is an accompanying reduction in capital.

 

Generally, vote for proposals to reduce capital for routine purposes unless the terms are unfavorable to shareholders.

 

V. Reduction in Capital

 

Reduction in Capital Accompanied by Cash Consideration

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals to reduce a company's capital that accompany return of funds to shareholders and are part of a capital-management strategy and an alternative to a buyback or a special dividend. Such a resolution is normally implemented proportionately AGAINST all outstanding capital, and therefore do not involve any material change relative to shareholder value.

 

Reduction in Capital Not Accompanied by Cash Consideration

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals to reduce capital that do not involve any funds being returned to shareholders. A company may take this action if its net assets are in danger of falling below the aggregate of its liabilities and its stated capital. Such proposals are considered to be routine accounting measures.

 

VI. Merger Agreement, Sales/ Acquisition of Company Assets, and Formation of Holding Company

 

Generally, vote FOR the approval of a sale of company assets, merger agreement, and/or formation of a holding company, unless:

 

1. The impact on earnings or voting rights for one class of shareholders is disproportionate to the relative contributions of the group;

2. The company's structure following such transactions does not reflect good corporate governance;

3. There are concerns over the process of negotiation that may have had an adverse impact on the valuation of the terms of the offer;

4. The company does not provide sufficient information upon request to make an informed voting decision; and/or

5. The proposed buyback price carries a significant premium at the date of writing, conferring on shareholders a trading opportunity.

B-75

 

SINGAPORE

 

I. Remuneration

 

Director Remuneration

 

Generally, vote FOR resolutions regarding directors’ and supervisors’ fees unless they are excessive relative to fees paid by other companies of similar size.

 

Equity Compensation Plans

 

Generally, vote FOR an equity-based compensation plan unless:

 

1. The maximum dilution level for the scheme, together with all outstanding schemes, exceeds 5 percent of issued capital for a mature company and 10 percent for a growth company. In addition, Boston Partners will support a plan’s dilution limit that exceeds these thresholds if the annual grant limit under all plans is 0.5 percent or less for a mature company (1 percent or less for a mature company with clearly disclosed performance criteria) and 1 percent or less for a growth company.

2. The plan permits options to be issued with an exercise price at a discount to the current market price; or

3. Directors eligible to receive options or awards under the scheme are involved in the administration of the scheme and the administrator has the discretion over their awards.

 

II. Share Issuance Requests

 

Issuance Requests

 

For companies listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange, generally vote FOR a general issuance of equity or equity-linked securities without preemptive rights when the share issuance limit is not more than 10 percent of the company's issued share capital and 50 percent with preemptive rights.

 

For companies listed on the Catalist market of the SGX, generally vote FOR a general issuance of equity or equity-linked securities without preemptive rights when the share issuance limit is not more than 20 percent of the company's issued share capital and 100 percent with preemptive rights.

 

General Issuance Requests - Real Estate Investment Trusts

 

Generally, vote FOR a general issuance of equity or equity-linked securities without preemptive rights when the share issuance limit is not more than 10 percent of the company's issued share capital and 50 percent with preemptive rights for all Singapore companies, with the exception of Catalist-listed companies and Real Estate Investment Trusts.

 

For Singapore companies listed on the Catalist market of the SGX, generally vote FOR a general issuance of equity or equity-linked securities without preemptive rights when the share issuance limit is not more than 20 percent of the company's issued share capital and 100 percent with preemptive rights. For Real Estate Investment Trusts, generally vote FOR a general issuance of equity or equity-linked securities without preemptive rights when the unit issuance limit is not more than 20 percent of its issued unit capital and 50 percent with preemptive rights.

 

Specific Issuance Requests

 

For issuance requests relating equity compensation plans, apply the policy on equity compensation plans. For other issuance requests, vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

Share Repurchase Plans

 

Generally, vote FOR resolutions authorizing the company to repurchase its own shares, unless the premium over the average trading price of the shares as implied by the maximum price paid exceeds 5 percent for on-market and/or off-market repurchases.

 

III. Articles and By-law Amendments

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposed amendments to the Articles and By-Laws based on the details of the proposed amendments provided by the company.

 

In the absence of adequate information that would specify the details of proposed amendments, generally vote AGAINST:

 

1. The proposed amendments;

2. The adoption of new Articles of Association; or

3. The replacement of the current constitutional document.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the adoption of new constitutional document with no previous reference.

 

IV. Related Party Transactions

 

Generally, vote FOR mandate for recurrent interested-party transactions if such transactions are carried out at arms-length and on normal commercial terms.

B-76

 

SOUTH AFRICA

 

I. Operational Items

 

Authority to Ratify and Execute Approved Resolutions

 

Vote FOR the authority to ratify and execute approved resolutions, unless opposing all other items on the agenda.

 

II. Board of Directors

 

Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

 

Generally, vote FOR the election/ reelection of directors unless the director is a non-independent NED:

 

1. Serving on the audit committee (unless there is a separate AGM proposal specifically covering his/her election as an audit committee member);

2. Serving on the remuneration or nomination committee and there is no majority of independent NEDs on the committee. However, such a consideration should take into account the potential implications for the board's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) credentials; or

3. The majority of NEDs on the board are not independent. However, such a consideration should take into account the potential implications for the board's BEE credentials.

 

Accountability:

 

Do not support bundled elections.

 

Alternative Directors: Proposals to re-elect alternate directors will take into account the vote that applies for the director for whom they serve as an alternate. In addition, the specific nature of the alternate role will be considered, for example whether or not the individual serves as a genuine alternate (i.e. only attending board and committee meetings in the absence of a particular director) or appears to have a broader board position.

 

Social and Ethics Committee Elections

 

Vote FOR the reelection of the social and ethics committee and/or social and ethics committee members, unless:

 

1. The committee does not satisfy the minimum guidelines for membership, as set out in South African company law; or

2. Serious concerns have been raised with the work of the committee during the year.

 

III. Capital Structure

 

Share Issuance Authorities

 

Vote FOR a general authority to place authorized but unissued ordinary shares under the control of the directors, unless:

 

1. The authority is over a number of shares equivalent to more than 10 percent of the current issued share capital;

2. The authority would allow shares to be used for share incentive scheme purposes and the underlying scheme(s) raises concern; or

3. The company used the authority during the previous year in a manner deemed not be in shareholders' best interests.

 

Vote FOR a general authority to issue ordinary shares for cash, unless:

 

1. The authority is over a number of shares equivalent to more than 10 percent of the current issued share capital; or

2. The company used the authority during the previous year in a manner deemed not to be in shareholders' interests.

 

Vote FOR a general authority to issue preference shares, unless:

 

1. Following the issue, preference shares would comprise greater than 50 percent of the company's issued share capital; or

2. The terms of the preference shares would adversely affect the rights of existing shareholders.

3. The issue of shares pursuant to a specific transaction will be considered on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, depending on the merits of the underlying deal.

 

Share Buyback Authorities

 

Vote FOR a general share buyback authority, unless:

 

1. The company wishes to repurchase more than 20 percent of its issued share capital over the year;

2. The repurchase can be used for takeover defenses; or

3. There is clear evidence of abuse.

 

IV. Remuneration

 

Approval of Remuneration Policy

 

When assessing a company's remuneration policy, Boston Partners will generally vote AGAINST if the level of disclosure around the policy is below what is required for shareholders to make an informed judgment. In the event of satisfactory disclosure, Boston Partners will vote FOR the approval of the executive remuneration policy on a CASE-BY-CASE approach, paying particular attention as to whether:

B-77

 

1. The company operates long-term incentive schemes (including matching shares) which do not have performance conditions attached for all or a substantial proportion of awards;

2. The vesting period for long-term incentive schemes is set at less than three years;

3. Long-term schemes include an element of retesting;

4. The policy provides for grants of share options at a discount to market value;

5. The potential maximum dilution under all share incentive schemes exceeds 5 percent of the issued share capital of a large, widely held company, or 10 percent in the case of an emerging high-growth company, and there are no mitigating circumstances (e.g. stringent performance measures);

6. The quality of disclosure around the severance provisions of the executive directors' service contracts, including any potential termination payments, is considered inadequate;

7. The policy is in any way not considered aligned with shareholder interests.

 

In circumstances where a company has demonstrated a significant shift towards good practice, it may be appropriate for Boston Partners to support remuneration policy resolution, notwithstanding the presence of some historical issues of concern.

 

Approval of Implementation Report

 

When assessing the implementation report, Boston Partners will generally vote AGAINST if the level of disclosure regarding the application of the policy is below what is required for shareholders to make an informed judgment. In the event of satisfactory disclosure, Boston Partners will vote FOR the approval of the implementation report on a CASE-BY-CASE approach, paying particular attention as to whether:

 

1. Large increases in fixed remuneration have been implemented which have not been adequately explained;

2. The company has made bonus payments, but these have not been clearly linked to performance (including guaranteed bonuses or transaction bonuses);

3. The company has made ex-gratia payments or one-off special awards to executives during the year which have not been adequately explained;

4. The performance conditions for long-term incentive schemes, where applicable, are not disclosed, or are not considered sufficiently challenging or relevant;

5. Significant termination-related or restraint of trade payments have been made to executive directors, and the reasons for these are not disclosed or, where they are disclosed, do not adequately justify the size of the payment;

6. Discretion has been used during the year in a manner not considered consistent with shareholder interests, or the application of the policy is in any way not considered aligned with shareholder interests, with particular attention given to any payments or decisions which have been made outside of the policy framework previously communicated to shareholders.

 

In circumstances where a company has demonstrated a significant shift towards good practice, it may be appropriate for Boston Partners to support for the implementation report resolution, notwithstanding the presence of some historical issues of concern.

 

In cases where a serious breach of good practice is identified, and typically where issues have been raised over a number of years, the chair of the remuneration committee (or, where relevant, other members of the remuneration committee) may receive a negative vote.

 

New Equity Incentive Scheme or Amendment to Existing Scheme

 

Boston Partners evaluates management proposals seeking approval for a share incentive scheme on a CASE-BY-CASE basis. When judging such items, Boston Partners will generally vote AGAINST if the level of disclosure on the proposal is below what is required for shareholders to make an informed judgment on the scheme. In the event of satisfactory disclosure, Boston Partners will vote FOR the proposal unless one or more of the following apply:

 

1. Performance conditions do not apply, have not been disclosed or are not considered sufficiently challenging or relevant.

2. Performance conditions can be retested.

3. Performance is measured over a period shorter than three years.

4. The plan allows for option repricing or issue of options at a discount or backdating of options.

5. The potential maximum dilution under all share incentive schemes exceeds 5 percent of the issued share capital of a large, widely held company, or 10 percent in the case of an emerging high-growth company, and there are no mitigating circumstances (e.g. stringent performance measures).

6. The scheme provides for potentially excessive individual reward or has no caps on individual participation.

7. NEDs can participate in the scheme.

8. The scheme is in any way not considered aligned with shareholder interests.

 

Proposals to amend a scheme will involve an assessment of the nature of the amendment.

 

Financial Assistance

 

Vote FOR a general authority to provide financial assistance, unless:

 

1. As part of the authority, the company requests a general authority to provide financial assistance to directors, and this is not limited to participation in incentive schemes;

2. The authority would facilitate the operation of an incentive scheme(s) which raises governance concerns, with particular attention given to any schemes which authorize the provision of preferential loans to directors; or

3. As part of the authority, the company seeks approval to provide financial assistance "to any person".

 

Evidence that the company has used a previous authority in a manner deemed not to be in shareholders' interests would warrant further review and analysis.

 

V. Other Items

 

New Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI)/ Amendments to the MOI

 

Vote on a new MOI or on amendments to the MOI on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, depending on the impact on shareholder rights.

 

Boston Partners will normally vote AGAINST a MOI which limits retirement by rotation to non-executive directors only.

B-78

 

Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Transactions

 

Vote on BEE transactions on a CASE-BY-CASE basis. Factors considered include the overall dilutive impact, the structure of the transaction and the identity of the company's chosen BEE partners. Proposals which are genuinely broad-based are more appealing than those which stand to benefit a narrow group of investors, as are those which have a long-term timeframe.

 

Social and Ethics Committee Report

 

Vote FOR the report of the social and ethics committee, unless:

 

1. The report does not include details of how the committee has undertaken the functions prescribed to it by South African company law; or

2. Serious concerns have been raised with the work of the committee during the year.

B-79

 

TAIWAN

 

I. Allocation of Income and Dividends

 

Allocation of Income and Dividends

 

Generally, vote FOR approval of the allocation of income and dividends.

 

When distributing earnings and dividends, companies usually provide shareholders one or a combination of the following:

 

1. Cash dividends from earnings;

2. Cash dividends from capital reserves;

3. New shares from capital reserves;

4. Stock dividends.

 

When losses are posted for the year, companies are required to submit the loss offsetting proposals, usually included in the statement of profit and loss appropriation, for shareholder approval, along with the business operations reports and financial statements.

 

Cash Dividends or New Shares from Capital and Legal Reserves

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals to distribute dividends or new shares from capital and legal reserves.

 

Stock Dividends

 

Resolution Type: Special

 

Generally, vote FOR proposals to distribute stock dividends.

 

II. Capital Reduction

 

Generally, vote FOR the capital reduction to offset losses or to distribute cash to shareholders unless:

 

1. The proposed capital reduction is not conducted on a proportionate basis according to the shareholding structure of the company but instead favors certain shareholders; or

2. The proposed cash distribution is expected to negatively affect the company's day-to-day operations.

 

III. Capital Raising

 

Generally, vote FOR general authority to issue shares if:

 

1. A general share issuance mandate that includes a private placement as one of the financing channels if the resulting dilution is limited to no more than 10 percent.

2. A general mandate for public share issuance if the issue size is limited to no more than 20 percent of the existing issued share capital.

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on requests to issue shares for a specific purpose such as the financing of a particular project, an acquisition, or a merger.

 

IV. Compensation

 

Equity Based Compensation

 

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on employee restricted stocks and/or employee stock warrant plans. Vote AGAINST the employee restricted stocks plan and/or employee stock warrants plan if one or two of the following features are not met:

 

1. Existing substantial shareholders are restricted in participation;

2. Presence of challenging performance hurdles if awards are issued or exercised for free or at a deep discount; or

3. Reasonable vesting period (at least two years) is set.

 

V. Release of Restrictions on Directors Competitive Activities

 

Vote AGAINST release of restrictions on competitive activities of directors if:

 

1. There is lack of disclosure on the key information including identities of the directors in question, current positions in the company, and outside boards they are serving on; or

2. The non-nomination system is employed by the company for the director election.

B-80

 

UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND

 

I. Operational Items

 

Accept Financial Statements and Statutory Reports

 

The overall quality of disclosure will be considered, and the weakest examples, such as where the meeting documents are not released in time for investors to review these ahead of the meeting, are likely to attract a negative vote. For smaller companies, other minimum disclosure requirements include:

 

The identity of all the directors, their board roles, committee memberships and independence classification;

1. List of major shareholders;

2. Attendance at board and committee meetings; and

3. Details of compliance against a "recognized corporate governance code" (as required by the AIM Rules).

 

In addition, where no appropriate resolution to target an investor's specific concern is on the ballot, Boston Partners may vote AGAINST this resolution. Specific concerns include:

1. Absence of sufficient independent representation on the board and the key committees (if the relevant director is not standing for election/re-election)

2. Absence of regular re-election for all directors (once every three years at a minimum); and

3. Remuneration not aligned with expected market practice (if there is no remuneration report or remuneration policy resolution on the agenda).

 

Concerns raised in the first year may not lead to a negative vote this is more likely in the event of repeated concerns identified over a number of years.

 

II. Director Elections

 

Board Independence

 

For smaller companies, a non-executive director is likely to be considered as non-independent if he or she has a substantial personal shareholding of greater than 3 per cent.

 

For investment companies, a non-executive director is likely to be considered as non-independent if he or she has a substantial shareholding of greater than 1 per cent providing the investment trust is listed in the FTSE All-Share index.

 

Also, the non-executive director of either a venture capital trust or an investment trust is likely to be considered as non-independent if he or she holds a directorship in one or more investment companies or venture capital trusts managed by the same manager, or they have a relationship with the investment manager.

 

At investment trusts, tenure is not taken into account when assessing independence. However, ossified boards are an issue of concern. As a result, if more than half the board has served in excess of nine years, a negative vote would over time be applied to the chairman's re-election.

 

III. Compensation

 

Remuneration Policy

 

Vote the resolution to approve the remuneration policy on a CASE-BY-CASE approach, paying particular attention as to whether:

 

1. The overall remuneration policy or specific scheme structures are not over-complex, have an appropriate long-term focus and have been sufficiently justified in light of the company's specific circumstances and strategic objectives;

2. The company's approach to fixed remuneration is appropriate;

3. The award levels for the different components of variable pay are capped, and the quantum is reasonable when compared to peers, and any increase in the level of certainty of reward is accompanied by a material reduction in the size of awards;

4. Increases to the maximum award levels for the LTIP and bonus have been adequately explained;

5. Performance conditions for all elements of variable pay are clearly aligned with the company's strategic objectives, with vesting levels and holding periods that are in line with UK good practice;

6. Change of control, good leaver and malus/clawback provisions are in line with standard practice in the UK market;

7. The shareholding requirement for executive directors is a minimum of 200 percent of base salary;

8. Service contracts contain notice periods of no more than twelve months' duration and potential termination payments are linked to fixed pay with no contractual entitlements to unearned bonus on termination;

9. Non-executive directors do not receive any performance-related remuneration beyond their standard fees;

10. The treatment of new joiners is appropriate, with particular attention paid to the use of buy-out awards, and that the potential for any additional awards is capped;

11. The remuneration committee seeks to reserve a degree of discretion in line with standard UK practice; and

12. There are no issues in the policy which would be of concern to shareholders.

 

Where a policy contains multiple areas of non-compliance with good practice, the vote will reflect the severity of the issues identified. A small number of minor breaches may still result in an overall “For” vote, whereas a single, serious deviation may be sufficient to justify an AGAINST vote.

B-81

 

The binding vote on the remuneration policy is forward-looking and in most cases will apply for three years. Therefore, many shareholders will want to ensure that the policy takes into account good market practice in a number of key areas including:

 

1. The start and end date of the policy;

2. Base salaries;

3. Benefits and pensions;

4. Annual bonus;

5. Long-term incentive plans (LTIP);

6. Claw back provisions;

7. Good leavers;

8. Change in control;

9. Shareholding requirement;

10. Executive directors’ service contracts, including exit payments;

11. Arrangements for new joiners;

12. Discretion;

13. Non-executive director pay; and

14. All-employee schemes.

 

For smaller companies, a negative vote would be considered if any of the following applied:

 

1. Executive directors are not employed under formal service contracts, or their service contracts, in the event of termination, provide for more than 12 months' notice;

2. Vesting of incentive awards is not conditional on the achievement of performance hurdles;

3. Re-testing is allowed throughout the performance period; or

4. There are any other serious issues with the policy when measured against good market practice.

 

Remuneration Report

 

Vote the resolution to approve the remuneration report on a CASE-BY-CASE approach, paying particular attention as to whether:

 

1. Any increases, either to fixed or variable remuneration, for the year under review or the upcoming year were well-explained and not excessive;

2. The bonus received and/or the proportion of the LTIP which vested was a fair reflection of the performance achieved;

3. Performance targets are measured over an appropriate period and are sufficiently stretching;

4. Targets for the bonus or the LTIP are disclosed in an appropriate level of detail;

5. Any exit payments to good leavers were reasonable, with appropriate pro-rating (if any) applied to outstanding long-term share awards;

6. Any special arrangements for new joiners were in line with good market practice;

7. The remuneration committee exercised discretion appropriately; and

8. There are no issues in the report which would be of concern to shareholders.

 

Where the report contains multiple areas of non-compliance with good practice, the vote will reflect the severity of the issues identified. A small number of minor breaches may still result in an overall “For” vote, whereas a single, serious deviation may be sufficient to justify an AGAINST vote.

 

For small companies, when assessing remuneration report resolutions, a negative vote would be considered if any of the following applied:

 

1. Disclosure of pay practices is poor. This would include if the individual emoluments paid to each director are not disclosed, or if the performance metrics which applied to LTIP awards made during the year under review are not disclosed;

2. NEDs have received performance-related pay during the year under review;

3. Options have been re-priced during the period under review;

4. Re-testing is allowed throughout the performance period;

5. Share awards granted to executive directors during the year under review feature a performance period of less than three years; or

6. There are any other serious issues with the report when measured against good market practice.

 

The award of options to NEDs is not in line with best practice as it can cause a potential conflict of interest that may affect an NED's independent judgment. Therefore, NEDs should be remunerated with basic fees only, in the form of cash and/or shares.

 

Approval of a New or Amended LTIP

 

Vote the resolution to approve a new or amended LTIP on a CASE-BY-CASE approach, paying particular attention as to whether:

 

1. The LTIP is aligned with the company's strategy, is not over-complex and fosters an appropriately long-term mindset;

2. The proposed award levels are appropriate, and, in the case of an amended plan, any increases to the previous award levels are well-explained;

3. Any increase in the level of certainty of reward is matched by a material reduction in the size of awards;

4. The maximum payout is capped;

5. The vesting levels for threshold and on target performance are in line with market norms, with threshold vesting generally no higher than 25 percent. However, as much as 25 percent may be considered inappropriate if LTIP grants represent large multiples of salary.

6. The LTIP is in line with the current remuneration policy;

7. Change of control, good leaver, and malus/clawback provisions are present and the terms are in line with standard practice in the UK market;

8. The remuneration committee seeks to reserve a degree of discretion in line with standard UK practice;

9. The scheme is operating within dilution limits that are aligned to the relevant UK market standards. Namely, no more than 10 percent of the issued share capital should be issued under all incentive schemes in any rolling 10-year period, and no more than 5 percent of the issued share capital should be issued under executive (discretionary) schemes in any rolling 10-year period, in line with the guidelines established by the Investment Association; and

10. There are no issues with the plan which would be of concern to shareholders.

B-82

 

Where the plan contains multiple areas of non-compliance with good practice, the vote will reflect the severity of the issues identified. A small number of minor breaches may still result in an overall FOR vote, whereas a single, serious deviation may be sufficient to justify an AGAINST vote.

 

IV. Capital Structure

 

Authorize Issue of Equity with and without Pre-emptive Rights

 

Generally, vote FOR a resolution to authorize the issuance of equity, unless:

 

1. The general issuance authority exceeds one-third (33 percent) of the issued share capital. Assuming it is no more than one-third, a further one-third of the issued share capital may also be applied to a fully pre-emptive rights issue taking the acceptable aggregate authority to two-thirds (66 percent); or

2. For small companies, the routine authority to disapply preemption rights exceeds 10 percent of the issued share capital in any one year. For larger companies, the routine authority to disapply preemption rights exceeds 10 percent of the issued share capital, provided that any amount above 5 percent is to be used for the purposes of an acquisition or a specified capital investment. For investment companies, the routine authority to disapply preemption rights exceeds 5 percent of the issued share capital in any one year, or 10 percent if there is a commitment that any issuance will be at or above net asset value.

 

Authorize Market Purchase of Ordinary Shares

 

Generally, vote FOR the resolution to authorize the market purchase of ordinary shares, unless:

 

1. The authority requested exceeds the levels permitted under the Listing Rules; or

2. The company seeks an authority covering a period longer than 18 months.

 

Boston Partners will generally support this resolution if it is in line with the Listing Rules LR 12.4.1 which allows companies to buy back up to 15 percent of their shares in any given year, provided that the maximum price paid is not more than 5 percent above the average trading price.

 

Under the Companies Act 2006, the share buyback authority cannot be for a period longer than five years. Boston Partners recommends that the renewal of such authorities be requested annually, and that the duration be no longer than 18 months or until the next AGM, if sooner. However, Boston Partners will support a five-year authority if, in practice, the company has a history of reverting to shareholders annually.

 

V. Other Items

 

Donations and Expenditure

 

Generally, vote FOR the resolution to authorize EU political donations and expenditure, unless:

 

1. The company made explicit donations to political parties or election candidates during the year under review;

2. The duration of the authority sought exceeds one year and the company has not clarified that separate authorization will be sought at the following AGM should the authority be used; or

3. No cap is set on the level of donations.

 

Continuation of Investment Trust

 

For investment companies, Boston partners will vote FOR when the board has tabled the resolution to comply with the requirement in the trust's articles of association that this vote be put to shareholders at regular intervals, and there are no issues of concern.

 

If the board has called a special meeting, due to the shares trading at a discount to net asset value over a prolonged period, Boston Partners will consider the issues on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

END

 

B-83 

 

MATSON MONEY, INC.

FAMILY OF FUNDS

 

of

 

The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

Institutional Class

Free Market U.S. Equity Fund: FMUEX

Free Market International Equity Fund: FMNEX

Free Market Fixed Income Fund: FMFIX

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

February 28, 2020

 

Investment Adviser:

 

Matson Money, Inc.

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides additional information about the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). The Funds are series of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). This information is in addition to the information contained in the Funds’ prospectus dated February 28, 2020 (the “Prospectus”). This SAI is not a prospectus. Copies of the Prospectus and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports may be obtained free of charge by calling toll-free (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863. The financial statements and notes contained in the Annual Report are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other part of the Annual Report is incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

GENERAL INFORMATION 1
NON- PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES OF THE FUNDS 1
FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 2
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES OF UNDERLYING INVESTMENT COMPANIES AND RELATED RISKS 2
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 14
MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY 15
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 20
CODE OF ETHICS 21
PROXY VOTING POLICIES 21
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 21
DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS 25
FUND TRANSACTIONS 25
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION 25
TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES 26
VALUATION OF SHARES 26
TAXES 26
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES 27
MISCELLANEOUS 28
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 28
APPENDIX A A-1
APPENDIX B B-1

 

i 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Company is an open-end management investment company currently consisting of 34 separate investment portfolios. The Company is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) and was organized as a Maryland corporation on February 29, 1988. This SAI pertains to Institutional Class shares representing interests in three diversified Funds, which are offered by the Prospectus. Matson Money, Inc. (“Matson Money” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Funds.

 

NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES OF THE FUNDS

 

Bank Obligations. Each Fund may invest in obligations of U.S. banks (including certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances) and U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of U.S. subsidiaries and branches of foreign banks having total assets at the time of purchase in excess of $1 billion. Such banks must be members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

 

The activities of banks are subject to extensive regulations which may limit both the amount and types of loans that may be made and the interest rates that may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry is largely dependent upon the availability and costs of funds for the purpose of financing lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions as well as exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties play an important part in the operation of this industry.

 

Commercial Paper. Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by bank holding companies, corporations, and finance companies. The commercial paper purchased by the Funds consists of direct obligations of issuers which, at the time of investment, are (i) rated “P-1” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“Standard & Poor’s”), or (ii) if not rated, issued by a corporation having an outstanding unsecured debt issue rated Aaa by Moody’s or AAA by Standard & Poor’s. In the event that a security held by a Fund is placed on a credit watch or is downgraded by a rating agency, the value of such security may decline and the Fund invested in such security may consequently experience losses in respect of such security. See Appendix A for a description of Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s rating categories.

 

Temporary Defensive Positions. Although the Funds invest primarily in shares of other registered investment companies, for temporary defensive purposes, the Funds may hold cash or invest in a variety of money market instruments, including U.S. government securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and bankers’ acceptances. When a Fund invests for temporary defensive purposes, it may do so without any percentage limitations. A Fund may not achieve its investment objective during periods when it has taken such a temporary defensive position.

 

U.S. Government Securities. Each Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities (“U.S. government”) that have remaining maturities not exceeding one year. Agencies and instrumentalities that issue or guarantee debt securities and that have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government include the Export-Import Bank, the Federal Farm Credit System, the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Federal Land Banks, and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”).

 

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FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

The Funds have adopted the following fundamental investment limitations which may not be changed with respect to a Fund without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund outstanding shares (as defined in Section 2(a)(42) of the 1940 Act). As used in this SAI and in the Prospectus, “shareholder approval” and a “majority of the outstanding shares” of a Fund means, with respect to the approval of an investment advisory agreement or a change in a fundamental investment limitation, the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Each Fund’s investment goals and strategies described in the Prospectus may be changed by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders. Each Fund may not:

 

1. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements and the Free Market Fixed Income Fund may enter into dollar rolls (including mortgage dollar rolls), for temporary purposes in amounts up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing and provided that, for any borrowing with respect to the Fund, there is at least 300% asset coverage for borrowings of the Fund. A Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with a Fund’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation.

 

2. Issue any senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

 

3. Act as underwriter of securities within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), except insofar as the Fund might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities.

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts.

 

5. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that to the extent consistent with its investment policies and restrictions, the Fund may deal in forward foreign exchanges between currencies of the different countries in which it may invest and purchase and sell stock index and currency options, stock index futures, financial futures and currency futures contracts and related options on such futures.

 

6. Make loans, except through loan portfolio instruments and repurchase agreements, provided that, for purposes of this restriction, the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan.

 

7. Purchase any security if, as a result of such purchase, more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers concentrated in a particular industry except that this limitation does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities.

 

8. Purchase the securities of any one issuer, other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, if immediately after and as a result of such purchase, more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that up to 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations.

 

With respect to Investment Limitation No. 1, in the event that asset coverage is below 300%, the Fund will be required to reduce the amount of its borrowing to obtain 300% asset coverage within three business days.

 

For purposes of Investment Limitation No. 2, the SEC has concluded that even though reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements, and standby commitment agreements fall within the meaning of the term “evidence indebtedness,” the issue of compliance with Section 18 of the 1940 Act will not be raised with the SEC by the Division of Investment Management if a Fund covers such securities by earmarking and maintaining certain assets on the books and records of the Fund’s custodian.

 

Similarly, so long as such earmarked assets are maintained, the issue of compliance with Section 18 will not be raised with respect to any of the following: any swap contract; any borrowings or pledge or encumbrance of assets permitted by Investment Limitation No. 1; any collateral arrangements with respect to the writing of options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and foreign currency contracts and collateral arrangements with respect to short sales and initial and variation margin; and purchases and sales of futures or related options

 

The Funds have adopted the following non-fundamental investment limitation, which may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval:

 

1. No Fund will invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

 

Securities held by the Funds generally may not be purchased from, sold or loaned to the Adviser or its affiliates or any of their directors, officers or employees, acting as principal, unless pursuant to a rule or exemptive order under the 1940 Act.

 

If a percentage restriction under one of the Fund’s investment policies or limitations is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation (except with respect to any restrictions that may apply to borrowings or senior securities by the Fund.) In the event that investments in illiquid instruments exceed 15% of a Fund’s net assets, the Fund must take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid instruments back within the prescribed limitations as soon as reasonably practicable. This requirement would not force the Fund to liquidate any instrument where the Fund would suffer a loss on the sale of that instrument.

 

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES OF UNDERLYING INVESTMENT COMPANIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

The underlying investment companies in which the Funds invest have their own investment objectives, policies, practices, and techniques, any one or all of which may subject their assets to varying degrees of risk. In addition, as a shareholder of another investment company, each Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of that company’s expenses, including advisory and administrative fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations. Therefore, it may be more costly for a Fund to own shares of another investment company than to own directly the underlying securities owned by such company. Investment companies in which the Funds may invest also may impose a sales or distribution charge in connection with the purchase or redemption of their shares and other types of commissions or charges. Such charges will be payable by the Funds and, therefore, will be borne by shareholders. The underlying investment companies in which each Fund invests may purchase securities of affiliated and unaffiliated unregistered money market funds.

 

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Set forth below is additional information with respect to the types of securities and instrument techniques of the underlying investment companies and the risks involved in certain of these practices and techniques.

 

Asset-Backed Securities. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in asset-backed securities, which represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets such as motor vehicle installment sale contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements and other categories of receivables. Asset-backed securities may also be collateralized by a portfolio of U.S. government securities, but are not direct obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Such asset pools are securitized through the use of privately-formed trusts or special purpose corporations. Payments or distributions of principal and interest on asset-backed securities may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation, or other credit enhancements may be present; however privately issued obligations collateralized by a portfolio of privately issued asset-backed securities do not involve any government-related guarantee or insurance. In addition, asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral that is comparable to mortgage assets. See “Mortgage-Backed Securities.”

 

Convertible Securities and Preferred Stocks. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in convertible securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible debt securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporation’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. While no securities investment is completely without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than the corporation’s common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally: (1) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities; (2) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying stock since they have fixed income characteristics; and (3) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.

 

The value of a convertible security is a function of its “investment value” (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its “conversion value” (the security’s worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock). The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. Generally the conversion value decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed income security.

 

A convertible security might be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption, that Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party.

 

Preferred stocks are securities that represent an ownership interest in a company and provide their owner with claims on the company’s earnings and assets prior to the claims of owners of common stocks but after those of bond owners. Preferred stocks in which the Funds may invest include sinking fund, convertible, perpetual fixed and adjustable rate (including auction rate) preferred stocks. There is no minimum credit rating applicable to a Fund’s investment in preferred stocks and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock.

 

Corporate Obligations. The Free Market Fixed Income Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, (i) rated Aa3 or better by Moody’s, or AA- or better by Standard &Poor’s, or AA- or better by Fitch, or (ii) if there is no rating for the debt security, determined by the investment adviser(s) to the underlying investment companies to be of comparable quality to equivalent issues of the same issuer rated at least AA- or Aa3. See Appendix“A”to this SAI for a description of corporate debt ratings. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value.

 

Cyber Security Risk. The Funds, the underlying investment companies, and their service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund, or underlying investment companies, to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Funds, the Adviser, the underlying investment companies, or their investment advisers, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Funds. For instance, cyber security breaches may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund’s, or an underlying investment company’s, ability to calculate its net asset value (“NAV”), cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Funds or the underlying investment companies to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Funds and the underlying investment companies may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which a Fund or an underlying investment company may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause a Fund’s or an underlying investment company's investment in such companies to lose value. While the Funds and their service providers have established IT and data security programs and have in place business continuity plans and other systems designed to prevent losses and mitigate cyber security risk, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that cyber-attacks may be highly sophisticated.

 

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Depository Arrangements. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”). ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying foreign securities. ADRs are denominated in U.S. dollars. They are publicly traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States.

 

The underlying investment companies may invest in both sponsored and unsponsored ADR programs. There are certain risks associated with investments in unsponsored ADR programs. Because the non-U.S. securities issuer does not actively participate in the creation of the ADR program, the underlying agreement for service and payment will be between the depository and the shareholder. The company issuing the stock underlying the ADR pays nothing to establish the unsponsored facility because fees for ADR issuance and cancellation are paid by brokers. Investors directly bear the expenses associated with certificate transfer, custody and dividend payment.

 

In an unsponsored ADR program, there also may be several depositories with no defined legal obligations to the non-U.S. company. The duplicate depositories may lead to marketplace confusion because there would be no central source of information for buyers, sellers and intermediaries. The efficiency of centralization gained in a sponsored program can greatly reduce the delays in delivery of dividends and annual reports.

 

The underlying investment companies may also invest in Holding Company Depository Receipts (“HOLDRS”). HOLDRS represent trust-issued receipts that represent individual and undivided beneficial ownership interests in the common stock or ADRs of specific companies in a particular industry, sector or group.

 

The underlying investment companies of the Free Market International Equity Fund may also invest in European Depository Receipts (“EDRs”), International Depository Receipts (“IDRs”) and Global Depository Receipts (“GDRs”). These are receipts issued by a non-U.S. financial institution evidencing ownership of underlying foreign or U.S. securities and are usually denominated in foreign currencies. They may not be denominated in the same currency as the securities they represent. Generally, EDRs, GDRs and IDRs are designed for use in the foreign securities markets. Investments in EDRs, GDRs and IDRs involve certain risks not typically involved in purely domestic investments, including currency exchange risk. These risks are set forth under “Foreign Securities” in this SAI.

 

Dollar Rolls. To the extent consistent with its investment policies and limitations, the Free Market Fixed Income Fund’s underlying investment companies may enter into dollar rolls in which the investment companies sell fixed income securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contract to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) securities on a specified future date.

 

During the roll period, an investment company would forgo principal and interest paid on such securities. However, the investment company would be compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase, as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The return on dollar rolls may be negatively impacted by fluctuations in interest rates. For additional information on dollar roll transactions, see the section entitled “Mortgage Dollar Roll Transactions” in this SAI.

 

Equity Markets. The underlying investment companies of the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund and Free Market International Equity Fund invest primarily in equity markets at all times. Equity markets can be highly volatile, so that investing in the underlying investment companies involves substantial risk. As a result, investing in the underlying investment companies involves the risk of loss of capital.

 

European Currency Unification. On January 1, 1999, the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) introduced a new single currency called the euro. The euro has replaced the national currencies of many European countries. The European Central Bank has control over each member country’s monetary policies. Therefore, the member countries no longer control their own monetary policies by directing independent interest rates for their currencies. The national governments of the participating countries, however, have retained the authority to set tax and spending policies and public debt levels.

 

European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the EMU imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union (“EU”) countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions. Also, it is possible that the EU’s single currency, the euro, could be abandoned in the future by countries that have already adopted its use. These or other events, including political and economic developments, could cause market disruptions, and could affect adversely the values of securities held by the Funds. Because of the number of countries using this single currency, a significant portion of the assets held by certain Funds may be denominated in the euro.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The underlying investment companies of the Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the underlying investment company’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the underlying investment company’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities. The underlying investment companies of the Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund may invest in securities issued by foreign companies. Investments in foreign securities involve higher costs than investments in U.S. securities, including higher transaction costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. In addition, foreign investments may include additional risks associated with currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity and political stability. Volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility or price can be greater than in the United States. Future political and economic information, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest income, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions, might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on foreign obligations. Inability to dispose of securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to an underlying investment company due to subsequent declines in value of the securities, or, if the underlying investment company has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth or gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.

 

Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States.

 

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Settlement mechanics may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of an underlying investment company is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of an underlying investment company to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the underlying investment company to miss attractive investment opportunities.

 

Although the underlying investment companies may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies, each investment company values its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. As a result, the NAV of an underlying investment company’s shares may fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates as well as the price changes of the underlying investment company’s securities in the various local markets and currencies. Thus, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the currencies in which an underlying investment company makes its investments could reduce the effect of increases and magnify the effect of decreases in the price of the underlying investment company’s securities in their local markets. Conversely, a decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar may have the opposite effect of magnifying the effect of increases and reducing the effect of decreases in the prices of an underlying investment company’s securities in its foreign markets. In addition to favorable and unfavorable currency exchange rate developments, an underlying investment company is subject to the possible imposition of exchange control regulations or freezes on convertibility of currency.

 

The underlying investment companies may invest in obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks (Eurodollars) and U.S. branches of foreign banks (Yankee dollars) as well as foreign branches of foreign banks. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities of U.S. banks, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, different tax provisions, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect payment of principal or interest. The underlying investment companies may also invest in debt securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, including Yankee bonds, which are issued by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign corporations, but pay interest in U.S. dollars and are typically issued in the United States.

 

European countries can be affected by the significant fiscal and monetary controls that the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union (“EU”) countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal, have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions.

 

In June of 2016, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” which sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound and heightened risk of continued worldwide economic volatility. Pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, the UK gave notice in March 2017 of its withdrawal from the EU and commenced negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. Following years of negotiations and multiple withdrawal deadline extensions, the UK withdrew from the EU on January 31, 2020. A transition period, currently set to last through December 31, 2020, will be used for the UK and EU to negotiate their future relationship. The effects of this withdrawal will depend, in part, on agreements the UK negotiates to retain access to EU markets either during the transitional period or more permanently including, but not limited to, current trade and finance agreements. As a result of the UK's exit from the EU, each Fund may be exposed to volatile trading markets and significant and unpredictable currency fluctuations over a short period of time, and potentially lower economic growth in the UK, Europe and globally. Securities issued by companies domiciled in the UK could be subject to changing regulatory and tax regimes. Banking and financial services companies that operate in the UK or EU could be disproportionately affected by Brexit. Further insecurity in EU membership or the abandonment of the euro could exacerbate market and currency volatility and negatively affect a Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in the EU. The effects of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, are not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.

 

Forward Commitment and When-Issued Transactions. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis. These transactions involve a commitment by an underlying investment company to purchase or sell securities at a future date (ordinarily one or two months later). The price of the underlying securities (usually expressed in terms of yield) and the date when the securities will be delivered and paid for (the settlement date) are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. When-issued purchases and forward commitments are negotiated directly with the other party, and such commitments are not traded on exchanges.

 

When-issued purchases and forward commitments enable an underlying investment company to lock in what is believed by the underlying investment adviser to be an attractive price or yield on a particular security for a period of time, regardless of future changes in interest rates. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices, an underlying investment company might sell securities it owns on a forward commitment basis to limit its exposure to falling prices. In periods of falling interest rates and rising prices, an underlying investment company might sell securities it owns and purchase the same or a similar security on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, thereby obtaining the benefit of currently higher yields. When-issued securities or forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date.

 

The value of securities purchased on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and any subsequent fluctuations in their value are reflected in the computation of an underlying investment company’s NAV starting on the date of the agreement to purchase the securities, and the underlying investment company is subject to the rights and risks of ownership of the securities on that date. An underlying investment company does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. When an underlying investment company makes a forward commitment to sell securities it owns, the proceeds to be received upon settlement are included in the underlying investment company’s assets. Fluctuations in the market value of the underlying securities are not reflected in the underlying investment company’s NAV as long as the commitment to sell remains in effect. Settlement of when-issued purchases and forward commitment transactions generally takes place within two months after the date of the transaction, but an underlying investment company may agree to a longer settlement period.

 

An underlying investment company generally will make commitments to purchase securities on a when-issued basis or to purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis only with the intention of completing the transaction and actually purchasing or selling the securities. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, an underlying investment company may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it is entered into. An underlying investment company also may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the underlying investment company on the settlement date. An underlying investment company may realize a capital gain or loss in connection with these transactions, and its distributions from any net realized capital gains will be taxable to shareholders.

 

When an underlying investment company purchases securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, the investment company or its custodian will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities having a value (determined daily) at least equal to the amount of the underlying investment company’s purchase commitments. These procedures are designed to ensure that the underlying investment company will maintain sufficient assets at all times to cover its obligations under when-issued purchases and forward commitments.

 

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Forward Foreign Currency Transactions. The Free Market International Equity and Free Market Fixed Income Funds’ underlying investment companies may, to the extent that they invest in foreign securities, enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to facilitate the settlement of equity or bond purchases; exchange one currency for another, including to repatriate excess currencies; or, in the case of the Free Market Fixed Income Fund, hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The underlying investment companies will conduct their foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days (usually less than one year) from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the spread) between the price at which they are buying and selling various currencies.

 

The underlying investment companies generally may enter into forward contracts under several circumstances. First, when an underlying investment company enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security quoted or denominated in a foreign currency, it may desire to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of the security. By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed number of U.S. dollars, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying security transactions, the underlying investment company will be able to insulate itself from a possible loss resulting from a change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the subject foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. The underlying investment adviser(s) may also use non-U.S. currency to enter into a forward foreign exchange contract.

 

Second, the investment adviser to certain underlying fixed income investment companies may cause such investment companies to enter a forward contract to sell, for a fixed amount, the amount of foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of the investment company’s portfolio securities quoted or denominated in such foreign currency in an effort to hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates. These underlying fixed income investment companies may also engage in cross-hedging by using forward contracts in one currency to hedge against fluctuations in the value in securities denominated or quoted in a different currency if the investment adviser determines that there is a pattern of correlation between the two currencies. Cross-hedging may also include entering into a forward transaction involving two foreign currencies, using one foreign currency as a proxy for the U.S. dollar to hedge against variations in the other U.S. foreign currency, if the investment adviser determines that there is a pattern of correlation between the proxy currency and the U.S. dollar. With currency hedging techniques, the precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible since the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. Additionally, these techniques do not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. They simply establish a rate of exchange which can be achieved at some future point in time. The precise projection of short-term currency market movements is not possible, and short-term hedging provides a means of fixing the U.S. dollar value of only a portion of the underlying investment company’s foreign assets. It also reduces any potential gain which may have otherwise occurred had the currency value increased above the settlement price of the contract.

 

Third, the investment adviser may exchange one currency for another if it believes it may need the other currency to settle future equity purchases or to repatriate excess foreign currency to U.S. dollars.

 

The underlying investment companies generally will not enter into forward contracts to sell currency or maintain a net exposure to such contracts if the consummation of such contracts would obligate the investment company to deliver an amount of foreign currency in excess of the value of the investment company’s respective portfolio securities (including accrued interest or other accrued receivables) or other assets quoted or denominated in that currency. At the consummation of the forward contract, an underlying investment company may either make delivery of the foreign currency or terminate its contractual obligation by purchasing an offsetting contract obligating it to purchase at the same maturity date, the same amount of such foreign currency. If an underlying investment company chooses to make delivery of foreign currency, it may be required to obtain such delivery through the sale of portfolio securities quoted or denominated in such currency or through conversion of other assets of the Fund into such currency. If an underlying investment company engages in an offsetting transaction, the underlying investment company will realize a gain or a loss to the extent that there has been a change in forward contract prices.

 

The underlying investment companies’ transactions in forward contracts generally will be limited to those described above. Of course, the underlying investment companies are not required to enter into such transactions with regard to their foreign currency quoted or denominated securities, and the investment companies will not do so unless deemed appropriate by their respective investment advisers.

 

While the underlying investment company may enter into forward contracts to seek to reduce currency exchange rate risks, transactions in such contracts involve certain other risks. Thus, while an underlying investment company may benefit from such transactions, unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the underlying investment company than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between the underlying investment company’s portfolio holdings or securities quoted or denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts entered into by the underlying investment company. Such imperfect correlation may cause the underlying investment company to sustain losses, which will prevent the underlying investment company from achieving a complete hedge, or expose the underlying investment company to the risk of foreign exchange loss.

 

Forward contracts are subject to the risks that the counterparts to such contract will default on its obligations. Since a forward foreign currency exchange contract is not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing house, a default on the contract would deprive an underlying investment company of unrealized profits, transaction costs or the benefits of a currency hedge or force an underlying investment company to cover its purchase or sale commitments, if any, at the current market price.

 

The underlying investment companies’ foreign currency transactions (including related options, futures and forward contracts) may be limited by the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) for qualification as a regulated investment company.

 

Futures Contracts. A futures contract may generally be described as an agreement between two parties to buy and sell particular financial instruments for an agreed price during a designated month (or to deliver the final cash settlement price, in the case of a contract relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the end of trading in the contract). When interest rates are rising or securities prices are falling, an underlying investment company can seek to offset a decline in the value of its current portfolio securities through the sale of futures contracts. When interest rates are falling or securities prices are rising, an underlying investment company, through the purchase of futures contracts, can attempt to secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when it affects anticipated purchases.

 

To seek to increase total return or to hedge against changes in interest rates or securities prices, an underlying investment company may purchase and sell various kinds of futures contracts, and purchase and write call and put options on any of such futures contracts. An underlying investment company may also enter into closing purchase and sale transactions with respect to any of such contracts and options. The futures contracts may be based on various securities (such as U.S. government securities), securities indices, and any other financial instruments and indices. Generally an underlying investment company will engage in futures and related options transactions for bona fide hedging purposes as described below or for purposes of seeking to increase total return, in each case, only to the extent permitted by regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). All futures contracts entered into by an underlying investment company are traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that are licensed and regulated by the CFTC or on foreign exchanges.

 

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The Funds intend to limit investments in commodity futures, commodity options contracts and swaps to below the de minimis thresholds adopted by the CFTC in its recent amendments to Rule 4.5 (see below for a description of these thresholds). However, the application of the amended rules to “funds-of-funds” remains unclear. Accordingly, the Adviser has filed for relief with respect to each Fund which defers compliance until six months following the effective date of any CFTC guidance regarding the application of the amended rules to “fund-of-funds.” As of the date of this SAI, no such guidance has been issued. For this reason, the Adviser is not required to register as a “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act at this time.

 

With respect to investments in swap transactions, commodity futures, commodity options or certain other derivatives used for purposes other than bona fide hedging purposes, an investment company must meet one of the following tests under the amended regulations in order to claim an exemption from being considered a “commodity pool” or a CPO. First, the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish an investment company’s positions in such investments may not exceed five percent (5%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments). Alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time of the most recent position established, may not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the investment company may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps and derivatives markets. In the event that the Adviser was required to register as a CPO, the disclosure and operations of the Funds would need to comply with all applicable CFTC regulations.

 

Positions taken in the futures markets are not normally held to maturity but are instead liquidated through offsetting transactions, which may result in a profit or a loss. While futures contracts on securities will usually be liquidated in this manner, an underlying investment company may instead make, or take, delivery of the underlying securities or currency whenever it appears economically advantageous to do so. A clearing corporation associated with the exchange on which futures on securities are traded guarantees that, if still open, the sale or purchase will be performed on the settlement date.

 

Hedging, by use of futures contracts, seeks to establish with more certainty than would otherwise be possible the effective price or rate of return on portfolio securities or securities that an underlying investment company proposes to acquire or the exchange rate of currencies in which portfolio securities are quoted or denominated. An underlying investment company may, for example, take a “short” position in the futures market by selling futures contracts to seek to hedge against an anticipated rise in interest rates or a decline in market prices that would adversely affect the value of the underlying investment company’s portfolio securities. Such futures contracts may include contracts for the future delivery of securities held by an underlying investment company or securities with characteristics similar to those of the underlying investment company’s portfolio securities. If, in the opinion of the investment adviser to an underlying investment company, there is a sufficient degree of correlation between price trends for an underlying investment company’s portfolio securities and futures contracts based on other financial instruments, securities indices or other indices, the underlying investment company may also enter into such futures contracts as part of its hedging strategy. Although under some circumstances prices of securities in an underlying investment company’s portfolio may be more or less volatile than prices of such futures contracts, the underlying investment adviser will attempt to estimate the extent of this volatility difference based on historical patterns and compensate for any such differential by having the underlying investment company’s enter into a greater or lesser number of futures contracts or by seeking to achieve only a partial hedge against price changes affecting the underlying investment company’s portfolio securities. When hedging of this character is successful, any depreciation in the value of portfolio securities will be substantially offset by appreciation in the value of the futures position. On the other hand, any unanticipated appreciation in the value of an underlying investment company portfolio’s securities would be substantially offset by a decline in the value of the futures position.

 

On other occasions, an underlying investment company may take a “long” position by purchasing futures contracts. This would be done, for example, when the underlying investment company anticipates the subsequent purchase of particular securities when it has the necessary cash, but expects the prices then available in the applicable market to be less favorable than prices that are currently available.

 

Indexed Securities. To the extent consistent with its investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in indexed securities whose value is linked to securities indices. Most such securities have values which rise and fall according to the change in one or more specified indices, and may have characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying securities. Depending on the index, such securities may have greater volatility than the market as a whole. An underlying investment company may also invest in exchange-traded funds, which generally track their related indices and trade like an individual stock throughout the trading day. For example, an underlying investment company may invest in Standard & Poor’s Depositary Receipts (commonly referred to as “Spiders”), which are exchange-traded shares of a closed-end investment company that are designed to replicate the price performance and dividend yield of the Standard & Poor’s 500® Composite Stock Price Index.

 

Initial Public Offerings. To the extent consistent with its investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may purchase stock in an initial public offering (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public. Risks associated with IPOs may include considerable fluctuation in the market value of IPO shares due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, a limited number of shares available for trading, lack of information about the issuer and limited operating history. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. When an underlying investment company’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the underlying investment company’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the underlying investment company. As an underlying investment company’s assets grow, the effect of the underlying investment company’s investments in IPOs on the underlying investment company’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the underlying investment company’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, an underlying investment company may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the underlying investment company’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the underlying investment company, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the underlying investment advisers cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

Inflation-Protected Securities. The Free Market Fixed Income Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in inflation-protected securities issued by the U.S. Treasury, known as “TIPs” or “Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities,” which are debt securities whose principal and interest payments are adjusted for inflation and interest is paid on the adjusted amount. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index (“CPI”). A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of your investment.

 

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Inflation-protected securities normally will decline in price when real interest rates rise. (A real interest rate is calculated by subtracting the inflation rate from a nominal interest rate. For example, if a 10-year Treasury note is yielding 5% and inflation is 2%, the real interest rate is 3%.) If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected security will decline and could result in losses for the Fund’s underlying investment companies.

 

Any increase in principal for an inflation-protected security resulting from inflation adjustments is considered by IRS regulations to be taxable income in the year it occurs. For direct holders of an inflation-protected security, this means that taxes must be paid on principal adjustments even though these amounts are not received until the bond matures. By contrast, an underlying investment company holding these securities distributes both interest income and the income attributable to principal adjustments in the form of cash or reinvested shares, which are taxable to shareholders.

 

Interest Rate Swaps, Floors and Caps and Currency Swaps. The Free Market Fixed-Income Fund’s underlying investment companies may enter into interest rate swaps and may purchase interest rate floors or caps. An underlying investment company will typically use interest rate swaps to preserve a return on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio or to shorten the effective duration of its portfolio investments. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the underlying investment company with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments. The purchase of an interest rate floor or cap entitles the purchaser to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the seller, to the extent the specified index falls below (floor) or exceeds (cap) a predetermined interest rate. The Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund may enter into currency swaps, which involve the exchange of the rights of the underlying investment company and another party to make or receive payments in specific currencies.

 

An underlying investment company will only enter into interest rate swaps or interest rate floor or cap transactions on a net basis, i.e. the two payment streams are netted out, with the underlying investment company receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. In contrast, currency swaps usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency.

 

The net amount of the excess, if any, of an underlying investment company’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate or currency swap will be accrued on a daily basis, and an amount of liquid assets having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to such accrued excess will be segregated by the underlying investment company.

 

If there is a default by the other party to such transaction, the underlying investment company will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.

 

Large Shareholder Purchase and Redemption Risk. The Funds may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Funds. Such large shareholder redemptions may cause a Fund to sell its securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and liquidity. Similarly, large share purchases may adversely affect a Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would. In addition, a large redemption could result in a Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio.

 

Lending of Portfolio Securities. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may lend their portfolio securities to financial institutions provided that (1) the loan is continuously secured by collateral consisting of U.S. government securities or cash or cash equivalents maintained on a daily mark-to-market basis in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned; (2) the underlying investment company may at any time call the loan and obtain the return of the securities loaned; (3) the underlying investment company will receive any interest or dividends paid on the loaned securities; and (4) the aggregate market value of the securities loaned will not at any time exceed one-third of the total assets of the underlying investment company. Such loans would involve risk of delay in receiving additional collateral in the event the value of the collateral decreased below the value of the securities loaned or risk of delay in recovering the securities loaned or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially.

 

Loan Participations. The Free Market Fixed-Income Fund’s underlying investment companies may purchase participations in commercial loans. Such indebtedness may be secured or unsecured. Loan participations typically represent direct participation in a loan to a corporate borrower, and generally are offered by banks or other financial institutions or lending syndicates. An underlying investment company may participate in such syndications, or can buy part of a loan, becoming a part lender. When purchasing loan participations, the underlying investment company assumes the credit risk associated with the corporate borrower and may assume the credit risk associated with an interposed bank or other financial intermediary. The participation interests in which the Fund intends to invest may not be rated by any nationally recognized rating service.

 

A loan is often administered by an agent bank acting as agent for all holders. The agent bank administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. In addition, the agent bank is normally responsible for the collection of principal and interest payments from the corporate borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all institutions which are parties to the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, the underlying investment company has direct recourse against the corporate borrower, the underlying investment company may have to rely on the agent bank or other financial intermediary to apply appropriate credit remedies against a corporate borrower.

 

Purchases of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the corporate borrower for payment of principal and interest. If the underlying investment company does not receive scheduled interest or principal payments on such indebtedness, the underlying investment company’s share price and yield could be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured offer the underlying investment company more protection than an unsecured loan in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower’s obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated.

 

An underlying investment company invests in loan participations with credit quality comparable to that of issuers of its securities investments. Indebtedness of companies whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks, and may be highly speculative. Some companies may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. Consequently, when investing in indebtedness of companies with poor credit, the underlying investment company bears a substantial risk of losing the entire amount invested.

 

Loans and other types of direct indebtedness may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. In some cases, negotiations involved in disposing of indebtedness may require weeks to complete. Consequently, some indebtedness may be difficult or impossible to dispose of readily at what the underlying investment company’s investment adviser believes to be a fair price.

 

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Investments in loans through a direct assignment of the financial institution’s interests with respect to the loan may involve additional risks to an underlying investment company. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the underlying investment company could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In addition, it is conceivable that under emerging legal theories of lender liability, an underlying investment company could be held liable as co-lender. It is unclear whether loans and other forms of direct indebtedness offer securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. In the absence of definitive regulatory guidance, an underlying investment company relies on its investment adviser’s research in an attempt to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentation could adversely affect the Fund.

 

Market Fluctuation. The market value of the investments of each underlying investment company, and thus each underlying investment company’s NAV, will change in response to market conditions affecting the value of its portfolio securities. When interest rates decline, the value of fixed rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of fixed rate obligations can be expected to decline. In contrast, as interest rates on adjustable rate loans are reset periodically, yields on investments in such loans will gradually align themselves to reflect changes in market interest rates, causing the value of such investments to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed rate obligations.

 

Micro Cap, Small Cap and Mid Cap Stocks. Securities of companies with micro, small and mid-size capitalizations tend to be riskier than securities of companies with large capitalizations. This is because micro, small and mid cap companies typically have smaller product lines and less access to liquidity than large cap companies, and are therefore more sensitive to economic downturns. In addition, growth prospects of micro, small and mid cap companies tend to be less certain than large cap companies, and the dividends paid on micro, small and mid cap stocks are frequently negligible. Moreover, micro, small and mid cap stocks have, on occasion, fluctuated in the opposite direction of large cap stocks or the general stock market. Consequently, securities of micro, small and mid cap companies tend to be more volatile than those of large cap companies. The market for micro and small cap securities may be thinly traded and as a result, greater fluctuations in the price of micro and small cap securities may occur.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Free Market Fixed Income Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in mortgage pass-through certificates and multiple-class pass-through securities, such as real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMIC”) pass-through certificates and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”).

 

Guaranteed mortgage pass-through securities represent participation interests in pools of residential mortgage loans and are issued by U.S. governmental or private lenders and guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, including but not limited to the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Ginnie Mae certificates are guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government for timely payment of principal and interest on the certificates. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac certificates are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Fannie Mae certificates are guaranteed by Fannie Mae, a federally chartered and privately owned corporation, for full and timely payment of principal and interest on the certificates. Fannie Mae is authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet its obligations. Freddie Mac certificates are guaranteed by Freddie Mac, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. government, for timely payment of interest and the ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans.

 

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be placed in conservatorship under the FHFA. On June 16, 2010, FHFA ordered Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s stock de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) after the price of common stock in Fannie Mae fell below the NYSE’s minimum average closing price of $1 for more than 30 days. The future status and role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s operations and activities as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the U.S. Treasury, market responses to developments at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any Mortgage-Backed Securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including any such Mortgage-Backed Securities held by a Fund.

 

There is risk that the U.S. government will not provide financial support to its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. A Fund may purchase U.S. government securities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government securities held by a Fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.

 

CMOs and REMIC pass-through or participation certificates may be issued by, among others, U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities as well as private lenders. CMOs and REMIC certificates are issued in multiple classes and the principal of and interest on the mortgage assets may be allocated among the several classes of CMOs or REMIC certificates in various ways. Each class of CMOs or REMIC certificates, often referred to as a “tranche,” is issued at a specific adjustable or fixed interest rate and must be fully retired no later than its final distribution date. Generally, interest is paid or accrues on all classes of CMOs or REMIC certificates on a monthly basis.

 

Typically, CMOs are collateralized by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac certificates but also may be collateralized by other mortgage assets such as whole loans or private mortgage pass-through securities. Debt service on CMOs is provided from payments of principal and interest on collateral of mortgaged assets and any reinvestment income thereon. Mortgage-backed securities that are collateralized by a portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-related securities depend on the payments of principal and interest made by or through the underlying assets, which may not be sufficient to meet the payment obligations of the mortgage-backed securities. The quality and value of the underlying collateral may decline, or default, which has become a significant risk for collateral related to sub-prime mortgage loans, especially in a declining residential real estate market. Further, these securities generally are privately sold and may not be readily marketable, particularly after a rapid decrease in value.

 

A REMIC is a CMO that qualifies for special tax treatment under the Code and invests in certain mortgages primarily secured by interests in real property and other permitted investments. Investors may purchase “regular” and “residual” interest shares of beneficial interest in REMIC trusts.

 

An underlying investment company may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by trusts or other entities formed or sponsored by private originators of and institutional investors in mortgage loans and other non-governmental entities (or representing custodial arrangements administered by such institutions). These private originators and institutions include savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, insurance companies, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing.

 

Privately issued mortgage-backed securities are generally backed by pools of conventional (i.e., non-government guaranteed or insured) mortgage loans. Since such mortgage-backed securities normally are not guaranteed by an entity having the credit standing of Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in order to receive a high quality rating from the rating organizations (e.g., Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s), they often are structured with one or more types of “credit enhancement.” Such credit enhancement falls into two categories: (1) liquidity protection and (2) protection against losses resulting after default by a borrower and liquidation of the collateral (e.g., sale of a house after foreclosure). Liquidity protection refers to the payment of cash advances to holders of mortgage-backed securities when a borrower on an underlying mortgage fails to make its monthly payment on time. Protection against losses resulting after default and liquidation is designed to cover losses resulting when, for example, the proceeds of a foreclosure sale are insufficient to cover the outstanding amount on the mortgage. Such protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit, through various means of structuring the securities or through a combination of such approaches.

 

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Examples of credit enhancement arising out of the structure of the transaction include “senior-subordinated securities” (multiple class securities with one or more classes entitled to receive payment before other classes, with the result that defaults on the underlying mortgages are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class), creation of “spread accounts” or “reserve funds” (where cash or investments are held in reserve against future losses) and “over-collateralization” (where the scheduled payments on the underlying mortgages in a pool exceed the amount required to be paid on the mortgage-backed securities). The degree of credit enhancement for a particular issue of mortgage-backed securities is based on the level of credit risk associated with the particular mortgages in the related pool. Losses on a pool in excess of anticipated levels could nevertheless result in losses to security holders since credit enhancement rarely covers every dollar owed on a pool.

 

Investing in mortgage-backed securities (such as those described above) involves certain risks, including the failure of a counter-party to meet its commitments, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows. Further, the yield characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from those of traditional fixed income securities. The major differences typically include more frequent interest and principal payments (usually monthly), the adjustability of interest rates, and the possibility that prepayments of principal may be made substantially earlier than their final distribution dates.

 

Prepayment rates are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors and cannot be predicted with certainty. Both adjustable rate mortgage loans and fixed rate mortgage loans may be subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment. Under certain interest rate and prepayment rate scenarios, a Fund may fail to recoup fully its investment in Mortgage-Backed Securities notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee. When a Fund reinvests amounts representing payments and unscheduled prepayments of principal, it may receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on existing adjustable rate mortgage pass-through securities. Thus, mortgage-backed securities, and adjustable rate mortgage pass-through securities in particular, may be less effective than other types of U.S. government securities as a means of “locking in” interest rates.

 

Conversely, in a rising interest rate environment, a declining prepayment rate will extend the average life of many mortgage-backed securities. This possibility is often referred to as extension risk. Extending the average life of a mortgage-backed security increases the risk of depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates. The market for certain types of mortgage-backed securities (i.e., certain CMOs) may not be liquid under all interest rate scenarios, which may prevent a Fund from selling such securities held in its portfolio at times or prices that it desires.

 

Different types of derivative debt securities are subject to different combinations of prepayment, extension and/or interest rate risk. Conventional mortgage pass-through securities and sequential pay CMOs are subject to all of these risks, but are typically not leveraged. Thus, the magnitude of exposure may be less than for more leveraged mortgage-backed securities.

 

Planned amortization class (“PAC”) and target amortization class (“TAC”) CMO bonds involve less exposure to prepayment, extension and interest rate risk than other mortgage-backed securities, provided that prepayment rates remain within expected prepayment ranges or “collars.” To the extent that prepayment rates remain within these prepayment ranges, the residual or support tranches of PAC and TAC CMOs assume the extra prepayment extension and interest rate risk associated with the underlying mortgage assets.

 

An underlying investment company may invest in floating rate securities based on the Cost of Funds Index (“COFI floaters”), other “lagging rate” floating rate securities, floating rate securities that are subject to a maximum interest rate (“capped floaters”), and mortgage-backed securities purchased at a discount. The primary risks associated with these derivative debt securities are the potential extension of average life and/or depreciation due to rising interest rates.

 

Recently, rating agencies have placed on credit watch or downgraded the ratings previously assigned to a large number of mortgage-related securities (which may include certain of the mortgage-related securities in which an underlying investment company may have invested or may in the future be invested), and may continue to do so in the future. In the event that any mortgage-related security held by an underlying investment company is placed on credit watch or downgraded, the value of such mortgage-related security may decline and the underlying investment company invested in such security, and thus the Free Market Fixed Income Fund, may consequently experience losses in respect of such mortgage-related security.

 

Mortgage Dollar Roll Transactions. The Free Market Fixed Income Fund’s underlying investment companies may enter into mortgage dollar roll transactions in which the underlying investment company sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with the same counterparty to repurchase similar (same type, coupon and maturity), but not identical securities on a specified future date.

 

During the roll period, the underlying investment company would forgo principal and interest paid on such securities. However, the underlying investment company would benefit to the extent of any difference between the price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”) or fee income plus the interest on the cash proceeds of the securities sold until the settlement date of the forward purchase. Unless such benefits exceed the income, capital appreciation and gain or loss due to mortgage prepayments that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the mortgage dollar roll, the use of this technique will diminish the investment performance of the underlying investment company compared with what such performance would have been without the use of mortgage dollar rolls. Any benefits derived from the use of mortgage dollar rolls may depend upon mortgage prepayment assumptions, which will be affected by changes in interest rates. There is no assurance that mortgage dollar rolls can be successfully employed. For additional information on dollar rolls, please refer to the section entitled “Dollar Rolls” in this SAI.

 

Options on Futures Contracts. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may purchase and sell various kinds of futures contracts, and purchase and write call and put options on any of such futures contracts. The acquisition of put and call options on futures contracts will give an underlying investment company the right (but not the obligation) for a specified price to sell or to purchase, respectively, the underlying futures contract at any time during the option period. As the purchaser of an option on a futures contract, an underlying investment company obtains the benefit of the futures position if prices move in a favorable direction but limits its risk of loss in the event of an unfavorable price movement to the loss of the premium and transaction costs.

 

The writing of a call option on a futures contract generates a premium, which may partially offset a decline in the value of an underlying investment company’s assets. By writing a call option, an underlying investment company becomes obligated, in exchange for the premium, (upon exercise of the option) to sell a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value higher than the exercise price. Conversely, the writing of a put option on a futures contract generates a premium, which may partially offset an increase in the price of securities that an underlying investment company intends to purchase. However, the underlying investment company becomes obligated (upon exercise of the option) to purchase a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value lower than the exercise price. Thus, the loss incurred by an underlying investment company in writing options on futures is potentially unlimited and may exceed the amount of the premium received. The underlying investment company will incur transaction costs in connection with the writing of options on futures.

 

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The holder or writer of an option on a futures contract may terminate its position by selling or purchasing an offsetting option on the same financial instrument. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected. An underlying investment company’s ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid market.

 

Transactions in futures contracts and options on futures involve brokerage costs, require margin deposits and, in some cases, may require the applicable underlying investment company to establish a segregated account consisting of cash or liquid securities in an amount equal to the underlying value of such contracts and options.

 

The use of futures contracts entails certain risks, including but not limited to the following: no assurance that futures contracts transactions can be offset at favorable prices; possible reduction of the underlying investment company’s income due to the use of hedging; possible reduction in value of both the securities hedged and the hedging instrument; possible lack of liquidity due to daily limits on price fluctuations; imperfect correlation between the contract and the securities being hedged; and potential losses in excess of the amount initially invested in the futures contracts themselves. If the expectations of the adviser of the underlying investment company regarding movements in securities prices or interest rates are incorrect, the underlying investment company may have experienced better investment results without hedging. The use of futures contracts and options on futures contracts requires special skills in addition to those needed to select portfolio securities.

 

While transactions in futures contracts and options on futures may reduce certain risks, such transactions themselves entail certain other risks. Thus, while an underlying investment company may benefit from the use of futures and options on futures, unanticipated changes in interest rates or securities prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the underlying investment company than if it had not entered into any futures contracts or options transactions. In the event of an imperfect correlation between a futures position and a portfolio position which is intended to be protected, the desired protection may not be obtained and the underlying investment company may be exposed to risk of loss.

 

Perfect correlation between an underlying investment company’s futures positions and portfolio positions will be impossible to achieve. There are no futures contracts based upon individual securities, except certain U.S. government securities. Other futures contracts available to hedge an underlying investment company’s portfolio investments generally are limited to futures on various securities indices.

 

Options on Securities and Securities Indices. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may each write covered call and secured put options on any securities in which it may invest or on any domestic stock indices based on securities in which it may invest. An underlying investment company may purchase and write such options on securities that are listed on national domestic securities exchanges or foreign securities exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter market. A call option written by an underlying investment company obligates the investment company to sell specified securities to the holder of the option at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date, regardless of the market price of the security.

 

A put option written by an underlying investment company obligates the underlying investment company to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date, regardless of the market price for the security. The purpose of writing such options is to generate additional income. However, in return for the option premium, the underlying investment company accepts the risk that it will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the securities’ market value at the time of purchase.

 

A written call option or put option may be covered by (i) maintaining cash or liquid securities, either of which may be quoted or denominated in any currency, in a segregated account noted on the underlying investment company’s records or maintained by the underlying investment company’s custodian with a value at least equal to the underlying investment company’s obligation under the option, (ii) entering into an offsetting forward commitment and/or (iii) purchasing an offsetting option or any other option which, by virtue of its exercise price or otherwise, reduces the underlying investment company’s net exposure on its written option position.

 

An underlying investment company may terminate its obligations under an exchange-traded call or put option by purchasing an option identical to the one it has written. Obligations under over-the-counter options may be terminated only by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counterparts to such option. Such purchases are referred to as “closing purchase transactions” and do not result in the ownership of an option. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying security from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying security or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying security. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transaction costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the underlying investment company will have incurred a loss in the transaction.

 

An underlying investment company may also write (sell) covered call and put options on any securities index composed of securities in which it may invest. Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash settlement payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. The amount of this settlement will be equal to the difference between the closing price of the securities index at the time of exercise and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars, times a specified amount. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.

 

An underlying investment company may cover call options on a securities index by owning securities whose price changes are expected to be similar to those of the underlying index or by having an absolute and immediate right to acquire such securities without additional cash consideration (or for additional cash consideration held in a segregated account) upon conversion or exchange of other securities in its portfolio. An underlying investment company may also cover call and put options on a securities index by using the other methods described above.

 

An underlying investment company would normally purchase call options in anticipation of an increase, or put options in anticipation of a decrease (“protective puts”) in the market value of securities of the type in which it may invest. The purchase of a call option would entitle an underlying investment company, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified securities at a specified price during the option period. An underlying investment company would ordinarily realize a gain on the purchase of a call option if, during the option period, the value of such securities exceeded the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid and transaction costs; otherwise the underlying investment company would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option. The purchase of a put option would entitle an underlying investment company, in exchange for the premium paid, to sell specified securities at a specified price during the option period. The purchase of protective puts is designed to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of an underlying investment company’s securities. Put options may also be purchased by an underlying investment company for the purpose of affirmatively benefiting from a decline in the price of securities which it does not own. An underlying investment company would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying securities decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to cover the premium and transaction costs; otherwise the underlying investment company would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the put option. Gains and losses on the purchase of put options may be offset by countervailing changes in the value of the underlying portfolio securities.

 

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An underlying investment company may purchase put and call options on securities indices for the same purposes as it may purchase options on securities. Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.

 

Although an underlying investment company may use option transactions to seek to generate additional income and to seek to reduce the effect of any adverse price movement in the securities or currency subject to the option, they do involve certain risks that are different in some respects from investment risks associated with similar mutual funds, which do not engage in such activities. These risks include the following: for writing call options, the inability to effect closing transactions at favorable prices and the inability to participate in the appreciation of the underlying securities above the exercise price; for writing put options, the inability to effect closing transactions at favorable prices and the obligation to purchase the specified securities or to make a cash settlement on the securities index at prices which may not reflect current market values; and for purchasing call and put options, the possible loss of the entire premium paid. In addition, the effectiveness of hedging through the purchase or sale of securities index options, including options on the S&P 500® Index, will depend upon the extent to which price movements in the portion of the securities portfolio being hedged correlate with the price movements in the selected securities index. Perfect correlation may not be possible because the securities held or to be acquired by an underlying investment company may not exactly match the composition of the securities index on which options are written. If the forecasts of the adviser of the underlying investment company regarding movements in securities prices or interest rates are incorrect, an underlying investment company’s investment results may have been better without the hedge transactions.

 

There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on a domestic or foreign options exchange will exist for any particular exchange-traded option or at any particular time. If an underlying investment company is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to covered options it has written, the investment company will not be able to sell the underlying securities or dispose of assets held in a segregated account until the options expire or are exercised. Similarly, if an underlying investment company is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options it has purchased, it would have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit and will incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of underlying securities or currencies.

 

Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

 

The writing and purchase of options is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The successful use of options for hedging purposes depends in part on the adviser’s ability to predict future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the options and securities markets.

 

Pay-in-Kind Securities, Zero Coupon and Capital Appreciation Bonds. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in pay-in-kind (“PIK”) securities. PIK securities may be debt obligations or preferred shares that provide the issuer with the option of paying interest or dividends on such obligations in cash or in the form of additional securities rather than cash. Similarly, zero coupon and capital appreciation bonds are debt securities issued or sold at a discount from their face value and do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity or a specified date. The amount of the discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity or cash payment date, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. These securities also may take the form of debt securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons, the coupons themselves or receipts or certificates representing interests in such stripped debt obligations or coupons. A portion of the discount with respect to stripped tax-exempt securities or their coupons may be taxable. Such securities are designed to give an issuer flexibility in managing cash flow. PIK securities that are debt securities can either be senior or subordinated debt and generally trade flat (i.e., without accrued interest). The trading price of PIK debt securities generally reflects the market value of the underlying debt plus an amount representing accrued interest since the last interest payment.

 

PIK securities, zero coupon bonds and capital appreciation bonds involve the additional risk that, unlike securities that periodically pay interest to maturity, an underlying investment company will realize no cash until a specified future payment date unless a portion of such securities is sold and, if the issuer of such securities defaults, an underlying investment company may obtain no return at all on its investment. In addition, even though such securities may not provide for the payment of current interest in cash, an underlying investment company is nonetheless required to accrue income on such investments for each taxable year and generally is required to distribute such accrued amounts (net of deductible expenses, if any) to avoid being subject to tax. Because no cash is generally received at the time of the accrual, an underlying investment company may be required to liquidate other portfolio securities to obtain sufficient cash to satisfy federal tax distribution requirements applicable to the underlying investment company. Additionally, the market prices of PIK securities, zero coupon bonds and capital appreciation bonds generally are more volatile than the market prices of interest bearing securities and are likely to respond to a greater degree to changes in interest rates than interest bearing securities having similar maturities and credit quality.

 

Purchase Warrants. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in purchase warrants and similar rights. Purchase warrants are privileges issued by a corporation which enable the owner to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short lifespan to expiration. The purchase of warrants involves the risk that the underlying investment company could lose the purchase value of a warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the warrants’ expiration. Also, the purchase of warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

Real Estate Investment Trust Securities. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Individual REITs may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. A REIT is a corporation, or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation, which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level Federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs) or cash and government securities, derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and distribute to shareholders annually a substantial portion of its otherwise taxable income.

 

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Generally, REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. The values of securities issued by REITs are affected by tax and regulatory requirements and by perceptions of management skill. They also are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers or tenants, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status under the Code or to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. Unexpected high rates of default on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to a mortgage REIT. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. To the extent that a mortgage REIT’s portfolio is exposed to lower-rated, unsecured or subordinated instruments, the risk of loss may increase, which may have a negative impact on an underlying investment company, and therefore the Funds.

 

The REITs in which the underlying investment companies may invest may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. REITs are sensitive to factors such as changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use and rents, and management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws. REITS whose underlying assets include long-term health care properties; such as nursing, retirement and assisted living homes, may be impacted by federal regulations concerning the health care industry. An underlying investment company will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses, including management fees, paid by each REIT in which it invests in addition to the expenses of the underlying investment company. An underlying investment company is also subject to the risk that the REITs in which it invests will fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, and/or fail to qualify for an exemption from registration as an investment company under the 1940 Act. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. A REIT’s return may be adversely affected when interest rates are high or rising.

 

Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index.

 

Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund’s underlying investment companies may agree to purchase securities from financial institutions subject to the seller’s agreement to repurchase them at an agreed-upon time and price (“repurchase agreements”). The securities held subject to a repurchase agreement may have stated maturities exceeding 397 days, provided the repurchase agreement itself matures in less than 13 months. Default by or bankruptcy of the seller would, however, expose an underlying investment company to possible loss because of adverse market action or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying obligations.

 

Default by or bankruptcy of the seller would, expose an underlying investment company to possible loss because of adverse market action or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying obligations.

 

Restricted and Illiquid Investments. Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is an investment that an underlying investment company reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments include: repurchase agreements and time deposits with a notice or demand period of more than seven days; interest rate; currency and mortgage swaps; interest rate caps; floors and collars; municipal leases; certain restricted securities, such as those purchased in a private placement of securities, unless it is determined, based upon a review of the trading markets for a specific restricted security, that such restricted security is liquid; and certain over-the-counter options. Securities that have legal or contractual restrictions on resale but have a readily available market are not considered illiquid for purposes of this limitation.

 

Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of restricted or other illiquid investments because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and a mutual fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty in satisfying redemptions within seven days. A mutual fund might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities. To the extent an investment held by an underlying investment company of a Fund is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the underlying investment company, and thus the Fund, will be exposed to a greater liquidity risk.

 

Each underlying investment company may purchase securities which are not registered under the Securities Act but which may be sold to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act (“Restricted Securities”). These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the underlying investment adviser that an adequate trading market exists for the securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in an underlying investment company during any period that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing restricted securities.

 

The underlying investment adviser will monitor the liquidity of Restricted Securities held by an underlying investment company. In reaching liquidity decisions, the underlying investment adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the unregistered nature of the security; (2) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (3) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (5) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities normally reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, since the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.

 

The Company has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22e-4. If the limitation on illiquid securities is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the board of directors of the underlying investment companies and, when required by the Liquidity Rule, to the SEC.

 

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The Adviser will monitor the liquidity of restricted securities in the Funds under the supervision of the Board. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by an underlying investment company subject to the underlying investment company’s agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by an underlying investment company may decline below the price of the securities the underlying investment company is obligated to repurchase and the interest received on the cash exchanged for the securities. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings under the 1940 Act.

 

Short Sales. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Fund’s underlying investment companies may enter into short sales. Short sales are transactions in which an underlying investment company sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the underlying investment company must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The underlying investment company then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the underlying investment company. Until the security is replaced, the underlying investment company is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividend which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the underlying investment company also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.

 

Until an underlying investment company replaces a borrowed security in connection with a short sale, the underlying investment company will: (a) maintain daily a segregated account, containing cash, cash equivalents, or liquid marketable securities, at such a level that the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short or (b) otherwise cover its short position in accordance with positions taken by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

 

An underlying investment company will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the underlying investment company replaces the borrowed security. The underlying investment company will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. This result is the opposite of what one would expect from a cash purchase of a long position in a security. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium or amounts in lieu of interest the underlying investment company may be required to pay in connection with a short sale.

 

Short Sales “Against the Box.” In addition to the short sales discussed above, an underlying investment company may make short sales “against the box,” a transaction in which a fund enters into a short sale of a security that the fund owns or has the right to obtain at no additional cost. The proceeds of the short sale will be held by a broker until the settlement date at which time the underlying investment company delivers the security to close the short position. The underlying investment company receives the net proceeds from the short sale.

 

Special Note Regarding Market Events. Events in the financial sector over the past several years have resulted in reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets and in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestically and internationally. While entire markets have been impacted, issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected. These events and the potential for continuing market turbulence may have an adverse effect on the underlying investment companies’ investments. It is uncertain how long these conditions will continue.

 

Structured Securities. The Free Market Fixed Income Fund’s underlying investment companies may invest in structured securities. The value of the principal of and/or interest on structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of specific currencies, commodities, securities, indices or other financial indicators (the “Reference”) or the relative change in two or more References. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may be increased or decreased depending upon changes in the applicable Reference. Examples of structured securities include, but are not limited to, notes where the principal repayment at maturity is determined by the value of the relative change in two or more specified securities or securities indices.

 

The terms of some structured securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity and, therefore, an underlying investment company could suffer a total loss of its investment. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the Reference may produce an increase or decrease in the interest rate or value of the security at maturity. In addition, changes in the interest rate or the value of the security at maturity may be a multiple of the changes in the value of the Reference. Consequently, structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of securities. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities due to their derivative nature.

 

The instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. government to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and certain segments of the financial markets. Federal, state and foreign governments, regulatory agencies, and self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which an underlying investment company invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude an underlying investment company’s, and thus a Fund’s, ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such ownership or disposition may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of the underlying investment companies’ holdings.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Company has adopted, on behalf of the Funds, a policy relating to the selective disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings by the Adviser, Board, officers, or third party service providers, in accordance with regulations that seek to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio holdings is in the best interest of a Fund’s shareholders. The policies relating to the disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information where necessary to the Fund’s operation without compromising the integrity or performance of the Fund. It is the policy of the Company that disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings to a select person or persons prior to the release of such holdings to the public (“selective disclosure”) is prohibited, unless there are legitimate business purposes for selective disclosure.

 

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The Company discloses portfolio holdings information as required in regulatory filings and shareholder reports, discloses portfolio holdings information as required by federal and state securities laws and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities. As required by the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the Company will disclose each Fund’s portfolio holdings in applicable regulatory filings, including shareholder reports, reports on Form N-CSR, Form N-CEN, and Form N-Q (or Form N-Q's successor, Form N-PORT) or such other filings, reports or disclosure documents as the applicable regulatory authorities may require.

 

Generally, after the 60th business day of the month following each month end, each Fund may provide, at the Adviser’s discretion, its portfolio holdings to various rating and ranking organizations. In addition, generally after the 60th business day of the month following each month end, each Fund may post to its website a list of its top ten holdings or full portfolio holdings at the discretion of the Adviser. The timing, frequency and type (i.e., ratings/rankings/holdings) of disclosure may change at the Adviser’s discretion, as well as whether to post to each Fund’s website.

 

The Company may distribute or authorize the distribution of information about a Fund’s portfolio holdings that is not publicly available to its third-party service providers, which include U.S. Bank, N.A., the custodian; U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), the administrator, accounting agent and transfer agent; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, legal counsel; FilePoint, the financial printer; the Funds’ proxy voting service(s); and the Company’s liquidity classification agent. These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to a Fund. Such holdings are released on conditions of confidentiality, which include appropriate trading prohibitions. “Conditions of confidentiality” include confidentiality terms included in written agreements, implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g. attorney-client relationship), or required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody services provided by financial institutions). Portfolio holdings may also be provided earlier to shareholders and their agents who receive redemptions in kind that reflect a pro rata allocation of all securities held in a Fund’s portfolio.

 

Portfolio holdings may also be disclosed, upon authorization by a designated officer of the Adviser, to (i) certain independent reporting agencies recognized by the SEC as acceptable agencies for the reporting of industry statistical information, and (ii) financial consultants to assist them in determining the suitability of a Fund as an investment for their clients, in each case in accordance with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the Company’s and the Adviser’s fiduciary duties to the Funds’ shareholders. Disclosures to financial consultants are also subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions. The foregoing disclosures are made pursuant to the Company’s policy on selective disclosure of portfolio holdings. The Board or a committee thereof may, in limited circumstances, permit other selective disclosure of portfolio holdings subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions.

 

The Adviser reserves the right to refuse to fulfill any request for portfolio holdings information from a shareholder or non-shareholder if it believes that providing such information will be contrary to the best interests of a Fund.

 

The Board provides ongoing oversight of the Company’s policies and procedures and compliance with such policies and procedures. As part of this oversight function, the Board receives from the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) as necessary, reports on compliance with these policies and procedures. In addition, the Board receives an annual assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the policies and procedures with respect to a Fund, and any changes thereto, and an annual review of the operation of the policies and procedures. Any violation of the policy set forth above as well as any corrective action undertaken to address such violation must be reported by the Adviser, directors, officers or third party service providers to the Company’s CCO, who will determine whether the violation should be reported immediately to the Board or at its next quarterly Board meeting.

 

Portfolio Turnover. Changes may be made to a Fund’s portfolio consistent with the investment objective and policies of such Fund whenever such changes are believed to be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities by the average monthly value of a Fund’s portfolio securities. For purposes of this calculation, portfolio securities exclude all securities having a maturity when purchased of one year or less. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rates for the Funds can be found below. High portfolio turnover may result in increased brokerage costs to a Fund and also adverse tax consequences to a Fund’s shareholders. Under normal circumstances each of the Funds expects to have a low portfolio turnover rate.

 

 

For the Fiscal

Year Ended
August 31, 2019

For the Fiscal

Year Ended
August 31, 2018

Free Market U.S. Equity Fund 7% 2%
Free Market International Equity Fund 4% 3%
Free Market Fixed Income Fund 3% 0%

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

 

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the oversight of the Board, subject to the laws of the State of Maryland and the Company’s Charter. The Directors are responsible for deciding matters of overall policy and overseeing the actions of the Company’s service providers. The officers of the Company conduct and supervise the Company’s daily business operations.

 

Directors who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) are referred to as “Independent Directors.” Directors who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company are referred to as “Interested Directors.” The Board is currently composed of seven Independent Directors and one Interested Director. The Board has selected Arnold M. Reichman, an Independent Director, to act as Chairman. Mr. Reichman’s duties include presiding at meetings of the Board and interfacing with management to address significant issues that may arise between regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings. In the performance of his duties, Mr. Reichman will consult with the other Independent Directors and the Company’s officers and legal counsel, as appropriate. The Chairman may perform other functions as requested by the Board from time to time.

 

The Board meets as often as necessary to discharge its responsibilities. Currently, the Board conducts regular, in-person meetings at least four times a year, and holds special in-person or telephonic meetings as necessary to address specific issues that require attention prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board also relies on professionals, such as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms and legal counsel, to assist the Directors in performing their oversight responsibilities.

 

15 

 

The Board has established nine standing committees — Audit, Contract, Executive, Investment and Liquidity Risk, Nominating and Governance, Product Development, Regulatory Oversight, Strategic Oversight, and Valuation Committees. The Board may establish other committees, or nominate one or more Directors to examine particular issues related to the Board’s oversight responsibilities, from time to time. Each Committee meets periodically to perform its delegated oversight functions and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board. For more information on the Committees, see the section entitled “Standing Committees.”

 

The Board has determined that the Company’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities.

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

The Directors and executive officers of the Company, their ages, business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

 

Name, Address, and Age Position(s) Held with Company

Term of Office

and Length of Time Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios

in Fund Complex Overseen by Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

Julian A. Brodsky
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 86

Director 1988 to present From 1969 to 2011, Director and Vice Chairman, Comcast Corporation (cable television and communications). 34 AMDOCS Limited (service provider to telecommunications companies).

J. Richard Carnall
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age:81

Director 2002 to present Since 1984, Director of Haydon Bolts, Inc. (bolt manufacturer) and Parkway Real Estate Company (subsidiary of Haydon Bolts, Inc.); since 2004, Director of Cornerstone Bank. 34 None

Gregory P. Chandler
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age:53

 

Director 2012 to present Since 2009, Chief Financial Officer, Emtec, Inc. (information technology consulting/services). 34 Emtec, Inc. (until December 2019); FS Investment Corporation (business development company) (until December 2018); FS Energy and Power Fund (business development company); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company).

Nicholas A. Giordano
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 76

Director 2006 to present Since 1997, Consultant, financial services organizations. 34

IntriCon Corporation (biomedical device manufacturer); Kalmar Pooled Investment Trust (registered investment company) (until September 2017); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company); Independence Blue Cross (healthcare insurance).

Arnold M. Reichman
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 71

Chairman

 

Director

2005 to present

 

1991 to present

From 2006-2016, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lifebooker, LLC (online beauty and health appointment booking service). 34 Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

Brian T. Shea

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 59

Director 2018 to present From 2014-2017, Chief Executive Officer, BNY Mellon Investment Services (fund services, global custodian and securities clearing firm); from 1983-2014, Chief Executive Officer and various positions, Pershing LLC (broker dealer, clearing and custody firm). 34

WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (asset management company) (until March 2019); Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (financial services technology company); Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (financial services company).

Robert A. Straniere
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 78

Director 2006 to present Since 2009, Administrative Law Judge, New York City; since 1980, Founding Partner, Straniere Law Group (law firm). 34

Reich and Tang Group (asset management) (until 2015).

 

16 

 

Name, Address, and Age Position(s) Held with Company

Term of Office

and Length of Time Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios

in Fund Complex Overseen by Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

Robert Sablowsky
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 81

Vice Chairman

 

Director

2016 to present

 

1991 to present

Since 2002, Senior Director - Investments and prior thereto, Executive Vice President, of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (a registered broker-dealer). 34 None
OFFICERS
Salvatore Faia, JD,
CPA, CFE
Vigilant Compliance, LLC
Gateway Corporate
Center Suite 216
223 Wilmington
West Chester Pike
Chadds Ford, PA 19317
Age: 57

President

 

Chief Compliance Officer

2009 to present

 

2004 to present

Since 2004, President, Vigilant Compliance, LLC (investment management services company); since 2005, Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

N/A N/A

James G. Shaw
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 59

 

Treasurer

and

Secretary

2016 to present Since 2016, Treasurer and Secretary of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2005 to 2016, Assistant Treasurer of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 1995 to 2016, Senior Director and Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (financial services company). N/A N/A

Craig A. Urciuoli

615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 45

Director of Marketing & Business Development 2019 to present Since 2019, Director of Marketing & Business Development, The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2000-2019, Managing Director, Third Avenue Management LLC. N/A N/A

Jennifer Witt

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 37

 

Assistant Treasurer 2018 to present Since 2016, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm); from 2007 to 2016, Supervisor, Nuveen Investments (registered investment company). N/A N/A

Edward Paz

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 49

Assistant Secretary

 

2016 to present Since 2007, Vice President and Counsel, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm). N/A N/A
Michael P. Malloy
One Logan Square
Suite 2000
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Age: 60
Assistant
Secretary
1999 to present Since 1993, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm). N/A N/A

Jillian L. Bosmann

One Logan Square
Suite 2000
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Age: 41

Assistant
Secretary
2017 to present Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle&Reath LLP (law firm) (2017-Present); Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (2006-Present). N/A N/A

 

* Each Director oversees 34 portfolios of the Company.
1. Subject to the Company’s Retirement Policy, each Director may continue to serve as a Director until the last day of the calendar year in which the applicable Director attains age 75 or until his successor is elected and qualified or his death, resignation or removal. The Board reserves the right to waive the requirements of the Policy with respect to an individual Director. The Board has approved waivers of the policy with respect to Messrs. Brodsky, Carnall, Giordano, Sablowsky and Straniere. Each officer holds office at the pleasure of the Board until the next special meeting of the Company or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed.
2. Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “interested person” of the Company as that term is defined in the 1940 Act and is referred to as an “Interested Director.” Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “Interested Director” of the Company by virtue of his position as an employee of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

 

Director Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and/or Skills

 

The information above includes each Director’s principal occupations during the last five years. Each Director possesses extensive additional experience, skills and attributes relevant to his qualifications to serve as a Director. The cumulative background of each Director led to the conclusion that each Director should serve as a Director of the Company. Mr. Giordano has years of experience as a consultant to financial services organizations and also serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Mr. Reichman brings decades of investment management experience to the Board, in addition to senior executive-level management experience. Mr. Straniere has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and has served on the boards of an asset management company and another registered investment company. Mr. Brodsky has over 40 years of senior executive-level management experience in the cable television and communications industry. Mr. Sablowsky has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the financial services industry. Mr. Carnall has decades of senior executive-level management experience in the banking and financial services industry and also serves on the boards of various corporations and a bank. Mr. Chandler has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the investment technology consulting/services and investment banking/brokerage industries, and also serves on various boards. Mr. Shea has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the brokerage, clearing and investment services industry, including service on the boards of industry regulatory organizations and a university.

 

17 

 

Standing Committees

 

The responsibilities of each Committee of the Board and its members are described below.

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler and Giordano. The Audit Committee, among other things, reviews results of the annual audit and approves the firm(s) to serve as independent auditors. The Audit Committee convened three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Contract Committee. The Board has a Contract Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Contract Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler, Sablowsky and Straniere. The Contract Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the approval and continuation of agreements and plans of the Company. The Contract Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Executive Committee. The Board has an Executive Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Executive Committee are Messrs. Chandler, Giordano, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Executive Committee may generally carry on and manage the business of the Company when the Board is not in session. The Executive Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee. The Board has an Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two Independent Directors. The current members of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee are Messrs. Reichman, Sablowsky and Shea. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee ensures that the Company’s investment advisers have adopted investment and liquidity risk management policies and procedures. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee met one time during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Giordano and Reichman. The Nominating and Governance Committee recommends to the Board all persons to be nominated as Directors of the Company. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Committee care of the Company’s Secretary. The Nominating and Governance Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Product Development Committee. The Board has a Product Development Committee comprised of the Interested Director and one Independent Director. The current members of the Product Development Committee are Messrs. Reichman and Sablowsky. The Product Development Committee oversees the process regarding the addition of new investment advisers and investment products to the Company. The Product Development Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Regulatory Oversight Committee. The Board has a Regulatory Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and four Independent Directors. The current members of the Regulatory Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Reichman, Sablowsky, Shea and Straniere. The Regulatory Oversight Committee monitors regulatory developments in the mutual fund industry and focuses on various regulatory aspects of the operation of the Company. The Regulatory Oversight Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Strategic Oversight Committee. The Board has a Strategic Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Strategic Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Chandler, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Strategic Oversight Committee assists the Board in its oversight and review of the Company’s strategic plan and operations. The Strategic Oversight Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Valuation Committee. The Board has a Valuation Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two officers of the Company. The members of the Valuation Committee are Messrs. Faia, Sablowsky and Shaw. The Valuation Committee is responsible for reviewing fair value determinations. The Valuation Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Risk Oversight

 

The Board performs its risk oversight function for the Company through a combination of (1) direct oversight by the Board as a whole and Board committees and (2) indirect oversight through the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, Company officers and the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer. The Company is subject to a number of risks, including but not limited to investment risk, compliance risk, operational risk, reputational risk, credit risk and counterparty risk. Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Company is the responsibility of the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk) that carry out the Company’s investment management and business affairs. Each of the investment advisers and the other service providers have their own independent interest in risk management and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models and may differ from the Company’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.

 

The Board provides risk oversight by receiving and reviewing on a regular basis reports from the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers, receiving and approving compliance policies and procedures, periodic meetings with the Company’s portfolio managers to review investment policies, strategies and risks, and meeting regularly with the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer to discuss compliance reports, findings and issues. The Board also relies on the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, with respect to the day-to-day activities of the Company, to create and maintain procedures and controls to minimize risk and the likelihood of adverse effects on the Company’s business and reputation.

 

Board oversight of risk management is also provided by various Board Committees. For example, the Audit Committee meets with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms to ensure that the Company’s respective audit scopes include risk-based considerations as to the Company’s financial position and operations.

 

18 

 

The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight. The Board’s oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Company’s investments or activities.

 

Director Ownership of Shares of the Company

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in the Funds and in all of the portfolios of the Company (which for each Director comprise all registered investment companies within the Company’s family of investment companies overseen by him) as of December 31, 2019.

 

Name of Director

Dollar Range of

Equity Securities in the

Funds

Aggregate Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in All
Registered Investment Companies
Overseen by Director within the

Family of Investment Companies
INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
Julian A. Brodsky None Over $100,000
J. Richard Carnall None $10,001-$50,000
Gregory P. Chandler None $10,001-$50,000
Nicholas A. Giordano None $10,001-$50,000
Arnold M. Reichman None Over $100,000
Brian Shea None $10,001-$50,000
Robert A. Straniere None $1-$10,000
INTERESTED DIRECTOR
Robert Sablowsky None Over $100,000

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in each individual Fund as of December 31, 2019:

 

Name of Director/Officer Free Market U.S. Equity Fund Free Market International Fund Free Market Fixed Income Fund
Independent Directors:      
Julian A. Brodsky, Director None None None
J. Richard Carnall, Director None None None
Gregory P. Chandler, Director None None None
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director None None None
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman None None None
Brian T. Shea, Director None None None
Robert A. Straniere, Director None None None
Interested Director:      
Robert Sablowsky, Director None None None
Officer:      
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary None None None

 

Directors’ and Officers’ Compensation

 

Effective April 1, 2019, the Company pays each Director a retainer at the rate of $125,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each receives an additional fee of $20,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee each receives an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services. The Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee receives an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $35,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $75,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

From January 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, the Company paid each Director a retainer at the rate of $100,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each received an additional fee of $15,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee received an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services, and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee each received an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $25,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $50,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

Directors are reimbursed for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board or any committee thereof. An employee of Vigilant Compliance, LLC serves as President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Company. Vigilant Compliance, LLC is compensated for the services provided to the Company, and such compensation is determined by the Board. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, Vigilant Compliance, LLC received $79,571, $57,341, and $72,107 from the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund, respectively, and $770,742 in aggregate from all series of the Company for services provided. An employee of the Company serves as Treasurer and Secretary and is compensated for services provided. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from the Funds in the following amounts:

 

19 

 

Name of Director/Officer Aggregate
Compensation

from the Funds
Pension or
Retirement

Benefits Accrued
Estimated
Annual
Benefits Upon

Retirement

Total
Compensation
From

Fund Complex

Paid to

Directors
or Officer

Independent Directors:        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director $50,352  N/A  N/A $148,750
J. Richard Carnall, Director $51,449  N/A  N/A $152,250
Gregory P. Chandler, Director $60,189  N/A  N/A $178,500
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director $52,785  N/A  N/A $156,875
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman $69,899  N/A  N/A $208,500
Brian T. Shea, Director $52,246  N/A  N/A $152,500
Robert A. Straniere, Director $52,935  N/A  N/A $155,750
Interested Director:        
Robert Sablowsky, Director $69,275  N/A  N/A $205,250
Officer:        
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary $105,444  N/A  N/A $288,000

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from each of the Funds in the following amounts:

 

Name of Director/Officer Free Market
U.S. Equity Fund
Free Market
International
Equity Fund
Free Market
Fixed Income
Fund
Independent Directors:      
Julian A. Brodsky, Director $19,276 $13,759 $17,317
J. Richard Carnall, Director $19,732 $14,040 $17,677
Gregory P. Chandler, Director $23,070 $16,445 $20,674
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director $20,266 $14,418 $18,101
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman $26,817 $19,086 $23,997
Brian T. Shea, Director $20,017 $14,263 $17,966
Robert A. Straniere, Director $20,262 $14,448 $18,225
Interested Director:      
Robert Sablowsky, Director $26,539 $18,928 $23,808
Officer:      
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary $40,237 $28,892 $36,315

  

Each compensated Director is entitled to participate in the Company’s deferred compensation plan (the “DC Plan”). Under the DC Plan, a compensated Director may elect to defer all or a portion of his compensation and have the deferred compensation treated as if it had been invested by the Company in shares of one or more of the portfolios of the Company. The amount paid to the Directors under the DC Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Independent Directors and their respective immediate family members (spouse or dependent children) did not own beneficially or of record any securities of the Company’s investment advisers or distributor, or of any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment advisers or distributor.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

As of January 31, 2020, to the Company’s knowledge, the following named persons at the addresses shown below were owners of record of approximately 5% or more of the total outstanding shares of each Fund as indicated below. See “Additional Information Concerning Company Shares” below. Any shareholder that owns 25% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund may be presumed to “control” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) the Fund. Shareholders controlling a Fund could have the ability to vote a majority of the shares of the Fund on any matter requiring approval of the shareholders of the Fund.

 

20 

 

Name of Fund Shareholder Name and Address Percentage of
Shares Owned as of  
January 31, 2020
Free Market U.S. Equity Fund Charles Schwab & Company Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn Mutual Funds
211 Main St
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
54.09%
Free Market U.S. Equity Fund E*Trade Savings Bank
FBO #24
P.O. Box 6503
Englewood, Co 80155-6503
43.58%
Free Market International Equity Fund Charles Schwab & Company Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn Mutual Funds
211 Main St
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
53.77%
Free Market International Equity Fund E*Trade Savings Bank
FBO #24
P.O. Box 6503
Englewood, Co 80155-6503
43.98%
Free Market Fixed Income Fund Charles Schwab & Company Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
Attn Mutual Funds
211 Main St
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
55.32%
Free Market Fixed Income Fund E*Trade Savings Bank
FBO #24
P.O. Box 6503
Englewood, Co 80155-6503
43.10%

 

As of January 31, 2020, the Directors and officers as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each Fund.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Company and the Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permits personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Company, subject to certain restrictions.

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

 

The Board has delegated the responsibility of voting proxies with respect to the portfolio securities purchased and/or held by each Fund to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. In exercising its voting obligations, the Adviser is guided by its general fiduciary duty to act prudently and in the interest of the Funds. The Adviser will consider factors affecting the value of the Funds’ investments and the rights of shareholders in its determination on voting portfolio securities.

 

The Adviser has adopted proxy voting procedures with respect to voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Funds. A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies is included with this SAI. Please see Appendix B to this SAI for further information.

 

Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-866-780-0357 or by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

Investment Adviser

 

The Adviser renders advisory services to the Funds pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (“Advisory Agreement”) dated as of December 31, 2007. The Adviser is not a subsidiary of or under the control of any other company. Mark E. Matson, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Adviser, is a control person of the Adviser since he owns a majority of the Adviser’s voting stock, and members of Mr. Matson’s family own all of the remaining shares of the Adviser’s voting stock.

 

Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser will provide for the overall management of the Funds including (i) the provision of a continuous investment program for the Funds, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents, (ii) the determination from time to time of what securities and other investments will be purchased, retained, or sold by the Funds, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for all purchases and sales made for the Funds. The Adviser will provide the services rendered by it in accordance with each Fund’s investment goal, restrictions and policies as stated in the Prospectus and in this SAI. The Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment, mistake of law, or for any loss suffered by the Funds in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Advisory Agreement.

 

For its services to the Funds, effective March 1, 2018, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee at the annual rate of 0.50% of the first $1 billion of each Fund's average daily net assets, 0.49% of each Fund's average daily net assets over $1 billion to $3 billion, 0.48% of each Fund’s average daily net assets over $3 billion to $5 billion, and 0.47% of each Fund's average daily net assets over $5 billion, computed daily and payable monthly. The Adviser has voluntarily agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses to the extent that the Fund’s total annual operating expenses exceeded 1.13%, 1.35% and 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets with respect to the Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund, respectively. The Adviser may discontinue these arrangements at any time.

 

21 

 

The advisory fees, including waivers and reimbursements for the past three fiscal years are as follows:

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended
August 31, 2019
 

Advisory Fees (after waivers and

reimbursements)

    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Free Market U.S. Equity Fund   $ 15,044,625     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market International Equity Fund   $ 10,918,207     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market Fixed Income Fund   $ 13,861,501     $ 0     $ 0  

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended
August 31, 2018
 

Advisory Fees (after waivers and

reimbursements)

    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Free Market U.S. Equity Fund   $ 15,280,222     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market International Equity Fund   $ 11,506,137     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market Fixed Income Fund   $ 13,306,555     $ 0     $ 0  

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended
August 31, 2017
  Advisory Fees (after waivers and reimbursements)     Waivers     Reimbursements  
Free Market U.S. Equity Fund   $ 12,605,219     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market International Equity Fund   $ 9,451,305     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market Fixed Income Fund   $ 11,315,952     $ 0     $ 0  

 

The Adviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under the Advisory Agreement. Each Fund bears all of its own expenses not specifically assumed by the Adviser. General expenses of the Company not readily identifiable as belonging to a portfolio of the Company are allocated among all investment portfolios by or under the direction of the Board in such manner as it deems to be fair and equitable. Expenses borne by the Fund include, but are not limited to the following (or the Fund’s share of the following): (a) the cost (including brokerage commissions) of securities purchased or sold by the Fund and any losses incurred in connection therewith; (b) fees payable to and expenses incurred on behalf of the Fund by the Adviser; (c) filing fees and expenses relating to the registration and qualification of the Company and the Fund’s shares under federal and/or state securities laws and maintaining such registrations and qualifications; (d) fees and salaries payable to the Company’s Directors and officers; (e) taxes (including any income or franchise taxes) and governmental fees; (f) costs of any liability and other insurance or fidelity bonds; (g) any costs, expenses or losses arising out of a liability of or claim for damages or other relief asserted against the Company or the Fund for violation of any law; (h) legal, accounting and auditing expenses, including legal fees of special counsel for the independent Directors; (i) charges of custodians and other agents; (j) expenses of setting in type and printing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto for existing shareholders, reports, statements, and confirmations to shareholders and proxy materials that are not attributable to a class; (k) costs of mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto to existing shareholders, as well as reports to shareholders and proxy materials that are not attributable to a class; (1) any extraordinary expenses; (m) fees, voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; (n) costs of mailing and tabulating proxies and costs of shareholders’ and Directors’ meetings; (o) costs of independent pricing services to value a portfolio’s securities; and (p) the costs of investment company literature and other publications provided by the Company to its Directors and officers. Distribution expenses, transfer agency expenses, expenses of preparation, printing and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy statements and reports to shareholders, and organizational expenses and registration fees, identified as belonging to a particular class of the Company, are allocated to such class.

 

The Advisory Agreement is terminable by vote of the Board or by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, at any time without penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated by the Adviser at any time, without payment of any penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund. The Advisory Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment.

 

The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall at all times have all rights in and to the Fund’s name and all investment models used by or on behalf of the Fund. The Adviser may use the Fund’s name or any portion thereof in connection with any other mutual fund or business activity without the consent of any shareholder, and the Company has agreed to execute and deliver any and all documents required to indicate its consent to such use.

 

The Advisory Agreement further provides that no public reference to, or description of, the Adviser or its methodology or work shall be made by the Company, whether in the Prospectus, SAI or otherwise, without the Adviser’s prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. In each case, the Company has agreed to provide the Adviser a reasonable opportunity to review any such reference or description before being asked for such consent.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Description of Compensation. As of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers receive a base salary, a year-end incentive bonus based on company profitability and may receive a quarterly bonus based on services provided to the Adviser. Compensation of a portfolio manager is determined at the discretion of the portfolio manager’s supervisor and is based on a portfolio manager’s experience, responsibilities, the perception of the quality of his or her work efforts and other subjective factors. The compensation of portfolio managers is not directly based upon the performance of the Portfolios or other accounts that they manage. The portfolio manager’s supervisor reviews the compensation of each portfolio manager annually and may make modifications in compensation as it deems necessary to reflect changes in the market.

 

22 

 

Other Accounts. The table below discloses accounts, other than the Funds, for which each portfolio manager is primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management, as of December 31, 2019.

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager or Team
Member
Type of Accounts Total
# of
Accounts
Managed
Total Assets # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Total Assets that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
Mark E. Matson Other Registered Investment Companies: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Accounts: 1,412 $435 million 0 $0
Daniel J. List Other Registered Investment Companies: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Accounts: 1,412 $435 million 0 $0

 

The portfolio managers utilize a team based approach to other accounts managed. The portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for the management of a portion of the total assets and number of accounts shown.

 

Conflicts of Interest. Matson Money reviewed its conflicts of interest and risk factors and has attempted to develop policies and procedures to address these matters. Matson Money does not engage in transactions on behalf of client accounts with any affiliates. Matson Money does not have custody of any client securities or funds. Neither Matson Money nor any of its related persons act as general partners or managing members of any unregistered pooled investment vehicle. Matson Money does not manage its own proprietary account. Moreover, none of Matson Money’s officers or employees engage in any outside business activities that conflict with Matson Money’s duties to its clients. Finally, Matson Money does not purchase IPOs or individual securities for clients. Thus, Matson Money’s conflicts and risk factors are in the following areas: solicitation practices, suitability of Matson Money’s services for a client, trade errors, marketing practices, compliance with any client guidelines and restrictions, valuation of client accounts and calculation of fees, safeguarding of client assets, safeguarding of the privacy of client information, disaster recovery, accurate disclosure of information to clients and regulators, and accurate creation and secure maintenance of client records. Matson Money’s Compliance Manual is available upon request, which has more detailed explanations of policies and procedures currently in place to safeguard against potential conflicts/risks.

 

Securities Ownership. The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Portfolio Manager in each of the Funds as of December 31, 2019:

 

Portfolio Manager Dollar ($) Value of Fund Shares
Beneficially Owned
Free Market U.S. Equity  
Mark E. Matson $50,001- $100,000
Daniel J. List $1- $10,000
Free Market International Equity  
Mark E. Matson $50,001- $100,000
Daniel J. List $1- $10,000
Free Market Fixed Income  
Mark E. Matson $500,001- $1,000,000
Daniel J. List $1- $10,000

 

Custodian Agreement

 

U.S. Bank, N.A, 1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as custodian (the “Custodian”) of the Funds’ assets pursuant to a custodian agreement between the Custodian and the Company (the “Custodian Agreement”). Under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian: (a) maintains a separate account or accounts in the name of each Fund; (b) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of each Fund; (c) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of each Fund; (d) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of each Fund’s portfolio securities; and (e) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the Funds’ operations. The Custodian is authorized to select one or more banks or trust companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Funds, provided that the Custodian remains responsible for the performance of all of its duties under the Custodian Agreement and holds the Company harmless from the acts and omissions of any sub-custodian. For its services to the Funds under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian receives a fee based on the Funds’ average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Funds.

 

Transfer Agency Agreement

 

Fund Services, with corporate offices at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Funds pursuant to a transfer agency and servicing agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”). Under the Transfer Agency Agreement, Fund Services: (a) issues and redeems shares of each Fund; (b) addresses and mails all communications by the Funds to record owners of Shares of the Fund, including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and proxy materials for its meetings of shareholders; (c) maintains shareholder accounts and, if requested, sub-accounts; and (d) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the operations of the Funds. Fund Services may, subject to the Board’s approval, assign its duties as transfer and dividend disbursing agent to any affiliate. For its services to the Funds under the Transfer Agency Agreement, Fund Services receives an annual fee based on the number of accounts in the Funds and the Funds’ average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Funds.

 

23 

 

Fund Services also provides services relating to the implementation of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. In addition, Fund Services provides services relating to the implementation of the Company’s Customer Identification Program, including the verification of required customer information and the maintenance of records with respect to such verification.

 

Administration and Accounting Services Agreement

 

Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as fund administrator to the Fund pursuant to a fund administration servicing agreement, and serves as fund accountant pursuant to a fund accounting servicing agreement (the “Administration Agreements”). Under the fund accounting servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to furnish to the Fund statistical and research data, clerical, accounting and bookkeeping services, and certain other services required by the Fund. Under the fund administration servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to provide fund administration services to the Company. These services include the preparation and coordination of the Company’s annual post-effective amendment filing and supplements to the Fund’s registration statement, the preparation and assembly of board meeting materials, and certain other services necessary to the Company’s fund administration. In addition, Fund Services has agreed to prepare and file various reports with the appropriate regulatory agencies and prepare materials required by the SEC or any state securities commission having jurisdiction over the Fund.

 

The Administration Agreements provide that Fund Services shall be obligated to exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties and that Fund Services shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Company in connection with its duties under the Administration Agreements, except a loss resulting from Fund Services’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the applicable Administration Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties thereunder.

 

Fund Services receives a fee under the Administration Agreements based on the average daily net assets of the Company.

 

Effective October 1, 2016, Fund Services replaced the Funds’ prior administrator as fund administrator and fund accountant to the Funds. For the past three fiscal years, each Fund paid Fund Services and the Funds’ prior administrator, as applicable, certain administration, accounting and regulatory administration fees and related out of pocket expenses as follows:

For the Fiscal Year Ended
August 31, 2019
  Administration, Accounting
and Regulatory
Administration Fees Paid
(after waivers and reimbursements)
    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Free Market U.S. Equity Fund   $ 789,804     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market International Equity Fund   $ 561,758     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market Fixed Income Fund   $ 728,466     $ 0     $ 0  

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended
August 31, 2018
  Administration, Accounting
and Regulatory
Administration Fees Paid
(after waivers and reimbursements)
    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Free Market U.S. Equity Fund   $ 782,581     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market International Equity Fund   $ 596,966     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market Fixed Income Fund   $ 683,041     $ 0     $ 0  

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended
August 31, 2017
  Administration, Accounting
and Regulatory
Administration Fees Paid
(after waivers and
reimbursements)
    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Free Market U.S. Equity Fund   $ 723,880     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market International Equity Fund   $ 482,000     $ 0     $ 0  
Free Market Fixed Income Fund   $ 641,906     $ 0     $ 0  

 

The Administration Agreement provides that Fund Services shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Company or a Fund in connection with the performance of the agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder.

 

The Company entered into a fund administration servicing agreement with Fund Services. Under this agreement, Fund Services has agreed to provide fund administration services to the Company. These services include the preparation and coordination of the Company’s annual post-effective amendment filing and supplements to the Company’s registration statement, the preparation and assembly of board meeting materials, and certain other services necessary to the Company’s fund administration. Fund Services receives an annual fee based on the average daily net assets of the portfolios of the Company.

 

24 

 

DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS

 

Distribution Agreement

 

Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), whose principal business address is 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, 6th Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the underwriter to the Funds pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor is not affiliated with the Company or the Adviser. The Distributor, U.S. Bank, N.A., and Fund Services are affiliates.

 

Under the Distribution Agreement with the Company, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Funds. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Funds on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company.

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Funds. With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Funds and/or the Adviser, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements. These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor. These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Funds.

 

Investors who purchase shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein. Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares. Investors purchasing shares of the Funds through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary. The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote shares depending upon their arrangement with the financial intermediary. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Funds for its distribution services except the distribution/service fees with respect to the shares of those classes for which a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan is effective. The Adviser pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.

 

The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Company on behalf of the Fund on no less than 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement, or by the Distributor, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any loss suffered by the Company in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof.

 

FUND TRANSACTIONS

 

Subject to policies established by the Board and applicable rules, the Adviser is responsible for the execution of portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage transactions for the Funds. In executing portfolio transactions, the Adviser seeks to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for the Funds, taking into account such factors as the price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of the order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm involved. While the Adviser generally seeks reasonably competitive commission rates, payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions.

 

No Fund has any obligation to deal with any broker or group of brokers in the execution of portfolio transactions. The Adviser may, consistent with the interests of the Funds and subject to the approval of the Board, select brokers on the basis of the research, statistical and pricing services they provide to the Funds and other clients of the Adviser. Information and research received from such brokers will be in addition to, and not in lieu of, the services required to be performed by the Adviser under its respective contracts. A commission paid to such brokers may be higher than that which another qualified broker would have charged for effecting the same transaction, provided that the Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in terms either of the transaction or the overall responsibility of the Adviser to a Fund and its other clients and that the total commissions paid by a Fund will be reasonable in relation to the benefits to a Fund over the long-term.

 

Investment decisions for each Fund and for other investment accounts managed by the Adviser are made independently of each other in the light of differing conditions. However, the same investment decision may be made for two or more of such accounts. In such cases, simultaneous transactions are inevitable. Purchases or sales are then averaged as to price and allocated as to amount according to a formula deemed equitable to each such account. While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect upon the price or value of the security as far as a Fund is concerned, in other cases it is believed to be beneficial to a Fund.

 

For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017 the Free Market US Equity Fund paid $373, $4,106, and $0, respectively, in aggregated brokerage commissions.

 

For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017 the Free Market International Equity Fund paid $0, $0, and $0, respectively, in aggregated brokerage commissions.

 

For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017 the Free Market Fixed Income Fund paid $34,817, $39,050, and $0, respectively, in aggregated brokerage commissions.

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

 

You may purchase shares through an account maintained by your brokerage firm and you may also purchase shares directly by mail or wire. The Company reserves the right, if conditions exist that make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase of a Fund’s shares by making payment in whole or in part in securities chosen by the Company and valued in the same way as they would be valued for purposes of computing that Fund’s NAV. If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction costs in converting these securities into cash. A shareholder will also bear any market risk or tax consequences as a result of a payment in securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act so that each Fund is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund. A shareholder will bear the risk of a decline in market value and any tax consequences associated with a redemption in securities.

 

25 

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Company may suspend the right to redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), or during which the SEC restricts trading on the NYSE or determines an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or valuation of portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC may permit. (The Company may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions.)

 

Shares of the Company are subject to redemption by the Company, at the redemption price of such shares as in effect from time to time, including, without limitation: (1) to reimburse a Fund for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder as provided in the Prospectus from time to time; (2) if such redemption is, in the opinion of the Board, desirable in order to prevent the Company or any Fund from being deemed a “personal holding company” within the meaning of the Code; (3) or if the net income with respect to any particular class of common stock should be negative or it should otherwise be appropriate to carry out the Company’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

 

Each Fund has the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the particular Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES

 

The Company’s telephone transaction procedures include the following measures: (1) requiring the appropriate telephone transaction privilege forms; (2) requiring the caller to provide the names of the account owners, the account social security number and name of the Fund, all of which must match the Company’s records; (3) requiring the Company’s service representative to complete a telephone transaction form, listing all of the above caller identification information; (4) permitting exchanges (if applicable) only if the two account registrations are identical; (5) requiring that redemption proceeds be sent only by check to the account owners of record at the address of record, or by wire only to the owners of record at the bank account of record; (6) sending a written confirmation for each telephone transaction to the owners of record at the address of record within five (5) business days of the call; and (7) maintaining tapes of telephone transactions for six months, if the Company elects to record shareholder telephone transactions. For accounts held of record by broker-dealers, financial institutions, securities dealers, financial planners and other industry professionals, additional documentation or information regarding the scope of a caller’s authority is required. Finally, for telephone transactions in accounts held jointly, additional information regarding other account holders is required. Telephone transactions will not be permitted in connection with Individual Retirement Account or other retirement plan accounts.

 

VALUATION OF SHARES

 

In accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, the NAV per share of each Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to the Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or such other time as the NYSE or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the NYSE is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The NYSE is generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (observed), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Company reserves the right to reprocess purchase, redemption and exchange transactions that were initially processed at a NAV other than a Fund’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders based on the official closing NAV. The Company reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, a Fund may compute its NAV as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.

 

The securities of the Funds are valued under the direction of the Funds’ administrator and under the general supervision of the Board. Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices. Subject to the approval of the Board, the Funds may employ outside organizations, which may use a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indices, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments in determining the approximate market value of portfolio investments. This may result in the investments being valued at a price that differs from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used. All cash, receivables, and current payables are carried on a Fund’s books at their face value. Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Funds’ Valuation Committee under the direction of the Board.

 

The procedures used by any pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Company under the general supervision of the Board.

 

The Funds may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges. These securities may trade on weekends or other days when the Funds do not calculate NAV. As a result, the value of these investments may change on days when you cannot purchase or sell Fund shares.

 

TAXES

 

The following summarizes certain tax considerations generally affecting the Funds, the underlying investment companies, and Fund shareholders that are not fully described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Funds, the underlying investment companies, or Fund shareholders, and the discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Potential investors should consult their tax advisers with specific reference to their own tax situations.

 

The discussions of the federal tax consequences in the Prospectus and this SAI are based on the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and the regulations issued under it, and court decisions and administrative interpretations, as in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly alter the statements included herein, and any such changes or decisions may be retroactive.

 

26 

 

General

 

Each Fund and each underlying investment company intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. As such, each Fund and underlying investment company generally will be exempt from federal income tax on its net investment income and realized capital gains that it distributes to shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, each Fund and underlying investment company must meet three important tests each year.

 

First, each Fund and underlying investment company must derive with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies or net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Second, generally, at the close of each quarter of each Fund’s and each underlying investment company’s taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s and the underlying investment companies’ assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund or underlying investment company has not invested more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of such issuer and as to which the Fund or underlying investment company does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer), and no more than 25% of the value of each Fund’s and each underlying investment company’s total assets may be invested in the securities of (1) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), (2) two or more issuers that the Fund or underlying investment company controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or (3) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Third, each Fund and underlying investment company must distribute an amount equal to at least the sum of 90% of the Fund’s or underlying investment company’s investment company taxable income (net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) before taking into account any deduction for dividends paid, and 90% of its tax-exempt income, if any, for the year.

 

Each Fund and underlying investment company intends to comply with these requirements. If a Fund or underlying investment company were to fail to make sufficient distributions, it could be liable for corporate income tax and for excise tax in respect of the shortfall or, if the shortfall is large enough, the Fund or underlying investment company could be disqualified as a regulated investment company. If for any taxable year a Fund or underlying investment company were not to qualify as a regulated investment company, all its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In that event, shareholders in a Fund or underlying investment company would recognize dividend income on distributions to the extent of the Fund’s or underlying investment company’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, and corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends-received deduction.

 

The Code imposes a nondeductible 4% excise tax on regulated investment companies that fail to distribute each year an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). Each Fund and underlying investment company intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions each year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

 

As of August 31, 2019, the Free Market Fixed Income Fund had $3,183,593 in capital loss carryforwards.

 

Taxation of Certain Investments

 

The tax principles applicable to transactions in financial instruments, such as futures contracts and options, that may be engaged in by a Fund or an underlying investment company, and investments in passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”), are complex and, in some cases, uncertain. Such transactions and investments may cause a Fund or an underlying investment company to recognize taxable income prior to the receipt of cash, thereby requiring the Fund or the underlying investment company to liquidate other positions, or to borrow money, so as to make sufficient distributions to shareholders to avoid corporate-level tax. Moreover, some or all of the taxable income recognized may be ordinary income or short-term capital gain, so that the distributions may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

 

In addition, in the case of any shares of a PFIC in which a Fund or an underlying investment company invests, the Fund or the underlying investment company may be liable for corporate-level tax on any ultimate gain or distributions on the shares if the Fund or the underlying investment company fails to make an election to recognize income annually during the period of its ownership of the shares.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

Although each Fund and underlying investment company expects to qualify as a regulated investment company and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, a Fund or an underlying investment company may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES

 

The Company has authorized capital of 100 billion shares of common stock at a par value of $0.001 per share. Currently, approximately 87.423 billion shares have been classified into 185 classes; however, the Company only has approximately 47 active share classes that have begun investment operations. Under the Company’s charter, the Board has the power to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of common stock from time to time.

 

Each share that represents an interest in a Fund has an equal proportionate interest in the assets belonging to such Fund with each other share that represents an interest in such Fund, even where a share has a different class designation than another share representing an interest in that Fund. Shares of the Company do not have preemptive or conversion rights. When issued for payment as described in the Prospectus, shares of the Company will be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

The Company does not currently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. The Company’s amended By-Laws provide that shareholders collectively owning at least ten percent of the outstanding shares of all classes of Common Stock of the Company have the right to call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more directors. To the extent required by law, the Company will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.

 

27 

 

Holders of shares of each Fund will vote in the aggregate on all matters, except where otherwise required by law. Further, shareholders of the Company will vote in the aggregate and not by portfolio except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular portfolio or class of shares. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted by the provisions of such Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to the holders of the outstanding voting securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, of an investment company such as the Company shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each portfolio affected by the matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a portfolio shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each portfolio in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the portfolio. Under Rule 18f-2 the approval of an investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement or any change in a fundamental investment objective or fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a portfolio only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such portfolio. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the selection of independent public accountants and the election of directors are not subject to the separate voting requirements and may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of an investment company voting without regard to a portfolio. Shareholders of the Company are entitled to one vote for each full share held (irrespective of class or portfolio) and fractional votes for fractional shares held. Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate shares of common stock of the Company may elect all of the Directors.

 

Notwithstanding any provision of Maryland law requiring a greater vote of shares of the Company’s common stock (or of any class voting as a class) in connection with any corporate action, unless otherwise provided by law (for example by Rule 18f-2 discussed above), or by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, the Company may take or authorize such action upon the favorable vote of the holders of more than 50% of all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock voting without regard to class (or portfolio).

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Anti-Money Laundering Program

 

The Funds have established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Funds’ Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures, and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that certain of its service providers have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, and conducting a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Funds will not transact business with any person or legal entity whose identity and beneficial owners, if applicable, cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

Counsel

 

The law firm of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Suite 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996, serves as independent counsel to the Company and the Independent Directors.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Two Commerce Square, Suite 1800, 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The audited financial statements and notes thereto in the Funds’ Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”) are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other parts of the Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. The financial statements included in the Annual Report have been audited by the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report thereon also appears in the Annual Report and is incorporated by reference into this SAI. Such financial statements have been incorporated herein in reliance upon such reports given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing. Copies of the Annual Report may be obtained at no charge by telephoning the Transfer Agent at the telephone number appearing on the front page of this SAI.

 

28 

 

APPENDIX A

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

 

“A-1” - A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

“A-2” - A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

“A-3” - A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

“C” - A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“D” - A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer will differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

 

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

“P-1” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-2” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-3” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“NP” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issuer.

 

Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

 

“F1” - Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

“F2” - Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

“F3” - Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

“B” - Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

“C” - Securities possess high short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

A-1 

 

“RD” - Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

 

“D” - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The “F1” rating may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show the relative status within that major rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS® Ratings Limited (“DBRS”) short-term debt rating scale provides an opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer and the relative ranking of claims. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the sub-categories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for commercial paper and short-term debt:

 

“R-1 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“R-1 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from “R-1 (high)” by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-1 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“R-2 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-2 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

“R-2 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

“R-3” - Short-term debt rated “R-3” is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

“R-4” - Short-term debt rated “R-4” is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

“R-5” - Short-term debt rated “R-5” is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

“D” - Short-term debt rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:

 

“AAA” - An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

“AA” - An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

 

“A” - An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

 

“BBB” - An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” - Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

 

“BB” - An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

A-2 

 

“B” - An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CCC” - An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CC” - An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

 

“C” - An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

 

“D” - An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

 

“NR” - This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. An issuer’s foreign currency rating will differ from its local currency rating when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:

 

“Aaa” - Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

 

“Aa” - Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

“A” - Obligations rated “A” are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

“Baa” - Obligations rated “Baa” are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

“Ba” - Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

“B” - Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

“Caa” - Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

“Ca” - Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

“C” - Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to unrated obligations.

 

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:

 

“AAA” - Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

“AA” - Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

“A” - Securities considered to be of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

A-3 

 

“BBB” - Securities considered to be of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

“BB” - Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicate that there is an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

“B” - Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

“CCC” - A “CCC” rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

 

“CC” - A “CC” rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

 

“C” - A “C” rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned “RD” or “D” ratings but are instead rated in the “CCC” to “C” rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below “CCC”.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS long-term rating scale provides an opinion on the risk of default. That is, the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy its financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which an obligation has been issued. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer, and the relative ranking of claims. All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for long-term debt:

 

“AAA” - Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“AA” - Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from “AAA” only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“A” - Long-term debt rated “A” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than “AA.” May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“BBB” - Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“BB” - Long-term debt rated “BB” is of speculative, non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

“B” - Long-term debt rated “B” is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

“CCC”, “CC” and “C” - Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although “CC” and “C” ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the “CCC” to “B” range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the “C” category.

 

“D” - A security rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Municipal Note Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:

 

Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

Source of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

 

Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

“SP-1” - A municipal note rated “SP-1” exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

A-4 

 

“SP-2” - A municipal note rated “SP-2” exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

“SP-3” - A municipal note rated “SP-3” exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

“D” - This rating is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

 

Moody’s uses the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) scale to rate U.S. municipal bond anticipation notes of up to five years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels - “MIG-1” through “MIG-3” while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated “SG”. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for short-term municipal obligations:

 

“MIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

“MIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

“MIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or “VMIG” scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

 

“VMIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

About Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

 

Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

 

Fitch’s credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Fitch credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch’s credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance, and public finance entities (including supranational and sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.

 

Credit ratings provided by DBRS are forward-looking opinions about credit risk which reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, security and/or obligation. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. While historical statistics and performance can be important considerations, credit ratings are not based solely on such; they include subjective considerations and involve expectations for future performance that cannot be guaranteed. To the extent that future events and economic conditions do not match expectations, credit ratings assigned to issuers, entities, securities and/or obligations can change. Credit ratings are also based on approved and applicable Methodologies (“Methodologies”), which are periodically updated and when material changes are deemed necessary, this may also lead to rating changes.

 

A-5 

 

Credit ratings typically provide an opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the obligation was issued. In some cases, credit ratings may also include consideration for the relative ranking of claims and recovery, should default occur. Credit ratings are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of any specific default probability, nor are they meant to predict such.

 

The data and information on which DBRS bases its opinions is not audited or verified by DBRS, although, DBRS conducts a reasonableness review of information received and relied upon in accordance with its Methodologies and policies.

 

DBRS uses rating symbols as a concise method of expressing its opinion to the market, but there are a limited number of rating categories for the possible slight risk differentials that exist across the rating spectrum and DBRS does not assert that credit ratings in the same category are of “exactly” the same quality.

 

A-6 

 

APPENDIX B

 

1. PROXY VOTING

 

1.1. ADVISER PROXY VOTING

 

Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-6 prohibits SEC-registered advisers from exercising voting authority over client securities without adopting and implementing written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes client securities in the best interest of its clients. 1/ An adviser that chooses not to exercise voting authority must make its nonvoting policy clear to clients.2/

 

1.2. ERISA PROXY VOTING

 

The Department of Labor (“DOL”) has provided investment managers the following guidance about their ERISA responsibilities, when voting proxies:

 

Where the authority to manage plan assets has been delegated to an investment manager, only the investment manager has authority to vote proxies, except when the named fiduciary has reserved to itself or to another named fiduciary (as authorized by the plan document) the right to direct a plan trustee regarding the voting of proxies.3/

 

Under DOL guidance, any adviser with a duty to vote proxies has an obligation to take reasonable steps under the circumstances to ensure that it receives the proxies, including informing the plan sponsor and its trustees, bank custodian or broker-dealer custodian of the requirement that all proxies be forwarded to the adviser and making periodic reviews during the proxy season, including follow-up letters and phone calls if necessary. When voting proxies, an investment manager must consider proxies as a plan asset and vote only in the best economic interests of the plan participants.4/ However, advisers to ERISA accounts may determine not to vote a particular proxy where, for example: (1) the cost of voting the proxy outweighs the potential benefit derived from voting; (2) a proxy is received with respect to securities that have been sold before the date of the shareholder meeting and are no longer held in a client account; (3) the terms of an applicable securities lending agreement prevent the adviser from voting with respect to a loaned security; (4) despite reasonable efforts, the adviser receives proxy materials without sufficient time to reach an informed voting decision and vote the proxies; or (5) the terms of the security or any related agreement or applicable law preclude the adviser from voting. The adviser must properly document votes cast and the named fiduciary has a duty to monitor the adviser’s proxy voting process so advisers to ERISA accounts should be prepared to issue proxy voting reports to clients.

 

1.3. MATSON POLICY: GENERAL

 

Matson votes all proxies relating to underlying mutual funds held in any Matson-managed mutual fund in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act and related rules and forms. Matson’s Portfolio Manager decides how shares of the underlying funds are voted. Due to inherent conflicts of interest, Matson does not vote proxies on shares of the Matson funds held in client accounts. In addition, Matson’s does not accept proxy voting responsibility for any other securities held in the client accounts. Matson’s client agreements specifically disclose that Matson does not vote proxies and requests that ERISA clients, if any, expressly reserve voting authority. The CCO monitors the firm’s proxy voting policy.

 

 

1/ Compare Rel. No. IC-25922 (Jan. 31, 2003) (proxy voting for registered investment companies).
2/ According to the SEC, “[a]dvisers that have implicit as well as explicit voting authority must comply with rule 206(4)-6. The rule thus applies when the advisory contract is silent but the adviser’s voting authority is implied by an overall delegation of discretionary authority.” Final Rule: Proxy Voting by Investment Advisers, SEC Rel. No. IA-2106 (Jan. 31, 2003). Discretionary advisers may avoid implicit voting responsibility by explicitly stating their lack of voting responsibility in advisory contracts or other disclosure documents. See id., at n. 10.
3/ Interpretive Bulletin 94-2, July 28, 1994.
4/ AVON letter (Feb. 23, 1988); MONKS letter (Jan. 23, 1990).

 

B-1 

 

Where Matson has proxy voting authority for securities held by its advisory clients, Matson votes such securities for the exclusive benefit, and in the best economic interest, of those clients and their beneficiaries, as determined by Matson in good faith, subject to any restrictions or directions from a client. Such voting responsibilities will be exercised in a manner that is consistent with the general antifraud provisions of the Advisers Act, as well as with Matson’s fiduciary duties under federal and state law to act in the best interests of its clients. Matson considers each issue presented in a proxy on its merits and votes on a case-by-case basis consistent with its clients’ best economic interests.

 

1.4. MATSON PROCEDURES: PROXY VOTING

 

All standard client agreements for new clients shall contain a provision stating that Matson will not vote proxies associated with any securities held directly in the client’s account, but will vote underlying securities held in any Matson-managed fund. Because Matson-managed funds invest in shares of other mutual funds, votes on underlying securities will include votes on proposals relating to increases in a mutual fund’s advisory, distribution, and/or service (12b-1) or other fees.

 

All clients with accounts open prior to October 5, 2004, that had not signed an agreement with the language stating that Matson will not vote proxies associated with any securities held in their accounts received a letter stating that Matson will not vote proxies.

 

The CCO shall annually review a sample of new client contracts to ensure that the client has signed a contract with the non-voting provision or received a letter to that effect, and will maintain an electronic database of client contracts reviewed and letters sent (as needed).

 

With respect to Matson Fund proxies, clients are responsible for voting all proxies of fund shares held in their account; provided that, if client is subject to ERISA, Matson may vote on all proxies for, and take action concerning legal proceedings regarding, Matson Fund shares held in the Account, provided there is no conflict of interest, unless the right to vote such proxies and take such action has been expressly reserved to another person. If voting is not reserved to another person and Matson is responsible for voting shares of the Matson Funds where a conflict of interest exists, Matson Money will comply with the conflicts procedures outlined in Section 1.5, below.

 

No Referrer is authorized to vote proxies on behalf of client.

 

Clients may request a copy of Matson’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures and/or information about how Matson has voted securities in Matson-managed funds. A description of the Proxy Policy appears in Matson’s Brochure and is available to Matson clients.

 

1.5. IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 

Matson acknowledges its responsibility for identifying material conflicts of interest related to voting proxies. In order to ensure that Matson is aware of the facts necessary to identify conflicts, anyone responsible for voting proxies must disclose to the CCO any personal conflicts such as officer or director positions held by them, their spouses or close relatives, in any portfolio company. Conflicts based on business relationships with Matson will be considered only to the extent that Matson has actual knowledge of such relationships. If a conflict exists that cannot be otherwise addressed, Matson may choose one of several options, including: (1) voting as recommended by a third party service, if employed by Matson; (2) “echo” or “mirror” voting the proxies in the same proportion as the votes of other proxy holders that are not Matson clients; (3) if possible, erecting information barriers around the person or persons making the voting decision sufficient to insulate the decision from the conflict; or (4) if agreed upon in writing with the client, forwarding the proxies to affected clients and allowing them to vote their own proxies.

 

B-2 

 

MATSON MONEY, INC.

FAMILY OF PORTFOLIOS

of

The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

Institutional Class

Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio: FMVUX

Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio: FMVIX

Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio: FMVFX

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

February 28, 2020

 

Investment Adviser:

 

Matson Money, Inc.

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides additional information about the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio (each a “Portfolio” and collectively, the “Portfolios”). The Portfolios are series of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). This information is in addition to the information contained in the Portfolios’ prospectus dated February 28, 2020 (the “Prospectus”). This SAI is not a prospectus. Copies of the Prospectus and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports may be obtained free of charge by calling toll-free (866) 780-0357 Ext. 3863. The financial statements and notes contained in the Annual Report are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other part of the Annual Report is incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

GENERAL INFORMATION 1
NON- PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES OF THE PORTFOLIOS 1
FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 1
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES OF UNDERLYING INVESTMENT COMPANIES AND RELATED RISKS 2
DISCLOSURE OF PORTOLIO HOLDINGS 14
MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY 14
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 20
CODE OF ETHICS 20
PROXY VOTING POLICIES 21
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 21
DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS 24
FUND TRANSACTIONS 24
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION 24
TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES 25
VALUATION OF SHARES 25
TAXES 25
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES 27
MISCELLANEOUS 27
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 28
APPENDIX A A-1
APPENDIX B B-1

 

i 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Company is an open-end management investment company currently consisting of 34 separate investment portfolios. The Company is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) and was organized as a Maryland corporation on February 29, 1988. This SAI pertains to Institutional Class shares representing interests in three diversified Portfolios, which are offered by the Prospectus. Shares of the Portfolios may be purchased and held by the separate accounts (“Separate Accounts”) of participating insurance companies (“Participating Insurance Companies”) for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Shares of the Portfolios are not offered directly to the general public. Matson Money, Inc. (“Matson Money” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Portfolios.

 

NON- PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES OF THE PORTFOLIOS

 

Bank Obligations. Each Portfolio may invest in obligations of U.S. banks (including certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances) and U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of U.S. subsidiaries and branches of foreign banks having total assets at the time of purchase in excess of $1 billion. Such banks must be members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

 

The activities of banks are subject to extensive regulations which may limit both the amount and types of loans that may be made and the interest rates that may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry is largely dependent upon the availability and costs of Portfolios for the purpose of financing lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions as well as exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties play an important part in the operation of this industry.

 

Commercial Paper. Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by bank holding companies, corporations, and finance companies. The commercial paper purchased by the Portfolios consists of direct obligations of issuers which, at the time of investment, are (i) rated “P-1” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“Standard & Poor’s”), or (ii) if not rated, issued by a corporation having an outstanding unsecured debt issue rated Aaa by Moody’s or AAA by Standard & Poor’s. In the event that a security held by a Portfolio is placed on a credit watch or is downgraded by a rating agency, the value of such security may decline and the Portfolio invested in such security may consequently experience losses in respect of such security. See Appendix A for a description of Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s rating categories.

 

Temporary Defensive Positions. Although the Portfolios invest primarily in shares of other registered investment companies, for temporary defensive purposes, the Portfolios may hold cash or invest in a variety of money market instruments, including U.S. government securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and bankers’ acceptances. When a Portfolio invests for temporary defensive purposes, it may do so without any percentage limitations. A Portfolio may not achieve its investment objective during periods when it has taken such a temporary defensive position.

 

U.S. Government Securities. Each Portfolio may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities (“U.S. government”) that have remaining maturities not exceeding one year. Agencies and instrumentalities that issue or guarantee debt securities and that have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government include the Export-Import Bank, the Federal Farm Credit System, the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Federal Land Banks, and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”).

 

FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

The Portfolios have adopted the following fundamental investment limitations which may not be changed with respect to a Portfolio without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Portfolio outstanding shares (as defined in Section 2 (a) (42) of the 1940 Act). As used in this SAI and in the Prospectus, “shareholder approval” and a “majority of the outstanding shares” of a Portfolio means, with respect to the approval of an investment advisory agreement or a change in a fundamental investment limitation, the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of the Portfolio represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Portfolio are present in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Portfolio. Each Portfolio’s investment goals and strategies described in the Prospectus may be changed by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) without the approval of the Portfolio’s shareholders. Each Portfolio may not:

 

1. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that the Portfolio may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements and the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio may enter into dollar rolls (including mortgage dollar rolls), for temporary purposes in amounts up to one-third of the value of the Portfolio’s total assets at the time of such borrowing and provided that, for any borrowing with respect to the Portfolio, there is at least 300% asset coverage for borrowings of the Portfolio. A Portfolio may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Portfolio’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with a Portfolio’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation.

 

2. Issue any senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

 

3. Act as underwriter of securities within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), except insofar as the Portfolio might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities.

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Portfolio may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts.

 

5. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that to the extent consistent with its investment policies and restrictions, the Portfolio may deal in forward foreign exchanges between currencies of the different countries in which it may invest and purchase and sell stock index and currency options, stock index futures, financial futures and currency futures contracts and related options on such futures.

 

6. Make loans, except through loan portfolio instruments and repurchase agreements, provided that, for purposes of this restriction, the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan.

 

7. Purchase any security if, as a result of such purchase, more than 25% of the value of the Portfolio’s total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers concentrated in a particular industry except that this limitation does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities.

 

8. Purchase the securities of any one issuer, other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, if immediately after and as a result of such purchase, more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio’s total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be owned by the Portfolio, except that up to 25% of the value of the Portfolio’s total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations.

 

1 

 

With respect to Investment Limitation No. 1, in the event that asset coverage is below 300%, the Portfolio will be required to reduce the amount of its borrowing to obtain 300% asset coverage within three business days.

 

For purposes of Investment Limitation No. 2, the SEC has concluded that even though reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements, and standby commitment agreements fall within the meaning of the term “evidence indebtedness,” the issue of compliance with Section 18 of the 1940 Act will not be raised with the SEC by the Division of Investment Management if a Portfolio covers such securities by earmarking and maintaining certain assets on the books and records of the Portfolio’s custodian.

 

Similarly, so long as such earmarked assets are maintained, the issue of compliance with Section 18 will not be raised with respect to any of the following: any swap contract; any borrowings or pledge or encumbrance of assets permitted by Investment Limitation No. 1; any collateral arrangements with respect to the writing of options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and foreign currency contracts and collateral arrangements with respect to short sales and initial and variation margin; and purchases and sales of futures or related options

 

The Portfolios have adopted the following non-fundamental investment limitation, which may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval:

 

1. No Portfolio will invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

 

Securities held by the Portfolios generally may not be purchased from, sold or loaned to the Adviser or its affiliates or any of their directors, officers or employees, acting as principal, unless pursuant to a rule or exemptive order under the 1940 Act.

 

If a percentage restriction under one of the Portfolio’s investment policies or limitations is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation (except with respect to any restrictions that may apply to borrowings or senior securities by the Portfolio.) In the event that investments in illiquid instruments exceed 15% of a Portfolio’s net assets, the Portfolio must take steps to bring the aggregate amount of illiquid instruments back within the prescribed limitations as soon as reasonably practicable. This requirement would not force the Portfolio to liquidate any instrument where the Portfolio would suffer a loss on the sale of that instrument.

 

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES OF UNDERLYING INVESTMENT COMPANIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

The underlying investment companies in which the Portfolios invest have their own investment objectives, policies, practices, and techniques, any one or all of which may subject their assets to varying degrees of risk. In addition, as a shareholder of another investment company, each Portfolio would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of that company’s expenses, including advisory and administrative fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the Portfolio bears directly in connection with its own operations. Therefore, it may be more costly for a Portfolio to own shares of another investment company than to own directly the underlying securities owned by such company. Investment companies in which the Portfolios may invest also may impose a sales or distribution charge in connection with the purchase or redemption of their shares and other types of commissions or charges. Such charges will be payable by the Portfolios and, therefore, will be borne by shareholders. The underlying investment companies in which each Portfolio invests may purchase securities of affiliated and unaffiliated unregistered money market funds.

 

Set forth below is additional information with respect to the types of securities and instrument techniques of the underlying investment companies and the risks involved in certain of these practices and techniques.

 

Asset-Backed Securities. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in asset-backed securities, which represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets such as motor vehicle installment sale contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements and other categories of receivables. Asset-backed securities may also be collateralized by a portfolio of U.S. government securities, but are not direct obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Such asset pools are securitized through the use of privately-formed trusts or special purpose corporations. Payments or distributions of principal and interest on asset-backed securities may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation, or other credit enhancements may be present; however privately issued obligations collateralized by a portfolio of privately issued asset-backed securities do not involve any government-related guarantee or insurance. In addition, asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral that is comparable to mortgage assets. See “Mortgage-Backed Securities.”

 

Convertible Securities and Preferred Stocks. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in convertible securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible debt securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporation’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. While no securities investment is completely without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than the corporation’s common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally: (1) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities; (2) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying stock since they have fixed income characteristics; and (3) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.

 

Corporate Obligations. The Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, (i) rated Aa3 or better by Moody’s, or AA- or better by Standard & Poor’s, or AA- or better by Fitch, or (ii) if there is no rating for the debt security, determined by the investment adviser(s) to the underlying investment companies to be of comparable quality to equivalent issues of the same issuer rated at least AA- or Aa3. See Appendix “A” to this SAI for a description of corporate debt ratings. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value.

 

The value of a convertible security is a function of its “investment value” (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its “conversion value” (the security’s worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock). The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. Generally the conversion value decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed income security.

 

2 

 

A convertible security might be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by a Portfolio is called for redemption, that Portfolio will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party.

 

Preferred stocks are securities that represent an ownership interest in a company and provide their owner with claims on the company’s earnings and assets prior to the claims of owners of common stocks but after those of bond owners. Preferred stocks in which the Portfolios may invest include sinking Portfolio, convertible, perpetual fixed and adjustable rate (including auction rate) preferred stocks. There is no minimum credit rating applicable to a Portfolio’s investment in preferred stocks and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock.

 

Cyber Security Risk. The Portfolios, the underlying investment companies, and their service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Portfolios or underlying investment companies to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Portfolios, the Adviser, the underlying investment companies, or their investment advisers, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Portfolios. For instance, cyber security breaches may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Portfolio's or an underlying investment company’s ability to calculate its net asset value ("NAV"), cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Portfolios or the underlying investment companies to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Portfolios and the underlying investment companies may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which a Portfolio or an underlying investment company may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause a Portfolio's or an underlying investment company’s investment in such companies to lose value. While the Portfolios and their service providers have established IT and data security programs and have in place business continuity plans and other systems designed to prevent losses and mitigate cyber security risk, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that cyber-attacks may be highly sophisticated.

 

Depository Arrangements. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”). ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying foreign securities. ADRs are denominated in U.S. dollars. They are publicly traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States.

 

The underlying investment companies may invest in both sponsored and unsponsored ADR programs. There are certain risks associated with investments in unsponsored ADR programs. Because the non-U.S. securities issuer does not actively participate in the creation of the ADR program, the underlying agreement for service and payment will be between the depository and the shareholder. The company issuing the stock underlying the ADR pays nothing to establish the unsponsored facility because fees for ADR issuance and cancellation are paid by brokers. Investors directly bear the expenses associated with certificate transfer, custody and dividend payment.

 

In an unsponsored ADR program, there also may be several depositories with no defined legal obligations to the non-U.S. company. The duplicate depositories may lead to marketplace confusion because there would be no central source of information for buyers, sellers and intermediaries. The efficiency of centralization gained in a sponsored program can greatly reduce the delays in delivery of dividends and annual reports.

 

The underlying investment companies may also invest in Holding Company Depository Receipts (“HOLDRS”). HOLDRS represent trust-issued receipts that represent individual and undivided beneficial ownership interests in the common stock or ADRs of specific companies in a particular industry, sector or group.

 

The underlying investment companies of the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio may also invest in European Depository Receipts (“EDRs”), International Depository Receipts (“IDRs”) and Global Depository Receipts (“GDRs”). These are receipts issued by a non-U.S. financial institution evidencing ownership of underlying foreign or U.S. securities and are usually denominated in foreign currencies. They may not be denominated in the same currency as the securities they represent. Generally, EDRs, GDRs and IDRs are designed for use in the foreign securities markets. Investments in EDRs, GDRs and IDRs involve certain risks not typically involved in purely domestic investments, including currency exchange risk. These risks are set forth under “Foreign Securities” in this SAI.

 

Dollar Rolls. To the extent consistent with its investment policies and limitations, the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may enter into dollar rolls in which the investment companies sell fixed income securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contract to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) securities on a specified future date.

 

During the roll period, an investment company would forgo principal and interest paid on such securities. However, the investment company would be compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase, as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The return on dollar rolls may be negatively impacted by fluctuations in interest rates. For additional information on dollar roll transactions, see the section entitled “Mortgage Dollar Roll Transactions” in this SAI.

 

Equity Markets. The underlying investment companies of the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio invest primarily in equity markets at all times. Equity markets can be highly volatile, so that investing in the underlying investment companies involves substantial risk. As a result, investing in the underlying investment companies involves the risk of loss of capital.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Each Portfolio may invest in ETFs to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC orders. ETFs are registered investment companies whose shares are listed and traded on U.S. stock exchanges or otherwise traded in the over-the-counter market. In general, ETFs seek to track a specified securities index or a basket of securities that an "index provider," such as S&P Global, selects as representative of a market, market segment or industry sector. An ETF portfolio generally holds the same stocks or bonds as the index it tracks or it may hold a representative sample of such securities. Thus, an ETF typically is designed so that its performance will correspond closely with that of the index it tracks. In some cases, an ETF may be actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers. Actively-managed ETFs are subject to the risk of poor investment selection, and the individual investments in an actively-managed ETF may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expected, and/or the actively-managed ETF's portfolio management practices do not work to achieve their desired result. As a shareholder in an ETF, a Portfolio will bear its pro rata portion of an ETF's expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to its own expenses.

 

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The market for an ETF’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares. An ETF’s market price may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the ETF shares bought or sold. An active trading market for shares of the ETF may not develop or be maintained. In times of market stress, market makers or authorized participants may step away from their respective roles in making a market in shares of the ETF and in executing purchase or redemption orders, which could also lead to variances between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

European Currency Unification. On January 1, 1999, the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) introduced a new single currency called the euro. The euro has replaced the national currencies of many European countries. The European Central Bank has control over each member country’s monetary policies. Therefore, the member countries no longer control their own monetary policies by directing independent interest rates for their currencies. The national governments of the participating countries, however, have retained the authority to set tax and spending policies and public debt levels.

 

European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the EMU imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union (“EU”) countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions. Also, it is possible that the EU’s single currency, the euro, could be abandoned in the future by countries that have already adopted its use. These or other events, including political and economic developments, could cause market disruptions, and could affect adversely the values of securities held by the Portfolios. Because of the number of countries using this single currency, a significant portion of the assets held by certain Portfolios may be denominated in the euro.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The underlying investment companies of the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the underlying investment company’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the underlying investment company’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities. The underlying investment companies of the Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio may invest in securities issued by foreign companies. Investments in foreign securities involve higher costs than investments in U.S. securities, including higher transaction costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. In addition, foreign investments may include additional risks associated with currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity and political stability. Volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility or price can be greater than in the United States. Future political and economic information, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest income, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions, might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on foreign obligations. Inability to dispose of securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to an underlying investment company due to subsequent declines in value of the securities, or, if the underlying investment company has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth or gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.

 

Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States.

 

Settlement mechanics may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of an underlying investment company is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of an underlying investment company to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the underlying investment company to miss attractive investment opportunities.

 

Although the underlying investment companies may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies, each investment company values its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. As a result, the NAV of an underlying investment company’s shares may fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates as well as the price changes of the underlying investment company’s securities in the various local markets and currencies. Thus, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the currencies in which an underlying investment company makes its investments could reduce the effect of increases and magnify the effect of decreases in the price of the underlying investment company’s securities in their local markets. Conversely, a decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar may have the opposite effect of magnifying the effect of increases and reducing the effect of decreases in the prices of an underlying investment company’s securities in its foreign markets. In addition to favorable and unfavorable currency exchange rate developments, an underlying investment company is subject to the possible imposition of exchange control regulations or freezes on convertibility of currency.

 

The underlying investment companies may invest in obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks (Eurodollars) and U.S. branches of foreign banks (Yankee dollars) as well as foreign branches of foreign banks. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities of U.S. banks, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, different tax provisions, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect payment of principal or interest. The underlying investment companies may also invest in debt securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, including Yankee bonds, which are issued by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign corporations, but pay interest in U.S. dollars and are typically issued in the United States.

 

European countries can be affected by the significant fiscal and monetary controls that the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union (“EU”) countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal, have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions.

 

In June of 2016, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” which sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound and heightened risk of continued worldwide economic volatility. Pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, the UK gave notice in March 2017 of its withdrawal from the EU and commenced negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. Following years of negotiations and multiple withdrawal deadline extensions, the UK withdrew from the EU on January 31, 2020. A transition period, currently set to last through December 31, 2020, will be used for the UK and EU to negotiate their future relationship. The effects of this withdrawal will depend, in part, on agreements the UK negotiates to retain access to EU markets either during the transitional period or more permanently including, but not limited to, current trade and finance agreements. As a result of the UK's exit from the EU, each Portfolio may be exposed to volatile trading markets and significant and unpredictable currency fluctuations over a short period of time, and potentially lower economic growth in the UK, Europe and globally. Securities issued by companies domiciled in the UK could be subject to changing regulatory and tax regimes. Banking and financial services companies that operate in the UK or EU could be disproportionately affected by Brexit. Further insecurity in EU membership or the abandonment of the euro could exacerbate market and currency volatility and negatively affect a Portfolio’s investments in securities of issuers located in the EU. The effects of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, are not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.

 

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Forward Commitment and When-Issued Transactions. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis. These transactions involve a commitment by an underlying investment company to purchase or sell securities at a future date (ordinarily one or two months later). The price of the underlying securities (usually expressed in terms of yield) and the date when the securities will be delivered and paid for (the settlement date) are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. When-issued purchases and forward commitments are negotiated directly with the other party, and such commitments are not traded on exchanges.

 

When-issued purchases and forward commitments enable an underlying investment company to lock in what is believed by the underlying investment adviser to be an attractive price or yield on a particular security for a period of time, regardless of future changes in interest rates. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices, an underlying investment company might sell securities it owns on a forward commitment basis to limit its exposure to falling prices. In periods of falling interest rates and rising prices, an underlying investment company might sell securities it owns and purchase the same or a similar security on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, thereby obtaining the benefit of currently higher yields. When-issued securities or forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date.

 

The value of securities purchased on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and any subsequent fluctuations in their value are reflected in the computation of an underlying investment company’s NAV starting on the date of the agreement to purchase the securities, and the underlying investment company is subject to the rights and risks of ownership of the securities on that date. An underlying investment company does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. When an underlying investment company makes a forward commitment to sell securities it owns, the proceeds to be received upon settlement are included in the underlying investment company’s assets. Fluctuations in the market value of the underlying securities are not reflected in the underlying investment company’s NAV as long as the commitment to sell remains in effect. Settlement of when-issued purchases and forward commitment transactions generally takes place within two months after the date of the transaction, but an underlying investment company may agree to a longer settlement period.

 

An underlying investment company generally will make commitments to purchase securities on a when-issued basis or to purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis only with the intention of completing the transaction and actually purchasing or selling the securities. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, an underlying investment company may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it is entered into. An underlying investment company also may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the underlying investment company on the settlement date. An underlying investment company may realize a capital gain or loss in connection with these transactions, and its distributions from any net realized capital gains will be taxable to shareholders.

 

When an underlying investment company purchases securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, the investment company or its custodian will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities having a value (determined daily) at least equal to the amount of the underlying investment company’s purchase commitments. These procedures are designed to ensure that the underlying investment company will maintain sufficient assets at all times to cover its obligations under when-issued purchases and forward commitments.

 

Forward Foreign Currency Transactions. The Matson Money International Equity VI and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolios’ underlying investment companies may, to the extent that they invest in foreign securities, enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to facilitate the settlement of equity or bond purchases; exchange one currency for another, including to repatriate excess currencies; or, in the case of the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio, hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The underlying investment companies will conduct their foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days (usually less than one year) from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the spread) between the price at which they are buying and selling various currencies.

 

The underlying investment companies generally may enter into forward contracts under several circumstances. First, when an underlying investment company enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security quoted or denominated in a foreign currency, it may desire to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of the security. By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed number of U.S. dollars, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying security transactions, the underlying investment company will be able to insulate itself from a possible loss resulting from a change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the subject foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. The underlying investment adviser(s) may also use non-U.S. currency to enter into a forward foreign exchange contract.

 

Second, the investment adviser to certain underlying fixed income investment companies may cause such investment companies to enter a forward contract to sell, for a fixed amount, the amount of foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of the investment company’s portfolio securities quoted or denominated in such foreign currency in an effort to hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates. These underlying fixed income investment companies may also engage in cross-hedging by using forward contracts in one currency to hedge against fluctuations in the value in securities denominated or quoted in a different currency if the investment adviser determines that there is a pattern of correlation between the two currencies. Cross-hedging may also include entering into a forward transaction involving two foreign currencies, using one foreign currency as a proxy for the U.S. dollar to hedge against variations in the other U.S. foreign currency, if the investment adviser determines that there is a pattern of correlation between the proxy currency and the U.S. dollar. With currency hedging techniques, the precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible since the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. Additionally, these techniques do not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. They simply establish a rate of exchange which can be achieved at some future point in time. The precise projection of short-term currency market movements is not possible, and short-term hedging provides a means of fixing the U.S. dollar value of only a portion of the underlying investment company’s foreign assets. It also reduces any potential gain which may have otherwise occurred had the currency value increased above the settlement price of the contract.

 

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Third, the investment adviser may exchange one currency for another if it believes it may need the other currency to settle future equity purchases or to repatriate excess foreign currency to U.S. dollars.

 

The underlying investment companies generally will not enter into forward contracts to sell currency or maintain a net exposure to such contracts if the consummation of such contracts would obligate the investment company to deliver an amount of foreign currency in excess of the value of the investment company’s respective portfolio securities (including accrued interest or other accrued receivables) or other assets quoted or denominated in that currency. At the consummation of the forward contract, an underlying investment company may either make delivery of the foreign currency or terminate its contractual obligation by purchasing an offsetting contract obligating it to purchase at the same maturity date, the same amount of such foreign currency. If an underlying investment company chooses to make delivery of foreign currency, it may be required to obtain such delivery through the sale of portfolio securities quoted or denominated in such currency or through conversion of other assets of the Portfolio into such currency. If an underlying investment company engages in an offsetting transaction, the underlying investment company will realize a gain or a loss to the extent that there has been a change in forward contract prices.

 

The underlying investment companies’ transactions in forward contracts generally will be limited to those described above. Of course, the underlying investment companies are not required to enter into such transactions with regard to their foreign currency quoted or denominated securities, and the investment companies will not do so unless deemed appropriate by their respective investment advisers.

 

While the underlying investment company may enter into forward contracts to seek to reduce currency exchange rate risks, transactions in such contracts involve certain other risks. Thus, while an underlying investment company may benefit from such transactions, unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the underlying investment company than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between the underlying investment company’s portfolio holdings or securities quoted or denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts entered into by the underlying investment company. Such imperfect correlation may cause the underlying investment company to sustain losses, which will prevent the underlying investment company from achieving a complete hedge, or expose the underlying investment company to the risk of foreign exchange loss.

 

Forward contracts are subject to the risks that the counterparts to such contract will default on its obligations. Since a forward foreign currency exchange contract is not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing house, a default on the contract would deprive an underlying investment company of unrealized profits, transaction costs or the benefits of a currency hedge or force an underlying investment company to cover its purchase or sale commitments, if any, at the current market price.

 

The underlying investment companies’ foreign currency transactions (including related options, futures and forward contracts) may be limited by the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) for qualification as a regulated investment company.

 

Futures Contracts. A futures contract may generally be described as an agreement between two parties to buy and sell particular financial instruments for an agreed price during a designated month (or to deliver the final cash settlement price, in the case of a contract relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the end of trading in the contract). When interest rates are rising or securities prices are falling, an underlying investment company can seek to offset a decline in the value of its current portfolio securities through the sale of futures contracts. When interest rates are falling or securities prices are rising, an underlying investment company, through the purchase of futures contracts, can attempt to secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when it affects anticipated purchases.

 

To seek to increase total return or to hedge against changes in interest rates or securities prices, an underlying investment company may purchase and sell various kinds of futures contracts, and purchase and write call and put options on any of such futures contracts. An underlying investment company may also enter into closing purchase and sale transactions with respect to any of such contracts and options. The futures contracts may be based on various securities (such as U.S. government securities), securities indices, and any other financial instruments and indices. Generally an underlying investment company will engage in futures and related options transactions for bona fide hedging purposes as described below or for purposes of seeking to increase total return, in each case, only to the extent permitted by regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). All futures contracts entered into by an underlying investment company are traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that are licensed and regulated by the CFTC or on foreign exchanges.

 

The Portfolios intend to limit investments in commodity futures, commodity options contracts and swaps to below the de minimis thresholds adopted by the CFTC in its recent amendments to Rule 4.5 (see below for a description of these thresholds). However, the application of the amended rules to “funds-of-funds” remains unclear. Accordingly, the Adviser has filed for relief with respect to each Portfolio which defers compliance until six months following the effective date of any CFTC guidance regarding the application of the amended rules to “fund-of-funds.” As of the date of this SAI, no such guidance has been issued. For this reason, the Adviser is not required to register as a “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act at this time.

 

With respect to investments in swap transactions, commodity futures, commodity options or certain other derivatives used for purposes other than bona fide hedging purposes, an investment company must meet one of the following tests under the amended regulations in order to claim an exemption from being considered a “commodity pool” or a CPO. First, the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish an investment company’s positions in such investments may not exceed five percent (5%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments). Alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time of the most recent position established, may not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the investment company may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps and derivatives markets. In the event that the Adviser was required to register as a CPO, the disclosure and operations of the Portfolios would need to comply with all applicable CFTC regulations.

 

Positions taken in the futures markets are not normally held to maturity but are instead liquidated through offsetting transactions, which may result in a profit or a loss. While futures contracts on securities will usually be liquidated in this manner, an underlying investment company may instead make, or take, delivery of the underlying securities or currency whenever it appears economically advantageous to do so. A clearing corporation associated with the exchange on which futures on securities are traded guarantees that, if still open, the sale or purchase will be performed on the settlement date.

 

Hedging, by use of futures contracts, seeks to establish with more certainty than would otherwise be possible the effective price or rate of return on portfolio securities or securities that an underlying investment company proposes to acquire or the exchange rate of currencies in which portfolio securities are quoted or denominated. An underlying investment company may, for example, take a “short” position in the futures market by selling futures contracts to seek to hedge against an anticipated rise in interest rates or a decline in market prices that would adversely affect the value of the underlying investment company’s portfolio securities. Such futures contracts may include contracts for the future delivery of securities held by an underlying investment company or securities with characteristics similar to those of the underlying investment company’s portfolio securities. If, in the opinion of the investment adviser to an underlying investment company, there is a sufficient degree of correlation between price trends for an underlying investment company’s portfolio securities and futures contracts based on other financial instruments, securities indices or other indices, the underlying investment company may also enter into such futures contracts as part of its hedging strategy. Although under some circumstances prices of securities in an underlying investment company’s portfolio may be more or less volatile than prices of such futures contracts, the underlying investment adviser will attempt to estimate the extent of this volatility difference based on historical patterns and compensate for any such differential by having the underlying investment company’s enter into a greater or lesser number of futures contracts or by seeking to achieve only a partial hedge against price changes affecting the underlying investment company’s portfolio securities. When hedging of this character is successful, any depreciation in the value of portfolio securities will be substantially offset by appreciation in the value of the futures position. On the other hand, any unanticipated appreciation in the value of an underlying investment company portfolio’s securities would be substantially offset by a decline in the value of the futures position.

 

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On other occasions, an underlying investment company may take a “long” position by purchasing futures contracts. This would be done, for example, when the underlying investment company anticipates the subsequent purchase of particular securities when it has the necessary cash, but expects the prices then available in the applicable market to be less favorable than prices that are currently available.

 

Indexed Securities. To the extent consistent with its investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in indexed securities whose value is linked to securities indices. Most such securities have values which rise and fall according to the change in one or more specified indices, and may have characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying securities. Depending on the index, such securities may have greater volatility than the market as a whole. An underlying investment company may also invest in exchange-traded funds, which generally track their related indices and trade like an individual stock throughout the trading day. For example, an underlying investment company may invest in Standard & Poor’s Depositary Receipts (commonly referred to as “Spiders”), which are exchange-traded shares of a closed-end investment company that are designed to replicate the price performance and dividend yield of the Standard & Poor’s 500® Composite Stock Price Index.

 

Initial Public Offerings. To the extent consistent with its investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may purchase stock in an initial public offering (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public. Risks associated with IPOs may include considerable fluctuation in the market value of IPO shares due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, a limited number of shares available for trading, lack of information about the issuer and limited operating history. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. When an underlying investment company’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the underlying investment company’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the underlying investment company. As an underlying investment company’s assets grow, the effect of the underlying investment company’s investments in IPOs on the underlying investment company’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the underlying investment company’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, an underlying investment company may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the underlying investment company’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the underlying investment company, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, the underlying investment advisers cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

Inflation-Protected Securities. The Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in inflation-protected securities issued by the U.S. Treasury, known as “TIPs” or “Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities,” which are debt securities whose principal and interest payments are adjusted for inflation and interest is paid on the adjusted amount. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index (“CPI”). A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of your investment.

 

Inflation-protected securities normally will decline in price when real interest rates rise. (A real interest rate is calculated by subtracting the inflation rate from a nominal interest rate. For example, if a 10-year Treasury note is yielding 5% and inflation is 2%, the real interest rate is 3%.) If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected security will decline and could result in losses for the Portfolio’s underlying investment companies.

 

Any increase in principal for an inflation-protected security resulting from inflation adjustments is considered by IRS regulations to be taxable income in the year it occurs. For direct holders of an inflation-protected security, this means that taxes must be paid on principal adjustments even though these amounts are not received until the bond matures. By contrast, an underlying investment company holding these securities distributes both interest income and the income attributable to principal adjustments in the form of cash or reinvested shares, which are taxable to shareholders.

 

Interest Rate Swaps, Floors and Caps and Currency Swaps. The Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may enter into interest rate swaps and may purchase interest rate floors or caps. An underlying investment company will typically use interest rate swaps to preserve a return on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio or to shorten the effective duration of its portfolio investments. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the underlying investment company with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments. The purchase of an interest rate floor or cap entitles the purchaser to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the seller, to the extent the specified index falls below (floor) or exceeds (cap) a predetermined interest rate. The Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio may enter into currency swaps, which involve the exchange of the rights of the underlying investment company and another party to make or receive payments in specific currencies.

 

An underlying investment company will only enter into interest rate swaps or interest rate floor or cap transactions on a net basis, i.e. the two payment streams are netted out, with the underlying investment company receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. In contrast, currency swaps usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency.

 

The net amount of the excess, if any, of an underlying investment company’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate or currency swap will be accrued on a daily basis, and an amount of liquid assets having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to such accrued excess will be segregated by the underlying investment company.

 

If there is a default by the other party to such transaction, the underlying investment company will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.

 

Large Shareholder Purchase and Redemption Risk. The Portfolios may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Portfolios. Such large shareholder redemptions may cause a Portfolio to sell its securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Portfolio’s NAV and liquidity. Similarly, large share purchases may adversely affect a Portfolio’s performance to the extent that the Portfolio is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would. In addition, a large redemption could result in a Portfolio’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Portfolio’s expense ratio. However, this risk may be limited to the extent that the Adviser and a Portfolio have entered into a fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement.

 

Lending of Portfolio Securities. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may lend their portfolio securities to financial institutions provided that (1) the loan is continuously secured by collateral consisting of U.S. government securities or cash or cash equivalents maintained on a daily mark-to-market basis in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned; (2) the underlying investment company may at any time call the loan and obtain the return of the securities loaned; (3) the underlying investment company will receive any interest or dividends paid on the loaned securities; and (4) the aggregate market value of the securities loaned will not at any time exceed one-third of the total assets of the underlying investment company. Such loans would involve risk of delay in receiving additional collateral in the event the value of the collateral decreased below the value of the securities loaned or risk of delay in recovering the securities loaned or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially.

 

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Loan Participations. The Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may purchase participations in commercial loans. Such indebtedness may be secured or unsecured. Loan participations typically represent direct participation in a loan to a corporate borrower, and generally are offered by banks or other financial institutions or lending syndicates. An underlying investment company may participate in such syndications, or can buy part of a loan, becoming a part lender. When purchasing loan participations, the underlying investment company assumes the credit risk associated with the corporate borrower and may assume the credit risk associated with an interposed bank or other financial intermediary. The participation interests in which the Portfolio intends to invest may not be rated by any nationally recognized rating service.

 

A loan is often administered by an agent bank acting as agent for all holders. The agent bank administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. In addition, the agent bank is normally responsible for the collection of principal and interest payments from the corporate borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all institutions which are parties to the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, the underlying investment company has direct recourse against the corporate borrower, the underlying investment company may have to rely on the agent bank or other financial intermediary to apply appropriate credit remedies against a corporate borrower.

 

Purchases of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the corporate borrower for payment of principal and interest. If the underlying investment company does not receive scheduled interest or principal payments on such indebtedness, the underlying investment company’s share price and yield could be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured offer the underlying investment company more protection than an unsecured loan in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower’s obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated.

 

An underlying investment company invests in loan participations with credit quality comparable to that of issuers of its securities investments. Indebtedness of companies whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks, and may be highly speculative. Some companies may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. Consequently, when investing in indebtedness of companies with poor credit, the underlying investment company bears a substantial risk of losing the entire amount invested.

 

Loans and other types of direct indebtedness may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. In some cases, negotiations involved in disposing of indebtedness may require weeks to complete. Consequently, some indebtedness may be difficult or impossible to dispose of readily at what the underlying investment company’s investment adviser believes to be a fair price.

 

Investments in loans through a direct assignment of the financial institution’s interests with respect to the loan may involve additional risks to an underlying investment company. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the underlying investment company could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In addition, it is conceivable that under emerging legal theories of lender liability, an underlying investment company could be held liable as co-lender. It is unclear whether loans and other forms of direct indebtedness offer securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. In the absence of definitive regulatory guidance, an underlying investment company relies on its investment adviser’s research in an attempt to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentation could adversely affect the Portfolio.

 

Market Fluctuation. The market value of the investments of each underlying investment company, and thus each underlying investment company’s NAV, will change in response to market conditions affecting the value of its portfolio securities. When interest rates decline, the value of fixed rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of fixed rate obligations can be expected to decline. In contrast, as interest rates on adjustable rate loans are reset periodically, yields on investments in such loans will gradually align themselves to reflect changes in market interest rates, causing the value of such investments to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed rate obligations.

 

Micro Cap, Small Cap and Mid Cap Stocks. Securities of companies with micro, small and mid-size capitalizations tend to be riskier than securities of companies with large capitalizations. This is because micro, small and mid cap companies typically have smaller product lines and less access to liquidity than large cap companies, and are therefore more sensitive to economic downturns. In addition, growth prospects of micro, small and mid cap companies tend to be less certain than large cap companies, and the dividends paid on micro, small and mid cap stocks are frequently negligible. Moreover, micro, small and mid cap stocks have, on occasion, fluctuated in the opposite direction of large cap stocks or the general stock market. Consequently, securities of micro, small and mid cap companies tend to be more volatile than those of large cap companies. The market for micro and small cap securities may be thinly traded and as a result, greater fluctuations in the price of micro and small cap securities may occur.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in mortgage pass-through certificates and multiple-class pass-through securities, such as real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMIC”) pass-through certificates and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”).

 

Guaranteed mortgage pass-through securities represent participation interests in pools of residential mortgage loans and are issued by U.S. governmental or private lenders and guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, including but not limited to the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Ginnie Mae certificates are guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government for timely payment of principal and interest on the certificates. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac certificates are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Fannie Mae certificates are guaranteed by Fannie Mae, a federally chartered and privately owned corporation, for full and timely payment of principal and interest on the certificates. Fannie Mae is authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet its obligations. Freddie Mac certificates are guaranteed by Freddie Mac, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. government, for timely payment of interest and the ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans.

 

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be placed in conservatorship under the FHFA. On June 16, 2010, FHFA ordered Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s stock de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) after the price of common stock in Fannie Mae fell below the NYSE’s minimum average closing price of $1 for more than 30 days. The future status and role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s operations and activities as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the U.S. Treasury, market responses to developments at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any Mortgage-Backed Securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including any such Mortgage-Backed Securities held by a Portfolio.

 

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There is risk that the U.S. government will not provide financial support to its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. A Portfolio may purchase U.S. government securities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government securities held by a Portfolio may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.

 

CMOs and REMIC pass-through or participation certificates may be issued by, among others, U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities as well as private lenders. CMOs and REMIC certificates are issued in multiple classes and the principal of and interest on the mortgage assets may be allocated among the several classes of CMOs or REMIC certificates in various ways. Each class of CMOs or REMIC certificates, often referred to as a “tranche,” is issued at a specific adjustable or fixed interest rate and must be fully retired no later than its final distribution date. Generally, interest is paid or accrues on all classes of CMOs or REMIC certificates on a monthly basis.

 

Typically, CMOs are collateralized by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac certificates but also may be collateralized by other mortgage assets such as whole loans or private mortgage pass-through securities. Debt service on CMOs is provided from payments of principal and interest on collateral of mortgaged assets and any reinvestment income thereon. Mortgage-backed securities that are collateralized by a portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-related securities depend on the payments of principal and interest made by or through the underlying assets, which may not be sufficient to meet the payment obligations of the mortgage-backed securities. The quality and value of the underlying collateral may decline, or default, which has become a significant risk for collateral related to sub-prime mortgage loans, especially in a declining residential real estate market. Further, these securities generally are privately sold and may not be readily marketable, particularly after a rapid decrease in value.

 

A REMIC is a CMO that qualifies for special tax treatment under the Code and invests in certain mortgages primarily secured by interests in real property and other permitted investments. Investors may purchase “regular” and “residual” interest shares of beneficial interest in REMIC trusts.

 

An underlying investment company may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by trusts or other entities formed or sponsored by private originators of and institutional investors in mortgage loans and other non-governmental entities (or representing custodial arrangements administered by such institutions). These private originators and institutions include savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, insurance companies, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing.

 

Privately issued mortgage-backed securities are generally backed by pools of conventional (i.e., non-government guaranteed or insured) mortgage loans. Since such mortgage-backed securities normally are not guaranteed by an entity having the credit standing of Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in order to receive a high quality rating from the rating organizations (e.g., Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s), they often are structured with one or more types of “credit enhancement.” Such credit enhancement falls into two categories: (1) liquidity protection and (2) protection against losses resulting after default by a borrower and liquidation of the collateral (e.g., sale of a house after foreclosure). Liquidity protection refers to the payment of cash advances to holders of mortgage-backed securities when a borrower on an underlying mortgage fails to make its monthly payment on time. Protection against losses resulting after default and liquidation is designed to cover losses resulting when, for example, the proceeds of a foreclosure sale are insufficient to cover the outstanding amount on the mortgage. Such protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit, through various means of structuring the securities or through a combination of such approaches.

 

Examples of credit enhancement arising out of the structure of the transaction include “senior-subordinated securities” (multiple class securities with one or more classes entitled to receive payment before other classes, with the result that defaults on the underlying mortgages are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class), creation of “spread accounts” or “reserve funds” (where cash or investments are held in reserve against future losses) and “over-collateralization” (where the scheduled payments on the underlying mortgages in a pool exceed the amount required to be paid on the mortgage-backed securities). The degree of credit enhancement for a particular issue of mortgage-backed securities is based on the level of credit risk associated with the particular mortgages in the related pool. Losses on a pool in excess of anticipated levels could nevertheless result in losses to security holders since credit enhancement rarely covers every dollar owed on a pool.

 

Investing in mortgage-backed securities (such as those described above) involves certain risks, including the failure of a counter-party to meet its commitments, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows. Further, the yield characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from those of traditional fixed income securities. The major differences typically include more frequent interest and principal payments (usually monthly), the adjustability of interest rates, and the possibility that prepayments of principal may be made substantially earlier than their final distribution dates.

 

Prepayment rates are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors and cannot be predicted with certainty. Both adjustable rate mortgage loans and fixed rate mortgage loans may be subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment. Under certain interest rate and prepayment rate scenarios, a Portfolio may fail to recoup fully its investment in Mortgage-Backed Securities notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee. When a Portfolio reinvests amounts representing payments and unscheduled prepayments of principal, it may receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on existing adjustable rate mortgage pass-through securities. Thus, mortgage-backed securities, and adjustable rate mortgage pass-through securities in particular, may be less effective than other types of U.S. government securities as a means of “locking in” interest rates.

 

Conversely, in a rising interest rate environment, a declining prepayment rate will extend the average life of many mortgage-backed securities. This possibility is often referred to as extension risk. Extending the average life of a mortgage-backed security increases the risk of depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates. The market for certain types of mortgage-backed securities (i.e., certain CMOs) may not be liquid under all interest rate scenarios, which may prevent a Portfolio from selling such securities held in its portfolio at times or prices that it desires.

 

Different types of derivative debt securities are subject to different combinations of prepayment, extension and/or interest rate risk. Conventional mortgage pass-through securities and sequential pay CMOs are subject to all of these risks, but are typically not leveraged. Thus, the magnitude of exposure may be less than for more leveraged mortgage-backed securities.

 

Planned amortization class (“PAC”) and target amortization class (“TAC”) CMO bonds involve less exposure to prepayment, extension and interest rate risk than other mortgage-backed securities, provided that prepayment rates remain within expected prepayment ranges or “collars.” To the extent that prepayment rates remain within these prepayment ranges, the residual or support tranches of PAC and TAC CMOs assume the extra prepayment extension and interest rate risk associated with the underlying mortgage assets.

 

An underlying investment company may invest in floating rate securities based on the Cost of Funds Index (“COFI floaters”), other “lagging rate” floating rate securities, floating rate securities that are subject to a maximum interest rate (“capped floaters”), and mortgage-backed securities purchased at a discount. The primary risks associated with these derivative debt securities are the potential extension of average life and/or depreciation due to rising interest rates.

 

Recently, rating agencies have placed on credit watch or downgraded the ratings previously assigned to a large number of mortgage-related securities (which may include certain of the mortgage-related securities in which an underlying investment company may have invested or may in the future be invested), and may continue to do so in the future. In the event that any mortgage-related security held by an underlying investment company is placed on credit watch or downgraded, the value of such mortgage-related security may decline and the underlying investment company invested in such security, and thus the Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio, may consequently experience losses in respect of such mortgage-related security.

 

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Mortgage Dollar Roll Transactions. The Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may enter into mortgage dollar roll transactions in which the underlying investment company sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with the same counterparty to repurchase similar (same type, coupon and maturity), but not identical securities on a specified future date.

 

During the roll period, the underlying investment company would forgo principal and interest paid on such securities. However, the underlying investment company would benefit to the extent of any difference between the price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”) or fee income plus the interest on the cash proceeds of the securities sold until the settlement date of the forward purchase. Unless such benefits exceed the income, capital appreciation and gain or loss due to mortgage prepayments that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the mortgage dollar roll, the use of this technique will diminish the investment performance of the underlying investment company compared with what such performance would have been without the use of mortgage dollar rolls. Any benefits derived from the use of mortgage dollar rolls may depend upon mortgage prepayment assumptions, which will be affected by changes in interest rates. There is no assurance that mortgage dollar rolls can be successfully employed. For additional information on dollar rolls, please refer to the section entitled “Dollar Rolls” in this SAI.

 

Options on Futures Contracts. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may purchase and sell various kinds of futures contracts, and purchase and write call and put options on any of such futures contracts. The acquisition of put and call options on futures contracts will give an underlying investment company the right (but not the obligation) for a specified price to sell or to purchase, respectively, the underlying futures contract at any time during the option period. As the purchaser of an option on a futures contract, an underlying investment company obtains the benefit of the futures position if prices move in a favorable direction but limits its risk of loss in the event of an unfavorable price movement to the loss of the premium and transaction costs.

 

The writing of a call option on a futures contract generates a premium, which may partially offset a decline in the value of an underlying investment company’s assets. By writing a call option, an underlying investment company becomes obligated, in exchange for the premium, (upon exercise of the option) to sell a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value higher than the exercise price. Conversely, the writing of a put option on a futures contract generates a premium, which may partially offset an increase in the price of securities that an underlying investment company intends to purchase. However, the underlying investment company becomes obligated (upon exercise of the option) to purchase a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value lower than the exercise price. Thus, the loss incurred by an underlying investment company in writing options on futures is potentially unlimited and may exceed the amount of the premium received. The underlying investment company will incur transaction costs in connection with the writing of options on futures.

 

The holder or writer of an option on a futures contract may terminate its position by selling or purchasing an offsetting option on the same financial instrument. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected. An underlying investment company’s ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid market.

 

Transactions in futures contracts and options on futures involve brokerage costs, require margin deposits and, in some cases, may require the applicable underlying investment company to establish a segregated account consisting of cash or liquid securities in an amount equal to the underlying value of such contracts and options.

 

The use of futures contracts entails certain risks, including but not limited to the following: no assurance that futures contracts transactions can be offset at favorable prices; possible reduction of the underlying investment company’s income due to the use of hedging; possible reduction in value of both the securities hedged and the hedging instrument; possible lack of liquidity due to daily limits on price fluctuations; imperfect correlation between the contract and the securities being hedged; and potential losses in excess of the amount initially invested in the futures contracts themselves. If the expectations of the adviser of the underlying investment company regarding movements in securities prices or interest rates are incorrect, the underlying investment company may have experienced better investment results without hedging. The use of futures contracts and options on futures contracts requires special skills in addition to those needed to select portfolio securities.

 

While transactions in futures contracts and options on futures may reduce certain risks, such transactions themselves entail certain other risks. Thus, while an underlying investment company may benefit from the use of futures and options on futures, unanticipated changes in interest rates or securities prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the underlying investment company than if it had not entered into any futures contracts or options transactions. In the event of an imperfect correlation between a futures position and a portfolio position which is intended to be protected, the desired protection may not be obtained and the underlying investment company may be exposed to risk of loss.

 

Perfect correlation between an underlying investment company’s futures positions and portfolio positions will be impossible to achieve. There are no futures contracts based upon individual securities, except certain U.S. government securities. Other futures contracts available to hedge an underlying investment company’s portfolio investments generally are limited to futures on various securities indices.

 

Options on Securities and Securities Indices. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may each write covered call and secured put options on any securities in which it may invest or on any domestic stock indices based on securities in which it may invest. An underlying investment company may purchase and write such options on securities that are listed on national domestic securities exchanges or foreign securities exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter market. A call option written by an underlying investment company obligates the investment company to sell specified securities to the holder of the option at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date, regardless of the market price of the security.

 

A put option written by an underlying investment company obligates the underlying investment company to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date, regardless of the market price for the security. The purpose of writing such options is to generate additional income. However, in return for the option premium, the underlying investment company accepts the risk that it will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the securities’ market value at the time of purchase.

 

A written call option or put option may be covered by (i) maintaining cash or liquid securities, either of which may be quoted or denominated in any currency, in a segregated account noted on the underlying investment company’s records or maintained by the underlying investment company’s custodian with a value at least equal to the underlying investment company’s obligation under the option, (ii) entering into an offsetting forward commitment and/or (iii) purchasing an offsetting option or any other option which, by virtue of its exercise price or otherwise, reduces the underlying investment company’s net exposure on its written option position.

 

An underlying investment company may terminate its obligations under an exchange-traded call or put option by purchasing an option identical to the one it has written. Obligations under over-the-counter options may be terminated only by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counterparts to such option. Such purchases are referred to as “closing purchase transactions” and do not result in the ownership of an option. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying security from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying security or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying security. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transaction costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the underlying investment company will have incurred a loss in the transaction.

 

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An underlying investment company may also write (sell) covered call and put options on any securities index composed of securities in which it may invest. Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash settlement payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. The amount of this settlement will be equal to the difference between the closing price of the securities index at the time of exercise and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars, times a specified amount. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.

 

An underlying investment company may cover call options on a securities index by owning securities whose price changes are expected to be similar to those of the underlying index or by having an absolute and immediate right to acquire such securities without additional cash consideration (or for additional cash consideration held in a segregated account) upon conversion or exchange of other securities in its portfolio. An underlying investment company may also cover call and put options on a securities index by using the other methods described above.

 

An underlying investment company would normally purchase call options in anticipation of an increase, or put options in anticipation of a decrease (“protective puts”) in the market value of securities of the type in which it may invest. The purchase of a call option would entitle an underlying investment company, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified securities at a specified price during the option period. An underlying investment company would ordinarily realize a gain on the purchase of a call option if, during the option period, the value of such securities exceeded the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid and transaction costs; otherwise the underlying investment company would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option. The purchase of a put option would entitle an underlying investment company, in exchange for the premium paid, to sell specified securities at a specified price during the option period. The purchase of protective puts is designed to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of an underlying investment company’s securities. Put options may also be purchased by an underlying investment company for the purpose of affirmatively benefiting from a decline in the price of securities which it does not own. An underlying investment company would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying securities decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to cover the premium and transaction costs; otherwise the underlying investment company would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the put option. Gains and losses on the purchase of put options may be offset by countervailing changes in the value of the underlying portfolio securities.

 

An underlying investment company may purchase put and call options on securities indices for the same purposes as it may purchase options on securities. Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.

 

Although an underlying investment company may use option transactions to seek to generate additional income and to seek to reduce the effect of any adverse price movement in the securities or currency subject to the option, they do involve certain risks that are different in some respects from investment risks associated with similar mutual funds, which do not engage in such activities. These risks include the following: for writing call options, the inability to effect closing transactions at favorable prices and the inability to participate in the appreciation of the underlying securities above the exercise price; for writing put options, the inability to effect closing transactions at favorable prices and the obligation to purchase the specified securities or to make a cash settlement on the securities index at prices which may not reflect current market values; and for purchasing call and put options, the possible loss of the entire premium paid. In addition, the effectiveness of hedging through the purchase or sale of securities index options, including options on the S&P 500® Index, will depend upon the extent to which price movements in the portion of the securities portfolio being hedged correlate with the price movements in the selected securities index. Perfect correlation may not be possible because the securities held or to be acquired by an underlying investment company may not exactly match the composition of the securities index on which options are written. If the forecasts of the adviser of the underlying investment company regarding movements in securities prices or interest rates are incorrect, an underlying investment company’s investment results may have been better without the hedge transactions.

 

There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on a domestic or foreign options exchange will exist for any particular exchange-traded option or at any particular time. If an underlying investment company is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to covered options it has written, the investment company will not be able to sell the underlying securities or dispose of assets held in a segregated account until the options expire or are exercised. Similarly, if an underlying investment company is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options it has purchased, it would have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit and will incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of underlying securities or currencies.

 

Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

 

The writing and purchase of options is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The successful use of options for hedging purposes depends in part on the adviser’s ability to predict future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the options and securities markets.

 

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Pay-in-Kind Securities, Zero Coupon and Capital Appreciation Bonds. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in pay-in-kind (“PIK”) securities. PIK securities may be debt obligations or preferred shares that provide the issuer with the option of paying interest or dividends on such obligations in cash or in the form of additional securities rather than cash. Similarly, zero coupon and capital appreciation bonds are debt securities issued or sold at a discount from their face value and do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity or a specified date. The amount of the discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity or cash payment date, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. These securities also may take the form of debt securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons, the coupons themselves or receipts or certificates representing interests in such stripped debt obligations or coupons. A portion of the discount with respect to stripped tax-exempt securities or their coupons may be taxable. Such securities are designed to give an issuer flexibility in managing cash flow. PIK securities that are debt securities can either be senior or subordinated debt and generally trade flat (i.e., without accrued interest). The trading price of PIK debt securities generally reflects the market value of the underlying debt plus an amount representing accrued interest since the last interest payment.

 

PIK securities, zero coupon bonds and capital appreciation bonds involve the additional risk that, unlike securities that periodically pay interest to maturity, an underlying investment company will realize no cash until a specified future payment date unless a portion of such securities is sold and, if the issuer of such securities defaults, an underlying investment company may obtain no return at all on its investment. In addition, even though such securities may not provide for the payment of current interest in cash, an underlying investment company is nonetheless required to accrue income on such investments for each taxable year and generally is required to distribute such accrued amounts (net of deductible expenses, if any) to avoid being subject to tax. Because no cash is generally received at the time of the accrual, an underlying investment company may be required to liquidate other portfolio securities to obtain sufficient cash to satisfy federal tax distribution requirements applicable to the underlying investment company. Additionally, the market prices of PIK securities, zero coupon bonds and capital appreciation bonds generally are more volatile than the market prices of interest bearing securities and are likely to respond to a greater degree to changes in interest rates than interest bearing securities having similar maturities and credit quality.

 

Purchase Warrants. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in purchase warrants and similar rights. Purchase warrants are privileges issued by a corporation which enable the owner to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short lifespan to expiration. The purchase of warrants involves the risk that the underlying investment company could lose the purchase value of a warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the warrants’ expiration. Also, the purchase of warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

Real Estate Investment Trust Securities. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Individual REITs may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. A REIT is a corporation, or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation, which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level Federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs) or cash and government securities, derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and distribute to shareholders annually a substantial portion of its otherwise taxable income.

 

Generally, REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. The values of securities issued by REITs are affected by tax and regulatory requirements and by perceptions of management skill. They also are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers or tenants, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status under the Code or to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. Unexpected high rates of default on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to a mortgage REIT. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. To the extent that a mortgage REIT’s portfolio is exposed to lower-rated, unsecured or subordinated instruments, the risk of loss may increase, which may have a negative impact on an underlying investment company and, therefore, the Portfolios.

 

The REITs in which the underlying investment companies may invest may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. REITs are sensitive to factors such as changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use and rents, and management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws. REITS whose underlying assets include long-term health care properties; such as nursing, retirement and assisted living homes, may be impacted by federal regulations concerning the health care industry. An underlying investment company will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses, including management fees, paid by each REIT in which it invests in addition to the expenses of the underlying investment company. An underlying investment company is also subject to the risk that the REITs in which it invests will fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, and/or fail to qualify for an exemption from registration as an investment company under the 1940 Act. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. A REIT’s return may be adversely affected when interest rates are high or rising.

 

Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500® Index.

 

Repurchase Agreements. Each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may agree to purchase securities from financial institutions subject to the seller’s agreement to repurchase them at an agreed-upon time and price (“repurchase agreements”). The securities held subject to a repurchase agreement may have stated maturities exceeding 397 days, provided the repurchase agreement itself matures in less than 13 months. Default by or bankruptcy of the seller would, however, expose an underlying investment company to possible loss because of adverse market action or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying obligations.

 

Default by or bankruptcy of the seller would, expose an underlying investment company to possible loss because of adverse market action or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying obligations.

 

Restricted and Illiquid Investments. Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is an investment that an underlying investment company reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments include: repurchase agreements and time deposits with a notice or demand period of more than seven days; interest rate; currency and mortgage swaps; interest rate caps; floors and collars; municipal leases; certain restricted securities, such as those purchased in a private placement of securities, unless it is determined, based upon a review of the trading markets for a specific restricted security, that such restricted security is liquid; and certain over-the-counter options. Securities that have legal or contractual restrictions on resale but have a readily available market are not considered illiquid for purposes of this limitation.

 

12 

 

Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of restricted or other illiquid investments because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and a mutual fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty in satisfying redemptions within seven days. A mutual fund might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities. To the extent an investment held by an underlying investment company of a Portfolio is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the underlying investment company, and thus the Portfolio, will be exposed to a greater liquidity risk.

 

Each underlying investment company may purchase securities which are not registered under the Securities Act but which may be sold to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act (“Restricted Securities”). These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the underlying investment adviser that an adequate trading market exists for the securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in an underlying investment company during any period that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing restricted securities.

 

The underlying investment adviser will monitor the liquidity of Restricted Securities held by an underlying investment company. In reaching liquidity decisions, the underlying investment adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the unregistered nature of the security; (2) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (3) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (5) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities normally reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, since the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.

 

The Company has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22e-4. If the limitation on illiquid securities is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the board of directors of the underlying investment companies and, when required by the Liquidity Rule, to the SEC.

 

The Adviser will monitor the liquidity of restricted securities in the Portfolios under the supervision of the Board. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by an underlying investment company subject to the underlying investment company’s agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by an underlying investment company may decline below the price of the securities the underlying investment company is obligated to repurchase and the interest received on the cash exchanged for the securities. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings under the 1940 Act.

 

Short Sales. To the extent consistent with their respective investment policies and limitations, each Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may enter into short sales. Short sales are transactions in which an underlying investment company sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the underlying investment company must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The underlying investment company then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the underlying investment company. Until the security is replaced, the underlying investment company is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividend which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the underlying investment company also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.

 

Until an underlying investment company replaces a borrowed security in connection with a short sale, the underlying investment company will: (a) maintain daily a segregated account, containing cash, cash equivalents, or liquid marketable securities, at such a level that the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short or (b) otherwise cover its short position in accordance with positions taken by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

 

An underlying investment company will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the underlying investment company replaces the borrowed security. The underlying investment company will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. This result is the opposite of what one would expect from a cash purchase of a long position in a security. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium or amounts in lieu of interest the underlying investment company may be required to pay in connection with a short sale.

 

Short Sales “Against the Box.” In addition to the short sales discussed above, an underlying investment company may make short sales “against the box,” a transaction in which a portfolio enters into a short sale of a security that the portfolio owns or has the right to obtain at no additional cost. The proceeds of the short sale will be held by a broker until the settlement date at which time the underlying investment company delivers the security to close the short position. The underlying investment company receives the net proceeds from the short sale.

 

Special Note Regarding Market Events. Events in the financial sector over the past several years have resulted in reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets and in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestically and internationally. While entire markets have been impacted, issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected. These events and the potential for continuing market turbulence may have an adverse effect on the underlying investment companies’ investments. It is uncertain how long these conditions will continue.

 

The instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. government to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and certain segments of the financial markets. Federal, state and foreign governments, regulatory agencies, and self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the underlying investment company invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude an underlying investment company’s, and thus a Portfolio’s, ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such ownership or disposition may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of the underlying investment companies’ holdings.

 

Structured Securities. The Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio’s underlying investment companies may invest in structured securities. The value of the principal of and/or interest on structured securities is determined by reference to changes in the value of specific currencies, commodities, securities, indices or other financial indicators (the “Reference”) or the relative change in two or more References. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may be increased or decreased depending upon changes in the applicable Reference. Examples of structured securities include, but are not limited to, notes where the principal repayment at maturity is determined by the value of the relative change in two or more specified securities or securities indices.

 

13 

 

The terms of some structured securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity and, therefore, an underlying investment company could suffer a total loss of its investment. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the Reference may produce an increase or decrease in the interest rate or value of the security at maturity. In addition, changes in the interest rate or the value of the security at maturity may be a multiple of the changes in the value of the Reference. Consequently, structured securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of securities. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities due to their derivative nature.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Company has adopted, on behalf of the Portfolios, a policy relating to the selective disclosure of a Portfolio’s portfolio holdings by the Adviser, Board, officers, or third party service providers, in accordance with regulations that seek to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio holdings is in the best interest of a Portfolio’s shareholders. The policies relating to the disclosure of a Portfolio’s portfolio holdings are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information where necessary to the Portfolio’s operation without compromising the integrity or performance of the Portfolio. It is the policy of the Company that disclosure of a Portfolio’s portfolio holdings to a select person or persons prior to the release of such holdings to the public (“selective disclosure”) is prohibited, unless there are legitimate business purposes for selective disclosure.

 

The Company discloses portfolio holdings information as required in regulatory filings and shareholder reports, discloses portfolio holdings information as required by federal and state securities laws and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities. As required by the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the Company will disclose each Portfolio’s portfolio holdings in applicable regulatory filings, including shareholder reports, reports on Form N-CSR, Form N-CEN, and Form N-Q (or Form N-Q's successor, Form N-PORT) or such other filings, reports or disclosure documents as the applicable regulatory authorities may require.

 

Generally, after the 60th business day of the month following each month end, each Portfolio may provide, at the Adviser’s discretion, its portfolio holdings to various rating and ranking organizations. In addition, generally after the 60th business day of the month following each month end, each Portfolio may post to its website a list of its top ten holdings or full portfolio holdings at the discretion of the Adviser. The timing, frequency and type (i.e., ratings/rankings/holdings) of disclosure may change at the Adviser’s discretion, as well as whether to post to each Portfolio’s website.

 

The Company may distribute or authorize the distribution of information about a Portfolio’s portfolio holdings that is not publicly available to its third-party service providers, which include U.S. Bank, N.A., the custodian; U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), the administrator, accounting agent and transfer agent; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Portfolios’ independent registered public accounting firm; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, legal counsel; FilePoint, the financial printer; the Portfolios’ proxy voting service(s); and the Company’s liquidity classification agent. These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to a Portfolio. Such holdings are released on conditions of confidentiality, which include appropriate trading prohibitions. “Conditions of confidentiality” include confidentiality terms included in written agreements, implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g. attorney-client relationship), or required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody services provided by financial institutions). Portfolio holdings may also be provided earlier to shareholders and their agents who receive redemptions in kind that reflect a pro rata allocation of all securities held in a Portfolio’s portfolio.

 

Portfolio holdings may also be disclosed, upon authorization by a designated officer of the Adviser, to (i) certain independent reporting agencies recognized by the SEC as acceptable agencies for the reporting of industry statistical information, and (ii) financial consultants to assist them in determining the suitability of a Portfolio as an investment for their clients, in each case in accordance with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the Company’s and the Adviser’s fiduciary duties to the Portfolios’ shareholders. Disclosures to financial consultants are also subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions. The foregoing disclosures are made pursuant to the Company’s policy on selective disclosure of portfolio holdings. The Board or a committee thereof may, in limited circumstances, permit other selective disclosure of portfolio holdings subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions.

 

The Adviser reserves the right to refuse to fulfill any request for portfolio holdings information from a shareholder or non-shareholder if it believes that providing such information will be contrary to the best interests of a Portfolio.

 

The Board provides ongoing oversight of the Company’s policies and procedures and compliance with such policies and procedures. As part of this oversight function, the Board receives from the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) as necessary, reports on compliance with these policies and procedures. In addition, the Board receives an annual assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the policies and procedures with respect to a Portfolio, and any changes thereto, and an annual review of the operation of the policies and procedures. Any violation of the policy set forth above as well as any corrective action undertaken to address such violation must be reported by the Adviser, director, officers or third party service providers to the Company’s CCO, who will determine whether the violation should be reported immediately to the Board or at its next quarterly Board meeting.

 

Portfolio Turnover. Changes may be made to a Portfolio’s portfolio consistent with the investment objective and policies of such Portfolio whenever such changes are believed to be in the best interests of the Portfolio and its shareholders. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities by the average monthly value of a Portfolio’s portfolio securities. For purposes of this calculation, portfolio securities exclude all securities having a maturity when purchased of one year or less. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the portfolio turnover rates for the Portfolios can be found below. High portfolio turnover may result in increased brokerage costs to a Portfolio. Under normal circumstances each of the Portfolios expects to have a low portfolio turnover rate.

 

 

For the Fiscal

Year Ended

August 31, 2019

For the Fiscal

Year Ended

August 31, 2018

Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio 17% 12%
Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio 13% 8%
Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio 19% 2%

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

 

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the oversight of the Board, subject to the laws of the State of Maryland and the Company’s Charter. The Directors are responsible for deciding matters of overall policy and overseeing the actions of the Company’s service providers. The officers of the Company conduct and supervise the Company’s daily business operations.

 

14 

 

Directors who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) are referred to as “Independent Directors.” Directors who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company are referred to as “Interested Directors.” The Board is currently composed of seven Independent Directors and one Interested Director. The Board has selected Arnold M. Reichman, an Independent Director, to act as Chairman. Mr. Reichman’s duties include presiding at meetings of the Board and interfacing with management to address significant issues that may arise between regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings. In the performance of his duties, Mr. Reichman will consult with the other Independent Directors and the Company’s officers and legal counsel, as appropriate. The Chairman may perform other functions as requested by the Board from time to time.

 

The Board meets as often as necessary to discharge its responsibilities. Currently, the Board conducts regular, in-person meetings at least four times a year, and holds special in-person or telephonic meetings as necessary to address specific issues that require attention prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board also relies on professionals, such as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms and legal counsel, to assist the Directors in performing their oversight responsibilities.

 

The Board has established nine standing committees — Audit, Contract, Executive, Investment and Liquidity Risk, Nominating and Governance, Product Development, Regulatory Oversight, Strategic Oversight, and Valuation Committees. The Board may establish other committees, or nominate one or more Directors to examine particular issues related to the Board’s oversight responsibilities, from time to time. Each Committee meets periodically to perform its delegated oversight functions and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board. For more information on the Committees, see the section entitled “Standing Committees.”

 

The Board has determined that the Company’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities.

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

The Directors and executive officers of the Company, their ages, business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

 

Name, Address, and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of Time

Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen

by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

Julian A. Brodsky

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 86

Director 1988 to present From 1969 to 2011, Director and Vice Chairman, Comcast Corporation (cable television and communications). 34 AMDOCS Limited (service provider to telecommunications companies).

J. Richard Carnall

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 81

Director 2002 to present Since 1984, Director of Haydon Bolts, Inc. (bolt manufacturer) and Parkway Real Estate Company (subsidiary of Haydon Bolts, Inc.); since 2004, Director of Cornerstone Bank. 34 None

Gregory P. Chandler

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 53

Director 2012 to present Since 2009, Chief Financial Officer, Emtec, Inc. (information technology consulting/services). 34

Emtec, Inc. (until December 2019); FS Investment Corporation (business development company) (until December 2018); FS Energy and Power Fund (business development company); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company).

Nicholas A. Giordano

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 76

Director 2006 to present Since 1997, Consultant, financial services organizations. 34

IntriCon Corporation

(biomedical device

manufacturer); Kalmar Pooled Investment Trust (registered investment company) (until September 2017); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company); Independence Blue Cross (healthcare insurance).

Arnold M. Reichman

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 71

Chairman

 

Director

2005 to present

 

1991 to present

From 2006-2016, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lifebooker, LLC (online beauty and health appointment booking service). 34 Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

 

15 

 

Name, Address, and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of Time

Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen

by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

Brian T. Shea

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 59

Director 2018 to present From 2014-2017, Chief Executive Officer, BNY Mellon Investment Services (fund services, global custodian and securities clearing firm); from 1983-2014, Chief Executive Officer and various positions, Pershing LLC (broker dealer, clearing and custody firm). 34

WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (asset management company) (until March 2019); Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (financial services technology company); Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (financial services company).

 

Robert A. Straniere

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 78

Director 2006 to present Since 2009, Administrative Law Judge, New York City; since 1980, Founding Partner, Straniere Law Group (law firm). 34 Reich and Tang Group (asset management) (until 2015).
INTERESTED DIRECTOR2

Robert Sablowsky

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 81

Vice Chairman

 

Director

2016 to present

 

1991 to present

Since 2002, Senior Director – Investments and prior thereto, Executive Vice President, of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (a registered broker-dealer). 34 None
OFFICERS

Salvatore Faia, JD,

CPA, CFE

Vigilant Compliance, LLC

Gateway Corporate

Center Suite 216

223 Wilmington West Chester Pike

Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Age: 57

President

Chief Compliance Officer

2009 to present

 

2004 to present

Since 2004, President, Vigilant Compliance, LLC (investment management services company); since 2005, Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company). N/A N/A

James G. Shaw

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 59

Treasurer

and

Secretary

2016 to present Since 2016, Treasurer and Secretary of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2005 to 2016, Assistant Treasurer of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 1995 to 2016, Senior Director and Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (financial services company). N/A N/A

Craig A. Urciuoli

615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 45

Director of Marketing & Business Development 2019 to present Since 2019, Director of Marketing & Business Development, The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2000-2019, Managing Director, Third Avenue Management LLC. N/A N/A

Jennifer Witt

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 37

Assistant Treasurer 2018 to present Since 2016, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm); from 2007 to 2016, Supervisor, Nuveen Investments (registered investment company). N/A N/A

Edward Paz

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 49

Assistant Secretary

 

2016 to present Since 2007, Vice President and Counsel, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm). N/A N/A

Michael P. Malloy

One Logan Square

Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 60

Assistant Secretary 1999 to present Since 1993, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm). N/A N/A

 

16 

 

Name, Address, and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of Time

Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen

by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

Jillian L. Bosmann

One Logan Square

Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 41

Assistant Secretary 2017 to present Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm) (2017-Present); Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (2006-Present). N/A N/A

 

* Each Director oversees 34 portfolios of the Company.
1. Subject to the Company’s Retirement Policy, each Director may continue to serve as a Director until the last day of the calendar year in which the applicable Director attains age 75 or until his successor is elected and qualified or his death, resignation or removal. The Board reserves the right to waive the requirements of the Policy with respect to an individual Director. The Board has approved waivers of the policy with respect to Messrs. Brodsky, Carnall, Giordano, Sablowsky and Straniere. Each officer holds office at the pleasure of the Board until the next special meeting of the Company or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed.
2. Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “interested person” of the Company as that term is defined in the 1940 Act and is referred to as an “Interested Director.” Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “Interested Director” of the Company by virtue of his position as an employee of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

 

Director Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and/or Skills

 

The information above includes each Director’s principal occupations during the last five years. Each Director possesses extensive additional experience, skills and attributes relevant to his qualifications to serve as a Director. The cumulative background of each Director led to the conclusion that each Director should serve as a Director of the Company. Mr. Giordano has years of experience as a consultant to financial services organizations and also serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Mr. Reichman brings decades of investment management experience to the Board, in addition to senior executive-level management experience. Mr. Straniere has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and has served on the boards of an asset management company and another registered investment company. Mr. Brodsky has over 40 years of senior executive-level management experience in the cable television and communications industry. Mr. Sablowsky has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the financial services industry. Mr. Carnall has decades of senior executive-level management experience in the banking and financial services industry and also serves on the boards of various corporations and a bank. Mr. Chandler has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the investment technology consulting/services and investment banking/brokerage industries, and also serves on various boards. Mr. Shea has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the brokerage, clearing and investment services industry, including service on the boards of industry regulatory organizations and a university.

 

Standing Committees

 

The responsibilities of each Committee of the Board and its members are described below.

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler and Giordano. The Audit Committee, among other things, reviews results of the annual audit and approves the firm(s) to serve as independent auditors. The Audit Committee convened three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Contract Committee. The Board has a Contract Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Contract Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler, Sablowsky and Straniere. The Contract Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the approval and continuation of agreements and plans of the Company. The Contract Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Executive Committee. The Board has an Executive Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Executive Committee are Messrs. Chandler, Giordano, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Executive Committee may generally carry on and manage the business of the Company when the Board is not in session. The Executive Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee. The Board has an Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two Independent Directors. The current members of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee are Messrs. Reichman, Sablowsky and Shea. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee ensures that the Company’s investment advisers have adopted investment and liquidity risk management policies and procedures. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee met one time during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Giordano and Reichman. The Nominating and Governance Committee recommends to the Board all persons to be nominated as Directors of the Company. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Committee care of the Company’s Secretary. The Nominating and Governance Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Product Development Committee. The Board has a Product Development Committee comprised of the Interested Director and one Independent Director. The current members of the Product Development Committee are Messrs. Reichman and Sablowsky. The Product Development Committee oversees the process regarding the addition of new investment advisers and investment products to the Company. The Product Development Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Regulatory Oversight Committee. The Board has a Regulatory Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and four Independent Directors. The current members of the Regulatory Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Reichman, Sablowsky, Shea and Straniere. The Regulatory Oversight Committee monitors regulatory developments in the mutual fund industry and focuses on various regulatory aspects of the operation of the Company. The Regulatory Oversight Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

17 

 

Strategic Oversight Committee. The Board has a Strategic Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Strategic Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Chandler, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Strategic Oversight Committee assists the Board in its oversight and review of the Company’s strategic plan and operations. The Strategic Oversight Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Valuation Committee. The Board has a Valuation Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two officers of the Company. The members of the Valuation Committee are Messrs. Faia, Sablowsky and Shaw. The Valuation Committee is responsible for reviewing fair value determinations. The Valuation Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Risk Oversight

 

The Board performs its risk oversight function for the Company through a combination of (1) direct oversight by the Board as a whole and Board committees and (2) indirect oversight through the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, Company officers and the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer. The Company is subject to a number of risks, including but not limited to investment risk, compliance risk, operational risk, reputational risk, credit risk and counterparty risk. Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Company is the responsibility of the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk) that carry out the Company’s investment management and business affairs. Each of the investment advisers and the other service providers have their own independent interest in risk management and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models and may differ from the Company’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.

 

The Board provides risk oversight by receiving and reviewing on a regular basis reports from the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers, receiving and approving compliance policies and procedures, periodic meetings with the Company’s portfolio managers to review investment policies, strategies and risks, and meeting regularly with the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer to discuss compliance reports, findings and issues. The Board also relies on the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, with respect to the day-to-day activities of the Company, to create and maintain procedures and controls to minimize risk and the likelihood of adverse effects on the Company’s business and reputation.

 

Board oversight of risk management is also provided by various Board Committees. For example, the Audit Committee meets with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms to ensure that the Company’s respective audit scopes include risk-based considerations as to the Company’s financial position and operations.

 

The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight. The Board’s oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Company’s investments or activities.

 

Director Ownership of Shares of the Company

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in the Portfolios and in all of the portfolios of the Company (which for each Director comprise all registered investment companies within the Company’s family of investment companies overseen by him) as of December 31, 2019. Shares of the Portfolios are offered only to Separate Accounts of Participating Insurance Companies for the purpose of funding various annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies and are not available for direct investment by the Directors.

 

Name of Director

Dollar Range of

Equity Securities in the

Portfolios

Aggregate Dollar Range of

Equity Securities in All

Registered Investment Companies

Overseen by Director within the

Family of Investment Companies

INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS  
Julian A. Brodsky None Over $100,000
J. Richard Carnall None $10,001-$50,000
Gregory P. Chandler None $10,001-$50,000
Nicholas A. Giordano None $10,001-$50,000
Arnold M. Reichman None Over $100,000
Brian T. Shea None $10,001-$50,000
Robert A. Straniere None $1-$10,000
INTERESTED DIRECTOR  
Robert Sablowsky None Over $100,000

 

18 

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in each individual Portfolio as of December 31, 2019:

 

Name of Director

Matson Money

U.S. Equity VI

Portfolio

Matson Money

International

Equity VI

Portfolio

Matson Money

Fixed Income VI

Portfolio

Independent Directors:      
Julian A. Brodsky, Director None None None
J. Richard Carnall, Director None None None
Gregory P. Chandler, Director None None None
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director None None None
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman None None None
Brian T. Shea, Director None None None
Robert A. Straniere, Director None None None
Interested Director:      
Robert Sablowsky, Director None None None

 

Directors’ and Officers’ Compensation

 

Effective April 1, 2019, the Company pays each Director a retainer at the rate of $125,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each receives an additional fee of $20,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee each receives an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services. The Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee receives an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $35,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $75,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

From January 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, the Company paid each Director a retainer at the rate of $100,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each received an additional fee of $15,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee received an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services, and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee each received an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $25,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $50,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

Directors are reimbursed for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board or any committee thereof. An employee of Vigilant Compliance, LLC serves as President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Company. Vigilant Compliance, LLC is compensated for the services provided to the Company, and such compensation is determined by the Board. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, Vigilant Compliance, LLC received $616, $447 and $744 from the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio, respectively, and $770,742 in aggregate from all series of the Company for services provided. An employee of the Company serves as Treasurer and Secretary and is compensated for services provided. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from the Portfolios in the following amounts:

 

Name of Director/Officer

Aggregate

Compensation

from the Portfolios

Pension or

Retirement

Benefits Accrued

Estimated

Annual

Benefits

Upon

Retirement

Total

Compensation

From

Fund Complex

Paid to

Directors

or Officer

Independent Directors:        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director $434  N/A  N/A $148,750
J. Richard Carnall, Director $444  N/A  N/A $152,250
Gregory P. Chandler, Director $519  N/A  N/A $178,500
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director $456  N/A  N/A $156,875
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman $603  N/A  N/A $208,500
Brian T. Shea, Director $451  N/A  N/A $152,500
Robert A. Straniere, Director $457  N/A  N/A $155,750
Interested Director:        
Robert Sablowsky, Director $598  N/A  N/A $205,250
Officer:        
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary $904  N/A  N/A $288,000

 

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For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from each of the Portfolios in the following amounts:

 

Name of Director/Officer

Matson Money

U.S. Equity VI

Portfolio

Matson Money

International

Equity VI

Portfolio

Matson Money

Fixed Income VI

Portfolio

Independent Directors:      
Julian A. Brodsky, Director $149 $107 $179
J. Richard Carnall, Director $152 $109 $183
Gregory P. Chandler, Director $178 $128 $214
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director $156 $112 $187
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman $207 $149 $248
Brian T. Shea, Director $154 $111 $186
Robert A. Straniere, Director $156 $113 $188
Interested Director:      
Robert Sablowsky, Director $205 $147 $246
Officer:      
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary $306 $221 $376

 

Each compensated Director is entitled to participate in the Company’s deferred compensation plan (the “DC Plan”). Under the DC Plan, a compensated Director may elect to defer all or a portion of his compensation and have the deferred compensation treated as if it had been invested by the Company in shares of one or more of the portfolios of the Company. The amount paid to the Directors under the DC Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Independent Directors and their respective immediate family members (spouse or dependent children) did not own beneficially or of record any securities of the Company’s investment advisers or distributor, or of any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment advisers or distributor.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

As of January 31, 2020 to the Company’s knowledge, the following named persons at the addresses shown below were owners of record of approximately 5% or more of the total outstanding shares of each Portfolio as indicated below. See “Additional Information Concerning Company Shares” below. Any shareholder that owns 25% or more of the outstanding shares of a Portfolio may be presumed to “control” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) the Portfolio. Shareholders controlling a portfolio or class could have the ability to vote a majority of the shares of a Portfolio on any matter requiring approval of the shareholders of the Portfolio.

 

Name of Portfolio Shareholder Name and Address

Percentage of

Shares Owned as of

January 31, 2020

Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio

JP Morgan Chase Bank Cust. FBO

Intelligent Variable Annuity

TIAA-CREF Life SEP A/C VA-1 of

TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company

8625 Andrew Carnegie Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28262-8551

100%
Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio

JP Morgan Chase Bank Cust. FBO

Intelligent Variable Annuity

TIAA-CREF Life SEP A/C VA-1 of

TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company

8625 Andrew Carnegie Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28262-8551

100%
Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio

JP Morgan Chase Bank Cust. FBO

Intelligent Variable Annuity

TIAA-CREF Life SEP A/C VA-1 of

TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company

8625 Andrew Carnegie Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28262-8551

100%

 

As of January 31, 2020, the Directors and officers as a group owned none of the outstanding shares of the Portfolios.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Company and the Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permits personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Company, subject to certain restrictions.

 

20 

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

 

The Board has delegated the responsibility of voting proxies with respect to the portfolio securities purchased and/or held by each Portfolio to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. In exercising its voting obligations, the Adviser is guided by its general fiduciary duty to act prudently and in the interest of the Portfolios. The Adviser will consider factors affecting the value of the Portfolios’ investments and the rights of shareholders in its determination on voting portfolio securities.

 

The Adviser has adopted proxy voting procedures with respect to voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Portfolios. A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies is included with this SAI. Please see Appendix B to this SAI for further information.

 

Information regarding how the Portfolios voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-866-780-0357 or by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

Investment Adviser

 

The Adviser renders advisory services to the Portfolios pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (“Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser is not a subsidiary of or under the control of any other company. Mark E. Matson, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Adviser, owns approximately 90% of the Adviser’s voting stock, and members of Mr. Matson’s family own all of the remaining shares of the Adviser’s voting stock.

 

Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser will provide for the overall management of the Portfolios including (i) the provision of a continuous investment program for the Portfolios, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents, (ii) the determination from time to time of what securities and other investments will be purchased, retained, or sold by the Portfolios, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for all purchases and sales made for the Portfolios. The Adviser will provide the services rendered by it in accordance with each Portfolio’s investment goal, restrictions and policies as stated in the Prospectus and in this SAI. The Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment, mistake of law, or for any loss suffered by the Portfolios in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Advisory Agreement.

 

For its services to the Portfolios the Adviser is entitled to receive a monthly advisory fee at an annual rate of 0.50% of the first $1 billion of each Portfolio’s average daily net assets, 0.49% of each Portfolio’s average daily net assets over $1 billion to $5 billion and 0.47% of each Portfolio’s average daily net assets over $5 billion. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit total annual Portfolio operating expenses to 1.13%, 1.35% and 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio, respectively. In determining the Adviser’s obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and certain of these expenses could cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 1.13%, 1.35% and 1.00%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. If at any time a Portfolio's Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.13%, 1.35%, or 1.00%, respectively, the Adviser may recoup any waived or reimbursed amounts from the applicable Portfolio within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made by the Adviser, provided such reimbursement does not cause such Portfolio to exceed the expense limitation that was in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement. This contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021 and may not be terminated without the approval of the Board.

 

The advisory fees, including waivers and reimbursements for the past three fiscal years are as follows:

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2019

 

Advisory Fees (after waivers

and reimbursements)

    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio   $ 120,925     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio   $ 88,520     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio   $ 145,871     $ 0     $ 0  

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2018

 

Advisory Fees (after waivers

and reimbursements)

    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio   $ 115,317     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio   $ 82,214     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio   $ 140,316     $ 0     $ 0  

 

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2017

 

Advisory Fees (after waivers

and reimbursements)

    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio   $ 95,411     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio   $ 68,925     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio   $ 119,321     $ 0     $ 0  

 

The Adviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under the Advisory Agreement. Each Portfolio bears all of its own expenses not specifically assumed by the Adviser. General expenses of the Company not readily identifiable as belonging to a portfolio of the Company are allocated among all investment portfolios by or under the direction of the Board in such manner as it deems to be fair and equitable. Expenses borne by the Portfolio include, but are not limited to the following (or the Portfolio’s share of the following): (a) the cost (including brokerage commissions) of securities purchased or sold by the Portfolio and any losses incurred in connection therewith; (b) fees payable to and expenses incurred on behalf of the Portfolio by the Adviser; (c) filing fees and expenses relating to the registration and qualification of the Company and the Portfolio’s shares under federal and/or state securities laws and maintaining such registrations and qualifications; (d) fees and salaries payable to the Company’s Directors and officers; (e) taxes (including any income or franchise taxes) and governmental fees; (f) costs of any liability and other insurance or fidelity bonds; (g) any costs, expenses or losses arising out of a liability of or claim for damages or other relief asserted against the Company or the Portfolio for violation of any law; (h) legal, accounting and auditing expenses, including legal fees of special counsel for the independent Directors; (i) charges of custodians and other agents; (j) expenses of setting in type and printing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto for existing shareholders, reports, statements, and confirmations to shareholders and proxy materials that are not attributable to a class; (k) costs of mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto to existing shareholders, as well as reports to shareholders and proxy materials that are not attributable to a class; (1) any extraordinary expenses; (m) fees, voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; (n) costs of mailing and tabulating proxies and costs of shareholders’ and Directors’ meetings; (o) costs of independent pricing services to value a portfolio’s securities; and (p) the costs of investment company literature and other publications provided by the Company to its Directors and officers. Distribution expenses, transfer agency expenses, expenses of preparation, printing and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy statements and reports to shareholders, and organizational expenses and registration fees, identified as belonging to a particular class of the Company, are allocated to such class.

 

21 

 

The Advisory Agreement is terminable by vote of the Board or by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio, at any time without penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated by the Adviser at any time, without payment of any penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to the Portfolio. The Advisory Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment.

 

The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall at all times have all rights in and to the Portfolio’s name and all investment models used by or on behalf of the Portfolio. The Adviser may use the Portfolio’s name or any portion thereof in connection with any other mutual fund or business activity without the consent of any shareholder, and the Company has agreed to execute and deliver any and all documents required to indicate its consent to such use.

 

The Advisory Agreement further provides that no public reference to, or description of, the Adviser or its methodology or work shall be made by the Company, whether in the Prospectus, SAI or otherwise, without the Adviser’s prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. In each case, the Company has agreed to provide the Adviser a reasonable opportunity to review any such reference or description before being asked for such consent.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Description of Compensation. As of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers receive a base salary, a year-end incentive bonus based on company profitability and may receive a quarterly bonus based on services provided to the Adviser. Compensation of a portfolio manager is determined at the discretion of the portfolio manager’s supervisor and is based on a portfolio manager’s experience, responsibilities, the perception of the quality of his or her work efforts and other subjective factors. The compensation of portfolio managers is not directly based upon the performance of the Portfolios or other accounts that they manage. The portfolio manager’s supervisor reviews the compensation of each portfolio manager annually and may make modifications in compensation as it deems necessary to reflect changes in the market.

 

Other Accounts. The table below discloses accounts, other than the Portfolios, for which each portfolio manager is primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management, as of December 31, 2019.

 

Name of Portfolio Manager

or Team Member

Type of Accounts

Total

# of

Accounts

Managed

Total Assets

# of Accounts

Managed that

Advisory Fee

Based on

Performance

Total Assets

that Advisory

Fee Based on

Performance

Mark E. Matson Other Registered Investment Companies: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Accounts: 1,412 $435 million 0 $0
Daniel J. List Other Registered Investment Companies: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Accounts: 1,412 $435 million 0 $0

 

The portfolio managers utilize a team based approach to other accounts managed. The portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for the management of a portion of the total assets and number of accounts shown.

 

Conflicts of Interest. Matson Money reviewed its conflicts of interest and risk factors and has attempted to develop policies and procedures to address these matters. Matson Money does not engage in transactions on behalf of client accounts with any affiliates. Matson Money does not have custody of any client securities or funds. Neither Matson Money nor any of its related persons act as general partners or managing members of any unregistered pooled investment vehicle. Matson Money does not manage its own proprietary account. Moreover, none of Matson Money’s officers or employees engage in any outside business activities that conflict with Matson Money’s duties to its clients. Finally, Matson Money does not purchase IPOs or individual securities for clients. Thus, Matson Money’s conflicts and risk factors are in the following areas: solicitation practices, suitability of Matson Money’s services for a client, trade errors, marketing practices, compliance with any client guidelines and restrictions, valuation of client accounts and calculation of fees, safeguarding of client assets, safeguarding of the privacy of client information, disaster recovery, accurate disclosure of information to clients and regulators, and accurate creation and secure maintenance of client records. Matson Money’s Compliance Manual is available upon request, which has more detailed explanations of policies and procedures currently in place to safeguard against potential conflicts/risks.

 

Securities Ownership. As of the date of this SAI, no Portfolio Manager owned shares of any Portfolio. Shares of the Portfolios are only offered to Separate Accounts of Participating Insurance Companies for the purpose of funding various annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies and are not available for direct investment by the Portfolio Managers.

 

Custodian Agreement

 

U.S. Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”), 1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as the Custodian of the Portfolios’ assets pursuant to a custodian agreement between the Custodian and the Company (the “Custodian Agreement”). Under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian: (a) maintains a separate account or accounts in the name of each Portfolio; (b) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of each Portfolio; (c) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of each Portfolio; (d) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of each Portfolio’s portfolio securities; and (e) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the Portfolios’ operations. The Custodian is authorized to select one or more banks or trust companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Portfolios, provided that the Custodian remains responsible for the performance of all of its duties under the Custodian Agreement and holds the Company harmless from the acts and omissions of any sub-custodian. For its services to the Portfolios under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian receives a fee based on the Portfolios’ average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Portfolios.

 

22 

 

Transfer Agency Agreement

 

Fund Services, with corporate offices at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Portfolios pursuant to a transfer agency and servicing agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”). Under the Transfer Agency Agreement, Fund Services: (a) issues and redeems shares of each Portfolio; (b) addresses and mails all communications by the Portfolios to record owners of Shares of the Portfolio, including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and proxy materials for its meetings of shareholders; (c) maintains shareholder accounts and, if requested, sub-accounts; and (d) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the operations of the Portfolios. Fund Services may, subject to the Board’s approval, assign its duties as transfer and dividend disbursing agent to any affiliate. For its services to the Portfolios under the Transfer Agency Agreement, Fund Services receives an annual fee based on the number of accounts in the Portfolios and the Portfolios’ average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Portfolio.

 

Fund Services also provides services relating to the implementation of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. In addition, Fund Services provides services relating to the implementation of the Company’s Customer Identification Program, including the verification of required customer information and the maintenance of records with respect to such verification.

 

Administration and Accounting Services Agreement

 

Fund Services, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as fund administrator to the Portfolios pursuant to a fund administration servicing agreement, and serves as fund accountant pursuant to a fund accounting servicing agreement (the “Administration Agreements”). Under the fund accounting servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to furnish to the Portfolios statistical and research data, clerical, accounting and bookkeeping services, and certain other services required by the Portfolios. Under the fund administration servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to provide fund administration services to the Company. These services include the preparation and coordination of the Company’s annual post-effective amendment filing and supplements to the Portfolio’s registration statement, the preparation and assembly of board meeting materials, and certain other services necessary to the Company’s fund administration. In addition, Fund Services has agreed to prepare and file various reports with the appropriate regulatory agencies and prepare materials required by the SEC or any state securities commission having jurisdiction over the Portfolios.

 

The Administration Agreements provide that Fund Services shall be obligated to exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties and that Fund Services shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Company in connection with its duties under the Administration Agreements, except a loss resulting from Fund Services’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the applicable Administration Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties thereunder.

 

Fund Services receives a fee under the Administration Agreements based on the average daily net assets of the Company. Effective October 1, 2016, Fund Services replaced the Portfolios’ administrator as fund administrator and fund accountant to the Portfolios. For the past three fiscal years each Portfolio paid Fund Services and the Portfolios’ prior administrator, as applicable, certain administration, accounting and regulatory administration fees and related out of pocket expenses as follows:

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2019  

Administration and Accounting Fees Paid

(after waivers and

reimbursements)

    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio   $ 20,307     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio   $ 19,546     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio   $ 21,464     $ 0     $ 0  

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2018  

Administration and Accounting Fees Paid

(after waivers and

reimbursements)

    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio   $ 8,178     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio   $ 7,146     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio   $ 9,640     $ 0     $ 0  

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017  

Administration, Accounting

and Regulatory

Administration Fees Paid

(after waivers and

reimbursements)

    Waivers     Reimbursements  
Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio   $ 7,477     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio   $ 6,376     $ 0     $ 0  
Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio   $ 8,551     $ 0     $ 0  

 

The Administration Agreement provides that Fund Services shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Company or a Portfolio in connection with the performance of the agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder.

 

23 

 

The Company entered into a fund administration servicing agreement with Fund Services. Under this agreement, Fund Services has agreed to provide fund administration services to the Company. These services include the preparation and coordination of the Company’s annual post-effective amendment filing and supplements to the Company’s registration statement, the preparation and assembly of board meeting materials, and certain other services necessary to the Company’s fund administration. Fund Services receives an annual fee based on the average daily net assets of the portfolios of the Company.

 

DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS

 

Distribution Agreement

 

Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), whose principal business address is 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, 6th Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the underwriter to the Portfolios pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor is not affiliated with the Company or the Adviser. The Distributor, U.S. Bank, N.A and Fund Services are affiliates.

 

Under the Distribution Agreement with the Company, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Portfolios. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Portfolio on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Portfolio shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company.

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Portfolios. With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Portfolios and/or the Adviser, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements. These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor. These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Portfolios.

 

Investors who purchase shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein. Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares. Investors purchasing shares of the Portfolios through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary. The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote shares depending upon their arrangement with the financial intermediary. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Portfolios for its distribution services except the distribution/service fees with respect to the shares of those classes for which a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan is effective. The Adviser pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.

 

The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Portfolio’s outstanding voting securities in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Company on behalf of the Portfolios on no less than 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio or by vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement, or by the Distributor, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any loss suffered by the Company in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof.

 

FUND TRANSACTIONS

 

Subject to policies established by the Board and applicable rules, the Adviser is responsible for the execution of portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage transactions for the Portfolios. In executing portfolio transactions, the Adviser seeks to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for the Portfolios, taking into account such factors as the price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of the order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm involved. While the Adviser generally seeks reasonably competitive commission rates, payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions.

 

No Portfolio has any obligation to deal with any broker or group of brokers in the execution of portfolio transactions. The Adviser may, consistent with the interests of the Portfolios and subject to the approval of the Board, select brokers on the basis of the research, statistical and pricing services they provide to the Portfolios and other clients of the Adviser. Information and research received from such brokers will be in addition to, and not in lieu of, the services required to be performed by the Adviser under its respective contracts. A commission paid to such brokers may be higher than that which another qualified broker would have charged for effecting the same transaction, provided that the Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in terms either of the transaction or the overall responsibility of the Adviser to a Portfolio and its other clients and that the total commissions paid by a Portfolio will be reasonable in relation to the benefits to a Portfolio over the long-term.

 

Investment decisions for each Portfolio and for other investment accounts managed by the Adviser are made independently of each other in the light of differing conditions. However, the same investment decision may be made for two or more of such accounts. In such cases, simultaneous transactions are inevitable. Purchases or sales are then averaged as to price and allocated as to amount according to a formula deemed equitable to each such account. While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect upon the price or value of the security as far as a Portfolio is concerned, in other cases it is believed to be beneficial to a Portfolio.

 

The U.S. Equity VI Portfolio and the International Equity VI Portfolio did not pay brokerage commissions on portfolio transactions for the past three fiscal years. The Fixed Income VI Portfolio paid brokerage commissions of $1,330, $0, and $0 for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

 

You may purchase shares through an account maintained by your brokerage firm and you may also purchase shares directly by mail or wire. The Company reserves the right, if conditions exist that make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase of a Portfolio’s shares by making payment in whole or in part in securities chosen by the Company and valued in the same way as they would be valued for purposes of computing that Portfolio’s NAV. If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction costs in converting these securities into cash. A shareholder will also bear any market risk or tax consequences as a result of a payment in securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act so that each Portfolio is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Portfolio. A shareholder will bear the risk of a decline in market value and any tax consequences associated with a redemption in securities.

 

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Under the 1940 Act, the Company may suspend the right to redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), or during which the SEC restricts trading on the NYSE or determines an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or valuation of portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC may permit. (The Company may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions.)

 

Shares of the Company are subject to redemption by the Company, at the redemption price of such shares as in effect from time to time, including, without limitation: (1) to reimburse a Portfolio for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder as provided in the Prospectus from time to time; (2) if such redemption is, in the opinion of the Board, desirable in order to prevent the Company or any Portfolio from being deemed a “personal holding company” within the meaning of the Code; (3) or if the net income with respect to any particular class of common stock should be negative or it should otherwise be appropriate to carry out the Company’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

 

Each Portfolio has the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the particular Portfolio for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Portfolio you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES

 

The Company’s telephone transaction procedures include the following measures: (1) requiring the appropriate telephone transaction privilege forms; (2) requiring the caller to provide the names of the account owners, the account social security number and name of the Portfolio, all of which must match the Company’s records; (3) requiring the Company’s service representative to complete a telephone transaction form, listing all of the above caller identification information; (4) permitting exchanges (if applicable) only if the two account registrations are identical; (5) requiring that redemption proceeds be sent only by check to the account owners of record at the address of record, or by wire only to the owners of record at the bank account of record; (6) sending a written confirmation for each telephone transaction to the owners of record at the address of record within five (5) business days of the call; and (7) maintaining tapes of telephone transactions for six months, if the Company elects to record shareholder telephone transactions. For accounts held of record by broker-dealers, financial institutions, securities dealers, financial planners and other industry professionals, additional documentation or information regarding the scope of a caller’s authority is required. Finally, for telephone transactions in accounts held jointly, additional information regarding other account holders is required. Telephone transactions will not be permitted in connection with Individual Retirement Account or other retirement plan accounts.

 

VALUATION OF SHARES

 

In accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, the NAV per share of each Portfolio is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to the Portfolio and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of the Portfolio. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or such other time as the NYSE or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the NYSE is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The NYSE is generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (observed), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Company reserves the right to reprocess purchase, redemption and exchange transactions that were initially processed at a NAV other than a Portfolio’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders based on the official closing NAV. The Company reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, a Portfolio may compute its NAV as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.

 

The securities of the Portfolios are valued under the direction of the Portfolios’ administrator and under the general supervision of the Board. Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices. Subject to the approval of the Board, the Portfolios may employ outside organizations, which may use a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indices, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments in determining the approximate market value of portfolio investments. This may result in the investments being valued at a price that differs from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used. All cash, receivables, and current payables are carried on a Portfolio’s books at their face value. Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Portfolios’ Valuation Committee under the direction of the Board.

 

The procedures used by any pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Company under the general supervision of the Board.

 

The Portfolios may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges. These securities may trade on weekends or other days when the Portfolios do not calculate NAV. As a result, the value of these investments may change on days when you cannot purchase or sell Portfolio shares.

 

TAXES

 

Shares of the Portfolios are offered to Separate Accounts that Portfolio variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by Participating Insurance Companies. See the prospectuses for such contracts or policies for a discussion of the special taxation of insurance companies with respect to the Separate Accounts, the variable annuity contracts, variable life insurance policies and the holders thereof.

 

The following summarizes certain tax considerations generally affecting the Portfolios, the underlying investment companies, and Portfolio shareholders that are not fully described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Portfolios, the underlying investment companies, or Portfolio shareholders, and the discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Potential investors should consult their tax advisers with specific reference to their own tax situations.

 

The discussions of the federal tax consequences in the Prospectus and this SAI are based on the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and the regulations issued under it, and court decisions and administrative interpretations, as in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly alter the statements included herein, and any such changes or decisions may be retroactive.

 

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General

 

The holders of variable life insurance policies or annuity contracts should not be subject to tax with respect to distributions made on, or redemptions of, Portfolio shares, assuming that the variable life insurance policies and annuity contracts qualify under the Code, as life insurance or annuities, respectively, and that the Separate Accounts (rather than the holders of such policies or contracts) are treated as owners of the Portfolio shares. Thus, this summary does not describe the tax consequences to a holder of a life insurance policy or annuity contract as a result of the ownership of such policies or contracts. Policy or contract holders must consult the prospectuses of their respective policies or contracts for information concerning the federal income tax consequences of owning such policies or contracts. This summary also does not describe the tax consequences applicable to the owners of the Portfolio shares because the Portfolio shares will be sold only to insurance companies. Thus, purchasers of Portfolio shares must consult their own tax advisers regarding the federal, state, and local tax consequences of owning Portfolio shares.

 

Each Portfolio and each underlying investment company intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. As such, each Portfolio and underlying investment company generally will be exempt from federal income tax on its net investment income and realized capital gains that it distributes to shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, each Portfolio and underlying investment company must meet three important tests each year.

 

First, each Portfolio and underlying investment company must derive with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies or net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Second, generally, at the close of each quarter of each Portfolio’s and each underlying investment company’s taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Portfolio’s and the underlying investment companies’ assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies and securities of other issuers (as to which the Portfolio or underlying investment company has not invested more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of such issuer and as to which the Portfolio or underlying investment company does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer), and no more than 25% of the value of each Portfolio’s and each underlying investment company’s total assets may be invested in the securities of (1) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), (2) two or more issuers that the Portfolio or underlying investment company controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or (3) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Third, each Portfolio and underlying investment company must distribute an amount equal to at least the sum of 90% of the Portfolio’s or underlying investment company’s investment company taxable income (net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) before taking into account any deduction for dividends paid, and 90% of its tax-exempt income, if any, for the year.

 

Each Portfolio and underlying investment company intends to comply with these requirements. If a Portfolio or underlying investment company were to fail to make sufficient distributions, it could be liable for corporate income tax and for excise tax in respect of the shortfall or, if the shortfall is large enough, the Portfolio or underlying investment company could be disqualified as a regulated investment company. If for any taxable year a Portfolio or underlying investment company were not to qualify as a regulated investment company, all its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. Moreover, a failure of a Portfolio to qualify as a regulated investment company could cause Separate Accounts that invest in the Portfolio to fail to meet the applicable diversification requirements described below, which in turn, could have adverse tax effects on policy or contract holders.

 

The Code imposes a nondeductible 4% excise tax on regulated investment companies that fail to distribute each year an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). Each Portfolio and underlying investment company intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions each year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

 

Each Portfolio intends to comply with the diversification requirements imposed by Section 817(h) of the Code and the regulations thereunder. Under Code Section 817(h), a variable life insurance or annuity contract will not be treated as a life insurance policy or annuity contract, respectively, under the Code, unless the Separate Account upon which such contract or policy is based is “adequately diversified.” A Separate Account will be adequately diversified if it satisfies one of two alternative tests set forth in the Treasury regulations. Specifically, the Treasury regulations provide that, except as permitted by the “safe harbor” discussed below, as of the end of each calendar quarter (or within 30 days thereafter) no more than 55% of the Separate Account’s total assets may be represented by any one investment, no more than 70% by any two investments, no more than 80% by any three investments and no more than 90% by any four investments. For this purpose, all securities of the same issuer are considered a single investment, and each U.S. government agency and instrumentality is considered a separate issuer. As a safe harbor, a Separate Account will be treated as being adequately diversified if the diversification requirements under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code are satisfied and no more than 55% of the value of the account’s total assets are cash and cash items, U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies. In addition, a Separate Account with respect to a variable life insurance contract is treated as adequately diversified to the extent of its investment in securities issued by the United States Treasury.

 

For purposes of these alternative diversification tests, a Separate Account investing in shares of a regulated investment company generally will be entitled to “look through” the regulated investment company to its pro rata portion of the regulated investment company’s assets, provided that the shares of such regulated investment company are generally held only by insurance companies in their general account or in Separate Accounts and certain fund managers (a “Closed Portfolio”). Public access to such regulated investment company is available exclusively through the purchase of a variable contract. Each Portfolio will be a Closed Portfolio.

 

If the Separate Account upon which a variable contract is based is not “adequately diversified” under the foregoing rules, then the variable contract will not be treated as a life insurance contract or annuity contract under the Code, and the taxation and treatment of a policy or contract holder will be other than as described in the applicable prospectus of such policy or contract and generally will be more adverse to the holder.

 

In addition, if a Portfolio did not constitute a Closed Portfolio or the holders of the contracts and annuities which invest in the Portfolio through a Separate Account were able, or were treated as able, to direct the Portfolio’s investment in any particular asset, those holders might be treated as owners of Portfolio shares and might be subject to tax on distributions made by the Portfolio. The IRS may consider several factors in determining whether a contract holder has an impermissible level of investor control. One factor the IRS considers when a Separate Account invests in one or more regulated investment companies is whether a regulated investment company’s investment strategies are sufficiently broad to prevent a contract holder from being deemed to be making particular investment decisions through its investment in the Separate Account. Current IRS guidance indicates that typical regulated investment company investment strategies, even those with a specific sector or geographic focus, are generally considered sufficiently broad to prevent a contract holder from being deemed to be making particular investment decisions through its investment in a Separate Account. Another factor that the IRS examines concerns actions of contract holders. Under the IRS pronouncements, a contract holder may not select or control particular investments, other than choosing among broad investment choices such as selecting a particular regulated investment company. A contract holder thus may not select or direct the purchase or sale of a particular investment of the Portfolio. The relationship between the Portfolio and the variable contracts is designed to satisfy the current expressed view of the IRS on this subject, such that the investor control doctrine should not apply.

 

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The Portfolios requested and received a private letter ruling from the IRS that the contract holders will not be treated as the owners of the Portfolios’ shares for federal income tax purposes based on the structure and intended operation of the Portfolios. However, it is possible that the Treasury Department may issue future pronouncements addressing the circumstances in which a contract holder’s control of the investments of a Separate Account may cause the contract holder, rather than the insurance company, to be treated as the owner of the assets held by the Separate Account. It is not known what standards will be set forth in any such pronouncements or when, if at all, these pronouncements may be issued. If such pronouncements are issued, the Portfolios would seek to modify the structure of the Portfolios.

 

As of August 31, 2019, the Matson Money VI Portfolio Fixed Income Fund has $37,010 in capital loss carryforwards.

 

Taxation of Certain Investments

 

The tax principles applicable to transactions in financial instruments, such as futures contracts and options, that may be engaged in by a Portfolio or an underlying investment company, and investments in passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”), are complex and, in some cases, uncertain. Such transactions and investments may cause a Portfolio or an underlying investment company to recognize taxable income prior to the receipt of cash, thereby requiring the Portfolio or the underlying investment company to liquidate other positions, or to borrow money, so as to make sufficient distributions to shareholders to avoid corporate-level tax. Moreover, some or all of the taxable income recognized may be ordinary income or short-term capital gain, so that the distributions may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

 

In addition, in the case of any shares of a PFIC in which a Portfolio or an underlying investment company invests, the Portfolio or the underlying investment company may be liable for corporate-level tax on any ultimate gain or distributions on the shares if the Portfolio or the underlying investment company fails to make an election to recognize income annually during the period of its ownership of the shares.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

Although each Portfolio and underlying investment company expects to qualify as a regulated investment company and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, a Portfolio or an underlying investment company may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES

 

The Company has authorized capital of 100 billion shares of common stock at a par value of $0.001 per share. Currently, approximately 87.423 billion shares have been classified into 185 classes; however, the Company only has approximately 47 active share classes that have begun investment operations. Under the Company’s charter, the Board has the power to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of common stock from time to time.

 

Each share that represents an interest in a Portfolio has an equal proportionate interest in the assets belonging to such Portfolio with each other share that represents an interest in such Portfolio, even where a share has a different class designation than another share representing an interest in that Portfolio. Shares of the Company do not have preemptive or conversion rights. When issued for payment as described in the Prospectus, shares of the Company will be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

The Company does not currently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. The Company’s amended By-Laws provide that shareholders collectively owning at least ten percent of the outstanding shares of all classes of Common Stock of the Company have the right to call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more directors. To the extent required by law, the Company will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.

 

Holders of shares of each Portfolio will vote in the aggregate on all matters, except where otherwise required by law. Further, shareholders of the Company will vote in the aggregate and not by portfolio except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular portfolio or class of shares. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted by the provisions of such Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to the holders of the outstanding voting securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, of an investment company such as the Company shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each portfolio affected by the matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a portfolio shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each portfolio in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the portfolio. Under Rule 18f-2 the approval of an investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement or any change in a fundamental investment objective or fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a portfolio only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such portfolio. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the selection of independent public accountants and the election of directors are not subject to the separate voting requirements and may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of an investment company voting without regard to a portfolio. Shareholders of the Company are entitled to one vote for each full share held (irrespective of class or portfolio) and fractional votes for fractional shares held. Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate shares of common stock of the Company may elect all of the Directors.

 

Notwithstanding any provision of Maryland law requiring a greater vote of shares of the Company’s common stock (or of any class voting as a class) in connection with any corporate action, unless otherwise provided by law (for example by Rule 18f-2 discussed above), or by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, the Company may take or authorize such action upon the favorable vote of the holders of more than 50% of all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock voting without regard to class (or portfolio).

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Anti-Money Laundering Program

 

The Portfolios have established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Portfolios’ Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures, and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that certain of its service providers have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, and conducting a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Portfolios will not transact business with any person or legal entity whose identity and beneficial owners, if applicable, cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

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Counsel

 

The law firm of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Suite 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996, serves as independent counsel to the Company and the Independent Directors.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Two Commerce Square, Suite 1800, 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the Portfolios’ independent registered public accounting firm.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The audited financial statements and notes thereto in the Portfolios’ Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”) are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other parts of the Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. The financial statements included in the Annual Report have been audited by the Portfolios’ independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report thereon also appears in the Annual Report and is incorporated by reference into this SAI. Such financial statements have been incorporated herein in reliance upon such reports given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing. Copies of the Annual Report may be obtained at no charge by telephoning the Transfer Agent at the telephone number appearing on the front page of this SAI.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

 

“A-1” - A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

“A-2” - A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

“A-3” - A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

“C” - A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“D” - A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer will differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

 

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

“P-1” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-2” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-3” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“NP” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issuer.

 

Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

 

“F1” - Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

“F2” - Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

“F3” - Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

“B” - Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

“C” - Securities possess high short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

“RD” - Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

 

A-1 

 

“D” - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The “F1” rating may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show the relative status within that major rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS® Ratings Limited (“DBRS”) short-term debt rating scale provides an opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer and the relative ranking of claims. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the sub-categories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for commercial paper and short-term debt:

 

“R-1 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“R-1 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from “R-1 (high)” by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-1 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“R-2 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-2 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

“R-2 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

“R-3” - Short-term debt rated “R-3” is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

“R-4” - Short-term debt rated “R-4” is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

“R-5” - Short-term debt rated “R-5” is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

“D” - Short-term debt rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:

 

“AAA” - An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

“AA” - An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

 

“A” - An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

 

“BBB” - An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” - Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

 

“BB” - An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

A-2 

 

“CCC” - An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CC” - An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

 

“C” - An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

 

“D” - An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

 

“NR” - This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. An issuer’s foreign currency rating will differ from its local currency rating when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:

 

“Aaa” - Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

 

“Aa” - Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

“A” - Obligations rated “A” are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

“Baa” - Obligations rated “Baa” are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

“Ba” - Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

“B” - Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

“Caa” - Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

“Ca” - Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

“C” - Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to unrated obligations.

 

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:

 

“AAA” - Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

“AA” - Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

“A” - Securities considered to be of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

“BBB” - Securities considered to be of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

“BB” - Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicate that there is an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

“B” - Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

“CCC” - A “CCC” rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

 

A-3 

 

“CC” - A “CC” rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

 

“C” - A “C” rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned “RD” or “D” ratings but are instead rated in the “CCC” to “C” rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below “CCC”.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS long-term rating scale provides an opinion on the risk of default. That is, the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy its financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which an obligation has been issued. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer, and the relative ranking of claims. All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for long-term debt:

 

“AAA” - Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“AA” - Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from “AAA” only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“A” - Long-term debt rated “A” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than “AA.” May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“BBB” - Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“BB” - Long-term debt rated “BB” is of speculative, non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

“B” - Long-term debt rated “B” is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

“CCC”, “CC” and “C” - Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although “CC” and “C” ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the “CCC” to “B” range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the “C” category.

 

“D” - A security rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Municipal Note Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:

 

Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

Source of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

 

Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

“SP-1” - A municipal note rated “SP-1” exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

“SP-2” - A municipal note rated “SP-2” exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

“SP-3” - A municipal note rated “SP-3” exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

“D” - This rating is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

 

Moody’s uses the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) scale to rate U.S. municipal bond anticipation notes of up to five years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels - “MIG-1” through “MIG-3” while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated “SG”. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for short-term municipal obligations:

 

A-4 

 

“MIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

“MIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

“MIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or “VMIG” scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

 

“VMIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

About Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

 

Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

 

Fitch’s credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Fitch credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch’s credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance, and public finance entities (including supranational and sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.

 

Credit ratings provided by DBRS are forward-looking opinions about credit risk which reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, security and/or obligation. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. While historical statistics and performance can be important considerations, credit ratings are not based solely on such; they include subjective considerations and involve expectations for future performance that cannot be guaranteed. To the extent that future events and economic conditions do not match expectations, credit ratings assigned to issuers, entities, securities and/or obligations can change. Credit ratings are also based on approved and applicable Methodologies (“Methodologies”), which are periodically updated and when material changes are deemed necessary, this may also lead to rating changes.

 

Credit ratings typically provide an opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the obligation was issued. In some cases, credit ratings may also include consideration for the relative ranking of claims and recovery, should default occur. Credit ratings are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of any specific default probability, nor are they meant to predict such.

 

The data and information on which DBRS bases its opinions is not audited or verified by DBRS, although, DBRS conducts a reasonableness review of information received and relied upon in accordance with its Methodologies and policies.

 

DBRS uses rating symbols as a concise method of expressing its opinion to the market, but there are a limited number of rating categories for the possible slight risk differentials that exist across the rating spectrum and DBRS does not assert that credit ratings in the same category are of “exactly” the same quality.

 

A-5 

 

APPENDIX B

 

1. PROXY VOTING

 

1.1. ADVISER PROXY VOTING

 

Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-6 prohibits SEC-registered advisers from exercising voting authority over client securities without adopting and implementing written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes client securities in the best interest of its clients. 1/ An adviser that chooses not to exercise voting authority must make its nonvoting policy clear to clients.2/

 

1.2. ERISA PROXY VOTING

 

The Department of Labor (“DOL”) has provided investment managers the following guidance about their ERISA responsibilities, when voting proxies:

 

Where the authority to manage plan assets has been delegated to an investment manager, only the investment manager has authority to vote proxies, except when the named fiduciary has reserved to itself or to another named fiduciary (as authorized by the plan document) the right to direct a plan trustee regarding the voting of proxies.3/

 

Under DOL guidance, any adviser with a duty to vote proxies has an obligation to take reasonable steps under the circumstances to ensure that it receives the proxies, including informing the plan sponsor and its trustees, bank custodian or broker-dealer custodian of the requirement that all proxies be forwarded to the adviser and making periodic reviews during the proxy season, including follow-up letters and phone calls if necessary. When voting proxies, an investment manager must consider proxies as a plan asset and vote only in the best economic interests of the plan participants.4/ However, advisers to ERISA accounts may determine not to vote a particular proxy where, for example: (1) the cost of voting the proxy outweighs the potential benefit derived from voting; (2) a proxy is received with respect to securities that have been sold before the date of the shareholder meeting and are no longer held in a client account; (3) the terms of an applicable securities lending agreement prevent the adviser from voting with respect to a loaned security; (4) despite reasonable efforts, the adviser receives proxy materials without sufficient time to reach an informed voting decision and vote the proxies; or (5) the terms of the security or any related agreement or applicable law preclude the adviser from voting. The adviser must properly document votes cast and the named fiduciary has a duty to monitor the adviser’s proxy voting process so advisers to ERISA accounts should be prepared to issue proxy voting reports to clients.

 

1.3. MATSON POLICY: GENERAL

 

Matson votes all proxies relating to underlying mutual funds held in any Matson-managed mutual fund in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act and related rules and forms. Matson’s Portfolio Manager decides how shares of the underlying funds are voted. Due to inherent conflicts of interest, Matson does not vote proxies on shares of the Matson funds held in client accounts. In addition, Matson’s does not accept proxy voting responsibility for any other securities held in the client accounts. Matson’s client agreements specifically disclose that Matson does not vote proxies and requests that ERISA clients, if any, expressly reserve voting authority. The CCO monitors the firm’s proxy voting policy.

 

Where Matson has proxy voting authority for securities held by its advisory clients, Matson votes such securities for the exclusive benefit, and in the best economic interest, of those clients and their beneficiaries, as determined by Matson in good faith, subject to any restrictions or directions from a client. Such voting responsibilities will be exercised in a manner that is consistent with the general antifraud provisions of the Advisers Act, as well as with Matson’s fiduciary duties under federal and state law to act in the best interests of its clients. Matson considers each issue presented in a proxy on its merits and votes on a case-by-case basis consistent with its clients’ best economic interests.

 

1.4. MATSON PROCEDURES: PROXY VOTING

 

All standard client agreements for new clients shall contain a provision stating that Matson will not vote proxies associated with any securities held directly in the client’s account, but will vote underlying securities held in any Matson-managed fund. Because Matson-managed funds invest in shares of other mutual funds, votes on underlying securities will include votes on proposals relating to increases in a mutual fund’s advisory, distribution, and/or service (12b-1) or other fees.

 

All clients with accounts open prior to October 5, 2004, that had not signed an agreement with the language stating that Matson will not vote proxies associated with any securities held in their accounts received a letter stating that Matson will not vote proxies.

 

The CCO shall annually review a sample of new client contracts to ensure that the client has signed a contract with the non-voting provision or received a letter to that effect, and will maintain an electronic database of client contracts reviewed and letters sent (as needed).

 

With respect to Matson Fund proxies, clients are responsible for voting all proxies of fund shares held in their account; provided that, if client is subject to ERISA, Matson may vote on all proxies for, and take action concerning legal proceedings regarding, Matson Fund shares held in the Account, provided there is no conflict of interest, unless the right to vote such proxies and take such action has been expressly reserved to another person. If voting is not reserved to another person and Matson is responsible for voting shares of the Matson Funds where a conflict of interest exists, Matson Money will comply with the conflicts procedures outlined in Section 1.5, below.

 

No Referrer is authorized to vote proxies on behalf of client.

 

 

1/ Compare Rel. No. IC-25922 (Jan. 31, 2003) (proxy voting for registered investment companies).
2/ According to the SEC, "[a]dvisers that have implicit as well as explicit voting authority must comply with rule 206(4)-6. The rule thus applies when the advisory contract is silent but the adviser's voting authority is implied by an overall delegation of discretionary authority." Final Rule: Proxy Voting by Investment Advisers, SEC Rel. No. IA-2106 (Jan. 31, 2003). Discretionary advisers may avoid implicit voting responsibility by explicitly stating their lack of voting responsibility in advisory contracts or other disclosure documents. See id., at n. 10.
3/ Interpretive Bulletin 94-2, July 28, 1994.
4/ AVON letter (Feb. 23, 1988); MONKS letter (Jan. 23, 1990).

 

B-1 

 

Clients may request a copy of Matson’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures and/or information about how Matson has voted securities in Matson-managed funds. A description of the Proxy Policy appears in Matson’s Brochure and is available to Matson clients.

 

1.5. IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 

Matson acknowledges its responsibility for identifying material conflicts of interest related to voting proxies. In order to ensure that Matson is aware of the facts necessary to identify conflicts, anyone responsible for voting proxies must disclose to the CCO any personal conflicts such as officer or director positions held by them, their spouses or close relatives, in any portfolio company. Conflicts based on business relationships with Matson will be considered only to the extent that Matson has actual knowledge of such relationships. If a conflict exists that cannot be otherwise addressed, Matson may choose one of several options, including: (1) voting as recommended by a third party service, if employed by Matson; (2) “echo” or “mirror” voting the proxies in the same proportion as the votes of other proxy holders that are not Matson clients; (3) if possible, erecting information barriers around the person or persons making the voting decision sufficient to insulate the decision from the conflict; or (4) if agreed upon in writing with the client, forwarding the proxies to affected clients and allowing them to vote their own proxies.

 

B-2 

 

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ORINDA INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND

of

The RBB Fund, Inc.

 

  Class I   OIOIX  
  Class A   OIOAX  
  Class D   OIODX  

 

February 28, 2020

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides information about the Orinda Income Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”). The Fund is a series of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). This information is in addition to the information contained in the Class I, Class A and Class D shares’ prospectus of the Fund dated December 31, 2019 (the “Prospectus”).

 

This SAI is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated February 28, 2020, and the Fund’s Annual Report dated August 31, 2019. Copies of the Prospectus and the Fund’s Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report may be obtained by calling toll-free 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA). The financial statements and notes contained in the Annual Report are incorporated by reference into this SAI.  No other part of the Annual Report is incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

GENERAL INFORMATION 1
INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS AND POLICIES 1
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 13
MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY 13
CODE OF ETHICS 18
PROXY VOTING 18
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 19
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 19
DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS 21
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING PLAN 23
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES 23
FUND TRANSACTIONS 24
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION 24
OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING MAXIMUM SALES CHARGE, PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS 25
TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES 25
VALUATION OF SHARES 25
TAXES 26
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES 26
MISCELLANEOUS 27
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 27
APPENDIX A A-1
APPENDIX B B-1

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Company is an open-end management investment company currently consisting of 34 separate portfolios. The Company is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) and was organized as a Maryland corporation on February 29, 1988. The Orinda Income Opportunities Fund was organized as a non-diversified series of Advisors Series Trust and commenced operations on June 28, 2013 (the “Predecessor Fund”). After the close of business on April 28, 2017, the Predecessor Fund was reorganized into a newly formed series of the Company with the same name, the Orinda Income Opportunities (the “Fund”). This SAI pertains to the Class I, Class A and Class D shares representing interests in the Fund that is offered by the Prospectus. Orinda Asset Management LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS AND POLICIES

 

The Fund’s investment objectives, principal investment strategies, and associated risks are described in the Prospectus. The sections below describe some of the different types of investments that may be made by the Fund as part of its principal and non-principal investment strategies. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

 

The Fund seeks to maximize current income with potential for modest growth of capital.

 

The Adviser may not necessarily invest in all of the instruments or use all of the investment techniques permitted by the Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI, or invest in such instruments or engage in such techniques to the full extent permitted by the Fund’s investment policies and limitations.

 

Diversification

When initially formed, the Fund was classified as non-diversified under the 1940 Act. However, due to the Fund’s principal investment strategy and investment process, the Fund has operated as a diversified fund and will consider itself to be a diversified fund under the 1940 Act going forward. This means that, with respect to 75% of the Fund’s total assets, the Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of a single issuer or hold more than 10% of the voting securities of such issuer. This does not apply to investment in the securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Therefore, the Fund will not operate as a non-diversified fund under the 1940 Act in the future without first obtaining shareholder approval or as otherwise may be allowed under the 1940 Act or the rules or interpretations thereof.

 

Percentage Limitations

Whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the Fund’s acquisition or sale of such security or other asset. Accordingly, except with respect to borrowing and illiquid securities, any subsequent change in values, net assets or other circumstances will not be considered in determining whether an investment complies with the Fund’s investment policies and limitations. In addition, if a bankruptcy or other extraordinary event occurs concerning a particular investment by the Fund, the Fund may receive stock, real estate or other investments that the Fund would not, or could not buy. If this happens the Fund would sell such investments as soon as practicable while trying to maximize the return to its shareholders.

 

Risks Associated With Recent Economic Events

The U.S. credit markets have been experiencing above-average volatility and disruption for more than five years. Instability in the credit markets has made it more difficult for some issuers of debt securities to obtain financing or refinancing for their investment or lending activities or operations. In particular, because of volatile conditions in the credit markets, issuers of debt securities may be subject to increased cost for debt, tightening underwriting standards and reduced liquidity for loans they make, securities they purchase and securities they issue. These developments may increase the volatility of the value of securities owned by the Fund. A significant worsening of the conditions could adversely affect the broader economy, which in turn may adversely affect the ability of issuers of securities owned by a Fund to make payments of principal and interest when due, lead to lower credit ratings of issuers and increased defaults by issuers. Such developments could, in turn, reduce the value of securities owned by a Fund and adversely affect the net asset value (“NAV”) of its shares.

 

The U.S. government, the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and other governmental and regulatory bodies have recently taken or are considering taking actions to address the financial crisis. These actions include, but are not limited to, the enactment by the United States Congress of the “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act”, which was signed into law on July 21, 2010 and imposes a new regulatory framework over the U.S. financial services industry and the consumer credit markets in general, and proposed regulations by the SEC. Given the broad scope, sweeping nature, and relatively recent enactment of some of these regulatory measures, the potential impact they could have on securities held by the Fund is unknown. There can be no assurance that these measures will not have an adverse effect on the value or marketability of securities held by the Fund. Furthermore, no assurance can be made that the U.S. government or any U.S. regulatory body (or other authority or regulatory body) will not continue to take further legislative or regulatory action in response to the economic crisis or otherwise, and the effect of such actions, if taken, cannot be known. The Fund may incur additional costs to comply with new requirements as well as to monitor for compliance in the future. In addition, the U.S. government or other governmental and regulatory bodies may repeal or revise the Dodd-Frank Act or portions thereof and other laws and regulations. The new Presidential administration adds to the uncertainty of the regulatory environment with threats of the repeal of the Dodd-Frank Act, which may result in increased compliance for the Fund.

 

Government Intervention In Financial Markets Risk

The recent instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. government and foreign governments to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced excess volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. U.S. federal and state governments and foreign governments, their regulatory agencies or self-regulatory organizations may take additional actions that affect the regulation of the securities in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such securities, in ways that are unforeseeable. In unusual circumstances, issuers of corporate securities might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Exemption from Definition of Commodity Pool Operator

Pursuant to amendments by the Commodities Future Trading Commission (“CFTC”) to Rule 4.5 under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), the Adviser has filed a notice of exemption from registration as a “commodity pool operator” with respect to the Fund. Neither the Fund nor the Adviser is therefore subject to registration or regulation as a pool operator under the CEA. In order to claim the Rule 4.5 exemption, the Fund is significantly limited in its ability to invest in commodity futures, options and swaps (including securities futures, broad-based stock index futures and financial futures contracts). As a result, the Fund is limited in its ability to use these instruments and these limitations may have a negative impact on the ability of the Adviser to manage the Fund, and on the Fund’s performance.

 

The Fund may invest in the following types of investments, each of which is subject to certain risks, as discussed below:

 

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Equity Securities

Common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, rights, warrants and American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are examples of equity securities in which the Fund may invest.

 

All investments in equity securities are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles and the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may fluctuate substantially from day to day. Owning an equity security can also subject the Fund to the risk that the issuer may discontinue paying dividends.

 

Common Stocks. A common stock represents a proportionate share of the ownership of a company and its value is based on the success of the company’s business, any income paid to stockholders, the value of its assets, and general market conditions. In addition to the general risks set forth above, investments in common stocks are subject to the risk that in the event a company in which the Fund invests is liquidated, the holders of preferred stock and creditors of that company will be paid in full before any payments are made to the Fund as a holder of common stock. It is possible that all assets of that company will be exhausted before any payments are made to the Fund.

 

Preferred Stocks. Preferred stocks are equity securities that often pay dividends at a specific rate and have a preference over common stocks in dividend payments and liquidation of assets. A preferred stock has a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Although the dividend is set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer.

 

Convertible Securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities. Traditional convertible securities include corporate bonds, notes and preferred stocks that may be converted into or exchanged for common stock, and other securities that also provide an opportunity for equity participation. These securities are convertible either at a stated price or a stated rate (that is, for a specific number of shares of common stock or other security). As with other fixed income securities, the price of a convertible security generally varies inversely with interest rates. While providing a fixed income stream, a convertible security also affords the investor an opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the common stock into which it is convertible. As the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis and so may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the price of a convertible security tends to rise as a reflection of higher yield or capital appreciation. In such situations, the Fund may have to pay more for a convertible security than the value of the underlying common stock.

 

Rights and Warrants. The Fund may invest in rights and warrants. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock and it is issued at a predetermined price in proportion to the number of shares already owned. Rights normally have a short life, usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the current market. Warrants are options to purchase equity securities at a specific price for a specific period of time. They do not represent ownership of the securities, but only the right to buy them. Hence, warrants have no voting rights, pay no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the corporation issuing them. The value of warrants is derived solely from capital appreciation of the underlying equity securities. Warrants differ from call options in that the underlying corporation issues warrants, whereas call options may be written by anyone.

 

An investment in rights and warrants may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, although their value is influenced by the value of the underlying security, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

 

Small- and Medium-Sized Companies

To the extent the Fund invests in the equity securities of small- and medium-sized companies, it will be exposed to the risks of smaller sized companies. Small- and medium-sized companies may have narrower markets for their goods and/or services and may have more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. Furthermore, such companies may have limited product lines, services, markets, or financial resources or may be dependent on a small management group. In addition, because these stocks may not be well-known to the investing public, do not have significant institutional ownership or are typically followed by fewer security analysts, there will normally be less publicly available information concerning these securities compared to what is available for the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, can decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by the Fund. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Investment Companies

The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), money market mutual funds and other mutual funds in pursuit of its investment objective, in accordance with the limitations established under the 1940 Act. This may include investments in money market mutual funds in connection with the Fund’s management of daily cash positions and for temporary defensive purposes. Investments in the securities of other investment companies may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly will bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by shareholders of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund’s own operations.

 

Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act generally prohibits a fund from purchasing (1) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of another fund; (2) securities of another fund having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the acquiring fund; and (3) securities of the other fund and all other funds having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the acquiring fund. There are some exceptions, however, to these limitations pursuant to various rules promulgated by the SEC.

 

In accordance with Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, the provisions of Section 12(d)(1) shall not apply to securities purchased or otherwise acquired by the Fund if (i) immediately after such purchase or acquisition not more than 3% of the total outstanding stock of such registered investment company is owned by the Fund and all affiliated persons of the Fund; and (ii) the Fund is not proposing to offer or sell any security issued by it through a principal underwriter or otherwise at a public or offering price including a sales load that exceeds the limits set forth in rule 2830 of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) applicable to a fund of funds (i.e., 8.5%). In accordance with Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act, the provisions of section 12(d)(1) shall not apply to shares of money market funds purchased by the Fund, whether or not for temporary defensive purposes, provided that the Fund does not pay a sales charge, distribution fee or service fee as defined in Rule 2830 of the Conduct Rules of FINRA on acquired money market fund shares (or the Adviser must waive its advisory fee in an amount necessary to offset any sales charge, distribution fee or service fee).

 

Exchange-Traded Funds. ETFs are open-end investment companies whose shares are listed on a national securities exchange. An ETF is similar to a traditional mutual fund, but trades at different prices during the day on a security exchange like a stock. Similar to investments in other investment companies discussed above, the Fund’s investments in ETFs will involve duplication of advisory fees and other expenses since the Fund will be investing in another investment company. In addition, the Fund’s investment in ETFs is also subject to its limitations on investments in investment companies discussed above. To the extent the Fund invests in ETFs which focus on a particular market segment or industry, the Fund will also be subject to the risks associated with investing in those sectors or industries. To the extent the Fund invests in inverse ETFs, these are subject to the risk that their performance will decline as the value of their benchmark indices rises. The shares of the ETFs in which the Fund will invest will be listed on a national securities exchange and the Fund will purchase or sell these shares on the secondary market at its current market price, which may be more or less than its NAV per share.

 

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As a purchaser of ETF shares on the secondary market, the Fund will be subject to the market risk associated with owning any security whose value is based on market price. ETF shares historically have tended to trade at or near their NAV, but there is no guarantee that they will continue to do so. Unlike traditional mutual funds, shares of an ETF may be purchased and redeemed directly from the ETFs only in large blocks (typically 50,000 shares or more) and only through participating organizations that have entered into contractual agreements with the ETF. The Fund does not expect to enter into such agreements and therefore will not be able to purchase and redeem its ETF shares directly from the ETF.

 

Foreign Investments

The Fund may make investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers (“foreign securities”). The Fund reserves the right to invest without limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities, foreign securities and securities of companies incorporated outside the U.S., including securities listed on foreign exchanges.

 

Risks of Investing in Foreign Securities. Investments in foreign securities involve certain inherent risks, including the following:

 

Political and Economic Factors. Individual economies of certain countries may differ favorably or unfavorably from the United States’ economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, diversification and balance of payments position. The internal politics of certain foreign countries may not be as stable as those of the United States. Governments in certain foreign countries also continue to participate to a significant degree, through ownership interest or regulation, in their respective economies. Action by these governments could include restrictions on foreign investment, nationalization, expropriation of goods or imposition of taxes, and could have a significant effect on market prices of securities and payment of interest. The economies of many foreign countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by the trade policies and economic conditions of their trading partners. Enactment by these trading partners of protectionist trade legislation could have a significant adverse effect upon the securities markets of such countries.

 

Legal and Regulatory Matters. Certain foreign countries may have less supervision of securities markets, brokers and issuers of securities, and less financial information available to issuers, than is available in the United States. Additionally, the rights of investors in certain foreign countries may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. issuers and the Fund may have greater difficulty taking appropriate legal action to enforce its rights in a foreign court than in a U.S. court.

 

Market Characteristics. The Adviser expects that some foreign securities in which the Fund invests will be purchased in over-the-counter markets or on exchanges located in the countries in which the principal offices of the issuers of the various securities are located, if that is the best available market. Foreign exchanges and markets may be more volatile than those in the United States. Though growing, they usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets, and the Fund’s foreign securities may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. securities. Also, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in United States markets, and may include delays beyond periods customary in the United States. Foreign security trading practices include those involving securities settlement where Fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment or securities, may expose the Fund to increased risk in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of a foreign broker-dealer.

 

Currency Fluctuations. The Fund’s NAV may change significantly when the currencies, other than the U.S. dollar, in which the Fund’s portfolio securities are denominated, strengthen or weaken against the U.S. dollar. Currency exchange rates generally are determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets and the relative merits of investments in different countries as seen from an international perspective. Currency exchange rates can also be affected unpredictably by intervention by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad.

 

Taxes. The interest and dividends payable to the Fund on certain of the Fund’s foreign securities may be subject to foreign taxes or withholding, thus reducing the net amount of income available for distribution to Fund shareholders. The Fund may not be eligible to pass through to its shareholders any tax credits or deductions with respect to such foreign taxes or withholding.

 

In considering whether to invest in the securities of a non-U.S. company, the Adviser considers such factors as the characteristics of the particular company, differences between economic trends and the performance of securities markets within the U.S. and those within other countries, and also factors relating to the general economic, governmental and social conditions of the country or countries where the company is located. The extent to which the Fund will be invested in non-U.S. companies, foreign countries and depositary receipts will fluctuate from time to time within any limitations described in the Prospectus, depending on the Adviser’s assessment of prevailing market, economic and other conditions.

 

Emerging Markets. The Fund may invest up to 50% of its net assets in securities of companies located in developing or emerging markets, which entails not only the risks listed above with respect to investing in foreign securities, but also entails additional risks, including: less social, political and economic stability; smaller securities markets and lower trading volume, which may result in less liquidity and greater price volatility; national policies that may restrict an underlying fund’s investment opportunities, including restrictions on investments in issuers or industries, or expropriation or confiscation of assets or property; and less developed legal structures governing private or foreign investment.

 

In June of 2016, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” which sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound and heightened risk of continued worldwide economic volatility. Pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, the UK gave notice in March 2017 of its withdrawal from the EU and commenced negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. Following years of negotiations and multiple withdrawal deadline extensions, the UK withdrew from the EU on January 31, 2020. A transition period, currently set to last through December 31, 2020, will be used for the UK and EU to negotiate their future relationship. The effects of this withdrawal will depend, in part, on agreements the UK negotiates to retain access to EU markets either during the transitional period or more permanently including, but not limited to, current trade and finance agreements. As a result of the UK's exit from the EU, the Fund may be exposed to volatile trading markets and significant and unpredictable currency fluctuations over a short period of time, and potentially lower economic growth in the UK, Europe and globally. Securities issued by companies domiciled in the UK could be subject to changing regulatory and tax regimes. Banking and financial services companies that operate in the UK or EU could be disproportionately affected by Brexit. Further insecurity in EU membership or the abandonment of the euro could exacerbate market and currency volatility and negatively affect the Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in the EU. The effects of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, are not clear but could be significant and far-reaching. 

 

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Depositary Receipts

Depositary Receipts (“DRs”) include ADRs, European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) or other forms of DRs. DRs are receipts typically issued in connection with a U.S. or foreign bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a non-U.S. company. Fund investments in depositary receipts are not deemed to be investments in foreign securities for purposes of the Fund’s investment strategy. ADRs are depositary receipts for foreign securities denominated in U.S. dollars and traded on U.S. securities markets. These securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities for which they may be exchanged. These are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign-based issuer held in trust by a bank or similar financial institutions. Designed for use in U.S. securities markets, ADRs are alternatives to the purchase of the underlying securities in their national market and currencies. ADRs may be purchased through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the depositary security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts of the deposited securities.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions

The Fund may invest in foreign currency exchange transactions. Exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies are a function of such factors as supply and demand in the currency exchange markets, international balances of payments, governmental intervention, speculation and other economic and political conditions. Foreign exchange dealers may realize a profit on the difference between the price at which the Fund buys and sells currencies.

 

Short Sales

The Fund is authorized to make short sales of securities. In a short sale, the Fund sells a security, which it does not own, in anticipation of a decline in the market value of the security. To complete the sale, the Fund must borrow the security (generally from the broker through which the short sale is made) in order to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The Fund is said to have a “short position” in the securities sold until it delivers them to the broker. The period during which the Fund has a short position can range from as little as one day to more than a year. Until the security is replaced, the proceeds of the short sale are retained by the broker, and the Fund is required to pay to the broker a negotiated portion of any dividends or interest that accrues during the period of the loan. To meet current margin requirements, the Fund is also required to deposit with the broker cash or securities in excess of the current market value of the securities sold short as security for its obligation to cover its short position. The Fund is also required to segregate or earmark liquid assets on its books or hold an offsetting position to cover its obligation to return the security.

 

Short sales by the Fund create opportunities to increase the Fund’s return but, at the same time, involve specific risk considerations and may be considered a speculative technique. Since the Fund in effect profits from a decline in the price of the securities sold short without the need to invest the full purchase price of the securities on the date of the short sale, the Fund’s NAV per share will tend to increase more when the securities it has sold short decrease in value, and to decrease more when the securities it has sold short increase in value, than would otherwise be the case if it had not engaged in such short sales. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium, dividends or interest the Fund may be required to pay in connection with the short sale. Furthermore, under adverse market conditions, the Fund might have difficulty purchasing securities to meet its short sale delivery obligations, and might have to sell portfolio securities to raise the capital necessary to meet its short sale obligations at a time when fundamental investment considerations would not favor such sales.

 

Derivative Securities

The Fund may invest in a wide range of derivatives, including call and put options, futures, credit default swaps, equity swaps and forward contracts, for hedging purposes as well as direct investment. There are risks involved in the use of options and futures, including the risk that the prices of the hedging vehicles may not correlate perfectly with the securities held by the Fund. This may cause the futures or options to react differently from the Fund’s securities to market changes.

 

The Fund may enter into forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. For example, the Fund might purchase a particular currency or enter into a forward currency contract to preserve the U.S. dollar price of securities it intends to or has contracted to purchase. Alternatively, it might sell a particular currency on either a spot or forward basis to hedge against an anticipated decline in the dollar value of securities it intends to or has contracted to sell. Although this strategy could minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, it could also limit any potential gain from an increase in the value of the currency.

 

Options on Securities. The Fund may purchase and write call and put options on securities and securities indices.

 

Call Options. The Fund may purchase and write (sell) covered call options on its portfolio securities (“covered options”) in an attempt to enhance gain and protect the Fund from downside market risk. The Fund may write (sell) call options on individual stocks to protect against possible price declines in the securities held or to extend a holding period to achieve long-term capital gain status.

 

When the Fund writes a covered call option, it gives the purchaser of the option the right, upon exercise of the option, to buy the underlying security at the price specified in the option (the “exercise price”) at any time during the option period, generally ranging up to nine months. If the option expires unexercised, the Fund will realize income to the extent of the amount received for the option (the “premium”). If the call option is exercised, a decision over which the Fund has no control, the Fund must sell the underlying security to the option holder at the exercise price. By writing a covered option, the Fund forgoes, in exchange for the premium less the commission (“net premium”) the opportunity to profit during the option period from an increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price.

 

The Fund may terminate its obligation as writer of a call option by purchasing an option with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option previously written. This transaction is called a “closing purchase transaction.”

 

Closing sale transactions enable the Fund immediately to realize gains or minimize losses on its option positions. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market may exist. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to options it has written, it will not be able to terminate its obligations or minimize its losses under such options prior to their expiration. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options that it has purchased, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit.

 

The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements may take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets. The purchase of options is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.

 

Put Options. The Fund may write and purchase put options (“puts”). If the Fund purchases a put option, the Fund acquires the right to sell the underlying security at a specified price at any time during the term of the option (for “American-style” options) or on the option expiration date (for “European-style” options). Purchasing put options may be used as a portfolio investment strategy when the Adviser perceives significant short-term risk but substantial long-term appreciation for the underlying security. The put option acts as an insurance policy, as it protects against significant downward price movement while it allows full participation in any upward movement less the premium paid to purchase the option. If the Fund is holding a security that the Adviser feels has strong fundamentals, but for some reason may be weak in the near term, the Fund may purchase a put option on such security, thereby giving the Fund the right to sell such security at a certain strike price throughout the term of the option. Consequently, the Fund will exercise the put only if the price of such security falls below the strike price of the put. The difference between the put’s strike price and the market price of the underlying security on the date the Fund exercises the put, less transaction costs, will be the amount by which the Fund will be able to hedge against a decline in the underlying security. If during the period of the option the market price for the underlying security remains at or above the put’s strike price, the put will expire worthless, representing a loss of the price the Fund paid for the put, plus transaction costs. If the price of the underlying security increases, the profit the Fund realizes on the sale of the security will be reduced by the premium paid for the put option less any amount for which the put may be sold.

 

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When the Fund writes a put, it receives a premium and gives the purchaser of the put the right to sell the underlying security to the Fund at the exercise price at any time during the option period. If the Fund writes a put option it assumes an obligation to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. The Fund may terminate its position in an exchange-traded put option before exercise by buying an option identical to the one it has written. Similarly, the Fund may cancel an over-the-counter option by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counter-party to the option.

 

Options on Securities Indices. The Fund may write (sell) covered call options on securities indices in an attempt to increase gain. A securities index option written by the Fund would obligate it, upon exercise of the options, to pay a cash settlement, rather than to deliver actual securities, to the option holder. Although the Fund will not ordinarily own all of the securities comprising the stock indices on which it writes call options, such options will usually be written on those indices that correspond most closely to the composition of the Fund’s portfolio. As with the writing of covered call options on securities, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received upon writing an option if the value of the underlying index increases above the exercise price and the option is exercised, the Fund will be required to pay a cash settlement that may exceed the amount of the premium received by the Fund. The Fund may purchase call options in order to terminate its obligations under call options it has written.

 

The Fund may purchase and/or write (sell) call and put options on securities indices for the purpose of hedging against the risk of unfavorable price movements adversely affecting the value of the Fund’s securities or securities the Fund intends to buy. Unlike an option on securities, which gives the holder the right to purchase or sell specified securities at a specified price, an option on a securities index gives the holder the right, upon the exercise of the option, to receive a cash “exercise settlement amount” equal to (i) the difference between the exercise price of the option and the value of the underlying securities index on the exercise date multiplied by (ii) a fixed “index multiplier.”

 

A securities index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the securities included in the index. For example, some securities index options are based on a broad market index such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index or the Value Line Composite Index, or a narrower market index such as the Standard & Poor’s 100® Index. Indices may also be based on industry or market segments.

 

The Fund may purchase put options in order to hedge against an anticipated decline in stock market prices that might adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. If the Fund purchases a put option on a stock index, the amount of payment it receives on exercising the option depends on the extent of any decline in the level of the stock index below the exercise price. Such payments would tend to offset a decline in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. If, however, the level of the stock index increases and remains above the exercise price while the put option is outstanding, the Fund will not be able to profitably exercise the option and will lose the amount of the premium and any transaction costs. Such loss may be partially offset by an increase in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. The Fund may write put options on stock indices in order to close out positions in stock index put options that it has purchased.

 

The Fund may purchase call options on stock indices in order to participate in an anticipated increase in stock market prices or to lock in a favorable price on securities that it intends to buy in the future. If the Fund purchases a call option on a stock index, the amount of the payment it receives upon exercising the option depends on the extent of any increase in the level of the stock index above the exercise price. Such payments would in effect allow the Fund to benefit from stock market appreciation even though it may not have had sufficient cash to purchase the underlying stocks. Such payments may also offset increases in the price of stocks that the Fund intends to purchase. If, however, the level of the stock index declines and remains below the exercise price while the call option is outstanding, the Fund will not be able to exercise the option profitably and will lose the amount of the premium and transaction costs. Such loss may be partially offset by a reduction in the price the Fund pays to buy additional securities for its portfolio. The Fund may write call options on stock indices in order to close out positions in stock index call options that it has purchased.

 

The effectiveness of hedging through the purchase of options on securities indices will depend upon the extent to which price movements in the portion of the securities portfolio being hedged correlate with price movements in the selected stock index. Perfect correlation is not possible because the securities held or to be acquired by the Fund will not exactly match the composition of the stock indices on which the options are available. In addition, the purchase of stock index options involves the risk that the premium and transaction costs paid by the Fund in purchasing an option will be lost as a result of unanticipated movements in prices of the securities comprising the stock index on which the option is based.

 

The use of hedging strategies, such as writing (selling) and purchasing options on indices involves complex rules that will determine for federal income tax purposes the amount, character and timing of recognition of the gains and losses a fund realizes in connection therewith. Options on indices may be governed by Section 1256 of the Code, which requires that positions held as of the end of any taxable year must be marked to market and provides that gains or losses are treated partly as a long-term gain or loss (60% of the gain or loss) and partly as a short-term gain or loss (40% of the gain or loss).

 

Credit Default Swaps. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements. The credit default swap agreement may have as a reference obligation one or more securities that are not currently held by the Fund. The buyer in a credit default swap agreement is obligated to pay the seller a periodic fee, typically expressed in basis points on the principal amount of the underlying obligation (the “notional” amount), over the term of the agreement in return for a contingent payment upon the occurrence of a credit event with respect to the underlying reference obligation. A credit event is typically a default, restructuring or bankruptcy.

 

The Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. As a seller, the Fund receives a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the agreement, which typically is between one month and five years, provided that no credit event occurs. If a credit event occurs, the Fund typically must pay the contingent payment to the buyer, which is typically the par value (full notional value) of the reference obligation. The contingent payment may be a cash settlement or by physical delivery of the reference obligation in return for payment of the face amount of the obligation. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may lose its investment and recover nothing. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer typically receives full notional value for a reference obligation that may have little or no value.

 

Credit default swaps may involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly. Credit default swaps are subject to general market risk, liquidity risk and credit risk. If the Fund is a buyer in a credit default swap agreement and no credit event occurs, then it will lose its investment. In addition, the value of the reference obligation received by the Fund as a seller if a credit event occurs, coupled with the periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Fund.

 

 5

 

The Fund may also invest in credit default swap index products and in options on credit default swap index products. The individual credits underlying these credit default swap indices may be rated investment grade or non-investment grade. These instruments are designed to track representative segments of the credit default swap market and provide investors with exposure to specific “baskets” of issuers of bonds or loans. Such investments are subject to liquidity risks as well as other risks associated with investments in credit default swaps discussed above. The Fund reserves the right to invest in similar instruments that may become available in the future.

 

Interest Rate Swaps. The Fund may enter into interest rate swaps. Interest rate swaps are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified future dates. Some of the different types of interest rate swaps are “fixed-for floating rate swaps,” “termed basis swaps” and “index amortizing swaps.”  Fixed-for floating rate swaps involve the exchange of fixed interest rate cash flows for floating rate cash flows.  Termed basis swaps entail cash flows to both parties based on floating interest rates, where the interest rate indices are different.  Index amortizing swaps are typically fixed-for floating swaps where the notional amount changes if certain conditions are met.

 

Like a traditional investment in a debt security, the Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely.  For example, if the Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a floating rate of interest for a fixed rate of interest, the Fund may have to pay more money than it receives.  Similarly, if the Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a fixed rate of interest for a floating rate of interest, the Fund may receive less money than it has agreed to pay.

 

Equity Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into equity swap agreements for the purpose of attempting to obtain a desired return or exposure to certain equity securities or equity indices in an expedited manner or at a lower cost to the Fund than if the Fund had invested directly in such securities.

 

Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on, or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a “basket” of particular securities or securities representing a particular index.

 

Forms of swap agreements include:

 

(1) equity or index caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payment to the other to the extent that the return on securities exceeds a specified rate, or “cap;”

 

(2) equity or index floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that the return on securities fall below a specified level, or “floor;” and

 

(3) equity or index collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

 

Parties may also enter into bilateral swap agreements, which obligate one party to pay the amount of any net appreciation in a basket or index of securities while the counterparty is obligated to pay the amount of any net depreciation.

 

The “notional amount” of the swap agreement is only a fictive basis on which to calculate the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund would calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.” Consequently, the Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The Fund’s current obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against amounts owed to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by the maintenance of a segregated account consisting of liquid assets.

 

Whether the Fund’s use of swap agreements will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the Adviser’s ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Moreover, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. Certain restrictions imposed on the Fund by the Internal Revenue Code may limit the Fund’s ability to use swap agreements. The swaps market is a relatively new market and is largely unregulated. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.

 

Contracts for Differences. A contract for difference is a contract in which one party agrees to pay the other party an amount of money based on the difference between the current value of a security or instrument and its value on a specified date in the future. Contracts for differences are similar to total return swaps and allow a fund to take a long or short position without having to own the reference security or index.

 

Futures and Options on Futures. The Fund may enter into futures contracts (including contracts relating to foreign currencies, interest rates, and other financial indexes), and purchase and write (sell) related options traded on exchanges designated by the CFTC or, consistent with CFTC regulations, on foreign exchanges. A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and the purchase by the other party of a specified amount of an underlying asset, at a specified price, date, time and place. For example, a foreign currency futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and the purchase by the other party of a certain amount of a specified non-U.S. currency at a specified price, date, time and place. Similarly, an interest rate futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and the purchase by the other party of a certain amount of a specific interest rate sensitive financial instrument (e.g., a debt security) at a specified price, date, time and place. Securities and other financial indexes are capitalization weighted indexes that reflect the market value of the securities or other financial instruments respectively, represented in the indexes. A futures contract on an index is an agreement to be settled by delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified multiplier times the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day on the contract and the price at which the agreement is made. The clearing house of the exchange on which a futures contract is entered into becomes the counterparty to each purchaser and seller of the futures contract.

 

The Fund may purchase and write (sell) call and put futures options. Futures options possess many of the same characteristics as options on securities and indexes. A futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price upon expiration of, or at any time during the period of, the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true.

 

A futures contract is a commitment to buy or sell a specific product at a currently determined market price, for delivery at a predetermined future date. The futures contract is uniform as to quantity, quality and delivery time for a specified underlying product. The commitment is executed in a designated contract market – a futures exchange – that maintains facilities for continuous trading. The buyer and seller of the futures contract are both required to make a deposit of cash or U.S. Treasury Bills with their brokers equal to a varying specified percentage of the contract amount; the deposit is known as initial margin. Since ownership of the underlying product is not being transferred, the margin deposit is not a down payment; it is a security deposit to protect against nonperformance of the contract. No credit is being extended, and no interest expense accrues on the non-margined value of the contract. The contract is marked to market every day, and the profits and losses resulting from the daily change are reflected in the accounts of the buyer and seller of the contract. A profit in excess of the initial deposit can be withdrawn, but a loss may require an additional payment, known as variation margin, if the loss causes the equity in the account to fall below an established maintenance level. The Fund will maintain cash or liquid securities sufficient to cover its obligations under each futures contract that it has entered into.

 

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When a purchase or sale of a futures contract is made by the Fund, the Fund is required to deposit with its futures commission merchant a specified amount of liquid assets (“initial margin”). The margin required for a futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be modified during the term of the contract. The initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the futures contract that is returned to the Fund upon termination of the contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. The Fund expects to earn taxable interest income on its initial margin deposits.

 

A futures contract held by the Fund is valued daily at the official settlement price on the exchange on which it is traded. Each day the Fund pays or receives cash, called “variation margin”, equal to the daily change in value of the futures contract. This process is known as “marking to market”. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by the Fund but is instead a settlement between the Fund and the broker of the amount one would owe the other if the futures contract expired. In computing daily NAV, the Fund will mark to market its open futures positions. The Fund also is required to deposit and to maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it. Such margin deposits will vary depending on the nature of the underlying futures contract (and the related initial margin requirements), the current market value of the option and other futures positions held by the Fund. Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying assets, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (involving the same exchange, underlying security or index and delivery month). If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. The transaction costs also must be included in these calculations. As discussed below, however, the Fund may not always be able to make an offsetting purchase or sale. In the case of a physically settled futures contract, this could result in the Fund being required to deliver, or receive, the underlying asset, which could be adverse to the Fund.

 

At any time prior to the expiration of a futures contract, the Fund may seek to close the position by seeking to take an opposite position, which would operate to terminate the Fund’s existing position in the contract. Positions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into (or through a linked exchange). No secondary market for such contracts exists. Although the Fund may enter into futures contracts only if there is an active market for such contracts, there is no assurance that an active market will exist at any particular time. Most futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods during the day. It is possible that futures contract prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions at an advantageous price and subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. In such event, and in the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin. In such situations, if the Fund had insufficient cash, it might have to sell assets to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it would be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, if the transaction is entered into for hedging purposes, in such circumstances the Fund may realize a loss on a futures contract or option that is not offset by an increase in the value of the hedged position. Losses incurred in futures transactions and the costs of these transactions will affect the Fund’s performance.

 

To liquidate a futures position before the contract expiration date, a buyer simply sells the contract, and the seller of the contract simply buys the contract, on the futures exchange. However, the entire value of the contract does not change hands; only the gains and losses on the contract since the preceding day are credited and debited to the accounts of the buyers and sellers, just as on every other preceding trading day, and the positions are closed out.

 

Debt Futures. The Fund may invest in futures contracts on debt securities (“Debt Futures”) or options on Debt Futures. One risk in employing Debt Futures to attempt to protect against declines in the value of the securities held by the Fund is the possibility that the prices of Debt Futures will correlate imperfectly with the behavior of the market value of the Fund’s securities. The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets, due to differences in those markets, are subject to distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through off-setting transactions that could distort the normal relationship between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators the deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions.

 

It is possible that, where the Fund has sold Debt Futures in a short hedge, the market may advance but the value of the securities held by the Fund may decline.  If this occurred, the Fund would lose money on the Future and also experience a decline in the value of its securities. Where Debt Futures are purchased in a long hedge, it is possible that the market may decline; if the Fund then decides not to invest in securities at that time because of concern as to possible further market decline or for other reasons, the Fund will realize a loss on the Future that is not offset by a reduction in the price of any securities purchased.

 

Master Limited Partnerships

The Fund may invest in publicly traded Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”).  MLPs are businesses organized as limited partnerships that trade their proportionate shares of the partnership (units) on a public exchange.  MLPs are required to pay out most or all of their earnings in distributions.  Generally speaking, MLP investment returns are enhanced during periods of declining or low interest rates and tend to be negatively influenced when interest rates are rising.  As an income vehicle, the unit price may be influenced by general interest rate trends independent of specific underlying fundamentals.  In addition, most MLPs are fairly leveraged and typically carry a portion of “floating” rate debt.  As such, a significant upward swing in interest rates would drive interest expense higher.  Furthermore, most MLPs grow by acquisitions partly financed by debt, and higher interest rates could make it more difficult to make acquisitions.

 

Government Obligations

The Fund may make investments in U.S. government obligations. Such obligations include Treasury bills, certificates of indebtedness, notes and bonds, and issues of such entities as the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), Export Import Bank of the United States, Tennessee Valley Authority, Resolution Funding Corporation, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, Federal Housing Administration, Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), and the Student Loan Marketing Association.

 

Some of these obligations, such as those of the GNMA, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury Department; others, such as those of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others, such as those of the FNMA, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency’s obligations; still others, such as those of the Student Loan Marketing Association, are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities if it is not obligated to do so by law.

 

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The Fund may invest in sovereign debt obligations of foreign countries. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and interest in a timely manner may be affected by a number of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward principal international lenders and the political constraints to which it may be subject. Emerging market governments could default on their sovereign debt. Such sovereign debtors also may be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and other entities abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitments on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on a sovereign debtor’s implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor’s obligations. Failure to meet such conditions could result in the cancellation of such third parties’ commitments to lend funds to the sovereign debtor, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to service its debt in a timely manner.

 

Asset-Backed Securities

Asset-backed securities represent interests in “pools” of assets, including consumer loans or receivables held in trust.  Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of these securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates.  As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, these securities may exhibit additional volatility.  This is known as extension risk.  In addition, these securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that when interest rates decline or are low but are expected to rise, borrowers may pay off their debts sooner than expected.  This can reduce the returns of the Fund because the Fund will have to reinvest that money at the lower prevailing interest rates.  This is also known as contraction risk.  These securities also are subject to risk of default on the underlying assets, particularly during period of economic downturn.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities 

The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities. Investing in mortgage-backed securities involves certain unique risks in addition to those generally associated with investing in fixed-income securities and in the real estate industry in general. These unique risks include the failure of a party to meet its commitments under the related operative documents, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows. Mortgage-backed securities are "pass-through" securities, meaning that principal and interest payments made by the borrower on the underlying mortgages are passed through to the Fund. The value of mortgage-backed securities, like that of traditional fixed-income securities, typically increases when interest rates fall and decreases when interest rates rise. However, mortgage-backed securities differ from traditional fixed-income securities because of their potential for prepayment without penalty. The price paid by the Fund for its mortgage-backed securities, the yield the Fund expects to receive from such securities and the average life of the securities are based on a number of factors, including the anticipated rate of prepayment of the underlying mortgages. In a period of declining interest rates, borrowers may prepay the underlying mortgages more quickly than anticipated, thereby reducing the yield to maturity and the average life of the mortgage-backed securities. Moreover, when the Fund reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in these circumstances, it will likely receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid.

 

Mortgage-backed securities can be collateralized by either fixed-rate mortgages or adjustable rate mortgages. Fixed-rate mortgage securities (“FRMs”) are collateralized by fixed-rate mortgages and tend to have high prepayment rates when the level of prevailing interest rates declines significantly below the interest rates on the mortgages. Thus, under those circumstances, the securities are generally less sensitive to interest rate movements than lower coupon fixed rate mortgages.

 

Generally, adjustable rate mortgage securities (“ARMs”) have a specified maturity date and amortize principal over their life. In periods of declining interest rates, there is a reasonable likelihood that ARMs will experience increased rates of prepayment of principal. However, the major difference between ARMs and FRMs is that the interest rate and the rate of amortization of principal of ARMs can and do change in accordance with movements in a particular, pre-specified, published interest rate index. The amount of interest on an ARM is calculated by adding a specified amount, the “margin,” to the index, subject to limitations on the maximum and minimum interest that is charged during the life of the mortgage or to maximum and minimum changes to that interest rate during a given period.

 

The underlying mortgages which collateralize the ARMs in which the Fund invests will frequently have caps and floors that limit the maximum amount by which the loan rate to the residential borrower may change up or down (1) per reset or adjustment interval and (2) over the life of the loan. Some residential mortgage loans restrict periodic adjustments by limiting changes in the borrower’s monthly principal and interest payments rather than limiting interest rate changes. These payment caps may result in negative amortization.

 

To the extent that the Fund purchases mortgage-backed securities at a premium, mortgage foreclosures and principal prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If the Fund buys such securities at a discount, both scheduled payments of principal and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and will accelerate the recognition of income which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. In a period of rising interest rates, prepayments of the underlying mortgages may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change a security that was considered short or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a long-term security. Since long-term securities generally fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities, maturity extension risk could increase the inherent volatility of the Fund. Under certain interest rate and prepayment scenarios, the Fund may fail to recoup fully its investment in mortgage-backed securities notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee.

 

Most mortgage-backed securities are issued by federal government agencies such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), or by government sponsored enterprises such as Freddie Mac (formally, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) or Fannie Mae (formally, the Federal National Mortgage Association). Principal and interest payments on mortgage-backed securities issued by the federal government and some federal government agencies, such as Ginnie Mae, are guaranteed by the federal government and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Mortgage-backed securities issued by other government agencies or government sponsored enterprises are backed only by the credit of the government agency or enterprise and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Private mortgage-backed securities are issued by private corporations rather than government agencies and are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk.

 

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are stockholder-owned companies chartered by Congress. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guarantee the securities they issue as to timely payment of principal and interest, but such guarantee is not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In September 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed into conservatorship by their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency. It is unclear what effect this conservatorship will have on the securities issued or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Although the U.S. government has provided financial support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, there can be no assurance that it will support these or other government-sponsored enterprises in the future.

 

Exchange-Traded Notes

The Fund may invest in exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”). An ETN is a type of unsecured, unsubordinated debt security that differs from other types of bonds and notes because ETN returns are typically based upon the performance of a market index. ETNs are publically traded on a U.S. securities exchange. An ETN incurs certain expenses not incurred by its applicable index, and an investment in an ETN will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The market value of an ETN share may differ from its net asset value; the share may trade at a premium or discount to its net asset value, which may be due to, among other things, differences in the supply and demand in the market for the share. Although an ETN is a debt security, it is unlike a typical bond, in that there are no periodic interest payments and principal is not protected. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged.

 

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Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)

The Fund may invest in REITs.  The real estate industry has been subject to substantial fluctuations and declines on a local, regional and national basis in the past and may continue to be in the future.  Real property values and income from real property may decline due to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, regulatory limitations on rents, changes in neighborhoods and in demographics, increases in market interest rates, or other factors.  Factors such as these may adversely affect companies that own and operate real estate directly, companies that lend to such companies, and companies that service the real estate industry.

 

A REIT is a corporation or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation.  REITs are often divided into three categories: equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs.  An equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold ownership of land and buildings.  Rental income is the main source of income for equity REITs.  An equity REIT may also realize capital gains or losses by selling real estate properties in its portfolio that have appreciated or depreciated in value.  A mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real estate and other loans secured by interests in real estate, including construction, development or long-term loans.  A hybrid REIT combines the characteristics of equity REITs and mortgage REITs, generally by holding both ownership interests and mortgage interests in real estate.

 

To the extent that the Fund invests in REITs, the Fund could conceivably own real estate directly as a result of a default on the securities it owns.  The Fund, therefore, may be subject to certain risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate including difficulties in valuing and trading real estate, declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, adverse changes in the climate for real estate, environmental liability risks, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants, and increases in interest rates.

 

In addition to the risks described above, equity REITs may be affected by any changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended.  Equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skill, are not diversified, and are therefore subject to the risk of financing single or a limited number of projects.  Such trusts are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to maintain an exemption from the 1940 Act.  Changes in interest rates may also affect the value of debt securities held by the Fund.  By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his/her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs.

 

LIBOR Risk

Many financial instruments may be tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate, or “LIBOR,” to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies, or investment value. LIBOR is the offered rate for short-term Eurodollar deposits between major international banks. On July 27, 2017, the head of the UK Financial Conduct Authority announced a desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. Regulators and industry working groups have suggested alternative reference rates, but global consensus is lacking and the process for amending existing contracts or instruments to transition away from LIBOR remains unclear. There also remains uncertainty and risk regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to include enhanced provisions in new and existing contracts or instruments. As such, the transition away from LIBOR may lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets that are tied to LIBOR, reduced values of LIBOR-related investments, and reduced effectiveness of hedging strategies, adversely affecting the Fund's performance or NAV. In addition, the alternative reference rate may be an ineffective substitute resulting in prolonged adverse market conditions for the Fund.

 

Initial Public Offerings 

The Fund may purchase shares in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). Because IPO shares frequently are volatile in price, the Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as brokerage commissions and transaction costs. By selling shares, the Fund may realize taxable capital gains that it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. Investing in IPOs increases risk because IPO shares are frequently volatile in price. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

When-Issued Securities

The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued basis, for payment and delivery at a later date, generally within one month. The price and yield are generally fixed on the date of commitment to purchase, and the value of the security is thereafter reflected in the Fund’s NAV. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund and no interest accrues to the Fund. At the time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. When the Fund purchases securities on a when-issued basis, it maintains liquid assets in a segregated account with its custodian in an amount equal to the purchase price as long as the obligation to purchase continues.

 

Corporate Debt Securities 

The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any maturity, including fixed income securities rated below investment grade by one or more statistical ratings organizations such as Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“S&P”) or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”). Bonds rated below BBB by S&P or Baa by Moody’s, commonly referred to as “junk bonds,” typically carry higher coupon rates than investment grade bonds, but also are described as speculative by both S&P and Moody’s and may be subject to greater market price fluctuations, less liquidity and greater risk of income or principal including greater possibility of default and bankruptcy of the issuer of such securities than more highly rated bonds. Lower-rated bonds also are more likely to be sensitive to adverse economic or company developments and more subject to price fluctuations in response to changes in interest rates. The market for lower-rated debt issues generally is thinner and less active than that for higher quality securities, which may limit the Fund’s ability to sell such securities at fair value in response to changes in the economy or financial markets. During periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers of lower-rated securities may experience financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to make payments of interest and principal and increase the possibility of default.

 

Ratings of debt securities represent the rating agencies’ opinions regarding their quality, are not a guarantee of quality and may be reduced after the Fund has acquired the security. If a security’s rating is reduced while it is held by the Fund, the Adviser will consider whether the Fund should continue to hold the security but is not required to dispose of it. Credit ratings attempt to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments and do not evaluate the risks of fluctuations in market value. Also, rating agencies may fail to make timely changes in credit ratings in response to subsequent events, so that an issuer’s current financial conditions may be better or worse than the rating indicates. The ratings for corporate debt securities are described in Appendix A.

 

Municipal Securities 

Municipal securities are debt obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories, and possessions of the United States, including the District of Columbia, and any political subdivisions or financing authority of any of these, the income from which is, in the opinion of qualified legal counsel, exempt from federal regular income tax (“Municipal Securities”).

 

Municipal Securities are generally issued to finance public works such as airports, bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation projects, schools, and water and sewer works.  They are also issued to repay outstanding obligations, to include industrial development bonds issued by or on behalf of public authorities to provide financing aid to acquire sites or construct and equip facilities for privately or publicly owned corporations.  The availability of this financing encourages these corporations to locate within the sponsoring communities and thereby increases local employment.

 

 9

 

Municipal Securities Risks.  Municipal Securities prices are interest rate sensitive, which means that their value varies inversely with market interest rates.  Thus, if market interest rates have increased from the time a security was purchased, the security, if sold, might be sold at a price less than its cost.  Similarly, if market interest rates have declined from the time a security was purchased, the security, if sold, might be sold at a price greater than its cost.  (In either instance, if the security was held to maturity, no loss or gain normally would be realized as a result of interim market fluctuations.)  Yields on Municipal Securities depend on a variety of factors, including: the general conditions of the money market and the taxable and Municipal Securities market; the size of the particular offering; the maturity of the obligations; and the credit quality of the issue.  Further, any adverse economic conditions or developments affecting the states or municipalities could impact Municipal Securities.

 

Illiquid Investments

Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is an investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments present the risks that the Fund may have difficulty valuing these holdings and/or may be unable to sell these holdings at the time or price desired. There are generally no restrictions on the Fund’s ability to invest in restricted securities (that is, securities that are not registered pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)), except to the extent such securities may be considered illiquid. Securities issued pursuant to Rule 144A of the Securities Act (“Rule 144A securities”) will be considered liquid if determined to be so under procedures adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”). The Adviser is responsible for making the determination as to the liquidity of restricted securities (pursuant to the procedures adopted by the Board). The Fund will determine a security to be illiquid if it cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at the value at which the Fund has valued the security. Factors considered in determining whether an investment is illiquid may include, but are not limited to: the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers willing to purchase and sell the security and the number of potential purchasers; the number of dealers who undertake to make a market in the security; the nature of the security, including whether it is registered or unregistered, and the market place; whether the security has been rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”); the period of time remaining until the maturity of a debt instrument or until the principal amount of a demand instrument can be recovered through demand; the nature of any restrictions on resale; and with respect to municipal lease obligations and certificates of participation, there is reasonable assurance that the obligation will remain liquid throughout the time the obligation is held and, if unrated, an analysis similar to that which would be performed by an NRSRO is performed. To the extent an investment held by the Fund is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less illiquid investment, the Fund will be exposed to greater liquidity risk. If a restricted security is determined to be liquid, it will not be included within the category of illiquid investments. Investing in Rule 144A securities could have the effect of increasing the level of the Fund’s illiquidity to the extent that the Fund, at a particular point in time may be unable to find qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing the securities. The Fund is permitted to sell restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers.

 

The Company has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22e-4. If the limitation on illiquid investments is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the Board and, when required by the Liquidity Rule, to the SEC.

 

The Adviser will monitor the liquidity of restricted securities in the Fund under the supervision of the Board. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

Securities Lending

The Fund may lend its portfolio securities in order to generate additional income. Securities may be loaned to broker-dealers, major banks or other recognized domestic institutional borrowers of securities. Generally, the Fund may lend portfolio securities to securities broker-dealers or financial institutions if: (1) the loan is collateralized in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements including collateralization continuously at no less than 100% by marking to market daily (which may include cash, U.S. government or agency securities, or irrevocable bank letters of credit); (2) the loan is subject to termination by the Fund at any time; (3) the Fund receives reasonable interest or fee payments on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest, or other distributions on the loaned securities; (4) the Fund is able to exercise all voting rights with respect to the loaned securities; and (5) the loan will not cause the value of all loaned securities to exceed one-third of the value of the Fund’s assets. As part of participating in a lending program, the Fund will invest its cash collateral only in investments that are consistent with the investment objectives, principal investment strategies and investment policies of the Fund. All investments made with the cash collateral received are subject to the risks associated with such investments. If such investments lose value, the Fund will have to cover the loss when repaying the collateral. Any income or gains and losses from investing and reinvesting any cash collateral delivered by a borrower shall be at the Fund’s risk.

 

Borrowing 

Subject to the limitations described under “Investment Restrictions” below, the Fund may be permitted to borrow for temporary purposes and/or for investment purposes. Such a practice will result in leveraging of the Fund’s assets and may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. This borrowing may be secured or unsecured. Provisions of the 1940 Act require the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets made for temporary administrative purposes. Any borrowings for temporary administrative purposes in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets must maintain continuous asset coverage. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint if the Fund sells holdings at that time. Borrowing, like other forms of leverage, will tend to exaggerate the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased, if any. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

 

In addition to borrowing money, the Fund may enter into other investment transactions that may be viewed as forms of financial leverage – for example, entering into reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, investing collateral from loans of portfolio securities, entering into when-issued, delayed-delivery, or forward commitment transactions, or using derivatives such as swaps, futures, forwards and options.

 

A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a portfolio-eligible security by the Fund to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, coupled with its agreement to repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund continues to receive any principal and interest payments on the underlying security during the term of the agreement. Such transactions are advantageous if the interest cost to the Fund of the reverse repurchase transaction is less than the returns it obtains on investments purchased with the cash.

 

 10

 

Dollar rolls are transactions in which the Fund sells mortgage-related securities, such as a security issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities on a specified future date at a pre-determined price. Unlike in the case of reverse repurchase agreements, the dealer with which the Fund enters into a dollar-roll transaction is not obligated to return the same securities as those originally sold by the Fund, but only securities that are “substantially identical.” To be considered “substantially identical,” the securities returned to the Fund generally must: (1) be collateralized by the same types of underlying mortgages; (2) be issued by the same agency and be part of the same program; (3) have a similar original stated maturity; (4) have identical net coupon rates; (5) have similar market yields (and therefore price); and (6) satisfy “good delivery” requirements, meaning that the aggregate principal amounts of the securities delivered and received back must be within 0.01% of the initial amount delivered.

 

The Fund will typically segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by the Adviser in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Directors and equal (on a daily mark-to-market basis) to its obligations under reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls. Reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls involve leverage risk and the risk that the market value of securities retained by the Fund may decline below the repurchase price of the securities that the Fund sold and is obligated to repurchase. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement or dollar roll files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the agreement may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities. Reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls will be subject to the Fund’s limitations on borrowings as specified under “Investment Restrictions” below.

 

Short-Term, Temporary, and Cash Investments

The Fund may invest in any of the following securities and instruments:

 

Bank Certificates of Deposit, Bankers’ Acceptances and Time Deposits. The Fund may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances acquired by the Fund will be dollar denominated obligations of domestic or foreign banks or financial institutions which at the time of purchase have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured by the U.S. government. If the Fund holds instruments of foreign banks or financial institutions, it may be subject to additional investment risks that are different in some respects from those incurred by a fund that invests only in debt obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. See “Foreign Investments” above. Such risks include future political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes by the particular country in which the issuer is located on interest income payable on the securities, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on these securities.

 

Domestic banks and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulations with respect to the amount and types of loans that may be made and interest rates that may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry depends largely upon the availability and cost of funds for the purpose of financing lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions as well as exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties of borrowers play an important part in the operations of the banking industry.

 

As a result of federal and state laws and regulations, domestic banks are, among other things, required to maintain specified levels of reserves, limited in the amount that they can loan to a single borrower, and subject to other regulations designed to promote financial soundness. However, such laws and regulations do not necessarily apply to foreign bank obligations that the Fund may acquire.

 

In addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, to the extent permitted under its investment objectives and policies stated above and in its Prospectus, the Fund may make interest bearing time or other interest bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.

 

Savings Association Obligations. The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit (interest bearing time deposits) issued by savings banks or savings and loan associations that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million, based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such obligations is fully insured by the U.S. government.

 

Commercial Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to one year.

 

Commercial paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase “A-2” or higher by S&P, “Prime-1” by Moody’s, or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, will be determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. These rating symbols are described in Appendix B.

 

Special Risks Related to Cyber Security

The Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Fund or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber security breaches may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAVs, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value. While the Fund and its service providers have established IT and data security programs and have in place business continuity plans and other systems designed to prevent losses and mitigate cyber security risk, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that cyber-attacks may be highly sophisticated. Furthermore, the Fund has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers.

 

 11

 

Portfolio Turnover

The frequency of portfolio transactions for the Fund (the portfolio turnover rate) will vary from year to year depending on many factors. From time to time, the Fund may engage in active short-term trading to take advantage of price movements affecting individual issues, groups of issues or markets.  An annual portfolio turnover rate of 100% would occur if all the securities in the Fund were replaced once in a period of one year. Higher portfolio turnover rates may result in increased brokerage costs to the Fund and a possible increase in short-term capital gains or losses.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, and the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018, the Fund had the following portfolio turnover rates:

 

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2019

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2018

131% 102%

 

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

The Fund has adopted the following fundamental investment limitations that may not be changed without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares (as defined in Section 2(a) (42) of the 1940 Act). As used in this SAI and in the Prospectus, “shareholder approval” and a “majority of the outstanding shares” of the Fund means, with respect to the approval of an investment advisory agreement, a distribution plan or a change in a fundamental investment limitation, the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Fund’s investment goal and strategies described in the Prospectus may be changed by the Company’s Board of Directors without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

The Fund may not:

 

1. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements for temporary purposes in amounts up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing and provided that there is at least 300% asset coverage for the borrowings of the Fund. The Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. However, the amount shall not be in excess of lesser of the dollar amounts borrowed or 331/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing, provided that: (a) short sales and related borrowings of securities are not subject to this restriction; and (b) for the purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, short sales, stock index, interest rate, currency or other futures, options on futures contracts, collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin and collateral arrangements with respect to swaps and other derivatives are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with the Fund’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation; (For purposes of this Limitation No. 1, any collateral arrangements with respect to, if applicable, the writing of options and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets);

 

2. Issue any senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. (For purposes of this Limitation No. 2, neither the collateral arrangements with respect to options and futures identified in Limitation No. 1, nor the purchase or sale of futures or related options are deemed to be the issuance of senior securities);

 

3. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the Securities Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate, which term does not include securities of companies which deal in real estate and/or mortgages or investments secured by real estate, or interests therein, except that the Fund reserves freedom of action to hold and to sell real estate acquired as a result of the Fund’s ownership of securities;

 

5. Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This limitation shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing, selling, or entering into futures contracts, or acquiring securities or other instruments and options thereon backed by, or related to, physical commodities;

 

6. Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan; or

 

7. With the exception of the real estate industry, in which the Fund will concentrate, invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of companies engaged in any one industry or group of industries. (Does not apply to investments in the securities of other investment companies or securities of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities.

 

For purposes of Investment Limitation No. 1, collateral arrangements with respect to, if applicable, the writing of options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts and collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin are not deemed to be a pledge of assets and neither such arrangements nor the purchase or sale of futures or related options are deemed to be the issuance of a senior security for purposes of Investment Limitation No. 2. Neither the purchase nor the sale of futures or related options will be deemed to be the issuance of senior securities because such transactions will be covered by the segregation of cash or liquid assets or by other means in compliance with applicable SEC guidance.

 

In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the Fund is subject to the following non-fundamental limitations. These non-fundamental restrictions may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. The Fund may not:

 

1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by the Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or management; or

 

2. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, transactions in currencies or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

 

 12

 

3. Hold illiquid securities in an amount exceeding, in the aggregate, 15% of the Fund’s net assets.

 

The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act. As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

 

Securities held by the Fund generally may not be purchased from, sold or loaned to the Adviser or its affiliates or any of their directors, officers or employees, acting as principal, unless pursuant to a rule or exemptive order under the 1940 Act. Neither the Company nor the Adviser has obtained such an exemptive order.

 

If a percentage restriction under the Fund’s investment policies or limitations or the use of assets is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation (except with respect to any restrictions that may apply to borrowings or senior securities issued by the Fund).

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Company has adopted, on behalf of the Fund, a policy relating to the selective disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings by the Adviser, Board, officers, or third party service providers, in accordance with regulations that seek to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio holdings is in the best interest of Fund shareholders. The policies relating to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information where necessary to the Fund’s operation without compromising the integrity or performance of the Fund. It is the policy of the Company that disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings to a select person or persons prior to the release of such holdings to the public (“selective disclosure”) is prohibited, unless there are legitimate business purposes for selective disclosure.

 

The Company discloses portfolio holdings information as required in regulatory filings and shareholder reports, discloses portfolio holdings information as required by federal and state securities laws and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities. As required by the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the Company will disclose the Fund’s portfolio holdings in applicable regulatory filings, including shareholder reports, reports on Form N-CSR, Form N-CEN, and Form N-Q (or Form N-Q's successor, Form N-PORT) or such other filings, reports or disclosure documents as the applicable regulatory authorities may require.

 

Generally, between the 5th and 10th business day of the month following each calendar quarter end, the Fund may provide, at the Adviser’s discretion, its portfolio holdings to various rating and ranking organizations. In addition, generally between the 5th and 10th business day of the month following each calendar quarter end, the Fund may post to its website a list of the Fund’s top ten holdings or full portfolio holdings at the discretion of the Adviser. The timing, frequency and type (i.e., ratings/rankings/holdings) of disclosure may change at the Adviser’s discretion, as well as whether to post to the Fund’s website.

 

The Company may distribute or authorize the distribution of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings that is not publicly available to its third-party service providers, which include U.S. Bank, N.A., the custodian; U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), the administrator, accounting agent and transfer agent; Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, legal counsel; FilePoint, the financial printer; the Fund’s proxy voting service(s); and the Company’s liquidity classification agent. These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the Fund. Such holdings are released on conditions of confidentiality, which include appropriate trading prohibitions. “Conditions of confidentiality” include confidentiality terms included in written agreements, implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g. attorney-client relationship), or required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody services provided by financial institutions). Portfolio holdings may also be provided earlier to shareholders and their agents who receive redemptions in kind that reflect a pro rata allocation of all securities held in the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Portfolio holdings may also be disclosed, upon authorization by a designated officer of the Adviser, to (i) certain independent reporting agencies recognized by the SEC as acceptable agencies for the reporting of industry statistical information, and (ii) financial consultants to assist them in determining the suitability of the Fund as an investment for their clients, in each case in accordance with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the Company’s and the Adviser’s fiduciary duties to Fund shareholders. Disclosures to financial consultants are also subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions. The foregoing disclosures are made pursuant to the Company’s policy on selective disclosure of portfolio holdings. The Board or a committee thereof may, in limited circumstances, permit other selective disclosure of portfolio holdings subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions.

 

The Adviser reserves the right to refuse to fulfill any request for portfolio holdings information from a shareholder or non-shareholder if it believes that providing such information will be contrary to the best interests of the Fund.

 

The Board provides ongoing oversight of the Company’s policies and procedures and compliance with such policies and procedures. As part of this oversight function, the Board receives from the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) as necessary, reports on compliance with these policies and procedures. In addition, the Board receives an annual assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the policies and procedures with respect to the Fund, and any changes thereto, and an annual review of the operation of the policies and procedures. Any violation of the policy set forth above as well as any corrective action undertaken to address such violation must be reported by the Adviser, director, officer or third party service provider to the Company’s CCO, who will determine whether the violation should be reported immediately to the Board or at its next quarterly Board meeting.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

 

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the oversight of the Board of Directors, subject to the laws of the State of Maryland and the Company’s Charter. The Directors are responsible for deciding matters of overall policy and overseeing the actions of the Company’s service providers. The officers of the Company conduct and supervise the Company’s daily business operations.

 

Directors who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) are referred to as “Independent Directors.” Directors who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company are referred to as “Interested Directors.” The Board is currently composed of seven Independent Directors and one Interested Director. The Board has selected Arnold M. Reichman, an Independent Director, to act as Chairman. Mr. Reichman’s duties include presiding at meetings of the Board and interfacing with management to address significant issues that may arise between regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings. In the performance of his duties, Mr. Reichman will consult with the other Independent Directors and the Company’s officers and legal counsel, as appropriate. The Chairman may perform other functions as requested by the Board from time to time.

 

The Board meets as often as necessary to discharge its responsibilities. Currently, the Board conducts regular, in-person meetings at least four times a year, and holds special in-person or telephonic meetings as necessary to address specific issues that require attention prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board also relies on professionals, such as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms and legal counsel, to assist the Directors in performing their oversight responsibilities.

 

The Board has established nine standing committees — Audit, Contract, Executive, Investment and Liquidity Risk, Nominating and Governance, Product Development, Regulatory Oversight, Strategic Oversight, and Valuation Committees. The Board may establish other committees, or nominate one or more Directors to examine particular issues related to the Board’s oversight responsibilities, from time to time. Each Committee meets periodically to perform its delegated oversight functions and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board. For more information on the Committees, see the section entitled “Standing Committees.”

 

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The Board has determined that the Company’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities.

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

The Directors and executive officers of the Company, their ages, business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

 

Name, Address,

and Age

Position(s) Held

with Company 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years 

Number of

Portfolios in 

Fund Complex 

Overseen by 

Director*

Other Directorships 

Held by Director in 

the Past 5 Years 

INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

Julian A. Brodsky

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 86

Director 1988 to present From 1969 to 2011, Director and Vice Chairman, Comcast Corporation (cable television and communications). 34 AMDOCS Limited (service provider to telecommunications companies).

J. Richard Carnall

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 81

Director 2002 to present

Since 1984, Director of Haydon Bolts, Inc. (bolt manufacturer) and Parkway Real Estate Company (subsidiary of Haydon Bolts, Inc.); since 2004, Director of Cornerstone Bank.

34 None

Gregory P. Chandler

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 53

Director 2012 to present

Since 2009, Chief Financial Officer, Emtec, Inc. (information technology consulting services).

 

34

Emtec, Inc. (until December 2019); FS Investment Corporation (business development company) (until December 2018); FS Energy and Power Fund (business development company);

Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company).

Nicholas A. Giordano

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 76

Director 2006 to present Since 1997, Consultant, financial services organizations. 34

IntriCon Corporation

(biomedical device

manufacturer);

Kalmar Pooled Investment Trust (registered investment company) (until September 2017); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company); Independence Blue Cross (healthcare insurance).

Arnold M. Reichman

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 71

Chairman

 

Director

2005 to present

 

1991 to present

From 2006-2016, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lifebooker, LLC (online beauty and health appointment booking service).

34 Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

Brian T. Shea

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 59

Director 2018 to present

From 2014-2017, Chief Executive Officer, BNY Mellon Investment Services (fund services, global custodian and securities clearing firm); from 1983-2014, Chief Executive Officer and various positions, Pershing LLC (broker dealer, clearing and custody firm).

34

WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (asset management company) (until March 2019); Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (financial services technology company); Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (financial services company).

Robert A. Straniere

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 78

Director 2006 to present

Since 2009, Administrative Law Judge, New York City; since 1980, Founding Partner, Straniere Law Group (law firm).

 

34

Reich and Tang Group (asset management) (until 2015).

 

INTERESTED DIRECTOR2

Robert Sablowsky

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 81

Vice Chairman

 

Director

 

2016 to present

 

1991 to present

 

Since 2002, Senior Director – Investments and, prior thereto, Executive Vice President, of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (a registered broker-dealer).

34 None

 

 14

 

Name, Address,

and Age

Position(s) Held

with Company 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served1

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years 

Number of 

Portfolios in

Fund Complex

Overseen by 

Director*

Other Directorships 

Held by Director in 

the Past 5 Years 

OFFICERS

Salvatore Faia, JD

CPA, CFE

Vigilant Compliance, LLC

Gateway Corporate

Center Suite 216

223 Wilmington West

Chester Pike

Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Age: 57

President

 

Chief Compliance Officer

 

2009 to present

 

2004 to present

 

Since 2004, President, Vigilant Compliance, LLC (investment management services company); since 2005, Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

 

N/A N/A

James G. Shaw

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 59

Treasurer

and

Secretary

 

Assistant Treasurer

2016 to present

 

2005-2016

 

Since 2016, Treasurer and Secretary of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2005 to 2016, Assistant Treasurer of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 1995 to 2016, Senior Director and Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (financial services company).

N/A N/A

Craig A. Urciuoli

615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 45

Director of Marketing & Business Development 2019 to present Since 2019, Director of Marketing & Business Development, The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2000-2019, Managing Director, Third Avenue Management LLC. N/A N/A

Jennifer Witt

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 37

Assistant Treasurer 2018 to present Since 2016, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm); from 2007 to 2016, Supervisor, Nuveen Investments (registered investment company). N/A N/A

Edward Paz

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 49

Assistant Secretary

 

2016 to present

Vice President and Counsel, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm) (2007- present).

 

N/A N/A

Michael P. Malloy

One Logan Square

Ste. 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 60

Assistant

Secretary

 

1999 to present Since 1993, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm). N/A N/A

Jillian L. Bosmann

One Logan Square

Ste. 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 41

Assistant

Secretary

 

2017 to present Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm) (2017-Present); Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (2006-Present). N/A N/A

 

* Each Director oversees 34 portfolios of the Company.

1. Subject to the Company’s Retirement Policy, each Director may continue to serve as a Director until the last day of the calendar year in which the applicable Director attains age 75 or until his successor is elected and qualified or his death, resignation or removal. The Board reserves the right to waive the requirements of the Policy with respect to an individual Director. The Board has approved waivers of the policy with respect to Messrs. Brodsky, Carnall, Giordano, Sablowsky and Straniere. Each officer holds office at the pleasure of the Board of Directors until the next special meeting of the Company or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed.

2. Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “interested person” of the Company as that term is defined in the 1940 Act and is referred to as an “Interested Director.” Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “Interested Director” of the Company by virtue of his position as an employee of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

 

Director Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and/or Skills

The information above includes each Director’s principal occupations during the last five years.  Each Director possesses extensive additional experience, skills and attributes relevant to his qualifications to serve as a Director.  The cumulative background of each Director led to the conclusion that each Director should serve as a Director of the Company.  Mr. Giordano has years of experience as a consultant to financial services organizations and also serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Mr. Reichman brings decades of investment management experience to the Board, in addition to senior executive-level management experience.    Mr. Straniere has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and has served on the boards of an asset management company and another registered investment company.  Mr. Brodsky has over 40 years of senior executive level management experience in the cable television and communications industry.  Mr. Sablowsky has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the financial services industry.  Mr. Carnall has decades of senior executive-level management experience in the banking and financial services industry and also serves on the boards of various corporations and a bank. Mr. Chandler has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive level positions in the investment technology consulting/services and investment banking/brokerage industries, and also serves on various boards. Mr. Shea has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the brokerage, clearing and investment services industry, including service on the boards of industry regulatory organizations and a university.

 

 15

 

Standing Committees

 

The responsibilities of each Committee of the Board and its members are described below.

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler and Giordano. The Audit Committee, among other things, reviews results of the annual audit and approves the firm(s) to serve as independent auditors. The Audit Committee convened three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Contract Committee. The Board has a Contract Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Contract Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler, Sablowsky and Straniere. The Contract Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the approval and continuation of agreements and plans of the Company. The Contract Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Executive Committee. The Board has an Executive Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Executive Committee are Messrs. Chandler, Giordano, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Executive Committee may generally carry on and manage the business of the Company when the Board is not in session. The Executive Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee. The Board has an Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two Independent Directors. The current members of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee are Messrs. Reichman, Sablowsky and Shea. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee ensures that the Company’s investment advisers have adopted investment and liquidity risk management policies and procedures. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee met one time during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Giordano and Reichman. The Nominating and Governance Committee recommends to the Board all persons to be nominated as Directors of the Company. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Committee care of the Company’s Secretary. The Nominating and Governance Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Product Development Committee. The Board has a Product Development Committee comprised of the Interested Director and one Independent Director. The current members of the Product Development Committee are Messrs. Reichman and Sablowsky. The Product Development Committee oversees the process regarding the addition of new investment advisers and investment products to the Company. The Product Development Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Regulatory Oversight Committee. The Board has a Regulatory Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and four Independent Directors. The current members of the Regulatory Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Reichman, Sablowsky, Shea and Straniere. The Regulatory Oversight Committee monitors regulatory developments in the mutual fund industry and focuses on various regulatory aspects of the operation of the Company. The Regulatory Oversight Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Strategic Oversight Committee. The Board has a Strategic Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Strategic Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Chandler, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Strategic Oversight Committee assists the Board in its oversight and review of the Company’s strategic plan and operations. The Strategic Oversight Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Valuation Committee. The Board has a Valuation Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two officers of the Company. The members of the Valuation Committee are Messrs. Faia, Sablowsky and Shaw. The Valuation Committee is responsible for reviewing fair value determinations. The Valuation Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Risk Oversight

 

The Board performs its risk oversight function for the Company through a combination of (1) direct oversight by the Board as a whole and Board committees and (2) indirect oversight through the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, Company officers and the Company’s CCO.  The Company is subject to a number of risks, including but not limited to investment risk, compliance risk, operational risk, reputational risk, credit risk and counterparty risk.  Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Company is the responsibility of the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk) that carry out the Company’s investment management and business affairs.  Each of the investment advisers and the other service providers have their own independent interest in risk management and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models and may differ from the Company’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.

 

The Board provides risk oversight by receiving and reviewing on a regular basis reports from the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers, receiving and approving compliance policies and procedures, periodic meetings with the Company’s portfolio managers to review investment policies, strategies and risks, and meeting regularly with the Company’s CCO to discuss compliance reports, findings and issues.  The Board also relies on the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, with respect to the day-to-day activities of the Company, to create and maintain procedures and controls to minimize risk and the likelihood of adverse effects on the Company’s business and reputation.

 

Board oversight of risk management is also provided by various Board Committees.  For example, the Audit Committee meets with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms to ensure that the Company’s respective audit scopes include risk-based considerations as to the Company’s financial position and operations.

 

The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight.  The Board’s oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Company’s investments or activities.

 

 16

 

Director Ownership of Shares of the Company

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in all of the portfolios of the Company (which for each Director comprise all registered investment companies within the Company’s family of investment companies overseen by him), as of December 31, 2019.

 

Name of Director

Dollar Range of

Equity Securities in the Fund

Aggregate Dollar Range of

Equity Securities in All

Registered Investment Companies

Overseen by Director within the

Family of Investment Companies

  INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS  
Julian A. Brodsky None Over $100,000
J. Richard Carnall None $10,001-$50,000
Gregory P. Chandler None $10,001-$50,000
Nicholas A. Giordano None $10,001-$50,000
Arnold M. Reichman None Over $100,000
Brian T. Shea None $10,001-$50,000
Robert A. Straniere None $1-$10,000
  INTERESTED DIRECTOR  
Robert Sablowsky $50,001-$100,000 Over $100,000

 

Directors’ and Officers’ Compensation

 

Effective April 1, 2019, the Company pays each Director a retainer at the rate of $125,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each receives an additional fee of $20,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee each receives an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services. The Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee receives an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $35,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $75,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

From January 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, the Company paid each Director a retainer at the rate of $100,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each received an additional fee of $15,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee received an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services, and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee each received an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $25,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $50,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

Each compensated Director is entitled to participate in the Company’s deferred compensation plan (the “DC Plan”). Under the DC Plan, a compensated Director may elect to defer all or a portion of his compensation and have the deferred compensation treated as if it had been invested by the Company in shares of one or more of the portfolios of the Company. The amount paid to the Directors under the DC Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Independent Directors and their respective immediate family members (spouse or dependent children) did not own beneficially or of record any securities of the Company’s investment advisers or distributor, or of any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment advisers or distributor.

 

Directors are reimbursed for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board or any committee thereof.  An employee of Vigilant Compliance, LLC serves as President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Company. Vigilant Compliance, LLC is compensated for the services provided to the Company, and such compensation is determined by the Board.  For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, Vigilant Compliance LLC received $60,346 from the Fund and $770,742 in aggregate from all series of the Company for services provided. An employee of the Company serves as Treasurer and Secretary and is compensated for services provided. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from the Company in the following amounts:

 

 17

 

Name of Director/Officer

Aggregated

Compensation

from the Fund

Pension or

Retirement

Benefits Accrued

Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement

Total

Compensation

From Fund

Complex Paid to

Directors or

Officer

Independent Directors:        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director $2,395  N/A  N/A $148,750
J. Richard Carnall, Director $2,425  N/A  N/A $152,250
Gregory P. Chandler, Director $2,907  N/A  N/A $178,500
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director $2,534  N/A  N/A $156,875
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman $3,440  N/A  N/A $208,500
Brian T. Shea, Director $2,481  N/A  N/A $152,500
Robert A. Straniere, Director $2,471  N/A  N/A $155,750
Interested Director:        
Robert Sablowsky, Director $3,354  N/A  N/A $205,250
Officer:        
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary $2,959  N/A  N/A $288,000

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Company and the Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permits personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Company, subject to certain restrictions.

 

PROXY VOTING

 

The Board of Directors has delegated the responsibility of voting proxies with respect to the portfolio securities purchased and/or held by the Fund to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. In exercising its voting obligations, the Adviser is guided by its general fiduciary duty to act prudently and in the interest of the Fund. The Adviser will consider factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments and the rights of shareholders in its determination on voting portfolio securities.

 

The Adviser has adopted proxy voting procedures with respect to voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Fund. The Adviser employs a third party service provider, Institutional Shareholder Services, to assist in the voting of proxies. These procedures have been provided to the service provider, who analyzes the proxies and makes recommendations, based on the Adviser’s policy, as to how to vote such proxies. A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Guidelines is included with this SAI. Please see Appendix B to this SAI for further information.

 

Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent 12- month period ended June 30 is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA) or by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

 18

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

As of January 31, 2020, the entities listed below were owners of record of approximately 5% or more of the total outstanding shares of the Fund as indicated below. See “Additional Information Concerning Company Shares” below. Any shareholder that owns 25% or more of the outstanding shares of a portfolio or class may be presumed to “control” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) the portfolio or class. Shareholders controlling a portfolio or class could have the ability to vote a majority of the shares of the portfolio or class on any matter requiring approval of the shareholders of the portfolio or class.

 

Class Shareholder and Address Percentage of Class Owned
Class I Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Special Custody A/C FBO Customers
211 Main St.
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
30.29%
  National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd Fl 4th
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
22.16%
  TD Ameritrade Inc. for the Exclusive Benefit of its Clients
P.O. Box 2226
Omaha, NE 68103-2226
21.34%
  Pershing LLC
1 Pershing Plz, Fl 14
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0002
14.02%
  LPL Financial
Omnibus Customer Account
Attn Lindsay O Toole
4707 Executive Dr
San Diego, CA 92121-3091
7.42%
Class A TD Ameritrade Inc. for the Exclusive Benefit of its Clients
P.O. Box 2226
Omaha, NE 68103-2226
61.16%
  National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd, Fl 4th
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
22.07%
  Pershing LLC
1 Pershing Plz, Fl 14
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0002
8.47%
Class D Pershing LLC
1 Pershing Plz, Fl 14
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0002
29.01%
  National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd, Fl 4th
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
28.69%
  LPL Financial LLC
9785 Towne Centre Dr
San Diego, CA 92121-1968
25.40%

 

As of January 31, 2020, Directors and Officers as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

Investment Adviser

 

The Adviser is located at 3390 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Suite 250, Lafayette, California 94549 and acts as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) with the Company. The Adviser is majority owned and controlled by Orinda Investment Partners, LLC, an investment partnership, which is controlled by Paul Gray due to his greater than 25% ownership of the voting securities of Orinda Investment Partners, LLC.

 

The Adviser has investment discretion for the Fund and will make all decisions affecting the assets of the Fund under the supervision of the Company’s Board of Directors and in accordance with the Fund’s stated policies. The Adviser will select investments for the Fund.

 

Subject to the supervision of the Company’s Board of Directors, the Adviser will provide for the overall management of the Fund, including (i) the provision of a continuous investment program for the Fund, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents, (ii) the determination from time to time of what securities and other investments will be purchased, retained or sold by the Fund, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for all purchases and sales made for the Fund. The Adviser will provide the services rendered by it in accordance with the Fund’s investment goals, restrictions and policies as stated in the Prospectus and in this SAI.

 

For its services to the Fund under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to receive a monthly advisory fee computed at an annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fees to the extent necessary to maintain an annualized expense ratio (excluding certain items noted below) of 1.40%, 1.70%, and 2.40%, for the Fund’s Class I, Class A and Class D Shares, respectively. In determining the Adviser's obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net total annual fund operating expenses to exceed 1.40%, 1.70%, or 2.40%, as applicable: acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes.

 

This limit is calculated daily based on the Fund’s average daily net assets. This limitation is effected in the waiver of advisory fees and reimbursements of expenses exceeding the advisory fee as necessary. The contractual limitation is in effect until February 28, 2021, and may not be terminated without approval of the Board.

 

 19

 

For the fiscal periods shown in the table below, the Fund and/or the Predecessor Fund paid the following management fees to the Adviser*:

 

 

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2019

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2018

Six Month

Period Ended

August 31, 2017**

Fiscal Year Ended

February 28, 2017

Accrued Management Fees* $2,582,065 $2,809,810 $1,593,790 $2,612,651
Management Fees Waived by Adviser $0 $0 $0 $0
Management Fees Recouped by Adviser $0 $0 $0 $0
Net Management Fees Paid to Adviser $2,582,065 $2,809,810 $1,593,790 $2,612,651

 

* Management fees paid to the Adviser for services provided from May 1, 2017 and thereafter were paid by the Fund. Management fees incurred during periods prior to May 1, 2017 were paid by the Predecessor Fund. The Adviser was entitled to management fees at the annual rate of 1.00% of the Predecessor Fund’s average daily net assets.

** The Fund changed its fiscal year end to August 31.

 

The Fund bears its own expenses not specifically assumed by the Adviser. General expenses of the Company not readily identifiable as belonging to a portfolio of the Company are allocated among all investment portfolios by or under the direction of the Company’s Board of Directors in such manner as it deems to be fair and equitable. Expenses borne by a portfolio include, but are not limited to the expenses listed in the Prospectus and the following (or a portfolio’s share of the following): (a) the cost (including brokerage commissions) of securities purchased or sold by a portfolio and any losses incurred in connection therewith; (b) fees payable to and expenses incurred on behalf of a portfolio by the Adviser; (c) any costs, expenses or losses arising out of a liability of or claim for damages or other relief asserted against the Company or a portfolio for violation of any law; (d) any extraordinary expenses; (e) fees, voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; (f) the cost of investment company literature and other publications provided by the Company to its Directors and officers; (g) organizational costs; (h) fees to the investment advisers and Fund Services; (i) fees and expenses of officers and Directors who are not affiliated with a portfolio’s investment adviser or Quasar Distributors, LLC (“Quasar”); (j) taxes; (k) interest; (l) legal fees; (m) custodian fees; (n) auditing fees; (o) brokerage fees and commissions; (p) certain of the fees and expenses of registering and qualifying the portfolios and their shares for distribution under federal and state securities laws; (q) expenses of preparing prospectuses and statements of additional information and distributing annually to existing shareholders that are not attributable to a particular class of shares of the Company; (r) the expense of reports to shareholders, shareholders’ meetings and proxy solicitations that are not attributable to a particular class of shares of the Company; (s) fidelity bond and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance premiums; (t) the expense of using independent pricing services; and (u) other expenses which are not expressly assumed by a portfolio’s investment adviser under its advisory agreement with the portfolio.

 

Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund or the Company in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder. The Advisory Agreement was approved on November 17, 2016, for an initial two-year term by a vote of the Board of Directors of the Company, including a majority of those Directors who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of such parties. The Advisory Agreement is terminable by vote of the Company’s Board of Directors or by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, at any time without penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. The Advisory Agreement may also be terminated by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Company. The Advisory Agreement terminates automatically in the event of assignment thereof.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Description of Compensation. As of the date of this SAI, Mr. Gray is a principal of Orinda and as such is compensated with a fixed salary, participation in Orinda’s retirement plan. Mr. Goltra was compensated with a fixed salary, a discretionary bonus and participation in Orinda’s retirement plan. Mr. Gray and Mr. Goltra are equity partners in Orinda, and share in the firm’s profits.

 

Other Accounts. The table below discloses accounts, other than the Fund, for which each Portfolio Manager is primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management, as of December 31, 2019.

 

Name of Portfolio Manager or Team

Member

Type of Accounts

Total

# of

Accounts

Managed

Total Assets

# of Accounts

Managed that

Advisory Fee

Based on

Performance

Total Assets that

Advisory Fee

Based on

Performance

Paul Gray Other Registered Investment Companies: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Accounts: 0 $0 0 $0
Ian Goltra Other Registered Investment Companies: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 0 $0 0 $0
  Other Accounts: 0 $0 0 $0

 

Conflict of Interest. The Adviser seeks to identify all potential conflicts of interest applicable to its business that may affect its clients and to treat all clients and accounts fairly and equitably.

 

The Adviser currently only provides investment related services to the Fund. However, in the future the Adviser may determine to manage both mutual funds or other “traditional” accounts and private funds or other accounts that may pay performance fees, may be beneficially owned, in whole or in part by the Adviser or its personnel, and/or may be able to utilize certain strategies (e.g., short selling) not available to mutual funds and other traditional accounts. In those circumstances, the Adviser’s economic interests may conflict with its fiduciary duty to all accounts based on the fees and compensation paid by, or differential ownership interests in, such accounts. The Adviser uses a non-preferential allocation system with allocations determined prior to orders being executed. While the Adviser expects that it will perform its responsibilities in accordance with its fiduciary duties and not allow such conflicts to influence that performance, the Adviser recognizes the potential conflicts of interest associated with managing private funds and other accounts on one hand, and more traditional accounts, such as mutual funds, on the other. In order to identify and mitigate such conflicts, the Adviser has adopted and maintains compliance policies and procedures and believes that these policies are, for the most part, sufficient to reasonably address such conflicts of interests.

 

 20

 

Securities Ownership. As of December 31, 2019, the portfolio managers beneficially owned shares of the Fund as follows:

 

Portfolio Manager

Dollar Range of Equity Securities owned in the Fund

(None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000, $100,001 - $500,000,

$500,001 - $1,000,000, Over $1,000,000)

Paul Gray $100,001 - $500,000
Ian Goltra $100,001 - $500,000

 

Custodian Agreement

 

U.S. Bank National Association, located at 1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212 (the “Custodian”), is custodian of the Fund’s assets pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”). Under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian: (a) maintains a separate account or accounts in the name of the Fund; (b) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of the Fund; (c) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of the Fund; (d) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of the Fund’s portfolio securities; and (e) makes periodic reports to the Company’s Board of Directors concerning the Fund’s operations. The Custodian is authorized to select one or more banks or trust companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Fund, provided that the Custodian remains responsible for the performance of all of its duties under the Custodian Agreement and holds the Fund harmless from the acts and omissions of any sub-custodian. For its services to the Fund under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian receives a fee based on the Fund’s average daily gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly, or a minimum monthly fee for the Fund, exclusive of transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses, which are also charged to the Fund.

 

Transfer Agency Agreement

 

Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund pursuant to a transfer agency agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”), under which Fund Services: (a) issues and redeems shares of the Fund; (b) addresses and mails all communications by the Fund to record owners of the shares, including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and proxy materials for its meetings of shareholders; (c) maintains shareholder accounts and, if requested, sub-accounts; and (d) makes periodic reports to the Company’s Board of Directors concerning the operations of the Fund. Fund Services may, on 30 days’ notice to the Company, assign its duties as transfer and dividend disbursing agent to any other affiliate of Fund Services. For its services to the Fund under the Transfer Agency Agreement, Fund Services receives an annual fee based on the number of accounts in the Fund, subject to a minimum fee payable monthly on a pro rata basis, and also receives reimbursement of its out-of-pocket expenses.

 

Fund Services also provides services relating to the implementation of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. The Company pays an annual fee based on the number of open accounts in each portfolio of the Company. In addition, Fund Services provides services relating to the implementation of the Fund’s Customer Identification Program, including verification of required customer information and the maintenance of records with respect to such verification. The Fund will pay Fund Services a fee for each customer verified and a monthly fee for each record result maintained.

 

Administration and Accounting Agreement

 

Fund Services serves as administrator to the Fund pursuant to an administration and accounting services agreement (the “Administration Agreement”). Fund Services has agreed to furnish to the Fund statistical and research data, clerical, accounting and bookkeeping services, and certain other services required by the Fund. In addition, Fund Services has agreed to prepare and file various reports with the appropriate regulatory agencies and prepare materials required by the SEC or any state securities commission having jurisdiction over the Fund. The Administration Agreement provides that Fund Services shall be obligated to exercise care and diligence in the performance of its duties, to act in good faith and to use its best efforts, within reasonable limits, in performing services thereunder. Fund Services shall be responsible for failure to perform its duties under the Administration Agreement arising out of its willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard.

 

The Administration Agreement provides that Fund Services shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Company or the Fund in connection with the performance of the agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder.

 

The Fund and/or the Predecessor Fund paid the following fees to Fund Services for fund administration and fund accounting services during the fiscal periods shown below*:

 

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2019

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2018

Six Month Period Ended

August 31, 2017**

Fiscal Year Ended

February 28, 2017

$106,758 $131,985 $109,870 $281,029

 

* Fees paid to Fund Services for services provided from May 1, 2017 and thereafter were paid by the Fund. Fees incurred during periods prior to May 1, 2017 were paid by the Predecessor Fund.

** The Fund changed its fiscal year end to August 31.

 

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DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS

 

Distribution Agreement

 

Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), whose principal business address is 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, 6th Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the underwriter to the Fund pursuant to a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor, Fund Services, and the Custodian are affiliates.

 

Under a Distribution Agreement with the Company, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Fund. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company.

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Fund. With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Fund and/or the Adviser, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements. These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor. These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Fund.

 

Investors who purchase shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein. Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares. Investors purchasing shares of the Fund through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary. The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote shares depending upon their arrangement with the financial intermediary. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Fund for its distribution services. The Adviser pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.

 

The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Company on behalf of the Fund on no less than 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement, or by the Distributor, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any loss suffered by the Company in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof.

 

Plan of Distribution

 

Class I Shares. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of the Fund’s shares. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Company for the distribution of the Fund’s Class I shares; however, the Adviser pays an annual fee to the Distributor as compensation for underwriting services rendered to the Fund pursuant to the Distribution Agreement.

 

Class A Shares and Class D Shares. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement and the related Plans of Distribution for Class A Shares and Class D Shares (together, the “Plans”), which were adopted by the Company in the manner prescribed by Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Distributor will act as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering for the sale of the Fund’s Class A Shares and Class D Shares. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company. Payments to the Distributor under the Plans are to compensate it for distribution assistance and expenses assumed and activities intended to result in the sale of Class A Shares and Class D Shares, including advertising, printing and mailing of prospectuses to others than current shareholders, compensation of underwriters, compensation to broker-dealers, compensation to sales personnel, and interest, carrying or other financing changes. As compensation for its distribution services, the Distributor receives, pursuant to the terms of the Distribution Agreement, a distribution fee under the Plans, to be calculated daily and paid monthly by the Class A Shares and Class D Shares of the Fund at the annual rates set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

Among other things, the Plans provide that: (1) the Distributor shall be required to submit quarterly reports to the Directors of the Company regarding all amounts expended under the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made, including commissions, advertising, printing, interest, carrying charges and any allocated overhead expenses; (2) the Plans will continue in effect only so long as they are approved at least annually, and any material amendment thereto is approved, by the Company’s Directors, including a majority of those Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plans or any agreements related to the Plans, acting in person at a meeting called for said purpose; (3) the aggregate amount to be spent by the Fund on the distribution of the Fund’s Class A Shares and Class D Shares under the respective Plans shall not be materially increased without shareholder approval; and (4) while the Plans remain in effect, the selection and nomination of the Company’s Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) shall be committed to the discretion of such Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company.

 

Mr. Sablowsky, a Director of the Company, has an indirect interest in the operation of the Plans by virtue of his position with Oppenheimer Co., Inc., a broker-dealer.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, distribution-related expenditures primarily intended to result in the sale of the Fund’s Class A and Class D Shares that were made by the Fund totaled $133,192 and $189,780, respectively. The following table shows the dollar amounts by category allocated to the Fund’s Class A and Class D shares for distribution-related expenses:

 

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Class A

 

Actual 12b-1 Expenditures Paid by the Class
  Total Dollars Allocated for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2019
Advertising/Marketing $0
Printing/Postage $0
Payment to distributor $0
Payment to dealers $133,192
Compensation to sales personnel $0
Interest, carrying, or other financing charges $0
Other $0

 

Class D

 

Actual 12b-1 Expenditures Paid by the Class
  Total Dollars Allocated for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2019
Advertising/Marketing $0
Printing/Postage $0
Payment to distributor $0
Payment to dealers $189,780
Compensation to sales personnel $0
Interest, carrying, or other financing charges $0
Other $0

 

SHAREHOLDER SERVICING PLAN

 

Prior to January 1, 2019, Class I, Class A, and Class D shares of the Fund paid the Adviser a monthly fee of up to 0.10%, 0.15%, and 0.10%, respectively, of the Fund’s average daily net assets pursuant to a Shareholder Servicing Plan (the “Servicing Plan”).

 

For the fiscal period shown below, the Fund and/or the Predecessor Fund paid the following Servicing Plan fees*:

 

 

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2019

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2018

Fiscal Six-Month

Period Ended

August 31, 2017**

Fiscal Year Ended

February 28, 2017

Class I $60,490 $188,438 $90,399 $131,143
Class A $20,404 $107,523 $79,369 $121,457
Class D $6,567 $20,861 $8,113 $17,397

 

* Servicing Plan fees paid from May 1, 2017 and thereafter were paid by the Fund. Servicing Plan fees incurred during periods prior to May 1, 2017 were paid by the Predecessor Fund.

** The Fund changed its fiscal year end to August 31.

 

PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates, at their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, its service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Fund and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.

 

These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Fund, the Distributor or shareholders of the Fund through the financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets. Payments may also be made through the financial intermediary’s retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing the Fund in a financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about the Fund; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.

 

Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in the Fund by financial intermediaries’ customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.

 

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FUND TRANSACTIONS

 

Subject to policies established by the Board of Directors and applicable rules, the Adviser is responsible for the execution of portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage transactions for the Fund. In executing portfolio transactions, the Adviser seeks to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for the Fund, taking into account such factors as the price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of the order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm involved. While the Adviser generally seeks reasonably competitive commission rates, payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions.

 

The Fund has no obligation to deal with any broker or group of brokers in the execution of portfolio transactions. The Adviser may, consistent with the interests of the Fund and subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, select brokers on the basis of the research, statistical and pricing services they provide to the Fund and other clients of the Adviser. Information and research received from such brokers will be in addition to, and not in lieu of, the services required to be performed by the Adviser under its contracts. A commission paid to such brokers may be higher than that which another qualified broker would have charged for effecting the same transaction, provided that the Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in terms either of the transaction or the overall responsibility of the Adviser to the Fund and its other clients and that the total commissions paid by the Fund will be reasonable in relation to the benefits to the Fund over the long-term.

 

Investment decisions for the Fund and for other investment accounts managed by the Adviser are made independently of each other in the light of differing conditions. However, the same investment decision may be made for two or more of such accounts. In such cases, simultaneous transactions are inevitable. Purchases or sales are then averaged as to price and allocated as to amount according to a formula deemed equitable to each such account. While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect upon the price or value of the security as far as the Fund is concerned, in other cases it is believed to be beneficial to the Fund.

 

For the fiscal periods shown below, the Fund and/or the Predecessor Fund paid brokerage commissions as follows*:

 

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2019

Fiscal Year Ended

August 31, 2018

March 1, 2017 through

August 31, 2017**

Fiscal Year Ended

February 28, 2017

$581,433 $636,773 $391,738 $1,604,972

 

*

Brokerage commissions paid from May 1, 2017 and thereafter were paid by the Fund. Brokerage commissions incurred during periods prior to May 1, 2017 were paid by the Predecessor Fund.

** The Fund changed its fiscal year end to August 31.

 

The following table indicates the portion of the Fund’s aggregate brokerage for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 (from the table above) that was directed to brokers who, in addition to providing trade execution, also supplied the Fund with research services:

 

  Dollar Value of Securities Traded Related Soft Dollar Brokerage Commissions
Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2019 $1,172,234,415 $284,824,431

 

As of the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund did not own securities of its “regular brokers or dealers” or their parents.

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

 

You may purchase shares through an account maintained by your brokerage firm and you may also purchase shares directly by mail or wire. The Company reserves the right, if conditions exist that make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase of the Fund’s shares by making payment in whole or in part in securities chosen by the Company and valued in the same way as they would be valued for purposes of computing the Fund’s NAV. If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction costs in converting these securities into cash. A shareholder will also bear any market risk or tax consequences as a result of a payment in securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act so that the Fund is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund. A shareholder will bear the risk of a decline in market value and any tax consequences associated with a redemption in securities.

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Company may suspend the right to redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the “NYSE”) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), or during which the SEC restricts trading on the NYSE or determines an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or valuation of portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC may permit. (The Company may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions).

 

Shares of the Company are subject to redemption by the Company, at the redemption price of such shares as in effect from time to time, including, without limitation: (1) to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder as provided in the Prospectus from time to time; (2) if such redemption is, in the opinion of the Company’s Board of Directors, desirable in order to prevent the Company or the Fund from being deemed a “personal holding company” within the meaning of the Code; or (3) if the net income with respect to any particular class of common stock should be negative or it should otherwise be appropriate to carry out the Company’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

 

The Fund has the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Automatic Investment Plan

 

The Automatic Investment Plan enables investors to make regular (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual) investments in shares of the Fund through an automatic withdrawal from your designated bank account by simply completing the account application or applicable form. Please call the Transfer Agent at 1-855-467-4632 (855-4ORINDA) for instructions. By completing the form, you authorize the Fund’s Custodian to periodically draw money from your designated account, and to invest such amounts in account(s) with the fund(s) specified.

 

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If you elect the Automatic Investment Plan, please be aware that: (1) the privilege may be revoked without prior notice if any check is not paid upon presentation; (2) the Fund’s Custodian is under no obligation to notify you as to the non-payment of any check, and (3) this service may be modified or discontinued by the Fund’s Custodian upon 5 business days’ written notice to you prior to any payment date, or may be discontinued by you by written notice to the Transfer Agent at least five (5) days before the next payment date.

 

OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING MAXIMUM SALES CHARGE,
PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS

 

The following information supplements the information in the Prospectus under the caption “Shareholder Information.” Please see the Prospectus for more complete information.

 

Other Purchase Information

 

If shares of the Fund are held in a “street name” account with an Authorized Dealer, all recordkeeping, transaction processing and payments of distributions relating to the beneficial owner’s account will be performed by the Authorized Dealer, and not by the Fund and its Transfer Agent. Since the Fund will have no record of the beneficial owner’s transactions, a beneficial owner should contact the Authorized Dealer to purchase, redeem or exchange shares, to make changes in or give instructions concerning the account or to obtain information about the account. The transfer of shares in a “street name” account to an account with another dealer or to an account directly with the Fund involves special procedures and will require the beneficial owner to obtain historical purchase information about the shares in the account from the Authorized Dealer.

 

Share Class Conversion

 

Some shareholders may hold shares of the Fund through fee-based programs, often referred to as "wrap accounts," that are managed by investment dealers, financial advisors or other investment professionals (each, a "wrap account intermediary"). A wrap account intermediary may impose eligibility requirements on a shareholder's participation in the fee-based program and ownership of shares through the program which are additional to the ownership requirements described in the Prospectus. Under the terms of its fee-based program, a wrap account intermediary may also be permitted to effect a conversion (sometimes referred to as an "in-kind exchange") of a shareholder's shares in the Fund, including those shares purchased by the shareholder during the shareholder's participation in the program, to a different class of shares of the Fund in situations when the shareholder no longer meets the wrap account intermediary's stated eligibility requirements for the ownership of the class of shares that the shareholder initially purchased. For example, the terms of its fee-based program may permit a wrap account intermediary to effect this type of conversion when a shareholder moves his position in a class of shares of the Fund out of the program that offered that class of shares and into a program or account through which the wrap account intermediary only offers a different class or classes of shares of the Fund. Under other circumstances, a financial intermediary may effect this type of conversion with respect to new clients who held one class of shares of the Fund before becoming a client of the intermediary, and who are eligible for a wrap account through which the intermediary offers a different class of shares of the Fund. Any such conversion by a wrap account intermediary will be made in accordance with the Prospectus of the Fund, and will be made without the imposition by the Fund of any sales load, fee or other charge. The class of shares that a shareholder owns after the conversion may bear higher fees and expenses than the class of shares that the shareholder initially purchased.

 

If you own shares of the Fund through a fee-based program, you should consult with your wrap account intermediary to determine whether there are any additional eligibility requirements that the wrap account intermediary imposes on your participation in their program and your ownership of the Fund's shares through the program, and whether the wrap account intermediary prescribes any circumstances which may result in the type of share class conversion described herein.

 

TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES

 

The Company’s telephone transaction procedures include the following measures: (1) requiring the appropriate telephone transaction privilege forms; (2) requiring the caller to provide the names of the account owners, the account social security number and name of the Fund, all of which must match the Company’s records; (3) requiring the Company’s service representative to complete a telephone transaction form, listing all of the above caller identification information; (4) permitting exchanges (if applicable) only if the two account registrations are identical; (5) requiring that redemption proceeds be sent only by check to the account owners of record at the address of record, or by wire only to the owners of record at the bank account of record; (6) sending a written confirmation for each telephone transaction to the owners of record at the address of record within five (5) business days of the call; and (7) maintaining tapes of telephone transactions for six months, if the Company elects to record shareholder telephone transactions. For accounts held of record by broker-dealers, financial institutions, securities dealers, financial planners and other industry professionals, additional documentation or information regarding the scope of a caller’s authority is required. Finally, for telephone transactions in accounts held jointly, additional information regarding other account holders is required.

 

VALUATION OF SHARES

 

In accordance with procedures adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors, the NAV per share of the Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to the Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or such other time as the NYSE or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the NYSE is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The NYSE is generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (observed), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Company reserves the right to reprocess purchase, redemption and exchange transactions that were initially processed at a NAV other than the Fund’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders based on the official closing NAV. The Company reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, the Fund may compute its NAV as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.

 

The securities of the Fund are valued under the direction of the Fund’s administrator and under the general supervision of the Company’s Board of Directors. Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices. Subject to the approval of the Company’s Board of Directors, the Fund may employ outside organizations, which may use a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indices, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments in determining the approximate market value of portfolio investments. This may result in the investments being valued at a price that differs from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used. All cash, receivables, and current payables are carried on the Fund’s books at their face value. Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s Valuation Committee under the direction of the Company’s Board of Directors.

 

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The procedures used by any pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Company under the general supervision of the Company’s Board of Directors.

 

The Fund may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges. These securities may trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not calculate NAV. As a result, the value of these investments may change on days when you cannot purchase or sell Fund shares.

 

TAXES

 

The following summarizes certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Potential investors should consult their tax advisers with specific reference to their own tax situations.

 

The discussions of the federal tax consequences in the Prospectus and this SAI are based on the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and the regulations issued under it, and court decisions and administrative interpretations, as in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly alter the statements included herein, and any such changes or decisions may be retroactive.

 

General

 

The Fund qualified during its last taxable year and intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. As such, the Fund generally is exempt from federal income tax on its net investment income and realized capital gains that it distributes to shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, it must meet three important tests each year.

 

First, the Fund must derive with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies, or net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Second, generally, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of such issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer), and no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of (1) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), (2) two or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or (3) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Third, the Fund must distribute an amount equal to at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) before taking into account any deduction for dividends paid, and 90% of its tax-exempt income, if any, for the year.

 

The Fund intends to comply with these requirements. If the Fund were to fail to make sufficient distributions, it could be liable for corporate income tax and for excise tax in respect of the shortfall or, if the shortfall is large enough, the Fund could be disqualified as a regulated investment company. If for any taxable year the Fund were not to qualify as a regulated investment company, all its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In that event, taxable shareholders would recognize dividend income on distributions to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, and corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends-received deduction.

 

The Code imposes a nondeductible 4% excise tax on regulated investment companies that fail to distribute each year an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions each year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

 

As of August 31, 2019, the Fund had $20,134,308 of short-term capital loss carryforwards and $4,667,067 of long-term capital loss carryforwards.

 

Taxation of Certain Investments

 

The tax principles applicable to transactions in financial instruments, such as futures contracts and options, that may be engaged in by the Fund, and investments in passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”), are complex and, in some cases, uncertain. Such transactions and investments may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income prior to the receipt of cash, thereby requiring the Fund to liquidate other positions, or to borrow money, so as to make sufficient distributions to shareholders to avoid corporate-level tax. Moreover, some or all of the taxable income recognized may be ordinary income or short-term capital gain, so that the distributions may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

 

In addition, in the case of any shares of a PFIC in which the Fund invests, the Fund may be liable for corporate-level tax on any ultimate gain or distributions on the shares if the Fund fails to make an election to recognize income annually during the period of its ownership of the shares.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

Although the Fund expects to qualify as a regulated investment company and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, the Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES

 

The Company has authorized capital of 100 billion shares of common stock at a par value of $0.001 per share. Currently, 87.423 billion shares have been classified into 185 classes, however, the Company only has approximately 47 active share classes that have begun investment operations. Under the Company’s charter, the Board of Directors has the power to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of common stock from time to time.

 

 26

 

Each share that represents an interest in the Fund has an equal proportionate interest in the assets belonging to the Fund with each other share that represents an interest in the Fund, even where a share has a different class designation than another share representing an interest in the Fund. Shares of the Company do not have preemptive or conversion rights. When issued for payment as described in the Prospectus, shares of the Company will be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

The Company does not currently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. The Company’s amended By-Laws provide that shareholders owning at least ten percent of the outstanding shares of all classes of Common Stock of the Company have the right to call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more directors. To the extent required by law, the Company will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.

 

Holders of shares of each class of the Company will vote in the aggregate on all matters, except where otherwise required by law. Further, shareholders of the Company will vote in the aggregate and not by portfolio except as otherwise required by law or when the Board of Directors determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular portfolio or class of shares. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted by the provisions of such Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Company shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each portfolio affected by the matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a portfolio shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each portfolio in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the portfolio. Under Rule 18f-2 the approval of an investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement or any change in a fundamental investment objective or fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a portfolio only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such portfolio. However, the Rule 18f-2 also provides that the ratification of the selection of independent public accountants and the election of directors are not subject to the separate voting requirements and may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of an investment company voting without regard to a portfolio. Shareholders of the Company are entitled to one vote for each full share held (irrespective of class or portfolio) and fractional votes for fractional shares held. Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate shares of common stock of the Company may elect all of the Directors.

 

Notwithstanding any provision of Maryland law requiring a greater vote of shares of the Company’s common stock (or of any class voting as a class) in connection with any corporate action, unless otherwise provided by law (for example by Rule 18f-2 discussed above), or by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, the Company may take or authorize such action upon the favorable vote of the holders of more than 50% of all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock voting without regard to class (or portfolio).

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Anti-Money Laundering Program

 

The Fund has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Fund’s Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures, and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that certain of its service providers have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, and conducting a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Fund will not transact business with any person or legal entity whose identity and beneficial owners, if applicable, cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

Counsel

 

The law firm of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Suite 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996, serves as independent counsel to the Company and the Independent Directors.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Tait, Weller & Baker LLP serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, and in that capacity audits the Fund’s financial statements.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The audited financial statements, financial highlights and notes thereto in the Fund’s Annual Report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended August 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”), have been audited by Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report thereon also appears in the Annual Report, which is incorporated by reference into this SAI. Such financial statements have been incorporated herein in reliance upon such report given upon the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing. Copies of the Annual Report may be obtained at no charge by telephoning the transfer agent at the telephone number appearing at the front page of this SAI.

 

 27

 

APPENDIX A

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

 

“A-1” - A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

“A-2” - A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

“A-3” - A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

“C” - A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“D” - A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer will differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

 

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

“P-1” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-2” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-3” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“NP” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issuer.

 

Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

 

“F1” - Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

“F2” - Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

“F3” - Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

“B” - Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

A-1

 

“C” - Securities possess high short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

“RD” - Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

 

“D” - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The “F1” rating may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show the relative status within that major rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS® Ratings Limited (“DBRS”) short-term debt rating scale provides an opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer and the relative ranking of claims. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the sub-categories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for commercial paper and short-term debt:

 

“R-1 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“R-1 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from “R-1 (high)” by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-1 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“R-2 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-2 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

“R-2 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

“R-3” - Short-term debt rated “R-3” is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

“R-4” - Short-term debt rated “R-4” is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

“R-5” - Short-term debt rated “R-5” is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

“D” - Short-term debt rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:

 

“AAA” - An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

“AA” - An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

 

“A” - An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

 

“BBB” - An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

A-2

 

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” - Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

 

“BB” - An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CCC” - An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CC” - An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

 

“C” - An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

 

“D” - An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

 

“NR” - This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. An issuer’s foreign currency rating will differ from its local currency rating when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:

 

“Aaa” - Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

 

“Aa” - Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

“A” - Obligations rated “A” are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

“Baa” - Obligations rated “Baa” are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

“Ba” - Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

“B” - Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

“Caa” - Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

“Ca” - Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

“C” - Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to unrated obligations.

 

A-3

 

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:

 

“AAA” - Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

“AA” - Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

“A” - Securities considered to be of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

“BBB” - Securities considered to be of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

“BB” - Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicate that there is an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

“B” - Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

“CCC” - A “CCC” rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

 

“CC” - A “CC” rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

 

“C” - A “C” rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned “RD” or “D” ratings but are instead rated in the “CCC” to “C” rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below “CCC”.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS long-term rating scale provides an opinion on the risk of default. That is, the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy its financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which an obligation has been issued. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer, and the relative ranking of claims. All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for long-term debt:

 

“AAA” - Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“AA” - Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from “AAA” only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“A” - Long-term debt rated “A” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than “AA.” May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“BBB” - Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“BB” - Long-term debt rated “BB” is of speculative, non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

“B” - Long-term debt rated “B” is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

“CCC”, “CC” and “C” - Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although “CC” and “C” ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the “CCC” to “B” range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the “C” category.

 

“D” - A security rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

A-4

 

Municipal Note Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:

 

Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

Source of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

 

Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

“SP-1” - A municipal note rated “SP-1” exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

“SP-2” - A municipal note rated “SP-2” exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

“SP-3” - A municipal note rated “SP-3” exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

“D” - This rating is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

 

Moody’s uses the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) scale to rate U.S. municipal bond anticipation notes of up to five years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels - “MIG-1” through “MIG-3” while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated “SG”. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for short-term municipal obligations:

 

“MIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

“MIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

“MIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or “VMIG” scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

 

“VMIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

About Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

 

A-5

 

Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

 

Fitch’s credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Fitch credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch’s credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance, and public finance entities (including supranational and sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.

 

Credit ratings provided by DBRS are forward-looking opinions about credit risk which reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, security and/or obligation. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. While historical statistics and performance can be important considerations, credit ratings are not based solely on such; they include subjective considerations and involve expectations for future performance that cannot be guaranteed. To the extent that future events and economic conditions do not match expectations, credit ratings assigned to issuers, entities, securities and/or obligations can change. Credit ratings are also based on approved and applicable Methodologies (“Methodologies”), which are periodically updated and when material changes are deemed necessary, this may also lead to rating changes.

 

Credit ratings typically provide an opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the obligation was issued. In some cases, credit ratings may also include consideration for the relative ranking of claims and recovery, should default occur. Credit ratings are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of any specific default probability, nor are they meant to predict such.

 

The data and information on which DBRS bases its opinions is not audited or verified by DBRS, although, DBRS conducts a reasonableness review of information received and relied upon in accordance with its Methodologies and policies.

 

DBRS uses rating symbols as a concise method of expressing its opinion to the market, but there are a limited number of rating categories for the possible slight risk differentials that exist across the rating spectrum and DBRS does not assert that credit ratings in the same category are of “exactly” the same quality.

 

A-6

 

APPENDIX B

 

Orinda Asset Management LLC

POLICY AND PROCEDURES

 

Proxy Voting & Class Action Claims

Revised and Effective January 31, 2019

 

Overview

 

In Proxy Voting by Investment Advisers, Investment Advisers Act Release No. 2106 (January 31, 2003), the SEC noted that, “The federal securities laws do not specifically address how an adviser must exercise its proxy voting authority for its clients. Under the Advisers Act, however, an adviser is a fiduciary that owes each of its clients a duty of care and loyalty with respect to all services undertaken on the client’s behalf, including proxy voting. The duty of care requires an adviser with proxy voting authority to monitor corporate events and to vote the proxies.”

 

Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires each registered investment adviser that exercises proxy voting authority with respect to client securities to:

 

●                Adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes client securities in the clients’ best interests. Such policies and procedures must address the manner in which the adviser will resolve material conflicts of interest that can arise during the proxy voting process;

●                Disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser about how the adviser voted with respect to their securities; and

●                Describe to clients the adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy of the policies and procedures.

 

Additionally, paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 204-2 imposes additional recordkeeping requirements on investment advisers that execute proxy voting authority.

 

The Advisers Act lacks specific guidance regarding an adviser’s duty to direct clients’ participation in class actions. However, many investment advisers adopt policies and procedures regarding class actions.

 

Proxy Voting

 

Proxies are assets of Orinda’s Clients that must be voted with diligence, care, and loyalty. Orinda will ensure that proxies are voted in accordance with its fiduciary duty to its Clients. Orinda has engaged Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) for proxy voting advisory

 

services and to manage the proxy voting process. ISS ensures that all ballots are collected from the custodians and are voted in line with guidelines intended to represent the best interests of the shareholders. ISS publishes on an annual basis, Summary Proxy Voting Guidelines - Benchmark Policy Recommendations for the following proxy season. Orinda reviews these Summary Proxy Voting Guidelines to provide assurance that these Guidelines represent the best interests of the shareholders. ISS also prepares Proxy Voting Recommendations for each Proxy Meeting to which they provide proxy voting services.

Orinda is provided the opportunity to review these Proxy Voting Recommendation Reports prior to the official deadline for casting the proxy votes. Orinda may override any vote that ISS has set up if it believes that it serves the best interests of the Client by doing so. The CCO coordinates Orinda’s proxy voting process.

 

ISS provides Orinda proxy voting reports that contain the following information in connection with each proxy vote:

 

●                The Issuer’s name;

●                The security’s ticker symbol or CUSIP, as applicable;

●                The shareholder meeting date;

●                The number of shares that were voted;

●                A brief identification of the matter voted on;

●                Whether the matter was proposed by the Issuer or a security-holder;

●                Whether a vote was cast;

●                How the vote was cast (for the proposal, against the proposal, or abstain); and

●                Whether the vote was cast with or against management.

 

Class Actions

 

Class Action claims (state, federal & international class action lawsuits and SEC disgorgements) are potential assets of Orinda’s Clients. Orinda has engaged Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) for managing the securities class action process. ISS provides comprehensive securities class action coverage for state, federal, and international securities class actions and all SEC cases (civil and criminal) that result in a fund for the direct benefit of a defined group of investors who file claims. ISS also monitors securities class actions globally.

 

The CCO oversees the class action claim process of ISS (the completion of Proof of Claim forms and any associated documentation, the submission of such documents to the claim administrator, and the receipt of any recovered monies.) The CCO will maintain documentation associated with Clients’ participation in class actions.

 

Identifying and Addressing Material Conflicts of Interest

 

Orinda acknowledges its responsibility for identifying material conflicts of interest related to voting proxies. In order to ensure that Orinda is aware of the facts necessary to identify conflicts, Employees are required to disclose to the CCO any personal conflicts such as officer or director positions held by them, their spouses or close relatives, in any publicly traded company. Conflicts based on business relationships with Orinda or any affiliate will be considered only to the extent that Orinda has actual knowledge of such relationships. Portfolio Managers may consult with the CCO as necessary to identify conflicts.

 

Orinda takes appropriate steps to address identified conflicts including: (i) votes being cast by ISS on behalf of the affected Clients are in line with guidelines intended to represent the best interests of the shareholders, (ii) erecting information barriers around the person(s) charged with coordinating the proxy voting process as delegated to ISS sufficient to insulate the decision from the conflict; (iii) notifying affected Clients of the conflict of interest and seeking a waiver of the conflict or the consent of the Client before voting the proxy; (iv) if agreed upon in writing with the Client, forwarding the proxies to affected Clients allowing them to vote their own proxies; (v) convening an ad hoc committee of no fewer than two senior executives and the portfolio manager to debate the conflict and to give ruling on the preferred course of action. In all instances, Orinda will seek to resolve the conflict in a manner that is acceptable to all affected parties and in the best interest of Clients.

 

B-1

 

Documentation, Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements

 

Reliance on Third-Parties

 

Orinda may rely on third parties to maintain the records required by Rule 204-2(c). With regard to maintaining copies of proxy statements, Orinda will generally rely on the SEC’s EDGAR system to the extent that such proxy statements are filed on that system (e.g., proxy statements of large, U.S.-based issuers).

 

Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

 

A description of the Proxy Policy and Procedures appears in Orinda’s Brochure - Form ADV Part II. Additionally, the Orinda Funds’ Statement of Information (“SAI”) contains a description of the Proxy Procedures. Proxy voting information with respect to the Orinda Funds also appears in SEC filing Form N-PX.

 

Providing Proxy Voting Information

 

Upon request from a Client, Orinda will make available a record of how it voted proxies relating to that Client’s securities. Such request must be within the recordkeeping requirements described above. Clients may obtain copies of these policies and procedures as well as information on how proxies were voted for their own account by requesting such information from Orinda Asset Management LLC, located at 3390 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Suite 250, Lafayette, CA 94549.

The requested proxy information will be provided with three (3) business days of receipt of the request. Orinda will not disclose proxy votes for a client to other clients or third parties unless specifically requested, in writing, by the client.

 

Proxy voting records for the Orinda Funds are publicly available on the www.sec.gov website. The Orinda Funds are required to annually file Form N-PX, a report detailing the proxy votes made on behalf of the Orinda Funds. The reporting period is July 1st through June 30th with the report then due two months later on August 31st.

 

Records Maintenance

 

Orinda shall electronically maintain the records of all proxies it has voted. As required by Rule 204-2(c) under the Advisers Act, such records will also include: (1) a copy of these Policies and Procedures; (2) a copy of each proxy statement that Orinda receives regarding Client securities; (3) a copy of any document created by Orinda that was material to making a decision on how to vote proxies on behalf of a Client or that memorializes the basis for that decision; and (4) each written Client request for proxy voting records and Orinda’s written response to any (written or oral) Client request for such records. Required proxy records shall be maintained in an easily accessible place for a period of six years, the first two years shall be on site in the offices of Orinda.

 

Oversight of Proxy Advisory Firm

 

Orinda has an ongoing duty to oversee any proxy advisory firm it retains. Orinda has retained ISS to assist with its proxy voting responsibilities. Orinda will implement the following procedures that are reasonably designed to provide sufficient ongoing oversight in order to ensure that the Orinda, acting through ISS, continues to vote proxies in the best interest of Orinda’s clients. On an annual basis, Orinda will review ISS and consider the following:

 

●                The firm’s capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues

 

●                The adequacy and quality of the firm’s staff and personnel

 

●                The robustness of the firm’s policies and procedures regarding its ability to ensure that the proxy voting recommendations are based on current and accurate information

 

●                The firm has identified & addressed any conflicts of interest and any other considerations that Orinda believes would be appropriate in considering the nature and quality of the services provided by the firm.

 

●                The firm has provided adequate disclosure of significant relationships or material interests that enables Orinda to understand the nature and scope of the relationships or interests, including steps taken, if any to mitigate the conflict and provide sufficient information to allow Orinda to make an assessment about the reliability or objectivity of the relevant recommendations.

 

B-2 

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

SGI U.S. LARGE CAP EQUITY FUND

 

Class I Shares Ticker Symbol: SILVX

Class A Shares Ticker Symbol: LVOLX

Class C Shares Ticker Symbol: SGICX

 

 SGI U.S. SMALL CAP EQUITY FUND

 

Class I Shares Ticker Symbol: SCLVX

Class A Shares Ticker Symbol: LVSMX

Class C Shares Ticker Symbol: SMLVX

 

SGI GLOBAL EQUITY FUND

 

Class I Shares Ticker Symbol: SGLIX

Class A Shares Ticker Symbol: SGLAX

Class C Shares Ticker Symbol: SGLOX

 

February 28, 2020

 

Investment Adviser:

 

SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC (the “Adviser”)

 

each a series of THE RBB FUND, INC

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides supplementary information pertaining to the SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund (the “U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund”), the SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund (the “U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund”), and the SGI Global Equity Fund (the “Global Equity Fund”) (each a “Fund” and together the “Funds”) of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). The Funds are each authorized to issue three classes: Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares (collectively, the “Shares”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read only in conjunction with the Funds’ Prospectus dated February 28, 2020 (the “Prospectus”) and the Funds’ Annual Reports dated August 31, 2019 (the “Annual Reports”). The financial statements and notes contained in the Annual Reports are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other parts of the Annual Reports are incorporated by reference herein. Copies of the Prospectus and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports may be obtained free of charge by calling toll-free 855-744-8500. 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES 1
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS 1
NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS 6
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 16
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 19
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER 20
MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY 21
CODE OF ETHICS 30
PROXY VOTING 30
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 30
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 32
INVESTMENT ADVISER 32
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS 34
ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING AGREEMENT 36
CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT 37
TRANSFER AGENCY AGREEMENT 37
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION 38
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES 39
FUND TRANSACTIONS 40
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION 42
TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES 45
VALUATION OF SHARES 45
TAXES 46
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES 47
MISCELLANEOUS 48
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 48
APPENDIX A A-1
APPENDIX B B-1

 

1

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Company is an open-end management investment company currently consisting of 34 separate portfolios.  The Company is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) and was organized as a Maryland corporation on February 29, 1988.  This SAI pertains to the Class I, Class A and Class C Shares of the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, the Class I, Class A and Class C Shares of the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, and the Class I Shares, Class A Shares, and Class C Shares of the Global Equity Fund, each a diversified portfolio. Summit Global Investments, LLC (“Summit” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Funds.

 

The Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) approved Summit to serve as the Global Equity Fund’s investment adviser effective January 1, 2017 in connection with the resignation of the Global Equity Fund’s former investment adviser. The Global Equity Fund’s principal investment strategies and risks changed as a result of the change in investment adviser. Prior to January 1, 2017, the Global Equity Fund was named the Scotia Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund.

 

Before the Global Equity Fund commenced operations, all of the assets and liabilities of the Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund (the “Predecessor Fund”), a series of Scotia Institutional Funds (“Predecessor Fund Trust”), which was formerly known as DundeeWealth Funds, were transferred to the Global Equity Fund in a tax-free reorganization (the “Reorganization”). The Reorganization occurred on March 21, 2014. The Predecessor Fund commenced operations on March 31, 2009. As a result of the Reorganization, the performance and accounting history of the Predecessor Fund was assumed by the Global Equity Fund.  Financial and performance information prior to the close of business on March 21, 2014 included herein is that of the Predecessor Fund. Returns for periods prior to January 1, 2017 were generated under the management of the prior investment adviser.

 

Prior to May 1, 2019, the SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund was known as the Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund, the SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund was known as the Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund, and the SGI Global Equity Fund was known as the Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES

 

The following supplements the information contained in the Prospectus concerning the investment objectives and policies of the Funds.

 

The U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund seeks to outperform the S&P 500® Index over a market cycle while reducing overall volatility.  The U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund seeks to outperform the Russell 2000® Index over a market cycle while reducing overall volatility. The Global Equity Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

 

During unusual economic or market conditions, or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, each Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments that would not ordinarily be consistent with each Fund’s objective.

 

There can be no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its investment objective.  A Fund may not necessarily invest in all of the instruments or use all of the investment techniques permitted by the Funds’ Prospectus and this SAI, or invest in such instruments or engage in such techniques to the full extent permitted by the Funds’ investment policies and limitations.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

 

American, European and Global Depositary Receipts.  As part of its principal investment strategy, the Global Equity Fund invests in American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”). ADRs, as well as other “hybrid” forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer.  These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country.  The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions.  ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies.  However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

 

1

 

Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject the Global Equity Fund to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers.  Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, possible imposition of withholding taxes on income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to changes in exchange rates.  Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers.  In addition, foreign issuers are, generally speaking, subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are those in the United States.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Each Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause a Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Funds or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Funds. For instance, cyber security breaches may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund’s ability to calculate its NAVs, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Funds to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which a Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value. While the Funds and their service providers have established IT and data security programs and have in place business continuity plans and other systems designed to prevent losses and mitigate cyber security risk, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that cyber-attacks may be highly sophisticated. Furthermore, the Funds have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers.

 

Equity Securities.  Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock.  Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which a Fund invests will cause the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund to fluctuate. The Funds purchase equity securities traded in the U.S. on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:

 

Common Stock.  Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer.  In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

Preferred Stock. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends.  In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.

 

Warrants.  Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time.  Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security.  The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company.  A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date.  These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.

 

2

 

Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their “conversion value,” which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion.  The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities.  However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder.  When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase.  At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise.  Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Issuers.  Investing in equity securities of small and medium capitalization companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in larger capitalization companies.  This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth of management.  The securities of smaller companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and even if listed on a national securities exchange may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange.  Consequently, the securities of smaller companies are less likely to be liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established companies or the market averages in general.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. A Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on a Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities. Investments in foreign securities involve higher costs than investments in U.S. securities, including higher transaction costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. In addition, foreign investments may include additional risks associated with currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity and political stability. Volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility or price can be greater than in the United States. Future political and economic information, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest income, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions, might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on foreign obligations. Inability to dispose of securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to an underlying investment company due to subsequent declines in value of the securities, or, if the underlying investment company has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth or gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States.

 

3

 

Settlement mechanics may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of an underlying investment company is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of an underlying investment company to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the underlying investment company to miss attractive investment opportunities.

 

Each Fund values its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. As a result, if a Fund invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates as well as the price changes of the Fund’s securities in the various local markets and currencies. Thus, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the currencies in which the Fund makes its investments could reduce the effect of increases and magnify the effect of decreases in the price of the Fund’s securities in their local markets. Conversely, a decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar may have the opposite effect of magnifying the effect of increases and reducing the effect of decreases in the prices of a Fund’s securities in its foreign markets. In addition to favorable and unfavorable currency exchange rate developments, each Fund is subject to the possible imposition of exchange control regulations or freezes on convertibility of currency.

 

If a Fund invests in obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks (Eurodollars) and U.S. branches of foreign banks (Yankee dollars) or foreign branches of foreign banks, these investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities of U.S. banks, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, different tax provisions, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect payment of principal or interest. A Fund may also invest in debt securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, including Yankee bonds, which are issued by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign corporations, but pay interest in U.S. dollars and are typically issued in the United States.

 

European countries can be affected by the significant fiscal and monetary controls that the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union (“EU”) countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal, have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions.

 

In June of 2016, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” which sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound and heightened risk of continued worldwide economic volatility. Pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, the UK gave notice in March 2017 of its withdrawal from the EU and commenced negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. Following years of negotiations and multiple withdrawal deadline extensions, the UK withdrew from the EU on January 31, 2020. A transition period, currently set to last through December 31, 2020, will be used for the UK and EU to negotiate their future relationship. The effects of this withdrawal will depend, in part, on agreements the UK negotiates to retain access to EU markets either during the transitional period or more permanently including, but not limited to, current trade and finance agreements. As a result of the UK's exit from the EU, each Fund may be exposed to volatile trading markets and significant and unpredictable currency fluctuations over a short period of time, and potentially lower economic growth in the UK, Europe and globally. Securities issued by companies domiciled in the UK could be subject to changing regulatory and tax regimes. Banking and financial services companies that operate in the UK or EU could be disproportionately affected by Brexit. Further insecurity in EU membership or the abandonment of the euro could exacerbate market and currency volatility and negatively affect a Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in the EU. The effects of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, are not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.

 

4

 

Investment Company Shares.  Each Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions. These investment companies typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a Fund. A Fund’s purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses, such that shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying the Fund’s expenses. Unless an exception is available, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act prohibits a fund from (i) acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any one investment company, (ii) investing more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, and (iii) investing more than 10% of its total assets in all investment companies combined.  These limits will not apply to the investment of uninvested cash balances in shares of registered or unregistered money market funds whether affiliated or unaffiliated.  The foregoing exemption, however, only applies to an unregistered money market fund that (i) limits its investments to those in which a money market fund may invest under Rule 2a-7 of the 1940 Act, and (ii) undertakes to comply with all the other provisions of Rule 2a-7.

 

For hedging or other purposes, a Fund may invest in investment companies that seek to track the composition and/or performance of specific indexes or portions of specific indexes. Certain of these investment companies, known as exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), are traded on a securities exchange. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with changes in the underlying portfolio securities of the investment company and also due to supply and demand of the investment company’s shares on the exchange upon which the shares are traded. Index-based investments may not replicate or otherwise match the composition or performance of their specified index due to transaction costs, among other things.

 

Investments by a Fund in other investment companies, including ETFs, will be subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act except as permitted by SEC orders.  The Funds may rely on SEC orders that permit them to invest in certain ETFs beyond the limits contained in the 1940 Act, subject to certain terms and conditions.  Generally, these terms and conditions require Board to approve policies and procedures relating to certain of a Fund’s investments in ETFs.  These policies and procedures require, among other things, that (i) the Adviser conducts a Fund’s investment in ETFs without regard to any consideration received by the Fund or any of its affiliated persons and (ii) the Adviser certifies to the Board quarterly that it has not received any consideration in connection with an investment by the Fund in an ETF, or if it has, the amount and purpose of the consideration will be reported to the Board and an equivalent amount of advisory fees shall be waived by the Adviser.

 

Certain investment companies whose securities are purchased by a Fund may not be obligated to redeem such securities in an amount exceeding 1% of the investment company’s total outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days.  Therefore, such securities that exceed this amount may be illiquid.

 

If required by the 1940 Act, the Funds expect to vote the shares of other investment companies that are held by it in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such securities.

 

Real Estate Investment Trust Securities. Each Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Individual REITs may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. A REIT is a corporation, or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation, which meets the definitional requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level Federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for Federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs) or cash and government securities, derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and distribute to shareholders annually a substantial portion of its otherwise taxable income.

 

Generally, REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. The values of securities issued by REITs are affected by tax and regulatory requirements and by perceptions of management skill. They also are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers or tenants, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status under the Code or to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. Unexpected high rates of default on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to a mortgage REIT. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. To the extent that a mortgage REIT’s portfolio is exposed to lower-rated, unsecured or subordinated instruments, the risk of loss may increase, which may have a negative impact on the Fund.

 

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The REITs in which the Funds may invest may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. REITs are sensitive to factors such as changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use and rents, and management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws. REITS whose underlying assets include long-term health care properties; such as nursing, retirement and assisted living homes, may be impacted by federal regulations concerning the health care industry. Each Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses, including management fees, paid by each REIT in which it invests in addition to the expenses of the Fund. Each Fund is also subject to the risk that the REITs in which it invests will fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, and/or fail to qualify for an exemption from registration as an investment company under the 1940 Act. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. A REIT’s return may be adversely affected when interest rates are high or rising.

 

Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500®.

 

Special Note Regarding Market Events.  Events in the financial sector over the past several years have resulted in reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets and an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestically and internationally. While entire markets have been impacted, issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected.  These events and the potential for continuing market turbulence may have an adverse effect on each Fund’s investments.  It is uncertain how long these conditions will continue.

 

The instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. government to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and certain segments of the financial markets. Federal, state and foreign governments, regulatory agencies, and self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Funds invest, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude each Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such ownership or disposition may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of a Fund.

 

NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

 

Borrowing.  Each Fund may borrow money from a bank equal to 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes to meet redemptions or to pay dividends.  Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the NAV of a Fund’s shares and in the return on a Fund’s portfolio.  Although the principal of any borrowing will be fixed, a Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding.  A Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities at a time when it would be disadvantageous to do so in order to make payments with respect to any borrowing.  A Fund may be required to earmark or segregate liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet its obligations in connection with such borrowings. In an interest rate arbitrage transaction, a Fund borrows money at one interest rate and lends the proceeds at another, higher interest rate.  These transactions involve a number of risks, including the risks that the borrower will fail or otherwise become insolvent or that there will be a significant change in prevailing interest rates.

 

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Commercial Paper. Commercial paper is the term used to designate unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by corporations and other entities.  Maturities on these issues vary from a few to 270 days.

 

Corporate Obligations. Each Fund may invest in debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations without limit on credit quality or maturity.  See Appendix “A” to this SAI for a description of corporate debt ratings. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value.

 

Forward Commitment and When-Issued Transactions. Each Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis (subject to its investment policies and restrictions). These transactions involve a commitment by a Fund to purchase or sell securities at a future date (ordinarily one or two months later).  The price of the underlying securities (usually expressed in terms of yield) and the date when the securities will be delivered and paid for (the settlement date) are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. When-issued purchases and forward commitments are negotiated directly with the other party, and such commitments are not traded on exchanges. The Funds will not enter into such transactions for the purpose of leverage.

 

When-issued purchases and forward commitments enable a Fund to lock in what is believed by the Adviser to be an attractive price or yield on a particular security for a period of time, regardless of future changes in interest rates. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices, a Fund might sell securities it owns on a forward commitment basis to limit its exposure to falling prices. In periods of falling interest rates and rising prices, a Fund might sell securities it owns and purchase the same or a similar security on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, thereby obtaining the benefit of currently higher yields. When-issued securities or forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date.

 

The value of securities purchased on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and any subsequent fluctuations in their value are reflected in the computation of a Fund’s NAV starting on the date of the agreement to purchase the securities, and the Fund is subject to the rights and risks of ownership of the securities on that date. A Fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. When a Fund makes a forward commitment to sell securities it owns, the proceeds to be received upon settlement are included in the Fund’s assets. Fluctuations in the market value of the underlying securities are not reflected in the Fund’s NAV as long as the commitment to sell remains in effect. Settlement of when-issued purchases and forward commitment transactions generally takes place within two months after the date of the transaction, but a Fund may agree to a longer settlement period.

 

A Fund will make commitments to purchase securities on a when-issued basis or to purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis only with the intention of completing the transaction and actually purchasing or selling the securities. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, the Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it is entered into. The Fund also may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Fund on the settlement date. The Fund may realize a capital gain or loss in connection with these transactions, and its distributions from any net realized capital gains will be taxable to shareholders. When a Fund purchases securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, the Fund or the custodian will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities having a value (determined daily) at least equal to the amount of the Fund’s purchase commitments. These procedures are designed to ensure that a Fund will maintain sufficient assets at all times to cover its obligations under when-issued purchases and forward commitments.

 

Futures and Options on Futures.  Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific security at a specified future time and at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. The Funds will reduce the risk that they will be unable to close out a futures contract by only entering into futures contracts that are traded on a national futures exchange regulated by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”).  The Funds may use futures contracts and related options for: bona fide hedging; attempting to offset changes in the value of securities held or expected to be acquired or be disposed of; attempting to minimize fluctuations in foreign currencies; attempting to gain exposure to a particular market, index or instrument; or other risk management purposes. To the extent futures and/or options on futures are employed by a Fund, the Fund will limit such investments in commodity futures, commodity options contracts and swaps to below the de minimis thresholds adopted by the CFTC in its recent amendments to Rule 4.5 (see below for a description of these thresholds).  For this reason, the Adviser is not required to register as a “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act at this time.

 

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With respect to investments in swap transactions, commodity futures, commodity options or certain other derivatives used for purposes other than bona fide hedging purposes, an investment company must meet one of the following tests under the amended regulations in order to claim an exemption from being considered a “commodity pool” or a CPO. First, the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish an investment company’s positions in such investments may not exceed five percent (5%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments). Alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time of the most recent position established, may not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the investment company may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps and derivatives markets. In the event that the Adviser was required to register as a CPO with respect to a Fund, the disclosure and operations of the Fund would need to comply with all applicable CFTC regulations.

 

An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the securities comprising the index is made; generally, contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contract.

 

When a Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, or sells an option thereon, the Fund is required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks.  To cover its position, a Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the futures contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which a Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities.  Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of a Fund arising from such investment activities.

 

A Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by purchasing a put option on the same futures contract with a strike price (i.e., an exercise price) as high or higher than the price of the futures contract.  In the alternative, if the strike price of the put is less than the price of the futures contract, a Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract.  A Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by taking a short position in the instruments underlying the futures contract, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures contract.  A Fund may cover its short position in a futures contract by taking a long position in the instruments underlying the futures contracts, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures contract.

 

A Fund may cover its sale of a call option on a futures contract by taking a long position in the underlying futures contract at a price less than or equal to the strike price of the call option.  In the alternative, if the long position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price greater than the strike price of the written (sold) call, the Fund will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the call and the price of the futures contract.  A Fund may also cover its sale of a call option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the call option.  A Fund may cover its sale of a put option on a futures contract by taking a short position in the underlying futures contract at a price greater than or equal to the strike price of the put option, or, if the short position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price less than the strike price of the written put, the Fund will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract.  A Fund may also cover its sale of a put option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the put option.

 

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There are significant risks associated with a Fund’s use of futures contracts and related options, including the following: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on the Adviser’s ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures and options on futures; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract or option; (4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in futures contracts and options on futures. In addition, some strategies reduce a Fund’s exposure to price fluctuations, while others tend to increase its market exposure.

 

Illiquid Investments.  Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is an investment that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. To the extent an investment held by a Fund is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund will be exposed to greater liquidity risk.

 

The Company has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22e-4. If the limitation on illiquid investments is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the Board and, when required, to the SEC.

 

Inflation-Protected Securities. Each Fund may invest in inflation-protected securities issued by the U.S. Treasury, known as “TIPs” or “Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities,” which are debt securities whose principal and interest payments are adjusted for inflation and interest is paid on the adjusted amount. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index. A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of the investment. Inflation-protected securities normally will decline in price when real interest rates rise. (A real interest rate is calculated by subtracting the inflation rate from a nominal interest rate. For example, if a 10-year Treasury note is yielding 5% and inflation is 2%, the real interest rate is 3%.) If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected security will decline and could result in losses for a Fund.

 

Any increase in principal for an inflation-protected security resulting from inflation adjustments is considered by Internal Revenue Service regulations to be taxable income in the year it occurs. For direct holders of an inflation-protected security, this means that taxes must be paid on principal adjustments even though these amounts are not received until the bond matures. By contrast, a Fund holding these securities distributes both interest income and the income attributable to principal adjustments in the form of cash or reinvested shares, which are taxable to shareholders.

 

Initial Public Offerings. To the extent consistent with its investment policies and limitations, each Fund may purchase stock in an initial public offering (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public. Risks associated with IPOs may include considerable fluctuation in the market value of IPO shares due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, a limited number of shares available for trading, lack of information about the issuer and limited operating history. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. When a Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the underlying investment company. As a Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, a Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of a Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, a Fund cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

Large Shareholder Purchase and Redemption Risk. Each Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund.  Such large shareholder redemptions may cause a Fund to sell its securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and liquidity.  Similarly, large share purchases may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.  In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio.  However, this risk may be limited to the extent that the Adviser and a Fund have entered into a fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement.

 

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Money Market Securities.  During unusual economic or market conditions, or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, each Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments (the types of which are discussed below) that would not ordinarily be consistent with the Fund’s objective.  For purposes of these policies, money market securities include (i) short-term U.S. government securities, including custodial receipts evidencing separately traded interest and principal components of securities issued by the U.S. Treasury; (ii) commercial paper rated in the highest short-term rating category by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization (“NRSRO”), such as S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”), or determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase; (iii) short-term bank obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers’ acceptances) of U.S. domestic banks, foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks, and commercial banks with assets of at least $1 billion as of the end of their most recent fiscal year; and (iv) repurchase agreements involving such securities.  Each of these types of money market securities is discussed in more detail below. For a description of ratings, see Appendix A to this SAI.

 

Obligations of Domestic Banks, Foreign Banks and Foreign Branches of U.S. Banks.  Each Fund may invest in obligations issued by banks and other savings institutions. Investments in bank obligations include obligations of domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks.  Such investments in domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks may involve risks that are different from investments in securities of domestic branches of U.S. banks.  These risks may include future unfavorable political and economic developments, possible withholding taxes on interest income, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations, or other governmental restrictions which might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held by a Fund. Additionally, these institutions may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements and to different accounting, auditing, reporting and recordkeeping requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks.  In addition, investments in bank loans may not be deemed to be securities and may not have the protections of the federal securities laws. Bank obligations include the following:

 

Bankers’ Acceptances.  Bankers’ acceptances are bills of exchange or time drafts drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank.  Corporations use bankers’ acceptances to finance the shipment and storage of goods and to furnish dollar exchange.  Maturities are generally six months or less.

 

Certificates of Deposit.  Certificates of deposit are interest-bearing instruments with a specific maturity.  They are issued by banks and savings and loan institutions in exchange for the deposit of funds and normally can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity.  Certificates of deposit with penalties for early withdrawal will be considered illiquid.

 

Time Deposits.  Time deposits are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank in exchange for the deposit of funds.  Like a certificate of deposit, it earns a specified rate of interest over a definite period of time; however, it cannot be traded in the secondary market.  Time deposits with a withdrawal penalty or that mature in more than seven days are considered to be illiquid securities.

 

Options.  Each Fund may purchase and write put and call options on securities and securities indices and enter into related closing transactions. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at any time during the option period. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period.  The premium paid to the writer is the consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract.

 

Put and call options on securities indices are similar to options on securities except that options on an index give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is greater than (or less than, in the case of puts) the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option, expressed in dollars multiplied by a specified number. Thus, unlike options on individual securities, all settlements are in cash, and gain or loss depends on price movements in the particular market represented by the index generally, rather than the price movements in individual securities.

 

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All options written on indices or securities must be covered. When a Fund writes an option on a security or an index, it will establish a segregated account containing cash or liquid securities in an amount at least equal to the market value of the option and will maintain the account while the option is open or will otherwise cover the transaction.

 

A Fund may trade put and call options on securities and securities indices, as the Adviser determines is appropriate in seeking the Fund’s investment objective, and except as restricted by the Fund’s investment limitations.  See “Investment Limitations.”

 

The initial purchase (sale) of an option contract is an “opening transaction.” In order to close out an option position, a Fund may enter into a “closing transaction,” which is simply the sale (purchase) of an option contract on the same security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option contract originally opened. If a Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has written, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the security upon exercise.

 

A Fund may purchase put and call options on securities to protect against a decline in the market value of the securities in its portfolio or to anticipate an increase in the market value of securities that the Fund may seek to purchase in the future. A Fund purchasing put and call options pays a premium therefor. If price movements in the underlying securities are such that exercise of the options would not be profitable for a Fund, loss of the premium paid may be offset by an increase in the value of the Fund’s securities or by a decrease in the cost of acquisition of securities by the Fund.

 

A Fund may write covered call options on securities as a means of increasing the yield on its assets and as a means of providing limited protection against decreases in its market value. When a Fund writes an option, if the underlying securities do not increase or decrease to a price level that would make the exercise of the option profitable to the holder thereof, the option generally will expire without being exercised and the Fund will realize as profit the premium received for such option. When a call option of which a Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to sell the underlying securities to the option holder at the strike price, and will not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price. When a put option of which a Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the market value of such securities.

 

A Fund may purchase and write options on an exchange or over-the-counter. Over-the-counter options (“OTC options”) differ from exchange-traded options in several respects. They are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation, and therefore entail the risk of non-performance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities and for a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than are available for exchange-traded options. Because OTC options are not traded on an exchange, pricing is done normally by reference to information from a market maker. It is the SEC’s position that OTC options are generally illiquid.

 

The market value of an option generally reflects the market price of an underlying security. Other principal factors affecting market value include supply and demand, interest rates, the pricing volatility of the underlying security and the time remaining until the expiration date.

 

Risks associated with options transactions include: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on an ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for options; and (4) while a Fund will receive a premium when it writes covered call options, it may not participate fully in a rise in the market value of the underlying security.

 

Repurchase Agreements.  Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with financial institutions. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a fixed income security (generally a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance, or a certificate of deposit) from a commercial bank, broker, or dealer, and simultaneously agrees to resell such security to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next business day).  Because the security purchased constitutes collateral for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement may be considered a loan that is collateralized by the security purchased. The acquisition of a repurchase agreement may be deemed to be an acquisition of the underlying securities as long as the obligation of the seller to repurchase the securities is collateralized fully.  The Funds follow certain procedures designed to minimize the risks inherent in such agreements. These procedures include effecting repurchase transactions only with creditworthy financial institutions whose condition will be continually monitored by the Adviser. The repurchase agreements entered into by a Fund will provide that the underlying collateral at all times shall have a value at least equal to 102% of the resale price stated in the agreement and consist only of securities permissible under Section 101(47)(A)(i) of the Bankruptcy Code (the Adviser monitors compliance with this requirement). Under all repurchase agreements entered into by a Fund, the custodian or its agent must take possession of the underlying collateral. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, a Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercising of a Fund’s right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss. It is the current policy of the Funds, not to invest in repurchase agreements that do not mature within seven days if any such investment, together with any other illiquid assets held by that Fund, amounts to more than 15% of the Fund’s total assets. The investments of a Fund in repurchase agreements, at times, may be substantial when, in the view of the Adviser, liquidity or other considerations so warrant.

 

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Restricted Securities.  Each Fund may purchase securities which are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”) but which may be sold to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (“Restricted Securities”). These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the Adviser that an adequate trading market exists for the securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in an underlying investment company during any period that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing restricted securities.  In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the unregistered nature of the security; (2) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (3) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (5) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities normally reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, since the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.

 

As consistent with each Fund’s respective investment objective, the Funds may also invest in Section 4(2) commercial paper. Section 4(2) commercial paper is issued in reliance on an exemption from registration under Section 4(2) of the 1933 Act and is generally sold to institutional investors who purchase for investment. Any resale of such commercial paper must be in an exempt transaction, usually to an institutional investor through the issuer or investment dealers who make a market in such commercial paper. The Company believes that Section 4(2) commercial paper is liquid to the extent it meets the criteria established by the Board. The Company intends to treat such commercial paper as liquid and not subject to the investment limitations applicable to illiquid securities or restricted securities.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with respect to portfolio securities for temporary purposes (such as to obtain cash to meet redemption requests) when the liquidation of portfolio securities is deemed disadvantageous or inconvenient by the Adviser. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by a Fund subject to the Fund’s agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and rate of interest. Such agreements may be considered borrowings under the 1940 Act and may be entered into only for temporary or emergency purposes. While reverse repurchase transactions are outstanding, the Fund will maintain in a segregated account with the Fund’s custodian or a qualified sub-custodian, cash or liquid securities of an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities, plus accrued interest, subject to the agreement and will monitor the account to ensure that such value is maintained. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by a Fund may decline below the price of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase and the interest received on the cash exchanged for the securities.

 

Rights Offerings and Purchase Warrants.  Rights offerings and purchase warrants are privileges issued by a corporation which enable the owner to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short lifespan to expiration. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that a Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

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Risk Considerations of Lower Rated Securities. Each Fund may invest in fixed income securities that are not investment grade but are rated as low as B by Moody’s or B by S&P (or their equivalents or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). In the case of a security that is rated differently by two or more rating services, the higher rating is used in connection with the foregoing limitation. In the event that the rating on a security held in a Fund’s portfolio is downgraded by a rating service, such action will be considered by the Adviser in its evaluation of the overall investment merits of that security, but will not necessarily result in the sale of the security. The widespread expansion of government, consumer and corporate debt within the U.S. economy has made the corporate sector, especially cyclically sensitive industries, more vulnerable to economic downturns or increased interest rates. An economic downturn could severely disrupt the market for high yield fixed income securities and adversely affect the value of outstanding fixed income securities and the ability of the issuers to repay principal and interest.

 

Each Fund may invest in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. A Fund will invest in high yield debt instruments when the Adviser believes that such instruments offer a better risk/reward profile than comparable equity opportunities. High yield fixed income securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are considered speculative investments while generally providing greater income than investments in higher rated securities, involve greater risk of loss of principal and income (including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities) and may involve greater volatility of price (especially during periods of economic uncertainty or change) than securities in the higher rating categories. Since yields vary over time, no specific level of income can ever be assured.

 

The prices of high yield fixed income securities have been found to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. Also, during an economic downturn or substantial period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress, which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals and to obtain additional financing. If the issuer of a fixed income security owned by a Fund defaulted, the Fund could incur additional expenses in attempting to obtain a recovery. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices of high yield fixed income securities and a Fund’s NAV to the extent it holds such securities.

 

High yield fixed income securities also present risks based on payment expectations. For example, high yield fixed income securities may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, a Fund may, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities, have to replace the securities with a lower yielding security, which may result in a decreased return for investors. Conversely, a high yield fixed income security’s value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of a Fund’s assets, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities.  In addition, to the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield fixed income securities, and this may have an impact on the Adviser’s ability to accurately value such securities and a Fund’s assets and on the Fund’s ability to dispose of such securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield fixed income securities, especially in a thinly traded market.

 

New laws proposed or adopted from time to time may have an impact on the market for high yield securities.

 

Finally, there are risks involved in applying credit or dividend ratings as a method for evaluating high yield securities. For example, ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest or dividend payments, not market value risk of high yield securities. Also, since rating agencies may fail to timely change the credit ratings to reflect subsequent events, each Fund will continuously monitor the issuers of high yield securities in its portfolio, if any, to determine if the issuers will have sufficient cash flow and profits to meet required principal and interest payments, and to assure the security’s liquidity so each Fund can meet redemption requests.

 

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Risk Considerations of Medium Grade Securities.  Debt obligations in the lowest investment grade (i.e., BBB or Baa), referred to as “medium grade” obligations, have speculative characteristics, and changes in economic conditions and other factors are more likely to lead to weakened capacity to make interest payments and repay principal on these obligations than is the case for higher rated securities. In the event that a security purchased by a Fund is subsequently downgraded below investment grade, the Adviser will consider such event in its determination of whether the Fund should continue to hold the security.

 

Securities Lending.  Each Fund may lend its portfolio securities to financial institutions. Such loans would involve risks of delay in receiving additional collateral in the event the value of the collateral decreases below the value of the securities loaned or of delay in recovering the securities loaned or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, loans will be made only to borrowers which the Adviser deems to be of good standing and only when, in the Adviser’s judgment, the income to be earned from the loans justifies the attendant risks. A Fund may not make loans in excess of 331/3% of the value of its total assets. A Fund may pay a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral, or other fee, to an unaffiliated or, to the extent consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder, affiliated third party for acting as a Fund’s securities lending agent.

 

By lending its securities, a Fund may increase its income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral. A Fund does not have the right to vote loaned securities. A Fund may attempt to call loaned securities back to permit the exercise of voting rights if time and jurisdictional restrictions permit. There is no guarantee that all loans can be recalled.

 

Special Situation Companies. Each Fund may invest in “Special Situations.” The term “Special Situation” shall be deemed to refer to a security of a company in which an unusual and possibly non-repetitive development is taking place which, in the opinion of the Adviser, may cause the security to attain a higher market value independently, to a degree, of the trend in the securities market in general. The particular development (actual or prospective), which may qualify a security as a Special Situation, may be one of many different types.

 

Such developments may include, among others, a technological improvement or important discovery or acquisition which, if the expectation for it materialized, would effect a substantial change in the company’s business; a reorganization; a recapitalization or other development involving a security exchange or conversion; a merger, liquidation or distribution of cash, securities or other assets; a breakup or workout of a holding company; litigation which, if resolved favorably, would improve the value of the company’s stock; a new or changed management; or material changes in management policies. A Special Situation may often involve a comparatively small company, which is not well known, and which has not been closely watched by investors generally, but it may also involve a large company. The fact, if it exists, that an increase in the company’s earnings, dividends or business is expected, or that a given security is considered to be undervalued, would not in itself be sufficient to qualify as a Special Situation. A Fund may invest in securities (even if not Special Situations) which, in the opinion of the Adviser, are appropriate investments for the Fund, including securities which the Adviser believes are undervalued by the market. The Funds are not required to invest any minimum percentage of their aggregate portfolio in “Special Situations,” nor are they required to invest any minimum percentage of their aggregate portfolio in securities other than “Special Situations.”

 

Temporary Defensive Positions.  In anticipation of or in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, a Fund may take temporary defensive positions (up to 100% of its assets) in cash, cash equivalents and all types of money market and short-term debt securities. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

 

U.S. Government Securities.  Each Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years.  Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (“Farmer Mac”).

 

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Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

 

The extreme and unprecedented volatility and disruption that impacted the capital and credit markets during late 2008 and into 2009 have led to increased market concerns about Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s ability to withstand future credit losses associated with securities held in their investment portfolios, and on which they provide guarantees, without the direct support of the federal government.  On September 6, 2008, both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were placed under the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”).  Under the plan of conservatorship, the FHFA has assumed control of, and generally has the power to direct, the operations of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and is empowered to exercise all powers collectively held by their respective shareholders, directors and officers, including the power to (1) take over the assets of and operate Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae with all the powers of the shareholders, the directors, and the officers of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and conduct all business of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; (2) collect all obligations and money due to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; (3) perform all functions of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which are consistent with the conservator’s appointment; (4) preserve and conserve the assets and property of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; and (5) contract for assistance in fulfilling any function, activity, action or duty of the conservator.  In addition, in connection with the actions taken by the FHFA, the U.S. Treasury Department (the “Treasury”) has entered into certain preferred stock purchase agreements with each of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which establish the Treasury as the holder of a new class of senior preferred stock in each of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which stock was issued in connection with financial contributions from the Treasury to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.  The conditions attached to the financial contribution made by the Treasury to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and the issuance of this senior preferred stock place significant restrictions on the activities of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.  Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae must obtain the consent of the Treasury to, among other things, (i) make any payment to purchase or redeem its capital stock or pay any dividend other than in respect of the senior preferred stock, (ii) issue capital stock of any kind, (iii) terminate the conservatorship of the FHFA except in connection with a receivership, or (iv) increase its debt beyond certain specified levels.  In addition, significant restrictions are placed on the maximum size of each of Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s respective portfolios of mortgages and mortgage-backed securities portfolios, and the purchase agreements entered into by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae provide that the maximum size of their portfolios of these assets must decrease by a specified percentage each year.  The future status and role of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s operations and activities as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the Treasury, market responses to developments at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on any mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

 

U.S. Treasury Obligations.  U.S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities (“STRIPS”) and Treasury Receipts (“TRs”).

 

Receipts.  Interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S. government obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U.S. government obligations into a special account at a custodian bank.  The custodian bank holds the interest and principal payments for the benefit of the registered owners of the certificates or receipts.  The custodian bank arranges for the issuance of the certificates or receipts evidencing ownership and maintains the register. TRs and STRIPS are interests in accounts sponsored by the U.S. Treasury.  Receipts are sold as zero coupon securities.

 

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U.S. Government Zero Coupon Securities.  STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons.  Zero coupon securities are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of interest or principal.  The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes.  Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically.  Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with similar maturity and credit qualities.

 

U.S. Government Agencies.  Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U.S. government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality.  Guarantees of principal by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities nor to the value of the Fund’s shares.

 

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

Each Fund has adopted the following fundamental investment limitations which may not be changed with respect to a Fund without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares (as defined in Section 2(a) (42) of the 1940 Act). As used in this SAI and in the Prospectus, “shareholder approval” and a “majority of the outstanding shares” of a Fund means, with respect to the approval of an investment advisory agreement, a distribution plan or a change in a fundamental investment limitation, the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Unless otherwise noted, a Fund’s investment goals and strategies described in the Prospectus may be changed by the Board without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

The U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund may not:

 

1. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements provided that there is at least 300% asset coverage for the borrowings of the Fund. The Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. However, the amount shall not be in excess of lesser of the dollar amounts borrowed or 331/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing, provided that: (a) short sales and related borrowings of securities are not subject to this restriction; and (b) for the purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, short sales, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin and collateral arrangements with respect to derivatives instruments are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with the Fund’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation;

 

2. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

 

3. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that a Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts;

 

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4. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may purchase and sell options, futures contracts and related options on such futures contracts;

 

5. Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan;

 

6. Invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that (a) there is no limitation with respect to (i) instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and (ii) repurchase agreements secured by the instruments described in clause (i); (b) wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; and (c) utilities will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry; or

 

7. Purchase the securities of any one issuer, other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, if immediately after and as a result of such purchase, more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that up to 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations.

 

The U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund may not:

 

1. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements provided that there is at least 300% asset coverage for the borrowings of the Fund. The Fund may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. However, the amount shall not be in excess of the lesser of the dollar amounts borrowed or 331/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of such borrowing, provided that: (a) short sales and related borrowings of securities are not subject to this restriction; and (b) for the purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to options, short sales, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, collateral arrangements with respect to initial and variation margin and collateral arrangements with respect to derivatives instruments are not deemed to be a pledge or other encumbrance of assets. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with the Fund’s investment practices are not considered to be borrowings or deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation;

 

2. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act, except insofar as it might be deemed to be an underwriter upon disposition of certain portfolio securities acquired within the limitation on purchases of restricted securities;

 

3. Purchase or sell real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests), provided that the Fund may invest: (a) in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein; or (b) in real estate investment trusts;

 

4. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may purchase and sell options, futures contracts and related options on such futures contracts;

 

5. Make loans, except through loans of portfolio securities and repurchase agreements, provided that for purposes of this restriction the acquisition of bonds, debentures or other debt instruments or interests therein and investment in government obligations, loan participations and assignments, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan;

 

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6. Invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries, provided that (a) there is no limitation with respect to (i) instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and (ii) repurchase agreements secured by the instruments described in clause (i); (b) wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; (c) utilities will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry; and (d) a private activity bond that is backed only by the assets and revenues of a non-governmental user is considered to be issued by such non-governmental user; or

 

7. Purchase the securities of any one issuer, other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, if immediately after and as a result of such purchase, more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that up to 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations.

 

The Global Equity Fund may not:

 

1. Purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the total assets of the Fund to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that this limitation does not apply to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities and repurchase agreements involving such securities.

 

2. Borrow money in an amount exceeding 331/3% of the value of its total assets, provided that, for purposes of this limitation, investment strategies which either obligate the Fund to purchase securities or require the Fund to segregate assets are not considered to be borrowings.  Asset coverage of at least 300% is required for all borrowings, except where the Fund has borrowed money for temporary purposes in amounts not exceeding 5% of its total assets.

 

3. Make loans if, as a result, more than 331/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that the Fund may (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) lend its securities.

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate, physical commodities, or commodities contracts, except that the Fund may purchase (i) marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs), commodities, or commodities contracts; and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments, such as financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.

 

5. Issue senior securities as defined in the 1940 Act except as permitted by rule, regulation or order of the SEC.

 

6. Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers except as it may be deemed an underwriter in selling a portfolio security.

 

In addition to the fundamental investment limitations specified above, the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund and U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund are subject to the following non-fundamental limitations, which may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. The U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund and U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund may not:

 

1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management, but investments by a Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of investments for the purpose of exercising control or management; or

 

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2. Purchase securities on margin, except that a Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales and may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

 

The Global Equity Fund is subject to the following additional non-fundamental limitations, which may be changed without shareholder approval, in compliance with applicable law and regulatory policy. The Global Equity Fund may not:

 

1. Pledge, mortgage or hypothecate assets except to secure borrowings permitted by the Fund’s fundamental limitation on borrowing; provided that, such pledging, mortgaging or hypothecation does not exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets.

 

2. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control.

 

3. Purchase securities on margin or effect short sales, except that the Fund may (i) obtain short-term credits as necessary for the clearance of security transactions; (ii) provide initial and variation margin payments in connection with transactions involving futures contracts and options on such contracts; (iii) make short sales “against the box”; and (iv) make short sales in compliance with the SEC’s position regarding the asset segregation requirements imposed by Section 18 of the 1940 Act.

 

4. Invest its assets in securities of any investment company, except as permitted by the 1940 Act.

 

5. Purchase or hold illiquid securities, i.e., securities that cannot be disposed of for their approximate carrying value in seven days or less (which term includes repurchase agreements and time deposits maturing in more than seven days) if, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in illiquid securities. The 15% limitation on investments in illiquid securities applies both at the time of initial purchase and while the Fund holds such securities.

 

6. Enter into futures contracts and options on futures contracts except as permitted by the Prospectus and in this SAI.

 

Each Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act. As a shareholder of another investment company, a Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that a Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

 

Securities held by a Fund generally may not be purchased from, sold or loaned to the Adviser or its affiliates or any of their directors, officers or employees, acting as principal, unless pursuant to a rule or exemptive order under the 1940 Act.

 

If a percentage restriction under one of the Fund’s investment policies or limitations or the use of assets is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation (except with respect to any restrictions that may apply to borrowings or senior securities issued by the Fund).

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Company has adopted, on behalf of the Funds, a policy relating to the selective disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings by the Adviser, Board, officers, or third party service providers, in accordance with regulations that seek to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio holdings is in the best interest of Fund shareholders.  The policies relating to the disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information where necessary to the Fund’s operation without compromising the integrity or performance of the Fund.  It is the policy of the Company that disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings to a select person or persons prior to the release of such holdings to the public (“selective disclosure”) is prohibited, unless there are legitimate business purposes for selective disclosure.

 

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The Company discloses portfolio holdings information as required in regulatory filings and shareholder reports, discloses portfolio holdings information as required by federal and state securities laws and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities.  As required by the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the Company will disclose each Fund’s portfolio holdings in applicable regulatory filings, including shareholder reports, reports on Form N-CSR, Form N-CEN, and Form N-Q (or Form N-Q's successor, Form N-PORT) or such other filings, reports or disclosure documents as the applicable regulatory authorities may require.

 

Generally, after the 30th business day of the month following each calendar quarter end, each Fund may provide, at the Adviser’s discretion, its portfolio holdings to various rating and ranking organizations. In addition, generally after the 30th business day of the month following each calendar quarter end, each Fund may post to its website a list of its top ten holdings or full portfolio holdings at the discretion of the Adviser. The timing, frequency and type (i.e., ratings/rankings/holdings) of disclosure may change at the Adviser’s discretion, as well as whether to post to each Fund’s website.

 

The Company may distribute or authorize the distribution of information about a Fund’s portfolio holdings that is not publicly available to its third-party service providers, which include U.S. Bank, N.A., the custodian; U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), the administrator, accounting agent and transfer agent; Ernst & Young LLP, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, legal counsel; FilePoint, the financial printer; the Funds’ proxy voting service(s); and the Company’s liquidity classification agent. These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to a Fund.  Such holdings are released on conditions of confidentiality, which include appropriate trading prohibitions. “Conditions of confidentiality” include confidentiality terms included in written agreements, implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g. attorney-client relationship), or required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody services provided by financial institutions).  Portfolio holdings may also be provided earlier to shareholders and their agents who receive redemptions in kind that reflect a pro rata allocation of all securities held in a Fund’s portfolio.

 

Portfolio holdings may also be disclosed, upon authorization by a designated officer of the Adviser, to (i) certain independent reporting agencies recognized by the SEC as acceptable agencies for the reporting of industry statistical information and (ii) financial consultants to assist them in determining the suitability of the Funds as an investment for their clients, in each case in accordance with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the Company’s and the Adviser’s fiduciary duties to Fund shareholders.  Disclosures to financial consultants are also subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions.  The foregoing disclosures are made pursuant to the Company’s policy on selective disclosure of portfolio holdings.  The Board or a committee thereof may, in limited circumstances, permit other selective disclosure of portfolio holdings subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions.

 

The Adviser reserves the right to refuse to fulfill any request for portfolio holdings information from a shareholder or non-shareholder if it believes that providing such information will be contrary to the best interests of a Fund.

 

The Board provides ongoing oversight of the Company’s policies and procedures and compliance with such policies and procedures.  As part of this oversight function, the Board receives from the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) as necessary, reports on compliance with these policies and procedures.  In addition, the Board receives an annual assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the policies and procedures with respect to a Fund, and any changes thereto, and an annual review of the operation of the policies and procedures.  Any violation of the policy set forth above as well as any corrective action undertaken to address such violation must be reported by the Adviser, director, officers or third party service providers to the Company’s CCO, who will determine whether the violation should be reported immediately to the Board or at its next quarterly Board meeting.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

Portfolio turnover measures the percentage of a Fund’s total portfolio market value that was purchased or sold during the period. A Fund’s turnover rate provides an indication of how transaction costs (which are not included in the Fund’s expenses) may affect the Fund’s performance. Also, funds with a high turnover may be more likely to distribute capital gains that may be taxable to shareholders.

 

A Fund’s portfolio turnover rates for the two most recent fiscal years are stated below. Portfolio turnover rates could change significantly in response to turbulent market conditions. The increase in the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 was due to increased portfolio trading activity over a full fiscal period.

 

20

 

  Portfolio Turnover
  Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2019   Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2018
U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund 104%   85%
U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund 145%   122%
Global Equity Fund 74%   44%

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

 

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the oversight of the Board of Directors, subject to the laws of the State of Maryland and the Company’s Charter. The Directors are responsible for deciding matters of overall policy and overseeing the actions of the Company’s service providers. The officers of the Company conduct and supervise the Company’s daily business operations.

 

Directors who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) are referred to as “Independent Directors.” Directors who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company are referred to as “Interested Directors.” The Board is currently composed of seven Independent Directors and one Interested Director. The Board has selected Arnold M. Reichman, an Independent Director, to act as Chairman. Mr. Reichman’s duties include presiding at meetings of the Board and interfacing with management to address significant issues that may arise between regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings. In the performance of his duties, Mr. Reichman will consult with the other Independent Directors and the Company’s officers and legal counsel, as appropriate. The Chairman may perform other functions as requested by the Board from time to time.

 

The Board meets as often as necessary to discharge its responsibilities. Currently, the Board conducts regular, in-person meetings at least four times a year, and holds special in-person or telephonic meetings as necessary to address specific issues that require attention prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board also relies on professionals, such as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms and legal counsel, to assist the Directors in performing their oversight responsibilities.

 

The Board has established nine standing committees — Audit, Contract, Executive, Investment and Liquidity Risk, Nominating and Governance, Product Development, Regulatory Oversight, Strategic Oversight, and Valuation Committees. The Board may establish other committees, or nominate one or more Directors to examine particular issues related to the Board’s oversight responsibilities, from time to time. Each Committee meets periodically to perform its delegated oversight functions and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board. For more information on the Committees, see the section entitled “Standing Committees.”

 

The Board has determined that the Company’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities. 

21

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

The Directors and executive officers of the Company, their ages, business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

 

Name, Address, and Age   Position(s) Held with Company  

Term of Office and Length of

Time Served1

  Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years   Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Director*   Other Directorships Held by Director in the Past 5 Years
INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

Julian A. Brodsky
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 86 

  Director   1988 to present   From 1969 to 2011, Director and Vice Chairman, Comcast Corporation (cable television and communications).   34   AMDOCS Limited (service provider to telecommunications companies).

J. Richard Carnall
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 81

  Director   2002 to present  

Since 1984, Director of Haydon Bolts, Inc. (bolt manufacturer) and Parkway Real Estate Company (subsidiary of Haydon Bolts, Inc.); since 2004, Director of Cornerstone Bank. 

  34   None

Gregory P. Chandler
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 53

 

  Director   2012 to present  

Since 2009, Chief Financial Officer, Emtec, Inc. (information technology consulting/services).

 

  34  

Emtec, Inc. (until December 2019); FS Investment Corporation (business development company) (until December 2018); FS Energy and Power Fund (business development company); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company). 

 

22

 

Name, Address, and Age   Position(s) Held with Company  

Term of Office and Length of

Time Served1

  Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years   Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Director*   Other Directorships Held by Director in the Past 5 Years

Nicholas A. Giordano
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 76

  Director   2006 to present   Since 1997, Consultant, financial services organizations.   34  

IntriCon Corporation

(biomedical device

manufacturer);

Kalmar Pooled Investment Trust (registered investment company) (until September 2017); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company); Independence Blue Cross (healthcare insurance).

Arnold M. Reichman
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 71

 

Chairman

 

Director

 

2005 to present

 

1991 to present

 

From 2006-2016, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lifebooker, LLC (online beauty and health appointment booking service). 

  34   Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

Brian T. Shea

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 59

 

 

  Director   2018 to present   From 2014-2017, Chief Executive Officer, BNY Mellon Investment Services (fund services, global custodian and securities clearing firm); from 1983-2014, Chief Executive Officer and various positions, Pershing LLC (broker dealer, clearing and custody firm).   34  

WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (asset management company) (until March 2019); Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (financial services technology company); Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (financial services company).

Robert A. Straniere
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 78

  Director   2006 to present  

Since 2009, Administrative Law Judge, New York City; since 1980, Founding Partner, Straniere Law Group (law firm). 

  34  

Reich and Tang Group (asset management)(until 2015).

 

 

23

 

Name, Address, and Age   Position(s) Held with Company  

Term of Office and Length of

Time Served1

  Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years   Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Director*   Other Directorships Held by Director in the Past 5 Years
INTERESTED DIRECTOR2

Robert Sablowsky
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 81

 

Vice Chairman

 

Director

 

2016 to present

 

1991 to present

 

Since 2002, Senior Director – Investments and prior thereto, Executive Vice President, of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (a registered broker-dealer). 

  34   None
OFFICERS

Salvatore Faia, JD,
CPA, CFE
Vigilant Compliance, LLC
Gateway Corporate
Center Suite 216
223 Wilmington
West Chester Pike
Chadds Ford, PA 19317
Age: 57 

 

President

 

Chief Compliance Officer

 

2009 to present

 

2004 to present

 

Since 2004, President, Vigilant Compliance, LLC (investment management services company); since 2005, Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company). 

  N/A   N/A

James G. Shaw
615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 59

 

 

Treasurer

and

Secretary

  2016 to present   Since 2016, Treasurer and Secretary of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2005 to 2016, Assistant Treasurer of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 1995 to 2016, Senior Director and Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (financial services company).   N/A   N/A
Craig A. Urciuoli
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 45
  Director of Marketing & Business Development   2019 to present   Since 2019, Director of Marketing & Business Development, The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2000-2019, Managing Director, Third Avenue Management LLC.   N/A   N/A

Jennifer Witt

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 37

 

  Assistant Treasurer   2018 to present   Since 2016, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm); from 2007 to 2016, Supervisor, Nuveen Investments (registered investment company).   N/A   N/A

 

24

 

Name, Address, and Age   Position(s) Held with Company  

Term of Office and Length of

Time Served1

  Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years   Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Director*   Other Directorships Held by Director in the Past 5 Years

Edward Paz

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Age: 49

 

Assistant Secretary

 

  2016 to present  

Since 2007, Vice President and Counsel, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm). 

  N/A   N/A

Michael P. Malloy
One Logan Square
Suite 2000
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Age: 60 

  Assistant Secretary   1999 to present   Since 1993, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm).   N/A   N/A

Jillian L. Bosmann

One Logan Square,
Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 41

  Assistant Secretary   2017 to present   Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm) (2017-Present); Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (2006-Present).   N/A   N/A

 

* Each Director oversees 34 portfolios of the Company.
1. Subject to the Company’s Retirement Policy, each Director may continue to serve as a Director until the last day of the calendar year in which the applicable Director attains age 75 or until his successor is elected and qualified or his death, resignation or removal. The Board reserves the right to waive the requirements of the Policy with respect to an individual Director. The Board has approved waivers of the policy with respect to Messrs. Brodsky, Carnall, Giordano, Sablowsky and Straniere. Each officer holds office at the pleasure of the Board until the next special meeting of the Company or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed.
2. Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “interested person” of the Company as that term is defined in the 1940 Act and is referred to as an “Interested Director.” Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “Interested Director” of the Company by virtue of his position as a senior officer of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

 

Director Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and/or Skills

 

The information above includes each Director’s principal occupations during the last five years.  Each Director possesses extensive additional experience, skills and attributes relevant to his qualifications to serve as a Director.  The cumulative background of each Director led to the conclusion that each Director should serve as a Director of the Company.  Mr. Giordano has years of experience as a consultant to financial services organizations and also serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Mr. Reichman brings decades of investment management experience to the Board, in addition to senior executive-level management experience.  Mr. Straniere has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and has served on the boards of an asset management company and another registered investment company.  Mr. Brodsky has over 40 years of senior executive-level management experience in the cable television and communications industry.  Mr. Sablowsky has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the financial services industry.  Mr. Carnall has decades of senior executive-level management experience in the banking and financial services industry and also serves on the boards of various corporations and a bank. Mr. Chandler has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the investment technology consulting/services and investment banking/brokerage industries, and also serves on various boards. Mr. Shea has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the brokerage, clearing and investment services industry, including service on the boards of industry regulatory organizations and a university.

 

25

 

Standing Committees

 

The responsibilities of each Committee of the Board and its members are described below.

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler and Giordano. The Audit Committee, among other things, reviews results of the annual audit and approves the firm(s) to serve as independent auditors. The Audit Committee convened three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Contract Committee. The Board has a Contract Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Contract Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler, Sablowsky and Straniere. The Contract Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the approval and continuation of agreements and plans of the Company. The Contract Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Executive Committee. The Board has an Executive Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Executive Committee are Messrs. Chandler, Giordano, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Executive Committee may generally carry on and manage the business of the Company when the Board is not in session. The Executive Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee. The Board has an Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two Independent Directors. The current members of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee are Messrs. Reichman, Sablowsky and Shea. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee ensures that the Company’s investment advisers have adopted investment risk and liquidity management policies and procedures. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee met one time during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Giordano and Reichman. The Nominating and Governance Committee recommends to the Board all persons to be nominated as Directors of the Company. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Committee care of the Company’s Secretary. The Nominating and Governance Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Product Development Committee. The Board has a Product Development Committee comprised of the Interested Director and one Independent Director. The current members of the Product Development Committee are Messrs. Reichman and Sablowsky. The Product Development Committee oversees the process regarding the addition of new investment advisers and investment products to the Company. The Product Development Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Regulatory Oversight Committee. The Board has a Regulatory Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and four Independent Directors. The current members of the Regulatory Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Reichman, Sablowsky, Shea and Straniere. The Regulatory Oversight Committee monitors regulatory developments in the mutual fund industry and focuses on various regulatory aspects of the operation of the Company. The Regulatory Oversight Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Strategic Oversight Committee. The Board has a Strategic Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Strategic Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Chandler, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Strategic Oversight Committee assists the Board in its oversight and review of the Company’s strategic plan and operations. The Strategic Oversight Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Valuation Committee. The Board has a Valuation Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two officers of the Company. The members of the Valuation Committee are Messrs. Faia, Sablowsky and Shaw. The Valuation Committee is responsible for reviewing fair value determinations. The Valuation Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

26

 

Risk Oversight

 

The Board performs its risk oversight function for the Company through a combination of (1) direct oversight by the Board as a whole and Board committees and (2) indirect oversight through the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, Company officers and the Company’s CCO.  The Company is subject to a number of risks, including but not limited to investment risk, compliance risk, operational risk, reputational risk, credit risk and counterparty risk.  Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Company is the responsibility of the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk) that carry out the Company’s investment management and business affairs.  Each of the investment advisers and the other service providers have their own independent interest in risk management and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models and may differ from the Company’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.

 

The Board provides risk oversight by receiving and reviewing on a regular basis reports from the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers, receiving and approving compliance policies and procedures, periodic meetings with the Company’s portfolio managers to review investment policies, strategies and risks, and meeting regularly with the Company’s CCO to discuss compliance reports, findings and issues.  The Board also relies on the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, with respect to the day-to-day activities of the Company, to create and maintain procedures and controls to minimize risk and the likelihood of adverse effects on the Company’s business and reputation.

 

Board oversight of risk management is also provided by various Board Committees.  For example, the Audit Committee meets with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms to ensure that the Company’s respective audit scopes include risk-based considerations as to the Company’s financial position and operations.

 

The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight.  The Board’s oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Company’s investments or activities.

 

Director Ownership of Shares of the Company

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in each Fund and in all of the portfolios of the Company (which for each Director comprise all registered investment companies within the Company’s family of investment companies overseen by him), as of December 31, 2019:

 

27

 

Name of Director Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund Dollar Range of Equity Securities  in the SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund Dollar Range of Equity Securities  in the SGI Global Equity Fund Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director within the Family of Investment Companies
INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
Julian A. Brodsky None None None Over $100,000
J. Richard Carnall None None None $10,001-$50,000
Gregory P. Chandler None None None $10,001-$50,000
Nicholas A. Giordano None None None $10,001-$50,000
Arnold M. Reichman None None None Over $100,000
Brian T. Shea $1-$10,000 $1-$10,000 None $10,001-$50,000
Robert A. Straniere None None None $1-$10,000
INTERESTED DIRECTOR
Robert Sablowsky Over $100,000 None None Over $100,000

 

Directors’ and Officers’ Compensation

 

Effective April 1, 2019, the Company pays each Director a retainer at the rate of $125,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each receives an additional fee of $20,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee each receives an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services. The Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee receives an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $35,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $75,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

From January 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, the Company paid each Director a retainer at the rate of $100,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each received an additional fee of $15,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee received an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services, and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee each received an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $25,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $50,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

Directors are reimbursed for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board or any committee thereof.  An employee of Vigilant Compliance, LLC serves as President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Company. Vigilant Compliance, LLC is compensated for the services provided to the Company, and such compensation is determined by the Board.  For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, Vigilant Compliance LLC received $46,480 from the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, $3,584 from the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, and $2,074 from the Global Equity Fund, respectively, and $770,742 in the aggregate from all series of the Company for its services. An employee of the Company serves as a Treasurer and Secretary and is compensated for services provided. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from the Funds and the Company in the following amounts:

 

28

 

Name of Director/Officer Aggregate Compensation from the Funds Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Directors or Officer
Independent Directors:        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director $5,803 N/A N/A $148,750
J. Richard Carnall, Director $5,861 N/A N/A $152,250
Gregory P. Chandler, Director $7,073 N/A N/A $178,500
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director $6,150 N/A N/A $156,875
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman $8,414 N/A N/A $208,500
Brian T. Shea, Director $6,010 N/A N/A $152,500
Robert A. Straniere, Director $5,958 N/A N/A $155,750
Interested Director:        
Robert Sablowsky, Director $8,170 N/A N/A $205,250
Officer:        
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary $5,821 N/A N/A $288,000

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from each of the Funds in the following amounts:

 

Name of Director/Officer U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund Global Equity Fund
Independent Directors:      
Julian A. Brodsky, Director $5,169 $396 $238
J. Richard Carnall, Director $5,221 $400 $240
Gregory P. Chandler, Director $6,300 $482 $291
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director $5,478 $420 $253
Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman $7,494 $574 $346
Brian T. Shea, Director $5,353 $410 $246
Robert A. Straniere, Director $5,308 $407 $244
Interested Director:      
Robert Sablowsky, Director $7,277 $557 $336
Officer:      
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary $5,181 $392 $248

 

29

 

Each compensated Director is entitled to participate in the Company’s deferred compensation plan (the “DC Plan”). Under the DC Plan, a compensated Director may elect to defer all or a portion of his compensation and have the deferred compensation treated as if it had been invested by the Company in shares of one or more of the portfolios of the Company. The amount paid to the Directors under the DC Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Independent Directors and their respective immediate family members (spouse or dependent children) did not own beneficially or of record any securities of the Company’s investment advisers or distributor, or of any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment advisers or distributor.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Company and the Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permits personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Company, subject to certain restrictions.

 

PROXY VOTING

 

The Board has delegated the responsibility of voting proxies with respect to the portfolio securities purchased and/or held by the Funds to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight.  In exercising its voting obligations, the Adviser is guided by its general fiduciary duty to act prudently and in the interest of the Funds.  The Adviser will consider factors affecting the value of a Fund’s investments and the rights of shareholders in its determination on voting portfolio securities.

 

The Adviser will vote proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are included in Appendix B to this SAI.

 

The Company is required to disclose annually each Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX.  Each Fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th is available upon request by calling 1-855-744-8500 or by writing to the Fund at: Summit Global Investments Funds, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, PO Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701. Each Fund’s Form N-PX is also available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

As of January 31, 2020, to the Company’s knowledge, the following named persons at the addresses shown below were owners of record of approximately 5% or more of the total outstanding shares of the Funds as indicated below. See “Additional Information Concerning Company Shares” below. Any shareholder that owns 25% or more of the outstanding shares of a portfolio or class may be presumed to “control” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) the portfolio or class. Shareholders controlling a portfolio or class could have the ability to vote a majority of the shares of the portfolio or class on any matter requiring approval of the shareholders of the portfolio or class.

 

30

 

Class, Shareholder Name and Address Percentage of
Shares Owned as of
January 31, 2020
U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund — Class I:  
Folio Investments Inc.
8180 Greensboro Dr 8th Fl
Mclean, VA 22102-3888
67.37%
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
211 Main Street  
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
18.86%
National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
6.46%
U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund— Class A:  
Charles Schwab & Co, Inc.
211 Main St  
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
20.49%
Great-West Trust Company LLC FBO
Employee Benefits Clients 401K
8515 E Orchard Rd 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002
5.67%
U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund — Class I:  
Charles Schwab & Co Inc.
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
42.65%
Folio Investments Inc.
8180 Greensboro Dr 8th Floor
Mclean, VA 22102-3865
32.61%
National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
19.91%
U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund — Class A:  
Charles Schwab & Co Inc.
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
79.63%
U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund — Class C:  
US Bank NA Cust
FBO Clients
P.O. Box 1787
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1787
46.65%
Pershing LLC
PO Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2051
5.92%
Summit Global Investments LLC
620 S Main St
Bountiful, UT 84010-6401
5.86%

31

 

Global Equity Fund — Class I:  
National Financial Services LLC
499 Washington Blvd
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995
44.35%
Folio Investments Inc.
8180 Greensboro Dr 8th Floor
Mclean, VA 22102-3865
32.93%
Charles Schwab & Co Inc.
211 Main Street  
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905
12.85%
TD Ameritrade Inc.
PO Box 2226
Omaha, NE 68103-2226
6.41%

 

As of January 31, 2020, Directors and Officers as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each of the Funds.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC (“Summit” or the “Adviser”) is a limited liability company registered with the State of Utah in October 2010.  The Adviser is 100% privately-owned and is controlled by David Harden.

 

Advisory Agreement with the Company.  The Adviser renders advisory services to the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund and U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement dated as of February 28, 2012. The Adviser renders advisory services to the Global Equity Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the Investment Advisory Agreements are together referred to as the “Advisory Agreement”), dated as of March 24, 2017. Prior to March 24, 2017, the Adviser rendered advisory services pursuant to an Interim Investment Advisory Agreement for the period from January 1, 2017 to March 24, 2017. Prior to January 1, 2017, another investment adviser managed the Global Equity Fund.

 

Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser will provide for the overall management of the Funds including (i) the provision of a continuous investment program for the Funds, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents, (ii) the determination from time to time of the securities and other investments to be purchased, retained, or sold by the Funds, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for all purchases and sales of securities and other investments made for the Funds.  The Adviser will provide the services rendered by it in accordance with each Fund’s investment objective, restrictions and policies as stated in the Prospectus and in this SAI.  The Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment, mistake of law, or for any loss suffered by the Funds in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Advisory Agreement.

 

For its services to the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee computed daily and payable monthly at the annual rate of 0.70% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.  The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fees and reimburse expenses through February 28, 2021, to the extent that the Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes) exceed 0.98%, 1.23% and 1.98% for Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively. If at any time the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses with respect to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares for that year are less than 0.98%, 1.23% or 1.98%, as applicable, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

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For its services to the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee computed daily and payable monthly at the annual rate of 0.95% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.  The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fees and reimburse expenses through February 28, 2021, to the extent that the Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes) exceed 1.23%, 1.48% and 2.23% for Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively. If at any time the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses with respect to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares for that year are less than 1.23%, 1.48% or 2.23%, as applicable, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

For its services to the Global Equity Fund, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee computed daily and payable monthly at the annual rate of 0.70% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Prior to March 24, 2017, the management fee was 0.65%. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fees and reimburse expenses through February 28, 2021, to the extent that the Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, short sale dividend expenses, extraordinary items, interest and taxes) exceed 0.84%, 1.09% and 1.84% for the Fund’s Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively. If at any time the Global Equity Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses with respect to Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class C Shares for that year are less than 0.84%, 1.09% or 1.84%, as applicable, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

The Adviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under the Advisory Agreement.  Each Fund bears all of its own expenses not specifically assumed by the Adviser.  General expenses of the Company not readily identifiable as belonging to a portfolio of the Company are allocated among all investment portfolios by or under the direction of the Board in such manner as it deems to be fair and equitable. Expenses borne by a Fund include, but are not limited to the following (or a Fund’s share of the following): (a) the cost (including brokerage commissions) of securities purchased or sold by the Fund and any losses incurred in connection therewith; (b) fees payable to and expenses incurred on behalf of the Fund by the Adviser; (c) filing fees and expenses relating to the registration and qualification of the Company and the Fund’s shares under federal and/or state securities laws and maintaining such registrations and qualifications; (d) fees and salaries payable to the Company’s Directors and officers; (e) taxes (including any income or franchise taxes) and governmental fees; (f) costs of any liability and other insurance or fidelity bonds; (g) any costs, expenses or losses arising out of a liability of or claim for damages or other relief asserted against the Company or the Fund for violation of any law; (h) legal, accounting and auditing expenses, including legal fees of special counsel for the independent Directors; (i) charges of custodians and other agents; (j) expenses of setting in type and printing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto for existing shareholders, reports, statements, and confirmations to shareholders and proxy material that are not attributable to a class; (k) costs of mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto to existing shareholders, as well as reports to shareholders and proxy materials that are not attributable to a class; (1) any extraordinary expenses; (m) fees, voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; (n) costs of mailing and tabulating proxies and costs of shareholders’ and Directors’ meetings; (o) costs of independent pricing services to value a portfolio’s securities; and (p) the costs of investment company literature and other publications provided by the Company to its Directors and officers.  Distribution expenses, transfer agency expenses, expenses of preparation, printing and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy statements and reports to shareholders, and organizational expenses and registration fees, identified as belonging to a particular class of the Company, are allocated to such class.

 

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The advisory fees, including waivers and reimbursements for the past three fiscal years are as follows:

 

    Advisory Fees Paid (after waivers and/or reimbursements)     Waivers and/or Reimbursements     Recoupments  
U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund                        
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019   $ 3,503,526     $ 0     $ 304,597  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018   $ 1,577,185     $ 86,805     $ 171,184  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017   $ 623,878     $ 180,221     $ 0  
U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund                        
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019   $ 278,373     $ 61,230     $ 0  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018   $ 137,286     $ 87,054     $ 0  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017   $ 0     $ 140,932     $ 0  
Global Equity Fund                        
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019   $ 84,179     $ 54,073     $ 0  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018   $ 61,226     $ 87,592     $ 0  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017   $ 66,711     $ 170,653     $ 0  

 

If at any time a Fund’s total annual Fund operating expenses for a year are less than the relevant share class’ Expense Cap, the Adviser is entitled to recoup from the Fund the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such recoupment does not cause the Fund to exceed the relevant share class’ Expense Cap that was in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

As of August 31, 2019, the Funds had amounts available for recoupment as follows:

 

  Expiration
  August 31, 2020 August 31, 2021 August 31, 2022
U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund 0 0 0
U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund $140,932 $87,054 $61,230
Global Equity Fund $98,278 $87,592 $54,073

 

The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall at all times have all rights in and to each Fund’s name and all investment models used by or on behalf of the Fund.  The Adviser may use each Fund’s name or any portion thereof in connection with any other mutual fund or business activity without the consent of any shareholder, and the Company has agreed to execute and deliver any and all documents required to indicate its consent to such use.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

This section includes information about the Fund’s portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Fund shares they own and how they are compensated.

 

Description of Compensation.  As of the date of this SAI, The Adviser compensates the Funds’ portfolio managers for their management of the Funds.  The portfolio managers are compensated through equity ownership of the Adviser, adjusted to reflect current market rates, and therefore compensation is in part based on the value of a Fund’s net assets and other client accounts they are managing.  The Adviser’s Board of Managers reviews the compensation of each portfolio manager periodically and may make modifications in compensation as it deems necessary to reflect changes in the market.

 

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Other Accounts.  In addition to the Funds, each portfolio manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below.  The information below is provided as of December 31, 2019.

 

Name of Portfolio Manager
or Team Member
  Type of Accounts   Total
# of
Accounts
Managed
  Total Assets   # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance
  Total Assets
that Advisory
Fee Based on
Performance
(in millions)
 
David Harden   Other Registered Investment Companies:   0   $0   0   $0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles:   3   $166 million   0   $0  
    Other Accounts:   1,197   $310 million   0   $0  
Richard Thawley   Other Registered Investment Companies:   0   $0   0   $0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles:   3   $166 million   0   $0  
    Other Accounts:   1,197   $310 million   0   $0  
Mathew Hanna   Other Registered Investment Companies:   0   $0   0   $0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles:   3   $166 million   0   $0  
    Other Accounts:   1,197   $310 million   0   $0  
Aash Shah   Other Registered Investment Companies:   0   $0   0   $0  
    Other Pooled Investment Vehicles:   3   $166 million   0   $0  
    Other Accounts:   1,197   $310 million   0   $0  

 

Conflict of Interest. The portfolio managers’ management of other accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his management of a Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other.  The other accounts may have the same investment objective as a Fund.  Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby a portfolio manager could favor one account over another.  Another potential conflict could include the portfolio managers’ knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of a Fund.  However, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

 

Securities Ownership. The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each portfolio manager in the Funds managed by each such portfolio manager as of December 31, 2019 using the following ranges: none; $1-$10,000; $10,001-$50,000; $50,001-$100,000; $100,001-$500,000; $500,001-$1,000,000; and over $1,000,000.

 

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Portfolio Manager   Dollar Value of Securities Beneficially Owned
U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund    
David Harden   $50,001-$100,000
Matthew Hanna   $1-$10,000
Aash Shah   $1-$10,000
U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund    
David Harden   $1-$10,000
Richard Thawley   $50,001-$100,000
Matthew Hanna   $1-$10,000
Aash Shah   $1-$10,000
Global Equity Fund    
David Harden   $1-$10,000
Matthew Hanna   $1-$10,000
Aash Shah   $1-$10,000

 

ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING AGREEMENT

 

Fund Services, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as fund administrator to the Funds pursuant to a fund administration servicing agreement and serves as fund accountant pursuant to a fund accounting servicing agreement (the “Administration Agreements”).  Under the fund accounting servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to furnish to the Funds statistical and research data, clerical, accounting and bookkeeping services, and certain other services required by the Funds.  Under the fund administration servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to provide fund administration services to the Company.  These services include the preparation and coordination of the Company’s annual post-effective amendment filing and supplements to the Funds’ registration statement, the preparation and assembly of board meeting materials, and certain other services necessary to the Company’s fund administration. In addition, Fund Services has agreed to prepare and file various reports with the appropriate regulatory agencies and prepare materials required by the SEC or any state securities commission having jurisdiction over the Funds.

 

The Administration Agreements provide that Fund Services shall be obligated to exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties and that Fund Services shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Company in connection with its duties under the Administration Agreements, except a loss resulting from Fund Services’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the applicable Administration Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties thereunder.

 

Fund Services receives a fee under the Administration Agreements based on the average daily net assets of the Company.

 

Effective October 3, 2016, Fund Services replaced the Funds’ prior administrator and fund accountant to the Funds. The administration fees paid to Fund Services and the prior administrator, including waivers and reimbursements for the past three fiscal years are as follows:

 

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    Administration, Accounting and Regulatory Administration Fees Paid (after waivers and reimbursements)   Waivers   Reimbursements
U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund            
For the fiscal year August 31, 2019   $182,593   $0   $0
For the fiscal year August 31, 2018   $106,412   $0   $0
For the fiscal year August 31, 2017   $93,765   $0   $0
U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund            
For the fiscal year August 31, 2019   $20,022   $0   $0
For the fiscal year August 31, 2018   $20,528   $0   $0
For the fiscal period August 31, 2017   $22,840   $0   $0
Global Equity Fund            
For the fiscal year August 31, 2019   $10,249   $0   $0
For the fiscal year August 31, 2018   $18,460   $0   $0
For the fiscal year August 31, 2017   $33,966   $0   $0

 

CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT

 

U.S. Bank, N.A., (the “Custodian”), 1555 North RiverCenter Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, is custodian of the Funds’ assets pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”).  Under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian: (a) maintains a separate account or accounts in the name of the Funds; (b) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of the Funds; (c) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of the Funds; (d) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of the Funds’ portfolio securities; and (e) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the Funds’ operations.  The Custodian is authorized to select one or more banks or trust companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Funds, provided that the Custodian remains responsible for the performance of all of its duties under the Custodian Agreement and holds the Funds harmless from the acts and omissions of any affiliate, sub-custodian or domestic sub-custodian.  For its services to the Funds under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian receives a fee based on the Funds’ average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Funds.

 

TRANSFER AGENCY AGREEMENT

 

Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund pursuant to a transfer agency and servicing agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”), under which Fund Services:  (a) issues and redeems shares of the Funds; (b) addresses and mails all communications by the Funds to record owners of the shares, including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and proxy materials for its meetings of shareholders; (c) maintains shareholder accounts and, if requested, sub-accounts; and (d) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the operations of the Funds.  Fund Services may, subject to the Board’s approval, assign its duties as transfer and dividend disbursing agent to any affiliate. For its services to the Funds under the Transfer Agency Agreement, Fund Services receives an annual fee based on the number of accounts in the Funds and the Funds’ average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Funds.

 

Fund Services also provides services relating to the implementation of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program.  In addition, Fund Services provides services relating to the implementation of the Funds’ Customer Identification Program, including verification of required customer information and the maintenance of records with respect to such verification.

 

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DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), whose principal business address is 777 Wisconsin Avenue, 6th Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the underwriter to the Funds pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”).  The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).  The Distributor is not affiliated with the Company or the Adviser. The Distributor, U.S. Bank, NA. and Fund Services are affiliates.

 

Under the Distribution Agreement with the Funds, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Funds.  The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Funds on a best efforts basis.  The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares.  The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company.

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Funds.  With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Funds and/or the Adviser, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements.  These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor.  These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Funds.

 

Investors who purchase shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein.  Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares.  Investors purchasing shares of the Funds through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary.  The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote shares depending upon their arrangement with the financial intermediary.  The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Funds for its distribution services except the distribution/service fees with respect to the shares of those classes for which a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan is effective.  The Adviser pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.

 

The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities in accordance with the 1940 Act.  The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Company on behalf of the Funds on no less than 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds or by vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement, or by the Distributor, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).  The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any loss suffered by the Company in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof.

 

Plan of Distribution

 

Class I Shares.  Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of each Fund’s shares.  The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Funds on a best efforts basis.  The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares.  The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company.  The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Company for the distribution of a Fund’s Class I shares; however, the Adviser pays an annual fee to the Distributor as compensation for underwriting services rendered to a Fund pursuant to the Distribution Agreement.

 

Class A Shares and Class C Shares.  Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement and the related Plans of Distribution for Class A Shares and Class C Shares (together, the Plans”), which were adopted by the Company in the manner prescribed by Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Distributor will act as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering for the sale of the Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively.  The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Funds on a best efforts basis.  The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares.  The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company.  Payments to the Distributor under the Plans are to compensate it for distribution assistance and expenses assumed and activities intended to result in the sale of Class A Shares and Class C Shares, including advertising, printing and mailing of prospectuses to others than current shareholders, compensation of underwriters, compensation to broker-dealers, compensation to sales personnel, and interest, carrying or other financing changes.  As compensation for its distribution services, the Distributor receives, pursuant to the terms of the Distribution Agreement, a distribution fee under the Plans, to be calculated daily and paid monthly by the Class A Shares and Class C Shares of a Fund at the annual rates set forth in the Funds’ Prospectus.

 

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Among other things, the Plans provide that: (1) the Distributor shall be required to submit quarterly reports to the Directors of the Company regarding all amounts expended under the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made, including commissions, advertising, printing, interest, carrying charges and any allocated overhead expenses; (2) the Plans will continue in effect only so long as they are approved at least annually, and any material amendment thereto is approved, by the Company’s Directors, including a majority of those Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plans or any agreements related to the Plans, acting in person at a meeting called for said purpose; (3) the aggregate amount to be spent by a Fund on the distribution of Class A Shares and Class C Shares under the respective Plans shall not be materially increased without shareholder approval; and (4) while the Plans remain in effect, the selection and nomination of the Company’s Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) shall be committed to the discretion of such Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company.

 

Mr. Sablowsky, a Director of the Company, has an indirect interest in the operation of the Plans by virtue of his position with Oppenheimer Co., Inc., a broker-dealer.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, total fees paid according to the Plans were as follows:

 

  U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund
  Class A Shares Class C Shares Class A Shares Class C Shares
Fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 $30,829 $20,265 $8,714 $1,481

 

The Funds made the following payments under the Plans for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019:

 

  U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund
  Class A Class C Class A Class C
Advertising $0 $0 $0 $0
Printing/Postage $0 $0 $0 $0
Compensation to distributor $0 $0 $0 $0
Compensation to broker-dealers $30,829 $20,265 $8,714 $1,481
Compensation to sales personnel $0 $0 $0 $0
Interest, carrying, or other financing charges $0 $0 $0 $0
Other uses $0 $0 $0 $0

 

PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates, at their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Funds, their service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Funds and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.

 

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These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Funds, the Distributor or shareholders of the Funds through the financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets.  Payments may also be made through the financial intermediary’s retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing a Fund in a financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about a Fund; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events.  The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.

 

Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in a Fund by financial intermediaries’ customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates.  A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.

 

FUND TRANSACTIONS

 

Subject to policies established by the Board and applicable rules, the Adviser is responsible for the execution of portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage transactions for the Funds.  In executing portfolio transactions, the Adviser seeks to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for the Funds, taking into account such factors as the price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of the order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm involved.  While the Adviser generally seeks reasonably competitive commission rates, payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions.

 

Brokerage Transactions

 

Generally, equity securities, both listed and over-the-counter, are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, the Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer’s mark up or reflect a dealer’s mark down. When a Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.

 

In addition, the Adviser may place a combined order for two or more accounts they manage, including the Funds, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account and each Fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Adviser and the Board that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions. Nonetheless, the Adviser believes that the ability of a Fund to participate in higher volume transactions will generally be beneficial to the Fund.

 

40

 

For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Funds paid the following commissions to brokers on account of research services:

 

U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund      
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019   $ 0  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018   $ 0  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017   $ 0  
U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund        
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019   $ 0  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018   $ 0  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017   $ 0  
Global Equity Fund        
For the fiscal year August 31, 2019   $ 0  
For the fiscal year August 31, 2018   $ 0  
For the fiscal year August 31, 2017   $ 0  

 

The following chart shows the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Funds for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017:

 

U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund      
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019   $ 134,235  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018   $ 79,128  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017   $ 10,445  
U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund        
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019   $ 44,119  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018   $ 19,806  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017   $ 8,788  
Global Equity Fund        
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019   $ 5,632  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018   $ 4,063  
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017   $ 19,392  

 

Each Fund is required to identify any securities of the Company’s regular broker-dealers (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) or their parents held by the Fund as of the end of the most recent fiscal year. As of August 31, 2019, no Fund held securities of its regular broker-dealers.

 

Brokerage Selection

 

The Company does not expect to use one particular broker or dealer, and when one or more brokers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Adviser may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to the Adviser. The Adviser may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for such services only if a good faith determination is made that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

 

Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, permits an investment adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause a fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, the Adviser may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the Adviser believes that access to independent investment research is beneficial to their investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Funds.

 

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To the extent research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the Adviser might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Adviser may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the Adviser will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.

 

In some cases, the Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a “research” and a “non-research” use. When this occurs, the Adviser makes a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.

 

From time to time, the Funds may purchase new issues of securities for clients in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the Adviser with research services. FINRA has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research “credits” in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

 

Read the Funds’ Prospectus for information regarding the purchase and redemption of Fund shares, including any applicable sales charges. The following information supplements information in the Funds’ Prospectus.

 

You may purchase shares through an account maintained by your brokerage firm, financial institutions and industry professionals (“Service Organizations”) and you may also purchase shares directly by mail or wire.  The Company reserves the right, if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase of a Fund’s shares by making payment in whole or in part in securities chosen by the Company and valued in the same way as they would be valued for purposes of computing a Fund’s NAV.  If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction costs in converting these securities into cash.  A shareholder will also bear any market risk or tax consequences as a result of a payment in securities.  The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act so that a Fund is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund. A shareholder will bear the risk of a decline in market value and any tax consequences associated with a redemption in securities.

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Company may suspend the right to redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the “NYSE”) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), or during which the SEC restricts trading on the NYSE or determines an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or valuation of portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC may permit.  (The Company may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions).

 

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Shares of the Funds are subject to redemption by the Company, at the redemption price of such shares as in effect from time to time, including, without limitation: (1) to reimburse the Funds for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder as provided in the Prospectus from time to time; (2) if such redemption is, in the opinion of the Board, desirable in order to prevent the Company or the Funds from being deemed a “personal holding company” within the meaning of the Code; (3) or if the net income with respect to any particular class of common stock should be negative or it should otherwise be appropriate to carry out the Company’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

 

Each Fund has the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Class A Shares of the Funds may be subject to sales charges as described below.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions — Class A Shares ONLY. Purchases of $1,000,000 or more of Class A Shares are not subject to an initial sales charge; however, a contingent deferred sales charge is payable on these investments in the event of a share redemption within 18 months following the share purchase, at the rate of 1% of the lesser of the value of the shares redeemed (exclusive of reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions) or the total cost of such shares. In determining whether a contingent deferred sales charge is payable, and the amount of the charge, it is assumed that shares purchased with reinvested dividend and capital gain distributions and then other shares held the longest are the first redeemed. The contingent deferred sales charge is waived in the event of (a) the death or disability (as defined in Section 72(m)(7) of the Internal revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) of the shareholder, (b) a lump sum distribution from a benefit plan qualified under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), or (c) systematic withdrawals from ERISA plans if the shareholder is at least 59 1/2 years old. The Fund applies the waiver for death or disability to shares held at the time of death or the initial determination of disability of either an individual shareholder or one who owns the shares of a joint tenant with the right of survivorship or as a tenant in common. Prior to January 1, 2018, Class A Shares (formerly, Retail Shares) of the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund were not subject to the front-end sales charge.

 

Reducing or Eliminating the Front-End Sales Charge — Class A Shares ONLY.

 

The Funds’ Class A Shares are offered to the public at NAV plus a front-end sales charge. You can reduce or eliminate the front-end sales charge on Class A Shares of the Funds as follows:

 

Quantity Discounts — Class A Shares ONLY. Purchases of at least $50,000 can reduce the sales charges you pay, and purchases of at least $1,000,000 can eliminate the sales charges you pay.

 

Rights of Accumulation. You will have the benefit of a reduced sales charge by combining your purchase of Class A shares of a Fund in a single transaction with your purchase of Class A shares of another Fund. You may also combine your new purchase of Class A shares of a Fund with Class C shares currently owned for the purpose of qualifying for the lower initial sales charge rates that apply to larger purchases. The applicable sales charge for the new purchase is based on the total of your current purchase and the current NAV of all other shares you own. You may combine your account, your spouse’s account, and the account(s) of your children under age 25.

 

This privilege is also extended to certain employee benefit plans and trust estates. The following purchases may be combined for purposes of determining the “Amount of Purchase:” (a) individual purchases, if made at the same time, by a single purchaser, the purchaser’s spouse and children under the age of 25 purchasing shares for their own accounts, including shares purchased by a qualified retirement Plan(s) exclusively for the benefit of such individual(s) (such as an IRA, individual-type section 403(b) plan or single-participant Keogh-type plan) or by a “Company,” as defined in Section 2(a)(8) of the 1940 Act, solely controlled as fined in the 1940 Act, by such individual(s), or (b) individual purchases by trustees or other fiduciaries purchase Shares (i) for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account, including an employee benefit plan, or (ii) concurrently by two or more employee benefit plans for a single employer or of employers affiliated with each other in accordance with Section 2(a)(3)(c) of the 1940 Act (excluding in either case an employee benefit plan described in (a) above). Provided such trustees or other fiduciaries purchase shares in a single payment. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts may not be combined with purchases made for such other accounts. You may also further discuss Rights of Accumulation with your Service Organizations.

 

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You will need to provide written instruction with respect to the other accounts whose purchases should be considered in Rights of Accumulation.

 

Letter of Intent — Class A Shares ONLY. You can sign a Letter of Intent committing to purchase at least $50,000 in Class A Shares of the Funds within a 13-month period to combine such purchases in calculating the sales charge. A portion of your Fund shares will be held in escrow. If you complete your purchase commitments as stated in the Letter of Intent, your Fund shares held in escrow will be released to your account. If you do not fulfill the Letter of Intent, the appropriate amount of Fund shares held in escrow will be redeemed to pay the sales charges that were not applied to your purchases.

 

Dealer Reallowances — Class A Shares ONLY. As shown in the table below, the Distributor for the shares of the Funds, may provide dealer reallowances up to the full sales charge for purchases of the Funds’ Class A Shares in which a front-end sales charge is applicable.

 

Amount of Purchase   Sales Charge as a of Offering Price     Commission as a % of Offering Price  
Less than $50,000     5.25 %     4.75 %
At least $50,000 but less than $100,000     4.75 %     4.25 %
At least $100,000 but less than $250,000     3.50 %     3.25 %
At least $250,000 but less than $500,000     2.50 %     2.25 %
At least $500,000 but less than $750,000     2.00 %     1.90 %
At least $750,000 but less than $1,000,000     1.50 %     1.45 %
$1,000,000 or greater     None *     **  

 

 

* No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1,000,000 or more; however, a 1% contingent deferred sales charge is imposed in the event of redemption within 18 months following any such purchase.
** The Funds’ distributor may pay a commission at the rate of 1% to certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals, including affiliates of the Adviser, who initiate and are responsible for purchases of $1,000,000 or more.

 

Other Purchase Information

 

If shares of the Funds are held in a “street name” account with an authorized dealer, all recordkeeping, transaction processing and payments of distributions relating to the beneficial owner’s account will be performed by the authorized dealer, and not by a Fund and its Transfer Agent.  Since the Funds will have no record of the beneficial owner’s transactions, a beneficial owner should contact the authorized dealer to purchase, redeem or exchange shares, to make changes in or give instructions concerning the account or to obtain information about the account.  The transfer of shares in a “street name” account to an account with another dealer or to an account directly with a Fund involves special procedures and will require the beneficial owner to obtain historical purchase information about the shares in the account from the authorized dealer.

 

Share Class Conversion

 

Some shareholders may hold shares of a Fund through fee-based programs, often referred to as "wrap accounts," that are managed by investment dealers, financial advisors or other investment professionals (each, a "wrap account intermediary"). A wrap account intermediary may impose eligibility requirements on a shareholder's participation in the fee-based program and ownership of shares through the program, which are additional to the ownership requirements described in a Fund’s Prospectus. Under the terms of its fee-based program, a wrap account intermediary may also be permitted to effect a conversion (sometimes referred to as an "in-kind exchange") of a shareholder's shares in a Fund, including those shares purchased by the shareholder during the shareholder's participation in the program, to a different class of shares of that Fund in situations when the shareholder no longer meets the wrap account intermediary's stated eligibility requirements for the ownership of the class of shares that the shareholder initially purchased. For example, the terms of its fee-based program may permit a wrap account intermediary to effect this type of conversion when a shareholder moves his position in a class of shares of a Fund out of the program that offered that class of shares and into a program or account through which the wrap account intermediary only offers a different class or classes of shares of that Fund. Under other circumstances, a financial intermediary may effect this type of conversion with respect to new clients who held one class of shares of a Fund before becoming a client of the intermediary, and who are eligible for a wrap account through which the intermediary offers a different class of shares of that Fund. Any such conversion by a wrap account intermediary will be made in accordance with the Prospectus of the applicable Fund, and will be made without the imposition by that Fund of any sales load, fee or other charge. The class of shares that a shareholder owns after the conversion may bear higher fees and expenses than the class of shares that the shareholder initially purchased.

 

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If you own shares of a Fund through a fee-based program, you should consult with your wrap account intermediary to determine whether there are any additional eligibility requirements that the wrap account intermediary imposes on your participation in their program and your ownership of a Fund's shares through the program, and whether the wrap account intermediary prescribes any circumstances which may result in the type of share class conversion described herein.

 

TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES

 

The Company’s telephone transaction procedures include the following measures: (1) requiring the appropriate telephone transaction privilege forms; (2) requiring the caller to provide the names of the account owners, the account social security number and name of the Fund, all of which must match the Company’s records; (3) requiring the Company’s service representative to complete a telephone transaction form, listing all of the above caller identification information; (4) permitting exchanges (if applicable) only if the two account registrations are identical; (5) requiring that redemption proceeds be sent only by check to the account owners of record at the address of record, or by electronic funds transfer through the ACH network or by wire only to the owners of record at the bank account of record; (6) sending a written confirmation for each telephone transaction to the owners of record at the address of record within five (5) business days of the call; and (7) maintaining tapes of telephone transactions for six months, if the Company elects to record shareholder telephone transactions. For accounts held of record by broker-dealers, financial institutions, securities dealers, financial planners and other industry professionals, additional documentation or information regarding the scope of a caller’s authority is required. Finally, for telephone transactions in accounts held jointly, additional information regarding other account holders is required. Shares held in IRA accounts may be redeemed by telephone at 1-855-744-8500. Investors will be asked whether or not to withhold taxes from any distribution.

 

VALUATION OF SHARES

 

In accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, the NAV per share of each Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to the Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or such other time as the NYSE or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the NYSE is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The NYSE is generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (observed), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Company reserves the right to reprocess purchase, redemption and exchange transactions that were initially processed at a NAV other than the Fund’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders based on the official closing NAV. The Company reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, the Fund may compute its NAV as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.

 

The securities of each Fund are valued under the direction of the Funds’ administrator and under the general supervision of the Board.  Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices.  Subject to the approval of the Board, the Funds may employ outside organizations, which may use a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indices, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments in determining the approximate market value of portfolio investments.  This may result in the investments being valued at a price that differs from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used.  All cash, receivables, and current payables are carried on a Fund’s books at their face value.  Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Funds’ Valuation Committee under the direction of the Board.

 

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The procedures used by any pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Company under the general supervision of the Board.

 

Each Fund may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges.  These securities may trade on weekends or other days when the Funds do not calculate NAV.  As a result, the value of these investments may change on days when you cannot purchase or sell Fund shares.

 

TAXES

 

The following summarizes certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and their shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Funds or their shareholders, and the discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Potential investors should consult their tax advisers with specific reference to their own tax situations.

 

The discussions of the federal tax consequences in the Prospectus and this SAI are based on the Code and the regulations issued under it, and court decisions and administrative interpretations, as in effect on the date of this SAI.  Future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly alter the statements included herein, and any such changes or decisions may be retroactive.

 

General

 

Each Fund qualified during its last taxable year and intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. As such, each Fund generally is exempt from federal income tax on its net investment income and realized capital gains that it distributes to shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, each Fund must meet three important tests each year.

 

First, a Fund must derive with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies, or net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Second, generally, at the close of each quarter of a Fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of the issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer, and no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of (1) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), (2) two or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or (3) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Third, a Fund must distribute an amount equal to at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) before taking into account any deduction for dividends paid, and 90% of its tax-exempt income, if any, for the year.

 

Each Fund intends to comply with these requirements. If a Fund were to fail to make sufficient distributions, it could be liable for corporate income tax and for excise tax in respect of the shortfall or, if the shortfall is large enough, the Fund could be disqualified as a regulated investment company. If for any taxable year a Fund were not to qualify as a regulated investment company, all its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In that event, shareholders would recognize dividend income on distributions to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, and corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends-received deduction.

 

The Code imposes a nondeductible 4% excise tax on regulated investment companies that fail to distribute each year an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). Each Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions each year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

 

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Taxation of Certain Investments

 

The tax principles applicable to transactions in financial instruments, such as futures contracts and options, that may be engaged in by a Fund, and investments in passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”), are complex and, in some cases, uncertain. Such transactions and investments may cause a Fund to recognize taxable income prior to the receipt of cash, thereby requiring the Fund to liquidate other positions, or to borrow money, so as to make sufficient distributions to shareholders to avoid corporate-level tax.  Moreover, some or all of the taxable income recognized may be ordinary income or short-term capital gain, so that the distributions may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

 

In addition, in the case of any shares of a PFIC in which a Fund invests, the Fund may be liable for corporate-level tax on any ultimate gain or distributions on the shares if the Fund fails to make an election to recognize income annually during the period of its ownership of the shares.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

Although the Funds each expect to qualify as a “regulated investment company” and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, each Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES

 

The Company has authorized capital of 100 billion shares of common stock at a par value of $0.001 per share. Currently, 87.423 billion shares have been classified into 185 classes; however, the Company only has 47 active share classes that have begun investment operations. Under the Company’s charter, the Board has the power to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of common stock from time to time.

 

Each share that represents an interest in a Fund has an equal proportionate interest in the assets belonging to the Fund with each other share that represents an interest in the Fund, even where a share has a different class designation than another share representing an interest in the Fund.  Shares of the Company do not have preemptive or conversion rights.  When issued for payment as described in the Prospectus, shares of the Company will be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

The Company does not currently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law.  The Company’s amended By-Laws provide that shareholders owning at least ten percent of the outstanding shares of all classes of common stock of the Company have the right to call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more directors. To the extent required by law, the Company will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.

 

Holders of shares of each class of the Funds will vote in the aggregate and not by class on all matters, except where otherwise required by law. Further, shareholders of the Company will vote in the aggregate and not by portfolio except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular portfolio or class of shares. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted by the provisions of such Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Company shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each portfolio affected by the matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a portfolio shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each portfolio in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the portfolio. Under Rule 18f-2 the approval of an investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement or any change in a fundamental investment objective or fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a portfolio only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such portfolio. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the selection of independent public accountants and the election of directors are not subject to the separate voting requirements and may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of an investment company voting without regard to a portfolio.  Shareholders of the Company are entitled to one vote for each full share held (irrespective of class or portfolio) and fractional votes for fractional shares held.  Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate shares of common stock of the Company may elect all of the Directors.

 

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Notwithstanding any provision of Maryland law requiring a greater vote of shares of the Company’s common stock (or of any class voting as a class) in connection with any corporate action, unless otherwise provided by law (for example by Rule 18f-2 discussed above), or by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, the Company may take or authorize such action upon the favorable vote of the holders of more than 50% of all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock voting without regard to class (or portfolio).

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Anti-Money Laundering Program

 

The Funds have established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Funds’ Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures, and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that certain of their service providers have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, and conducting a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Funds will not transact business with any person or legal entity whose identity and beneficial owners, if applicable, cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

Counsel

 

The law firm of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Suite 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996, serves as independent counsel to the Company and the Independent Directors.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Ernst & Young LLP, One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, and in that capacity audits the Funds’ financial statements.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The audited financial statements and notes thereto in the Funds’ Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”) are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other parts of the Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. The financial statements included in the Annual Report for each of the years presented for the U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund and the U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund and for the years ended August 31, 2019 and 2018 for the Global Equity Fund have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, whose report also appears in the Annual Report and is incorporated by reference into this SAI. The financial statements for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 for the Global Equity Fund was audited by another independent registered public accounting firm. Such financial statements have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon such firms’ reports given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing. Copies of the Annual Report may be obtained at no charge by telephoning the Funds at the telephone number appearing on the front page of this SAI.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

 

“A-1” - A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

“A-2” - A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

“A-3” - A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

“C” - A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“D” - A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer will differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

 

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

“P-1” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

A-1

 

“P-2” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-3” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“NP” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issuer.

 

Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

 

“F1” - Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

“F2” - Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

“F3” - Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

“B” - Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

“C” - Securities possess high short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

“RD” - Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

 

“D” - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The “F1” rating may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show the relative status within that major rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS® Ratings Limited (“DBRS”) short-term debt rating scale provides an opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer and the relative ranking of claims. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the sub-categories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for commercial paper and short-term debt:

 

“R-1 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

A-2

 

“R-1 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from “R-1 (high)” by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-1 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“R-2 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-2 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

“R-2 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

“R-3” - Short-term debt rated “R-3” is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

“R-4” - Short-term debt rated “R-4” is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

“R-5” - Short-term debt rated “R-5” is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

“D” - Short-term debt rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:

 

“AAA” - An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

“AA” - An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

 

“A” - An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

 

“BBB” - An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

A-3

 

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” - Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

 

“BB” - An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CCC” - An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CC” - An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

 

“C” - An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

 

“D” - An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

 

“NR” - This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. An issuer’s foreign currency rating will differ from its local currency rating when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:

 

“Aaa” - Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

 

“Aa” - Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

“A” - Obligations rated “A” are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

A-4

 

“Baa” - Obligations rated “Baa” are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

“Ba” - Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

“B” - Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

“Caa” - Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

“Ca” - Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

“C” - Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to unrated obligations.

 

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:

 

“AAA” - Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

“AA” - Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

“A” - Securities considered to be of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

“BBB” - Securities considered to be of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

“BB” - Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicate that there is an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

“B” - Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

“CCC” - A “CCC” rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

 

“CC” - A “CC” rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

 

“C” - A “C” rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned “RD” or “D” ratings but are instead rated in the “CCC” to “C” rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

 

A-5

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below “CCC”.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS long-term rating scale provides an opinion on the risk of default. That is, the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy its financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which an obligation has been issued. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer, and the relative ranking of claims. All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for long-term debt:

 

“AAA” - Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“AA” - Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from “AAA” only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“A” - Long-term debt rated “A” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than “AA.” May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“BBB” - Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“BB” - Long-term debt rated “BB” is of speculative, non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

“B” - Long-term debt rated “B” is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

“CCC”, “CC” and “C” - Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although “CC” and “C” ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the “CCC” to “B” range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the “C” category.

 

“D” - A security rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Municipal Note Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:

 

A-6

 

Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

Source of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

 

Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

“SP-1” - A municipal note rated “SP-1” exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

“SP-2” - A municipal note rated “SP-2” exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

“SP-3” - A municipal note rated “SP-3” exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

“D” - This rating is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

 

Moody’s uses the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) scale to rate U.S. municipal bond anticipation notes of up to five years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels - “MIG-1” through “MIG-3” while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated “SG”. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for short-term municipal obligations:

 

“MIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

“MIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

“MIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or “VMIG” scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

 

“VMIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

A-7

 

“VMIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

About Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

 

Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

 

Fitch’s credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Fitch credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch’s credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance, and public finance entities (including supranational and sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.

 

Credit ratings provided by DBRS are forward-looking opinions about credit risk which reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, security and/or obligation. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. While historical statistics and performance can be important considerations, credit ratings are not based solely on such; they include subjective considerations and involve expectations for future performance that cannot be guaranteed. To the extent that future events and economic conditions do not match expectations, credit ratings assigned to issuers, entities, securities and/or obligations can change. Credit ratings are also based on approved and applicable Methodologies (“Methodologies”), which are periodically updated and when material changes are deemed necessary, this may also lead to rating changes.

 

Credit ratings typically provide an opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the obligation was issued. In some cases, credit ratings may also include consideration for the relative ranking of claims and recovery, should default occur. Credit ratings are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of any specific default probability, nor are they meant to predict such.

 

The data and information on which DBRS bases its opinions is not audited or verified by DBRS, although, DBRS conducts a reasonableness review of information received and relied upon in accordance with its Methodologies and policies.

 

A-8

 

DBRS uses rating symbols as a concise method of expressing its opinion to the market, but there are a limited number of rating categories for the possible slight risk differentials that exist across the rating spectrum and DBRS does not assert that credit ratings in the same category are of “exactly” the same quality.

 

A-9

 

APPENDIX B

 

Proxy Voting

 

Issue

 

Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires every investment adviser to adopt and implement written policies and procedures, reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes proxies in the best interest of its clients.  The procedures must address material conflicts that may arise in connection with proxy voting.  The Rule further requires the adviser to provide a concise summary of the adviser’s proxy voting process and offer to provide copies of the complete proxy voting policy and procedures to clients upon request.  Lastly, the Rule requires that the adviser disclose to clients how they may obtain information on how the adviser voted their proxies.

 

SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC does vote proxies on behalf of its clients.

 

Policy

 

SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC does vote proxies on behalf of its clients.

 

Procedures:

 

1. Upon receipt of proxy voting request, review items to be voted upon and Board recommendations.
2. Log into the proper online voting site and vote in accordance with Board recommendations unless otherwise notified by the Investment Committee.
3. Document the company, items voted on, and how SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC voted on the proxy spreadsheet.

 

Procedures for SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC’s Receipt of Class Actions

 

The following procedures outline SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC’s receipt of “Class Action” documents from clients and custodians.  It is SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC’s position not to file these “Class Action” documents, but if received will follow these guidelines:

 

1. If “Class Action” documents are received by SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC from the Client, SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC will gather any requisite information it has and forward to the client, to enable the client to file the “Class Action” at the client’s discretion.  SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC will not file “Class Actions” on behalf of any client.

2. Similarly, if “Class Action” documents are received by SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC from the Custodian, SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC will gather any requisite information it has and forward to the client, to enable the client to file the “Class Action” at the client’s discretion.  SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC will not file “Class Actions” on behalf of any client.

 

B-1 

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

PEA 261/265

PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28. EXHIBITS

 

(a)   Articles of Incorporation.
     
  (1) Articles of Incorporation of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 24, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (2) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 24, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (3) Articles of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 12, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (4) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 12, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (5) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 27, 1990, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (6) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 1, 1990, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (7) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 15, 1992, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (8) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 22, 1992, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (9) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1993, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

 

 

  (10) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1993, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (11) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 19, 1994, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (12) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 19, 1994, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (13) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 19, 1994, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (14) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 19, 1994, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (15) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 31, 1995.
     
  (16) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 16, 1996.
     
  (17) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 39 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 11, 1996.
     
  (18) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 9, 1997.
     
  (19) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 25, 1997.
     
  (20) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 25, 1997.

 

 

 

  (21) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1998.
     
  (22) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1998.
     
  (23) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1998.
     
  (24) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1998.
     
  (25) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 30, 1999.
     
  (26) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 69 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on November 29, 1999.
     
  (27) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2000.
     
  (28) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2000.
     
  (29) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2000.
     
  (30) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2000.
     
  (31) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 15, 2001.
     
  (32) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant (Boston Partners Bond Fund – Institutional Class and Boston Partners Bond Fund – Investor Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 15, 2002.
     
  (33) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class and Boston Partners Bond Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 15, 2002.

 

 

 

  (34) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Schneider Value Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 16, 2002.
     
  (35) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Institutional Liquidity Fund for Credit Unions and Liquidity Fund for Credit Union Members) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 84 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2003.
     
  (36) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 30, 2004.
     
  (37) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Investor Class, Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Institutional Class, Robeco WPG Tudor Fund – Institutional Class, Robeco WPG Large Cap Growth Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 93 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 4, 2005.
     
  (38) Certificate of Correction of Registrant is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2005.
     
  (39) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Investor Class, Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Institutional Class, Robeco WPG Tudor Fund – Institutional Class, Robeco WPG 130/30 Large Cap Core Fund f/k/a Robeco WPG Large Cap Growth Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2005.
     
  (40) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Senbanc Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 96 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 6, 2005.
     
  (41) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Retirement Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 97 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on August 19, 2005.
     
  (42) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Investor Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 99 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 27, 2005.
     
  (43) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Bear Stearns CUFS MLP Mortgage Portfolio) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 104 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 18, 2006.
     
  (44) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant (Bear Stearns CUFS MLP Mortgage Portfolio) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 108 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 2006.
     
  (45) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Bear Stearns Ultra Short Income Fund f/k/a Bear Stearns Enhanced Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 109 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 15, 2006.

 

 

 

  (46) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Marvin & Palmer Large Cap Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 109 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 15, 2006.
     
  (47) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant (Bear Stearns Ultra Short Income Fund f/k/a Bear Stearns Enhanced Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 111 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2007.
     
  (48) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Bear Stearns Ultra Short Income Fund f/k/a Bear Stearns Enhanced Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 111 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2007.
     
  (49) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund) incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 1, 2007.
     
  (50) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco WPG 130/30 Large Cap Core Fund – Investor Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 113 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 13, 2007.
     
  (51) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (SAM Sustainable Water Fund, SAM Sustainable Climate Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 17, 2007.
     
  (52) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Robeco WPG 130/30 Large Cap Core Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 4, 2007.
     
  (53) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Bear Stearns Multifactor 130/30 US Core Equity Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 123 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 17, 2007.
     
  (54) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant (Bear Stearns Ultra Short Income Fund f/k/a Bear Stearns Enhanced Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2007.
     
  (55) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (SAM Sustainable Global Active Fund, SAM Sustainable Themes Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 128 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 23, 2009.
     
  (56) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Perimeter Small Cap Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 2, 2009.
     
  (57) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (S1 Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 135 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 19, 2010.

 

 

 

  (58) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 136 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on August 4, 2010.
     
  (59) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Robeco WPG Small/Micro Cap Value Fund f/k/a Robeco WPG Small Cap Value Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2010.
     
  (60) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and Robeco Boston Partners International Equity Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 14, 2011.
     
  (61) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 15, 2011.
     
  (62) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 149 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 2012.
     
  (63) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 152 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 29, 2013.
     
  (64) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 2013.
     
  (65) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International VI Equity Portfolio, Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 159 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2013.
     
  (66) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Scotia Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 161 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2013.
     
  (67) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.
     
  (68) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund and Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.
     
  (69) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Campbell Core Trend Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 171 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 16, 2014.

 

 

 

  (70) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 174 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2014.
     
  (71) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Investment Funds) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 174 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2014.
     
  (72) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 16, 2015.
     
  (73) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Campbell Core Carry Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 16, 2015.
     
  (74) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Alpha Blue Dynamic Equity Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 16, 2015.
     
  (75) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund – Class C) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 184 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 30, 2015.
     
  (76) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 187 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2015.
     
  (77) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 195 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 30, 2016.
     
  (78) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Fasanara Capital Absolute Return Multi-Asset Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 198 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 29, 2016.
     
  (79) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Campbell Dynamic Trend Fund f/k/a Campbell Core Trend Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.
     
  (80) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Independence Fund), MFAM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Great America Fund), and MFAM Emerging Markets Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Epic Voyage Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 206 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2016.
     
  (81) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (MFAM Emerging Markets Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Epic Voyage Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 212 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2017.

 

 

 

  (82) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 216 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 10, 2017.
     
  (83) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class T) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 216 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 10, 2017.
     
  (84) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Campbell Managed Futures 10V Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 224 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 28, 2017.
     
  (85) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 226 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on August 23, 2017.
     
  (86) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Motley Fool 100 Index ETF) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 235 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on January 19, 2018.
     
  (87) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund – Class I) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.
     
  (88) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.
     
  (89) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.
     
  (90) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Aquarius International Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.
     
  (91) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.
     
  (92) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund (f/k/a Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.
     
  (93) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 242 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 19, 2018.
     
  (94) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 242 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 19, 2018.

 

 

 

  (95) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 242 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 19, 2018.
     
  (96) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Independence Fund) and MFAM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Great America Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 242 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 19, 2018.
     
  (97) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (MFAM Small-Cap Growth ETF (f/k/a Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (98) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Motley Fool Innovation ETF) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (99) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund, MFAM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund, MFAM Emerging Markets Fund and MFAM Small-Cap Growth ETF) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.
     
  (100) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (MFAM Mid-Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a MFAM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.
     
  (101) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (No. 811-05518) filed on May 21, 2019.
     
  (102) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Campbell Advantage Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (No. 811-05518) filed on May 21, 2019.
     
  (103) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, (f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund), SGI Global Equity Fund (f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund), and SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund (f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (No. 811-05518) filed on May 21, 2019.
     
  (104) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund (f/k/a Campbell Managed Futures 10V Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
     
  (105)

Articles Supplementary of Registrant (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio) are filed herewith.

 

 

 

(b)   By-Laws.
     
  (1) By-Laws, as amended, are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 143 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 28, 2011.
     
(c)   Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders.
     
  (1) See Articles VI, VII, VIII, IX and XI of Registrant’s Articles of Incorporation dated February 17, 1988 which are incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 24, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (2) See Articles II, III, VI, XIII, and XIV of Registrant’s By-Laws as amended through August 25, 2004, which are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 30, 2004.
     
(d)   Investment Advisory Contracts.
     
  (1) Investment Advisory Agreement (Schneider Small Cap Value Fund) between Registrant and Schneider Capital Management Company is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1998.
     
  (2) Investment Advisory Agreement (Bogle Investment Management Small Cap Growth Fund) between Registrant and Bogle Investment Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 30, 1999.
     
  (3) Investment Advisory Agreement (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 125 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 27, 2008.
     
  (4) Amendment No. 1 to the Investment Advisory Agreement (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 2013.
     
  (5) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Schneider Small Cap Value Fund) between Registrant and Schneider Capital Management Company is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (6) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Boston Partners Investment Funds) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is filed herewith.
     
  (7) Investment Advisory Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.

 

 

 

  (8) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, and SGI Global Equity Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (9) Investment Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners Investment Funds) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 2013.
     
  (10) Addendum No. 1 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.
     
  (11) Investment Advisory Agreement (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (12) Contractual Fee Waiver Agreement (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (13) Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.
     
  (14) Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC (f/k/a Abbey Capital Offshore Fund Limited) and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (15) Reserved.
     
  (16) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and GAM Systematic LLP (formerly known as Cantab Capital Partners, LLP) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (17) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Eclipse Capital Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (18) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Graham Capital Management, LP is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

 

 

  (19) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and P/E Global, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (20) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Revolution Capital Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (21) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Trigon Investment Advisors LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (22) Addendum No. 2 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Robeco WPG Small/Micro Cap Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.
     
  (23) Investment Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) between Registrant and Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (24) Reserved.
     
  (25) Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Dynamic Trend Fund, f/k/a Campbell Core Trend Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (26) Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Dynamic Trend Fund, f/k/a Campbell Core Trend Fund) between Campbell Core Offshore Limited and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (27) Sub-Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Aperio Group, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (28) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Driehaus Capital Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (29) Reserved.

 

 

 

  (30) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (31) Sub-Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Pier Capital, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (32) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and River Road Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (33) Addendum No. 3 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (34) Investment Advisory Agreement (SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.
     
  (35) Contractual Fee Waiver (SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (36) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Bogle Investment Management Small Cap Growth Fund) between Registrant and Bogle Investment Management is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (37) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Campbell Dynamic Trend Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (38) Reserved.
     
  (39) Investment Advisory Agreement (Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio, and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
     
  (40) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio, and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Matson Money Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

 

 

  (41) Addendum No. 4 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (42) First Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 216 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 10, 2017.
     
  (43) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Aspect Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (44) Investment Advisory Agreement (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) between Registrant and Orinda Asset Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (45) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) between Registrant and Orinda Asset Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.
     
  (46) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
     
  (47) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund) between Campbell Systematic Macro Offshore Limited and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
     
  (48) Form of Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 257 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2019.
     
  (49) Addendum No. 5 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (50) Reserved.
     
  (51) Investment Advisory Agreement (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Independence Fund) and MFAM Mid-Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Great America Fund)) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

 

 

  (52) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund and MFAM Mid-Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a MFAM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (53) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund and Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (54) Investment Advisory Agreement (Motley Fool 100 Index ETF) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (55) Investment Advisory Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) between Registrant and Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (56) Sub-Advisory Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Aperio Group, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (57) Sub-Advisory Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Driehaus Capital Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (58) Sub-Advisory Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Mawer Investment Management Ltd. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (59) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Setanta Asset Management Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (60) Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (61) Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (62) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) among Registrant, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Aspect Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

 

 

  (63) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) among Registrant, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Eclipse Capital Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (64) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) among Registrant, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Revolution Capital Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (65) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) among Registrant, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Welton Investment Partners LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (66) Reserved.
     
  (67) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Welton Investment Partners LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (68) Amendment No. 2 to the Investment Advisory Agreement (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (69) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) among Registrant, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Tudor Investment Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (70) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Tudor Investment Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (71) Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (72) Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Abbey Capital Master Offshore Fund Limited and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (73) Investment Advisory Agreement (MFAM Small-Cap Growth ETF (f/k/a Motley Fool Small Cap Growth ETF)) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

 

 

  (74) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Episteme Capital Partners (UK) LLP is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
     
  (75) Investment Co-Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) among Registrant, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc., and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
     
  (76) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) among Registrant, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc., and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
     
  (77) Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Advantage Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
     
  (78) Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Advantage Fund) between Campbell Advantage Offshore Limited and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
     
  (79) Addendum No. 6 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II and Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (80) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Crabel Capital Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 14, 2020.
     
  (81) Investment Advisory Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC will be filed by amendment.
     
  (82) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio, and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. is filed herewith.
     
  (83) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund and Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is filed herewith.
     
  (84) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, and SGI Global Equity Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is filed herewith.
     
  (85) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Boston Partners Investment Funds) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is filed herewith.

 

 

 

(e)   Underwriting Contracts.
     
  (1) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Abbey Capital Limited dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.
     
  (2) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Altair Advisers LLC dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.
     
  (3) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Bogle Investment Management, L.P. dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.
     
  (4) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.
     
  (5) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.
     
  (6) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Matson Money, Inc. dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.
     
  (7) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Schneider Capital Management Company dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.
     
  (8) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Summit Global Investments, LLC dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.
     
  (9) Distribution Agreement (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Independence Fund) and MFAM Mid-Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Great America Fund)) between Registrant and Foreside Funds Distributors LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (10) Distribution Agreement (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Orinda Asset Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.

 

 

 

  (11) Amendment to the Distribution Agreement (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund (f/k/a Campbell Managed Futures 10V Fund)) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 224 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 28, 2017.
     
  (12) Amendment to the Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (13) Amendment to Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Abbey Capital Limited dated July 11, 2017 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2017.
     
  (14) ETF Distribution Agreement (Motley Fool 100 Index ETF) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.
     
  (15) Form of Amendment to the Distribution Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.
     
  (16) Amendment to Distribution Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi-Asset Fund) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 243 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2018.
     
  (17) First Amendment to the ETF Distribution Agreement (MFAM Small-Cap Growth ETF (f/k/a Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF)) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (18) Amendment to Distribution Agreement (Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
     
(f)   Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts.
     
  (1) Form of Deferred Compensation Plan is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.
     
  (2) Form of Deferred Compensation Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.

 

 

 

(g)   Custodian Agreement.
     
  (1) Amended and Restated Custody Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bank National Association dated June 30, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 14, 2020.
     
(h)   Other Material Contracts.
     
  (1) Non 12b-1 Shareholder Services Plan and Agreement (Bogle Investment Management Small Cap Growth - Investor Shares) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 30, 1999.
     
  (2) Non-12b-1 Shareholder Services Plan and Related Form of Shareholder Servicing Agreement (Robeco WPG Small/Micro Cap Value Fund f/k/a Robeco WPG Tudor Fund – Institutional Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on November 25, 2005.
     
  (3) Services Plan for Class I Shares and Form of Servicing Agreement (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund, f/k/a Scotia Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 161 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2013.
     
  (4) Services Plan for Class II Shares and Form of Servicing Agreement (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund, f/k/a Scotia Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 161 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2013.
     
  (5) Amended and Restated Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated June 30, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 14, 2020.
     
  (6) Amended and Restated Fund Administration Servicing Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated June 30, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (7) Amended and Restated Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated June 30, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
(i) (1) Opinion of Counsel is filed herewith.
     
  (2) Consent of Counsel is filed herewith.
     
(j) (1) Consent of Ernst & Young LLP is filed herewith.

 

 

 

  (2) Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is filed herewith.
     
  (3) Consent of Tait, Weller & Baker LLP is filed herewith.
     
(k)   None.
     
(l)   Initial Capital Agreements.
     
  (1) Subscription Agreement, relating to Classes A through N, is incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 12, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (2) Subscription Agreement between Registrant and Planco Financial Services, Inc., relating to Classes O and P is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1990.
     
  (3) Subscription Agreement between Registrant and Planco Financial Services, Inc., relating to Class Q is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1990.
     
  (4) Subscription Agreement between Registrant and Counselors Securities Inc. relating to Classes R, S, and Alpha 1 through Theta 4 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 15, 1992, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
     
  (5) Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Boston Partners Asset Management, L.P. relating to Classes TT and UU (Boston Partners Mid Cap Value Fund) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 25, 1997.
     
  (6) Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Schneider Capital Management Company relating to Class YY (Schneider Small Cap Value Fund) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1998.
     
  (7) Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Boston Partners Asset Management, L.P. relating to Classes DDD and EEE (Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II (formerly Micro Cap Value)) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1998.
     
  (8) Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Boston Partners Asset Management relating to Classes III and JJJ (Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund (formerly Market Neutral)) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1998.
     
  (9) Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Boston Partners Asset Management, L. P. relating to Classes KKK and LLL (Boston Partners Fund (formerly Long-Short Equity)) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 19, 1999.

 

 

 

  (10) Purchase Agreement (Bogle Investment Management Small Cap Growth Fund) between Registrant and Bogle Investment Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 30, 1999.
     
  (11) Purchase Agreement (Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Asset Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on November 1, 2002.
     
  (12) Purchase Agreement (Robeco WPG Small/Micro Cap Value Fund f/k/a Robeco WPG Tudor Fund) between Registrant and Weiss, Peck & Greer Investments is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 96 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 6, 2005.
     
  (13) Form of Purchase Agreement (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 1, 2007.
     
  (14) Form of Purchase Agreement (Free Market International Equity Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 1, 2007.
     
  (15) Form of Purchase Agreement (Free Market Fixed Income Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 1, 2007.
     
  (16) Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 136 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on August 4, 2010.
     
  (17) Form of Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Global Equity Fund) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 14, 2011.
     
  (18) Form of Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners International Equity Fund) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 14, 2011.
     
  (19) Purchase Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 2013.
     
  (20) Form of Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund-Investor Class) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated hereby by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.

 

 

 

  (21) Form of Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund-Institutional Class) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated hereby by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.
     
  (22) Form of Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund-Investor Class) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated hereby by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.
     
  (23) Form of Purchase Agreement (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund, f/k/a Scotia Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund) between Registrant and Scotia Institutional Asset Management US, Ltd. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.
     
  (24) Form of Purchase Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.
     
  (25) Form of Purchase Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) between Registrant and Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 172 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 17, 2014.
     
  (26) Form of Purchase Agreement (Campbell Core Trend Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 175 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2014.
     
  (27) Purchase Agreement (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 187 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2015.
     
  (28) Form of Purchase Agreement (SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 195 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 30, 2016.
     
  (29) Form of Purchase Agreement (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Independence Fund) and MFAM Mid-Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Great America Fund)) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 206 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2016.
     
  (30) Form of Purchase Agreement (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) between Registrant and Orinda Asset Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 219 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 1, 2017.

 

 

 

  (31) Form of Purchase Agreement (Campbell Managed Futures 10V Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 220 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 9, 2017.
     
  (32) Form of Purchase Agreement (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 226 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on August 23, 2017.
     
  (33) Form of Purchase Agreement (Motley Fool 100 Index ETF) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 235 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on January 19, 2018.
     
  (34) Purchase Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) between Registrant and Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (35) Form of Purchase Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 243 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2018.
     
  (36) Purchase Agreement (MFAM Small-Cap Growth ETF (f/k/a Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF)) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
     
  (37) Purchase Agreement (Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
     
  (38) Purchase Agreement (Campbell Advantage Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
     
  (39) Purchase Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC will be filed by amendment.
     
(m)   Rule 12b-1 Plan.
     
  (1) Plan of Distribution (Boston Partners Mid Cap Value Fund - Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 9, 1997.
     
  (2) Plan of Distribution (Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II (formerly Micro Cap Value) - Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 53 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 10, 1998.
     
  (3) Amendment to Plans of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1998.

 

 

 

  (4) Plan of Distribution (Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund (formerly Market Neutral) - Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on November 12, 1998.
     
  (5) Plan of Distribution (Boston Partners Fund (formerly Long Short Equity) - Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 19, 1999.
     
  (6) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on November 1, 2002.
     
  (7) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund — Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2010.
     
  (8) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Robeco Boston Partners Global Equity Fund — Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 14, 2011.
     
  (9) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Robeco Boston Partners International Equity Fund — Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 14, 2011.
     
  (10) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund — Retail Class) is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 15, 2011.
     
  (11) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund – Class A) is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 15, 2011.
     
  (12) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund — Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 154 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 11, 2013.
     
  (13) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class A) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.
     
  (14) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class C) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.
     
  (15) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund —Class C) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 184 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 30, 2015.

 

 

 

  (16) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund – Retail Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 195 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 30, 2016.
     
  (17) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI U.S. Small-Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund – Class C) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 195 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 30, 2016.
     
  (18) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class T) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 216 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 10, 2017.
     
  (19) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund — Class A) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 219 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 1, 2017.
     
  (20) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund — Class D) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 219 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 1, 2017.
     
  (21) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund — Class A) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 257 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2019.
     
  (22) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund — Class P) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 257 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2019.
     
  (23) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund — Class C) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 257 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2019.
     
  (24) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund – Class A Shares (formerly Class II Shares)) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2017.
     
  (25) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund – Class C Shares (formerly Institutional Shares)) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2017.
     
  (26) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund – Class A Shares) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 243 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2018.
     
  (27) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund – Class C Shares) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 243 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2018.

 

 

 

(n)   Rule 18f-3 Plan.
     
    Amended Rule 18f-3 Plan is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
(p)   Code of Ethics.
     
  (1) Code of Ethics of the Registrant is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2017.
     
  (2) Code of Ethics of Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (3) Code of Ethics of Schneider Capital Management Company is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 2, 2009.
     
  (4) Code of Ethics of Bogle Investment Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (5) Code of Ethics of Matson Money, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 145 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 30, 2011.
     
  (6) Code of Ethics of Foreside Funds Distributors LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 14, 2020.
     
  (7) Code of Ethics of Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 145 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 30, 2011.
     
  (8) Code of Ethics of Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.
     
  (9) Code of Ethics of Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 172 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 17, 2014.
     
  (10) Code of Ethics of Aperio Group, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (11) Code of Ethics of Driehaus Capital Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 172 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 17, 2014.

 

 

 

  (12) Code of Ethics of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 172 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 17, 2014.
     
  (13) Code of Ethics of Pier Capital LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 172 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 17, 2014.
     
  (14) Code of Ethics of River Road Asset Management, LLC is filed herewith.
     
  (15) Code of Ethics of Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 175 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2014.
     
  (16) Code of Ethics of Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
     
  (17) Code of Ethics of Quasar Distributors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 14, 2020.
     
  (18) Code of Ethics of Orinda Asset Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
     
  (19) Code of Ethics of Mawer Investment Management Ltd. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 242 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 19, 2018.
     
  (20) Code of Ethics of Setanta Asset Management Limited is filed herewith.

 

Item 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT

 

None.

 

Item 30. INDEMNIFICATION

 

Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Article VIII of Registrant’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended, incorporated herein by reference as Exhibits (a)(1) and (a)(3), provide as follows:

 

Section 1. To the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of directors and officers are permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, no director or officer of the Corporation shall have any liability to the Corporation or its shareholders for damages. This limitation on liability applies to events occurring at the time a person serves as a director or officer of the Corporation whether or not such person is a director or officer at the time of any proceeding in which liability is asserted.

 

Section 2. The Corporation shall indemnify and advance expenses to its currently acting and its former directors to the fullest extent that indemnification of directors is permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law. The Corporation shall indemnify and advance expenses to its officers to the same extent as its directors and to such further extent as is consistent with law. The Board of Directors may by law, resolution or agreement make further provision for indemnification of directors, officers, employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation law.

 

 

 

Section 3. No provision of this Article shall be effective to protect or purport to protect any director or officer of the Corporation against any liability to the Corporation or its security holders to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

 

Section 4. References to the Maryland General Corporation Law in this Article are to the law as from time to time amended. No further amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation shall decrease, but may expand, any right of any person under this Article based on any event, omission or proceeding prior to such amendment. Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

Section 12 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (“Boston Partners”) (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(9), provides for the indemnification of Boston Partners against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Bogle Investment Management, L.P. (“Bogle”), dated September 15, 1999 and incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(2) provides for the indemnification of Bogle against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Schneider Capital Management (“Schneider”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibit (d)(1) provides for the indemnification of Schneider against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.), (“Matson Money”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(3) and (d)(39) provides for the indemnification of Matson Money against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC (“SGI”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(7), (d)(11) and (d)(34) provides for the indemnification of SGI against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements with Abbey Capital Limited (“Abbey Capital”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(13), (d)(60) and (d)(61) provides for the indemnification of Abbey Capital against certain losses.

 

Section 13 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements with Abbey Capital incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(14) and (d)(71) provides for the indemnification of Abbey Capital against certain losses.

 

 

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Registrant and Altair Advisers LLC (“Altair”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(23) and (d)(55) provide for indemnification of Altair against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC (“CCIA”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(25), (d)(26), (d)(46), (d)(47), (d)(77), and (d)(78) provide for indemnification of CCIA against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Boston Partners, and CCIA incorporated herein by reference as exhibit (d)(75) provides for indemnification of Boston Partners and CCIA against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC (“Motley Fool”) incorporated herein by reference to exhibits (d)(51), (d)(54), and (d)(73) provides for indemnification of Motley Fool against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Orinda Asset Management LLC (“Orinda”) incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(44) provides for indemnification of Orinda against certain losses.

 

Section 8 of each of the Distribution Agreements between Registrant and Quasar Distributors, LLC incorporated herein by reference to exhibits (e)(1) – (e)(8), (e)(10) and (e)(14) provide for the indemnification of Quasar Distributors, LLC against certain losses.

 

Section 7 of the Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Foreside Funds Distributors, LLC incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (e)(9) provides for the indemnification of Foreside Funds Distributors, LLC against certain losses.

 

Item 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISERS.

 

  1.

Bogle Investment Management, LP:

 

The sole business activity of Bogle Investment Management, LP (“Bogle”), 2310 Washington Street, Suite 310, Newton Lower Falls, MA 02462, is to serve as an investment adviser. Bogle is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

The directors and officers have not held any positions with other companies during the last two fiscal years.

     
  2.

Schneider Capital Management Company:

 

The sole business activity of Schneider Capital Management Company (“Schneider”), 1000 Westlakes Drive, Suite 150, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312, is to serve as an investment adviser. Schneider is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Information as to the directors and officers of Schneider is as follows:

 

Name and Position with Schneider Other Company Position With Other Company
Arnold C. Schneider, III
President and Chief Investment Officer
Turnbridge Management Partners Corp. President

 

 

 

  3.

Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.

 

The sole business activity of Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (“Boston Partners”), One Grand Central Place, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550, New York, New York 10165, is to serve as an investment adviser. Boston Partners provides investment advisory services to the Boston Partners Funds and the WPG Partners Funds.

 

   

Boston Partners is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and serves as an investment adviser to domestic and foreign institutional investors, investment companies, commingled trust funds, private investment partnerships and collective investment vehicles. Information as to the directors and officers of Boston Partners is as follows:

 

Name and Position with Boston Partners Other Company Position With Other Company
Joseph F. Feeney, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer,
Chief Investment Officer
Robeco US Holding, Inc. Director
William George Butterly, III
General Counsel, Director of Sustainability & Engagement
Robeco Institutional Asset Management US Inc. Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer & Secretary
  Boston Partners Securities LLC Chief Legal Officer
  Robeco Trust Company Chief Operating Officer, Secretary & Director
  RobecoSAM USA, Inc. Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer & Secretary
  Robeco Boston Partners (UK) Limited Director, Chief Operating Officer & Secretary
Gregory Varner
Chief Financial Officer
   
Matthew Davis
Chief Administrative Officer
Robeco Institutional Asset Management US Inc. President, Treasurer & Director
  Boston Partners Securities LLC Chief Financial Officer
  Robeco Trust Company Director, President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer & Director
  Robeco Boston Partners (UK) Limited Chief Financial Officer
Mark Kuzminskas
Chief Operating Officer
   
David Steyn
Director
Orix Corporation Europe N.V. Chief Executive Officer
Leni M. Boeren
Director
Orix Corporation Europe N.V. Chief Operating Officer
  Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Director
  RobecoSAM AG Director
  RobecoSAM USA, Inc. Director
Martin Mlynár
Director
Corestone Investment Managers AG Chief Executive Officer
  Source Capital AG Board Member
  Source Capital Holding AG Board Member

 

 

 

  4.

Matson Money, Inc.:

 

The sole business activity of Matson Money, Inc. (“Matson Money”), 5955 Deerfield Blvd., Mason, Ohio 45040, is to serve as an investment adviser. Matson Money is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Below is a list of each executive officer and director of Matson Money indicating each business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each such person has been engaged within the last two years, for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, partner or trustee.

 

Name and Position with Matson Money, Inc. Name of Other Company Position With Other Company
Mark E. Matson
CEO
Keep It Tight Fitness, LLC 50% owner
Mark E. Matson
CEO
The Matson Family Foundation 100% owner
Michelle Matson
Vice President/ Secretary
None None
Daniel J. List
Chief Compliance Officer
None None

 

  5.

Summit Global Investments, LLC:

 

The sole business activity of Summit Global Investments, LLC (“SGI”), 620 South Main Street, Bountiful, Utah 84010, is to serve as an investment adviser. SGI is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

The only employment of a substantial nature of each of SGI’s directors and officers is with SGI.

     
  6.

Abbey Capital Limited:

 

The only employment of a substantial nature of each of Abbey Capital Limited directors and officers is with Abbey Capital Limited.

 

 

 

  7.

Altair Advisers LLC:

 

The only employment of a substantial nature of each of Altair Advisers LLC directors and officers is with Altair Advisers LLC.

     
  8.

Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC:

 

The principal business activity of Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC (“CCIA”), 2850 Quarry Lake Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21209, is to serve as an investment adviser. CCIA is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

    Below is a list of each executive officer and director of CCIA indicating each business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each such person has been engaged within the last two years, for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, partner or trustee.

 

Name and Position with CCIA Name of Other Company Position With Other Company
G. Williams Andrews
Chief Executive Officer
Campbell & Company, LP Chief Executive Officer
  Campbell & Company, LLC Director and Chief Executive Officer
  Campbell Financial Services, LLC Director
  Campbell Core Offshore Limited Director
  Campbell  Equity Advantage Offshore Fund Limited Director
  Campbell Advantage Offshore Limited Director
  Campbell Offshore Fund Limited Director
Dr. Kevin Cole
Chief Investment Officer
Campbell & Company, LP Chief Investment Officer
  Campbell & Company, LLC Director and Chief Investment Officer
Thomas P. Lloyd
General Counsel & Secretary
Campbell & Company, LP General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Secretary
  Campbell & Company, LLC Director and Secretary
  Campbell Core Offshore Limited Director
  Campbell Financial Services, LLC Director, President, Chief Compliance Officer, and Secretary
  Campbell Advantage Offshore Limited Director
Gabriel A. Morris
Chief Operating Officer
Campbell & Company, LP Chief Operating Officer 
  Campbell Financial Services, LLC Director, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Treasurer 
  Campbell & Company, LLC Director and Chief Operating Officer
     

 

 

 

  9.

Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC:

 

A description of any other business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature in which Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC and each director, officer, or partner of Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, employee, partner or trustee, is set forth in the Form ADV of Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC, as filed with the SEC on September 9, 2019, and is incorporated herein by this reference.

     
  10.

Orinda Asset Management, LLC:

 

A description of any other business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature in which Orinda Asset Management, LLC and each director, officer, or partner of Orinda Asset Management, LLC is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, employee, partner or trustee, is set forth in the Form ADV of Orinda Asset Management LLC, as filed with the SEC on October 7, 2019, and is incorporated herein by this reference.

 

Item 32. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER

 

(a)(1) Quasar Distributors, LLC, acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

 

Advisors Series Trust Managed Portfolio Series
Aegis Funds Manager Directed Portfolios
Allied Asset Advisors Funds Matrix Advisors Fund Trust
Alpha Architect ETF Trust Matrix Advisors Value Fund, Inc.
Angel Oak Funds Trust Monetta Trust
Barrett Opportunity Fund, Inc. Nicholas Equity Income Fund, Inc.
Bridges Investment Fund, Inc. Nicholas Family of Funds, Inc.
Brookfield Investment Funds North Capital Funds Trust
Buffalo Funds Permanent Portfolio Family of Funds
CG Funds Trust Perritt Funds, Inc.
Chestnut Street Fund PRIMECAP Odyssey Funds
Cushing® Mutual Funds Trust Procure ETF Trust I
DoubleLine Funds Trust Procure ETF Trust II
ETF Series Solutions Professionally Managed Portfolios
First American Funds, Inc. Prospector Funds, Inc.

 

 

 

FundX Investment Trust Provident Mutual Funds, Inc.
Glenmede Fund, Inc. Rainier Investment Management Mutual Funds
Glenmede Portfolios The RBB Fund, Inc.
GoodHaven Funds Trust RBC Funds Trust
Greenspring Fund, Inc. Series Portfolios Trust
Harding Loevner Funds, Inc. Thompson IM Funds, Inc.
Hennessy Funds Trust TIGERSHARES Trust
Horizon Funds TrimTabs ETF Trust
Hotchkis & Wiley Funds Trust for Professional Managers
Intrepid Capital Management Funds Trust Trust for Advised Portfolios
Jacob Funds, Inc. USA Mutuals
Jensen Quality Growth Fund Inc. USCA Fund Trust
Kirr Marbach Partners Funds, Inc. USQ Core Real Estate Fund
LKCM Funds Wall Street EWM Funds Trust
LoCorr Investment Trust Westchester Capital Funds
Lord Asset Management Trust Wisconsin Capital Funds, Inc.
MainGate Trust YCG Funds

 

(a)(2) Foreside Funds Distributors LLC serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

 

1. FundVantage Trust

2. GuideStone Funds

3. Matthews International Funds (d/b/a Matthews Asia Funds)

4. MFAM Funds, series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

5. New Alternatives Fund

6. Old Westbury Funds, Inc.

7. The Torray Fund

8. Versus Capital Multi-Manager Real Estate Income Fund LLC (f/k/a Versus Global Multi-Manager Real Estate Income Fund LLC)

9. Versus Capital Real Assets Fund LLC

 

(b)(1) The directors and executive officers of Quasar Distributors, LLC are as follows:

 

Name and Principal Business Address Position and Offices with Quasar Distributors, LLC Positions and Offices with Registrant
Teresa Cowan(1) President, Board Member, Board Chairperson None
Andrew M. Strnad(2) Vice President, Secretary None
Joseph C. Neuberger(1) Board Member None
Anita M. Zagrodnik(1) Board Member None
Stephanie J. Parise(1) Board Member None
Susan LaFond(1) Vice President, Treasurer, Co-Chief Compliance Officer None
Peter A. Hovel(1) Chief Financial Officer None
Jennifer Brunner(1) Vice President, Co-Chief Compliance Officer None
Brett Scribner(3) Assistant Treasurer None
Thomas A. Wolden(3) Assistant Treasurer None

 

(1) This individual is located at 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202.

(2) This individual is located at 10 West Market Street, Suite 1150, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204.

(3) This individual is located at 800 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55402.

 

 

 

(b)(2) The following are the Officers and Manager of Foreside Funds Distributors LLC, one of the Registrant’s underwriters. The main business address is 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312.

 

Name Address Position with Underwriter Position with Registrant
Richard J. Berthy Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 President, Treasurer and Manager None
Mark A. Fairbanks Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 Vice President None
Jennifer K. DiValerio 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312 Vice President None
Susan K. Moscaritolo 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312 Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer None
Jennifer E. Hoopes Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 Secretary None

 

  (c) Not Applicable

 

Item 33. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS

 

(1) Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc., One Grand Central Place, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550, New York, New York 10165 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(2) Schneider Capital Management Co., 1000 Westlakes Drive, Suite 150, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(3) Bogle Investment Management, L.P., 2310 Washington Street, Suite 310, Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts 02462 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(4) Matson Money, Inc. (formerly Abundance Technologies, Inc.), 5955 Deerfield Blvd., Mason, Ohio 45040 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(5) Summit Global Investments, LLC, 620 South Main Street, Bountiful, Utah 84010 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(6) Abbey Capital Limited, 1-2 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, Ireland (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

 

 

(7) Altair Advisers LLC, 303 West Madison, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois 60606 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(8) Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC, 2850 Quarry Lake Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21209 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(9) Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC, 2000 Duke Street, Suite 275, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(10) Orinda Asset Management, LLC, 3390 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Suite 250, Lafayette, California 94549 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(11) U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 (records relating to its function as administrator, transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent).

 

(12) U.S. Bank, N.A., 1555 North RiverCenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53212 (records relating to its function as custodian).

 

(13) Quasar Distributors, LLC, 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Floor 6, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 (records relating to its function as underwriter).
   
(14) Foreside Funds Distributors LLC, 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312 (records related to its function as underwriter).

 

Item 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES

 

None.

 

Item 35. UNDERTAKINGS

 

(a) Registrant hereby undertakes to hold a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of considering the removal of directors in the event the requisite number of shareholders so request.

 

(b) Registrant hereby undertakes to furnish each person to whom a prospectus is delivered a copy of Registrant’s latest annual report to shareholders upon request and without charge.

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the 1933 Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Chadds Ford, and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on February 28, 2020.

 

  THE RBB FUND, INC.  
     
  By: /s/ Salvatore Faia  
    Salvatore Faia  
    President  

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Amendment to Registrant’s Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

SIGNATURE   TITLE   DATE
         
/s/ Salvatore Faia   President (Principal Executive Officer) and Chief Compliance Officer   February 28, 2020.
Salvatore Faia      
         
/s/ James G. Shaw   Treasurer (Chief Financial Officer)   February 28, 2020.
James G. Shaw   and Secretary    
         
*J. Richard Carnall   Director   February 28, 2020.
J. Richard Carnall        
         
*Julian A. Brodsky   Director   February 28, 2020.
Julian A. Brodsky        
         
*Arnold M. Reichman   Director   February 28, 2020.
Arnold M. Reichman        
         
*Robert Sablowsky   Director   February 28, 2020.
Robert Sablowsky        
         
*Robert Straniere   Director   February 28, 2020.
Robert Straniere        
         
*Nicholas A. Giordano   Director   February 28, 2020.
Nicholas A. Giordano        
         
*Gregory P. Chandler   Director   February 28, 2020.
Gregory P. Chandler        
         
*Brian T. Shea   Director   February 28, 2020.
Brian T. Shea        

 

*By: /s/ Salvatore Faia  
Salvatore Faia  
Attorney-in-Fact  

 

 

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Julian A. Brodsky, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ Julian A. Brodsky  
     
  Julian A. Brodsky  

 

 

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, J. Richard Carnall, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ J. Richard Carnall  
     
  J. Richard Carnall  

 

 

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Nicholas A. Giordano, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ Nicholas A. Giordano  
     
  Nicholas A. Giordano  

 

 

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Arnold M. Reichman, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ Arnold M. Reichman  
     
  Arnold M. Reichman  

 

 

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Robert Sablowsky, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ Robert Sablowsky  
     
  Robert Sablowsky  

 

 

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Robert A. Straniere, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ Robert Straniere  
     
  Robert Straniere  

 

 

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Gregory P. Chandler, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 17, 2017  
     
  /s/ Gregory P. Chandler  
     
  Gregory P. Chandler  

 

 

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Brian T. Shea, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: May 10, 2018  
     
  /s/ Brian T. Shea  
     
  Brian T. Shea  

 

 

 

PEA 261/265

 

EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
(a)(105) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio)
(d)(6) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Boston Partners Investment Funds) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.
(d)(82) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio, and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc.
(d)(83) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund and Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited
(d)(84) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, and SGI Global Equity Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC
(d)(85)

Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Boston Partners Investment Funds) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.

(i)(1) Opinion of Counsel
(i)(2) Consent of Counsel
(j)(1) Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
(j)(2) Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
(j)(3) Consent of Tait, Weller & Baker LLP
(p)(14) Code of Ethics of River Road Asset Management, LLC
(p)(20) Code of Ethics of Setanta Asset Management Limited

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

ARTICLES SUPPLEMENTARY

 

THE RBB FUND, INC., a Maryland corporation (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland that:

 

FIRST: In accordance with the requirements of Section 2-208 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, and under a power contained in the charter of the Corporation (the “Charter”), the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) adopted resolutions classifying an aggregate of 100,000,000 authorized but unclassified and unissued shares of common stock, par value $.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation as follows:

 

1. Class CCCCCCC. 100,000,000 shares of authorized but unclassified and unissued shares of Common Stock (the “Undesignated Common Stock”) are hereby classified and designated as Class CCCCCCC shares of Common Stock representing interests in the SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio.

 

SECOND: A description of the shares so classified with the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption as set or changed by the Board of Directors is as set forth in Article VI, Section (6) of the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation and as set forth elsewhere in the Charter with respect to stock of the Corporation generally, and as follows:

 

1. To the full extent permitted by applicable law, the Corporation may, without the vote of the shares of any class of capital stock of the Corporation then outstanding and if so determined by the Board of Directors:

 

(A)(1) sell and convey the assets belonging to Class CCCCCCC (the “Class”) to another trust or corporation that is a management investment company (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) and is organized under the laws of any state of the United States for consideration, which may include the assumption of all outstanding obligations, taxes and other liabilities, accrued or contingent, belonging to such Class and which may include securities issued by such trust or corporation. Following such sale and conveyance, and after making provision for the payment of any liabilities belonging to such Class that are not assumed by the purchaser of the assets belonging to such Class, the Corporation may, at its option, redeem all outstanding shares of such Class at the net asset value thereof as determined by the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of applicable law, less such redemption fee or other charge, if any, as may be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter to the contrary, the redemption price may be paid in any combination of cash or other assets belonging to such Class, including but not limited to the distribution of the securities or other consideration received by the Corporation for the assets belonging to such Class upon such conditions as the Board of Directors deems, in its sole discretion, to be appropriate and consistent with applicable law and the Charter;

 

 

 

(2) sell and convert the assets belonging to the Class into money and, after making provision for the payment of all obligations, taxes and other liabilities, accrued or contingent, belonging to such Class, the Corporation may, at its option, redeem all outstanding shares of such Class at the net asset value thereof as determined by the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of applicable law, less such redemption fee or other charge, if any, as may be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors upon such conditions as the Board of Directors deems, in its sole discretion, to be appropriate and consistent with applicable law and the Charter; or

 

(3) combine the assets belonging to the Class with the assets belonging to any one or more other classes of capital stock of the Corporation if the Board of Directors reasonably determines that such combination will not have a material adverse effect on the stockholders of any class of capital stock of the Corporation participating in such combination. In connection with any such combination of assets, the shares of the Class then outstanding may, if so determined by the Board of Directors, be converted into shares of any other class or classes of capital stock of the Corporation with respect to which conversion is permitted by applicable law, or may be redeemed, at the option of the Corporation, at the net asset value thereof as determined by the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of applicable law, less such redemption fee or other charge, or conversion cost, if any, as may be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors upon such conditions as the Board of Directors deems, in its sole discretion, to be appropriate and consistent with applicable law and the Charter. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles Supplementary or the Charter to the contrary, any redemption price, or part thereof, paid pursuant to this section may be paid in shares of any other existing or future class or classes of capital stock of the Corporation;

 

(B) provide that all shares of the Class now or hereafter authorized shall be subject to redemption and redeemable at the option of the holder thereof in accordance with and pursuant to procedures or methods prescribed or approved by the Board of Directors and, if so determined by the Board of Directors, shall be redeemable only in aggregations of such number of shares and on such days as may be determined by, or determined pursuant to procedures or methods prescribed by or approved by, the Board of Directors from time to time; and

 

(C) without limiting the foregoing, at its option, redeem shares of the Class for any other reason if the Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interest of the Corporation to do so. Any such redemption shall be at the net asset value of such shares of such Class being redeemed less such redemption fee or other charge, if any, as may be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors and shall be made and effective upon such terms and in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Directors at such time.

 

-2

 

2. The shares of Class CCCCCCC Common Stock will be issued without stock certificates.

 

THIRD: The shares aforesaid have been duly classified by the Board of Directors under the authority contained in the Charter. The aggregate number of authorized shares of stock of the Corporation is not changed by these Articles Supplementary.

 

FOURTH: Immediately after the classification of shares of Undesignated Common Stock as shares of Class CCCCCCC Common Stock:

 

(a) the Corporation has the authority to issue 100,000,000,000 shares of its Common Stock, par value $.001 per share, and the aggregate par value of all the shares of all classes is $100,000,000; and

 

(b) the number of authorized shares of each class of Common Stock is as follows:

 

Class A - 100,000,000
Class B - 100,000,000
Class C - 100,000,000
Class D - 100,000,000
Class E - 500,000,000
Class F - 500,000,000
Class G - 500,000,000
Class H - 500,000,000
Class I - 1,500,000,000
Class J - 500,000,000
Class K - 500,000,000
Class L - 1,500,000,000
Class M - 500,000,000
Class N - 500,000,000
Class O - 500,000,000
Class P - 100,000,000
Class Q - 100,000,000
Class R - 500,000,000
Class S - 500,000,000
Class T - 500,000,000
Class U - 500,000,000
Class V - 500,000,000
Class W - 100,000,000
Class X - 50,000,000
Class Y - 50,000,000
Class Z - 50,000,000

 

-3

 

Class AA - 50,000,000
Class BB - 50,000,000
Class CC - 50,000,000
Class DD - 100,000,000
Class EE - 100,000,000
Class FF - 50,000,000
Class GG - 50,000,000
Class HH - 50,000,000
Class II - 100,000,000
Class JJ - 100,000,000
Class KK - 100,000,000
Class LL - 100,000,000
Class MM - 100,000,000
Class NN - 100,000,000
Class OO - 100,000,000
Class PP - 100,000,000
Class QQ - 100,000,000
Class RR - 100,000,000
Class SS - 100,000,000
Class TT - 100,000,000
Class UU - 100,000,000
Class VV - 100,000,000
Class WW - 100,000,000
Class YY - 100,000,000
Class ZZ - 100,000,000

 

Class AAA - 100,000,000
Class BBB - 100,000,000
Class CCC - 100,000,000
Class DDD - 100,000,000
Class EEE - 100,000,000
Class FFF - 100,000,000
Class GGG - 100,000,000
Class HHH - 100,000,000
Class III - 100,000,000
Class JJJ - 100,000,000
Class KKK - 100,000,000
Class LLL - 100,000,000
Class MMM - 100,000,000
Class NNN - 100,000,000
Class OOO - 100,000,000
Class PPP - 100,000,000
Class QQQ - 2,500,000,000
Class RRR - 2,500,000,000
Class SSS - 100,000,000
Class TTT - 50,000,000
Class UUU - 50,000,000
Class VVV - 50,000,000
Class WWW - 50,000,000
Class XXX - 100,000,000
Class YYY - 100,000,000
Class ZZZ - 100,000,000

 

-4

 

Class AAAA - 50,000,000,000
Class BBBB - 700,000,000
Class CCCC - 700,000,000
Class DDDD - 700,000,000
Class EEEE - 100,000,000
Class FFFF - 100,000,000
Class GGGG - 100,000,000
Class HHHH - 100,000,000
Class IIII - 100,000,000
Class JJJJ - 100,000,000
Class KKKK - 100,000,000
Class LLLL - 100,000,000
Class MMMM - 100,000,000
Class NNNN - 100,000,000
Class OOOO - 100,000,000
Class PPPP - 100,000,000
Class QQQQ - 100,000,000
Class RRRR - 100,000,000
Class SSSS - 100,000,000
Class TTTT - 100,000,000
Class UUUU - 100,000,000
Class VVVV - 100,000,000
Class WWWW - 100,000,000
Class XXXX - 100,000,000
Class YYYY - 100,000,000
Class ZZZZ - 100,000,000

 

Class AAAAA - 100,000,000
Class BBBBB - 750,000,000
Class CCCCC - 100,000,000
Class DDDDD - 100,000,000
Class EEEEE - 100,000,000
Class FFFFF - 100,000,000
Class GGGGG - 100,000,000
Class HHHHH - 100,000,000
Class IIIII - 100,000,000
Class JJJJJ - 100,000,000
Class KKKKK - 300,000,000
Class LLLLL - 100,000,000
Class MMMMM - 100,000,000
Class NNNNN - 100,000,000
Class OOOOO - 100,000,000
Class PPPPP - 100,000,000
Class QQQQQ - 100,000,000
Class RRRRR - 100,000,000
Class SSSSS - 100,000,000
Class TTTTT - 300,000,000
Class UUUUU - 100,000,000
Class VVVVV - 100,000,000
Class WWWWW - 100,000,000
Class XXXXX - 100,000,000
Class YYYYY - 100,000,000
Class ZZZZZ - 100,000,000

 

-5

 

Class AAAAAA - 100,000,000
Class BBBBBB - 100,000,000
Class CCCCCC - 100,000,000
Class DDDDDD - 100,000,000
Class EEEEEE - 100,000,000
Class FFFFFF - 100,000,000
Class GGGGGG - 100,000,000
Class HHHHHH - 100,000,000
Class IIIIII - 100,000,000
Class JJJJJJ - 100,000,000
Class KKKKKK - 100,000,000
Class LLLLLL - 100,000,000
Class MMMMMM - 100,000,000
Class NNNNNN - 100,000,000
Class OOOOOO - 100,000,000
Class PPPPPP - 100,000,000
Class QQQQQQ - 100,000,000
Class RRRRRR - 100,000,000
Class SSSSSS - 100,000,000
Class TTTTTT - 100,000,000
Class UUUUUU - 100,000,000
Class VVVVVV - 100,000,000
Class WWWWWW - 100,000,000
Class XXXXXX - 100,000,000
Class YYYYYY - 100,000,000
Class ZZZZZZ - 100,000,000

 

Class AAAAAAA - 100,000,000
Class BBBBBBB - 100,000,000
Class CCCCCCC - 100,000,000

 

Class Select - 700,000,000
Class Beta 2 - 1,000,000
Class Beta 3 - 1,000,000
Class Beta 4 - 1,000,000
Class Principal Money - 700,000,000
Class Gamma 2 - 1,000,000
Class Gamma 3 - 1,000,000
Class Gamma 4 - 1,000,000

 

-6

 

Class Bear Stearns Money - 2,500,000,000
Class Bear Stearns Municipal Money - 1,500,000,000
Class Bear Stearns Government Money - 1,000,000,000

 

Class Delta 4 - 1,000,000
Class Epsilon 1 - 1,000,000
Class Epsilon 2 - 1,000,000
Class Epsilon 3 - 1,000,000
Class Epsilon 4 - 1,000,000
Class Zeta 1 - 1,000,000
Class Zeta 2 - 1,000,000
Class Zeta 3 - 1,000,000
Class Zeta 4 - 1,000,000
Class Eta 1 - 1,000,000
Class Eta 2 - 1,000,000
Class Eta 3 - 1,000,000
Class Eta 4 - 1,000,000
Class Theta 1 - 1,000,000
Class Theta 2 - 1,000,000
Class Theta 3 - 1,000,000
Class Theta 4 - 1,000,000

 

for a total of 87,523,000,000 shares classified into separate classes of Common Stock.

 

FIFTH: The undersigned President of the Corporation acknowledges these Articles Supplementary to be the corporate act of the Corporation and, as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned President acknowledges that, to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties for perjury.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

-7

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, The RBB Fund, Inc. has caused these presents to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its President and attested by its Secretary on the 14th day of February, 2020.

 

ATTEST:   THE RBB FUND, INC.  
         
/s/ James G. Shaw   By: /s/ Salvatore Faia  
James G. Shaw     Salvatore Faia  
Secretary     President  

 

-8

EXPENSE LIMITATION AND REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT

 

THIS EXPENSE LIMITATION AND REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT (“the Agreement”) is effective as of the 10th day of September 2019 by and between Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) and The RBB Fund, Inc., (the “Company”), on behalf of its series listed on Appendix A hereto (each, a "Fund" and collectively, the “Funds”)

 

WITNESSETH:

 

WHEREAS, the Company is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") as an open-end management investment company; and

 

WHEREAS, the Adviser renders advice and services to the Funds pursuant to the terms and provisions of an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Company and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Funds and their respective classes, are responsible for, and have assumed the obligation for, payment of certain expenses that have not been assumed by the Adviser; and

 

WHEREAS, the Adviser desires to limit each Fund’s Expenses (as such term is defined in Paragraph 2 of this Agreement) pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, and the Company (on behalf of each Fund) desires to allow the Adviser to implement these limits;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, the parties, intended to be legally bound hereby, mutually agree as follows:

 

1. Limit on Expenses. The Adviser hereby agrees to limit each class of a Fund’s current Expenses to an annual rate, expressed as a percentage of each class’ respective average daily net assets, to the amounts listed in Appendix A (the “Annual Limits”). In the event that the current Expenses of a class of a Fund, as accrued each month, exceed its Annual Limit, the Adviser will pay to that class of the Fund, on a monthly basis, the excess expense within thirty (30) calendar days of being notified that an excess expense payment is due. In the event that the Board of Directors of the Company determines that an excess expense payment due date to be other than thirty (30) calendar days, the Company will provide the Adviser with ten (10) calendar days written notice prior to the implementation of such other excess expense payment due date. In no case will an excess expense payment due date be less than fifteen (15) calendar days from the date the Adviser is notified of such excess expense.

 

2. Definition. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Expenses with respect to a Fund is defined to include all expenses necessary or appropriate for the operation of a Fund, including the Adviser’s investment advisory or management fee detailed in the Advisory Agreement, any Rule 12b-1 fees and other expenses described in the Advisory Agreement, but does not include any short sale dividend expense, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes.

 

3. Reimbursement of Fees and Expenses. The Company hereby agrees to reimburse the Adviser for any excess expense payments that are paid or absorbed by the Adviser pursuant to this Agreement set forth above (“Excess Expenses”), subject to the condition set forth in this Section 3. Such reimbursement will be made as promptly as possible, and to the maximum extent permissible without causing the Expenses for any year to exceed the Annual Limit; provided, however, that such reimbursement for Excess Expenses shall be made only if payable within three years of the end of the fiscal year in which such Excess Expenses were incurred.

 

4. Term. This Agreement shall become effective on the date specified herein for an initial term run as listed in Appendix A and for consecutive one-years term thereafter, subject to annual approval by the Board of Directors of the Company, unless sooner terminated as provided in Paragraph 5 of this Agreement.

 

5. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated at any time, and without payment of any penalty, by the Board of Directors of the Company, on behalf of each Fund, upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Adviser. This Agreement may not be terminated by the Adviser, other than at the end of any one-year term by providing sixty (60) days’ written notice to a Fund, without the consent of the Board of Directors of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld. This Agreement will automatically terminate, with respect to a Fund listed in Appendix A, if the Advisory Agreement for that Fund is terminated, with such termination effective upon the effective date of the Advisory Agreement’s termination for that Fund.

 

 

 

6. Assignment. This Agreement and all rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned without the written consent of the other party.

 

7. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute or rule, or shall be otherwise rendered invalid, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

 

8. Governing Law. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties, shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and shall be governed by Delaware law in a manner not in conflict with the provision of the 1940 Act.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

 

THE RBB FUND, INC., on behalf of its series, the Boston Partners Investment Funds (each a "Fund" and collectively the “Funds”).

 

By: /s/ Salvatore Faia  
  Salvatore Faia  
  President  
     
Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.  
     
By: /s/ William G. Butterly, III  
  William G. Butterly, III  
  General Counsel  
     
By: /s/ Greg Varner  
  Greg Varner  
  Chief Financial Officer  

 

 

 

APPENDIX A

 

Portfolio Expense
Limitation
Initial Term
Month End Date
Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II – Institutional Class 1.10% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II – Investor Class 1.35% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund – Institutional Class 2.50% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund – Investor Class 2.75% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – Institutional Class 1.50% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – Investor Class 1.75% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class 0.80% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund – Investor Class 1.05% February 28, 2021
WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class 1.10% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Global Equity Fund – Institutional Class 0.95% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Global Equity Fund – Investor Class 1.20% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund – Institutional Class 2.00% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund – Investor Class 2.25% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund – Institutional Class 1.50% February 28, 2022
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund – Institutional Class 1.10% February 28, 2021

 

AMENDED APPENDIX A

 

Portfolio Expense
Limitation
Initial Term
Month End Date
Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio 1.13% February 28, 2021
Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio 1.35% February 28, 2021
Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio 1.00% February 28, 2021

 

AMENDED APPENDIX A

 

Fund Expense
Limitation
Initial Term
Month End Date
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund – Class A 2.04% February 28, 2021
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund – Class C 2.79% February 28, 2021
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund – Class I 1.79% February 28, 2021
     
Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund – Class A 2.04% February 28, 2021
Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund – Class C 2.79% February 28, 2021
Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund – Class I 1.79% February 28, 2021

 

AMENDED APPENDIX A

 

Fund Expense
Limitation
Initial Term
Month End Date
SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund – Class A 1.23% February 28, 2021
SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund – Class C 1.98% February 28, 2021
SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund – Class I 0.98% February 28, 2021
     
SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund – Class A 1.48% February 28, 2021
SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund – Class C 2.23% February 28, 2021
SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund – Class I 1.23% February 28, 2021
     
SGI Global Equity Fund – Class A 1.09% February 28, 2021
SGI Global Equity Fund – Class C 1.84% February 28, 2021
SGI Global Equity Fund – Class I 0.84% February 28, 2021

 

AMENDED APPENDIX A

(Effective 2/28/2020)

 

 

Portfolio

Expense Limitation

Initial Term

Month End Date

Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II – Institutional Class 1.10% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II – Investor Class 1.35% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund – Institutional Class 1.96% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund – Investor Class 2.21% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – Institutional Class 1.50% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – Investor Class 1.75% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class 0.80% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund – Investor Class 1.05% February 28, 2021
WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class 1.10% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Global Equity Fund – Institutional Class 0.95% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Global Equity Fund – Investor Class 1.20% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund – Institutional Class 2.00% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund – Investor Class 2.25% February 28, 2021
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund – Institutional Class 1.50% February 28, 2022
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund – Institutional Class 1.10% February 28, 2021

 

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

One Logan Square

Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103-6996

Telephone: (215) 988-2700

 

February 28, 2020

 

The RBB Fund, Inc.

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Re: Shares Registered by Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-20827)

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 (the “Amendment”) to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized the issuance and sale by the Company of the following classes and numbers of shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (collectively, the “Shares”), with respect to the Company’s Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund, Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund, WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI Global Equity Fund, and Orinda Income Opportunities Fund:

 

PORTFOLIO CLASS AUTHORIZED SHARES
Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund RRRRR
SSSSS
TTTTT
NNNNNN
100 million
100 million
300 million
100 million
Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund VVVVVV
WWWWWW
XXXXXX
100 million
100 million
100 million

 

 

 

February 28, 2020

Page 2

 

PORTFOLIO CLASS AUTHORIZED SHARES
Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund VV
WW
100 million
100 million
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund WWWWW 100 million
Boston Partners Global Equity Fund CCCCC
DDDDD
100 million
100 million
Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund JJJJJ
KKKKK
100 million
300 million
Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund III
JJJ
100 million
100 million
Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund AAAAA
BBBBB
100 million
750 million
Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II DDD
EEE
100 million
100 million
Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund SSSSSS 100 million
Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund AAAAAAA 100 million
WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund UUU 50 million
Free Market Fixed Income Fund DDDD 700 million
Free Market International Equity Fund CCCC 700 million
Free Market U.S. Equity Fund BBBB 700 million
Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio NNNNN 100 million
Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio MMMMM 100 million
Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio LLLLL 100 million
SGI Global Equity Fund OOOOO
PPPPP
QQQQQ
100 million
100 million
100 million

 

 

 

February 28, 2020

Page 3

 

PORTFOLIO CLASS AUTHORIZED SHARES
SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund AAAAAA
BBBBBB
CCCCCC
100 million
100 million
100 million
SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund GGGGG
HHHHH
ZZZZZ
100 million
100 million
100 million
Orinda Income Opportunities Fund KKKKKK
LLLLLL
MMMMMM
100 million
100 million
100 million

 

The Amendment seeks to register an indefinite number of the Shares.

 

We have reviewed the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, ByLaws, resolutions of its Board of Directors, and such other legal and factual matters as we have deemed appropriate. This opinion is based exclusively on the Maryland General Corporation Law and the federal law of the United States of America.

 

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that the Shares, when issued for payment as described in the Company’s Prospectuses offering the Shares and in accordance with the Company’s Articles of Incorporation for not less than $0.001 per share, will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable by the Company.

 

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Amendment to the Company’s Registration Statement.

 

  Very truly yours,  
     
  /s/ Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP  
  Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP  

 

CONSENT OF COUNSEL

 

We hereby consent to the use of our name and to the reference to our Firm under the caption “Counsel” in the Statements of Additional Information that are included in Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to the Registration Statement (No. 33-20827; 811-5518) on Form N-1A of The RBB Fund, Inc., under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, respectively. This consent does not constitute a consent under section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, and in consenting to the use of our name and the references to our Firm under such caption we have not certified any part of the Registration Statement and do not otherwise come within the categories of persons whose consent is required under said section 7 or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

 

  /s/ Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP  
  FAEGRE DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP  

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

February 28, 2020

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the references to our firm under the captions “Financial Highlights” in the Prospectuses of the Boston Partners Investment Funds, Summit Global Investments, Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund and Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund and “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and “Financial Statements” in the Statements of Additional Information of the Boston Partners Investment Funds, Summit Global Investments, Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund and Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund , and to the incorporation by reference in Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to the Registration Statement of The RBB Fund, Inc. (Form N-1A: File No. 033-20827) of our reports dated October 30, 2019 with respect to the financial statements and financial highlights of Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II, Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, WPG Partners Small/Micro Cap Value Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund, Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund, Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund, SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, SGI Global Equity Fund, Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund and Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund (fifteen of the portfolios constituting The RBB Fund, Inc.) (the “Funds”), included in the Funds’ Annual Reports to shareholders for the year ended August 31, 2019.

 

  /s/ Ernst & Young LLP
   
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  
February 28, 2020  

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form N-1A of our reports dated October 25, 2019, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights, which appear in Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund, Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio, and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio (each constituting a separate series of the RBB Fund, Inc.) Annual Reports on Form N-CSR for the year ended August 31, 2019. We also consent to the references to us under the headings "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm", "Financial Statements", "Financial Highlights", and “Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings” in such Registration Statement.

 

/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Philadelphia, PA

February 28, 2020

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We consent to the references to our firm in the Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of The RBB Fund, Inc. and to the use of our report dated October 30, 2019 on the financial statements and financial highlights of Orinda Income Opportunities Fund, a series of The RBB Fund, Inc. Such financial statements and financial highlights appear in the 2019 Annual Report to Shareholders which is incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information.

 

  /s/ TAIT, WELLER & BAKER LLP

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

February 28, 2020

 

 

 

 

RIVER ROAD ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

 

CONTENTS

 

Background 2
Standards of Conduct 2
Policy 2
Procedure 2
Personal Securities Transactions 5
Background 6
Definitions 6
Policy 6
Procedures 8
Insider Trading 10

 

DECEMBER 2019 CODE OF ETHICS | Page 1

 

 

RIVER ROAD ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) requires investment advisers to establish, maintain, and enforce a written code of ethics that applies to all “supervised persons.”1 An adviser to registered investment companies is also required to adopt a Code of Ethics regarding personal investment activities under the Investment Company Act of 1940, Rule 17j-1. An investment adviser’s Code of Ethics represents an internal control and supervisory review to seek to detect and prevent possible insider trading, conflicts of interests, and regulatory violations.

 

Each employee, temp-to-hire employee, or intern of River Road Asset Management, LLC (“River Road”) is considered a supervised person (“Employee”). Upon hire and on an annual basis thereafter, each Employee must certify in writing or through an online application that they have received and read, understand, and agree to comply with River Road’s Code of Ethics. Employees will receive and shall be required to make a similar certification following any amendment to the Code of Ethics.

 

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

 

Policy

 

Employees must exercise good faith in their dealings with both River Road and its clients, consistent with the high degree of trust and confidence that is placed in each Employee by River Road.

 

The need for the stringent application of this principle is heightened by the necessity that River Road, in turn, exercises the highest degree of ethical conduct in its dealings with its clients. This can be accomplished only through each Employee’s individual commitment to River Road’s values: Loyalty, Integrity, Accountability, and Teamwork.

 

If an Employee discovers that he or she will derive personal gain or benefit from any transaction between River Road and any individual or firm, the Employee must immediately refer the matter and disclose all pertinent facts to River Road’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”).

 

River Road’s standards of conduct are necessarily strict because they are intended for the benefit and protection of River Road and its Employees. No attempt to delineate guidelines for proper conduct can hope to cover every potential situation that may arise during an Employee’s service with River Road. Whenever there is any doubt about the propriety of any action, Employees must discuss the matter with River Road’s CCO. Violations of the Code of Ethics are grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. The standards of conduct set forth herein must be applied fully and fairly without reliance upon technical distinctions to justify questionable conduct.

 

Procedure

 

Conflicts of Interest: Employees may not engage in personal activities that conflict with the best interests of River Road or with the best interests of River Road’s clients. Upon initial hire and annually thereafter, every Employee is required to complete a conflicts of interest questionnaire designed to identify any actual or potential conflicts of interests the Employee may have. If there is any doubt on how to answer the questionnaire, the Employee shall discuss such matters with the CCO or their designee. For the avoidance of doubt, Employees are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest the Employee may have even if not specifically addressed by a question on the conflict of interest questionnaire.

 

Disclosure or Use of Confidential Information: In the normal course of business, Employees may be given or may acquire information about the business of River Road, its clients, or its affiliates which is not available to the general public. This information is confidential and may include, but is not limited to, financial data, business plans and strategies, regulatory information, and information concerning specific trading decisions. In addition to an Employee’s obligations under any other River Road policies or contract with River Road, all Employees are responsible for respecting and maintaining the confidential nature of such information, including taking reasonable care in how and where they discuss, document, store, and dispose of confidential information. Confidential information may only be disclosed within River Road to those who need to know the information to perform their job functions. Nothing in any agreements you may have with River Road or in any River Road policies or handbooks is intended to or shall preclude or impede you from cooperating with any governmental or regulatory entity or agency in any investigation, or from communicating any suspected wrongdoing or violation of law to any such entity or agency, including, but not limited to, reporting pursuant to the “whistleblower rules” promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (Securities Exchange Act Rules 21F-1, et seq.). For the avoidance of doubt, you are not required to give the Company prior notice of, or obtain the Company’s prior written consent in connection with regulatory communications contemplated under the SEC’s or other regulatory entity or agency’s “whistleblower rules.”

 

 

1 Supervised Person is defined as any partner, officer, director (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employee of an investment adviser, or other person who provides investment advice on behalf of the investment adviser and is subject to the supervision and control of the investment adviser.

 

DECEMBER 2019 CODE OF ETHICS | Page 2

 

 

RIVER ROAD ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

 

Material, Non-public Information: Some confidential information is also material, non-public information and subject to the restrictions of federal and state banking and securities laws and regulations as to its communication and use. Material information should be treated as non-public until it is clear the information can be deemed public or ceases to be material, which should be determined in accordance with River Road’s Insider Trading Policies and Procedures.

 

Outside Business or Other Activities: Employees must receive pre-approval from the CCO or their designee for the following outside business or other activities:

 

- Performing outside employment or accepting payment for services rendered to others. This includes engagements for teaching, speaking, and the writing of books and articles. Unless it otherwise presents an actual or potential conflict of interest, interns are not required to report outside employment or payment for services rendered.

 

- Apart from your duties as an Employee of River Road, providing investment advice, guidance or discretion. Examples include, but are not limited to:

 

o Acting as an executor or trustee for a family or non-family member

o Providing investment advice as a member of a non-profit or other organization’s finance committee

 

- Any other activities or ventures (including, but not limited to, business, personal, charitable, or otherwise) that conflict with or could potentially conflict with or interfere with your duties at River Road.

 

Where necessary, the CCO will consult with and/or defer to the CEO for determining whether an activity is approved.

 

Political Activity: In order to comply with the provisions of Rule 206(4)-5 of the Adviser Act, all Employees must comply with the following policies and procedures:

 

Prohibited Activity:

 

River Road Employees are prohibited from making political contributions (defined below) to an incumbent, candidate, or successful candidate for elective office (“Official”) of any state or local governments, their agencies and instrumentalities, and all public pension plans and other collective government funds (“Government Entity”).

 

- A contribution includes a gift, subscription, loan, advance, deposit of money, or anything of value made for the purpose of influencing an election. It also includes transition or inaugural expenses incurred by a successful candidate for state or local office.

 

- A contribution does not include a donation of time by an Employee, so long as River Road has not solicited the Employee’s efforts and River Road’s resources are not used, e.g. office space, telephones, etc. An Employee’s donation of his or her time generally would not be viewed as a contribution if such volunteering were to occur during non-work hours or vacation time.

 

- Employees are also prohibited from hosting fundraising meetings for an Official of a Government Entity or allowing the use of Employee’s name on any fundraising literature, including being listed on an invitation or other marketing and collateral pieces.

 

A political contribution to a federal government official or candidate for federal office is allowed with pre-approval from CCO or their designee in writing, including via email, before any such contributions are made. If the federal candidate is a state or local government official at the time of running for federal office, the donation is prohibited. However, River Road’s Executive Committee reserves the right to prohibit any federal contributions if the Executive Committee finds that it conflicts with the best interests of River Road.

 

Employees are prohibited from doing any of the above prohibited activity directly or indirectly. For example, an Employee cannot channel political contributions through family, friends, an attorney, or a political action committee.

 

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Household Members:

 

Household members of an Employee are not prohibited from making political contributions, but the Employee must provide notice to the CCO or their designee in writing, including via email, before any such contributions are made by a household member.

 

A Political Contribution Form is available in Schwab Compliance Technologies.

 

Borrowing from Clients: You may not borrow money from a client of River Road unless such borrowing is from a bank or other financial institution made in the ordinary course of business on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with members of the general public.

 

Business Transactions for River Road: You may not represent or exercise authority on behalf of River Road in any transaction with any person, firm, company, or organization with which you have any material connection (including, but not limited to, a directorship, officership, family relationship or significant borrowing relationship) or in which you have a material financial interest. You must report any existing or proposed business relationships with any such person, firm, company, or organization to River Road’s CCO or their designee, who will determine with the appropriate levels of management whether such business relationship is “material” for purposes of this prohibition.

 

Business Transactions with River Road: If you are authorized by an outside organization to transact business with River Road on the outside organization’s behalf, you must report such authorization to River Road’s CCO or their designee.

 

Gifts and Entertainment:

 

Gifts Received by Employees

 

Employees cannot receive any gift that is more than $25 annually (calendar year basis) per giver (either person or entity) if:

 

- the giver is paid with client commissions or soft dollars (“Client Assets”) or

- the giver is a party dealing with one of River Road’s ERISA client plans in connection with a transaction involving that plan’s assets.

 

Where a gift is shared among a group, the estimated amount of the gift can be pro-rated among the recipients.

 

Employees are prohibited from receiving gifts from companies that River Road invests in or may invest in on behalf of its clients (excluding de minimis gifts, such as a reasonable onsite lunch or snack during an onsite visit).

 

Gifts Given by Employees

 

No Employee shall, directly or indirectly, give (or permit anyone else to give) anything of service or value, including gratuities, in excess of $100 annually (calendar year basis) to:

 

- any person who is licensed with FINRA, or

- a plan fiduciary of one of River Road’s ERISA clients where the gift relates to the business of recipient’s employer.

 

No Employees shall, directly or indirectly, give (or permit any else to give) any gifts to executives of public companies or their public company board members. This excludes any public companies that are also affiliates or clients of River Road and such gifts are given because of the affiliate or client relationship.

 

Examples of Gifts

 

An example of a gift includes but is not limited to the following: gift certificates, event tickets, gift baskets, golf shirts, sleeves of golf balls, etc. Employees are strictly prohibited from giving or receiving cash or cash equivalents (e.g. gift card) as gifts. No part of this gifting policy is meant to prohibit personal gifts where the relationship is of a personal nature outside of and not arising from employment at River Road.

 

Entertainment

 

If an Employee attends an event or dinner with any person or entity, this is not considered a gift but is considered entertainment.

 

Employees are not allowed to be entertained by:

 

- any person or entity that is paid with Client Assets, or

 

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- any person or entity that is a party dealing with one of River Road’s ERISA client plans in connection with a transaction involving the plan’s assets.

- Any companies that River Road invests in or may invest in on behalf of its clients

 

Employees can attend the event or dinner at River Road’s or the Employee's expense. This provision does not apply if it is logistically unreasonable for the Employee or River Road to pay for the Employee at such event or dinner. For example, if an Employee attends a conference and is incidentally entertained in the normal course of the conference, this provision does not apply.

 

Reporting and Logging

 

Employees are required to report all gifts given or received covered by this policy so they can be tracked by the Compliance Department to ensure compliance with this policy. The Compliance Department monitors and logs all gifts in Schwab Compliance Technologies and determines whether the gift can be kept or must be returned.

 

If there is any question about Gifts and Entertainment, the Employee shall discuss such matters with the CCO or their designee.

 

Improper Payments (Bribes or Kickbacks): Employees shall not take any action that might result in a violation by River Road of the laws of the United States, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, or any other jurisdiction in which River Road does business. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) provides that in no event may payment of anything of value be offered, promised or made to any government, government entity, government official, candidate for political office, political party or official of a political party (including any possible intermediary for any of the above), foreign or domestic, which is, or could be construed as being, for the purposes of receiving favorable treatment or influencing any act or decision by any such person, organization or government for the benefit of River Road or any other person.

 

Economic Sanctions: The Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury promulgates regulations dealing with economic sanctions. No Employee on behalf of River Road may intentionally transact business with those countries or specially designated nationals against which economic sanctions have been imposed unless the appropriate license has been obtained from the OFAC allowing such transaction.

 

Prohibition on the Use of Information from Your Previous Employer: Employees are prohibited from bringing any documents, software or other items to River Road that may contain the Employee’s previous employer’s confidential, trade secret, or proprietary information. This would include such things as computer files, client lists, financial reports, or other materials that belong to your previous employer. If an Employee has any such materials in his or her possession, they should be returned to the former employer immediately unless the Employee (and River Road, as necessary) has received permission from the previous employer to use such materials and the Employee has discussed the issue with River Road’s CCO.

 

Your Duty to Report Abuses of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct Policy or Other Illegal or Unethical Conduct: Employees have a special obligation to advise River Road of any suspected abuses of River Road policy, suspected criminal or unethical conduct, or any violation of securities law, anti-trust, health and safety, environmental, government contract compliance, any other laws, or River Road policies. Employees are required to report any of the preceding promptly to the CCO or the Chief Executive Officer. A Confidential Reporting Form (Whistle) is available in Schwab Compliance Technologies for employees to anonymously report any potential violations to the CCO or the Chief Executive Officer. If reported to the Chief Executive Officer, the CCO will also receive notice of such report. For the avoidance of doubt, the Employee is not required to give the Company prior notice of, or obtain the Company’s prior consent in connection with regulatory communications contemplated under the SEC’s or other regulatory entity or agency’s “whistleblower rules.” The Employee will not be subjected to any form of retaliation for reporting legitimate suspected abuses.

 

Investigations of Reported or Suspected Misconduct: In the event of an investigation regarding possible wrongdoing, Employees must cooperate fully. Information relating to any investigation, including information provided by the Employee or the fact of the Employee’s participation in any investigation, is considered confidential and will only be revealed to individuals not associated with the investigation on a need to know basis. Any request for information or subpoenas involving River Road must be in writing and directed to the CCO who will coordinate with legal counsel.

 

Federal Securities Laws: Employees must comply with applicable Federal Securities Laws.

 

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PERSONAL SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

Background

 

Rule 204A-1 of the Advisers Act requires the reporting of personal securities transactions and holdings periodically as provided below and the maintenance of records of personal securities transactions for those supervised persons who are considered “access persons.”

 

Definitions

 

Access Persons: River Road considers the following persons to be Access Persons:

 

- All officers and employees of River Road, and

 

- All interns and temp-to-hire employees with access to non-public information regarding any clients’ purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Affiliated Fund (defined below).

 

Covered Securities: Covered Securities include everything not defined below, including all common stocks and corporate bonds.

 

Open Securities: The following are Open Securities:

 

1) direct obligations of the Government of the United States,

 

2) bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements,

 

3) shares issued by money market funds,

 

4) shares issued by non-affiliated, open-end funds,

 

5) shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more non-affiliated, open-end funds, and

 

6) municipal bonds (Note: This is still a reportable security for purposes of holdings report/account list report/transaction report, as more fully explained below)

 

Preclearance Securities: Preclearance Securities are exchange traded funds and closed-end funds.

 

Affiliated Fund: An Affiliated Fund is any mutual fund for which River Road serves as an investment adviser or sub-adviser or any mutual fund whose investment adviser or principal underwriter controls River Road, is controlled by River Road, or is under common control with River Road. A full list of Affiliated Funds is available from the Compliance Department upon request.

 

Policy

 

River Road’s policy allows Access Persons to maintain personal securities accounts provided any personal investing by an Access Person in any accounts in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership is consistent with River Road’s fiduciary duties to its clients, regulatory requirements, and this Code of Ethics. An Access Person is presumed to have a beneficial ownership in any personal securities accounts that are held by household members including, but not limited to, the Access Person’s spouse and/or children. However, the CCO has discretion to exempt an Employee from reporting certain household members’ accounts if such exemption is consistent with the Advisers Act. River Road specifically excludes from the requirements of this Code of Ethics any accounts for employees, their household members, or for River Road that are managed via an investment management agreement between the account holder and River Road (“Proprietary Accounts”).

 

Proprietary Accounts are subject to separate River Road policies and procedures that are designed to address the potential conflicts of interest created by Proprietary Accounts.

 

Access Persons’ and their minor children’s (17 years old and under) personal securities transactions are subject to the following rules:

 

(1) Covered Securities:

 

a. Access Persons may not purchase, short, or execute any derivative transactions on any Covered Securities.

 

b. Sell transactions (or its equivalent) are allowed on Covered Securities that were owned prior to employment with preclearance of such transactions from the CCO or their designee.

 

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c. Sell transactions of fractional shares due to stock splits or similar corporate actions do not require preclearance.

 

d. Donation of Covered Securities by an Access Person is allowed with preclearance of such donation from the CCO or their designee.

 

(2) Preclearance Securities:

 

a. Access Persons may purchase, sell, short, cover, or execute derivative transactions on Preclearance Securities with preclearance of such transactions from the CCO or their designee.

 

b. Access Persons that participate in defined contribution or automatic investment plans must obtain preclearance for their asset allocations in Preclearance Securities and also for any changes made thereafter from the CCO or their designee.

 

c. Donation of Preclearance Securities by an Access Person is allowed with preclearance of such donation from the CCO or their designee.

 

(3) Open Securities and Affiliated Funds: Access Persons may purchase, sell, short, cover, donate or execute derivative transactions on Open Securities or Affiliated Funds without preclearance. Except see Minimum Holding Period section below related to Affiliated Funds.

 

Access Persons may apply for an exception from a trading restriction from the CCO, which application may be granted or denied based on the surrounding facts and circumstances.

 

The CCO must obtain preapproval from the Chief Risk Officer or their designee when effecting a transaction that requires preclearance.

 

Household members’ personal securities transactions are subject to the following rules:

 

(1) Covered Securities:

 

a. Household members may purchase, sell, short, cover, or execute derivative transactions on Covered Securities with preclearance of such transactions from the CCO or their designee. Sell transactions of fractional shares due to stock splits or similar corporate actions do not require preclearance.

 

b. Donation of Covered Securities by a household member is allowed with preclearance of such donation from the CCO or their designee.

 

(2) Preclearance Securities:

 

a. Household members may purchase, sell, short, cover, or perform derivative transactions on Preclearance Securities with preclearance of such transactions from the CCO or their designee.

 

b. Household members that participate in defined contribution or automatic investment plans that offer Preclearance Securities for investment must obtain preclearance of their asset allocations for Preclearance Securities and any changes made to the allocations thereafter from the CCO or their designee.

 

c. Donation of Preclearance Securities by a household member is allowed with preclearance of such donation from the CCO or their designee.

 

(3) Open Securities and Affiliated Funds: Household members may purchase, sell, short, cover, donate or perform derivative transactions on Open Securities or Affiliated Funds without any preclearance. Except see Minimum Holding Period section below related to Affiliated Funds.

 

Minimum Holding Period: Access Persons shall not purchase and sell or sell and purchase the same Affiliated Fund within 30 calendar days. Exceptions may be pre-approved on a case-by-case basis by the CCO. In addition to the exclusions listed above, this rule will not be triggered by purchases made pursuant to an automatic investment plan (e.g., purchases made at pre-defined intervals and amounts).

 

Miscellaneous: If an Access Persons comes across a situation that is not specifically addressed by this policy, the Access Person must bring the situation to the CCO or their designee for review. The Executive Committee has the right to limit an Access Person’s personal trading if the Executive Committee deems it to be excessive in volume or complexity as to require a

 

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level of personal time and attention that interferes with the performance of employment duties. This will be determined by the Executive Committee based upon surrounding facts and circumstances.

 

Portfolio Managers Investment: Following a reasonable period of employment, all portfolio managers are required to have a minimum of 30% of their liquid, invested assets (excluding cash) in River Road strategies (including via relevant Affiliated Funds). A reasonable period of employment will be established by the CCO and, if necessary, the CEO. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by written consent of the CCO.

 

Procedures

 

River Road has adopted the following procedures to implement and monitor the firm’s policy:

 

Holdings Report

 

Requirements: In accordance with Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Access Persons shall identify on a form provided by the CCO or their designee (which may be through an online application) all Covered Securities, Preclearance Securities, Affiliated Funds, and municipal bonds in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership, including any of the preceding held in certificate form (excludes securities held in accounts over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control). Each Holdings Report must contain the following information:

 

(1) The title and type of security

 

(2) The exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number (as applicable)

 

(3) The number of shares

 

(4) The principal amount of each security

 

(5) The name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintains an account in which securities are held

 

(6) The date the Access Person submits the report

 

An Access Person can satisfy the initial or annual holdings report requirement by timely filing and dating a copy of each investment account statement that lists all of the Access Person’s Covered Securities, Preclearance Securities, Affiliated Funds, and municipal bonds but only if the statement provides all information required in (1) through (6) above. This can also be satisfied by allowing the Compliance Department to have electronic view-only access to the Employee’s account/statements directly via the custodian or broker website. If an Access Person has previously provided statements with all of the required information and the CCO or their designee has maintained a copy of the statements, the Access Person can satisfy the initial or annual holdings report requirement by timely confirming the accuracy of the statements (in writing or through an online application). If the statements do not contain all of the required information or if the securities are not held in an account, the Access Person must list out the required information for those securities on the Holdings Report.

 

Timing: Each Access Person must submit a Holdings Report to the CCO or their designee within 10 days of becoming an Access Person and annually thereafter. The CCO or their designee is responsible for contacting new Access Persons and sending out initial and annual Holdings Report forms to all Access Persons. The information on the Holdings Report or its equivalent must be current as of a date:

 

- Not more than 45 days prior to the date the person became an Access Person, in the case of an initial Holdings Report, or

 

- Not more than 45 days prior to the date the report was submitted, in the case of an annual Holdings Report.

 

Investment Account List

 

Requirements: Each Access Person shall identify on a form provided by the CCO or their designee (which may be through an online application) a list of all investment accounts over which the Access Person has direct or indirect beneficial ownership, except that the Access Person is not required to list any of the following:

 

- Accounts where Covered Securities, Preclearance Securities, Affiliated Funds, and municipal bonds are not available for purchase or sell.

 

- Accounts where Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control.

 

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Timing: Each Access Person must submit an Account List to the CCO or their designee within 10 days of becoming an Access Person and annually thereafter. Additionally, after becoming an Access Person, each Access Person must promptly disclose to the CCO or their designee any new investment accounts required to be reported pursuant to this Code of Ethics.

 

Brokerage: No Access Person shall open or maintain personal accounts with the institutional broker representatives through which River Road executes non-directed transactions on behalf of advisory clients.

 

Quarterly Investment Account Statements: It is the responsibility of the Access Person to provide copies of their investment account statements and transaction confirmations or direct their broker to send copies of their investment account statements and transaction confirmations directly to River Road or to where the Compliance Department designates (which may be satisfied via electronic feed or online access, as available).

 

The investment account statements and confirms shall contain all transactions of Access Person, including transactions in Covered Securities, Preclearance Securities, Affiliated Funds, and municipal bonds. As necessary, investment account statements and confirms shall be received no later than 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter. Confirms do not need to be received for transactions that are effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan.

 

Preclearance of Personal Securities Transactions

 

Requirements: All Access Persons must obtain approval for their transactions or for their household members’ transactions in a Preclearance or Covered Security from the CCO or their designee by filling out a preclearance transaction form (which may be through an online application).

 

Timing: Preclearance of a trade shall be valid and in effect only until the end of the next business day following the day preclearance is given. If a trade is not made in that timeframe, then a new preclearance must be obtained. A preclearance also expires if and when the person becomes, or should have become, aware of facts or circumstances that would prevent a proposed trade from being precleared.

 

Transaction Reports

 

Requirements: Each person shall identify on a form provided by the CCO or their designee (which may be through an online application) a quarterly securities transaction report that lists all transactions in Covered Securities, Preclearance Securities, Affiliated Funds, and municipal bonds. Each Transaction Report must contain the following information:

 

(1) The date of the transaction

 

(2) The title of the security

 

(3) The exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number (as applicable)

 

(4) The interest rate and maturity date (as applicable)

 

(5) The number of shares

 

(6) The principal amount of each security involved

 

(7) The nature of the transactions (i.e. purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition)

 

(8) The price of the security at which the transaction was effected

 

(9) The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected

 

(10) The date the Access Person submits the report

 

Timing: Each Access Person must submit the Transaction Report no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. The report must cover all transactions during the quarter.

 

The following are excluded from Preclearance Rules, Minimum Holding Period Rule, and Transaction Reports:

 

- Purchases or sales effected in any account over which the Access Person has no direct influence or control, including non-volitional investment programs or rights;

- Purchases effected by reinvesting cash dividends pursuant to an automatic dividend reimbursement program (“DRIP”). This exemption does not apply, however, to optional cash purchase pursuant to a DRIP;

- Purchases of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities ( if such rights were acquired from such issuer) and the exercise of such rights; and,

 

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- Transactions involving the exercise of employee stock options.

 

Personal Investments: You must exercise sound judgment in making personal investments in order to avoid situations contrary to the best interests of River Road. You must also avoid imprudent and questionable activity.

 

Prohibited Dealings: Trading based upon or communicating “inside information” is prohibited under any and all circumstances. It is prohibited to use the facilities of River Road to secure new issues for any non-clients, directly or indirectly. Access Persons are not permitted to, directly or indirectly, purchase securities from or sell securities to client accounts.

 

Initial Public Offerings and Limited Offerings: Access Persons may not directly or indirectly acquire beneficial ownership in any security in an initial public offering. Access Persons may not directly or indirectly acquire an interest in a limited offering without approval from the CCO. The approval is based, in part, on whether the investment opportunity should be reserved for clients.

 

Initial public offering means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a), the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)).

 

Limited offering means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to section 4(2) or section 4(6) (15 U.S.C. 77d(2) or 77d(6)) or pursuant to §§ 230.504, 230.505, or 230.506 of this chapter.

 

Investment Person Disclosure: Access Persons who have been authorized to acquire securities in a private placement or who have beneficial interests prior to employment with River Road are required to disclose the investment when they play a part in any subsequent consideration of client investments in the issuer. In such circumstances, River Road's decision to purchase securities is subject to an independent review by investment personnel with no personal interest in the

 

issuer. Investment Persons, when recommending any security, shall disclose any direct, indirect, or potential conflict of interest related to the issuer of the security being recommended.

 

Adviser Review: The Compliance Department will review (which includes via automated processes) all Access Persons’ transactions and reporting outlined in this document for compliance with the firm’s policies, including the Insider Trading Policy, regulatory requirements, and the firm’s fiduciary duties to its clients, among other things. The CCO tracks any apparent violations or requested exemptions and reports such activity to the Executive Committee at least quarterly. The Executive Committee will determine any corrective action and/or sanctions that should be imposed.

 

Records: The Company shall maintain records in accordance with the Books and Records Policies and Procedures found in River Road’s Policies and Procedures Manual.

 

INSIDER TRADING

 

The Employee certifies that he/she has read, and will abide by the Insider Trading Policies and Procedures found in River Road’s Policies and Procedures Manual.

 

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5. Personal Account Transaction Policy

 

Introduction

Each Setanta employee is obliged to comply with the conditions of the Personal Account Transaction Policy and Procedure as outlined below, which covers all personal trades. The procedures cover personal transaction dealings by staff in financial instruments, transaction dealings in financial instruments by related parties, and any trading activity in which a staff member has a beneficial interest.

 

US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Access Person rules apply to employees of a registered investment adviser who have access to prescribed non-public information. Given the nature of Setanta’s business it is Setanta’s policy to apply the Access Person rules to all staff of the firm.

 

A Personal Account (PA) transaction:

 

Is a trade in a financial instrument i.e. transferable securities such as equity and debt securities and ETFs, as well as derivative securities, private investment funds, shares of investment companies and collective investment schemes, and investments in unit investment trusts;
PA transactions refers to trades by;
- An employee of Setanta;
- A related party of an employee , i.e. a spouse/partner, or any other person whose business, private or familial relationship with you as an employee of Setanta might reasonably be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest in dealings for clients of Setanta;
- Other parties in circumstances where an employee has a material interest in the outcome or where the employee believes it may be a relevant transaction to report, e.g. where the employee may obtain benefits substantially equivalent to ownership by reason of any relationship/arrangement;
They include both voluntary and involuntary2 transactions.

 

Insider Dealing

No employee may deal, or otherwise advise anyone else to deal, in the stock or shares of a company while in the possession of price sensitive information. The legal requirements in relation to insider dealing are laid out in the Investment Funds, Companies and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2005.

 

Speculative Dealings

Dealings in margined transactions (including futures, CFDs and financial spread betting) are prohibited. Dealings in traded options are permitted only when they involve the purchase of call or put options, and are subject to PA Dealing Approval. Dealing in futures linked to a market index is permitted and is subject to PA Dealing Approval.

 

Setanta Trading / Holdings

Employees may not deal in any share when a fund managed by Setanta is building a position or disposing of a position in that share. Staff must not enter into a personal transaction which involves the misuse of confidential client information.

If Setanta is building a position and has traded the stock in the last seven days or if the security is on the trade blotter, approval shall not be granted except in very exceptional cases noted in the approval.

 

 

2 Involuntary transactions are exempt from the pre-approval requirement; however must be disclosed in the annual holdings submission if the financial instrument is held at the time of preparing your annual holdings form.

 

1 

 

PROCEDURES

 

PA Transaction Approval and Trading Process

- Prior approval must be obtained for all relevant transaction dealings by staff, by their related parties, or in any trades in which staff have a material or beneficial interest.
- Sign-off by Compliance is required.
- The PA Transaction Approval Form can be found on Setanta’s Intranet and is available to all staff.

 

Trades which require prior written approval include:

- Voluntary transactions3 initiated on the instructions of the relevant person (or related party) and where the timing is under discretion of the relevant person.
- In any financial instrument, including shares and fixed interest securities (quoted or unquoted), and in initial public offerings and limited offerings.

 

Trades which do not need to be pre-approved, but must be reported afterwards:

Involuntary transactions, i.e. a transaction where the timing occurs outside of the control of employee e.g. annual Employee Bonus Share Scheme, a compulsory corporate action (deemed to include IPO’s, bonus issues, rights issues). Staff should confirm with the Compliance Department if in doubt.

 

Unit-linked funds managed by Setanta

Transactions in unit-linked funds including pension policies do not require prior approval.

 

In general, staff holdings in unit linked policies align personal interest with policyholders rather than conflicting interest. The rules for unit transactions and timing are no different for employees. Individual unit holder transactions are also immaterial in relation to the size of the fund.

 

Staff should be mindful of any conflicts of interest they may have in relation to dealings in unit- linked funds, this would include knowledge of pricing basis changes etc. Any questions on conflicts of interest should be referred to Compliance.

 

Excessive activity by staff in unit-linked funds is considered to be a conflict of interest.

 

Employee Declaration

Each employee must sign a declaration confirming that they have carefully considered whether any information they have in respect of any shares or instruments they are seeking approval to transact in might be considered price sensitive information, and therefore would breach any of the provisions of the insider dealing laws in Ireland, the US or any other country. Each employee must also declare that they have no conflict of interest to declare regarding the proposed transaction(s), and must confirm that the transaction proposed does not involve the misuse of confidential client information. This declaration is included in the PA Transaction Approval Form.

 

Process for requesting written approval

 

Dealing Process

- Staff members must complete the Personal Account Transaction form.
- All steps in the approval process must be obtained prior to all share / security dealings and dealings by related parties.

 

 

3 A voluntary transaction is one which is initiated on the instructions of the relevant person and the timing is under discretion of the relevant person

 

2 

 

Approval

Approval must be obtained from one of the following members of senior management:

- The Managing Director;
- Marketing Director;
- Business Development Manager.
- PA dealings by the Marketing Director and the Business Development Manager must be approved by the Managing Director.
- PA transactions by the Managing Director must be approved by a non-executive director of the Setanta Board, the Head of Compliance and Risk, The Director of Group Compliance and Operational Risk, or the Group Chief Actuary & Chief Risk Officer.
- The time and date of the approval is required to be evidenced on the PA Account Transaction Form.
- Note as detailed above, if Setanta has traded the stock in the last seven days or if the security is on the trade blotter, approval shall not be granted.
- Portfolio Managers and the Managing Director must also confirm on their PA Transaction Forms that they are not planning to trade the stock on behalf of Setanta.

 

If prior written approval cannot be granted, staff are prohibited from executing PA transactions.

 

The approver should only grant approval on the basis that the transaction is permitted by Regulation, is not contrary to the Firm’s conflict of interest policy and /or this Code of Conduct.

 

Compliance sign-off

- Once approval has been granted by senior management (or a non-executive director), sign- off must be obtained from a member of the compliance team before trading.
- Compliance will require confirmation that Setanta has not traded in the stock in last seven days where Setanta are building or disposing of a position in that share. Compliance will also review the transaction for any other potential conflicts of interest. The Approval of the transaction and the compliance sign-off should only be granted on the basis that the transaction is permitted by Regulation, is not contrary to Setanta’s Conflict of Interest Policy and /or Code of Conduct.
- In the case of Irish Equities, Compliance will check to see if Setanta are currently in the process of a material transition of Irish Equity portfolios e.g. as a result of an individual client mandate request or fund rebalancing. If such a situation arises then permission will not be granted for any trades in relatively illiquid Irish securities.
- The approval is valid for 24 hours from the time of sign-off from compliance unless specific approval to extend the 24 hour timeframe is granted by approvers in step one and noted on the PA Transaction Form
- Staff must hold the stock for a minimum period of 30 calendar days from the date of settlement, unless specific approval to dispose of the stock earlier is obtained. The approval should note the reason for early disposal.

 

Counterparty/ Broker in respect of PA Deals

In the case of personal account trading with a broker on the Setanta Authorised Stockbroker Panel, the trade must be carried out through the private client department /arm of the stockbroker firm.

 

Records of transactions

The PA Transaction Approval Form must be retained in Compliance. A copy of the contract note must be forwarded to the Compliance Department within 8 working days of the trade being placed.

 

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The completed forms are held in a locked cabinet within the Compliance Unit. All the private and sensitive information contained in the application forms are held by Setanta in accordance with the Data Protection Code.

 

Additional Restrictions for Directors of Setanta

There are additional restrictions in relation to entering into PA deals in respect of the purchase or sale of Canada Life / GWL Group company shares by Directors/Insiders – please refer to GWL Code of Conduct.

 

Discretionary Managed Portfolios

For employees and related parties of employees who have discretionary managed portfolios, a letter must be sent to the relevant Discretionary Manager/Broker advising them of your employment with Setanta. A copy of this letter must be given to the Compliance Unit. This letter must request that the Discretionary Manager/Broker forward a copy of all contract notes to the Compliance Unit in Setanta. Discretionary Managers/Brokers may then trade in line with their respective in-house policy. However, if the Discretionary Manager/Broker discloses a potential trade to the employee of Setanta then that trade becomes subject to the Setanta Personal Account Transaction policy and must be approved in line with the above conditions.

 

Employee Bonus Share Scheme: Great-West Lifeco Inc. Shares

Advance approval is required for any disposal of Great-West Lifeco shares acquired by the Employee via the Employee Share Ownership Scheme, or otherwise. This is in accordance with normal PA Transaction Procedures.

 

Any acquisition of shares by an employee in Great-West Lifeco Inc, other than by an Employee Share Ownership Scheme, requires the prior written approval and the completion of the PA Transaction Approval Form in respect of the trade(s) (as per any normal PA Transaction in accordance with the normal PA Transaction Procedures).

 

PA Dealing Reporting

All staff are designated as ‘Access Persons’ in accordance with SEC Rules. This means that all staff, irrespective of the frequency and volume of personal transaction activities, are subject to the SEC transaction reporting requirements.

 

The on-going reporting process is facilitated and managed by Compliance.

 

Holding Report

All staff must submit Annual Holding Reports disclosing all reportable securities holdings (i.e. holdings in all financial instruments, with certain limited exceptions) in which they have any direct or indirect beneficial ownership or investment control.

 

This information must be reported using the Annual Holding Report Form. The form is located in the Setanta Internet.

The Annual Holding Report must be submitted to the compliance department by the 28th February each year. The information provided must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the report submission date.

 

Staff must report all Reportable Securities holdings (i.e. all holdings in financial instruments) in this form and the identity of all investment accounts, identifying:

 

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- the title and type of security, exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of each Reportable Security in which staff have any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership or Investment Control; and
- the name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom an account is maintained in which any Reportable Securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of staff (including accounts held by any member of their immediate family).

 

Staff with no information to disclose are required to submit a ‘nil report’ and employee declaration certifying that the staff member has no other information to report.

 

New Employees

New joiners must submit a Holding Report to Compliance within 10 working days of joining, as part of the induction process. Line managers must ensure that all new staff receive a copy of the Holding Report form and a copy of the Setanta Code of Business Conduct and Ethics on commencement of employment.

 

All PA Dealing documentation and reports submitted to the Compliance Department are treated as confidential, are held securely and are subject to restricted access.

 

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