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Share Name | Share Symbol | Market | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Energy and Technology Corp (PK) | USOTC:ENGT | OTCMarkets | Common Stock |
Price Change | % Change | Share Price | Bid Price | Offer Price | High Price | Low Price | Open Price | Shares Traded | Last Trade | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.00 | 0.00% | 0.022 | 0.022 | 0.1979 | 0.00 | 12:59:54 |
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission March 28, 2013
File Nos. 002-67052 and 811-03023
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Post-Effective Amendment No. 400
AND
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
Amendment No. 401
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________
FORUM FUNDS
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600
Portland, Maine 04101
207-347-2090
Stacy Fuller, Esq.
K&L Gates LLP
1601 K Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
Copies to:
Lina Bhatnagar
Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC
Three Canal Plaza
Portland, ME 04101
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________
It is proposed that this filing will become effective:
[ ] | immediately upon filing pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (b)(1) | ||||
[X] | On April 1, 2013, pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (b)(1) | ||||
[ ] | 60 days after filing pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(1) | ||||
[ ] | on __________, pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(1) | ||||
[ ] | 75 days after filing pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(2) | ||||
[ ] | on __________, pursuant to Rule 485, paragraph (a)(2) | ||||
[ ] | this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
Title of series being registered: LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund
LMCG FUNDS
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
Investor Shares
(
GMNRX
)
Institutional Shares
(
GMNIX
)
PROSPECTUS
April 1, 2013
Table of Contents
Summary Section | 1 | |||||||
Investment Objective | 1 | |||||||
Fees and Expenses | 1 | |||||||
Principal Investment Strategies | 2 | |||||||
Principal Investment Risks | 2 | |||||||
Performance Information | 4 | |||||||
Management | 4 | |||||||
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares | 4 | |||||||
Tax Information | 4 | |||||||
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries | 4 | |||||||
Details Regarding Principal Investment Strategies and Risks | 5 | |||||||
Additional Information Regarding Principal Investment Strategies | 5 | |||||||
Additional Information Regarding Principal Investment Risks | 6 | |||||||
Management | 8 | |||||||
The Adviser | 8 | |||||||
Portfolio Managers | 8 | |||||||
Other Service Providers | 9 | |||||||
Fund Expenses | 9 | |||||||
Information Regarding Dividend and Interest Expenses on Short Sales | 9 | |||||||
Adviser Related Performance | 11 | |||||||
Your Account | 12 | |||||||
How to Contact the Fund | 12 | |||||||
General Information | 12 | |||||||
Choosing a Share Class | 14 | |||||||
Buying Shares | 15 | |||||||
Selling Shares | 18 | |||||||
Exchanging Shares | 21 | |||||||
Retirement Accounts | 22 | |||||||
Other Information | 23 | |||||||
Financial Highlights | 25 |
Summary Section
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund (the "Fund") seeks capital appreciation independent of equity market conditions.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
(1) "Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts expected to be incurred for the current fiscal year.
(2) Dividend and interest expense on short sales occur when the Fund sells an equity or debt security short to gain the inverse exposure necessary to meet its investment objective. When the Fund sells a security short, the Fund borrows the security from a lender and then sells the security in the general market. The Fund is obligated to pay an amount equivalent to any dividend declared or interest paid during the duration of the short position to the lender from which the Fund borrowed the security and is obligated to record the payment of the dividend or interest as an expense. Dividend and interest expenses on short sales are not fees charged to shareholders by the Fund or any Fund service provider but are similar to transaction charges or capital expenditures related to the on-going management of the Fund's portfolio. "Dividend and Interest Expenses on Short Sales" are based on estimated amounts expected to be incurred for the current fiscal year.
(3) Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive its fee and/or reimburse Fund expenses to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding all taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, proxy expenses and extraordinary expenses) of Investor Shares and Institutional Shares to 1.85% and 1.60%, respectively, through March 31, 2014 ("Expense Cap"). The Adviser may be reimbursed by the Fund for fees waived and expenses reimbursed by the Adviser pursuant to the Expense Cap if such payment (1) is made within three years of the fee waiver or expense reimbursement, (2) is approved by the Board and (3) does not cause the Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the Expense Cap. The Expense Cap may only be raised or eliminated with the consent of the Board of Trustees. Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses will increase if exclusions from the Expense Cap apply.
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 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | |||||||
Investor Shares | $338 | $1,204 | ||||||
Institutional Shares | $313 | $1,120 |
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 annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.
Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC (the "Adviser"), seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by primarily investing in long and short positions in common stocks of companies in the MSCI All Country World IMI Index (the "Index"), which includes securities of companies across large, mid and small cap segments in U.S. and foreign developed and emerging market countries. The location of companies in which the Fund invests may be determined by a company's country of incorporation or by the location of the securities exchange on which a company is principally traded. The Fund expects to invest primarily in U.S. and foreign developed market countries such as Germany, France, United Kingdom, Japan and Hong Kong. The Fund's investment strategy is centered on fundamental principles and uses well-known investment metrics to evaluate securities in a quantitative framework. Stocks are ranked on a variety of quantitative factors which are used to produce an overall attractiveness score. The Fund takes long positions in companies that the Adviser believes represent the most relatively attractive versus their industry peers and short positions in companies that the Adviser believes represent the most relatively unattractive versus their peers.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund's long and short positions are expected to be dollar balanced to provide minimal equity market exposure and a low correlation to global equity markets. The Fund's net exposure to beta, sector, market capitalization, region and country will be managed to be as neutral as possible. The Fund's market neutral strategy may cause it to experience high portfolio turnover. As of June 30, 2012, the market capitalization range of companies in the Index was $3 million to $419 billion.
The Fund's net asset value ("NAV") and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its portfolio securities. You could lose money on your investment in the Fund or the Fund could underperform other investments. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
It is important that investors closely review and understand the risks of investing in the Fund.
Market Events Risk. Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund.
Equity Risk. The Fund's equity holdings, which include common stocks, may decline in value because of changes in price of a particular holding or a broad stock market decline. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which may relate directly to the issuer of a security or broader economic or market events including changes in interest rates.
2
Foreign Investments Risk. Foreign investments may be subject to the same risks as domestic investments and to additional risks which include international trade, currency, political, regulatory and diplomatic risks, which may affect their value. Also, foreign securities are subject to the risk that their market price may not reflect the issuer's condition because there is not sufficient publicly available information about the issuer. Investments in securities of foreign issuers may also be subject to foreign withholding and other taxes.
High Turnover Risk. The Fund's strategy may result in high turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.
Large Capitalization Company Risk. The Fund's investments in large capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because they may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.
Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed, and its performance will reflect the Adviser's ability to make investment decisions that are suited to achieving the Fund's investment objectives.
Market Neutral Style Risk. During a "bull" market, when most equity securities and long-only mutual funds are increasing in value, the Fund's short positions will likely cause the Fund to underperform the overall U.S. equity market and many other mutual funds. This underperformance is an expected effect of the ongoing hedging techniques that are a core component of the Fund's strategy.
Mid Capitalization Company Risk. The Fund's investments in mid capitalization companies may be less liquid and their securities' prices may fluctuate more than those of larger, more established companies.
Quantitative Strategy Risk. The quantitative models used by the Adviser may be similar to the models used by other quantitative managers. To the extent that they are similar, the Fund's price movements may have a high degree of correlation to other quantitative funds. This potential portfolio overlap with other quantitative funds could lead to periods of high volatility, especially in the event that other managers choose to rapidly sell securities or close short positions.
Segregation Risk. The risk associated with any requirements, which may be imposed on the Fund, to segregate assets or enter into offsetting positions in connection with investments in derivatives. Such segregation will not limit the Fund's exposure to loss, and the Fund may incur investment risk with respect to the segregated assets to the extent that, but for the applicable segregation requirement, the Fund would sell the segregated assets.
Short Selling Risk. The Fund may engage in short sales of securities by borrowing a security and then selling it. If the Fund buys back the security at a higher price, the Fund will incur a loss on the transaction. Furthermore, because the loss on a short sale stems from increases in the value of the security sold short, the extent of such loss is theoretically unlimited. The Fund's use of short sales also may involve additional transactions costs and other expenses, and may decrease liquidity of the Fund. In addition, a short sale may create leverage and as a result, may cause relatively smaller adverse market movement to have a disproportionate impact on the Fund's performance.
In addition, when the Fund is selling stocks short, it must maintain a segregated account of cash and/or liquid assets with its custodian to satisfy collateral and regulatory requirements. As a result, the Fund may maintain high levels of cash or liquid assets in addition to incurring Segregation Risk.
Small Capitalization Company Risk. The Fund's investments in small capitalization companies may be less liquid and their securities' prices may fluctuate more than those of larger, more established companies.
Tax Risk. In addition to the potential for large capital gain distributions, it is expected that most or all of the gains distributed will be categorized as short-term capital gains, which are subject to higher tax rates than long-term capital gains.
3
Investment Adviser . Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC is the Fund's investment adviser.
Portfolio Managers . The following individuals are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund:
Gordon Johnson, PhD, CFA, has been the co-portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2013.
Shannon Ericson, CFA, has been a co-portfolio manager and an analyst for the Fund since its inception in 2013.
Vikram Srimurthy, PhD, CFA, has been a co-portfolio manager and an analyst for the Fund since its inception in 2013.
You may purchase or sell (redeem) shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business. You may purchase or redeem shares directly from the Fund by calling (877) 591-4667 (toll free) or writing to the Fund at LMCG Funds, P.O. Box 588, Portland, Maine 04112. You also may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund through your financial intermediary. The Fund accepts investments in the following minimum amounts:
Investor Shares | Institutional Shares | |||||||||||||
Minimum
Initial Investment |
Minimum
Additional Investment |
Minimum
Initial Investment |
Minimum
Additional Investment |
|||||||||||
Standard Accounts | $2,500 | $100 | $100,000 | None | ||||||||||
Retirement Accounts | $2,500 | $100 | $100,000 | None |
Shareholders may receive distributions from the Fund, which may be taxed to shareholders other than tax-exempt investors (such as tax-deferred retirement plans and accounts) as ordinary income or capital gains.
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.
4
Details Regarding Principal Investment Strategies And Risks
The Fund seeks capital appreciation independent of equity market conditions. The Fund's investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without a vote of shareholders.
The Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by primarily investing in long and short positions in common stocks of companies in the MSCI All Country World IMI Index (the "Index"), which includes securities of companies across large, mid and small cap segments in U.S. and foreign developed and emerging market countries. The location of companies in which the Fund invests may be determined by a company's country of incorporation or by the location of the securities exchange on which a company is principally traded. The Fund expects to invest primarily in U.S. and foreign developed market countries such as Germany, France, United Kingdom, Japan and Hong Kong. The Fund's investment strategy is centered on fundamental principles and uses well-known investment metrics to evaluate securities in a quantitative framework. Stocks are ranked on a variety of quantitative factors which are used to produce an overall attractiveness score. The Fund takes long positions in companies that the Adviser believes represent the most relatively attractive versus their industry peers and short positions in companies that the Adviser believes represent the most relatively unattractive versus their peers.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund's long and short positions are expected to be dollar balanced to provide minimal equity market exposure and a low correlation to global equity markets. The Fund's net exposure to beta, sector, market capitalization, region and country will be managed to be as neutral as possible. The Fund's market neutral strategy may cause it to experience high portfolio turnover. As of June 30, 2012, the market capitalization range of companies in the Index was $3 million to $419 billion.
The Fund generally intends to purchase securities for long-term investment. However, the Fund may at times purchase securities in anticipation of relatively short-term gains. The Fund may trim its position in a security or eliminate a security from its portfolio for various reasons, including in connection with the Fund's liquidity requirements, as a result of the security having reached a target price ratio or yield objective determined by the Adviser, the Adviser's loss of confidence in a company's management, the Adviser's belief that another security offers a better opportunity, or by reason of an unforeseen economic or other development. The Fund may also sell a security and simultaneously purchase the same or a comparable security to take advantage of short-term differentials in securities prices.
The Adviser's Process. The Adviser's process is based on a proprietary bottom-up quantitative methodology. This methodology utilizes fundamental publicly-available data, which generally includes market price, earnings estimates and information from balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements and is gathered daily for a universe of companies across the globe in the industries and geographic regions included in the Index. Various quantitative factors are computed daily for these companies based on fundamental data relative to peers. These factors are then weighted and aggregated together to create an overall attractiveness score for an individual stock.
The Adviser seeks to select stocks whose overall score is attractive versus their peers on the long side and unattractive versus their peers on the short side. The Adviser will evaluate the Fund's exposures within each region, country, sector, and market capitalization, and will seek to maintain balanced exposures in the Fund.
Temporary Defensive Position. In order to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may assume a temporary defensive position that is inconsistent with its principal investment objective and/or strategies and may invest, without limitation, in cash or high quality cash equivalents (including money market instruments, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, banker's acceptances and time deposits). A defensive position, taken at the wrong time, may have an adverse impact on the Fund's performance. The Fund may be unable to achieve its investment objective during the employment of a temporary defensive position.
5
The Fund's NAV and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its portfolio securities. You could lose money on your investment in the Fund, or the Fund could underperform other investments. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Events Risk. Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund.
Equity Risk. Equity holdings, including common stocks, may decline in value because of changes in price of a particular holding or a broad stock market decline. These fluctuations could be a drastic movement or a sustained trend. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which may relate directly to the issuer of a security, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services or broader economic or market events, including changes in interest rates. Common stocks in general are subject to the risk of an issuer liquidating or declaring bankruptcy, in which case the claims of owners of the issuer's debt securities and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of common stockholders. The value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates rise and, because of the conversion feature, tends to vary with fluctuation in the market value of the underlying securities.
Foreign Investments Risk. The value of foreign investments may be affected by the imposition of new or amended government regulations, changes in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and another country, political and economic instability, the imposition or tightening of exchange controls or other limitations on repatriation of foreign capital or nationalization, increased taxation or confiscation of investors' assets. Changes in the exchange rate between U.S. dollars and a foreign currency may reduce the value of an investment made in a security denominated in that foreign currency. Also, foreign securities are subject to the risk that an issuer's securities may not reflect the issuer's condition because there is not sufficient publicly available information about the issuer. This risk may be greater for investments in issuers in emerging or developing markets. Investments in securities of foreign issuers may also be subject to foreign withholding and other taxes.
High Turnover Risk. The Fund's investment strategy may from time to time result in higher turnover rates. This may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs. The performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by the increased brokerage commission costs incurred by the Fund. Rapid portfolio turnover also exposes shareholders to a higher current realization of short-term capital gains, distributions of which would generally be taxed to you as ordinary income and thus cause you to pay higher taxes.
Large Capitalization Company Risk. Investments in large capitalization companies may go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions and may underperform other market segments. Some large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.
Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed, and its performance, therefore, will reflect the Adviser's ability to make investment decisions that are suited to achieving the Fund's investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform other mutual funds with similar investment objectives. Further, the Fund's performance may deviate from overall market returns to a greater degree than funds that do not employ a similar strategy.
Market Neutral Style Risk. During a "bull" market, when most equity securities and long-only mutual funds are increasing in value, the Fund's short positions will likely cause the Fund to underperform the overall U.S. equity market and many other mutual funds. This underperformance is an expected effect of the ongoing hedging techniques that are a core component of the Fund's strategy.
6
Mid Capitalization Company Risk. Investments in mid capitalization companies may entail greater risks and its securities' prices may fluctuate more and have a higher degree of volatility than those of larger, more established companies. Securities of mid capitalization companies may be traded in lower volume and be less liquid. At certain times, the general market may not favor the mid sized companies in which Fund invests and as a result Fund could underperform the general market. Mid sized companies may have more limited product lines, markets and financial resources that make them more susceptible to economic and market setbacks. The smaller the company, the greater effect these risks may have on the company's operations and performance which could have a significant impact on the price of the security.
Quantitative Strategy Risk. The quantitative models used by the Adviser may be similar to the models used by other quantitative managers. To the extent that they are similar, the Fund's price movements may have a high degree of correlation to other quantitative funds. This potential portfolio overlap with other quantitative funds could lead to periods of high volatility, especially in the event that other managers choose to rapidly sell securities or close short positions.
Segregation Risk. The risk associated with any requirements, which may be imposed on the Fund, to segregate assets or enter into offsetting positions in connection with investments in derivatives. Such segregation will not limit the Fund's exposure to loss, and the Fund may incur investment risk with respect to the segregated assets to the extent that, but for the applicable segregation requirement, the Fund would sell the segregated assets.
Short Selling Risk. The Fund may engage in short sales of securities by borrowing a security and then selling it. If the Fund buys back the security at a higher price, the Fund will incur a loss on the transaction. Furthermore, because the loss on a short sale stems from increases in the value of the security sold short, the extent of such loss is theoretically unlimited. Short sales may involve additional transactions costs and other expenses that may exceed the return on the position, which may cause the Fund to lose money. Short sales may decrease the liquidity of certain securities or positions, or the Fund as a whole, and may lower the Fund's returns or result in a loss. A short sale may create leverage and as a result, may cause relatively smaller adverse market movement to have a disproportionate impact on the Fund's performance. In addition, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be permitted to continue to engage in short sales, which are designed to earn the Fund a profit from the decline of the price of a security.
In addition, when the Fund is selling stocks short, it must maintain a segregated account with its custodian of cash and/or high-grade securities equal to the current market value of the stocks sold short less any collateral deposited with the Fund's broker. As a result, the Fund may maintain high levels of cash or liquid assets (such as U.S. Treasury bills, money market accounts, repurchase agreements, certificates of deposit, high quality commercial paper and long equity positions) for collateral needs in addition to incurring Segregation Risk.
Small Capitalization Company Risk. Investments in small capitalization companies may entail greater risks and their securities' prices may fluctuate more and have a higher degree of volatility than those of larger, more established companies. Securities of small capitalization companies may be traded in lower volume and be less liquid. At certain times, the general market may not favor the smaller, growth-oriented companies in which Fund invests and as a result Fund could underperform the general market. Smaller companies may have more limited product lines, markets and financial resources that make them more susceptible to economic and market setbacks. Additionally, information about these companies may not be readily available. The smaller the company, the greater effect these risks may have on the company's operations and performance which could have a significant impact on the price of the security.
Tax Risk. In addition to the potential for large capital gain distributions, it is expected that most or all of the gains distributed will be categorized as short-term capital gains, which are subject to higher tax rates than long-term capital gains. Given the tax inefficiency of the Fund, shareholders should consider investing through a tax-deferred account and carefully consider the tax consequences before investing.
7
Management
The LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund (the "Fund") is a series of Forum Funds (the "Trust"), an open-end, management investment company (mutual fund). The Board of Trustees (the "Board") oversees the management of the Fund and meets periodically to review the Fund's performance, monitor investment activities and practices and discuss other matters affecting the Fund. Additional information regarding the Board and the Trust's executive officers, may be found in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (the "SAI").
The Fund's Adviser is Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC, John Hancock Tower, 200 Clarendon Street, 28th Floor, Boston, MA 02116. The Adviser was founded in August 2000 as a private partnership and was established to provide investment management solutions to institutional and high net worth clients within the global, international and U.S. equity investment areas. In 2009, the Adviser became an affiliate of Convergent Capital Management which acquired a majority ownership stake in the firm. The remaining portion is owned by insiders, including employees and Board members of the Adviser. The Adviser is an SEC registered investment adviser. As of February 28, 2013, the Adviser had approximately $5.1 billion of assets under management or advisement.
The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has claimed an exemption from registration with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act and the Adviser is exempt from registration as a commodity trading adviser under CFTC Regulation 4.14(a)(8).
Subject to the general oversight of the Board, the Adviser makes investment decisions for the Fund. The Adviser receives an advisory fee from the Fund at an annual rate equal to 1.00% of the Fund's average annual daily net assets under the terms of the Advisory Agreement. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fee and/or reimburse Fund expenses to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding all taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, proxy expenses and extraordinary expenses) of Investor Shares and Institutional Shares to 1.85% and 1.60%, respectively, through March 31, 2014 ("Expense Cap"). The Expense Cap may only be raised or eliminated with the consent of the Board. The Adviser may be reimbursed by the Fund for fees waived and expenses reimbursed by the Adviser pursuant to the Expense Cap if (1) such payment is made within three years of the fees waived or expense reimbursement (2) such payment is approved by the Board and (3) does not cause the Net Annual Fund Operating Expense of a class to exceed the Expense Cap. Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses will increase if exclusions from the Expense Cap apply.
A discussion summarizing the basis on which the Board approved the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser will be included in the Fund's semi-annual report for the period ended September 30, 2013.
Gordon Johnson, Shannon Ericson and Vikram Srimurthy are the portfolio managers of the Fund and are jointly responsible for securities selection in the Fund and perform all aspects of the Fund's management. Mr. Johnson retains final decision making authority for the Fund's investments.
Gordon Johnson, PhD, CFA , is a co-portfolio manager of the Fund and serves as lead portfolio manager for the Adviser's Global Market Neutral Strategy. Prior to joining the Adviser in August 2006, Mr. Johnson spent six years at Evergreen Investments, where he served as senior portfolio manager and Senior Vice President/Director for the firm's Global Structured Products group. Prior to joining Evergreen, Mr. Johnson spent seven years at Colonial Management, where he served as portfolio manager for a quantitative/fundamentally managed global mid-cap balanced fund and was Director and Vice President of Quantitative Research. Mr. Johnson also held teaching positions at the University of Massachusetts and California State University.
Shannon Ericson, CFA , is a co-portfolio manager of the Fund and serves as portfolio manager and analyst for the Adviser's Global Market Neutral Strategy. Prior to joining the Adviser in August 2006, Ms. Ericson spent six years at Evergreen Investments Group, where she served as Vice President, Quantitative Equities
8
Analyst for the firm's Global Structural Products group. Ms. Ericson had previously spent six years at Independence International Associates, Inc., where she served as Vice President, Quantitative International Equities, and four years at Mellon Trust Company.
Vikram Srimurthy, PhD, CFA , is a co-portfolio manager of the Fund and serves as portfolio manager and analyst for the Adviser's Global Market Neutral Strategy. Prior to joining the Adviser in August 2006, Mr. Srimurthy spent six years at Evergreen Investments, where he served as Vice President for the firm's Global Structured Products group and was primarily responsible for quantitative research and developing custom portfolio construction tools.
The SAI provides additional information about the compensation of the portfolio managers, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the ownership of Fund shares by the portfolio managers.
Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC (d/b/a Atlantic Fund Services) ("Atlantic") provides fund accounting, fund administration, compliance and transfer agency services to the Fund and the Trust and supplies certain officers of the Trust, including a Principal Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer and additional compliance support personnel.
Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the "Distributor"), the Trust's principal underwriter, acts as the Trust's distributor in connection with the offering of Fund shares. The Distributor may enter into arrangements with banks, broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries through which investors may purchase or redeem shares. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Adviser or with Atlantic or their affiliates.
The Fund is charged for those expenses that are directly attributable to it, while other expenses are allocated proportionately among the Fund and other series of the Trust based upon methods approved by the Board. Expenses that are directly attributable to a specific class of shares, such as distribution fees and shareholder servicing fees, are charged directly to that class. The Adviser or other service providers may waive all or any portion of their fees and may reimburse certain expenses of the Fund. Any agreement to waive fees or to reimburse expenses increases the investment performance of the Fund and its applicable share classes for the period during which the waiver or reimbursement is in effect. Any fee reduction or expense reimbursement may be recouped by the service provider for up to three subsequent fiscal years as long as the recoupment does not cause the Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the percentage limit contractually agreed.
Dividend and interest expenses on short sales occur when the Fund sells an equity or debt security short to gain the inverse exposure necessary to meet its investment objective. When the Fund sells a security short, the Fund borrows the security from a lender and then sells the security in the general market. The Fund is obligated to pay an amount equivalent to any dividend declared or interest paid during the duration of the short position to the lender from which the Fund borrowed the security and the Fund is obligated to record the payment as an expense. The Fund may also be obligated to pay an interest fee on monies borrowed from an intermediary, such as a prime broker, in connection with a short sale. Also, the dividend and interest expenses on short sales are typically offset, in their entirety or in part, by the income derived from earnings on the cash proceeds of the short sales. Nevertheless, the Fund will bear the cost of the dividend and interest expenses on short sales. The Fund is also required to pay any applicable interest on a borrowed security and borrowings related to short sales.
The table below illustrates the Fund's "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses with Dividend and Interest Expenses on Short Sales" and "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses without Dividend and Interest Expenses on Short Sales." The Fund's total annual operating expenses (expenses that are deducted from Fund assets) were:
9
Comparison of Expenses |
Investor
Shares |
Institutional Shares | ||||||
Management Fees | 1.00% | 1.00% | ||||||
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | None | ||||||
Other Expenses (1) | 1.48 % | 1.42 % | ||||||
Dividend and Interest Expenses on Short Sales (2) | 1.50% | 1.50% | ||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses with Dividend and Interest Expenses on Short Sales | 4.23 % | 3.92 % | ||||||
Less Dividend and Interest Expenses on Short Sales | 1.50% | 1.50% | ||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses without Dividend and Interest Expenses on Short Sales (3) | 2.73 % | 2.42 % |
(1) "Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts expected to be incurred for the current fiscal year.
(2) "Dividend and Interest Expenses on Short Sales" are based on estimated amounts expected to be incurred for the current fiscal year.
(3) Excluding the effect of expenses attributable to dividend and interest expenses on short sales, the Fund's net annual operating expenses would be 1.85% and 1.60% for Investor Shares and Institutional Shares, respectively.
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Adviser Related Performance
The following tables show the performance of a composite of all accounts managed by the Adviser in the global market neutral strategy. The account comprising the composite is a pooled investment vehicle and had assets of $1 million, as of December 31, 2012. The investment objective, policies and strategies of the pooled investment vehicle are substantially similar to the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund.
The performance of the composite does not represent the historical performance of the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and should not be considered indicative of future performance of the Fund. Results may differ because of, among other factors, differences in brokerage commissions, account expenses including management fees, the size of positions taken in relation to account size, diversification of the portfolio, timing of purchases and sales and availability of cash for new investment.
The performance of the composite presented below is not calculated using the same methodology as that which is prescribed for performance calculations used by registered investment companies. The net-of-fee returns below are calculated by deducting all expenses including sales loads and investment management fees of the account from gross returns. Gross returns are calculated in accordance with Global Investment Performance Standards ("GIPS ® "). The account for which performance is presented is not subject to the same type of expenses as the Fund. If the Fund's fees and expenses had been used in calculating the composite's performance, the performance of the composite would have been lower.
In addition, the account comprising the composite is not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements and other restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), which if applicable, may have adversely affected the performance results of the composite. The results for different products may vary.
Total Returns
Year End | Composite | Index | ||||||
2012 | 5.00% | 0.09% | ||||||
2011 | 5.91% | 0.08% | ||||||
2010 | 5.30% | 0.11% | ||||||
2009 | 5.47% | 0.16% | ||||||
2008 | -4.52% | 1.80% |
Average Annual Total Returns
(For the periods ended December 31, 2012)
Period | Composite | Index | ||||||
One Year | 5.00% | 0.09% | ||||||
Five Years | 3.36% | 0.45% | ||||||
Since Inception (1) | 3.55% | 0.98% |
(1) Since inception return is computed from January 1, 2008.
11
Your Account
E-mail the Fund at:
leemunder.ta@atlanticfundservices.com
Write the Fund:
LMCG Funds
P.O. Box 588
Portland, Maine 04112
Overnight Address:
LMCG Funds
c/o Atlantic Fund Services
Three Canal Plaza, Ground Floor
Portland, Maine 04101
Telephone the Fund at:
(877) 591-4667 (toll free)
Wire investments (or ACH payments):
Please contact the transfer agent at (877) 591-4667 (toll free) to obtain the ABA routing number and account number for the Fund.
You may purchase or sell (redeem) shares of the Fund on any day that the NYSE is open for business. Under unusual circumstances, such as in the case of an emergency, the Fund may calculate its NAV and accept and process shareholder orders when the NYSE is closed.
You may purchase or sell shares of the Fund at the next NAV calculated (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) after the transfer agent or your approved broker-dealer or other financial intermediary receives your request in good order. "Good order" means that you have provided sufficient information necessary to process your request as outlined in this Prospectus, including any required signatures, documents, payment and Medallion Signature Guarantees. All requests to purchase or sell Fund shares received in good order prior to the Fund's close will receive that day's NAV. Requests received in good order after the Fund's close or on a day when the Fund does not value its shares will be processed on the next business day and will be priced at the next NAV. The Fund cannot accept orders that request a particular day or price for the transaction or any other special conditions.
The Fund does not issue share certificates.
If you purchase shares directly from the Fund, you will receive a confirmation of each transaction and quarterly statements detailing Fund balances and all transactions completed during the prior quarter. Automatic reinvestments of distributions and systematic investments and withdrawals may be confirmed only by quarterly statement. You should verify the accuracy of all transactions in your account as soon as you receive your confirmations and quarterly statements.
The Fund may temporarily suspend or discontinue any service or privilege, including systematic investments and withdrawals, wire redemption privileges and telephone or internet redemption privileges, if applicable. The Fund reserves the right to refuse any purchase request including, but not limited to, requests that could adversely affect the Fund or its operations.
When and How NAV is Determined. Each Fund class calculates its NAV as of the close of trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each weekday except days when the NYSE is closed. The NYSE is open every weekday, Monday through Friday, except on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Day (the third Monday in January), Presidents' Day (the third Monday in February), Good Friday, Memorial Day (the last Monday in May), Independence Day, Labor Day (the first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas Day. NYSE holiday schedules are subject to change without notice. The NYSE may close early on the day before each of these holidays and the day after Thanksgiving Day. Since the Fund may invest in securities that trade on foreign securities markets on days other than a Fund business day, the value of the Fund's portfolio may change on days on which shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem Fund shares.
The NAV of each Fund class is determined by taking the market value of the total assets of the class, subtracting the liabilities of the class and then dividing the result (net assets) by the number of outstanding shares of the class.
The Fund values securities for which market quotations are readily available, including certain open-end investment companies, at current market value, except for certain short-term securities which are valued at amortized cost. Securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued using the last reported sales price provided by independent pricing services as of the close of trading on the NYSE on each Fund business day. In the absence of sales, such securities are valued at the mean of the last bid and asked price. Non-exchange traded securities for which quotations are readily available are generally valued at the mean between the current bid and asked price. Investments in other open-end registered investment companies are valued at their NAV.
Market quotations may not be readily available or may be unreliable if, among other things, (1) the exchange on which a Fund portfolio security is principally traded closes early, (2) trading in a portfolio security was halted during the day and did not resume prior to the time that the Fund calculates its NAV, or (3) events occur after the close of the securities markets on which the Fund's portfolio securities primarily trade but before the time the Fund calculates its NAV.
If market prices are not readily available or the Fund reasonably believes that they are unreliable, such as in the case of a security value that has been materially affected by events occurring after the relevant market closes, the Fund is required to value such securities at fair value as determined in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. The Board has delegated day-to-day responsibility for fair valuation determinations in accordance with the procedures to a Valuation Committee composed of management members who are appointed to the Committee by the Board. Fair valuation may be based on subjective factors. As a result, the fair value price of a security may differ from that security's market price and may not be the price at which the security may be sold. Fair valuation could result in a different NAV than a NAV determined by using market quotes.
The Fund's investments in foreign securities are more likely to require a fair value determination than domestic securities because circumstances may arise between the close of the market on which the securities trade and the time that the Fund values its portfolio securities. In determining fair value prices of foreign securities, the Fund may consider the performance of securities on their primary exchanges, foreign currency appreciation or depreciation, securities market movements in the U.S. or other relevant information as related to the securities.
Securities of smaller companies are also more likely to require a fair value determination because they may be thinly traded and less liquid than traditional securities of larger companies.
Fixed-income securities may be valued at prices supplied by the Fund's pricing agent based on broker- or dealer-supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity.
Transactions Through Financial Intermediaries. The Fund has authorized certain financial services companies, broker-dealers, banks and other agents, including the designees of such entities when approved by the Fund (collectively, "financial intermediaries") to accept purchase, exchange and redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. If you invest through a financial intermediary, the policies and fees of the financial intermediary may be different than the policies and fees if you had invested directly in the Fund. Among other things, financial intermediaries may charge transaction fees and may set different minimum investment restrictions or limitations on buying or selling Fund shares. You should consult your broker or another representative of your financial intermediary for more information.
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All orders to purchase or sell shares are processed as of the next NAV calculated after the order has been received in good order by a financial intermediary. Orders are accepted until the close of trading on the NYSE every business day (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) and are processed, including by financial intermediaries, at that day's NAV. To ensure that this occurs, the financial intermediaries are responsible for transmitting all orders to the Fund in compliance with their contractual deadlines.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries. The Fund and its affiliates (at their own expense) may pay compensation to financial intermediaries for shareholder-related services and, if applicable, distribution-related services, including administrative, recordkeeping and shareholder communication services. For example, compensation may be paid to make Fund shares available to sales representatives and/or customers of a fund supermarket platform or a similar program sponsor or for services provided in connection with such fund supermarket platforms and programs.
The amount of compensation paid to different financial intermediaries may vary. The compensation paid to a financial intermediary may be based on a variety of factors, including average assets under management in accounts distributed and/or serviced by the financial intermediary, gross sales by the financial intermediary and/or the number of accounts serviced by the financial intermediary that invest in the Fund. To the extent that the Fund pays all or a portion of such compensation, the payment is designed to compensate the financial intermediary for providing services that would otherwise be provided by the Fund's transfer agent and/or administrator.
The Adviser or another Fund affiliate, out of its own resources, may provide additional compensation to financial intermediaries. Such compensation is sometimes referred to as "revenue sharing." Compensation received by a financial intermediary from the Adviser or another Fund affiliate may include payments for shareholder servicing, marketing and/or training expenses incurred by the financial intermediary, including expenses incurred by the financial intermediary in educating its salespersons with respect to Fund shares. For example, such compensation may include reimbursements for expenses incurred in attending educational seminars regarding the Fund, including travel and lodging expenses. It may also cover costs incurred by financial intermediaries in connection with their efforts to sell Fund shares, including costs incurred in compensating registered sales representatives and preparing, printing and distributing sales literature.
Any compensation received by a financial intermediary, whether from the Fund or its affiliate(s), and the prospect of receiving such compensation may provide the financial intermediary with an incentive to recommend the shares of the Fund, or a certain class of shares of the Fund, over other potential investments. Similarly, the compensation may cause financial intermediaries to elevate the prominence of the Fund within its organization by, for example, placing it on a list of preferred funds.
Anti-Money Laundering Program. Customer identification and verification are part of the Fund's overall obligation to deter money laundering under federal law. The Trust's Anti-Money Laundering Program is designed to prevent the Fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities. In this regard, the Fund reserves the right, to the extent permitted by law, (1) to refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase order or (2) to freeze any account and/or suspend account services. These actions will be taken when, at the sole discretion of Trust management, they are deemed to be in the best interest of the Fund or in cases when the Fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental or law enforcement authorities or applicable law. If your account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authorities, you may not receive proceeds of the redemption if the Fund is required to withhold such proceeds.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio securities is available in the Fund's SAI.
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Investor Shares . Investor Shares of the Fund are sold to retail investors who invest in the Fund directly or through a fund supermarket or other investment platform. Investor Shares are sold without the imposition of initial sales charges and are subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee of up to 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets. A lower minimum initial investment is required to purchase Investor Shares.
Institutional Shares . Institutional Shares of the Fund are designed for institutional investors (such as investment advisers, financial institutions, corporations, trusts, estates and religious and charitable organizations) investing for proprietary programs and firm discretionary accounts. Institutional Shares are sold without the imposition of initial sales charges and are not subject to Rule 12b-1 fees.
Investor
Shares |
Institutional Shares | |||||||
Minimum Initial Investment | $2,500 | $100,000 | ||||||
Sales Charges | None | None | ||||||
Rule 12b-1 Distribution Fees | 0.25 | % | None |
How to Make Payments. Unless purchased through a financial intermediary, all investments must be made by check, ACH or wire. All checks must be payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on U.S. financial institutions. In the absence of the granting of an exception consistent with the Trust's Anti-Money Laundering Program, the Fund does not accept purchases made by credit card check, starter check, checks with more than one endorsement (unless the check is payable to all endorsees), cash or cash equivalents (for instance, you may not pay by money order, cashier's check, bank draft or traveler's check). The Fund and the Adviser also reserve the right to accept in kind contributions of securities in exchange for shares of the Fund.
Checks. Checks must be made payable to "LMCG Funds." For individual, sole proprietorship, joint, Uniform Gifts to Minors Act ("UGMA") and Uniform Transfers to Minors Act ("UTMA") accounts, checks may be made payable to one or more owners of the account and endorsed to "LMCG Funds." A $20 charge may be imposed on any returned checks.
ACH. Refers to the Automated Clearing House system maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank, which allows banks to process checks, transfer funds and perform other tasks. Your U.S. financial institution may charge you a fee for this service.
Wires. Instruct your U.S. financial institution with whom you have an account to make a federal funds wire payment to the Fund. Your U.S. financial institution may charge you a fee for this service.
Minimum Investments. The Fund accepts investments in the following minimum amounts:
Investor Shares | Institutional Shares | |||||||||||||
Minimum
Initial Investment |
Minimum
Additional Investment |
Minimum
Initial Investment |
Minimum
Additional Investment |
|||||||||||
Standard Accounts | $2,500 | $100 | $100,000 | None | ||||||||||
Retirement Accounts | $2,500 | $100 | $100,000 | None |
The Fund reserves the right to waive minimum investment amounts, if deemed appropriate by an officer of the Trust.
Registered investment advisers and financial planners may be permitted to aggregate the value of accounts in order to meet minimum investment amounts.
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There is no initial or subsequent investment minimum for directors, officers and employees of the Adviser or the spouse, sibling, direct ancestor, or direct descendent (collectively, "relatives") of any such person, any trust or individual retirement account or self-employed retirement plan for the benefit of any such person or relative; or the estate of any such person or relative.
Account Requirements. The following table describes the requirements to establish certain types of accounts in the Fund.
Type of Account | Requirement | ||||
Individual, Sole Proprietorship and Joint Accounts
Individual accounts and sole proprietorship accounts are owned by one
person. Joint accounts have two or more owners (tenants).
|
Instructions must be signed by all persons named as account owners exactly as their names appear on the account. |
||||
Gifts or Transfers to a Minor (UGMA, UTMA)
These custodial accounts are owned by a minor child but controlled by
an adult custodian.
|
Depending on state laws, you may set up a custodial account under the UGMA or the UTMA. The custodian must sign instructions in a manner indicating custodial capacity. |
||||
Corporations/Other Entities
These accounts are owned by the entity but control is exercised by
its officers, partners or other management.
|
The entity should submit a certified copy of its articles of incorporation (or a government-issued business license or other document that reflects the existence of the entity) and a corporate resolution or a secretary's certificate. |
||||
Trusts |
The trust must be established before an account may be opened. The trust should provide the first and signature pages from the trust document identifying the trustees. |
Account Application and Customer Identity Verification. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
When you open an account, the Fund will ask for your first and last name, U.S. taxpayer identification number ("TIN"), physical street address, date of birth and other information or documents that will allow the Fund to identify you. If you do not supply the required information, the Fund will attempt to contact you or, if applicable, your financial adviser. If the Fund cannot obtain the required information within a timeframe established in its sole discretion, your application will be rejected.
When your application is in good order and includes all required information, your order will normally be processed at the NAV next calculated after receipt of your application and investment amount. The Fund will attempt to verify your identity using the information that you have supplied and other information about you that is available from third parties, including information available in public and private databases, such as consumer reports from credit reporting agencies.
The Fund will try to verify your identity within a timeframe established in its sole discretion. If the Fund cannot do so, the Fund reserves the right to redeem your investment at the next NAV calculated after the Fund decides to close your account. If your account is closed, you may realize a gain or loss on the Fund shares in the account. You will be responsible for any related taxes and will not be able to recoup any redemption fees assessed, if applicable.
Policy on Prohibition of Foreign Shareholders. The Fund requires that all shareholders be U.S. persons or U.S. resident aliens with a valid TIN (or who can show proof of having applied for a TIN and commit to provide a valid TIN within 60 days) in order to open an account with the Fund.
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Investment Procedures. The following table describes the procedures for investing in the Fund.
How to Open an Account | How to Add to Your Account | ||||
Through a Financial Intermediary
Contact your financial intermediary using the method that is most convenient for you. |
Through a Financial Intermediary
Contact your financial intermediary using the method that is most convenient for you. |
||||
By Check
Call, write or e-mail the Fund for an account application. Complete the application (and other required documents, if applicable). Mail the Fund your original application (and other required documents, if applicable) and a check. |
By Check
Fill out an investment slip from a confirmation or write the Fund a letter. Write your account number on your check. Mail the Fund the investment slip or your letter and the check. |
||||
By Wire
Call, write or e-mail the Fund for an account application. Complete the application (and other required documents, if applicable). Call the Fund to notify the transfer agent that you are faxing your completed application (and other required documents, if applicable). The transfer agent will assign you an account number. Mail the Fund your original application (and other required documents, if applicable). Instruct your U.S. financial institution to wire money to the Fund. |
By Wire
Instruct your U.S. financial institution to wire money to the Fund. |
||||
By ACH Payment
(for Investor Shares only)
Call, write or e-mail the Fund for an account application. Complete the application (and other required documents, if applicable). Call the Fund to notify the transfer agent that you are faxing your completed application (and other required documents, if applicable). The transfer agent will assign you an account number. Mail the Fund your original application (and other required documents, if applicable). The transfer agent will electronically debit your purchase proceeds from the U.S. financial institution identified on your account application. ACH purchases are limited to $25,000 per day. |
By ACH Payment
(for Investor Shares only)
Call the Fund to request a purchase by ACH payment. The transfer agent will electronically debit your purchase proceeds from the U.S. financial institution account identified on your account application. ACH purchases are limited to $25,000 per day. |
Systematic Investments. You may establish a systematic investment plan to automatically invest a specific amount of money (up to $25,000 per day) into your account on a specified day and frequency not to exceed two investments per month. Payments for systematic investments are automatically debited from your designated savings or checking account via ACH. Systematic investments must be for at least $100 per occurrence. If you wish to enroll in a systematic investment plan, complete the appropriate section on the account application. Your signed account application must be received at least three business days prior to the initial transaction. The Fund may terminate or modify this privilege at any time. You may terminate your participation in a systematic investment plan by notifying the Fund at least two days in advance of the next withdrawal.
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A systematic investment plan is a method of using dollar cost averaging as an investment strategy that involves investing a fixed amount of money at regular time intervals. However, a program of regular investment cannot ensure a profit or protect against a loss as a result of declining markets. By continually investing the same amount, you will be purchasing more shares when the price is lower and fewer shares when the price is higher. Please call (877) 591-4667 (toll free) for additional information regarding systematic investment plans.
Limitations on Frequent Purchases. The Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by Fund shareholders. It is the Fund's policy to discourage short-term trading. Frequent trading in the Fund, such as traders seeking short-term profits from market momentum, time zone arbitrage and other timing strategies may interfere with the management of the Fund's portfolio and result in increased administrative and brokerage costs and a potential dilution in the value of Fund shares. As money is moved in and out, the Fund may incur expenses buying and selling portfolio securities and these expenses are borne by Fund shareholders. The Fund does not permit market timing and will not knowingly accommodate trading in Fund shares in violation of these policies.
Focus is placed on identifying redemption transactions which may be harmful to the Fund or its shareholders if they are frequent. These transactions are analyzed for offsetting purchases within a predetermined period of time. If frequent trading trends are detected, an appropriate course of action may be taken. The Fund reserves the right to cancel, restrict or reject without any prior notice, any purchase order, including transactions representing excessive trading, transactions that may be disruptive to the management of the Fund's portfolio, and purchase orders not accompanied by payment.
Because the Fund may receive purchase and sale orders through financial intermediaries that use omnibus or retirement accounts, the Fund cannot always detect frequent purchases and redemptions. As a consequence, the Fund's ability to monitor and discourage abusive trading practices in such accounts may be limited.
In addition, the sale or exchanges of Fund shares is subject to a redemption fee of 2.00% of the amount redeemed within 90 days of purchase. This redemption fee, which may discourage frequent trading by investors, offsets costs the Fund may incur as a result of redemptions related to market timing. See "Selling Shares - Redemption Fee" for additional information.
The investment in foreign securities may make the Fund more susceptible to the risk of market timing activities because of price differentials that may be reflected in the NAV of the Fund's shares. The Fund generally prices its foreign securities using their closing prices from the foreign markets in which they trade, typically prior to the Fund's calculation of its NAV. These prices may be affected by events that occur after the close of a foreign market but before the Fund prices its shares. Although the Fund may fair value foreign securities in such instances and notwithstanding other measures that the Fund may take to discourage frequent purchases and redemptions, investors may engage in frequent short-term trading to take advantage of any arbitrage opportunities in the pricing of the Fund's shares. There is no assurance that fair valuation of securities will reduce or eliminate market timing.
Canceled or Failed Payments. The Fund accepts checks and ACH payments at full value subject to collection. If the Fund does not receive your payment for shares or you pay with a check or ACH payment that does not clear, your purchase will be canceled within two business days of notification from your bank that your funds did not clear. You will be responsible for any actual losses or expenses incurred by the Fund or the transfer agent, and the Fund may redeem shares that you own in the account (or another identically registered account that you maintain with the transfer agent) as reimbursement. The Fund and its agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase due to non-payment.
Redemption orders received in good order will be processed at the next calculated NAV. The right of redemption may not be suspended, except for any period during which (1) the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") determines that trading thereon is
18
restricted, (2) an emergency (as determined by the SEC) exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of its securities is not reasonably practicable or as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to determine fairly the value of its net assets or (3) the SEC has entered a suspension order permit for the protection of the shareholders of the Fund.
If the Fund has not yet collected payment for the shares being sold, it may delay sending redemption proceeds until such payment is collected, which may be up to 15 calendar days.
How to Sell Shares from Your Account | ||
Through a Financial Intermediary
If you purchased shares through your financial intermediary, your redemption order must be placed through the same financial intermediary. |
||
By Mail
Prepare a written request including: your name(s) and signature(s); your account number; the Fund name and class; the dollar amount or number of shares you want to sell; how and where to send the redemption proceeds; a Medallion Signature Guarantee (if required); and other documentation (if required). Mail the Fund your request and documentation. |
||
By Telephone
Call the Fund with your request, unless you declined telephone redemption privileges on your account application. Provide the following information: your account number; the exact name(s) in which the account is registered; and an additional form of identification. Redemption proceeds will be mailed to you by check or electronically credited to your account at the U.S. financial institution identified on your account application. |
||
By Systematic Withdrawal
Complete the systematic withdrawal section of the application. Attach a voided check to your application. Mail the completed application to the Fund. Redemption proceeds will be mailed to you by check or electronically credited to your account at the U.S. financial institution identified on your account application. |
Wire Redemption Privileges. You may redeem your shares with proceeds payable by wire unless you declined wire redemption privileges on your account application. The minimum amount that may be redeemed by wire is $5,000.
Telephone Redemption Privileges. You may redeem your shares by telephone, unless you declined telephone redemption privileges on your account application. You may be responsible for an unauthorized telephone redemption order as long as the transfer agent takes reasonable measures to verify that the order is genuine. Telephone redemption orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market activity. If you are not able to reach the Fund by telephone, you may mail us your redemption order.
Systematic Withdrawals. You may establish a systematic withdrawal plan to automatically redeem a specific amount of money or shares from your account on a specified day and frequency not to exceed one withdrawal per month. Payments for systematic withdrawals are sent by check to your address of record, or if you so designate, to your bank account by ACH payment. To establish a systematic withdrawal plan, complete the systematic withdrawal section of the account application. The plan may be terminated or modified by a shareholder or the Fund at any time without charge or penalty. You may terminate your participation in a systematic withdrawal plan at any time by contacting the Fund sufficiently in advance of the next withdrawal.
19
A withdrawal under a systematic withdrawal plan involves a redemption of Fund shares and may result in a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. Please call (877) 591-4667 (toll free) for additional information regarding systematic withdrawal plans.
Signature Guarantee Requirements. To protect you and the Fund against fraud, signatures on certain requests must have a Medallion Signature Guarantee. A Medallion Signature Guarantee verifies the authenticity of your signature. You may obtain a Medallion Signature Guarantee from most banking institutions or securities brokers but not from a notary public. Written instructions signed by all registered shareholders with a Medallion Signature Guarantee for each shareholder are required for any of the following:
written requests to redeem $100,000 or more;
changes to a shareholder's record name or account registration;
paying redemption proceeds from an account for which the address has changed within the last 30 days;
sending redemption and distribution proceeds to any person, address or financial institution account not on record;
sending redemption and distribution proceeds to an account with a different registration (name or ownership) from your account; and
adding or changing ACH or wire instructions, the telephone redemption or exchange option or any other election in connection with your account.
The Fund reserves the right to require Medallion Signature Guarantees on all redemptions.
Redemption Fee. If you redeem your shares in the Fund within 90 days of purchase, you will be charged a 2.00% redemption fee. The fee is charged for the benefit of the Fund's remaining shareholders and will be paid to the Fund to help offset transaction costs.
To calculate the redemption fee (after first redeeming any shares associated with reinvested distributions), the Fund will use the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method to determine the holding period. Under this method, the date of the redemption will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares in the account.
The following redemptions are exempt from application of the redemption fee if you request the exemption at the time the redemption request is made:
redemption of shares in a deceased shareholder's account;
redemption of shares in an account of a disabled individual (disability of the shareholder as determined by the Social Security Administration);
redemption of shares purchased through a dividend reinvestment program;
redemption of shares pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan;
redemptions in a qualified retirement plan under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code ("IRC") or a plan operating consistent with Section 403(b) of the IRC; and
redemptions from share transfers, rollovers, re-registrations within the same fund or conversions from one share class to another within the Fund, if applicable.
The Fund may require appropriate documentation of eligibility for exemption from application of the redemption fee.
Certain financial intermediaries that collect a redemption fee on behalf of the Fund may not recognize one or more of the exceptions to the redemption fee listed above. Financial intermediaries may not be able to assess a redemption fee under certain circumstances due to operational limitations (i.e., on the Fund's shares transferred to the financial intermediary and subsequently liquidated). Customers purchasing shares through a financial intermediary should contact the financial intermediary or refer to the customer's account agreement or plan document for information about how the redemption fee is treated. If a financial intermediary that maintains an account with the transfer agent for the benefit of its customers collects a redemption fee for the Fund, no redemption fee will be charged directly to the financial intermediary's account by the Fund.
20
Small Account Balances. If the value of your account falls below the minimum account balances in the following table, the Fund may ask you to increase your balance. If the account value is still below the minimum balance after 60 days, the Fund may close your account and send you the proceeds. The Fund will not close your account if it falls below these amounts solely as a result of Fund performance.
Minimum Account Balance |
Investor
Shares |
Institutional Shares | ||||||
Standard Accounts | $2,500 | $2,500 | ||||||
Retirement Accounts | $2,500 | $2,500 |
Redemptions in Kind. Pursuant to an election filed with the SEC, under certain circumstances the Fund may pay redemption proceeds in portfolio securities rather than in cash. If the Fund redeems shares in this manner, the shareholder assumes the risk of a subsequent change in the market value of those securities, the costs of liquidating the securities (such as brokerage costs) and the possibility of a lack of a liquid market for those securities. Please see the SAI for more details on redemptions in kind.
Lost Accounts. The transfer agent will consider your account lost if correspondence to your address of record is returned as undeliverable on two consecutive occasions, unless the transfer agent determines your new address. When an account is lost, all distributions on the account will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund. In addition, the amount of any outstanding check (unpaid for six months or more) and checks that have been returned to the transfer agent may be reinvested at the current NAV, and the checks will be canceled. However, checks will not be reinvested into accounts with a zero balance, but will be held in a different account. Any of your unclaimed property may be transferred to the state of your last known address if no activity occurs in your account within the time period specified by that state's law.
Distribution and Shareholder Service Fees. The Trust has adopted a Rule 12b-1 plan under which the Fund pays the Distributor a fee up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of Investor Shares for distribution services and/or the servicing of shareholder accounts.
Because the Investor Shares pay distribution fees 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. The Distributor may pay any fee received under the Rule 12b-1 plan to the Adviser or other financial intermediaries that provide distribution and shareholder services with respect to Investor Shares.
In addition to paying fees under the Rule 12b-1 plan, the Fund may pay service fees to financial intermediaries for administration, recordkeeping and other shareholder services associated with shareholders whose shares are held of record in omnibus, other group accounts or accounts traded through registered securities clearing agents.
You may exchange Fund shares for shares of other LMCG Funds. For a list of funds available for exchange, call the transfer agent. Be sure to confirm with the transfer agent that the Fund into which you exchange is available for sale in your jurisdiction. Funds available for exchange may not be available for purchase in your jurisdiction. Because exchanges are a sale and purchase of shares, they may have tax consequences.
Requirements. You may make exchanges only between identically registered accounts (name(s), address, and taxpayer ID number). There is no limit on exchanges, but the Funds reserve the right to limit exchanges. You may exchange your shares by mail or telephone, unless you declined telephone redemption privileges on your account application. You may be responsible for any unauthorized telephone exchange order as long as the transfer agent takes reasonable measures to verify that the order is genuine.
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Exchanges may also be subject to the Fund's redemption fee. See "Selling Shares Redemption Fee."
How to Exchange | ||
Through a Financial Intermediary Contact your financial intermediary by the method that is most convenient for you. |
||
By Mail Prepare a written request including: your name(s) and signature(s); your account number; the name of each Fund you are exchanging; the dollar amount or number of shares you want to sell (and exchange); a Medallion Signature Guarantee (if required); and other documentation (if required). Complete a new account application if you are requesting different shareholder privileges in the Fund into which you are exchanging. Mail the Fund your request and documentation. |
||
By Telephone Call the Fund with your request, unless you declined telephone redemption privileges on your account application. Provide the following information: your account number; exact name(s) in which the account is registered; and additional form of identification. |
You may invest in shares of the Fund through an IRA, including traditional and Roth IRAs, also known as a "Qualified Retirement Account." The Fund may also be appropriate for other retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans. Before investing in an IRA or other retirement account, you should consult your tax advisor. Whenever making an investment in an IRA or certain retirement plans, be sure to indicate the year to which the contribution is attributed.
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Other Information
Distributions and Dividend Reinvestments. The Fund declares dividends from net investment income and pays them annually. Distributions of net capital gains are distributed at least annually.
Most investors typically have their income dividends and capital gain distributions (each a "distribution") reinvested in additional shares of the distributing class of the Fund. If you choose this option, or if you do not indicate any choice, your distributions will be reinvested. Alternatively, you may choose to have your distributions of $10 or more sent directly to your bank account or paid to you by check. However, if a distribution is less than $10, your proceeds will be reinvested. If five or more of your distribution checks remain uncashed after 180 days, all subsequent distributions may be reinvested. For federal income tax purposes, distributions to non-qualified retirement accounts are treated the same whether they are received in cash or reinvested.
Taxes. The Fund intends to operate in a manner such that it will not be liable for federal income or excise taxes.
The Fund's distributions of net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss are taxable to you as ordinary income, except as noted below. The Fund's distributions of net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, are taxable to you as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long you have held your shares. Distributions may also be subject to state and local income taxes. Some Fund distributions may also include a nontaxable return of capital. Return of capital distributions reduce your tax basis in your Fund shares and are treated as gain from the sale of the shares to the extent they exceed your basis.
The Fund's dividends attributable to its "qualified dividend income" (i.e., dividends received on stock of most domestic and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions) generally will be subject to federal income tax for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Fund shares at the rates for net capital gain - a maximum of 15% for a single shareholder with taxable income not exceeding $400,000 ($450,000 for married shareholders filing jointly) and 20% for those shareholders with taxable income exceeding those respective amounts. A portion of the Fund's dividends also may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations - the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends the Fund receives from domestic corporations subject to federal income tax (thus excluding real estate investment trusts) and excludes dividends from foreign corporations - subject to similar restrictions. However, dividends a corporate shareholder deducts pursuant to that deduction are subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.
A distribution reduces the NAV of the Fund's shares by the amount of the distribution. If you purchase shares prior to a distribution, you are taxed on the full amount of the distribution even though it represents a partial return of your investment.
The sale (redemption) of Fund shares is generally taxable for federal income tax purposes. You will recognize a gain or loss on the transaction equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of your net redemption proceeds and your tax basis in the redeemed Fund shares. The gain or loss will be capital gain or loss if you held your Fund shares as capital assets. Any capital gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if you held the Fund shares for more than one year at the time of the redemption and any such gain will be taxed to individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders at the 15% or 20% maximum federal income tax rates mentioned above. Any capital loss arising from the redemption of Fund shares held for six months or less, however, will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of net capital gain distributions with respect to those shares.
The Fund is required to withhold federal income tax at the rate of 28% on all distributions and redemption proceeds (regardless of the extent to which you realize gain or loss) otherwise payable to you (if you are an individual or certain other non-corporate shareholder) if you fail to provide the Fund with your correct TIN or to make required certifications, or if you have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") that you are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax, and any amounts withheld may be credited against your federal income tax liability once you provide the required information or certification.
A Fund shareholder who wants to use the average basis method for determining basis in Fund shares he or she acquired or acquires after December 31, 2011 ("Covered Shares"), must elect to do so in writing (which may be
23
electronic). If a Fund shareholder fails to affirmatively elect the average basis method, the basis determination will be made in accordance with the Fund's default method, which is first-in first-out. If, however, a Fund shareholder wishes to use a different acceptable method for basis determination (e.g., a specific identification method), the shareholder may elect to do so. The basis determination method a Fund shareholder elects may not be changed with respect to a redemption of Covered Shares after the settlement date of the redemption.
In addition to the previous requirement to report the gross proceeds from a redemption of shares, the Fund (or its administrative agent) must report to the IRS and furnish to its shareholders the basis information for Covered Shares and indicate whether they had a short-term (one year or less) or long-term (more than one year) holding period. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted basis determination method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the basis reporting law applies to them.
After December 31 of each year, the Fund will mail to its shareholders reports containing information about the income tax status of distributions paid during the year. For further information about the tax effects of investing in the Fund, please see the SAI and consult your tax advisor.
Organization. The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust, and the Fund is a series thereof. The Fund does not expect to hold shareholders' meetings unless required by federal or Delaware law. Shareholders of each series of the Trust are entitled to vote at shareholders' meetings unless a matter relates only to a specific series (such as the approval of an advisory agreement for the Fund). From time to time, large shareholders may control the Fund or the Trust.
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Financial Highlights
Financial Highlights are not provided for the Fund because the Fund commenced operations after the period ended March 31, 2013.
25
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
INVESTOR SHARES (GMNRX)
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES (GMNIX)
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports
Additional information about the Fund's investments will be available in the Fund's annual/semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Fund's annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information ("SAI")
The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into, and is legally part of, this Prospectus.
Contacting the Fund
You may obtain free copies of the annual and semi-annual reports and the SAI, request other information and discuss your questions about the Fund by contacting the Fund at:
LMCG Funds
P.O. Box 588
Portland, Maine 04112
(877) 591-4667 (toll free)
leemunder.ta@atlanticfundservices.com
The annual/semi-annual reports and SAI are not available on the Fund's website as the Fund does not maintain a website at this time.
Securities and Exchange Commission Information
You may also review and copy the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports, the SAI and other information about the Fund at the Public Reference Room of the SEC. The scheduled hours of operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. You may obtain copies of this information, for a duplication fee, by e-mailing or writing to:
Securities and Exchange Commission
Public Reference Section
Washington, D.C. 20549-1520
e-mail: publicinfo@sec.gov
Fund information, including copies of the annual and semi-annual reports and the SAI, is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
210-PRU-0413
Distributor
Foreside Fund Services, LLC
www.foreside.com
Investment Company Act File No. 811-03023
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
April 1, 2013
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund
Investor Shares (GMNRX)
Institutional Shares (GMNIX)
Investment Adviser:
Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC
John Hancock Tower
200 Clarendon Street, 28th Floor
Boston, MA 02116
Account Information and Shareholder Services:
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund
P.O. Box 588
Portland, Maine 04112
(877) 591-4667 (toll free)
leemunder.ta@atlanticfundservices.com
This Statement of Additional Information (the "SAI") supplements the prospectus dated April 1, 2013, as it may be amended from time to time (the "Prospectus"), offering Investor Shares and Institutional Shares of the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund (the "Fund"), a separate series of Forum Funds (the "Trust"). This SAI is not a prospectus and should only be read in conjunction with the Prospectus. You may obtain the Prospectus without charge by contacting Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC (d/b/a Atlantic Fund Services) ("Atlantic" or "Administrator") at the address, telephone number or e-mail address listed above.
The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date hereof and thus the Fund's financial statements are not available at this time. Copies of the Fund's Annual Report may be obtained, when they are available, without charge and upon request, by contacting Atlantic at the address, telephone number or e-mail address listed above.
KEY DEFINED TERMS | 1 | ||||||||||
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS | 2 | ||||||||||
A. | Security Ratings Information | 2 | |||||||||
B. | Equity Securities | 2 | |||||||||
C. | Fixed-Income Securities | 4 | |||||||||
D. | Illiquid and Restricted Securities | 5 | |||||||||
E. | Foreign Investments | 6 | |||||||||
F. | Derivatives | 8 | |||||||||
G. | Leverage Transactions | 11 | |||||||||
H. | Investment Company Securities and Exchange Traded Funds | 14 | |||||||||
I. | Temporary Defensive Position and Cash Investments | 14 | |||||||||
J. | Master-Feeder | 15 | |||||||||
K. | Market Turbulence | 15 | |||||||||
L. | Concentration | 15 | |||||||||
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS | 16 | ||||||||||
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, MANAGEMENT AND SERVICE PROVIDERS | 18 | ||||||||||
A. | Board of Trustees | 18 | |||||||||
B. | Principal Officers of the Trust | 21 | |||||||||
C. | Ownership of Securities of the Adviser and Related Companies | 21 | |||||||||
D. | Information Concerning Trust Committees | 22 | |||||||||
E. | Compensation of Trustees and Officers | 22 | |||||||||
F. | Investment Adviser | 22 | |||||||||
G. | Distributor | 25 | |||||||||
H. | Other Fund Service Providers | 26 | |||||||||
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS | 28 | ||||||||||
A. | How Securities are Purchased and Sold | 28 | |||||||||
B. | Commissions Paid | 28 | |||||||||
C. | Adviser Responsibility for Purchases and Sales and Choosing Broker-Dealers | 28 | |||||||||
D. | Counterparty Risk | 29 | |||||||||
E. | Transactions through Affiliates | 29 | |||||||||
F. | Other Accounts of the Adviser | 29 | |||||||||
G. | Portfolio Turnover | 29 | |||||||||
H. | Securities of Regular Broker-Dealers | 29 | |||||||||
I. | Portfolio Holdings | 29 | |||||||||
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION | 31 | ||||||||||
A. | General Information | 31 | |||||||||
B. | Additional Purchase Information | 31 | |||||||||
C. | Additional Redemption Information | 31 | |||||||||
TAXATION | 33 | ||||||||||
A. | Qualification for Treatment as a Regulated Investment Company | 33 | |||||||||
B. | Fund Distributions | 34 | |||||||||
C. | Certain Tax Rules Applicable to Fund Transactions | 35 | |||||||||
D. | Federal Excise Tax | 37 | |||||||||
E. | Redemption of Shares | 37 | |||||||||
F. | State and Local Taxes | 37 |
G. | Foreign Income Tax | 37 | |||||||||
OTHER MATTERS | 38 | ||||||||||
A. | The Trust and Its Shareholders | 38 | |||||||||
B. | Fund Ownership | 38 | |||||||||
C. | Limitations on Shareholders' and Trustees' Liability | 38 | |||||||||
D. | Proxy Voting Procedures | 39 | |||||||||
E. | Code of Ethics | 39 | |||||||||
F. | Registration Statement | 39 | |||||||||
G. | Financial Statements | 39 | |||||||||
APPENDIX A - DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS | A-1 | ||||||||||
APPENDIX B - TRUST PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES | B-1 | ||||||||||
APPENDIX C - ADVISER PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES | C-1 |
As used in this SAI, the following terms have the meanings listed.
"1933 Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including rules, regulations, SEC interpretations, and any exemptive orders or interpretive relief promulgated thereunder.
"1940 Act" means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, including rules, regulations, SEC interpretations, and any exemptive orders or interpretive relief promulgated thereunder.
"Adviser" means Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC, the Fund's investment adviser.
"Board" means the Board of Trustees of the Trust.
"Independent Trustees" means trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
"NAV" means net asset value per share.
"SEC" means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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The Fund is a diversified series of the Trust. This section supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. The following are descriptions of the permitted investments and investment practices of the Fund and the associated risks. The Fund may engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or practice is consistent with the Fund's investment objective. Please see the Prospectus for a discussion of the Fund's investment objective, principal investment strategies and principal risks of investing in the Fund.
The Fund's investments in fixed-income, preferred stock and convertible securities are subject to the credit risk relating to the financial condition of the issuers of the securities. The Fund may invest in investment grade fixed-income securities and non-investment grade fixed-income securities. Investment grade means rated in the top four long-term rating categories or unrated and determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. Unrated securities may not be as actively traded as rated securities. The lowest ratings that are investment grade for corporate bonds, including convertible securities, are "Baa" in the case of Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") and "BBB" in the cases of Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&P") and Fitch, Inc. ("Fitch"); for preferred stock the lowest ratings are "Baa" in the case of Moody's and "BBB" in the cases of S&P and Fitch. Non-investment grade fixed-income securities (commonly known as "junk bonds") have significant speculative characteristics and generally involve greater volatility of price than investment grade securities.
Moody's, S&P, Fitch and other organizations provide ratings of the credit quality of debt obligations, including convertible securities. A description of the range of ratings assigned to various types of bonds and other securities is included in Appendix A to this SAI. The Adviser may use these ratings to determine whether to purchase, sell or hold a security. Ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Credit ratings attempt to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments and do not evaluate the risks of fluctuations in market value. An issuer's current financial condition may be better or worse than a rating indicates.
Common and Preferred Stock. The Fund may invest in common and preferred stock. Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company and usually possesses voting rights and earns dividends. Dividends on common stock are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer. Common stock generally represents the riskiest investment in a company. In addition, common stock generally has the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential because increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company's common stock price. Preferred stock is a class of stock having a preference over common stock as to the payment of dividends or the recovery of investment should a company be liquidated, although preferred stock is usually junior to the debt securities of the issuer. Preferred stock typically does not possess voting rights. Preferred stock is subject to the risks associated with other types of equity securities, as well as additional risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, potentially greater volatility and risks related to deferral, non-cumulative dividends, subordination, liquidity, limited voting rights, and special redemption rights.
The fundamental risk of investing in common and preferred stock is the risk that the value of the stock might decrease. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of an individual company or in response to general market and/or economic conditions. Historically, common stocks have provided greater long-term returns and have entailed greater short-term risks than preferred stocks, fixed-income securities and money market investments. The market value of all securities, including common and preferred stocks, is based upon the market's perception of value and not necessarily the book value of an issuer or other objective measure of a company's worth. If you invest in the Fund, you should be willing to accept the risks of the stock market and should consider an investment in the Fund only as a part of your overall investment portfolio.
To the extent that the Fund invests in real estate companies, the Fund's investments may experience real estate market risks including declines in the value of real estate, changes in interest rates, lack of available mortgage funds or other limits on obtaining capital, overbuilding, extended vacancies of properties, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws or regulations and casualty or condemnation losses.
Convertible Securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities include fixed-income securities, preferred stock or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a given amount of common
2
stock of the same or a different issuer during a specified period and at a specified price in the future. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest on debt or the dividend on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged.
Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a company's capital structure but are usually subordinated to comparable non-convertible securities. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally: (1) have higher yields than the underlying common stock, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities; (2) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying common 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.
A convertible security may 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 is called for redemption, the 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.
Investment in convertible securities generally entails less risk than an investment in the issuer's common stock. Convertible securities are typically issued by smaller capitalization companies whose stock price may be volatile. Therefore, the price of a convertible security may reflect variations in the price of the underlying common stock in a way that non-convertible debt does not. The extent to which such risk is reduced, however, depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed-income security.
Warrants. The Fund may invest in warrants. Warrants are securities, typically issued with preferred stock or bonds that give the holder the right to purchase a given number of shares of common stock at a specified price and time. The price usually represents a premium over the applicable market value of the common stock at the time of the warrant's issuance. Warrants have no voting rights with respect to the common stock, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.
Investments in warrants involve certain risks, including the possible lack of a liquid market for the resale of the warrants, potential price fluctuations due to adverse market conditions or other factors and failure of the price of the common stock to rise. If the warrant is not exercised within the specified time period, it becomes worthless.
Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in depositary receipts. A depositary receipt is a receipt for shares of a foreign-based company that entitles the holder to distributions on the underlying security. Depositary receipts include sponsored and unsponsored American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and other similar global instruments. The Fund invests in depositary receipts in order to invest in a specific company whose underlying securities are not traded on a U.S. securities exchange.
ADRs typically are issued by a U.S. bank or trust company, evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign company, and are designed for use in U.S. securities markets. EDRs (sometimes called Continental Depositary Receipts) are receipts issued by a European financial institution evidencing an arrangement similar to that of ADRs, and are designed for use in European securities markets. In a sponsored depositary arrangement, the foreign issuer assumes the obligation to pay some or all of the depositary's transaction fees. In an unsponsored arrangement, the foreign issuer assumes no obligations and the depositary's transaction fees are paid by the depositary holder.
Unsponsored depositary receipts may be created without the participation of the foreign issuer. Holders of these receipts generally bear all the costs of the depositary receipt facility, whereas foreign issuers typically bear certain costs in a sponsored depositary receipt. The bank or trust company depositary of an unsponsored depositary receipt may be under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the foreign issuer or to pass through voting rights. Accordingly, available information concerning the issuer may not be current, and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than the prices of sponsored depositary receipts.
ADRs and EDRs may involve additional risks relating to political, economic or regulatory conditions in foreign countries. These risks include less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards in some foreign markets and fluctuations in foreign currencies. The securities underlying ADRs are typically denominated (or quoted) in a currency other than U.S. dollars. As a result, changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect the value of the Fund's portfolio. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars; conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a
3
foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This risk means that a strong U.S. dollar may reduce returns for U.S. investors, while a weak U.S. dollar may increase those returns.
Corporate Debt Obligations. The Fund may invest in corporate debt obligations. Corporate debt obligations include corporate bonds, debentures, notes, commercial paper and other similar debt obligations, which are instruments, used by companies to borrow money from investors. The issuer pays the investor a fixed or variable rate of interest and must repay the amount borrowed at maturity.
Commercial paper (short-term unsecured promissory notes) is issued by companies to finance their current obligations and normally has a maturity of less than 9 months. The Fund may also invest in corporate fixed-income securities registered and sold in the U.S. by foreign issuers (Yankee bonds) and those sold outside the U.S. by foreign or U.S. issuers (Eurobonds).
U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. Government Securities. U.S. Government Securities include securities issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities. U.S. Government Securities may be supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. (such as mortgage-backed securities and certificates of the Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") and securities of the Small Business Administration); by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Department of the Treasury (for example, Federal Home Loan Bank securities); by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Department of the Treasury to lend to the issuer (for example, Fannie Mae (formerly the Federal National Mortgage Association) ("FNMA") securities); or solely by the creditworthiness of the issuer (for example, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC") securities).
U.S. Government Securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing the obligation for repayment and may not be able to assert a claim against the U.S. in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government would provide support if it were not obligated to do so by law. Neither the U.S. Government nor any of its agencies or instrumentalities guarantees the market value of the securities they issue.
Financial Institution Obligations. The Fund may invest in financial institution obligations. Obligations of financial institutions include certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, time deposits and other short-term debt obligations. Certificates of deposit represent an institution's obligation to repay funds deposited with it that earn a specified interest rate over a given period. Bankers' acceptances are negotiable obligations of a bank to pay a draft which has been drawn by a customer and are usually backed by goods in international trade. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits with a banking institution that earn a specified interest rate over a given period. Certificates of deposit and fixed time deposits, which are payable at the stated maturity date and bear a fixed rate of interest, generally may be withdrawn on demand by a Portfolio but may be subject to early withdrawal penalties which could reduce a Portfolio's performance. Although fixed time deposits do not in all cases have a secondary market, there are no contractual restrictions on a Portfolio's right to transfer a beneficial interest in the deposits to third parties.
The Fund may invest in Eurodollar certificates of deposit, which are issued by offices of foreign and domestic banks located outside the U.S.; Yankee certificates of deposit, which are issued by a U.S. branch of a foreign bank and held in the U.S.; Eurodollar time deposits, which are deposits in a foreign branch of a U.S. bank or a foreign bank; and Canadian time deposits, which are issued by Canadian offices of major Canadian banks. Each of these instruments is U.S. dollar denominated.
Risks
General. The market value of the interest-bearing debt securities held by the Fund will be affected by changes in interest rates. There is normally an inverse relationship between the market value of securities sensitive to prevailing interest rates and actual changes in interest rates. The longer the remaining maturity (and duration) of a security, the more sensitive the security is to changes in interest rates. All fixed-income securities, including U.S. Government Securities, can change in value when there is a change in interest rates.
Changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal and in the markets' perception of an issuer's creditworthiness will also affect the market value of that issuer's fixed-income securities. As a result, an
4
investment in the Fund is subject to risk even if all fixed-income securities in the Fund's investment portfolio are paid in full at maturity. In addition, certain fixed-income securities may be subject to extension risk, which refers to the change in total return on a security resulting from an extension or abbreviation of the security's maturity.
Yields on debt securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including the general conditions of the fixed-income securities markets, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Under normal conditions, fixed-income securities with longer maturities tend to offer higher yields and are generally subject to greater price movements than obligations with shorter maturities.
The issuers of debt securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors that may restrict the ability of the issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its fixed-income securities. Bankruptcy, litigation or other conditions may impair an issuer's ability to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its fixed-income securities.
Interest Rates. The market value of the interest-bearing fixed-income securities held by the Fund will be affected by changes in interest rates. There is normally an inverse relationship between the market value of securities sensitive to prevailing interest rates and actual changes in interest rates. The longer the remaining maturity (and duration) of a security, the more sensitive the security is to changes in interest rates. All fixed-income securities, including U.S. Government Securities, can change in value when there is a change in interest rates. Changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal and in the markets' perception of an issuer's creditworthiness will also affect the market value of that issuer's fixed-income securities. As a result, an investment in the Fund is subject to risk even if all fixed-income securities in the Fund's investment portfolio are paid in full at maturity. In addition, certain fixed-income securities may be subject to extension risk, which refers to the change in total return on a security resulting from an extension or abbreviation of the security's maturity.
Credit. The Fund's investment in fixed-income securities is subject to the credit risk relating to the financial condition of the issuers of the securities that the Fund holds. The Fund may invest in high yield securities that provide poor protection for payment of principal and interest but may have greater potential for capital appreciation than do higher quality securities. These securities also have greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the issuers' creditworthiness than do higher quality securities. The market for these securities may be thinner and less active than that for higher quality securities, which may affect the price at which the lower rated securities can be sold. In addition, the market prices of these securities may fluctuate more than the market prices of higher quality securities and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty or rising interest rates. Under such conditions, the Fund may have to use subjective rather than objective criteria to value its high yield/high risk securities investments accurately and may rely more heavily on the judgment of the Adviser to do so.
Moody's, S&P and other organizations are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of debt obligations, including convertible securities. A description of the range of ratings assigned to various types of bonds and other securities is included in Appendix A to this SAI. The Adviser may use these ratings to determine whether to purchase, sell or hold a security. Ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Securities with the same maturity, interest rate and rating may have different market prices. If an issue of securities ceases to be rated or if its rating is reduced after it is purchased by the Fund, the Adviser will determine whether the Fund should continue to hold the obligation. Credit ratings attempt to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments and do not evaluate the risks of fluctuations in market value. An issuer's current financial condition may be better or worse than a rating indicates.
Non-U.S. Dollar Denominated Securities. The Fund may invest in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities including debt obligations denominated in foreign or composite currencies (such as the European Currency Unit) issued by (1) foreign national, provincial, state or municipal governments or their political subdivisions; (2) international organizations designated or supported by governmental entities (e.g., the World Bank and the European Community); (3) non-dollar securities issued by the U.S. Government; and (4) foreign corporations.
1. General
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. The term "illiquid securities" means securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the securities. Illiquid securities include: (1) repurchase agreements not entitling the holder to payment
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of principal within seven days; (2) purchased over-the-counter options; (3) securities which are not readily marketable; and (4) securities subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale because they have not been registered under the 1933 Act ("restricted securities").
Rule 144A Securities Risk. Rule 144A Securities, which are restricted securities, may be less liquid investments than registered securities because such securities may not be readily marketable in broad public markets. A Rule 144A restricted security carries the risk that the Fund may not be able to sell the security when the portfolio manager considers it desirable to do so or that the Fund may have to sell the security at a lower price than that which would be available if the security were more liquid. In addition, transaction costs may be higher for Rule 144A securities than for more liquid securities. Although there is a substantial institutional market for Rule 144A securities, it is not possible to predict exactly how the market for Rule 144A securities will develop. A restricted security which when purchased was liquid in the institutional markets may subsequently become illiquid.
2. Risks
Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of a security and the Fund might also have to register a restricted security in order to dispose of it, resulting in expense and delay. The Fund might not be able to dispose of restricted or illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemption requests. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist for any security at any particular time. Any security, including securities determined by the Adviser to be liquid, can become illiquid.
3. Determination of Liquidity
The Board has the ultimate responsibility for determining whether specific securities are liquid or illiquid and has delegated the function of making determinations of liquidity to the Adviser, pursuant to guidelines approved by the Board. The Adviser determines and monitors the liquidity of Fund assets under its management and reports periodically on its decisions to the Board. The Adviser takes into account a number of factors in reaching liquidity decisions, including but not limited to: (1) the frequency of trades and quotations for the security; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential buyers; (3) the willingness of dealers to undertake to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the marketplace trades, including the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer.
An institutional market has developed for certain restricted securities. Accordingly, contractual or legal restrictions on the resale of a security may not be indicative of the liquidity of the security. If such securities are eligible for purchase by institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or other exemptions, the Adviser may determine that the securities are not illiquid.
The Fund may invest in foreign securities. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may involve risks in addition to those normally associated with investments in the securities of U.S. issuers as described elsewhere in this SAI. All foreign investments are subject to risks of: (1) foreign political and economic instability; (2) adverse movements in foreign exchange rates; (3) the imposition or tightening of exchange controls or other limitations on repatriation of foreign capital; and (4) changes in foreign governmental attitudes towards private investment, including potential nationalization, increased taxation or confiscation of the Fund's assets.
In addition, dividends payable on foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thereby reducing the income available for distribution to you. Some foreign brokerage commissions and custody fees are higher than those in the U.S.. Foreign accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards differ from those in the U.S. and therefore, less information may be available about foreign companies than is available about issuers of comparable U.S. companies. Foreign securities also may trade less frequently and with lower volume and may exhibit greater price volatility than U.S. securities.
Changes in foreign exchange rates will affect the U.S. dollar value of all foreign currency-denominated securities held by the Fund. Exchange rates are influenced generally by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign currency markets and by numerous other political and economic events occurring outside the U.S., many of which may be difficult, if not impossible, to predict.
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Income from foreign securities will be received and realized in foreign currencies and the Fund is required to compute and distribute income in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, a decline in the value of a particular foreign currency against the U.S. dollar after the Fund's income has been earned and computed in U.S. dollars may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities to acquire sufficient U.S. dollars to make a distribution. Similarly, if the exchange rate declines between the time the Fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the Fund may be required to liquidate additional foreign securities to purchase the U.S. dollars required to meet such expenses.
Emerging Markets. If the Fund invests in emerging markets, markets that can have more risk than investing in developed foreign markets, an investment in the Fund may have the following additional risks:
Information about the companies in these countries is not always readily available;
Stocks of companies traded in these countries may be less liquid and the prices of these stocks may be more volatile than the prices of the stocks in more established markets;
Greater political and economic uncertainties exist in emerging markets than in developed foreign markets;
The securities markets and legal systems in emerging markets may not be well developed and may not provide the protections and advantages of the markets and systems available in more developed countries;
Very high inflation rates may exist in emerging markets and could negatively impact a country's economy and securities markets;
Emerging markets may impose restrictions on the Fund's ability to repatriate investment income or capital and thus, may adversely effect the operations of the Fund;
Certain emerging markets impose constraints on currency exchange and some currencies in emerging may have been devalued significantly against the U.S. dollar;
Governments of some emerging markets exercise substantial influence over the private sector and may own or control many companies. As such, governmental actions could have a significant effect on economic conditions in emerging markets, which, in turn, could effect the value of the Fund's investments; and
Emerging markets may be subject to less government supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies.
For these and other reasons, the prices of securities in emerging markets can fluctuate more significantly than the prices of securities of companies in developed countries. The less developed the country, the greater effect these risks may have on your investment in the Fund. As a result, an investment in the Fund may exhibit a higher degree of volatility than either the general domestic securities market or the securities markets of developed foreign countries.
Forward Contracts and Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. The Fund may enter into forward contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts ("forward currency contracts"). Forward contracts are two-party contracts pursuant to which one party agrees to pay the counterparty a fixed price for an agreed upon amount of commodities, securities, or the cash value of the commodities, securities or the securities index, at an agreed upon date. A forward currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specified 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. Because these contracts are physically settled through an exchange of currencies, they are traded in the interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers and they are not considered to be commodity interests for purposes of CFTC Regulation 4.5, discussed below.
The Fund may use forward foreign currency contracts for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund may purchase a forward currency contract to lock in the U.S. dollar price of a security denominated in a foreign currency that it holds or intends to acquire. The Fund may sell a forward currency contract to lock in the U.S. dollar equivalent of the proceeds from the anticipated sale of a security or from a dividend or interest payment on a security denominated in a foreign
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currency. The Fund may seek to hedge against changes in the value of a particular currency by using forward currency contracts on another foreign currency or a basket of currencies, the value of which the Adviser believes will have a positive correlation to the values of the currency being hedged. For example, if the Fund owned securities denominated in a foreign currency that the Adviser believed would decline relative to another currency, it might enter into a forward currency contract to sell an appropriate amount of the first foreign currency, with payment to be made in the second currency. Transactions that use two foreign currencies are sometimes referred to as "cross hedging." Use of a different foreign currency magnifies the Fund's exposures to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
The precise matching of forward currency contract amounts and the value of the securities involved generally will not be possible because the value of such securities, measured in the foreign currency, will change after the forward currency contract has been established. Thus, the Fund might need to purchase or sell foreign currencies in the spot (cash) market to the extent such foreign currencies are not covered by forward contracts. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain.
The cost to the Fund of engaging in forward currency contracts varies with factors such as the currency involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Secondary markets generally do not exist for forward currency contracts. Thus, forward currency contracts usually are entered into on a principal basis, and as a result, no fees or commissions are involved.
Due to the principal nature of forward foreign currency transactions, when the Fund enters into a forward currency contract, it relies on the counterparty to make or take delivery of the underlying currency at the maturity of the contract. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a forward contract in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a counterparty. If such a default occurs, the Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the forward contract, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor.
Failure by the counterparty to perform should be expected to result in the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction. Under such circumstances, the Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position, and would continue to be required to maintain a position in the securities or currencies that are the subject of the hedge or to maintain cash or securities; except sellers or purchasers of forward currency contracts, including the Fund, may enter into offsetting closing transactions, similar to closing transactions on futures, by purchasing or selling an instrument identical to the instrument at issue.
Generally a derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is based on, or "derived" from, a traditional security, asset, currency, or market index. Some "derivatives," such as mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, are in many respects like any other investment, although they may be more volatile or less liquid than more traditional debt securities. There are, in fact, many different types of derivatives and many different ways to use them. Certain derivative securities are described more accurately as index/structured securities. Index/structured securities are derivative securities whose value or performance is linked to other equity securities (such as depositary receipts), currencies, interest rates, indices or other financial indicators (reference indices).
The Fund may invest in one or more types of derivatives, including options, futures, forwards, warrants, structured products, interest rate caps, floors, collars, reverse collars, and other derivative instruments. The enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") resulted in historic and comprehensive statutory reform of certain derivatives, including futures contracts, options on futures contracts, non-deliverable forward contracts and swap agreements (generally, "commodity interests").
Historically, advisers of registered investment companies trading commodity interests, including the Fund, have been excluded from regulation as commodity pool operators ("CPOs") pursuant to CFTC Regulation 4.5. Following enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") amended Regulation 4.5 to dramatically narrow this exclusion.
Under the amended Regulation 4.5 exclusion, the Fund's commodity interests - other than those used for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined by the CFTC) - must be limited such that the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the positions (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions and excluding the amount by which options that are "in-the-money" at the time of purchase) does not exceed
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5% of the Fund's NAV, or alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of the positions, determined at the time the most recent position was established, does not exceed 100% of the Fund's NAV (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). Further, to qualify for the exclusion in amended Regulation 4.5, the Fund must satisfy a marketing test, which requires, among other things, that the Fund not hold itself out as a vehicle for trading commodity interests.
Amended Regulation 4.5 was effective on April 24, 2012, and the compliance date was January 1, 2013. Amended Regulation 4.5, however, has been judicially challenged. Thus, final application of the Regulation to the Fund will depend on the results of that lawsuit. [Nevertheless,] [Pending the resolution thereof,] the Fund expects to comply with one of the two alternative limitations described above. Complying with the limitations may restrict the Adviser's ability to use derivatives as part of the Fund's investment strategies. Although the Adviser expects to be able to execute the Fund's strategies within the limitations, Fund performance could be adversely affected.
Derivatives are subject to asset segregation requirement and therefore to the policies and risks described below under "Senior Securities and Segregated Assets."
1. Non-Deliverable Forward Contracts
The Fund may enter into non-deliverable forward foreign currency contracts ("NDFs"). NDFs are cash-settled, short-term forward contracts on foreign currencies (each a "Reference Currency") that are non-convertible and that may be thinly traded or illiquid. NDFs involve an obligation to pay an amount (the "Settlement Amount") equal to the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate for the Reference Currency and the agreed upon exchange rate (the "NDF Rate"), with respect to an agreed notional amount. NDFs have a fixing date and a settlement (delivery) date. The fixing date is the date and time at which the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate and the agreed upon exchange rate is calculated. The settlement (delivery) date is the date by which the payment of the Settlement Amount is due to the party receiving payment.
Although NDFs are similar to forward currency contracts, NDFs do not require physical delivery of the Reference Currency on the settlement date. Rather, on the settlement date, the only transfer between the counterparties is the monetary settlement amount representing the difference between the NDF Rate and the prevailing market exchange rate. NDFs typically may have terms from one month up to two years and are settled in U.S. dollars.
The Fund may use NDFs for hedging purposes or for direct investment in a foreign country for income or gain. The use of NDFs for hedging or to increase income or gain may not be successful, resulting in losses to the Fund, and the cost of such strategies may reduce the Fund's respective returns.
NDFs have historically been traded over-the-counter ("OTC"), and therefore, they are subject to many of the risks associated with forward currency transactions, including risks associated with fluctuations in foreign currency and the risk that a counterparty will fail to fulfill its obligations. In the future pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, NDFs may be exchange-traded. Under such circumstances, they will be centrally cleared and a secondary market for them will exist. With respect to NDFs that are exchange-traded and centrally-cleared, the Fund could lose margin payments it has deposited with the clearing organization as well as the net amount of gains not yet paid by the clearing organization if it breaches its obligations under the NDF, becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy. In the event of bankruptcy of the clearing organization, the investor may be entitled to the net amount of gains the investor is entitled to receive plus the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the clearing organization's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the investor.
Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act and regulations adopted by the CFTC in connection with implementing the Dodd-Frank Act, NDFs are deemed to be commodity interests, including for purposes of amended Regulation 4.5. Therefore, the Fund with respect to which the Adviser is claiming an exclusion under Regulation 4.5 will limit its investment in NDFs as discussed above under "F. Derivatives."
2. Options and Futures
The Fund may purchase or write put and call options, futures and options on futures to: (1) enhance the Fund's performance, including by obtaining leverage; or (2) to hedge against a decline in the value of securities owned by the Fund or an increase in the price of securities that the Fund plans to purchase or in order to offset the effects of general stock market movements.
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Specifically, the Fund may purchase or write options on securities in which it may invest, on market indices based in whole or in part on such securities or on commodities. Options purchased or written by the Fund are generally traded on an exchange or over-the-counter. The Fund may invest in futures contracts on securities in which it may invest, market indices based in whole or in part on securities in which the Fund may invest and on commodities. The Fund may also purchase or write put and call options on these futures contracts. Options and futures contracts are considered to be derivatives. No assurance can be given that any hedging or income strategy will achieve its intended result.
If the Fund will be financially exposed to another party due to its investments in options or futures, the Fund may, if required, maintain either: (1) offsetting ("covered") positions; or (2) cash, receivables and liquid debt or equity securities equal to the value of the positions less any proceeds and/or margin on deposit. Offsetting covered positions may include holding the underlying securities or holding other offsetting liquid securities believed likely to substantially replicate the movement of the future or option investment. Offsetting covered positions also may include an offsetting option or futures contract.
The Fund will comply with SEC guidelines with respect to coverage of certain strategies and, if the guidelines require, it will set aside on its books and records cash, liquid securities and other permissible assets ("Segregated Assets") in a segregated account in the prescribed amount. The value of the segregated assets, which is marked to market daily, will be at least equal to the Fund's commitment under these transactions less any proceeds or margin on deposit.
Options on Securities. A call option is a contract under which the purchaser of the call option, in return for a premium paid, has the right to buy the security (or index) underlying the option at a specified price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of the call option, who receives the premium, has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price. A put option gives its purchaser, in return for a premium, the right to sell the underlying security at a specified price during the term of the option. The writer of the put, who receives the premium, has the obligation to buy, upon exercise of the option, the underlying security (or a cash amount equal to the value of the index) at the exercise price. The amount of a premium received or paid for an option is based upon certain factors including the market price of the underlying security, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price, the historical price volatility of the underlying security, the option period and interest rates.
Options on Indices. An index assigns relative values to the securities included in the index, and the index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the securities included in the index. Index cash options operate in the same way as the more traditional options on securities except that index options are settled exclusively in cash equal to the difference between the exercise price and the closing price of the index.
Options on Foreign Currency. Options on foreign currency operate in the same way as more traditional options on securities except that currency options are settled exclusively in the currency subject to the option. The value of a currency option is dependent upon the value of the currency relative to the U.S. dollar and has no relationship to the investment merits of a foreign security. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market involve substantially larger amounts than those that may be involved in the use of foreign currency options, the Fund may be disadvantaged by having to deal in an odd lot market (generally consisting in transactions of less than $1 million) for the underlying currencies at prices that are less favorable than round lots. To the extent that the U.S. options markets are closed while the market for the underlying currencies are open, significant price and rate movements may take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets.
Options on Futures. Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities except that an option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position to the holder of the option will be accompanied by transfer to the holder of an accumulated balance representing the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option on the future.
Futures Contracts. A futures contract is a bilateral agreement where one party agrees to accept, and the other party agrees to make, delivery of cash or underlying securities or commodities, as called for in the contract, at a specified date and at an agreed upon price. An index futures contract involves the delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount multiplied by the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and at the price designated by the futures contract. Generally, these futures contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contracts. A public market exists in futures contracts covering certain indexes, financial instruments and foreign currencies.
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3. Swaps
Swaps. The Fund may engage in swaps, including interest rate, currency and equity swaps, and the purchase or sale of related caps, floors, collars and other derivative instruments. The Fund expects to enter into these transactions to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of the portfolio's duration, 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 the most economical way possible.
Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to receive or pay interest (e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments) with respect to a notional amount of principal. Currency swaps involve the exchange of cash flows on a notional amount based on changes in the values of referenced currencies.
The purchase of a cap entitles the purchaser to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling the cap to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate or amount. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling the floor to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate or amount. A collar is a combination of a cap and a floor that preserves a certain return with a predetermined range of interest rates or values.
The use of swaps involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecast of market values, interest rates and other applicable factors, the investment performance of the Fund will be less favorable than it would have been if this investment technique was never used. Swaps do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal, and are subject to counterparty risk. If the other party to a swap defaults and fails to consummate the transaction, the Fund's risk of loss consists of the net amount of interest payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. Under U.S. Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") rules, any lump sum payment received or due under the notional principal contract must be amortized over the life of the contract using the appropriate methodology prescribed by the IRS.
Equity swaps or other swaps relating to securities or other instruments are based on changes in the value of the underlying securities or instruments. For example, an equity swap might involve an exchange of the value of a particular security or securities index in a certain notional amount for the value of another security or index or for the value of interest on that notional amount at a specified fixed or variable rate. The Fund will only enter into an equity swap contract on a net basis, i.e., the two parties' obligations are netted out, with the Fund paying or receiving, as the case may be, only the net amount of the payments. Payments under an equity swap contract may be made at the conclusion of the contract or periodically during its term.
The Adviser may determine to enter into swap contracts exclusively through one counterparty. In such an arrangement, the Fund's chosen counterparty may provide the Fund with favorable margin and collateral arrangements, but the Fund will be exposed to more risk with respect to that counterparty, including the risk that the counterparty may default.
If there is a default by the counterparty to a swap contract, the Fund will be limited to contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. There is no assurance that a swap contract counterparty will be able to meet its obligations pursuant to the swap contract or that, in the event of a default, the Fund will succeed in pursuing contractual remedies. The Fund thus assumes the risk that it may be delayed in or prevented from obtaining payments owed to it pursuant to a swap contract. However, the amount at risk is only the net unrealized gain, if any, on the swap, not the entire notional amount.
1. General
The Fund may use leverage to increase potential returns. Leverage involves special risks and may involve speculative investment techniques. Leverage exists when cash made available to the Fund through an investment technique is used to make additional Fund investments. Leverage transactions include borrowing for other than temporary or emergency purposes, purchasing securities on margin (borrowing money from a bank to purchase securities), selling securities short (selling securities that are not owned), lending portfolio securities, entering into repurchase agreements, dollar rolls and purchasing securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. The Fund uses these investment techniques only when the Adviser believes that the leveraging and the returns available to the Fund from investing the
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cash will provide investors with a potentially higher return. The Fund does not intend to purchase additional investment securities while outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the value of its total assets.
Borrowing. The Fund may borrow money from a bank in amounts up to 33⅓% of total assets at the time of borrowing to, among other things, finance the purchase of securities for its portfolio. If required by the 1940 Act and applicable rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, within three days the Fund will reduce borrowings within three days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) to the extent that they exceed 33⅓% of total assets. Additionally, the Fund may borrow money from any person for temporary purposes in an amount up to 5% of total assets. Entering into reverse repurchase agreements and purchasing securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward delivery basis are not subject to this limitation.
A reverse repurchase agreement is a transaction in which the Fund sells securities to a bank or securities dealer and simultaneously commits to repurchase the securities from the bank or dealer at an agreed upon date and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the sold securities. An investment of the Fund's assets in reverse repurchase agreements will increase the volatility of the Fund's NAV. A counterparty to a reverse repurchase agreement must be a primary dealer that reports to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or one of the largest 100 commercial banks in the U.S.. The Fund may pledge assets to secure borrowing to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act.
Short Sales. To sell short, the Fund will borrow the security from a broker, sell it and maintain the proceeds of the transaction in its brokerage account. The broker will charge the Fund interest during the period it borrows the security. The Fund may close the short sale by purchasing the security in the open market at the market price. If the proceeds received from the short sale (less the interest charges) exceed the amount paid for the security, the Fund will incur a gain on the transaction. If the proceeds received from the short sale (less the interest charges) are less than the amount paid for the security, the Fund will incur a loss on the transaction. Employing a long/short strategy is speculative and involves a high degree of risk.
Securities Lending and Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to 33⅓% of its total assets to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In a portfolio securities lending transaction, the Fund generally receives cash collateral that it may invest for its own account. It also receives from the borrower an amount equal to the interest paid or the dividends declared on the loaned securities during the term of the loan. The Fund normally also pays loan fees (rebates) to the borrower and may also share any net income with the lending agent that arranges the loans on its behalf. The terms of the Fund's loans permit the Fund to reacquire loaned securities on notice equal to the standard settlement period for the loaned securities. This enables the Fund to call back loaned securities in order to vote them when the Fund concludes that that is appropriate. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or the borrower at any time, and the borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated. The Fund may pay fees to arrange for securities loans.
The Fund may enter without limit into repurchase agreements. These are transactions in which the Fund purchases a security and simultaneously agrees to resell that security to the seller at an agreed upon price on demand or on an agreed upon future datenormally, one to seven days later. If the Fund enters into a repurchase agreement, it will maintain possession of the purchased securities and any underlying collateral.
Securities loans and repurchase agreements must be continuously collateralized and the collateral must have market value at least equal to the value of the Fund's loaned securities, plus accrued interest or, in the case of repurchase agreements, equal to the repurchase price of the securities.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements only with respect to 33⅓% of its net assets. Reverse repurchase agreements are transactions in which the Fund sells a security and simultaneously agrees to repurchase that security at an agreed upon price on an agreed upon future date, normally one to seven days later.
When-Issued Securities and Forward Commitments. The Fund may purchase securities offered on a "when-issued" and "forward commitment" basis (including a delayed delivery basis). Securities purchased on a "when-issued" or "forward commitment basis" are securities not available for immediate delivery despite the fact that a market exists for those securities. A purchase is made on a "delayed delivery" basis when the transaction is structured to occur some time in the future.
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When these transactions are negotiated, the price, which is generally expressed in yield terms, is fixed at the time the commitment is made, but delivery and payment for the securities take place at a later date. Normally, the settlement date occurs within two months after the transaction, but delayed settlements beyond two months may be negotiated.
During the period between a commitment and settlement, no payment is made for the securities purchased by the purchaser and, thus, no interest accrues to the purchaser from the transaction. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued basis, the Fund will record the transaction as a purchase and thereafter reflect the value each day of such securities in determining its NAV.
Standby Commitments. The Fund may acquire the right to sell a security to another party at a guaranteed price and date. Such a right to resell may be referred to as a "standby commitment" or liquidity put, depending on its characteristics. There can be no assurance that the securities subject to a standby commitment will be issued, and the value of the security, if issued, on the delivery date may be more or less than its purchase price. Since the issuance of the security underlying the commitment is at the option of the issuer, the Fund may bear the risk of a decline in the value of the security and may not benefit from an appreciation in the value of the security during the commitment period.
If the exercise price of a standby commitment held by the Fund should exceed the current value of the underlying securities, the Fund may refrain from exercising the standby commitment in order to avoid causing the issuer of the standby commitment to sustain a loss and thereby jeopardizing the Fund's business relationship with the issuer. The Fund will enter into standby commitments only with banks and securities dealers that, in the opinion of the Adviser, present minimal credit risks. However, if a securities dealer or bank is unable to meet its obligation to repurchase the security when the Fund exercises a standby commitment, the Fund might be unable to recover all or a portion of any loss sustained from having to sell the security elsewhere.
Dollar Roll Transactions. Dollar roll transactions are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a bank or securities dealer, and makes a commitment to purchase similar, but not identical, securities at a later date from the same party. During the period between the commitment and settlement, no payment is made for the securities purchased and no interest or principal payments on the securities accrue to the purchaser, but the Fund assumes the risk of ownership. The Fund is compensated for entering into dollar roll transactions by the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase, and by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The Fund will engage in dollar roll transactions for the purpose of acquiring securities for their investment portfolios.
2. Risks
Leverage creates the risk of magnified capital losses. Leverage may involve the creation of a liability that requires the Fund to pay interest (for instance, reverse repurchase agreements) or the creation of a liability that does not entail any interest costs (for instance, forward commitment costs).
The risks of leverage include a higher volatility of the NAV of the Fund's securities which may be magnified by favorable or adverse market movements or changes in the cost of cash obtained by leveraging and the yield from invested cash. So long as the Fund is able to realize a net return on its investment portfolio that is higher than interest expense incurred, if any, leverage will result in higher current net investment income for the Fund than if the Fund were not leveraged. Changes in interest rates and related economic factors could cause the relationship between the cost of leveraging and the yield to change so that rates involved in the leveraging arrangement may substantially increase relative to the yield on the obligations in which the proceeds of the leveraging have been invested. To the extent that the interest expense involved in leveraging approaches the net return on the Fund's investment portfolio, the benefit of leveraging will be reduced, and, if the interest expense incurred as a result of leveraging on borrowings were to exceed the net return to investors, the Fund's use of leverage would result in a lower rate of return than if the Fund were not leveraged. In an extreme case, if the Fund's current investment income were not sufficient to meet the interest expense of leveraging, it could be necessary for the Fund to liquidate certain of its investments at an inappropriate time.
Senior Securities and Segregated Assets. Subject to Section 18(f)(1) of the 1940 Act and any rules, regulations and SEC interpretations, and any exemptive orders or interpretive release promulgated thereunder, the Fund may not issue any class of senior security or sell any senior security of which it is the issuer, except that the Fund shall be permitted to borrow from any bank so long as immediately after such borrowings, there is an asset coverage of at least 300% and that in the event such asset coverage falls below this percentage, the Fund shall reduce the amount of its borrowings, within three days (excluding Sundays and holidays), to an extent that the asset coverage shall be at least 300%. The Fund will comply with SEC guidelines with respect to coverage of certain strategies and, if the guidelines require, it will cover
13
or set aside either on its books and records, or in a segregated account with the Fund's custodian, cash, liquid securities and other permissible assets ("Segregated Assets") in the prescribed amount. The value of the Segregated Assets, which is marked to market daily, will be at least equal to the Fund's commitments under these transactions less any proceeds or margin on deposit.
General. The Fund may invest in shares of open-end and closed-end investment companies, including those managed by the Adviser or its affiliates, if any, and including money market mutual funds (pending investment of cash balances). The Fund will limit its investment in the securities of other open-end and closed-end investment companies as required by the 1940 Act. With certain exceptions, including exceptions for investments in money market funds, such provisions generally permit the Fund to acquire up to 3% of the shares of another investment company.
The Fund intends to invest in assets in accordance to Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act and may exceed 5% of total assets in another investment company or 10% of total assets invested among multiple investment companies. The Fund's investment in other investment companies may include money market mutual funds, which are not subject to the percentage limitations set forth above.
In addition, the Fund may invest in Exchange Traded Funds ("ETFs") (which may, in turn, invest in equities, bonds, and other financial vehicles). ETFs are investment companies whose shares are bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF typically holds a portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market segment or index. Some examples of ETFs are SPDRs ® , streetTRACKS ® , DIAMONDS, NASDAQ 100 Index Tracking Stock ("QQQs") iShares ® and VIPERs ® . The Fund could purchase an ETF to gain exposure to a portion of the U.S. or foreign market.
The Fund may invest in Exchange Traded Notes ("ETNs"), which are similar to ETFs in that they may be designed to provide returns that track an index; ETNs are different from ETFs, however, in one important respect. They are not secured by an underlying pool of assets, but rather are notes (or debt securities) secured only by the ability of the issuer to pay.
Risks. The Fund, as a shareholder of another investment company, will bear its pro-rata portion of the other investment company's fees and expenses, in addition to its own fees and expenses. In addition, it will be exposed to the investment risks associated with the other investment company, which generally reflect the risks of the underlying securities. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies that invest primarily in the common stock of companies located outside the U.S., see the risks related to foreign securities set forth in the section entitled "Investment Policies and Risks - Foreign Securities" above.
As a shareholder, the Fund must rely on the investment company to achieve its investment objective. If the investment company or another investment company fails to achieve its investment objective, the value of the Fund's investment may decline, adversely affecting the Fund's performance.
Because ETFs are generally investments companies, owning an ETF generally entails the same risks of owning investment company securities. Investments in ETFs are also subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to the Fund and lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its market price being more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities. In addition, because ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange, ETF shares potentially may trade at a discount or a premium to the ETF's NAV. Finally, because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the Adviser may not be able to liquidate the Fund's holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting the Fund's performance. Further, as debt securities of an issuer, ETN shares are subject to the same risks described for "Corporate Debt Obligations" above.
Temporary Defensive Position. The Fund may invest in high quality money market instruments, pending investment of cash balances. The Fund may also assume a temporary defensive position and may invest without limit in high quality money market instruments. High quality instruments are those instruments that are rated in one of the two highest short-term rating categories by an NRSRO or, if not rated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality.
Money market instruments usually have maturities of one year or less and fixed rates of return. The money market instruments in which the Fund may invest include short-term U.S. Government Securities, commercial paper, bankers'
14
acceptances, certificates of deposit, interest-bearing savings deposits of commercial banks, repurchase agreements concerning securities in which the Fund may invest and money market mutual funds.
Cash Management. The Fund may temporarily invest a portion of its assets in cash or cash items pending other investments or to maintain liquid assets required in connection with some of the Fund's investments. These cash items may consist of money market instruments (such as securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies, bankers' acceptances, commercial paper and certificates of deposit) or other cash instruments of any quality.
The Fund may seek to achieve its investment objective by converting to a master-feeder structure. A fund operating under a master-feeder structure holds, as its only investment, shares of another investment company having substantially the same investment objective and policies. The Board will not authorize conversion to a master-feeder structure if it would materially increase costs to Fund shareholders. The Board will not convert the Fund to a master-feeder structure without notice to the shareholders.
The greatest risk of investing in a mutual fund is that its returns will fluctuate and you could lose money. Turbulence in the financial sector may result in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets. Both domestic and foreign equity markets have experienced significant volatility and turmoil, with issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets particularly affected. It is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions could occur.
Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets may adversely affect many issuers worldwide. This reduced liquidity may result in less money being available to purchase raw materials, goods and services from emerging markets, which may, in turn, bring down the prices of these economic staples. It may also result in emerging market issuers having more difficulty obtaining financing, which may, in turn, cause a decline in their stock prices. These events and possible market turbulence may have an adverse effect on the Fund.
The Fund will not concentrate its investments in issuers of any industry (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets in the stocks of a single industry or group of industries). Note, however, that the Fund's exposure to an industry may be much higher than its investments in the industry due to its having both long and short exposure to such industry, and could therefore make the Fund's net asset value more at risk from industry-specific market or economic developments than would otherwise be the case. This limitation is not applicable to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities or repurchase agreements with respect thereto. The Fund uses the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes to identify each industry for purposes of the concentration policy.
15
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has adopted the following investment policies which are fundamental policies that may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. "A majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund," as defined by the 1940 Act, means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund, or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy.
The Fund's investment objective is a non-fundamental policy. Non-fundamental policies may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
For purposes of the Fund's investment limitations, all percentage limitations apply immediately after an investment. Except with respect to borrowing money and illiquid securities, if a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in the percentage resulting from any change in value or net assets will not result in a violation of such restrictions. If at any time the Fund's borrowings exceed its limitations due to a decline in net assets, such borrowings will be reduced within three days (excluding Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the limitation. If illiquid securities exceed 15% of the Fund's net assets after the time of purchase the Fund will take steps to reduce in an orderly fashion its holdings of illiquid securities.
Fundamental Limitations. The Fund has adopted the following investment limitations that cannot be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
1. The Fund may not borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
2. The Fund may not issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
3. The Fund will not make loans to other persons, except: (a) by loaning portfolio securities; (b) by engaging in repurchase agreements; or (c) by purchasing nonpublicly offered debt securities. For purposes of this limitation, the term "loans" shall not included the purchase of a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, debentures or other securities.
4. The Fund may not engage in the business of underwriting securities except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act in the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies, or to the extent otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
5. The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
6. The Fund will not purchase or sell commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from purchasing or selling options or futures contracts, from investing in securities or other instruments backed by commodities or from investing in companies, which are engaged in commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities.
7. The Fund will not invest more than 25% of its total assets in a particular industry. This limitation is not applicable to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities or repurchase agreements with respect thereto.
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to borrowing money set forth in (1) above, the 1940 Act permits the Fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund's total assets, at the time of borrowing, from banks and other institutions for any purpose (the Fund's total assets include the amounts being borrowed). To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the 1940 Act requires the Fund to maintain at all times an "asset coverage" of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings, not including borrowings for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets. Asset coverage means the ratio that the value of the Fund's total assets (including amounts borrowed), minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings.
16
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to issuing senior securities set forth in (2) above, "senior securities" are defined as fund obligations that have a priority over the Fund's shares with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of Fund assets. The 1940 Act prohibits the Fund from issuing any class of senior securities or selling any senior securities of which it is the issuer, except that the fund is permitted to borrow from a bank so long as, immediately after such borrowings, there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of the fund (not including borrowings for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets). In the event that such asset coverage falls below this percentage, the Fund is required to reduce the amount of its borrowings within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) so that the asset coverage is restored to at least 300%. The policy in (2) above will be interpreted not to prevent collateral arrangements including, as applicable, with respect to swaps, options, forward or futures contracts or other derivatives, or the posting of initial or variation margin.
With respect to the fundamental policy relating to making loans set forth in (3) above, the 1940 Act does not prohibit the Fund from making loans; however, SEC staff interpretations currently prohibit funds from lending more than one-third of their total assets, except through the purchase of debt obligations or the use of repurchase agreements. (A repurchase agreement is an agreement to purchase a security, coupled with an agreement to sell that security back to the original seller on an agreed-upon date at a price that reflects current interest rates. The SEC frequently treats repurchase agreements as loans.)
17
The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees. The Board is responsible for and oversees the overall management and operations of the Trust and the Fund, which includes the general oversight and review of the Fund's investment activities, in accordance with federal law, Delaware law and the stated policies of the Fund. The Board oversees the Trust's officers and service providers, including the Adviser, who is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the Fund based on policies and agreements reviewed and approved by the Board. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Board regularly interacts with and receives reports from senior personnel of service providers and the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO"). The Board also is assisted by the Trust's independent auditor (who reports directly to the Trust's Audit Committee), independent counsel and other experts as appropriate, all of whom are selected by the Board.
Board Structure and Related Matters. Independent Trustees constitute at least two-thirds of the Board members. J. Michael Parish, an Independent Trustee, serves as Independent Chair of the Board. The Independent Chair's responsibilities include: setting an agenda for each meeting of the Board; presiding at all meetings of the Board and Independent Trustees; and serving as a liaison with other trustees, the Trust's officers, other management personnel and counsel to the Fund. The Independent Chair also performs such other duties as the Board may from time to time determine.
The trustees discharge their responsibilities collectively as a Board, as well as through Board committees, each of which operates pursuant to a charter or procedures approved by the Board that delineates the specific responsibilities of that committee. The Board has established three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Nominating Committee and the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. The members and responsibilities of each Board committee are summarized beginning on page 22 .
The Board periodically evaluates its structure and composition as well as various aspects of its operations. The Board believes that its leadership structure, including its Independent Chair position and its committees, is appropriate for the Trust in light of, among other factors, the asset size and nature of the Fund, the number of funds overseen by the Board, the arrangements for the conduct of the Fund's operations, the number of trustees and the Board's responsibilities. On an annual basis, the Board conducts a self-evaluation that considers, among other matters, whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively and whether, given the size and composition of the Board and each if its committees, the trustees are able to oversee effectively the number of funds in the complex.
The Board holds four regularly scheduled in-person meetings each year. The Board may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone, to address matters arising between regular meetings. The Independent Trustees also hold at least one in-person meeting each year during a portion of which management is not present and may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone.
The trustees are identified in the table below, which provides information as to their principal business occupations held during the last five years and certain other information. Each trustee serves until his death, resignation or removal and replacement. The address for all trustees is c/o Atlantic Fund Services, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600, Portland, Maine 04101. John Y. Keffer is considered an interested trustee due to his affiliation with Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC (d/b/a Atlantic Fund Services) ("Atlantic" or the "Administrator").
18
Name and Year
of Birth |
Position with
the Trust |
Length of
Time Served |
Principal
Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
Number of
Series of Trust Overseen By Trustee |
Other
Directorships Held By Trustee |
||||||||||||
Independent Trustees | |||||||||||||||||
J. Michael Parish
Born: 1943 |
Chairman of the Board; Trustee; Chairman, Nominating Committee and Qualified Legal Compliance Committee | Since 1989 (Chairman since 2004) | Retired since 2003. | 22 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Costas Azariadis
Born: 1943 |
Trustee | Since 1989 | Professor of Economics, Washington University since 2006. | 22 | 0 | ||||||||||||
James C. Cheng
Born: 1942 |
Trustee; Chairman, Audit Committee | Since 1989 | President, Technology Marketing Associates (marketing company for small- and medium- sized businesses in New England) since 1991. | 22 | 0 | ||||||||||||
David Tucker
Born: 1958 |
Trustee | Since 2011 | Director, Blue Sky Experience, since 2008; Senior Vice President & General Counsel, American Century Companies 1998-2008. | 22 | Trustee, Forum ETF Trust | ||||||||||||
Interested Trustee | |||||||||||||||||
John Y. Keffer
1
Born: 1942 |
Trustee; Vice Chairman | Since 1989 | Chairman, Atlantic since 2008; President, Forum Foundation (a charitable organization) since 2005; President, Forum Trust, LLC (a non- depository trust company chartered in the State of Maine) since 1997. | 22 | Director, Wintergreen Fund, Inc.; Trustee, Forum ETF Trust |
1 Atlantic is a subsidiary of Forum Holdings Corp. I, a Delaware corporation that is wholly owned by Mr. Keffer.
In addition to the information set forth in the table above, each trustee possesses other relevant qualifications, experience, attributes or skills. The following provides additional information about these qualifications and experience.
J. Michael Parish: Mr. Parish has experience as a business attorney and long-time member of a law firm; service on the board of the foundation Hackensack Riverkeeper, Inc.; and multiple years of service as a trustee and as Independent Chair. Mr. Parish also served as a trustee of Monarch Funds, a Massachusetts business trust and open-end management investment company, from 2003 to 2009.
Costas Azariadis: Mr. Azariadis has extensive experience with finance and economics, having served as a professor of economics at various top universities and a member of the various committees of the governing body of universities; and multiple years of service as a trustee. Mr. Azariadis also served as a trustee of Monarch Funds from 2003 to 2009.
19
James C. Cheng: Mr. Cheng has organizational experience as chairman and chief executive officer of a private marketing company; experience as co-founder of an information technology firm; experience as a consultant; and multiple years of service as a trustee. Mr. Cheng also served as a trustee of Monarch Funds from 2003 to 2009.
David Tucker: Mr. Tucker has extensive experience in the investment management industry, including experience in senior management, legal and compliance roles at two large mutual fund complexes; service on various committees of the Investment Company Institute ("ICI"); and director of ICI Mutual (a mutual insurance company sponsored by the investment company industry), including service as chairman of the underwriting, risk and fraud committees of ICI Mutual's board of directors. Mr. Tucker also serves as director of two charitable organizations in the metropolitan Kansas City area.
John Y. Keffer: Mr. Keffer has extensive experience in the investment management industry, including organizational experience as chairman and chief executive officer of a fund service provider; and multiple years of service as a trustee. Mr. Keffer also served as a trustee of Monarch Funds from 2003 to 2009 and continues to serve as an independent director of Wintergreen Fund, Inc., another open-end management investment company.
Risk Oversight. Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and the Fund, the Board oversees the management of risks relating to the administration and operation of the Trust and the Fund. The Adviser, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Fund, is responsible for day-to-day risk management. The Board, in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment, also separately considers potential risks that may impact the Fund. The Board performs this risk management oversight directly and, as to certain matters, through its committees (described below) and through the Independent Trustees. The following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Board's oversight of risk management for the Trust and the Fund.
In general, the Fund's risks include, among others, investment risk, valuation risk, compliance risk and operational risk. The Board has adopted, and periodically reviews, policies and procedures designed to address these and other risks to the Trust and the Fund. In addition, under the general oversight of the Board, the Adviser and other service providers have themselves adopted a variety of policies, procedures and controls designed to address particular risks. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Further, the Adviser oversees and regularly monitors the investments, operations and compliance of the Fund's investments.
The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Fund through review of regular reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. Senior officers of the Trust, senior officers of the Adviser and the Trust's CCO regularly report to the Board on a range of matters, including those relating to risk management. In this regard, the Board periodically receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust, either directly or through the CCO. On at least a quarterly basis, the Independent Trustees meet with the CCO to discuss matters relating to the Fund's compliance program. Further, at least annually, the Board receives a report from the CCO regarding the effectiveness of the Fund's compliance program.
The Board receives regular reports from a "Valuation Committee," comprised of the Principal Executive Officer, the Principal Financial Officer, the CCO, a senior fund accounting member, a senior representative from the administrator's regulatory administration group and a representative of the Adviser whose Fund(s) present valuation matters. The Valuation Committee operates pursuant to the Trust's Valuation Policy (the "Valuation Policy"). The Valuation Committee reports to the Board on the pricing of the Fund's shares and the valuation of the Fund's portfolio securities; recommends, subject to approval by the Board, independent pricing services to provide a value for Fund assets; makes and monitors fair value determinations pursuant to the Valuation Policy and carries out any other functions delegated to it by the Board relating to the valuation of Fund assets.
The Board also regularly receives reports from the Adviser with respect to the investments and securities trading of the Fund. For example, typically, the Board receives reports, presentations and other information from the Adviser on at least an annual basis in connection with the Board's consideration of the renewal of the investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust on behalf of the Fund (the "Advisory Agreement"). Also, if applicable, the Board receives reports from the Adviser and other service providers in connection with the Board's consideration of the renewal of any distribution plan of the Fund under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Senior officers of the Trust and senior officers of the Adviser also report regularly to the Audit Committee on valuation matters, internal controls and accounting and financial reporting policies and practices. In addition, the Audit Committee receives regular reports from the Trust's independent auditors on internal control and financial reporting matters.
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Trustees |
Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership
in the Fund as of December 31, 2012 1 |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Ownership as of December 31, 2012 in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in the Trust | ||||||
Independent Trustees | ||||||||
J. Michael Parish | None | Over $100,000 | ||||||
Costas Azariadis | None | None | ||||||
James C. Cheng | None | None | ||||||
David Tucker | None | None | ||||||
Interested Trustee | ||||||||
John Y. Keffer | None | None |
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. As of the date of this SAI, the officers of the Trust, their year of birth and their principal occupations during the past five years are as set forth below. The business address of each officer is c/o Atlantic Fund Services, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600, Portland, Maine 04101.
Name and Year of
Birth |
Position
with the Trust |
Length of Time
Served |
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years |
||||||||
Stacey E. Hong
Born: 1966 |
President; Principal Executive Officer | Since 2008 | President, Atlantic since 2008. | ||||||||
Karen Shaw
Born: 1972 |
Treasurer; Principal Financial Officer | Since 2008 | Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008; Vice President, Citigroup 2003-2008. | ||||||||
David Faherty
Born: 1970 |
Vice President | Since 2009 | Senior Counsel, Atlantic since 2009; Vice President, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. 2007-2009. | ||||||||
Michael J. McKeen
Born: 1971 |
Vice President | Since 2009 | Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008; Vice President, Citigroup 2003-2008. | ||||||||
Joshua LaPan
Born: 1973 |
Vice President | Since 2009 | Manager, Atlantic since 2008; Vice President, Citigroup 2003-2008. | ||||||||
Timothy Bowden
Born: 1969 |
Vice President | Since 2009 | Manager, Atlantic since 2008; Vice President, Citigroup 2005-2008. | ||||||||
Lina Bhatnagar
Born: 1971 |
Secretary | Since 2008 | Senior Administration Specialist, Atlantic since 2008; Regulatory Administration Specialist, Citigroup 2006-2008. |
As of December 31, 2012, no Independent Trustee (or any of his immediate family members) owned beneficially or of record, securities of any Trust investment adviser, its principal underwriter, or any person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with any Trust investment adviser or principal underwriter.
21
Audit Committee. The Trust's Audit Committee, which meets when necessary, consists of Messrs. Azariadis, Cheng, Parish, and Tucker, constituting all of the Independent Trustees. Pursuant to a charter adopted by the Board, the Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility for oversight of the quality and integrity of the accounting, auditing and financial reporting practices of the Trust. It is directly responsible for the appointment, termination, compensation and oversight of work of the independent auditors to the Trust. In so doing, the Committee reviews the methods, scope and results of the audits and audit fees charged, and reviews the Trust's internal accounting procedures and controls. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013, the Audit Committee met four times.
Nominating Committee. The Trust's Nominating Committee, which meets when necessary, consists of Messrs. Azariadis, Cheng, Parish, and Tucker, constituting all of the Independent Trustees. Pursuant to a charter adopted by the Board, the Nominating Committee is charged with the duty of nominating all trustees and committee members and presenting these nominations to the Board. The Nominating Committee will not consider any nominees for trustees recommended by security holders. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013, the Nominating Committee did not meet.
Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (the "QLCC"), which meets when necessary, consists of Messrs. Azariadis, Cheng, Parish, and Tucker, constituting all of the Independent Trustees. The QLCC evaluates and recommends resolutions to reports from attorneys servicing the Trust regarding evidence of material violations of applicable federal and state law or the breach of fiduciary duties under applicable federal and state law by the Trust or an employee or agent of the Trust. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013, the QLCC did not meet.
Each trustee is paid an annual fee of $45,000 for service to the Trust. The Chairman of the Board is paid an annual fee of $66,000. In addition, for the period ended March 31, 2012, the Chairman of the Board received a monthly stipend of $500 to cover certain expenses incurred in connection with his duties to the Trust. The stipend was discontinued on April 1, 2012. The trustees and Chairman may receive additional fees for special Board meetings. Each trustee is also reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with his duties as a trustee, including travel and related expenses incurred in attending Board meetings. No officer of the Trust is compensated by the Trust, but officers are reimbursed for travel and related expenses incurred in attending Board meetings held outside of Portland, Maine.
The following table sets forth the fees paid to each trustee by the Fund and the Trust for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013.
Trustee |
Aggregate
Compensation from the Fund 1 |
Pension or Retirement
Benefits Accrued as part of Fund Expenses |
Total
Compensation from Trust |
||||||||
J. Michael Parish | $258 | N/A | $71,500 | ||||||||
Costas Azariadis | $176 | N/A | $48,750 | ||||||||
James C. Cheng | $176 | N/A | $48,750 | ||||||||
David Tucker | $176 | N/A | $48,750 | ||||||||
John Y. Keffer | $0 | N/A | $0 |
1 Estimated compensation for the fiscal year April 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014.
Services of Adviser . The Adviser serves as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to the Advisory Agreement. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser furnishes, at its own expense, all services, facilities, and personnel necessary in connection with managing the Fund's investments and effecting portfolio transactions for the Fund. The Adviser may compensate brokers or other service providers ("Financial Intermediaries") out of its own assets, and not as additional charges to the Fund, in connection with the sale and distribution of shares of the Fund and/or servicing of these shares.
22
Ownership of Adviser. Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC ("LMCG") was founded in August 2000 as a private partnership and was established to provide investment management solutions to institutional and high net worth clients within the Global, International and US Equity investment areas. In 2009, LMCG became an affiliate of Convergent Capital Management ("CCM") which acquired a majority ownership stake in the firm. The remaining portion is owned by LMCG employees. As of February 28, 2013, LMCG managed approximately $5.1 billion in assets under management and advisement. LMCG is an SEC registered investment adviser located at John Hancock Tower, 200 Clarendon Street, 28th Floor, Boston, MA 02116.
Information Concerning Accounts Managed by Portfolio Managers . The following table provides information regarding other accounts managed by the portfolio managers as of December 31, 2012:
Number of Other Accounts Managed
and Assets by Account Type |
Number of Accounts and Assets for Which
Advisory Fee is Performance-Based |
|||||||||||||||||||
Name of
Portfolio Manager |
Registered
Investment Companies |
Other
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other
Accounts |
Registered
Investment Companies |
Other
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other
Accounts |
||||||||||||||
Gordon Johnson |
2 accounts
$119 million |
7 accounts
$83.3 million |
1 account
$10.9 million |
None | None | None | ||||||||||||||
Shannon Ericson |
2 accounts
$119 million |
7 accounts
$83.3 million |
1 account
$10.9 million |
None | None | None | ||||||||||||||
Vikram Srimurthy |
2 accounts
$119 million |
7 accounts
$83.3 million |
1 account
$10.9 million |
None | None | None |
Conflicts of Interest. Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple funds and/or other accounts may be presented with the following conflicts:
The management of multiple client accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of the Fund. The Adviser may seek to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of the portfolio managers by having the portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline.
If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one account, the Fund may be unable to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible accounts. To deal with these situations, the Investment Manager, the Adviser and the Fund have adopted procedures for allocating portfolio transactions across multiple accounts.
With respect to securities transactions for the Fund, the Adviser determines which broker to use to execute each order, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts (such as other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered mutual funds and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals), the Adviser may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, the Adviser may place separate, non-simultaneous transactions for the Fund and another account which may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the Fund or the other account.
Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise if the Adviser has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of one fund or account but not all funds and accounts with respect to which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities.
The Adviser and the Fund have adopted certain compliance procedures, which are designed to address these types of conflicts. The Adviser has developed and implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure that all clients are treated equitably. In addition, compliance oversight and monitoring ensures adherence to policies designed to avoid
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conflicts. The Adviser's Trading Polices and Procedures address trade aggregation and allocation. Typically when aggregating trades across funds, the size of the trade for each fund is determined by proportional size of the fund and such determination is made pre-trade. Moreover, in aggregated trades each fund receives the average share price and transaction costs are shared on a pro-rata basis. Additionally, given the nature of the Adviser's investment process and its funds, the Adviser's investment management team services are typically not applied individually but collectively to the management of all the funds to which it provides investment advisory services.
Compensation of the Adviser's portfolio management team is not based upon performance of the funds managed by the Adviser. Fund performance is not a factor in compensation as it might encourage investment decisions deviating from the Fund's mandate. To mitigate the potential for conflict to have a team member favor one fund over another, the Adviser has established procedures, including policies to monitor trading and best execution for all funds.
There is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
Information Concerning Compensation of Portfolio Managers. Portfolio managers at the Adviser are compensated through a combination of competitive base salary and incentive bonus, paid in cash. Bonuses are formula driven based on assets managed in the strategy, strategy revenues, and performance relative to peer groups. Incentive bonuses are not calculated on specific client or specific Fund assets.
Portfolio Manager Ownership in the Fund. The Fund has not yet commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI. Accordingly, the Fund's portfolio managers do not own any shares of the Fund.
Fees. The Adviser receives an advisory fee from the Fund at an annual rate equal to 1.00% of the Fund's average annual daily net assets under the terms of the Advisory Agreement. The advisory fee, if not waived, is accrued daily and paid monthly by the Fund, and is assessed based on daily net assets.
In addition to receiving its advisory fee from the Fund, the Adviser may also act and be compensated as investment manager for its clients with respect to assets that the clients invested in the Fund. If you have a separately managed account with the Adviser with assets invested in the Fund, the Adviser will credit an amount equal to all or a portion of the fees received by the Adviser against any investment management fee received from a shareholder.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fee and/or reimburse Fund expenses to limit Total Annual Operating Expenses (excluding all taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, proxy expenses and extraordinary expenses) of Investor Shares and Institutional Shares of the Fund to 1.85% and 1.60%, respectively, of the Fund's average daily net assets through March 31, 2014 ("Expense Cap"). The Expense Cap may only be raised or eliminated with the consent of the Board. The Adviser may be reimbursed by the Fund for fees waived and expenses reimbursed by the Adviser pursuant to the Expense Cap if (1) such payment is made within three years of the fee waiver or expense reimbursement (2) such payment is approved by the Board and (3) does not cause the Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses of the Fund class to exceed the Expense Cap.
The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI. Accordingly, advisory fee data is not provided.
Advisory Agreement. The Fund's Advisory Agreement remains in effect for a period of two years from the date of its effectiveness, and thereafter the Advisory Agreement must be approved at least annually by the Board or by majority vote of the shareholders, and in either case by a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any such party (other than as trustees of the Trust).
The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust with respect to the Fund on 60 days' written notice when authorized either by vote of the Fund's shareholders or by a majority vote of the Board, or by the Adviser on 60 days' written notice to the Trust. The Advisory Agreement terminates immediately upon assignment.
Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is not liable for any mistake of judgment, mistake of law, or act or omission, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Advisory Agreement.
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Distribution Services. Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the "Distributor") is the distributor (also known as principal underwriter) of the shares of the Fund and is located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA").
Under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust dated March 31, 2009, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Trust 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 Trust.
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 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 Plan is effective. The Adviser pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.
Distribution Plan (Investor Shares). The Trust has adopted a Rule 12b-1 plan under which the Fund is authorized to pay to the Distributor and any other entity authorized by the Board, including the Adviser (collectively, "payees"), compensation for distribution-related and/or shareholder services provided by such entities, an aggregate fee equal to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund's Investor Shares. The payees may pay any or all amounts received under the Rule 12b-1 plan to other persons for any distribution or service activity conducted on behalf of the Fund. The plan is a core component of the ongoing distribution of the Fund's Investor Shares. Pursuant to an agreement between the Distributor and the Adviser, the Distributor may reimburse certain distribution-related and/or shareholder servicing expenses incurred by the Adviser.
The Rule 12b-1 plan provides that the payees may incur expenses for distribution and service activities including, but not limited to: (1) any sales, marketing and other activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares and (2) providing services to holders of shares related to their investment in the Fund, including, without limitation, providing assistance in connection with responding to shareholder inquiries regarding the Fund's investment objective, policies and other operational features and inquiries regarding shareholder accounts. Expenses for such activities include compensation to employees and expenses, including overhead and telephone and other communication expenses, of a payee who engages in or supports the distribution of Fund shares or who provides shareholder servicing such as responding to shareholder inquiries regarding the Fund's operations; the incremental costs of printing (excluding typesetting) and distributing prospectuses, statements of additional information, annual reports and other periodic reports for use in connection with the offering or sale of Fund shares to any prospective investors; and the costs of preparing, printing and distributing sales literature and advertising materials used by the Distributor, the Adviser or others in connection with the offering of Fund shares for sale to the public.
The Rule 12b-1 plan requires the payees to prepare and submit to the Board, at least quarterly, and the Board to review, written reports setting forth all amounts expended under the Rule 12b-1 plan and identifying the activities for which those expenditures were made. The Rule 12b-1 plan obligates the Fund to compensate payees for services and not to reimburse them for expenses incurred.
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The Rule 12b-1 plan provides that it will remain in effect for one year from the date of its adoption and thereafter shall continue in effect provided it is approved at least annually by the shareholders or by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Rule 12b-1 plan further provides that it may not be amended to materially increase the costs which the Trust bears for distribution/shareholder servicing pursuant to the Rule 12b-1 plan without approval by shareholders of Investor Shares and that other material amendments of the Rule 12b-1 plan must be approved by the Independent Trustees. The Rule 12b-1 plan may be terminated with respect to the Fund's Investor Shares at any time by the Board, by a majority of the Independent Trustees or by shareholders of the Fund's Investor Shares.
The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI. Accordingly, the fees payable by the Fund to the Distributor or its agents under the plan for Investor Shares, the amount of fees waived by the Distributor or its agents and the actual fees received by the Distributor and its agents under the plan are not provided.
Administrator, Fund Accountant, Transfer Agent, and Compliance Services. Atlantic and its subsidiaries provide administration, compliance, fund accounting and transfer agency services to the Fund. Atlantic is a subsidiary of Forum Holdings Corp I. John Y. Keffer, a trustee, is the Chairman of Atlantic and is also the founder and owner of Forum Holdings Corp. I, the parent entity of Atlantic.
Pursuant to the Atlantic Services Agreement (the "Services Agreement"), the Fund pays Atlantic a bundled fee for administration, compliance, fund accounting and transfer agency services. The Fund also pays Atlantic certain surcharges and shareholder account fees. The fee is accrued daily by the Fund and is paid monthly based on the average net assets, transactions and positions for the prior month.
The Services Agreement continues in effect until terminated, so long as its continuance is specifically approved or ratified with such frequency and in such manner as required by applicable law. After an initial three-year term, the Services Agreement is terminable with or without cause and without penalty by the Trust or by the administrator on 120 days' written notice to the other party. The Services Agreement is also terminable for cause by the non-breaching party on at least 60 days' written notice to the other party, provided that such party has not cured the breach within that notice period. Under the Services Agreement, Atlantic is not liable to the Fund or the Fund's shareholders for any act or omission, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Services Agreement. The Services Agreement also provides that Atlantic will not be liable to a shareholder for any loss incurred due to a NAV difference if such difference is less than or equal to 0.5% or less than or equal to $25.00. In addition, Atlantic is not liable for the errors of others, including the companies that supply security prices to Atlantic and the Fund.
As administrator, Atlantic administers the Fund's operations except those that are the responsibility of any other service provider hired by the Trust, all in such manner and to such extent as may be authorized by the Board. The administrator's responsibilities include, but are not limited to: (1) overseeing the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to the Fund by others, including its custodian, transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent as well as legal, auditing, shareholder servicing and other services performed for the Fund; (2) preparing for filing and filing certain regulatory filings (i.e., registration statements and shareholder reports) subject to Trust counsel and/or independent auditor oversight; (3) overseeing the preparation and filing of the Fund's tax returns, the preparation of financial statements and related reports to the Fund's shareholders, the SEC and state and other securities administrators; (4) providing the Fund with adequate general office space and facilities and providing persons suitable to the Board to serve as officers of the Trust; (5) assisting the Adviser in monitoring Fund holdings for compliance with prospectus investment restrictions and assisting in preparation of periodic compliance reports; and (6) with the cooperation of the Adviser, the officers of the Trust and other relevant parties, preparing and disseminating materials for meetings of the Board.
Atlantic provides a Principal Executive Officer, a Principal Financial Officer, a CCO, and an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer to the Fund, as well as certain additional compliance support functions.
Atlantic Shareholder Services, LLC (the "Transfer Agent") serves as transfer agent and distribution paying agent for the Fund. Atlantic is registered as a transfer agent with the SEC. The Transfer Agent maintains an account for each shareholder of record of the Fund and is responsible for processing purchase and redemption requests and paying distributions to shareholders of record.
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As fund accountant, Atlantic provides fund accounting services to the Fund. These services include calculating the NAV of each Fund class.
The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI. Accordingly, fee data for the aforementioned services are not provided.
Custodian. Union Bank, N.A. is the "Custodian" for the Fund and safeguards and controls the Fund's cash and securities, determines income and collects interest on Fund investments. The Custodian may employ subcustodians to provide custody of the Fund's domestic and foreign assets. The Custodian is located at 350 California Street, 6th Floor, San Francisco, California 94104.
Legal Counsel. K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. BBD, LLP ("BBD"), 1835 Market Street, 26th Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, is the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund, providing audit and tax services. BBD audits the annual financial statements of the Fund and provides the Fund with an audit opinion. BBD also reviews certain regulatory filings of the Fund.
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Purchases and sales of portfolio securities that are fixed-income securities (for instance, money market instruments and bonds, notes and bills) usually are principal transactions. In a principal transaction, the party from whom the Fund purchases or to whom the Fund sells is acting on its own behalf (and not as the agent of some other party such as its customers). These securities normally are purchased directly from the issuer or from an underwriter or market maker for the securities. There usually are no brokerage commissions paid for these securities.
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities that are equity securities (for instance, common stock and preferred stock) are generally effected if: (1) the security is traded on an exchange, through brokers that charge commissions; and (2) the security is traded in the over-the-counter markets, in a principal transaction directly from a market maker. In transactions on stock exchanges, commissions are negotiated.
When transactions are executed in an over-the-counter market, the Adviser will seek to deal with the primary market makers, but when necessary in order to obtain best execution, the Adviser will utilize the services of others.
The price of securities purchased from underwriters includes a disclosed fixed commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and prices of securities purchased from dealers serving as market makers reflects the spread between the bid and asked price.
In the case of fixed-income and equity securities traded in the over-the-counter markets, there is generally no stated commission, but the price usually includes an undisclosed commission or markup.
The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI. Accordingly, no brokerage commissions were paid by the Fund during the previous three fiscal years.
The Adviser places orders for the purchase and sale of securities with broker-dealers selected by and at the discretion of the Adviser. The Fund does not have any obligation to deal with a specific broker or dealer in the execution of portfolio transactions. Allocations of transactions to brokers and dealers and the frequency of transactions are determined by the Adviser in its best judgment and in a manner deemed to be in the best interest of the Fund rather than by any formula.
The Adviser seeks "best execution" for all portfolio transactions. This means that the Adviser seeks the most favorable price and execution available. The Fund may not always pay the lowest commission or spread available. Rather, in determining the amount of commissions (including certain dealer spreads) paid in connection with securities transactions, the Adviser takes into account factors such as size of the order, difficulty of execution, efficiency of the executing broker's facilities (including the research services described below) and any risk assumed by the executing broker. The Adviser may also utilize a broker and pay a higher commission if, for example, the broker has specific expertise in a particular type of transaction (due to factors such as size or difficulty), or it is efficient in trade execution.
The Adviser may also give consideration to research services furnished by brokers to the Adviser. The Adviser may cause the Fund to pay these brokers a higher amount of commission than may be charged by other brokers. This research may include reports that are common in the industry such as industry research reports and periodicals, quotation systems, software for portfolio management and formal databases. Typically, the research will be used to service the Adviser's accounts, and therefore the commission dollars spent for research benefit the Adviser's clients and the Fund's investors, although a particular client may not benefit from all the research received on each occasion. The Adviser's fees are not reduced by reason of the Adviser's receipt of research services.
The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI. Accordingly, the Fund did not direct brokerage to any broker for research services provided to the Fund during the fiscal year.
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The Adviser monitors the creditworthiness of counterparties to the Fund's transactions and intends to enter into a transaction only when it believes that the counterparty presents appropriate credit risks.
The Adviser may effect brokerage transactions through affiliates of the Adviser (or affiliates of those persons) pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trust.
Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those for any other account or investment company that is or may in the future become advised by the Adviser or its affiliates. Investment decisions are the product of many factors, including basic suitability for the particular client involved. Likewise, a particular security may be bought or sold for certain clients even though it could have been bought or sold for other clients at the same time. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more clients are selling the security. In some instances, with required consents, one client may sell a particular security to another client. In addition, two or more clients may simultaneously purchase or sell the same security, in which event each day's transactions in such security are, insofar as is possible, averaged as to price and allocated between such clients in a manner which, in the Adviser's opinion, is in the best interest of the affected accounts and is equitable to each and in accordance with the amount being purchased or sold by each. There may be circumstances when purchases or sales of a portfolio security for one client could have an adverse effect on another client that has a position in that security. In addition, when purchases or sales of the same security for the Fund and other client accounts managed by the Adviser occur contemporaneously, the purchase or sale orders may be aggregated in order to obtain any price advantages available to large denomination purchases or sales.
The frequency of portfolio transactions of 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 (taxable to shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them) or losses.
Portfolio turnover rate is defined under the rules of the SEC as the value of the securities purchased or securities sold, excluding all securities whose maturities at 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, including options and futures contracts in which the Fund invests, are excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover rate.
From time to time the Fund may acquire and hold securities issued by its "regular brokers and dealers" or the parents of those brokers and dealers. For this purpose, regular brokers and dealers are the ten brokers or dealers that: (1) received the greatest amount of brokerage commissions during the Fund's last fiscal year; (2) engaged in the largest amount of principal transactions for portfolio transactions of the Fund during the Fund's last fiscal year; or (3) sold the largest amount of the Fund's shares during the Fund's last fiscal year.
The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI. Accordingly, data regarding the Fund's regular broker-dealers is not included.
Portfolio holdings as of the end of the Fund's annual and semi-annual fiscal periods are reported to the SEC on Form N-CSR within 10 days of the mailing of the annual or semi-annual report (typically no later than 70 days after the end of each period). Portfolio holdings as of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters are reported to the SEC on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of such period. You may request a copy of the Fund's latest semi-annual report to
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shareholders or a copy of the Fund's latest Form N-Q which contains the Fund's portfolio holdings by contacting the Transfer Agent at the address or phone number listed on the cover of this SAI. You may also obtain a copy of the Fund's latest Form N-CSR and Form N-Q by accessing the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
The Fund's nonpublic portfolio holdings information is received by certain service providers in advance of public release in the course of performing or enabling them to perform the contractual or fiduciary duties necessary for the Fund's operations that the Fund has retained them to perform. The Adviser has regular and continuous access to the Fund's portfolio holdings. In addition, the Administrator, the Custodian, the Distributor, and the Fund Accountant, as well as independent auditors, proxy voting services, mailing services, and financial printers may have access to the Fund's nonpublic portfolio holdings information on an ongoing basis. The trustees, Trust's officers, legal counsel to the Trust and to the Independent Trustees, and the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm may receive such information on an as needed basis.
From time to time, nonpublic information regarding the Fund's portfolio holdings may also be disclosed to certain mutual fund consultants, analysts and rating/ranking entities, or other entities or persons ("Recipients") that have a legitimate business purpose in receiving such information. Any disclosure of information more current than the latest publicly available portfolio holdings information will be made only if a Trust officer determines that: (1) the more current information is necessary for a Recipient to complete a specified task; (2) the Fund has legitimate business purposes for disclosing the information; and (3) the disclosure is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Any Recipient, other than a ratings or ranking organization, receiving such information shall agree in writing to: (1) keep the information confidential; (2) use it only for agreed-upon purposes; and (3) not trade or advise others to trade securities, including shares of the Fund, on the basis of the information. Such confidentiality agreements entered into for the receipt of nonpublic information shall also provide, among other things, that the Recipient: (1) will limit access to the information to its employees and agents who are obligated to keep and treat such information as confidential; (2) assume responsibility for any breach of the terms of the confidentiality agreement by its employees; and (3) upon request from the Trust, will return or promptly destroy the information. Any Recipient that is a ratings or ranking organization receiving such information must have in place control mechanisms to reasonably ensure or otherwise agree that: (1) the holdings information will be kept confidential; (2) no employee shall use the information to effect trading or for their personal benefit; and (3) the nature and type of information that any employee, in turn, may disclose to third-parties is limited. The Trust officer shall report to the Board at its next regularly scheduled Board meeting the entering into of an agreement with a Recipient for the disclosure of nonpublic portfolio holdings information and shall include in the report the Trust officer's reasons for determining to permit such disclosure.
The Adviser may provide investment management for accounts of clients other than the Fund, which may result in some of those accounts having a composition substantially similar to that of the Fund. The Adviser and its affiliates may provide regular information to clients and others regarding the holdings in such accounts that may be substantially similar to the Fund, but no information is provided to clients, that identifies the actual composition of the Fund, the amount of the Fund's assets invested in a security, or specifies the extent of any such similarities.
No compensation is received by the Fund, nor, to the Fund's knowledge, paid to its Adviser or any other party in connection with the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings. The codes of ethics of the Trust and the Adviser are intended to address, among other things, potential conflicts of interest arising from the misuse of information concerning the Fund's portfolio holdings. In addition, the Fund's service providers may be subject to confidentiality provisions contained within their service agreements, codes of ethics, professional codes, or other similar policies that address conflicts of interest arising from the misuse of such information.
The Fund's portfolio holdings disclosure policy is subject to review by the Fund's CCO who will report the results of such review at least annually to the Board. Any identified conflict between the interests of shareholders and those of another party resulting from the disclosure of nonpublic portfolio holdings information will be reported to the Board for appropriate action.
There is no assurance that the Fund's portfolio holdings disclosure policy will protect the Fund against potential misuse of holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of that information.
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You may effect purchases or redemptions or request any shareholder privilege by contacting the Transfer Agent.
The Fund accepts orders for the purchase or redemption of shares of the Fund on any weekday except days when the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is closed. Under unusual circumstances, the Fund may accept orders when the NYSE is closed if deemed appropriate by the Trust's officers.
The shares of the Fund may not be available for sale in the state in which you reside. Please check with your investment professional to determine the Fund's availability.
Shares of each class of the Fund are offered on a continuous basis by the Distributor.
The Fund reserves the right to refuse any purchase request.
Fund shares are normally issued for cash only. In the Adviser's discretion, however, the Fund may accept portfolio securities that meet the investment objective and policies of the Fund as payment for Fund shares. The Fund will only accept securities that: (1) are not restricted as to transfer by law and are not illiquid; and (2) have a value that is readily ascertainable (and not established only by valuation procedures).
IRAs. All contributions into an individual retirement account ("IRA") through the automatic investing service are treated as IRA contributions made during the year the contribution is received.
UGMAs/UTMAs. If the custodian's name is not in the account registration of a gift or transfer to minor ("UGMA/UTMA") account, the custodian must provide instructions in a manner indicating custodial capacity.
You may redeem Fund shares at NAV.
The Fund may redeem shares involuntarily: (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 (2) to collect any charge relating to transactions effected for the benefit of a shareholder that is applicable to the Fund's shares as provided in the Prospectus.
Suspension of Right of Redemption. The right of redemption may not be suspended, except for any period during which: (1) the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings) or during which the SEC determines that trading thereon is restricted; (2) an emergency (as determined by the SEC) exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of its securities is not reasonably practicable or as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets; or (3) the SEC has entered a suspension order permit for the protection of the shareholders of the Fund.
Redemption in Kind. Redemption proceeds normally are paid in cash. If deemed appropriate and advisable by the Adviser, the Fund may satisfy a redemption request from a shareholder by distributing portfolio securities pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board. The Trust has filed an election with the SEC pursuant to which the Fund may effect a redemption in portfolio securities only if the particular shareholder is redeeming more than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund's total net assets, whichever is less, during any 90-day period.
NAV Determination. In determining the NAV of the Fund class, securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at current market value using the valuation price provided by an independent pricing service. If no sales price is reported, the mean of the last bid and ask price is used. If market quotations are not readily available, then securities are valued at fair value as determined by the Board (or its delegate).
Distributions. Distributions of net investment income will be reinvested at the NAV of the applicable class (unless you elect to receive distributions in cash) as of the last day of the period with respect to which the distribution is paid.
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Distributions of net capital gains will be reinvested at the NAV of the applicable class (unless you elect to receive distributions in cash) on the payment date for the distribution. Cash payments may be made more than seven days following the date on which distributions would otherwise be reinvested.
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The tax information set forth in the Prospectus and in this section relates solely to federal tax law and assumes that the Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company ("RIC") under that law (as discussed below). This information is only a summary of certain key federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders and is in addition to the information provided in the Prospectus. No attempt has been made to present a complete explanation of the federal tax treatment of the Fund or the tax implications to shareholders. The discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as substitutes for careful tax planning.
This "Taxation" section is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the regulations thereunder and, Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") interpretations and similar authority on which the Fund may rely, all as in effect on the date hereof, as well as on court decisions through that date. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.
All investors should consult their own tax advisor as to the federal, state, local, and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.
The Fund intends, for each taxable year, to continue to qualify for treatment as a RIC. This qualification does not involve governmental supervision of management or investment practices or policies of the Fund.
The taxable year-end of the Fund is March 31, which is the same as the Fund's fiscal year-end.
Meaning of Qualification. As a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (generally, interest, dividends, the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss, net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions and other ordinary income, net of expenses) and net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) that it distributes to shareholders. To qualify to be taxed as a RIC for a taxable year, the Fund must satisfy the following requirements, among others:
The Fund must distribute at least 90% of its investment company taxable income for the taxable year ("Distribution Requirement"). Certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year are considered distributions attributable to that taxable year for purposes of satisfying this requirement.
The Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for the taxable year from (1) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in securities or those currencies and (2) net income from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership ("QPTP") ("Gross Income Requirement"). A QPTP is defined as a "publicly traded partnership" (generally, a partnership the interests in which are "traded on an established securities market" or are "readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof)") that derives less than 90% of its gross income from income described in clause (1).
The Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification requirements ("Diversification Requirements") at the close of each quarter of the taxable year: (1) at least 50% of the value of its total assets must consist of cash and cash items, government securities, securities of other RICs, and securities of other issuers, with these other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the issuer's outstanding voting securities (equity securities of a QPTP being considered voting securities for these purposes); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of its total assets may be invested in (a) the securities of any one issuer (other than government securities and securities of other RICs), (b) the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or (c) the securities of one or more QPTPs.
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Failure to Qualify. If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for treatment as a RIC, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits (except that, for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders, the part thereof that is "qualified dividend income" (as described below) would be subject to federal income tax at the rates for net capital gain - a maximum of 15% for a single shareholder with taxable income not exceeding $400,000 ($450,000 for married shareholders filing jointly) and 20% for those shareholders with taxable income exceeding those respective amounts, and those dividends would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction available to corporations under certain circumstances). Furthermore, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying for RIC treatment.
Failure to qualify for treatment as a RIC would thus have a negative impact on the Fund's after-tax performance. It is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a RIC in any given taxable year.
If the Fund fails to satisfy the Gross Income Requirement for any taxable year, it nevertheless will be considered to have satisfied that requirement for that year if, among other things, the failure "is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect" and the Fund pays a tax in an amount equal to the excess of its gross income that is not qualifying income for purposes of that requirement over ¹/ 9 of its gross income that is such qualifying income.
If the Fund fails to satisfy either Diversification Requirement at the close of any quarter of its taxable year by reason of a discrepancy existing immediately after its acquisition of any security that is wholly or partly the result of that acquisition during that quarter, it will not lose its status for that quarter as a RIC if the discrepancy is eliminated within 30 days after the quarter's close. If the Fund fails to satisfy either of the Diversification Requirements (other than a "de minimis" failure, as defined in the Code) for a quarter and the preceding sentence does not apply, it nevertheless will be considered to have satisfied those requirements for that quarter if, among other things, the failure "is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect" and the Fund disposes of the assets that caused the failure within six months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure in the manner to be prescribed by the IRS; in that case, the Fund will also be liable for a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the amount determined by multiplying the net income generated by those assets for the period from the date the failure occurs to the date of disposition thereof by the highest rate of tax applicable to corporations (currently 35%).
The Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income for each taxable year. These distributions generally will be taxable to a shareholder as ordinary income.
A portion of the Fund's distributions may be treated as "qualified dividend income," taxable to individuals and certain other non-corporate shareholders at maximum federal tax rates of 15% for a single shareholder with taxable income not exceeding $400,000 ($450,000 for married shareholders filing jointly) and 20% for those shareholders with taxable income exceeding those respective amounts. A distribution is treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder to the extent that (1) the Fund receives dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations, provided that holding period and certain other requirements are met, and (2) the shareholder meets those requirements with respect to Fund shares on which the distribution is paid. To the extent that the Fund's distributions are attributable to other sources, such as interest or capital gains, the distributions will not be treated as qualified dividend income. The Fund's distributions of dividends that it receives from real estate investment trusts generally will not constitute qualified dividend income.
The Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its net capital gain (after reduction for any capital loss carryovers, i.e., unutilized capital losses from prior taxable years) for each taxable year. These distributions generally will be made only once a year, usually in December, but the Fund may make additional distributions of net capital gain at any time during the year. These distributions will be taxable to a shareholder as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shares have been held. These distributions will not qualify for the dividends-received deduction or as qualified dividend income.
The Fund may have capital loss carryovers for a taxable year. Capital loss carryovers may be used to offset any current capital gain (whether short-term or long-term) and will not expire. All capital loss carryovers are listed in the Fund's financial statements. Any such losses may not be carried back.
34
A distribution by the Fund that does not constitute an ordinary income dividend or capital gain dividend will be treated as a return of capital. A return of capital distributions will reduce the shareholder's tax basis of shares and will be treated as gain from the sale of the shares to the extent the basis would be reduced below zero.
Each distribution by the Fund will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether the distribution is paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund (or of another fund). If the shareholder receives a distribution in the form of a reinvestment in additional shares, the shareholder will be treated as having received a distribution in an amount equal to the fair market value of the shares received, determined as of the reinvestment date.
When a shareholder purchases shares, their NAV may reflect undistributed net investment income or recognized net capital gains or unrealized appreciation in the value of the assets of the Fund. A distribution of that income or gain (including net gain, if any, from realizing all or part of that appreciation) will be taxable to a shareholder in the manner described above, although the distribution economically constitutes a partial return of capital to the shareholder.
Ordinarily, a shareholder is required to take distributions by the Fund into income in the year in which they are made. A distribution declared in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in one of those months, however, is deemed to be paid by the Fund and received by them on December 31 of that year if the distribution is paid in January of the following year.
The Fund will send information annually to its shareholders regarding the federal income tax status of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year.
Beginning in 2013, an individual is required to pay a 3.8% federal tax on the lesser of (1) the individual's "net investment income," which generally includes dividends, interest and net gains from the disposition of investment property (including dividends and capital gain distributions the Fund pays), or (2) the excess of the individual's "modified adjusted gross income" over a threshold amount ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly and $200,000 for single taxpayers). This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. A similar tax applies to estates and trusts. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, this provision may have on their investment in Fund shares.
Investments in Derivatives. When a put or call option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the premium it paid gives rise to short-term or long-term capital loss at the time of expiration (depending on the length of the exercise period for the option). When a put or call option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the premium it received gives rise to short-term capital gain at the time of expiration. When the Fund exercises a call option, the basis in the underlying security is increased by the amount of the premium it paid for the option. When the Fund exercises a put option, the gain (or loss) from the sale of the underlying security is decreased (or increased) by the premium it paid for the option. When a put or call option written by the Fund is exercised, the purchase price (or the selling price in the case of a call) of the underlying security is decreased (or increased in the case of a call) for tax purposes by the premium received.
Some futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, and "nonequity" options (i.e., certain listed options, such as those on a "broad-based" securities index) -- except any "securities futures contract" that is not a "dealer securities futures contract" (both as defined in the Code) and any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement -- in which the Fund invests may be subject to Code section 1256 ("Section 1256 contracts"). Any Section 1256 contracts the Fund holds at the end of its taxable year (and generally for purposes of the Excise Tax discussed below, on October 31 of each year) must be "marked to market" (that is, treated as having been sold at that time for their fair market value) for federal tax purposes, with the result that unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss recognized on these deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any actual sales of Section 1256 contracts, will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss; however, certain foreign currency gains or losses arising from Section 1256 contracts will be treated as ordinary income or loss. These rules may operate to increase the amount that the Fund must distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement (i.e., with respect to the portion treated as short-term capital gain, which will be includible in investment company taxable income and thus taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them), and to increase the net capital gain the Fund recognizes, even though the Fund may not have closed the transactions and received cash to pay the distributions. The Fund may elect not to have the foregoing rules apply to any "mixed straddle" (that is, a straddle, which the Fund clearly identifies in accordance with applicable regulations, at least one (but not all)
35
of the positions of which are Section 1256 contracts), although doing so may have the effect of increasing the relative proportion of short-term capital gain (distributions of which are taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income) and thus increasing the amount of dividends it must distribute.
Any option, futures contract, forward contract or other position entered into or held by the Fund in conjunction with any other position held by it may constitute a "straddle" for federal income tax purposes. In general, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of the Fund's gains and losses with respect to straddle positions by requiring, among other things, that (1) any loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle may not be recognized to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains with respect to the other positions in such straddle, (2) the Fund's holding period in straddle positions be suspended while the straddle exists (possibly resulting in a gain being treated as short-term capital gain rather than long-term capital gain), (3) the losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that are part of a mixed straddle and are non-Section 1256 contracts be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital loss, and (4) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that would otherwise constitute short-term capital losses be treated as long-term capital losses. In addition, the deduction of interest and carrying charges attributable to certain straddle positions may be deferred. Various elections are available to the Fund, which may mitigate the effects of the straddle rules, particularly with respect to mixed straddles. In general, the straddle rules described above do not apply to any straddles held by the Fund if all of the offsetting positions consist of Section 1256 contracts.
Investments in Foreign Currencies and Securities. Gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates that occur between the time that the Fund accrues interest, dividends or other receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time that the Fund actually collects such receivables or pays such liabilities are treated as ordinary income or ordinary losses. Similarly, gains or losses from the disposition of a foreign currency, or from the disposition of a fixed-income security or a forward contract denominated in a foreign currency that are attributable to fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the asset and the date of its disposition, also are treated as ordinary income or ordinary losses. These gains or losses increase or decrease the amount of the Fund's investment company taxable income available to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income, rather than increasing or decreasing the amount of the Fund's net capital gain.
If the Fund owns shares in a foreign corporation that constitutes a "passive foreign investment company" for federal income tax purposes (a "PFIC") and the Fund does not make either of the elections described in the next two paragraphs, it will be subject to federal income taxation on a portion of any "excess distribution" it receives from the PFIC or any gain it derives from the disposition of such shares, even if it distributes such income as a taxable dividend to its shareholders. The Fund may also be subject to additional interest charges in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. Any tax paid by the Fund as a result of its ownership of shares in a PFIC will not give rise to any deduction or credit to the Fund or to any shareholder. A PFIC is any foreign corporation (with certain exceptions) that, for the taxable year, either (1) derives at least 75% of its gross income for the taxable year from "passive income" (including interest, dividends, royalties, rents and annuities) or (2) on average, at least 50% of the value (or adjusted tax basis, if elected) of the assets it holds produce, or are held for the production of, "passive income." The Fund's distributions of income from any PFICs will not be eligible for the 15% maximum federal income tax rate on individuals' "qualified dividend income" described above.
The Fund could elect to "mark to market" stock in a PFIC. Under such an election, the Fund would include in gross income (and treat as ordinary income) each taxable year an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year over the Fund's adjusted basis in the PFIC stock. The Fund would be allowed a deduction for the excess, if any, of that adjusted basis over that fair market value, but only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains included by the Fund for prior taxable years. The Fund's adjusted basis in the PFIC stock would be adjusted to reflect the amounts included in, or deducted from, income under this election. Amounts so included, as well as gain realized on the disposition of the PFIC stock, would be treated as ordinary income. The deductible portion of any mark-to-market loss, as well as loss realized on the disposition of the PFIC stock to the extent that such loss does not exceed the net mark-to-market gains previously included by the Fund, would be treated as ordinary loss. The Fund generally would not be subject to the deferred tax and interest charge provisions discussed above with respect to PFIC stock for which a mark-to-market election has been made.
If the Fund purchases shares in a PFIC and elects to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund," the Fund would be required to include in its income each year a portion of the ordinary income and net capital gains of the PFIC, even if the income and gains were not distributed to the Fund. Any such income would be subject to the Distribution
36
Requirement and the calendar year Excise Tax distribution requirement described below. In most instances it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to make this election because some of the information required to make this election may not be easily obtainable.
Investors should be aware that the Fund may not be able, at the time it acquires a foreign corporation's shares, to ascertain whether the corporation is a PFIC and that a foreign corporation may become a PFIC after the Fund acquires shares therein. While the Fund generally will seek not to invest in PFIC shares to avoid the tax consequences detailed above, there are no guarantees that it will be able to do so and it reserves the right to make such investments as a matter of its investment policy.
A 4% non-deductible federal excise tax ("Excise Tax") is imposed on a RIC that fails to distribute in each calendar year an amount equal to at least the sum of (1) 98.0% of its ordinary income for the year plus (2) 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ended on October 31 of the year. The Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it is subject to income tax for any taxable year ending in the calendar year.
For purposes of calculating the Excise Tax, the Fund (1) reduces its capital gain net income (but not below its net capital gain) by the amount of any net ordinary loss for the calendar year and (2) excludes foreign currency gains and losses realized or sustained after October 31 of any year in determining the amount of ordinary income for the current calendar year. The Fund will include foreign currency gains and losses incurred after October 31 in determining ordinary income for the succeeding calendar year.
The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions of its ordinary income and capital gain net income to avoid liability for the Excise Tax. Shareholders should note, however, that the Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate portfolio investments to make sufficient distributions to avoid Excise Tax liability.
In general, you will recognize gain or loss on an exchange or redemption of Fund shares in an amount equal to the difference between the proceeds of the exchange or redemption and your adjusted tax basis in the shares. All or a portion of any loss so recognized may be disallowed if you purchase Fund shares (for example, by reinvesting dividends) within 30 days before or after the exchange or redemption (i.e., a wash sale). If disallowed, the loss would be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis in the purchased shares. In general, any gain or loss arising from an exchange or redemption of shares of the Fund will be considered a capital gain or loss and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for longer than one year. Any capital loss arising from an exchange or redemption of shares held for six months or less, however, will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of distributions of net capital gain, if any, received on such shares. In determining the holding period of shares for this purpose, any period during which your risk of loss is offset by means of options, short sales or similar transactions is not counted. Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a non-corporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.
The tax rules of the various states and their local jurisdictions with respect to an investment in the Fund can differ from the federal income tax rules described above. These state and local rules are not discussed herein. You are urged to consult your tax advisor as to the consequences of state and local tax rules with respect to an investment in the Fund.
Investment income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries and gains that it realizes on the disposition of foreign securities may be subject to foreign income taxes withheld at the source. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that may entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of such taxes or exemption from taxes on such income. It is impossible to know the effective rate of foreign tax in advance, since the amount of the Fund's assets to be invested within various countries cannot be determined.
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General Information. The Fund is a separate series of the Trust. The Trust is an open-end investment management company organized under Delaware law as a statutory trust on August 29, 1995. On January 5, 1996, the Trust succeeded to the assets and liabilities of Forum Funds, Inc. The Trust's trust instrument (the "Trust Instrument") permits the Trust to offer separate series ("funds") of shares of beneficial interest ("shares"). The Trust reserves the right to create and issue shares of additional funds. The Trust and each fund will continue indefinitely until terminated. Each fund is a separate mutual fund, and each share of each fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any fund and all assets of such fund belong solely to that fund and would be subject to liabilities related thereto. The other funds of the Trust are described in one or more separate Statements of Additional Information.
Shareholder Voting and Other Rights. Each share of a fund and each class of shares has equal dividend, distribution, liquidation and voting rights. Fractional shares have those rights proportionately, except that expenses related to the distribution of shares of each fund or class (and certain other expenses such as transfer agency, shareholder service and administration expenses) are borne solely by those shares. Each fund or class votes separately with respect to the provisions of any Rule 12b-1 plan which pertains to the fund or class and other matters for which separate fund or class voting is appropriate under applicable law. Generally, shares will be voted separately by each fund except if: (1) the 1940 Act requires shares to be voted in the aggregate and not by individual funds; or (2) the Board determines that the matter affects more than one fund and all affected funds must vote. The Board may also determine that a matter only affects certain funds or classes of the Trust and thus that only those funds or classes are entitled to vote on the matter. Delaware law does not require the Trust to hold annual meetings of shareholders, and it is anticipated that shareholder meetings will be held only when specifically required by federal or state law. There are no conversion or preemptive rights in connection with shares of the Trust.
All shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the offering, will be fully paid and non-assessable.
A shareholder in a fund is entitled to the shareholder's pro rata share of all distributions arising from that fund's assets and, upon redeeming shares, will receive the portion of the fund's net assets represented by the redeemed shares.
Shareholders representing 10% or more of the Trust's (or a fund's) shares may, as set forth in the Trust Instrument, call meetings of the Trust (or fund) for any purpose related to the Trust (or fund), including, in the case of a meeting of the Trust, the purpose of voting on removal of one or more trustees.
Termination or Reorganization of Trust or Its Series. The Board, may, without prior shareholder approval, change the form of organization of the Trust by merger, consolidation or incorporation, so long as the surviving entity is an open-end management investment company. Under the Trust Instrument, the trustees may also, without shareholder vote, sell and convey all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust to another trust, partnership, association, or corporation, or cause the Trust to incorporate in the State of Delaware, so long as the surviving entity is an open-end, management investment company that will succeed to or assume the Trust's registration statement.
Under the Trust Instrument, the Board may sell or convey the assets of a fund or reorganize such fund into another investment company registered under the 1940 Act without a shareholder vote.
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is a shareholder who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund.
Delaware law provides that Fund shareholders are entitled to the same limitations of personal liability extended to stockholders of private corporations for profit. In addition, the Trust Instrument contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses of the Trust. The Trust Instrument provides for
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indemnification out of each fund's property of any shareholder or former shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the relevant fund. The Trust Instrument also provides that the Trust, on behalf of a fund, shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of that fund and satisfy any judgment thereon. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which Delaware law does not apply, no contractual limitation of liability is in effect and the Fund is unable to meet its obligations.
The Trust Instrument provides that the trustees shall not be liable to any person other than the Trust and its shareholders. In addition, the Trust Instrument provides that the trustees shall not be liable for any conduct whatsoever, provided that a trustee is not protected against any liability 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.
A copy of the Trust's and the Adviser's proxy voting procedures are included in Appendix B and C, respectively.
Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the twelve-month period ended June 30 will be available: (1) without charge, upon request, by contacting the Transfer Agent at (877) 591-4667 (toll free); and (2) on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov .
The Trust and the Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act which are designed to eliminate conflicts of interest between the Fund and personnel of the Trust and the Adviser. The codes permit such personnel to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, subject to certain limitations.
This SAI and the Prospectus do not contain all of the information included in the Trust's registration statement filed with the SEC under the 1933 Act with respect to the securities offered hereby. The registration statement, including the exhibits filed therewith, may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C.
Statements contained herein and in the Prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other documents are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance, are qualified by, reference to the copy of such contract or other documents filed as exhibits to the registration statement.
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Standard & Poor's ("S&P") Corporate and Municipal Long-Term Bond Ratings:
The following descriptions of S&P's long-term corporate and municipal bond ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Service LLC.
AAA - An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment 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 commitment 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 commitment 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 lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment 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 exposures 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 which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment 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 commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment 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 commitment 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 commitment on the obligation.
CC - An obligation rated 'CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C - A 'C' rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the 'C' rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument's terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.
D - An obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' upon completion of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.
A-1
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 major rating categories.
NR - This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") Long-Term Corporate Bond Ratings:
The following descriptions of Moody's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.
Aaa - Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal 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 considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa - Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba - Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements 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 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 class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Modifiers: 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.
Moody's U.S. Municipal Long-Term Bond Ratings:
The following descriptions of Moody's long-term municipal bond ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.
Aaa - Issuers or issues rated Aaa demonstrate the strongest creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
Aa - Issuers or issues rated Aa demonstrate very strong creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
A - Issuers or issues rated A present above-average creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
Baa - Issuers or issues rated Baa represent average creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax- exempt issuers or issues.
Ba - Issuers or issues rated Ba demonstrate below-average creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
B - Issuers or issues rated B demonstrate weak creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax- exempt issuers or issues.
A-2
Caa - Issuers or issues rated Caa demonstrate very weak creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
Ca - Issuers or issues rated Ca demonstrate extremely weak creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
C - Issuers or issues rated C demonstrate the weakest creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.
Modifiers: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating category from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the issuer or 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.
Fitch Ratings Ltd. ("Fitch") Corporate Bond Ratings:
The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Fitch, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.
AAA - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - Speculative. ' BB ' ratings indicate 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 - Highly speculative. ' B ' ratings indicate that material credit risk is present. For performing obligations, default risk is commensurate with the issuer being rated with an Issuer Default Risk ("IDR") in the ranges 'BB' to 'C'. For issuers with an IDR below 'B', the overall credit risk of this obligation is moderated by the expected level of recoveries should a default occur. For issuers with an IDR above 'B', the overall credit risk of this obligation is exacerbated by the expected low level of recoveries should a default occur. For non-performing obligations, the obligation or issuer is in default, or has deferred payment, but the rated obligation is expected to have extremely high recovery rates consistent with a Recovery Rating of 'RR1' (outstanding recovery prospects given default).
CCC - Substantial credit risk. ' CCC ' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present. For performing obligations, default risk is commensurate with an IDR in the ranges 'B' to 'C'. For issuers with an IDR below 'CCC', the overall credit risk of this obligation is moderated by the expected level of recoveries should a default occur. For issuers with an IDR above 'CCC', the overall credit risk of this obligation is exacerbated by the expected low level of recoveries should a default occur. For non-performing obligations, the obligation or issuer is in default, or has deferred payment, but the rated obligation is expected to have a superior recovery rate consistent with a Recovery Rating of 'RR2' (superior recovery prospects given default).
CC - Very high levels of credit risk. ' CC ' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk. For performing obligations, default risk is commensurate with an IDR in the ranges 'B' to 'C'. For issuers with an IDR below 'CC', the overall credit risk of this obligation is moderated by the expected level of recoveries should a default occur. For issuers with an IDR above 'CC', the overall credit risk of this obligation is exacerbated by the expected low level of recoveries should a
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default occur. For non-performing obligations, the obligation or issuer is in default, or has deferred payment, but the rated obligation is expected to have a good recovery rate consistent with a Recovery Rating of 'RR3' (good recovery prospects given default).
C - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. ' C ' indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk. For performing obligations, default risk is commensurate with an IDR in the ranges 'B' to 'C'. The overall credit risk of this obligation is exacerbated by the expected low level of recoveries should a default occur. For non-performing obligations, the obligation or issuer is in default, or has deferred payment, and the rated obligation is expected to have an average, below-average or poor recovery rate consistent with a Recovery Rating of 'RR4' (average recovery prospects given default), 'RR5' (below average recovery prospects given default) or 'RR6' (poor recovery prospects given default).
Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned 'D' ratings, but are instead rated in the 'B' to 'C' rating categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.
Plus (+) or Minus (-) The modifiers "+" or "-" 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 'B'.
The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" have established themselves over time as shorthand to describe the categories 'AAA' to 'BBB' (investment grade) and 'BB' to 'D' (speculative grade). The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" are market conventions, and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. "Investment grade" categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the "speculative" categories either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred.
Fitch's Municipal Bond Long-Term Ratings:
The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term municipal bond ratings have been published by Fitch, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.
AAA - Highest credit quality. ' AAA ' ratings denote the lowest expectation of default 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 - Very high credit quality. ' AA ' ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A - High credit quality. ' A ' ratings denote expectations of low default 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 - 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 - Speculative. ' BB ' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default 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 - Highly speculative. ' B ' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.
CCC - Substantial credit risk. ' CCC ' ratings indicate that default is a real possibility.
CC - Very high levels of credit risk. ' CC ' ratings indicate default of some kind appears probable.
C - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. ' C ' ratings indicate default appears imminent or inevitable.
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D - Default. ' D ' ratings indicate a default. Default generally is defined as one of the following:
failure to make payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of the rated obligation;
the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor; or
the coercive exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation.
Structured Finance Defaults - "Imminent" default, categorized under 'C', typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a coercive debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.
Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation's documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation will typically be rated in the 'C' category.
Structured Finance Writedowns - Where an instrument has experienced an involuntary and, in the agency's opinion, irreversible "writedown" of principal (i.e. other than through amortization, and resulting in a loss to the investor), a credit rating of 'D' will be assigned to the instrument. Where the agency believes the "writedown" may prove to be temporary (and the loss may be "written up" again in future if and when performance improves), then a credit rating of 'C' will typically be assigned. Should the "writedown" then later be reversed, the credit rating will be raised to an appropriate level for that instrument. Should the "writedown" later be deemed as irreversible, the credit rating will be lowered to 'D'.
Notes: In the case of structured and project finance, while the ratings do not address the loss severity given default of the rated liability, loss severity assumptions on the underlying assets are nonetheless typically included as part of the analysis. Loss severity assumptions are used to derive pool cash flows available to service the rated liability. In the case of public finance, the ratings also do not address the loss given default of the rated liability, focusing instead on the vulnerability to default of the rated liability.
Plus (+) or Minus (-) - The modifiers "+" or "-"may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-Term Rating category, or to Long-Term Rating categories below 'B'.
S&P's Municipal Short-Term Bond Ratings:
The following descriptions of S&P's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Service LLC.
SP-1 - 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 - Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3 - Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
Moody's Short-Term Ratings:
The following descriptions of Moody's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.
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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.
Fitch's Short-Term Ratings:
The following descriptions of Fitch's short-term ratings have been published by Fitch, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.
F1 - Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2 - Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3 - Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B - Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C - 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. Applicable to entity ratings only.
D - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a specific short-term obligation.
S&P's Commercial Paper Ratings:
The following descriptions of S&P's commercial paper ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Service LLC.
A-1 - A short-term obligation rated 'A-1' is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment 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 commitment 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 lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B - A short-term obligation rated 'B' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of 'B-1', 'B-2', and 'B-3' may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the 'B' category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
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B-1 - A short-term obligation rated 'B-1' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, but the obligor has a relatively stronger capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.
B-2 - A short-term obligation rated 'B-2' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has an average speculative-grade capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.
B-3 - A short-term obligation rated 'B-3' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has a relatively weaker capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.
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 commitment on the obligation.
D - A short-term obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Dual Ratings - S&P assigns "dual" ratings to all debt issues that have a put option or demand feature as part of their structure. The first rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second rating addresses only the demand feature. The long-term rating symbols are used for bonds to denote the long-term maturity and the short-term rating symbols for the put option (for example, 'AAA/A-1+'). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, note rating symbols are used with the short-term issue credit rating symbols (for example, 'SP-1+/A-1+').
Moody's Commercial Paper Ratings:
The following descriptions of Moody's commercial paper ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.
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.
Note: Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor or support-provider.
Fitch's Commercial Paper Ratings:
The following descriptions of Fitch's commercial paper ratings have been published by Fitch, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.
F1 - Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2 - Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3 - Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B - Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C - High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.
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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. Applicable to entity ratings only.
D - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a specific short-term obligation.
The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'. (The +/- modifiers are only used to denote issues within the CCC category, whereas issuers are only rated CCC without the use of modifiers.)
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APPENDIX B - TRUST PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES
Forum Funds
Shareholder Voting Policy
As of December 14, 2012
The Trust exercises its shareholder voting responsibilities as an investor in other issuers as a fiduciary, with the goal of maximizing the value of the Trust's and its shareholders' investments. This Policy details the Trust's policy with respect to shareholder voting.
(A) Delegation by Board . Each Fund has delegated to the Adviser the authority to vote as a shareholder of issuers whose securities are held in its portfolio. The Adviser shall maintain and the Board shall approve voting procedures related to the Adviser acting on behalf of the Fund in accordance with its fiduciary duties and the best interests of Fund shareholders.
(B) Delivery of Proxies . The Adviser is responsible for coordinating the delivery of proxies to be voted by the Custodian to the Adviser or to an agent of the Adviser selected by the Adviser to vote proxies with respect to which the Adviser has such discretion (a "Proxy Voting Service"). Upon request, the Adviser shall provide periodic reports to the Board as to the implementation and operation of its shareholder voting policies and procedures as they relate to the Trust.
(C) Conflicts of Interest . The Trust recognizes that under certain circumstances an Adviser or Proxy Voting Service may have a conflict of interest in voting on behalf of a Fund. A conflict of interest includes any circumstance when the Fund, the Adviser, the Distributor, the Proxy Voting Service or one or more of their Affiliated Persons (including officers, directors and employees) knowingly does business with, receives compensation from, or sits on the board of, a particular issuer or closely affiliated entity, and, therefore, may appear to have a conflict of interest between its own interests and the interests of Fund shareholders in how shares of that issuer are voted.
Each Adviser is responsible for maintaining procedures to identify and address material conflicts of interest and, when applicable, determine the adequacy of a Proxy Voting Service's procedures to identify and address material conflicts of interest.
(D) Voting Record . The Adviser shall be responsible for ensuring a voting record is maintained that includes all instances where the Fund was entitled to vote and will coordinate the annual delivery of such record to the Administrator for purposes of preparing the Trust's annual Form N-PX filing. The voting record shall include the following information required to be reported in Form N-PX:
(1) The name of the issuer of the security;
(2) The exchange ticker symbol of the security;
(3) The CUSIP for the security;
(4) The shareholder meeting date;
(5) A brief identification of the matter voted on;
(6) Whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a security holder;
(7) Whether the Trust cast its vote on the matter;
(8) How the Trust cast its vote (e.g., for or against proposal, or abstain; for or withhold regarding election of directors); and
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(9) Whether the Trust cast its vote for or against management.
The Adviser shall also be responsible for ensuring information regarding how the Fund voted relating to portfolio securities during the twelve-month period ended June 30 is available on the Fund's website or other location consistent with disclosure in the Fund's registration statement.
The Trust and an Adviser may abstain from shareholder voting in certain circumstances. Abstaining from voting may be appropriate if voting would be unduly burdensome or expensive, or otherwise not in the best interest of a Fund's shareholders.
(A) The Adviser shall submit its voting procedures to the Board for review and approval initially and at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board following any material change.
(B) The Adviser shall report to the Board, at least quarterly, whether any conflicts of interest arose while voting as an investor in other issuers and how such conflicts were handled.
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APPENDIX C - ADVISER PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES
Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures
At Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC ("LMCG") we recognize that many decisions regarding proxy voting may affect the value of a client's account and therefore should be based on careful consideration. The following proxy voting policy sets forth our general principles and our process for voting on securities held in client accounts where LMCG has discretion to vote proxies. Our authority to vote the proxies of our clients is established by our advisory contracts or comparable documents. In addition to SEC requirements governing advisers, our proxy voting policies reflect the long-standing fiduciary standards and responsibilities for ERISA accounts as well.
In order to set a framework within which proxy questions should be considered and voted, the following general principles should be applied:
As a fiduciary under ERISA or otherwise, the discretion to vote proxies for client's account should be exercised keeping in mind a fiduciary's duty to use its best efforts to preserve or enhance the value of the client's account. LMCG should vote on proxy questions with the goal of fostering the interests of the client or the participants in the case of an ERISA account.
Proxy questions should be considered within the individual circumstances of the issuer. It is possible that individual circumstances might mean that a given proxy question could be voted differently than what is generally done in other cases.
It is LMCG's general policy that when we are given authority to vote proxies for a client's account, we must be authorized to vote all proxies for the account in our discretion. We do not generally accept partial voting authority or instructions from clients on how to vote on specific issues. Certain clients may direct us to vote proxies in accordance with a specific set of guidelines or recommendations appropriate to their circumstances in which case we will not have voting discretion but will vote in accordance with a client's direction. Our clients may wish to retain proxy voting authority and vote their own proxies if necessary in order to satisfy their individual social, environmental or other goals.
LMCG maintains a set of proxy voting guidelines that describe in greater detail how we will generally vote specific issues for our clients. While it is not an exhaustive list, it is intended to serve as the foundation on which we make most of our proxy voting decisions. These guidelines are available upon request. LMCG will from time to time review our proxy voting policy and guidelines and may adopt changes from time to time. Clients may contact their Client Service Officer or the Compliance Office by calling (617) 380-5600 or via e-mail at compliance@leemunder.com for a copy of our current guidelines or to obtain a record of how proxies were voted for their account.
LMCG is responsible for fair and accurate proxy voting and for ensuring that proxies are voted in a timely manner. A dedicated Proxy Voting Administrator in the Operations Department works with ISS, a third party proxy voting vendor, and oversees the proxy voting process. LMCG works with ISS to ascertain that proxy voting is taking place, as well as maintaining all of the proxy voting records. Each day we send a list of portfolio holdings to ISS and they notify us of shareholder meetings and provide us with an electronic platform on which to vote proxies. ISS also provides analysis and recommendations for voting based on criteria and guidelines LMCG has established and approved.
For proxy voting on behalf of private client accounts, LMCG may follow an accepted industry practice of voting shares on a rolled-up basis when the same security is held across multiple client accounts. In general this process is utilized when numerous accounts are held at the same custodian bank. For accounts in which proxy ballots are voted in this manner, proxy votes are reported in the aggregate.
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LMCG may abstain from voting a client proxy if, in its opinion, the value obtained by voting the proxy is outweighed by the unique cost or the operational or trading constraints to a client account or situation. In accordance with fiduciary duties, LMCG weighs the costs and benefits of voting certain proxy proposals and makes an informed decision with respect to whether voting a given proxy proposal is prudent.
Some of LMCG's clients engage in securities lending programs under which shares of an issuer may be on loan while that issuer is conducting a proxy solicitation. Shares that are on loan are not eligible to be voted. Generally, LMCG does not recall shares out on loan and therefore, shares that are on loan over record date are not voted.
LMCG recognizes that the potential for conflicts of interest could arise in situations where we have discretion to vote client proxies and where LMCG has material business relationships or material personal or family relationships. A conflict of interest may exist when client portfolios hold shares of a publicly traded company that is also an LMCG client. To address potential conflicts, we have established a Proxy Voting Committee ("Committee"). The Committee consists of representatives from the Compliance and Operations departments including the Chief Compliance Officer, Head of Operations and relevant Portfolio Manager (or their designee). The Committee will use reasonable efforts to determine whether a potential conflict exists, including maintaining a list of clients or securities that may pose a potential conflict.
Securities identified as potential conflicts will be provided to ISS and flagged on the proxy voting system. Members of the Committee will receive an email weekly from ISS notifying them of a proxy vote taking place on a security from the list. Generally, votes cast for a security that represents a potential conflict of interest will default to LMCG's standard voting policies. If a portfolio manager wishes to change the vote, the rationale for the change must be provided in writing to the Committee and the Committee will review the request for conflicts. If no conflicts exist, the Committee will authorize the Proxy Voting Administrator to process the vote change. All meeting minutes and Committee decisions will be kept by the designated Committee member.
Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC is an indirect majority owned subsidiary of City National Corporation (CYN), a public company. It is LMCG's general policy not to acquire or hold CYN stock on behalf of our clients. However, in the event that a client were to hold CYN in a portfolio which we manage, and LMCG was responsible for voting CYN on behalf of the client, the Proxy Voting Committee would default to the standard voting guidelines to vote the proxy.
LMCG shall maintain proxy voting records pursuant to Section 206-2 of the Advisers Act. Such records will include a copy of policies and procedures, proxy statements, a record of each vote that is cast, any document created that was material to the decision on how to vote, as well as a copy of client requests for proxy voting information and responses to such requests. LMCG's Compliance Office also relies on ISS to provide certain proxy voting details promptly upon request in order to respond to certain requests for information or records.
Proxy Voting Guidelines Summary
The proxy voting guidelines contained herein are a sampling of select, key guidelines and are not all inclusive. LMCG will review our proxy voting policy and guidelines from time to time and may adopt changes. Proxy questions are considered within the individual circumstances of the issuer and therefore it is possible that individual circumstances might mean that a given proxy question could be voted differently than what is generally done in other cases. Clients may contact their Client Service Officer or the Compliance Office by calling (617) 380-5600 or via e-mail at clientservice@leemunder.com or compliance@leemunder.com for a copy of our most current guidelines or to obtain a record of how proxies were voted for their account.
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Auditor Ratification
Generally vote FOR proposals to ratify auditors unless:
An auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company and is therefore not independent;
There is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion which is neither accurate nor indicative of the company's financial position;
Poor accounting practices are identified such as fraud, misapplication of GAAP and material weaknesses are identified; or
Fees for non-audit services are excessive
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals asking companies to prohibit or limit their auditors from engaging in non-audit services.
Votes on director nominees should be determined CASE-BY-CASE.
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the election of directors in contested elections, considering the following:
Management's track record;
Background to the proxy contest;
Qualifications of Director nominees;
Strategic plan of dissident slate and quality of critique against management;
Likelihood that the proposed goals and objectives can be achieved; and
Stock ownership positions
Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from entire board of directors for problematic practices or material failures in the areas of accountability, responsiveness, independence or competence:
Board accountability, including items such as:
A classified board structure
A supermajority vote requirement
Inability for shareholders to call special meetings
Inability of shareholders to act by written consent
Dual-class capital structure
Non-shareholder approved poison pill
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Material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight, fiduciary responsibility
Failure to replace management as appropriate
Board responsiveness, including items such as:
Board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received the support of a majority of shares cast
Board failed to act on takeover offer where majority of shares tendered
Board failed to address issues related to a director receiving 50% or more withhold/against votes
Board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the majority of votes
Director independence, including items such as:
Inside or affiliated director serves on key committees
Company lacks an audit, compensation or nominating committee
Independent directors make up less than a majority of directors
Director competence, including items such as:
Not all director's attended 75% of the aggregate board and committee meetings
Sit on more than six public company boards
Generally vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman position be filled by an independent director unless there are substantial reasons to recommend against the proposal, such as counterbalancing governance structure.
Generally vote FOR binding resolutions requesting that the board change the company's bylaws to stipulate that directors need to be elected with an affirmative majority of votes cast.
Generally vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from members of the Audit Committee if:
Non-audit fees paid to auditor are excessive
Company receives an adverse opinion on financial statements
Evidence of inappropriate indemnification language that limits ability of the company or shareholders to pursue legal recourse against audit firm
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on members of the Audit Committee and potentially the full board if:
Poor accounting practices result in fraud, misapplication of GAAP, and/or other material weaknesses
In the absence of an Advisory vote on executive compensation, vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD on members of the Compensation Committee or potentially the full board if:
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There is significant misalignment between CEO pay and company performance
Company maintains problematic pay practices related to non-performance based compensation elements, incentives that motivate excessive risk taking and options backdating
Board exhibits significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders
Company fails to submit one-time transfer of stock options to shareholder vote
Company fails to fulfill terms of burn rate commitment made to shareholders
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on members of the Compensation Committee and the MSOP proposal if the Company's previous say-on-pay proposal received support of less than 70% of votes cast, taking into account:
Discloser of engagement efforts with major institutional shareholders regarding issues that led to low level of support
Specific actions to address issues that contributed to low level of support
Other recent compensation practices
Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated
Company's ownership structure
Whether support level was less than 50%,
Generally vote WITHHOLD or AGAINST on all director nominees if the board lacks accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers.
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to reimburse proxy solicitation expenses.
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on advance notice proposals, giving support to proposals that allow shareholders to submit proposals/nominations reasonably close to the meeting date within the broadest window possible.
Generally 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 shareholders have approved the adoption of the plan or the board determines that it is in the best interest of shareholders to adopt a pill without delay.
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals on poison pill ratification, focusing on the features of the shareholder rights plan.
Evaluate management or shareholder proposals to change a company's state of incorporation on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.
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Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance.
Generally vote AGAINST proposals to create a new class of common stock with superior voting rights
Vote FOR management proposals to institute open market repurchase plans in which all shareholders may participate on equal terms.
Overall Approach - Vote CASE-BY-CASE
For mergers and acquisitions, review and evaluate the merits and drawbacks of the proposed transaction balancing various and sometimes countervailing factors including:
Valuation;
Market reaction;
Strategic rationale;
Negotiations and process;
Conflicts of Interest; and
Governance
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on ballot items related to executive pay and practices
Vote AGAINST Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation (MSOP) if:
There is significant misalignment between CEO pay and company performance
Company maintains problematic pay practices
Board exhibits significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders
Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from members of the Compensation Committee if:
There is no MSOP on the ballot
Board fails to adequately respond to a previous MSOP proposal that received less than 70% support
The company has poor compensation practices
Vote FOR annual advisory votes on compensation.
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Vote CASE-BY-CASE on non-qualified employee stock purchase plans.
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals seeking approval to exchange/re-price options.
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on equity-based compensation plans.
General approach on CSR issues is to vote CASE-BY-CASE taking into account factors such as impact on shareholder value, significance of company's business affected by the proposal, impact on company reputation, response by other companies to similar issue and degree to which proprietary or confidential information would be disclosed.
Some issues that fall under this topic include proposals on:
Company's political spending, lobbying efforts and charitable contributions
Animal welfare practices
Energy and environmental issues
Equal employment opportunity and discrimination
Diversity
Product safety and hazardous materials
Conflicts of interest could exist when the Firm holds a security issued by a client in client portfolios, and the Firm is required to vote that security. When there is a potential conflict with a client, the Firm will look to these guidelines and the ISS recommendation for voting guidance.
C-7
(14) | Sub-Advisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Adviser, LLC and Kovitz Investment Group, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(28) in post-effective amendment No. 203 via EDGAR on February 28, 2007, accession number 0001193125-07-042714). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(15) | Sub-Advisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Advisers, LLC and Pine Cobble Capital, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(15) in post-effective amendment No. 323 via EDGAR on July 29, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000197). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(16) | Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Spears Abacus Advisors LLC regarding The BeeHive Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(27) in post-effective amendment No. 239 via EDGAR on September 29, 2008, accession number 0001193125-08-203258). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(17) | Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Absolute Investment Advisers LLC dated September 30, 2008 with respect to Absolute Opportunities Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(26) in post-effective amendment No. 242 via EDGAR in October 15, 2008, accession number 0001193125-08-211081). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(18) | Sub-Advisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Advisors LLC and Green Eagle Capital LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(27) in post-effective amendment No. 243 via EDGAR on October 28, 2008, accession number 0001193125-08-218056). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(19) | Sub-Advisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Advisors LLC and Kingstown Capital Management L.P. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(28) in post-effective amendment No. 243 via EDGAR on October 28, 2008, accession number 0001193125-08-218056). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(20) | Sub-Advisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Advisors LLC and Madden Asset Management LLC dated August 1, 2012 (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(20) in post-effective amendment No. 380 via EDGAR on October 19, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000238). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(21) | Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Carne Capital, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(21) in post-effective amendment No. 365 via EDGAR on May 29, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000085). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(22) | Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Merk Investments, LLC, regarding Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(24) in post-effective amendment No. 336 via EDGAR on September 9, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000272). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(23) | Subadvisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Advisers, LLC and MetWest Asset Management, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(23) in post-effective amendment No. 399 via EDGAR on March 25, 2013, accession number 0001435109-13-000109). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(24) | Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(28) in post-effective amendment No 292 via EDGAR on August 31, 2010, accession number 0000315774-10-000277). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(25) | Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and UCM Partners, L.P. regarding UCM Short Duration Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(28) in post-effective amendment No. 298 via EDGAR on December 6, 2010, accession number 0000315774-10-000348). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(26) | Subadvisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Advisers, LLC and Longhorn Capital Partners, L.P. regarding Absolute Strategies Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(29) in post-effective amendment No. 303 via EDGAR on February 25, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000023). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(27) | Subadvisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Advisers, LLC and St. James Investment Company, LLC regarding Absolute Strategies Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(29) in post-effective amendment No. 303 via EDGAR on February 25, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000023). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(28) | Subadvisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Advisers, LLC and Yacktman Asset Management Co. dated June 29, 2012, regarding Absolute Strategies Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(28) in post-effective amendment No. 371 via EDGAR on July 27, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000138). |
(29) | Subadvisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Advisers, LLC and Sabal Capital Management, LLC dated August 1, 2012 (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(29) in post-effective amendment No. 380 via EDGAR on October 19, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000238). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(30) | Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC is filed herewith. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(31) | Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Monongahela Capital Management to be filed by further amendment. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(e) | (1) | Form of Selected Dealer Agreement between Foreside Fund Services, LLC and securities brokers (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (e)(1) in post-effective amendment No. 243 via EDGAR on October 28, 2008, accession number 0001193125-08-218056). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2) | Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC dated March 31, 2009 (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (e)(2) in post-effective amendment No. 249 via EDGAR on April 30, 2009, accession number 0000315774-09-000007). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2)(A) | Amended Appendix to Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (e)(2)(A) in post-effective amendment No. 270 via EDGAR on February 19, 2010, accession number 0000315774-10-000033). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(f) | None. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(g) | (1) | Global Custodial Services Agreement between Forum Funds and Citibank, N.A. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (g)(4) in post-effective amendment No. 176 via EDGAR on July 29, 2005, accession number 0001275125-05-000362). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2) | Custodian Agreement between Registrant and Union Bank, N.A., dated July 31, 2009 (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (g)(3) in post-effective amendment No. 256 via EDGAR on August 28, 2009, accession number 0000315774-09-000086). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(3) | Amended Schedule A to the Global Custodial Services Agreement between Forum Funds and Citibank, N.A. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (g)(3) in post-effective amendment No. 339 via EDGAR on October 27, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000293). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(h) | (1) | Services Agreement between Registrant and Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC dated April 20, 2007, as amended June 15, 2012, (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(1) in post-effective amendment No.369 via EDGAR on July 24, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12- -000132.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2) | Shareholder Service Plan of Registrant dated March 18, 1998 and amended February 12, 2009 and Form of Shareholder Service Agreement relating to Polaris Global Value Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed Exhibit (h)(2) in post-effective amendment No. 247 via Edgar on February 17, 2009, accession number 0001193125-09-031402). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(3) | Shareholder Service Plan of Registrant dated November 24, 2003 and amended February 12, 2009 relating to Adams Harkness Small Cap Growth Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(3) in post-effective amendment No. 247 via Edgar on February 17, 2009, accession number 0001193125-09-031402). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(4) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and King Investment Advisors, Inc. regarding Fountainhead Special Value Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(4) in post-effective amendment No. 388 via EDGAR on December 21, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000307). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(5) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and D.F. Dent and Company, Inc. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(5) in post-effective amendment No. 380 via EDGAR on October 19, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000238). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(6) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Auxier Asset Management LLC regarding Auxier Focus Fund Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(6) in post-effective amendment No. 355 via EDGAR on April 6, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000049). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(7) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Beck, Mack & Oliver LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(8) in post-effective amendment No. 368 via EDGAR on July 23, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000129. |
(8) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Spears Abacus Advisors LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as Exhibit (h)(9) in post effective amendment No. 360 via EDGAR on April 25, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000063. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(9) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Absolute Investment Advisers LLC regarding the Absolute Opportunities Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(10) in post-effective amendment No. 368 via EDGAR on July 23, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000129. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(10) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Golden Capital Management, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(10) in post-effective amendment No. 380 via EDGAR on October 19, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000238). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(11) | Expense Limitation Agreements between Registrant and Carne Capital, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(11) in post-effective amendment No. 388 via EDGAR on December 21, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000307). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(12) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Holland Capital Management LLC with respect to Institutional and A Shares (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(15) in post-effective amendment No. 311 via EDGAR on April 29, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000093). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(13) | Operating Services Agreement between Registrant and Merk Investments, LLC regarding Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(16) in post-effective amendment No. 336 via EDGAR on September 9, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000272). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(14) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(14) in post-effective amendment No. 380 via EDGAR on October 19, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000238). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(15) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and UCM Partners, L.P., regarding UCM Short Duration Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(15) in post-effective amendment No. 390 via EDGAR on January 11, 2013, accession number 0001435109-13-000015). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(16) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC is filed herewith. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(17) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Monongahela Capital Management LLC is filed herewith. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(i) | Opinion and consent of K&L Gates LLP is filed herewith. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(j) | Consent of BBD, LLP is filed herewith. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(k) | None. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(l) | Investment Representation letter of Reich & Tang, Inc. as original purchaser of shares of Registrant (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (13) in post-effective amendment No. 62 via EDGAR on May 26, 1998, accession number 0001004402-98-000307). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(m) | (1) | Rule 12b-1 Plan dated February 17, 2006 adopted by Forum Funds for Absolute Strategies Fund, Auxier Focus Fund, Dividend Plus Income Fund, Golden Large Cap Core Fund, Golden Small Cap Core Fund, Merk Hard Currency Fund, Merk Asian Currency Fund, Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund, The BeeHive Fund, UCM Short Duration Fund and Carne Large Cap Value Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (m)(1) in post-effective amendment No. 355 via EDGAR on April 6, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000049). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
(n) | (1) | Amended and restated Rule 18f-3 Plan dated September 9, 2010 adopted by Registrant for Absolute Strategies Fund, Auxier Focus Fund, Dividend Plus Income Fund, Golden Large Cap Core Fund, Golden Small Cap Core Fund, Merk Hard Currency Fund and Merk Asian Currency Fund, Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund, Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund, UCM Short Duration Fund and Carne Large Cap Value Fund (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (n)(1) in post-effective amendment No. 355 via EDGAR on April 6, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000049). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
(p) | (1) | Code of Ethics adopted by Registrant as amended (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(1) in post-effective amendment No. 390 via EDGAR on January 11, 2013, accession number 0001435109-13-000015). |
(2) | Code of Ethics adopted by H.M. Payson & Co (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(2) in post-effective amendment No.345 via EDGAR on December 29, 2011, accession number 0001435109-11-000041). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(3) | Code of Ethics adopted by Beck, Mack & Oliver (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(4) in post-effective amendment No. 249 via EDGAR on April 30, 2009, accession number 0000315774-09-000007). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(4) | Code of Ethics adopted by Polaris Capital Management, Inc. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(5) in post-effective amendment No. 249 via EDGAR on April 30, 2009, accession number 0000315774-09-000007). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(5) | Code of Ethics adopted by D.F. Dent and Company, Inc. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(5) in post-effective amendment No. 380 via EDGAR on October 19, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000238). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(6) | Code of Ethics adopted by King Investment Advisors, Inc. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(6) in post-effective amendment No. 339 via EDGAR on October 27, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000293). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(7) | Code of Ethics adopted by AH Lisanti Capital Growth (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(7) in post-effective amendment No. 319 via EDGAR on June 28, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000168). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(8) | Code of Ethics adopted by Auxier Asset Management LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(11) in post-effective amendment No. 276 via EDGAR ion March 26, 2010, accession number 0000315774-10-000095). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(9) | Code of Ethics adopted by Absolute Investment Advisers, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (d)(20) in post-effective amendment No. 380 via EDGAR on October 19, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000238). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(10) | Code of Ethics adopted by Aronson+Johnson+Ortiz, LP (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(13) in post-effective amendment No. 253 via EDGAR on July 29,2009, accession number 0000315774-09-000063). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(11) | Code of Ethics adopted by Longhorn Capital Partners (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(11) in post-effective amendment No. 319 via EDGAR on June 28, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000168). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(12) | Code of Ethics adopted by St. James Investment Company, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(12) in post-effective amendment No.345 via EDGAR on December 29, 2011, accession number 0001435109-11-000041). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(13) | Code of Ethics adopted by Horizon Asset Management, Inc. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(13) in post-effective amendment No. 368 via EDGAR on July 23, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000129. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(14) | Code of Ethics adopted by MetWest Asset Management, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(15) in post-effective amendment No. 264 via EDGAR on September 21, 2010, accession number 0000315774-10-000292). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(15) | Code of Ethics adopted by SSI Investment Management, Inc. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(34) in post-effective amendment No. 169 via EDGAR on April 28, 2005, accession number 0001275125-05-000215). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(16) | Code of Ethics adopted by Semaphore Management LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(20) in post-effective amendment No. 249 via EDGAR on April 30, 2009, accession number 0000315774-09-000007). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(17) | Code of Ethics adopted by Yacktman Asset Management Co. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(17) in post-effective amendment No. 339 via EDGAR on October 27, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000293). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(18) | Code of Ethics adopted by Merk Investments, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(18) in post-effective amendment No. 399 via EDGAR on March 25, 2013, accession number 0001435109-13-000109). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(19) | Code of Ethics adopted by Golden Capital Management, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (h)(19) in post-effective amendment No. 368 via EDGAR on July 23, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000129. |
(20) | Code of Ethics adopted by Foreside Fund Services (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(26) in post-effective amendment No. 253 via EDGAR on July 29,2009, accession number 0000315774-09-000063). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(21) | Code of Ethics adopted by Mohican Financial Management (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(21) in post-effective amendment No. 399 via EDGAR on March 25, 2013, accession number 0001435109-13-000109). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(22) | Code of Ethics adopted by Kovitz Financial Group, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(27) in post-effective amendment No. 263 via EDGAR on November 18, 2009, accession number 0000315774-09-000178). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(23) | Code of Ethics adopted by Pine Cobble Capital, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(23) in post-effective amendment No.345 via EDGAR on December 29, 2011, accession number 0001435109-11-000041). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(24) | Code of Ethics adopted by Spears Abacus Advisors LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(24) in post-effective amendment No.345 via EDGAR on December 29, 2011, accession number 0001435109-11-000041). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(25) | Code of Ethics adopted by Green Eagle Capital, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(25) in post-effective amendment No. 303 via EDGAR on February 25, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000023). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(26) | Code of Ethics adopted by Kingstown Capital Management, LP (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(26) in post-effective amendment No.345 via EDGAR on December 29, 2011, accession number 0001435109-11-000041). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(27) | Code of Ethics adopted by Madden Asset Management (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(15) in post-effective amendment No. 264 via EDGAR on September 21, 2010, accession number 0000315774-10-000292). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(28) | Code of Ethics adopted by Twin Capital Management, Inc. (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(35) in post-effective amendment No. 249 via EDGAR on April 30, 2009, accession number 0000315774-09-000007). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(29) | Code of Ethics adopted by Carne Capital, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(29) in post-effective amendment No. 399 via EDGAR on March 25, 2013, accession number 0001435109-13-000109). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(30) | Code of Ethics adopted by Utendahl Capital Management, LP (Exhibit incorporated by reference as Exhibit (p)(36) in post-effective amendment No. 276 via EDGAR on March 26, 2010, accession number 0000315774-10-000095). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(31) | Code of Ethics adopted by MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (a) in post-effective amendment No. 388 via EDGAR on December 21, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000307). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(32) | Code of Ethics adopted by Sabal Capital Management, LLC (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Exhibit (p)(32) in post-effective amendment No. 371 via EDGAR on July 27, 2012, accession number 0001435109-12-000138). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(33) | Code of Ethics adopted by Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC is filed herewith. |
Other Exhibits:
(A) | Powers of Attorney for John Y. Keffer, James C. Cheng, Costas Azariadis and J. Michael Parish, Trustees of Registrant (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Other Exhibits (A) in post-effective amendment No. 232 via EDGAR on June 6, 2008 accession number 0001193125-08-129746). | ||||
(B) | Power of Attorney for David Tucker, Trustee of Registrant (Exhibit incorporated by reference as filed as Other Exhibits (B) in post-effective amendment No. 339 via EDGAR on October 27, 2011, accession number 0000315774-11-000293). |
ITEM 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT
None.
ITEM 30. | INDEMNIFICATION |
In accordance with Section 3803 of the Delaware Business Trust Act, Section 10.02 of Registrant's Trust Instrument provides as follows:
"10.02. INDEMNIFICATION
(a) Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in Section (b) below:
(i) Every Person who is, or has been, a Trustee or officer of the Trust (hereinafter referred to as a "Covered Person") shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of being or having been a Trustee or officer and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof);
(ii) The words "claim," "action," "suit," or "proceeding" shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal or other, including appeals), actual or threatened while in office or thereafter, and the words "liability" and "expenses" shall include, without limitation, attorneys' fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.
(b) No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:
(i) Who shall have been adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was brought (A) to be liable to the Trust or its Holders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the Covered Person's office or (B) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that Covered Person's action was in the best interest of the Trust; or
(ii) In the event of a settlement, unless there has been a determination that such Trustee or officer did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the Trustee's or officer's office,
(A) By the court or other body approving the settlement;
(B) By at least a majority of those Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor are parties to the matter based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry);
(C) By written opinion of independent legal counsel based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); provided, however, that any Holder may, by appropriate legal proceedings, challenge any such determination by the Trustees or by independent counsel.
(c) The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Covered Person and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which Trust personnel, other than Covered Persons, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.
(d) Expenses in connection with the preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding of the character described in paragraph (a) of this Section 5.2 may be paid by the Trust or Series from time to time prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person that such amount will be paid over by him to the Trust or Series if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 5.2; provided, however, that either (a) such Covered Person shall have provided appropriate security for such undertaking, (b) the Trust is insured against losses arising out of any such advance payments or (c) either a majority of the Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor parties to the matter, or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a trial-type inquiry or full investigation), that there is reason to believe that such Covered Person will be found entitled to indemnification under this Section 5.2.
(e) Conditional advancing of indemnification monies under this Section 5.2 for actions based upon the 1940 Act may be made only on the following conditions: (i) the advances must be limited to amounts used, or to be used, for the preparation or presentation of a defense to the action, including costs connected with the preparation of a settlement; (ii) advances may be made only upon receipt of a written promise by, or on behalf of, the recipient to repay that amount of the advance which exceeds that amount which it is ultimately determined that he is entitled to receive from the Trust by reason of indemnification; and (iii) (a) such promise must be secured by a surety bond, other suitable insurance or an equivalent form of security which assures that any repayments may be obtained by the Trust without delay or litigation, which bond, insurance or other form of security must be provided by the recipient of the advance, or (b) a majority of a quorum of the Trust's disinterested, non-party Trustees, or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall determine, based upon a review of readily available facts, that the recipient of the advance ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
(f) In case any Holder or former Holder of any Series shall be held to be personally liable solely by reason of the Holder or former Holder being or having been a Holder of that Series and not because of the Holder or former Holder acts or omissions or for some other reason, the Holder or former Holder (or the Holder or former Holder's heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives, or, in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled out of the assets belonging to the applicable Series to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability. The Trust, on behalf of the affected Series, shall, upon request by the Holder, assume the defense of any claim made against the Holder for any act or obligation of the Series and satisfy any judgment thereon from the assets of the Series."
With respect to indemnification of an adviser to the Trust, the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Carne Capital, LLC includes language similar to the following:
(a) The Trust shall expect of the Adviser, and the Adviser will give the Trust the benefit of, the Adviser's best judgment and efforts in rendering its services to the Trust. The Adviser shall not be liable hereunder for any mistake of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission taken or in any event whatsoever with respect to the Trust, the Fund or any of the Fund's shareholders in the absence of bad faith, willful misfeasance or negligence in the performance of the Adviser's duties or obligations under this Agreement or by reason of the Adviser's reckless disregard of its duties and obligations under this Agreement.
(b) Adviser shall not be liable for the errors of other service providers to the Trust, including the errors of pricing services, administrator, fund accountant, custodian or transfer agent to the Trust, unless such errors arise from the Adviser's providing false or misleading information to other service providers. The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust for any action taken or failure to act in good faith reliance upon: (i) information, instructions or requests, whether oral or written, with respect to the Fund made to the Adviser by a duly authorized officer of the Trust; (ii) the advice of counsel to the Trust; and (iii) any written instruction or certified copy of any resolution of the Board or any agent of the Board.
(c) The Adviser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, each Fund and their respective employees, agents, trustees and officers against and from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses of every nature and character arising out of or in any way related to (i) any breach of the Adviser's obligations under this Agreement, (ii) any acts or failures to act of Adviser for which the Adviser would be liable under Section 5(a), (iii) any breach of a representation or warranty of the Adviser set forth in this Agreement and (iv) claims or demands by any employee, agent, trustee, member or manager of the Adviser in their capacity as such. The Trust is hereby authorized to deduct any amounts payable in respect of the Adviser's indemnification obligations hereunder from any fees payable to the Adviser pursuant to Section 4(a).
(d) The Adviser shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control including, but not limited to, acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, labor difficulties (other than those related to the Adviser's employees), fire, mechanical breakdowns, flood or catastrophe, acts of God, insurrection, war, riots or failure of the mails, transportation, communication or power supply.
With respect to indemnification of an adviser to the Trust, the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and AH Lisanti Capital Growth, LLC, Beck, Mack & Oliver LLC, DF Dent & Company, Inc., Golden Capital Management, LLC, Merk Investments, LLC, Polaris Capital Management, LLC and Spears Abacus Advisers LLC includes language similar to the following:
(a) The Trust shall expect of the Adviser, and the Adviser will give the Trust the benefit of, the Adviser's best judgment and efforts in rendering its services to the Trust. The Adviser shall not be liable hereunder for mistake of judgment or mistake of law or in any event whatsoever, except for lack of good faith, provided that nothing herein shall be deemed to protect, or purport to protect, the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or to the Trust's security holders to which the Adviser would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser's duties hereunder, or by reason of the Adviser's reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder.
(b) The Adviser shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, labor difficulties (other than
those related to the Adviser's employees), fire, mechanical breakdowns, flood or catastrophe, acts of God, insurrection, war, riots or failure of the mails, transportation, communication or power supply.
With respect to indemnification of an adviser to the Trust, the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Absolute Investment Advisers, LLC, LLC, MAI Investment Advisers, LLC, and UCM Partners, L.P. includes language similar to the following:
(a) The Trust shall expect of the Adviser, and the Adviser will give the Trust the benefit of, the Adviser's best judgment and efforts in rendering its services to the Trust. The Adviser shall not be liable hereunder for any mistake of judgment or mistake of law for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission taken or in any event whatsoever with respect to the Trust, the Fund or any of the Fund's shareholders in the absence of bad faith, willful misfeasance or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser's duties or obligations and under this Agreement.
(b) Adviser shall not be liable for the errors of other service providers to the Trust, including the errors of pricing, services, administrator, fund accountant, custodian or transfer agent to the Trust. The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust for any action take or failure to act in good faith reliance upon: (i) information, instructions or requests, whether oral or written, with respect to the Fund made to the Adviser by a duly authorized officer of the Trust; (ii) the advice of counsel to the Trust; and (iii) any written instruction or certified copy of any resolution of the Board or any agent of the Board.
(c) The Adviser shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, labor difficulties (other than those related to the Adviser's employees), fire, mechanical breakdowns, flood or catastrophe, acts of God, insurrection, war, riots or failure of the mails, transportation, communication or power supply.
With respect to indemnification of an adviser to the Trust, the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Auxier Asset Management, LLC, H.M. Payson & Co. and King Investment Advisers, Inc. includes language similar to the following:
The Adviser may rely on information reasonably believed by the Adviser to be accurate and reliable. Except as may otherwise be required by the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder, neither the Adviser nor its shareholders, members, officers, directors, employees, agents, control persons or affiliates of any thereof shall be subject to any liability for, or any damages, expenses or losses incurred by the Trust in connection with, any error of judgment, mistake of law, any act or omission connected with or arising out of any services rendered under, or payments made pursuant to, this Agreement or any other matter to which this Agreement relates, except by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of any such persons in the performance of the Adviser's duties under this Agreement, or by reason of reckless disregard by any of such persons of the Adviser's obligations and duties under this Agreement.
With respect to indemnification of the underwriter of the Trust, Section 8 of the Distribution Agreement provides:
(a) The Trust will indemnify, defend and hold the Distributor, its employees, agents, directors and officers and any person who controls the Distributor within the meaning of section 15 of the Securities Act or section 20 of the 1934 Act ("Distributor Indemnitees") free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses of every nature and character (including the cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands, actions, suits or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which any Distributor Indemnitee may incur, under the Securities Act, or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon (i) the bad faith, willful misfeasance or gross negligence of the Trust in connection with the subject matter of this Agreement; (ii) any material breach by the Trust of its representations an warranties under this Agreement; (iii) any alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectuses or arising out of or based upon any alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated in any one thereof or necessary to make the statements in any one thereof not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished in writing to the Trust in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement or exhibits to the Registration Statement by or on behalf of the Distributor ("Distributor Claims").
After receipt of the Distributor's notice of termination under Section 13(e), the Trust shall indemnify and hold each Distributor Indemnitee free and harmless from and against any Distributor Claim; provided, that the term Distributor Claim for purposes of this sentence shall mean any Distributor Claim related to the matters for which the Distributor has requested amendment to the Registration Statement and for which the Trust has not filed a
Required Amendment, regardless of with respect to such matters whether any statement in or omission from the Registration Statement was made in reliance upon, or in conformity with, information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Distributor.
(b) The Trust may assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any Distributor Claim and may retain counsel of good standing chosen by the Trust and approved by the Distributor, which approval shall not be withheld unreasonably. The Trust shall advise the Distributor that it will assume the defense of the suit and retain counsel within ten (10) days of receipt of the notice of the claim. If the Trust assumes the defense of any such suit and retains counsel, the defendants shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel that they retain. If the Trust does not assume the defense of any such suit, or if Distributor does not approve of counsel chosen by the Trust or has been advised that it may have available defenses or claims that are not available to or conflict with those available to the Trust, the Trust will reimburse any Distributor Indemnitee named as defendant in such suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel that person retains. A Distributor Indemnitee shall not settle or confess any claim without the prior written consent of the Trust, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
(c) The Distributor will indemnify, defend and hold the Trust and its several officers and trustees (collectively, the "Trust Indemnitees"), free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses of every nature and character (including the cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands, actions, suits or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith), but only to the extent that such claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses result from, arise out of or are based upon:
(i) any alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Trust in writing in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement or Prospectus by or on behalf of the Distributor; or
(ii) any act of, or omission by, the Distributor or its sales representatives that does not conform to the standard of care set forth in Section 7 of this Agreement ("Trust Claims").
(d) The Distributor may assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any Trust Claim and may retain counsel of good standing chosen by the Distributor and approved by the Trust, which approval shall not be withheld unreasonably. The Distributor shall advise the Trust that it will assume the defense of the suit and retain counsel within ten (10) days of receipt of the notice of the claim. If the Distributor assumes the defense of any such suit and retains counsel, the defendants shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel that they retain. If the Distributor does not assume the defense of any such suit, or if the Trust does not approve of counsel chosen by the Distributor or has been advised that it may have available defenses or claims that are not available to or conflict with those available to the Distributor, the Distributor will reimburse any Trust Indemnitee named as defendant in such suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel that person retains. A Trust Indemnitee shall not settle or confess any claim without the prior written consent of the Distributor, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
(e) The Trust's and the Distributor's obligations to provide indemnification under this Section is conditioned upon the Trust or the Distributor receiving notice of any action brought against a Distributor Indemnitee or Trust Indemnitee, respectively, by the person against whom such action is brought within twenty (20) days after the summons or other first legal process is served. Such notice shall refer to the person or persons against whom the action is brought. The failure to provide such notice shall not relieve the party entitled to such notice of any liability that it may have to any Distributor Indemnitee or Trust Indemnitee except to the extent that the ability of the party entitled to such notice to defend such action has been materially adversely affected by the failure to provide notice.
(f) The provisions of this Section and the parties' representations and warranties in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Distributor Indemnitee or Trust Indemnitee and shall survive the sale and redemption of any Shares made pursuant to subscriptions obtained by the Distributor. The indemnification provisions of this Section will inure exclusively to the benefit of each person that may be a Distributor Indemnitee or Trust Indemnitee at any time and their respective successors and assigns (it being intended that such persons be deemed to be third party beneficiaries under this Agreement).
(g) Each party agrees promptly to notify the other party of the commencement of any litigation or proceeding of which it becomes aware arising out of or in any way connected with the issuance or sale of Shares.
(h) Nothing contained herein shall require the Trust to take any action contrary to any provision of its Organic Documents or any applicable statute or regulation or shall require the Distributor to take any action contrary to any provision of its Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws or any applicable statute or regulation; provided, however, that neither the Trust nor the Distributor may amend their Organic Documents or Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, respectively, in any manner that would result in a violation of a representation or warranty made in this Agreement.
(i) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to protect the Distributor against any liability to the Trust or its security holders to which the Distributor would otherwise be subject by reason of its failure to satisfy the standard of care set forth in Section 7 of this Agreement."
ITEM 31. | BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER |
(a) | AH Lisanti Capital Growth, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of AH Lisanti Capital Growth, LLC including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of AH Lisanti Capital Growth, LLC is 608 Fifth Avenue, Suite 301, New York, NY 10020 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Mary Lisanti | President, Managing Member | AH Lisanti Capital Growth, LLC | ||||||||||||
Jeffery Bernstein | Senior Vice President | AH Lisanti Capital Growth, LLC | ||||||||||||
Karl Dimlich | Senior Vice President | AH Lisanti Capital Growth, LLC |
(b) | Beck, Mack & Oliver LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Beck Mack & Oliver, including their business connections of a substantial nature. The address of BM&O is 360 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017.
Name | Title | Business Connection | |||||||||||||||
Peter A. Vlachos | Manager Director | BM&O | |||||||||||||||
David E. Rappa | Member | BM&O | |||||||||||||||
Zoe A. Vlachos | Chief Compliance Officer | BM&O | |||||||||||||||
Robert C. Beck | Senior Member | BM&O, Enstar Group, Camden National | |||||||||||||||
Gerald M. Sedam, II | Member | BM&O, Somerset Bank | |||||||||||||||
Robert J. Campbell | Member | BM&O | |||||||||||||||
Walter K. Giles | Member | BM&O | |||||||||||||||
Lyman Delano | Member | BM&O | |||||||||||||||
Zachary A. Wydra | Member | BM&O | |||||||||||||||
(c) | Auxier Asset Management LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Auxier, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Auxier is 5285 Meadows Road, Suite 333, Lake Oswego, OR 97035-2224 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
J. Jeffrey Auxier | Chief Executive Officer | Auxier | ||||||||||||
Lillian Widolff | Chief Compliance Officer | Auxier |
( d) | D.F. Dent and Company, Inc. |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of D.F. Dent, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of D.F. Dent is 2 East Read Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Daniel F. Dent | President and Treasurer | D.F. Dent | ||||||||||||
Thomas F. O'Neil | Vice President and Secretary | D.F. Dent | ||||||||||||
Linda W. McCleary | Vice President | D.F. Dent | ||||||||||||
Matthew F. Dent | Vice President | D.F. Dent | ||||||||||||
Michael M. Morrill | Vice President | D.F. Dent | ||||||||||||
Gary D. Mitchell | Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer | D.F. Dent | ||||||||||||
Bruce L. Kennedy | Vice President | D.F. Dent |
( e) | Golden Capital Management, LLC |
The following chart reflects the officers of Golden Capital Management, LLC including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Golden Capital Management, LLC is Five Resource Square, 10715 David Taylor Drive, Suite 400, Charlotte, North Carolina 28262 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Greg W. Golden | Chief Executive Officer and President | Golden Capital Management | ||||||||||||
Jeff C. Moser | Chief Operating Officer | Golden Capital Management | ||||||||||||
Jonathan W. Cangalosi | Executive Vice President | Golden Capital Management | ||||||||||||
Lynette W. Alexander | Chief Financial Officer | Golden Capital Management | ||||||||||||
Robert B. Carroll | Chief Compliance Officer | Golden Capital Management | ||||||||||||
Fred H. Karimian | Director of Quantitative Research | Golden Capital Management |
( f) | H.M. Payson & Co. |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of H.M. Payson & Co., including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of H.M. Payson & Co. is One Portland Square, Portland, Maine 04101.
Name | Title | Business Connection | |||||||||||||||
Peter E. Robbins | Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer | H.M. Payson & Co. | |||||||||||||||
Michael R. Currie | Managing Director, President | H.M. Payson & Co. | |||||||||||||||
Thomas M. Pierce | Managing Director | H.M. Payson & Co. | |||||||||||||||
John H. Walker | Managing Director, Chairman of the Board | H.M. Payson & Co. | |||||||||||||||
Teresa M. Esposito | Managing Director, Chief Operations Officer, Chief Financial Officer | H.M. Payson & Co. | |||||||||||||||
( g) | King Investment Advisors, Inc. (KING) |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of KING, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of KING is 1980 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 2400, Houston, Texas 77056-3898 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Roger E. King | Chairman and President | KING | ||||||||||||
John R. Servis | Director Owner, Commercial Real Estate |
John R. Servis Properties
626 Wilcrest Dr. Houston, TX 77024
|
||||||||||||
Pat H. Swanson | Chief Compliance Officer | KING | ||||||||||||
Leah Bennett | Chief Investment Officer | KING | ||||||||||||
Jane D. Lightfoot | Secretary/Treasurer | KING |
(h) | Polaris Capital Management, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Polaris Capital Management, LLC., including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Polaris is 125 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Bernard R. Horn, Jr. | President, Portfolio Manager | Polaris Capital Management, LLC | ||||||||||||
Sumanta Biswas | Vice President & Assistant Portfolio Manager | Polaris Capital Management, LLC | ||||||||||||
Kathy Jacobs | Vice President, Corporate Secretary | Polaris Capital Management, LLC | ||||||||||||
Lorroine Horn | Director | Polaris Capital Management, LLC | ||||||||||||
Christopher K. McLeod | Director | Polaris Capital Management, LLC |
(i) | Pine Cobble Capital, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Pine Cobble Capital, LLC ("Pine Cobble"), including their business connections, which are a substantial nature. The address of Pine Cobble is 60 William Street, Suite 140, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, and unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Robert A. Nicholson | Managing Member | Pine Cobble | ||||||||||||
Zev D. Nijensohn | Managing Member | Pine Cobble | ||||||||||||
Kurt P. Dahlgren | Chief Financial Officer & Chief Compliance Officer | Pine Cobble |
(j) | Absolute Investment Advisers, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Absolute, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Absolute is 18 Shipyard Dr., Suite 3C, Hingham, MA 02043 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Anthony R. Bosch | Managing Principal, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer | Absolute | ||||||||||||
Brian D. Hlidek | Managing Principal | Absolute | ||||||||||||
James P. Compson | Managing Principal and Portfolio Manager | Absolute | ||||||||||||
Christian E. Aymond | Managing Principal | Absolute | ||||||||||||
Christopher A. Ward | Principal | Absolute |
(k) | Aronson+Johnson+Ortiz, LP ("AJO") |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of AJO, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of AJO is 230 South Broad Street, 20th Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Theodore R. Aronson | Managing Principal; Limited Partner | AJO | ||||||||||||
Martha E. Ortiz | Principal; Limited Partner | AJO | ||||||||||||
Paul E. Dodge | Principal; Limited Partner | AJO | ||||||||||||
Stefani Cranston | Principal; Limited Partner | AJO | ||||||||||||
Gina Marie N. Moore | Principal; Limited Partner | AJO | ||||||||||||
Gregory J. Rogers | Principal; Limited Partner | AJO |
Aronson+Johnson+Ortiz, LLC | General Partner | AJO | ||||||||||||
Joseph F. Dietrick | Principal; Limited Partner; Chief Compliance Officer; CLO | AJO | ||||||||||||
R. Brian Wenzinger | Principal; Limited Partner | AJO |
(l) | Longhorn Capital Partners, L.P. |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Longhorn Capital Partners, L.P., including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Longhorn Capital Partners, L.P. is 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 5000, Dallas, Texas 75202 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Kristopher N. Kristynik | Limited Partner and Chief Investment Officer | Longhorn | ||||||||||||
Philip M. Eckian | Limited Partner | Longhorn | ||||||||||||
Britton L. Brown | Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer | Longhorn |
(m) | St. James Investment Company, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of St. James, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of St. James is 2716 Fairmount Street, Dallas, Texas 75201 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Brian C. Mark | Member | St. James | ||||||||||||
Robert J. Mark | Member, Manager | St. James | ||||||||||||
Lawrence J. Redell | Member | St. James | ||||||||||||
William R. Sachs | Member | St. James | ||||||||||||
Amy Burson | Chief Compliance Officer |
(n) | Horizon Asset Management, Inc. |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Horizon, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Horizon is 470 Park Avenue South, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10016 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Steven Bregman | President | Horizon | ||||||||||||
Peter Doyle | Managing Director and Elected Manager | Horizon | ||||||||||||
Thomas C. Ewing | Elected Manager | Horizon | ||||||||||||
Murray Stahl | Chairman and Chief Investment Officer | Horizon | ||||||||||||
Hugh M. Ross | Chief Operating Officer | Horizon | ||||||||||||
John D. Kramer | Chief Executive Officer | Horizon | ||||||||||||
Robin J. Shulman | Chief Compliance Officer | Horizon | ||||||||||||
Jay H. Kesslen | General Counsel, Secretary and Elected Manager | Horizon | ||||||||||||
Hoizon Kinetics LLC | Owner | Horizon | ||||||||||||
Lawrence P. Doyle | Elected Manager | |||||||||||||
Leonid Polyakov | Chief Financial Officer and Elected Manager |
(o) | MetWest Asset Management, LLC (MetWest) |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of MetWest, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of MetWest is 865 Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90017 and,
unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Tad Rivelle | Chief Investment Officer | MetWest | ||||||||||||
David B. Lippman | Chief Executive Officer and Secretary | MetWest | ||||||||||||
Laird R. Landmann | President | MetWest | ||||||||||||
TCW Group Inc. | Shareholder | MetWest | ||||||||||||
Hilary G.D. Lord | Chief Compliance Officer | Met West | ||||||||||||
David S. Devito | Chief Financial Officer | MetWest |
(p) | SSI Investment Management, Inc. |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of SSI, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of SSI is 9440 Santa Monica Blvd., 8th Floor, Beverly Hills, California 90210 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
John D. Gottfurcht | Managing Principal | SSI | ||||||||||||
Amy J. Gottfurcht | Chairman; CEO | SSI | ||||||||||||
George M. Douglas | Chief Investment Officer | SSI | ||||||||||||
Syed F. Mehdi | CCO; COO | SSI | ||||||||||||
Ravi Malik | Portfolio Manager, Principal | SSI |
(q) | TWIN Capital Management, Inc. |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of TWIN, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of TWIN is 3244 Washington Road, Suite 202, McMurray, Pennsylvania 15317-3153 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Geoffrey Gerber | President; CIO | TWIN | ||||||||||||
James D. Drake | Chief Compliance Officer, CFO | TWIN |
(r) | Yacktman Asset Management Co |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Yacktman, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Yacktman is 1110 Lake Cook Road, Suite 385, Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Donald A. Yacktman | President & Treasurer | Yacktman | ||||||||||||
Stephen A. Yacktman | Senior Vice President & Secretary | Yacktman | ||||||||||||
Jason Subotky | Sr. Vice President | Yacktman | ||||||||||||
Russell Wilkins | Sr. Vice President | Yacktman | ||||||||||||
Kent Arnett | Chief Compliance Officer | |||||||||||||
Yacktman Asset Management Co. | Limited Partner | |||||||||||||
Gotham Acquisition GP, LLC | General Partner | |||||||||||||
Gotham Acquisition LP, LLC | Limited Partner |
(s) | Kovitz Investment Group, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Kovitz, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Kovitz is 222 West Adams Street, Suite 2160, Chicago, Illinois 60606 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Mitchell A. Kovitz | Chief Executive Officer | Kovitz | ||||||||||||
Jonathan A. Shapiro | Chief Financial Officer | Kovitz | ||||||||||||
Marc S. Brenner | President, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer | Kovitz | ||||||||||||
Bruce A. Weininger | Vice President | Kovitz | ||||||||||||
Harold (Skip) Gianopulos, Jr. | Managing Director | Kovitz | ||||||||||||
Steven E. Hengst | CCO | Kovitz | ||||||||||||
Theodore J. Rupp | Member | Kovitz |
(t) | Mohican Financial Management, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Mohican, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Mohican is 21 Railroad Avenue, Suite 35, Cooperstown, New York 13326 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Eric C. Hage | Chief Executive Officer | Mohican | ||||||||||||
Daniel C. Hage | Chief Operating Officer | Mohican | ||||||||||||
Charles T. Hage | CCO | Mohican |
(u) | Merk Investments, LLC ("Merk") |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Merk, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Merk is 555 Bryant Street #455, Palo Alto, CA 94301 and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Axel Merk | President | Merk Investments LLC; World Fliers Ltd., Director | ||||||||||||
Hanna Tikkanen Merk | Managing Director | Merk Investments LLC | ||||||||||||
Kimberly Schuster | Director of Finance | Merk Investments LLC | ||||||||||||
Deborah Goldberg | Chief Compliance Officer | Merk Investments LLC |
(v) | Spears Abacus Advisors LLC ("Spears Abacus") |
The following chart reflects the managers and officers of Spears Abacus, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Spears Abacus is 147 E. 48th Street, New York, NY 10017, and, unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
William G. Spears | Chief Executive Officer and Manager | Spears Abacus; Spears | ||||||||||||
Robert M. Raich | President and Manager | Spears Abacus | ||||||||||||
Frank A. Weil | Manager | Spears Abacus | ||||||||||||
Robert P. Morgenthau | Principal | Spears Abacus |
(w) | Green Eagle Capital LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Green Eagle Capital LLC, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Green Eagle Capital LLC is 250 East Illinois Road, Suite 200, Lake Forest, IL 60045 and, unless indicated otherwise below, that address is the principal address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection |
Daniel Sperrazza | Managing Member | Green Eagle Capital Management, LLC (General Partner of Green Eagle Credit Fund, LP) | ||||||||||||
Director and Secretary | Green Eagle Credit Master Fund, Ltd. and Green Eagle Credit Offshore Fund, Ltd. | |||||||||||||
Glenn Migliozzi | Managing Member, Chief Investment Officer | Green Eagle Capital Management, LLC (General Partner of Green Eagle Credit Fund, LP) | ||||||||||||
Director and Secretary | Green Eagle Credit Master Fund, Ltd. and Green Eagle Credit Offshore Fund, Ltd. | |||||||||||||
Matthew S. Hardin | CCO |
(x) | Madden Asset Management, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Madden Asset Management, LLC, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Madden Asset Management, LLC is One International Place, 24th Floor, Boston, MA 02110 and, unless indicated otherwise below, that address is the principal address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Rob Madden | Managing Member | Madden Asset Management, LLC | ||||||||||||
Scott Madden | COO, Member | Madden Asset Management, LLC | ||||||||||||
Lisa Giovannelli | CCO | Madden Asset Management, LLC |
(y) | Kingstown Capital Management, LP |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Kingstown Capital Management, LP, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Kingstown Capital Management, LP, is 1270 Broadway, Suite 1009, New York, NY 10001 and, unless indicated otherwise below, that address is the principal address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Gotham Advisers, LLC | Limited Partner | |||||||||||||
Khronos, LLC | Limited Partner | |||||||||||||
Kingstown Management GP, LLC | General Partner | |||||||||||||
Michael Blitzer | Managing Partner | Also Managing Partner of Kingstown Partners, LP | ||||||||||||
Guy Shanon | Managing Partner | Also Managing Partner of Kingstown Partners, LP | ||||||||||||
Matthew S. Hardin | Chief Compliance Officer | |||||||||||||
Mark C. Rosenthal | Chief Financial Officer |
(z) | Semaphore Management LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Semaphore Management LLC, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Semaphore Management LLC is 320 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, New York 10022 and, unless indicated otherwise below, that address is the principal address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Paul J. Carpenter | Managing Member | Semaphore Management LLC | ||||||||||||
Managing Member | Otis Partners LLC | |||||||||||||
Director | Semaphore Offshore Ltd | |||||||||||||
Hoyt Ammidon, III | Managing Member | Semaphore Management LLC | ||||||||||||
Managing Member | Otis Partners LLC | |||||||||||||
Director | Semaphore Offshore Ltd | |||||||||||||
Robert C. Penberth | Chief Financial Officer | Semaphore Management LLC |
Matthew S. Hardin | CCO |
(aa) | Carne Capital, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Carne Capital, LLC, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Carne Capital, LLC, is Radnor Court, Suite 210, 259 Radnor-Chester Road, Radnor, PA 19087 and, unless indicated otherwise below, that address is the principal address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Other Business Connection | ||||||||||||
F. Sean Bonner | Managing Member, President | None |
(bb) | UCM Partners, L.P. |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of UCM Partners, L.P., including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of UCM Partners, L.P. is 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, Suite 401, New York, NY 10017 and, unless indicated otherwise below, that address is the principal address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Gregory Parsons | Chief Executive Officer | UCM Partners, L.P. | ||||||||||||
Thomas Mandel | Senior Managing Director | UCM Partners, L.P. | ||||||||||||
Jay Menozzi | Chief Investment Officer | UCM Partners, L.P. |
(cc) | MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC, including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC 1360 E. Ninth Street, Suite 1100, Cleveland, OH 44114 and, unless indicated otherwise below, that address is the principal address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Richard J. Buoncore | Managing Partner | MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC | ||||||||||||
Director | United Community Financial Corp. | |||||||||||||
Gerald H. Gray | Chief Investment Officer | MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC | ||||||||||||
Mark H. Summers | Chief Operating Officer | MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC | ||||||||||||
Lu Anne Morrison | Managing Director | MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC | ||||||||||||
John G. Palguta | Managing Director | MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC | ||||||||||||
Roberta J. Lemmo | Managing Director | MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC | ||||||||||||
James D. Kacic | Chief Financial Officer | MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC | ||||||||||||
Shirley A. Titchenell | Chief Compliance Officer | MAI Wealth Advisors, LLC |
(dd) | Sabal Capital Management, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Sabal Capital Management, LLC ("Sabal"), including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Sabal is 1990 North California Boulevard, 8th Floor, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 and, unless indicated otherwise below, that address is the principal address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
William F. Charters | Managing Member | Sabal | ||||||||||||
Mario A. Marcon | CFO/ COO/CCO | Sabal |
(ee) | Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC ("LMCG"), including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Sabal is, 200 Clarendon Street, T-28, Boston, MA 02116 and, unless indicated otherwise below, that address is the principal address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Joseph F Tower, III | Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Operating Officer | LMCG | ||||||||||||
Jeffrey Parker Davis | Chief Investment Officer | LMCG | ||||||||||||
Kenneth Leslie Swan | President, Chief Executive Officer, Board Member | LMCG | ||||||||||||
Convergent Capital Management, LLC | Member | LMCG | ||||||||||||
Richard Howard Adler | Board Member | LMCG | ||||||||||||
William Jay Freemen | Board Member | LMCG | ||||||||||||
Lee Paul Munder | Board Member | LMCG | ||||||||||||
R. Todd Vingers | Board Member | LMCG | ||||||||||||
Rednum Family Investments, LP | Member | LMCG | ||||||||||||
Richard Scott Gershen | Board Member | LMCG |
(ff) | Rodgers Brothers, Inc. d/b/a/ Monongahela Capital Management |
The following chart reflects the directors and officers of Monongahela Capital Management ("Monongahela"), including their business connections, which are of a substantial nature. The address of Monongahela is 800 Cranberry Woods Drive, Suite 200, Cranberry Township, PA 16066 and unless otherwise indicated below, that address is the principal business address of any company with which the directors and officers are connected.
Name | Title | Business Connection | ||||||||||||
Gary Rodgers | CEO | Monongahela | ||||||||||||
Mark Rodgers | President | Monongahela | ||||||||||||
Michael Carey Rodgers | Director | Monongahela | ||||||||||||
Denise Ryan Rodgers | Chief Compliance Officer | Monongahela | ||||||||||||
Chris Robert Rabenold | Vice President | Monongahela |
Item 32(a) | Foreside Fund Services, LLC ("FFS") serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended: |
1. | 361 Absolute Alpha Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust | 21. | Gottex Multi- Asset Endowment Fund - I | ||||||||
2. | 361 Long/Short Equity Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust | 21. | Gottex Multi-Asset Endowment Fund - II | ||||||||
3. | 361 Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust | 22. | Henderson Global Funds | ||||||||
4. | AdvisorShares Trust | 23. | Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC | ||||||||
5. | American Beacon Funds | 24. | Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC | ||||||||
6. | American Beacon Select Funds | 25. | Liberty Street Horizon Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust | ||||||||
7. | Avenue Mutual Funds Trust | 26. | Manor Investment Funds | ||||||||
8. | Bridgeway Funds, Inc. | 27. | Nomura Partners Funds, Inc. | ||||||||
9. | Broadmark Funds | 28. | Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers | ||||||||
10. | Capital Innovations Global Agri, Timber, Infrastructure Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust | 29. | Perimeter Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust | ||||||||
11. | Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust | 30. | PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers | ||||||||
12. | Central Park Group Multi-Event Fund | 31. | Precidian ETFs Trust | ||||||||
13. | Direxion Shares ETF Trust | 32. | Quaker Investment Trust | ||||||||
14. | DundeeWealth Funds | 33. | RevenueShares ETF Trust | ||||||||
15. | FlexShares Trust | 34. | Salient MF Trust | ||||||||
16. | Forum Funds | 35. | Sound Shore Fund, Inc | ||||||||
17. | FQF Trust | 36. | The Roxbury Funds | ||||||||
18. | Gottex Multi-Alternatives Fund - I | 37. | Turner Funds |
19. | Gottex Multi-Alternatives Fund - II | 38. | Wintergreen Fund, Inc. |
Item 32(b) | The following are officers and directors of Foreside Fund Services, LLC, the Registrant's underwriter. Their main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. |
Name | Address | Position with Underwriter | Position with Registrant | ||||||||
Mark A. Fairbanks | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | President and Manager | None | ||||||||
Richard J. Berthy | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | Vice President, Treasurer and Manager | None | ||||||||
Jennifer E. Hoopes | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | Secretary | None | ||||||||
Nanette K. Chern | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer | None | ||||||||
Lisa S. Clifford | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | Vice President and Managing Director of Compliance | None | ||||||||
Nishant Bhatnagar | Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 | Assistant Secretary | None |
Item 32(c) | Not applicable. |
ITEM 33. | LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS |
The majority of the accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600, Portland, Maine 04101. The records required to be maintained under Rule 31a-1(b)(1) with respect to journals of receipts and deliveries of securities and receipts and disbursements of cash are maintained at the offices of the Registrant's custodian, as listed under "Custodian" in Part B to this Registration Statement. The records required to be maintained under Rule 31a-1(b)(5), (6) and (9) are maintained at the offices of the Registrant's adviser or subadviser, as listed in Item 31 hereof.
ITEM 34. | MANAGEMENT SERVICES |
Not Applicable.
ITEM 35. | UNDERTAKINGS |
None.
Pursuant to the requirement of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has met all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under Rule 485(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 and that it has duly caused this amendment to its registration statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Portland, and State of Maine on March 28, 2013.
Forum Funds | ||
/s/ Stacey E. Hong | ||
Stacey E. Hong, President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on March 28, 2013.
(a) | Principal Executive Officer | ||||
/s/ Stacey E. Hong | |||||
Stacey E. Hong | |||||
Principal Executive Officer |
(b) | Principal Financial Officer | ||||
/s/ Karen Shaw | |||||
Karen Shaw | |||||
Principal Financial Officer |
(c) | A majority of the Trustees | ||||
John Y. Keffer, Trustee* | |||||
James C. Cheng, Trustee* | |||||
J. Michael Parish, Trustee* | |||||
Costas Azariadis, Trustee* | |||||
David Tucker, Trustee* |
By: | /s/ Lina Bhatnagar | ||||
Lina Bhatnagar | |||||
As Attorney-in-fact |
* Pursuant to powers of attorney previously filed.
EXHIBITS |
(d)(30) | Investment Advisory Agreement between Registranat and Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC is filed herewith. | ||||||||||
(h)(16) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC is filed herewith. | ||||||||||
(h)(17) | Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Monongahela Capital Management is filed herewith. | ||||||||||
(i) | Opinion and consent of K&L Gates LLP is filed herewith. | ||||||||||
(j) | Consent of BBD, LLP is filed herewith. | ||||||||||
(p)(33) | Code of Ethics adopted by Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC is filed herewith. |
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