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ogy company with several successful products, has growing earnings and cash flow, and a attractive valuation. Applied Materials manufactures computer chip making equipment. It also has an attractive valuation based on its earnings growth and cash flow, and should be well positioned to benefit from the development of more sophisticated computer chips. Dover, a diversified industrial company, builds products for the defense, aerospace and automotive, construction and agricultural industries. It replaced Paccar because it has a more attractive valuation, higher expected growth and better cash flow.
The Growth Fund
The Growth Fund rose 4.34%, net of all fees and expenses, during the quarter ending December 31, 2006, underperforming the S&P 500 index and comparable mutual funds, as measured by the Lipper Large-Cap Growth mutual fund index (6.70% and 5.93% respectively). The Fund continues to outperform both the S&P 500 index and comparable mutual funds from inception with a return of 2.21% compared to the S&P 500 index return of 2.06% and the Lipper Large-Cap Growth mutual fund index with a return of —3.46%.
The Growth Portfolio was helped by strong performance from Coach, DirectTV, Zimmer Holdings, ACE Limited, and KLA Tencor. Coach, a top performer last quarter, continued to advance as holiday sales appeared to be better than expected. DirectTV rose on continued subscriber growth and a reduction in cancellations by existing subscribers. Zimmer, another strong performer last quarter, continued to rise on a follow-through from the previous earnings report and the realization that reimbursement rate concerns may be over blown. ACE Limited, a diversified insurance company, was helped by a favorable interest rate environment and low casualty losses. KLA Tencor, a recent purchase, is a manufacturer of the equipment used to produce micro-processing chips. It rose on the expectation of continued demand for more sophisticated chips for computers and communication applications.
Weak holdings in the portfolio included Quest Diagnostics, Texas Utilities, Texas Instruments, Etrade Financial, and Express Scripts. Quest fell after announcing the pending loss of a major contract. Texas Utilities fell on declining energy prices and lower earnings expectations for this diversified energy company. Texas Instruments, a top performer last quarter, declined on concerns about softening demand for chipsets for cell phones. Etrade Financial fell after a disappointing earnings report and concerns about slowing account growth and lower trading activity. Express Scripts fell right at year-end as concerns about its takeover proposal for Caremark depressed shares.
The Bond Fund
The Bond Fund generated a return of 0.65%, net of all fees and expenses, for the quarter ending December 31, 2006, underperforming the Lipper US Government mutual fund index (1.01%) and the Lehman Intermediate Government index (0.76%). For the year ending December 31, 2006, the Fund generated a return of 2.32%, less than the Lehman Intermediate Government Index (2.49%) and the Lipper US Government mutual fund index (3.39%). Performance over the recent quarter reflects the rela-
The Manor Fund
The Manor Fund rose 1.73%, net of all fees and expenses, during the quarter ending December 31, 2006, underperforming the S&P 500 index and comparable mutual funds, as measured by the Lipper Large-Cap Core mutual fund index (6.70%, and 6.42% respectively). The Fund continues to outperform both the S&P 500 index and comparable mutual funds in the Lipper Large-cap Core mutual fund index for the trailing 3-year and 5-year periods, ending December 31, 2006, with a return of 11.14% and 7.56%, compared to the S&P 500 (10.42% and 6.17%) and the Lipper mutual fund index (9.08% and 5.00%).
During the 4th quarter of 2006 the Manor Fund was helped by substantial gains in Alcan, JCPenny, IBM, Prudential Financial, and Norfolk Southern. Alcan rose after reporting strong revenues and earnings despite concerns about pricing pressure and slowing economic growth. JCPenny rose throughout the quarter based on improving same store sales. The results are due to a better focus on merchandising at this major department store. IBM jumped early in the quarter after reporting strong revenue and earnings gains. The gains were driven by acquisitions and a focus on software services. Prudential Financial rose late in the quarter after reaffirming revenue and earnings expectations for the current year and next year. Norfolk Southern, a weak holding last quarter, rebounded after reporting record earnings that far exceeded investors expectations.
Notable laggards during the 4th Quarter of 2006 include Corning, Citrix Systems, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Manor Care, and Jabil Circuit. Corning fell, despite reporting higher revenue and earnings growth, when it reduced expectations for future revenue growth. Citrix Systems fell sharply in October, despite reporting higher revenue and earnings, because the report showed weakness in some key business areas. Endo Pharmaceuticals also fell sharply in October after an FDA recommendation seemed to reduce the approval requirements for a generic competitor. The threat may not be as troubling as initially expected, and the shares began to improve toward the end of the quarter. Manor Care declined after reporting net income that was lower than the prior year. Jabil Circuit fell after reporting revenue slightly below expectations and product mix results that indicated the potential for future revenue shortfalls.
During the quarter we sold Corning, Manor Care, Paccar, and KB Home. We sold Corning and Manor Care because we believe that each will struggle to correct problems that adversely impacted recent revenues and earnings. We sold Paccar because its rank deteriorated and we had the opportunity to take profits. We sold KB Home for similar reasons, and because we believe that the housing industry will have a difficult time with reduced demand and higher interest rates. We used the proceeds from the sale to purchase Amgen, Applied Materials, and Dover. Amgen, a biotechnol-
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