The Bull Moose Growth Fund (the “Fund”) was organized as a diversified series of AmeriPrime Advisors Trust (the “Trust”) on June 28, 2001. The Trust is an open-end investment company established under the laws of Ohio by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated August 3, 1999 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series. The Fund is one of a series of funds currently authorized by the Trustees. The Fund’s investment objective is long term capital appreciation. The investment adviser to the Fund is The Roosevelt Investment Group (the “Adviser”).
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements.
When pricing securities using the fair value guidelines adopted by the Board, the Adviser seeks to assign the value that represents the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive upon a current sale of the securities. However, given the subjectivity inherent in fair valuation and the fact that events could occur after NAV calculation, the actual market prices for a security may differ from the fair value of that security as determined by the Adviser at the time of NAV calculation. Thus, discrepancies between fair values and actual market prices may occur. These discrepancies do not necessarily indicate that the fair value methodology is inappropriate. Fair values assigned to securities in the Fund’s portfolio will be adjusted, to the extent necessary, as soon as market prices become available. Arbitrage opportunities may exist when trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV. These arbitrage opportunities may enable short-term traders to dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund's NAV by short-term traders.
Fixed income securities generally are valued by using market quotations, but may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Adviser believes such prices accurately reflect the fair market value of such securities. A pricing service utilizes electronic data processing techniques based on yield spreads relating to securities with similar characteristics to determine prices for normal institutional-size trading units of debt securities without regard to sale or bid prices. If the Adviser decides that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair market value of the securities, when prices are not readily available from a pricing service, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, securities are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. Short term investments in fixed income securities with maturities of less than 60 days when acquired, or which subsequently are within 60 days of maturity, are valued by using the amortized cost method of valuation, which the Board has determined will represent fair value.
Bull Moose Growth Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
May 31, 2005 – continued
(Unaudited)
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – continued
Federal Income Taxes - There is no provision for federal income tax. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a “regulated investment company” under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by distributing substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains. If the required amount of net investment income is not distributed, the Fund could incur a tax expense.
Security Transactions and Related Income- The Fund follows industry practice and records security transactions on the trade date. The specific identification method is used for determining gains or losses for financial statements and income tax purposes. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date and interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are amortized or accreted using the effective interest method.
Dividends and Distributions- The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income, if any, as dividends to its shareholders on at least an annual basis. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The Fund intends to distribute its net realized long term capital gains and its net realized short term capital gains, if any, at least once a year.
NOTE 3. FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES
Under the terms of the management agreement (the “Agreement”), the Adviser manages the Fund’s investments subject to approval of the Board of Trustees and pays all of the expenses of the Fund except brokerage fees and commissions, taxes, borrowing costs (such as (a) interest and (b) dividend expense on securities sold short), fees and expenses of the non-interested person Trustees, 12b-1 expenses and extraordinary expenses. As compensation for its management services, the Fund is obligated to pay the Adviser a fee computed and accrued daily and paid monthly at an annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the six months ended May 31, 2005, the Adviser earned a fee of $17,792 from the Fund. As of May 31, 2005, the Fund owed the Adviser $3,492 for its services. Custody expenses have been offset by $10 arising from credits on cash balances maintained on deposit, which the Adviser reimbursed the Fund by waiving investment advisory fees.
Unified Fund Services, Inc. (“Unified”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Unified Financial Services, Inc., manages the Fund’s business affairs and provides the Fund with administrative services, fund accounting and transfer agency services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. The Adviser pays all administrative, transfer agency and fund accounting fees on behalf of the Fund per the Agreement. A Trustee and the officers of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of Unified and/or officers or shareholders of Unified Financial Services, Inc. (the parent of Unified).
Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) acts as the principal distributor of the Fund’s shares. The Fund currently does not have a 12b-1 plan. The Fund intends to seek shareholder approval for a plan under Rule 12b-1 that would allow the Fund to pay annual fees of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for distribution and shareholder services. A Trustee of the Trust is a shareholder of Unified Financial Services, Inc. (the parent company of the Distributor), and certain officers of the Trust are a director and/or officers of the Distributor and/or shareholders of Unified Financial Services, Inc. As a result, those persons may be deemed to be affiliates of the Distributor.
NOTE 4. INVESTMENTS
For the six months ended May 31, 2005, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments and short-term U.S. government obligations were as follows:
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Bull Moose Growth Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
May 31, 2005 – continued
(Unaudited)
NOTE 4. INVESTMENTS – continued
As of May 31, 2005, the net unrealized appreciation of investments for tax purposes was as follows:
At May 31, 2005, the aggregate cost of securities for federal income tax purposes was $3,560,660.
NOTE 5. ESTIMATES
NOTE 6. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS
The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended November 30, 2004 and 2003 is as follows:
As of November 30, 2004, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:
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