UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-CSR
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Investment Company Act file number 811-22208
Valued Advisers Trust
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
Huntington Asset Services, Inc. 2960 N. Meridian Street, Suite 300 | Indianapolis, IN 46208 | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) |
Capitol Services, Inc.
615 S. Dupont Hwy.
Dover, DE 19901
(Name and address of agent for service)
With a copy to:
John H. Lively, Esq.
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.
A member firm of The 1940 Act Law GroupTM
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway,
Suite 310
Leawood, KS 66221
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 317-917-7000
Date of fiscal year end: 10/31
Date of reporting period: 10/31/13
Item 1. | Reports to Stockholders. |
To the Shareholders of the Geier Strategic Total Return Fund (the “Fund”):
As noted in the Supplement to the Prospectus dated October 21, 2013, The Board of Trustees has determined to liquidate the Geier Strategic Total Return Fund and to cease operations of the Fund due to the difficulty encountered by the adviser in attracting and maintaining assets in the Fund given the Fund’s conservative strategy and the current bull market. The Fund ceased operations on November 25, 2013.
Although the Adviser believes in the long term prospects for the strategy of the Fund, the Fund is not currently attractive to new and existing prospects given the performance of the Fund and the current overall bullishness of the market. Investors currently seek higher levels of risk/return than our conservative strategy offers.��We expect this very bullish environment to be sustained for as long as the Federal Reserve maintains its Quantitative Easing Programs and Zero Interest Rate Policies, now stated to last well into 2016.
Performance
As of October 31, 2013, our calendar year to date return was -7.6%. The Fund was positioned with a diversified mix of bonds with an average duration of approximately four years. We had lowered the duration from 5.7 years as of last year to help mitigate expected increases in interest rates. Over 90% of our bonds were investment grade.
We also maintained our positions in investments that would hedge an environment of increasing money supply leading to an eventual debased dollar and inflation. To that end, we kept assets such as TIPs (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities) and commodities that provide degrees of inflation protection, which were purchased in 2012. TIPS, which move in lockstep with inflation and commodities like silver and gold, should perform well in inflationary periods.
Our cash position represented a fairly substantial holding throughout the year. In general, we do not like to hold cash and would prefer to employ it. Even though the equity market has risen substantially, we believe that Federal Reserve intervention rather than improving equity fundamentals has fueled the optimism. Once the stimulus is removed, we believe this artificial bull market will deflate to a level supported by fundamentals.
Unfortunately, our longer term themes proved to be significant short term performance detractors. Approximately 4% of the negative performance was due to the bond portfolio. Yields rose during the year in spite of Federal Reserve intervention, causing our bond prices to drop. For example, the US Treasury 10 year yield rose from about 1.8% at the beginning of the year to about 2.8%. Although these price drops are unrealized and will self-correct as the bonds approach maturity over the next few years, the short term impact on our NAV was painful.
The remainder of the negative performance was due to our Hard Asset allocation. We were wrong in the short term as investors see more opportunity in purchasing equities in spite of the longer term risks for inflation and dollar debasement. Investors aggressively sold their Hard Asset allocations to free up cash for equity purchases.
Impact
The shift in sentiment of investors to assume more risk as long as the Federal Reserve continues its Quantitative Easing Programs impacted not only our short term performance but the longer term viability of the Fund. In our first annual report, we wrote:
“Over the past few years, more and more investors like you have expressed concern for and exhaustion with the “roller coaster” feel of the markets. The stock market crash of 2008 brought a heightened sense of worry over the inherent risks of investing. Although the rebound since early 2009 has helped restore depleted portfolios, many investors acknowledge that they do not want to go through such an experience again.”
1
Our conservative, low volatility strategy attracted shareholders during the first two years as our Fund assets grew from approximately $26 million on December 31, 2010 to $38 million on December 31, 2012. However, investor sentiment shifted dramatically this year. Shareholders withdrew assets down to about $30 million as of March 31, 2013, $26 million as of June 30, 2013, and $15 million as of September 30, 2013. (Approximately $2.9 million of the decrease in net assets year to date was due to the negative performance.)
Based on its recent proclamations, we believe that the Federal Reserve will continue its Quantitative Easing Programs and Zero Interest Rate Policies well into 2016. Such an environment is not conducive to our Fund’s potential for growth and success. We therefore determined that it was in the best interest of shareholders to cease operations.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
2
Investment Results – (Unaudited)
Total Returns *
(For the periods ended October 31, 2013)
Average Annual Returns | ||||||||
Since Inception | ||||||||
One Year | (December 27, 2010) | |||||||
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund | -10.11 | % | -1.48 | % | ||||
S&P 500® Index** | 27.18 | % | 14.92 | % |
Total annual operating expenses, as disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus dated February 28, 2013, were 2.04% of average daily net assets (2.08% after fee recoupments by the Adviser). Prior to the decision to liquidate the Fund and cease operations, the Adviser contractually agreed to cap certain operating expenses of the Fund until February 28, 2014, so that total annual fund operating expenses do not exceed 1.70%. This operating expense limitation did not apply to brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, 12b-1 fees, extraordinary expenses and indirect expenses (such as “acquired fund fees and expenses”). Under certain circumstances, the Adviser would have been able to recover any expenses waived and/or reimbursed during the three-year period prior to the period in which such expenses are waived and/or reimbursed (the “Recoupment Right”). To the extent the Adviser reimburses the Fund for any Excluded Expenses, the Adviser would have been entitled to include such reimbursed Excluded Expenses in the amounts that are subject to recovery under the Recoupment Right.
The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Current performance of a Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-877-747-4268.
* | Return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions. |
** | The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. The Index is an unmanaged benchmark that assumes reinvestment of all distributions and excludes the effect of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in this Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index |
The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the investment company and may be obtained by calling 1-877-747-4268. Please read it carefully before investing.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., Member FINRA.
3
The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on December 27, 2010 (inception date of the Fund) and held through October 31, 2013. THE FUND’S RETURNS REPRESENT PAST PERFORMANCE AND DO NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on the Fund’s distributions or the redemption of the Fund’s shares; although the performance does reflect the effect of the Fund paying certain taxes resulting from its failure to satisfy certain requirements under the Internal Revenue Code applicable to “regulated investment companies.” Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.
Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month-end, or to request a prospectus, please call 1-877-747-4268. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
4
FUND HOLDINGS – (Unaudited)
1. | As a percentage of net assets. |
The investment objective of the Geier Strategic Total Return Fund is to provide long-term total return from income and capital appreciation, with an emphasis on protection of capital under all market conditions.
AVAILABILITY OF PORTFOLIO SCHEDULE – (Unaudited)
The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Forms N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the Public Reference Room in Washington DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.
ABOUT THE FUND’S EXPENSES – (Unaudited)
As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs (such as short-term redemption fees); and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; and other Fund expenses. This Example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. The Example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period, and held for the entire period from May 1, 2013 to October 31, 2013.
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
5
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratios and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), redemption fees, or exchange fees. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund | Beginning Account Value May 1, 2013 | Ending Account Value October 31, 2013 | Expenses Paid During the Period Ended October 31, 2013* | |||||||||
Actual | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 947.20 | $ | 9.57 | ||||||
Hypothetical ** (5% return before expenses) | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,015.37 | $ | 9.91 |
* | Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 1.95%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365. |
** | Assumes a 5% return before expenses. |
6
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Schedule of Investments
October 31, 2013
Principal Amount or Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Corporate Bonds — 16.05% |
| |||||||
AngloGold Ashanti Holdings PLC, 5.125%, 8/1/2022 (a) | $ | 200,000 | $ | 178,076 | ||||
General Electric Capital Corp., 0.443%, 1/8/2016 (b) | 250,000 | 249,400 | ||||||
Lincoln National Corp., 7.000%, 5/17/2066 (b) | 250,000 | 259,375 | ||||||
Macy’s Retail Holdings, Inc., 7.450%, 10/15/2016 | 500,000 | 574,571 | ||||||
SLM Corp., 1.777%, 11/1/2016 (b) | 300,000 | 291,144 | ||||||
Tyson Foods, Inc., 6.600%, 4/1/2016 | 350,000 | 393,146 | ||||||
Whirlpool Corp., 6.500%, 6/15/2016 | 325,000 | 365,192 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Corporate Bonds |
| 2,310,904 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Municipal Bonds — 4.29% | ||||||||
County of Bertie, NC, 1.000%, 11/1/2013 | 200,000 | 200,000 | ||||||
County of Mahoning, OH, 5.500%, 12/1/2025 | 75,000 | 79,218 | ||||||
Utah State Board of Regents, 4.000%, 4/1/2019 | 305,000 | 337,919 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Municipal Bonds |
| 617,137 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Mortgage Backed Securities — 3.95% | ||||||||
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp., 2.564%, 10/25/2033 (b) | 181,809 | 174,212 | ||||||
Freddie Mac REMICS, 0.076%, 6/15/2036 (c) | 14,392 | 13,353 | ||||||
Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust, 2.469%, 10/25/2034 (b) | 217,972 | 219,330 | ||||||
Structured Asset Securities Corp. Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates 2.412%, 4/25/2033 (b) | 164,632 | 162,147 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Mortgage Backed Securities |
| 569,042 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
U.S. Treasury Obligations — 17.36% | ||||||||
U.S. Treasury Note, 8.750%, 5/15/2020 | 1,500,000 | 2,154,843 | ||||||
U.S. Treasury Note, 6.125%, 8/15/2029 | 250,000 | 343,750 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Total U.S. Treasury Obligations |
| 2,498,593 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Preferred Stocks — 1.70% | ||||||||
Public Storage, Inc., 6.350% | 10,000 | 244,300 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Preferred Stocks |
| 244,300 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Money Market Funds — 34.46% | ||||||||
Fidelity Institutional Money Market Treasury Only - Class I, 0.01% (d) | 4,960,177 | 4,960,177 | ||||||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of the financial statements.
7
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Schedule of Investments - continued
October 31, 2013
Fair Value | ||||
Total Money Market Funds | $ | 4,960,177 | ||
|
| |||
Total Investments – 77.81% | 11,200,153 | |||
|
| |||
Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities – 22.19% | 3,193,630 | |||
|
| |||
TOTAL NET ASSETS – 100.00% | $ | 14,393,783 | ||
|
|
(a) | Foreign corporate bond denominated in U.S. dollars. |
(b) | Variable or Floating Rate Security. Rate disclosed is as of October 31, 2013. |
(c) | Zero coupon bond. Rate disclosed is the effective rate as of October 31, 2013. |
(d) | Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of October 31, 2013. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of the financial statements.
8
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Statement of Assets and Liabilities (a)
October 31, 2013
Assets | ||||
Investments in securities at fair value (cost $10,939,396) | $ | 11,200,153 | ||
Receivable for investments sold | 3,116,252 | |||
Dividends receivable | 3,125 | |||
Interest receivable | 142,966 | |||
Receivable from Adviser | 4,200 | |||
|
| |||
Total Assets | 14,466,696 | |||
|
| |||
Liabilities | ||||
Payable for fund shares redeemed | 35,500 | |||
Payable to administrator, fund accountant, and transfer agent | 6,734 | |||
Payable to custodian | 1,467 | |||
Payable to trustees | 199 | |||
12b-1 fees accrued | 3,114 | |||
Other accrued expenses | 25,899 | |||
|
| |||
Total Liabilities | 72,913 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 14,393,783 | ||
|
| |||
Net Assets consist of: | ||||
Paid-in capital | $ | 16,076,944 | ||
Accumulated undistributed net investment (loss) | (8,868 | ) | ||
Accumulated undistributed net realized loss from investment transactions | (1,935,050 | ) | ||
Net unrealized appreciation on investments | 260,757 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 14,393,783 | ||
|
| |||
Shares outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized, no par value) | 1,544,474 | |||
|
| |||
Net asset value (“NAV”) and offering price per share | $ | 9.32 | ||
|
| |||
Redemption price per share (NAV * 99%) (b) | $ | 9.23 | ||
|
|
(a) | Liquidation basis. |
(b) | The redemption price per share reflects a redemption fee of 1.00% on shares redeemed within 30 calendar days of purchase. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
9
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Statement of Operations (a)
For the year ended October 31, 2013
Investment Income | ||||
Dividend income (net of foreign withholding tax of $3,075) | $ | 77,059 | ||
Interest income | 454,850 | |||
|
| |||
Total investment income | 531,909 | |||
|
| |||
Expenses | ||||
Investment Adviser fee | 295,432 | |||
12b-1 fees | 67,102 | |||
Administration expenses | 27,991 | |||
Fund accounting expenses | 25,000 | |||
Transfer agent expenses | 26,012 | |||
Legal expenses | 19,583 | |||
Registration expenses | 31,182 | |||
Custodian expenses | 9,565 | |||
Audit expenses | 15,000 | |||
Trustee expenses | 7,299 | |||
Insurance expense | 5,063 | |||
Pricing expenses | 14,130 | |||
Miscellaneous expenses | 14,884 | |||
|
| |||
Total expenses | 558,243 | |||
|
| |||
Fees waived and reimbursed by Adviser, net of recoupment | (35,240 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net operating expenses | 523,003 | |||
|
| |||
Net investment loss | 8,906 | |||
|
| |||
Net Realized and Unrealized Loss on Investments | ||||
Net realized loss on investment securities | (1,931,735 | ) | ||
Net change in unrealized depreciation of investment securities | (1,040,037 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net realized and unrealized loss on investments | (2,971,772 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations | $ | (2,962,866 | ) | |
|
|
(a) | Liquidation basis. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
10
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
For the Year Ended October 31, 2013 (a) | For the Year Ended October 31, 2012 | |||||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets due to: | ||||||||
Operations | ||||||||
Net investment income (loss) | $ | 8,906 | $ | 158,876 | ||||
Net realized gain (loss) on investment securities | (1,931,735 | ) | 252,511 | |||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments | (1,040,037 | ) | 1,046,048 | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | (2,962,866 | ) | 1,457,435 | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Distributions | ||||||||
From net investment income | (135,991 | ) | (217,686 | ) | ||||
From net realized gains | (344,119 | ) | (240,354 | ) | ||||
From return of capital | (58,839 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total distributions | (538,949 | ) | (458,040 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Transactions | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 1,996,946 | 6,195,156 | ||||||
Proceeds from redemption fees (b) | 645 | 10 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 20,806 | 45,555 | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (21,881,379 | ) | (4,069,011 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from capital transactions | (19,862,982 | ) | 2,171,710 | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets | (23,364,797 | ) | 3,171,105 | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net Assets | ||||||||
Beginning of period | 37,758,580 | 34,587,475 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
End of period | $ | 14,393,783 | $ | 37,758,580 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Accumulated undistributed net investment (loss) included in net assets at end of period | $ | (8,868 | ) | $ | (54,312 | ) | ||
|
|
|
| |||||
Share Transactions | ||||||||
Shares sold | 195,099 | 606,695 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 2,064 | 4,537 | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (2,239,566 | ) | (399,656 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase (decrease) in share transactions | (2,042,403 | ) | 211,576 | |||||
|
|
|
|
(a) | Liquidation basis. |
(b) | The Fund charges a redemption fee of 1.00% on shares redeemed within 30 calendar days of purchase. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
11
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Financial Highlights
(For a share outstanding throughout each period)
Year Ended October 31, 2013* | Year Ended October 31, 2012 | Period Ended October 31, 2011 (a) | ||||||||||
Selected Per Share Data | ||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 10.53 | $ | 10.25 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||
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|
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|
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| |||||||
Investment Activities: | ||||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) | — | (b)(c) | 0.04 | — | ||||||||
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (1.05 | ) | 0.37 | 0.25 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Total from investment activities | (1.05 | ) | 0.41 | 0.25 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Less Distributions to Shareholders: | ||||||||||||
From net investment income | (0.04 | ) | (0.06 | ) | — | |||||||
From net realized gains | (0.10 | ) | (0.07 | ) | — | |||||||
From return of capital | (0.02 | ) | — | — | ||||||||
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|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Total distributions | (0.16 | ) | (0.13 | ) | — | |||||||
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|
| |||||||
Paid in capital from redemption fees (d) | — | — | — | |||||||||
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|
|
|
| |||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 9.32 | $ | 10.53 | $ | 10.25 | ||||||
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| |||||||
Total Return (e) | (10.11 | )% | 4.03 | % | 2.50 | %(f) | ||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data: | ||||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $ | 14,394 | $ | 37,759 | $ | 34,587 | ||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets | 1.95 | % | 1.95 | % | 2.65 | %(g)(h) | ||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets before recoupment/reimbursement | 2.08 | % | 1.91 | % | 2.97 | %(g)(i) | ||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets | 0.03 | % | 0.44 | % | (0.06 | )%(g)(h) | ||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 34 | % | 91 | % | 502 | %(f) |
* | Liquidation basis. |
(a) | For the period December 27, 2010 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2011. |
(b) | Calculated using the average share method. |
(c) | Amount represents less than $0.005 per share. |
(d) | Redemption fees resulted in less than $0.005 per share in each period. |
(e) | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends. |
(f) | Not Annualized |
(g) | Annualized |
(h) | The expense ratio and net investment income ratio includes the effect of federal tax expense of 0.70%, which is the portion of federal tax expense not reimbursed by the Adviser. |
(i) | The expense ratio before reimbursements includes taxes of 0.92%, a portion of which was voluntarily reimbursed by the Adviser. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
12
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION
The Geier Strategic Total Return Fund (the “Fund”) is an open-end, non-diversified series of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Fund is one of a series of funds authorized by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Fund commenced operations on December 27, 2010. The Fund’s investment Adviser is Geier Asset Management, Inc. (the “Adviser”). The investment objective of the Fund is to provide long-term total return from income and capital appreciation, with an emphasis on protection of capital under all market conditions.
On October 29, 2013, the Board approved a plan to liquidate the Fund. Under that plan of liquidation, the Fund liquidated its assets and ceased operations effective as of November 25, 2013. The accompanying 2013 financial statements for the Fund are prepared on the liquidation basis of accounting in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Under the liquidation basis of accounting, assets are stated at their fair value or estimated realizable amount, liabilities are stated at their anticipated settlement amounts and all other costs of liquidation have been accrued. Assets and liabilities historically were carried at values that approximated fair value.
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements. These policies are in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
Securities Valuation – All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.
Federal Taxes – The Fund intends to qualify each year as a “regulated investment company” (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of its taxable income. The Fund also intends to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Fund could incur a tax expense.
As of and during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. During the year, the Fund did not incur any interest or penalties. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for all tax years since inception.
Expenses – Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each fund’s relative net assets or other appropriate basis (as determined by the Board).
Security Transactions and Related Income – The Fund follows industry practice and records security transactions on the trade date for financial reporting purposes. The First In, First Out 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. Distributions from Limited Partnerships are recognized on the ex-date. Income or loss from Limited Partnerships is reclassified in the components of net assets upon receipt of K-1’s. Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are amortized or accreted using the effective interest method. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates. The ability of issuers of debt securities held by the Fund to meet their obligations may be affected by economic and political developments in a specific country or region.
13
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – continued
Redemption Fees – The Fund charges a 1.00% redemption fee for shares redeemed within 30 days. These fees are deducted from the redemption proceeds otherwise payable to the shareholder. The Fund will retain the fee charged as an increase in paid-in capital and such fees become part of the Fund’s daily NAV calculation.
Dividends and Distributions – The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income, net realized long-term capital gains and its net realized short-term capital gains, if any, to its shareholders on at least an annual basis. Dividends to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the year from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations or net asset values per share of the Fund. For the year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund made the following reclassifications to increase (decrease) the components of net assets.
Paid in Capital | Accumulated Undistributed Net Investment Loss | Accumulated Net Realized Gain from Investments | ||||||||
$ | (227,873 | ) | $ | 231,368 | $ | (3,495 | ) |
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in an orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. GAAP established a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.
Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk (ex., the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including items such as pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique). Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.
• | Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities |
• | Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.) |
• | Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available) |
The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
14
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements — continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued
Equity securities, including common stocks, exchange-traded funds, closed end funds, and preferred stocks, are generally valued by using market quotations, furnished by a pricing service. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange are generally valued at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange traded security is generally valued at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. When using the market quotations or close prices provided by the pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security is classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Fund will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security is classified as a Level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Fund determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Fund, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review by the Board. These securities are categorized as Level 3 securities.
Investments in open-end mutual funds, including money market mutual funds, are generally priced at the ending net asset value (NAV) provided by the service agent of the funds. These securities are categorized as Level 1 securities.
Fixed income securities such as corporate bonds, municipal bonds, U.S. government securities, and mortgage-backed securities when valued using market quotations in an active market, will be categorized as Level 1 securities. However, they may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Fund believes such prices more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. A pricing service uses various inputs and techniques, which include broker-dealer quotations, like trading levels, recently executed transactions in securities of the issuer or comparable issuers, and option adjusted spread models that include base curve and spread curve inputs. Adjustments to individual bonds can be applied to recognize trading differences compared to other bonds issued by the same issuer. The broker-dealer quotations received are supported by credit analysis of the issuer that takes into consideration credit quality assessments, daily trading activity, and the activity of the underlying equities, listed bonds and sector-specific trends. To the extent that these inputs are observable, the values of fixed income securities are categorized as Level 2 securities. If the Fund decides that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair 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 Fund, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board. These securities will be categorized as Level 3 securities.
Short-term investments in fixed income securities, (those with maturities of less than 60 days when acquired, or which subsequently are within 60 days of maturity), including U.S. government securities, are valued by using the amortized cost method of valuation, which the Board has determined represents fair value. These securities will be classified as Level 2 securities.
In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Fund is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Fund would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the Fund’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of
15
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued
quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s value, or the Fund is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the bonds the Fund invests in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available. Any fair value pricing done outside the Fund’s approved pricing methods must be approved by the Pricing Committee of the Board.
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of October 31, 2013:
Valuation Inputs | ||||||||||||||||
Assets | Level 1 - Quoted Prices in Active Markets | Level 2 - Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3 - Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total | ||||||||||||
Corporate Bonds | $ | — | $ | 2,310,904 | $ | — | $ | 2,310,904 | ||||||||
Municipal Bonds | — | 617,137 | — | 617,137 | ||||||||||||
Mortgage Backed Securities | — | 569,042 | — | 569,042 | ||||||||||||
U.S. Treasury Obligations | — | 2,498,593 | — | 2,498,593 | ||||||||||||
Preferred Stocks | 244,300 | — | — | 244,300 | ||||||||||||
Money Market Funds | 4,960,177 | — | — | 4,960,177 | ||||||||||||
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| |||||||||
Total | $ | 5,204,477 | $ | 5,995,676 | $ | — | $ | 11,200,153 | ||||||||
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The Fund did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period. The Fund recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the reporting period end. There were no transfers between any Levels for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013.
NOTE 4. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS
The Adviser, under the terms of the management agreement (the “Agreement”), manages the Fund’s investments. 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 1.10% of the Fund’s average net assets. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Adviser earned fees of $295,432 from the Fund before the reimbursement/recoupment described below.
The Adviser has agreed to contractually cap certain operating expenses of the Fund until February 28, 2014, so that total annual fund operating expenses do not exceed 1.70%. This operating expense limitation does not apply to brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, 12b-1 fees, extraordinary expenses and indirect expenses (such as “acquired fund fees and expenses”).
16
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 4. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS – continued
Under certain circumstances, the Adviser may recover any expenses waived and/or reimbursed during the three-year period prior to the period in which such expenses are waived and/or reimbursed. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, expenses totaling $35,240 were waived or reimbursed by the Adviser and are subject to potential recoupment by the Adviser until October 31, 2016. At October 31, 2013, the Adviser owed the Fund $4,200.
The amount subject to repayment by the Fund pursuant to the aforementioned conditions at October 31, 2013 was:
Amount | Recoverable through October 31, | |||||
$ | 60,654 | 2014 | ||||
35,240 | 2016 |
The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”), to manage the Fund’s business affairs and to provide the Fund with administrative services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $27,991 for administrative services provided to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, the Fund owed HASI $2,333 for administrative services. Certain officers of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. HASI operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) and Huntington National Bank, the custodian of the Fund’s investments (the “Custodian”). For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Custodian earned fees of $9,565 for custody services provided to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, the Fund owed the Custodian $1,467 for custody services.
The Trust retains HASI to act as the Fund’s transfer agent and to provide fund accounting services. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $26,012 from the Fund for transfer agent services. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $25,000 from the Fund for fund accounting services. At October 31, 2013, the Fund owed HASI $2,318 for transfer agent services and $2,083 for fund accounting services.
Unified Financial Securities, Inc. acts as the principal distributor of the Fund’s shares. There were no payments made to the Distributor by the Fund for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013. A Trustee of the Trust is a member of management of Huntington National Bank, a subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., (the parent of the Distributor) and officers of the Trust are officers of the Distributor and such persons may be deemed to be affiliates of the Distributor.
The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Plan provides that the Fund will pay the Distributor and/or any registered securities dealer, financial institution or any other person (the “Recipient”) a shareholder servicing fee of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund in connection with the promotion and distribution of the Fund’s shares or the provision of personal services to shareholders, including, but not necessarily limited to, advertising, compensation to underwriters, dealers and selling personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current Fund shareholders, the printing and mailing of sales literature and servicing shareholder accounts. The Fund or Adviser may pay all or a portion of these fees to any Recipient who renders assistance in distributing or promoting the sale of shares, or who provides certain shareholder services, pursuant to a written agreement. The Plan is a compensation plan, which means that compensation is provided regardless of 12b-1 expenses actually incurred. It is anticipated that the Plan will benefit shareholders because an effective sales program typically is necessary in order for the Fund to reach and maintain a sufficient size to efficiently achieve its investment objectives and to realize economies of scale. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the 12b-1 expense incurred by the Fund was $67,102. The Fund owed $3,114 for 12b-1 fees as of October 31, 2013.
17
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 5. PURCHASES AND SALES
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, purchases and sales of investment securities, excluding short-term securities, were as follows:
Purchases | ||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | ||
Other | 7,670,898 | |||
Sales | ||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | 5,884,600 | ||
Other | 24,435,586 |
NOTE 6. ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
NOTE 7. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION
As of October 31, 2013, the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments for tax purposes was as follows:
Amount | ||||
Gross Appreciation | $ | 296,987 | ||
Gross (Depreciation) | (36,230 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments | $ | 260,757 | ||
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At October 31, 2013, the aggregate cost of securities for federal income tax purposes, was $10,939,396.
The tax characterization of distributions for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2013 and October 31, 2012 were as follows:
2013 | 2012 | |||||||
Distributions paid from: | ||||||||
Ordinary Income* | $ | 430,461 | $ | 397,472 | ||||
Long-term capital gains | 49,649 | 60,568 | ||||||
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Total Taxable Distributions | 480,110 | 458,040 | ||||||
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Return of Capital | 58,839 | — | ||||||
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| |||||
Total Distributions | $ | 538,949 | $ | 458,040 | ||||
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18
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 7. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION – continued
At October 31, 2013, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:
Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | $ | 260,757 | ||
Accumulated capital and other losses | (1,943,918 | ) | ||
|
| |||
$ | (1,683,161 | ) | ||
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At October 31, 2013, the difference between book basis and tax basis unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is attributable to cumulative wash sales and mark to market of passive foreign investment companies.
As of October 31, 2013, accumulated capital and other losses consist of:
Qualified Late Year Ordinary Losses | Capital Loss Carryforwards | Other Cumulative Book to Tax Differences | Total | |||||||||||
$ | 823 | $ | 1,935,050 | $ | 8,045 | $ | 1,943,918 |
At October 31, 2013, for federal income tax purposes, the Fund has capital loss carryforwards, in the following amounts:
No expiration - short term | $ | 786,380 | ||
No expiration - long term | 1,148,670 | |||
|
| |||
$ | 1,935,050 | |||
|
|
Capital loss carryforwards are available to offset future realized capital gains. To the extent that these carryforwards are used to offset future capital gains, it is probable that the amount offset will not be distributed to shareholders.
NOTE 8. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Management of the Fund has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. Based on this evaluation, and at a Board meeting held December 9-11, 2013, Bryan W. Ashmus was appointed to serve as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer. This information is reflected in the “Trustees and Officers” table.
19
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
(Valued Advisers Trust)
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of Geier Strategic Total Return Fund (the “Fund”), a series of the Valued Advisers Trust, as of October 31, 2013, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, and the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three periods in the period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2013 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Geier Strategic Total Return Fund as of October 31, 2013, the results of its operations for the year then ended, and the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the three periods in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
As described in Note 1 to the financial statements, on October 29, 2013, the Board of Trustees approved a plan of liquidation for the Fund, to be effective November 25, 2013. As a result, the Fund changed its basis of accounting for periods after October 29, 2013, from the going concern basis to the liquidation basis.
COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
December 27, 2013
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS (Unaudited)
The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires or is removed.
The following tables provide information regarding the Trustees and Officers.
The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind, 77, Independent Trustee, August 2008 to present. | Retired; Consultant to Battelle Memorial Institute (International Science and Technology Research Enterprise) on business investments. | |
Ira Cohen, 54 Independent Trustee, June 2010 to present. | Independent financial services consultant (Feb. 2005 — present). |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present. | Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Principal Executive Officer and President, February 2010 to present. | Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust since June 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. | |
John C. Swhear, 52, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance for Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007; Chief Compliance Officer of Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007; Senior Vice President of the Unified Series Trust since May 2007; Secretary of Huntington Funds since April 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, 2007 to March 2010. | |
Carol J. Highsmith, 48, Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration. |
Matthew J. Miller, 37, Vice President, December 2011 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President of Huntington Funds since February 2010. | |
Bryan W. Ashmus, 40, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer, December 2013 to present | Vice President, Financial Administration, HASI (September 2013 to present); Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, The Huntington Strategy Shares and The Huntington Funds Trust (November 2013 to present). Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., (May 2005 to September 2013). | |
Heather Bonds, 38, Secretary, September 2012 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January of 2004; currently Certified Paralegal and Section Manager 2. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
OTHER INFORMATION
The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (888) 442-9893 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.
Management Agreement Renewal – (Unaudited)
At a meeting held on September 16-17, 2013, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) considered the renewal of the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Agreement”) between the Trust and Geier Asset Management, Inc. (the “Adviser”) with respect to the Geier Strategic Total Return Fund (the “Fund”). Counsel noted that the 1940 Act requires the approval of the investment advisory agreement between the Trust and its investment adviser by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Board discussed the arrangements between the Adviser and the Trust with respect to the Fund. The Board reviewed a memorandum from Counsel, and addressed to the Trustees that summarized, among other things, the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the renewal of the Agreement. A copy of this memorandum was circulated to the Trustees in advance of the Meeting. Counsel discussed with the Trustees the types of information and factors that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision regarding the approval of the renewal of the Agreement, including the following material factors: (i) the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser; (ii) the investment performance of the Fund; (iii) the costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund; (iv) the extent to which economies of scale would be realized if the Fund grows and whether advisory fee levels reflect those economies of scale for the benefit of the Fund’s investors; and (v) the Adviser’s practices regarding possible conflicts of interest.
In assessing these factors and reaching its decisions, the Board took into consideration information furnished for the Board’s review and consideration throughout the year at regular Board meetings, as well as information specifically prepared and/or presented in connection with the annual renewal process, including information presented at the Meeting. The Board requested and was provided with information and reports relevant to the annual renewal of the Agreement, including: (i) reports regarding the services and support provided to the Fund and its shareholders by the Adviser; (ii) quarterly assessments of the investment performance of the Fund by personnel of the Adviser; (iii) commentary on the reasons for the performance; (iv) presentations by Fund management addressing the Adviser’s investment philosophy, investment strategy, personnel and operations; (v) compliance and audit reports concerning the Fund and the Adviser; (vi) disclosure information contained in the registration statement of the Trust and the Form ADV of the Adviser; and (vii) a memorandum from Counsel, that summarized the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the Agreement, including the material factors set forth above and the types of information included in each factor that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision. The Board also requested and received various informational materials including, without limitation: (i) documents containing information about the Adviser, including financial information, a description of personnel and the services provided to the Fund, information on investment advice, performance, summaries of Fund expenses, compliance program, current legal matters, and other general information; (ii) comparative expense and performance information for other mutual funds with strategies similar to the Fund; (iii) the anticipated effect of size on the Fund’s performance and expenses; and (iv) conflicts of interest and benefits to be realized by the Adviser from its relationship with the Fund. The Board did not identify any particular information that was most relevant to its consideration to approve the Agreement and each Trustee may have afforded different weight to the various factors.
1. | The nature, extent, and quality of the services to be provided by the Adviser. In this regard, the Board considered the Adviser’s responsibilities under the Advisory Agreement. The Trustees considered the services being provided by the Adviser to the Fund including, without limitation: the quality of its investment advisory services (including research and recommendations with respect to portfolio securities), its process for formulating investment recommendations and assuring compliance with the Fund’s investment objectives and limitations, its coordination of services for the Fund among the Fund’s service providers, and its efforts to promote the Fund and grow its assets. The Trustees considered the Adviser’s continuity of, and commitment to retain, qualified personnel and the Adviser’s commitment to maintain its resources and systems that allow the Fund to maintain its goals, and the Adviser’s continued cooperation with the Independent Trustees and Counsel for the Fund. The Trustees considered the Adviser’s personnel, including the education and experience of the Adviser’s personnel. After considering the foregoing information and further information in the Meeting materials provided by the Adviser (including the Adviser’s Form ADV), the Board concluded that, in light of all the facts and circumstances, the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser were satisfactory and adequate for the Fund. |
2. | Investment Performance of the Fund and the Adviser. In considering the investment performance of the Fund and the Adviser, the Trustees compared the short-term performance, including the 1-year cumulative return and since inception annualized returns of the Fund with the performance of funds with similar objectives managed by other investment advisers, as well as with aggregated peer group data. The Trustees also considered the consistency of the Adviser’s management of the Fund with its investment objective, strategies, and limitations. The Trustees noted that the Fund’s performance in all periods (for the periods ending July 31, 2013) reviewed were above certain funds and below others, but that it generally performed below the average and median performance levels. After reviewing and discussing the investment performance of the Fund further, which included extensive consideration of the investment strategy of the Fund, the Adviser’s experience managing the Fund, the Fund’s historical performance, and other relevant factors, the Board concluded, in light of all the facts and circumstances, that the investment performance of the Fund and the Adviser was acceptable. |
3. | The costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund. In considering the costs of services to be provided and the profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund, the Trustees considered: (1) the Adviser’s financial condition; (2) the asset levels of the Fund; (3) the overall expenses of the Fund; and (4) the nature and frequency of advisory fee payments. The Trustees reviewed information provided by the Adviser regarding its profits associated with managing the Fund. The Trustees also considered potential benefits for the Adviser in managing the Fund. The Trustees then compared the fees and expenses of the Fund (including the management fee) to other comparable mutual funds. The Trustees noted that the Fund’s management fee was in the mid to lower end of its peer group and the overall expense ratio was below the peer group average. Based on the foregoing, the Board concluded that the fees to be paid to the Adviser by the Fund and the profits to be realized by the Fund, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser. |
4. | The extent to which economies of scale would be realized as the Fund grows and whether advisory fee levels reflect these economies of scale for the benefit of the Fund’s investors. In this regard, the Board considered the Fund’s fee arrangements with the Adviser. The Board considered that while the management fee remained the same at all asset levels, the Fund’s shareholders had experienced benefits from the Fund’s expense limitation arrangement. The Trustees noted the Adviser’s representation that it intended to keep this arrangement in place even after the expiration of the current term of the arrangement. The Trustees noted that once the Fund’s expenses fell below the cap set by the arrangement, the Fund’s shareholders would continue to benefit from the economies of scale under the Fund’s agreements with service providers other than the Adviser. In light of its ongoing consideration of the Fund’s asset levels, expectations for growth in the Fund, and fee levels, the Board determined that the Fund’s fee arrangements, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser. |
5. | Possible conflicts of interest and benefits to the Adviser. In considering the Adviser’s practices regarding conflicts of interest, the Trustees evaluated the potential for conflicts of interest and considered such matters as the experience and ability of the advisory personnel assigned to the Fund; the basis of decisions to buy or sell securities for the Fund; and the substance and administration of the Adviser’s code of ethics. The Trustees also considered disclosure in the registration statement of the Trust relating to the Adviser’s potential conflicts of interest. The Trustees noted that the Adviser does not utilize soft dollars. The Trustees noted that the Adviser benefited from the Fund in that it is able to utilize the Fund as a vehicle into which to direct advisory clients with small account balances. The Trustees also noted the possible positive publicity that is derived by the Adviser from managing the Fund. The Trustees did not identify any other potential benefits (other than the management fee) that would inure to the Adviser. Based on the foregoing, the Board determined that the standards and practices of the Adviser relating to the identification and mitigation of potential conflicts of interest and the benefits that it derives from managing the Fund are acceptable. |
After additional consideration of the factors delineated in the memorandum provided by Counsel and further discussion among the Board, the Board determined to approve the continuation of the Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser.
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund
Other Federal Income Tax Information (Unaudited)
The Form 1099-DIV you receive in January 2014 will show the tax status of all distributions paid to your account in calendar year 2013. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax adviser with respect to the tax consequences of their investment in the Fund. As required by the Internal Revenue Code and/or regulations, shareholders must be notified regarding the status of qualified dividend income for individuals and the dividends received deduction for corporations.
Qualified Dividend Income. The Fund designates approximately 32.68% or up to the maximum amount of such dividends allowable pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code, as qualified dividend income eligible for the reduced tax rate of 15%.
Dividends Received Deduction. Corporate shareholders are generally entitled to take the dividends received deduction on the portion of the Fund’s dividend distribution that qualifies under tax law. For the Fund’s calendar year 2013 ordinary income dividends, 82.07% qualifies for the corporate dividends received deduction.
For the year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund designated $294,534 as short-term capital gain distributions.
For the year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund designated $49,765 as long-term capital gain distributions.
PROXY VOTING
A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how the Fund voted those proxies is available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Fund at (888) 442-9893 and (2) from Fund documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
TRUSTEES
R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind
Ira Cohen
OFFICERS
R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive Officer and President
John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President
Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President
Matthew J. Miller, Vice President
Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer
Heather Bonds, Secretary
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Geier Asset Management, Inc.
2205 Warwick Way, Suite 200
Marriottsville, MD 21104
DISTRIBUTOR
Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen Fund Audit Services Ltd.
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800
Cleveland, OH 44115
LEGAL COUNSEL
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.
A member firm of The 1940 Act Law GroupTM
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Ste. 310
Leawood, KS 66211
CUSTODIAN
Huntington National Bank
41 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT AND FUND ACCOUNTANT
Huntington Asset Services, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Fund’s prospectus which contains information about the Fund’s management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
Member FINRA/SIPC
PRIVACY POLICY
The following is a description of the Fund’s policies regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that you provide to the Fund or that the Fund collects from other sources. In the event that you hold shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of your financial intermediary would govern how your nonpublic personal information would be shared with nonaffiliated third parties.
Categories of Information the Fund Collects. The Fund collects the following nonpublic personal information about you:
• | Information the Fund receives from you on applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as your name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth); and |
• | Information about your transactions with the Fund, its affiliates, or others (such as your account number and balance, payment history, cost basis information, and other financial information). |
Categories of Information the Fund Discloses. The Fund does not disclose any nonpublic personal information about its current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. The Fund is permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to service providers (such as the Fund’s custodian, administrator, transfer agent, accountant and legal counsel) to process your transactions and otherwise provide services to you.
Confidentiality and Security. The Fund restricts access to your nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to you. The Fund maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information.
Disposal of Information. The Fund, through its transfer agent, has taken steps to reasonably ensure that the privacy of your nonpublic personal information is maintained at all times, including in connection with the disposal of information that is no longer required to be maintained by the Fund. Such steps shall include, whenever possible, shredding paper documents and records prior to disposal, requiring off-site storage vendors to shred documents maintained in such locations prior to disposal, and erasing and/or obliterating any data contained on electronic media in such a manner that the information can no longer be read or reconstructed.
Annual Report
October 31, 2013
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Fund Adviser:
BRC Investment Management LLC
8400 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 1401
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
303-414-1100
Management’s Discussion of Fund Performance
The BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund (the “Fund”) was established on December 21, 2012. The Fund’s investment strategy is based on our belief that future investor expectations are strongly influenced by the opinions, forecasts and announcements of perceived market experts, including Wall Street analysts and company management. By incorporating a combination of proprietary quantitative, fundamental and behavioral valuation techniques, we seek to invest in companies that are likely to be the beneficiaries of future favorable earnings announcements and upward earnings estimate revisions.
For the past year, the Fund held 33 equity positions representing those securities that were highly ranked by our quantitative models and were evaluated and approved by our fundamental analysts. For the year, the management team was satisfied with the predictive abilities of the quantitative model and the implementation of the investment process. As expected, the performance results were consistent with our 16+ year old flagship large cap concentrated equity strategy the Fund is mirroring.
As we look back over the past year, we reflect on the many changes that occurred in the markets and the significant macro-economic events we witnessed. Let us review the highlights. The impact of the fourth quarter 2012 events and market activities were minimal on the performance of the Fund because of its late December inception. The market rallied into December with the exception of a slight interruption at the year’s very end, given unresolved fears of fiscal cliff-diving. Moving into 2013, the stock market was in a Happy-New-Year mood all month long in January, and it was loved dearly by investors in February! And while March started out like a lamb, the stock market ended with a lion’s roar, closing at all-time highs by quarter-end, all while money flows picked up sharply. Overall, the S&P 500® index rose +10.6%, the S&P 500® Value index rose +12.0%, and the S&P 500® Growth index rose +9.3% during the first quarter 2013. Smaller stocks generally outperformed their larger-cap brethren, with the Russell Midcap index rising +13.0% and the small-cap Russell 2000 index climbing +12.4%. The Fund’s performance was +11.24%.
In early 2013, corporations reported decent fourth-quarter results but gave softer guidance given fundamental headwinds of modest economic growth, higher domestic taxes, slow job creation, sequestration budget cuts, and ongoing fiscal uncertainties in Europe. During the quarter, commodity prices were mixed, with oil prices falling 1%, natural gas prices rising 20%, and gold prices falling nearly 5%; pricing of agriculture products was mixed as well, with cotton up 18% but wheat down 13%. Consumer confidence declined in January, improved in February, but declined again in March. Housing fundamentals continued to improve in many markets, with rising prices and leaner inventory; however, additional stability and improvement in home prices would be necessary for a broadening housing recovery.
Notably, the stock market was not being fueled by strong employment trends. While the overall unemployment rate was falling, actual job growth was disappointing with fewer people in the labor force. In contrast, the Federal Reserve, along with other global central banks, were most accommodative to the markets, and the phrase “Don’t Fight the Fed” was often cited as the reason for the divergence between the markets and the economy. For better or for worse, the Fed remained committed to its strategy until the economy and employment improved. However, investors knew that at some point the Fed’s bond-buying party would end, and interest rates would rise.
We were at an interesting juncture in the markets, given tepid economic growth, recent lowered profit expectations, but a not-so-tepid rise in the overall stock market. It was hard to say if investors would continue their market-mountain climb (up the wall of worry) or if they would experience a bit of vertigo. We remained focused on owning stocks that at the sector level exhibit relatively favorable estimate revisions and earnings surprises.
As mentioned, our investment process is based upon the research finding that companies that receive favorable earnings estimate revisions from analysts and/or report positive earnings surprises often exhibit better relative price performance. Our investment process utilizes a proprietary quantitative model that ranks stocks based on the likelihood that revisions and surprises will occur in the future. Highly-ranked securities are reviewed by our fundamental analysts, and only stocks with high quantitative rankings and attractive fundamental characteristics are purchased. Portfolio results for the first quarter 2013 were as follows:
• | Holdings in the Fund’s portfolio received 291 net upward analyst revisions while a portfolio of 33 stocks randomly selected from the large-cap universe would have been expected to receive 88 net downward revisions. The BRC portfolio received 379 excess net upward revisions. |
• | On the earnings-surprise front, 18 portfolio companies announced earnings that were significantly higher than analyst expectations, with four companies reporting significant negative earnings surprises. |
1
The second quarter 2013 was a mix of contrasts for investors. The market continued its march higher in April, despite showers of weak guidance from companies. There was no “selling in May and going away” as the market continued its streak of monthly gains, then at seven, with the S&P 500® index gaining 2.3% for the month of May. However, in late May and again in June, the Federal Reserve hinted that they would begin tapering bond buying. The market threw a “taper tantrum” and fell in June, breaking its streak of monthly gains, with the S&P 500® index falling +1.3% for the month. Overall during the second quarter, the S&P 500® index rose +2.9%, the S&P 500® Value index rose +3.4%, and the S&P 500® Growth index rose +2.5%. Smaller stocks fared slightly better than larger-cap brethren as the small-cap Russell 2000 index rose +3.1%. The Russell Midcap index rose +2.2% for the quarter. The Fund’s performance was -0.27%, hurt by significant under-performance in the month of April of several equity holdings in the portfolio.
In the second quarter, corporations generally reported decent first-quarter results but again gave softer guidance given modest economic growth, slow job creation, sequestration budget cuts, slowing growth in China, and ongoing fiscal uncertainties in Europe. During the quarter, commodity prices were lower, with oil prices falling 1%, gold prices falling 23% and silver prices declining 35%. The bond market was hit hard as rates rose, bond values fell, and investors abandoned bond funds. Emerging markets were under pressure given concerns over slowing growth in China and political unrest in Brazil and Turkey. The housing market continued its recovery in many markets in the midst of rising prices and leaner inventory; however, rising interest rates threatened to slow or change the nature of the recovery.
Employment trends remained mixed. While the unemployment rate was falling, actual job growth was disappointing with fewer people in the labor force. And when the Fed acknowledged that it might slow or end quantitative easing sometime in late 2013 or 2014, the markets gyrated as investors reassessed stock valuations that were more dependent on economic fundamentals and less on quantitative easing.
Markets continued to deal with tepid economic growth, recently lowered profit expectations, and the eventual end of quantitative easing by the Fed. We remained focused on owning stocks that at the sector level exhibit relatively favorable estimate revisions and earnings surprises. Portfolio results for the second quarter 2013 were as follows:
• | Holdings in the Fund’s portfolio received 455 net upward analyst revisions while a portfolio of 33 stocks randomly selected from the large-cap universe would have been expected to receive one net downward revision. The BRC portfolio received 456 excess net upward revisions. |
• | On the earnings-surprise front, 15 portfolio companies announced earnings that were significantly greater than analyst expectations, with three companies reporting significant negative earnings surprises. |
The third quarter was another volatile period for investors. The market heated up in July with the markets gaining on favorable corporate earnings news. But they dipped in August and then resumed their upward trajectory in September. Overall during the third quarter, the S&P 500® index rose +5.2%, the S&P 500® Value index rose +3.8%, and the S&P 500® Growth index rose 6.6%. Smaller stocks fared better than larger-cap ones as the small-cap Russell 2000 index rose +10.2%, and the Russell Midcap index rose +7.7% for the quarter. The Fund’s performance was +7.17%.
In the third quarter, corporations generally reported decent second-quarter results but, as in the prior two quarters, gave softer guidance given continued modest economic growth, slow job creation, the ongoing sequestration budget cuts, slowing growth in China, and ongoing fiscal uncertainties in Europe. During this quarter, commodity prices were higher, with oil prices rising 6% on tensions in the Middle East, and gold and silver rising 8% and 12%, respectively, perhaps as investors sought safe investment havens. Cocoa prices rose 20% due to strong demand and low supplies in front of the seasonally strong chocolate consumption period, and corn prices fell 35% due to a bumper crop. Notably, the dollar was weaker during the quarter. Emerging markets recovered during the quarter; European stocks were also higher.
Investors were shocked on September 18th when the Fed announced that it would not start tapering its stimulative bond-buying program, contrary to widely-held expectations, resulting in a dramatic decline in bond yields and a rally in bond prices. Further Fed statements that indicated lingering concerns left investors to wonder if another economic shoe was about to drop. And on top of that, gridlock and overtures of political brinkmanship from the powers-that-be in Washington related to debt-ceiling negotiations spooked investors. While the housing market continued its recovery in many markets in the midst of rising prices and leaner inventory, rising interest rates threatened to slow or change the nature of the recovery. And employment trends seemed underwhelming in the midst of anemic economic growth and political discord.
Although economic signals were mixed we remained focused on owning stocks that at the sector level exhibit relatively favorable estimate revisions and earnings surprises. Portfolio results for the third quarter 2013 were as follows:
• | Holdings in the Fund’s portfolio received 718 net upward analyst revisions while a portfolio of 33 stocks randomly selected from the large-cap universe would have been expected to receive 40 net downward revisions. The BRC portfolio received 758 excess net upward revisions. |
2
• | On the earnings-surprise front, 24 portfolio companies announced earnings that were significantly greater than analyst expectations. |
Despite the partial government shutdown, the S&P 500® surged upward by +4.6% in October. Continued weakness in the employment market bolstered investors’ expectations that the “lower-for-longer” interest rate paradigm would likely continue until at least mid-next year. From the Fund’s inception to the end of the fiscal year (October 31, 2013), the Fund’s performance of +23.80% slightly lagged the S&P 500 Index benchmark return of 23.84%. The under-performance was attributed to the under-performance the Fund experienced in the second quarter 2013, more specifically the month of April.
For over 16 years, our investment philosophy and process has been directly influenced by investors’ tendency to act irrationally when confronted with issues relating to their money and investments. While much of economic theory is based on the notion that investors behave consistently and efficiently, we believe there are clear boundaries to the degree of rationality that both professional and individual investors are able to apply. The firm’s name - BRC - is an acronym for “Bounded Rationality Concepts” which reinforces our strong ties to the field of behavioral economics.
There are three major components of our investment approach that we believe are unique: 1) the use of select behavioral economic concepts to make statistically significant predictions regarding the future behavior of Wall Street security analysts; 2) the use of proprietary models that focus and maximize exposure to factors which, based on our research, drive stock prices the most; and 3) the incorporation of fundamental analysis which allows us to identify factors not incorporated in our quantitative models and more precisely manage the overall risk of our client’s portfolios. So long as the predictive abilities of the quantitative models remain strong and investors continue to react to industry experts, the management team expects this investment strategy to provide above average returns over a typical 3-5 year investment cycle.
Our ownership structure and investment team remain stable. As always, we are committed to a consistent application of our investment process and proprietary research agenda as part of an ongoing effort to enhance our quantitative models and add value for our clients.
3
Investment Results – (Unaudited)
Total Returns*
(For the period ended October 31, 2013)
Since Inception | ||||
(December 21, 2012) | ||||
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund | 23.80 | % | ||
S&P 500® Index ** | 23.84 | % |
Total Annual Operating Expenses, as estimated for the Fund’s first fiscal period ending October 31, 2013 and disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus, are 1.70% of average daily net assets. Effective April 1, 2013 Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement reflect that the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses of the Fund until February 29, 2016, so that the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses does not exceed 0.55%. This operating expense limitation does not apply to brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, 12b-1 fees; extraordinary expenses and indirect expenses (such as “acquired fund fees and expense”).
The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-303-414-1100.
* | Return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions. |
** | The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity securities and are representative of a broader domestic equity market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in an Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. |
The Fund’s investment objectives, strategies, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the Fund and may be obtained by calling the same number as above. Please read it carefully before investing. The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
4
Investment Results – (Unaudited)
The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on December 21, 2012 (commencement of Fund operations) and held through October 31, 2013. The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity securities and is representative of a broader domestic equity market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in an Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. THE FUND’S RETURN REPRESENTS PAST PERFORMANCE AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.
Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end or to request a prospectus, please call 1-303-414-1100. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
5
Fund Holdings – (Unaudited)
1 | As a percentage of net assets. |
The investment objective of the BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation that will exceed the S&P 500 Index over a three-to-five year time horizon.
Availability of Portfolio Schedule – (Unaudited)
The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.
Summary of Fund’s Expenses – (Unaudited)
As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, such as short-term redemption fees; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This Example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning and held for the entire period from May 1, 2013 to October 31, 2013.
6
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = $8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only. Therefore, the second line of the table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative costs of owning different funds.
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund | Beginning Account Value May 1, 2013 | Ending Account Value October 31, 2013 | Expenses Paid During Period May 1, 2013 October 31, 2013 | |||||||||
Actual* | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,115.30 | $ | 2.93 | ||||||
Hypothetical** | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,022.43 | 2.80 |
* | Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 0.55%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365. |
** | Assumes a 5% return before expenses. |
7
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Schedule of Investments
October 31, 2013
Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Common Stocks — 98.85% | ||||||||
Consumer Discretionary — 18.02% | ||||||||
BorgWarner, Inc. | 2,319 | $ | 239,158 | |||||
CBS Corp. - Class B | 4,504 | 266,367 | ||||||
Home Depot, Inc./The | 2,968 | 231,178 | ||||||
Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. * | 3,251 | 250,164 | ||||||
NIKE, Inc. | 3,168 | 240,008 | ||||||
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. | 3,186 | 234,553 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,461,428 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Consumer Staples — 6.23% | ||||||||
Altria Group, Inc. | 6,503 | 242,107 | ||||||
Kroger Co./The | 6,154 | 263,637 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
505,744 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Energy — 9.03% | ||||||||
ConocoPhillips | 3,487 | 255,597 | �� | |||||
Denbury Resources, Inc. * | 12,058 | 228,981 | ||||||
EOG Resources, Inc. | 1,392 | 248,333 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
732,911 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Financials — 17.04% | ||||||||
Capital One Financial Corp. | 3,374 | 231,693 | ||||||
Discover Financial Services | 4,535 | 235,276 | ||||||
MetLife, Inc. | 4,555 | 215,497 | ||||||
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. | 3,225 | 237,134 | ||||||
Prudential Financial, Inc. | 2,874 | 233,915 | ||||||
Travelers Cos., Inc./The | 2,646 | 228,350 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,381,865 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Health Care — 8.89% | ||||||||
Humana, Inc. | 2,501 | 230,467 | ||||||
Mylan, Inc. * | 6,921 | 262,098 | ||||||
WellPoint, Inc. | 2,698 | 228,790 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
721,355 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Industrials — 13.29% | ||||||||
Northrop Grumman Corp. | 2,584 | 277,806 | ||||||
Raytheon Co. | 3,383 | 278,658 | ||||||
Ryder System, Inc. | 3,933 | 258,909 | ||||||
Snap-on, Inc. | 2,522 | 262,465 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,077,838 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Information Technology — 15.33% | ||||||||
Computer Sciences Corp. | 4,389 | 216,202 | ||||||
Microchip Technology, Inc. | 6,189 | 265,879 | ||||||
SanDisk Corp. | 3,632 | 252,424 | ||||||
Visa, Inc. - Class A | 1,222 | 240,331 | ||||||
Yahoo!, Inc. * | 8,167 | 268,939 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,243,775 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Materials — 5.87% | ||||||||
Lyondellbasell Industries N.V. | 3,196 | 238,422 | ||||||
Westlake Chemical Corp. | 2,210 | 237,398 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
475,820 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Telecommunication Services — 2.61% | ||||||||
Verizon Communications, Inc. | 4,192 | 211,738 | ||||||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
8
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Schedule of Investments - continued
October 31, 2013
Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Utilities — 2.54% | ||||||||
Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. | 6,143 | 205,790 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Common Stocks | 8,018,264 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Money Market Securities — 1.21% | ||||||||
Cash Equivalent — 1.21% | ||||||||
Fidelity Institutional Money Market Portfolio – Institutional shares, 0.08% (a) | 98,245 | 98,245 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Money Market Securities | 98,245 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Investments – 100.06% | 8,116,509 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets – (0.06)% | (4,842 | ) | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS – 100.00% | $ | 8,111,667 | ||||||
|
|
(a) | Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of October 31, 2013. |
* | Non-income producing security. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
9
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
October 31, 2013
Assets | ||||
Investments in securities at fair value (cost $7,341,855) | $ | 8,116,509 | ||
Receivable for investments sold | 224,772 | |||
Dividends receivable | 6,025 | |||
Interest receivable | 10 | |||
Receivable from Adviser | 16,418 | |||
Deferred offering costs | 6,169 | |||
Prepaid expenses | 15,756 | |||
|
| |||
Total Assets | 8,385,659 | |||
|
| |||
Liabilities | ||||
Payable for investments purchased | 243,515 | |||
Payable to administrator, fund accountant, and transfer agent | 7,930 | |||
Payable to custodian | 1,873 | |||
Payable to trustees | 216 | |||
Other accrued expenses | 20,458 | |||
|
| |||
Total Liabilities | 273,992 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 8,111,667 | ||
|
| |||
Net Assets consist of: | ||||
Paid-in capital | $ | 7,304,024 | ||
Accumulated undistributed net investment income | 32,747 | |||
Accumulated undistributed net realized gains from investment transactions | 242 | |||
Net unrealized appreciation on investments | 774,654 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 8,111,667 | ||
|
| |||
Institutional Class: | ||||
Shares outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized, no par value) | 655,082 | |||
|
| |||
Net asset value, offering and redemption price per share | $ | 12.38 | ||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
10
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Statement of Operations
For the period ended October 31, 2013 (a)
Investment Income | ||||
Dividend income | $ | 51,170 | ||
Interest income | 170 | |||
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Total investment income | 51,340 | |||
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Expenses | ||||
Investment Adviser fee | 17,368 | |||
Administration expenses | 32,358 | |||
Fund accounting expenses | 21,573 | |||
Transfer agent expenses | 29,612 | |||
Legal expenses | 14,600 | |||
Registration expenses | 7,513 | |||
Custodian expenses | 9,504 | |||
Audit expenses | 15,500 | |||
Trustee expenses | 5,558 | |||
Pricing expenses | 2,114 | |||
Offering expense | 30,244 | |||
Organizational expense | 8,750 | |||
CCO expense | 2,500 | |||
Miscellaneous expenses | 19,619 | |||
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Total expenses | 216,813 | |||
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Fees waived and reimbursed by Adviser | (198,220 | ) | ||
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Net operating expenses | 18,593 | |||
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Net investment income | 32,747 | |||
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Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments | ||||
Net realized gain on investment securities | 242 | |||
Net change in unrealized appreciation of investment securities | 774,654 | |||
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Net realized and unrealized gain on investments | 774,896 | |||
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Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | $ | 807,643 | ||
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(a) | For the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2013. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
11
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Statement of Changes in Net Assets
For the Period | ||||
Ended | ||||
October 31, 2013 (a) | ||||
Increase in Net Assets due to: | ||||
Operations | ||||
Net investment income | $ | 32,747 | ||
Net realized gain on investment securities | 242 | |||
Net change in unrealized appreciation of investment securities | 774,654 | |||
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Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | 807,643 | |||
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Capital Transactions - Institutional Class | ||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 7,316,024 | |||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (12,000 | ) | ||
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Net increase in net assets resulting from capital transactions | 7,304,024 | |||
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Total Increase in Net Assets | 8,111,667 | |||
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Net Assets | ||||
Beginning of period | — | |||
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End of period | $ | 8,111,667 | ||
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Accumulated undistributed net investment income included in net assets at end of period | $ | 32,747 | ||
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Share Transactions - Institutional Class | ||||
Shares sold | 656,072 | |||
Shares redeemed | (990 | ) | ||
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Net increase in share transactions | 655,082 | |||
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(a) | For the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2013. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
12
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Financial Highlights - Institutional Class
(For a share outstanding during the period)
For the | ||||
Period Ended | ||||
October 31, 2013 (a) | ||||
Selected Per Share Data: | ||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 10.00 | ||
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Investment Operations: | ||||
Net investment income | 0.05 | |||
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments | 2.33 | |||
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Total from investment operations | 2.38 | |||
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Net asset value, end of period | $ | 12.38 | ||
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Total Return (b) | 23.80 | %(c) | ||
Ratios and Supplemental Data: | ||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $ | 8,112 | ||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets | 0.56 | %(d) | ||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver and reimbursement | 6.49 | %(d) | ||
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets | 0.98 | %(d) | ||
Portfolio turnover rate | 154 | %(c) |
(a) | For the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2013. |
(b) | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of distributions. |
(c) | Not annualized. |
(d) | Annualized. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
13
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION
The BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund (the “Fund”) is an open-end diversified series of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Fund is one of a series of funds authorized by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Fund commenced operations December 21, 2012. The Fund’s investment adviser is BRC Investment Management LLC. (the “Adviser”). The investment objective of the Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation that will exceed the S&P 500 Index over a three-to five-year time horizon.
The Fund is authorized to offer two classes of shares: Institutional Class and Advisor Class. Each share represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets and liabilities belonging to the Fund and is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of income belonging to the applicable class as are declared by the Trustees. Expenses attributable to any class are borne by that class. Income, expenses, and realized and unrealized gains/losses are allocated to the respective classes on the basis of relative daily net assets. On matters that affect the Fund as a whole, each class has the same voting and other rights and preferences as any other class. On matters that affect only one class, only shareholders of that class may vote. Each class votes separately on matters affecting only that class, or on matters expressly required to be voted on separately by state or federal law. Shares of each class of a series have the same voting and other rights and preferences as the other classes and series of the Trust for matters that affect the Trust as a whole. As of October 31, 2013, only Institutional Class shares are available for purchase. The Fund may offer additional classes of shares in the future.
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements. These policies are in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
Securities Valuation – All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.
Federal Income Taxes – The Fund makes no provision for federal income or excise tax. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of its taxable income. The Fund also intends to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Fund could incur a tax expense.
As of and during the fiscal period end October 31, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. During the year, the Fund did not incur any interest or penalties. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for all tax years since inception.
Expenses – Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each fund’s relative net assets or other appropriate basis (as determined by the Board of Trustees).
Security Transactions and Related Income - The Fund follows industry practice and records security transactions on the trade date for financial reporting purposes. The average cost 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. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends, if any, have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates. The ability of issuers of debt securities held by the Fund to meet their obligations may be affected by economic and political developments in a specific country or region.
14
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – continued
Dividends and Distributions – The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income, net realized long-term capital gains and its net realized short-term capital gains, if any, to its shareholders on at least an annual basis. Dividends to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the year from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations or net asset values per share of the Fund.
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in a orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. GAAP established a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.
Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk, (ex., the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including items such as a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique). Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.
• | Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities |
• | Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.) |
• | Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available) |
The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
15
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued
Equity securities, including common stocks, are generally valued by using market quotations, furnished by a pricing service. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange are generally valued at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange traded security is generally valued at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. When using the market quotations or close prices provided by the pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security is classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Fund will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security is classified as a Level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Fund determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Fund, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review by the Board. These securities are categorized as Level 3 securities.
Investments in open-end mutual funds, including money market mutual funds, are generally priced at the ending net asset value (NAV) provided by the service agent of the funds. These securities will be categorized as Level 1 securities.
Fixed income securities when valued using market quotations in an active market, will be categorized as Level 1 securities. However, they may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Fund believes such prices more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. A pricing service uses various inputs and techniques, which include broker-dealer quotations, live trading levels, recently executed transactions in securities of the issuer or comparable issuers, and option adjusted spread models that include base curve and spread curve inputs. Adjustments to individual bonds can be applied to recognize trading differences compared to other bonds issued by the same issuer. The broker-dealer quotations received are supported by credit analysis of the issuer that takes into consideration credit quality assessments, daily trading activity, and the activity of the underlying equities, listed bonds and sector-specific trends. To the extent that these inputs are observable, the values of fixed income securities are categorized as Level 2 securities. If the Fund decides that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair 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 Fund, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board. These securities will be categorized as Level 3 securities.
Short-term investments in fixed income securities (those with maturities of less than 60 days when acquired, or which subsequently are within 60 days of maturity), including certificates of deposit and U.S. government securities, are valued by using the amortized cost method of valuation, which the Board has determined represents fair value. These securities will be classified as Level 2 securities.
In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Fund is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Fund would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the Fund’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s value, or the Fund is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the bonds the Fund invests in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available. Any fair value pricing done outside the Fund’s approved pricing methods must be approved by the Pricing Committee of the Board.
16
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of October 31, 2013:
Valuation Inputs | ||||||||||||||||
Assets | Level 1 - Quoted Prices in Active Markets | Level 2 - Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3 - Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total | ||||||||||||
Common Stocks* | $ | 8,018,264 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 8,018,264 | ||||||||
Money Market Securities | 98,245 | — | — | 98,245 | ||||||||||||
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Total | $ | 8,116,509 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 8,116,509 | ||||||||
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* | Refer to the Schedule of Investments for industry classifications. |
The Fund did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period. The Trust recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the reporting period end. There were no transfers between any Levels for the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013.
NOTE 4. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS
Under the terms of the management agreement, on behalf of the Fund (the “Agreement”), the Adviser manages the Fund’s investments subject to approval of the Trustees. As compensation for its management services, the BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Value Fund is obligated to pay the Adviser a fee computed and accrued daily and paid monthly at an annual rate of 0.47% of the average daily net assets of the Fund effective June 12, 2013. Prior to June 12, 2013 the Advisor was compensated at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013, the Adviser earned a fee of $17,368 from the Fund before the reimbursement described below.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses through February 29, 2016, so that total annual fund operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with GAAP, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, dividend expense on short sales, 12b-1 expenses, and expenses that the Fund has incurred but did not actually pay because of an expense offset arrangement, if applicable, incurred by the Fund in any fiscal year, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The operating expense limitation also excludes any fees and expenses of acquired funds. Prior to April 1, 2013 the Adviser contractually agreed to limit fund expenses to 0.84% of the Total Annual Fund Operating expenses. For the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013, expenses totaling $198,220 were waived or reimbursed by the Adviser and may be subject to potential recoupment by the Adviser until October 31, 2016. At October 31, 2013, the Adviser owed the Fund $16,418.
The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”) to manage the Fund’s business affairs and provide the Fund with administrative services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. For the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $32,358 for administrative services provided to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, HASI was owed $3,126 from the Fund for administrative services. Certain officers and trustees of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. HASI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) and Huntington National Bank, the custodian of the Fund’s investments (the “Custodian”). For the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013, the Custodian earned fees of $9,504 for custody services provided to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, the Custodian was owed $1,873 from the Fund for custody services.
17
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 4. FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES – continued
The Trust also retains HASI to act as the Fund’s transfer agent and to provide transfer agent services. For the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $29,612 for transfer agent services to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, the Fund owed HASI $2,721 for transfer agent services.
For the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $21,573 from the Fund for fund accounting services. At October 31, 2013, HASI was owed $2,083 from the Fund for fund accounting services.
Unified Financial Securities, Inc. acts as the principal underwriter of the Fund’s shares. There were no payments made by the Fund to the Distributor during period ended October 31, 2013. An officer of the Trust is also an officer of the Distributor.
NOTE 5. PURCHASES AND SALES
For the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments and short-term U.S. government obligations, were as follows:
Purchases | ||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | ||
Other | 13,383,625 | |||
Sales | ||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | ||
Other | 6,140,255 |
NOTE 6. ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
NOTE 7. BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of a fund, under Section 2(a) (9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. At October 31, 2013, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. for the benefit of its customers, owned 50.82%. The Trust does not know whether Charles Schwab & Co. or any of the underlying beneficial owners controlled 25% or more of the voting securities of the Fund.
18
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 8. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION
At October 31, 2013, the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments for tax purposes was as follows:
Gross Appreciation | $ | 792,211 | ||
Gross (Depreciation) | (17,557 | ) | ||
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Net Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments | $ | 774,654 | ||
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At October 31, 2013, the aggregate cost of securities for federal income tax purposes was $7,341,855 for the Fund.
The Fund did not make any distributions during the period ended October 31, 2013.
At October 31, 2013, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:
Undistributed ordinary income | $ | 32,989 | ||
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | 774,654 | |||
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$ | 807,643 | |||
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NOTE 9. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
The Fund indemnifies its officers and trustees for certain liabilities that may arise from the performance of their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred.
NOTE 10. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Management of the Fund has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. Based on this evaluation, and at a Board meeting held December 9-11, 2013, Andrea N. Mullins was appointed to serve as Trustee to the Trust and Bryan W. Ashmus was appointed to serve as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer. This information is reflected in the “Trustees and Officers” table.
19
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund
(Valued Advisers Trust)
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund (the “Fund”), a series of Valued Advisers Trust, as of October 31, 2013, and the related statements of operations and changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers or by other appropriate auditing procedures where replies from brokers were not received. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund as of October 31, 2013, and the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets, and the financial highlights for the period December 21, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
December 27, 2013
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS (Unaudited)
The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires or is removed.
The following tables provide information regarding the Trustees and Officers.
The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind, 77, Independent Trustee, August 2008 to present. | Retired; Consultant to Battelle Memorial Institute (International Science and Technology Research Enterprise) on business investments. | |
Ira Cohen, 54 Independent Trustee, June 2010 to present. | Independent financial services consultant (Feb. 2005 - present). | |
Andrea N. Mullins, 46 Independent Trustee, starting December 2013 | Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer, Secretary of the Eagle Family of Funds 2004-2010; Chief Financial Officer of Eagle Fund Services (a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial) 2008-2010; Vice President and Treasurer of Eagle Fund Services 1996-2008. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present. | Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust,** Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Principal Executive Officer and President, February 2010 to present. | Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust since June 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. | |
John C. Swhear, 52, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance for Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007; Chief Compliance Officer of Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007; Senior Vice President of the Unified Series Trust since May 2007; Secretary of Huntington Funds since April 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, 2007 to March 2010. |
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust,** Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Carol J. Highsmith, 48, Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration. | |
Matthew J. Miller, 37, Vice President, December 2011 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President of Huntington Funds since February 2010. | |
Bryan W. Ashmus, 40, Treasurer and Prinicpal Financial Officer, December 2013 to present | Vice President, Financial Administration, HASI (September 2013 to present); Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, The Huntington Strategy Shares and The Huntington Funds Trust (November 2013 to present). Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., (May 2005 to September 2013). | |
Heather Bonds, 38, Secretary, September 2012 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January of 2004; currently Certified Paralegal and Section Manager 2. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
OTHER INFORMATION
The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (888) 442-9893 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.
PROXY VOTING
A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how the Fund voted those proxies is available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Fund at (303) 414-1100 and (2) from Fund documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
TRUSTEES
R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind
Ira Cohen
Andrea N. Mullins
OFFICERS
R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive Officer and President
John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice-President
Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President
Matthew J. Miller, Vice President
Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer
Heather Bonds, Secretary
INVESTMENT ADVISER
BRC Investment Management LLC
8400 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 1401
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
DISTRIBUTOR
Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen Fund Audit Services Ltd.
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800
Cleveland, OH 44115
LEGAL COUNSEL
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.
A member firm of The 1940 Act Law GroupTM
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Ste. 310
Leawood, KS 66211
CUSTODIAN
Huntington National Bank
41 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT AND FUND ACCOUNTANT
Huntington Asset Services, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Fund’s prospectus which contains information about the Fund’s management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
Member FINRA/SIPC
Annual Report
October 31, 2013
Fund Adviser:
Granite Investment Advisors, Inc.
11 South Main Street, Suite 501
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
Toll Free (888) 442-9893
Discussion – (Unaudited)
For the year ending October 31, 2013, the Fund’s return of 24.21% lagged the S&P 500® return of 27.18% and the Russell 1000 Value Index return of 28.29%. The underperformance for the year was mostly due to our investments in the energy sector, primarily those companies involved with natural gas. However, we continue to be constructive on the outlook for natural gas as we believe we have gone from an oversupplied market to one that is more balanced. The two issues we look at are supply and demand. While supply has yet to decline, its growth has. We believe it’s only a matter of time until supply turns negative as the economics are not in the producers’ favor. They can make much higher returns seeking oil versus gas. Meanwhile, demand continues to grow given how attractive the price is per BTU versus oil. In fact, in our state of New Hampshire a compressed natural gas facility has begun supplying factories that are already reducing their energy cost by over thirty percent by switching. As some of these facilities are producing commodity-like products, reducing costs is critical for profitability. Demand for natural gas is increasing in the industrial and manufacturing sectors because it gives the group a competitive advantage. There are new chemical plants being built in the United States for the first time in a while that will produce here and export their products. We believe that our investments in this area will outperform the overall market substantially over the long run. Conversely, our industrial holdings did very well, led by our investment in Boeing. We believed at the time of our investment that the aerospace cycle was just beginning to turn and it would be long lasting. This belief has gone from a contrary one to more of a consensus view. This said we still believe we are in the early innings. Our technology investments in both Western Union and Cisco also outperformed. Our history has shown that we typically lag in fast-moving bull markets then outperform in flat-to-negative ones. We believe this will continue to be the case.
Given the strength of the U.S. equity market this year, many are concerned that it is now ahead of itself or perhaps even creating a bubble. One just has to read the financial publications, or watch CNBC to hear commentators and pundits calling for a serious correction, recommending selling equities and saying the market is overvalued. We completely disagree with this assessment. Yes equities have appreciated quite sharply, yes market multiples have expanded and yes economic growth remains tepid. Where we differ from others is that our emphasis is always on valuation verses simply looking at market moves or charts. Over the long term, U.S. stocks as measured by the S&P 500® have been valued at sixteen times earnings on average. At present we are at sixteen times 2013’s earnings estimates and fifteen times those of 2014’s. With 2013 coming to a close we are comfortable with this year’s estimates. Where others see recent strength as a warning we view it as reversion to the mean. After the financial crisis the market was trading at twelve times earnings due to the fear that followed the crisis, concerns of the possibility of additional recessions in the U.S., Europe and other countries and general risk aversion by investors. At the time we viewed these concerns and overall investor fears as creating a once-in-a-decade buying opportunity for long-term investors. We were correct. Throughout this period, as value managers, we were excited because we were able to invest in high quality companies that have historically been out of our reach due to valuations. Fear is always the friend of patient investors.
While the overall market has gone from grossly undervalued to more fairly valued we remain constructive going forward. There is no doubt that there are fewer bargains out there but they do still exist. We believe that the future remains bright for active funds such as ours. The past market strength created a tide that raised all boats. Going forward our belief is the overall market will produce more “normal” returns and strong performance will be created one investment at a time versus a rising tide. In short, the future should reward “stock pickers” such as us versus the overall market.
As always, we thank our fellow shareholders for investing in the Granite Value Fund and for the faith and trust you put in us. We welcome your comments and questions.
Scott B. Schermerhorn
Timothy S. Lesko
1
Investment Results – (Unaudited)
Total Returns*
(For the year ended October 31, 2013)
Average Annual Returns | ||||||||
One Year | Since Inception (December 22, 2011) | |||||||
Granite Value Fund | 24.21 | % | 19.61 | % | ||||
S&P 500® Index** | 27.18 | % | 23.00 | % | ||||
Russell 1000® Value Index** | 28.29 | % | 24.17 | % |
Total annual operating expenses, as disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus dated February 28, 2013, were 8.11% of average daily net assets (1.35% after fee waivers/expense reimbursements by the adviser). The adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses of the Fund until February 28, 2015, so that the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses does not exceed 1.35%. This operating expense limitation does not apply to brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, 12b-1 fees; extraordinary expenses and indirect expenses (such as “acquired fund fees and expenses”).
The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-888-442-9893.
* | Return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions. |
** | The S&P 500® Index and the Russell 1000® Value Index are widely recognized unmanaged indices of equity securities and are representative of a broader domestic equity market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in an Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. |
The Fund’s investment objectives, strategies, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the Fund and may be obtained by calling the same number as above. Please read it carefully before investing. The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
2
Investment Results – (Unaudited)
The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on December 22, 2011 (commencement of Fund operations) and held through October 31, 2013. The S&P 500® Index and Russell 1000® Value Index are widely recognized unmanaged indices of equity securities and are representative of a broader domestic equity market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in an Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. THE FUND’S RETURN REPRESENTS PAST PERFORMANCE AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.
Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end or to request a prospectus, please call 1-888-442-9893. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
3
Fund Holdings – (Unaudited)
1 | As a percentage of net assets. |
The investment objective of the Granite Value Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
Availability of Portfolio Schedule – (Unaudited)
The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.
Summary of Fund’s Expenses – (Unaudited)
As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, such as short-term redemption fees; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This Example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning and held for the six month period, May 1, 2013 to October 31, 2013.
4
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = $8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only. Therefore, the second line of the table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative costs of owning different funds.
Granite Value Fund | Beginning Account Value May 1, 2013 | Ending Account Value October 31, 2013 | Expenses Paid During Period* May 1, 2013 – October 31, 2013 | |||||||||
Actual* | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,111.60 | $ | 7.19 | ||||||
Hypothetical** | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,018.40 | $ | 6.87 |
* | Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 1.35%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
** | Assumes a 5% return before expenses. |
5
Granite Value Fund
Schedule of Investments
October 31, 2013
Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Common Stocks — 98.50% | ||||||||
Consumer Discretionary — 20.59% | ||||||||
Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. * | 3,550 | $ | 274,486 | |||||
Coach, Inc. | 6,010 | 304,587 | ||||||
Comcast Corp., Class A | 6,300 | 299,754 | ||||||
Foot Locker, Inc. | 8,700 | 301,890 | ||||||
General Motors Co. * | 10,890 | 402,385 | ||||||
News Corp., Class A * | 18,830 | 331,408 | ||||||
TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. * | 3,500 | 262,885 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
2,177,395 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Consumer Staples — 11.39% | ||||||||
Coca-Cola Co./The | 6,150 | 243,356 | ||||||
Tesco PLC ADR | 17,870 | 316,640 | ||||||
Unilever PLC ADR | 7,920 | 321,473 | ||||||
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | 4,210 | 323,117 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,204,586 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Energy — 14.13% | ||||||||
Apache Corp. | 3,665 | 325,452 | ||||||
Exxon Mobil Corp. | 3,640 | 326,217 | ||||||
Southwestern Energy Co. * | 7,840 | 291,805 | ||||||
Ultra Petroleum Corp. * | 15,555 | 285,590 | ||||||
Unit Corp. * | 5,175 | 266,047 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,495,111 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Financials — 16.39% | ||||||||
Alleghany Corp. * | 750 | 304,065 | ||||||
American Express Co. | 2,765 | 226,177 | ||||||
American International Group, Inc. | 6,150 | 317,647 | ||||||
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., Class B * | 2,855 | 328,553 | ||||||
Franklin Resources, Inc. | 5,975 | 321,813 | ||||||
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc./The | 1,460 | 234,856 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,733,111 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Health Care — 10.92% | ||||||||
Humana, Inc. | 3,180 | 293,037 | ||||||
Johnson & Johnson | 2,590 | 239,860 | ||||||
Sanofi ADR | 6,295 | 336,657 | ||||||
UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | 4,185 | 285,668 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,155,222 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Industrials — 10.84% | ||||||||
Boeing Co./The | 2,530 | 330,165 | ||||||
FedEx Corp. | 2,550 | 334,050 | ||||||
Kennametal, Inc. | 6,240 | 287,040 | ||||||
Lockheed Martin Corp. | 1,465 | 195,343 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,146,598 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Information Technology — 11.40% | ||||||||
Apple, Inc. | 680 | 355,198 | ||||||
Cisco Systems, Inc. | 12,385 | 278,663 | ||||||
Microsoft Corp. | 8,395 | 296,763 | ||||||
Western Union Co./The | 16,170 | 275,213 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,205,837 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Utilities — 2.84% | ||||||||
Calpine Corp. * | 14,875 | 300,029 |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
6
Granite Value Fund
Schedule of Investments – continued
October 31, 2013
Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Total Common Stocks | 10,417,889 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Money Market Securities — 1.64% | ||||||||
Fidelity Institutional Money Market Fund—Prime Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class, 0.05% (a) | 173,851 | 173,851 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Money Market Securities | 173,851 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Investments – 100.14% | 10,591,740 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets – (0.14)% | (14,645 | ) | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS – 100.00% | $ | 10,577,095 | ||||||
|
|
(a) | Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of October 31, 2013. |
* | Non-income producing security. |
ADR — American Depositary Receipt
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
7
Granite Value Fund
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
October 31, 2013
Assets | ||||
Investments in securities at fair value (cost $8,936,058) | $ | 10,591,740 | ||
Dividends receivable | 6,410 | |||
Interest receivable | 13 | |||
Receivable from Adviser | 12,364 | |||
Prepaid expenses | 8,730 | |||
|
| |||
Total Assets | 10,619,257 | |||
|
| |||
Liabilities | ||||
Payable to administrator, fund accountant, and transfer agent | 15,945 | |||
Payable to custodian | 1,210 | |||
Payable to trustees | 1,130 | |||
Other accrued expenses | 23,877 | |||
|
| |||
Total Liabilities | 42,162 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 10,577,095 | ||
|
| |||
Net Assets consist of: | ||||
Paid-in capital | $ | 8,635,920 | ||
Accumulated undistributed net investment income | 9,342 | |||
Accumulated undistributed net realized gains from investment transactions | 276,151 | |||
Net unrealized appreciation on investments | 1,655,682 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 10,577,095 | ||
|
| |||
Shares outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized, no par value) | 764,176 | |||
|
| |||
Net asset value (“NAV”) and offering price per share | $ | 13.84 | ||
|
| |||
Redemption price per share (NAV * 98%) (a) | $ | 13.56 | ||
|
|
(a) | The Fund charges a 2% redemption fee on shares redeemed in 60 days or less of purchase. Shares are redeemed at the NAV if held longer than 60 calendar days. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
8
Granite Value Fund
Statement of Operations
For the year ended October 31, 2013
Investment Income | ||||
Dividend income (net of foreign withholding tax of $2,664) | $ | 124,038 | ||
Interest income | 112 | |||
|
| |||
Total investment income | 124,150 | |||
|
| |||
Expenses | ||||
Investment Adviser fee | 76,204 | |||
Administration expenses | 37,500 | |||
Fund accounting expenses | 25,000 | |||
Transfer agent expenses | 35,119 | |||
Legal expenses | 16,229 | |||
Registration expenses | 16,021 | |||
Custodian expenses | 8,452 | |||
Audit expenses | 15,000 | |||
Trustee expenses | 7,156 | |||
Insurance expenses | 5,063 | |||
Pricing expenses | 2,200 | |||
Offering expenses | 1,458 | |||
Miscellaneous expenses | 8,000 | |||
|
| |||
Total expenses | 253,402 | |||
|
| |||
Fees waived and reimbursed by Adviser | (150,231 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net operating expenses | 103,171 | |||
|
| |||
Net investment income | 20,979 | |||
|
| |||
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments | ||||
Net realized gain on investment securities | 307,429 | |||
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities | 1,365,378 | |||
|
| |||
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments | 1,672,807 | |||
|
| |||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | $ | 1,693,786 | ||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
9
Granite Value Fund
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
For the Year Ended October 31, 2013 | For the Period Ended October 31, 2012 (a) | |||||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets due to: | ||||||||
Operations | ||||||||
Net investment income | $ | 20,979 | $ | 13,983 | ||||
Net realized gain (loss) on investment securities | 307,429 | (31,278 | ) | |||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities | 1,365,378 | 290,304 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | 1,693,786 | 273,009 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Distributions | ||||||||
From net investment income | (48,544 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total distributions | (48,544 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Transactions | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 5,330,630 | 4,476,924 | ||||||
Proceeds from redemption fees (b) | — | 1 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 46,272 | — | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (1,194,939 | ) | (44 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from capital transactions | 4,181,963 | 4,476,881 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Increase in Net Assets | 5,827,205 | 4,749,890 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net Assets | ||||||||
Beginning of period | 4,749,890 | — | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
End of period | $ | 10,577,095 | $ | 4,749,890 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Accumulated undistributed net investment income included in net assets at end of period | $ | 9,342 | $ | 36,907 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Share Transactions | ||||||||
Shares sold | 435,459 | 422,557 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 4,120 | — | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (97,956 | ) | (4 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase in share transactions | 341,623 | 422,553 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
(a) | For the period December 22, 2011 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012. |
(b) | The Fund charges a 2% redemption fee on shares redeemed in 60 days or less of purchase. Shares are redeemed at the NAV if held longer than 60 calendar days. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
10
Granite Value Fund
Financial Highlights
(For a share outstanding during each period)
For the Year Ended October 31, 2013 | For the Period Ended October 31, 2012 (a) | |||||||
Selected Per Share Data: | ||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 11.24 | $ | 10.00 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Income from investment operations: | ||||||||
Net investment income | 0.02 | 0.05 | (b) | |||||
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments | 2.68 | 1.19 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Income from investment operations | 2.70 | 1.24 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Less distributions to shareholders: | ||||||||
From net investment income | (0.10 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total distributions | (0.10 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Paid in capital from redemption fees | — | — | (c) | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 13.84 | $ | 11.24 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Return (d) | 24.21 | % | 12.40 | %(e) | ||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data: | ||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $ | 10,577 | $ | 4,750 | ||||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets | 1.35 | % | 1.35 | %(f) | ||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver and reimbursement | 3.32 | % | 8.11 | %(f) | ||||
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets | 0.27 | % | 0.55 | %(f) | ||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 33 | % | 20 | %(e) |
(a) | For the period December 22, 2011 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012. |
(b) | Calculated using the average shares method. |
(c) | Resulted in less than $0.005 per share. |
(d) | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of distributions. |
(e) | Not annualized. |
(f) | Annualized. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
11
Granite Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION
The Granite Value Fund (the “Fund”) is an open-end diversified series of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Fund is one of a series of funds authorized by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Fund commenced operations December 22, 2011. The Fund’s investment adviser is Granite Investment Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”). The investment objective of the Fund is to provide long-term capital appreciation.
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements. These policies are in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
Securities Valuation – All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.
Federal Income Taxes – The Fund makes no provision for federal income or excise tax. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of its taxable income. The Fund also intends to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Fund could incur a tax expense.
As of and during the year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. During the year, the Fund did not incur any interest or penalties. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for all tax years since inception.
Expenses – Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each fund’s relative net assets or other appropriate basis (as determined by the Board of Trustees).
Security Transactions and Related Income – The Fund follows industry practice and records security transactions on the trade date for financial reporting purposes. The First In, First Out 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. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates. The ability of issuers of debt securities held by the Fund to meet their obligations may be affected by economic and political developments in a specific country or region.
Redemption Fees – The Fund charges a 2.00% redemption fee for shares redeemed within 60 days. These fees are deducted from the redemption proceeds otherwise payable to the shareholder. The Fund will retain the fee charged as an increase in paid-in capital and such fees become part of the Fund’s daily NAV calculation.
12
Granite Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements—continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – continued
Dividends and Distributions - The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income, net realized long-term capital gains and its net realized short-term capital gains, if any, to its shareholders on at least an annual basis. Dividends to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the year from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations or net asset values per share of the Fund. There were no such material reclassifications made as of October 31, 2013.
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in a orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. GAAP established a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.
Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk, (ex., the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including items such as a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique). Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.
• | Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities |
• | Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.) |
• | Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available) |
The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
Equity securities, including common stocks, are generally valued by using market quotations, furnished by a pricing service. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange are generally valued at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange traded security is generally valued at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. When using the market quotations or close prices provided by the pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security is classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Fund will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security is classified as a Level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Fund determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Fund, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review by the Board. These securities are categorized as Level 3 securities.
13
Granite Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements—continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued
Investments in open-end mutual funds, including money market mutual funds, are generally priced at the ending net asset value (NAV) provided by the service agent of the funds. These securities will be categorized as Level 1 securities.
Fixed income securities when valued using market quotations in an active market, will be categorized as Level 1 securities. However, they may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Fund believes such prices more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. A pricing service uses various inputs and techniques, which include broker-dealer quotations, live trading levels, recently executed transactions in securities of the issuer or comparable issuers, and option adjusted spread models that include base curve and spread curve inputs. Adjustments to individual bonds can be applied to recognize trading differences compared to other bonds issued by the same issuer. The broker-dealer quotations received are supported by credit analysis of the issuer that takes into consideration credit quality assessments, daily trading activity, and the activity of the underlying equities, listed bonds and sector-specific trends. To the extent that these inputs are observable, the values of fixed income securities are categorized as Level 2 securities. If the Fund decides that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair 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 Fund, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board. These securities will be categorized as Level 3 securities.
Short-term investments in fixed income securities (those with maturities of less than 60 days when acquired, or which subsequently are within 60 days of maturity), including certificates of deposit and U.S. government securities, are valued by using the amortized cost method of valuation, which the Board has determined represents fair value. These securities will be classified as Level 2 securities.
In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Fund is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Fund would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the Fund’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s value, or the Fund is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the bonds the Fund invests in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available. Any fair value pricing done outside the Fund’s approved pricing methods must be approved by the Pricing Committee of the Board.
14
Granite Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements—continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of October 31, 2013:
Valuation Inputs | ||||||||||||||||
Assets | Level 1 - Quoted Prices in Active Markets | Level 2 - Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3 - Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total | ||||||||||||
Common Stocks* | $ | 10,417,889 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 10,417,889 | ||||||||
Money Market Securities | 173,851 | — | — | 173,851 | ||||||||||||
Total | $ | 10,591,740 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 10,591,740 |
* | Refer to the Schedule of Investments for industry classifications. |
The Fund did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period. The Trust recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the reporting period end. There were no transfers between any Levels for the year ended October 31, 2013.
NOTE 4. FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES
Under the terms of the management agreement, on behalf of the Fund (the “Agreement”), the Adviser manages the Fund’s investments subject to approval of the Trustees. As compensation for its management services, the Granite Value 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 year ended October 31, 2013, the Adviser earned a fee of $76,204 from the Fund before the reimbursement described below.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses through February 28, 2014, so that total annual fund operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with GAAP, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, dividend expense on short sales, and expenses that the Fund has incurred but did not actually pay because of an expense offset arrangement, if applicable, incurred by the Fund in any fiscal year, do not exceed 1.35% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The operating expense limitation also excludes any fees and expenses of acquired funds. For the year ended October 31, 2013, expenses totaling $150,231 were waived or reimbursed by the Adviser and are subject to potential recoupment by the Adviser until October 31, 2016. At October 31, 2013, the Adviser owed the Fund $12,364.
The amount subject to repayment by the Fund pursuant to the aforementioned conditions are as follows:
Amount | Recoverable through October 31, | |||
$ | 171,698 | 2015 | ||
150,231 | 2016 |
The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”) to manage the Fund’s business affairs and provide the Fund with administrative services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. For the year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $37,500 for administrative services provided to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, HASI was owed $6,250 from the Fund for administrative services. Certain officers and one Trustee of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. HASI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) and Huntington National Bank, the custodian of the Fund’s investments (the “Custodian”). For the year ended October 31, 2013, the Custodian earned fees of $8,452 for custody services provided to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, the Custodian was owed $1,210 from the Fund for custody services.
15
Granite Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements—continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 4. FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES – continued
The Trust also retains HASI to act as the Fund’s transfer agent and to provide transfer agent services. For the year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $35,119 for transfer agent services to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, the Fund owed HASI $5,528 for transfer agent services.
For the year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $25,000 from the Fund for fund accounting services. At October 31, 2013, HASI was owed $4,167 from the Fund for fund accounting services.
Unified Financial Securities, Inc. acts as the principal underwriter of the Fund’s shares. There were no payments made by the Fund to the Distributor during the year ended October 31, 2013. An officer of the Trust is an officer of the Distributor and such person may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Distributor.
The Fund has adopted a 12b-1 Plan that permits the Fund to pay 0.25% of its average daily net assets to financial institutions that provide distribution and/or shareholder servicing. The Plan will not be activated prior to February 28, 2014.
NOTE 5. INVESTMENTS
For the year ended October 31, 2013, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments and short-term U.S. government obligations, were as follows:
Purchases | ||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | ||
Other | 6,473,927 | |||
Sales | ||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | ||
Other | 2,471,182 |
NOTE 6. ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
NOTE 7. BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of a fund, under Section 2(a) (9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. At October 31, 2013, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. for the benefit of its customers, owned 58.19%. The Trust does not know whether Charles Schwab & Co. or any of the underlying beneficial owners controlled 25% or more of the voting securities of the Fund.
16
Granite Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements—continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 8. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION
At October 31, 2013, the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments for tax purposes was as follows:
Gross Appreciation | $ | 1,678,208 | ||
Gross (Depreciation) | (34,270 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments | $ | 1,643,938 | ||
|
|
At October 31, 2013, the aggregate cost of securities, excluding U.S. government obligations, for federal income tax purposes was $8,947,802 for the Fund.
On December 17, 2013, the Fund paid an income distribution of $0.021911 per share, a short-term capital gain distribution of $0.186084 per share, and a long-term capital gain distribution of $0.178741 per share to shareholders of record.
The tax characterization of distributions for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2013 and 2012 was as follows:
2013 | 2012 | |||||||
Distributions paid from: | ||||||||
Ordinary Income* | $ | 48,544 | $ | — | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Distributions | $ | 48,544 | $ | — | ||||
|
|
|
|
* | Short term capital gain distributions are treated as ordinary income for tax purposes. |
At October 31, 2013, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:
Undistributed ordinary income | $ | 159,471 | ||
Undistributed long-term capital gain (loss) | 141,051 | |||
Accumulated capital and other losses | (3,285 | ) | ||
Net Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | 1,643,938 | |||
|
| |||
$ | 1,941,175 | |||
|
|
At October 31, 2013, the difference between book basis and tax basis unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is primarily attributable to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales in the amount of $11,744.
At October 31, 2013, for federal income tax purposes, the Fund has no capital loss carryforwards.
NOTE 9. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
The Fund indemnifies its officers and trustees for certain liabilities that may arise from their performance of their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred.
17
Granite Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements—continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 10. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Management of the Fund has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. Based on this evaluation, and at a Board meeting held December 9-11, 2013, Andrea N. Mullins was appointed to serve as Trustee to the Trust and Bryan W. Ashmus was appointed to serve as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer. This information is reflected in the “Trustees and Officers” table.
18
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of
Granite Value Fund
(Valued Advisers Trust)
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of Granite Value Fund (the “Fund”), a series of the Valued Advisers Trust, as of October 31, 2013, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, and the statements of changes in net assets and the financial highlights for each of the two periods in the period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Granite Value Fund as of October 31, 2013, the results of its operations for the year then ended, and the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for each of the two periods in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
December 27, 2013
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS (Unaudited)
The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires or is removed.
The following tables provide information regarding the Trustees and Officers.
The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind, 77, Independent Trustee, August 2008 to present. | Retired; Consultant to Battelle Memorial Institute (International Science and Technology Research Enterprise) on business investments. | |
Ira Cohen, 54 Independent Trustee, June 2010 to present. | Independent financial services consultant (Feb. 2005 - present). | |
Andrea N. Mullins, 46 Independent Trustee, starting December 2013 | Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer, Secretary of the Eagle Family of Funds 2004-2010; Chief Financial Officer of Eagle Fund Services (a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial) 2008-2010; Vice President and Treasurer of Eagle Fund Services 1996-2008. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present. | Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust,** | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Principal Executive Officer and President, February 2010 to present. | Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust since June 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. | |
John C. Swhear, 52, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance for Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007; Chief Compliance Officer of Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007; Senior Vice President of the Unified Series Trust since May 2007; Secretary of Huntington Funds since April 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, 2007 to March 2010. |
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust,** | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Carol J. Highsmith, 48, Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration. | |
Matthew J. Miller, 37, Vice President, December 2011 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President of Huntington Funds since February 2010. | |
Bryan W. Ashmus, 40, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer, December 2013 to present | Vice President, Financial Administration, HASI (September 2013 to present); Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, The Huntington Strategy Shares and The Huntington Funds Trust (November 2013 to present). Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., (May 2005 to September 2013). | |
Heather Bonds, 38, Secretary, September 2012 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January of 2004; currently Certified Paralegal and Section Manager 2. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
OTHER INFORMATION
The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (888) 442-9893 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.
Management Agreement Renewal—(Unaudited)
At a meeting held on September 16-17, 2013, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) considered the renewal of the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Agreement”) between the Trust and Granite Investment Advisers, Inc. (the “Adviser”) with respect to the Granite Value Fund (the “Fund”). Counsel noted that the 1940 Act requires the approval of the investment advisory agreement between the Trust and its investment adviser by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Board discussed the arrangements between the Adviser and the Trust with respect to the Fund. The Board reviewed a memorandum from Counsel, and addressed to the Trustees that summarized, among other things, the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the renewal of the Agreement. A copy of this memorandum was circulated to the Trustees in advance of the Meeting. Counsel discussed with the Trustees the types of information and factors that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision regarding the approval of the renewal of the Agreement, including the following material factors: (i) the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser; (ii) the investment performance of the Fund; (iii) the costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund; (iv) the extent to which economies of scale would be realized if the Fund grows and whether advisory fee levels reflect those economies of scale for the benefit of the Fund’s investors; and (v) the Adviser’s practices regarding possible conflicts of interest.
In assessing these factors and reaching its decisions, the Board took into consideration information furnished for the Board’s review and consideration throughout the year at regular Board meetings, as well as information specifically prepared and/or presented in connection with the annual renewal process, including information presented at the Meeting. The Board requested and was provided with information and reports relevant to the annual renewal of the Agreement, including: (i) reports regarding the services and support provided to the Fund and its shareholders by the Adviser; (ii) quarterly assessments of the investment performance of the Fund by personnel of the Adviser; (iii) commentary on the reasons for the performance; (iv) presentations by the Adviser addressing its investment philosophy, investment strategy, personnel and operations; (v) compliance and audit reports concerning the Fund and the Adviser; (vi) disclosure information contained in the registration statement of the Trust and the Form ADV of the Adviser; and (vii) a memorandum from Counsel, that summarized the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the Agreement, including the material factors set forth above and the types of information included in each factor that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision. The Board also requested and received various informational materials including, without limitation: (i) documents containing information about the Adviser, including financial information, a description of personnel and the services provided to the Fund, information on investment advice, performance, summaries of Fund expenses, compliance program, current legal matters, and other general information; (ii) comparative expense and performance information for other mutual funds with strategies similar to the Fund; (iii) the anticipated effect of size on the Fund’s performance and expenses; and (iv) conflicts of interest and benefits to be realized by the Adviser from its relationship with the Fund. The Board did not identify any particular information that was most relevant to its consideration to approve the Agreement and each Trustee may have afforded different weight to the various factors.
1. | The nature, extent, and quality of the services to be provided by the Adviser. In this regard, the Board considered the Adviser’s responsibilities under the Advisory Agreement. The Trustees considered the services being provided by the Adviser to the Fund including, without limitation: the quality of its investment advisory services (including research and recommendations with respect to portfolio securities), its process for formulating investment recommendations and assuring compliance with the Fund’s investment objectives and limitations, its coordination of services for the Fund among the Fund’s service providers, and its efforts to promote the Fund and grow its assets. The Trustees considered the Adviser’s continuity of, and commitment to retain, qualified personnel and the Adviser’s commitment to maintain its resources and systems that allow the Fund to maintain its goals, and the Adviser’s continued cooperation with the Independent Trustees and Counsel for the Fund. The Trustees considered the Adviser’s personnel, including the education and experience of the Adviser’s personnel. After considering the foregoing information and further information in the Meeting materials provided by the Adviser (including the Adviser’s Form ADV), the Board concluded that, in light of all the facts and circumstances, the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser were satisfactory and adequate for the Fund. |
2. | Investment Performance of the Fund and the Adviser. In considering the investment performance of the Fund and the Adviser, the Trustees compared the short-term performance, including the 1-year cumulative return and since inception annualized returns of the Fund with the performance of funds with similar objectives managed by other investment advisers, as well as with aggregated peer group data. The Trustees also considered the consistency of the Adviser’s management of the Fund with its investment objective, strategies, and limitations. The Trustees noted that the Fund’s performance in all periods (for the periods ending July 31, 2013) other than the 1 year period was above the average and median for its category. The Trustees also considered the performance the Adviser’s separate accounts that were managed in a manner similar to that of the Fund and they noted that the performance was very comparable. After reviewing and discussing the investment performance of the Fund further, the Adviser’s experience managing the Fund, the Fund’s historical performance, and other relevant factors, the Board concluded, in light of all the facts and circumstances, that the investment performance of the Fund and the Adviser was satisfactory. |
3. | The costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund. In considering the costs of services to be provided and the profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund, the Trustees considered: (1) the Adviser’s financial condition; (2) the asset levels of the Fund; (3) the overall expenses of the Fund; and (4) the nature and frequency of advisory fee payments. The Trustees reviewed information provided by the Adviser regarding its profits associated with managing the Fund. The Trustees also considered potential benefits for the Adviser in managing the Fund. The Trustees then compared the fees and expenses of the Fund (including the management fee) to other comparable mutual funds. The Trustees noted that the Fund’s management fee was among the highest in its peer group (and it was higher than its peer average and median), although the net expense ratios were only slightly above the peer average and median and could generally be viewed as comparable to that of the peers as a result of the Adviser’s contractual commitment to limit the expenses of the Fund. The Trustees noted that the management fee was less than those it charges to its separate account clients who had investment strategies and objectives similar to the Fund. Based on the foregoing, the Board concluded that the fees to be paid to the Adviser by the Fund and the profits to be realized by the Fund, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser. |
4. | The extent to which economies of scale would be realized as the Fund grows and whether advisory fee levels reflect these economies of scale for the benefit of the Fund’s investors. In this regard, the Board considered the Fund’s fee arrangements with the Adviser. The Board considered that while the management fee remained the same at all asset levels, the Fund’s shareholders had experienced benefits from the Fund’s expense limitation arrangement. The Trustees noted the Adviser’s representation that it intended to keep this arrangement in place even after the expiration of the current term of the arrangement. The Trustees noted that once the Fund’s expenses fell below the cap set by the arrangement, the Fund’s shareholders would continue to benefit from the economies of scale under the Fund’s agreements with service providers other than the Adviser. In light of its ongoing consideration of the Fund’s asset levels, expectations for growth in the Fund, and fee levels, the Board determined that the Fund’s fee arrangements, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser. |
5. | Possible conflicts of interest and benefits to the Adviser. In considering the Adviser’s practices regarding conflicts of interest, the Trustees evaluated the potential for conflicts of interest and considered such matters as the experience and ability of the advisory personnel assigned to the Fund; the basis of decisions to buy or sell securities for the Fund and/or the Adviser’s other accounts; and the substance and administration of the Adviser’s code of ethics. The Trustees also considered disclosure in the registration statement of the Trust relating to the Adviser’s potential conflicts of interest. The Trustees noted that the Adviser utilizes soft dollars and its procedures relating thereto. The Trustees noted that the Adviser benefited from the Fund in that it is able to utilize the Fund as a vehicle into which to direct advisory clients with small account balances. The Trustees did not identify any other potential benefits (other than the management fee) that would inure to the Adviser. Based on the foregoing, the Board determined that the standards and practices of the Adviser relating to the identification and mitigation of potential conflicts of interest and the benefits that it derives from managing the Fund are acceptable. |
After additional consideration of the factors delineated in the memorandum provided by Counsel and further discussion among the Board, the Board determined to approve the continuation of the Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser.
Granite Value Fund
Other Federal Income Tax Information (Unaudited)
The Form 1099-DIV you receive in January 2014 will show the tax status of all distributions paid to your account in calendar year 2013. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax adviser with respect to the tax consequences of their investment in the Fund. As required by the Internal Revenue Code and/or regulations, shareholders must be notified regarding the status of qualified dividend income for individuals and the dividends received deduction for corporations.
Qualified Dividend Income. The Fund designates approximately 94.71% or up to the maximum amount of such dividends allowable pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code, as qualified dividend income eligible for the reduced tax rate of 15%.
Dividends Received Deduction. Corporate shareholders are generally entitled to take the dividends received deduction on the portion of the Fund’s dividend distribution that qualifies under tax law. For the Fund’s calendar year 2013 ordinary income dividends, 95.94% qualifies for the corporate dividends received deduction.
PROXY VOTING
A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how the Fund voted those proxies is available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Fund at (888) 442-9893 and (2) from Fund documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
TRUSTEES
R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind
Ira Cohen
Andrea N. Mullins
OFFICERS
R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive Officer and President
John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President
Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President
Matthew J. Miller, Vice President
Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer
Heather Bonds, Secretary
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Granite Investment Advisors
11 South Main Street, Suite 501
Concord, NH 03301
DISTRIBUTOR
Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen Fund Audit Services Ltd.
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800
Cleveland, OH 44115
LEGAL COUNSEL
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.
A member firm of The 1940 Act Law GroupTM
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Ste. 310
Leawood, KS 66211
CUSTODIAN
Huntington National Bank
41 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT AND FUND ACCOUNTANT
Huntington Asset Services, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Fund’s prospectus which contains information about the Fund’s management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
Member FINRA/SIPC
PRIVACY POLICY
The following is a description of the Fund’s policies regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that you provide to the Fund or that the Fund collects from other sources. In the event that you hold shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of your financial intermediary would govern how your nonpublic personal information would be shared with nonaffiliated third parties.
Categories of Information the Fund Collects. The Fund collects the following nonpublic personal information about you:
• | Information the Fund receives from you on applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as your name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth); and |
• | Information about your transactions with the Fund, its affiliates, or others (such as your account number and balance, payment history, cost basis information, and other financial information). |
Categories of Information the Fund Discloses. The Fund does not disclose any nonpublic personal information about its current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. The Fund is permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to service providers (such as the Fund’s custodian, administrator, transfer agent, accountant and legal counsel) to process your transactions and otherwise provide services to you.
Confidentiality and Security. The Fund restricts access to your nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to you. The Fund maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information.
Disposal of Information. The Fund, through its transfer agent, has taken steps to reasonably ensure that the privacy of your nonpublic personal information is maintained at all times, including in connection with the disposal of information that is no longer required to be maintained by the Fund. Such steps shall include, whenever possible, shredding paper documents and records prior to disposal, requiring off-site storage vendors to shred documents maintained in such locations prior to disposal, and erasing and/or obliterating any data contained on electronic media in such a manner that the information can no longer be read or reconstructed.
Annual Report
October 31, 2013
Fund Adviser:
Kovitz Investment Group, LLC
115 South LaSalle Street, 27th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603
Toll Free (888) 695-3729
Management Discussion & Analysis- Fiscal Year-End October 31, 2013
Performance
Kovitz Investment Group launched the Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund (the Fund) with the goal of seeking long-term capital appreciation through high risk-adjusted returns. Relying on a fundamental, research-driven process, the Fund strives to build a diversified portfolio of equity investments through the purchase of competitively advantaged and financially strong companies at prices substantially less than our estimate of their intrinsic values.
For the fiscal year ending October 31, 2013, the Fund returned 29.59%. In comparison, our benchmark, the S&P 500® Index, gained 27.18% during the same period. Since inception on December 28, 2011, the Fund has returned 51.23% on a cumulative basis vs. 44.50% for the S&P 500® over the same time period.
While we are pleased with these strong results, we’d like to remind shareholders that our style doesn’t typically lead to outperformance in periods of broad market gains. In a significantly rising market, we are more than content to be average, knowing that our management approach is better suited to outperform in down markets. Our goal is for the value of our holdings to consistently decline less than the overall market when the market declines while participating fully, but not necessarily more so, when the market rises.
Often times when the market is up powerfully, it tends to be driven by a few sectors that pull up the overall returns often masking relatively poorer performance in other sectors. This year, however, gains for the overall market seemed to be much more broad-based as every sector produced positive returns. Gains across our portfolio were very much in line with the breadth of the broader market. Also, quality tends to lag in rapidly rising markets as speculators typically come out of the woodwork seeking out and pushing up junkier stocks. For whatever reason that phenomenon was more muted this year and high quality stocks, of which we believe our portfolio is comprised of, displayed market leadership.
Performance for the year was led by strong returns from our stock selections in the industrial and financial sectors. Having little to no exposure in the Utilities, Material and Energy sectors helped our relative returns as these sectors, while producing positive results, lagged the overall market returns fairly significantly.
The individual equity holdings which were the most significant positive contributors to the Fund’s relative performance during the period were Walgreen (WAG), Boeing (BA), Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB), American International group (AIG), and Bank of America (BAC). On the flip side, those stocks which most detracted from our relative performance included Apple (AAPL), International Business Machines (IBM), Target (TGT), Sysco (SYY), and WalMart (WMT).
Portfolio Activity
During the year we:
• | Initiated positions in the following 11 companies; Coach (COH, DirecTV (DTV), Corning (GLW), General Motors (GM), Hertz (HTZ), IBM, JPMorgan (JPM), Leucadia (LUK), Trinity Industries (TRN), Vodafone (VOD) and Weight Watchers (WTW). |
• | Increased position sizes in the following 2 companies; Apple and AIG. |
• | Exited positions in the following 7 companies; Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Biglari Holdings (BH), Cemex (CX), Hewlett Packard (HPQ), Lowe’s (LOW), Markel (MKL), and Proctor & Gamble (PG). |
• | Decreased position sizes in the following 5 companies; Becton Dickinson (BDX), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), CarMax (KMX), Robert Half (RHI), and Wells Fargo (WFC). |
As of October 31, 2013, our five largest positions were Berkshire Hathaway, Apple, Kohl’s (KSS), International Business Machines, and Target.
We remain focused on our core investment disciplines; price consciousness, strict adherence to our business fundamentals framework, and remaining unemotional regardless of the market environment.
Thank you for your continued support and trust in our ability to manage your investment in the Fund.
Investment Results – (Unaudited)
Total Returns*
(For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013)
Average Annual | ||||||||
Returns | ||||||||
Since Inception | ||||||||
One Year | (December 22, 2011) (a) | |||||||
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund | 29.59 | % | 25.11 | % | ||||
S&P 500® Index** | 27.18 | % | 22.06 | % |
Total annual operating expenses, as disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus dated February 28, 2013, supplemented October 18, 2013, were 2.10% of average daily net assets (1.10% after fee waivers/expense reimbursements by the adviser). Effective November 1, 2013, the adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses of the Fund until February 28, 2015, so that the Total Annual Operating Expenses do not exceed 1.10%. This operating expense limitation does not apply to brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, 12b-1 fees; extraordinary expenses and indirect expenses (such as “acquired fund fees and expenses”). Prior to November 1, 2013, the expense cap was 1.40%.
The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-888-695-3729.
(a) The Fund commenced operations on December 22, 2011. However, the Fund did not invest in long-term securities towards the investment objective until December 28, 2011. December 28, 2011 is the performance calculation inception date.
* | Return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions. |
** | The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity securities and is representative of a broader domestic equity market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in the Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. |
The Fund’s investment objectives, strategies, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the Fund and may be obtained by calling the same number as above. Please read it carefully before investing. The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
2
The Fund commenced operations on December 22, 2011. However, the Fund did not invest in long-term securities towards the investment objective until December 28, 2011. December 28, 2011 is the performance calculation inception date. The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on December 28, 2011 and held through October 31, 2013. The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity securities and is representative of a broader domestic equity market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in the Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. THE FUND’S RETURN REPRESENTS PAST PERFORMANCE AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.
Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end or to request a prospectus, please call 1-888-695-3729. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
3
Fund Holdings – (Unaudited)
1 | As a percentage of net assets. |
The investment objective of the Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund is long-term capital appreciation.
Availability of Portfolio Schedule – (Unaudited)
The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.
Summary of Fund’s Expenses – (Unaudited)
As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning and held for the entire period from May 1, 2013 to October 31, 2013.
4
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = $8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only. Therefore, the second line of the table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative costs of owning different funds.
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund | Beginning Account Value May 1, 2013 | Ending Account Value October 31, 2013 | Expenses Paid During Period* May 1, 2013 – October 31, 2013 | |||||||||
Actual* | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,102.20 | $ | 7.42 | ||||||
Hypothetical** | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,018.15 | $ | 7.12 |
* | Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 1.40%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
** | Assumes a 5% return before expenses. |
5
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Schedule of Investments
October 31, 2013
Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Common Stocks — 98.58% |
| |||||||
Consumer Discretionary — 23.62% |
| |||||||
Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. * | 17,815 | $ | 1,377,456 | |||||
CarMax, Inc. (a) * | 25,240 | 1,186,028 | ||||||
Coach, Inc. | 19,900 | 1,008,532 | ||||||
DIRECTV – Class A* | 19,050 | 1,190,434 | ||||||
General Motors Co. * | 30,230 | 1,116,998 | ||||||
Kohl’s Corp. | 35,200 | 1,999,360 | ||||||
Target Corp. | 27,710 | 1,795,331 | ||||||
Walt Disney Co./The | 19,305 | 1,324,130 | ||||||
Weight Watchers International, Inc. | 4,125 | 132,454 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
11,130,723 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Consumer Staples — 14.44% |
| |||||||
Coca-Cola Co./The | 24,170 | 956,407 | ||||||
CVS Caremark Corp. | 25,490 | 1,587,007 | ||||||
Sysco Corp. | 26,640 | 861,538 | ||||||
Walgreen Co. | 28,815 | 1,707,001 | ||||||
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | 22,065 | 1,693,489 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
6,805,442 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Financials — 29.85% |
| |||||||
American Express Co. | 10,265 | 839,677 | ||||||
American International Group, Inc. | 28,650 | 1,479,772 | ||||||
Bank of America Corp. | 91,800 | 1,281,528 | ||||||
Bank of New York Mellon Corp./The | 50,360 | 1,601,448 | ||||||
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. - Class B * | 27,665 | 3,183,688 | ||||||
Franklin Resources, Inc. | 21,145 | 1,138,870 | ||||||
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc./The | 5,100 | 820,386 | ||||||
JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 18,000 | 927,720 | ||||||
Leucadia National Corp. | 41,835 | 1,185,604 | ||||||
Wells Fargo & Co. | 37,750 | 1,611,547 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
14,070,240 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Health Care — 3.53% |
| |||||||
Abbott Laboratories | 17,530 | 640,722 | ||||||
Becton, Dickinson and Co. | 460 | 48,360 | ||||||
Johnson & Johnson | 10,525 | 974,720 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,663,802 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Industrials — 9.96% |
| |||||||
Boeing Co./The | 10,070 | 1,314,135 | ||||||
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. | 26,905 | 1,218,527 | ||||||
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. * | 4,210 | 96,662 | ||||||
Robert Half International, Inc. | 17,285 | 665,991 | ||||||
Trinity Industries, Inc. | 8,552 | 432,988 | ||||||
United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) - Class B | 9,820 | 964,717 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
4,693,020 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Information Technology — 15.33% |
| |||||||
Accenture PLC - Class A | 16,815 | 1,235,902 | ||||||
Apple, Inc. | 4,110 | 2,146,858 | ||||||
Corning, Inc. | 53,300 | 910,897 | ||||||
Google, Inc. - Class A * | 1,053 | 1,085,201 | ||||||
International Business Machines Corp. | 10,300 | 1,845,863 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
7,224,721 | ||||||||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
6
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Schedule of Investments - continued
October 31, 2013
Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Telecommunication Services — 1.85% | ||||||||
Vodafone Group PLC ADR | 23,700 | 872,634 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Common Stocks |
| 46,460,582 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Money Market Securities — 1.68% | ||||||||
Federated Treasury Obligations Fund - Service Shares, 0.01% (b) | 790,569 | 790,569 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Money Market Securities | 790,569 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Investments – 100.26% | 47,251,151 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Written Call Options (Premiums Received $42,431) – (0.03)% | (14,030 | ) | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets – (0.23)% | (108,580 | ) | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS – 100.00% | $ | 47,128,541 | ||||||
|
|
(a) All or a portion of the security is held as collateral for written call options.
(b) Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of October 31, 2013.
* Non-income producing security.
ADR — American Depositary Receipt
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
7
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Schedule of Written Options
October 31, 2013
Outstanding | ||||||||
Contracts | Fair Value | |||||||
Written Call Options - (0.03)% | ||||||||
Consumer Discretionary - (0.03)% | ||||||||
CarMax, Inc./ January 2014/ Strike $50.00 (a) | (122 | ) | $ | (14,030 | ) | |||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL WRITTEN CALL OPTIONS (Premiums Received $42,321) - (0.03)% | $ | (14,030 | ) | |||||
|
|
(a) | The call contract has a multiplier of 100 shares. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
8
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
October 31, 2013
Assets |
| |||
Investments in securities at fair value (cost $37,735,958) | $ | 47,251,151 | ||
Dividends receivable | 33,742 | |||
Interest receivable | 11 | |||
Prepaid expenses | 21,202 | |||
|
| |||
Total Assets | 47,306,106 | |||
|
| |||
Liabilities | ||||
Options written, at value (premiums received $42,321) | 14,030 | |||
Payable for investments purchased | 95,764 | |||
Payable to Adviser | 35,725 | |||
Payable to administrator, fund accountant, and transfer agent | 8,179 | |||
Payable to custodian | 2,271 | |||
Payable to trustees | 19 | |||
Other accrued expenses | 21,577 | |||
|
| |||
Total Liabilities | 177,565 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 47,128,541 | ||
|
| |||
Net Assets consist of: | ||||
Paid-in capital | $ | 35,870,119 | ||
Accumulated undistributed net investment income | 6,460 | |||
Accumulated undistributed net realized gains from investment transactions | 1,708,478 | |||
Net unrealized appreciation on: | ||||
Investment securities | 9,515,193 | |||
Option contracts | 28,291 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 47,128,541 | ||
|
| |||
Shares outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized, no par value) | 3,143,192 | |||
|
| |||
Net asset value, offering and redemption price per share | $ | 14.99 | ||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
9
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Statement of Operations
For the year ended October 31, 2013
Investment Income |
| |||
Dividend income (net of withholding tax of $2,664) | $ | 538,609 | ||
Interest income | 113 | |||
|
| |||
Total investment income | 538,722 | |||
|
| |||
Expenses | ||||
Investment Adviser fee | 349,653 | |||
Administration expenses | 37,500 | |||
Fund accounting expenses | 25,000 | |||
Transfer agent expenses | 35,920 | |||
Legal expenses | 16,037 | |||
Registration expenses | 6,060 | |||
Custodian expenses | 13,131 | |||
Audit expenses | 15,000 | |||
Trustee expenses | 6,989 | |||
Insurance expenses | 5,063 | |||
Pricing expenses | 2,343 | |||
Offering expenses | 2,701 | |||
CCO expenses | 3,004 | |||
Miscellaneous expenses | 12,665 | |||
|
| |||
Total expenses | 531,066 | |||
|
| |||
Fees waived and reimbursed by Adviser | (40,437 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net operating expenses | 490,629 | |||
|
| |||
Net investment income | 48,093 | |||
|
| |||
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments | ||||
Net realized gain on investment securities transactions | 1,692,216 | |||
Net realized gain on option transactions | 16,268 | |||
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities | 7,150,136 | |||
Net change in unrealized appreciation on option contracts | 13,436 | |||
|
| |||
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments | 8,872,056 | |||
|
| |||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | $ | 8,920,149 | ||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
10
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
For the | For the | |||||||
Year Ended | Period Ended | |||||||
October 31, 2013 | October 31, 2012 (a) | |||||||
Increase in Net Assets due to: | ||||||||
Operations | ||||||||
Net investment income | $ | 48,093 | $ | 43,166 | ||||
Net realized gain on investment securities and option transactions | 1,708,484 | 132,328 | ||||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities and option transactions | 7,163,572 | 2,379,912 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | 8,920,149 | 2,555,406 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Distributions | ||||||||
From net investment income | (104,736 | ) | — | |||||
From net realized gains | (132,334 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total distributions | (237,070 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Transactions | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 18,027,338 | 22,579,737 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 233,845 | — | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (4,571,936 | ) | (378,928 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from capital transactions | 13,689,247 | 22,200,809 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Increase in Net Assets | 22,372,326 | 24,756,215 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net Assets | ||||||||
Beginning of period | 24,756,215 | — | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
End of period | $ | 47,128,541 | $ | 24,756,215 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Accumulated undistributed net investment income included in net assets at end of period | $ | 6,460 | $ | 63,103 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Share Transactions | ||||||||
Shares sold | 1,334,642 | 2,156,091 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 19,868 | — | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (333,405 | ) | (34,004 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase in share transactions | 1,021,105 | 2,122,087 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
(a) | For the period December 22, 2011 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
11
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Financial Highlights
(For a share outstanding during each period)
For the Year Ended | For the Period Ended | |||||||
October 31, 2013 | October 31, 2012 (a) | |||||||
Selected Per Share Data: | ||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 11.67 | $ | 10.00 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Income from investment operations: | ||||||||
Net investment income | 0.02 | 0.02 | ||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments | 3.41 | 1.65 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total from investment operations | 3.43 | 1.67 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Less distributions to shareholders: | ||||||||
From net investment income | (0.05 | ) | — | |||||
From net realized gains | (0.06 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total distributions | (0.11 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 14.99 | $ | 11.67 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Return (b) | 29.59 | % | 16.70 | %(c) | ||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data: | ||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $ | 47,129 | $ | 24,756 | ||||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets | 1.40 | %(e) | 1.41 | %(d)(e) | ||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver and reimbursement | 1.52 | %(e) | 2.11 | %(d)(e) | ||||
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets | 0.14 | % | 0.26 | %(d) | ||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 20 | % | 11 | %(c) |
(a) | For the period December 22, 2011 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012. |
(b) | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of distributions. |
(c) | Not annualized. |
(d) | Annualized. |
(e) | Includes 0.01% and less than 0.005% for line of credit fees for 2012 and 2013, respectively. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
12
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION
The Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund (the “Fund”) is an open-end diversified series of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Fund is one of a series of funds authorized by the Trustees. The Fund’s investment adviser is Kovitz Investment Group, LLC (the “Adviser”). The investment objective of the Fund is to provide long-term capital appreciation.
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements. These polices are in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
Securities Valuation – All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.
Federal Income Taxes – The Fund makes no provision for federal income or excise tax. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of its taxable income. The Fund also intends to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Fund could incur a tax expense.
As of and during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. During the year, the Fund did not incur any interest or penalties. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for all tax years since inception.
Expenses – Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each fund’s relative net assets or other appropriate basis (as determined by the Board of Trustees).
Security Transactions and Related Income – The Fund follows industry practice and records security transactions on the trade date for financial reporting purposes. The First In, First Out 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. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates. The ability of issuers of debt securities held by the Fund to meet their obligations may be affected by economic and political developments in a specific country or region.
Dividends and Distributions – The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income, net realized long-term capital gains and its net realized short-term capital gains, if any, to its shareholders on at least an annual basis. Dividends to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the year from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations or net asset values per share of the Fund. There were no such material reclassifications made as of October 31, 2013.
13
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – continued
Writing Options – The Fund may write covered call options on equity securities or futures contracts that the Fund is eligible to purchase to extend a holding period to obtain long-term capital gain treatment, to earn premium income, to assure a definite price for a security it has considered selling, or to close out options previously purchased. The Fund may write covered call options if, immediately thereafter, not more than 30% of its net assets would be committed to such transactions. A call option gives the holder (buyer) the right to purchase a security or futures contract at a specified price (the exercise price) at any time until a certain date (the expiration date). A call option is “covered” if the Fund owns the underlying security subject to the call option at all times during the option period. When the Fund writes a covered call option, it maintains a segregated account with its Custodian or as otherwise required by the rules of the exchange the underlying security, cash or liquid portfolio securities in an amount not less than the exercise price at all times while the option is outstanding. See Note 4 for additional disclosures.
The Fund will receive a premium from writing a call option, which increases the Fund’s return in the event the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the market price of the underlying security to the exercise price of the option and the remaining term of the option. However, there is no assurance that a closing transaction can be affected at a favorable price. During the option period, the covered call writer has, in return for the premium received, given up the opportunity for capital appreciation above the exercise price should the market price of the underlying security increase, but has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline.
The Fund may write put options on equity securities and futures contracts that the Fund is eligible to purchase to earn premium income or to assure a definite price for a security if it is considering acquiring the security at a lower price than the current market price or to close out options previously purchased. The Fund may not write a put option if, immediately thereafter, more than 25% of its net assets would be committed to such transactions. A put option gives the holder of the option the right to sell, and the writer has the obligation to buy, the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The operation of put options in other respects is substantially identical to that of call options. When the Fund writes a put option, it maintains in a segregated account with its Custodian cash or liquid portfolio securities in an amount not less than the exercise price at all times while the put option is outstanding.
The Fund will receive a premium from writing a put option, which increases the Fund’s return in the event the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the market price of the underlying security to the exercise price of the option and the remaining term of the option. The risks involved in writing put options include the risk that a closing transaction cannot be effected at a favorable price and the possibility that the price of the underlying security may fall below the exercise price, in which case the Fund may be required to purchase the underlying security at a higher price than the market price of the security at the time the option is exercised, resulting in a potential capital loss unless the security subsequently appreciates in value. During the year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund utilized covered call options to extend the holding period to obtain long-term capital gain treatment and to take advantage of the option premium to garner a higher exit price than would have been available by immediately selling the stock.
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in an orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. GAAP established a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.
Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk; for example, the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including items such as a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. Inputs may be
14
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued
observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.
• | Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities |
• | Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.) |
• | Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available) |
The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
Equity securities, including common stocks, are generally valued by using market quotations, but may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Fund believes such prices more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange are generally valued by the pricing service at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange traded security is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by the pricing service at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. When using the market quotations or close prices provided by the pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security will be classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Fund will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security will be classified as a Level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Fund determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Fund, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review by the Board. These securities will be categorized as Level 3 securities.
Investments in open-end mutual funds, including money market mutual funds, are generally priced at the ending net asset value (NAV) provided by the service agent of the funds. These securities are categorized as Level 1 securities.
Written option contracts that the Fund invests in are generally traded on an exchange. The options in which the Fund invests are generally valued at the last trade price as provided by a pricing service. If the last sale price is not available, the options will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices. The options will generally be categorized as Level 1 securities. If the Fund decides that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair 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 Fund, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board. These securities will be categorized as Level 3 securities.
15
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued
Fixed income securities, when valued using market quotations in an active market, will be categorized as Level 1 securities. However, they may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Fund believes such prices more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. A pricing service uses various inputs and techniques, which include broker-dealer quotations, like trading levels, recently executed transactions in securities of the issuer or comparable issuers, and option adjusted spread models that include base curve and spread curve inputs. Adjustments to individual bonds can be applied to recognize trading differences compared to other bonds issued by the same issuer. The broker-dealer quotations received are supported by credit analysis of the issuer that takes into consideration credit quality assessments, daily trading activity, and the activity of the underlying equities, listed bonds and sector-specific trends. To the extent that these inputs are observable, the fixed income securities are categorized as Level 2 securities. If the Fund decides that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair 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 Fund, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board. These securities will be categorized as Level 3 securities.
Short-term investments in fixed income securities, (those 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 represents fair value. These securities will be classified as Level 2 securities.
In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Fund is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Fund would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the Fund’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s value, or the Fund is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the bonds the Fund invests in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available. Any fair value pricing done outside the Fund’s approved pricing methods must be approved by the Pricing Committee of the Board.
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of October 31, 2013:
Valuation Inputs | ||||||||||||||||
Level 1 - Quoted Prices in Active Markets | Level 2 - Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3 - Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total | |||||||||||||
Assets | ||||||||||||||||
Common Stocks* | $ | 46,460,582 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 46,460,582 | ||||||||
Money Market Securities | 790,569 | — | — | 790,569 | ||||||||||||
Total | $ | 47,251,151 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 47,251,151 |
* | Refer to the Schedule of Investments for industry classifications. |
16
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued
Valuation Inputs | ||||||||||||||||
Level 1 - Quoted Prices in Active Markets | Level 2 - Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3 - Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total | |||||||||||||
Liabilities | ||||||||||||||||
Option Contracts | $ | (14,030 | ) | $ | — | $ | — | $ | (14,030 | ) | ||||||
Total | $ | (14,030 | ) | $ | — | $ | — | $ | (14,030 | ) |
The Fund did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period. The Trust recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the reporting period end. There were no transfers between any Levels for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013.
NOTE 4. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS
Call options written are presented separately on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as a liability at fair value and on the Statement of Operations under net realized gain on option transactions and change in unrealized appreciation on option contracts, respectively.
At October 31, 2013
Derivatives | Location of Derivatives on Statement of Assets & Liabilities | |||||
Equity Risk: | ||||||
Written Call Options | Options written, at value | $ | (14,030 | ) | ||
Written Call Options | Net unrealized appreciation on option contracts | $ | 28,291 |
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013 :
Derivatives | Location of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives on Statement of | Realized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives | Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on Derivatives | |||||||
Equity Risk: | ||||||||||
Written Call Options | Net realized and unrealized gain on option contracts | $ | 16,268 | $ | 13,436 |
Transactions in written options by the Fund during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, were as follows:
Number of | Premiums | |||||||
Contracts | Received | |||||||
Options outstanding at October 31, 2012 | 4 | $ | 21,095 | |||||
Options written | 177 | 52,803 | ||||||
Options closed | (4 | ) | (21,095 | ) | ||||
Options exercised | (55 | ) | (10,482 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Options outstanding at October 31, 2013 | 122 | $ | 42,321 | |||||
|
|
|
|
17
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 5. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS
Under the terms of the management agreement, on behalf of the Fund (the “Agreement”), the Adviser manages the Fund’s investments subject to approval of the Trustees. 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 fiscal year end October 31, 2013, the Adviser earned a fee of $349,653 from the Fund before the reimbursement described below. At October 31, 2013, the Fund owed the Adviser $35,725.
Effective November 1, 2013, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual fund operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with GAAP, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, dividend expense on short sales, and expenses that the Fund has incurred but did not actually pay because of an expense offset arrangement, if applicable, incurred by the Fund in any fiscal year, do not exceed 1.10% of the Fund’s average daily net assets through February 28, 2015. The operating expense limitation also excludes any fees and expenses of acquired funds. For the year ended October 31, 2013 the expense cap was 1.40%.
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, expenses totaling $40,437 were waived or reimbursed by the Adviser. Each waiver or reimbursement by the Adviser with respect to the Fund is subject to repayment by the Fund within the three fiscal years following the fiscal year in which that particular waiver or reimbursement occurred, provided that the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver and any expense limitation in place at the time of repayment.
The amount subject to repayment by the Fund pursuant to the aforementioned conditions are as follows:
Recoverable through | ||
Amount | October 31, | |
$115,029 | 2015 | |
40,437 | 2016 |
The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”) to manage the Fund’s business affairs and provide the Fund with administrative services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $37,500 for administrative services provided to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, HASI was owed $3,125 from the Fund for administrative services. Certain officers and one Trustee of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. HASI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) and Huntington National Bank, the custodian of the Fund’s investments (the “Custodian”). For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Custodian earned fees of $13,131 for custody services provided to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, the Custodian was owed $2,271 from the Fund for custody services.
The Trust also retains HASI to act as the Fund’s transfer agent and to provide fund accounting services. For the year end October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $35,920 for transfer agent services to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, the Fund owed HASI $2,972 for transfer agent services. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $25,000 from the Fund for fund accounting services. At October 31, 2013, HASI was owed $2,082 from the Fund for fund accounting services.
During the year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund paid $7,531 to Kovitz Securities, LLC, an affiliate of the Adviser, on the execution of purchases and sales of the Fund’s portfolio investments.
Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) acts as the principal underwriter of the Fund’s shares. There were no payments made by the Fund to the Distributor during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013. An officer of the Trust is an officer of the Distributor and such person may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Distributor.
18
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 6. LINE OF CREDIT
During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, entered into an agreement with The Huntington National Bank, the custodian of the Fund’s investments, to open a secured line of credit, expiring on September 10, 2014; borrowings under these arrangements bear interest at LIBOR plus 1.500%. As of October 31, 2013, the Fund has no outstanding balances. The Fund has a line of credit available for the lesser of $1,000,000 or 5% of the Fund’s daily market value; however, the Fund did not borrow on its line of credit during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013.
NOTE 7. INVESTMENTS
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments and short-term U.S. government obligations, were as follows:
Purchases | ||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | ||
Other | 19,946,893 | |||
Sales | ||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | ||
Other | 6,866,997 |
NOTE 8. ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
NOTE 9. BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of a fund, under Section 2(a) (9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. At October 31, 2013, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., for the benefit of its customers, owned 42.72%. The Trust does not know whether Charles Schwab or any of the underlying beneficial owners owned or controlled 25% or more of the voting securities of the Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund.
19
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 10. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION
At October 31, 2013, the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments, including written options, for tax purposes was as follows:
Gross Appreciation | $ | 9,764,174 | ||
Gross (Depreciation) | (220,690 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments | $ | 9,543,484 | ||
|
|
At October 31, 2013, the aggregate cost of securities, excluding U.S. government obligations, for federal income tax purposes was $37,735,958 and premiums received for written options was $42,321 for the Fund.
On December 17, 2013, the Fund paid an income distribution of $0.026378 per share, a short-term capital gain distribution of $0.020795 per share, and a long-term capital gain distribution of $0.515039 per share to shareholders of record.
The tax characterization of distributions for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2013 and 2012 was as follows:
2013 | 2012 | |||||||
Distributions paid from: | ||||||||
Ordinary Income* | $ | 237,070 | $ | — | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Distributions | $ | 237,070 | $ | — | ||||
|
|
|
|
* | Short term capital gain distributions are treated as ordinary income for tax purposes. |
At October 31, 2013, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:
Undistributed ordinary income | $ | 76,019 | ||
Undistributed long term capital gains | 1,642,180 | |||
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | 9,543,484 | |||
Accumulated capital and other losses | (3,261 | ) | ||
|
| |||
$ | 11,258,422 | |||
|
|
NOTE 11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
The Fund indemnifies its officers and trustees for certain liabilities that may arise from their performance of their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred.
20
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
NOTE 12. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Management of the Fund has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. Based on this evaluation, and at a Board meeting held December 9-11, 2013, Andrea N. Mullins was appointed to serve as Trustee to the Trust and Bryan W. Ashmus was appointed to serve as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer. This information is reflected in the “Trustees and Officers” table.
21
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
(Valued Advisers Trust)
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedules of investments and written options, of Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund (the “Fund”), a series of the Valued Advisers Trust, as of October 31, 2013, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, and the statements of changes in net assets and the financial highlights for each of the two periods in the period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers, or by other appropriate auditing procedures where replies from brokers were not received. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund as of October 31, 2013, results of its operations for the year then ended, and the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for each of the two periods in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
December 27, 2013
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS (Unaudited)
The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires or is removed.
The following tables provide information regarding the Trustees and Officers.
The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind, 77, Independent Trustee, August 2008 to present. | Retired; Consultant to Battelle Memorial Institute (International Science and Technology Research Enterprise) on business investments. | |
Ira Cohen, 54 Independent Trustee, June 2010 to present. | Independent financial services consultant (Feb. 2005—present). | |
Andrea N. Mullins, 46 Independent Trustee, starting December 2013 | Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer, Secretary of the Eagle Family of Funds 2004-2010; Chief Financial Officer of Eagle Fund Services (a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial) 2008-2010; Vice President and Treasurer of Eagle Fund Services 1996-2008. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present. | Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Principal Executive Officer and President, February 2010 to present. | Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust since June 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. | |
John C. Swhear, 52, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance for Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007; Chief Compliance Officer of Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007; Senior Vice President of the Unified Series Trust since May 2007; Secretary of Huntington Funds since April 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, 2007 to March 2010. |
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Carol J. Highsmith, 48, Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration. | |
Matthew J. Miller, 37, Vice President, December 2011 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President of Huntington Funds since February 2010. | |
Bryan W. Ashmus, 40, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer, December 2013 to present | Vice President, Financial Administration, HASI (September 2013 to present); Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, The Huntington Strategy Shares and The Huntington Funds Trust (November 2013 to present). Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., (May 2005 to September 2013). | |
Heather Bonds, 38, Secretary, September 2012 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January of 2004; currently Certified Paralegal and Section Manager 2. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
OTHER INFORMATION
The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (888) 442-9893 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.
MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT RENEWAL (Unaudited)
At a meeting held on June 10-11, 2013, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) considered the renewal of the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Agreement”) between the Trust and Kovitz Investment Group, LLC (the “Adviser”) with respect to the Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund (the “Fund”). Counsel noted that the 1940 Act requires the approval of the investment advisory agreement between the Trust and its investment adviser by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Board then specifically discussed the arrangements between the Adviser and the Trust with respect to the Fund. The Board reviewed a memorandum from Counsel, and addressed to the Trustees that summarized, among other things, the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the renewal of the Agreement. A copy of this memorandum was circulated to the Trustees in advance of the Meeting. Counsel discussed with the Trustees the types of information and factors that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision regarding the approval of the renewal of the Agreement, including the following material factors: (i) the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser; (ii) the investment performance of the Fund; (iii) the costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund; (iv) the extent to which economies of scale would be realized if the Fund grows and whether advisory fee levels reflect those economies of scale for the benefit of the Fund’s investors; and (v) the Adviser’s practices regarding possible conflicts of interest.
In assessing these factors and reaching its decisions, the Board took into consideration information furnished for the Board’s review and consideration throughout the year at regular Board meetings, as well as information specifically prepared and/or presented in connection with the annual renewal process, including information presented at the Meeting. The Board requested and was provided with information and reports relevant to the annual renewal of the Agreement, including: (i) reports regarding the services and support provided to the Fund and its shareholders by the Adviser; (ii) quarterly assessments of the investment performance of the Fund by personnel of the Adviser; (iii) commentary on the reasons for the performance; (iv) presentations by Fund management addressing the Adviser’s investment philosophy, investment strategy, personnel and operations; (v) compliance and audit reports concerning the Fund and the Adviser; (vi) disclosure information contained in the registration statement of the Trust and the Form ADV of the Adviser; and (vii) a memorandum from Counsel, that summarized the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the Agreement, including the material factors set forth above and the types of information included in each factor that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision. The Board also requested and received various informational materials including, without limitation: (i) documents containing information about the Adviser, including financial information, a description of personnel and the services provided to the Fund, information on investment advice, performance, summaries of Fund expenses, compliance program, current legal matters, and other general information; (ii) comparative expense and performance information for other mutual funds with strategies similar to the Fund; (iii) the anticipated effect of size on the Fund’s performance and expenses; and (iv) benefits to be realized by the Adviser from its relationship with the Fund. The Board did not identify any particular information that was most relevant to its consideration to approve the Agreement and each Trustee may have afforded different weight to the various factors.
1. | The nature, extent, and quality of the services to be provided by the Adviser. In this regard, the Board considered the Adviser’s responsibilities under the Agreement. The Trustees considered the services being provided by the Adviser to the Fund including, without limitation: the quality of its investment advisory services (including research and recommendations with respect to portfolio securities), its process for formulating investment recommendations and assuring compliance with the Fund’s investment objectives and limitations, its coordination of services for the Fund among the Fund’s service providers, and its efforts to promote the Fund and grow its assets. The Trustees considered the Adviser’s continuity of, and commitment to retain, qualified personnel and the Adviser’s commitment to maintain its resources and systems and options that allow the Fund to maintain its goals, and the Adviser’s continued cooperation with the Independent Trustees and Counsel for the Fund. The Trustees considered the Adviser’s personnel, including the education and experience of the Adviser’s personnel. After considering the foregoing information and further information in the Meeting materials provided by the Adviser (including the Adviser’s Form ADV), the Board concluded that, in light of all the facts and circumstances, the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser were satisfactory and adequate for the Fund. |
2. | Investment Performance of the Fund and the Adviser. In considering the investment performance of the Fund and the Adviser, the Trustees compared the short-term performance, including the 1-year cumulative return and since inception annualized returns of the Fund with the performance of funds with similar objectives managed by other investment advisers, as well as with aggregated peer group data. The Trustees also considered the consistency of the Adviser’s management of the Fund with its investment objective, strategies, and limitations. The Trustees noted that the Fund’s performance in all periods (for the periods ending April 30, 2013) reviewed was above average and it was the best in its category since the Fund’s inception. The Trustees also considered the performance of the Adviser’s separate accounts that were managed in a manner similar to that of the Fund and they noted that the performance was very comparable. After reviewing and discussing the investment performance of the Fund further, the Adviser’s experience managing the Fund, the Fund’s historical performance, and other relevant factors, the Board concluded, in light of all the facts and circumstances, that the investment performance of the Fund and the Adviser was satisfactory. |
3. | The costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund. In considering the costs of services to be provided and the profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund, the Trustees considered: (1) the Adviser’s financial condition; (2) the asset levels of the Fund; (3) the overall expenses of the Fund; and (4) the nature and frequency of advisory fee payments. The Trustees reviewed information provided by the Adviser regarding its profits associated with managing the Fund. The Trustees also considered potential benefits for the Adviser in managing the Fund. The Trustees then compared the fees and expenses of the Fund (including the management fee) to other comparable mutual funds. The Trustees noted that the Fund’s management fee was among the highest in its peer group (and it was higher than its peer average and median), although the net expense ratios were only slightly above the peer average and median and could generally be viewed as comparable to that of the peers as a result of the Adviser’s contractual commitment to limit the expenses of the Fund. The Trustees noted that the management fee was less than those it charges to its separate account clients who had investment strategies and objectives similar to the Fund. Based on the foregoing, the Board concluded that the fees to be paid to the Adviser by the Fund and the profits to be realized by the Fund, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser. |
4. | The extent to which economies of scale would be realized as the Fund grows and whether advisory fee levels reflect these economies of scale for the benefit of the Fund’s investors. In this regard, the Board considered the Fund’s fee arrangements with the Adviser. The Board considered that while the management fee remained the same at all asset levels, the Fund’s shareholders had experienced benefits from the Fund’s expense limitation arrangement. The Trustees noted the Adviser’s representation that it intended to keep this arrangement in place even after the expiration of the current term of the arrangement. The Trustees noted that once the Fund’s expenses fell below the cap set by the arrangement, the Fund’s shareholders would continue to benefit from the economies of scale under the Fund’s agreements with service providers other than the Adviser. In light of its ongoing consideration of the Fund’s asset levels, expectations for growth in the Fund, and fee levels, the Board determined that the Fund’s fee arrangements, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser. |
5. | Possible conflicts of interest and benefits to the Adviser. In considering the Adviser’s practices regarding conflicts of interest, the Trustees evaluated the potential for conflicts of interest and considered such matters as the experience and ability of the advisory personnel assigned to the Fund; the basis of decisions to buy or sell securities for the Fund and/or the Adviser’s other accounts; and the substance and administration of the Adviser’s code of ethics. The Trustees also considered disclosure in the registration statement of the Trust relating to the Adviser’s potential conflicts of interest. The Trustees noted that the Adviser does not utilize soft dollars. The Trustees noted that the Adviser benefited from the Fund in that it is able to utilize the Fund as a vehicle into which to direct advisory clients with small account balances. The Trustees also noted that the Adviser executes trades for the Fund through its affiliated broker dealer and that it is able to benefit from certain hardware, software, administrative and reporting tools that its affiliated broker dealer receives. The Trustees did not identify any other potential benefits (other than the |
management fee) that would inure to the Adviser. Based on the foregoing, the Board determined that the standards and practices of the Adviser relating to the identification and mitigation of potential conflicts of interest and the benefits that it derives from managing the Fund are acceptable.
After additional consideration of the factors delineated in the memorandum provided by Counsel and further discussion among the Board, the Board determined to approve the continuation of the Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser.
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund
Other Federal Income Tax Information (Unaudited)
The Form 1099-DIV you receive in January 2014 will show the tax status of all distributions paid to your account in calendar year 2013. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax adviser with respect to the tax consequences of their investment in the Fund. As required by the Internal Revenue Code and/or regulations, shareholders must be notified regarding the status of qualified dividend income for individuals and the dividends received deduction for corporations.
Qualified Dividend Income. The Fund designates approximately 100% or up to the maximum amount of such dividends allowable pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code, as qualified dividend income eligible for the reduced tax rate of 15%.
Dividends Received Deduction. Corporate shareholders are generally entitled to take the dividends received deduction on the portion of the Fund’s dividend distribution that qualifies under tax law. For the Fund’s calendar year 2013 ordinary income dividends, 100% qualifies for the corporate dividends received deduction.
For the year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund designated $132,334 as short-term capital gain distributions.
PROXY VOTING
A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how the Fund voted those proxies is available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Fund at (888) 442-9893 and (2) from Fund documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
TRUSTEES
R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind
Ira Cohen
Andrea N. Mullins
OFFICERS
R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive Officer and President
John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President
Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President
Matthew J. Miller, Vice President
Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer
Heather Bonds, Secretary
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Kovitz Investment Group, LLC
115 LaSalle Street, 27th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603
DISTRIBUTOR
Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen Fund Audit Services Ltd.
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800
Cleveland, OH 44115
LEGAL COUNSEL
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.
A member firm of The 1940 Act Law GroupTM
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Ste. 310
Leawood, KS 66211
CUSTODIAN
Huntington National Bank
41 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT AND FUND ACCOUNTANT
Huntington Asset Services, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Fund’s prospectus which contains information about the Fund’s management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
Member FINRA/SIPC
PRIVACY POLICY
The following is a description of the Fund’s policies regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that you provide to the Fund or that the Fund collects from other sources. In the event that you hold shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of your financial intermediary would govern how your nonpublic personal information would be shared with nonaffiliated third parties.
Categories of Information the Fund Collects. The Fund collects the following nonpublic personal information about you:
• | Information the Fund receives from you on applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as your name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth); and |
• | Information about your transactions with the Fund, its affiliates, or others (such as your account number and balance, payment history, cost basis information, and other financial information). |
Categories of Information the Fund Discloses. The Fund does not disclose any nonpublic personal information about its current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. The Fund is permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to service providers (such as the Fund’s custodian, administrator, transfer agent, accountant and legal counsel) to process your transactions and otherwise provide services to you.
Confidentiality and Security. The Fund restricts access to your nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to you. The Fund maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information.
Disposal of Information. The Fund, through its transfer agent, has taken steps to reasonably ensure that the privacy of your nonpublic personal information is maintained at all times, including in connection with the disposal of information that is no longer required to be maintained by the Fund. Such steps shall include, whenever possible, shredding paper documents and records prior to disposal, requiring off-site storage vendors to shred documents maintained in such locations prior to disposal, and erasing and/or obliterating any data contained on electronic media in such a manner that the information can no longer be read or reconstructed.
Annual Report
October 31, 2013
|
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund
Fund Adviser:
Dreman Value Management, LLC
Harborside Financial Center, Plaza 10
Suite 800 Jersey City, NJ 07311
Toll Free: (800) 247-1014
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund |
Management’s Discussion of Fund Performance
Market Overview and Fund Performance
The Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund (the “Fund”) returned 35.55% (Institutional Share Class) during the 12-month period ended October 31, 2013. The Fund’s benchmark, the Russell 2000® Value Index, returned 32.83%. The U.S. stock market boasted strong returns as the economy continued to slowly improve and the Federal Reserve continued its aggressive stimulus and zero interest rate policy (ZIRP).
Performance Attribution
For the year our performance was highlighted by strong stock selection in Financials, Industrials, and Consumer Discretionary. Materials, Energy and Health Care weighed on performance.
Our stock selection and slight underweight position in Financials provided the largest alpha for the Fund. Capital Markets stocks were particularly strong as a return of equity inflows and strong market returns lifted the industry. Waddell & Reed was up nearly 96.0% for the year and Federated returned 30.3%. Our overweight position in Banks proved correct over the 12-month period, as banks continued to rebound post the financial crisis. While the scars are still visible in the financial landscape, the small cap banks have quietly improved their balance sheets and in particular their loan portfolios. In addition, they have managed their costs well and are well capitalized. Highlights include FirstMerit Corp. up 68.1%; BancorpSouth, up 56.8%; and Prosperity Bancshares, up 51.8%. We opportunistically took profits in many of our bank holdings and are now approximately equal weighted in this industry. Our continued underweight in the REIT space also added to performance during the year. REITS were the weakest performing Financial Industry for the year. Mortgage and Residential REITS actually posted a negative average return as investors grew concerned concerned about the effect of rising rates on their portfolios. We have had minimal exposure to this space over the past year, though the recent weakness has created attractive valuations which has peaked our contrarian instincts.
In terms of individual stocks, the largest contribution came from our position in Alliant Techsystems. The Aerospace and Defense company has seen robust growth in its sporting division, especially its sporting ammo. In addition, it made a strategic acquisition of Bushnell, a scope manufacturer that has added a leading product to its portfolio. Hanesbrands was also a strong performer for the year, up 105.0%. The company experienced strong revenue growth and margin expansion as they raised prices to offset raw material increases. We were forced to sell this winner this past summer as its market cap exceeded $5 billion. Enersys, a manufacturer of industrial back-up battery systems, was also a solid performer during the year, up 93.4%, as commodity prices stabilized leading to margin expansion.
On the negative side, our positions in the precious metal companies, Coeur Mining (-60.5%), Pan American Silver (-50.2%), and AuRico Gold (-49.5%) weighed on performance. Gold and silver prices have fallen from their peaks, and the earnings estimates for mining stocks have fallen sharply as a result. We made the decision to sell AuRico Gold during this volatile time as the company continued to struggle with operating issues which compounded the negative price movements of the precious metals. We maintain our other positions, but are choosing not to add to our weighting until there is a sign that the stocks have bottomed.
Outlook and Positioning
We remain optimistic on the overall outlook for small-cap stocks. The Federal Reserve is at a critical point with the transfer of the chairmanship to Janet Yellen in 2014 and potentially the tapering of its asset purchase program. However, we believe that the tapering will be positioned alongside a commitment to keep its ZIRP in place for as long as necessary to see continued improvement in the unemployment rate. Since 2008 over $400 billion has moved out of equity. Recently, this trend has reversed and flows are just starting to come back into equity funds. We believe bonds offer “return free risk” given the impact that rising rates will have on their prices and further flows into equities could provide fuel for a continued strong equity market.
This would be a positive for small-cap stocks, since valuations—while not as low as they were in 2008, or even one year ago—are still attractive at these levels. We believe that once investors move past the various uncertainties that currently overhang the market, such as debt ceiling negotiations in U.S. and the tapering of Federal Reserve asset purchases, the compelling valuations in the small-cap space should begin to receive more attention.
Annual Report
1
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund (Continued) |
Russell 2000® Value Index
The Russell 2000® Value Index measures the performance of small-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 2000® Value Index companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The Russell 2000® Value Index is constructed to provide a comprehensive and unbiased barometer for the small-cap value segment. The Index is completely reconstituted annually to ensure larger stocks do not distort the performance and characteristics of the true small-cap opportunity set and that the represented companies continue to reflect value characteristics. “Frank Russell Company (FRC) is the source and owner of the Russell Index data contained or reflected in this material and all trademarks and copyrights related thereto. The presentation may contain confidential information and unauthorized use, disclosure, copying, dissemination or redistribution is strictly prohibited. This is a Dreman Value Management presentation of the Russell Index data. Frank Russell Company is not responsible for the formatting or configuration of this material or for any inaccuracy in Dreman Value Management’s presentation thereof.” Investment Products: NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE
The Fund's performance quoted is past performance and does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-800-247-1014.
You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund's prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read and considered carefully before investing. You may obtain a current copy of the Fund's prospectus by calling 1-800-247-1014 or by visiting www.dreman.com/products/. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., 2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. (Member FINRA)
The opinions expressed are those of the investment management team and are subject to change without notice, as are statements of financial market trends, which are based on current conditions. Under no circumstances does the information contained within represent a recommendation to buy, hold or sell any security and it should not be assumed that the companies discussed were or will prove to be profitable. Current and future holdings are subject to risk. For more information please contact rfi@dreman.com.
© 2013 Dreman Value Management, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
This material has been prepared for investors and investment professionals, including broker-dealers and investment advisers.
Annual Report
2
Average Annual Total Returns (unaudited) As of October 31, 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Class A with Load | Class A without Load | Retail Class | Institutional Class | Russell 2000® Value Index1 | ||||||||||||||||
One Year | 27.74 | % | 35.56 | % | 35.38 | % | 35.55 | % | 32.83 | % | ||||||||||
Three Year | 11.76 | % | 13.99 | % | 13.92 | % | 14.12 | % | 16.33 | % | ||||||||||
Five Year | N/A | N/A | 15.36 | % | 15.49 | % | 14.84 | % | ||||||||||||
Since Inception (11/20/09) | 12.74 | % | 14.44 | % | N/A | N/A | 17.42 | % | ||||||||||||
Since Inception (8/22/07) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7.09 | % | 5.72 | % | |||||||||||||
Since Inception (12/31/03) | N/A | N/A | 11.17 | % | N/A | 7.94 | % | |||||||||||||
Expense Ratios2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Gross | 1.44 | % | 1.44 | % | 1.19 | % | ||||||||||||||
With Applicable Waivers | 1.25 | % | 1.25 | % | 1.00 | % |
The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. THE FUND’S RETURNS REPRESENT PAST PERFORMANCE AND DO NOT PREDICT FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown are net of all recurring expenses. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end, or to request a prospectus or summary prospectus, please call 1-800-247-1014.
You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risk, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus and summary prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The total return figures set forth above include all waivers of fees for various periods since inception. Without such fee waivers, the total returns would have been lower. Total return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume reinvestment of all distributions. Total return figures exclude any applicable sales charges.
1 | The Russell 2000® Value Index ("Index") is an unmanaged benchmark that assumes reinvestment of all distributions and excludes the effect of taxes and fees. The Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than are found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in the Index; however, an individual can invest in ETFs or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. |
2 | The expense ratios are from the Fund's prospectus dated February 28, 2013. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse certain operating expenses through February 28, 2014, but only to the extent necessary so that the Fund's net expenses, excluding brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as (a) interest expense and (b) dividends on securities sold short), taxes, extraordinary expenses, 12b-1 fees (Class A and Retail Class), and any indirect expenses (such as fees and expenses of acquired funds), do not exceed 1.00%. Additional information pertaining to the Fund's expense ratios as of October 31, 2013 can be found on the financial highlights. |
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
Annual Report
3
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund (Continued)
The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on December 31, 2003 (commencement of Retail Class operations) and held through October 31, 2013. The Russell 2000® Value Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity securities. Individuals cannot invest directly in the index; however, an individual can invest in ETFs or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. The Index returns do not reflect expenses, which have been deducted from the Fund’s returns. These performance figures include the change in value of the securities in the index plus the reinvestment of distributions and are not annualized. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. THE FUND’S RETURN REPRESENTS PAST PERFORMANCE AND DOES NOT PREDICT FUTURE RESULTS. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that Fund shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted.
For more information on the Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund Retail Class, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end, or to request a prospectus or summary prospectus, please call 1-800-247-1014. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risk, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus and summary prospectus contains important information about the Fund’s investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, charges and expenses, and other information and should be read carefully before investing.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
Annual Report
4
Fund Holdings (Unaudited) |
1 | As a percent of net assets. |
Summary of Fund’s Expenses – (Unaudited)
As a shareholder of one of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs (such as short-term redemption fees); and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This Example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The Fund’s example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period (May 1, 2013 through October 31, 2013).
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Expenses shown are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs such as the fee imposed on short-term redemptions. Therefore, the second line of the table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative costs of owning different funds. If incurred, the short-term redemption fee imposed by the Fund would increase your expenses.
Annual Report
5
Fund Holdings (Unaudited) (Continued)
Beginning Account Value, May 1, 2013 | Ending Account Value, October 31, 2013 | Expenses Paid During Period(1) | Annualized Expense Ratio | |||||||||||||||||
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund |
| |||||||||||||||||||
Class A Shares | Actual | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,100.70 | $ | 6.62 | 1.25 | % | |||||||||||
Hypothetical | (2) | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,018.90 | $ | 6.36 | 1.25 | % | |||||||||||
Retail Shares | Actual | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,166.70 | $ | 6.83 | 1.25 | % | |||||||||||
Hypothetical | (2) | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,018.90 | $ | 6.36 | 1.25 | % | |||||||||||
Institutional Shares | Actual | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,167.50 | $ | 5.46 | 1.00 | % | |||||||||||
Hypothetical | (2) | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,020.16 | $ | 5.09 | 1.00 | % |
(1) | Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). The annualized expense ratios reflect reimbursement of expenses by the Fund’s Adviser for the period beginning May 1, 2013 to October 31, 2013. The “Financial Highlights” tables in the Fund’s financial statements, included in the report, also show the gross expense ratios, without such reimbursements. |
(2) | Hypothetical assumes 5% annual return before expenses. |
Annual Report
6
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund | October 31, 2013 |
Schedule of Investments |
Shares | Value | |||||||||
| Common Stocks — 97.3% | |||||||||
| Consumer Discretionary — 9.9% | |||||||||
22,950 | Aaron’s, Inc. | $ | 651,092 | |||||||
60,920 | American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. * | 1,133,721 | ||||||||
22,580 | Big Lots, Inc. * | 821,009 | ||||||||
22,750 | Brinker International, Inc. | 1,010,555 | ||||||||
6,650 | CEC Entertainment, Inc. | 308,228 | ||||||||
15,353 | Helen of Troy Ltd. * | 717,292 | ||||||||
13,297 | Hillenbrand, Inc. | 375,241 | ||||||||
9,114 | John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Class A | 458,343 | ||||||||
56,838 | Jones Group, Inc./The | 883,263 | ||||||||
6,530 | Matthews International Corp., Class A | 265,118 | ||||||||
18,024 | Meredith Corp. | 924,631 | ||||||||
26,790 | Valassis Communications, Inc. | 732,974 | ||||||||
8,281,467 | ||||||||||
| Energy — 4.2% | |||||||||
17,725 | Atwood Oceanics, Inc. * | 941,729 | ||||||||
30,455 | Superior Energy Services, Inc. * | 817,108 | ||||||||
38,330 | Ultra Petroleum Corp. * | 703,739 | ||||||||
20,250 | Unit Corp. * | 1,041,052 | ||||||||
3,503,628 | ||||||||||
| Financials — 27.0% | |||||||||
8,951 | Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings AG | 969,304 | ||||||||
19,830 | Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. | 773,568 | ||||||||
64,320 | Associated Banc-Corp. | 1,045,843 | ||||||||
40,240 | BancorpSouth, Inc. | 889,304 | ||||||||
5,819 | Chemical Financial Corp. | 170,439 | ||||||||
6,335 | City National Corp. | 456,817 | ||||||||
26,930 | East West Bancorp, Inc. | 907,272 | ||||||||
15,030 | Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. | 831,009 | ||||||||
13,473 | Federated Investors, Inc., Class B | 365,388 | ||||||||
74,920 | First Horizon National Corp. | 797,898 | ||||||||
21,020 | First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. | 349,563 | ||||||||
81,889 | First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. | 903,236 | ||||||||
38,149 | FirstMerit Corp. | 856,827 | ||||||||
67,670 | Fulton Financial Corp. | 826,251 | �� | |||||||
28,125 | Hancock Holding Co. | 921,938 | ||||||||
20,265 | Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. | 1,186,313 | ||||||||
5,395 | Independent Bank Corp. | 193,573 | ||||||||
24,130 | Interactive Brokers Group, Inc., Class A | 497,802 | ||||||||
10,214 | International Bancshares Corp. | 233,390 | ||||||||
66,120 | Janus Capital Group, Inc. | 652,604 | ||||||||
35,012 | KKR Financial Holdings LLC (a) | 346,969 | ||||||||
5,885 | Lakeland Financial Corp. | 209,447 | ||||||||
14,745 | Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. | 407,109 | ||||||||
8,955 | NBT Bancorp, Inc. | 218,233 | ||||||||
6,817 | Nelnet, Inc., Class A | 290,609 | ||||||||
8,972 | Platinum Underwriters Holdings Ltd. | 557,969 | ||||||||
28,665 | Prospect Capital Corp. | 325,061 | ||||||||
12,323 | Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. | 769,571 | ||||||||
21,628 | Protective Life Corp. | 996,618 | ||||||||
25,150 | Symetra Financial Corp. | 471,060 | ||||||||
26,817 | TCF Financial Corp. | 407,082 | ||||||||
21,120 | Umpqua Holdings Corp. | 345,734 | ||||||||
17,189 | Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., Class A | 1,061,421 | ||||||||
38,380 | Washington Federal, Inc. | 874,296 |
Shares | Value | |||||||||
| Common Stocks — (Continued) | |||||||||
| Financials — (Continued) | |||||||||
18,100 | Webster Financial Corp. | $ | 504,809 | |||||||
5,220 | WesBanco, Inc. | 153,468 | ||||||||
18,916 | Wintrust Financial Corp. | 823,035 | ||||||||
22,590,830 | ||||||||||
| Health Care — 6.3% | |||||||||
20,932 | Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. * | 1,030,064 | ||||||||
13,150 | Gentiva Health Services, Inc. * | 150,568 | ||||||||
19,775 | Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. | 816,510 | ||||||||
11,640 | Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corp. * | 532,879 | ||||||||
26,690 | Kindred Healthcare, Inc. | 370,457 | ||||||||
19,810 | LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. * | 1,022,988 | ||||||||
23,677 | Owens & Minor, Inc. | 885,993 | ||||||||
29,660 | Select Medical Holdings Corp. | 251,517 | ||||||||
12,783 | Triple-S Management Corp., Class B * | 227,665 | ||||||||
5,288,641 | ||||||||||
| Industrials — 20.5% | |||||||||
16,041 | AAR Corp. | 469,680 | ||||||||
20,240 | ABM Industries, Inc. | 556,802 | ||||||||
13,582 | Aegion Corp. * | 278,431 | ||||||||
58,774 | Aircastle Ltd. | 1,109,065 | ||||||||
9,970 | Alliant Techsystems, Inc. | 1,085,434 | ||||||||
13,897 | Barnes Group, Inc. | 493,899 | ||||||||
13,109 | Brady Corp., Class A | 382,652 | ||||||||
29,610 | Brink’s Co./The | 929,754 | ||||||||
11,620 | Carlisle Cos., Inc. | 844,542 | ||||||||
13,582 | Crane Co. | 862,457 | ||||||||
21,642 | Curtiss-Wright Corp. | 1,077,339 | ||||||||
11,160 | EMCOR Group, Inc. | 413,590 | ||||||||
17,120 | EnerSys | 1,135,912 | ||||||||
10,482 | Esterline Technologies Corp. * | 840,237 | ||||||||
25,514 | General Cable Corp. | 840,176 | ||||||||
3,253 | Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc., Class A | 255,165 | ||||||||
23,540 | ITT Corp. | 935,244 | ||||||||
3,480 | LB Foster Co., Class A | 162,690 | ||||||||
11,468 | Navigant Consulting, Inc. * | 198,970 | ||||||||
16,340 | Ryder System, Inc. | 1,075,662 | ||||||||
6,710 | SPX Corp. | 608,664 | ||||||||
22,459 | Trinity Industries, Inc. | 1,137,099 | ||||||||
33,000 | Tutor Perini Corp. * | 757,350 | ||||||||
13,030 | URS Corp. | 706,487 | ||||||||
17,157,301 | ||||||||||
| Information Technology — 12.4% | |||||||||
48,058 | ARRIS Group, Inc. * | 858,316 | ||||||||
126,339 | Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. * | 1,013,239 | ||||||||
31,170 | Celestica, Inc. * | 341,623 | ||||||||
13,070 | CSG Systems International, Inc. | 364,130 | ||||||||
11,605 | DST Systems, Inc. | 983,756 | ||||||||
11,889 | EPIQ Systems, Inc. | 177,859 | ||||||||
34,725 | Ingram Micro, Inc., Class A * | 804,578 | ||||||||
12,717 | Itron, Inc. * | 542,634 | ||||||||
35,619 | Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc. * | 459,485 | ||||||||
11,870 | ManTech International Corp., Class A | 331,648 |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
Annual Report
7
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund | (Continued) |
Shares | Value | |||||||||
| Common Stocks — (Continued) | |||||||||
| Information Technology — (Continued) | |||||||||
33,760 | Mentor Graphics Corp. | $ | 745,421 | |||||||
32,135 | Microsemi Corp. * | 807,553 | ||||||||
20,660 | Plantronics, Inc. | 887,140 | ||||||||
76,030 | QLogic Corp. * | 938,970 | ||||||||
25,117 | Sanmina Corp. * | 365,704 | ||||||||
11,848 | Sykes Enterprises, Inc. * | 221,795 | ||||||||
8,167 | Tech Data Corp. * | 425,174 | ||||||||
17,471 | TTM Technologies, Inc. * | 152,871 | ||||||||
10,421,896 | ||||||||||
| Materials — 6.8% | |||||||||
8,455 | A. Schulman, Inc. | 280,030 | ||||||||
9,585 | AMCOL International Corp. | 307,487 | ||||||||
20,419 | Cabot Corp. | 951,730 | ||||||||
30,896 | Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. * | 377,240 | ||||||||
27,932 | Huntsman Corp. | 648,581 | ||||||||
5,227 | Koppers Holdings, Inc. | 232,654 | ||||||||
36,510 | Olin Corp. | 821,840 | ||||||||
38,462 | Pan American Silver Corp. | 408,082 | ||||||||
49,664 | Steel Dynamics, Inc. | 892,462 | ||||||||
18,236 | Worthington Industries, Inc. | 739,287 | ||||||||
5,659,393 | ||||||||||
| Real Estate Investment Trusts — 7.3% | |||||||||
31,060 | Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. | 405,644 | ||||||||
25,204 | Associated Estates Realty Corp. | 386,629 | ||||||||
71,005 | Brandywine Realty Trust | 1,010,401 | ||||||||
48,405 | CapLease, Inc. | 411,443 | ||||||||
36,985 | CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. | 732,673 | ||||||||
31,934 | Hospitality Properties Trust | 938,221 | ||||||||
32,815 | Mack-Cali Realty Corp. | 674,676 | ||||||||
28,850 | Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. | 958,974 | ||||||||
34,465 | Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust | 624,850 | ||||||||
6,143,511 | ||||||||||
| Utilities — 2.9% | |||||||||
18,130 | IDACORP, Inc. | 935,508 | ||||||||
29,416 | Portland General Electric Co. | 844,239 | ||||||||
38,500 | TECO Energy, Inc. | 661,045 | ||||||||
2,440,792 | ||||||||||
| Total Common Stocks (Cost $59,181,011) | 81,487,459 | ||||||||
| Exchange-Traded Funds — 1.5% | |||||||||
11,627 | iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund | 1,270,017 | ||||||||
| Total Exchange-Traded Funds (Cost $989,762) | 1,270,017 | ||||||||
| Money Market Securities — 0.9% | |||||||||
778,785 | Huntington Money Market Fund, Trust Shares, 0.010% (b) (c) | 778,785 | ||||||||
| Total Money Market Securities (Cost $778,785) | 778,785 | ||||||||
| Total Investments | 83,536,261 | ||||||||
| Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities — 0.3% | 234,864 | ||||||||
| Net Assets — 100.0% | $ | 83,771,125 |
(a) | Master Limited Partnership. |
(b) | Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of October 31, 2013. |
(c) | Affiliated fund. |
* | Non-income producing security. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
Annual Report
8
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
October 31, 2013
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund | ||||
Assets: | ||||
Investments in securities, at cost | $ | 60,170,773 | ||
Investments in affiliated securities, at cost | 778,785 | |||
Investments in securities, at value | 82,757,476 | |||
Investments in affiliated securities, at value | 778,785 | |||
Dividends receivable | 54,106 | |||
Receivable for investments sold | 264,572 | |||
Receivable for fund shares sold | 51,326 | |||
Prepaid expenses | 26,331 | |||
Total assets | 83,932,596 | |||
Liabilities: | ||||
Payable for shares redeemed | 37,847 | |||
Payable to administrator | 20,769 | |||
Payable to custodian | 5,264 | |||
Payable to Adviser | 52,320 | |||
Payable to trustees and officers | 1,359 | |||
Accrued 12b-1 fees | 14,510 | |||
Other accrued expenses | 29,402 | |||
Total Liabilities | 161,471 | |||
Net Assets | $ | 83,771,125 | ||
Net Assets consist of: | ||||
Paid in capital | $ | 49,501,113 | ||
Accumulated undistributed net investment income | 525,709 | |||
Accumulated undistributed net realized gain on investments | 11,157,600 | |||
Net unrealized appreciation | 22,586,703 | |||
Net Assets | $ | 83,771,125 | ||
Net Assets (unlimited number of shares authorized) | ||||
Class A: | ||||
Net Assets | $ | 5,106,108 | ||
Shares outstanding | 214,403 | |||
Net asset value and redemption price per share | $ | 23.82 | ||
Offering price per share (NAV/0.9425) (a) | $ | 25.27 | ||
Retail Class: | ||||
Net Assets | $ | 63,976,230 | ||
Shares outstanding | 2,680,441 | |||
Net asset value and offering price per share | $ | 23.87 | ||
Redemption price per share (NAV * 0.99) (b) | $ | 23.63 | ||
Institutional Class: | ||||
Net Assets | $ | 14,688,787 | ||
Shares outstanding | 612,490 | |||
Net asset value, offering and redemption price per share | $ | 23.98 | ||
(a) | Class A shares impose a maximum 5.75% sales charge on purchases. |
(b) | A redemption fee of 1.00% is charged on shares held less than 60 days. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
Annual Report
9
Statement of Operations
Year Ended October 31, 2013
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund | ||||
Investment Income: | ||||
Dividend income | $ | 1,588,316 | ||
Dividend income from affiliated securities | 120 | |||
Foreign dividend taxes withheld | (2,349 | ) | ||
Total investment income | 1,586,087 | |||
Expenses: | ||||
Investment Adviser fee | 684,309 | |||
12b-1 expense: | ||||
Class A | 10,808 | |||
Retail Class | 158,361 | |||
Administration expenses | 162,175 | |||
Legal expenses | 21,010 | |||
Registration expenses | 47,525 | |||
Printing expenses | 24,852 | |||
Auditing expenses | 14,650 | |||
Custodian expenses | 36,481 | |||
Trustee fees and expenses | 16,811 | |||
Miscellaneous expenses | 7,277 | |||
Pricing expenses | 4,911 | |||
Insurance expenses | 503 | |||
Other expenses—overdraft fee | 4,852 | |||
Total expenses | 1,194,525 | |||
Fees waived by Adviser | (215,534 | ) | ||
Net operating expenses | 978,991 | |||
Net investment income | 607,096 | |||
Realized & Unrealized Gain on Investments | ||||
Net realized gain on investment securities | 12,164,654 | |||
Change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities | 11,804,804 | |||
Net realized and unrealized gain on investment securities | 23,969,458 | |||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | $ | 24,576,554 | ||
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
Annual Report
10
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund | ||||||||
Year Ended October 31, 2013 | Year Ended October 31, 2012 | |||||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets due to: | ||||||||
Operations: | ||||||||
Net investment income | $ | 607,096 | $ | 549,304 | ||||
Net realized gain on investment securities | 12,164,654 | 1,026,473 | ||||||
Change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities | 11,804,804 | 7,273,010 | ||||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | 24,576,554 | 8,848,787 | ||||||
Distributions: | ||||||||
From net investment income, Class A | (16,349 | ) | (19,922 | ) | ||||
From net investment income, Retail Class | (292,834 | ) | (763,271 | ) | ||||
From net investment income, Institutional Class | (55,644 | ) | (138,006 | ) | ||||
From realized gain, Class A | (33,363 | ) | (177,353 | ) | ||||
From realized gain, Retail Class | (597,247 | ) | (7,279,617 | ) | ||||
From realized gain, Institutional Class | (113,488 | ) | (993,737 | ) | ||||
Total distributions | (1,108,925 | ) | (9,371,906 | ) | ||||
Capital Transactions—Class A: | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 1,779,662 | 1,476,196 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 48,434 | 190,845 | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (1,184,391 | ) | (429,013 | ) | ||||
Total Class A | 643,705 | 1,238,028 | ||||||
Capital Transactions—Retail Class: | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 9,514,704 | 9,832,906 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 871,077 | 7,922,754 | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (34,677,105 | ) | (30,077,921 | ) | ||||
Proceeds from redemption fees(a) | 616 | 3,978 | ||||||
Total Retail Class | (24,290,708 | ) | (12,318,283 | ) | ||||
Capital Transactions—Institutional Class: | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 6,044,510 | 5,757,622 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 111,665 | 539,086 | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (8,563,303 | ) | (4,582,110 | ) | ||||
Total Institutional Class | (2,407,128 | ) | 1,714,598 | |||||
Net change resulting from capital transactions | (26,054,131 | ) | (9,365,657 | ) | ||||
Total Decrease in Net Assets | (2,586,502 | ) | (9,888,776 | ) | ||||
Net Assets: | ||||||||
Beginning of year | 86,357,627 | 96,246,403 | ||||||
End of year | $ | 83,771,125 | $ | 86,357,627 | ||||
Accumulated undistributed net investment income included in net assets at end of year | $ | 525,709 | $ | 292,771 | ||||
Share Transactions—Class A: | ||||||||
Shares sold | 92,723 | 84,226 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 2,644 | 11,995 | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (59,581 | ) | (24,654 | ) | ||||
Total Class A | 35,786 | 71,567 | ||||||
Share Transactions—Retail Class: | ||||||||
Shares sold | 476,871 | 576,620 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 47,419 | 496,102 | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (1,763,072 | ) | (1,726,963 | ) | ||||
Total Retail Class | (1,238,782 | ) | (654,241 | ) | ||||
Share Transactions—Institutional Class: | ||||||||
Shares sold | 280,658 | 331,118 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 6,056 | 33,693 | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (409,909 | ) | (259,732 | ) | ||||
Total Institutional Class | (123,195 | ) | 105,079 |
(a) | A redemption fee of 1.00% is charged on shares held less than 60 days. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
Annual Report
11
Financial Highlights
(For a share outstanding throughout each period)
Net Asset Value, beginning of period | Net investment income (loss) | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | Total from investment operations | Distributions from net investment income | Distributions | Total distributions | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DREMAN CONTRARIAN SMALL CAP VALUE FUND | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A Shares | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2010(b) | $ | 16.04 | 0.10 | (c) | 2.30 | 2.40 | (0.14 | ) | — | (0.14 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
2011 | $ | 18.30 | 0.10 | (0.22 | ) | (0.12 | ) | (0.13 | ) | — | (0.13 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
2012 | $ | 18.07 | 0.11 | 1.47 | 1.58 | (0.19 | ) | (1.66 | ) | (1.85 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
2013 | $ | 17.80 | 0.12 | 6.14 | 6.26 | (0.08 | ) | (0.16 | ) | (0.24 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Retail Class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | $ | 13.51 | 0.07 | 2.12 | 2.19 | (0.06 | ) | (0.06 | ) | (0.12 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
2010 | $ | 15.59 | 0.09 | 2.80 | 2.89 | (0.13 | ) | — | (0.13 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
2011 | $ | 18.35 | 0.11 | (0.22 | ) | (0.11 | ) | (0.13 | ) | — | (0.13 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
2012 | $ | 18.11 | 0.11 | 1.47 | 1.58 | (0.17 | ) | (1.66 | ) | (1.83 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
2013 | $ | 17.86 | 0.17 | 6.08 | 6.25 | (0.08 | ) | (0.16 | ) | (0.24 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Institutional Class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | $ | 13.55 | 0.10 | (c) | 1.94 | 2.04 | (0.06 | ) | (0.06 | ) | (0.12 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
2010 | $ | 15.47 | 0.14 | 2.93 | 3.07 | (0.14 | ) | — | (0.14 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
2011 | $ | 18.40 | 0.31 | (0.38 | ) | (0.07 | ) | (0.14 | ) | — | (0.14 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
2012 | $ | 18.19 | 0.14 | 1.48 | 1.62 | (0.23 | ) | (1.66 | ) | (1.89 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
2013 | $ | 17.92 | 0.20 | 6.10 | 6.30 | (0.08 | ) | (0.16 | ) | (0.24 | ) |
(a) | Total return represents the rate the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends, and excludes any sales charges and redemption fees. |
(b) | For the period November 20, 2009 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2010. |
(c) | Per share amount has been calculated using the average shares method. |
(d) | Not Annualized. |
(e) | Annualized. |
(f) | The expense ratios shown include overdraft fees charged to the Fund. Without these overdraft fees, the expense ratios would be 1.25% for Class A and Retail Class and 1.00% for Institutional Class. |
(g) | Effective June 1, 2009, the Adviser discontinued the voluntary waiver of 12b-1 fees. Accordingly, if the Adviser had not voluntarily reimbursed the Fund for these expenses, each expense ratio would have been 0.12% higher and each net investment income ratio would have been 0.12% lower. |
(h) | Amount is less than $0.005. |
(i) | Effective June 1, 2009, the Adviser agreed to waive fees to maintain Fund expenses at 1.00%. Prior to that date, the expense cap was 1.25%. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
Annual Report
12
Paid in capital from redemption fees | Net Asset Value, end of period | Total return(a) | Net Assets, end of period (000 omitted) | Ratio of net expenses to average net assets | Ratio of expenses (prior to reimbursements) to average net assets | Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets | Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets before waiver & reimbursement by advisor | Portfolio turnover rate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
— | $ | 18.30 | 15.00 | %(d) | $ | 275 | 1.25 | %(e) | 1.59 | %(e) | 0.62 | %(e) | 0.28 | %(e) | 35.75 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
0.02 | $ | 18.07 | (0.60 | )% | $ | 1,935 | 1.25 | % | 1.49 | % | 0.46 | % | 0.22 | % | 44.08 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
— | $ | 17.80 | 9.92 | % | $ | 3,180 | 1.25 | % | 1.75 | % | 0.55 | % | 0.05 | % | 30.19 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
— | $ | 23.82 | 35.56 | % | $ | 5,106 | 1.26 | %(f) | 1.51 | % | 0.65 | % | 0.40 | % | 28.28 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
0.01 | $ | 15.59 | 16.51 | % | $ | 72,442 | 1.38 | %(g) | 2.18 | % | 0.54 | %(g) | (0.26 | )% | 80.75 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
— | (h) | $ | 18.35 | 18.61 | % | $ | 105,796 | 1.25 | % | 1.58 | % | 0.53 | % | 0.20 | % | 35.75 | % | |||||||||||||||||
— | (h) | $ | 18.11 | (0.66 | )% | $ | 82,840 | 1.25 | % | 1.51 | % | 0.57 | % | 0.32 | % | 44.08 | % | |||||||||||||||||
— | (h) | $ | 17.86 | 9.93 | % | $ | 69,992 | 1.25 | % | 1.74 | % | 0.56 | % | 0.06 | % | 30.19 | % | |||||||||||||||||
— | (h) | $ | 23.87 | 35.38 | % | $ | 63,976 | 1.26 | %(f) | 1.53 | % | 0.72 | % | 0.45 | % | 28.28 | % | |||||||||||||||||
— | $ | 15.47 | 15.27 | % | $ | 15,309 | 1.09 | %(i) | 2.06 | % | 0.74 | % | (0.23 | )% | 80.75 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
— | $ | 18.40 | 19.90 | % | $ | 19,300 | 1.00 | % | 1.34 | % | 0.79 | % | 0.45 | % | 35.75 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
— | $ | 18.19 | (0.44 | )% | $ | 11,472 | 1.00 | % | 1.26 | % | 0.85 | % | 0.59 | % | 44.08 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
— | $ | 17.92 | 10.14 | % | $ | 13,185 | 1.00 | % | 1.49 | % | 0.80 | % | 0.30 | % | 30.19 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
— | $ | 23.98 | 35.55 | % | $ | 14,689 | 1.01 | %(f) | 1.27 | % | 0.95 | % | 0.68 | % | 28.28 | % |
Annual Report
13
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
Note 1. Organization
The Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund (the “Fund”) is an open-end diversified series of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Fund is one of a series of funds authorized by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Fund’s investment adviser is Dreman Value Management, LLC (the “Adviser”). The investment objective of the Fund is long-term capital appreciation.
The Fund currently offers Class A shares, Retail Class shares, and Institutional Class shares. Class A shares are offered with a front-end sales charge. The Retail Class shares impose a 1% redemption fee on all shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase. Institutional Class shares do not have sales charges on original purchases.
The Fund was reorganized on February 28, 2013 from a series of Dreman Contrarian Funds, an unaffiliated registered investment company, to a series of the Trust. On February 8, 2013, shareholders voted to reorganize the Fund into the Trust.
Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements. These policies are in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
Estimates—The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Securities Valuation—All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.
Federal Income Taxes—The Fund makes no provision for federal income or excise tax. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of its taxable income. The Fund also intends to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Fund could incur a tax expense.
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund
recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the statement of operations. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for the last four tax year ends and the interim tax period since then.
Expenses—Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each fund’s relative net assets or other appropriate basis as (determined by the Board). Expenses attributable to any class are borne by that class. Income, realized gains and losses, unrealized appreciation and depreciation, and expenses are allocated to each class based on the net assets in relation to the relative net assets of the Fund.
Security Transactions and Related Income—The Fund follows industry practice and records security transactions on the trade date, for financial reporting purposes. The specific identification method is used for determining gains or losses for financial statement 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 accreted or amortized using the effective interest method. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates.
Dividends and Distributions—Distributions to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income on, at least, an annual basis. 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. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the year from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of the net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations or net asset values per share of the Fund.
For the year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund made the following reclassifications to increase/(decrease) the components of net assets:
Paid in Capital | Accumulated Undistributed Net Investment Income | Accumulated Net Realized Gain (Loss) on Investments | ||||||
$402,815 | $ | (9,331 | ) | $ | (393,484 | ) |
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New Accounting Pronouncement—In December 2011, Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-11, Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (“ASU 2011-11”). ASU 2011-11 relates to disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. In January 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2013-01, Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (“ASU 2013-01”). This update gives additional clarifications to ASU 2011-11. The amendments in ASU 2013-01 require an entity to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable user of its financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on its financial position. ASU 2013-01 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. At this time, management is evaluating the implications of ASU 2013-01 and its impact on the financial statements. However, management believes the adoption of these ASUs will not have a material impact on the financial statements.
Note 3. Securities Valuation and Fair Value Measurements
Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in a timely transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. GAAP establishes a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.
Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk (the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including such a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique). Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.
• | Level 1—quoted prices in active markets for identical securities |
• | Level 2—other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.) |
• | Level 3—significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available) |
The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based, on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
Equity securities, including common stocks, exchange-traded funds and real estate investment trusts, are generally 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 more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by a pricing service at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price.
When using the market quotations or close prices provided by a pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security is classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Fund will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security is classified as a Level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Adviser determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Adviser, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review by the Board. These securities are categorized as Level 3 securities.
Investments in mutual funds, including money market mutual funds, are generally priced at the ending NAV provided by the service agent of the funds. These securities are categorized as Level 1 securities.
Short-term investments in fixed income securities, (those 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 represents fair value. These securities are classified as Level 2 securities.
In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Adviser is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Adviser would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the
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15
Notes to the Financial Statements (Continued)
Adviser’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s
value, or the Adviser is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the securities the Fund invests in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available.
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of October 31, 2013:
Valuation Inputs | ||||||||||||||||
Assets | Level 1—Quoted Prices in Active Markets | Level 2—Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3—Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total | ||||||||||||
Common Stocks* | $ | 81,487,459 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 81,487,459 | ||||||||
Exchange-Traded Funds | 1,270,017 | — | — | 1,270,017 | ||||||||||||
Money Market Securities | 778,785 | — | — | 778,785 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total | $ | 83,536,261 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 83,536,261 |
* | Refer to Schedule of Investments for industry classifications. |
The Fund did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which other significant observable inputs (Level 2) were used in determining fair value. The Fund did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period.
The Trust recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the reporting period end. There were no transfers between any levels as of October 31, 2013.
Note 4. Adviser Fees and Other Transactions
Under the terms of the management agreement between the Trust and the Adviser (the “Agreement”) for the Fund, the Adviser manages the Fund’s investments subject to oversight of the Trustees. 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 0.85% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Adviser earned fees of $684,309 from the Fund before the waivers described below. At October 31, 2013, the Fund owed $52,320 to the Adviser.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse certain operating expenses, but only to the extent necessary so that the Fund’s net expenses, excluding brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as (a) interest expense and (b) dividends on securities sold short), taxes, extraordinary expenses, 12b-1 fees (if applicable), and any indirect expenses (such as fees and expenses of acquired funds), do not exceed 1.00%. Each waiver or reimbursement of an expense by the Adviser is subject to repayment by the Fund within the three fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the expense was incurred, provided that the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the expense limitation. The contractual agreement is in effect through February 28, 2014. The expense cap may not be terminated prior to this date except by the Board. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Adviser waived fees of $215,534 from the Fund. This amount is subject to potential recoupment by the Adviser through October 31, 2016.
The amounts subject to repayment by the Fund, pursuant to the aforementioned conditions are as follows:
Amount | Recoverable through October 31, | |||||||
$ | 307,826 | 2014 | ||||||
$ | 459,430 | 2015 | ||||||
$ | 215,534 | 2016 |
The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”) to manage the Fund’s business affairs and to provide the Fund with administrative services, including all regulatory, reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. The Trust also retains HASI to act as the Fund’s transfer agent and to provide the Fund with fund accounting services. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $162,175 for administrative services. At October 31, 2013, HASI was owed $20,769 for administrative services.
Certain officers and one Trustee of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. HASI operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of the Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) and Huntington National Bank, the custodian of the Fund’s investments (the “Custodian”). For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Custodian earned fees $36,481 for custody services. At October 31, 2013, the Custodian was owed $5,264 for custody services.
The Distributor acts as the principal distributor of the Fund’s shares. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Distributor received $791 from commissions earned on sales of Class A shares. The Distributor, HASI and the Custodian are controlled by Huntington Bancshares, Inc.
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The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Plan provides that the Fund will pay the Distributor and/or any registered securities dealer, financial institution or any other person (a “Recipient”) a shareholder servicing fee aggregating up to: 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A shares and 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Retail Class shares in connection with the promotion and distribution of the Fund’s shares or the provision of personal services to shareholders, including, but not necessarily limited to, advertising, compensation to underwriters, dealers and selling personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current Fund shareholders, the printing and mailing of sales literature and servicing shareholder accounts. The Fund or the Adviser may pay all or a portion of these fees to any
Recipient who renders assistance in distributing or promoting the sale of shares, or who provides certain shareholder services, pursuant to a written agreement. The Plan is a compensation plan, which means that compensation is paid regardless of 12b-1 expenses actually incurred. It is anticipated that the Plan will benefit shareholders because an effective sales program typically is necessary in order for the Fund to reach and maintain a sufficient size to achieve efficiently its investment objectives and to realize economies of scale. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, Class A shares 12b-1 expense incurred by the Fund was $10,808 and Retail Class shares 12b-1 expense incurred by the Fund was $158,361. The Fund owed $1,066 for Class A shares and $13,444 for Retail Class shares 12b-1 fees as of October 31, 2013.
The Fund may invest in certain affiliated money market funds which are managed by an affiliated party of the Distributor. Income distributions earned from investments in this Fund are recorded as dividend income from affiliates in the accompanying financial statements. A summary of the Fund’s investment in such affiliated money market funds is presented in the table below:
Affiliated Security | 10/31/2012 Fair Value | Purchases | Sales | 10/31/2013 Fair Value | Income | |||||||||||||||
Huntington Money Market Fund | $ | 1,545,557 | $ | 20,973,568 | $ | (21,740,340 | ) | $ | 778,785 | $ | 120 |
Note 5. Purchases and Sales of Securities
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments and short-term U.S. government obligations were as follows:
Purchases | Sales | |||
$22,384,061 | $ | 48,440,106 |
Note 6. Beneficial Ownership
The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of more than 25% of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of the fund, under Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. At October 31, 2013, UBS Financial Services, Inc. (“UBS”) owned, as record shareholder 26.20% of the outstanding shares of Class A. At October 31, 2013, Charles Schwab & Co. (“Schwab”) and National Financial Services Co. (“NFS”) owned, as record shareholders, 31.22% and 45.87%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of Retail Class. The Trust does not know whether UBS, Schwab and NFS or any of the underlying beneficial owners owned or controlled 25% or more of the voting securities on the Fund.
Note 7. Distributions to Shareholders
On December 27, 2013, the Fund paid distributions to shareholders of record on December 26, 2013.
Class | Distribution Type | Per Share | ||||
Class A | Ordinary Income | $ | 0.162899 | |||
Short-Term capital gain | $ | 0.142051 | ||||
Long-Term capital gain | $ | 2.216124 | ||||
Retail Class | Ordinary Income | $ | 0.158524 | |||
Short-Term capital gain | $ | 0.142051 | ||||
Long-Term capital gain | $ | 2.216124 | ||||
Institutional Class | Ordinary Income | $ | 0.217950 | |||
Short-Term capital gain | $ | 0.142051 | ||||
Long-Term capital gain | $ | 2.216124 |
Note 8. Federal Income Taxes
At October 31, 2013, the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments for tax purposes was as follows:
Gross Unrealized Appreciation | $ | 23,134,246 | ||
Gross Unrealized (Depreciation) | (1,376,302 | ) | ||
Net Unrealized Appreciation on Investments | $ | 21,757,944 |
At October 31, 2013, the difference between book basis and tax basis unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is attributable to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, mark-to-market adjustments on passive foreign investment companies, return of capital from real estate investment trusts and income from certain investments.
At October 31, 2013, the aggregate cost of securities for federal income tax purposes was $61,778,317 for the Fund.
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Notes to the Financial Statements (Continued)
As of October 31, 2013, the Fund’s most recent fiscal year end, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:
Fund | Undistributed Ordinary Income | Undistributed Long-Term Capital Gains | Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation)* | Total Accumulated Earnings/ (Defecit) | ||||||||||||
Small Cap Value Fund | $ | 1,442,915 | $ | 11,069,153 | $ | 21,757,944 | $ | 34,270,012 |
* | The difference between book basis and tax basis unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is attributable to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, mark-to-market adjustments on passive foreign investment companies, return of capital from real estate investment trusts and income from certain investments. |
The tax character of distributions paid for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013 was as follows:
Distributions Paid From* | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fund | Ordinary Income | Net Long Term | Total Taxable | Tax Return of Capital | Total Paid | |||||||||||||||
Small Cap Value Fund | $ | 652,447 | $ | 456,478 | $ | 1,108,925 | $ | — | $ | 1,108,925 |
* | The tax character of distributions paid may differ from the character of distributions shown on the statements of changes in net assets due to short-term capital gains being treated as ordinary income for tax purposes. |
The tax character of distributions paid for the prior fiscal period ended October 31, 2012 was as follows:
Distributions Paid From* | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fund | Ordinary Income | Net Long Term | Total Taxable | Tax Return of Capital | Total Paid | |||||||||||||||
Small Cap Value Fund | $ | 902,146 | $ | 8,469,760 | $ | 9,371,906 | $ | — | $ | 9,371,906 |
* | The tax character of distributions paid may differ from the character of distributions shown on the statements of changes in net assets due to short-term capital gains being treated as ordinary income for tax purposes. |
Note 8. Subsequent Events
Management of the Fund has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. Based upon this evaluation, and at a Board meeting held December 9-11, 2013, Andrea N. Mullins was appointed to serve as Trustee to the Trust and Bryan W. Ashmus was appointed to serve as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer. This information is reflected in the “Trustees and Officers” table.
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund
(Valued Advisers Trust)
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund (the “Fund”), a series of Valued Advisers Trust, as of October 31, 2013, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, and the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2013 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund as of October 31, 2013, the results of its operations for the year then ended, and the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
December 27, 2013
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19
Trustees and Officers (Unaudited)
The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires or is removed.
The following tables provide information regarding the Trustees and Officers.
The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind, 77, Independent Trustee, August 2008 to present. | Retired; Consultant to Battelle Memorial Institute (International Science and Technology Research Enterprise) on business investments from 2001 to 2003; Formerly employed with Battelle Memorial Institute from 1966 to 2003 in various positions, including the Executive Vice President of Battelle Institute from 1991 to 2001, General Manager from 1985 to 1991, Director of the Battelle Industrial Technology Center (Geneva, Switzerland) from 1983 to 1985, and Practicing Researcher from 1966 to 1983. | |
Ira Cohen, 54 Independent Trustee, | Independent financial services consultant (Feb. 2005 – present). | |
Andrea N. Mullins, 46 Independent Trustee, December 2013 to present. | Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer, Secretary for the Eagle Family of Funds 2004 – 2010; Chief Financial Officer of Eagle Fund Services (a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial) 2008 – 2010; Vice President and Treasurer of Eagle Fund Services 1996 – 2008. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 48, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present. | Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; Chief Executive Officer, The Huntington Strategy Shares since November 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
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Trustees and Officers (Unaudited) (Continued)
The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust,** Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 48, Principal Executive Officer and President, February 2010 to present. | Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust since June 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds since March 2011; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. | |
John C. Swhear, 52, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance for Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007; Chief Compliance Officer of Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007; Senior Vice President of the Unified Series Trust since May 2007; Secretary of Huntington Funds since April 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, 2007 to March 2010. | |
Carol J. Highsmith, 48, Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration. | |
Matthew J. Miller, 36, Vice President, December 2011 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President of Huntington Funds since February 2010. | |
Bryan W. Ashmus, 40, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, | Vice President, Financial Administration, HASI (September 2013 to present); Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, The Huntington Strategy Shares and The Huntington Funds Trust (November 2013 to present); Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., (May 2005 to September 2013). | |
Heather Bonds, 37, Secretary, | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January of 2004; currently Certified Paralegal and Section Manager 2. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
OTHER INFORMATION
The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (800) 247-1014 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.
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Valued Advisers Trust
PRIVACY POLICY
The following is a description of the policies of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”) regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that shareholders provide to a series of the Trust (each, a “Fund”) or that the Fund collects from other sources. In the event that a shareholder hold shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of the financial intermediary would govern how shareholder nonpublic personal information would be shared with nonaffiliated third parties.
Categories of Information A Fund May Collect.
A Fund may collect the following nonpublic personal information about its shareholders:
• | Information the Fund receives from a shareholder on applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as the shareholder’s name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth); and |
• | Information about the shareholder’s transactions with the Fund, its affiliates, or others (such as the shareholder’s account number and balance, payment history, cost basis information, and other financial information). |
Categories of Information A Fund May Disclose.
A Fund may not disclose any nonpublic personal information about its current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. A Fund is permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to its service providers (such as the Fund’s custodian, administrator, transfer agent, accountant and legal counsel) to process shareholder transactions and otherwise provide services to the shareholder.
Confidentiality and Security.
Each Fund shall restrict access to shareholder nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to the shareholder. Each Fund shall maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard shareholder nonpublic personal information.
Disposal of Information.
The Funds, through their transfer agent, have taken steps to reasonably ensure that the privacy of a shareholder’s nonpublic personal information is maintained at all times, including in connection with the disposal of information that is no longer required to be maintained by the Funds. Such steps shall include, whenever possible, shredding paper documents and records prior to disposal, requiring off-site storage vendors to shred documents maintained in such locations prior to disposal, and erasing and/or obliterating any data contained on electronic media in such a manner that the information can no longer be read or reconstructed.
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OTHER INFORMATION
The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the Trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (800) 247-1014 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.
PROXY VOTING
A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how the Fund voted those proxies during the recent twelve month period ended June 30 are available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Fund at (800) 247-1014 or (2) from Fund documents filed with the Commission on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov.
TRUSTEES
R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind
Ira Cohen
Andrea N. Mullins
OFFICERS
R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive Officer and President
John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice-President
Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President
Matthew J. Miller, Vice President
Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer
Heather Bonds, Secretary
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Dreman Value Management, LLC
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza 10, Suite 800
Jersey City, NJ 07311
DISTRIBUTOR
Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd.
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800
Cleveland, OH 44115
LEGAL COUNSEL
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.
A member firm of The 1940 Act Law GroupTM
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Ste. 310
Leawood, KS 66224
CUSTODIAN
Huntington National Bank
41 S. High St.
Columbus, OH 43215
ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT
AND FUND ACCOUNTANT
Huntington Asset Services, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Fund’s prospectus which contains information about the Fund’s management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
Member FINRA/SIPC
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUND
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING
BALANCED FUND
THE SMI DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND
ANNUAL REPORT |
OCTOBER 31, 2013 |
Fund Adviser:
SMI Advisory Services, LLC
11135 Baker Hollow Road
Columbus, IN 47201
Toll Free (877) SMI-Fund
www.smifund.com
Dear Fellow Shareholder,
Investors who have had the courage to invest in equities in recent years have likely been richly rewarded. Stock market returns over the past 3-5 years have been considerably stronger than the market’s long-term rate of return, a trend that accelerated in 2013.
During the twelve months ending October 31, 2013, the Sound Mind Investing Fund (SMI Funds) delivered both strong absolute and relative returns. The Sound Mind Investing Fund (SMIFX) gained 33.01% compared to the S&P 500’s total return of 27.18% and the Wilshire 5000’s total return of 28.42%.
The Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund (SMILX) gained 20.56%, compared to its Blended Benchmark’s return of 15.85% and the S&P 500’s total return of 27.18%.
The newest fund in the SMI lineup, the SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund (SMIDX) was launched on February 28, 2013. For the period from February 28, 2013 through October 31, 2013, the SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund (SMIDX) returned 9.50%, compared to its Blended Benchmark of 10.18%.
SMI continues to believe that it is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to predict what the markets will do next. Rather than adjusting your portfolio based on economic and political considerations, we continue to advocate investing based on a personalized long-term plan that takes into account your season of life and specific risk/return needs.
As a shareholder, you are probably aware that the Upgrading and Dynamic Asset Allocation (DAA) strategies are “quantitative” strategies. This is a fancy way of saying these strategies are mechanical, numbers-driven approaches. This differs dramatically from many funds, whose managers are using “predictive” methods to make investing decisions, based on what they believe will happen next, whether with specific companies or the broad economy and markets. We highlight this difference to make the point that during any particular reporting period, the process by which the funds are managed remains the same, regardless of whether the SMI Funds have done exceptionally well (or not) relative to their benchmarks. As much as we might like to take credit when the results are especially good, as they have been this year, it’s the same mechanical approach we’ve been applying daily since each fund was started.
As you would expect, then, neither bullish euphoria nor bearish panic affects the way we manage your funds. Rather, we patiently, unemotionally, and methodically implement the strategies as they were designed. Naturally we continually keep a watchful eye on our processes, analyzing if there are ways we can improve. But it takes much more than shifting market sentiment for us to consider making changes to the processes that have served us so well over the years.
The SMI Funds’ Upgrading Portfolios
The table below shows that Upgrading did an excellent job of steering us into better-performing funds this past year. Comparing the “SMI Holdings” column to the representative ETF for each category, it’s clear that the Upgrading process added value in each of the five risk categories.
1
Performance of SMIFX Holdings 11/01/2012 through 10/31/2013 | ||||
Risk Category | SMI Holdings | Category ETF | ||
Foreign Stock Funds | 29.73% | 26.79%(EFA) | ||
Small Company/Growth | 41.57% | 40.23%(IWO) | ||
Small Company/Value | 43.36% | 32.92%(IWN) | ||
Large Company/Growth | 31.06% | 28.23%(IWF) | ||
Large Company/Value | 33.02% | 28.15%(IWD) |
Another factor that impacted Upgrading’s returns in 2013 was the shift in category leadership. Through most of 2011 and 2012, large-company stocks dominated while small-company and (particularly) foreign stocks lagged. This year, all five stock risk categories performed well, including foreign. Small-company stocks were especially strong. This change has benefited those SMI Funds that utilize Upgrading, as our diversified posture has been rewarded rather than punished. This reversal also helps explain why we always maintain exposure to all five risk categories, as performance does tend to rotate among the categories in an unpredictable manner.
While the table and discussion above specifically pertain to SMIFX’s holdings, the same dynamics were at work in the equity portion (60%) of SMILX’s portfolio. These two funds utilize the same Upgrading process, but since the two funds were started in different years and have different daily cash flows, their stock fund holdings are not identical.
The Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund’s Bond Portfolio
The Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund’s (SMILX) bond portfolio is the only piece of the SMI Funds’ portfolios that is not managed using a quantitative approach. Simply put, we haven’t found a quantitative approach for managing bonds that consistently adds value. In addition, we feel extremely fortunate to be able to hire the outstanding bond managers at Reams Asset Management, a division of Scout Investments, as the sub-advisor for the bond portion of SMILX. We feel strongly that, given the current interest rate environment, there is no one else we’d prefer to oversee the bond portion of this fund.
The past year has demonstrated why we have such confidence in the Reams team. The bond market was roiled by the Federal Reserve’s comments early in the summer regarding the “tapering” of their Quantitative Easing programs, with interest rates rising rapidly during May and June. Overall, it was a volatile year for bonds, with many bond investors seeing annual losses for the first time in many years. While the Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index showed a loss of -1.08% for the period, Reams was able to deliver a bond portfolio gain of 0.90% for SMILX.
The SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund
On February 28, 2013, the SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund (SMIDX) launched and shareholders have enthusiastically embraced it. This strategy seeks to capitalize on the fact that economic conditions change over time. In response to those changes in the economy, certain types of investments will respond positively while other kinds will respond negatively. The goal of SMIDX is to be invested in those asset classes that are best suited to the current economic environment – and just as importantly, to avoid those classes which are not. In so doing, the strategy attempts to win by not losing. SMIDX’s dynamic asset allocation strategy will call for us to completely leave the stock market at times, which is obviously a very different approach than SMI’s Upgrading-based strategies.
2
The Fund’s early experience implementing this dynamic asset-allocation (DAA) approach may be instructive as to how this process will play out in the future. The primary holdings between February 28, 2013 and October were U.S. Stocks, Foreign Stocks, and Real Estate. U.S. Stocks and Foreign Stocks both were strong performers during this time frame. Real Estate was up and down, gaining initially, losing ground as interest rates soared over the summer, and ultimately being bounced in and out of the portfolio as the reporting period ended.
Just as importantly though, DAA was able to avoid the biggest loser of the six primary asset classes tracked by the strategy. That was gold, which measured by the popular exchange-traded fund GLD, had significant losses of -16.51%. Shareholders were also spared the significant summer anxiety as interest rates rose and bond prices fell, simply due to the fact that their DAA portfolios didn’t own any bonds at the time.
Given that DAA largely functioned as it was designed to, it may be surprising that its performance doesn’t look more impressive relative to its blended benchmark. The reason for this is straightforward. Between February 28, 2013 and October, the primary components of the Fund’s U.S. and Foreign stock allocations did very well. The main U.S. Stock holding, SPY, gained 17.65% while the main Foreign Stock holding, EFA, gained 15.44%. However, these two asset classes combined only made up two-thirds of the Fund. The remaining third was composed alternately of Real Estate and Cash, and contributed a small overall loss to the portfolio. As a result, when compared to a benchmark consisting of 60% U.S stock market gains (which were very strong) and 40% bond market returns (which performed slightly better than the third of DAA’s portfolio invested in Real Estate and Cash), the end result for SMIDX wound up slightly underperforming its benchmark.
It is important to recognize that SMIDX will likely lag the broad stock market’s returns during periods when stocks are exceptionally strong, as was the case throughout 2013. Where we expect SMIDX to really shine is in protecting capital when the stock market is falling. If the Fund can keep up reasonably well during rising markets and then hold those gains better than the market does during downturns, SMIDX will be performing exactly as it was designed.
By mechanically and unemotionally rotating between asset classes as their relative strengths shift, the Fund hopes to be able to profit from volatile asset classes, such as gold, when they are in favor, while avoiding them when they are stuck in their inevitable down periods. This goal of being invested in the best asset classes at any given point of time, while avoiding the worst classes, was largely accomplished during these opening months of this new fund’s life. We expect this Dynamic Allocation strategy to provide a valuable way to participate in the market’s upside – while limiting its downside – when measured over complete market cycles.
Upgrading and Dynamic Asset Allocation Are Complementary Strategies
The introduction of the SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund this year has left some shareholders wondering whether they should pursue Upgrading or DAA. Rather than making an either-or decision between the two, we feel the best answer for many investors is to pursue both. The two strategies tend to be complementary, as Upgrading will typically perform better during rising markets while Dynamic Asset Allocation’s strength is preserving wealth during falling markets. Therefore, owning both within a portfolio provides an additional degree of diversification. Each investor will need to determine the ideal balance between these two approaches: more aggressive investors might prefer to combine the Sound Mind Investing Fund (SMIFX) and the SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund (SMIDX), while more conservative investors, perhaps
3
those nearing or already in retirement, might favor a combination of the Sound Mind Investing Balanced (SMILX) and SMI Dynamic Allocation (SMIDX) Funds.
Going Direct With the SMI Funds
Slightly over two-thirds of the assets in the SMI Funds are owned through accounts with other financial intermediaries. That’s perfectly fine. However, there are some advantages of having your account directly with the SMI Funds rather than through a third party.
The primary advantage of a direct account is the ability to buy or sell shares of the SMI Funds without paying any transaction fees. Most third-party accounts are charged some sort of transaction fee when the SMI Funds are bought or sold. Those fees can add up – particularly if you are regularly buying or selling shares in any of the SMI Funds. When your account is held directly with the SMI Funds, you never have to pay transaction fees. Additionally, in accounts held directly with the SMI Funds, the typical 2% redemption fee on shares sold within 60 days of purchase is waived if you are transferring money from one SMI Fund to another. If you would like to learn more about moving your account directly to the SMI Funds, visit www.smifund.com or call 1-877-SMI-FUND.
We appreciate the confidence you have placed in us to be a faithful steward of your assets, as you strive to be a faithful steward of His assets.
Sincerely,
Mark Biller
Senior Portfolio Manager
The Sound Mind Investing Funds
4
PERFORMANCE RESULTS – (Unaudited)
Total Return* (For the periods ended October 31, 2013) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Average Annual Return | ||||||||||||||||||||
Three Months | Six Months | One Year | Five Year | Since Inception (December 2, 2005) | ||||||||||||||||
The Sound Mind Investing Fund | 6.24% | 14.93% | 33.01% | 14.83% | 6.77% | |||||||||||||||
S&P 500® Index** | 4.75% | 11.15% | 27.18% | 15.17% | 6.47% | |||||||||||||||
Wilshire 5000 Index** | 4.90% | 11.71% | 28.42% | 15.76% | 6.81% |
Gross Expenses 2.13% (As stated in the most recent prospectus dated February 28, 2013). Net Expenses 1.14% (as stated in the most recent prospectus dated February 28, 2013), which excludes acquired fund fees and expenses and reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement discussed below. All expenses are reflected in performance results. The Fund’s advisor contractually has agreed to waive its fee and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to maintain Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding brokerage fees and commissions; borrowing costs; any 12b-1 fees; taxes; indirect expenses, such as acquired fund fees and expenses; and extraordinary litigation expenses) at 1.50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets through February 28, 2014. This expense cap may not be terminated prior to this date except by the Board of Trustees.
Total Return* (For the periods ended October 31, 2013) | ||||||||||||||||
Average Annual | ||||||||||||||||
Three Months | Six Months | One Year | Since Inception (December 30, 2010) | |||||||||||||
The Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund | 4.54% | 9.12% | 20.56% | 8.18% | ||||||||||||
S&P 500® Index** | 4.75% | 11.15% | 27.18% | 14.86% | ||||||||||||
Wilshire 5000 Index** | 4.90% | 11.71% | 28.42% | 14.65% | ||||||||||||
Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index** | 1.24% | -1.97% | -1.08% | 3.89% | ||||||||||||
Custom Benchmark*** | 3.45% | 6.11% | 15.85% | 10.47% |
Gross Expenses 2.07% (As stated in the most recent prospectus dated February 28, 2013). Net Expenses 1.15% (as stated in the most recent prospectus dated February 28, 2013), which excludes acquired fund fees and expenses and reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement discussed below. All expenses are reflected in performance results. The Fund’s advisor contractually has agreed to waive its fee and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to maintain Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding brokerage fees and commissions; borrowing costs; any 12b-1 fees; taxes; indirect expenses, such as acquired fund fees and expenses; and extraordinary litigation expenses) at 1.15% of the Fund’s average daily net assets through February 28, 2014. This expense cap may not be terminated prior to this date except by the Board of Trustees.
5
PERFORMANCE RESULTS – (Unaudited), (Continued)
Total Return* (For the periods ended October 31, 2013) | ||||||||||||
Average Annual | ||||||||||||
Three Months | Six Months | Since Inception (February 28, 2013) | ||||||||||
The SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund | 2.15% | 1.30% | 9.50% | |||||||||
Wilshire 5000 Index** | 4.90% | 11.71% | 18.05% | |||||||||
Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index** | 1.24% | -1.97% | -0.90% | |||||||||
Custom Benchmark*** | 3.45% | 6.11% | 10.18% |
Gross Expenses 1.99% (As stated in the most recent prospectus dated February 28, 2013). Net Expenses 1.45% (as stated in the most recent prospectus dated February 28, 2013), which excludes acquired fund fees and expenses and reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement discussed below. All expenses are reflected in performance results. The Fund’s advisor contractually has agreed to waive its fee and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to maintain Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding brokerage fees and commissions; borrowing costs; any 12b-1 fees; taxes; indirect expenses, such as acquired fund fees and expenses; and extraordinary litigation expenses) at 1.45% of the Fund’s average daily net assets through February 28, 2014. This expense cap may not be terminated prior to this date except by the Board of Trustees.
The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-877-764-3863.
* | Return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions. |
** | The Standard & Poor’s 500® Index, Wilshire 5000 Index and Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index are unmanaged indices that assume reinvestment of all distributions and exclude the effect of taxes and fees. The Standard & Poor’s 500® Index, Wilshire 5000 Index and Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index are widely recognized unmanaged indices and are representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in each Fund’s portfolio. The returns of the indices are not reduced by any fees or operating expenses. Individuals cannot invest directly in the Indices; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. |
*** | The Custom Benchmark for the Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund and SMI Dynamic Allocation is comprised of 60% Wilshire 5000 Index and 40% Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. |
The Funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the Funds and may be obtained by calling the same number as above. Please read it carefully before investing.
6
PERFORMANCE RESULTS – (Unaudited), (Continued)
The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on December 2, 2005 (commencement of Fund operations) and held through October 31, 2013. The S&P 500 Index® and Wilshire 5000 Index are widely recognized unmanaged indices of equity prices and are representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in the indices; however, an individual can invest in ETFs or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. THE FUND’S RETURN REPRESENTS PAST PERFORMANCE AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.
Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end or to request a prospectus, please call 1-877-764-3863. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
7
PERFORMANCE RESULTS – (Unaudited), (Continued)
The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on December 30, 2010 (commencement of Fund operations) and held through October 31, 2013. The S&P 500 Index® , The Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and Wilshire 5000 Index are widely recognized unmanaged indices of are representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in these indices; however, an individual can invest in ETFs or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. THE FUND’S RETURN REPRESENTS PAST PERFORMANCE AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.
Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end or to request a prospectus, please call 1-877-764-3863. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The Custom Benchmark is comprised of 60% Wilshire 5000 Index and 40% Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
8
PERFORMANCE RESULTS – (Unaudited), (Continued)
The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on February 28, 2013 (commencement of Fund operations) and held through October 31, 2013. The Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and Wilshire 5000 Index are widely recognized unmanaged indices of equity prices and are representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in these indices; however, an individual can invest in ETFs or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. THE FUND’S RETURN REPRESENTS PAST PERFORMANCE AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.
Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end or to request a prospectus, please call 1-877-764-3863. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The Custom Benchmark is comprised of 60% Wilshire 5000 Index and 40% Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
9
FUND HOLDINGS – (Unaudited)
1 | As a percentage of net assets. |
The Sound Mind Investing Fund seeks long term capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing in a diversified portfolio of other investment companies using a “fund upgrading” strategy. The fund upgrading investment strategy is a systematic investment approach that is based on the belief of the Fund’s adviser, SMI Advisory Services, LLC, that superior returns can be obtained by constantly monitoring the performance of a wide universe of other investment companies, and standing ready to move assets into the funds deemed by the adviser to be most attractive at the time of analysis.
1 | As a percentage of net assets. |
10
FUND HOLDINGS – (Unaudited), (Continued)
The Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund seeks total return. Total return is composed of both income and capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing in a diversified portfolio of equities and fixed income securities. The Fund’s adviser determines how the Fund’s assets will be allocated between equity and fixed income securities. Under normal circumstances the Fund will target an approximate mix of 60% equity securities and 40% fixed income securities. The adviser periodically rebalances the Fund’s asset allocation in response to market conditions and to ensure an appropriate mix of elements in the Fund.
1 | As a percentage of net assets. |
2 | Reflects payable for securities purchased that remain unsettled at October 31, 2013. |
The SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund seeks total return. Total return is composed of both income and capital appreciation. The Fund uses a dynamic asset allocation investment strategy to achieve its investment objective. This is done by investing in securities from the following six asset classes – U.S. Equities, International Equities, Fixed Income Securities, Real Estate, Precious Metals, and Cash.
11
FUND HOLDINGS – (Unaudited), (Continued)
Availability of Portfolio Schedule – (Unaudited)
Each Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Funds’ Forms N-Q are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Funds’ Forms N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the Public Reference Room in Washington DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.
Summary of Fund’s Expenses – (Unaudited)
As a shareholder of one of the Funds, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs (such as short-term redemption fees); and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This Example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Funds and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
Each Fund’s example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period (May 1, 2013 through October 31, 2013).
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
12
FUND HOLDINGS – (Unaudited), (Continued)
Expenses shown are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs such as the fee imposed on short-term redemptions. Therefore, the second line of the table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative costs of owning different funds. If incurred, the short-term redemption fee imposed by the Fund would increase your expenses.
The Sound Mind Investing Fund | Beginning Account Value May 1, 2013 | Ending Account Value October 31, 2013 | Expenses Paid During Period May 1, 2013 – October 31, 2013* | |||||||||
Actual | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,149.30 | $ | 6.28 | ||||||
Hypothetical ** | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,019.36 | $ | 5.90 |
* | Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 1.16%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 (to reflect the partial year period). |
** | Assumes a 5% return before expenses. |
The Sound Mind Investing | Beginning Account Value May 1, 2013 | Ending Account Value October 31, 2013 | Expenses Paid During Period May 1, 2013 – October 31, 2013* | |||||||||
Actual | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,091.20 | $ | 6.05 | ||||||
Hypothetical ** | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,019.42 | $ | 5.84 |
* | Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 1.15%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 (to reflect the partial year period). |
** | Assumes a 5% return before expenses. |
The SMI Fund | Beginning Account Value May 1, 2013 | Ending Account Value October 31, 2013 | Expenses Paid During Period May 1, 2013 – October 31, 2013* | |||||||||
Actual | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,013.00 | $ | 6.50 | ||||||
Hypothetical ** | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,018.74 | $ | 6.52 |
* | Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 1.28%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 (to reflect the partial year period). |
** | Assumes a 5% return before expenses. |
13
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013
Mutual Funds – 99.69% | Shares | Fair Value | ||||||
Mutual Funds Greater Than 1% of The Sound | ||||||||
Ariel Appreciation Fund – Investor Class | 193,087 | $ | 10,841,857 | |||||
Aston/Fairpointe Mid Cap Fund | 252,428 | 11,636,935 | ||||||
Baron Partners Fund – Institutional Class * | 343,994 | 11,186,697 | ||||||
ClearBridge Aggressive Growth Fund – Institutional Class | 56,937 | 10,628,967 | ||||||
Dreyfus Opportunistic Midcap Value Fund – Institutional Class | 261,458 | 10,803,440 | ||||||
Dreyfus Opportunistic Small Cap Fund (a) * | 320,557 | 12,155,533 | ||||||
Fidelity International Small Cap Fund (a) | 486,913 | 12,985,961 | ||||||
Fidelity Leveraged Company Stock Fund | 378,796 | 15,644,274 | ||||||
Fidelity Mid Cap Value Fund | 454,180 | 10,582,386 | ||||||
Fidelity OTC Portfolio | 152,485 | 11,710,879 | ||||||
Fidelity Small Cap Discovery Fund | 536,189 | 16,552,155 | ||||||
Hotchkis and Wiley Mid-Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class | 535,968 | 20,768,772 | ||||||
Ivy Cundill Global Value Fund (a) * | 351,610 | 6,265,690 | ||||||
Legg Mason Opportunity Trust – Institutional Class (a) | 1,288,302 | 21,463,114 | ||||||
Longleaf Partners International Fund | 228,754 | 3,998,617 | ||||||
Lord Abbett Developing Growth Fund, Inc. – Institutional Class | 348,655 | 11,226,703 | ||||||
Morgan Stanley Focus Growth Fund – Institutional Class | 251,999 | 13,630,635 | ||||||
Oakmark International Fund – Institutional Class | 583,144 | 15,581,599 | ||||||
PRIMECAP Odyssey Aggressive Growth Fund * | 481,178 | 13,814,620 | ||||||
Skyline Special Equities Portfolio * | 138,635 | 5,078,185 | ||||||
Thornburg Core Growth Fund – Institutional Class (a) * | 496,827 | 13,205,649 | ||||||
Touchstone Sands Capital Select Growth Fund – Class Y * | 792,389 | 13,589,463 | ||||||
Wasatch International Growth Fund | 440,969 | 12,907,151 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL MUTUAL FUNDS GREATER THAN 1% OF THE SOUND |
| 286,259,282 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Mutual Funds Less Than 1% of The Sound | ||||||||
AllianzGI NFJ Dividend Value Fund – Institutional Class | 200 | 3,066 | ||||||
AllianzGI NFJ Small-Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class | 162 | 6,129 | ||||||
American Century International Discovery Fund – Institutional Class | 250 | 3,154 | ||||||
Artisan International Small Cap Fund – Investor Class | 41,798 | 1,154,892 | ||||||
Artisan International Value Fund – Investor Class | 150 | 5,712 | ||||||
Artisan Mid Cap Value Fund – Investor Class | 200 | 5,426 | ||||||
Artisan Small Cap Fund – Investor Class * | 150 | 4,230 | ||||||
Artisan Small Cap Value Fund – Investor Class | 150 | 2,808 |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
14
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
Mutual Funds – 99.69% – continued | Shares | Fair Value | ||||||
Mutual Funds Less Than 1% of The Sound | ||||||||
Aston TAMRO Small Cap Fund – Institutional Class | 100 | $ | 2,468 | |||||
BBH Core Select Fund – Class N | 100 | 2,122 | ||||||
Berwyn Fund | 100 | 4,085 | ||||||
BlackRock International Opportunities Portfolio – Institutional Class | 100 | 4,024 | ||||||
Bridgeway Small Cap Growth Fund – Class N * | 205 | 3,520 | ||||||
Bridgeway Small Cap Value Fund – Class N | 179 | 3,783 | ||||||
Buffalo Small Cap Fund | 150 | 5,866 | ||||||
Columbia Acorn International – Class Z | 100 | 4,798 | ||||||
Columbia Acorn Select – Class Z | 150 | 4,587 | ||||||
Columbia Small Cap Growth I Fund – Class Z | 100 | 3,683 | ||||||
Columbia Value and Restructuring Fund – Class Z | 50 | 2,800 | ||||||
Delaware Select Growth Fund – Institutional Class * | 100 | 5,174 | ||||||
Delaware Small Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class | 100 | 5,338 | ||||||
Delaware SMID Cap Growth Fund – Institutional Class | 100 | 3,495 | ||||||
Delaware Value Fund – Institutional Class | 144 | 2,263 | ||||||
DFA International Small Company Portfolio – Institutional Class | 100 | 1,940 | ||||||
DFA US Small Cap Value Portfolio | 100 | 3,448 | ||||||
Dodge & Cox Stock Fund | 11,026 | 1,742,145 | ||||||
DWS Dreman Small Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class | 85 | 3,941 | ||||||
Fairholme Fund * | 100 | 4,187 | ||||||
Fidelity Mid-Cap Stock Fund | 150 | 5,732 | ||||||
Fidelity Small Cap Stock Fund | 150 | 3,137 | ||||||
Fidelity Small Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class | 150 | 2,970 | ||||||
Franklin Small Cap Value Fund – Advisor Class | 100 | 6,197 | ||||||
Hartford International Opportunities Fund/The – Class Y | 248 | 4,490 | ||||||
Heartland Value Fund | 100 | 5,085 | ||||||
Hennessy Focus Fund – Investor Class | 100 | 6,358 | ||||||
Invesco American Value R5 Fund | 100 | 4,079 | ||||||
Janus Contrarian Fund – Class T | 4,620 | 88,050 | ||||||
Janus Overseas Fund – Class T | 100 | 3,765 | ||||||
Janus Venture Fund – Class T * | 100 | 7,134 | ||||||
JPMorgan Mid Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class | 100 | 3,526 | ||||||
JPMorgan Small Cap Equity Fund – Class S | 226 | 11,154 | ||||||
Longleaf Partners Fund | 150 | 5,027 | ||||||
Longleaf Partners Small-Cap Fund | 100 | 3,610 |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
15
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
Mutual Funds – 99.69% – continued | Shares | Fair Value | ||||||
Mutual Funds Less Than 1% of The Sound | ||||||||
Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. – International Small Cap Portfolio – Institutional Class | 36 | $ | 515 | |||||
Neuberger Berman Genesis Fund – Institutional Class | 100 | 6,354 | ||||||
Oakmark International Small Cap Fund – Institutional Class | 150 | 2,658 | ||||||
Oakmark Select Fund – Institutional Class | 150 | 5,931 | ||||||
Oberweis Micro-Cap Fund * | 175 | 3,169 | ||||||
Oppenheimer International Small Company Fund – Class Y | 85,536 | 2,620,810 | ||||||
Oppenheimer Small and Mid Cap Value Fund – Class Y | 100 | 4,380 | ||||||
Perkins Mid Cap Value Fund – Class T | 200 | 5,194 | ||||||
Principal SmallCap Growth Fund I – Institutional Class | 200 | 2,970 | ||||||
Royce Low-Priced Stock Fund – Investment Class | 150 | 2,278 | ||||||
Royce Opportunity Fund – Investor Class * | 151 | 2,411 | ||||||
Royce Premier Fund – Investor Class | 300 | 6,918 | ||||||
Royce Special Equity Fund – Investor Class | 100 | 2,638 | ||||||
Royce Special Equity Fund – Institutional Class | 150 | 3,939 | ||||||
Royce Value Fund – Institutional Class | 100 | 1,378 | ||||||
T. Rowe Price International Discovery Fund | 150 | 8,289 | ||||||
T. Rowe Price New Horizons Fund | 100 | 4,610 | ||||||
T. Rowe Price Small-Cap Value Fund | 100 | 4,922 | ||||||
TIAA-CREF International Equity Fund – Institutional Class | 100 | 1,150 | ||||||
Tweedy Browne Global Value Fund | 150 | 4,097 | ||||||
Vanguard Strategic Equity Fund – Investor Class | 100 | 2,852 | ||||||
Wasatch Emerging Markets Small Cap Fund | 1,000 | 2,790 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL MUTUAL FUNDS LESS THAN 1% OF THE SOUND |
| 5,859,651 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL MUTUAL FUNDS (Cost $238,425,484) | 292,118,933 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Money Market Securities – 0.40% | ||||||||
Fidelity Institutional Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class, 0.080% (c) | 1,190,883 | 1,190,883 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL MONEY MARKET SECURITIES (Cost $1,190,883) |
| 1,190,883 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENTS – 100.09% (Cost $239,616,367) |
| $ | 293,309,816 | |||||
|
| |||||||
Liabilities in excess of other assets – (0.09)% |
| (274,482 | ) | |||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS – 100.00% |
| $ | 293,035,334 | |||||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
16
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
(a) | A portion of this security may be deemed illiquid due to the Investment Company Act of 1940 provision stating that no issuer of any investment company security purchased or acquired by a registered investment company shall be obligated to redeem such security in an amount exceeding 1 per centum of such issuer’s total outstanding shares during any period of less than thirty days. |
(b) | Small investments are occasionally retained in mutual funds that are closed to new investment, or in the manager’s opinion are at risk to close, so as to allow the Fund the flexibility to reinvest in these funds in the future. |
(c) | Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of October 31, 2013. |
* | Non-income producing security. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
17
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING BALANCED FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013
Corporate Bonds – 9.35% | Principal Amount | Fair Value | ||||||
Ally Financial, Inc., 3.125%, 1/15/2016 | $ | 25,000 | $ | 25,455 | ||||
Ally Financial, Inc., 5.500%, 2/15/2017 | 55,000 | 59,675 | ||||||
Ally Financial, Inc., 4.750%, 9/10/2018 | 105,000 | 109,419 | ||||||
Ally Financial, Inc., 7.500%, 9/15/2020 | 65,000 | 76,294 | ||||||
American Honda Finance Corp., 1.125%, 10/7/2016 | 80,000 | 80,492 | ||||||
American International Group, Inc., 5.050%, 10/1/2015 | 70,000 | 75,480 | ||||||
American International Group, Inc., 4.875%, 9/15/2016 | 65,000 | 71,522 | ||||||
American International Group, Inc., 3.800%, 3/22/2017 | 70,000 | 74,842 | ||||||
American International Group, Inc., 6.400%, 12/15/2020 | 50,000 | 60,073 | ||||||
American International Group, Inc., 4.125%, 2/15/2024 | 55,000 | 56,659 | ||||||
Bank of America Corp., 4.500%, 4/1/2015 | 200,000 | 209,940 | ||||||
Bank of America Corp., 1.500%, 10/9/2015 | 160,000 | 161,455 | ||||||
Citigroup, Inc., 5.500%, 10/15/2014 | 27,000 | 28,213 | ||||||
Daimler Finance North America LLC, 1.250%, 1/11/2016 (a) | 90,000 | 90,501 | ||||||
Entergy Arkansas, Inc., 5.000%, 7/1/2018 | 35,000 | 34,954 | ||||||
Entergy Texas, Inc., 3.600%, 6/1/2015 | 55,000 | 57,118 | ||||||
Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC, 3.875%, 1/15/2015 | 100,000 | 103,535 | ||||||
Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC, 3.984%, 6/15/2016 (a) | 65,000 | 68,739 | ||||||
Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC, 4.250%, 2/3/2017 | 90,000 | 97,254 | ||||||
Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC, 5.000%, 5/15/2018 | 140,000 | 155,300 | ||||||
Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC, 4.375%, 8/6/2023 | 55,000 | 56,657 | ||||||
General Electric Capital Corp., 1.625%, 7/2/2015 | 80,000 | 81,321 | ||||||
General Electric Capital Corp., 1.000%, 12/11/2015 | 90,000 | 90,426 | ||||||
General Electric Capital Corp., 1.000%, 1/8/2016 | 90,000 | 90,443 | ||||||
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc./The, 3.700%, 8/1/2015 | 45,000 | 47,023 | ||||||
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc./The, 1.600%, 11/23/2015 | 85,000 | 85,994 | ||||||
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc./The, 1.436%, 4/30/2018 (b) | 85,000 | 85,469 | ||||||
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., 5.375%, 3/15/2017 | 65,000 | 72,283 | ||||||
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., 5.500%, 10/15/2016 | 60,000 | 66,903 | ||||||
JPMorgan Chase & Co., 0.882%, 2/26/2016 (b) | 75,000 | 75,320 | ||||||
JPMorgan Chase & Co., 3.250%, 9/23/2022 | 55,000 | 53,227 | ||||||
Liberty Mutual Group, Inc., 6.700%, 8/15/2016 (a) | 25,000 | 28,530 | ||||||
Metropolitan Life Global Funding I, 1.700%, 6/29/2015 (a) | 55,000 | 55,753 | ||||||
Morgan Stanley, 4.200%, 11/20/2014 | 105,000 | 108,850 | ||||||
Morgan Stanley, 1.512%, 2/25/2016 (b) | 40,000 | 40,443 | ||||||
Verizon Communications, Inc., 0.459%, 3/6/2015 (a) (b) | 55,000 | 54,874 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL CORPORATE BONDS (Cost $2,698,510) | 2,790,436 | |||||||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
18
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING BALANCED FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
Principal Amount | Fair Value | |||||||
Foreign Bonds Denominated in U.S. Dollars – 0.79% | ||||||||
ING Bank NV, 3.750%, 3/7/2017 (a) | $ | 165,000 | $ | 174,638 | ||||
Petrobras Global Finance B.V., 2.384%, 1/15/2019 (b) | 35,000 | 34,107 | ||||||
Petroleos Mexicanos, 3.500%, 7/18/2018 | 25,000 | 25,625 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL FOREIGN BONDS DENOMINATED | 234,370 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
U.S. Treasury Obligations – 11.49% | ||||||||
U.S. Treasury Note, 0.125%, 12/31/2014 | 1,070,000 | 1,069,666 | ||||||
U.S. Treasury Note, 0.250%, 2/15/2015 | 1,760,000 | 1,761,237 | ||||||
U.S. Treasury Note, 2.000%, 7/31/2020 | 55,000 | 55,468 | ||||||
U.S. Treasury Note, 3.625%, 8/15/2043 | 540,000 | 539,409 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS (Cost $3,416,001) | 3,425,780 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Asset-Backed Securities – 11.03% | ||||||||
American Airlines Pass 2011-1 Through Trust, Class A, | 25,690 | 26,911 | ||||||
American Airlines Pass 2013-1 Through Trust, Class A, | 45,000 | 42,750 | ||||||
Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc., | 65,000 | 71,352 | ||||||
Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co. Pass Through Trust, Series 2001-2, 6.462%, 1/15/2021 | 24,619 | 28,221 | ||||||
Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co. Pass Through Trust, Series 2004-1, 4.575%, 1/15/2021 | 65,615 | 70,990 | ||||||
Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co. Pass Through Trust, Series 2005-4, 4.967%, 4/1/2023 | 18,691 | 20,623 | ||||||
Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust, | 30,308 | 30,677 | ||||||
Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust, | 40,483 | 40,301 | ||||||
Commercial Mortgage Pass Through Certificates, 0.666%, 10/15/2045 | 29,120 | 28,953 | ||||||
Commercial Mortgage Trust, | 17,708 | 17,859 | ||||||
Commercial Mortgage Trust, | 30,000 | 33,282 | ||||||
Conseco Financial Corp., 7.600%, 4/15/2026 (b) | 39,388 | 35,189 | ||||||
Countrywide Asset-Backed Certificates, 0.390%, 10/25/2036 (b) | 20,352 | 19,468 |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
19
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING BALANCED FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
Asset-Backed Securities – 11.03% – continued | Principal Amount | Fair Value | ||||||
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp., | $ | 1,163 | $ | 1,168 | ||||
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp., | 30,723 | 27,198 | ||||||
Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Certificates, | 16,418 | 16,752 | ||||||
DBRR Trust, Series 2012-EZ1, Class A, 0.946%, 9/25/2045 (a) | 170,525 | 170,447 | ||||||
Delta Air Lines Pass Through Trust, Series 2012-A, Class A, | 28,929 | 30,737 | ||||||
Delta Air Lines Pass Through Trust, Series 2007-1, Class A, | 70,639 | 78,586 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # 468625, 0.572%, 7/1/2018 (b) | 50,000 | 50,215 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # 465468, 3.330%, 7/1/2020 | 79,422 | 85,373 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # 465468, 3.330%, 10/1/2020 | 95,502 | 99,769 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # 466890, 3.230%, 11/1/2020 | 104,663 | 108,675 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # AM2182, 2.160%, 1/1/2023 | 152,764 | 143,683 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # AA4328, 4.000%, 4/1/2024 | 43,348 | 46,140 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # AB2822, 2.500%, 3/1/2026 | 31,254 | 31,669 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # AM1671, 2.100%, 12/1/2027 | 57,423 | 53,198 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # MA1424, 2.000%, 7/1/2028 | 53,842 | 52,545 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # 464398, 5.970%, 1/1/2040 | 14,405 | 16,301 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # 464398, 5.970%, 1/1/2040 | 19,206 | 21,734 | ||||||
Fannie Mae, Pool # 466890, 5.100%, 12/1/2040 | 24,147 | 26,134 | ||||||
Fannie Mae REMICS, Series 2010-46, Class A, 4.000%, 5/25/2024 | 237 | 237 | ||||||
Fannie Mae REMICS, Series 2004-67, Class VC, 4.500%, 2/25/2025 | 30,138 | 30,593 | ||||||
Fannie Mae-Aces, Series 2013-M5, Class ASQ2, 0.595%, 8/25/2015 | 124,237 | 124,000 | ||||||
Freddie Mac REMICS, Series 3609, Class LA, 4.000%, 12/15/2024 | 65,182 | 69,221 | ||||||
Freddie Mac REMICS, Series 3873, Class DG, 3.000%, 7/15/2027 | 16,078 | 16,388 | ||||||
GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp., | 17,200 | 17,560 | ||||||
Ginnie Mae I Pool, Pool # AB2583, 2.140%, 8/15/2023 | 91,147 | 91,083 | ||||||
Ginnie Mae I Pool, Pool # AD0091, 2.730%, 6/15/2032 | 181,981 | 177,585 | ||||||
GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II, Series 2012-GCJ9, Class A1, | 45,561 | 45,453 | ||||||
GS Mortgage Securities Trust, Series 2007-GG10, Class A4, | 100,000 | 111,133 |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
20
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING BALANCED FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
Asset-Backed Securities – 11.03% – continued | Principal Amount | Fair Value | ||||||
Hertz Vehicle Financing LLC, | $ | 110,000 | $ | 111,689 | ||||
Hertz Vehicle Financing LLC, | 90,000 | 89,882 | ||||||
Home Equity Loan Trust, | 11,774 | 10,833 | ||||||
Hyundai Auto Receivables Trust, | 1,933 | 1,934 | ||||||
JP Morgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust, | 40,938 | 41,037 | ||||||
JP Morgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust, | 38,458 | 38,357 | ||||||
JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust, | 58,382 | 58,581 | ||||||
Mid-State Trust, Series 11, Class A1, 4.864%, 7/15/2038 | 16,504 | 17,752 | ||||||
Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust, | 37,371 | 37,206 | ||||||
Northwest Airlines Pass Through Trust, Series 2007-1, Class A, | 47,843 | 52,269 | ||||||
Structured Asset Securities Corp. Mortgage Loan Trust, | 21,247 | 20,516 | ||||||
Structured Asset Securities Corp. Mortgage Loan Trust, | 63,381 | 38,098 | ||||||
Structured Asset Securities Corp. Trust, Series 2005-S6, Class A2, 0.750%, 11/25/2035 (b) | 2,147 | 2,126 | ||||||
UAL 2007 Pass Through Trust, Series 071A, 6.636%, 7/2/2022 | 75,202 | 78,962 | ||||||
UBS-Barclays Commercial Mortgage Trust, 0.726%, 8/10/2049 | 56,537 | 56,408 | ||||||
Union Pacific Railroad Co. 2003 Pass Through Trust, | 10,773 | 11,722 | ||||||
Union Pacific Railroad Co. 2004 Pass Through Trust, | 58,377 | 65,545 | ||||||
Union Pacific Railroad Co. 2005 Pass Through Trust, | 46,388 | 51,578 | ||||||
Union Pacific Railroad Co. 2006 Pass Through Trust, | 27,995 | 32,874 | ||||||
US Airways Pass 2010-1 Through Trust, Series A, 6.250%, 4/22/2023 | 46,123 | 48,891 | ||||||
US Airways Pass 2011-1 Through Trust, Series A, 7.125%, 10/22/2023 | 30,738 | 34,196 |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
21
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING BALANCED FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
Asset-Backed Securities – 11.03% – continued | Principal Amount or Shares | Fair Value | ||||||
US Airways Pass 2012-1 Through Trust, Series A, 5.900%, 10/1/2024 | $ | 52,826 | $ | 55,467 | ||||
Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust, | 74,430 | 74,105 | ||||||
WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust, | 50,605 | 50,227 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (Cost $3,216,598) | 3,290,408 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Mutual Funds – 63.43% | ||||||||
Ariel Appreciation Fund – Investor Class | 19,053 | 1,069,827 | ||||||
Dreyfus Opportunistic Midcap Value Fund – Institutional Class | 17,975 | 742,726 | ||||||
Dreyfus Opportunistic Small Cap Fund * | 26,966 | 1,022,562 | ||||||
Fidelity International Small Cap Fund | 37,592 | 1,002,580 | ||||||
Fidelity Leveraged Company Stock Fund | 27,714 | 1,144,593 | ||||||
Fidelity OTC Portfolio | 12,407 | 952,892 | ||||||
Fidelity Small Cap Discovery Fund | 26,561 | 819,927 | ||||||
Hotchkis and Wiley Mid-Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class | 43,738 | 1,694,836 | ||||||
Ivy Cundill Global Value Fund * | 41,602 | 741,353 | ||||||
Kinetics Paradigm Fund | 16,329 | 544,250 | ||||||
Kinetics Small Cap Opportunities Fund – Institutional Class * | 34,621 | 1,339,486 | ||||||
Legg Mason Opportunity Trust – Institutional Class | 127,498 | 2,124,117 | ||||||
Longleaf Partners Small-Cap Fund | 89 | 3,196 | ||||||
Lord Abbett Developing Growth Fund, Inc. – Institutional Class | 23,230 | 748,020 | ||||||
Morgan Stanley Focus Growth Fund – Institutional Class | 21,453 | 1,160,418 | ||||||
Oakmark International Fund – Institutional Class | 49,598 | 1,325,267 | ||||||
Oppenheimer International Small Company Fund – Class Y | 15,565 | 476,900 | ||||||
Skyline Special Equities Portfolio * | 24,307 | 890,365 | ||||||
Thornburg Core Growth Fund – Institutional Class * | 6,653 | 176,834 | ||||||
Touchstone Sands Capital Select Growth Fund – Class Y * | 54,534 | 935,265 | ||||||
Wasatch Emerging Markets Small Cap Fund | 700 | 1,953 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL MUTUAL FUNDS (Cost $15,414,636) | 18,917,367 | |||||||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
22
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING BALANCED FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
Money Market Securities – 4.58% | Shares | Fair Value | ||||||
Fidelity Institutional Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class, 0.08% (c) | 1,368,013 | $ | 1,368,013 | |||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL MONEY MARKET SECURITIES (Cost $1,368,013 ) | 1,368,013 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENTS – 100.67% (Cost $26,338,196) | $ | 30,026,374 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets – (0.67)% | (200,472 | ) | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS – 100.00% | $ | 29,825,902 | ||||||
|
|
(a) | Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A or Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933. The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. See Note 7 of the Notes to the Financial Statements. |
(b) | Variable or Floating Rate Security. Rate disclosed is as of October 31, 2013. |
(c) | Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of October 31, 2013. |
* | Non-income producing security. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
23
THE SMI DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
October 31, 2013
Exchange-Traded Funds – 95.13% | Shares | Fair Value | ||||||
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund | 29,800 | $ | 1,448,876 | |||||
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (b) | 281,590 | 18,551,149 | ||||||
iShares MSCI France ETF | 24,070 | 671,553 | ||||||
iShares MSCI Germany Fund | 23,110 | 678,279 | ||||||
iShares MSCI Italy Capped Fund | 43,250 | 677,295 | ||||||
iShares MSCI Netherlands Fund | 26,860 | 672,037 | ||||||
iShares MSCI Spain Capped ETF | 18,100 | 682,551 | ||||||
iShares MSCI Switzerland Capped Fund | 21,000 | 676,410 | ||||||
iShares U.S. Consumer Services ETF | 12,580 | 1,452,864 | ||||||
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (b) | 96,260 | 16,915,770 | ||||||
Vanguard REIT ETF (b) | 326,000 | 22,533,120 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS (Cost $61,166,565) | 64,959,904 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Mutual Funds – 3.98% | ||||||||
ProFunds Biotechnology UltraSector ProFund – Investor Class * | 13,939 | 2,720,262 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL MUTUAL FUNDS (Cost $1,848,540) | 2,720,262 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Money Market Securities – 34.01% |
| |||||||
Fidelity Institutional Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class, 0.08% (a) (b) | 23,224,939 | 23,224,939 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL MONEY MARKET SECURITIES (Cost $23,224,939) | 23,224,939 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENTS – 133.12% (Cost $86,240,044) | 90,905,105 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets – (33.12)% | (22,615,448 | ) | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS – 100.00% | $ | 68,289,657 | ||||||
|
|
(a) | Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of October 31, 2013. |
(b) | For a schedule of each Fund’s holdings please refer to each Fund’s most recent semi annual or annual report filed at www.sec.gov. |
* | Non-income producing security. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
24
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
October 31, 2013
The Sound Mind Investing Fund | The Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund | The SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund | ||||||||||
Assets | ||||||||||||
Investment in securities: | ||||||||||||
At cost | $ | 239,616,367 | $ | 26,338,196 | $ | 86,240,044 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
At fair value | $ | 293,309,816 | $ | 30,026,374 | $ | 90,905,105 | ||||||
Receivable for investments sold | 1,610,099 | 259,128 | 829,648 | |||||||||
Receivable for fund shares sold | 168,667 | 313 | 83,608 | |||||||||
Interest receivable | 76 | 42,254 | 1,564 | |||||||||
Prepaid expenses | 12,379 | 4,029 | 19,227 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Total Assets | 295,101,037 | 30,332,098 | 91,839,152 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Liabilities | ||||||||||||
Payable for investments purchased | 1,615,000 | 435,471 | 23,424,374 | |||||||||
Payable for fund shares redeemed | 132,783 | 5,434 | 41,500 | |||||||||
Payable for interest | — | 168 | — | |||||||||
Payable to Adviser | 241,815 | 13,430 | 55,177 | |||||||||
Payable to administrator, fund accountant, and transfer agent | 34,484 | 14,514 | 7,481 | |||||||||
Payable to custodian | 8,949 | 4,276 | 2,485 | |||||||||
Payable to trustees and officers | 2,761 | 2,761 | 1,808 | |||||||||
Other accrued expenses | 29,911 | 30,142 | 16,670 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Total Liabilities | 2,065,703 | 506,196 | 23,549,495 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net Assets | $ | 293,035,334 | $ | 29,825,902 | $ | 68,289,657 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net Assets consist of: | ||||||||||||
Paid-in capital | $ | 210,958,603 | $ | 23,344,374 | $ | 65,029,327 | ||||||
Accumulated undistributed net investment income (loss) | (1,093,921 | ) | (47,530 | ) | 311,274 | |||||||
Accumulated undistributed net realized gain (loss) from investment transactions | 29,477,203 | 2,840,880 | (1,716,005 | ) | ||||||||
Net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments | 53,693,449 | 3,688,178 | 4,665,061 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net Assets | $ | 293,035,334 | $ | 29,825,902 | $ | 68,289,657 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Shares outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized, no par value) | 20,251,900 | 2,444,251 | 6,234,141 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net asset value (“NAV”) and offering price per share | $ | 14.47 | $ | 12.20 | $ | 10.95 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Redemption price per share (NAV * 98%) (a) | $ | 14.18 | $ | 11.96 | $ | 10.73 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
(a) | The Funds charge a 2% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase. Shares are redeemed at the NAV if held longer than 60 days. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
25
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For the period or year ended October 31, 2013
The Sound Mind Investing Fund | The Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund | The SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund (a) | ||||||||||
Investment Income | ||||||||||||
Dividend income | $ | 2,054,565 | $ | 85,041 | $ | 741,427 | ||||||
Interest income | — | 257,119 | — | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Total Investment Income | 2,054,565 | 342,160 | 741,427 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Expenses | ||||||||||||
Investment Adviser fee | 2,680,111 | 282,237 | 329,518 | |||||||||
Administration expenses | 125,232 | 15,747 | 13,292 | |||||||||
Fund accounting expenses | 55,424 | 10,599 | 6,689 | |||||||||
Transfer agent expenses | 92,341 | 40,148 | 23,991 | |||||||||
Legal expenses | 21,095 | 21,045 | 11,075 | |||||||||
Registration expenses | 35,090 | 26,706 | 5,403 | |||||||||
Custodian expenses | 33,261 | 15,205 | 8,056 | |||||||||
Audit expenses | 13,999 | 17,999 | 15,001 | |||||||||
Trustee expenses | 9,792 | 9,792 | 4,584 | |||||||||
CCO expense | 4,254 | 4,255 | 167 | |||||||||
Miscellaneous expenses | 77,887 | 33,560 | 12,377 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Total Expenses | 3,148,486 | 477,293 | �� | 430,153 | ||||||||
Fees waived by Adviser | — | (116,168 | ) | — | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net operating expenses | 3,148,486 | 361,125 | 430,153 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net Investment Income (Loss) | (1,093,921 | ) | (18,965 | ) | 311,274 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments and Swap Contracts | ||||||||||||
Long term capital gain dividends from investment companies | 2,086,102 | 136,250 | — | |||||||||
Net realized gain (loss) on investment transactions | 29,446,203 | 2,810,249 | (1,716,005 | ) | ||||||||
Net realized gain on swap contracts | — | 13,345 | — | |||||||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation of investments | 46,265,588 | 2,910,633 | 4,665,061 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments and swap contracts | 77,797,893 | 5,870,477 | 2,949,056 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | $ | 76,703,972 | $ | 5,851,512 | $ | 3,260,330 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
(a) | For the period February 28, 2013 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
26
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUND
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
Year ended October 31, 2013 | Year ended October 31, 2012 | |||||||
Increase (decrease) in Net Assets due to: | ||||||||
Operations | ||||||||
Net investment income (loss) | $ | (1,093,921 | ) | $ | 9,995 | |||
Long term capital gain dividends from investment companies | 2,086,102 | 3,693,858 | ||||||
Net realized gain on investment transactions | 29,446,203 | 16,835,771 | ||||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments | 46,265,588 | (4,202,474 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | 76,703,972 | 16,337,150 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Distributions | ||||||||
From net investment income | (8,906 | ) | — | |||||
From net realized gains | (11,101,278 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total distributions | (11,110,184 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Transactions | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 28,410,260 | 35,377,039 | ||||||
Proceeds from redemption fees (a) | 3,705 | 24,172 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 10,902,326 | — | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (83,966,360 | ) | (68,373,694 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from capital transactions | (44,650,069 | ) | (32,972,483 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets | 20,943,719 | (16,635,333 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net Assets | ||||||||
Beginning of year | 272,091,615 | 288,726,948 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
End of year | $ | 293,035,334 | $ | 272,091,615 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Accumulated net investment income (loss) included in net assets at end of year | $ | (1,093,921 | ) | $ | 9,995 | |||
|
|
|
| |||||
Share Transactions | ||||||||
Shares sold | 2,233,548 | 3,174,087 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 968,235 | — | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (6,893,624 | ) | (6,125,856 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net decrease in share transactions | (3,691,841 | ) | (2,951,769 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
(a) | The Fund charges a 2% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase. Shares are redeemed at the NAV if held longer than 60 days. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
27
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING BALANCED FUND
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
Year ended October 31, 2013 | Year ended October 31, 2012 | |||||||
Increase (decrease) in Net Assets due to: | ||||||||
Operations | ||||||||
Net investment income (loss) | $ | (18,965 | ) | $ | 114,732 | |||
Long term capital gain dividends from investment companies | 136,250 | 124,226 | ||||||
Net realized gain on investment transactions and swap contracts | 2,823,594 | 1,910,338 | ||||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation of investments | 2,910,633 | 333,206 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | 5,851,512 | 2,482,502 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Distributions | ||||||||
From net investment income | (87,797 | ) | (198,642 | ) | ||||
From net realized gains | (576,661 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total distributions | (664,458 | ) | (198,642 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Transactions | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 8,796,270 | 14,284,283 | ||||||
Proceeds from redemption fees (a) | 5,091 | 1,917 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 660,917 | 196,650 | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (22,081,663 | ) | (14,338,724 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from capital transactions | (12,619,385 | ) | 144,126 | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets | (7,432,331 | ) | 2,427,986 | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net Assets | ||||||||
Beginning of year | 37,258,233 | 34,830,247 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
End of year | $ | 29,825,902 | $ | 37,258,233 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Accumulated net investment loss included in net assets at end of year | $ | (47,530 | ) | $ | (47,555 | ) | ||
|
|
|
| |||||
Share Transactions | ||||||||
Shares sold | 800,432 | 1,430,599 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 63,919 | 20,357 | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (2,034,213 | ) | (1,425,974 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase (decrease) in share transactions | (1,169,862 | ) | 24,982 | |||||
|
|
|
|
(a) | The Fund charges a 2% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase. Shares are redeemed at the NAV if held longer than 60 days. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
28
THE SMI DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
Period Ended October 31, 2013 (a) | ||||
Increase in Net Assets due to: | ||||
Operations | ||||
Net investment income | $ | 311,274 | ||
Net realized (loss) on investment transactions | (1,716,005 | ) | ||
Net change in unrealized appreciation of investments | 4,665,061 | |||
|
| |||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | 3,260,330 | |||
|
| |||
Capital Transactions | ||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 72,307,252 | |||
Proceeds from redemption fees (b) | 985 | |||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (7,278,910 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net increase in net assets resulting from capital transactions | 65,029,327 | |||
|
| |||
Total Increase in Net Assets | 68,289,657 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | ||||
Beginning of period | — | |||
|
| |||
End of period | $ | 68,289,657 | ||
|
| |||
Accumulated net investment income included in net assets at end of period | $ | 311,274 | ||
|
| |||
Share Transactions | ||||
Shares sold | 6,916,492 | |||
Shares redeemed | (682,351 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net increase in share transactions | 6,234,141 | |||
|
|
(a) | For the period February 28, 2013 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013. |
(b) | The Fund charges a 2% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase. Shares are redeemed at the NAV if held longer than 60 days. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
29
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
(For a share outstanding during the year)
Year ended October 31, 2013 | ||||
Selected Per Share Data: | ||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $ | 11.36 | ||
|
| |||
Income from investment operations: | ||||
Net investment income (loss)(a) | (0.05 | ) | ||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 3.66 | |||
|
| |||
Total from investment operations | 3.61 | |||
|
| |||
Less Distributions to Shareholders: | ||||
From net investment income | — | (b) | ||
From net realized gain | (0.50 | ) | ||
From return of capital | — | |||
|
| |||
Total distributions | (0.50 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Paid in capital from redemption fees(c) | — | |||
|
| |||
Net asset value, end of year | $ | 14.47 | ||
|
| |||
Total Return(d) | 33.01 | % | ||
Ratios and Supplemental Data: | ||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $ | 293,035 | ||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets(e)(f) | 1.17 | % | ||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to | (0.41 | )% | ||
Portfolio turnover rate | 93.59 | % |
(a) | Recognition of the net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(b) | Resulted in less than $0.005 per share. |
(c) | Redemption fee resulted in less than $0.005 per share. |
(d) | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends. |
(e) | These ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented in the Schedule of Investments. |
(f) | This ratio does not include the effects of other expenses refunded by the underlying funds in which the Fund invests. If these refunds had been included, the ratio of expenses to average net assets would have been 1.15%, 1.14%, 1.21%, and 1.26%, for the periods ended October 31, 2012, October 31, 2011, October 31, 2010, and October 31, 2009, respectively. |
(g) | This ratio is presented net of the other expenses refunded by the underlying funds in which the Fund invests. |
(h) | Portfolio turnover rate excludes $21,405,392 of purchases, which is the book value of securities acquired at the time of merger with SMI Managed Volatility Fund. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
30
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
(For a share outstanding during the year) – (Continued)
Year ended | Year ended October 31, 2011 | Year ended October 31, 2010 | Year ended October 31, 2009 | |||||||||||
$ | 10.74 | $ | 10.71 | $ | 8.84 | $ | 7.63 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
— | 0.02 | (0.04 | ) | (0.02 | ) | |||||||||
0.62 | 0.04 | 1.91 | 1.27 | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
0.62 | 0.06 | 1.87 | 1.25 | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
— | (0.03 | ) | — | — | ||||||||||
— | — | — | — | |||||||||||
— | — | — | (0.04 | ) | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
— | (0.03 | ) | — | (0.04 | ) | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
— | — | — | — | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
$ | 11.36 | $ | 10.74 | $ | 10.71 | $ | 8.84 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
5.77 | % | 0.50 | % | 21.15 | % | 16.57 | % | |||||||
$ | 272,092 | $ | 288,727 | $ | 283,892 | $ | 244,379 | |||||||
1.15 | % | 1.15 | % | 1.22 | % | 1.28 | % | |||||||
0.00 | % | 0.13 | % | (0.41 | )% | (0.26 | )% | |||||||
187.39 | % | 165.12 | %(h) | 95.29 | % | 124.85 | % |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
31
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING BALANCED FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
(For a share outstanding during the year)
Year ended October 31, 2013 | Year ended | Period ended October 31, 2011(a) | ||||||||||
Selected Per Share Data: | ||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 10.31 | $ | 9.70 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Income from investment operations: | ||||||||||||
Net investment income (loss)(b) | (0.02 | ) | 0.03 | (0.01 | ) | |||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 2.11 | 0.63 | (0.30 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Total from investment operations | 2.09 | 0.66 | (0.31 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Less Distributions to Shareholders: | ||||||||||||
From net investment income | (0.03 | ) | (0.05 | ) | — | |||||||
Net realized gain | (0.17 | ) | — | — | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Total distributions | (0.20 | ) | (0.05 | ) | — | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Paid in capital from redemption fees | — | (c) | — | (c) | 0.01 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 12.20 | $ | 10.31 | $ | 9.70 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Total Return(d) | 20.56 | % | 6.89 | % | -3.00 | %(e) | ||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data: | ||||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $ | 29,826 | $ | 37,258 | $ | 34,830 | ||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets(f)(g) | 1.15 | % | 1.15 | % | 1.15 | %(h) | ||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver and reimbursement(f) | 1.52 | % | 1.49 | % | 1.80 | %(h) | ||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to | (0.06 | )% | 0.29 | % | (0.17 | )%(h) | ||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 270.30 | % | 349.33 | % | 276.04 | % |
(a) | For the period December 30, 2010 (the date the Fund commenced operations) through October 31, 2011. |
(b) | Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(c) | Redemption fees resulted in less than $0.005 per share. |
(d) | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends. |
(e) | Not annualized. |
(f) | These ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund may invest, as represented in the Schedule of Investments. |
(g) | This ratio does not include the effects of other expenses refunded by the underlying funds in which the Fund invests. If these refunds had been included, the ratio of expenses to average net assets would have been 1.14% and 1.14% for the periods ended October 31, 2012 and October 31, 2011, respectively. |
(h) | Annualized. |
(i) | This ratio is presented net of the other expenses refunded by the underlying funds in which the Fund invests. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
32
THE SMI DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
(For a share outstanding during the year)
Period Ended October 31, 2013(a) | ||||
Selected Per Share Data: | ||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 10.00 | ||
|
| |||
Income from investment operations: | ||||
Net investment income (loss)(b) | 0.05 | |||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 0.90 | |||
|
| |||
Total from investment operations | 0.95 | |||
|
| |||
Paid in capital from redemption fees | — | (c) | ||
|
| |||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 10.95 | ||
|
| |||
Total Return(d) | 9.50 | %(e) | ||
Ratios and Supplemental Data: | ||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $ | 68,290 | ||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets(f) | 1.30 | %(g) | ||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets(b)(f) | 0.94 | %(g) | ||
Portfolio turnover rate | 68.64 | %(e) |
(a) | For the period February 28, 2013 (the date the Fund commenced operations) through October 31, 2013. |
(b) | Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(c) | Resulted in less than $0.005 per share. |
(d) | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends. |
(e) | Not annualized. |
(f) | These ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund may invest, as represented in the Schedule of Investments. |
(g) | Annualized. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
33
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013
NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION
The Sound Mind Investing Fund (“SMI Fund”), Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund (“SMI Balanced Fund”), and SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) are each a diversified series of The Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”). Pursuant to a reorganization that took place on February 28, 2013, the SMI Fund and SMI Balanced Fund are the successors to the series of the Unified Series Trust (the “Predecessor Funds”) with the same names. The Predecessor Funds had the same investment objectives and strategies and substantially the same investment policies as the Funds. The SMI Fund was organized on August 29, 2005 and commenced operations on December 2, 2005. The SMI Balanced Fund was organized on November 13, 2010 and commenced operations on December 30, 2010. The SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund was organized on December 11, 2012 and commenced operations on February 28, 2013. The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. Each Fund is one of a series of funds currently authorized by the Trustees. The investment adviser to the Funds is SMI Advisory Services, LLC (the “Adviser”). Scout Investments, Inc., (the “Subadviser”) through its REAMS Asset Management division, is the subadviser for the fixed income portion of the SMI Balanced Fund and subadviser for the fixed income investments (other than ETFs and other investment companies that invest primarily in fixed income securities) and cash investments for the SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund. The SMI Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation. The SMI Balanced Fund seeks total return. The SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund seeks total return.
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Funds in the preparation of their financial statements. These policies are in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
Securities Valuations – All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.
Federal Income Taxes – The Funds make no provision for federal income or excise tax. The Funds intend to qualify each year as regulated investment companies (“RICs”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of their taxable income. The Funds also intend to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that they will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Funds could incur a tax expense.
34
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – (Continued)
As of and during the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the statements of operations. During the period, the Funds did not incur any interest or penalties. Management of the Funds has reviewed tax positions taken in tax years that remain subject to examination by all major tax jurisdictions, including federal (i.e., the last four tax year ends and the interim tax period since then, as applicable). Management believes that there is no tax liability resulting from unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions taken.
Expenses – Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each fund’s relative net assets or other appropriate basis (as determined by the Board).
Security Transactions and Related Income – The Funds follow industry practice and record security transactions on the trade date. For financial statement and income tax purposes, the specific identification method is used for determining gains or losses on mutual funds and exchange-traded funds while the first in, first out method is used for determining gains or losses on all other security types. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date and interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Short-term capital gain distributions from underlying funds are classified as dividend income for financial reporting purposes. Long-term capital gain distributions are broken out as such. Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are amortized or accreted using the effective interest method. The ability of issuers of debt securities held by the Funds to meet their obligations may be affected by economic and political developments in a specific country or region.
Dividends and Distributions – The Funds typically distribute substantially all of their net investment income in the form of dividends and taxable capital gains to their shareholders at least annually. These distributions, which are recorded on the ex-dividend date, are automatically reinvested in each Fund unless shareholders request cash distributions on their application or through a written request. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the year from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations, or net asset values per share of the Funds.
For the year ended October 31, 2013, the Funds made the following reclassifications to increase/(decrease) the components of net assets:
Fund | Paid in Capital | Accumulated | Accumulated | |||||||||
SMI Fund | $ | 1,816 | $ | (1,089 | ) | $ | (727 | ) | ||||
SMI Balanced Fund | — | 106,787 | (106,787 | ) |
35
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – (Continued)
Swap Contracts – The SMI Balanced Fund may enter into credit default swap contracts. A credit default swap involves a protection buyer and a protection seller. The Fund may be either a protection buyer or seller. The protection buyer makes periodic premium payments to the protection seller during the swap term in exchange for the protection seller agreeing to make certain defined payments to the protection buyer in the event that certain defined credit events occur with respect to a particular security, issuer, or basket of securities. The “notional amount” of the swap agreement is the agreed upon amount or value of the underlying asset used for calculating the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The Fund’s obligation under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against amounts owed to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty may be collateralized by designating liquid assets on the Fund’s books and records. The credit default swaps are marked to market daily based upon quotes received from a pricing service and any change in value is recorded in unrealized appreciation/depreciation. Periodic payments paid or received are recorded in realized gain/loss. Any premium paid or received by the Fund upon entering into a credit default swap contract is recorded as an asset or liability and amortized daily as a component of realized gain (loss) on the Statement of Operations. Payments made or received as a result of a credit event or termination of the contract are recognized, net of a proportional amount of the upfront payment, as realized gains/losses. In addition to bearing the risk that the credit event will occur as a protection seller, the Fund could be exposed to market risk due to unfavorable changes in interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index, the possibility that the Fund may be unable to close out its position at the same time or at the same price as if it had purchased comparable publicly traded securities, or that the counterparty may default on its obligation to perform. Please see Note 4 for information on swap agreement activity during the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013.
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in a orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. GAAP establishes a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.
Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk, for example, the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including such a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
36
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – (Continued)
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.
• | Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities |
• | Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.) |
• | Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including each Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available) |
The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
Equity securities, including exchange-traded funds, are generally 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 more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange are generally valued by the pricing service at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange traded security is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by the pricing service at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. When using the market quotations or close prices provided by the pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security will be classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Funds will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security will be classified as a Level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Adviser determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Adviser, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review by the Board. These securities will be categorized as Level 3 securities.
Investments in mutual funds, including money market mutual funds, are generally priced at the ending net asset value (“NAV”) provided by the service agent of the funds. These securities will be categorized as Level 1 securities.
Derivative instruments that the Fund invests in, such as swap agreements, are generally traded over-the-counter. The credit default swaps the SMI Balanced Fund invests in will generally be valued at the mean of bid and ask prices provided by a major credit default swap pricing provider and will generally be classified as Level 2 securities.
37
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – (Continued)
Fixed income securities, including corporate bonds, foreign bonds denominated in U.S. dollars, U.S. treasury obligations and asset-backed securities, when valued using market quotations in an active market, will be categorized as Level 1 securities. However, they may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Adviser believes such prices more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. A pricing service uses various inputs and techniques, which include broker-dealer quotations, live trading levels, recently executed transactions in securities of the issuer or comparable issuers, and option adjusted spread models that include base curve and spread curve inputs. Adjustments to individual bonds can be applied to recognize trading differences compared to other bonds issued by the same issuer. The broker-dealer quotations received are supported by credit analysis of the issuer that takes into consideration credit quality assessments, daily trading activity, and the activity of the underlying equities, listed bonds and sector-specific trends. Data used to establish quotes for asset-backed securities includes analysis of cash flows, pre-payment speeds, default rates, delinquency assumptions, and assumptions regarding collateral and loss. To the extent that these inputs are observable, the fixed income securities are categorized as Level 2 securities. If the Adviser decides that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair 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. These securities will be categorized as Level 3 securities.
Short-term investments in fixed income securities, (those 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. These securities will be classified as Level 2 securities.
In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Adviser is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Adviser would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the Adviser’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s value, or the Adviser is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the bonds the Funds’ invest in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available.
38
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – (Continued)
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Funds’ investments as of October 31, 2013:
SMI Fund | Level 1 – Quoted Prices in Active Markets | Level 2 – Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3 – Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total | ||||||||||||
Mutual Funds – greater than 1% of net assets | $ | 286,259,282 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 286,259,282 | ||||||||
Mutual Funds – less than 1% of net assets | 5,859,651 | — | — | 5,859,651 | ||||||||||||
Money Market Securities | 1,190,883 | — | — | 1,190,883 | ||||||||||||
Total | $ | 293,309,816 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 293,309,816 | ||||||||
SMI Balanced Fund | Level 1 – Quoted Prices in Active Markets | Level 2 – Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3 – Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total | ||||||||||||
Corporate Bonds | $ | — | $ | 2,790,436 | $ | — | $ | 2,790,436 | ||||||||
Foreign Bonds Denominated in U.S. Dollars | — | 234,370 | — | 234,370 | ||||||||||||
U.S. Treasury Obligations | — | 3,425,780 | — | 3,425,780 | ||||||||||||
Asset-Backed Securities | — | 3,290,408 | — | 3,290,408 | ||||||||||||
Mutual Funds | 18,917,367 | — | — | 18,917,367 | ||||||||||||
Money Market Securities | 1,368,013 | — | — | 1,368,013 | ||||||||||||
Total | $ | 20,285,380 | $ | 9,740,994 | $ | — | $ | 30,026,374 | ||||||||
SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund | Level 1 – Quoted Prices in Active Markets | Level 2 – Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3 – Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total | ||||||||||||
Exchange-Traded Funds | $ | 64,959,904 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 64,959,904 | ||||||||
Mutual Funds | 2,720,262 | — | — | 2,720,262 | ||||||||||||
Money Market Securities | 23,224,939 | — | — | 23,224,939 | ||||||||||||
Total | $ | 90,905,105 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 90,905,105 |
39
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – (Continued)
The Funds did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period. During the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013, there were no transfers between levels. The Trust recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the end of the reporting period.
NOTE 4. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS
The SMI Balanced Fund may obtain exposure to the fixed income market by investing in credit default swap (“CDX”) contracts. The Fund used CDX contracts as an additional avenue in which to bring value to the Fund. The Fund may use CDX contracts as an alternative to buying, selling, or holding certain securities in the fixed income market. The use of CDX contracts may provide a less expensive, more expedient, or more specifically focused way to invest than traditional fixed income securities would. The Fund may enter into single name CDX agreements to gain exposure to a particular company when it is more economically attractive to do so rather than purchasing traditional bonds. The Fund may also invest in CDX index products and options thereon that allow the Fund to gain broad market exposure but with less company-specific risk than single name CDX agreements.
The SMI Balanced Fund enters into CDX contracts to gain exposure or to mitigate specific forms of credit risk. Swaps expose the Fund to counterparty risk (described below). The Fund could also suffer losses with respect to a swap agreement if the Fund is unable to terminate the agreement or reduce its exposure through offsetting transactions.
Many of the markets in which the Balanced Fund participates in credit default transactions are “over the counter” or “interdealer” markets. The participants in these markets are typically not subject to credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of “exchange based markets”. When the Fund invests in CDX contracts, it is assuming a credit risk with regard to parties with whom it trades and also bears the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those associated with transactions effected on an exchange, which generally are backed by clearing organization guarantees, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from such protections. This exposes the Fund to the risk that the counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Fund to suffer a loss. To mitigate counterparty risk, the Fund will sometimes require the counterparty to post collateral to the Fund’s custodian to cover the exposure.
The SMI Balanced Fund may also invest in credit default swap index products and in options on credit default swap index products. These instruments are designed to track segments of the credit default swap market and provide investors with exposure to specific “baskets” of issuers of bonds or loans. In general,
40
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 4. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS – (Continued)
the value of the credit default swap market provides investors with exposure to specific “baskets” of issuers of bonds or loans. In general, the value of the credit default swap index product will go up or down in response to changes in the perceived credit risk and default experience of the basket of issuers, instead of the exchange of the stream of payments for the payment of the notional amount (if a credit event occurs) that is the substance of a single name credit default swap. Such investments are subject to liquidity risks as well as counterparty and other risks associated with investments in credit default swaps discussed above.
In accordance with GAAP, the fair value of any credit default swaps can be found on the Statements of Operations under net realized gain on swap contracts. There were no open contracts as of October 31, 2013. For the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013, the realized gain on swap agreements for the SMI Balanced Fund was as follows:
Credit Risk: Credit Default Swap Contracts | Net realized gain on swap contracts | $ | 13,345 |
During the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013, the SMI Balanced Fund had written total notional value of swap contracts of $1,430,000. The total notional value of terminated swap contracts was $1,430,000. No collateral was posted by either party as of October 31, 2013. The SMI Balanced Fund utilized credit derivative instruments in conjunction with investment securities in an effort to achieve its investment objective for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013.
NOTE 5. FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES
The Adviser, under the terms of the management agreement with respect to each Fund (each an “Agreement”), manages the Funds’ investments. As compensation for its management services, each Fund is obligated to pay the Adviser a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets as follows:
Fund Assets | SMI Fund | SMI Balanced Fund | SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund Management Fee | |||
$1 – $100 million | 1.00% | 0.90% | 1.00% | |||
$100,000,001 – $250 million | 1.00% | 0.80% | 1.00% | |||
$250,000,001 to $500 million | 0.90% | 0.70% | 0.90% | |||
Over $500 million | 0.80% | 0.60% | 0.80% | |||
Management fees earned | $ 2,680,111 | $ 282,237 | $ 329,518 | |||
Fees waived and expenses reimbursed | $ — | $ (116,168) | $ — |
41
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 5. FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES – (Continued)
The Adviser contractually has agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse certain operating expenses, but only to the extent necessary so that each Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenses which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, extraordinary expenses, dividend expense on short sales, 12b-1 fees, and acquired fund fees and expenses) do not exceed 1.50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets with respect to the SMI Fund, 1.15% with respect to the SMI Balanced Fund, and 1.45% with respect to the SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund. The contractual arrangement for each Fund is in place through February 28, 2014. Each waiver or reimbursement by the Adviser is subject to repayment by the applicable Fund within the three fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the particular expense or reimbursement was incurred; provided that such Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the applicable expense limitation.
The amount subject to repayment by the SMI Balanced Fund, pursuant to the aforementioned conditions, at October 31, 2013 is as follows:
Amount | Recoverable through | |||||
$ | 126,597 | 2014 | ||||
131,773 | 2015 | |||||
116,168 | 2016 |
The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”) to manage the Funds’ business affairs and to provide the Funds with administrative services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. The Trust also retains HASI to act as each Fund’s transfer agent and to provide fund accounting services. Expenses incurred by the Funds for these expenses are allocated to the individual Funds based on each Fund’s relative net assets. Certain officers of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. HASI operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of the principal distributor of the Funds and Huntington National Bank, the custodian of the Funds’ investments (the “Custodian”). A Trustee of the Trust is a member of management of the Custodian. For the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013, fees for administrative, transfer agent, and fund
42
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 5. FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES – (Continued)
accounting services, reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses, and Custodian expenses and the amounts due to HASI and the Custodian at October 31, 2013 were as follows:
SMI Fund | SMI | SMI Dynamic | ||||||||||
Administration expenses | $ | 125,232 | $ | 15,747 | $ | 13,292 | ||||||
Transfer agent expenses | 92,341 | 40,148 | 23,991 | |||||||||
Fund accounting expenses | 55,424 | 10,599 | 6,689 | |||||||||
Custodian expenses | 33,261 | 15,205 | 8,056 | |||||||||
Payable to HASI | 34,484 | 14,514 | 7,481 | |||||||||
Payable to Custodian | 8,949 | 4,276 | 2,485 |
Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) acts as the principal distributor of the Funds. There were no payments made to the Distributor by the SMI Fund, the SMI Balanced Fund, or the SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund for fiscal period ended October 31, 2013. The Distributor, HASI, and the Custodian are controlled by Huntington Bancshares, Inc. A Trustee of the Trust is a member of management of Huntington National Bank, a subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc. (the parent of the Distributor), and certain officers of the Trust are officers of the Distributor and such persons may be deemed to be affiliates of the Distributor.
NOTE 6. INVESTMENTS
For the fiscal period ended October 31, 2013, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments and short-term U.S. government obligations were as follows:
SMI Fund | SMI Balanced Fund | SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund | ||||||||||
Purchases | ||||||||||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | $ | 57,597,934 | $ | — | ||||||
Other | 252,354,015 | 23,138,620 | 97,242,435 | |||||||||
Sales | ||||||||||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | $ | 55,429,917 | $ | — | ||||||
Other | 307,018,371 | 38,267,305 | 32,511,288 |
43
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 7. RESTRICTED SECURITIES
Restricted securities are securities that may only be resold upon registration under federal securities laws or in transactions exempt from such registration. In some cases, the issuer of restricted securities has agreed to register such securities for resale, at the issuer’s expense, either upon demand by the Funds or in connection with another registered offering of the securities. Many restricted securities may be resold in the secondary market in transactions exempt from registration. Such restricted securities may be determined to be liquid. The Board of Trustees and management of the SMI Balanced Fund consider the restricted securities shown below to be liquid. The Fund will not incur any registration costs upon such resale. The Fund’s restricted securities are valued at the price provided by dealers in the secondary market or, if no market prices are available, at the fair value as determined by the Trust’s Pricing Committee. At October 31, 2013, the SMI Balanced Fund held restricted securities representing 3.10% of net assets, as listed below:
Issuer Description | Acquisition Date | Principal Amount | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | ||||||||||||
American Airlines 2013-1 Class A Pass Through Trust, 4.000%, 7/15/2025 | 3/6/2013 | $ | 45,000 | $ | 45,000 | $ | 42,750 | |||||||||
Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Certificate, Series 2009-12R, Class 41A1, 5.250%, 3/27/2037 | 6/13/2011 | 16,418 | 16,423 | 16,752 | ||||||||||||
Daimler Finance North America LLC, 1.250%, 1/11/2016 | 1/9/2013 | 90,000 | 89,918 | 90,501 | ||||||||||||
DBRR Trust, Series 2012-EZ1, Class A, 0.946%, 9/25/2045 | (a) | 170,525 | 170,706 | 170,447 | ||||||||||||
Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC, 3.984%, 6/15/2016 | (b) | 65,000 | 65,052 | 68,739 | ||||||||||||
Hertz Vehicle Financing LLC, Series 2011-1A, Class A1, 2.200%, 3/25/2016 | (c) | 110,000 | 110,447 | 111,689 | ||||||||||||
Hertz Vehicle Financing, LLC Series 2013-1A, Class A1, 1.200%, 8/25/2017 | 1/18/2013 | 90,000 | 89,994 | 89,882 | ||||||||||||
ING Bank NV, 3.750%, 3/7/2017 | (d) | 165,000 | 164,547 | 174,638 | ||||||||||||
Liberty Mutual Group, 6.700%, 8/15/2016 | 1/19/2012 | 25,000 | 26,489 | 28,530 |
44
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 7. RESTRICTED SECURITIES – (Continued)
Issuer Description | Acquisition Date | Principal Amount | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | ||||||||||||
Metropolitan Life Global Funding I, 1.700%, 6/29/2015 | 3/25/2013 | $ | 55,000 | $ | 55,907 | $ | 55,753 | |||||||||
Structured Asset Securities Corp, Mortgage Loan Trust, 2005-S7, Class A2, 0.479%, 12/25/2035 | (e) | 21,247 | 15,171 | 20,516 | ||||||||||||
Verizon Communications, Inc. 0.459%, 3/06/2015 | 3/5/2013 | 55,000 | 55,000 | 54,874 | ||||||||||||
$ | 925,071 |
(a) | Purchased on various dates beginning 09/21/2012. |
(b) | Purchased on various dates beginning 06/17/2011. |
(c) | Purchased on various dates beginning 06/13/2011. |
(d) | Purchased on various dates beginning 03/01/2012. |
(e) | Purchased on various dates beginning 06/22/2011. |
NOTE 8. ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
NOTE 9. BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of more than 25% of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of the fund, under Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. At October 31, 2013, National Financial Services Corporation, for the benefit of others, held 25.09%, 36.74% and 26.23% of the SMI Fund, SMI Balanced Fund and the SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund, respectively. As a result, National Financial Services Corporation may be deemed to control the SMI Fund, SMI Balanced Fund and the SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund.
45
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 10. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION
At October 31, 2013, the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments for tax purposes, was as follows:
SMI Fund | SMI Balanced Fund | SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund | ||||||||||
Gross Appreciation | $ | 53,763,517 | $ | 3,715,945 | $ | 4,675,141 | ||||||
Gross (Depreciation) | (71,596 | ) | (28,688 | ) | (12,011 | ) | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
Net Appreciation (Depreciaton) on Investments | $ | 53,691,921 | $ | 3,687,257 | $ | 4,663,130 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
At October 31, 2013, the aggregate cost of securities for federal income tax purposes was $239,617,895, $26,339,117 and $86,241,975 for the SMI Fund, SMI Balanced Fund and SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund respectively.
SMI Fund: On December 27, 2013, SMI Fund paid an income distribution of $0.0490 per share, a short-term capital gain distribution of $0.8291, and a long-term capital gain distribution of $0.6838 per share to shareholders of record on December 26, 2013.
The tax characterization of distributions for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2013 and October 31, 2012, was as follows:
2013 | 2012 | |||||||
Distributions paid from: | ||||||||
Ordinary Income | $ | 8,906 | $ | — | ||||
Long-term Capital Gain | 11,101,278 | — | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
$ | 11,110,184 | $ | — | |||||
|
|
|
|
SMI Balanced Fund: On December 27, 2013, SMI Balanced Fund paid an income distribution of $0.0565 per share, a short-term capital gain distribution of $0.6931 per share, and a long-term capital gain distribution of $0.4579 per share to shareholders of record on December 26, 2013.
The tax characterization of distributions for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2013 and October 31, 2012, was as follows:
2013 | 2012 | |||||||
Distributions paid from: | ||||||||
Ordinary Income | $ | 322,336 | $ | 198,642 | ||||
Long-term Capital Gain | 342,122 | — | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
$ | 664,458 | $ | 198,642 | |||||
|
|
|
|
SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund: On December 27, 2013, SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund paid an income distribution of $0.1805 per share to shareholders of record on December 26, 2013.
46
THE SOUND MIND INVESTING FUNDS
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2013 – (Continued)
NOTE 10. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION – (Continued)
At October 31, 2013, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:
SMI Fund | SMI | SMI Dynamic | ||||||||||
Accumulated undistributed ordinary income | $ | 16,674,842 | $ | 1,711,136 | $ | 311,274 | ||||||
Accumulated undistributed long-term capital gains | 13,751,346 | 1,130,543 | — | |||||||||
Accumulated capital and other losses | (2,041,378 | ) | (47,408 | ) | (1,714,074 | ) | ||||||
Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | 53,691,921 | 3,687,257 | 4,663,130 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
$ | 82,076,731 | $ | 6,481,528 | $ | 3,260,330 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
At October 31, 2013, the difference between book basis and tax basis unrealized appreciation is attributable to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales in the amount of $1,528, $921, and $1,931 for the SMI Fund, SMI Balanced Fund, and SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund, respectively.
As of October 31, 2013, accumulated capital and other losses consist of:
Qualified Losses | Capital Loss | |||||||
SMI Fund | $ | 1,093,920 | $ | 947,458 | ||||
SMI Balanced Fund | 47,408 | — | ||||||
SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund | — | 1,714,074 |
At October 31, 2013, for federal income tax purposes, the Funds had capital loss carryforwards, in the following amounts:
No Expiration – Short Term | Expiring October 31, 2016 | |||||||
SMI Fund | $ | — | $ | 947,458 | ||||
SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund | 1,714,074 | — |
NOTE 11. SUBSEQUENT EVENT
Management of the Funds has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. Based upon this evaluation, as presented in the “Trustees and officers” table, Andrea N. Mullins was appointed to serve as Trustee to the Trust, by vote of the Board on December 9, 2013. Additionally, on December 10, 2013, the Board appointed Bryan W. Ashmus to serve as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer effective as of the same date.
47
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of
Sound Mind Investing Funds
(Valued Advisers Trust)
We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the schedules of investments, of Sound Mind Investing Funds, comprising Sound Mind Investing Fund, Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund, and SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund (the “Funds”), each a series of the Valued Advisers Trust, as of October 31, 2013, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended for the Sound Mind Investing Fund and Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund and for the period February 28, 2013 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013 for SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund, the statement of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended for Sound Mind Investing Fund, and the statement of operations for the year then ended, the statement of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three periods in the period then ended for Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund, and the statement of operations, statement of changes in net assets, and financial highlights for the period February 28, 2013 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2013 for SMI Dynamic Allocation Fund. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds’ management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers or by other appropriate auditing procedures where replies from brokers were not received. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of each of the Funds constituting Sound Mind Investing Funds as of October 31, 2013, the results of each of their operations, the changes in each of their net assets, and the financial highlights for each of the periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
December 30, 2013
48
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS (Unaudited)
The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires or is removed.
The following tables provide information regarding the Trustees and Officers.
The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind, 77, Independent Trustee, August 2008 to present. | Retired; Consultant to Battelle Memorial Institute (International Science and Technology Research Enterprise) on business investments from 2001 to 2003; Formerly employed with Battelle Memorial Institute from 1966 to 2003 in various positions, including the Executive Vice President of Battelle Institute from 1991 to 2001, General Manager from 1985 to 1991, Director of the Battelle Industrial Technology Center (Geneva, Switzerland) from 1983 to 1985, and Practicing Researcher from 1966 to 1983. | |
Ira Cohen, 54 Independent Trustee, June 2010 to present. | Independent financial services consultant (Feb. 2005 – present). | |
Andrea N. Mullins, 46 Independent Trustee, December 2013 to present. | Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer Secretary for the Eagle Family of Funds 2004-2010; Chief Financial Officer of Eagle Fund Services (a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial) 2008-2010; Vice President and Treasurer of Eagle Fund Services 1996-2008. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 48, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present. | Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; Chief Executive Officer, The Huntington Strategy Shares since November 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
49
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS (Unaudited) – (Continued)
The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust,** Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 48, Principal Executive Officer and President, February 2010 to present. | Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust since June 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds since March 2011; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. | |
John C. Swhear, 52, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance for Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007; Chief Compliance Officer of Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007; Senior Vice President of the Unified Series Trust since May 2007; Secretary of Huntington Funds since April 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, 2007 to March 2010. | |
Carol J. Highsmith, 48, Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration. | |
Matthew J. Miller, 36, Vice President, December 2011 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President of Huntington Funds since February 2010. | |
Bryan W. Ashmus, 40, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, December 2013 to present | Vice President, Financial Administration, HASI (September 2013 to present); Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, The Huntington Strategy Shares and The Huntington Funds Trust (November 2013 to present); Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., (May 2005 to September 2013). | |
Heather Bonds, 37, Secretary, October 2012 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January of 2004; currently Certified Paralegal and Section Manager 2. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
50
OTHER INFORMATION
The Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (877) 670-2227 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.
51
PROXY VOTING
A description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how the Funds voted those proxies during the most recent twelve month period ended June 30 is available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Funds at (877) 764-3863 and (2) from Fund documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
TRUSTEES
R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind
Ira Cohen
Andrea N. Mullins
OFFICERS
R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive
Officer and President
John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer,
AML Officer and Vice-President
Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President
Matthew J. Miller, Vice President
Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial
Officer and Treasurer
Heather Bonds, Secretary
INVESTMENT ADVISOR
SMI Advisory Services, LLC
11135 Baker Hollow Road
Columbus, IN 47201
DISTRIBUTOR
Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen Fund Audit Services Ltd.
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800
Cleveland, OH 44115
LEGAL COUNSEL
The Law Offices of John H. Lively &
Associates, Inc.
A member firm of The 1940 Act Law GroupTM
11300 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy, Suite 310
Leawood, KS 66211
CUSTODIAN
Huntington National Bank
41 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43125
ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT AND FUND ACCOUNTANT
Huntington Asset Services, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Funds prospectus which contains information about the Funds management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
Member FINRA/SIPC
52
THE SOUND MIND
INVESTING FUND
SOUND MIND INVESTING
BALANCED FUND
THE SMI DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND
ANNUAL |
October 31, 2013 |
Fund Adviser:
SMI Advisory Services, LLC
11135 Baker Hollow Road
Columbus, IN 47201
Toll Free (877) SMI-Fund
www.smifund.com
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Annual Report
October 31, 2013
Fund Adviser:
TEAM Financial Asset Management, LLC
800 Corporate Circle, Suite 106
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Toll Free (877) 832-6952
Management’s Discussion of Fund Performance
As we remind shareholders each annual and semi-annual report, our investment process is active on three basic timeframes: secular, cyclical and tactical. These could also be labeled as long, intermediate, and short term. It is within this context we discuss the Team Asset Strategy Fund’s (“Fund”) performance.
During the past year through 10/31/2013, our performance suffered from a combination of a poor environment for our secular exposure, a very difficult period as the current business cycle transitions, as well as poor results in our tactical trading. The net result was a 12 month period which was very disappointing.
The problems we’ve encountered originate from a combination of our macro outlook and how markets have responded to the economic and corporate fundamentals within the context of the macro environment. Our base case macro outlook had been that the U.S. and much of the global economy was slowing and modestly recessionary heading into the end of 2012 and would likely remain so for most of 2013. We also expected cyclical inflation pressures to fall in conjunction with the weak economic environment. In addition, we expected the economic environment to result in corporate profit results disappointing consensus expectations. We also expected Federal Reserve (“Fed”) to respond to the sustained economic weakness with significant monetary stimulus.
In many respects, this macro outlook proved to be accurate, as nominal GDP in the US fell to levels during Q4 2012, and Q1-Q3 of 2013 to levels which have only ever occurred inside recession. Corporate profits did disappoint the consensus, and the Federal Reserve did respond with significant and increasing monetary stimulus. That began in September 2012 with the announcement of $45 billion a month in quantitative easing via the purchase of mortgage back securities. The Fed increased the stimulus in January 2013 by adding another $40 billion in quantitative easing via the purchase of US treasury bonds.
This created an environment of poor economic growth, poor corporate profits results, and increased monetary stimulus. It was our expectation that such an environment would benefit strategies and the ownership of assets which have historically benefited from large amounts of quantitative easing. Two prominent areas we believed would benefit were precious metals and related mining companies, as well as foreign currencies. In examining and considering the major risks to our outlook, we came to the conclusion that the most significant cyclical risk resided in the possibility of a shallow recession becoming more severe, and for deflationary forces to overwhelm the level of quantitative easing deployed by the Federal Reserve.
In such a scenario, which we believed to be a significantly lower probability of occurring, we expected risk assets to suffer a synchronized decline similar to the bear market periods in 2002 and/or 2008. Our uncertainty in such a scenario was whether or not the price of precious metals would be caught up in a broader asset liquidation as unfolded in 2008, or whether the increasingly aggressive policies coming from the Federal Reserve would result in precious metals diverging as they have during other historical cyclical downturns such as in the late 1970’s and again in 2002. We made the portfolio construction decision to focus long exposure in alignment with our macro outlook and in areas we believed to present excellent risk/reward for those conditions. In addition, we believed that an effective and efficient way to hedge our exposure was using non-precious metals related stock market positions – broader equity index exposure being a prominent example. As a result of our selected long exposure typically having a significantly higher volatility profile, we typically sized our hedges and short exposure on a volatility adjusted basis in order to implement our desired net portfolio exposure.
1
In order to achieve the desired volatility adjusted net portfolio exposure, we deployed a significant amount of short exposure via equity derivatives. Short equity index futures contracts and buying/owning equity put options were the most prominent derivative vehicles deployed in order to achieve the desired exposure. These instruments achieved the desired net portfolio exposure, but as a result of the leverage involved with the derivative contracts, they also increased gross portfolio exposure significantly. The confluence of markets responding differently to the macro environment than we had forecasted, combined with inter-market correlations shifting dramatically away from what we expected, resulted in the Fund’s portfolio suffering losses in its long holdings, as well as losses in the short exposure. The leverage inherent in the derivatives deployed amplified the losses in the short exposure.
As markets transition into calendar year 2013, the fundamental backdrop unfolded much as we anticipated. However, the response from markets was very different. Global stock markets either appreciated significantly, as was the case in the U.S. and much of Europe, or remained range bound, as in many major emerging markets. At the same time, precious metals mining stocks experienced a sharp and out sized decline relative to what remained a range bound period for gold and silver from mid-2011 up through April 2013. The result was valuations in the mining company stocks that reached extreme and rare levels relative to the price of the metals. Given our confidence in our macro outlook and the growing evidence which we believed confirmed our views, our expectation remained that the precious metals mining stocks would mean revert and bounce back sharply.
As part of our analytical process, we reduced exposure to the precious metals miners significantly in January 2013 when our process parameters were triggered. However, we maintained a significant, while reduced, exposure contingent upon our mean reversion expectation and the continued resilience in the price of gold and silver. Once we reduced the precious metals mining exposure in January 2013, we rotated some exposure into the stocks of some companied we believed to hold defensive characteristics which we expected to remain resilient in the macro environment we expected. Consumer staples, pharmaceuticals, and utility stocks were the areas we focused our analysis upon.
By early April, the price of gold and silver broke our process parameters and rather than mean reverting, the miners accelerated their decline in conjunction with the decline in gold and silver prices. We reduced the exposure to the miners to very modest levels, but significant damage had already taken place. For example, the AMEX Gold Bug Stock Index declined approximately 47% from its September 2012 peak to the low it made in early April 2013. Smaller and mid-sized miners, in which we held significant positions, declined even more. A proxy for that market segment, the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (symbol GDXJ) declined approximately 56% over the period. During the same period, the S&P 500 Index appreciated approximately 8% and the Russell 2000 Small Cap Index appreciated approximately 10%.
This large performance disparity between our largest long holdings and the indexes in which we retained shorts and hedges was a primary driver of poor returns, and mentioned earlier in this commentary, amplified by the derivatives used. The composition of our long exposure began to transition in January 2013 with the significant reduction in precious metals related exposure again in April 2013, the process accelerated. We continued to focus analysis on the stocks of companies with businesses which we expected to be more defensive and stable. We also focused on stocks which had historically been less volatile during periods in which broader stock market declines occurred. This transition proved untimely,
2
as starting in May 2013, the performance of more defensive stocks like utilities underperformed the broader indexes dramatically. For example, during the May to June period of broader stock market weakness, the Dow Jones Utility stock index declined by almost 14% compared to the Russell 2000 Small Cap index declining approximately 5.5% .
Another significant contributor to the Fund’s poor performance was driven by process driven whipsawing. In effect, our analysis on multiple occasions over the year suggested that the probabilities of a cycle peak, or at least a significant market correction, had begun. This occurred off the September 2012 peak, the December 2012 retest of that peak, then subsequently the temporary market peaks in February, April, May and again in August 2013. As each temporary peak developed the Fund’s net exposure, on a volatility adjusted basis, was moved to being net short. Equity derivatives were used prominently during those periods in order to achieve that desired exposure and amplified subsequent losses. On each occasion, the temporary weakness concluded with extremely rapid and straight up moves in the broader equity markets. The result was steep losses in our hedging and short positions, while our long exposure either underperformed on the upside or actually declined on an absolute basis in the case of precious metals related exposure. As a consequence, the Fund experienced significant losses on both long and short exposure, which due to the volatility adjusted exposure resulted in even larger losses during those periods.
3
Investment Results – (Unaudited)
Total Returns*
(For the periods ended October 31, 2013)
Average Annual | ||||||||||||
Since Inception | ||||||||||||
1 Year | 3 Year | (December 30, 2009) | ||||||||||
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund - Investor Class | -80.15 | % | -42.34 | % | -34.34 | % | ||||||
FTSE All-World Index** | 23.99 | % | 10.85 | % | 10.38 | % |
Total annual operating expenses, as disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus dated February 28, 2013 were 2.08% of average daily net assets. Prior to the decision to liquidate the Fund and cease operations, the Adviser had contractually agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses of the Fund until February 28, 2014, so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not exceed 1.95%. This agreement may not be terminated by the Adviser until after February 28, 2014. This operating expense limitation did not apply to (i) interest, (ii) taxes, (iii) brokerage commissions, (iv) other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, (v) other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, (vi) dividend expense on short sales, and (vii) expenses incurred under a plan of distribution adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A significant decline in assets could result in higher expenses in the absence of the expense limitation agreement.
Total Returns*
(For the periods ended October 31, 2013)
Average Annual | ||||||||
Since Inception | ||||||||
1 Year | (February 28, 2012) | |||||||
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund - Institutional Class | -79.80 | % | -67.05 | % | ||||
FTSE All-World Index** | 23.99 | % | 14.84 | % |
Total annual operating expenses, as disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus dated February 28, 2013 were 1.83% of average daily net assets. Prior to the decision to liquidate the Fund and cease operations, the Adviser had contractually agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses of the Fund until February 28, 2014, so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not exceed 1.95%. This agreement may not be terminated by the Adviser until after February 28, 2014. This operating expense limitation did not apply to (i) interest, (ii) taxes, (iii) brokerage commissions, (iv) other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, (v) other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, (vi) dividend expense on short sales, and (vii) expenses incurred under a plan of distribution adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A significant decline in assets could result in higher expenses in the absence of the expense limitation agreement.
The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-877-832-6952.
* | Total return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions. The total return figures set forth above include all waivers of fees for various periods since inception. Without such fee waivers, the total returns would have been lower. |
** | The FTSE All-World Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in the Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange-traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. |
The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the investment company and may be obtained by calling the same number as above. Please read it carefully before investing. The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., Member FINRA.
4
This graph shows the value of a hypothetical initial investment of $10,000 made on December 30, 2009 for the Investor Class (commencement of Fund operations) and held through October 31, 2013. The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on December 30, 2009 (commencement of Fund operations) and held through October 31, 2013. The FTSE All-World Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in the Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange-traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. THE FUND’S RETURN REPRESENTS PAST PERFORMANCE AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.
Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end or to request a prospectus, please call 1-877-832-6952. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
5
This graph shows the value of a hypothetical initial investment of $10,000 made on February 28, 2012 for the Institutional Class (commencement of Fund operations) and held through October 31, 2013. The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on February 29, 2012 (commencement of Fund operations) and held through October 31, 2013. The FTSE All-World Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in the Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange-traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. THE FUND’S RETURN REPRESENTS PAST PERFORMANCE AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.
Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end or to request a prospectus, please call 1-877-832-6952. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
6
Fund Holdings – (Unaudited)
1 | As a percentage of net assets. |
The investment objective of the TEAM Asset Strategy Fund (the “Fund”) is to provide high total investment return, which will generally be achieved through a combination of appreciation in capital and income.
Availability of Portfolio Schedule
The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.
Summary of Fund’s Expenses
As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, such as short-term redemption fees; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This Example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning and held for the entire period from May 1, 2013 through October 31, 2013.
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = $8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
7
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs such as the redemption fee imposed on short-term redemptions. Therefore, the second line of the table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative costs of owning different funds. In addition, if the short-term redemption fee imposed by the Fund were included, your costs would have been higher.
Beginning Account | Ending Account | Expenses Paid | ||||||||||
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund Investor | Value May 1, 2013 | Value October 31, 2013 | During the Period Ended October 31, 2013 | |||||||||
Actual* | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 494.70 | $ | 19.52 | ||||||
Hypothetical** | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 999.09 | $ | 26.10 |
* | Expenses are equal to the Investor Class’s annualized expense ratio of 5.18% multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 (to reflect the partial year). |
** | Assumes a 5% return before expenses |
Beginning Account | Ending Account | Expenses Paid | ||||||||||
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund Institutional | Value May 1, 2013 | Value October 31, 2013 | During the Period Ended October 31, 2013 | |||||||||
Actual* | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 503.60 | $ | 11.26 | ||||||
Hypothetical** | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,010.23 | $ | 15.05 |
* | Expenses are equal to the Institutional Class’s annualized expense ratio of 2.97% multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 (to reflect the partial year). |
** | Assumes a 5% return before expenses. |
8
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Schedule of Investments
October 31, 2013
Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Common Stocks - Long - 57.78% | ||||||||
Oil, Gas & Coal - 14.75% | ||||||||
Encana Corp. (b) | 25,000 | $ | 448,000 | |||||
EXCO Resources, Inc. (b) | 47,000 | 254,270 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
702,270 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Gold & Silver Ores - 25.41% | ||||||||
Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (b) | 11,000 | 324,830 | ||||||
Eldorado Gold Corp. | 40,000 | 270,000 | ||||||
Gold Resource Corp. (e) | 42,000 | 217,980 | ||||||
Yamana Gold, Inc. (b) | 40,000 | 397,200 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,210,010 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Metals & Mining - 17.62% | ||||||||
Newmont Mining Corp. | 12,000 | 327,120 | ||||||
New Gold, Inc. (a) | 40,000 | 234,000 | ||||||
Rubicon Minerals Corp. (a) | 200,000 | 278,000 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
839,120 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS - LONG (Cost $3,422,452) | 2,751,400 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Exchanged-Traded Funds - Long - 26.60% | ||||||||
iShares Gold Trust (a)(b) | 20,000 | 257,000 | ||||||
Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF | 9,000 | 225,990 | ||||||
Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (b) | 7,000 | 263,200 | ||||||
ProShares UltraShort FTSE Europe Fund (a) | 16,000 | 264,638 | ||||||
SPDR Gold Shares (a) | 2,000 | 255,480 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS - LONG (Cost $1,531,590) | 1,266,308 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Money Market Securities - 19.25% | ||||||||
Fidelity Institutional Treasury Only Portfolio, 0.01% (c)(f) | 6,081 | 6,081 | ||||||
Fidelity Institutional Treasury Only Portfolio, 0.01% (c) | 910,572 | 910,572 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL MONEY MARKET SECURITIES (Cost $916,653) | 916,653 | |||||||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
9
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Schedule of Investments - continued
October 31, 2013
Outstanding Contracts | Fair Value | |||||||
Put Options Purchased - 1.44% (a)(d) | ||||||||
iShares Russell 2000 Index / November 2013 / Strike $102.00 | 500 | 6,000 | ||||||
iShares Russell 2000 Index / November 2013 / Strike $108.00 | 500 | 42,000 | ||||||
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust / November 2013 / Strike $172.00 | 400 | 20,400 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL PUT OPTIONS PURCHASED (Cost $201,300) | 68,400 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENTS - LONG (Cost $6,071,995) - 105.07% | $ | 5,002,761 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENTS - SHORT (Proceeds $1,497,869) - (36.32)% | (1,729,250 | ) | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Cash & other assets in excess of liabilities - 31.25% | 1,487,997 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS - 100.00% | $ | 4,761,508 | ||||||
|
|
(a) | Non-income producing. |
(b) | All or a portion of this security is held as collateral for securities sold short. |
(c) | Variable rate security; the rate shown represents the 7 day yield at October 31, 2013. |
(d) | Each option contract has a multiplier of 100 shares. |
(e) | The security or a partial position of the security was on loan as of October 31, 2013. The total value of securities on loan as of October 31, 2013 was $5,709. |
(f) | Purchased with cash collateral held from securities lending. This represents the value of collateral as of October 31, 2013. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
10
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Schedule of Securities Sold Short
October 31, 2013
Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Common Stocks - Short - (12.04)% | ||||||||
Chemicals - (12.04)% | ||||||||
Dow Chemical Co./The | (5,000 | ) | (197,350 | ) | ||||
Sherwin-Williams Co./The | (2,000 | ) | (376,000 | ) | ||||
|
| |||||||
(573,350 | ) | |||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS - SHORT (Proceeds $504,379) | (573,350 | ) | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Exchanged-Traded Funds - Short - (24.28)% | ||||||||
Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund | (17,000 | ) | (826,540 | ) | ||||
Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF | (8,000 | ) | (329,360 | ) | ||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS - SHORT (Proceeds $993,490) | (1,155,900 | ) | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENTS - SHORT - COMMON STOCKS & EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (Proceeds $1,497,869) - (36.32)% | $ | (1,729,250 | ) | |||||
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
11
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
October 31, 2013
Assets | ||||
Investments in securities, at fair value (cost $6,071,995) | $ | 5,002,761 | ||
Cash (a)(b) | 1,368,458 | |||
Cash held at broker | 90,458 | |||
Receivable for investments sold | 54,404 | |||
Prepaid expenses | 24,541 | |||
Receivable from Investment Adviser | 12,322 | |||
Receivable for fund shares sold | 3,000 | |||
Receivables for securities lending | 95 | |||
Interest receivable | 7 | |||
|
| |||
Total assets | 6,556,046 | |||
|
| |||
Liabilities | ||||
Investments in securities sold short, at fair value (Proceeds $1,497,869) | 1,729,250 | |||
Payable for fund shares redeemed | 16,932 | |||
Payable to administrator, fund accountant, and transfer agent | 11,658 | |||
Payable upon return of securities loaned | 6,081 | |||
Payable to custodian | 1,995 | |||
Dividend expense payable on short positions | 1,840 | |||
12b-1 fees accrued, Investor Class | 332 | |||
Other accrued expenses | 26,450 | |||
|
| |||
Total liabilities | 1,794,538 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 4,761,508 | ||
|
| |||
Net Assets consist of: | ||||
Paid in capital | $ | 51,833,572 | ||
Accumulated undistributed net investment income (loss) | (356,212 | ) | ||
Accumulated net realized gain (loss) from investment securities, securities sold short, options, futures and forward currency transactions | (45,415,237 | ) | ||
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on: | ||||
Investment securities and securities sold short | (1,167,715 | ) | ||
Options | (132,900 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 4,761,508 | ||
|
| |||
Net Assets: Investor Class | $ | 1,367,056 | ||
|
| |||
Shares outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized) | 973,339 | |||
|
| |||
Net Asset Value and offering price per share | $ | 1.40 | ||
|
| |||
Redemption price per share (NAV * 99%) (c) | $ | 1.39 | ||
|
| |||
Net Assets: Institutional Class | $ | 3,394,452 | ||
|
| |||
Shares outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized) | 2,404,774 | |||
|
| |||
Net Asset Value and offering price per share | $ | 1.41 | ||
|
| |||
Redemption price per share (NAV * 99%) (c) | $ | 1.40 | ||
|
|
(a) | See Note 2 in the Notes to the Financial Statements. |
(b) | A portion of cash is used as collateral for securities sold short. |
(c) | The Fund charges a 1.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 30 days of purchase. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
12
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Statement of Operations
For the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2013
Investment Income | ||||
Dividend income (net of foreign withholding tax of $8,662) | $ | 270,624 | ||
Income from securities loaned | 98,293 | |||
|
| |||
Total Investment Income | 368,917 | |||
|
| |||
Expenses | ||||
Investment Adviser fee | 246,468 | |||
Administration expenses | 47,743 | |||
Transfer agent expenses | 46,662 | |||
Fund accounting expenses | 47,401 | |||
Custodian expenses | 26,491 | |||
Registration expenses | 39,496 | |||
12b-1 fees, Investor Class | 19,764 | |||
Legal expenses | 18,943 | |||
Printing expenses | 18,893 | |||
Auditing expenses | 16,500 | |||
Trustee expenses | 6,782 | |||
Insurance expense | 5,054 | |||
CCO expenses | 3,001 | |||
24f-2 expense | 660 | |||
Pricing expenses | 945 | |||
Miscellaneous expenses | 2,315 | |||
Other expense - short sale & interest expense | 109,656 | |||
Dividends on securities sold short | 140,526 | |||
|
| |||
Total Expenses | 797,300 | |||
Less: Fees waived by investment adviser | (142,722 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net operating expenses | 654,578 | |||
|
| |||
Net Investment Income (Loss) | (285,661 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Realized & Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments | ||||
Net realized gain (loss) on: | ||||
Investment securities | (4,693,421 | ) | ||
Short securities | (1,939,666 | ) | ||
Options | (13,361,115 | ) | ||
Foreign currency transactions | (1,949,722 | ) | ||
Futures contracts | (7,509,453 | ) | ||
Change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on: | ||||
Investment securities | (2,442,511 | ) | ||
Short securities | (353,121 | ) | ||
Options | (917,286 | ) | ||
Foreign currency transactions | (1,289,176 | ) | ||
Futures contracts | 66,996 | |||
|
| |||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment securities | (34,388,475 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | $ | (34,674,136 | ) | |
|
|
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
13
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Statements of Changes In Net Assets
For the | For the | |||||||
Year Ended | Year Ended | |||||||
October 31, 2013 | October 31, 2012 | |||||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets due to: | ||||||||
Operations | ||||||||
Net investment income (loss) | $ | (285,661 | ) | $ | 13,586 | |||
Net realized gain (loss) on investment securities, securities sold short, options, futures and foreign currency transactions | (29,453,377 | ) | (14,703,562 | ) | ||||
Change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investment securities, securities sold short, options, futures and foreign currency transactions | (4,935,098 | ) | (1,915,618 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | (34,674,136 | ) | (16,605,594 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Distributions | ||||||||
From net investment income | (3,088,773 | ) | (3,645,856 | ) | ||||
From net realized gains | — | (7,600,904 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total distributions | (3,088,773 | ) | (11,246,760 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Share Transactions - Investor Class | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 2,417,395 | 34,719,994 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 941,125 | 11,230,739 | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (19,104,710 | ) | (57,473,322 | ) | ||||
Proceeds from redemption fees collected (a) | 4,482 | 3,783 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from Investor Class capital share transactions | (15,741,708 | ) | (11,518,806 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Share Transactions - Institutional Class | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 732,559 | 32,606,506 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 2,147,648 | — | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (4,858,633 | ) | (2,237,243 | ) | ||||
Proceeds from redemption fees collected (a) | 47 | 30 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from Institutional Class capital share transactions | (1,978,379 | ) | 30,369,293 | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets | (55,482,996 | ) | (9,001,867 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net Assets | ||||||||
Beginning of year | 60,244,504 | 69,246,371 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
End of year | $ | 4,761,508 | $ | 60,244,504 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Undistributed net investment income (loss) included in net assets at end of year | $ | (356,212 | ) | $ | 1,355,250 | |||
|
|
|
| |||||
Share Transactions - Investor Class | ||||||||
Shares sold | 570,121 | 3,840,041 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 177,571 | 1,298,351 | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (3,952,524 | ) | (6,340,490 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase (decrease) in Investor Class shares outstanding | (3,204,832 | ) | (1,202,098 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Share Transactions - Institutional Class | ||||||||
Shares sold | 187,677 | 3,843,662 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 408,298 | — | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (1,766,016 | ) | (268,847 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase (decrease) in Institutional Class shares outstanding | (1,170,041 | ) | 3,574,815 | |||||
|
|
|
|
(a) | The Fund charges a 1.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 30 calendar days of purchase. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
14
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund - Investor Class
Financial Highlights
(For a share outstanding during each period)
For the | For the | For the | For the | |||||||||||||
Year Ended | Year Ended | Year Ended | Period Ended | |||||||||||||
October 31, 2013 | October 31, 2012 | October 31, 2011 | October 31, 2010 (a) | |||||||||||||
Selected Per Share Data: | ||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 7.77 | $ | 12.87 | $ | 10.38 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Income from investment operations: | ||||||||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) | (0.07 | ) (b) | 0.04 | (0.01 | ) | (0.01 | ) | |||||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | (5.75 | ) | (2.64 | ) | 2.50 | 0.39 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total from investment operations | (5.82 | ) | (2.60 | ) | 2.49 | 0.38 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Less Distributions to shareholders: | ||||||||||||||||
From net investment income | (0.55 | ) | (0.81 | ) | — | — | ||||||||||
From net realized gains | — | (1.69 | ) | — | — | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total distributions | (0.55 | ) | (2.50 | ) | — | — | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Paid in capital from redemption fees (f) | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 1.40 | $ | 7.77 | $ | 12.87 | $ | 10.38 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total Return (c) | (80.15 | )% | (22.21 | )% | 23.99 | % | 3.80 | % (d) | ||||||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data: | ||||||||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $ | 1,367 | $ | 32,455 | $ | 69,246 | $ | 43,327 | ||||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets | 3.28 | % (h) | 1.98 | % (g) | 1.74 | % | 1.93 | % (e) | ||||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver | 3.80 | % (h) | 1.98 | % (g) | 1.74 | % | 1.93 | % (e) | ||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets | (1.50 | )% | 0.12 | % | (0.08 | )% | (0.09 | )% (e) | ||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 342.08 | % | 439.34 | % | 490.64 | % | 313.40 | % |
(a) | For the period December 30, 2009 (Commencement of Operations) to October 31, 2010. |
(b) | Calculated using the average shares method. |
(c) | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends, if any. |
(d) | Not annualized. |
(e) | Annualized. |
(f) | Redemption fees resulted in less than $0.005 per share. |
(g) | Includes dividend and interest expense of 0.05% for the year ended October 31, 2012. |
(h) | Includes dividend and interest expense of 1.08% for the year ended October 31, 2013. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
15
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund - Institutional Class
Financial Highlights
(For a share outstanding during each period)
For the | For the | |||||||
Year Ended | Period Ended | |||||||
October 31, 2013 | October 31, 2012 (a) | |||||||
Selected Per Share Data: | ||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 7.77 | $ | 10.11 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Income from investment operations: | ||||||||
Net investment income (loss) | (0.05 | ) (b) | (0.03 | ) (b) | ||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | (5.71 | ) | (2.31 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total from investment operations | (5.76 | ) | (2.34 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Less Distributions to shareholders: | ||||||||
From net investment income | (0.60 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Paid in capital from redemption fees (c) | — | — | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 1.41 | $ | 7.77 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Return (d) | (79.80 | )% | (23.15 | )% (e) | ||||
Ratios and Supplemental Data: | ||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $ | 3,394 | $ | 27,790 | ||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets | 3.34 | % (h) | 1.80 | % (f)(g) | ||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver | 4.20 | % (h) | 1.80 | % (f)(g) | ||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets | (1.41 | )% | (0.58 | )% (f) | ||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 342.08 | % | 439.34 | % |
(a) | For the period February 28, 2012 (Commencement of Operations) to October 31, 2012. |
(b) | Calculated using the average shares method. |
(c) | Redemption fees resulted in less than $0.005 per share. |
(d) | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends, if any. |
(e) | Not annualized. |
(f) | Annualized. |
(g) | Includes dividend and interest expense of 0.25% for the period ended October 31, 2012. |
(h) | Includes dividend and interest expense of 1.39% for the year ended October 31, 2013. |
See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.
16
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION
The TEAM Asset Strategy Fund (the “Fund”) is an open-end, non-diversified series of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Fund is one of a series of funds authorized by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Fund’s investment adviser is TEAM Financial Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”). The investment objective of the Fund is to provide high total investment return, which will generally be achieved through a combination of appreciation in capital and income. The Fund was closed and liquidated as a series of the Trust effective as of the close of business on November 25, 2013.
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
Securities Valuation – All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.
Futures Contracts – The Fund may enter into futures contracts and may short futures contracts to hedge various investments for risk management, obtain market exposure, and for speculative purposes. The Fund may also use futures for leverage and to manage cash. Initial margin deposits are made upon entering into futures contracts and can be either cash or securities. Secondary margin limits are required to be maintained while futures are held, as defined by each contract. Cash held at the broker as of October 31, 2013, is held for collateral for futures transactions.
During the period a futures contract is open, changes in the value of the contract are recognized as unrealized gains or losses by “marking-to-market” on a daily basis to reflect the fair value of the contract at the end of each day’s trading. Variation margin receivables or payables represent the difference between the change in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on the open contracts and the cash deposits made on the margin accounts. When the contract is closed, the Fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the proceeds from the closing transaction and the Fund’s cost of entering into a contract. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of illiquid markets or imperfect correlation between the value of the instruments and the underlying securities, or that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations. Futures contracts are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of trade or exchange on which they are traded. Should market conditions move unexpectedly, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the futures contract and may realize a loss. See Note 4 for information on futures contract activity during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013.
Inverse and Leveraged ETFs – The Fund may invest in inverse and leveraged exchange traded funds (“ETFs”). These ETFs are subject to additional risks not generally associated with traditional ETFs. To the extent that the Fund invests in inverse ETFs, the value of the Fund’s investment will decrease when the index underlying the ETFs benchmark rises. Because inverse and leveraged ETFs typically seek to obtain their objective on a daily basis, holding inverse ETFs for longer than a day may produce unexpected results particularly when the benchmark index experiences large ups and downs. The net asset value and market price of leveraged or inverse ETFs is usually more volatile than the value of the tracked index or of other ETFs that do not use leverage.
Federal Income Taxes – The Fund makes no provision for federal income or excise tax. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of its taxable income. The
Fund also intends to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Fund could incur a tax expense.
As of and during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the statement of operations. During the period, the Fund did not incur any interest or penalties. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for all tax years since inception.
17
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
Expenses – Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each fund’s relative net assets or another appropriate basis (as determined by the Trustees).
Security Transactions and Related Income – The Fund follows industry practice and records security transactions on the trade date for financial reporting purposes. The first in, first out method is used for determining gains or losses for financial statement and income tax purposes. Dividend income and expense is recorded on the ex-dividend date and interest income and expense is recorded on an accrual basis. Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are amortized or accreted using the effective interest method. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates. The ability of issuers of debt securities held by the Fund to meet their obligations may be affected by economic and political developments in a specific country or region.
Dividends and Distributions – The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income, net realized long-term capital gains and its net realized short-term capital gains, if any, to its shareholders on at least an annual basis. Dividends to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the year from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations or net asset values per share of the Fund.
For the year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund made the following reclassifications to increase/ (decrease) the components of net assets:
Accumulated Undistributed Net | Accumulated Net Realized Gain | |||||||
Paid in Capital | Investment Income | (Loss) on Investments | ||||||
$(3,769,069) | $ | 1,662,972 | $ | 2,106,097 |
Security loans – Under the terms of the securities lending agreement with Huntington National Bank, the Fund may make loans of its portfolio securities (in an amount up to 33 1/3% of Fund assets) to parties such as broker-dealers, banks, or institutional investors. Securities lending allows the Fund to retain ownership of the securities loaned and, at the same time, to earn additional income. Since there may be delays in the recovery of loaned securities, or even a loss of rights in collateral supplied, should the borrower fail financially, loans will be made only to parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and deemed satisfactory by the Adviser. Furthermore, loans will only be made if, in the judgment of the Adviser, the consideration to be earned from such loans would justify the risk. In accordance with current positions of the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that a Fund may engage in loan transactions only under the following conditions: (1) a Fund must receive 100% collateral in the form of cash, cash equivalents (e.g., U.S. Treasury bills or notes) or other high grade liquid debt instruments from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase the collateral whenever the market value of the securities loaned (determined on a daily basis) rises above the value of the collateral; (3) after giving notice, the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan or a flat fee from the borrower, as well as amounts equivalent to any dividends, interest, or other distributions on the securities loaned and to any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable fees in connection with the loan; and (6) the Fund must be able to vote proxies on the securities loaned as deemed appropriate by the Adviser, either by terminating the loan or by entering into an alternative arrangement with the borrower. Cash received through loan transactions may be invested in any security in which a Fund is authorized to invest. Investing this cash subjects that investment, as well as the security loaned, to market forces (i.e., capital appreciation or depreciation). The margin of collateral to market value of loaned securities shall be at least 102%. If the collateral falls below 102%, the borrower will provide additional collateral to bring the collateralization to 102% on the next business day. As of October 31, 2013, the Fund loaned securities having a fair value of $5,709 and received $6,081 of cash collateral for the loan from its counterparty, Morgan Stanley. This cash was invested in a money market mutual fund. The average fair value of loaned securities during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013 was $1,587,985.
18
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
Foreign Currency Translation – The accounting records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Foreign currency amounts are translated into U.S. dollars at the current rate of exchange each business day to determine the value of investments, and other assets and liabilities. Purchases and sales of foreign securities, and income and expenses, are translated at the prevailing rate of exchange on the respective date of these transactions. The Fund does not isolate that portion of the results of operations resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from fluctuation arising from changes in market prices of securities held. These fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss from investments and foreign currency transactions.
Forward Currency Exchange Contracts – The Fund may engage in foreign currency exchange transactions. The value of the Fund’s portfolio securities that are invested in non-U.S. dollar denominated instruments as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, and the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The Fund will not, however, hold foreign currency except in connection with the purchase and sale of foreign portfolio securities. The Fund has engaged in foreign currency exchange transactions for the purpose of capitalizing on the movements of foreign currency value versus the U.S. dollar. See Note 4 for additional disclosures.
Purchasing Put Options – The Fund may purchase put options. As the holder of a put option, the Fund has the right to sell the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to such options, exercise them or permit them to expire. The Fund may also purchase put options at a time when it does not own the underlying security. By purchasing put options on a security it does not own, the Fund seeks to benefit from a decline in the market price of the underlying security. If the put option is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security remains equal to or greater than the exercise price during the life of the put option, the Fund will lose its entire investment in the put option. In order for the purchase of a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs, unless the put option is sold in a closing sale transaction. See Note 4 for additional disclosures.
Purchasing Call Options – The Fund may purchase call options. As the holder of a call option, the Fund has the right to purchase the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to such options, exercise them or permit them to expire. The Fund may also purchase call options on relevant stock indexes. Call options may also be purchased by the Fund for the purpose of acquiring the underlying securities for its portfolio. Utilized in this fashion, the purchase of call options enables the Fund to acquire the securities at the exercise price of the call option plus the premium paid. At times the net cost of acquiring securities in this manner may be less than the cost of acquiring the securities directly. This technique may also be useful to the Fund in purchasing a large block of securities that would be more difficult to acquire by direct market purchases. So long as it holds such a call option rather than the underlying security itself, the Fund is partially protected from any unexpected decline in the market price of the underlying security and in such event could allow the call option to expire, incurring a loss only to the extent of the premium paid for the option. See Note 4 for additional disclosures.
Writing Covered Call Options – The Fund may write covered call options on equity securities or futures contracts that the Fund is eligible to purchase to earn premium income, to assure a definite price for a security it has considered selling, or to close out options previously purchased. A call option gives the holder (buyer) the right to purchase a security or futures contract at a specified price (the exercise price) at any time until a certain date (the expiration date). A call option is “covered” if the Fund owns the underlying security subject to the call option at all times during the option period. When the Fund writes a covered call option, it maintains a segregated account with its custodian or as otherwise required by the rules of the exchange the underlying security, cash or liquid portfolio securities in an amount not less than the exercise price at all times while the option is outstanding. The writing of covered call options is considered to be a conservative investment technique. The Fund will receive a premium from writing a call option, which increases the Fund’s return in the event the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium will
19
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
reflect, among other things, the relationship of the market price of the underlying security to the exercise price of the option and the remaining term of the option. However, there is no assurance that a closing transaction can be effected at a favorable price. During the option period, the covered call writer has, in return for the premium received, given up the opportunity for capital appreciation above the exercise price should the market price of the underlying security increase, but has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. See Note 4 for additional disclosures.
Writing Covered Put Options – The Fund may write covered put options on equity securities and futures contracts that the Fund is eligible to purchase to earn premium income or to assure a definite price for a security if it is considering acquiring the security at a lower price than the current market price or to close out options previously purchased. A put option gives the holder of the option the right to sell, and the writer has the obligation to buy, the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The operation of put options in other respects is substantially identical to that of call options. When the Fund writes a covered put option, it maintains in a segregated account with its custodian cash or liquid portfolio securities in an amount not less than the exercise price at all times while the put option is outstanding. The Fund will receive a premium from writing a put option, which increases the Fund’s return in the event the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the market price of the underlying security to the exercise price of the option and the remaining term of the option. The risks involved in writing put options include the risk that a closing transaction cannot be effected at a favorable price and the possibility that the price of the underlying security may fall below the exercise price, in which case the Fund may be required to purchase the underlying security at a higher price than the market price of the security at the time the option is exercised, resulting in a potential capital loss unless the security subsequently appreciates in value. See Note 4 for additional disclosures.
The following is a summary of the Fund’s written option activity for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013:
Number of Contracts | Premiums | |||||||
Outstanding at 10/31/2012 | — | $ | — | |||||
Options written | 9,030 | 1,302,256 | ||||||
Options exercised | (271 | ) | (118,469 | ) | ||||
Options expired | (1,000 | ) | (17,352 | ) | ||||
Options closed | (7,759 | ) | (1,166,435 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Outstanding at 10/31/2013 | — | $ | — | |||||
|
|
|
|
Short Sales – The Fund may make short sales as part of its overall portfolio management strategies or to offset a potential decline in value of a security. The Fund may engage in short sales with respect to various types of securities, including Common Stocks, Futures, and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). A short sale involves the sale of a security that is borrowed from a broker or other institution to complete the sale. The Fund may engage in short sales with respect to securities it owns, as well as securities that it does not own. Short sales expose the Fund to the risk that it will be required to acquire, convert or exchange securities to replace the borrowed securities (also known as “covering” the short position) at a time when the securities sold short have appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. The Fund’s investment performance may also suffer if the Fund is required to close out a short position earlier than it had intended. The Fund must segregate assets determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures established by the Board, or otherwise cover its position in a permissible manner. The Fund will be required to pledge its liquid assets to the broker in order to secure its performance on short sales. As a result, the assets pledged may not be available to meet the Fund’s needs for immediate cash or other liquidity. In addition, the Fund may be subject to expenses related to short sales that are not typically associated with investing in securities directly, such as costs of borrowing and margin account maintenance costs associated with the Fund’s open short positions. These types of short sales expenses are sometimes referred to as the “negative cost of carry,” and will tend to cause the Fund to lose money on a short sale even in instances where the price of the underlying security sold short does not change over the duration of the short sale. Dividend expenses on securities sold short and borrowing costs are not covered under the Adviser’s expense limitation agreement with the Fund and, therefore, these expenses will be borne by the shareholders of the Fund. The amount of restricted cash held at the broker and custodian as collateral for securities sold short was $1,368,458 as of October 31, 2013.
New Accounting Pronouncement – In December 2011, Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-11, Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (“ASU 2011-11”). ASU 2011-11 relates to disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. In January 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2013-01, Clarifying the Scope of
20
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (“ASU 2013-01”). This update gives additional clarifications to ASU 2011-11. The amendments in ASU 2013-01 require an entity to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of its financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on its financial position. ASU 2013-01 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. At this time, management is evaluating the implications of ASU 2013-01 and its impact on the financial statements. However, management believes the adoption of these ASUs will not have a material impact on the financial statements.
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in a timely transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. GAAP establishes a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.
Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk (the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value such as pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique). Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.
• | Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities |
• | Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.) |
• | Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available) |
The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
Equity securities, including common stocks, exchange traded funds and exchange traded notes, are generally valued by using market quotations furnished by a pricing service. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange are generally valued at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange traded security is generally valued at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. When using the market quotations or close prices provided by the pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security is classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Fund will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security is classified as a Level 2 security.
Investments in mutual funds, including money market mutual funds, are generally priced at the ending net asset value (NAV) provided by the service agent of the funds. These securities are categorized as Level 1 securities.
Fixed income securities that are valued using market quotations in an active market are categorized as Level 1 securities. However, they may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Fund believes such prices more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. A pricing service uses various inputs and techniques, which include broker-dealer quotations, live trading levels, recently executed transactions in securities of the issuer or comparable issuers, and option adjusted spread models that include base curve and spread curve inputs. Adjustments to individual bonds can be applied to recognize trading differences compared to other bonds issued by the same issuer. The
21
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
broker-dealer quotations received are supported by credit analysis of the issuer that takes into consideration credit quality assessments, daily trading activity, and the activity of the underlying equities, listed bonds and sector-specific trends. To the extent that these inputs are observable, the fixed income securities are categorized as Level 2 securities.
Short-term investments in fixed income securities (those with maturities of less than 60 days when acquired, or which subsequently are within 60 days of maturity), are valued using the amortized cost method of valuation, which the Board has determined represents fair value. These securities will be classified as Level 2 securities.
If the Fund decides that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair 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 Fund, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board. These securities will be categorized as Level 3 securities.
Derivative instruments the Fund invests in, such as forward currency exchange contracts, are valued by a pricing service at the interpolated rates based on the prevailing banking rates and are generally categorized as Level 2 securities.
Call and put options that the Fund invests and writes in are generally traded on an exchange. The options in which the Funds invest are generally valued at the last trade price as provided by a pricing service. If the last sale price is not available, the options will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices. The options will generally be categorized as Level 1 securities.
Futures contracts that the Funds invest in are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of trade or exchange on which they are traded and when the market is considered active will generally be categorized as Level 1 securities.
In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Fund is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Fund would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the Fund’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s value, or the Fund is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the bonds the Fund invests in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available. Any fair value pricing done outside the Fund’s approved pricing methods must be approved by the Pricing Committee of the Board.
22
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of October 31, 2013
Valuation Inputs | ||||||||||||||||
Level 1 - Quoted | Level 2 - Other | Level 3 - Significant | ||||||||||||||
Prices in Active | Significant | Unobservable | ||||||||||||||
Markets | Observable Inputs | Inputs | Total | |||||||||||||
Assets | ||||||||||||||||
Common Stocks - Long* | $ | 2,751,400 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 2,751,400 | ||||||||
Exchange-Traded Funds - Long | 1,266,308 | — | — | 1,266,308 | ||||||||||||
Money Market Securities | 916,653 | — | — | 916,653 | ||||||||||||
Put Options Purchased | 68,400 | — | — | 68,400 | ||||||||||||
Total | $ | 5,002,761 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 5,002,761 |
* | Refer to the Schedule of Investments for industry classifications. |
Valuation Inputs | ||||||||||||||||
Level 1 - Quoted | Level 2 - Other | Level 3 - Significant | ||||||||||||||
Prices in Active Markets | Significant Observable Inputs | Unobservable Inputs | Total | |||||||||||||
Liabilities | ||||||||||||||||
Common Stocks - Short* | $ | (573,350 | ) | $ | — | $ | — | $ | (573,350 | ) | ||||||
Exchange-Traded Funds - Short | (1,155,900 | ) | — | — | (1,155,900 | ) | ||||||||||
Total | $ | (1,729,250 | ) | $ | — | $ | — | $ | (1,729,250 | ) |
* | Refer to the Schedule of Securities Sold Short for industry classifications. |
The Fund did not hold any assets at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period. During the year ended October 31, 2013 the Fund had no transfers between Levels at anytime during the reporting period. The Trust recognizes significant transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the end of the reporting period.
NOTE 4. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS
Put options purchased are represented on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities under investments in securities at value and on the Statement of Operations under net realized gain (loss) on investment securities and change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on options, forward currency transactions, and futures contracts, respectively.
23
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
Please see the chart below for information regarding call and put options purchased and long and short forward currency exchange contracts for the Fund.
At October 31, 2013:
Location of Derivatives on Statement of Assets & | ||||||
Derivatives | Liabilities | |||||
Put Options Purchased | Investment in securities, at fair value | $ | 68,400 |
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013 :
Contracts | Realized Gain | Change in Appreciation | ||||||||||||||||
Location of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives on | Contracts | Closed/ | (Loss) on | (Depreciation) | ||||||||||||||
Derivatives | Statement of Operations | Opened | Expired | Derivatives | on Derivatives | |||||||||||||
Equity Risk: | ||||||||||||||||||
Call Options Purchased | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on options | 36,850 | 36,850 | $ | (1,063,458 | ) | $ | — | ||||||||||
Equity Risk: | ||||||||||||||||||
Put Options Purchased | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on options | 267,300 | 306,500 | (11,842,975 | ) | (835,932 | ) | |||||||||||
Equity Risk: | ||||||||||||||||||
Written Covered Call Options | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on options | 3,380 | 3,380 | (187,352 | ) | — | ||||||||||||
Equity Risk: | ||||||||||||||||||
Written Covered Put Options | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on options | 5,650 | 5,650 | 59,468 | — | |||||||||||||
Foreign Exchange Risk | ||||||||||||||||||
Foreign Currency Call Options Purchased | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on options | 560 | * | 1320 | * | (627,398 | ) | (81,354 | ) | |||||||||
Foreign Exchange Risk | ||||||||||||||||||
Foreign Currency Put Options Purchased | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on options | 550 | * | 550 | * | (150,840 | ) | — | ||||||||||
Foreign Exchange Risk | ||||||||||||||||||
Foreign Currency Call Options Written | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on options | 460 | * | 460 | * | 415,160 | — | |||||||||||
Foreign Exchange Risk | ||||||||||||||||||
Foreign Currency Put Options Written | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on options | 50 | * | 50 | * | 36,280 | — | |||||||||||
Equity Risk: | ||||||||||||||||||
Long Future Contracts | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on futures | 450 | 450 | (100,102 | ) | — | ||||||||||||
Equity Risk: | ||||||||||||||||||
Short Future Contracts | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on futures | 20,488 | 20,958 | (7,409,351 | ) | 66,996 | ||||||||||||
Foreign Exchange Risk: | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on | |||||||||||||||||
Long Forward Currency Exchange Contracts | Foreign Currency Transactions | 190 | 204 | (6,378,930 | ) | (1,055,615 | ) | |||||||||||
Foreign Exchange Risk: | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on | |||||||||||||||||
Short Forward Currency Exchange Contracts | Foreign Currency Transactions | 209 | 212 | 4,043,037 | (233,561 | ) | ||||||||||||
Foreign Exchange Risk: | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on | |||||||||||||||||
Long Spot Forward Currency Exchange Contracts | Foreign Currency Transactions | 11 | 11 | 566,917 | — | |||||||||||||
Foreign Exchange Risk: | Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on | |||||||||||||||||
Short Spot Forward Currency Exchange Contracts | Foreign Currency Transactions | 8 | 8 | (180,746 | ) | — |
* | Represents $100,000 notional value per contract. |
NOTE 5. FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES
Under the terms of the management agreement (the “Agreement”), the Adviser manages the Fund’s investments subject to the approval of the Board. 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 1.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, before the waivers disclosed below, the Adviser earned a fee of $246,468 from the Fund.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses of the Fund until February 28, 2014, so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not exceed 1.95% . This agreement may not be terminated by the Adviser until after February 28, 2014. This operating expense limitation does not apply to (i) interest, (ii) taxes, (iii) brokerage commissions, (iv) other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, (v) other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, (vi) dividend expense on short sales, and (vii) expenses incurred under a plan of distribution adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Adviser waived fees of $142,722. At October 31, 2013, the Fund was owed $12,322 by the Adviser.
24
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
The Adviser may be entitled to the reimbursement of any fees waived or expenses reimbursed pursuant to the agreement, provided overall expenses fall below the limitations set forth above. The Adviser may recoup the sum of all fees previously waived or expenses reimbursed during any of the previous three years, less any reimbursement previously paid, provided total expenses do not exceed the limitation set forth above. Fees waived during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013 totaling $142,722 may be subject to potential recoupment by the Adviser through October 31, 2016.
The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”) to manage the Fund’s business affairs and provide the Fund with administrative services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $47,743 for administrative services provided to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, HASI was owed $3,750 from the Fund for administrative services. Certain officers of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. HASI operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) and Huntington National Bank, the custodian of the Fund’s investments (the “Custodian”). For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Custodian earned fees of $26,491 for custody services provided to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, the Custodian was owed $1,995 from the Fund for custody services.
The Trust also retains HASI to act as the Fund’s transfer agent and to provide fund accounting services. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $46,662 for transfer agent services expenses incurred in providing transfer agent services to the Fund. At October 31, 2013, the Fund owed HASI $3,991 for transfer agent services. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, HASI earned fees of $47,401 from the Fund for fund accounting services. At October 31, 2013, HASI was owed $3,917 from the Fund for fund accounting services.
The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for its Investor Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Plan provides that the Fund will pay the Adviser and/or any registered securities dealer, financial institution or any other person (the “Recipient”) a shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Investor Class shares in connection with the promotion and distribution of Investor Class shares or the provision of personal services to shareholders, including, but not necessarily limited to, advertising, compensation to underwriters, dealers and selling personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current shareholders of the Fund, the printing and mailing of sales literature and servicing shareholder accounts (“12b-1 Expenses”). The Fund or Adviser may pay all or a portion of these fees to any recipient who renders assistance in distributing or promoting the sale of Investor Class shares, or who provides certain shareholder services, pursuant to a written agreement. The Plan is a compensation plan, which means that compensation is provided regardless of 12b-1 Expenses actually incurred. It is anticipated that the Plan will benefit shareholders because an effective sales program typically is necessary in order for the Fund to reach and maintain a sufficient size to achieve efficiently its investment objectives and to realize economies of scale. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the 12b-1 expense incurred by the Investor Class was $19,764. The Fund owed TEAM Financial Asset Management, LLC $332 for 12b-1 fees as of October 31, 2013.
NOTE 6. PURCHASES AND SALES OF INVESTMENTS
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments, short securities and short-term U.S. government obligations, were as follows:
Purchases | ||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | ||
Other | 49,834,639 | |||
Sales | ||||
U.S. Government Obligations | $ | — | ||
Other | 76,304,887 |
25
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
At October 31, 2013, the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments in securities and securities sold short for tax purposes, excluding options, was as follows:
Gross Appreciation | $ | 32,466 | ||
Gross (Depreciation) | (1,243,874 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments | $ | (1,211,408 | ) | |
|
|
At October 31, 2013, the aggregate cost of securities and proceeds for securities sold short for federal income tax purposes was $5,914,388 and $(1,497,869) respectively.
NOTE 7. ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
NOTE 8. BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of a fund, under Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. At October 31, 2013, Charles Schwab & Co., owned as record shareholder, 27.06% of the outstanding shares the Investor Class and 99.23% of the outstanding shares of the Institutional Class. The Trust does not know whether Charles Schwab & Co., or any of the underlying beneficial owners owned or controlled 25% or more of the voting securities of the Fund or any class thereof.
NOTE 9. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION
The tax characterization of distributions for the years ended October 31, 2013 and 2012 was as follows:
Distributions paid from | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||
Ordinary income* | $ | 3,088,607 | $ | 9,436,408 | ||||
Long-term capital gains | — | 1,810,352 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Taxable Distributions | 3,088,607 | 11,246,760 | ||||||
Return of Capital | 166 | — | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total distributions | $ | 3,088,773 | $ | 11,246,760 | ||||
|
|
|
|
* | Short-term capital gain distributions are treated as ordinary income for tax purposes. |
At October 31, 2013, for federal income tax purposes, the Fund had capital loss carryforwards, in the following amounts:
No expiration – short term | No expiration –long term | Total | ||||||
$31,758,417 | $ | 13,746,027 | $ | 45,504,444 |
Under current tax law, net investment losses and capital losses realized after October 31 of a Fund’s fiscal year may be deferred and treated as occurring on the first business day of the following fiscal year for tax purposes. The Fund deferred losses as follows:
Late Year | ||||
Ordinary Loss | ||||
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund | $ | 356,212 |
26
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued
October 31, 2013
At October 31, 2013, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:
Accumulated capital and other losses | $ | (45,860,656 | ) | |
Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) | (1,211,408 | ) | ||
|
| |||
$ | (47,072,064 | ) | ||
|
|
At October 31, 2013, the difference between book and tax basis unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is attributable to the tax treatment of options and the deferral of wash sale losses.
NOTE 10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
The Fund indemnifies its officers and trustees for certain liabilities that may arise from their performance of their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred.
NOTE 11. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Management of the Fund has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. Based upon this evaluation, and at a Board meeting held December 9-11, 2013, Bryan W. Ashmus was appointed to serve as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer. This information is reflected in the “Trustees and Officers” table.
On November 8, 2013, the Board of Trustees of the Trust, approved a plan to liquidate the Fund due to the adviser’s business decision that it no longer is economically viable to continue managing the Fund because of a decline in assets due to continued poor performance and significant redemptions. The Fund was closed and liquidated as a series of the Trust effective as of the close of business on November 25, 2013.
27
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
(Valued Advisers Trust)
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, of TEAM Asset Strategy Fund (the “Fund”), a series of the Valued Advisers Trust, including the schedules of investments and securities sold short, as of October 31, 2013, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two periods in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three periods in the period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. The financial highlights for the period ended October 31, 2010, were audited by other auditors whose report dated December 20, 2010 expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial highlights.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of TEAM Asset Strategy Fund as of October 31, 2013, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two periods in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three periods in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
As discussed in Note 11 to the financial statements, on November 8, 2013, the Board of Directors approved a plan to liquidate the Fund. The liquidation was effective on November 25, 2013.
COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
December 30, 2013
COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD. | CLEVELAND | COLUMBUS | MILWAUKEE | 216.649.1700 | cohenfund.com |
Registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS (Unaudited)
The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires or is removed.
The following tables provide information regarding the Trustees and Officers.
The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind, 77, Independent Trustee, August 2008 to present. | Retired; Consultant to Battelle Memorial Institute (International Science and Technology Research Enterprise) on business investments from 2001 to 2003; Formerly employed with Battelle Memorial Institute from 1966 to 2003 in various positions, including the Executive Vice President of Battelle Institute from 1991 to 2001, General Manager from 1985 to 1991, Director of the Battelle Industrial Technology Center (Geneva, Switzerland) from 1983 to 1985, and Practicing Researcher from 1966 to 1983. | |
Ira Cohen, 54 Independent Trustee, June 2010 to present. | Independent financial services consultant (Feb. 2005 – present). |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 48, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present. | Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; Chief Executive Officer, The Huntington Strategy Shares since November 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust,** Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 48, Principal Executive Officer and President, February 2010 to present. | Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust since June 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds since March 2011; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. | |
John C. Swhear, 52, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance for Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007; Chief Compliance Officer of Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007; Senior Vice President of the Unified Series Trust since May 2007; Secretary of Huntington Funds since April 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, 2007 to March 2010. | |
Carol J. Highsmith, 48, Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration. | |
Matthew J. Miller, 36, Vice President, December 2011 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President of Huntington Funds since February 2010. | |
Bryan W. Ashmus, 40 Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, December 2013 to present | Vice President, Financial Administration, HASI (September 2013 to present); Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, The Huntington Strategy Shares and The Huntington Funds Trust (November 2013 to present); Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., (May 2005 to September 2013). | |
Heather Bonds, 37, Secretary, October 2012 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January of 2004; currently Certified Paralegal and Section Manager 2. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
OTHER INFORMATION
The Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (877) 832-6952 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.
PROXY VOTING
A description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how the Funds voted those proxies during the most recent twelve month period ended June 30 is available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Funds at (877) 832-6952 and (2) from Fund documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
TRUSTEES
R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind
Ira Cohen
OFFICERS
R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive Officer and President
John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice-President
Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President
Matthew J. Miller, Vice President
Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer
Heather Bonds, Secretary
INVESTMENT ADVISOR
TEAM Financial Asset Management, LLC
800 Corporate Circle, Suite 106
Harrisburg, PA 17110
DISTRIBUTOR
Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen Fund Audit Services Ltd.
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800
Cleveland, OH 44115
LEGAL COUNSEL
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.,
A member firm of The 1940 Act Law GroupTM
11300 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy, Suite 310
Leawood, KS 66211
CUSTODIAN
Huntington National Bank
41 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43125
ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT AND FUND ACCOUNTANT
Huntington Asset Services, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Fund’s prospectus which contains information about the Fund’s management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
Member FINRA/SIPC
PRIVACY POLICY
The following is a description of the Fund’s policies regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that you provide to the Fund or that the Fund collects from other sources. In the event that you hold shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of your financial intermediary would govern how your nonpublic personal information would be shared with nonaffiliated third parties.
Categories of Information the Fund Collects. The Fund collects the following nonpublic personal information about you:
• | Information the Fund receives from you on applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as your name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth); and |
• | Information about your transactions with the Fund, its affiliates, or others (such as your account number and balance, payment history, cost basis information, and other financial information). |
Categories of Information the Fund Discloses. The Fund does not disclose any nonpublic personal information about its current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. The Fund is permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to service providers (such as the Fund’s custodian, administrator, transfer agent, accountant and legal counsel) to process your transactions and otherwise provide services to you.
Confidentiality and Security. The Fund restricts access to your nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to you. The Fund maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information.
Disposal of Information. The Fund, through its transfer agent, has taken steps to reasonably ensure that the privacy of your nonpublic personal information is maintained at all times, including in connection with the disposal of information that is no longer required to be maintained by the Fund. Such steps shall include, whenever possible, shredding paper documents and records prior to disposal, requiring off-site storage vendors to shred documents maintained in such locations prior to disposal, and erasing and/or obliterating any data contained on electronic media in such a manner that the information can no longer be read or reconstructed.
Annual Report
October 31, 2013
1-855-280-9648
www.danafunds.com
Dear Fellow Shareholder:
The past 12 months have been a busy time for the Dana Large Cap Equity Fund (the “Fund”). During this period, the Fund’s Class A shares (without load) provided investors with nearly a 26% return while at the same time reducing the Fund’s expense ratio. In addition to these positive events, an Institutional share class was added to the Fund line up in order to more directly meet the needs of larger investors. These exciting changes were undertaken to better serve you, the investor, and to grow the Fund for the benefit of all shareholders. We sincerely appreciate your continued support and value the trust that you have shown in allowing us the privilege to manage your assets. We welcome your comments and questions and you may reach us via email at DanaFunds@danainvestment.com.
Market Recap:
Global equities have realized very impressive returns over the past year, evidenced by the MSCI ACWI1 (All Country World Index) return of 24% from October 2012 to October 2013. Japan and the United States led the way higher while Emerging Markets have generally lagged. In the United States, the S&P 500 Index® (S&P 500)2 returned 27% in the last year. While S&P 500 earnings per share appear to have risen by 5% over the past four quarters, corporate news flow has generally been mixed with timid growth projections. The lukewarm environment has kept market volatility at multi-year lows throughout 2013 and central banks have added fuel to a liquidity fire by purchasing $7.5 trillion of financial assets over the past four years. The mix of moderate earnings growth, lack of volatility and low interest rates resulted in an 11% increase in the multiple that equity investors are willing to pay for every dollar of S&P earnings. Earnings multiple expansion, driven by central bank liquidity measures, has been the primary driver of equity market returns.
After a strong run for equities, some investors are now questioning where the positive catalysts, and corresponding risks, for equities now lie. The risks are fairly well known and publicized: Fed tapering will slow the liquidity spigot, the global economy is experiencing moderate growth, investors are too optimistic (contrarian signal) and U.S. stocks appear fairly valued. Since central bank bond buying has had such a positive impact on risk taking, it’s fair to assume this variable will remain an important driver of equity returns in the near term.
Positive catalysts are less widely espoused. Analysts expect S&P 500 earnings to reach $120 per share by the end of 2014, representing 13% year-over-year growth. While forward earnings estimates have a tendency to move lower, the trajectory of market EPS remains positive. Also, Fed action (or inaction) could prove surprising over the next year. Nearly all investment banks expected the Federal Reserve to taper bond buying in September 2013, but the Fed surprised the markets by not pulling back. If the U.S. economy continues to exhibit sub-par growth and high unemployment, there may be pressure on the Fed to continue down its current path of bond buying. Whether or not this is a healthy practice is up for debate, but it has undoubtedly increased investors’ appetite for risk assets (equities). Finally, equity market multiples could continue to creep higher. The earnings yield (inverse price-to-earnings ratio) on the S&P 500 is hardly expensive when compared to a 10-year treasury bond. Equities remain attractively priced versus alternatives.
1 | The MSCI ACWI Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets. The MSCI ACWI consists of 44 country indices comprising 23 developed and 21 emerging market country indices. |
2 | The S&P 500 Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. The Index returns do not reflect the deduction of expenses, which have been deducted from the Fund’s returns. The Index return assumes reinvestment of all distributions and does not reflect the deduction of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in the Index, however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. |
1
“Risks” that the media put front and center often prove to be diversions. Where were the significant market drawdowns triggered by the U.S fiscal cliff, sequestration, the end of the Euro or a Chinese hard landing? They never materialized, as equity markets continued to rally during those trying times. In the end, the equity markets are driven by earnings, dividends, investor’s willingness to take risk and liquidity. Dividends are the only variable in this equation that can be somewhat predictable. Dana’s process of sector neutrality, and being fully invested, has helped manage volatility within our portfolios and helps reduce the probability of being distracted by potential risks that do not materialize. Investors can rest assured that Dana’s Portfolio Managers are focused on adding value through stock selection, a process that has led to outperformance in the past.
Performance:
During the twelve-month period ended October 31, 2013, the Fund’s Class N shares returned 26.35%, while the S&P 500 Index returned 27.18% over the same period.
Major performance contributors during the period are as follows (in descending order beginning with the top performing stock): 1) Delta Air Lines, Inc. 2.30% — an international airline, 2) Seagate Technology PLC 1.57% — an electronic data storage manufacturer, 3) Alliance Data Systems Corp. 1.92% — a private label credit card and marketing solutions firm, 4) The Kroger Co. 1.94% — a traditional U.S. grocery retailer and 5) CBS Corp. 1.84% — a mass media and entertainment company.
Notable performance detractors included the following: 1) American Capital Agency Corp. 0.00% — a mortgage REIT, 2) Herbalife LTD 0.00% — a nutrition company, 3) Ensco PLC 0.00% — an offshore energy driller, 4) Apple Inc., 1.72% — a consumer electronics manufacturer and 5) The Gap, Inc. 0.00% — an apparel retailer.
We identified several new investment opportunities throughout the period, including Delta Air Lines, Inc., an international airline, Johnson Controls Inc., a global technology and industrial leader, and Hanesbrands, Inc., an apparel manufacturer that we believe will benefit the portfolio positioning going forward. These purchases were funded in part by selling our positions in Footlocker, Inc., Home Depot, Inc. and Snap-On, Inc.
The Fund’s prospectus contains important information about the Fund’s investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, charges and expenses, and other information and should be read and considered carefully before investing. You may obtain a current copy of the Fund’s prospectus by calling 1-855-280-9648.
The performance data quoted represents past performance and does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-855-280-9648.
Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., 2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. (Member FINRA)
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Dana Large Cap Equity Fund Average Annual Total Returns* (unaudited) As of October 31, 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Class A with Load | Class A without Load | Class N | Institutional Class | S&P 500 Index1 | ||||||||||||||||
One Year | 19.41 | % | 25.67 | % | 26.35 | % | N/A | 27.18 | % | |||||||||||
Three Year | 12.98 | % | 14.92 | % | 15.10 | % | N/A | 16.56 | % | |||||||||||
Since Inception (3/1/10) | N/A | N/A | 17.56 | % | N/A | 15.89 | % | |||||||||||||
Since Inception (7/28/10) | 14.57 | % | 16.39 | % | N/A | N/A | 17.47 | % | ||||||||||||
Since Inception (10/29/13) | N/A | N/A | N/A | -1.71 | % | -0.29 | % | |||||||||||||
Expense Ratios2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Gross | 2.20 | % | 2.20 | % | 1.95 | % | ||||||||||||||
With Applicable Waivers | 0.99 | % | 0.99 | % | 0.74 | % |
The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-855-280-9648.
* | Return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions. Returns for periods less than 1 year are not annualized. |
1 | The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity securities and is representative of a broader domestic equity market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in the Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. |
2 | The expense ratios are from the Fund’s prospectus dated October 28, 2013. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse certain operating expenses through February 28, 2014, but only to the extent necessary so that the Fund’s net expenses, excluding brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as (a) interest expense and (b) dividends on securities sold short), taxes, extraordinary expenses, 12b-1 fees (if applicable), and any indirect expenses (such as fees and expenses of acquired funds), do not exceed 1.00%. Additional information pertaining to the Fund’s expense ratios as of October 31, 2013 can be found on the financial highlights. |
The Fund’s investment objectives, strategies, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the Fund and may be obtained by calling the same number as above. Please read it carefully before investing. The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
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The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on March 1, 2010 (commencement of Class N operations) held through October 31, 2013. S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity securities and is representative of a broader domestic equity market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. Individuals cannot invest directly in the Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. THE FUND’S RETURN REPRESENTS PAST PERFORMANCE AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.
Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end or to request a prospectus, please call 1-855-280-9648. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.
The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.
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PORTFOLIO ILLUSTRATION
October 31, 2013 (UNAUDITED)
The following chart gives a visual breakdown of the Fund by the industry sectors the underlying securities represent as a percentage of the portfolio of investments (excluding Short-Term Investments).
Availability of Portfolio Schedule – (Unaudited)
The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the Public Reference Room in Washington DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.
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Summary of Fund’s Expenses – (Unaudited)
As a shareholder of the Fund, you may incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchases and short-term redemption fees and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, and other Fund expenses. These examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
Each Fund’s example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period (May 1, 2013 through October 31, 2013).
Actual Expenses
The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Expenses shown are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs such as the fee imposed on sales charges and short-term redemptions. Therefore, the second line of the table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative costs of owning different funds. If incurred, the short-term redemption fee imposed by the Fund would increase your expenses.
Beginning Account Value, May 1, 2013 | Ending Account Value, October 31, 2013 | Expenses Paid During Period1 | Annualized Expense Ratio | |||||||||||||||
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund | ||||||||||||||||||
Class A Shares | Actual | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,106.10 | $ | 7.81 | 1.47 | % | |||||||||
Hypothetical2 | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,017.79 | $ | 7.48 | 1.47 | % | ||||||||||
Class N Shares | Actual | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,108.70 | $ | 5.21 | 0.98 | % | |||||||||
Hypothetical2 | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,020.27 | $ | 4.99 | 0.98 | % | ||||||||||
Institutional Class | Actual3 | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,002.90 | $ | 0.06 | 0.73 | % | |||||||||
Hypothetical2 | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,021.53 | $ | 3.72 | 0.73 | % |
1 | Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). The annualized expense ratios reflect reimbursement of expenses by the Fund’s Adviser for the period beginning May 1, 2013 to October 31, 2013. The “Financial Highlights” tables in the Fund’s financial statements, included in the report, also show the gross expense ratios, without such reimbursements. |
2 | Hypothetical assumes 5% annual return before expenses. |
3 | Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio, multiplied by average account value over the period, multiplied by 3/365 (to reflect partial period). Information shown reflects values using the expense ratio for the period October 29, 2013 (date of commencement of operations) to October 31, 2013. |
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Dana Large Cap Equity Fund
Schedule of Investments
October 31, 2013
Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Common Stocks — 98.15% | ||||||||
Consumer Discretionary — 13.86% | ||||||||
CBS Corp. – Class B | 6,069 | $ | 358,921 | |||||
Comcast Corp. – Class A | 7,000 | 333,060 | ||||||
GNC Holdings, Inc. | 4,500 | 264,690 | ||||||
Hanesbrands, Inc. | 5,500 | 374,660 | ||||||
Johnson Controls, Inc. | 6,600 | 304,590 | ||||||
Magna International, Inc. | 4,600 | 389,620 | ||||||
Whirlpool Corp. | 2,200 | 321,222 | ||||||
Wyndham Worldwide Corp. | 5,100 | 338,640 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
2,685,403 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Consumer Staples — 9.10% | ||||||||
CVS Caremark Corp. | 5,400 | 336,204 | ||||||
Kimberly-Clark Corp. | 3,600 | 388,800 | ||||||
Kroger Co./The | 8,800 | 376,992 | ||||||
Lorillard, Inc. | 8,000 | 408,080 | ||||||
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | 3,300 | 253,275 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
1,763,351 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Energy — 10.57% | ||||||||
Chevron Corp. | 2,600 | 311,896 | ||||||
ConocoPhillips | 4,700 | 344,510 | ||||||
Exxon Mobil Corp. | 3,800 | 340,556 | ||||||
Halliburton Co. | 6,800 | 360,604 | ||||||
Helmerich & Payne, Inc. | 4,800 | 372,240 | ||||||
SM Energy Co. | 3,600 | 318,996 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
2,048,802 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Financials — 14.36% | ||||||||
Allstate Corp./The | 5,600 | 297,136 | ||||||
Discover Financial Services | 7,000 | 363,160 | ||||||
Fifth Third Bancorp | 17,000 | 323,510 | ||||||
JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 7,200 | 371,088 | ||||||
Lincoln National Corp. | 7,900 | 358,739 | ||||||
MetLife, Inc. | 7,100 | 335,901 | ||||||
State Street Corp. | 5,600 | 392,392 | ||||||
Wells Fargo & Co. | 8,000 | 341,520 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
2,783,446 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Health Care — 12.64% | ||||||||
AbbVie, Inc. | 8,400 | 406,980 | ||||||
Amgen, Inc. | 2,900 | 336,400 | ||||||
CIGNA Corp. | 4,100 | 315,618 | ||||||
Johnson & Johnson | 3,300 | 305,613 | ||||||
Mylan, Inc. * | 10,000 | 378,700 | ||||||
Omnicare, Inc. | 6,600 | 363,990 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
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Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. | 3,500 | $ | 342,230 | |||||
|
| |||||||
2,449,531 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Industrials — 10.70% | ||||||||
AGCO Corp. | 5,600 | 326,928 | ||||||
Boeing Co./The | 2,700 | 352,350 | ||||||
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | 17,000 | 448,460 | ||||||
Dover Corp. | 3,600 | 330,444 | ||||||
Union Pacific Corp. | 2,100 | 317,940 | ||||||
United Technologies Corp. | 2,800 | 297,500 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
2,073,622 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Information Technology — 16.80% | ||||||||
Alliance Data Systems Corp. * | 1,577 | 373,844 | ||||||
Apple, Inc. | 640 | 334,304 | ||||||
Avnet, Inc. | 6,300 | 250,110 | ||||||
CA, Inc. | 6,200 | 196,912 | ||||||
Cisco Systems, Inc. | 13,500 | 303,750 | ||||||
Intel Corp. | 14,000 | 342,020 | ||||||
International Business Machines Corp. | 1,680 | 301,073 | ||||||
KLA-Tencor Corp. | 4,400 | 288,640 | ||||||
Oracle Corp. | 8,400 | 281,400 | ||||||
QUALCOMM, Inc. | 4,000 | 277,880 | ||||||
Seagate Technology PLC | 6,267 | 305,077 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
3,255,010 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Materials — 3.49% | ||||||||
Eastman Chemical Co. | 4,200 | 330,918 | ||||||
International Paper Co. | 6,200 | 276,582 | ||||||
Lyondellbasell Industries N.V. – Class A | 920 | 68,632 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
676,132 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Real Estate Investment Trusts — 1.24% | ||||||||
Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. | 7,200 | 239,328 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
Telecommunication Services — 2.31% | ||||||||
AT&T, Inc. | 6,100 | 220,820 | ||||||
Verizon Communications, Inc. | 4,500 | 227,295 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
448,115 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Utilities — 3.08% | ||||||||
CMS Energy Corp. | 7,600 | 208,696 | ||||||
NextEra Energy, Inc. | 2,000 | 169,500 | ||||||
Xcel Energy, Inc. | 7,600 | 219,336 | ||||||
|
| |||||||
597,532 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Common Stocks | 19,020,272 | |||||||
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
8
Shares | Fair Value | |||||||
Short-Term Investments — 2.36% | ||||||||
Fidelity Institutional Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class, 0.080% (a) | 456,908 | $ | 456,908 | |||||
|
| |||||||
Total Short-Term Investments | 456,908 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Total Investments — 100.51% | 19,477,180 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.51)% | (99,549 | ) | ||||||
|
| |||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS — 100.00% | $ | 19,377,631 | ||||||
|
|
(a) | Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of October 31, 2013. |
* | Non-income producing security. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
9
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
October 31, 2013
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund | ||||
Assets: | ||||
Investments in securities, at fair value (Cost $15,366,061) | $ | 19,477,180 | ||
Dividends receivable | 16,054 | |||
Receivable for investments sold | 555,233 | |||
Receivable for fund shares sold | 19,003 | |||
Prepaid expenses | 23,812 | |||
|
| |||
Total assets | 20,091,282 | |||
|
| |||
Liabilities: | ||||
Payable for fund shares redeemed | 68 | |||
Payable for investments purchased | 679,453 | |||
Payable to Adviser | 690 | |||
Payable for Distribution Fees | 3,715 | |||
Payable to administrator, fund accountant, and transfer agent | 3,480 | |||
Payable to custodian | 2,102 | |||
Payable to Chief Compliance Officer | 11,312 | |||
Payable to trustees and officers | 901 | |||
Other accrued expenses | 11,930 | |||
|
| |||
Total Liabilities | 713,651 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 19,377,631 | ||
|
| |||
Net Assets Consist of: | ||||
Paid in capital | $ | 13,974,317 | ||
Accumulated undistributed net realized gain on investments | 1,292,195 | |||
Unrealized appreciation in value of investments | 4,111,119 | |||
|
| |||
Net Assets | $ | 19,377,631 | ||
|
| |||
Class N: | ||||
Net Assets | $ | 18,305,769 | ||
|
| |||
Shares outstanding | 1,064,931 | |||
|
| |||
Net asset value (“NAV”) and offering price per share | $ | 17.19 | ||
|
| |||
Redemption price per share (NAV*0.98) (a) | $ | 16.85 | ||
|
| |||
Class A: | ||||
Net Assets | $ | 799,179 | ||
|
| |||
Shares outstanding | 46,558 | |||
|
| |||
Net asset value (“NAV”) per share | $ | 17.17 | ||
|
| |||
Offering price per share (NAV/0.95) (b) | $ | 18.07 | ||
|
| |||
Redemption price per share (NAV*0.98) (a) | $ | 16.83 | ||
|
| |||
Institutional Class: | ||||
Net Assets | $ | 272,683 | ||
|
| |||
Shares outstanding | 15,862 | |||
|
| |||
Net asset value (“NAV”) and offering price per share | $ | 17.19 | ||
|
| |||
Redemption price per share (NAV*0.98) (a) | $ | 16.85 | ||
|
|
(a) | The Fund charges a 2.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase. |
(b) | Class A shares impose a maximum 5.00% sales charge on purchases. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
10
Statement of Operations
Year Ended October 31, 2013
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund | ||||
Investment Income: | ||||
Dividend income (net of foreign withholding tax of $805) | $ | 366,674 | ||
|
| |||
Total investment income | 366,674 | |||
|
| |||
Expenses: | ||||
Adviser Fees | 118,817 | |||
Distribution Fees: | ||||
Class N | 38,570 | |||
Class A | 950 | |||
Class C | 429 | (a) | ||
Transfer Agent Fees | 30,532 | |||
Fund Accounting Fees | 2,955 | |||
Administration Fees | 7,772 | |||
Registration Fees | 34,617 | |||
Audit Fees | 8,530 | |||
Shareholder Service Fees (non 12b-1) | 1,000 | |||
Legal Fees | 10,863 | |||
Custody Fees | 6,380 | |||
Printing Fees | 4,368 | |||
Compliance Officer Fees | 33,664 | |||
Trustee Fees | 12,652 | |||
Other Fees | 3,757 | |||
|
| |||
Total expenses | 315,856 | |||
|
| |||
Fees contractually waived by Adviser | (158,001 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net operating expenses | 157,855 | |||
|
| |||
Net investment income | 208,819 | |||
|
| |||
Realized & Unrealized Gain on Investments | ||||
Net realized gain on investment securities | 1,297,323 | |||
Change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities | 2,231,812 | |||
|
| |||
Net realized and unrealized gain on investment securities | 3,529,135 | |||
|
| |||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | $ | 3,737,954 | ||
|
|
(a) | For the period November 1, 2012 to August 19, 2013 (effective date of Class C shares conversion to Class A shares). |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
11
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund | ||||||||
Year Ended October 31, 2013 | Year Ended October 31, 2012 | |||||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets due to: | ||||||||
Operations: | ||||||||
Net investment income | $ | 208,819 | $ | 124,232 | ||||
Net realized gain on investment securities | 1,297,323 | 75,546 | ||||||
Change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities | 2,231,812 | 1,297,725 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | 3,737,954 | 1,497,503 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Distributions: | ||||||||
From net investment income, Class N | (213,577 | ) | (118,049 | ) | ||||
From net investment income, Class A | (3,890 | ) | (4,474 | ) | ||||
From net investment income, Class C (a) | (139 | ) | (64 | ) | ||||
From realized gain, Class N | (74,911 | ) | (105,038 | ) | ||||
From realized gain, Class A | (1,602 | ) | (3,254 | ) | ||||
From realized gain, Class C (a) | (304 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total distributions | (294,423 | ) | (230,879 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Transactions – Class N: | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 3,559,617 | 3,149,060 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 276,526 | 222,392 | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (1,715,924 | ) | (735,672 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Class N | 2,120,219 | 2,635,780 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Transactions – Class A: | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 533,513 | 466,333 | ||||||
Proceeds from shares converted from Class C | 62,900 | — | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 5,492 | 7,729 | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (540,288 | ) | (139,675 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Class A | 61,617 | 334,387 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Transactions – Class C (a): | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 33,000 | 63,035 | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 443 | 64 | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | (52,323 | ) | — | |||||
Amount converted to Class A | (62,900 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Class C | (81,780 | ) | 63,099 | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Capital Transactions – Institutional Class (b): | ||||||||
Proceeds from shares sold | 271,870 | — | ||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | — | — | ||||||
Amount paid for shares redeemed | — | — | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Institutional Class | 271,870 | — | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from capital transactions | 2,371,926 | 3,033,266 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Increase in Net Assets | 5,815,457 | 4,299,890 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Net Assets: | ||||||||
Beginning of year | 13,562,174 | 9,262,284 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
End of year | $ | 19,377,631 | $ | 13,562,174 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Accumulated net investment income included in net assets at end of year | $ | — | $ | 5,745 | ||||
|
|
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
12
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund | ||||||||
Year Ended October 31, 2013 | Year Ended October 31, 2012 | |||||||
Share Transactions – Class N: | ||||||||
Shares sold | 230,138 | 246,131 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 18,834 | 17,688 | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (107,298 | ) | (57,617 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Class N | 141,674 | 206,202 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Share Transactions – Class A: | ||||||||
Shares sold | 31,099 | 34,500 | ||||||
Shares converted from Class C | 3,876 | — | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 387 | 608 | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (37,550 | ) | (10,399 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Class A | (2,188 | ) | 24,709 | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Share Transactions – Class C (a): | ||||||||
Shares sold | 2,126 | 4,686 | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | 32 | 4 | ||||||
Shares redeemed | (2,973 | ) | — | |||||
Shares converted to Class A | (3,876 | ) | — | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Class C | (4,691 | ) | 4,690 | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Share Transactions – Institutional Class (b): | ||||||||
Shares sold | 15,862 | — | ||||||
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions | — | — | ||||||
Shares redeemed | — | — | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total Institutional Class | 15,862 | — | ||||||
|
|
|
|
(a) | For the period November 1, 2012 to August 19, 2013 (effective date of Class C shares conversion to Class A shares). |
(b) | For the period October 29, 2013 (Institutional Class shares commenced operations) to October 31, 2013. |
13
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund – Class N
Financial Highlights
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the period.
Years Ended | Period Ended 10/31/2010(a) | |||||||||||||||
10/31/2013 | 10/31/2012 | 10/31/2011 | ||||||||||||||
Net Asset Value, at Beginning of Period | $ | 13.88 | $ | 12.50 | $ | 11.83 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Income From Investment Operations: | ||||||||||||||||
Net Investment Income (Loss) * | 0.21 | 0.14 | 0.09 | 0.06 | ||||||||||||
Net Gain (Loss) on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 3.40 | 1.51 | 0.67 | 1.81 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total from Investment Operations | 3.61 | 1.65 | 0.76 | 1.87 | ||||||||||||
Distributions: | ||||||||||||||||
From Net Investment Income | (0.22 | ) | (0.14 | ) | (0.09 | ) | (0.04 | ) | ||||||||
From Net Realized Gain | (0.08 | ) | (0.13 | ) | — | — | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total from Distributions | (0.30 | ) | (0.27 | ) | (0.09 | ) | (0.04 | ) | ||||||||
Redemption Fees *** | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Net Asset Value, at End of Period | $ | 17.19 | $ | 13.88 | $ | 12.50 | $ | 11.83 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total Return ** | 26.35 | % | 13.44 | % | 6.40 | % | 18.76 | %(b) | ||||||||
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | ||||||||||||||||
Net Assets at End of Period (Thousands) | $ | 18,306 | $ | 12,819 | $ | 8,961 | $ | 3,524 | ||||||||
Before Waiver | ||||||||||||||||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets | 1.99 | % | 2.30 | % | 3.50 | % | 9.63 | %(c) | ||||||||
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | 0.32 | % | 0.24 | % | (1.28 | )% | (7.32 | )%(c) | ||||||||
After Waiver | ||||||||||||||||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.98 | % | 1.50 | % | 1.50 | % | 1.50 | %(c) | ||||||||
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | 1.33 | % | 1.04 | % | 0.72 | % | 0.82 | %(c) | ||||||||
Portfolio Turnover | 70 | % | 54 | % | 53 | % | 32 | %(b) |
(a) | The Dana Large Cap Equity Fund Class N commenced operations on March 1, 2010. |
(b) | Not annualized |
(c) | Annualized |
* | Per share net investment income has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period. |
** | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends, and is not annualized for periods of less than one year. |
*** | The amount is less than $0.005 per share. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
14
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund – Class A
Financial Highlights
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the period.
Years ended | Period Ended 10/31/2010(a) | |||||||||||||||
10/31/2013 | 10/31/2012 | 10/31/2011 | ||||||||||||||
Net Asset Value, at Beginning of Period | $ | 13.92 | $ | 12.52 | $ | 11.84 | $ | 10.95 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Income From Investment Operations: | ||||||||||||||||
Net Investment Income (Loss) * | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.08 | — | *** | |||||||||||
Net Gain (Loss) on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 3.39 | 1.52 | 0.67 | 0.89 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total from Investment Operations | 3.52 | 1.66 | 0.75 | 0.89 | ||||||||||||
Distributions: | ||||||||||||||||
From Net Investment Income | (0.19 | ) | (0.13 | ) | (0.07 | ) | — | |||||||||
From Net Realized Gain | (0.08 | ) | (0.13 | ) | — | — | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total from Distributions | (0.27 | ) | (0.26 | ) | (0.07 | ) | — | |||||||||
Redemption Fees *** | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Net Asset Value, at End of Period | $ | 17.17 | $ | 13.92 | $ | 12.52 | $ | 11.84 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total Return ** | 25.67 | % | 13.54 | % | 6.36 | % | 8.13 | %(b) | ||||||||
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | ||||||||||||||||
Net Assets at End of Period (Thousands) | $ | 799 | $ | 678 | $ | 301 | $ | 3 | ||||||||
Before Waiver: | ||||||||||||||||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets | 1.98 | % | 2.27 | % | 3.11 | % | 4.75 | %(c) | ||||||||
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | 0.35 | % | 0.22 | % | (0.95 | )% | (2.94 | )%(c) | ||||||||
After Waiver: | ||||||||||||||||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets | 1.49 | % | 1.50 | % | 1.50 | % | 1.50 | %(c) | ||||||||
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | 0.84 | % | 1.00 | % | 0.66 | % | 0.31 | %(c) | ||||||||
Portfolio Turnover | 70 | % | 54 | % | 53 | % | 32 | %(c) |
(a) | The Dana Large Cap Equity Fund Class A commenced operations on July 28, 2010. |
(b) | Not annualized |
(c) | Annualized |
* | Per share net investment income has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period. |
** | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends, excluding maximum sales charge, and is not annualized for periods of less than one year. |
*** | The amount is less than $0.005 per share. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
15
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund – Institutional Class
Financial Highlights
Selected data for a share outstanding throughout the period.
Period Ended 10/31/2013(a) | ||||
Net Asset Value, at Beginning of Period | $ | 17.14 | ||
|
| |||
Income From Investment Operations: | ||||
Net Investment Income (Loss) * | — | *** | ||
Net Gain (Loss) on Securities (Realized and Unrealized) | 0.05 | |||
|
| |||
Total from Investment Operations | 0.05 | |||
Net Asset Value, at End of Period | $ | 17.19 | ||
|
| |||
Total Return ** | 0.29 | %(c) | ||
Ratios/Supplemental Data: | ||||
Net Assets at End of Period (Thousands) | $ | 273 | ||
Before Waiver: | ||||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets | 1.53 | %(b) | ||
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | (0.31 | )%(b) | ||
After Waiver: | ||||
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets | 0.73 | %(b) | ||
Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets | 0.49 | %(b) | ||
Portfolio Turnover | 70 | %(c) |
(a) | The Dana Large Cap Equity Fund Institutional Class commenced operations on October 29, 2013. |
(b) | Annualized |
(c) | Not annualized |
* | Per share net investment income has been determined on the basis of average shares outstanding during the period. |
** | Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends, and is not annualized for periods of less than one year. |
*** | The amount is less than $0.005 per share. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
16
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION
The Dana Large Cap Equity Fund (the “Fund”), formally known as the Dana Large Cap Core Fund, is an open-end diversified series of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Board of Trustees (“Board”) to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Fund is one of a series of funds currently authorized by the Board. The Fund’s investment adviser is Dana Investment Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”). The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
The Fund currently offers Class N shares, Class A shares, and Institutional Class shares. Each share represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets and liabilities belonging to the Fund and is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of income belonging to the Fund as declared by the Board. Each class of shares has identical rights and privileges except with respect to the fees paid under distribution (12b-1) or service organization plans, voting rights on matters affecting a single class of shares, sales charges, and exchange privileges. Class A currently has a maximum sales charge on purchases of 5.00% as a percentage of the original purchase price. All three share classes impose a 2.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase. Class C shares were converted into Class A shares on August 19, 2013 and are no longer offered.
The Fund was previously a series of the Epiphany Funds, an unaffiliated registered investment company and was named Dana Large Cap Core Fund. On October 22, 2013, shareholders of the Fund voted to reorganize the Fund into the Trust effective October 28, 2013 (see Note 8 for proxy voting results).
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements. These policies are in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
Estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Securities Valuation – All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.
Federal Income Taxes – The Fund makes no provision for federal income or excise tax. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of its taxable income. The Fund also intends to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Fund could incur a tax expense.
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the statement of operations. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for the last four tax year ends and the interim tax period since then.
17
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
Expenses – Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each fund’s relative net assets or other appropriate basis (as determined by the Board). Expenses attributable to any class are borne by that class. Income, realized gains and losses, unrealized appreciation and depreciation, and expenses are allocated to each class based on the net assets in relation to the relative net assets of the Fund.
Security Transactions and Related Income – The Fund follows industry practice and records security transactions on the trade date for financial reporting purposes. The specific identification method is used for determining gains or losses for financial statement 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 accreted or amortized using the effective interest method. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates.
Dividends and Distributions – Distributions to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income on a quarterly basis. The Fund intends to distribute its net realized long-term capital gains and its net realized short-term capital gains on an annual basis. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the year from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of the net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations or net asset values per share of the Fund.
For the year ended October 31, 2013, the Fund made the following reclassifications to increase/(decrease) the components of net assets:
Paid in Capital | Accumulated Undistributed Net Investment Income | Accumulated Net Realized Gain (Loss) on Investments | ||||||
$ — | $ | 3,042 | $ | (3,042) |
NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in a timely transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. GAAP establishes a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.
Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk (the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including such a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique). Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
18
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.
• | Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities |
• | Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.) |
• | Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available) |
The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based, on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
Equity securities, including common stocks, exchange-traded funds and real estate investment trusts, are generally 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 more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by a pricing service at the NASDAQ official closing price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange security is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by the pricing service at the NASDAQ official closing price.
When using the market quotations or close prices provided by a pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security is classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Fund will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security is classified as a Level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Adviser determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Adviser, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review by the Board. These securities are categorized as Level 3 securities.
Investments in mutual funds, including money market mutual funds, are generally priced at the ending NAV provided by the service agent of the funds. These securities are categorized as Level 1 securities.
Short-term investments in fixed income securities, (those 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 represents fair value. These securities are classified as Level 2 securities.
In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Adviser is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Adviser would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the Adviser’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence
19
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s value, or the Adviser is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the bonds the Fund invests in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available.
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of October 31, 2013:
Valuation Inputs | ||||||||||||||||
Assets | Level 1 Quoted Prices in Active Markets | Level 2 Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3 Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total | ||||||||||||
Common Stocks* | $ | 19,020,272 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 19,020,272 | ||||||||
Money Market Securities | 456,908 | — | — | 456,908 | ||||||||||||
Total | $ | 19,477,180 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 19,477,180 |
*Refer to Schedule of Investments for industry classifications.
The Fund did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which other significant observable inputs (Level 2) were used in determining fair value. The Fund did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period.
The Trust recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the reporting period end. There were no transfers between any levels as of October 31, 2013.
NOTE 4. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS
Under the terms of the management agreement between the Trust and the Adviser (the “Agreement”) for the Fund, the Adviser manages the Fund’s investments subject to oversight of the Board. 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 0.70% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. Prior to October 28, 2013, Trinity Fiduciary Partners LLC (“Trinity”) acted as the Fund’s adviser and was paid 0.75% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Adviser and Trinity earned fees of $118,817 from the Fund before the waivers described below. At October 31, 2013, the Fund owed $690 to Trinity.
Beginning October 28, 2013, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse certain operating expenses through February 28, 2017, but only to the extent necessary so that the Fund’s net expenses, excluding brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, extraordinary expenses, fees and expenses paid under a distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1, fees and expenses paid under a shareholder services plan, and indirect expenses (such as “acquired funds fees and expenses”) do not exceed 0.73% for Class N, Class A and Institutional shares. From November 1, 2012 to October 27, 2013, the previous investment adviser contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse certain operating expenses, but only to the extent necessary so that the Fund’s net expenses, excluding brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, extraordinary expenses, and indirect expenses (such as “acquired funds fees and expenses”) did not exceed 0.98, 1.50%, and 2.25% per annum for the Class N, Class A, and Class C shares respectively.
20
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
Each waiver or reimbursement of an expense by the Adviser is subject to repayment by the Fund within the three fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the expense was incurred, provided that the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the expense limitation. The contractual agreement is in effect through February 28, 2017. The expense cap may not be terminated prior to this date except by the Board. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Adviser waived fees of $158,001 from the Fund. Amounts subject to potential recoupment by the Adviser prior to the reorganization as a series of the Valued Advisers Trust are no longer available for recoupment.
The amounts subject to repayment by the Fund, pursuant to the aforementioned conditions are as follows:
Amount | Recoverable through October 31, | |||
$ 2,189 | 2016 |
The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”) to manage the Fund’s business affairs and to provide the Fund with administrative services, including all regulatory, reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. The Trust also retains HASI to act as the Fund’s transfer agent and to provide the Fund with fund accounting services. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013 HASI earned and was owed $600 for its services. Prior to October 28, 2013, Mutual Shareholder Services (“MSS”) served as the Fund’s transfer agent and fund accountant. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, MSS earned fees of $40,659. At October 31, 2013, MSS was owed $2,880 for its services.
Certain officers and one Trustee of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. HASI operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of the Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) and Huntington National Bank, the custodian of the Fund’s investments (the “Custodian”). Prior to October 28, 2013, Rafferty Capital Markets, LLC served as the Fund’s distributor. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, the Custodian earned fees $6,380 for custody services. At October 31, 2013, the Custodian was owed $2,102 for custody services.
The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Plan provides that the Fund will pay the Distributor and/or any registered securities dealer, financial institution or any other person (a “Recipient”) a shareholder servicing fee aggregating 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Class N and Class A shares in connection with the promotion and distribution of the Fund’s shares or the provision of personal services to shareholders, including, but not necessarily limited to, advertising, compensation to underwriters, dealers and selling personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current Fund shareholders, the printing and mailing of sales literature and servicing shareholder accounts. The Fund or the Adviser may pay all or a portion of these fees to any Recipient who renders assistance in distributing or promoting the sale of shares, or who provides certain shareholder services, pursuant to a written agreement. The Plan is a compensation plan, which means that compensation is paid regardless of 12b-1 expenses actually incurred. It is anticipated that the Plan will benefit shareholders because an effective sales program typically is necessary in order for the Fund to reach and maintain a sufficient size to achieve efficiently its investment objectives and to realize economies of scale. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, Class N shares 12b-1 expense incurred by the Fund was $38,570 and Class A shares 12b-1 expense incurred by the Fund was $950. The Fund owed $3,636 for Class N shares and $79 for Class A shares 12b-1 fees as of October 31, 2013.
21
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
NOTE 5. PURCHASES AND SALES OF SECURITIES
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments and short-term U.S. government obligations were as follows:
Purchases | Sales | |||
$ 13,023,126 | $ | 10,920,074 |
NOTE 6. BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of more than 25% of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of the fund, under Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. At October 31, 2013, Charles Schwab & Co. (“Schwab”) and TD Ameritrade, Inc. (“Ameritrade”) owned, as record shareholders, 37.63% and 25.81%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of Class N. At October 31, 2013, the Adviser owned, as a record shareholder, 100% of the outstanding shares of Institutional Class. The Trust does not know whether Schwab or Ameritrade, or any of the underlying beneficial owners, owned or controlled 25% or more of the voting securities of the Class N.
NOTE 7. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION
At October 31, 2013, the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments for tax purposes was as follows:
Gross Unrealized Appreciation | $ | 4,151,515 | ||
Gross Unrealized Depreciation | (40,396 | ) | ||
|
| |||
Net Unrealized Appreciation | $ | 4,111,119 | ||
|
|
At October 31, 2013, the aggregate cost of securities for federal income tax purposes was $15,366,061 for the Fund.
At October 31, 2013, the Fund’s most recent fiscal year end, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis was as follows:
Undistributed Ordinary Income | $ | 206,368 | ||
Undistributed Long-Term Capital Gains | 1,085,827 | |||
Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)* | 4,111,119 | |||
|
| |||
Total Accumulated Earnings (Deficit) | $ | 5,403,314 | ||
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Dana Large Cap Equity Fund
Notes to the Financial Statements
October 31, 2013
On December 20, 2013, the Fund paid distributions to shareholders of record on December 19, 2013 as follows:
Class | Distribution Type | Per Share | ||||
Class N | Ordinary Income | $ | 0.034813 | |||
Short-Term capital gain | $ | 0.177923 | ||||
Long-Term capital gain | $ | 0.937812 | ||||
Class A | Ordinary Income | $ | 0.043919 | |||
Short-Term capital gain | $ | 0.177923 | ||||
Long-Term capital gain | $ | 0.937812 | ||||
Institutional Class | Ordinary Income | $ | 0.072402 | |||
Short-Term capital gain | $ | 0.177923 | ||||
Long-Term capital gain | $ | 0.937812 |
The tax character of distributions for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2013 and October 31, 2012 was as follows:
2013 | 2012 | |||||||
Distributions paid from: | ||||||||
Ordinary Income | $ | 217,606 | $ | 10,354 | ||||
Net Long-Term Capital Gains | 76,816 | — | ||||||
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|
| |||||
Total Distributions Paid | $ | 294,422 | $ | 10,354 | ||||
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NOTE 8. PROXY VOTING RESULTS (Unaudited)
A special meeting was held October 22, 2013 to obtain shareholder approval to reorganize the Dana Large Cap Equity Fund from a series of the Epiphany Funds to a series of the Valued Advisors Trust.
The result of this special meeting shareholder vote was as follows:
For | 769,145 | |||
Against | 0 | |||
Abstain | 0 |
NOTE 9. CHANGE IN INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM (Unaudited)
At a meeting on July 23, 2013, the Board selected and approved Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd. as the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fund, replacing Sanville & Company.
NOTE 10. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Management of the Fund has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. Based upon this evaluation, and at a Board meeting held December 9-11, 2013, Andrea N. Mullins was appointed to serve as Trustee to the Trust and Bryan W. Ashmus was appointed to serve as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer. This information is reflected in the “Trustees and Officers” table.
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund
(Valued Advisers Trust)
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of Dana Large Cap Equity Fund (the “Fund”), a series of Valued Advisers Trust, as of October 31, 2013, and the related statements of operations and changes in net assets and the financial highlights for the year then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audit. The Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights for the periods ended on or prior to October 31, 2012, were audited by other auditors whose report dated December 19, 2012, expressed an unqualified opinion on those statements and financial highlights.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2013, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers or by other appropriate auditing procedures where replies from brokers were not received. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Dana Large Cap Equity Fund as of October 31, 2013, the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets, and the financial highlights for the year then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.
Cleveland, Ohio
December 30, 2013
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TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS (Unaudited)
The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires or is removed.
The following tables provide information regarding the Trustees and Officers.
The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind, 77, Independent Trustee, August 2008 to present. | Retired; Consultant to Battelle Memorial Institute (International Science and Technology Research Enterprise) on business investments from 2001 to 2003; Formerly employed with Battelle Memorial Institute from 1966 to 2003 in various positions, including the Executive Vice President of Battelle Institute from 1991 to 2001, General Manager from 1985 to 1991, Director of the Battelle Industrial Technology Center (Geneva, Switzerland) from 1983 to 1985, and Practicing Researcher from 1966 to 1983. | |
Ira Cohen, 54 Independent Trustee, June 2010 to present. | Independent financial services consultant (Feb. 2005 – present). | |
Andrea N. Mullins, 46 Independent Trustee, December 2013 to present. | Principal Financial Officer, Treasurer, Secretary for the Eagle Family of Funds 2004-2010; Chief Financial Officer of Eagle Fund Services (a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial) 2008-2010; Vice President and Treasurer of Eagle Fund Services 1996-2008. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 48, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present. | Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; Chief Executive Officer, The Huntington Strategy Shares since November 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
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The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust,** Term of Position with Trust | Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
R. Jeffrey Young, 48, Principal Executive Officer and President, February 2010 to present. | Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust since June 2010; Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc. since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds since March 2011; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, August 2008 to January 2010; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants 2007 to 2010. | |
John C. Swhear, 52, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance for Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007; Chief Compliance Officer of Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007; Senior Vice President of the Unified Series Trust since May 2007; Secretary of Huntington Funds since April 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, 2007 to March 2010. | |
Carol J. Highsmith, 48, Vice President, August 2008 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration. | |
Matthew J. Miller, 36, Vice President, December 2011 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President of Huntington Funds since February 2010. | |
Bryan W. Ashmus, 40 Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, December 2013 to present | Vice President, Financial Administration, HASI (September 2013 to present); Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, The Huntington Strategy Shares and The Huntington Funds Trust (November 2013 to present); Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., (May 2005 to September 2013). | |
Heather Bonds, 37, Secretary, October 2012 to present. | Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January of 2004; currently Certified Paralegal and Section Manager 2. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | The Trust consists of 16 series. |
OTHER INFORMATION
The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (877) 670-2227 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.
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Management Agreement Renewal (Unaudited)
At a meeting held on July 23, 2013, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) considered the initial approval of an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Agreement”) between the Trust and Dana Investment Advisers, Inc. (the “Adviser”) on behalf of the Dana Large Cap Equity Fund (the “Fund”). Counsel noted that the 1940 Act requires the approval of the Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser by a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Board discussed the arrangements between the Adviser and the Trust with respect to the Fund. The Board reviewed a memorandum from Counsel, and addressed to the Trustees that summarized, among other things, the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the Agreement. Counsel discussed with the Trustees the types of information and factors that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision regarding the approval of the Agreement, including the following material factors: (i) the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser; (ii) the investment performance of the predecessor to Fund; (iii) the costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund; (iv) the extent to which economies of scale would be realized if the Fund grows and whether advisory fee levels reflect those economies of scale for the benefit of the investors of the Fund; and (v) the Adviser’s practices regarding possible conflicts of interest.
In assessing these factors and reaching its decisions, the Board took into consideration information specifically prepared and/or presented in connection with this approval process, including information presented at the Meeting. The Board requested and was provided with information and reports relevant to the approval of the Agreement, including: (i) information regarding the services and support and to be provided (and provided) to the Fund (and its predecessor) and shareholders by the Adviser; (ii) commentary on the performance of the predecessor of the Fund; (iii) a presentation by the Adviser addressing investment philosophy, investment strategy, personnel and operations; (iv) an overview of the compliance culture of the Adviser; and (v) disclosure information contained in the draft prospectus and SAI of the Trust with respect to the Fund and the Form ADV of the Adviser. The Board also requested and received various informational materials including, without limitation: (i) documents containing information about the Adviser, including financial information, a description of personnel and the services to be provided to the Fund, information on investment advice, performance, summaries of Fund expenses, compliance program, current legal matters, and other general information; (ii) comparative expense and performance information for other mutual funds with strategies similar to the Fund; and (iii) benefits to be realized by the Adviser from its relationship with the Fund. The Board also reflected on the fact that the Fund was currently in operations (as the Dana Large Cap Core Fund in another mutual fund family) and is administered by another administrator. It was noted that the proposed Agreement contained a fee of 0.75%; representatives of the Adviser indicated that it was advising the Board in this Meeting that the fee was to be reduced to 0.70%. The Board also noted that representatives of the Adviser noted that the expense limitation agreement, subject to the standard carve-outs, would be maintained at 0.73%.
The Board did not identify any particular information that was most relevant to its consideration to approve the Agreement and each Trustee may have afforded different weight to the various factors.
1. | The nature, extent, and quality of the services to be provided by the Adviser. In this regard, the Board considered the Adviser’s responsibilities under the Agreement. The Board considered the services provided by the Adviser to a predecessor of the Fund (in a sub-advisory capacity). The Trustees also considered the services proposed to be provided by the Adviser, including without limitation: the quality of its investment advisory services (including research and recommendations with respect to portfolio securities), its process for formulating investment recommendations and assuring compliance with the Fund’s investment objectives and limitations, its anticipated coordination of services for the Fund among the Fund’s service providers, and its anticipated efforts to promote the Fund and grow its assets. The Trustees considered the Adviser’s continuity of, and commitment to retain, qualified personnel and the Adviser’s commitment to maintain and enhance its resources and systems, and the Adviser’s cooperation with the Board and Counsel for the Fund in connection with the reorganization of the predecessor fund. The Trustees considered the Adviser’s personnel, including the education and experience of the Adviser’s personnel. After considering |
27
the foregoing information and further information in the Meeting materials provided by the Adviser (including the Adviser’s Form ADV), the Board concluded that, in light of all the facts and circumstances, the nature, extent, and quality of the services proposed to be provided by the Adviser will be satisfactory and adequate for the Fund. |
2. | Investment Performance of the Fund and the Adviser. In considering the investment performance of the Fund and the Adviser, the Trustees compared the performance of the Fund with the performance of funds with similar objectives managed by other investment advisers, as well as with aggregated peer group data. The Trustees also consider the Adviser’s management of accounts with similar objectives as the Fund. The Trustees also considered the consistency of the Adviser’s management of the Fund with its investment objective, strategies, and limitations. The Trustees noted that the Fund generally performed above its peer group category and its benchmark. The Trustees also considered the Fund’s performance relative to the performance of the Adviser’s composite for accounts managed similarly to the Fund based on recent data and observed that the Fund performed comparably to those other accounts. After reviewing and discussing the investment performance of the Fund further, the Adviser’s experience managing the Fund (i.e., the predecessor fund), the Adviser’s historical performance, and other relevant factors, the Board concluded, in light of all the facts and circumstances, that the investment performance of the Fund and the Adviser was acceptable. |
3. | The costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund. In considering the costs of services to be provided and the profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund, the Trustees considered: (1) the Adviser’s financial condition of the Adviser and the level of commitment to the Fund and the Adviser by the principals of the Adviser; (2) the projected asset levels of the Fund; (3) the Adviser’s payment of reorganization and other startup costs for the Fund; and (4) the overall anticipated expenses of the Fund, including the expected nature and frequency of advisory fee payments. The Board also considered potential benefits for the Adviser in managing the Fund. The Board compared the expected fees and expenses of the Fund (including the management fee) to other funds comparable to the Fund in terms of the type of fund, the style of investment management, the anticipated size of fund and the nature of the investment strategy and markets invested in, among other factors. The Board determined that the Fund’s management fee was generally higher than the average and median for its anticipated category. The Board noted, however, that in light of the contractual expense limitation agreement, the overall expense ratio was very favorable relative to the Fund’s anticipated category. Following this comparison and upon further consideration and discussion of the foregoing, the Board concluded that the fees to be paid to the Adviser by the Fund were fair and reasonable. |
4. | The extent to which economies of scale would be realized as the Fund grows and whether advisory fee levels reflect these economies of scale for the benefit of the Fund’s investors. In this regard, the Board considered the Fund’s fee arrangement with the Adviser. The Board considered that while the management fee remained the same at all levels, the Fund’s shareholders would experience benefits from the expense limitation arrangement. In light of the foregoing, the Trustees determined that the fee arrangements for the Fund, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser. |
5. | Possible conflicts of interest and benefits to the Adviser. In evaluating the possibility for conflicts of interest, the Board considered such matters as: the experience and ability of the advisory personnel assigned to the Fund; the basis of decisions to buy or sell securities for the Fund and/or the Adviser’s other accounts; the method for bunching of portfolio securities transactions; the substance and administration of the Adviser’s code of ethics and other relevant policies described in the Adviser’s Form ADV. The Board considered that while currently immaterial to the Adviser’s overall research budget, the Adviser will benefit from soft dollars on trades generated for the Fund. With respect to these benefits (in addition to the fees under the Agreement), the Board noted that the Adviser would benefit from its relationship with the Fund as the Fund would provide a vehicle for the Adviser to market to smaller clients and it would allow it to access distribution channels previously unavailable to it. Following further consideration and discussion, the Board indicated that the Adviser’s standards and practices relating to the identification and mitigation of potential |
28
conflicts of interest were satisfactory and the anticipated benefits to be realized by the Adviser from managing the Fund were acceptable. |
After additional consideration of the factors delineated in the memorandum provided by Counsel and further discussion among the Board, the Board determined to approve the continuation of the Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser.
29
VALUED ADVISERS TRUST
PRIVACY POLICY
The following is a description of the policies of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”) regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that shareholders provide to a series of the Trust (each, a “Fund”) or that the Fund collects from other sources. In the event that a shareholder hold shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of the financial intermediary would govern how shareholder nonpublic personal information would be shared with nonaffiliated third parties.
Categories of Information A Fund May Collect. A Fund may collect the following nonpublic personal information about its shareholders:
• | Information the Fund receives from a shareholder on applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as the shareholder’s name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth); and |
• | Information about the shareholder’s transactions with the Fund, its affiliates, or others (such as the shareholder’s account number and balance, payment history, cost basis information, and other financial information). |
Categories of Information A Fund May Disclose. A Fund may not disclose any nonpublic personal information about its current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. A Fund is permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to its service providers (such as the Fund’s custodian, administrator, transfer agent, accountant and legal counsel) to process shareholder transactions and otherwise provide services to the shareholder.
Confidentiality and Security. Each Fund shall restrict access to shareholder nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to the shareholder. Each Fund shall maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard shareholder nonpublic personal information.
Disposal of Information. The Funds, through their transfer agent, have taken steps to reasonably ensure that the privacy of a shareholder’s nonpublic personal information is maintained at all times, including in connection with the disposal of information that is no longer required to be maintained by the Funds. Such steps shall include, whenever possible, shredding paper documents and records prior to disposal, requiring off-site storage vendors to shred documents maintained in such locations prior to disposal, and erasing and/or obliterating any data contained on electronic media in such a manner that the information can no longer be read or reconstructed.
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PROXY VOTING
A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how the Fund voted those proxies is available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Fund at (866) 954-6682 and (2) from Fund documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
TRUSTEES
R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman
Dr. Merwyn R. Vanderlind
Ira Cohen
Andrea N. Mullins
OFFICERS
R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive Officer and President
John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice-President
Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer
Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President
Matthew J. Miller, Vice President
Heather Bonds, Secretary
INVESTMENT ADVISER
DANA Investment Advisors
15800 Bluemound Rd., Ste 250
Brookfield, WI 53005
DISTRIBUTOR
Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd.
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800
Cleveland, OH 44115
LEGAL COUNSEL
The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.,
A member firm of The 1940 Act Law GroupTM
11300 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy, Suite 310
Leawood, KS 66211
CUSTODIAN
Huntington National Bank
41 S. High St.
Columbus, OH 43215
ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT AND FUND ACCOUNTANT
Huntington Asset Services, Inc.
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Fund’s prospectus which contains information about the Fund’s management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
Member FINRA/SIPC
Item 2. | Code of Ethics. |
As of the end of the period covered by this report, the registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the registrant or a third party. Pursuant to Item 12(a)(1), a copy of registrant’s code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR. During the period covered by this report, the code of ethics has not been amended, and the registrant has not granted any waivers, including implicit waivers, from the provisions of the code of ethics.
Item 3. | Audit Committee Financial Expert. |
(a)(1) The registrant’s board of trustees has determined that the registrant has at least one audit committee financial expert, as of December 11, 2013.
(a)(2) The audit committee financial expert is Andrea N. Mullins, who is “independent” for purposes of this Item 3 of Form N-CSR
Item 4. | Principal Accountant Fees and Services. |
(a) | Audit Fees |
Granite Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 12,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 12,500 | ||||||
Sound Mind Investing Funds: | FY 2013 | $ | 40,000 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 26,500 | ||||||
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 12,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 12,500 | ||||||
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 12,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 12,500 | ||||||
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 12,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 12,500 | ||||||
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 12,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | N/A | |||||||
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 12,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 31,222 | ||||||
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 12,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 8,750 |
(b) | Audit-Related Fees |
Registrant
Granite Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
Sound Mind Investing Funds: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 |
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TEAM Asset Strategy Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | N/A | |||||||
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 |
(c) | Tax Fees |
Registrant
Granite Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 2,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 2,500 | ||||||
Sound Mind Investing Funds: | FY 2013 | $ | 7,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 5,500 | ||||||
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 2,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 2,500 | ||||||
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 2,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 2,500 | ||||||
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 2,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 2,500 | ||||||
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 2,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | N/A | |||||||
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 2,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 7,096 | ||||||
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 2,500 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 1,600 |
Nature of the fees: Preparation of the 1120 RIC and Excise review
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(d) | All Other Fees |
Registrant
Granite Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
Sound Mind Investing Funds: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
Green Owl Intrinsic Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
Geier Strategic Total Return Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
BRC Large Cap Focus Equity Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | N/A | |||||||
Dreman Contrarian Small Cap Value Fund: | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | ||||||
Dana Large Cap Equity Fund : | FY 2013 | $ | 0 | |||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 |
(e) | (1) Audit Committee’s Pre-Approval Policies |
The Audit Committee Charter requires the Audit Committee to be responsible for the selection, retention or termination of auditors and, in connection therewith, to (i) evaluate the proposed fees and other compensation, if any, to be paid to the auditors, (ii) evaluate the independence of the auditors, (iii) pre-approve all audit services and, when appropriate, any non-audit services provided by the independent auditors to the Trust, (iv) pre-approve, when appropriate, any non-audit services provided by the independent auditors to the Trust’s investment adviser, or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser and that provides ongoing services to the Trust if the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Trust, and (v) receive the auditors’ specific representations as to their independence;
(2) | Percentages of Services Approved by the Audit Committee |
Registrant
Audit-Related Fees: | 0 | % | ||
Tax Fees: | 0 | % | ||
All Other Fees: | 0 | % |
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(f) During audit of registrant’s financial statements for the most recent fiscal year, less than 50 percent of the hours expended on the principal accountant’s engagement were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant’s full-time, permanent employees.
(g) The aggregate non-audit fees billed by the registrant’s accountant for services rendered to the registrant, and rendered to the registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant:
Registrant | Adviser | |||||||
FY 2013 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||
FY 2012 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 |
(h) Not applicable. The auditor performed no services for the registrant’s investment adviser or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant.
Item 5. | Audit Committee of Listed Companies. NOT APPLICABLE – applies to listed companies only |
Item 6. | Schedule of Investments. Schedules filed with Item 1. |
Item 7. | Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies. NOT APPLICABLE – applies to closed-end funds only |
Item 8. | Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Investment Companies. NOT APPLICABLE – applies to closed-end funds only |
Item 9. | Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers. NOT APPLICABLE – applies to closed-end funds only |
Item 10. | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders. |
The guidelines applicable to shareholders desiring to submit recommendations for nominees to the Registrant’s board of trustees are contained in the statement of additional information of the Trust with respect to the Fund(s) for which this Form N-CSR is being filed.
Item 11. | Controls and Procedures. |
(a) Based on their evaluation of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”)) as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report, the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that such disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably designed and are operating effectively to ensure that material information relating to the registrant is made known to them by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared, and that the information required in filings on Form N-CSR is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported on a timely basis.
(b) There were no changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
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Item 12. Exhibits.
(a) (1) Code is filed herewith.
(2) | Certifications by the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 are filed herewith. |
(3) | Not Applicable |
(b) | Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is filed herewith. |
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
(Registrant) Valued Advisers Trust |
By * | /s/ R. Jeffrey Young | |
R. Jeffrey Young, President and Principal Executive Officer | ||
Date | 1/6/2014 |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
By * | /s/ R. Jeffrey Young | |
R. Jeffrey Young, President and Principal Executive Officer | ||
Date | 1/6/2014 |
By * | /s/ Bryan W. Ashmus | |
Bryan W. Ashmus, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer | ||
Date | 1/6/2014 |