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: 811-00572
American Mutual Fund, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, California 90071
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (213) 486-9200
Date of fiscal year end: October 31
Date of reporting period: October 31, 2007
Vincent P. Corti
Capital Research and Management Company
333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, California 90071
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
Eric A.S. Richards
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
400 South Hope Street, 10th Floor
Los Angeles, California 90071
(Counsel for the Registrant)
ITEM 1 – Reports to Stockholders
[logo - American Funds®]
The right choice for the long term®
American Mutual Fund
[photo of the Arkansas River - tall grass on both sides - clouds in the sky]
Annual report for the year ended October 31, 2007
American Mutual Fund® strives for the balanced accomplishment of three objectives — current income, growth of capital and conservation of principal — through investments in companies that participate in the growth of the American economy.
This fund is one of the 30 American Funds. American Funds is one of the nation’s largest mutual fund families. For 75 years, Capital Research and Management Company,SM the American Funds adviser, has invested with a long-term focus based on thorough research and attention to risk.
Contents | |
Letter to shareholders | 1 |
The value of a long-term perspective | 3 |
Feature article | |
Helping the baby boom generation to retire | 6 |
Summary investment portfolio | 12 |
Financial statements | 15 |
Board of directors and other officers | 30 |
What makes American Funds different? | back cover |
About the cover: American Mutual Fund has traditionally featured scenes of natural beauty in the United States. This photograph shows the Arkansas River that begins in Lake County near Leadville, Colorado, flowing east and southeast through Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. At 1,469 miles, it is the sixth longest river in the United States and the second longest tributary in the Mississippi-Missouri system.
Fund results shown in this report, unless otherwise indicated, are for Class A shares at net asset value. If a sales charge (maximum 5.75%) had been deducted, the results would have been lower. Results are for past periods and are not predictive of results for future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. Investing for short periods makes losses more likely. Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com.
Here are the average annual total returns on a $1,000 investment with all distributions reinvested for periods ended September 30, 2007 (the most recent calendar quarter-end): | ||||||||||||
1 year | 5 years | 10 years | ||||||||||
Class A shares | ||||||||||||
Reflecting 5.75% maximum sales charge | 8.93 | % | 12.76 | % | 7.54 | % |
The total annual fund operating expense ratio for Class A shares as of the most recent fiscal year-end was 0.58%. This figure does not reflect a fee waiver currently in effect; therefore, the actual expense ratio is lower.
The fund’s investment adviser waived 5% of its management fees from September 1, 2004, through March 31, 2005, and increased the waiver to 10% on April 1, 2005. Fund results shown reflect actual expenses, with the waiver applied. Fund results would have been lower without the waiver. Please see the Financial Highlights table on pages 23 and 24 for details.
The fund’s 30-day yield for Class A shares as of November 30, 2007, calculated in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission formula, was 2.06% (2.03% without the fee waiver). The fund’s distribution rate for Class A shares as of that date was 1.88%. Both reflect the 5.75% maximum sales charge. The SEC yield reflects the rate at which the fund is earning income on its current portfolio of securities while the distribution rate reflects the fund’s past dividends paid to shareholders. Accordingly, the fund’s SEC yield and distribution rate may differ.
Results for other share classes can be found on page 27.
[photo of a field - mountains in the background and clouds in the sky]
Fellow shareholders:
We continue to be pleased with the fund’s long-term relative and absolute results. For the 10-year period ending October 31, 2007, and for its 57-year lifetime, the fund has outpaced the unmanaged Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index, a broad measure of large company U.S. stocks. As the chart on pages 10 and 11 shows, American Mutual Fund (AMF) has also fallen less than the S&P 500 in all 12 major declines of 15% or more since the fund began operations in 1950. Of course, there have been periods when the fund has lagged the S&P 500, particularly in strong markets, like the last 12 months.
For the 12 months ended October 31, 2007, AMF produced a total return of 12.2%, in line with its lifetime compound annual return of 12.4%. The S&P 500 had a total return of 14.6% for the period.
AMF’s total return assumes reinvestment of all income dividends and the capital gain distribution in December 2006 of 71 cents a share. During the 2007 fiscal year, the fund paid regular income dividends totaling 61 cents a share. The fund increased the dividend in December 2006 from 14 cents to 15 cents, and then from 15 cents to 16 cents in September 2007, making the rate 14% higher than a year ago. With these increases, AMF’s income return continues to exceed that of the S&P 500.
Economic review
The U.S. economy continued to slow, weakened by a credit crunch, a troubled housing industry with subprime mortgage defaults and the potential for further difficulties for banks, financial service companies and hedge funds who invested in subprime mortgage products. Higher energy prices added to business and consumer costs. Pressured by weak results for the financial sector and some energy and consumer discretionary companies, third-quarter earnings of S&P 500 companies reflected a sharp deterioration from the strong pattern of growth in recent years. Yet a number of large U.S. corporations with exposure to overseas markets, including many technology and energy companies, posted strong earnings. Gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 4.9% for the third quarter of calendar 2007, helped by exports and consumer spending.
[Begin Sidebar]
Dividends paid in calendar 2007 |
For tax purposes, here are the income dividends Class A shareholders received in calendar 2007. |
Income dividends per share: |
$0.15 paid 3/26/07 |
$0.15 paid 6/18/07 |
$0.16 paid 9/24/07 |
$0.16 to be paid on 12/17/07 |
A Form 1099-DIV, which provides the information you will need to prepare your federal income tax return for 2007, will be mailed to you with your American Funds Tax Guide in late January 2008. |
[End Sidebar]
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate to 4.50% from 5.25% in two moves, first in September and then in October, to help markets return to more orderly functioning. On November 29, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke warned of “a further tightening of financial conditions,” adding that current stresses in financial markets made the uncertainty surrounding the economic outlook “even greater than usual.” Further interest rate cuts are probable. While this unsettled economic outlook may persist well into next year, we are hopeful of an improving environment later in 2008.
[photo of a small lake]
Portfolio review
American Mutual Fund focuses on the balanced accomplishment of its three objectives — current income, growth of capital and conservation of principal. It strives to achieve this goal by investing in established, well-managed companies that have a history of growing revenues and profits. It also primarily invests in companies that pay dividends. To learn how this approach can be used in a retirement income plan, see our feature story on page 6.
A number of our largest industry holdings in energy and information technology were main contributors to the fund’s results during the past fiscal year. Of the fund’s 25 top contributors, almost one-third were in the energy industry. Seven of the fund’s 10 largest holdings produced above-market returns, including Bank of New York (35.9%), Hewlett Packard (33.4%), Microsoft (28.2%), IBM (25.8%), AT&T (22.8%), General Electric (17.3%) and Abbott Laboratories (15.0%).
Three of our largest holdings — Citigroup (–16.5%), Bank of America (–10.4%) and Fannie Mae (–3.8%) — detracted from results because of fallout from the subprime mortgage lending failures. We believe that these three companies are good long-term investments and that they have solid franchises. We remain hopeful that the U.S. economy will avoid a recession. But the economic slowdown, which officially began in the second quarter of 2006, still has longer to go.
We thank our long-term investors for their faith in American Mutual Fund and welcome the new investors who have joined the fund recently.
Cordially,
/s/ James K. Dunton
James K. Dunton
President
December 5, 2007
For current information about the fund, visit americanfunds.com.
The value of a long-term perspective
Results of a $10,000 investment in American Mutual Fund
Fund results shown are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge of 5.75% on the $10,000 investment.1 Thus, the net amount invested was $9,425.2 Results are for past periods and are not predictive of results for future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com.
For more than 57 years, American Mutual Fund has been providing investors with an opportunity to achieve their financial goals. A meaningful way to compare the fund’s results with the return on other investments is through its total return.
Total return is a combination of income return and capital results. This chart illustrates an assumed $10,000 investment in American Mutual Fund from February 21, 1950 — when the fund began operations — through October 31, 2007. The table beneath the chart shows the fund’s total return in each of the 57 fiscal years, broken down into its income and capital components.
As you can see, during this period a $10,000 investment in the fund, with all dividends reinvested, would have grown to $8,200,608.3
You can use this table to estimate how the value of your own holding has grown over the years. Let’s say, for example, that you have been reinvesting all your dividends and want to know how your investment has done since the end of 1997. At the time, the table indicates the value of the investment illustrated here was $3.7 million. Since then, it has more than doubled to over $8.2 million. Thus, in the same period, the value of your 1997 investment — regardless of its size — also has more than doubled.
Average annual total returns | ||||||||||||
based on a $1,000 investment | ||||||||||||
(for periods ended October 31, 2007)* | ||||||||||||
1 year | 5 years | 10 years | ||||||||||
Class A shares | 5.74 | % | 11.90 | % | 7.78 | % | ||||||
*Assumes reinvestment of all distributions and payment of the maximum 5.75% sales charge. |
The fund’s investment adviser waived 5% of its management fees from September 1, 2004, through March 31, 2005, and increased the waiver to 10% on April 1, 2005. Fund results shown reflect the waiver, without which they would have been lower. Please see the Financial Highlights table on pages 23 to 24 for details.
[begin mountain chart]
Value added by reinvestment of dividends
Date | American Mutual Fund with dividends reinvested3 | American Mutual Fund with dividends excluded5 | ||||||
02/21/50 | 9,426 | 9,426 | ||||||
07/13/50 | 9,004 | 8,918 | ||||||
10/07/50 | 10,274 | 10,075 | ||||||
10/31/50 | 10,018 | 9,708 | ||||||
10/31/51 | 12,234 | 11,334 | ||||||
07/16/52 | 13,421 | 12,181 | ||||||
10/31/52 | 13,164 | 11,710 | ||||||
03/19/53 | 14,577 | 12,882 | ||||||
09/14/53 | 13,004 | 11,256 | ||||||
10/31/53 | 14,076 | 12,009 | ||||||
10/31/54 | 19,261 | 15,876 | ||||||
09/23/55 | 26,727 | 21,627 | ||||||
10/31/55 | 25,050 | 20,087 | ||||||
08/02/56 | 31,861 | 25,028 | ||||||
10/31/56 | 29,652 | 23,142 | ||||||
12/31/56 | 30,831 | 24,062 | ||||||
10/22/57 | 26,773 | 20,267 | ||||||
10/31/57 | 28,050 | 21,241 | ||||||
01/02/58 | 27,933 | 20,944 | ||||||
09/30/58 | 34,818 | 25,718 | ||||||
10/31/58 | 36,140 | 26,511 | ||||||
08/03/59 | 43,480 | 31,294 | ||||||
10/31/59 | 41,489 | 29,668 | ||||||
12/31/59 | 43,319 | 30,977 | ||||||
09/28/60 | 40,277 | 27,959 | ||||||
10/31/60 | 40,865 | 28,371 | ||||||
10/31/61 | 54,348 | 36,806 | ||||||
12/12/61 | 57,113 | 38,678 | ||||||
06/25/62 | 42,687 | 28,545 | ||||||
10/31/62 | 46,572 | 30,677 | ||||||
10/31/63 | 61,289 | 39,309 | ||||||
10/31/64 | 71,355 | 44,625 | ||||||
06/28/65 | 70,430 | 43,509 | ||||||
10/31/65 | 79,919 | 48,769 | ||||||
12/17/65 | 82,334 | 50,242 | ||||||
10/07/66 | 71,747 | 42,538 | ||||||
10/31/66 | 77,646 | 46,067 | ||||||
01/04/67 | 79,886 | 47,052 | ||||||
09/25/67 | 98,623 | 57,321 | ||||||
10/31/67 | 92,836 | 53,558 | ||||||
03/25/68 | 89,187 | 51,057 | ||||||
10/31/68 | 109,586 | 61,257 | ||||||
11/29/68 | 115,011 | 64,289 | ||||||
10/09/69 | 98,399 | 53,023 | ||||||
10/31/69 | 103,216 | 55,651 | ||||||
05/26/70 | 78,408 | 41,363 | ||||||
10/31/70 | 93,358 | 48,100 | ||||||
04/29/71 | 120,955 | 61,139 | ||||||
10/31/71 | 112,886 | 55,961 | ||||||
11/23/71 | 106,468 | 52,779 | ||||||
08/23/72 | 128,118 | 61,708 | ||||||
10/31/72 | 125,226 | 59,737 | ||||||
12/11/72 | 136,043 | 64,897 | ||||||
08/22/73 | 112,151 | 51,865 | ||||||
10/31/73 | 124,800 | 57,130 | ||||||
03/14/74 | 126,331 | 57,130 | ||||||
10/03/74 | 91,007 | 38,810 | ||||||
10/31/74 | 105,122 | 44,985 | ||||||
12/06/74 | 96,877 | 41,457 | ||||||
07/15/75 | 138,200 | 56,926 | ||||||
10/31/75 | 132,196 | 53,330 | ||||||
12/05/75 | 130,346 | 52,584 | ||||||
09/21/76 | 174,044 | 67,986 | ||||||
10/31/76 | 167,379 | 64,276 | ||||||
12/31/76 | 182,661 | 70,144 | ||||||
10/31/77 | 176,434 | 64,554 | ||||||
01/26/78 | 175,846 | 63,480 | ||||||
09/12/78 | 229,322 | 80,818 | ||||||
10/31/78 | 198,947 | 69,119 | ||||||
10/05/79 | 257,885 | 86,418 | ||||||
10/31/79 | 232,805 | 76,959 | ||||||
10/15/80 | 315,866 | 100,651 | ||||||
10/31/80 | 303,585 | 95,432 | ||||||
06/23/81 | 350,366 | 107,612 | ||||||
09/25/81 | 317,838 | 96,442 | ||||||
10/31/81 | 334,117 | 99,943 | ||||||
08/10/82 | 334,437 | 93,802 | ||||||
10/22/82 | 434,703 | 120,458 | ||||||
10/31/82 | 426,438 | 118,168 | ||||||
01/03/83 | 444,289 | 120,550 | ||||||
10/10/83 | 562,833 | 149,553 | ||||||
10/31/83 | 544,917 | 143,286 | ||||||
11/29/83 | 564,778 | 148,509 | ||||||
07/24/84 | 507,745 | 128,657 | ||||||
10/31/84 | 577,161 | 144,417 | ||||||
01/04/85 | 583,499 | 144,219 | ||||||
07/17/85 | 704,992 | 170,303 | ||||||
10/31/85 | 701,836 | 167,598 | ||||||
09/04/86 | 936,477 | 216,971 | ||||||
10/31/86 | 913,072 | 209,413 | ||||||
08/25/87 | 1,136,870 | 253,230 | ||||||
10/19/87 | 886,283 | 195,646 | ||||||
10/31/87 | 960,889 | 212,116 | ||||||
12/04/87 | 893,638 | 197,270 | ||||||
06/22/88 | 1,071,388 | 229,884 | ||||||
10/31/88 | 1,081,202 | 227,085 | ||||||
01/03/89 | 1,071,656 | 220,598 | ||||||
10/31/89 | 1,299,788 | 259,386 | ||||||
12/13/89 | 1,346,639 | 268,736 | ||||||
10/31/90 | 1,239,346 | 235,204 | ||||||
01/09/91 | 1,280,467 | 238,543 | ||||||
08/28/91 | 1,533,066 | 279,429 | ||||||
10/31/91 | 1,544,414 | 278,500 | ||||||
12/10/91 | 1,500,849 | 267,729 | ||||||
08/03/92 | 1,715,846 | 299,703 | ||||||
10/31/92 | 1,690,017 | 292,156 | ||||||
12/04/92 | 1,720,976 | 294,489 | ||||||
10/15/93 | 2,018,685 | 335,881 | ||||||
10/31/93 | 2,004,864 | 333,581 | ||||||
11/01/93 | 2,003,137 | 333,294 | ||||||
04/04/94 | 1,902,057 | 313,572 | ||||||
10/31/94 | 2,039,874 | 326,417 | ||||||
12/08/94 | 1,968,379 | 311,824 | ||||||
10/19/95 | 2,505,170 | 386,113 | ||||||
10/31/95 | 2,473,446 | 381,224 | ||||||
01/10/96 | 2,579,741 | 394,322 | ||||||
10/21/96 | 2,965,119 | 442,248 | ||||||
10/31/96 | 2,940,742 | 438,613 | ||||||
12/16/96 | 2,977,645 | 440,717 | ||||||
10/07/97 | 3,809,732 | 552,257 | ||||||
10/31/97 | 3,652,205 | 529,422 | ||||||
01/09/98 | 3,718,525 | 535,657 | ||||||
04/17/98 | 4,289,166 | 613,976 | ||||||
10/31/98 | 4,205,471 | 594,159 | ||||||
11/23/98 | 4,395,647 | 621,027 | ||||||
12/14/98 | 4,240,060 | 595,287 | ||||||
10/31/99 | 4,584,199 | 631,823 | ||||||
11/16/99 | 4,643,616 | 640,013 | ||||||
03/07/00 | 3,918,147 | 536,579 | ||||||
10/31/00 | 4,639,429 | 620,069 | ||||||
05/21/01 | 5,217,427 | 686,711 | ||||||
09/21/01 | 4,560,805 | 591,103 | ||||||
10/31/01 | 4,811,535 | 623,599 | ||||||
03/19/02 | 5,400,265 | 694,828 | ||||||
10/09/02 | 3,957,009 | 500,364 | ||||||
10/31/02 | 4,406,372 | 557,186 | ||||||
03/11/03 | 4,149,192 | 521,398 | ||||||
10/31/03 | 5,257,312 | 648,807 | ||||||
11/18/03 | 5,200,587 | 641,807 | ||||||
10/06/04 | 5,895,199 | 713,980 | ||||||
10/31/04 | 5,825,570 | 705,547 | ||||||
11/02/04 | 5,823,249 | 705,266 | ||||||
08/03/05 | 6,444,871 | 770,270 | ||||||
10/31/05 | 6,279,702 | 746,895 | ||||||
12/31/05 | 6,489,117 | 768,159 | ||||||
10/26/06 | 7,359,693 | 857,928 | ||||||
10/31/06 | 7,309,525 | 852,080 | ||||||
03/05/07 | 7,416,422 | 860,226 | ||||||
07/19/07 | 8,390,997 | 963,860 | ||||||
10/31/07 | 8,200,608 | 937,203 |
Date | Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index with dividends reinvested4 | |||
02/21/50 | 10,000 | |||
3/9/1950 | 9,980 | |||
10/24/1950 | 12,242 | |||
10/31/1950 | 12,023 | |||
12/4/1950 | 11,810 | |||
10/15/1951 | 15,620 | |||
10/31/1951 | 15,125 | |||
11/24/1951 | 14,703 | |||
8/8/1952 | 17,629 | |||
10/31/1952 | 17,157 | |||
1/5/1953 | 18,855 | |||
9/14/1953 | 16,653 | |||
10/31/1953 | 18,185 | |||
11/17/1953 | 17,970 | |||
10/6/1954 | 25,456 | |||
10/31/1954 | 24,752 | |||
11/1/1954 | 24,838 | |||
9/23/1955 | 36,907 | |||
10/31/1955 | 34,492 | |||
11/1/1955 | 34,443 | |||
8/2/1956 | 41,741 | |||
10/31/1956 | 38,605 | |||
7/15/1957 | 42,684 | |||
10/22/1957 | 34,205 | |||
10/31/1957 | 36,167 | |||
12/18/1957 | 34,818 | |||
10/13/1958 | 47,125 | |||
10/31/1958 | 47,009 | |||
11/25/1958 | 46,725 | |||
8/3/1959 | 56,925 | |||
10/31/1959 | 54,385 | |||
1/5/1960 | 57,427 | |||
10/25/1960 | 51,038 | |||
10/31/1960 | 52,268 | |||
11/1/1960 | 52,806 | |||
10/31/1961 | 69,287 | |||
12/12/1961 | 73,541 | |||
6/26/1962 | 53,780 | |||
10/31/1962 | 59,004 | |||
11/1/1962 | 59,630 | |||
10/28/1963 | 80,093 | |||
10/31/1963 | 79,835 | |||
11/22/1963 | 75,088 | |||
10/12/1964 | 94,552 | |||
10/31/1964 | 94,408 | |||
6/28/1965 | 92,427 | |||
10/27/1965 | 105,817 | |||
10/31/1965 | 106,023 | |||
2/9/1966 | 108,804 | |||
10/7/1966 | 86,547 | |||
10/31/1966 | 95,134 | |||
11/22/1966 | 94,505 | |||
9/25/1967 | 118,979 | |||
10/31/1967 | 115,082 | |||
3/5/1968 | 108,692 | |||
10/21/1968 | 132,432 | |||
10/31/1968 | 130,788 | |||
11/29/1968 | 137,411 | |||
7/29/1969 | 115,515 | |||
10/31/1969 | 126,935 | |||
11/10/1969 | 128,357 | |||
5/26/1970 | 92,108 | |||
10/31/1970 | 112,877 | |||
11/18/1970 | 112,254 | |||
4/28/1971 | 143,982 | |||
10/31/1971 | 131,895 | |||
11/23/1971 | 126,198 | |||
8/14/1972 | 161,027 | |||
10/31/1972 | 160,791 | |||
1/11/1973 | 174,099 | |||
8/22/1973 | 148,093 | |||
10/31/1973 | 160,825 | |||
11/1/1973 | 159,934 | |||
10/3/1974 | 96,094 | |||
10/31/1974 | 114,517 | |||
12/6/1974 | 101,201 | |||
7/15/1975 | 152,757 | |||
10/31/1975 | 144,279 | |||
12/5/1975 | 141,160 | |||
9/21/1976 | 180,440 | |||
10/31/1976 | 173,368 | |||
12/31/1976 | 182,351 | |||
10/25/1977 | 159,782 | |||
10/31/1977 | 162,890 | |||
3/6/1978 | 156,091 | |||
9/12/1978 | 197,202 | |||
10/31/1978 | 173,229 | |||
11/14/1978 | 172,001 | |||
10/5/1979 | 217,506 | |||
10/31/1979 | 200,011 | |||
3/27/1980 | 196,407 | |||
10/15/1980 | 275,888 | |||
10/31/1980 | 264,126 | |||
11/28/1980 | 292,265 | |||
9/25/1981 | 243,451 | |||
10/31/1981 | 265,623 | |||
8/12/1982 | 233,339 | |||
10/20/1982 | 320,276 | |||
10/31/1982 | 308,890 | |||
11/23/1982 | 307,088 | |||
10/10/1983 | 415,677 | |||
10/31/1983 | 395,213 | |||
1/6/1984 | 412,027 | |||
7/24/1984 | 368,402 | |||
10/31/1984 | 420,380 | |||
12/13/1984 | 411,175 | |||
7/17/1985 | 509,869 | |||
10/31/1985 | 501,639 | |||
11/4/1985 | 505,418 | |||
9/4/1986 | 691,048 | |||
10/31/1986 | 668,098 | |||
8/25/1987 | 943,691 | |||
10/19/1987 | 632,928 | |||
10/31/1987 | 710,847 | |||
12/4/1987 | 634,197 | |||
10/21/1988 | 827,986 | |||
10/31/1988 | 815,773 | |||
11/16/1988 | 771,471 | |||
10/9/1989 | 1,087,429 | |||
10/31/1989 | 1,030,770 | |||
7/16/1990 | 1,143,973 | |||
10/11/1990 | 924,581 | |||
10/31/1990 | 953,671 | |||
11/7/1990 | 959,977 | |||
8/28/1991 | 1,275,819 | |||
10/31/1991 | 1,272,350 | |||
11/29/1991 | 1,221,224 | |||
9/14/1992 | 1,415,354 | |||
10/31/1992 | 1,398,929 | |||
11/4/1992 | 1,393,683 | |||
10/15/1993 | 1,611,215 | |||
10/31/1993 | 1,607,499 | |||
2/2/1994 | 1,667,508 | |||
4/4/1994 | 1,526,617 | |||
10/31/1994 | 1,669,519 | |||
12/8/1994 | 1,579,580 | |||
10/19/1995 | 2,140,536 | |||
10/31/1995 | 2,110,427 | |||
11/1/1995 | 2,120,298 | |||
10/18/1996 | 2,635,548 | |||
10/31/1996 | 2,618,637 | |||
11/1/1996 | 2,613,067 | |||
10/7/1997 | 3,713,963 | |||
10/31/1997 | 3,459,189 | |||
11/12/1997 | 3,426,436 | |||
7/17/1998 | 4,535,102 | |||
10/31/1998 | 4,219,865 | |||
11/3/1998 | 4,266,609 | |||
7/16/1999 | 5,497,678 | |||
10/31/1999 | 5,302,788 | |||
3/24/2000 | 5,967,503 | |||
10/12/2000 | 5,229,586 | |||
10/31/2000 | 5,625,358 | |||
11/6/2000 | 5,636,338 | |||
9/21/2001 | 3,842,757 | |||
10/31/2001 | 4,225,243 | |||
1/4/2002 | 4,686,796 | |||
10/9/2002 | 3,141,633 | |||
10/31/2002 | 3,587,381 | |||
03/11/03 | 3,264,697 | |||
10/31/03 | 4,333,074 | |||
11/20/2003 | 4,262,720 | |||
2/11/2004 | 4,794,947 | |||
10/31/2004 | 4,740,913 | |||
11/1/2004 | 4,742,213 | |||
8/3/2005 | 5,293,460 | |||
10/31/2005 | 5,154,100 | |||
11/1/2005 | 5,135,952 | |||
10/26/2006 | 6,037,882 | |||
10/31/2006 | 5,995,606 | |||
11/3/2006 | 5,936,256 | |||
10/9/2007 | 6,930,573 | |||
10/31/2007 | 6,868,057 |
Year | Month | Consumer Price Index |
1950 | 28-Feb | $ 10,000 |
31-Oct | $ 10,468 | |
1951 | 11/50 | $ 10,511 |
31-Oct | $ 11,149 | |
1952 | 28-Feb | $ 11,191 |
31-Aug | $ 11,362 | |
31-Oct | $ 11,362 | |
1953 | 28-Feb | $ 11,277 |
31-Oct | $ 11,489 | |
1954 | 31-Jan | $ 11,447 |
30-Apr | $ 11,404 | |
31-Oct | $ 11,404 | |
1955 | 12/54 | $ 11,362 |
30-Sep | $ 11,447 | |
31-Oct | $ 11,447 | |
1956 | 12/55 | $ 11,404 |
31-Oct | $ 11,702 | |
1957 | 11/56 | $ 11,702 |
31-Jul | $ 12,043 | |
31-Oct | $ 12,043 | |
1958 | 11/57 | $ 12,085 |
31-Jul | $ 12,340 | |
31-Oct | $ 12,298 | |
1959 | 12/58 | $ 12,298 |
31-Oct | $ 12,511 | |
1960 | 31-Jan | $ 12,468 |
31-Oct | $ 12,681 | |
1961 | 11/60 | $ 12,681 |
31-Jul | $ 12,766 | |
31-Oct | $ 12,766 | |
1962 | 11/61 | $ 12,766 |
30-Sep | $ 12,936 | |
31-Oct | $ 12,936 | |
1963 | 11/62 | $ 12,936 |
31-Oct | $ 13,106 | |
1964 | 11/63 | $ 13,106 |
31-Jul | $ 13,234 | |
31-Oct | $ 13,234 | |
1965 | 11/64 | $ 13,277 |
31-Oct | $ 13,489 | |
1966 | 11/65 | $ 13,489 |
31-Oct | $ 14,000 | |
1967 | 11/66 | $ 14,000 |
31-Oct | $ 14,340 | |
1968 | 11/67 | $ 14,383 |
31-Oct | $ 15,021 | |
1969 | 11/68 | $ 15,064 |
31-Oct | $ 15,872 | |
1970 | 11/69 | $ 15,957 |
31-Oct | $ 16,766 | |
1971 | 11/70 | $ 16,851 |
31-Oct | $ 17,404 | |
1972 | 11/71 | $ 17,404 |
31-Oct | $ 18,000 | |
1973 | 11/72 | $ 18,043 |
31-Oct | $ 19,404 | |
1974 | 11/73 | $ 19,532 |
31-Oct | $ 21,745 | |
1975 | 11/74 | $ 21,915 |
31-Oct | $ 23,362 | |
1976 | 11/75 | $ 23,532 |
31-Oct | $ 24,638 | |
1977 | 11/76 | $ 24,681 |
31-Oct | $ 26,213 | |
1978 | 11/77 | $ 26,340 |
31-Oct | $ 28,553 | |
1979 | 11/78 | $ 28,681 |
31-Oct | $ 32,000 | |
1980 | 11/79 | $ 32,298 |
31-Oct | $ 36,085 | |
1981 | 11/80 | $ 36,383 |
31-Oct | $ 39,745 | |
1982 | 11/81 | $ 39,872 |
31-Oct | $ 41,787 | |
1983 | 12/82 | $ 41,532 |
31-Oct | $ 42,979 | |
1984 | 11/83 | $ 43,064 |
31-Oct | $ 44,809 | |
1985 | 11/84 | $ 44,809 |
31-Oct | $ 46,255 | |
1986 | 4 | $ 46,213 |
31-Oct | $ 46,936 | |
1987 | 11/86 | $ 46,979 |
31-Oct | $ 49,064 | |
1988 | 11/87 | $ 49,106 |
31-Oct | $ 51,149 | |
1989 | 11/88 | $ 51,191 |
31-Oct | $ 53,447 | |
1990 | 11/89 | $ 53,574 |
31-Oct | $ 56,809 | |
1991 | 11/90 | $ 56,936 |
31-Oct | $ 58,468 | |
1992 | 11/91 | $ 58,638 |
31-Oct | $ 60,340 | |
1993 | 12/92 | $ 60,383 |
31-Oct | $ 62,000 | |
1994 | 11/93 | $ 62,043 |
31-Oct | $ 63,617 | |
1995 | 11/94 | $ 63,702 |
31-Oct | $ 65,404 | |
1996 | 12/95 | $ 65,319 |
31-Oct | $ 67,362 | |
1997 | 11/96 | $ 67,489 |
31-Oct | $ 68,766 | |
1998 | 12/97 | $ 68,638 |
31-Oct | $ 69,787 | |
1999 | 12/98 | $ 69,745 |
31-Oct | $ 71,574 | |
2000 | 11/99 | $ 71,617 |
31-Oct | $ 74,043 | |
2001 | 12/00 | $ 74,043 |
9/01 | $ 75,872 | |
31-Oct | $ 75,617 | |
2002 | 12/01 | $ 75,192 |
31-Oct | $ 77,149 | |
2003 | 12/02 | $ 76,979 |
9/03 | $ 78,809 | |
31-Oct | $ 78,723 | |
2004 | 16-Dec | $ 78,426 |
10/31/2004 | $ 81,234 | |
2005 | 12/16/2004 | $ 80,979 |
10/31/2005 | $ 84,766 | |
2006 | 12/16/2005 | $ 83,745 |
8/16/2006 | $ 86,766 | |
10/31/2006 | $ 85,872 | |
2007 | 11/16/2006 | $ 85,745 |
10/15/2007 | $ 88,911 | |
10/31/2007 | $ 88,909 (6) |
Year ended October 31 | 1950 | 7 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year-by-year summary of results (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends reinvested8 | $ | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | $ | 10.0 | 12.2 | 13.2 | 14.1 | 19.3 | 25.1 | 29.7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends excluded9 | $ | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | $ | 9.7 | 11.3 | 11.7 | 12.0 | 15.9 | 20.1 | 23.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Annual percentage returns assuming reinvestment of dividends | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income return | 3.1 | % | 5.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Capital results | (2.9 | ) | 16.8 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 32.4 | 26.6 | 15.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
AMF total return | 0.2 | 22.1 | 7.6 | 6.9 | 36.8 | 30.1 | 18.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended October 31 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Year-by-year summary of results (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends reinvested8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 28.1 | 36.1 | 41.5 | 40.9 | 54.3 | 46.6 | 61.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends excluded9 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 21.2 | 26.5 | 29.7 | 28.4 | 36.8 | 30.7 | 39.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Annual percentage returns assuming reinvestment of dividends | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income return | 3.1 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 3.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Capital results | (8.5 | ) | 25.2 | 11.9 | (4.4 | ) | 29.9 | (16.8 | ) | 28.3 | ||||||||||||||||||
AMF total return | (5.4 | ) | 28.8 | 14.8 | (1.5 | ) | 33.0 | (14.3 | ) | 31.6 | ||||||||||||||||||
Year ended October 31 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Year-by-year summary of results (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends reinvested8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 71.4 | 79.9 | 77.6 | 92.8 | 109.6 | 103.2 | 93.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends excluded9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 44.6 | 48.8 | 46.1 | 53.6 | 61.3 | 55.7 | 48.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Annual percentage returns assuming reinvestment of dividends | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income return | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 4.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Capital results | 13.6 | 9.4 | (5.6 | ) | 16.3 | 14.6 | (9.2 | ) | (13.6 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
AMF total return | 16.4 | 12.0 | (2.8 | ) | 19.6 | 18.0 | (5.8 | ) | (9.6 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
Year ended October 31 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Year-by-year summary of results (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends reinvested8 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.9 | 8.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 112.9 | 125.2 | 124.8 | 105.1 | 132.2 | 167.4 | 176.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends excluded9 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 56.0 | 59.7 | 57.1 | 45.0 | 53.3 | 64.3 | 64.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Annual percentage returns assuming reinvestment of dividends | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income return | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 5.8 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 5.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Capital results | 16.2 | 6.7 | (4.3 | ) | (21.6 | ) | 18.9 | 20.6 | 0.3 | |||||||||||||||||||
AMF total return | 20.9 | 10.9 | (0.3 | ) | (15.8 | ) | 25.8 | 26.6 | 5.4 | |||||||||||||||||||
Year ended October 31 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Year-by-year summary of results (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends reinvested8 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 13.9 | 16.4 | 26.8 | 26.2 | 26.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 198.9 | 232.8 | 303.6 | 334.1 | 426.4 | 544.9 | 577.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends excluded9 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 7.8 | 7.1 | 6.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 69.1 | 77.0 | 95.4 | 99.9 | 118.2 | 143.3 | 144.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Annual percentage returns assuming reinvestment of dividends | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income return | 5.7 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 8.0 | 6.2 | 4.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Capital results | 7.1 | 11.3 | 24.4 | 4.7 | 19.6 | 21.6 | 1.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
AMF total return | 12.8 | 17.0 | 30.4 | 10.1 | 27.6 | 27.8 | 5.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended October 31 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Year-by-year summary of results (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends reinvested8 | 30.1 | 34.1 | 39.3 | 50.0 | 59.9 | 66.1 | 71.8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 701.8 | 913.1 | 960.9 | 1,081.2 | 1,299.8 | 1,239.3 | 1,544.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends excluded9 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 8.9 | 10.8 | 12.3 | 13.0 | 13.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 167.6 | 209.4 | 212.1 | 227.1 | 259.4 | 235.2 | 278.5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Annual percentage returns assuming reinvestment of dividends | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income return | 5.2 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 5.8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Capital results | 16.4 | 25.2 | 0.9 | 7.3 | 14.7 | (9.8 | ) | 18.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
AMF total return | 21.6 | 30.1 | 5.2 | 12.5 | 20.2 | (4.7 | ) | 24.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended October 31 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Year-by-year summary of results (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends reinvested8 | 67.5 | 70.9 | 76.5 | 83.2 | 90.2 | 95.0 | 104.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 1,690.0 | 2,004.9 | 2,039.9 | 2,473.4 | 2,940.7 | 3,652.2 | 4,205.5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends excluded9 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.5 | 13.1 | 13.7 | 14.0 | 14.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 292.2 | 333.6 | 326.4 | 381.2 | 438.6 | 529.4 | 594.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Annual percentage returns assuming reinvestment of dividends | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income return | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Capital results | 5.0 | 14.4 | (2.1 | ) | 17.2 | 15.3 | 21.0 | 12.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
AMF total return | 9.4 | 18.6 | 1.7 | 21.3 | 18.9 | 24.2 | 15.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended October 31 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Year-by-year summary of results (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends reinvested8 | 110.5 | 132.2 | 145.4 | 121.4 | 115.8 | 105.4 | 112.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 4,584.2 | 4,639.4 | 4,811.5 | 4,406.4 | 5,257.3 | 5,825.6 | 6,279.7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends excluded9 | 15.5 | 18.0 | 19.2 | 15.6 | 14.5 | 12.9 | 13.5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 631.8 | 620.1 | 623.6 | 557.2 | 648.8 | 705.5 | 746.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Annual percentage returns assuming reinvestment of dividends | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income return | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Capital results | 6.4 | (1.7 | ) | 0.6 | (10.9 | ) | 16.7 | 8.8 | 5.9 | |||||||||||||||||||
AMF total return | 9.0 | 1.2 | 3.7 | (8.4 | ) | 19.3 | 10.8 | 7.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended October 31 | 2006 | 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year-by-year summary of results (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends reinvested8 | 135.1 | 157.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 7,309.5 | 8,200.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends excluded9 | 15.9 | 18.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Value at year-end | 852.1 | 937.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Annual percentage returns assuming reinvestment of dividends | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income return | 2.2 | 2.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Capital results | 14.2 | 10.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
AMF total return | 16.4 | 12.2 |
Average annual total return for AMF’s lifetime |
3.93% |
8.40% |
12.33% |
The results shown are before taxes on fund distributions and sale of fund shares.
1As outlined in the prospectus, the sales charge is reduced for accounts (and aggregated investments) of $25,000 or more and is eliminated for purchases of $1 million or more. There is no sales charge on dividends or capital gain distributions that are reinvested in additional shares. |
2The maximum initial sales charge was 8.5% prior to July 1, 1988. |
3Includes reinvested capital gain distributions totaling $3,403,242 in the years 1950-2007 and reinvested dividends. The total “cost” of this investment was $2,291,928 ($10,000 plus $2,281,928 in reinvested dividends). |
4The S&P 500 is unmanaged, does not reflect sales charges, commissions or expenses. |
5Includes reinvested capital gain distributions taken in shares totaling $549,233 but does not reflect income dividends taken in cash. |
6Computed from data supplied by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. It would take $88,909 to buy today what $10,000 bought when the fund began. |
7For the period February 21, 1950 (when the fund began operations), through October 31, 1950. |
8Includes special dividends of $1,691 in 1974, $989 in 1975, $7,524 in 1982, $3,967 in 1983, $6,064 in 1988, $9,850 in 1989, $9,497 in 1990 and $8,996 in 1991. |
9Includes special dividends of $746 in 1974, $407 in 1975, $2,251 in 1982, $1,099 in 1983, $1,339 in 1988, $2,069 in 1989, $1,895 in 1990 and $1,707 in 1991. |
[photo of the Arkansas River - stones on one side, tall grass on the other - clouds in the sky]
[Begin Photo Caption]
[photo of James B. Lovelace]
James B. Lovelace
[End Photo Caption]
[Begin Photo Caption]
[photo of James K. Dunton]
James K. Dunton
[End Photo Caption]
[Begin Photo Caption]
[photo of Joyce E. Gordon]
Joyce E. Gordon
[End Photo Caption]
[Begin Photo Caption]
[photo of R. Michael Shanahan]
R. Michael Shanahan
[End Photo Caption]
[photo of a woman leaning against a railing looking out into a field]
Helping the baby boom generation to retire
The nation’s first “baby boomer,” a retired teacher from Maryland, applied for Social Security benefits on October 15, 2007. Kathleen Casey-Kirschling was born one second after midnight on January 1, 1946. As a result, she became the first baby boomer to apply for benefits of a generation of nearly 80 million born from 1946 to 1964. She will be eligible to receive payments after she turns 62 early next year.
This is just the beginning of what demographers are calling “America’s silver tsunami.” The Social Security Administration estimates more than 10,000 Americans a day will become eligible for benefits over the next two decades.
But few Americans will be able to live well on Social Security benefits alone. Besides pensions, most will need to rely on a diversified portfolio of investments in their company retirement plans or individual retirement accounts. They will also be facing new uncertainties of retirement income planning. In this article, we will take a close look at the new challenges of providing retirement income and why American Mutual Fund can be a key investment for the new generation of retirees.
A changing retirement landscape
A structural shift is changing the landscape of retirement. Traditionally, Social Security and defined benefit plans provided retirees with a financial safety net. Employers and the government bore the costs and risks of supplying lifetime retirement benefits, and retirees received checks in the mail.
Today, the long-term viability of Social Security has been questioned by experts in government funding. Dedicated sources of government revenue seem inadequate for financing the benefits promised to future retirees. At the same time, a growing number of companies are freezing their defined benefit plans and replacing them with 401(k) plans, which do not promise any guaranteed return but depend on the results of the investments in the plan.
Personal savings, therefore, are becoming the primary source of income for most current and future retirees. With this structural change of responsibility comes the transfer of two critical risks from institutions to individuals: investment risk and longevity risk.
The new uncertainties of retirement
Investment risk remains a concern for many shareholders, both before and after retirement. Many baby boomers look at the last 50 years and assume that the stock market will always go up, but there can be a lot of ups and downs along the way — and the beginning and ending points of an index can’t tell you if the ride was smooth or bumpy. If an investment portfolio goes through a stretch of bad returns early, it can be devastating to the long-term health of the investments.
[Begin Sidebar]
American Mutual Fund’s portfolio counselors
American Mutual Fund’s four portfolio counselors have an average 35.5 years of investment experience.* The knowledge and wisdom they have accumulated over the years have helped them manage your fund through many stock market cycles.
Years of investment | |
Portfolio counselor | experience* |
James K. Dunton | 45 |
R. Michael Shanahan | 43 |
Joyce E. Gordon | 28 |
James B. Lovelace | 26 |
*Years of experience as of January 1, 2008 |
[End Sidebar]
[photo of the Arkansas River - tall grass on both sides - clouds in the sky]
Several new variables add to the uncertainty of retirement. Investors will have to make assumptions about how many years they expect to live, what investment return they need to make, how much to withdraw for monthly expenses, and estimates on what future inflation and tax rates might be. If they estimate wrong, each of these assumptions could cause retirees to run out of money too soon. That’s why it’s important to work out a retirement income plan with a knowledgeable and trusted financial adviser.
Longevity risk — the chance of living longer than expected — must be recognized, managed and incorporated into all retirement income planning. Why? According to a recent report by the Society of Actuaries, if a husband and wife are each 65 years old, there is a 50.3% chance that one spouse could live another 25 years and reach the ripe age of 90. With each passing decade, as medical advances extend life expectancy rates, these probabilities will continue to climb.
Why American Mutual Fund could fit into a retirement income plan
American Mutual Fund can be an especially good fit for a retirement income plan because of its conservative investment approach. The fund focuses on the balanced pursuit of three objectives: current income, growth of capital and conservation of principal. It seeks to achieve these objectives by investing in established, well-managed companies that have a history of growing revenues and profits. Another important point: The fund primarily invests in companies that pay dividends to shareholders. It has offered growth with stability.
The importance of dividends for baby boomers
“If you are retired and living on your income, your main financial danger is that you start eating into your principal for living expenses too soon and run out of money,” says Jim Dunton, president and principal executive officer of the fund. “So the more you get an adequate stream of income — like dividend payments — the less you have to worry about eroding your principal.”
[Begin Sidebar]
Fund results shown are for Class A shares at net asset value. If a sales charge had been deducted, the results would have been lower. Results are for past periods and are not predictive of results for future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results,
visit americanfunds.com.
Above-average returns with less volatility
American Mutual Fund has met its objectives. If we look back 10 years, as shown at right, the fund has provided slightly higher returns than the three benchmarks the fund uses to measure its results. It accomplished this while showing lower volatility than the three benchmarks.
For the 10-year period ended October 31, 2007
Average annual total return | Volatility | |||||||
AMF | 8.43 | % | 10.73 | |||||
S&P 500 | 7.10 | 14.62 | ||||||
Lipper | ||||||||
Growth and Income | ||||||||
Funds Index | 6.92 | 12.82 | ||||||
Lipper | ||||||||
Multi-Cap Value | ||||||||
Funds Index | 7.99 | 13.94 |
Sources: Stocks — Standard & Poor’s Corporation, Lipper.
Volatility is calculated at net asset value by Lipper using annualized standard deviation (based on monthly returns), a measure of how returns over time have varied from the mean; a lower number signifies lower volatility. Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index is an unmanaged index of 500 large-company stocks selected to represent the stock market. The Lipper Multi-Cap Value Funds Index is an equally weighted index of the 30 largest mutual funds following a value approach to investing in companies of various sizes. The Lipper Growth and Income Funds Index is an equally weighted index of the 30 largest mutual funds that combine a growth of earnings orientation and an income requirement for dividends.
[End Sidebar]
[Begin Sidebar]
If you are retired and living on your income, your main financial danger is that you start eating into your principal for living expenses too soon and run out of money. So the more you get an adequate stream of income — like dividend payments — the less you have to worry about eroding your principal.
— James K. Dunton
[End Sidebar]
“AMF provides a way to participate in the growth of the stock market, and while doing that, be less exposed to stock market volatility than many other funds,” says Jim Lovelace, a portfolio counselor for the fund. “This is very beneficial for retired people or others who are withdrawing money from the fund for living expenses or college costs for children. The content and pattern of the total return is at least as important as the absolute level of returns. When you withdraw a fixed dollar amount from an investment that has decreased in value, you will need to withdraw a larger number of shares. As a result, you don’t have as many shares left to participate in any future recovery.” (As the farmers say, you have been eating your seed corn during the difficult times.) So a fund that seeks to deliver consistent investment returns with as little fluctuation as possible can be very helpful.
The chart on this page shows that AMF — a growth-and-income fund since inception — has experienced lower volatility (fewer ups and downs) in its total return than Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index and both Lipper funds indexes. The time period involved was the 10-year period ended October 31, 2007.
Why AMF has been less volatile
Why does AMF exhibit less volatility? When solid companies pay dividends that offer above-average yields, their downside risk is often muted, Jim Dunton explains. “When the market starts going down, a dividend-paying stock’s yield starts rising. Very often the stock price of a solid company stops declining because the stock’s dividend yield alone has become sufficiently attractive to investors compared with alternative investments. When you put together a whole portfolio of solid, dividend-paying stocks, the entire portfolio can be similarly insulated.”
As the chart on pages 10 and 11 shows, AMF has fallen less than the stock market in all 12 stock market declines of 15% or more since the fund began operations in 1950. Of course, there have been periods when the fund has lagged the S&P 500, particularly in strong markets.
[Begin Sidebar]
How American Mutual Fund has fared during market declines*
Total returns for AMF and S&P 500. (S&P 500 assumes monthly reinvestment of dividends.)
[begin bar chart/time line]
Total returns (%) | |||||
AMF | S&P 500 | ||||
Jan. 5, 1953 | - | Sept. 14, 1953 | Korean War ends; recession begins | (9.7) | (11.7) |
Aug. 2, 1956 | - | Oct. 22, 1957 | Egypt seizes Suez Canal | (16.0) | (18.1) |
Dec. 12, 1961 | - | June 26, 1962 | Stocks hit postwar highs; Kennedy confronts steel industry | (25.0) | (26.9) |
Feb. 9, 1966 | - | Oct. 7, 1966 | Economy overheats, interest rates and taxes rise | (15.1) | (20.5) |
Nov. 29, 1968 | - | May 26, 1970 | Vietnam War sparks civil unrest, recession | (31.8) | (33.0) |
Jan. 11, 1973 | - | Oct. 3, 1974 | OPEC oil embargo; Watergate scandal; Nixon resigns | (32.2) | (44.8) |
Sept. 21, 1976 | - | March 6, 1978 | Carter warns of impending energy crisis | 3.1 | (13.5) |
Nov. 28, 1980 | - | Aug. 12, 1982 | Record-high interest rates provoke recession | 3.5 | (20.2) |
Aug. 25, 1987 | - | Dec. 4, 1987 | Overvalued stocks trigger market crash | (21.4) | (32.8) |
July 16, 1990 | - | Oct. 11, 1990 | Iraq invades Kuwait | (12.1) | (19.2) |
July 17, 1998 | - | Aug. 31, 1998 | “Asian flu” spreads to Russia, igniting global economic fears | (12.1) | (19.1) |
March 24, 2000 | - | Oct. 9, 2002 | Internet bubble bursts; terrorist strike on U.S. | (7.1) | (47.4) |
[end bar chart/time line]
*Major stock market declines are defined as a decline in price of 15% or more without dividends reinvested. There have been periods in which the fund has lagged the S&P 500, particularly in strong markets.
[End Sidebar]
The necessity of careful risk management for baby boomers
Careful risk management has been important to the fund’s long-term investment track record, says Jim Dunton. With dividends reinvested, AMF has lost value in a fiscal year only two times in the past 30 years, and these were relatively small losses (–4.7% in 1990 and –8.4% in 2002). The stock market decline from March 2000 to October 2002 provides a clear example of how the fund’s risk management approach can benefit shareholders. During those tumultuous 31 months, the return of the S&P 500 was –47%. AMF’s was only –7%. Over a full market cycle from the low of August 1998 to the low of October 2002, the S&P 500’s total return was –14%; in contrast, AMF gained nearly 5%.
“One of our objectives is not to lose your money,” says Jim Dunton. “We try to make as much money as we can without moving too far out on the risk spectrum. Our goal has been to manage a portfolio that doesn’t scare the daylights out of investors during sharp market fluctuations. We try to avoid having our shareholders panic because if they do, they might get out of the market at the wrong time and then miss the subsequent upside.”
AMF focuses on industry leaders that are well positioned and have good market share. “When you are withdrawing money in a retirement portfolio, you want the stability that is inherent in large companies that are also industry leaders,” says Jim Dunton. “We are not dealing with start-ups, untested companies or companies with dubious balance sheets. We maintain a concentration in tried and true, proven companies.”
Striving for diversification and lower risk through a multiple manager system
Continuity of management, a consistent investment style and diversification have been key elements in AMF’s long-term investment results and have lowered its risk profile. All three result from the fund’s long-time approach to investment management known as the multiple portfolio counselor system.
Blending the best attributes of individualism and teamwork, the system developed by the fund’s investment adviser, Capital Research and Management Company, provides stability, flexibility and continuity. Under this system, the majority of AMF’s portfolio is divided among four portfolio counselors who manage their portion of the assets as if they were managing an independent portfolio. A fifth portion — about 25% of the fund’s assets — is managed by 18 financial analysts who are industry specialists.
[Begin Sidebar]
AMF provides a way to participate in the growth of the stock market, and while doing that, be less exposed to stock market volatility than many other funds. This is very beneficial for retired people or others who are withdrawing money from the fund for living expenses or college costs for children.
— Jim Lovelace
[End Sidebar]
The multiple portfolio counselor system allows portfolio counselors to concentrate on their “highest conviction” ideas. With four portfolio counselors and a group of financial analysts making investment decisions, no one person’s investment decisions can dominate the fund’s portfolio strategy. Over the years, this has led to a more stable and consistent investment approach.
It has also had the effect of reducing the volatility of the fund. “We diversify the fund by selecting different types of stocks and also by selecting portfolio counselors who have different investing styles, backgrounds and locations,” says Jim Dunton. “Not all counselors are producing strong results at the same time. When one counselor may be running into a rough patch, another may be providing excellent returns. Some do well in bull markets and others do well in down markets. These different styles spread out the risk.”
The value of experience in lowering risk
The fund’s portfolio counselors and analysts have a depth of experience that few funds can match. AMF’s four portfolio counselors have a combined total investment experience of 142 years. Individual counselors average 35 years of investment experience. “When you have been following an industry or the market for 20, 30 or 40 years, you have a perspective that others just don’t have,” says Joyce Gordon, a veteran portfolio counselor. “You are not likely to panic at the bottom of a market cycle or at the top.”
AMF’s cautious, risk-averse approach has worked for more than 57 years and is poised to serve as a good foundation for baby boomers who use it in their retirement income plans for decades to come.
Summary investment portfolio, October 31, 2007
The following summary investment portfolio is designed to streamline the report and help investors better focus on a fund’s principal holdings. For details on how to obtain a complete schedule of portfolio holdings, please see the inside back cover.
[begin pie chart]
Industry sector diversification | Percent of net assets | |||
Financials | 13.21 | % | ||
Industrials | 12.86 | |||
Consumer discretionary | 10.13 | |||
Information technology | 12.66 | |||
Health care | 10.63 | |||
Other industries | 30.20 | |||
Short-term securities & other assets less liabilities | 10.31 |
Shares | Market | Percent | ||||||||||
value | of net | |||||||||||
Common stocks - 89.69% | (000 | ) | assets | |||||||||
Energy - 7.02% | ||||||||||||
Chevron Corp. | 2,183,304 | $ | 199,794 | .94 | % | |||||||
ConocoPhillips | 2,200,000 | 186,912 | .88 | |||||||||
Devon Energy Corp. | 2,000,000 | 186,800 | .88 | |||||||||
Marathon Oil Corp. | 5,353,600 | 316,558 | 1.49 | |||||||||
Other securities | 600,836 | 2.83 | ||||||||||
1,490,900 | 7.02 | |||||||||||
Materials - 3.78% | ||||||||||||
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. | 1,850,000 | 181,023 | .86 | |||||||||
MeadWestvaco Corp. | 5,000,000 | 168,200 | .79 | |||||||||
Other securities | 452,362 | 2.13 | ||||||||||
801,585 | 3.78 | |||||||||||
Industrials - 12.86% | ||||||||||||
Avery Dennison Corp. | 3,375,000 | 195,412 | .92 | |||||||||
General Electric Co. | 14,250,000 | 586,530 | 2.76 | |||||||||
Norfolk Southern Corp. | 5,082,000 | 262,485 | 1.24 | |||||||||
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. | 6,092,500 | 245,467 | 1.16 | |||||||||
United Parcel Service, Inc., Class B | 3,550,000 | 266,605 | 1.26 | |||||||||
United Technologies Corp. | 4,100,000 | 314,019 | 1.48 | |||||||||
Other securities | 858,316 | 4.04 | ||||||||||
2,728,834 | 12.86 | |||||||||||
Consumer discretionary - 10.13% | ||||||||||||
Johnson Controls, Inc. | 5,520,000 | 241,334 | 1.14 | |||||||||
Lowe's Companies, Inc. | 7,731,600 | 207,903 | .98 | |||||||||
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 4,400,000 | 188,672 | .89 | |||||||||
YUM! Brands, Inc. | 4,580,000 | 184,437 | .87 | |||||||||
Other securities | 1,327,269 | 6.25 | ||||||||||
2,149,615 | 10.13 | |||||||||||
Consumer staples - 6.62% | ||||||||||||
H.J. Heinz Co. | 4,053,700 | 189,632 | .89 | |||||||||
Kimberly-Clark Corp. | 2,410,000 | 170,845 | .81 | |||||||||
PepsiCo, Inc. | 3,210,000 | 236,641 | 1.12 | |||||||||
Walgreen Co. | 4,300,000 | 170,495 | .80 | |||||||||
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | 4,000,000 | 180,840 | .85 | |||||||||
Other securities | 456,244 | 2.15 | ||||||||||
1,404,697 | 6.62 | |||||||||||
Health care - 10.63% | ||||||||||||
Abbott Laboratories | 6,300,000 | 344,106 | 1.62 | |||||||||
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. | 9,182,200 | 275,374 | 1.30 | |||||||||
Eli Lilly and Co. | 4,205,000 | 227,701 | 1.07 | |||||||||
Medtronic, Inc. | 3,707,000 | 175,860 | .83 | |||||||||
Merck & Co., Inc. | 4,250,000 | 247,605 | 1.17 | |||||||||
Pfizer Inc | 7,165,000 | 176,331 | .83 | |||||||||
Wyeth | 3,698,000 | 179,834 | .85 | |||||||||
Other securities | 629,241 | 2.96 | ||||||||||
2,256,052 | 10.63 | |||||||||||
Financials - 13.21% | ||||||||||||
American International Group, Inc. | 2,829,000 | 178,567 | .84 | |||||||||
Bank of America Corp. | 7,365,000 | 355,582 | 1.68 | |||||||||
Bank of New York Mellon Corp. | 6,741,050 | 329,300 | 1.55 | |||||||||
Citigroup Inc. | 9,335,000 | 391,137 | 1.84 | |||||||||
Fannie Mae | 5,558,096 | 317,034 | 1.50 | |||||||||
Freddie Mac | 3,630,700 | 189,631 | .89 | |||||||||
JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 4,546,000 | 213,662 | 1.01 | |||||||||
Other securities | 828,032 | 3.90 | ||||||||||
2,802,945 | 13.21 | |||||||||||
Information technology - 12.66% | ||||||||||||
Hewlett-Packard Co. | 6,600,000 | 341,088 | 1.61 | |||||||||
Intel Corp. | 9,100,000 | 244,790 | 1.15 | |||||||||
International Business Machines Corp. | 4,510,000 | 523,701 | 2.47 | |||||||||
Microchip Technology Inc. | 7,356,625 | 244,019 | 1.15 | |||||||||
Microsoft Corp. | 13,930,000 | 512,763 | 2.42 | |||||||||
Oracle Corp. (1) | 9,600,000 | 212,832 | 1.00 | |||||||||
Other securities | 606,550 | 2.86 | ||||||||||
2,685,743 | 12.66 | |||||||||||
Telecommunication services - 5.14% | ||||||||||||
AT&T Inc. | 9,644,097 | 403,027 | 1.90 | |||||||||
Embarq Corp. | 5,214,250 | 275,938 | 1.30 | |||||||||
Sprint Nextel Corp., Series 1 | 10,260,000 | 175,446 | .82 | |||||||||
Other securities | 237,002 | 1.12 | ||||||||||
1,091,413 | 5.14 | |||||||||||
Utilities - 6.35% | ||||||||||||
Ameren Corp. | 3,953,680 | 213,736 | 1.01 | |||||||||
Exelon Corp. | 2,548,400 | 210,957 | .99 | |||||||||
Questar Corp. | 3,000,000 | 171,240 | .81 | |||||||||
Other securities | 751,219 | 3.54 | ||||||||||
1,347,152 | 6.35 | |||||||||||
MISCELLANEOUS - 1.29% | ||||||||||||
Other common stocks in initial period of acquisition | 272,992 | 1.29 | ||||||||||
Total common stocks (cost: $13,994,527,000) | 19,031,928 | 89.69 | ||||||||||
Principal | ||||||||||||
amount | ||||||||||||
Short-term securities - 10.33% | (000 | ) | ||||||||||
Abbott Laboratories 4.71% due 11/6/2007 (2) | $ | 43,000 | 42,966 | .20 | ||||||||
Bank of America Corp. 5.40%-5.45% due 11/5-12/11/2007 | 65,000 | 64,700 | .31 | |||||||||
Citigroup Funding Inc. 5.28% due 11/16/2007 | 75,000 | 74,818 | .35 | |||||||||
Federal Home Loan Bank 4.38%-4.90% due 11/16/2007-3/12/2008 | 212,200 | 210,476 | .99 | |||||||||
Freddie Mac 4.561%-4.91% due 11/26-12/21/2007 | 125,248 | 124,612 | .59 | |||||||||
General Electric Co. 4.77%-5.26% due 11/19/2007 | 89,400 | 89,153 | .42 | |||||||||
Hewlett-Packard Co. 4.75%-5.07% due 11/16-12/14/2007 (2) | 139,400 | 138,730 | .65 | |||||||||
IBM Corp. 5.11%-5.13% due 11/14-11/27/2007 (2) | 61,500 | 61,331 | .29 | |||||||||
International Lease Finance Corp. 4.73%-5.21% due 11/16/2007-1/23/2008 | 107,300 | 106,608 | .50 | |||||||||
JPMorgan Chase & Co. 4.95%-5.06% due 12/11/2007-3/24/2008 | 185,900 | 183,398 | .87 | |||||||||
Procter & Gamble Co. 4.75%-5.00% due 12/14/2007 (2) | 52,200 | 51,880 | ||||||||||
Procter & Gamble International Funding S.C.A. 4.74%-5.22% due 11/5/2007-2/26/2008 (2) | 247,000 | 245,738 | 1.40 | |||||||||
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 4.72% due 12/11/2007 (2) | 50,000 | 49,714 | .24 | |||||||||
Other securities | 748,097 | 3.52 | ||||||||||
Total short-term securities (cost: $2,192,087,000) | 2,192,221 | 10.33 | ||||||||||
Total investment securities (cost: $16,186,614,000) | 21,224,149 | 100.02 | ||||||||||
Other assets less liabilities | (3,654 | ) | (0.02 | ) | ||||||||
Net assets | $ | 21,220,495 | 100.00 | % | ||||||||
"Miscellaneous" securities include holdings in their initial period of acquisition that have not previously been publicly disclosed. | ||||||||||||
"Other securities" includes all issues that are not disclosed separately in the summary investment portfolio. | ||||||||||||
The following footnotes apply to either the individual securities noted or one or more of the securities aggregated and listed as a single line item. | ||||||||||||
(1) Security did not produce income during the last 12 months. | ||||||||||||
(2) Purchased in a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933. | ||||||||||||
May be resold in the United States in transactions exempt from registration, normally to | ||||||||||||
qualified institutional buyers. The total value of all such securities, including those in "Other | ||||||||||||
securities" in the summary investment portfolio, was $1,035,395,000, which represented | ||||||||||||
4.88% of the net assets of the fund. | ||||||||||||
The industry classifications shown in the summary investment portfolio were obtained from sources | ||||||||||||
believed to be reliable and are not covered by the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. | ||||||||||||
See Notes to Financial Statements |
Financial statements
Statement of assets and liabilities | ||||||||
at October 31, 2007 | (dollars and shares in thousands, except per-share amounts) | |||||||
Assets: | ||||||||
Investment securities at market (cost: $16,186,614) | $ | 21,224,149 | ||||||
Cash | 67 | |||||||
Receivables for: | ||||||||
Sales of investments | 25,967 | |||||||
Sales of fund's shares | 18,949 | |||||||
Dividends and interest | 26,513 | 71,429 | ||||||
21,295,645 | ||||||||
Liabilities: | ||||||||
Payables for: | ||||||||
Purchases of investments | 37,247 | |||||||
Repurchases of fund's shares | 21,397 | |||||||
Investment advisory services | 4,045 | |||||||
Services provided by affiliates | 9,734 | |||||||
Directors' deferred compensation | 2,677 | |||||||
Other | 50 | 75,150 | ||||||
Net assets at October 31, 2007 | $ | 21,220,495 | ||||||
Net assets consist of: | ||||||||
Capital paid in on shares of capital stock | $ | 15,274,670 | ||||||
Undistributed net investment income | 142,145 | |||||||
Undistributed net realized gain | 766,145 | |||||||
Net unrealized appreciation | 5,037,535 | |||||||
Net assets at October 31, 2007 | $ | 21,220,495 |
Total authorized capital stock - 1,000,000 shares, $0.001 par value (678,876 total shares outstanding) | ||||||||||||
Net assets | Shares outstanding | Net asset value per share* | ||||||||||
Class A | $ | 17,808,703 | 569,227 | 31.29 | ||||||||
Class B | 755,470 | 24,321 | 31.06 | |||||||||
Class C | 921,767 | 29,731 | 31.00 | |||||||||
Class F | 572,485 | 18,345 | 31.21 | |||||||||
Class 529-A | 258,688 | 8,279 | 31.25 | |||||||||
Class 529-B | 46,441 | 1,491 | 31.14 | |||||||||
Class 529-C | 77,231 | 2,481 | 31.13 | |||||||||
Class 529-E | 14,304 | 459 | 31.17 | |||||||||
Class 529-F | 7,836 | 250 | 31.28 | |||||||||
Class R-1 | 14,256 | 458 | 31.10 | |||||||||
Class R-2 | 161,456 | 5,199 | 31.06 | |||||||||
Class R-3 | 228,486 | 7,338 | 31.14 | |||||||||
Class R-4 | 70,301 | 2,251 | 31.23 | |||||||||
Class R-5 | 283,071 | 9,046 | 31.29 | |||||||||
(*) Maximum offering price and redemption price per share were equal to the net asset value per share for all share classes, except for Class A and 529-A, for which the maximum offering prices per share were $33.20 and $33.16, respectively. | ||||||||||||
See Notes to Financial Statements |
Statement of operations | ||||||||
for the year ended October 31, 2007 | (dollars in thousands) | |||||||
Investment income: | ||||||||
Income: | ||||||||
Dividends (net of non-U.S. | $ | 421,292 | ||||||
taxes of $352) | ||||||||
Interest | 119,526 | $ | 540,818 | |||||
Fees and expenses(*): | ||||||||
Investment advisory services | 52,131 | |||||||
Distribution services | 61,453 | |||||||
Transfer agent services | 13,758 | |||||||
Administrative services | 3,986 | |||||||
Reports to shareholders | 527 | |||||||
Registration statement and prospectus | 636 | |||||||
Postage, stationery and supplies | 1,442 | |||||||
Directors' compensation | 873 | |||||||
Auditing and legal | 133 | |||||||
Custodian | 106 | |||||||
State and local taxes | 152 | |||||||
Other | 114 | |||||||
Total fees and expenses before reimbursements/waivers | 135,311 | |||||||
Less reimbursements/waivers of fees and expenses: | ||||||||
Investment advisory services | 5,213 | |||||||
Administrative services | 86 | |||||||
Total fees and expenses after reimbursements/waivers | 130,012 | |||||||
Net investment income | 410,806 | |||||||
Net realized gain and unrealized | ||||||||
appreciation on investments: | ||||||||
Net realized gain on investments | 909,949 | |||||||
Net unrealized appreciation on investments | 973,349 | |||||||
Net realized gain and | ||||||||
unrealized appreciation | ||||||||
on investments | 1,883,298 | |||||||
Net increase in net assets resulting | ||||||||
from operations | $ | 2,294,104 | ||||||
(*) Additional information related to class-specific fees and expenses is included in the Notes to Financial Statements. | ||||||||
See Notes to Financial Statements | ||||||||
Statements of changes in net assets | (dollars in thousands) | |||||||
Year ended October 31, 2007 | Year ended October 31, 2006 | |||||||
Operations: | ||||||||
Net investment income | $ | 410,806 | $ | 391,122 | ||||
Net realized gain on investments | ||||||||
909,949 | 464,290 | |||||||
Net unrealized appreciation | ||||||||
on investments | 973,349 | 1,810,456 | ||||||
Net increase in net assets | ||||||||
resulting from operations | 2,294,104 | 2,665,868 | ||||||
Dividends and distributions paid to | ||||||||
shareholders: | ||||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (391,275 | ) | (338,729 | ) | ||||
Distributions from net realized gain | ||||||||
on investments | (463,340 | ) | (624,432 | ) | ||||
Total dividends and distributions paid | ||||||||
to shareholders | (854,615 | ) | (963,161 | ) | ||||
Net capital share transactions | 741,397 | 1,017,074 | ||||||
Total increase in net assets | 2,180,886 | 2,719,781 | ||||||
Net assets: | ||||||||
Beginning of year | 19,039,609 | 16,319,828 | ||||||
End of year (including | ||||||||
undistributed | ||||||||
net investment income: $142,145 and $122,711, respectively) | $ | 21,220,495 | $ | 19,039,609 | ||||
See Notes to Financial Statements |
Notes to financial statements
1. | Organization and significant accounting policies |
Organization– American Mutual Fund, Inc. (the "fund") is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end, diversified management investment company. The fund strives for the balanced accomplishment of three objectives – current income, growth of capital and conservation of principal – through investments in companies that participate in the growth of the American economy.
The fund offers 14 share classes consisting of four retail share classes, five 529 college savings plan share classes and five retirement plan share classes. The 529 college savings plan share classes (529-A, 529-B, 529-C, 529-E and 529-F) can be utilized to save for college education. The five retirement plan share classes (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-5) are sold without any sales charges and do not carry any conversion rights. The fund’s share classes are described below:
Share class | Initial sales charge | Contingent deferred sales charge upon redemption | Conversion feature |
Class A and 529-A | Up to 5.75% | None (except 1% for certain redemptions within one year of purchase without an initial sales charge) | None |
Class B and 529-B | None | Declines from 5% to 0% for redemptions within six years of purchase | Class B and 529-B convert to Class A and 529-A, respectively, after eight years |
Class C | None | 1% for redemptions within one year of purchase | Class C converts to Class F after 10 years |
Class 529-C | None | 1% for redemptions within one year of purchase | None |
Class 529-E | None | None | None |
Class F and 529-F | None | None | None |
Class R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-5 | None | None | None |
Holders of all share classes have equal pro rata rights to assets, dividends and liquidation proceeds. Each share class has identical voting rights, except for the exclusive right to vote on matters affecting only its class. Share classes have different fees and expenses ("class-specific fees and expenses"), primarily due to different arrangements for distribution, administrative and shareholder services. Differences in class-specific fees and expenses will result in differences in net investment income and, therefore, the payment of different per-share dividends by each class.
Significant accounting policies– The financial statements have been prepared to comply with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These principles require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of the significant accounting policies followed by the fund:
Security valuation– Equity securities are valued at the official closing price of, or the last reported sale price on, the exchange or market on which such securities are traded, as of the close of business on the day the securities are being valued or, lacking any sales, at the last available bid price. Prices for each security are taken from the principal exchange or market in which the security trades. Fixed-income securities, including short-term securities purchased with more than 60 days left to maturity, are valued at prices obtained from an independent pricing service when such prices are available. However, where the investment adviser deems it appropriate, such securities will be valued at the mean quoted bid and asked prices (or bid prices, if asked prices are not available) or at prices for securities of comparable maturity, quality and type. Securities with both fixed-income and equity characteristics, or equity securities traded principally among fixed-income dealers, are valued in the manner described above for either equity or fixed-income securities, depending on which method is deemed most appropriate by the investment adviser. Short-term securities purchased within 60 days to maturity are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. The value of short-term securities originally purchased with maturities greater than 60 days is determined based on an amortized value to par when they reach 60 days or less remaining to maturity. The ability of the issuers of the debt securities held by the fund to meet their obligations may be affected by economic developments in a specific industry, state or region.
Securities and other assets for which representative market quotations are not readily available or are considered unreliable by the investment adviser are fair valued as determined in good faith under procedures adopted by authority of the fund's board of directors. Various factors may be reviewed in order to make a good faith determination of a security’s fair value. These factors include, but are not limited to, the type and cost of the security; contractual or legal restrictions on resale of the security; relevant financial or business developments of the issuer; actively traded similar or related securities; conversion or exchange rights on the security; related corporate actions; significant events occurring after the close of trading in the security; and changes in overall market conditions.
Security transactions and related investment income– Security transactions are recorded by the fund as of the date the trades are executed with brokers. Realized gains and losses from security transactions are determined based on the specific identified cost of the securities. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date and interest income is recognized on an accrual basis. Market discounts, premiums and original issue discounts on fixed-income securities are amortized daily over the expected life of the security.
Class allocations – Income, fees and expenses (other than class-specific fees and expenses) and realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated daily among the various share classes based on their relative net assets. Class-specific fees and expenses, such as distribution, administrative and shareholder services, are charged directly to the respective share class.
Dividends and distributions to shareholders– Dividends and distributions paid to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date.
Taxation– Dividend income is recorded net of non-U.S. taxes paid.
2. | Federal income taxation and distributions |
The fund complies with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to mutual funds and intends to distribute substantially all of its net taxable income and net capital gains each year. The fund is not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.
The fund adopted the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 48 (“FIN 48”), Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, on June 29, 2007. The implementation of FIN 48 resulted in no material liability for unrecognized tax benefits and no material change to the beginning net asset value of the fund.
As of and during the period ended October 31, 2007, 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 not subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for tax years before 2003 and by state tax authorities for tax years before 2002.
Distributions– Distributions paid to shareholders are based on net investment income and net realized gains determined on a tax basis, which may differ from net investment income and net realized gains for financial reporting purposes. These differences are due primarily to differing treatment for items such as short-term capital gains and losses; capital losses related to sales of certain securities within 30 days of purchase; deferred expenses; and cost of investments sold. The fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the year in which the net investment income and net realized gains are recorded by the fund for financial reporting purposes. The fund may also designate a portion of the amount paid to redeeming shareholders as a distribution for tax purposes.
During the year ended October 31, 2007, the fund reclassified $97,000 from undistributed net investment income and $47,255,000 from undistributed net realized gain to capital paid in on shares of capital stock to align financial reporting with tax reporting.
As of October 31, 2007, the tax basis components of distributable earnings, unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and cost of investment securities were as follows:
(dollars in thousands) | ||||
Undistributed ordinary income | $ | 144,821 | ||
Undistributed long-term capital gain | 771,641 | |||
Gross unrealized appreciation on investment securities | 5,417,402 | |||
Gross unrealized depreciation on investment securities | (384,617 | ) | ||
Net unrealized appreciation on investment securities | 5,032,785 | |||
Cost of investment securities | 16,191,364 |
The tax character of distributions paid to shareholders was as follows (dollars in thousands):
Year ended October 31, 2007 | Year ended October 31, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Ordinary income | Long-term capital gains | Total distributions paid | Ordinary income | Long-term capital gains | Total distributions paid | |||||||||||||||||||
Share class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A | $ | 342,770 | $ | 389,742 | $ | 732,512 | $ | 297,477 | $ | 528,869 | $ | 826,346 | ||||||||||||
Class B | 9,168 | 16,908 | 26,076 | 7,926 | 22,893 | 30,819 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class C | 10,541 | 19,696 | 30,237 | 8,646 | 25,853 | 34,499 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class F | 10,540 | 12,069 | 22,609 | 9,073 | 16,577 | 25,650 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-A | 4,530 | 5,132 | 9,662 | 3,461 | 5,968 | 9,429 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-B | 491 | 979 | 1,470 | 399 | 1,235 | 1,634 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-C | 805 | 1,550 | 2,355 | 618 | 1,884 | 2,502 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-E | 212 | 281 | 493 | 160 | 326 | 486 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-F | 140 | 133 | 273 | 92 | 119 | 211 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class R-1 | 156 | 406 | 562 | 164 | 463 | 627 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class R-2 | 1,782 | 3,362 | 5,144 | 1,358 | 3,907 | 5,265 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class R-3 | 3,686 | 5,283 | 8,969 | 3,276 | 6,962 | 10,238 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class R-4 | 1,203 | 1,317 | 2,520 | 995 | 1,773 | 2,768 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class R-5 | 5,251 | 6,482 | 11,733 | 5,084 | 7,603 | 12,687 | ||||||||||||||||||
Total | $ | 391,275 | $ | 463,340 | $ | 854,615 | $ | 338,729 | $ | 624,432 | $ | 963,161 |
3. | Fees and transactions with related parties |
Capital Research and Management Company ("CRMC"), the fund’s investment adviser, is the parent company of American Funds Service Company SM ("AFS"), the fund’s transfer agent, and American Funds Distributors, SM Inc. ("AFD"), the principal underwriter of the fund’s shares.
Investment advisory services–The Investment Advisory and Service Agreement with CRMC provides for monthly fees accrued daily. These fees are based on a declining series of annual rates beginning with 0.384% on the first $1 billion of month-end net assets and decreasing to 0.225% on such assets in excess of $21 billion. CRMC is currently waiving 10% of investment advisory services fees. During the year ended October 31, 2007, total investment advisory services fees waived by CRMC were $5,213,000. As a result, the fee shown on the accompanying financial statements of $52,131,000, which was equivalent to an annualized rate of 0.255%, was reduced to $46,918,000, or 0.230% of average daily net assets.:
Class-specific fees and expenses – Expenses that are specific to individual share classes are accrued directly to the respective share class. The principal class-specific fees and expenses are described below:
Distribution services – The fund has adopted plans of distribution for all share classes, except Class R-5. Under the plans, the board of directors approves certain categories of expenses that are used to finance activities primarily intended to sell fund shares and service existing accounts. The plans provide for payments, based on an annualized percentage of average daily net assets, ranging from 0.25% to 1.00% as noted on the following page. In some cases, the board of directors has limited the amounts that may be paid to less than the maximum allowed by the plans. All share classes may use up to 0.25% of average daily net assets to pay service fees, or to compensate AFD for paying service fees, to firms that have entered into agreements with AFD to provide certain shareholder services. The remaining amounts available to be paid under each plan are paid to dealers to compensate them for their sales activities.
For Class A and 529-A, the board of directors has also approved the reimbursement of dealer and wholesaler commissions paid by AFD for certain shares sold without a sales charge. These classes reimburse AFD for amounts billed within the prior 15 months but only to the extent that the overall annual expense limit of 0.25% is not exceeded. As of October 31, 2007, there were no unreimbursed expenses subject to reimbursement for Class A or 529-A.
Share class | Currently approved limits | Plan limits |
Class A | 0.25% | 0.25% |
Class 529-A | 0.25 | 0.50 |
Class B and 529-B | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Class C, 529-C and R-1 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Class R-2 | 0.75 | 1.00 |
Class 529-E and R-3 | 0.50 | 0.75 |
Class F, 529-F and R-4 | 0.25 | 0.50 |
Transfer agent services– The fund has a transfer agent agreement with AFS for Class A and B. Under this agreement, these share classes compensate AFS for transfer agent services including shareholder recordkeeping, communications and transaction processing. AFS is also compensated for certain transfer agent services provided to all other share classes from the administrative services fees paid to CRMC described below.
Administrative services – The fund has an administrative services agreement with CRMC to provide transfer agent and other related shareholder services for all share classes other than Class A and B. Each relevant share class pays CRMC annual fees up to 0.15% (0.10% for Class R-5) based on its respective average daily net assets. Each relevant share class also pays AFS additional amounts for certain transfer agent services. CRMC and AFS may use these fees to compensate third parties for performing these services. CRMC has agreed to pay AFS on the fund's behalf for a portion of the transfer agent services fees for some of the retirement plan share classes. For the year ended October 31, 2007, the total administrative services fees paid by CRMC were $86,000 for Class R-2. Administrative services fees are presented gross of any payments made by CRMC. Each 529 share class is subject to an additional annual administrative services fee of 0.10% of its respective average daily net assets; this fee is payable to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the maintenance of the 529 college savings plan. Although these amounts are included with administrative services fees on the accompanying financial statements, the Commonwealth of Virginia is not considered a related party.
Expenses under the agreements described above for the year ended October 31, 2007, were as follows (dollars in thousands):
Share class | Distribution services | Transfer agent services | Administrative services | ||
CRMC administrative services | Transfer agent services | Commonwealth of Virginia administrative services | |||
Class A | $39,689 | $13,157 | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Class B | 7,374 | 601 | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Class C | 8,767 | Included in administrative services | $1,024 | $122 | Not applicable |
Class F | 1,347 | 525 | 39 | Not applicable | |
Class 529-A | 488 | 205 | 24 | $ 237 | |
Class 529-B | 439 | 38 | 9 | 44 | |
Class 529-C | 715 | 62 | 13 | 71 | |
Class 529-E | 65 | 11 | 1 | 13 | |
Class 529-F | - | 6 | 1 | 7 | |
Class R-1 | 140 | 17 | 8 | Not applicable | |
Class R-2 | 1,133 | 217 | 489 | Not applicable | |
Class R-3 | 1,137 | 320 | 136 | Not applicable | |
Class R-4 | 159 | 89 | 8 | Not applicable | |
Class R-5 | Not applicable | 246 | 4 | Not applicable | |
Total | $61,453 | $13,758 | $2,760 | $854 | $372 |
Directors’ deferred compensation– Since the adoption of the deferred compensation plan in 1993, directors who are unaffiliated with CRMC may elect to defer the cash payment of part or all of their compensation. These deferred amounts, which remain as liabilities of the fund, are treated as if invested in shares of the fund or other American Funds. These amounts represent general, unsecured liabilities of the fund and vary according to the total returns of the selected funds. Directors’ compensation of $873,000 shown on the accompanying financial statements, includes $447,000 in current fees (either paid in cash or deferred) and a net increase of $426,000 in the value of the deferred amounts.
Affiliated officers and directors – Officers and certain directors of the fund are or may be considered to be affiliated with CRMC, AFS and AFD. No affiliated officers or directors received any compensation directly from the fund.
4. | Capital share transactions |
Capital share transactions in the fund were as follows (dollars and shares in thousands):
Share class | Sales(1) | Reinvestments of dividends and distributions | Repurchases(1) | Net increase (decrease) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amount | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Shares | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended October 31, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A | $ | 1,764,245 | 58,027 | $ | 687,421 | 23,069 | $ | (1,899,226 | ) | (62,416 | ) | $ | 552,440 | 18,680 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class B | 66,160 | 2,197 | 25,142 | 853 | (76,860 | ) | (2,542 | ) | 14,442 | 508 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class C | 160,389 | 5,325 | 28,963 | 985 | (124,676 | ) | (4,128 | ) | 64,676 | 2,182 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class F | 139,532 | 4,593 | 20,118 | 677 | (119,805 | ) | (3,951 | ) | 39,845 | 1,319 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-A | 45,897 | 1,515 | 9,661 | 324 | (19,288 | ) | (635 | ) | 36,270 | 1,204 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-B | 4,953 | 164 | 1,469 | 50 | (2,861 | ) | (95 | ) | 3,561 | 119 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-C | 15,317 | 508 | 2,355 | 80 | (7,519 | ) | (248 | ) | 10,153 | 340 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-E | 2,856 | 94 | 493 | 17 | (1,207 | ) | (40 | ) | 2,142 | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-F | 2,435 | 80 | 273 | 9 | (711 | ) | (24 | ) | 1,997 | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-1 | 7,271 | 242 | 560 | 19 | (9,594 | ) | (323 | ) | (1,763 | ) | (62 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-2 | 52,002 | 1,724 | 5,138 | 174 | (38,885 | ) | (1,286 | ) | 18,255 | 612 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-3 | 63,083 | 2,084 | 8,958 | 303 | (82,359 | ) | (2,703 | ) | (10,318 | ) | (316 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-4 | 36,688 | 1,214 | 2,514 | 84 | (27,964 | ) | (921 | ) | 11,238 | 377 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-5 | 134,294 | 4,392 | 10,808 | 364 | (146,643 | ) | (4,871 | ) | (1,541 | ) | (115 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total net increase | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(decrease) | $ | 2,495,122 | 82,159 | $ | 803,873 | 27,008 | $ | (2,557,598 | ) | (84,183 | ) | $ | 741,397 | 24,984 | ||||||||||||||||||
Year ended October 31, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A | $ | 1,714,194 | 62,868 | $ | 775,912 | 29,137 | $ | (1,735,608 | ) | (63,645 | ) | $ | 754,498 | 28,360 | ||||||||||||||||||
Class B | 78,339 | 2,894 | 29,732 | 1,126 | (74,969 | ) | (2,765 | ) | 33,102 | 1,255 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class C | 149,275 | 5,516 | 33,091 | 1,254 | (122,757 | ) | (4,544 | ) | 59,609 | 2,226 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class F | 125,608 | 4,612 | 23,118 | 870 | (131,972 | ) | (4,857 | ) | 16,754 | 625 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-A | 42,699 | 1,569 | 9,428 | 354 | (14,637 | ) | (537 | ) | 37,490 | 1,386 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-B | 5,603 | 207 | 1,633 | 62 | (2,747 | ) | (101 | ) | 4,489 | 168 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-C | 13,963 | 514 | 2,501 | 94 | (7,209 | ) | (265 | ) | 9,255 | 343 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-E | 2,585 | 95 | 485 | 18 | (1,013 | ) | (36 | ) | 2,057 | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-F | 2,938 | 108 | 211 | 8 | (1,103 | ) | (40 | ) | 2,046 | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-1 | 5,563 | 206 | 625 | 24 | (4,349 | ) | (159 | ) | 1,839 | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-2 | 44,462 | 1,643 | 5,260 | 199 | (27,668 | ) | (1,022 | ) | 22,054 | 820 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-3 | 59,681 | 2,205 | 10,227 | 386 | (48,500 | ) | (1,788 | ) | 21,408 | 803 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-4 | 30,438 | 1,122 | 2,768 | 104 | (26,702 | ) | (979 | ) | 6,504 | 247 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-5 | 67,895 | 2,489 | 11,242 | 422 | (33,168 | ) | (1,221 | ) | 45,969 | 1,690 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Total net increase | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(decrease) | $ | 2,343,243 | 86,048 | $ | 906,233 | 34,058 | $ | (2,232,402 | ) | (81,959 | ) | $ | 1,017,074 | 38,147 | ||||||||||||||||||
(1) Includes exchanges between share classes of the fund. |
5. | Investment transactions |
The fund made purchases and sales of investment securities, excluding short-term securities, of $3,845,975,000 and $3,416,642,000, respectively, during the year ended October 31, 2007.
Financial highlights
Income from investment operations(1) | Dividends and distributions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | Net investment income | Net gains on securities (both realized and unrealized) | Total from investment operations | Dividends (from net investment income) | Distributions (from capital gains) | Total dividends and distributions | Net asset value, end of year | Total return (2) (3) | Net assets, end of year (in millions) | Ratio of expenses to average net assets before reimbursements/ waivers | Ratio of expenses to average net assets after reimbursements/ waivers (3) | Ratio of net income to average net assets (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 29.14 | .64 | 2.83 | 3.47 | (.61 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.32 | ) | 31.29 | 12.19 | % | 17,809 | .58 | % | .56 | % | 2.09 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.52 | .63 | 3.55 | 4.18 | (.55 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.56 | ) | 29.14 | 16.40 | 16,044 | .58 | .55 | 2.31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 25.10 | .54 | 1.41 | 1.95 | (.48 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.53 | ) | 26.52 | 7.80 | 13,850 | .58 | .56 | 2.06 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.17 | .48 | 2.00 | 2.48 | (.46 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.55 | ) | 25.10 | 10.81 | 12,044 | .60 | .60 | 1.97 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.20 | .49 | 3.31 | 3.80 | (.52 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.83 | ) | 23.17 | 19.31 | 9,716 | .62 | .62 | 2.32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class B: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 28.95 | .40 | 2.80 | 3.20 | (.38 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.09 | ) | 31.06 | 11.28 | 756 | 1.36 | 1.33 | 1.32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.36 | .41 | 3.53 | 3.94 | (.34 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.35 | ) | 28.95 | 15.48 | 689 | 1.37 | 1.34 | 1.52 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 24.94 | .33 | 1.41 | 1.74 | (.27 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.32 | ) | 26.36 | 7.00 | 595 | 1.38 | 1.36 | 1.26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.04 | .29 | 1.98 | 2.27 | (.28 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.37 | ) | 24.94 | 9.92 | 497 | 1.39 | 1.39 | 1.18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.11 | .32 | 3.28 | 3.60 | (.36 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.67 | ) | 23.04 | 18.32 | 315 | 1.41 | 1.41 | 1.49 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class C: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 28.89 | .38 | 2.80 | 3.18 | (.36 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.07 | ) | 31.00 | 11.26 | 922 | 1.41 | 1.38 | 1.27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.31 | .39 | 3.52 | 3.91 | (.32 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.33 | ) | 28.89 | 15.41 | 796 | 1.42 | 1.40 | 1.46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 24.90 | .31 | 1.41 | 1.72 | (.26 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.31 | ) | 26.31 | 6.91 | 666 | 1.44 | 1.42 | 1.19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.01 | .27 | 1.97 | 2.24 | (.26 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.35 | ) | 24.90 | 9.82 | 500 | 1.47 | 1.46 | 1.09 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.09 | .30 | 3.28 | 3.58 | (.35 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.66 | ) | 23.01 | 18.23 | 267 | 1.49 | 1.49 | 1.39 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class F: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 29.07 | .62 | 2.83 | 3.45 | (.60 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.31 | ) | 31.21 | 12.14 | 573 | .63 | .60 | 2.05 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.46 | .62 | 3.54 | 4.16 | (.54 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.55 | ) | 29.07 | 16.36 | 495 | .62 | .60 | 2.26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 25.04 | .52 | 1.41 | 1.93 | (.46 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.51 | ) | 26.46 | 7.71 | 434 | .67 | .65 | 1.97 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.12 | .45 | 2.00 | 2.45 | (.44 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.53 | ) | 25.04 | 10.70 | 324 | .70 | .70 | 1.86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.17 | .46 | 3.30 | 3.76 | (.50 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.81 | ) | 23.12 | 19.14 | 172 | .72 | .72 | 2.14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-A: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 29.11 | .60 | 2.83 | 3.43 | (.58 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.29 | ) | 31.25 | 12.07 | 259 | .68 | .65 | 1.99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.50 | .60 | 3.55 | 4.15 | (.53 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.54 | ) | 29.11 | 16.29 | 206 | .66 | .64 | 2.21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 25.07 | .51 | 1.42 | 1.93 | (.45 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.50 | ) | 26.50 | 7.71 | 151 | .70 | .68 | 1.93 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.15 | .45 | 2.00 | 2.45 | (.44 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.53 | ) | 25.07 | 10.70 | 99 | .71 | .71 | 1.85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.20 | .47 | 3.31 | 3.78 | (.52 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.83 | ) | 23.15 | 19.19 | 51 | .67 | .67 | 2.22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-B: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 29.01 | .36 | 2.82 | 3.18 | (.34 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.05 | ) | 31.14 | 11.19 | 46 | 1.48 | 1.46 | 1.19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.42 | .37 | 3.53 | 3.90 | (.30 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.31 | ) | 29.01 | 15.29 | 40 | 1.50 | 1.47 | 1.38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 25.00 | .29 | 1.41 | 1.70 | (.23 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.28 | ) | 26.42 | 6.79 | 32 | 1.55 | 1.53 | 1.09 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.09 | .24 | 1.99 | 2.23 | (.23 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.32 | ) | 25.00 | 9.72 | 24 | 1.59 | 1.59 | .97 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.16 | .27 | 3.30 | 3.57 | (.33 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.64 | ) | 23.09 | 18.07 | 14 | 1.61 | 1.61 | 1.27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-C: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 29.01 | .36 | 2.81 | 3.17 | (.34 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.05 | ) | 31.13 | 11.17 | 77 | 1.48 | 1.45 | 1.19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.42 | .38 | 3.53 | 3.91 | (.31 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.32 | ) | 29.01 | 15.31 | 62 | 1.49 | 1.46 | 1.39 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 25.00 | .29 | 1.41 | 1.70 | (.23 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.28 | ) | 26.42 | 6.82 | 48 | 1.54 | 1.52 | 1.10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.09 | .24 | 1.99 | 2.23 | (.23 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.32 | ) | 25.00 | 9.74 | 33 | 1.58 | 1.58 | .98 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.16 | .27 | 3.30 | 3.57 | (.33 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.64 | ) | 23.09 | 18.09 | 16 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 1.28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-E: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 29.04 | .51 | 2.82 | 3.33 | (.49 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.20 | ) | 31.17 | 11.74 | 14 | .97 | .95 | 1.70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.44 | .52 | 3.54 | 4.06 | (.45 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.46 | ) | 29.04 | 15.92 | 11 | .97 | .95 | 1.90 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 25.02 | .42 | 1.41 | 1.83 | (.36 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.41 | ) | 26.44 | 7.35 | 8 | 1.02 | 1.00 | 1.61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.10 | .37 | 1.99 | 2.36 | (.35 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.44 | ) | 25.02 | 10.32 | 6 | 1.06 | 1.06 | 1.50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.16 | .38 | 3.30 | 3.68 | (.43 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.74 | ) | 23.10 | 18.72 | 3 | 1.07 | 1.07 | 1.80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class 529-F: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 29.13 | .66 | 2.84 | 3.50 | (.64 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.35 | ) | 31.28 | 12.32 | 8 | .47 | .45 | 2.19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.52 | .65 | 3.55 | 4.20 | (.58 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.59 | ) | 29.13 | 16.49 | 5 | .47 | .44 | 2.37 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 25.08 | .52 | 1.42 | 1.94 | (.45 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.50 | ) | 26.52 | 7.77 | 3 | .64 | .62 | 1.99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.16 | .43 | 2.00 | 2.43 | (.42 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.51 | ) | 25.08 | 10.58 | 2 | .81 | .80 | 1.75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.22 | .43 | 3.32 | 3.75 | (.50 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.81 | ) | 23.16 | 19.03 | 1 | .82 | .82 | 1.99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-1: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 28.97 | .37 | 2.80 | 3.17 | (.33 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.04 | ) | 31.10 | 11.18 | 14 | 1.45 | 1.43 | 1.22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.38 | .38 | 3.54 | 3.92 | (.32 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.33 | ) | 28.97 | 15.38 | 15 | 1.46 | 1.43 | 1.42 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 24.97 | .31 | 1.40 | 1.71 | (.25 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.30 | ) | 26.38 | 6.86 | 12 | 1.48 | 1.45 | 1.17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.06 | .26 | 1.99 | 2.25 | (.25 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.34 | ) | 24.97 | 9.83 | 10 | 1.51 | 1.49 | 1.07 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.17 | .26 | 3.33 | 3.59 | (.39 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.70 | ) | 23.06 | 18.19 | 4 | 1.65 | 1.50 | 1.18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-2: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 28.94 | .38 | 2.81 | 3.19 | (.36 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.07 | ) | 31.06 | 11.24 | 161 | 1.49 | 1.41 | 1.24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.36 | .39 | 3.52 | 3.91 | (.32 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.33 | ) | 28.94 | 15.36 | 133 | 1.61 | 1.41 | 1.43 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 24.95 | .31 | 1.41 | 1.72 | (.26 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.31 | ) | 26.36 | 6.90 | 99 | 1.65 | 1.42 | 1.19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.05 | .27 | 1.99 | 2.26 | (.27 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.36 | ) | 24.95 | 9.86 | 64 | 1.76 | 1.45 | 1.10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.17 | .29 | 3.28 | 3.57 | (.38 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.69 | ) | 23.05 | 18.10 | 32 | 1.86 | 1.47 | 1.35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-3: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 29.01 | .52 | 2.81 | 3.33 | (.49 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.20 | ) | 31.14 | 11.76 | 228 | .97 | .95 | 1.71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.41 | .52 | 3.54 | 4.06 | (.45 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.46 | ) | 29.01 | 15.94 | 222 | .96 | .93 | 1.92 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 25.00 | .44 | 1.40 | 1.84 | (.38 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.43 | ) | 26.41 | 7.37 | 181 | .98 | .96 | 1.65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.09 | .37 | 1.99 | 2.36 | (.36 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.45 | ) | 25.00 | 10.32 | 113 | 1.05 | 1.04 | 1.49 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.18 | .37 | 3.30 | 3.67 | (.45 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.76 | ) | 23.09 | 18.64 | 32 | 1.14 | 1.08 | 1.72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-4: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 29.09 | .61 | 2.82 | 3.43 | (.58 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.29 | ) | 31.23 | 12.08 | 70 | .67 | .65 | 2.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.48 | .60 | 3.54 | 4.14 | (.52 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.53 | ) | 29.09 | 16.26 | 55 | .68 | .66 | 2.20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 25.06 | .51 | 1.41 | 1.92 | (.45 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.50 | ) | 26.48 | 7.69 | 43 | .69 | .67 | 1.94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.14 | .46 | 1.99 | 2.45 | (.44 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.53 | ) | 25.06 | 10.69 | 34 | .70 | .70 | 1.86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.19 | .44 | 3.32 | 3.76 | (.50 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.81 | ) | 23.14 | 19.14 | 16 | .73 | .72 | 2.03 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class R-5: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2007 | 29.14 | .71 | 2.82 | 3.53 | (.67 | ) | (.71 | ) | (1.38 | ) | 31.29 | 12.42 | 283 | .37 | .35 | 2.32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2006 | 26.53 | .68 | 3.54 | 4.22 | (.60 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (1.61 | ) | 29.14 | 16.58 | 267 | .38 | .35 | 2.49 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2005 | 25.10 | .58 | 1.43 | 2.01 | (.53 | ) | (.05 | ) | (.58 | ) | 26.53 | 8.05 | 198 | .39 | .36 | 2.22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2004 | 23.17 | .53 | 2.00 | 2.53 | (.51 | ) | (.09 | ) | (.60 | ) | 25.10 | 11.04 | 62 | .39 | .39 | 2.18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year ended 10/31/2003 | 20.21 | .54 | 3.29 | 3.83 | (.56 | ) | (.31 | ) | (.87 | ) | 23.17 | 19.50 | 52 | .41 | .41 | 2.53 |
Year ended October 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||
2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | ||||||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate for all classes of shares | 19 | % | 19 | % | 22 | % | 17 | % | 24 | % |
(1) Based on average shares outstanding. |
(2) Total returns exclude all sales charges, including contingent deferred sales charges. |
(3) This column reflects the impact, if any, of certain reimbursements/waivers from CRMC. |
During some of the years shown, |
CRMC reduced fees for investment advisory services. In addition, during |
some of the years shown, CRMC paid a portion of the fund's transfer agent fees for certain retirement plan share classes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of American Mutual Fund, Inc.:
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the summary investment portfolio, of American Mutual Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”), as of October 31, 2007, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, 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 periods presented. 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 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. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2007, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. 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 American Mutual Fund, Inc. as of October 31, 2007, the results of its operations for the year then ended, 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 periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Costa Mesa, California
December 5, 2007
Tax information
unaudited
We are required to advise you within 60 days of the fund’s fiscal year-end regarding the federal tax status of certain distributions received by shareholders during such fiscal year. The fund hereby designates the following amounts for the fund’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2007:
Long-term capital gains | $ | 470,340,000 | ||
Qualified dividend income | 100 | % | ||
Corporate dividends received deduction | 100 | % | ||
U.S. government income that may be exempt from state taxation | $ | 6,628,000 |
Individual shareholders should refer to their Form 1099 or other tax information, which will be mailed in January 2008, to determine the calendar year amounts to be included on their 2007 tax returns. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers.
Other share class results
unaudited
Class B, Class C, Class F and Class 529
Fund results shown are for past periods and are not predictive of results for future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. For current information and month-end results, visit americanfunds.com.
Average annual total returns for periods ended September 30, 2007 | ||||||||||||
(the most recent calendar quarter-end): | ||||||||||||
1 year | 5 years | Life of class | ||||||||||
Class B shares— first sold 3/15/00 | ||||||||||||
Reflecting applicable contingent deferred sales | ||||||||||||
charge (CDSC), maximum of 5%, payable only | ||||||||||||
if shares are sold within six years of purchase | 9.70 | % | 12.96 | % | 8.75 | % | ||||||
Not reflecting CDSC | 14.70 | 13.21 | 8.75 | |||||||||
Class C shares— first sold 3/15/01 | ||||||||||||
Reflecting CDSC, maximum of 1%, payable only | ||||||||||||
if shares are sold within one year of purchase | 13.64 | 13.13 | 7.48 | |||||||||
Not reflecting CDSC | 14.64 | 13.13 | 7.48 | |||||||||
Class F shares*— first sold 3/15/01 | ||||||||||||
Not reflecting annual asset-based fee charged | ||||||||||||
by sponsoring firm | 15.50 | 14.01 | 8.30 | |||||||||
Class 529-A shares†— first sold 2/19/02 | ||||||||||||
Reflecting 5.75% maximum sales charge | 8.84 | 12.66 | 7.88 | |||||||||
Not reflecting maximum sales charge | 15.47 | 14.00 | 9.02 | |||||||||
Class 529-B shares†— first sold 2/19/02 | ||||||||||||
Reflecting applicable CDSC, maximum of 5%, | ||||||||||||
payable only if shares are sold within | ||||||||||||
six years of purchase | 9.52 | 12.76 | 7.96 | |||||||||
Not reflecting CDSC | 14.52 | 13.01 | 8.08 | |||||||||
Class 529-C shares†— first sold 2/20/02 | ||||||||||||
Reflecting CDSC, maximum of 1%, payable only | ||||||||||||
if shares are sold within one year of purchase | 13.53 | 13.03 | 7.91 | |||||||||
Not reflecting CDSC | 14.53 | 13.03 | 7.91 | |||||||||
Class 529-E shares*†— first sold 3/7/02 | 15.13 | 13.60 | 7.43 | |||||||||
Class 529-F shares*†— first sold 9/17/02 | ||||||||||||
Not reflecting annual asset-based fee charged | ||||||||||||
by sponsoring firm | 15.71 | 14.04 | 12.63 | |||||||||
*These shares are sold without any initial or contingent deferred sales charge. | ||||||||||||
† Results shown do not reflect the $10 initial account setup fee and an annual $10 account maintenance fee. |
The fund’s investment adviser waived 5% of its management fees from September 1, 2004, through March 31, 2005, and increased the waiver to 10% on April 1, 2005. Fund results shown reflect the waiver, without which they would have been lower. Please see the Financial Highlights table on pages 23 to 24 for details.
For information regarding the differences among the various share classes, please refer to the fund’s prospectus.
Expense example
160; unaudited
As a shareholder of the fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs such as initial sales charges on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions (loads); and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and service (12b-1) fees; and other expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund so you can 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 (May 1, 2007, through October 31, 2007).
Actual expenses:
The first line of each share class in the table on the next page 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 = 8.6), 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 each share class in the table on the next page provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the actual expense ratio for the share class and an assumed rate of return of 5.00% per year before expenses, which is not the actual return of the share class. 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 5.00% hypothetical example with the 5.00% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Notes:
There are some account fees that are charged to certain types of accounts, such as Individual Retirement Accounts and 529 college savings plan accounts (generally, a $10 fee is charged to set up the account and an additional $10 fee is charged to the account annually) that would increase the amount of expenses paid on your account. In addition, retirement plan participants may be subject to certain fees charged by the plan sponsor, and Class F and 529-F shareholders may be subject to fees charged by financial intermediaries, typically ranging from 0.75% to 1.50% of assets annually depending on services offered. You can estimate the impact of these fees by adding the amount of the fees to the total estimated expenses you paid on your account during the period as calculated above. In addition, your ending account value would also be lower by the amount of these fees.
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). Therefore, the second line of each share class in 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.
Beginning account value 5/1/2007 | Ending account value 10/31/2007 | Expenses paid during period* | Annualized expense ratio | |||||||||||||
Class A -- actual return | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,025.59 | $ | 2.81 | .55 | % | ||||||||
Class A -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,022.43 | 2.80 | .55 | ||||||||||||
Class B -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,021.22 | 6.72 | 1.32 | ||||||||||||
Class B -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,018.55 | 6.72 | 1.32 | ||||||||||||
Class C -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,021.02 | 6.98 | 1.37 | ||||||||||||
Class C -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,018.30 | 6.97 | 1.37 | ||||||||||||
Class F -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,025.40 | 3.06 | .60 | ||||||||||||
Class F -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,022.18 | 3.06 | .60 | ||||||||||||
Class 529-A -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,025.13 | 3.32 | .65 | ||||||||||||
Class 529-A -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,021.93 | 3.31 | .65 | ||||||||||||
Class 529-B -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,020.80 | 7.39 | 1.45 | ||||||||||||
Class 529-B -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,017.90 | 7.38 | 1.45 | ||||||||||||
Class 529-C -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,020.50 | 7.38 | 1.45 | ||||||||||||
Class 529-C -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,017.90 | 7.38 | 1.45 | ||||||||||||
Class 529-E -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,023.34 | 4.79 | .94 | ||||||||||||
Class 529-E -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,020.47 | 4.79 | .94 | ||||||||||||
Class 529-F -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,026.14 | 2.25 | .44 | ||||||||||||
Class 529-F -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,022.99 | 2.24 | .44 | ||||||||||||
Class R-1 -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,020.67 | 7.23 | 1.42 | ||||||||||||
Class R-1 -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,018.05 | 7.22 | 1.42 | ||||||||||||
Class R-2 -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,021.16 | 7.13 | 1.40 | ||||||||||||
Class R-2 -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,018.15 | 7.12 | 1.40 | ||||||||||||
Class R-3 -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,023.32 | 4.79 | .94 | ||||||||||||
Class R-3 -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,020.47 | 4.79 | .94 | ||||||||||||
Class R-4 -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,024.84 | 3.27 | .64 | ||||||||||||
Class R-4 -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,021.98 | 3.26 | .64 | ||||||||||||
Class R-5 -- actual return | 1,000.00 | 1,026.28 | 1.74 | .34 | ||||||||||||
Class R-5 -- assumed 5% return | 1,000.00 | 1,023.49 | 1.73 | .34 |
*The “expenses paid during period” are equal to the “annualized expense ratio,” multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the period (184) and divided by 365 (to reflect the one-half year period).
Board of directors and other officers
“Independent” directors | ||
Year first | ||
elected | ||
a director | ||
Name and age | of the fund1 | Principal occupation(s) during past five years |
H. Frederick Christie, 74 | 1972 | Private investor; former President and CEO, |
Chairman of the Board | The Mission Group (non-utility holding company, | |
(Independent and Non-Executive) | subsidiary of Southern California Edison Company) | |
Mary Anne Dolan, 60 | 1993 | Founder and President, M.A.D., Inc. (communications company); former Editor-in-Chief, The Los Angeles Herald Examiner |
Martin Fenton, 72 | 1981 | Chairman of the Board, Senior Resource Group LLC (development and management of senior living communities) |
William D. Jones, 52 | 2006 | President and CEO, CityLink Investment Corporation (real estate development and management) |
Mary Myers Kauppila, 53 | 1991 | Private investor; Chairman of the Board and CEO, Ladera Management Company (venture capital and agriculture); former owner and President, Energy Investment, Inc. |
William H. Kling, 65 | 2006 | President, American Public Media Group |
Bailey Morris-Eck, 63 | 1999 | Director and Programming Chair, WYPR Baltimore/Washington (public radio station); Senior Adviser, Financial News (London); Senior Fellow, Institute for International Economics |
Kirk P. Pendleton, 68 | 1998 | Chairman of the Board and CEO, Cairnwood, Inc. (venture capital investment) |
Olin C. Robison, Ph.D., 71 | 1991 | Fellow, The Oxford Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture; Director, The Oxford Project on Religion and Public Policy; President Emeritus of the Salzburg Seminar; President Emeritus, Middlebury College |
Steven B. Sample, Ph.D., 67 | 1999 | President, University of Southern California |
“Independent” directors | ||
Number of | ||
portfolios | ||
in fund | ||
complex2 | ||
overseen by | ||
Name and age | director | Other directorships3 held by director |
H. Frederick Christie, 74 | 21 | AECOM Technology Corporation; Ducommun |
Chairman of the Board | Incorporated; IHOP Corporation; Southwest | |
(Independent and Non-Executive) | Water Company | |
Mary Anne Dolan, 60 | 3 | None |
Martin Fenton, 72 | 18 | None |
William D. Jones, 52 | 2 | Sempra Energy; Southwest Water Company |
Mary Myers Kauppila, 53 | 6 | None |
William H. Kling, 65 | 8 | Irwin Financial Corporation |
Bailey Morris-Eck, 63 | 3 | None |
Kirk P. Pendleton, 68 | 7 | None |
Olin C. Robison, Ph.D., 71 | 3 | American Shared Hospital Services |
Steven B. Sample, Ph.D., 67 | 2 | Intermec, Inc.; William Wrigley Jr. Company |
“Interested” directors4 | ||
Year first | ||
elected a | ||
director or | Principal occupation(s) during past five years and | |
Name, age and | officer of | positions held with affiliated entities or the principal |
position with fund | the fund1 | underwriter of the fund |
James K. Dunton, 69 | 1984 | Senior Vice President — Capital Research Global |
President and | Investors, Capital Research and Management | |
Vice Chairman of the Board | Company; Director, Capital Research and Management Company | |
“Interested” directors4 | ||
Number of | ||
portfolios | ||
in fund | ||
complex2 | ||
Name, age and | overseen by | |
position with fund | director | Other directorships3 held by director |
James K. Dunton, 69 | 2 | None |
President and | ||
Vice Chairman of the Board | ||
Chairman emeritus | ||
Jon B. Lovelace, Jr., 80 | Chairman Emeritus, Capital Research and Management Company |
The statement of additional information includes additional information about fund directors and is available without charge upon request by calling American Funds Service Company at 800/421-0180. The address for all directors and officers of the fund is 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles,
CA 90071, Attention: Secretary.
1Directors and officers of the fund serve until their resignation, removal or retirement. |
2Capital Research and Management Company manages the American Funds, consisting of 30 funds. Capital Research and Management Company also manages American Funds Insurance Series,® which is composed of 15 funds and serves as the underlying investment vehicle for certain variable insurance contracts; American Funds Target Date Retirement Series,® Inc., which is composed of nine funds and is available to investors in tax-deferred retirement plans and IRAs; and Endowments, which is composed of two portfolios and is available to certain nonprofit organizations. |
3This includes all directorships (other than those in the American Funds) that are held by each director as a director of a public company or a registered investment company. |
4“Interested persons” within the meaning of the 1940 Act, on the basis of their affiliation with the fund’s investment adviser, Capital Research and Management Company, or affiliated entities (including the fund’s principal underwriter). |
5Company affiliated with Capital Research and Management Company |
Other officers | ||
Year first | ||
elected | Principal occupation(s) during past five years | |
Name, age and | an officer | and positions held with affiliated entities or the |
position with fund | of the fund1 | principal underwriter of the fund |
Joyce E. Gordon, 51 | 2005 | Senior Vice President — Capital Research Global |
Senior Vice President | Investors, Capital Research and Management Company; Director, Capital Research and Management Company | |
James B. Lovelace, 51 | 2006 | Senior Vice President — Capital Research Global |
Senior Vice President | Investors, Capital Research and Management Company; Director, Capital Research and Management Company | |
Paul F. Roye, 54 | 2007 | Senior Vice President — Fund Business |
Senior Vice President | Management Group, Capital Research and Management Company; Director, American Funds Service Company;5 former Director of Investment Management, United States Securities and Exchange Commission | |
Christopher D. Buchbinder, 36 | 2006 | Senior Vice President — Capital Research Global |
Vice President | Investors, Capital Research Company;5 Director, Capital Research Company5 | |
William L. Robbins, 39 | 2004 | Senior Vice President — Capital Research Global |
Vice President | Investors, Capital Research Company;5 Director, Capital Research Company5 | |
James Terrile, 42 | 2007 | Senior Vice President — Capital Research Global |
Vice President | Investors, Capital Research Company5 | |
Vincent P. Corti, 51 | 1994 | Vice President — Fund Business Management |
Secretary | Group, Capital Research and Management Company | |
Karl C. Grauman, 39 | 2006 | Vice President — Fund Business Management |
Treasurer | Group, Capital Research and Management Company | |
Courtney R. Taylor, 32 | 2007 | Assistant Vice President — Fund Business |
Assistant Secretary | Management Group, Capital Research and Management Company | |
Jeffrey P. Regal, 36 | 2003 | Vice President — Fund Business Management |
Assistant Treasurer | Group, Capital Research and Management Company |
Offices of the fund and of
the investment adviser
Capital Research and Management Company
333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-1406
6455 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
Custodian of assets
JPMorgan Chase Bank
270 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017-2070
Transfer agent for shareholder accounts
American Funds Service Company
(Please write to the address nearest you.)
P.O. Box 25065
Santa Ana, CA 92799-5065
P.O. Box 659522
San Antonio, TX 78265-9522
P.O. Box 6007
Indianapolis, IN 46206-6007
P.O. Box 2280
Norfolk, VA 23501-2280
Counsel
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
400 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-2899
Independent registered public accounting firm
Deloitte & Touche LLP
695 Town Center Drive
Suite 1200
Costa Mesa, CA 92626-7188
Principal underwriter
American Funds Distributors, Inc.
333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-1406
Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the American Funds. This and other important information is contained in the fund’s prospectus, which can be obtained from your financial professional and should be read carefully before investing. You may also call American Funds Service Company (AFS) at 800/421-0180 or visit the American Funds website at americanfunds.com.
“American Funds Proxy Voting Guidelines” — which describes how we vote proxies relating to portfolio securities — is available free of charge on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website at sec.gov, on the American Funds website or upon request by calling AFS. The fund files its proxy voting record with the SEC for the 12 months ended June 30 by August 31. The report also is available on the SEC and American Funds websites.
A complete October 31, 2007, portfolio of American Mutual Fund’s investments is available free of charge by calling AFS or visiting the SEC website (where it is part of Form N-CSR).
American Mutual Fund files a complete list of its portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. This filing is available free of charge on the SEC website. You may also review or, for a fee, copy this filing at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. (800/SEC-0330). Additionally, the list of portfolio holdings also is available by calling AFS.
This report is for the information of shareholders of American Mutual Fund, but it also may be used as sales literature when preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus, which gives details about charges, expenses, investment objectives and operating policies of the fund. If used as sales material after December 31, 2007, this report must be accompanied by an American Funds statistical update for the most recently completed calendar quarter.
[logo - American Funds®]
The right choice for the long term®
What makes American Funds different?
For 75 years, we have followed a consistent philosophy to benefit our investors. Our 30 carefully conceived, broadly diversified funds, in addition to the target date retirement series, offer opportunities that have attracted over 40 million shareholder accounts.
Our unique combination of strengths includes these five factors:
•A long-term, value-oriented approach |
We seek to buy securities at reasonable prices relative to their prospects and hold them for the long term. |
•An extensive global research effort |
Our investment professionals travel the world to find the best investment opportunities and gain a comprehensive understanding of companies and markets. |
•The multiple portfolio counselor system |
Our unique method of portfolio management, developed nearly 50 years ago, blends teamwork with individual accountability and has provided American Funds with a sustainable method of achieving fund objectives. |
•Experienced investment professionals |
American Funds portfolio counselors have an average of 24 years of investment experience, providing a wealth of knowledge and experience that few organizations have. |
•A commitment to low operating expenses |
The American Funds provide exceptional value for shareholders, with operating expenses that are among the lowest in the mutual fund industry. |
American Funds span a range of investment objectives
•Growth funds |
Emphasis on long-term growth through stocks |
AMCAP Fund® |
EuroPacific Growth Fund® |
The Growth Fund of America® |
The New Economy Fund® |
New Perspective Fund® |
New World FundSM |
SMALLCAP World Fund® |
•Growth-and-income funds |
Emphasis on long-term growth and dividends through stocks |
>American Mutual Fund® |
Capital World Growth and Income FundSM |
Fundamental InvestorsSM |
The Investment Company of America® |
Washington Mutual Investors FundSM |
•Equity-income funds |
Emphasis on above-average income and growth through stocks and/or bonds |
Capital Income Builder® |
The Income Fund of America®
•Balanced fund |
Emphasis on long-term growth and current income through stocks and bonds |
American Balanced Fund® |
•Bond funds |
Emphasis on current income through bonds |
American High-Income TrustSM |
The Bond Fund of AmericaSM |
Capital World Bond Fund® |
Intermediate Bond Fund of America® |
Short-Term Bond Fund of AmericaSM
U.S. Government Securities FundSM |
•Tax-exempt bond funds |
Emphasis on tax-free current income through municipal bonds |
American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund® |
Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of AmericaSM |
The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America® |
State-specific tax-exempt funds |
The Tax-Exempt Fund of California® |
The Tax-Exempt Fund of Maryland® |
The Tax-Exempt Fund of Virginia® |
•Money market funds |
The Cash Management Trust of America® |
The Tax-Exempt Money Fund of AmericaSM |
The U.S. Treasury Money Fund of AmericaSM |
•American Funds Target Date Retirement Series® |
The Capital Group Companies
American Funds Capital Research and Management Capital International Capital Guardian Capital Bank and Trust
Lit. No. MFGEAR-903-1207P
Litho in USA AGD/L/8052-S10030
Printed on recycled paper
ITEM 2 – Code of Ethics
The Registrant has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to its Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer. The Registrant undertakes to provide to any person without charge, upon request, a copy of the Code of Ethics. Such request can be made to American Funds Service Company at 800/421-0180 or to the Secretary of the Registrant, 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, California 90071.
ITEM 3 – Audit Committee Financial Expert
The Registrant’s board has determined that Martin Fenton, a member of the Registrant’s audit committee, is an “audit committee financial expert” and "independent," as such terms are defined in this Item. This designation will not increase the designee’s duties, obligations or liability as compared to his or her duties, obligations and liability as a member of the audit committee and of the board, nor will it reduce the responsibility of the other audit committee members. There may be other individuals who, through education or experience, would qualify as "audit committee financial experts" if the board had designated them as such. Most importantly, the board believes each member of the audit committee contributes significantly to the effective oversight of the Registrant’s financial statements and condition.
ITEM 4 – Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Registrant: | ||||
a) Audit Fees: | ||||
2006 | $67,000 | |||
2007 | $71,000 | |||
b) Audit-Related Fees: | ||||
2006 | $5,000 | |||
2007 | $5,000 | |||
The audit-related fees consist of assurance and related services relating to the examination of the Registrant’s investment adviser conducted in accordance with Statement on Auditing Standards Number 70 issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. | ||||
c) Tax Fees: | ||||
2006 | $6,000 | |||
2007 | $6,000 | |||
The tax fees consist of professional services relating to the preparation of the Registrant’s tax returns. | ||||
d) All Other Fees: | ||||
2006 | None | |||
2007 | None | |||
Adviser and affiliates (includes only fees for non-audit services billed to the adviser and affiliates for engagements that relate directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Registrant and were subject to the pre-approval policies described below): | ||||
a) Not Applicable | ||||
b) Audit-Related Fees: | ||||
2006 | $739,000 | |||
2007 | $897,000 | |||
The audit–related fees consist of assurance and related services relating to the examination of the Registrant’s transfer agent, principal underwriter and investment adviser conducted in accordance with Statement on Auditing Standards Number 70 issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. | ||||
c) Tax Fees: | ||||
2006 | $9,000 | |||
2007 | $2,000 | |||
The tax fees consist of consulting services relating to the registrant’s investments. | ||||
d) All Other Fees: | ||||
2006 | $9,000 | |||
2007 | None | |||
The other fees consist of consulting services related to the Registrant’s compliance program. |
The Registrant’s audit committee will pre-approve all audit and permissible non-audit services that the committee considers compatible with maintaining the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence. The pre-approval requirement will extend to all non-audit services provided to the Registrant, the investment adviser, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the Registrant, if the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Registrant. The committee will not delegate its responsibility to pre-approve these services to the investment adviser. The committee may delegate to one or more committee members the authority to review and pre-approve audit and permissible non-audit services. Actions taken under any such delegation will be reported to the full committee at its next meeting. The pre-approval requirement is waived with respect to non-audit services if certain conditions are met. The pre-approval requirement was not waived for any of the non-audit services listed above provided to the Registrant, adviser, and affiliates.
Aggregate non-audit fees paid to the Registrant’s auditors, including fees for all services billed to the Registrant and the adviser and affiliates that provide ongoing services to the Registrant were $1,055,000 for fiscal year 2006 and $1,195,000 for fiscal year 2007. The non-audit services represented by these amounts were brought to the attention of the committee and considered to be compatible with maintaining the auditors’ independence.
ITEM 5 – Audit Committee of Listed Registrants
Not applicable to this Registrant, insofar as the Registrant is not a listed issuer as defined in Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
ITEM 6 – Schedule of Investments
[logo – American Funds®]
American Mutual Fund®
Investment portfolio
October 31, 2007
Common stocks — 89.69% | Shares | Market value (000) | ||||||
ENERGY — 7.02% | ||||||||
Apache Corp. | 420,000 | $ | 43,600 | |||||
BJ Services Co. | 3,333,037 | 83,959 | ||||||
Chevron Corp. | 2,183,304 | 199,794 | ||||||
ConocoPhillips | 2,200,000 | 186,912 | ||||||
Devon Energy Corp. | 2,000,000 | 186,800 | ||||||
Exxon Mobil Corp. | 1,135,000 | 104,409 | ||||||
Halliburton Co. | 1,200,000 | 47,304 | ||||||
Hess Corp. | 2,100,000 | 150,381 | ||||||
Marathon Oil Corp. | 5,353,600 | 316,558 | ||||||
Schlumberger Ltd. | 880,400 | 85,021 | ||||||
Spectra Energy Corp | 1,900,000 | 49,362 | ||||||
Sunoco, Inc. | 500,000 | 36,800 | ||||||
1,490,900 | ||||||||
MATERIALS — 3.78% | ||||||||
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. | 1,850,000 | 181,023 | ||||||
Dow Chemical Co. | 2,250,000 | 101,340 | ||||||
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. | 1,350,000 | 66,838 | ||||||
International Paper Co. | 2,350,000 | 86,856 | ||||||
MeadWestvaco Corp. | 5,000,000 | 168,200 | ||||||
Praxair, Inc. | 1,400,000 | 119,672 | ||||||
Sonoco Products Co. | 1,284,000 | 39,701 | ||||||
Weyerhaeuser Co. | 500,000 | 37,955 | ||||||
801,585 | ||||||||
INDUSTRIALS — 12.86% | ||||||||
3M Co. | 970,000 | 83,769 | ||||||
Avery Dennison Corp. | 3,375,000 | 195,412 | ||||||
Boeing Co. | 500,000 | 49,295 | ||||||
Cintas Corp. | 2,420,000 | 88,572 | ||||||
Emerson Electric Co. | 1,300,000 | 67,951 | ||||||
General Dynamics Corp. | 770,000 | 70,039 | ||||||
General Electric Co. | 14,250,000 | 586,530 | ||||||
Illinois Tool Works Inc. | 428,000 | 24,507 | ||||||
Norfolk Southern Corp. | 5,082,000 | 262,485 | ||||||
Northrop Grumman Corp. | 1,000,000 | 83,620 | ||||||
Pentair, Inc. | 1,950,000 | 69,011 | ||||||
Pitney Bowes Inc. | 2,650,000 | 106,106 | ||||||
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. | 6,092,500 | 245,467 | ||||||
Southwest Airlines Co. | 5,930,000 | 84,265 | ||||||
Tyco International Ltd. | 1,595,300 | 65,679 | ||||||
United Parcel Service, Inc., Class B | 3,550,000 | 266,605 | ||||||
United Technologies Corp. | 4,100,000 | 314,019 | ||||||
Waste Management, Inc. | 1,800,000 | 65,502 | ||||||
2,728,834 | ||||||||
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY — 10.13% | ||||||||
Carnival Corp., units | 1,475,000 | 70,771 | ||||||
Darden Restaurants, Inc. | 2,800,000 | 120,400 | ||||||
Harley-Davidson, Inc. | 1,508,000 | 77,662 | ||||||
Home Depot, Inc. | 750,000 | 23,633 | ||||||
Johnson Controls, Inc. | 5,520,000 | 241,334 | ||||||
Leggett & Platt, Inc. | 5,945,000 | 115,511 | ||||||
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. | 7,731,600 | 207,903 | ||||||
Magna International Inc., Class A | 1,772,700 | 167,981 | ||||||
Mattel, Inc. | 3,879,200 | 81,036 | ||||||
News Corp., Class A | 2,350,000 | 50,925 | ||||||
Omnicom Group Inc. | 1,500,000 | 76,470 | ||||||
Ross Stores, Inc. | 2,250,000 | 60,795 | ||||||
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 4,400,000 | 188,672 | ||||||
Target Corp. | 2,612,000 | 160,272 | ||||||
Time Warner Inc. | 6,036,900 | 110,234 | ||||||
TJX Companies, Inc. | 3,850,000 | 111,380 | ||||||
VF Corp. | 1,150,000 | 100,199 | ||||||
YUM! Brands, Inc. | 4,580,000 | 184,437 | ||||||
2,149,615 | ||||||||
CONSUMER STAPLES — 6.62% | ||||||||
Avon Products, Inc. | 641,900 | 26,305 | ||||||
Coca-Cola Co. | 750,000 | 46,320 | ||||||
ConAgra Foods, Inc. | 4,400,000 | 104,412 | ||||||
General Mills, Inc. | 1,250,000 | 72,163 | ||||||
H.J. Heinz Co. | 4,053,700 | 189,632 | ||||||
Kellogg Co. | 1,585,600 | 83,704 | ||||||
Kimberly-Clark Corp. | 2,410,000 | 170,845 | ||||||
PepsiCo, Inc. | 3,210,000 | 236,641 | ||||||
Walgreen Co. | 4,300,000 | 170,495 | ||||||
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | 4,000,000 | 180,840 | ||||||
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. | 2,000,000 | 123,340 | ||||||
1,404,697 | ||||||||
HEALTH CARE — 10.63% | ||||||||
Abbott Laboratories | 6,300,000 | 344,106 | ||||||
Amgen Inc.1 | 2,605,000 | 151,377 | ||||||
AstraZeneca PLC (ADR) | 1,295,000 | 63,584 | ||||||
Becton, Dickinson and Co. | 600,000 | 50,076 | ||||||
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. | 9,182,200 | 275,374 | ||||||
Cardinal Health, Inc. | 2,020,000 | 137,421 | ||||||
Covidien Ltd. | 1,595,300 | 66,364 | ||||||
Eli Lilly and Co. | 4,205,000 | 227,701 | ||||||
Johnson & Johnson | 600,000 | 39,102 | ||||||
Medtronic, Inc. | 3,707,000 | 175,860 | ||||||
Merck & Co., Inc. | 4,250,000 | 247,605 | ||||||
Pfizer Inc | 7,165,000 | 176,331 | ||||||
Schering-Plough Corp. | 3,975,000 | 121,317 | ||||||
Wyeth | 3,698,000 | 179,834 | ||||||
2,256,052 | ||||||||
FINANCIALS — 13.21% | ||||||||
Allstate Corp. | 1,200,000 | 62,880 | ||||||
American International Group, Inc. | 2,829,000 | 178,567 | ||||||
Aon Corp. | 2,750,000 | 124,630 | ||||||
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | 867,331 | 23,080 | ||||||
Bank of America Corp. | 7,365,000 | 355,582 | ||||||
Bank of New York Mellon Corp. | 6,741,050 | 329,300 | ||||||
Citigroup Inc. | 9,335,000 | 391,137 | ||||||
Fannie Mae | 5,558,096 | 317,034 | ||||||
First Horizon National Corp. | 1,380,000 | 35,990 | ||||||
Freddie Mac | 3,630,700 | 189,631 | ||||||
Huntington Bancshares Inc. | 4,720,000 | 84,535 | ||||||
JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 4,546,000 | 213,662 | ||||||
Lincoln National Corp. | 1,322,900 | 82,509 | ||||||
Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. | 1,100,300 | 28,487 | ||||||
Travelers Companies, Inc. | 1,536,000 | 80,195 | ||||||
U.S. Bancorp | 1,750,000 | 58,030 | ||||||
Unum Group | 1,000,000 | 23,340 | ||||||
Wachovia Corp. | 1,500,000 | 68,595 | ||||||
Washington Mutual, Inc. | 4,123,000 | 114,949 | ||||||
Wells Fargo & Co. | 1,200,000 | 40,812 | ||||||
2,802,945 | ||||||||
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — 12.66% | ||||||||
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | 750,000 | 37,170 | ||||||
Cisco Systems, Inc.1 | 3,780,000 | 124,967 | ||||||
Hewlett-Packard Co. | 6,600,000 | 341,088 | ||||||
Intel Corp. | 9,100,000 | 244,790 | ||||||
International Business Machines Corp. | 4,510,000 | 523,701 | ||||||
KLA-Tencor Corp. | 1,142,000 | 60,126 | ||||||
Linear Technology Corp. | 2,745,000 | 90,640 | ||||||
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. | 900,000 | 24,390 | ||||||
Microchip Technology Inc. | 7,356,625 | 244,019 | ||||||
Microsoft Corp. | 13,930,000 | 512,763 | ||||||
Oracle Corp.1 | 9,600,000 | 212,832 | ||||||
Seagate Technology | 1,100,000 | 30,624 | ||||||
Texas Instruments Inc. | 4,100,000 | 133,660 | ||||||
Tyco Electronics Ltd. | 1,595,300 | 56,905 | ||||||
Xilinx, Inc. | 1,970,000 | 48,068 | ||||||
2,685,743 | ||||||||
TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES — 5.14% | ||||||||
ALLTEL Corp. | 1,000,000 | 71,150 | ||||||
AT&T Inc. | 9,644,097 | 403,027 | ||||||
Embarq Corp. | 5,214,250 | 275,938 | ||||||
Sprint Nextel Corp., Series 1 | 10,260,000 | 175,446 | ||||||
Verizon Communications Inc. | 3,600,000 | 165,852 | ||||||
1,091,413 | ||||||||
UTILITIES — 6.35% | ||||||||
Ameren Corp. | 3,953,680 | 213,736 | ||||||
American Electric Power Co., Inc. | 1,435,000 | 69,181 | ||||||
Dominion Resources, Inc. | 850,000 | 77,885 | ||||||
DTE Energy Co. | 750,000 | 37,200 | ||||||
Duke Energy Corp. | 3,800,000 | 72,846 | ||||||
Exelon Corp. | 2,548,400 | 210,957 | ||||||
FirstEnergy Corp. | 1,620,000 | 112,914 | ||||||
PPL Corp. | 1,724,000 | 89,131 | ||||||
Progress Energy, Inc. | 200,000 | 9,600 | ||||||
Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. | 800,000 | 76,480 | ||||||
Questar Corp. | 3,000,000 | 171,240 | ||||||
Southern Co. | 2,700,000 | 98,982 | ||||||
Xcel Energy Inc. | 4,745,000 | 107,000 | ||||||
1,347,152 | ||||||||
MISCELLANEOUS — 1.29% | ||||||||
Other common stocks in initial period of acquisition | 272,992 | |||||||
Total common stocks (cost: $13,994,527,000) | 19,031,928 | |||||||
Principal amount | ||||||||
Short-term securities — 10.33% | (000 | ) | ||||||
Abbott Laboratories 4.71% due 11/6/20072 | $ | 43,000 | 42,966 | |||||
Bank of America Corp. 5.40%–5.45% due 11/5–12/11/2007 | 65,000 | 64,700 | ||||||
Caterpillar Financial Services Corp. 4.65%–4.71% due 11/5–11/21/2007 | 75,000 | 74,882 | ||||||
Citigroup Funding Inc. 5.28% due 11/16/2007 | 75,000 | 74,818 | ||||||
Coca-Cola Co. 4.63%–5.19% due 11/15/2007–1/18/20082 | 150,000 | 149,415 | ||||||
E.I. duPont de Nemours and Co. 4.55%–4.72% due 11/13–11/29/20072 | 125,000 | 124,660 | ||||||
Federal Farm Credit Banks 4.29%–4.70% due 11/1/2007–1/29/2008 | 70,200 | 69,741 | ||||||
Federal Home Loan Bank 4.38%–4.90% due 11/16/2007–3/12/2008 | 212,200 | 210,476 | ||||||
Freddie Mac 4.561%–4.91% due 11/26–12/21/2007 | 125,248 | 124,612 | ||||||
General Electric Co. 4.77%–5.26% due 11/19/2007 | 89,400 | 89,153 | ||||||
Harley-Davidson Funding Corp. 4.52%–4.57% due 12/11/2007–1/23/20082 | 35,000 | 34,686 | ||||||
Hewlett-Packard Co. 4.75%–5.07% due 11/16–12/14/20072 | 139,400 | 138,730 | ||||||
IBM Corp. 5.11%–5.13% due 11/14–11/27/20072 | 61,500 | 61,331 | ||||||
International Lease Finance Corp. 4.73%–5.21% due 11/16/2007–1/23/2008 | 107,300 | 106,608 | ||||||
JPMorgan Chase & Co. 4.95%–5.06% due 12/11/2007–3/24/2008 | 185,900 | 183,398 | ||||||
Kimberly Clark Worldwide 4.71% due 11/5/20072 | 20,000 | 19,987 | ||||||
NetJets Inc. 5.24% due 11/1/20072 | 50,000 | 49,993 | ||||||
Private Export Funding Corp. 4.67%–5.22% due 11/9/2007–2/20/20082 | 67,000 | 66,295 | ||||||
Procter & Gamble Co. 4.75%–5.00% due 12/14/20072 | 52,200 | 51,880 | ||||||
Procter & Gamble International Funding S.C.A. 4.74%–5.22% due 11/5/2007–2/26/20082 | 247,000 | 245,738 | ||||||
State Street Corp. 4.62% due 12/17/2007 | 100,000 | 99,397 | ||||||
U.S. Treasury Bill 4.00%–4.115% due 3/20–4/10/2008 | 60,000 | 59,041 | ||||||
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 4.72% due 12/11/20072 | 50,000 | 49,714 | ||||||
Total short-term securities (cost: $2,192,087,000) | 2,192,221 | |||||||
Total investment securities (cost: $16,186,614,000) | 21,224,149 | |||||||
Other assets less liabilities | (3,654 | ) | ||||||
Net assets | $ | 21,220,495 |
“Miscellaneous” securities include holdings in their initial period of acquisition that have not previously been publicly disclosed.
1Security did not produce income during the last 12 months.
2Purchased in a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933. May be resold in the United States in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. The total value of all such securities was $1,035,395,000, which represented 4.88% of the net assets of the fund.
ADR = American Depositary Receipts
Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity, so you may lose money.
Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the American Funds. This and other important information is contained in each fund’s prospectus, which can be obtained from a financial professional and should be read carefully before investing.
MFGEFP-903-1207O-S10893
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ON INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
American Mutual Fund, Inc.:
We have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the financial statements of American Mutual Fund, Inc., (the “Fund”) as of October 31, 2007, and for the year then ended and have issued our report thereon dated December 5, 2007, which report and financial statements are included in Item 1 of this Certified Shareholder Report on Form N-CSR. Our audit also included the Fund’s investment portfolio (the “Schedule”) as of October 31, 2007, appearing in Item 6 of this Form N-CSR. This Schedule is the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion based on our audit. In our opinion, the Schedule referred to above, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole of the Fund referred to above, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Costa Mesa, California
December 5, 2007
ITEM 7 – Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies
Not applicable to this Registrant, insofar as the Registrant is not a closed-end management investment company.
ITEM 8 – Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies
Not applicable to this Registrant, insofar as the Registrant is not a closed-end management investment company.
ITEM 9 – Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers
Not applicable to this Registrant, insofar as the Registrant is not a closed-end management investment company.
ITEM 10 – Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant’s board of directors since the Registrant last submitted a proxy statement to its shareholders. The procedures are as follows. The Registrant has a nominating committee comprised solely of persons who are not considered ‘‘interested persons’’ of the Registrant within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The committee periodically reviews such issues as the board’s composition, responsibilities, committees, compensation and other relevant issues, and recommends any appropriate changes to the full board of directors. While the committee normally is able to identify from its own resources an ample number of qualified candidates, it will consider shareholder suggestions of persons to be considered as nominees to fill future vacancies on the board. Such suggestions must be sent in writing to the nominating committee of the Registrant, c/o the Registrant’s Secretary, and must be accompanied by complete biographical and occupational data on the prospective nominee, along with a written consent of the prospective nominee for consideration of his or her name by the nominating committee.
ITEM 11 – Controls and Procedures
(a) | The Registrant’s Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have concluded, based on their evaluation of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 30a-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940), that such controls and procedures are adequate and reasonably designed to achieve the purposes described in paragraph (c) of such rule. |
(b) | There were no changes in the Registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) that occurred during the Registrant’s second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
ITEM 12 – Exhibits
(a)(1) | The Code of Ethics that is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2 is attached as an exhibit hereto. |
(a)(2) | The certifications required by Rule 30a-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached as exhibits hereto. |
SIGNATURES
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.
AMERICAN MUTUAL FUND, INC. | |
By /s/ James K. Dunton | |
James K. Dunton, Vice Chairman, President and Principal Executive Officer | |
Date: January 8, 2008 |
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/ James K. Dunton |
James K. Dunton, Vice Chairman, President and Principal Executive Officer |
Date: January 8, 2008 |
By /s/ Karl C. Grauman |
Karl C. Grauman, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer |
Date: January 8, 2008 |