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 | 811-04750 |
Fenimore Asset Management Trust
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
384 North Grand Street, P.O. Box 399 Cobleskill, New York | 12043 |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) |
Thomas O. Putnam
Fenimore Asset Management Trust 384 North Grand Street, P.O. Box 399 Cobleskill, New York, 12043 |
(Name and address of agent for service) |
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: | 518-234-7400 |
Date of fiscal year end: | December 31 |
Date of reporting period: | June 30, 2023 |
Form N-CSR is to be used by management investment companies to file reports with the Commission not later than 10 days after the transmission to stockholders of any report that is required to be transmitted to stockholders under Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30e-1). The Commission may use the information provided on Form N-CSR in its regulatory, disclosure review, inspection, and policymaking roles.
A registrant is required to disclose the information specified by Form N-CSR, and the Commission will make this information public. A registrant is not required to respond to the collection of information contained in Form N-CSR unless the Form displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) control number. Please direct comments concerning the accuracy of the information collection burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing the burden to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549-0609. The OMB has reviewed this collection of information under the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. § 3507.
| Item 1. | Reports to Stockholders. |
TABLE OF CONTENTS | |
| |
FAM VALUE FUND | |
Letter to Shareholders | 1 |
Portfolio Data | 6 |
Schedule of Investments | 7 |
FAM DIVIDEND FOCUS FUND | |
Letter to Shareholders | 9 |
Portfolio Data | 15 |
Schedule of Investments | 16 |
FAM SMALL CAP FUND | |
Letter to Shareholders | 18 |
Portfolio Data | 25 |
Schedule of Investments | 26 |
Statements of Assets and Liabilities | 28 |
Statements of Operations | 29 |
Statements of Changes in Net Assets | 30 |
Notes to Financial Statements | 33 |
Change in Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 46 |
Expense Data | 47 |
Supplemental Information | 49 |
Summary of the Funds’ Liquidity Risk Management Program Annual Assessment Report | 50 |
Privacy Policy | 51 |
FAM Funds has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to its principal executive and principal financial officers. You may obtain a copy of this Code without charge, by calling FAM Funds at (800) 932-3271.
June 30, 2023
Dear Fellow Value Fund Shareholder,
As we entered 2023, we sensed much pessimism from market participants. In 2022, the stock market entered a bear market, inflation remained elevated, the Federal Reserve raised rates at a brisk pace, and the U.S. was headed toward a debt ceiling standoff in 2023. Then, just as the market began to feel some relief, several large U.S. banks failed and entered receivership by the FDIC. Given this context, it may surprise you that the market ended June 30 at a 14-month high and 24.42% above the October 2022 lows — this meets the criteria for a new bull market!1
In our 2022 communications, we remained optimistic. Oftentimes, a market in decline and investor pessimism are a recipe for better prospective returns. So far, this is what we have witnessed through the first six months of the year with the FAM Value Fund Investor Shares (FAMVX) returning 7.24% versus the Russell Midcap Index’s 9.01%.2
Despite the apparent headwinds, the economy has thus far remained resilient and the highly anticipated recession has yet to materialize. GDP (gross domestic product) growth is positive, the labor market is tight, and consumer spending has sustained at relatively strong levels.
Below the surface, though, there are crosscurrents. In several categories, including travel and health care procedures, demand is rebounding from pandemic-related constraints. Two portfolio companies, Booking Holdings (BKNG) and Stryker Corporation (SYK), respectively, benefited from the bounce back. By contrast, in other areas of the economy, we have witnessed signs of moderation. For instance, following a pandemic surge, CDW Corporation (CDW) is seeing a reduction in demand for the technology hardware it distributes, such as mobile devices and laptops. IDEX Corporation (IEX) is experiencing slowing component orders in certain business lines because of declining biotech research funding.
While some moderation in demand is a natural part of the economic cycle, higher capital costs and higher interest rates have undoubtedly had an impact on many firms. The most striking example has been the sudden failure of several large banks. These failures proved to be isolated, but served as another reminder of the importance of understanding the business models and risks of what you own. Gaining this understanding is a key part of our research process at Fenimore Asset Management. Our portfolio companies are not immune to economic challenges, but we believe that owning growing, cash-generative businesses with solid balance sheets and skilled managers is the best way to navigate the inevitable crosscurrents.
Portfolio Activity
Purchases
We added to a handful of existing holdings in the first half of 2023. Before the onset of the bank failures in March, we consolidated and reduced our banking exposure, adding to Pinnacle Financial Partners (PNFP) with part of the proceeds from the sale of our M&T Bank (MTB) position (see below). We also took advantage of market volatility to add to our existing stakes in Amphenol Corporation (APH), Microchip Technology (MCHP), and T. Rowe Price Group (TROW).
In the case of APH, we were able to take advantage of the moderation in demand, which hit the company harder than market participants expected in the areas of mobile devices and communications. The resulting volatility in the stock price afforded us the opportunity to add to our position at what we deemed to be an attractive price.
Lastly, we added to Fortune Brands (FBIN). FBIN spun off its cabinets business into a stand-alone company called MasterBrand (MBC). We sold MBC and reallocated the proceeds back into FBIN, which we believe better fits the profile of a business that meets our investment criteria.
Sales
We sold three of our holdings during the first half of 2023 and trimmed another. The three sales were the previously mentioned MTB and MBC, as well as Black Knight (BKI). We sold MTB, a long-term holding, because we felt their growth prospects had diminished and were inferior to our other bank holdings, including PNFP. We sold BKI shortly after the news that its planned takeover by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) would be challenged by the Federal Trade Commission. We felt the sale was prudent given the challenge would extend an already protracted merger process. This, along with deterioration in the company’s mortgage origination business, prompted us to move on from the position and use the proceeds elsewhere.
We also trimmed our stake in CarMax (KMX). Our team first purchased KMX in 2004. Originally spun out of Circuit City in 2002, the enterprise has grown from 36 used-car outlets to 241 today. During this span, KMX has created a tremendous amount of value; however, the economics of the used-car industry has changed. The current environment of high used-car prices and increased interest rates has created affordability challenges for the consumer, impacting KMX and the entire industry. Additionally, new entrants, including Carvana (not held in the Value Fund), are changing the way consumers buy, trade, and finance cars by creating an online-only option. KMX is meeting this challenge by strengthening its own online capabilities, but it comes with added costs. The combination of lower unit demand and higher unit costs has squeezed profitability. With the uncertain outlook for used-vehicle affordability and KMX’s increased cost structure, we took advantage of a recovery in the stock this year to trim our position and will continue to evaluate the company’s long-term prospects.
Closing Thoughts
We continue to work diligently on your behalf to craft a portfolio that we believe can stand the test of time. We cannot predict where the crosscurrents will take our economy. What we can do is continue to deepen our understanding of the businesses we own, and those we may own in the future, while building relationships with the leaders running these firms, their competitors, and their customers.
Throughout 2023, we’ve been busy traveling the country — touring operating facilities, attending industry trade shows, and visiting with our business leaders at their company headquarters. These activities build our conviction in the people, processes, and management teams that come together to drive these businesses forward through all parts of the economic cycle.
Thank you for investing with us in the FAM Value Fund.
TOP 5 CONTRIBUTORS AND DETRACTORS*
12/31/2022 to 6/30/2023
Top 5 Contributors
Name | Average Weight (%) | Contribution (%) |
Brown & Brown | 6.93% | 1.48% |
Vulcan Materials Co. | 3.74% | 1.10% |
Graco | 3.36% | 0.96% |
CarMax | 2.63% | 0.95% |
Stryker Corp. | 3.92% | 0.92% |
| | |
This reflects the FAM Value Fund’s best and worst performers, in descending order, based on individual stock performance and portfolio weighting. Past performance does not indicate future results.
Top 5 Detractors
Name | Average Weight (%) | Contribution (%) |
Dollar General Corp. | 2.11% | -0.83% |
Pinnacle Financial Partners | 1.43% | -0.50% |
IDEX Corp. | 6.44% | -0.36% |
Fidelity National Information Services | 1.65% | -0.35% |
SouthState Corp. | 1.80% | -0.25% |
| | |
Past performance does not indicate future results.
| | |
John D. Fox, CFA | Drew P. Wilson, CFA | Marc D. Roberts, CFA |
Portfolio Manager | Portfolio Manager | Portfolio Manager |
The opinions expressed herein are those of the portfolio managers as of the date of the report and are subject to change. There is no guarantee that any forecast made will come to pass. This material does not constitute investment advice and is not intended as an endorsement of any specific investment.
Performance data quoted above is historical. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. The principal value and investment return of an investment will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
| * | Reflects top contributors and top detractors to the fund’s performance based on each holding’s contribution to the overall fund’s return for the period shown. The information provided does not reflect all positions purchased, sold or recommended for advisory clients during the period shown. It should not be assumed that future investments will be profitable or will equal the performance of the security examples discussed. Past performance is no guarantee, nor is it indicative, of future results. For more detailed information on the calculation and methodology as well as a complete list of every holding’s contribution to the overall fund’s performance during the time period shown, please call (800) 932-3271 or visit the fund’s website at famfunds.com. |
Portfolio composition will change due to ongoing management of the fund. References to individual securities are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or a recommendation, by the fund, the portfolio managers, or the fund’s distributor, to purchase or sell any security or other financial instrument. The summary is not advice, a recommendation or an offer to enter into any transaction with Fenimore or any of its affiliated funds. The portfolio holdings are as of the most recent quarter.
TOP 10 HOLDINGS
AS OF 6/30/2023
FAM VALUE FUND | % OF NET ASSETS |
Brown & Brown, Inc. | 7.59% |
CDW Corp. | 6.72% |
IDEX Corp. | 6.10% |
Ross Stores | 5.97% |
Markel Corp. | 4.89% |
Vulcan Materials Co. | 4.41% |
Illinois Tool Works | 4.18% |
Stryker Corp. | 4.17% |
Graco | 3.80% |
Analog Devices | 3.57% |
Total Net Assets | $1,522,986,132 |
| |
The portfolios are actively managed and current holdings may be different.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
AS OF 6/30/2023
| | | | | | Total Fund |
| Since | | | | | Operating |
| Inception | 10 Year | 5 Year | 3 Year | 1 Year | Expenses* |
FAM VALUE FUND INVESTOR CLASS (1/2/87) | 10.22% | 10.08% | 8.49% | 11.87% | 16.11% | 1.18% (gross) 1.18%* (net) |
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS (1/2/17) | 10.26% | 10.21% | 8.70% | 12.08% | 16.33% | 1.14% (gross) 0.99%* (net) |
RUSSELL MIDCAP INDEX | 11.21% | 10.32% | 8.46% | 12.50% | 14.92% | N/A |
| | | | | | |
The performance data quoted represents past performance.
PERFORMANCE DISCLOSURES
Performance data quoted above is historical. Past performance is not indicative of future results, current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. Investment returns may fluctuate; the value of your investment upon redemption may be more or less than the initial amount invested. All returns are net of expenses. To obtain performance data that is current to the most recent month-end for each fund as well as other information on the FAM Funds, please go to fenimoreasset.com or call (800) 932-3271.
Please consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The FAM Funds prospectus or summary prospectus contains this and other important information about each Fund and should be read carefully before you invest or send money. To obtain a prospectus or summary prospectus for each fund as well as other information on the FAM Funds, please go to fenimoreasset.com or call (800) 932-3271.
IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION
Risk Disclosures: The principal risks of investing in the fund are: stock market risk (stocks fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and to general stock market and economic conditions), stock selection risk (Fenimore utilizes a value approach to stock selection and there is risk that the stocks selected may not
realize their intrinsic value, or their price may go down over time), and small-cap risk (prices of small-cap companies can fluctuate more than the stocks of larger companies and may not correspond to changes in the stock market in general).
This presentation was prepared by Fenimore Asset Management, Inc. (“Fenimore”). Neither this presentation nor any of its contents may be distributed or used for any other purpose without the prior written consent of Fenimore.
In part, the purpose of this presentation is to provide investors with an update on financial market conditions. The description of certain aspects of the market herein is a condensed summary only. This summary does not purport to be complete and no obligation to update or otherwise revise such information is being assumed. These materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not otherwise intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, any security or other financial instrument. This summary is not advice, a recommendation or an offer to enter into any transaction with Fenimore or any of their affiliated funds.
This presentation may contain statements based on the current beliefs and expectations of Fenimore’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Any references herein to any of Fenimore’s past or present investments, portfolio characteristics, or performance, have been provided for illustrative purposes only. It should not be assumed that these investments were or will be profitable or that any future investments will be profitable or will equal the performance of these investments. There can be no guarantee that the investment objectives of Fenimore will be achieved. Any investment entails a risk of loss. Unless otherwise noted, information included herein is presented as of the date indicated on the cover page and may change at any time without notice.
| * | FAM Value Fund Disclosure: The Fund’s total annual operating expense ratio as stated in the fee table of the Fund’s most recent prospectus is 1.18% for the Investor Class. The Fund’s total annual operating expense ratio as stated in the fee table of the Fund’s most recent prospectus is 0.99% after fee waivers of (0.15)% for the Institutional Class. The Advisor has contractually agreed until, May 1, 2024, to waive fees and/or reimburse the Fund certain expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage costs, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expense and extraordinary expenses) to the extent necessary to cap Net Fund Operating Expenses for Investor Shares at 1.18% and Institutional Shares at 0.99%. |
Institutional Class shares became available for sale on January 1, 2017. For performance prior to that date, this table includes the actual performance of the Fund’s Investor Class (and uses the Fund’s Investor Class’ actual expenses), without adjustment. The performance results shown for the periods prior to January 1, 2017, the date of commencement of operations for Institutional Shares, are for the Investor Shares, which are subject to higher fees due to differences in the shareholder administrative services fees and certain other fees paid by each class. Institutional Shares and Investor Shares would have substantially similar performance results because the shares of each class are invested in the same portfolio securities of the Fund. Because of the difference in the level of fees paid by Investor Shares, the returns for the Investor Shares will be lower than the returns of the Institutional Shares.
FAM VALUE FUND — Portfolio Data |
June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS |
Insurance | 14.6% |
Machinery | 14.1% |
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components | 13.4% |
Specialty Retail | 11.0% |
Capital Markets | 6.2% |
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | 5.1% |
Construction Materials | 4.4% |
Health Care Equipment & Supplies | 4.2% |
Money Market Funds | 4.0% |
Chemicals | 3.5% |
Diversified Financial Services | 3.3% |
Trading Companies & Distributors | 3.0% |
Banks | 3.0% |
Containers & Packaging | 2.1% |
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure | 2.0% |
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels | 1.9% |
Multi-Line Retail | 1.6% |
IT Services | 1.5% |
Building Products | 1.1% |
Other | (0.0%)(a) |
| |
| (a) | Percentage rounds to less than 0.01%. |
Statement Regarding Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedule. Please note that (i) the Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) as of the end of the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to Form N-PORT; (ii) the complete listing is available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov; and (iii) the Fund makes the exhibit to Form N-PORT available to shareholders at fenimoreasset.com, or upon request, by calling FAM FUNDS at 1-800-932-3271.
FAM VALUE FUND — Schedule of Investments |
June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
| | Shares | | | Value | |
COMMON STOCKS — 96.0% | | | | | | | | |
Banks — 3.0% | | | | | | | | |
Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. | | | 386,527 | | | $ | 21,896,755 | |
SouthState Corporation | | | 364,610 | | | | 23,991,338 | |
| | | | | | | 45,888,093 | |
Building Products — 1.1% | | | | | | | | |
Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. | | | 226,732 | | | | 16,313,367 | |
Capital Markets — 6.2% | | | | | | | | |
Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. - Class A | | | 397,940 | | | | 12,984,782 | |
Brookfield Corporation - Class A | | | 1,591,760 | | | | 53,562,724 | |
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. | | | 254,320 | | | | 28,488,927 | |
| | | | | | | 95,036,433 | |
Chemicals — 3.5% | | | | | | | | |
Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. | | | 175,500 | | | | 52,567,515 | |
Construction Materials — 4.4% | | | | | | | | |
Vulcan Materials Company | | | 297,930 | | | | 67,165,339 | |
Containers & Packaging — 2.1% | | | | | | | | |
Avery Dennison Corporation | | | 187,000 | | | | 32,126,600 | |
Diversified Financial Services — 3.3% | | | | | | | | |
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. - Class A (a) | | | 98 | | | | 50,745,380 | |
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 13.4% | | | | | | | | |
Amphenol Corporation - Class A | | | 573,240 | | | | 48,696,738 | |
CDW Corporation | | | 558,200 | | | | 102,429,700 | |
Zebra Technologies Corporation - Class A (a) | | | 179,460 | | | | 53,089,652 | |
| | | | | | | 204,216,090 | |
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 4.2% | | | | | | | | |
Stryker Corporation | | | 208,000 | | | | 63,458,720 | |
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 2.0% | | | | | | | | |
Booking Holdings, Inc. (a) | | | 11,350 | | | | 30,648,746 | |
Insurance — 14.6% | | | | | | | | |
Brown & Brown, Inc. | | | 1,679,392 | | | | 115,609,345 | |
Markel Group, Inc. (a) | | | 53,850 | | | | 74,484,243 | |
Progressive Corporation (The) | | | 240,000 | | | | 31,768,800 | |
| | | | | | | 221,862,388 | |
IT Services — 1.5% | | | | | | | | |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. | | | 402,400 | | | | 22,011,280 | |
Machinery — 14.1% | | | | | | | | |
Graco, Inc. | | | 670,180 | | | | 57,870,043 | |
IDEX Corporation | | | 431,530 | | | | 92,891,148 | |
Illinois Tool Works, Inc. | | | 254,560 | | | | 63,680,729 | |
| | | | | | | 214,441,920 | |
| | | | | | | | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
FAM VALUE FUND — Schedule of Investments Continued |
June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
| | Shares | | | Value | |
COMMON STOCKS — 96.0% (Continued) | | | | | | | | |
Multi-Line Retail — 1.6% | | | | | | | | |
Dollar General Corporation | | | 146,300 | | | $ | 24,838,814 | |
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 1.9% | | | | | | | | |
EOG Resources, Inc. | | | 256,500 | | | | 29,353,860 | |
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 5.1% | | | | | | | | |
Analog Devices, Inc. | | | 279,510 | | | | 54,451,343 | |
Microchip Technology, Inc. | | | 258,860 | | | | 23,191,267 | |
| | | | | | | 77,642,610 | |
Specialty Retail — 11.0% | | | | | | | | |
AutoZone, Inc. (a) | | | 18,265 | | | | 45,541,220 | |
CarMax, Inc. (a) | | | 373,296 | | | | 31,244,875 | |
Ross Stores, Inc. | | | 810,688 | | | | 90,902,446 | |
| | | | | | | 167,688,541 | |
Trading Companies & Distributors — 3.0% | | | | | | | | |
Fastenal Company | | | 780,900 | | | | 46,065,291 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Common Stocks (Cost $516,658,301) | | | | | | $ | 1,462,070,987 | |
| | | | | | | | |
MONEY MARKET FUNDS — 4.0% | | | | | | | | |
Invesco Treasury Portfolio - Institutional Class, 5.05% (b) (Cost $61,146,595) | | | 61,146,595 | | | $ | 61,146,595 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Investments at Value — 100.0% (Cost $577,804,896) | | | | | | $ | 1,523,217,582 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.0%) (c) | | | | | | | (231,450 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net Assets — 100.0% | | | | | | $ | 1,522,986,132 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| (a) | Non-income producing security. |
| (b) | The rate shown is the 7-day effective yield as of June 30, 2023. |
| (c) | Percentage rounds to less than 0.1%. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
June 30, 2023
Dear Fellow Dividend Focus Fund Shareholder,
It seems surreal to be writing to you at the year’s midpoint with all major U.S. equity indices (i.e., S&P 500, NASDAQ, Dow Jones) in bull markets. This astonishment isn’t derived from any company-specific concerns we carried or arbitrary outlooks we held, but rather a result of reflecting on where we stood at the beginning of the year and how unconducive the backdrop felt for short-term equity returns.
Let’s recap the situation. The stock market stumbled for almost all of 2022 with the Russell Midcap Index (our primary performance benchmark) down -17.32% for the year.1 This decline was largely driven by higher interest rates and we entered 2023 with the Federal Reserve still moving forcefully to raise rates in their effort to fight what is proving to be stubbornly persistent inflation.
The economy was also beginning to feel the burden of higher interest rates. This was evidenced by the continuously diminished outlook for 2023 U.S. corporate earnings growth, which declined from 10% at the beginning of 2022 to 5% at the beginning of 2023 (it was 1% on June 30). 2 The brunt of higher interest rates also created liquidity issues that rippled through the banking industry in March, producing three of the four largest bank failures in American history (and the collapse of the second largest bank in Switzerland) and growing commercial real estate concerns.
Given this backdrop, it’s unlikely even the most optimistic among us would have predicted one of the best first halves ever for U.S. stocks. And yet here we are, with broader stock market strength driven by the Federal Reserve’s first interest rate hike pause after 10 consecutive increases as well as resilient consumer spending and a strong labor market.
The performance of the stock market during the first six months of 2023 reinforced three key tenets:
| 1. | Knowing exactly what’s going to impact the business environment and being able to predict stock market returns are two distinct pieces of information. |
| 2. | It “pays” to be an optimist. Stock market returns don’t come in a smooth or uninterrupted manner, despite our desires. And there will always be a myriad of reasons to sell, yet, almost assuredly, we believe the market’s best days are ahead. |
| 3. | History continues to demonstrate that trying to time the market’s upswings and downswings is a fruitless endeavor — we can’t predict when we are at the beginning of a bull market run. The proof of its onset surfaces after the fact. |
Returns
During the first six months of the year, the FAM Dividend Focus Fund (FAMEX) also benefited from the broader market strength and increased 10.93%. This outpaced our Russell Midcap Index benchmark, which increased 9.01%.3 Performance was led by technology (AI-driven enthusiasm) and housing-related (strong new home demand) stocks. These two sectors were also some of the worst performers in 2022. The Dividend Focus Fund’s performance was also aided by our lack of exposure to regional banks. We serendipitously exited our last remaining bank prior to the banking crisis that unfolded in early March.
Of course, Fenimore Asset Management’s investment approach seeks to compound capital over longer time periods and we believe six months is too short to fully judge performance. Following the end of this letter is the Dividend Focus Fund’s multi-year performance and we are pleased with this track record.
Dividends
The Dividend Focus Fund seeks to invest in businesses that pay a growing dividend. We believe this is a high-quality investment filter because a sound dividend growth policy is an indicator that the company generates more cash than is needed to run the business and management is confident in the stability and growth of the operation’s future cash generation.
During 2023’s first half, 17 of FAMEX’s 28 holdings (61%) increased their dividend. Of those 17, the average increase was 10.4%. This is in line with our holdings’ 5-year CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 11.3%.4
Portfolio Activity
Purchases
We initiated one new position in Verisk Analytics (VRSK). Verisk provides data solutions for property and casualty insurers that power their underwriting and claims processes and decision making. Verisk’s products often have no substitute and its long- term contracts, which are tied to premium growth, support meaningful revenue growth even during the rockiest of economic periods. We have followed Verisk for some time, but our interest was heightened after they made significant changes. Management divested its non-insurance assets, implemented a more shareholder-friendly capital allocation policy, and enacted several governance reforms.
Importantly, Verisk marks only our third new position in FAMEX since November 2020. It represents a cadence of approximately one new name per year. This underscores that we have a high threshold for a business to be added to the Dividend Focus Fund and continue to like the composition of our existing portfolio.
We also added to two positions in T. Rowe Price (TROW) and Genpact (G). T. Rowe has been a long-term but smaller holding in the strategy. After a big down year in 2022, we felt they were poised to benefit from a rebound in asset prices. Our add in Genpact came late in the second quarter after concerns about the impact AI (artificial intelligence) could have on their business process outsourcing model weighed heavily on the stock. Following discussions with management and industry experts, we believe AI does not represent a material headwind to their operation and Genpact remains well- positioned to continue to grow.
Sales
We sold First Hawaiian Bank (FHB), a decision we started to implement in 2022 and finished in January. Our team earmarked FHB for sale because: 1) it was not growing its dividend, 2) of the potential impact to its book value by declining values in its securities portfolio with rising short-term rates, and 3) of concerns about how robust loan growth would be in a recession.
We also trimmed a handful of positions in Air Products & Chemicals (APD), Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG), Genpact (G), Steris (STE), and The Hanover Insurance Group (THG). These companies remain core FAMEX holdings, but we had to recalibrate their position sizes after they grew above our targeted weightings. We also made some trims to raise capital to fund our Verisk purchase.
Closing Thoughts
As we begin the second half of 2023, the concerns that were top of mind at the beginning of the year still remain. How long will it take inflation to get close to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target? How high will interest rates have to go to get us there? Can the economy ultimately withstand higher interest rates or will it force a recession?
As noted earlier in this letter, our views on these matters will likely miss the mark. Fortunately, the success of our investment approach is dependent on investing in what we believe are quality companies that can compound over time and not short-term macro predictions. It’s our in-depth research process and unwavering commitment to investing only in quality businesses that give us confidence in the ability of our holdings to compound their earnings power over the next three to five years regardless of what the near-term brings.
As always, we are incredibly grateful to all our shareholders and thank you for your continued support.
TOP 5 CONTRIBUTORS AND DETRACTORS*
12/31/2022 TO 6/30/2023
Top 5 Contributors
Name | Average Weight (%) | Contribution (%) |
Entegris | 3.79% | 2.20% |
Microchip Technology | 5.74% | 1.44% |
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | 7.42% | 1.26% |
Stryker Corp. | 5.17% | 1.23% |
Broadridge Financial Solutions | 4.09% | 0.98% |
| | |
This reflects the FAM Dividend Focus Fund’s best and worst performers, in descending order, based on individual stock performance and portfolio weighting. Past performance does not indicate future results.
Top 5 Detractors
Name | Average Weight (%) | Contribution (%) |
Genpact | 3.29% | -0.61% |
The Hanover Insurance Group | 2.98% | -0.55% |
IDEX Corp. | 3.11% | -0.19% |
Avery Dennison Corp. | 3.87% | -0.18% |
Ross Stores | 4.57% | -0.16% |
| | |
Past performance does not indicate future results.
| |
Paul Hogan, CFA | William Preston, CFA |
Portfolio Manager | Portfolio Manager |
The opinions expressed herein are those of the portfolio managers as of the date of the report and are subject to change. There is no guarantee that any forecast made will come to pass. This material does not constitute investment advice and is not intended as an endorsement of any specific investment.
Performance data quoted above is historical. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. The principal value and investment return of an investment will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
| * | Reflects top contributors and top detractors to the fund’s performance based on each holding’s contribution to the overall fund’s return for the period shown. The information provided does not reflect all positions purchased, sold or recommended for advisory clients during the period shown. It should not be assumed that future investments will be profitable or will equal the performance of the security examples discussed. Past performance is no guarantee, nor is it indicative, of future results. For more detailed information on the calculation and methodology as well as a complete list of every holding’s contribution to the overall fund’s performance during the time period shown, please call (800) 932-3271 or visit the fund’s website at famfunds.com. Portfolio composition will change due to ongoing management of the fund. References to individual securities are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or a recommendation, by the fund, the portfolio managers, or the fund’s distributor, to purchase or sell any security or other financial instrument. The summary is not advice, a recommendation or an offer to enter into any transaction with Fenimore or any of its affiliated funds. The portfolio holdings are as of the most recent quarter. |
| ** | All investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal. Before investing, carefully read the fund’s prospectus which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information about the fund. Please call us at 800-932-3271 or visit fenimoreasset.com for a prospectus or summary prospectus. Past performance and Morningstar ratings are not an indicator of a fund’s future returns. |
Securities offered through Fenimore Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC, and advisory services offered through Fenimore Asset Management, Inc.
TOP 10 HOLDINGS
AS OF 06/30/2023
FAM DIVIDEND FOCUS FUND | % OF NET ASSETS |
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | 7.49% |
CDW Corp. | 6.52% |
Trane Technologies | 6.27% |
Microchip Technology | 6.08% |
Stryker Corp. | 5.34% |
Air Products & Chemicals | 4.96% |
Entegris | 4.59% |
Ross Stores | 4.40% |
Broadridge Financial Solutions | 4.32% |
Republic Services | 3.83% |
Total Net Assets | $ 611,114,883 |
| |
The portfolios are actively managed and current holdings may be different.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
AS OF 06/30/2023
| Since Inception | 10 Year | 5 Year | 3 Year | 1 Year | Total Fund Operating Expenses* |
FAM DIVIDEND FOCUS FUND (4/1/96) | 9.48% | 11.66% | 11.88% | 14.35% | 21.78% | 1.23% (gross) 1.23%*(net) |
RUSSELL MIDCAP INDEX | 10.08% | 10.32% | 8.46% | 12.50% | 14.92% | N/A |
| | | | | | |
The performance data quoted represents past performance.
PERFORMANCE DISCLOSURES
Performance data quoted above is historical. Past performance is not indicative of future results, current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. Investment returns may fluctuate; the value of your investment upon redemption may be more or less than the initial amount invested. All returns are net of expenses. To obtain performance data that is current to the most recent month-end for each fund as well as other information on the FAM Funds, please go to fenimoreasset.com or call (800) 932-3271.
Please consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The FAM Funds prospectus or summary prospectus contains this and other important information about each Fund and should be read carefully before you invest or send money. To obtain a prospectus or summary prospectus for each fund as well as other information on the FAM Funds, please go to fenimoreasset.com or call (800) 932-3271.
IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION
Risk Disclosures: The principal risks of investing in the fund are: stock market risk (stocks fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and to general stock market and economic conditions), stock selection risk (Fenimore utilizes a value approach to stock selection and there is risk that the stocks selected may not realize their intrinsic value, or their price may go down over time), and small-cap risk (prices of small-cap companies can fluctuate more than the stocks of larger companies and may not correspond to changes in the stock market in general).
This presentation was prepared by Fenimore Asset Management, Inc. (“Fenimore”). Neither this presentation nor any of its contents may be distributed or used for any other purpose without the prior written consent of Fenimore.
In part, the purpose of this presentation is to provide investors with an update on financial market conditions. The description of certain aspects of the market herein is a condensed summary only. This summary does not purport to be complete and no obligation to update or otherwise revise such information is being assumed. These materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not otherwise intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, any security or other financial instrument. This summary is not advice, a recommendation or an offer to enter into any transaction with Fenimore or any of their affiliated funds.
This presentation may contain statements based on the current beliefs and expectations of Fenimore’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Any references herein to any of Fenimore’s past or present investments, portfolio characteristics, or performance, have been provided for illustrative purposes only. It should not be assumed that these investments were or will be profitable or that any future investments will be profitable or will equal the performance of these investments. There can be no guarantee that the investment objectives of Fenimore will be achieved. Any investment entails a risk of loss. Unless otherwise noted, information included herein is presented as of the date indicated on the cover page and may change at any time without notice.
| * | FAM Dividend Focus Fund Disclosure: The Fund’s total annual operating expense ratio as stated in the fee table of the Fund’s most recent prospectus is 1.23%. The total operating expense as reported in the FAM Dividend Focus Fund’s audited financial statements as of December 31, 2022 is 1.22%. The Advisor has contractually agreed, until May 1, 2024, to waive fees and/or reimburse the Fund certain expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage costs, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expense and extraordinary expenses) to the extent necessary to cap Net Fund Operating Expenses for Investor Shares at 1.26%. |
FAM DIVIDEND FOCUS FUND — Portfolio Data |
June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS |
IT Services | 13.1% |
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | 10.7% |
Insurance | 9.8% |
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components | 7.6% |
Health Care Equipment & Supplies | 7.2% |
Building Products | 6.3% |
Chemicals | 5.0% |
Trading Companies & Distributors | 4.7% |
Specialty Retail | 4.4% |
Money Market Funds | 4.1% |
Commercial Support Services | 3.8% |
Construction Materials | 3.8% |
Containers & Packaging | 3.5% |
Distributors | 3.3% |
Aerospace & Defense | 3.2% |
Machinery | 2.9% |
Commercial Services & Supplies | 2.7% |
Industrial Conglomerates | 1.6% |
Capital Markets | 1.3% |
Food Products | 0.5% |
Professional Services | 0.5% |
Other | (0.0%)(a) |
| |
| (a) | Percentage rounds to less than 0.01%. |
Statement Regarding Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedule. Please note that (i) the Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) as of the end of the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to Form N-PORT; (ii) the complete listing is available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov; and (iii) the Fund makes the exhibit to Form N-PORT available to shareholders at fenimoreasset.com, or upon request, by calling FAM FUNDS at 1-800-932-3271.
FAM DIVIDEND FOCUS FUND — Schedule of Investments |
June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
| | Shares | | | Value | |
COMMON STOCKS — 95.9% | | | | | | | | |
Aerospace & Defense — 3.2% | | | | | | | | |
HEICO Corporation - Class A | | | 139,305 | | | $ | 19,586,283 | |
Building Products — 6.3% | | | | | | | | |
Trane Technologies plc | | | 200,300 | | | | 38,309,378 | |
Capital Markets — 1.3% | | | | | | | | |
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. | | | 73,370 | | | | 8,218,907 | |
Chemicals — 5.0% | | | | | | | | |
Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. | | | 101,281 | | | | 30,336,698 | |
Commercial Services & Supplies — 2.7% | | | | | | | | |
Cintas Corporation | | | 33,220 | | | | 16,512,998 | |
Commercial Support Services — 3.8% | | | | | | | | |
Republic Services, Inc. | | | 152,890 | | | | 23,418,161 | |
Construction Materials — 3.8% | | | | | | | | |
Vulcan Materials Company | | | 102,830 | | | | 23,181,995 | |
Containers & Packaging — 3.5% | | | | | | | | |
Avery Dennison Corporation | | | 125,500 | | | | 21,560,900 | |
Distributors — 3.3% | | | | | | | | |
Pool Corporation | | | 53,900 | | | | 20,193,096 | |
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 7.6% | | | | | | | | |
Amphenol Corporation - Class A | | | 75,251 | | | | 6,392,572 | |
CDW Corporation | | | 217,000 | | | | 39,819,500 | |
| | | | | | | 46,212,072 | |
Food Products — 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
McCormick & Company, Inc. | | | 36,700 | | | | 3,201,341 | |
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 7.2% | | | | | | | | |
STERIS plc | | | 52,000 | | | | 11,698,960 | |
Stryker Corporation | | | 107,000 | | | | 32,644,630 | |
| | | | | | | 44,343,590 | |
Industrial Conglomerates — 1.6% | | | | | | | | |
Roper Technologies, Inc. | | | 20,000 | | | | 9,616,000 | |
Insurance — 9.8% | | | | | | | | |
Arthur J. Gallagher & Company | | | 208,500 | | | | 45,780,345 | |
Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (The) | | | 127,200 | | | | 14,377,416 | |
| | | | | | | 60,157,761 | |
IT Services — 13.1% | | | | | | | | |
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. | | | 159,400 | | | | 26,401,422 | |
Genpact Ltd. | | | 407,000 | | | | 15,290,990 | |
Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. | | | 112,300 | | | | 18,791,159 | |
Paychex, Inc. | | | 173,080 | | | | 19,362,460 | |
| | | | | | | 79,846,031 | |
Machinery — 2.9% | | | | | | | | |
IDEX Corporation | | | 81,174 | | | | 17,473,515 | |
| | | | | | | | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
FAM DIVIDEND FOCUS FUND — Schedule of Investments Continued |
June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
| | Shares | | | Value | |
COMMON STOCKS — 95.9% (Continued) | | | | | | | | |
Professional Services — 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
Verisk Analytics, Inc. | | | 13,400 | | | $ | 3,028,802 | |
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 10.7% | | | | | | | | |
Entegris, Inc. | | | 253,000 | | | | 28,037,460 | |
Microchip Technology, Inc. | | | 414,920 | | | | 37,172,683 | |
| | | | | | | 65,210,143 | |
Specialty Retail — 4.4% | | | | | | | | |
Ross Stores, Inc. | | | 240,026 | | | | 26,914,115 | |
Trading Companies & Distributors — 4.7% | | | | | | | | |
Fastenal Company | | | 349,000 | | | | 20,587,510 | |
Watsco, Inc. | | | 21,720 | | | | 8,285,529 | |
| | | | | | | 28,873,039 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Common Stocks (Cost $292,093,129) | | | | | | $ | 586,194,825 | |
| | | | | | | | |
MONEY MARKET FUNDS — 4.1% | | | | | | | | |
Invesco Treasury Portfolio - Institutional Class, 5.05% (a) (Cost $24,939,387) | | | 24,939,387 | | | $ | 24,939,387 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Investments at Value — 100.0% (Cost $317,032,516) | | | | | | $ | 611,134,212 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.0%) (b) | | | | | | | (19,329 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net Assets — 100.0% | | | | | | $ | 611,114,883 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| (a) | The rate shown is the 7-day effective yield as of June 30, 2023. |
| (b) | Percentage rounds to less than 0.1%. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
June 30, 2023
Dear Fellow Small Cap Fund Shareholder,
For the first half of 2023, the FAM Small Cap Fund Investor Shares (FAMFX) returned 10.92%.
In comparison, the Russell 2000 Index (the benchmark we use for performance comparisons) rose 8.09%. We find longer-term returns more meaningful. Over the prior 10 years, the Small Cap Fund Investor Shares returned 9.63% versus the Russell 2000’s 8.26%. Since its inception on March 1, 2012, the Small Cap Fund Investor Shares has returned 10.87% versus the Russell 2000’s 9.17%.1 We are quite pleased with this performance.
Our team focuses exclusively on what we consider to be quality companies with strong leadership and a solid financial position. These businesses usually have some competitive advantage which allows them to be more profitable and/or grow faster than their peers. Furthermore, we want to invest in these potential jewels at reasonable, if not attractive, valuations. This typically means that the business is “under a cloud” (i.e., temporarily stumbling) or “under a rock” (i.e., unknown by many investors) at the time of purchase. If we get all this right, then our holdings should be larger and more profitable in the future and lead to healthy returns.
Owning quality businesses for the long term, with the occasional adjustment, continues to be our game plan in 2023.
Contributors & Detractors
Our top three contributors to performance in the first half of 2023 were Dream Finders Homes (DFH), SPS Commerce (SPSC), and Penske Automotive Group (PAG).
| ■ | Dream Finders is a highly profitable home builder that uses an asset-light business model where, instead of owning vast quantities of raw land, they use options to buy lots as needed from land banks. This approach both enhances cash earnings and reduces risk during inevitable downturns. A year ago, investors were quite concerned that higher interest rates would squash demand for new homes. Thankfully, home buyers have proven more resilient than many expected, so the profits of home builders like DFH held up quite well. This led to a rebound in stock prices. |
| ■ | SPS Commerce is a software company that connects thousands of suppliers to major retailers. Their offering is superior to tedious manual processes and inferior older software and it is increasingly an easy decision for most suppliers. SPSC continues to add subscribers driving profits ever higher, which has led to a wonderful return for investors in our view. |
| ■ | Penske Automotive Group is a collection of businesses, primarily auto and big truck dealerships. After COVID, they actually benefited from the shortage of new vehicles making higher margins on both new and used vehicle transactions while learning to operate with less staff. There was fear that a return to normal availability of new vehicles might lead to lower vehicle prices and profits while higher interest rates might reduce consumers’ ability to buy all vehicles. So far, some of these pressures have emerged, but not to the extent feared. As this became clear, the stock moved higher. |
Our top three detractors from performance in the first half of 2023 were Boston Omaha Corporation (BOC), Pinnacle Financial Partners (PNFP), and ExlService Holdings (EXLS).
| ■ | Boston Omaha Corporation is essentially a small conglomerate with a billboard business, a surety insurer, and a fiber-to-the-home operation along with a collection of other investments (the largest of which is an interest in a business that rents hangars to owners of large private jets). While BOC is relatively unique among our holdings because most of their businesses are in an early high-growth stage with only modest profits, they each seem to be on track and have impressive futures in our opinion. Frankly, we are not sure why the stock price fell lately, but we were happy to buy a few more shares at a discount to what we think the businesses are worth. |
| ■ | Pinnacle Financial Partners is a relatively high-growth bank operating primarily in Tennessee, the Carolinas, and, more recently, Atlanta. While results have been excellent, investors are worried about all banks today. It doesn’t help that several other banks that were also previously considered “high-growth” have failed, such as Silicon Valley Bancshares and First Republic. We continue to believe that PNFP is one of the best run banks in the country and were pleased to buy a few more shares at what we believed were attractive valuations. |
| ■ | ExlService Holdings provides business process outsourcing and data analytics services, primarily for companies in the insurance, healthcare, and banking industries. For years, these industries have moved more toward outsourcing and using data to both remove costs and improve customer experiences — this greatly benefits EXLS. Current operations already include dozens of applications of artificial intelligence (AI), yet EXLS and its peers have seen their stock prices decline as investors contemplate how the increasing use of AI may impact demand. We spoke with these companies as well as industry experts. They all confirmed our belief that EXLS should be a net beneficiary as AI tools spread. |
Portfolio Activity
Like past years, we began 2023 with what we thought was a fine collection of quality businesses run by impressive leadership teams. But, as always, we kept digging, retesting our conclusions, and looking for opportunities to improve the portfolio.
Sales
During the first half of the year, we sold one holding completely and trimmed two others.
We sold our position in Paya Holdings (PAYA) in January after they announced their sale to a larger competitor. We purchased our shares in the second half of 2021 as the stock price was declining. At the time, we thought it was a nice opportunity to invest in what we considered to be a quality business that could grow at a fast pace for many years. But as sometimes happens, we did not get the opportunity to hold our shares for the long term.
Our first trim in 2023 was a small portion of our position in CBIZ (CBIZ), a large accounting and financial services firm. Due to a few years of strong returns, CBIZ remains our largest holding and one of our favorite companies. While we believe they can grow earnings for many more years and we hope to be long-term shareholders, the combination of the large position size, high valuation, and some evidence from peers that demand might be slowing a bit led us to make a modest trim.
Carriage Services (CSV) was our last trim. Carriage is one of the larger owners of funeral homes and cemeteries in the U.S. On June 29, a competitor, Park Lawn ([PLC] not held in the Small Cap Fund), announced they were attempting to negotiate the purchase of CSV and the stock price spiked up on the news. We still don’t know what price has been offered or if Carriage’s board of directors will ultimately vote for a transaction. While CSV may yet receive a higher price from Park Lawn or another bidder, there is a risk that no transaction happens. Or, if it does, it occurs at a lower stock price. Therefore, we decided to reduce that risk and lock in some of the gain by selling a portion of our shares.
Purchases
Despite our determination, we did not invest in any new ideas as of June 30. While we have our eyes on a few interesting companies, in each case we are either analyzing the business more or waiting for an attractive entry price.
However, some of our existing positions fell to attractive prices in our estimation. We already know these businesses quite well so it made sense to make the contrarian move and buy a few more shares in nine of our holdings.
Most of those opportunities came from one-off, unrelated issues including expectations of slower leisure travel demand (e.g., Choice Hotels International [CHH]), continuing supply chain and inflation challenges (e.g., Nomad Foods [NOMD]), and frustration following a disappointing first quarter (e.g., Trisura Group [TRRSF]). After thorough study, we expect that each of these situations should pass in time, therefore buying a few more shares seemed logical.
Our other purchases tie into investors’ fears about commercial real estate and banking. Obviously, fear peaked after the failures of a few large banks in early 2023, but there remains a lingering concern that higher interest rates will lead to a recession and lower values for some properties banks have lent money against. While we too have concerns, banks differ significantly and many leadership teams have done a great job reducing these risks at their institutions in our view.
Ultimately, these fears gave us opportunities to add to two of our banks, Pinnacle Financial Partners (PNFP) and SouthState Corporation (SSB) plus Cass Information Systems (CASS), which is basically one-half transaction processor and one-half bank. Additionally, we added to commercial real estate broker/services provider Colliers International Group (CIGI). While we don’t doubt that all will experience a pressure on earnings for the next year or two due to falling values of office buildings (in particular), in our opinion stock prices declined enough to more than reflect this risk and each seems well-positioned to prosper over the long term.
Closing Thoughts
Before writing these letters, we prepare in part by rereading our previous letters. It’s striking that a year ago we were worrying and writing about the same issues. How bad will inflation be? When will it slow? Will higher interest rates not just slow the economy but drive it into a recession? How will the war in Ukraine get resolved? How will each industry and our holdings adjust to these pressures?
Certainly, some things have changed in the past year, but it’s amazing how we still don’t know the answers to these major economic questions. In recent days, we read pieces by experts predicting everything from no recession and a new normal of interest rates in the current range to a hard landing (soon) leading to lower interest rates. Honestly, we don’t know the answers either and are distrustful of anyone who proclaims they have it all figured out.
Rather than making guesses about near-term conditions, our plan is to keep following our quality/value investing process. We want to own shares in 25 to 30 companies that we believe can post better-than-average stock performance over the medium to long term. To do this, we must keep studying our holdings and regularly retest our thesis on each firm.
Simultaneously, we continue to learn about potential new investments. Occasionally, we take advantage of what we believe are quality, but mispriced securities and make purchases. Our goal is to carefully study a limited number of what we deem to be excellent enterprises so that we can make the right portfolio decisions that ideally lead to impressive long-term results.
Thank you for investing with us and for your ongoing trust. We will continue to work diligently on your behalf.
TOP 5 CONTRIBUTORS AND DETRACTORS*
12/31/2022 TO 6/30/2023
Top 5 Contributors
Name | Average Weight (%) | Contribution (%) |
Dream Finders Homes | 2.04% | 2.32% |
SPS Commerce | 3.40% | 1.45% |
Penske Automotive Group | 3.23% | 1.23% |
SiteOne Landscape Supply | 3.26% | 1.19% |
Frontdoor | 2.25% | 0.97% |
| | |
This reflects the FAM Small Cap Focus Fund’s best and worst performers, in descending order, based on individual stock performance and portfolio weighting. Past performance does not indicate future results.
Top 5 Detractors
Name | Average Weight (%) | Contribution (%) |
Boston Omaha Corp. | 3.00% | -1.02% |
Pinnacle Financial Partners | 3.40% | -0.89% |
ExlService Holdings | 6.63% | -0.76% |
Trisura Group | 3.80% | -0.65% |
Cass Information Systems | 2.96% | -0.43% |
| | |
Past performance does not indicate future results.
| | |
Andrew F. Boord | Kevin D. Gioia, CFA | |
Portfolio Manager | Portfolio Manager | |
| | |
The opinions expressed herein are those of the portfolio managers as of the date of the report and are subject to change. There is no guarantee that any forecast made will come to pass. This material does not constitute investment advice and is not intended as an endorsement of any specific investment.
Performance data quoted above is historical. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. The principal value and investment return of an investment will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
| * | Reflects top contributors and top detractors to the fund’s performance based on each holding’s contribution to the overall fund’s return for the period shown. The information provided does not reflect all positions purchased, sold or recommended for advisory clients during the period shown. It should not be assumed that future investments will be profitable or will equal the performance of the security examples discussed. Past performance is no guarantee, nor is it indicative, of future results. For more detailed information on the calculation and methodology as well as a complete list of every holding’s contribution to the overall fund’s performance during the time period shown, please call (800) 932-3271 or visit the fund’s website at famfunds.com. Portfolio composition will change due to ongoing management of the fund. References to individual securities are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or a recommendation, by the fund, the portfolio managers, or the fund’s distributor, to purchase or sell any |
security or other financial instrument. The summary is not advice, a recommendation or an offer to enter into any transaction with Fenimore or any of its affiliated funds. The portfolio holdings are as of the most recent quarter.
TOP 10 HOLDINGS
AS OF 6/30/2023
FAM SMALL CAP FUND | % OF NET ASSETS |
CBIZ | 6.75% |
ExlService Holdings | 5.85% |
Colliers International Group | 4.20% |
SPS Commerce | 4.09% |
Hostess Brands | 4.08% |
Trisura Group | 3.89% |
Landstar System | 3.86% |
Chemed Corp. | 3.75% |
Penske Automotive Group | 3.68% |
Choice Hotels International | 3.67% |
Total Net Assets | $ 328,534,361 |
| |
The portfolios are actively managed and current holdings may be different.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
AS OF 6/30/2023
| Since Inception | 10 Year | 5 Year | 3 Year | 1 Year | Total Fund Operating Expenses* |
FAM SMALL CAP FUND INVESTOR CLASS (3/1/12) | 10.87% | 9.63% | 8.22% | 17.45% | 15.18% | 1.26% (gross) 1.26%* (net) |
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS (1/1/16) | 10.96% | 9.72% | 8.34% | 17.58% | 15.33% | 1.16% (gross) 1.16%* (net) |
RUSSELL 2000 INDEX | 9.17% | 8.26% | 4.21% | 10.82% | 12.31% | N/A |
| | | | | | |
The performance data quoted represents past performance.
PERFORMANCE DISCLOSURES
Performance data quoted above is historical. Past performance is not indicative of future results, current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. Investment returns may fluctuate; the value of your investment upon redemption may be more or less than the initial amount invested. All returns are net of expenses. To obtain performance data that is current to the most recent month-end for each fund as well as other information on the FAM Funds, please go to fenimoreasset.com or call (800) 932-3271.
Please consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The FAM Funds prospectus or summary prospectus contains this and other important information about each Fund and should be read carefully before you invest or send money. To obtain a prospectus or summary prospectus for each fund as well as other information on the FAM Funds, please go to fenimoreasset.com or call (800) 932-3271.
IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION
Risk Disclosures: The principal risks of investing in the fund are: stock market risk (stocks fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and to general stock market and economic conditions), stock selection risk (Fenimore utilizes a value approach to stock selection and there is risk that the stocks selected may not
realize their intrinsic value, or their price may go down over time), and small-cap risk (prices of small-cap companies can fluctuate more than the stocks of larger companies and may not correspond to changes in the stock market in general).
This presentation was prepared by Fenimore Asset Management, Inc. (“Fenimore”). Neither this presentation nor any of its contents may be distributed or used for any other purpose without the prior written consent of Fenimore.
In part, the purpose of this presentation is to provide investors with an update on financial market conditions. The description of certain aspects of the market herein is a condensed summary only. This summary does not purport to be complete and no obligation to update or otherwise revise such information is being assumed. These materials are provided for informational purposes only and are not otherwise intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, any security or other financial instrument. This summary is not advice, a recommendation or an offer to enter into any transaction with Fenimore or any of their affiliated funds.
This presentation may contain statements based on the current beliefs and expectations of Fenimore’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Any references herein to any of Fenimore’s past or present investments, portfolio characteristics, or performance, have been provided for illustrative purposes only. It should not be assumed that these investments were or will be profitable or that any future investments will be profitable or will equal the performance of these investments. There can be no guarantee that the investment objectives of Fenimore will be achieved. Any investment entails a risk of loss. Unless otherwise noted, information included herein is presented as of the date indicated on the cover page and may change at any time without notice.
| * | FAM Small Cap Fund Disclosure: The Fund’s total annual operating expense ratio as stated in the fee table of the Fund’s most recent prospectus is 1.26% for the Investor Class. The Fund’s total annual operating expense ratio as stated in the fee table of the Fund’s most recent prospectus is 1.16% for the Institutional Class. When excluding Acquired Funds Fees and Expenses, which are not direct costs paid by the Fund’s shareholders and fee waivers, the total annual operating expense as reported in the FAM Small Cap Fund’s audited financial statements for the Investor Class is 1.25% and the Institutional Class is 1.15% as of December 31, 2022. The Advisor has contractually agreed, until May 1, 2024, to waive fees and/or reimburse the Fund certain expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage costs, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expense and extraordinary expenses) to the extent necessary to cap Net Fund Operating Expenses for Investor Shares at 1.42% and Institutional Shares at 1.20%. |
Institutional Class shares became available for sale on January 1, 2016. For performance prior to that date, this table includes the actual performance of the Fund’s Investor Class (and uses the Fund’s Investor Class’ actual expenses), without adjustment. The performance results shown for the periods prior to January 1, 2016, the date of commencement of operations for Institutional Shares, are for the Investor Shares, which are subject to higher fees due to differences in the shareholder administrative services fees and certain other fees paid by each class. Institutional Shares and Investor Shares would have substantially similar performance results because the shares of each class are invested in the same portfolio securities of the Fund. Because of the difference in the level of fees paid by Investor Shares, the returns for the Investor Shares will be lower than the returns of the Institutional Shares
FAM SMALL CAP FUND — Portfolio Data |
June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS |
Banks | 8.7% |
IT Services | 8.5% |
Money Market Funds | 7.9% |
Real Estate Management & Development | 7.6% |
Food Products | 7.1% |
Professional Services | 6.7% |
Software | 6.5% |
Specialty Retail | 6.2% |
Insurance | 6.0% |
Diversified Consumer Services | 4.7% |
Road & Rail | 3.8% |
Health Care Facilities & Services | 3.7% |
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure | 3.7% |
Trading, Companies & Distributors | 3.6% |
Gas Utilities | 3.3% |
Machinery | 3.3% |
Real Estate Owners & Developers | 3.2% |
Multi-Line Retail | 2.7% |
Media | 2.5% |
Other | 0.3% |
| |
Statement Regarding Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedule. Please note that (i) the Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) as of the end of the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to Form N-PORT; (ii) the complete listing is available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov; and (iii) the Fund makes the exhibit to Form N-PORT available to shareholders at fenimoreasset.com, or upon request, by calling FAM FUNDS at 1-800-932-3271.
FAM SMALL CAP FUND — Schedule of Investments |
June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
| | Shares | | | Value | |
COMMON STOCKS — 91.8% | | | | | | | | |
Banks — 8.7% | | | | | | | | |
Home BancShares, Inc. | | | 412,135 | | | $ | 9,396,678 | |
Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. | | | 184,100 | | | | 10,429,265 | |
SouthState Corporation | | | 134,606 | | | | 8,857,075 | |
| | | | | | | 28,683,018 | |
Diversified Consumer Services — 4.7% | | | | | | | | |
Carriage Services, Inc. | | | 230,333 | | | | 7,478,913 | |
Frontdoor, Inc. (a) | | | 249,205 | | | | 7,949,639 | |
| | | | | | | 15,428,552 | |
Food Products — 7.1% | | | | | | | | |
Hostess Brands, Inc. (a) | | | 527,862 | | | | 13,365,466 | |
Nomad Foods Ltd. (a) | | | 567,510 | | | | 9,942,775 | |
| | | | | | | 23,308,241 | |
Gas Utilities — 3.3% | | | | | | | | |
Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation - Class A | | | 236,415 | | | | 10,775,796 | |
Health Care Facilities & Services — 3.7% | | | | | | | | |
Chemed Corporation | | | 22,655 | | | | 12,271,534 | |
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 3.7% | | | | | | | | |
Choice Hotels International, Inc. | | | 102,300 | | | | 12,022,296 | |
Insurance — 6.0% | | | | | | | | |
Hagerty, Inc. - Class A (a) | | | 729,259 | | | | 6,825,864 | |
Trisura Group Ltd. (a) | | | 448,480 | | | | 12,733,341 | |
| | | | | | | 19,559,205 | |
IT Services — 8.5% | | | | | | | | |
Cass Information Systems, Inc. | | | 222,645 | | | | 8,634,173 | |
ExlService Holdings, Inc. (a) | | | 126,894 | | | | 19,168,607 | |
| | | | | | | 27,802,780 | |
Machinery — 3.3% | | | | | | | | |
Franklin Electric Company, Inc. | | | 104,500 | | | | 10,753,050 | |
Media — 2.5% | | | | | | | | |
Boston Omaha Corporation - Class A (a) | | | 438,800 | | | | 8,258,216 | |
Multi-Line Retail — 2.7% | | | | | | | | |
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. (a) | | | 150,550 | | | | 8,721,361 | |
Professional Services — 6.7% | | | | | | | | |
CBIZ, Inc. (a) | | | 415,227 | | | | 22,123,295 | |
Real Estate Management & Development — 7.6% | | | | | | | | |
Colliers International Group, Inc. | | | 140,211 | | | | 13,767,318 | |
FirstService Corporation | | | 72,534 | | | | 11,176,764 | |
| | | | | | | 24,944,082 | |
Real Estate Owners & Developers — 3.2% | | | | | | | | |
Dream Finders Homes, Inc. - Class A (a) | | | 430,000 | | | | 10,573,700 | |
| | | | | | | | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
FAM SMALL CAP FUND — Schedule of Investments Continued |
June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
| | Shares | | | Value | |
COMMON STOCKS — 91.8% (Continued) | | | | | | | | |
Road & Rail — 3.8% | | | | | | | | |
Landstar System, Inc. | | | 65,700 | | | $ | 12,649,878 | |
Software — 6.5% | | | | | | | | |
Descartes Systems Group, Inc. (The) (a) | | | 101,200 | | | | 8,107,132 | |
SPS Commerce, Inc. (a) | | | 69,800 | | | | 13,405,788 | |
| | | | | | | 21,512,920 | |
Specialty Retail — 6.2% | | | | | | | | |
Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc. - Class A (a) | | | 80,558 | | | | 8,374,810 | |
Penske Automotive Group, Inc. | | | 72,319 | | | | 12,050,515 | |
| | | | | | | 20,425,325 | |
Trading Companies & Distributors — 3.6% | | | | | | | | |
SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. (a) | | | 70,614 | | | | 11,817,959 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Common Stocks (Cost $188,503,230) | | | | | | $ | 301,631,208 | |
| | | | | | | | |
MONEY MARKET FUNDS — 7.9% | | | | | | | | |
Invesco Treasury Portfolio - Institutional Class, 5.05% (b) (Cost $25,913,055) | | | 25,913,055 | | | $ | 25,913,055 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Investments at Value — 99.7% (Cost $214,416,285) | | | | | | $ | 327,544,263 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities — 0.3% | | | | | | | 990,098 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net Assets — 100.0% | | | | | | $ | 328,534,361 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| (a) | Non-income producing security. |
| (b) | The rate shown is the 7-day effective yield as of June 30, 2023. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
FAM FUNDS — Statements of Assets and Liabilities | June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
| | | | | FAM | | | | |
| | FAM | | | Dividend | | | FAM | |
| | Value | | | Focus | | | Small Cap | |
| | Fund | | | Fund | | | Fund | |
Assets | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investments in securities: | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investments in securities, at cost | | $ | 577,804,896 | | | $ | 317,032,516 | | | $ | 214,416,285 | |
Investments in securities, at value | | | 1,523,217,582 | | | | 611,134,212 | | | | 327,544,263 | |
Cash | | | 108,240 | | | | — | | | | — | |
Receivable for Fund shares sold | | | 162,431 | | | | 49,740 | | | | 94,379 | |
Receivable for Securities sold | | | — | | | | — | | | | 1,379,027 | |
Dividends receivable | | | 1,115,948 | | | | 574,787 | | | | 137,013 | |
Other assets | | | 24,858 | | | | 18,286 | | | | 20,147 | |
Total Assets | | | 1,524,629,059 | | | | 611,777,025 | | | | 329,174,829 | |
Liabilities | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Payable for Fund shares redeemed | | | 137,757 | | | | 36,698 | | | | 296,026 | |
Accrued investment advisory fees | | | 1,072,220 | | | | 430,644 | | | | 236,457 | |
Accrued shareholder servicing and fund accounting fees | | | 188,945 | | | | 59,640 | | | | 28,681 | |
Accrued business management and administrative fees | | | 160,207 | | | | 94,827 | | | | 44,150 | |
Accrued trustee fees | | | 10,444 | | | | 10,444 | | | | 10,444 | |
Accrued expenses | | | 73,354 | | | | 29,889 | | | | 24,710 | |
Total Liabilities | | | 1,642,927 | | | | 662,142 | | | | 640,468 | |
Net Assets | | $ | 1,522,986,132 | | | $ | 611,114,883 | | | $ | 328,534,361 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net Assets Consist of: | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Paid-in capital | | $ | 542,044,926 | | | $ | 314,506,060 | | | $ | 214,886,411 | |
Accumulated earnings | | | 980,941,206 | | | | 296,608,823 | | | | 113,647,950 | |
Net Assets | | $ | 1,522,986,132 | | | $ | 611,114,883 | | | $ | 328,534,361 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net asset value and offering price per share | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net assets - Investor Shares | | $ | 1,489,044,442 | | | $ | 611,114,883 | | | $ | 199,742,650 | |
Net assets - Institutional Shares | | $ | 33,941,690 | | | | N/A | | | $ | 128,791,711 | |
Shares outstanding - Investor Shares | | | 16,828,931 | | | | 12,309,456 | | | | 8,262,721 | |
Shares outstanding - Institutional Shares | | | 380,772 | | | | N/A | | | | 5,277,036 | |
Net Asset Value, offering and Redemption Price per share (unlimited shares of beneficial interest authorized at $0.001 par value) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investor Shares | | $ | 88.48 | | | $ | 49.65 | | | $ | 24.17 | |
Institutional Shares | | $ | 89.14 | | | | N/A | | | $ | 24.41 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
FAM FUNDS — Statements of Operations | Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) |
| | | | | FAM | | | | |
| | FAM | | | Dividend | | | FAM | |
| | Value | | | Focus | | | Small Cap | |
| | Fund | | | Fund | | | Fund | |
Investment Income | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Dividends | | $ | 10,220,583 | | | $ | 4,709,930 | | | $ | 1,680,797 | |
Foreign withholding taxes on dividends | | | (71,629 | ) | | | — | | | | (34,671 | ) |
Total Investment Income | | | 10,148,954 | | | | 4,709,930 | | | | 1,646,126 | |
Expenses | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investment advisory fees (Note 2) | | | 6,546,632 | | | | 2,552,896 | | | | 1,384,357 | |
Shareholder servicing fees (Note 2) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investor shares | | | 621,604 | | | | 161,889 | | | | 64,944 | |
Institutional shares | | | 3 | | | | — | | | | 4,213 | |
Fund accounting fees (Note 2) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investor shares | | | 496,561 | | | | 199,080 | | | | 68,478 | |
Institutional shares | | | 12,177 | | | | — | | | | 39,164 | |
Shareholder administrative fees (Note 2) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investor shares | | | 321,908 | | | | 281,864 | | | | 91,164 | |
Institutional shares | | | 8,810 | | | | — | | | | 23,128 | |
Business management fees (Note 2) | | | 219,231 | | | | 85,800 | | | | 46,396 | |
Legal fees | | | 106,566 | | | | 41,265 | | | | 22,248 | |
Custodian and bank servicing fees | | | 63,060 | | | | 26,225 | | | | 15,692 | |
Trustee’s fees and expenses | | | 33,816 | | | | 33,816 | | | | 33,816 | |
Registration and filing fees | | | 23,567 | | | | 19,216 | | | | 23,816 | |
Compliance services fees (Note 2) | | | 10,000 | | | | 10,000 | | | | 10,000 | |
Audit and tax services fees | | | 13,000 | | | | 6,500 | | | | 6,500 | |
Shareholder reporting expenses | | | 13,302 | | | | 5,789 | | | | 5,985 | |
Other | | | 57,390 | | | | 26,135 | | | | 18,386 | |
Total Expenses | | | 8,547,627 | | | | 3,450,475 | | | | 1,858,287 | |
Fee reductions by Advisor (Note 2) | | | (26,987 | ) | | | — | | | | — | |
Net Expenses | | | 8,520,640 | | | | 3,450,475 | | | | 1,858,287 | |
Net Investment Income (Loss) | | | 1,628,314 | | | | 1,259,455 | | | | (212,161 | ) |
Realized and Unrealized Gains on Investments | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net realized gains on investments | | | 33,900,206 | | | | 2,192,176 | | | | 732,133 | |
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments | | | 67,735,001 | | | | 57,048,563 | | | | 31,374,763 | |
Net Realized and Unrealized Gains | | | 101,635,207 | | | | 59,240,739 | | | | 32,106,896 | |
Net Increase in Net Assets From Operations | | $ | 103,263,521 | | | $ | 60,500,194 | | | $ | 31,894,735 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
FAM FUNDS — Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
| | FAM Value Fund | |
| | Six Months Ended | | | Year Ended | |
| | June 30, 2023 | | | December 31, | |
| | (Unaudited) | | | 2022 | |
Change in Net Assets | | | | | | | | |
From Operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income | | $ | 1,628,314 | | | $ | 2,540,068 | |
Net realized gains on investments | | | 33,900,206 | | | | 48,715,684 | |
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments | | | 67,735,001 | | | | (295,666,679 | ) |
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | | | 103,263,521 | | | | (244,410,927 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Distributions to shareholders from (Note 5): | | | | | | | | |
Distributable earnings - Investor Shares | | | — | | | | (49,929,802 | ) |
Distributable earnings - Institutional Shares | | | — | | | | (1,360,511 | ) |
Total distributions | | | — | | | | (51,290,313 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Capital share transactions (Note 3) | | | (22,611,808 | ) | | | 3,976,597 | |
Total increase (decrease) in net assets | | | 80,651,713 | | | | (291,724,643 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net Assets | | | | | | | | |
Beginning of period | | | 1,442,334,419 | | | | 1,734,059,062 | |
End of period | | $ | 1,522,986,132 | | | $ | 1,442,334,419 | |
| | | | | | | | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
FAM FUNDS — Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
| | FAM Dividend Focus Fund | |
| | Six Months Ended | | | Year Ended | |
| | June 30, 2023 | | | December 31, | |
| | (Unaudited) | | | 2022 | |
Change in Net Assets | | | | | | | | |
From Operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income | | $ | 1,259,455 | | | $ | 973,125 | |
Net realized gains on investments | | | 2,192,176 | | | | 6,424,037 | |
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments | | | 57,048,563 | | | | (97,334,004 | ) |
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | | | 60,500,194 | | | | (89,936,842 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Distributions to shareholders from (Note 5): | | | | | | | | |
Distributable earnings - Investor Shares | | | (944,504 | ) | | | (7,537,372 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Capital share transactions (Note 3) | | | (7,566,726 | ) | | | (7,625,011 | ) |
Total increase (decrease) in net assets | | | 51,988,964 | | | | (105,099,225 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net Assets | | | | | | | | |
Beginning of period | | | 559,125,919 | | | | 664,225,144 | |
End of period | | $ | 611,114,883 | | | $ | 559,125,919 | |
| | | | | | | | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
FAM FUNDS — Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
| | FAM Small Cap Fund | |
| | Six Months Ended | | | Year Ended | |
| | June 30, 2023 | | | December 31, | |
| | (Unaudited) | | | 2022 | |
Change in Net Assets | | | | | | | | |
From Operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment loss | | $ | (212,161 | ) | | $ | (1,417,521 | ) |
Net realized gains on investments | | | 732,133 | | | | 1,023,844 | |
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments | | | 31,374,763 | | | | (40,610,580 | ) |
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | | | 31,894,735 | | | | (41,004,257 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Distributions to shareholders from (Note 5): | | | | | | | | |
Distributable earnings - Investor Shares | | | — | | | | (666,126 | ) |
Distributable earnings - Institutional Shares | | | — | | | | (357,753 | ) |
Total distributions | | | — | | | | (1,023,879 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Capital share transactions (Note 3) | | | 9,597,613 | | | | 11,068,998 | |
Total increase (decrease) in net assets | | | 41,492,348 | | | | (30,959,138 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net Assets | | | | | | | | |
Beginning of period | | | 287,042,013 | | | | 318,001,151 | |
End of period | | $ | 328,534,361 | | | $ | 287,042,013 | |
| | | | | | | | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
Note 1. Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
FAM Value Fund, FAM Dividend Focus Fund and FAM Small Cap Fund (individually a “Fund”, and collectively, the “Funds”) are each a series of Fenimore Asset Management Trust, a diversified, open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Each Fund is authorized to issue two classes of shares: Investor Shares and Institutional Shares. The Investor Shares and the Institutional Shares represent interests in the same portfolio of investments in each Fund, however, each class of shares is subject to different expenses and have different investment minimums. Each share class has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters that affect just that class of shares. As of the date of this report, Institutional Shares of the FAM Dividend Focus Fund are not currently offered.
The investment objective of the FAM Value Fund is to maximize long-term return on capital. The investment objective of the FAM Dividend Focus Fund is to provide current income and long-term capital appreciation from investing primarily in income-producing equity securities. The investment objective of the FAM Small Cap Fund is to maximize long-term return on capital.
Each Fund is an investment company and accordingly follows accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 “Financial Services – Investment Companies.” The following is a summary of each Fund’s significant accounting policies, which are in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and followed by the Funds in the preparation of their financial statements.
| a) | Valuation of Securities |
Each Fund values its portfolio securities at market value as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the “NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each business day that the NYSE is open for business. Securities traded on a national securities exchange or admitted to trading on NASDAQ are valued at the last reported sale price or the NASDAQ official closing price. Securities for which no sale was reported, over-the-counter securities, and securities for which market quotations are not readily available or have not traded are valued at fair value as determined by procedures established by Fenimore Asset Management, Inc. (the “Advisor”), as the Funds’ Valuation Designee, pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. Investments in other open-end investment companies, including money market funds, are valued at their net asset value (“NAV”) as reported by such companies.
GAAP establishes a three-tier framework for measuring fair value based on a hierarchy of inputs. The hierarchy distinguishes between market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and the Funds’ own market assumptions (unobservable inputs).
These inputs are used in determining the value of each Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:
Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities
Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for identical securities in inactive markets and quoted prices for similar securities)
Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including each Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)
When market quotations are not readily available or when events occur that make established valuation methods unreliable, securities of the Fund may be valued in good faith by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees. Factors which may be considered when determining the value of a security include (a) the fundamental data relating to the investment; (b) an evaluation of the forces which influence the market in which the security is sold, including the liquidity and depth of the market; (c) the market value at date of purchase; (d) information as to any transactions or offers with respect to the security or comparable securities; and (e) any other relevant matters.
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
The inputs or methods used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
The following is a summary of each Fund’s investments and the inputs used to value the investments as of June 30, 2023:
FAM Value Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
Common Stocks | | $ | 1,462,070,987 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 1,462,070,987 | |
Money Market Funds | | | 61,146,595 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 61,146,595 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | $ | 1,523,217,582 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 1,523,217,582 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
FAM Dividend Focus Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
Common Stocks | | $ | 586,194,825 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 586,194,825 | |
Money Market Funds | | | 24,939,387 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 24,939,387 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | $ | 611,134,212 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 611,134,212 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
FAM Small Cap Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
Common Stocks | | $ | 301,631,208 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 301,631,208 | |
Money Market Funds | | | 25,913,055 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 25,913,055 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | $ | 327,544,263 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 327,544,263 | |
The Funds did not hold any derivative instruments or any assets or liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) as of or during the six months ended June 30, 2023.
Refer to each Fund’s Schedule of Investments to view securities segregated by industry type.
| b) | Investment Transactions |
Investment transactions are recorded on trade date. Realized gains and losses on investments sold are determined on the basis of identified cost.
Interest income, if any, is accrued as earned, and dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends, if any, have been recorded in accordance with the Trust’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and tax rates. Non-cash dividends are included in dividend income on the ex-dividend date at the fair market value of the shares received. The Funds record distributions received in excess of income from underlying investments as a reduction of cost of investments and/or realized gain. Such amounts are based on estimates if actual amounts are not available, and actual amounts of income, realized gain and return of capital may differ from the estimated amounts. The Funds adjust the estimated amounts of the components of distributions (and consequently its net investment income) as an increase to unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and realized gain (loss) on investments as necessary once the issuers provide information about the composition of the distributions.
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
The NAV per share of each Class of shares of each Fund is calculated daily by dividing the total value of a Fund’s assets attributable to that Class, less liabilities attributable to that Class, by the number of shares of that Class outstanding.
| e) | Distributions to Shareholders |
Dividends from net investment income are declared and paid quarterly by the FAM Dividend Focus Fund, if applicable. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid on an annual basis by each of the FAM Value Fund and FAM Small Cap Fund. Dividends are declared separately for each share class. No share class has preferential dividend rights; differences in per share rates are due to differences in the expenses of each share class.
Net realized capital gains, if any, are distributed at least annually for each of the Funds. Distributions from net investment income and from net realized capital gains are determined in accordance with U.S. income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP. Permanent book and tax basis differences, if any, are reclassified among the components of net assets. Dividends and distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date.
It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no provision for federal income or excise tax is required.
GAAP requires uncertain tax positions to be recognized, measured, presented and disclosed in the financial statements. For the six months ended June 30, 2023, management has evaluated the tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing each Fund’s tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained upon review by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold would be recorded as a tax expense in the current year. Based on its evaluation, management has determined that no liability for unrecognized tax expense is required. The current tax year and all open tax years (generally, three years) remain subject to examination by U.S. and New York taxing authorities. No examination of the Funds’ tax filings is presently in progress.
Expenses of the Trust not attributable solely to one of the Funds are allocated among the Funds based on relative net assets of each Fund or the nature of the expense and the relative applicability to each Fund.
| h) | Allocation between Classes |
Investment income earned, realized capital gains and losses, and unrealized appreciation and depreciation are allocated daily to each Class of a Fund based upon its proportionate share of total net assets of that Fund. Class-specific expenses are charged directly to the Class incurring the expense. Common expenses which are not attributable to a specific Class are allocated daily to each Class of shares of a Fund based upon its proportionate share of total net assets of that Fund.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
Note 2. Investment Advisory Fees and Other Transactions with Affiliates
Investment Advisory Agreement
Under an Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays an investment advisory fee to the Advisor equal, on an annual basis, to 0.90% of its average daily net assets. In addition, under a Business Management Agreement, each Fund pays a business management fee to the Advisor equal, on an annual basis, to 0.03% of its average daily net assets. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Adviser earned $6,546,632, $2,552,896 and $1,384,357 of fees under the Investment Advisory Agreement for FAM Value Fund, FAM Dividend Focus Fund and FAM Small Cap Fund, respectively and earned $219,231, $85,800 and $46,396 of fees under the Business Management Agreement for FAM Value Fund, FAM Dividend Focus Fund and FAM Small Cap Fund, respectively.
Expense Limitation Agreement
Pursuant to an Expense Limitation Agreement (the “ELA”) entered into between the Advisor and the Trust, on behalf of each Fund, the Advisor has contractually agreed, until May 1, 2024, to reduce its fees and/or reimburse certain expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage costs, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expense, litigation, indemnification or extraordinary expenses) to the extent necessary to maintain annual operating expenses of each class of shares of each of the Funds as follows: for the Investor Shares: 1.18% for FAM Value Fund, 1.26% for FAM Dividend Focus Fund and 1.42% for FAM Small Cap Fund; and for the Institutional Shares: 0.99% for FAM Value Fund, 1.10% for FAM Dividend Focus Fund and 1.20% for FAM Small Cap Fund.
During the six months ended June 30, 2023, pursuant to the terms of the ELA, the Advisor reduced its fees for FAM Value Fund in the amount of $26,987. The FAM Dividend Focus Fund and the FAM Small Cap Fund did not have any advisory fee reductions during the six months ended June 30, 2023.
The Advisor may be reimbursed by the Funds for any fees waived pursuant to the ELA if such payment is made within three years of the fee waiver and does not cause the total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage costs, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expense, litigation, indemnification or extraordinary expenses) of the Funds to exceed the lesser of (i) the then-current expense limit and (ii) the expense limit in place at the time the waiver. The FAM Dividend Focused Fund and FAM Small Cap Fund do not have fees that the Advisor may recoup. As of June 30, 2023, the amounts of previously reduced fees that the Advisor may recoup from the FAM Value Fund are shown below, along with the expiration dates of such recoupments:
| | 2023 | | | 2024 | | | 2025 | | | 2026 | | | Total | |
FAM Value Fund | | $ | 104,548 | | | $ | 59,466 | | | $ | 64,452 | | | $ | 26,987 | | | $ | 255,453 | |
During the six months ended June 30, 2023, FAM Value Fund recouped $0 of prior years’ investment advisory fee reductions.
Shareholder Administration Services
The Funds have adopted Shareholder Administrative Services Plans (the “Plans”) for each class of shares pursuant to which each Fund may pay shareholder administrative servicing fees to the Advisor and to financial intermediaries for providing, or arranging for the provision of, certain types of shareholder administrative services to shareholders of each respective class of shares that are serviced by the Advisor, affiliates of the Advisor or the financial intermediary. Pursuant to the Shareholder Administrative Services Plan for Investor Shares, the Investor Shares of each Fund may pay shareholder administrative servicing fees of up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets allocable to Investor Shares of each respective Fund; and pursuant to the Shareholder Administrative Services Plan for Institutional Shares, the Institutional Shares of each Fund may pay shareholder administrative servicing fees of up to 0.15% per annum of the average daily net assets allocable to Institutional Shares of each respective Fund.
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
For the six months ended June 30, 2023, shareholder administrative fees incurred pursuant to the Plans were as follows:
FAM Value Fund | | $ | 330,718 | |
FAM Dividend Focus Fund | | $ | 281,864 | |
FAM Small Cap Fund | | $ | 114,292 | |
Shareholder Account Services
Pursuant to the terms of the Shareholder Account Services Agreement between the Funds and the Advisor, for the purpose of providing or procuring shareholder account services, with respect to the Investor Shares of the Funds, the Advisor receives a fee at the annual rate of 0.11% of the average daily net assets allocable to the Investor Shares of each Fund, and, pursuant to the terms of the Shareholder Account Services Agreement between the Funds and the Advisor with respect to the Institutional Shares of the Funds, the Advisor receives a fee at the annual rate of 0.03% of the average daily net assets allocable to the Institutional Shares of each Fund. For the six months ended June 30, 2023, shareholder account servicing fees incurred by the Funds to the Advisor were as follows:
FAM Value Fund | | $ | 621,607 | |
FAM Dividend Focus Fund | | $ | 161,889 | |
FAM Small Cap Fund | | $ | 69,157 | |
Fund Accounting
The Advisor serves as the fund accounting agent and receives a fee at the annual rate of 0.07% of average daily net assets of each Fund’s Investor Shares and daily net assets of each Fund’s Institutional Shares. For the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Funds’ fund accounting fees incurred to the Advisor amounted to:
FAM Value Fund | | $ | 508,738 | |
FAM Dividend Focus Fund | | $ | 199,080 | |
FAM Small Cap Fund | | $ | 107,642 | |
Distribution Agreement
Fenimore Securities, Inc. (“FSI”), a company also under common control with the Advisor, acts as distributor of the Funds’ shares. FSI receives no compensation for providing distribution services from the Funds.
Compliance
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (“Ultimus”) provides the Chief Compliance Officer to the Funds, as well as certain additional compliance support functions. The Funds pay Ultimus fees in accordance with the agreement for such services. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, the fee paid by each Fund for such services was $10,000.
Other
The Advisor has entered into a Master Services Agreement with Ultimus, pursuant to which Ultimus provides day-to-day operational services to each Fund including, but not limited to, accounting, administrative, co-transfer agency services and recordkeeping services. The fees payable to Ultimus are paid by the Advisor (not the Funds).
Trustee Fees
Trustees of the Funds not employed by the Advisor (“Independent Trustee”) receive from the Funds an annual fee of $29,000 paid in quarterly installments and are reimbursed for all out-of-pocket expenses related to attendance at such meetings. The Independent Chair is entitled to receive up to an additional $10,000 annual retainer. The Chairs of the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are each entitled to receive a $2,000 annual retainer.
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
A Trustee and certain officers of the Trust are also officers or employees of the Advisor, FSI, or Ultimus, as applicable and are not compensated by the Funds for servicing in such capacities.
Note 3. Shares of Beneficial Interest
At June 30, 2023, an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest ($0.001 par value) of each Fund were authorized.
Transactions for each Fund are as follows:
| | Six Months Ended | | | Year Ended | |
| | June 30, 2023 | | | December 31, 2022 | |
FAM Value Fund | | | | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Investor Shares | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Shares Sold | | | 233,534 | | | $ | 19,743,497 | | | | 495,656 | | | $ | 43,039,765 | |
Shares Issued on reinvestment of distributions | | | — | | | | — | | | | 565,216 | | | | 46,879,075 | |
Shares redeemed | | | (445,362 | ) | | | (37,555,376 | ) | | | (901,579 | ) | | | (77,851,561 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investor Share Transactions | | | (211,828 | ) | | $ | (17,811,879 | ) | | | 159,293 | | | $ | 12,067,279 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Institutional Shares | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Shares Sold | | | 10,104 | | | $ | 860,663 | | | | 58,755 | | | $ | 5,037,269 | |
Shares Issued on reinvestment of distributions | | | — | | | | — | | | | 13,130 | | | | 1,095,957 | |
Shares redeemed | | | (66,295 | ) | | | (5,660,592 | ) | | | (163,269 | ) | | | (14,223,908 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Institutional Share Transactions | | | (56,191 | ) | | $ | (4,799,929 | ) | | | (91,384 | ) | | $ | (8,090,682 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net increase (decrease) from capital transactions | | | (268,019 | ) | | $ | (22,611,808 | ) | | | 67,909 | | | $ | 3,976,597 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Six Months Ended | | | Year Ended | |
| | June 30, 2023 | | | December 31, 2022 | |
FAM Dividend Focus Fund | | | | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Investor Shares | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Shares Sold | | | 801,776 | | | $ | 37,230,445 | | | | 1,535,850 | | | $ | 70,703,802 | |
Shares Issued on reinvestment of distributions | | | 18,337 | | | | 879,484 | | | | 158,085 | | | | 7,138,019 | |
Shares redeemed | | | (982,686 | ) | | | (45,676,655 | ) | | | (1,878,946 | ) | | | (85,466,832 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net decrease from capital transactions | | | (162,573 | ) | | $ | (7,566,726 | ) | | | (185,011 | ) | | $ | (7,625,011 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
| | Six Months Ended | | | Year Ended | |
| | June 30, 2023 | | | December 31, 2022 | |
FAM Small Cap Fund | | | | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Investor Shares | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Shares Sold | | | 528,304 | | | $ | 12,241,019 | | | | 995,082 | | | $ | 22,600,828 | |
Shares Issued on reinvestment of distributions | | | — | | | | — | | | | 29,635 | | | | 649,249 | |
Shares redeemed | | | (814,183 | ) | | | (19,270,482 | ) | | | (1,028,897 | ) | | | (23,152,451 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Investor Share Transactions | | | (285,879 | ) | | $ | (7,029,463 | ) | | | (4,180 | ) | | $ | 97,626 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Institutional Shares | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Shares Sold | | | 778,025 | | | $ | 18,622,540 | | | | 1,094,540 | | | $ | 25,609,288 | |
Shares Issued on reinvestment of distributions | | | — | | | | — | | | | 13,392 | | | | 296,047 | |
Shares redeemed | | | (84,599 | ) | | | (1,995,464 | ) | | | (672,352 | ) | | | (14,933,963 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Institutional Share Transactions | | | 693,426 | | | $ | 16,627,076 | | | | 435,580 | | | $ | 10,971,372 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net increase from capital transactions | | | 407,547 | | | $ | 9,597,613 | | | | 431,400 | | | $ | 11,068,998 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Note 4. Investment Transactions
During the six months ended June 30, 2023, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term obligations, were:
| | Purchases | | | Sales | |
FAM Value Fund | | $ | 41,121,512 | | | $ | 67,236,796 | |
FAM Dividend Focus Fund | | | 9,003,141 | | | | 15,345,893 | |
FAM Small Cap Fund | | | 6,104,165 | | | | 10,213,641 | |
Note 5. Income Taxes and Distributions to Shareholders
The tax composition of dividends and distributions paid to shareholders during the periods ended June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was:
| | | | | FAM Dividend | | | | |
| | FAM Value Fund | | | Focus Fund | | | FAM Small Cap Fund | |
| | 2023 | | | 2022 | | | 2023 | | | 2022 | | | 2023 | | | 2022 | |
Distributions paid from: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Ordinary income | | $ | — | | | $ | 2,573,934 | | | $ | 944,504 | | | $ | 1,200,728 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | |
Long-term capital gains | | | — | | | | 48,716,379 | | | | — | | | | 6,336,644 | | | | — | | | | 1,023,879 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total Distributions | | $ | — | | | $ | 51,290,313 | | | $ | 944,504 | | | $ | 7,537,372 | | | $ | — | | | $ | 1,023,879 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
The following information is computed on a tax basis for each item as of June 30, 2023:
| | | | | FAM Dividend | | | FAM Small | |
| | FAM Value Fund | | | Focus Fund | | | Cap Fund | |
Tax cost of investments | | $ | 577,804,896 | | | $ | 322,023,658 | | | $ | 205,420,191 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Gross unrealized appreciation | | $ | 985,964,723 | | | $ | 296,135,924 | | | $ | 120,059,423 | |
Gross unrealized depreciation | | | (40,552,037 | ) | | | (2,034,228 | ) | | | (6,931,445 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net unrealized appreciation | | | 945,412,686 | | | | 294,101,696 | | | | 113,127,978 | |
Accumulated ordinary income (loss) | | | 1,628,314 | | | | 314,951 | | | | (212,161 | ) |
Other gains | | | 33,900,206 | | | | 2,192,176 | | | | 732,133 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Accumulated earnings | | $ | 980,941,206 | | | $ | 296,608,823 | | | $ | 113,647,950 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expenses on the Statement of Operations. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Funds did not incur any interest or penalties.
Note 6. Line of Credit
FAM Value Fund, FAM Dividend Focus Fund and FAM Small Cap Fund each have a line of credit up to 33 1/3% of its net assets, with a maximum of $155,000,000, $60,000,000, and $30,000,000, respectively.
Borrowings under the agreement bear interest at the prime rate as announced by the lending bank. The line of credit is still available through November 21, 2023, when any advances are to be repaid. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, no amounts were drawn from the available lines.
Note 7. Commitments and Contingencies
In the normal course of business, the Funds enter into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnifications. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that might be made against the Funds that have not yet occurred. However, based on experience, the Trust expects the risk of loss to be remote.
Note 8. Subsequent Events
Management has evaluated subsequent events through the date these financial statements were available to be issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring recognition or disclosure in these financial statements.
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
|
Note 9. Financial Highlights
FAM Value Fund |
(Investor Shares) |
| | Six Months | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ended | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Per share information | | June 30, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(For a share outstanding | | 2023 | | | Years Ended December 31, | |
throughout each period) | | (Unaudited) | | | 2022 | | | 2021 | | | 2020 | | | 2019 | | | 2018 | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | $ | 82.51 | | | $ | 99.58 | | | $ | 83.23 | | | $ | 80.83 | | | $ | 66.24 | | | $ | 73.52 | |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss)(a) | | | 0.09 | | | | 0.14 | | | | 0.02 | | | | (0.06 | ) | | | (0.02 | ) | | | 0.07 | |
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments | | | 5.88 | | | | (14.18 | ) | | | 21.30 | | | | 5.53 | | | | 20.11 | | | | (4.64 | ) |
Total from investment operations | | | 5.97 | | | | (14.04 | ) | | | 21.32 | | | | 5.47 | | | | 20.09 | | | | (4.57 | ) |
Less distributions from: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income | | | — | | | | (0.15 | ) | | | (0.02 | ) | | | — | | | | — | | | | (0.07 | ) |
Net realized gains | | | — | | | | (2.88 | ) | | | (4.95 | ) | | | (3.07 | ) | | | (5.50 | ) | | | (2.64 | ) |
Return of capital | | | — | | | | — | | | | (0.00 | ) (b) | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
Total distributions | | | 0.00 | | | | (3.03 | ) | | | (4.97 | ) | | | (3.07 | ) | | | (5.50 | ) | | | (2.71 | ) |
Change in net asset value for the period | | $ | 5.97 | | | $ | (17.07 | ) | | $ | 16.35 | | | $ | 2.40 | | | $ | 14.59 | | | $ | (7.28 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period | | $ | 88.48 | | | $ | 82.51 | | | $ | 99.58 | | | $ | 83.23 | | | $ | 80.83 | | | $ | 66.24 | |
Total return(c) | | | 7.24 | % (d) | | | (14.12 | %) | | | 25.63 | % | | | 6.82 | % | | | 30.32 | % | | | (6.18 | %) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Ratios/supplementary data | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net assets, end of period (000) | | $ | 1,489,044 | | | $ | 1,406,047 | | | $ | 1,681,118 | | | $ | 1,385,432 | | | $ | 1,377,473 | | | $ | 1,106,471 | |
Ratios to average net assets of: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses, total | | | 1.18 | % (e) | | | 1.18 | % | | | 1.18 | % | | | 1.19 | % | | | 1.19 | % | | | 1.19 | % |
Expenses, net (includes fees reduced by Advisor) | | | 1.18 | % (e) | | | 1.18 | % | | | 1.18 | % | | | 1.18 | % | | | 1.18 | % | | | 1.18 | % |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.22 | % (e) | | | 0.17 | % | | | 0.02 | % | | | (0.08 | %) | | | (0.03 | %) | | | 0.09 | % |
Portfolio turnover rate | | | 3 | % (d) | | | 9 | % | | | 6 | % | | | 14 | % | | | 7 | % | | | 12 | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (a) | Based on average shares outstanding. |
| (b) | Amount rounds to less than $0.01 per share. |
| (c) | Total return is a measure of the change in value of an investment in the Fund over the periods covered. The returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions, if any, or the redemption of Fund shares. The total returns would be lower if the Advisor had not reduced advisory fees (Note 2). |
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
|
Note 9. Financial Highlights
FAM Value Fund |
(Institutional Shares) |
| | Six Months | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ended | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Per share information | | June 30, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(For a share outstanding | | 2023 | | | Years Ended December 31, | |
throughout each period) | | (Unaudited) | | | 2022 | | | 2021 | | | 2020 | | | 2019 | | | 2018 | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | $ | 83.04 | | | $ | 100.20 | | | $ | 83.71 | | | $ | 81.12 | | | $ | 66.34 | | | $ | 73.64 | |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income(a) | | | 0.17 | | | | 0.30 | | | | 0.20 | | | | 0.09 | | | | 0.13 | | | | 0.21 | |
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments | | | 5.93 | | | | (14.27 | ) | | | 21.44 | | | | 5.57 | | | | 20.15 | | | | (4.65 | ) |
Total from investment operations | | | 6.10 | | | | (13.97 | ) | | | 21.64 | | | | 5.66 | | | | 20.28 | | | | (4.44 | ) |
Less distributions from: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income | | | — | | | | (0.31 | ) | | | (0.16 | ) | | | — | | | | — | | | | (0.22 | ) |
Net realized gains | | | — | | | | (2.88 | ) | | | (4.95 | ) | | | (3.07 | ) | | | (5.50 | ) | | | (2.64 | ) |
Return of capital | | | — | | | | — | | | | (0.04 | ) | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
Total distributions | | | — | | | | (3.19 | ) | | | (5.15 | ) | | | (3.07 | ) | | | (5.50 | ) | | | (2.86 | ) |
Change in net asset value for the period | | $ | 6.10 | | | $ | (17.16 | ) | | $ | 16.49 | | | $ | 2.59 | | | $ | 14.78 | | | $ | (7.30 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period | | $ | 89.14 | | | $ | 83.04 | | | $ | 100.20 | | | $ | 83.71 | | | $ | 81.12 | | | $ | 66.34 | |
Total return(b) | | | 7.35 | % (c) | | | (13.96 | %) | | | 25.86 | % | | | 7.03 | % | | | 30.57 | % | | | (6.00 | %) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Ratios/supplementary data | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net assets, end of period (000) | | $ | 33,942 | | | $ | 36,287 | | | $ | 52,941 | | | $ | 42,444 | | | $ | 32,922 | | | $ | 25,933 | |
Ratios to average net assets of: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses, total | | | 1.14 | % (d) | | | 1.14 | % | | | 1.11 | % | | | 1.11 | % | | | 1.11 | % | | | 1.10 | % |
Expenses, net (includes fees reduced by Advisor) | | | 0.99 | % (d) | | | 0.99 | % | | | 0.99 | % | | | 0.99 | % | | | 0.99 | % | | | 0.99 | % |
Net investment income | | | 0.40 | % (d) | | | 0.34 | % | | | 0.21 | % | | | 0.12 | % | | | 0.16 | % | | | 0.25 | % |
Portfolio turnover rate | | | 3 | % (c) | | | 9 | % | | | 6 | % | | | 14 | % | | | 7 | % | | | 12 | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (a) | Based on average shares outstanding. |
| (b) | Total return is a measure of the change in value of an investment in the Fund over the periods covered. The returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions, if any, or the redemption of Fund shares. The total returns would be lower if the Advisor had not reduced advisory fees (Note 2). |
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
|
Note 9. Financial Highlights
FAM Dividend Focus Fund |
(Investor Shares) |
| | Six Months | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ended | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Per share information | | June 30, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(For a share outstanding | | 2023 | | | Years Ended December 31, | |
throughout each period) | | (Unaudited) | | | 2022 | | | 2021 | | | 2020 | | | 2019 | | | 2018 | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | $ | 44.83 | | | $ | 52.48 | | | $ | 42.35 | | | $ | 38.26 | | | $ | 29.73 | | | $ | 30.11 | |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income(a) | | | 0.10 | | | | 0.08 | | | | 0.01 | | | | 0.11 | | | | 0.22 | | | | 0.22 | |
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments | | | 4.80 | | | | (7.12 | ) | | | 10.82 | | | | 4.90 | | | | 9.45 | | | | (0.20 | ) |
Total from investment operations | | | 4.90 | | | | (7.04 | ) | | | 10.83 | | | | 5.01 | | | | 9.67 | | | | 0.02 | |
Less distributions from: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income | | | (0.08 | ) | | | (0.09 | ) | | | — | | | | (0.11 | ) | | | (0.21 | ) | | | (0.25 | ) |
Net realized gains | | | — | | | | (0.52 | ) | | | (0.70 | ) | | | (0.80 | ) | | | (0.93 | ) | | | (0.15 | ) |
Return of capital | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | (0.01 | ) | | | — | | | | — | |
Total distributions | | | (0.08 | ) | | | (0.61 | ) | | | (0.70 | ) | | | (0.92 | ) | | | (1.14 | ) | | | (0.40 | ) |
Change in net asset value for the period | | $ | 4.82 | | | $ | (7.65 | ) | | $ | 10.13 | | | $ | 4.09 | | | $ | 8.53 | | | $ | (0.38 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period | | $ | 49.65 | | | $ | 44.83 | | | $ | 52.48 | | | $ | 42.35 | | | $ | 38.26 | | | $ | 29.73 | |
Total return(b) | | | 10.93 | % (c) | | | (13.42 | %) | | | 25.57 | % | | | 13.20 | % | | | 32.56 | % | | | 0.06 | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Ratios/supplementary data | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net assets, end of period (000) | | $ | 611,115 | | | $ | 559,126 | | | $ | 664,225 | | | $ | 509,666 | | | $ | 454,617 | | | $ | 240,545 | |
Ratios to average net assets of: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses, total | | | 1.22 | % (d) | | | 1.22 | % | | | 1.22 | % | | | 1.24 | % | | | 1.24 | % | | | 1.23 | % |
Net investment income | | | 0.44 | % (d) | | | 0.17 | % | | | 0.02 | % | | | 0.31 | % | | | 0.61 | % | | | 0.70 | % |
Portfolio turnover rate | | | 2 | % (c) | | | 4 | % | | | 4 | % | | | 25 | % | | | 10 | % | | | 18 | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (a) | Based on average shares outstanding. |
| (b) | Total return is a measure of the change in value of an investment in the Fund over the periods covered. The returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions, if any, or the redemption of Fund shares. |
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
|
Note 9. Financial Highlights
FAM Small Cap Fund |
(Investor Shares) |
| | Six Months | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ended | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Per share information | | June 30, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(For a share outstanding | | 2023 | | | Years Ended December 31, | |
throughout each period) | | (Unaudited) | | | 2022 | | | 2021 | | | 2020 | | | 2019 | | | 2018 | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | $ | 21.79 | | | $ | 24.97 | | | $ | 20.83 | | | $ | 18.92 | | | $ | 14.98 | | | $ | 18.21 | |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment loss(a) | | | (0.02 | ) | | | (0.12 | ) | | | (0.13 | ) | | | (0.09 | ) | | | (0.09 | ) | | | (0.06 | ) |
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments | | | 2.40 | | | | (2.98 | ) | | | 5.90 | | | | 2.00 | | | | 4.12 | | | | (1.67 | ) |
Total from investment operations | | | 2.38 | | | | (3.10 | ) | | | 5.77 | | | | 1.91 | | | | 4.03 | | | | (1.73 | ) |
Less distributions from: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net realized gains | | | — | | | | (0.08 | ) | | | (1.63 | ) | | | — | | | | (0.09 | ) | | | (1.50 | ) |
Change in net asset value for the period | | $ | 2.38 | | | $ | (3.18 | ) | | $ | 4.14 | | | $ | 1.91 | | | $ | 3.94 | | | $ | (3.23 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period | | $ | 24.17 | | | $ | 21.79 | | | $ | 24.97 | | | $ | 20.83 | | | $ | 18.92 | | | $ | 14.98 | |
Total return(b) | | | 10.92 | % (c) | | | (12.42 | %) | | | 27.72 | % | | | 10.10 | % | | | 26.89 | % | | | (9.37 | %) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Ratios/supplementary data | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net assets, end of period (000) | | $ | 199,743 | | | $ | 186,264 | | | $ | 213,588 | | | $ | 165,727 | | | $ | 139,788 | | | $ | 111,156 | |
Ratios to average net assets of: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses, total | | | 1.25 | % (d) | | | 1.25 | % | | | 1.26 | % | | | 1.28 | % | | | 1.28 | % | | | 1.27 | % |
Expenses, net (includes fees reduced/recouped by Advisor) | | | 1.25 | % (d) | | | 1.25 | % | | | 1.26 | % | | | 1.28 | % | | | 1.28 | % | | | 1.28 | % |
Net investment loss | | | (0.17 | %) (d) | | | (0.52 | %) | | | (0.54 | %) | | | (0.55 | %) | | | (0.54 | %) | | | (0.33 | %) |
Portfolio turnover rate | | | 2 | % (c) | | | 15 | % | | | 23 | % | | | 16 | % | | | 15 | % | | | 31 | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (a) | Based on average shares outstanding. |
| (b) | Total return is a measure of the change in value of an investment in the Fund over the periods covered. The returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions, if any, or the redemption of Fund shares. |
FAM FUNDS — Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
|
Note 9. Financial Highlights
FAM Small Cap Fund |
(Institutional Shares) |
| | Six Months | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ended | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Per share information | | June 30, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(For a share outstanding | | 2023 | | | Years Ended December 31, | |
throughout each period) | | (Unaudited) | | | 2022 | | | 2021 | | | 2020 | | | 2019 | | | 2018 | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | $ | 21.99 | | | $ | 25.17 | | | $ | 20.97 | | | $ | 19.02 | | | $ | 15.04 | | | $ | 18.26 | |
Income (loss) from investment operations: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment loss(a) | | | (0.01 | ) | | | (0.09 | ) | | | (0.11 | ) | | | (0.08 | ) | | | (0.08 | ) | | | (0.04 | ) |
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments | | | 2.43 | | | | (3.01 | ) | | | 5.94 | | | | 2.03 | | | | 4.15 | | | | (1.68 | ) |
Total from investment operations | | | 2.42 | | | | (3.10 | ) | | | 5.83 | | | | 1.95 | | | | 4.07 | | | | (1.72 | ) |
Less distributions from: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net realized gains | | | — | | | | (0.08 | ) | | | (1.63 | ) | | | — | | | | (0.09 | ) | | | (1.50 | ) |
Change in net asset value for the period | | $ | 2.42 | | | $ | (3.18 | ) | | $ | 4.20 | | | $ | 1.95 | | | $ | 3.98 | | | $ | (3.22 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period | | $ | 24.41 | | | $ | 21.99 | | | $ | 25.17 | | | $ | 20.97 | | | $ | 19.02 | | | $ | 15.04 | |
Total return(b) | | | 11.00 | % (c) | | | (12.32 | %) | | | 27.82 | % | | | 10.25 | % | | | 27.05 | % | | | (9.29 | %) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Ratios/supplementary data | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net assets, end of period (000) | | $ | 128,792 | | | $ | 100,778 | | | $ | 104,413 | | | $ | 77,023 | | | $ | 61,170 | | | $ | 36,664 | |
Ratios to average net assets of: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses, total | | | 1.14 | % (d) | | | 1.15 | % | | | 1.15 | % | | | 1.18 | % | | | 1.19 | % | | | 1.16 | % |
Expenses, net (includes fees reduced/recouped by Advisor) | | | 1.14 | % (d) | | | 1.15 | % | | | 1.15 | % | | | 1.18 | % | | | 1.19 | % | | | 1.17 | % |
Net investment loss | | | (0.07 | %) (d) | | | (0.42 | %) | | | (0.43 | %) | | | (0.44 | %) | | | (0.45 | %) | | | (0.22 | %) |
Portfolio turnover rate | | | 2 | % (c) | | | 15 | % | | | 23 | % | | | 16 | % | | | 15 | % | | | 31 | % |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (a) | Based on average shares outstanding. |
| (b) | Total return is a measure of the change in value of an investment in the Fund over the periods covered. The returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions, if any, or the redemption of Fund shares. |
FAM FUNDS — Change in Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (Unaudited) |
On March 13, 2023, BBD LLP (“BBD”) ceased to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm of FAM Value Fund, FAM Dividend Focus Fund, and FAM Small Cap Fund (the “Funds”), each a series of FAM Funds. The Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees approved the replacement of BBD as a result of Cohen & Company, Ltd.’s (“Cohen”) acquisition of BBD’s Investment Management Group.
The report of BBD on the financial statements of the Funds as of and for the fiscal years ended 2022 and 2021 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainties, audit scope or accounting principles. During the fiscal years ended 2022 and 2021, and during the subsequent interim period through March 13, 2023: (i) there were no disagreements between the registrant and BBD on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of BBD, would have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in its report on the financial statements of the Funds for such years or interim period; and (ii) there were no “reportable events,” as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
On February 17, 2023, the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees also recommended and approved the appointment of Cohen as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.
During the fiscal years ended 2022 and 2021, and during the subsequent interim period through March 13, 2023, neither the registrant, nor anyone acting on its behalf, consulted with Cohen on behalf of the Funds regarding the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction (either completed or proposed), the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Funds’ financial statements, or any matter that was either: (i) the subject of a “disagreement,” as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the instructions thereto; or (ii) “reportable events,” as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.
FAM FUNDS — Expense Data (Unaudited) |
We believe it is important for you to understand the impact of costs on your investment. As a shareholder of the Funds, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees, shareholder servicing fees and other operating expenses. The following examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Funds and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. A mutual fund’s ongoing costs are expressed as a percentage of its average net assets. This figure is known as the expense ratio. The expenses in the table below are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the most recent period (January 1, 2023) and held until the end of the period (June 30, 2023). The table below illustrates each Fund’s ongoing costs in two ways:
Actual Expenses
The first line for each Fund in the following tables 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 line for your share class 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 for each Fund in the following table provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on each Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not each Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Funds and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only. Therefore, the hypothetical example of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative costs of owning different funds.
FAM FUNDS — Expense Data (Unaudited) Continued |
| | Beginning | | Ending | | | | |
| | Account | | Account | | Net | | Expenses |
| | Value | | Value | | Expense | | Paid During |
| | 01/01/2023 | | 06/30/2023 | | Ratio | | Period |
| | | | | | | | |
FAM Value Fund | | | | | | | | |
Investor Shares: Actual Return | | $1,000.00 | | $1,072.40 | | 1.18% | | $6.06 |
Hypothetical 5% Return | | $1,000.00 | | $1,018.94 | | 1.18% | | $5.91 |
| | | | | | | | |
FAM Value Fund | | | | | | | | |
Institutional Shares: Actual Return | | $1,000.00 | | $1,073.50 | | 0.99% | | $5.09 |
Hypothetical 5% Return | | $1,000.00 | | $1,019.89 | | 0.99% | | $4.96 |
| | | | | | | | |
FAM Dividend Focus Fund | | | | | | | | |
Investor Shares: Actual Return | | $1,000.00 | | $1,109.30 | | 1.22% | | $6.38 |
Hypothetical 5% Return | | $1,000.00 | | $1,018.74 | | 1.22% | | $6.11 |
| | | | | | | | |
FAM Small Cap Fund | | | | | | | | |
Investor Shares: Actual Return | | $1,000.00 | | $1,109.20 | | 1.25% | | $6.54 |
Hypothetical 5% Return | | $1,000.00 | | $1,018.60 | | 1.25% | | $6.26 |
| | | | | | | | |
FAM Small Cap Fund | | | | | | | | |
Institutional Shares: Actual Return | | $1,000.00 | | $1,110.00 | | 1.14% | | $5.96 |
Hypothetical 5% Return | | $1,000.00 | | $1,019.14 | | 1.14% | | $5.71 |
| * | Expense are calculated using each Fund’s annualized net expense ratios, which represent net expenses as a percentage of average daily net assets for the one-half year period ended June 30, 2023. Expenses are calculated by multiplying the annualized expense ratio by the average account value of the period; then multiplying the result by the number of days in the most recent one-half year period (181); and then dividing that result by the number of days in the current fiscal year (365). |
FAM FUNDS — Supplemental Information (Unaudited) |
Each Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. Each Fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Statement Regarding Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures.
Please note that a description of the policies and procedures the Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling FAM Funds at 1-800-932-3271; (ii) and on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov.
Statement Regarding Availability of Proxy Voting Record.
Please note that information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling FAM Funds at 1-800-932-3271; or on the FAM Funds’ Website at http://famfunds.com (ii) and on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov.
FAM FUNDS — Summary of the Funds’ Liquidity Risk Management Program Annual Assessment Report (Unaudited) |
The Funds have adopted and implemented a Liquidity Risk Management Program (the “Liquidity Program”) in accordance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”). The Liquidity Program seeks to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk, which is considered to be the risk that a Fund could not meet requests to redeem Fund shares without significant dilution of the remaining investors’ interests in the Fund. The Board of Trustees of the Funds (the “Board”) has appointed Fenimore Asset Management, Inc., the Funds’ investment advisor (the “Advisor”), to administer the Liquidity Program. The Advisor has delegated certain day-to-day administration responsibilities to the Liquidity Administrator Committee (the “Committee”), which consists of the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust and certain employees of the Advisor who are involved with portfolio management, trading and financial activities with respect to the Funds.
The Liquidity Rule and the Liquidity Program each require that the Board shall receive and review an annual written report that addresses the operation of the Liquidity Program and assesses its adequacy and the effectiveness of its implementation, taking into consideration various aspects of the Liquidity Program’s functions.
The Board met on February 16, 2023 and received a written report (the “Liquidity Report”) addressing the operation of the Liquidity Program and assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of its implementation, including the operation of each Fund’s highly liquid investment minimum (“HLIM”). The Liquidity Report discussed key components of the Liquidity Program, including the assessment of the Funds’ liquidity risk, the classification of each Fund’s portfolio investments into one of four liquidity categories, the 15% limit on the Funds’ holdings of illiquid investments, and the applicable HLIM requirements. The Liquidity Report noted that each of the Funds qualifies to be treated as a fund that primarily holds assets that are deemed to be highly liquid investments for purposes of the Liquidity Rule, and, therefore, none of the Funds was required to establish an HLIM. The Liquidity Report further noted that the Funds generally maintain cash balances that can be used to meet liquidity needs in the event that was necessary, and each of the Funds are also parties to a Line of Credit arrangement that is in place with the Funds’ custodian bank, and this Line of Credit is eligible to be used by each Fund to meet redemption needs if circumstances warrant such use.
As reflected in the Liquidity Report, the Advisor, as the administrator of the Liquidity Program for the Funds, together with the Committee, considers the Liquidity Program to be reasonably designed to assess and manage the Funds’ liquidity risk and believes that it has been adequately and effectively implemented to prevent violation of the Liquidity Rule.
Rev. 12/2021
FACTS | WHAT DOES FAM FUNDS (FENIMORE ASSET MANAGEMENT TRUST) DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
| |
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
| |
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: |
● Social Security number and account balances |
● Transaction history and investment experience |
● Retirement assets and wire transfer instructions |
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
| |
How? | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons FAM FUNDS (Fenimore Asset Management Trust) chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does Fenimore Asset Management Trust share? | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes - such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | Yes | No |
For our marketing purposes - to offer our products and services to you | Yes | No |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes - information about your transactions and experiences | Yes | No |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes - information about your creditworthiness | No | We don’t share |
For affiliates to market to you | Yes | Yes |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | We don’t share |
| ● Call (800) 932-3271 |
| ● Visit us online: www.famfunds.com |
To limit our sharing | ● Mail the form on page 2 |
| Please note: If you are a new customer, we can begin sharing your information 30 days from the date we sent this notice. When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described above in this notice. |
| |
| However, you can contact us at any time to limit our sharing. |
Questions? | Call (800) 932-3271 or go to www.famfunds.com |
Mail-in form | |
Leave Blank OR | Mark any/all you want to limit: |
| |
If you have a joint account, your choice(s) will apply to everyone on your account unless you mark below | ● Do not allow your affiliates to use my personal information to market to me |
● Apply my choices only to me | |
Name | | Mail to: |
Address | | FAM FUNDS |
City/ST/Zip | | PO Box 399 |
Account # | | Cobleskill, NY 12043 |
What We Do | |
How does FAM FUNDS (Fenimore Asset Management Trust) protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings. |
How does FAM FUNDS (Fenimore Asset Management Trust) collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you: |
● open an account |
● direct us to buy securities |
● direct us to sell your securities |
● make deposits or withdrawals from your account |
● tell us about your investment or retirement portfolio |
| Federal law gives you the right to limit only: |
| ● sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes - information about your creditworthiness |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | ● affiliates from using your information to market to you |
| ● sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you |
| State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. See below for more on your rights under state law. |
Definitions | |
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
● FAM FUNDS (Fenimore Asset Management Trust) shares with our affiliates. |
Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
● FAM FUNDS (Fenimore Asset Management Trust) does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint Marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. |
● FAM FUNDS (Fenimore Asset Management Trust) does not market jointly. |
Notice to European Union Investors:
Please be advised that our privacy policy is designed to comply solely with applicable U.S. law. It is the general policy of FAM FUNDS (Fenimore Asset Management Trust) to not offer or sell their shares to individuals resident in any member state of the European Union (the “EU”). Accordingly, the Funds do not offer goods or services to EU residents or monitor the behavior of EU residents, and are therefore not subject to the personal data protection requirements of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) provisions that are otherwise applicable to certain activities with respect to the personal data of investors resident in the EU.
Investment Advisor
Fenimore Asset Management, Inc.
Cobleskill, NY
Custodian
U.S. Bank, N.A.
Cincinnati, OH
Independent Registered
Public Accounting Firm
Cohen & Company, Ltd.
1835 Market Street, Suite 310
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Trustees
Donald J. Boteler
Yolanda P. Caldwell
Denise V. Gonick
Paul A. Keller, CPA, Independent Chairman
Kevin J. McCoy, CPA
Thomas O. Putnam
Kenneth R. Stoll
Legal Counsel
Dechert LLP
Washington, DC
Shareholder Servicing Agent
Fenimore Asset Management, Inc.
Cobleskill, NY
Co-Transfer Agent
Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
Cincinnati, OH
Distributor
Fenimore Securities, Inc.
Cobleskill, NY
384 North Grand Street
PO Box 399
Cobleskill, New York
12043-0399
(800) 932-3271
www.famfunds.com
Not required.
| Item 3. | Audit Committee Financial Expert. |
Not required.
| Item 4. | Principal Accountant Fees and Services. |
Not required.
| Item 5. | Audit Committee of Listed Registrants. |
Not applicable
| Item 6. | Schedule of Investments. |
| (a) | Not applicable [schedule filed with Item 1] |
| Item 7. | Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies. |
Not applicable
| Item 8. | Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies. |
Not applicable
| Item 9. | Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers. |
Not applicable
| Item 10. | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders. |
The registrant has not adopted procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board of trustees.
| Item 11. | Controls and Procedures. |
(a) Based on their evaluation of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a- 3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report, the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that such disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably designed and are operating effectively to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to them by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared, and that the information required in filings on Form N-CSR is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported on a timely basis.
(b) There were no changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
| Item 12. | Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies. |
Not applicable
File the exhibits listed below as part of this Form. Letter or number the exhibits in the sequence indicated.
(a)(1) Any code of ethics, or amendment thereto, that is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2, to the extent that the registrant intends to satisfy the Item 2 requirements through filing of an exhibit:
Not applicable
(a)(2) A separate certification for each principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the registrant as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2(a)): Attached hereto
| (1) | Any written solicitation to purchase securities under Rule 23c-1 under the Act (17 CFR 270.23c- 1) sent or given during the period covered by the report by or on behalf of the registrant to 10 or more persons: Not applicable |
| (2) | Change in the registrant’s independent public accountants. Attached hereto |
| (b) | Certifications required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2(b)): Attached 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.
| (Registrant) | Fenimore Asset Management Trust |
By (Signature and Title)* /s/ Thomas O. Putnam Thomas O. Putnam, President
Date August 30, 2023
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 (Signature and Title)* /s/ Thomas O. Putnam Thomas O. Putnam, President
Date August 30, 2023
By (Signature and Title)* /s/ Michael F. Balboa Michael F. Balboa, Treasurer
Date August 30, 2023
* Print the name and title of each signing officer under his or her signature.