3. Investment transactions
The cost of securities purchased and proceeds from securities sold during the year ended December 31, 2009, other than options written and money market investments, aggregated $20,867,814 and $25,211,292, respectively, for the Micro-Cap Fund, $86,499,264 and $91,699,881, respectively, for the Emerging Growth Fund, $10,625,169 and $10,908,013, respectively, for the Small-Cap Opportunities Fund, $313,893,181 and $237,746,235, respectively, for the China Opportunities Fund, $40,573,868 and $43,279,513, respectively, for the International Opportunities Fund and $10,973,881 and $10,128,380, respectively, for the Asia Opportunities Fund. The Funds did not hold government securities during the year ended December 31, 2009.
The Funds may write covered call options. The premiums received provide a partial hedge (protection) against declining prices and enables each Fund to generate a higher return during periods when OAM does not expect the underlying security to make any major price moves in the near future but still deems the underlying security to be, over the long term, an attractive investment for each Fund. The Funds write covered call options for which premiums received are recorded as liabilities and are subsequently adjusted to the current value of the options written. Premiums received from writing options that expire are treated as realized gains. Premiums received from writing options, which are either exercised or closed, are offset against the proceeds received or amount paid on the transaction to determine realized gains or losses. Amounts recovered for securities litigation are included in the realized gains of the Fund and are recorded when received. The Funds did not write covered call options for the year ended December 31, 2009.
4. Redemption fee
The Oberweis Funds are designed for long-term investors. To discourage market timers redemptions of shares of the Micro-Cap Fund, Emerging Growth Fund, and Small-Cap Opportunities Fund within 90 days of purchase are subject to a 1% redemption fee of the total redemption amount and 2% for the China Opportunities Fund, the International Opportunities Fund, and the Asia Opportunities Fund. The redemption fee is deducted from the redemption proceeds and is retained by the Fund.
The redemption fee is retained by the Funds for the expense they incur in connection with shareholder redemptions. Redemption fees received by the Micro-Cap Fund, Emerging Growth Fund, Small-Cap Opportunities Fund, China Opportunities Fund, International Opportunities Fund, and Asia Opportunities Fund were $5,894, $23,355, $4,111, $542,564, $3,201 and $6,638, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2009, and were recorded as a reduction of the cost of shares redeemed in the statements of changes in net assets.
5. Earnings credits and interest charges
The Trust, as part of the agreement with the Custodian, receives credits against its custodian fees on its uninvested cash balances and is allowed to borrow for temporary purposes. Borrowings are not to exceed 5% of the value of each Fund’s total assets at the time of any such borrowing. Interest on amounts borrowed is calculated at the prime rate and is payable monthly. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Micro-Cap Fund, Emerging Growth Fund, Small-Cap Opportunities Fund, China Opportunities Fund, International Opportunities Fund, and Asia Opportunities Fund received credits of $119, $320, $51, $395, $148, and $93, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Micro-Cap Fund, Emerging Growth Fund, Small-Cap Opportunities Fund, China Opportunities Fund, International Opportunities Fund, and Asia Opportunities Fund incurred interest