the first $25 million; plus 1.8% of the next $25 million; plus 1.6% of average daily net assets in excess of $50 million. OAM is also contractually obligated to reduce its investment and management fees or reimburse the China Opportunities Fund, and the Asia Opportunities Fund to the extent that total ordinary operating expenses, as defined, exceed in any one year 2.49% expressed as a percentage of the Funds’ average daily net assets. Effective May 1, 2011, OAM contractually agreed to reduce its investment and management fees or reimburse the International Opportunity Fund to the extent that total ordinary operating expenses, as defined, exceed in any one year 1.60% expressed as a percentage of the Funds’ average daily net assets. Immediately prior to May 1, 2011, the International Opportunities Fund had a contractual expense limitation of 2.49%. For the year ended December 31, 2011 OAM reimbursed the Small-Cap Opportunities Fund, International Opportunities Fund, and the Asia Opportunities Fund in the amount of $26,555, $150,089 and $129,207, respectively.
Officers and trustees. Certain officers and trustees of the Trust are also officers and/or directors of OAM and Oberweis Securities. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Trust made no direct payments to its officers and paid $74,000 to its unaffiliated trustees.
Distribution and shareholder service agreement. The Funds have a distribution and shareholder services agreement with Oberweis Securities. For services under the distribution and shareholder services agreement, the Funds pay Oberweis Securities a fee at the annual rate of .25% of the average daily net assets as compensation for services. For the year ended December 31, 2011, the Micro-Cap Fund, Emerging Growth Fund, Small-Cap Opportunities Fund, China Opportunities Fund, International Opportunities Fund, and Asia Opportunities Fund incurred distribution fees totaling $60,243, $210,054, $20,174, $501,331, $49,322 and $19,180, respectively.
Affiliated Commissions. For the year ended December 31, 2011, the Micro-Cap Fund, Emerging Growth Fund, Small-Cap Opportunities Fund, China Opportunities Fund, International Opportunities Fund, and Asia Opportunities Fund did not execute any security transactions through Oberweis Securities and therefore did not pay commissions to Oberweis Securities.
3. Investment transactions
The cost of securities purchased and proceeds from securities sold during the year ended December 31, 2011, other than options written and money market investments, aggregated $15,409,113 and $19,537,010, respectively, for the Micro-Cap Fund, $72,779,780 and $98,592,602, respectively, for the Emerging Growth Fund, $10,432,045 and $10,731,396, respectively, for the Small-Cap Opportunities Fund, $213,554,706 and $302,911,921, respectively, for the China Opportunities Fund, $49,025,139 and $52,120,360, respectively, for the International Opportunities Fund and $13,825,628 and $15,344,670, respectively, for the Asia Opportunities Fund. The Funds did not hold government securities during the year ended December 31, 2011.
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