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Virtus Low Volatility Equity Fund
Virtus Low Volatility Equity Fund
Investment Objective
The fund has investment objectives of capital appreciation with lower volatility than the U.S. equity markets over a full market cycle.
Fees and Expenses
The tables below illustrate all fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Virtus Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor and under Sales Charges on page 214 of the funds prospectus and Alternative Purchase Arrangements on page 104 of the funds statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees Virtus Low Volatility Equity Fund
Class A
Class C
Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) 1.00% [1] 1.00% [2] none
[1] Generally, Class A Shares are not subject to any charges by the Fund when redeemed; however, a contingent deferred sales charge may be imposed on certain redemptions (i) within 18 months on exchanges from a Virtus non-money market fund into a Virtus money market fund; and (ii) on purchases on which a finder's fee has been paid. The 18-month period begins on the last day of the month preceding the month in which the purchase was made.
[2] The deferred sales charge is imposed on Class C Shares redeemed during the first year only.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses Virtus Low Volatility Equity Fund
Class A
Class C
Class I
Management Fees 0.95% 0.95% 0.95%
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) fees 0.25% 1.00% none
Other Expenses [1] 0.81% 0.81% 0.81%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses 0.09% 0.09% 0.09%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2.10% 2.85% 1.85%
Less: Expense Reimbursement [2] (0.55%) (0.55%) (0.55%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver or Expense Reimbursement if any 1.55% 2.30% 1.30%
[1] Restated to reflect current expenses.
[2] The fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to limit the fund's total operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses) so that such expenses do not exceed 1.55% for Class A Shares, 2.30% for Class C Shares and 1.30% for Class I Shares through January 31, 2015. Following the contractual period, the adviser may discontinue these expense reimbursement arrangements at any time. Under certain conditions, the adviser may recapture operating expenses reimbursed under these arrangements for a period of three years following the fiscal year in which such reimbursement occurred.
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the funds operating expenses remain the same and that the expense reimbursement arrangement remains in place only for the period indicated. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example Virtus Low Volatility Equity Fund (USD $)
Share Status
1 Year
3 Years
Class A
Sold or Held 724 1,145
Class C
Sold 333 831
Class I
Sold or Held 132 528
Expense Example, No Redemption Virtus Low Volatility Equity Fund (USD $)
Share Status
1 Year
3 Years
Class A
Sold or Held 724 1,145
Class C
Held 233 831
Class I
Sold or Held 132 528
Portfolio Turnover
The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the funds performance. During the period from inception (June 11, 2013) through its fiscal year end (September 30, 2013), the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Investments, Risks and Performance
Principle Investment Strategies
The fund seeks to provide investors with long-term returns similar to U.S. large capitalization stocks with less volatility by:
  • investing in a portfolio of primarily ETFs designed to produce returns generally in line with the broad U.S. equity market, although the fund may invest directly in large capitalization U.S. equity securities,
  • selling (writing) equity index call options, and
  • buying call options on CBOE Volatility Index®  (VIX® ) futures.
Writing index call options and buying call options on VIX futures are both techniques for limiting the volatility of the funds portfolio. Writing index call options is a way to monetize volatility, enhancing the funds risk-adjusted return as compared with an all-equity portfolio and providing steady cash flow. However, it also reduces the funds ability to profit from increases in the value of its equity portfolio. Buying call options on VIX futures is designed to protect the fund from a significant market decline over a short period of time because the value of a call option on VIX futures generally increases as stock prices decrease, and decreases as those stocks prices increase. By employing techniques to limit the risks associated with the U.S. large capitalization stocks represented in its portfolio, the fund expects its portfolio to experience less volatility than a portfolio of U.S. large capitalization stocks alone.
Under normal circumstances, the fund intends to invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities, which include ETFs representing the equity securities markets.
Principal Risks
Performance Information
The fund has not had a full calendar year of operations; therefore, performance information is not shown here.