-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, QBlhh8vgBf7/mrYjxlSzWDxWGZb+8Ij/wvVQxRa+UZ1lAz6m4RD8Zh61y/DXDKLf WlErAiHb2A4fhRJpONvi8g== 0000950147-98-000315.txt : 19980504 0000950147-98-000315.hdr.sgml : 19980504 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000950147-98-000315 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 485BPOS PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 3 FILED AS OF DATE: 19980430 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 19980430 SROS: NONE FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: ADVISORS SERIES TRUST CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001027596 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: [] STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1130 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 485BPOS SEC ACT: SEC FILE NUMBER: 333-17391 FILM NUMBER: 98604741 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 485BPOS SEC ACT: SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-07959 FILM NUMBER: 98604742 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 2025 E FINANCIAL WAY SUITE 101 CITY: GLENDORA STATE: CA ZIP: 91741 BUSINESS PHONE: 8188521033 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 2025 E FINANCIAL WAY STREET 2: SUITE 101 CITY: GLENDORA STATE: CA ZIP: 91741 485BPOS 1 POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT File No. 333-17391 811-07959 ================================================================================ SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20549 ----------------- FORM N-1A REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 [_] Pre-Effective Amendment No. [_] Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 [X] REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 [_] Amendment No. 24 [X] ADVISORS SERIES TRUST (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter) 4455 E. Camelback Road, Suite 261E Phoenix, AZ 85018 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) Registrant's Telephone Number (including area code): (602) 952-1100 ROBERT H. WADSWORTH Advisors Series Trust 4455 E. Camelback Road, Suite 261E Phoenix, AZ 85018 (Name and address of agent for service of process) Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after the effective date of the registration statement. It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box) [X] immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) [_] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) [_] 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(i) [_] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(i) [_] 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) [_] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of Rule 485 If appropriate, check the following box [_] this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. ================================================================================ The Avatar Advantage Equity Allocation Fund Supplement dated April 30, 1998 to Prospectus dated December 3, 1997 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS The table that follows is included in the Fund's Annual Report and has been audited by McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, Independent Certified Public Accountants. Their report on the financial statements and financial highlights is included in the Annual Report. The financial statements and financial highlights are incorporated by reference into (are legally a part of) the Fund's Statement of Additional Information. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- December 3, 1997* through December 31, 1997 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period ........................ $ 10.00 Income from investment operations: Net investment income .................................. 0.01 Net realized and unrealized gain on investments ........ 0.02 ------------ Total from investment operations ............................ 0.03 Less distributions: Dividends from net investment income ................... (0.01) ------------ Net asset value, end of period .............................. $ 10.02 ============ Total return ................................................ 0.22%++ Ratios / supplemental data: Net assets, end of period (thousands) ....................... $ 20,246 Ratio of expenses to average net assets: Before expense reimbursement ........................... 1.52%+ After expense reimbursement ............................ 1.39%+ Ratio of net investment income to average net assets: Before expense reimbursement ........................... 0.33%+ After expense reimbursement ............................ 0.47%+ Portfolio turnover rate ..................................... 2.48%++ Average commission rate paid per share ...................... $ 0.0598 * Commencement of operations. + Annualized. ++ Not annualized. The Expense Table on Page 2 of the Prospectus is revised as follows: Annual Operating Expenses (As a percentage of average net assets) The expenses shown are actual expenses for the Fund's fiscal year ended December 31, 1997. Investment Advisory Fee 0.85% 12b-1 Fee 0.25% Other Expenses (net of fee waivers and expense reimbursements) (1) 0.29% ----- Total Fund Operating Expenses (1) 1.39% ===== (1) The advisor has voluntarily agreed to reduce its fees and/or pay expenses of the Fund to insure that the Fund's expenses will not exceed 1.50%. If the advisor had not limited the Fund's expenses, "Other Expenses" would have been 0.42% and "Total Fund Operating Expenses" would have been 1.52% for the Fund's fiscal year ended December 31, 1997. The Advisory Agreement permits reimbursement to the Advisor of fees waived or expenses reimbursed within a three year period following such fee waivers or expense reimbursements provided they are approved by the Board of Trustees, and that Fund expenses do not exceed 1.50% in any year. The Advisor may seek reimbursement before current expenses of the Fund are paid. See "Management of the Fund". The Prior Performance of the Advisor section is revised as follows: Annualized Total Return For Years ended December 31, 1997. Number Advisor's of Years Composite -------- --------- One Year 17.3% Three Years 19.1% Five Years 13.8% Ten Years 12.8% Inception (1/1/74 - 12/31/97) 14.0% The prospectus is additionally supplemented with the following disclosure: Shareholder Rights. As of December 31, 1997, the Fund was controlled by Putnam Fiduciary Trust Company, FBO Oschner Clinic Thrift Plan. Year 2000 Risk. Like other business organizations around the world, the Fund could be adversely affected if the computer systems used by its investment advisor, Avatar Investors Associates Corp., and other service providers do not properly process and calculate information related to dates beginning January 1, 2000. These problems can arise either before of after January 1, 2000. This is commonly known as the "Year 2000 Issue." The Fund's advisor, Avatar Investors Associates Corp., is taking steps that it believes are reasonably designed to address the Year 2000 Issue with respect to its own computer systems, and it has obtained assurances from the Fund's other service providers that they are taking comparable steps. However, there can be no assurance that these actions will be sufficient to avoid any adverse impact on the Fund. The Trust. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust permits the Board of Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest, par value $.01 per share. The AVATAR ADVANTAGE Equity Allocation Fund Statement of Additional Information Dated December 3, 1997, as amended April 30, 1998 This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus, and it should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated December 3, 1997 and supplemented April 30, 1998, as may be amended from time to time, of The AVATAR ADVANTAGE Equity Allocation Fund (the "Fund"), a series of Advisors Series Trust (the "Trust"). Avatar Associates (the "Advisor") is the Advisor to the Fund. A copy of the prospectus may be obtained from the Fund at 900 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022; telephone (888) 263-6452. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cross-reference to sections Page in the prospectus ---- --------------------------- Investment Objective and Policies............... B-2 Investment Objective and Policies Management...................................... B-13 Management of the Fund Distribution Arrangements....................... B-16 Expense Table Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage............ B-16 Management of the Fund Net Asset Value................................. B-17 Investor Guide Taxation ...................................... B-18 Distributions and Taxes Dividends and Distributions..................... B-19 Distributions and Taxes Performance Information......................... B-20 General Information General Information............................. B-20 General Information Appendix........................................ B-21 Not applicable
B-1 INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES The investment objective of the Fund is long-term capital appreciation. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective. The discussion below supplements information contained in the prospectus as to investment policies of the Fund. Convertible Securities and Warrants The Fund may invest in convertible securities and warrants. A convertible security is a fixed income security (a debt instrument or a preferred stock) which may be converted at a stated price within a specified period of time into a certain quantity of the common stock of the same or a different issuer. Convertible securities are senior to common stocks in an issuer's capital structure, but are usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. While providing a fixed income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar nonconvertible security), a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security's underlying common stock. A warrant gives the holder a right to purchase at any time during a specified period a predetermined number of shares of common stock at a fixed price. Unlike convertible debt securities or preferred stock, warrants do not pay a dividend. Investments in warrants involve certain risks, including the possible lack of a liquid market for resale of the warrants, potential price fluctuations as a result of speculation or other factors, and failure of the price of the underlying security to reach or have reasonable prospects of reaching a level at which the warrant can be prudently exercised (in which event the warrant may expire without being exercised, resulting in a loss of the Fund's entire investment therein). Short-Term Investments The Fund may invest in any of the following securities and instruments: Bank Certificates of Deposit, Bankers' Acceptances and Time Deposits. The Fund may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and time deposits. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers' acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are "accepted" by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Certificates of deposit and bankers' acceptances acquired by the Fund will be dollar-denominated obligations of domestic or foreign banks or financial institutions which at the time of purchase have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured by the U.S. Government. If the Fund holds instruments of foreign banks or financial institutions, it may be subject to additional investment risks that are different in some respects from those incurred by a fund which invests only in debt obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. See "Foreign Investments" below. Such risks include future political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes by the particular country in which the issuer is located on interest income payable on the securities, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on these securities. Domestic banks and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulations with respect to the amount and types of loans which may be made and interest rates which may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry depends largely upon the availability and cost of funds for the purpose of financing lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions as well as exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties of borrowers play an important part in the operations of the banking industry. As a result of federal and state laws and regulations, domestic banks are, among other things, required to maintain specified levels of reserves, limited in the amount which they can loan to a single borrower, and subject to other regulations designed to promote financial soundness. However, such laws and regulations do not necessarily apply to foreign bank obligations that the Fund may acquire. B-2 In addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers' acceptances, to the extent permitted under its investment objectives and policies stated above and in its prospectus, the Fund may make interest-bearing time or other interest-bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. Savings Association Obligations. The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit (interest-bearing time deposits) issued by savings banks or savings and loan associations that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million, based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such obligations is fully insured by the U.S. Government. Commercial Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to one year. Commercial paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase "A-2" or higher by S&P, "Prime-1" or "Prime-2" by Moody's, or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, will be determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. These rating symbols are described in the Appendix. Corporate obligations include bonds and notes issued by corporations to finance longer-term credit needs than supported by commercial paper. While such obligations generally have maturities of ten years or more, the Fund may purchase corporate obligations which have remaining maturities of one year or less from the date of purchase and which are rated "AA" or higher by S&P or "Aa" or higher by Moody's. Government Obligations. The Fund may make short-term investments in U.S. Government obligations. Such obligations include Treasury bills, certificates of indebtedness, notes and bonds, and issues of such entities as the Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA"), Export-Import Bank of the United States, Tennessee Valley Authority, Resolution Funding Corporation, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, Federal Housing Administration, Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA"), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and the Student Loan Marketing Association. Some of these obligations, such as those of the GNMA, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; others, such as those of the Export-Import Bank of United States, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury; others, such as those of the FNMA, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency's obligations; still others, such as those of the Student Loan Marketing Association, are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities if it is not obligated to do so by law. Sovereign debt obligations of foreign countries. The Fund may invest in sovereign debt obligations of foreign countries. A sovereign debtor's willingness or ability to repay principal and interest in a timely manner may be affected by a number of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor's policy toward principal international lenders and the political constraints to which it may be subject. Emerging market governments could default on their sovereign debt. Such sovereign debtors also may be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and other entities abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitments on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on a sovereign debtor's implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor's obligations. Failure to meet such conditions could result in the cancellation of such third parties' commitments to lend funds to the sovereign debtor, which may further impair such debtor's ability or willingness to service its debt in a timely manner. B-3 Mortgage-Related Securities The Fund may invest in mortgage-related securities. Mortgage-related securities are derivative interests in pools of mortgage loans made to U.S. residential home buyers, including mortgage loans made by savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, commercial banks and others. Pools of mortgage loans are assembled as securities for sale to investors by various governmental, government-related and private organizations. The Fund may also invest in debt securities which are secured with collateral consisting of U.S. mortgage-related securities, and in other types of U.S. mortgage-related securities. U.S. Mortgage Pass-Through Securities. Interests in pools of mortgage-related securities differ from other forms of debt securities, which normally provide for periodic payment of interest in fixed amounts with principal payments at maturity or specified call dates. Instead, these securities provide a monthly payment which consists of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a "pass-through" of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their residential mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Additional payments are caused by repayments of principal resulting from the sale of the underlying residential property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs which may be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities (such as securities issued by GNMA) are described as "modified pass-throughs." These securities entitle the holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool, net of certain fees, at the scheduled payment dates regardless of whether or not the mortgagor actually makes the payment. The principal governmental guarantor of U.S. mortgage-related securities is GNMA, a wholly owned United States Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. GNMA is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the United States Government, the timely payment of principal and interest on securities issued by institutions approved by GNMA (such as savings and loan institutions, commercial banks and mortgage bankers) and backed by pools of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Agency or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. Government-related guarantors include the Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA") and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"). FNMA is a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders and subject to general regulation by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA purchases conventional residential mortgages not insured or guaranteed by any government agency from a list of approved seller/services which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. FHLMC is a government-sponsored corporation created to increase availability of mortgage credit for residential housing and owned entirely by private stockholders. FHLMC issues participation certificates which represent interests in conventional mortgages from FHLMC's national portfolio. Pass-through securities issued by FNMA and participation certificates issued by FHLMC are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA and FHLMC, respectively, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. Although the underlying mortgage loans in a pool may have maturities of up to 30 years, the actual average life of the pool certificates typically will be substantially less because the mortgages will be subject to normal principal amortization and may be prepaid prior to maturity. Prepayment rates vary widely and may be affected by changes in market interest rates. In periods of falling interest rates, the rate of prepayment tends to increase, thereby shortening the actual average life of the pool certificates. Conversely, when interest rates are rising, the rate of prepayments tends to decrease, thereby lengthening the actual average life of the certificates. Accordingly, it is not possible to predict accurately the average life of a particular pool. Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ("CMOs"). A domestic or foreign CMO in which the Fund may invest is a hybrid between a mortgage-backed bond and a mortgage pass-through security. Like a bond, interest is paid, in most cases, semiannually. CMOs may be collateralized by whole mortgage loans, but are more typically collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities guaranteed by GNMA, FHLMC, FNMA or equivalent foreign entities. CMOs are structured into multiple classes, each bearing a different stated maturity. Actual maturity and average life depend upon the prepayment experience of the collateral. CMOs provide for a modified form of call B-4 protection through a de facto breakdown of the underlying pool of mortgages according to how quickly the loans are repaid. Monthly payment of principal and interest received from the pool of underlying mortgages, including prepayments, is first returned to the class having the earliest maturity date or highest maturity. Classes that have longer maturity dates and lower seniority will receive principal only after the higher class has been retired. Foreign Investments and Currencies The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers, provided that they are publicly traded in the United States. Depositary Receipts. Depositary Receipts ("DRs") include American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") or other forms of depositary receipts. DRs are receipts typically issued in connection with a U.S. or foreign bank or trust company which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Risks of Investing in Foreign Securities. Investments in foreign securities involve certain inherent risks, including the following: Political and Economic Factors. Individual foreign economies of certain countries may differ favorably or unfavorably from the United States' economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, diversification and balance of payments position. The internal politics of certain foreign countries may not be as stable as those of the United States. Governments in certain foreign countries also continue to participate to a significant degree, through ownership interest or regulation, in their respective economies. Action by these governments could include restrictions on foreign investment, nationalization, expropriation of goods or imposition of taxes, and could have a significant effect on market prices of securities and payment of interest. The economies of many foreign countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by the trade policies and economic conditions of their trading partners. Enactment by these trading partners of protectionist trade legislation could have a significant adverse effect upon the securities markets of such countries. Currency Fluctuations. The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Accordingly, a change in the value of any such currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets denominated in that currency. Such changes will also affect the Fund's income. The value of the Fund's assets may also be affected significantly by currency restrictions and exchange control regulations enacted from time to time. Taxes. The interest and dividends payable on certain of the Fund's foreign portfolio securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thus reducing the net amount of income available for distribution to the Fund's shareholders. Options on Securities Purchasing Put and Call Options. The Fund may purchase covered "put" and "call" options with respect to securities which are otherwise eligible for purchase by the Fund subject to certain restrictions. The Fund will engage in trading of such derivative securities exclusively for hedging purposes. If the Fund purchases a put option, the Fund acquires the right to sell the underlying security at a specified price at any time during the term of the option (for "American-style" options) or on the option expiration date (for "European-style" options). Purchasing put options may be used as a portfolio investment strategy when the Advisor perceives significant short-term risk but substantial long-term appreciation for the underlying security. The put option acts as an insurance policy, as it protects against significant downward price movement while it allows full participation in any upward movement of the underlying security held by the Fund. If the Fund is holding a security which it feels has strong fundamentals, but for some reason may be weak in the near term, the Fund may purchase a put option on such security, thereby giving itself the right to sell such security at a certain strike price throughout the term of the option. Consequently, the Fund will exercise the put only if the price of such security falls below the strike price of the put. The difference between the put's strike price and the market price of the underlying security on the date the Fund exercises the put, less transaction costs, will be the amount by which the Fund will be able to B-5 hedge against a decline in the underlying security. If during the period of the option the market price for the underlying security remains at or above the put's strike price, the put will expire worthless, representing a loss of the price the Fund paid for the put, plus transaction costs. If the price of the underlying security increases, the profit the Fund realizes on the sale of the security will be reduced by the premium paid for the put option less any amount for which the put may be sold. If the Fund purchases a call option, it acquires the right to purchase the underlying security at a specified price at any time during the term of the option. The purchase of a call option is a type of insurance policy to hedge against losses that could occur if the Fund has a short position in the underlying security and the security thereafter increases in price. The Fund will exercise a call option only if the price of the underlying security is above the strike price at the time of exercise. If during the option period the market price for the underlying security remains at or below the strike price of the call option, the option will expire worthless, representing a loss of the price paid for the option, plus transaction costs. If the call option has been purchased to hedge a short position of the Fund in the underlying security and the price of the underlying security thereafter falls, the profit the Fund realizes on the cover of the short position in the security will be reduced by the premium paid for the call option less any amount for which such option may be sold. Prior to exercise or expiration, an option may be sold when it has remaining value by a purchaser through a "closing sale transaction," which is accomplished by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased. The Fund generally will purchase only those options for which the Advisor believes there is an active secondary market to facilitate closing transactions. Writing Call Options. The Fund may write covered call options. A call option is "covered" if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute right to acquire the security without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or cash equivalents in such amount as are held in a segregated account by the Custodian). The writer of a call option receives a premium and gives the purchaser the right to buy the security underlying the option at the exercise price. The writer has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price during the option period. If the writer of an exchange-traded option wishes to terminate his obligation, he may effect a "closing purchase transaction." This is accomplished by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. A writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after it has been notified of the exercise of an option. Effecting a closing transaction in the case of a written call option will permit the Fund to write another call option on the underlying security with either a different exercise price, expiration date or both. Also, effecting a closing transaction will permit the cash or proceeds from the concurrent sale of any securities subject to the option to be used for other investments of the Fund. If the Fund desires to sell a particular security from its portfolio on which it has written a call option, it will effect a closing transaction prior to or concurrent with the sale of the security. The Fund will realize a gain from a closing transaction if the cost of the closing transaction is less than the premium received from writing the option or if the proceeds from the closing transaction are more than the premium paid to purchase the option. The Fund will realize a loss from a closing transaction if the cost of the closing transaction is more than the premium received from writing the option or if the proceeds from the closing transaction are less than the premium paid to purchase the option. However, because increases in the market price of a call option will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying security, any loss to the Fund resulting from the repurchase of a call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying security owned by the Fund. Risks Of Investing in Options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options on securities. Options may be more volatile than the underlying securities and, therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying securities themselves. There are also significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objective. In addition, a liquid secondary market for particular options may be absent for reasons which include the following: there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or B-6 both; trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options of underlying securities; unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; the facilities of an exchange or clearing corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options that had been issued by a clearing corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected events. The extent to which the Fund may enter into options transactions may be limited by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code") requirements for qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company. See "Dividends and Distributions" and "Taxation." Dealer Options. The Fund will engage in transactions involving dealer options as well as exchange-traded options. Certain additional risks are specific to dealer options. While the Fund might look to a clearing corporation to exercise exchange-traded options, if the Fund were to purchase a dealer option it would need to rely on the dealer from which it purchased the option to perform if the option were exercised. Failure by the dealer to do so would result in the loss of the premium paid by the Fund as well as loss of the expected benefit of the transaction. Exchange-traded options generally have a continuous liquid market while dealer options may not. Consequently, the Fund may generally be able to realize the value of a dealer option it has purchased only by exercising or reselling the option to the dealer who issued it. Similarly, when the Fund writes a dealer option, the Fund may generally be able to close out the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer to whom the Fund originally wrote the option. While the Fund will seek to enter into dealer options only with dealers who will agree to and which are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will at any time be able to liquidate a dealer option at a favorable price at any time prior to expiration. Unless the Fund, as a covered dealer call option writer, is able to effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be able to liquidate securities (or other assets) used as cover until the option expires or is exercised. In the event of insolvency of the other party, the Fund may be unable to liquidate a dealer option. With respect to options written by the Fund, the inability to enter into a closing transaction may result in material losses to the Fund. For example, because the Fund must maintain a secured position with respect to any call option on a security it writes, the Fund may not sell the assets which it has segregated to secure the position while it is obligated under the option. This requirement may impair the Fund's ability to sell portfolio securities at a time when such sale might be advantageous. The Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") has taken the position that purchased dealer options are illiquid securities. The Fund may treat the cover used for written dealer options as liquid if the dealer agrees that the Fund may repurchase the dealer option it has written for a maximum price to be calculated by a predetermined formula. In such cases, the dealer option would be considered illiquid only to the extent the maximum purchase price under the formula exceeds the intrinsic value of the option. Accordingly, the Fund will treat dealer options as subject to the Fund's limitation on illiquid securities. If the Commission changes its position on the liquidity of dealer options, the Fund will change its treatment of such instruments accordingly. Spread Transactions. The Fund may purchase covered spread options from securities dealers. These covered spread options are not presently exchange-listed or exchange-traded. The purchase of a spread option gives the Fund the right to put securities that it owns at a fixed dollar spread or fixed yield spread in relationship to another security that the Fund does not own, but which is used as a benchmark. The risk to the Fund, in addition to the risks of dealer options described above, is the cost of the premium paid as well as any transaction costs. The purchase of spread options will be used to protect the Fund against adverse changes in prevailing credit quality spreads, i.e., the yield spread between high quality and lower quality securities. This protection is provided only during the life of the spread options. B-7 Futures Contracts and Related Options The Fund may invest in futures contracts and options on futures contracts as a hedge against changes in market conditions or interest rates. The Fund will trade in such derivative securities for bona fide hedging purposes and otherwise in accordance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"). The Fund will segregate liquid assets in a separate account with its Custodian when required to do so by CFTC guidelines in order to cover its obligation in connection with futures and options transactions. No price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. When it enters into a domestic futures contract, the Fund will be required to deposit in a segregated account with its Custodian an amount of cash or U.S. Treasury bills equal to approximately 5% of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin. The margin requirements for foreign futures contracts may be different. The nature of initial margin in futures transactions is different from that of margin in securities transactions. Futures contract margin does not involve the borrowing of funds by the customer to finance the transactions. Rather, the initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract which is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments (called variation margin) to and from the broker will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying stock index fluctuates, to reflect movements in the price of the contract making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable. For example, when the Fund has purchased a stock index futures contract and the price of the underlying stock index has risen, that position will have increased in value and the Fund will receive from the broker a variation margin payment equal to that increase in value. Conversely, when the Fund has purchased a stock index futures contract and the price of the underlying stock index has declined, the position will be less valuable and the Fund will be required to make a variation margin payment to the broker. At any time prior to expiration of a futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate the Fund's position in the futures contract A final determination of variation margin is made on closing the position. Additional cash is paid by or released to the Fund, which realizes a loss or a gain. In addition to amounts segregated or paid as initial and variation margin, the Fund must segregate liquid assets with its custodian equal to the market value of the futures contracts, in order to comply with Commission requirements intended to ensure that the Fund's use of futures is unleveraged. The requirements for margin payments and segregated accounts apply to both domestic and foreign futures contracts. Stock Index Futures Contracts. The Fund may invest in futures contracts on stock indices. Currently, stock index futures contracts can be purchased or sold with respect to, among others, the S&P 500 Stock Price Index on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Major Market Index on the Chicago Board of Trade, the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index on the New York Futures Exchange and the Value Line Stock Index on the Kansas City Board of Trade. Interest Rate or Financial Futures Contracts. The Fund may invest in interest rate or financial futures contracts. Bond prices are established in both the cash market and the futures market. In the cash market, bonds are purchased and sold with payment for the full purchase price of the bond being made in cash, generally within five business days after the trade. In the futures market, a contract is made to purchase or sell a bond in the future for a set price on a certain date. Historically, the prices for bonds established in the futures markets have generally tended to move in the aggregate in concert with cash market prices, and the prices have maintained fairly predictable relationships. The sale of an interest rate or financial futures contract by the Fund would create an obligation by the Fund, as seller, to deliver the specific type of financial instrument called for in the contract at a specific future time for a specified price. A futures contract purchased by the Fund would create an obligation by the Fund, as purchaser, to take delivery of the specific type of financial instrument at a specific future time at a specific price. The specific securities delivered or taken, respectively, at settlement date, would not be determined until at or near that date. The determination would be in accordance with the rules of the exchange on which the futures contract sale or purchase was made. B-8 Although interest rate or financial futures contracts by their terms call for actual delivery or acceptance of securities, in most cases the contracts are closed out before the settlement date without delivery of securities. Closing out of a futures contract sale is effected by the Fund's entering into a futures contract purchase for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument and the same delivery date. If the price in the sale exceeds the price in the offsetting purchase, the Fund is paid the difference and thus realizes a gain. If the offsetting purchase price exceeds the sale price, the Fund pays the difference and realizes a loss. Similarly, the closing out of a futures contract purchase is effected by the Fund's entering into a futures contract sale. If the offsetting sale price exceeds the purchase price, the Fund realizes a gain, and if the purchase price exceeds the offsetting sale price, the Fund realizes a loss. The Fund will deal only in standardized contracts on recognized exchanges. Each exchange guarantees performance under contract provisions through a clearing corporation, a nonprofit organization managed by the exchange membership. Domestic interest rate futures contracts are traded in an auction environment on the floors of several exchanges - principally, the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. A public market now exists in domestic futures contracts covering various financial instruments including long-term United States Treasury bonds and notes; GNMA modified pass-through mortgage-backed securities; three-month United States Treasury bills; and 90-day commercial paper. The Fund may trade in any futures contract for which there exists a public market, including, without limitation, the foregoing instruments. Risks of Transactions in Futures Contracts. There are several risks related to the use of futures as a hedging device. One risk arises because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures contract and movements in the price of the securities which are the subject of the hedge. The price of the future may move more or less than the price of the securities being hedged. If the price of the future moves less than the price of the securities which are the subject of the hedge, the hedge will not be fully effective, but if the price of the securities being hedged has moved in an unfavorable direction, the Fund would be in a better position than if it had not hedged at all. If the price of the securities being hedged has moved in a favorable direction, this advantage will be partially offset by the loss on the future. If the price of the future moves more than the price of the hedged securities, the Fund will experience either a loss or a gain on the future which will not be completely offset by movements in the price of the securities which are subject to the hedge. To compensate for the imperfect correlation of movements in the price of securities being hedged and movements in the price of the futures contract, the Fund may buy or sell futures contracts in a greater dollar amount than the dollar amount of securities being hedged if the historical volatility of the prices of such securities has been greater than the historical volatility over such time period of the future. Conversely, the Fund may buy or sell fewer futures contracts if the historical volatility of the price of the securities being hedged is less than the historical volatility of the futures contract being used. It is possible that, when the Fund has sold futures to hedge its portfolio against a decline in the market, the market may advance while the value of securities held in the Fund's portfolio may decline. If this occurs, the Fund will lose money on the future and also experience a decline in value in its portfolio securities. However, the Advisor believes that over time the value of a diversified portfolio will tend to move in the same direction as the market indices upon which the futures are based. Where futures are purchased to hedge against a possible increase in the price of securities before the Fund is able to invest its cash (or cash equivalents) in securities (or options) in an orderly fashion, it is possible that the market may decline instead. If the Fund then decides not to invest in securities or options at that time because of concern as to possible further market decline or for other reasons, it will realize a loss on the futures contract that is not offset by a reduction in the price of securities purchased. In addition to the possibility that there may be an imperfect correlation, or no correlation at all, between movements in the futures and the securities being hedged, the price of futures may not correlate perfectly with movement in the stock index or cash market due to certain market distortions. All participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions, which could distort the normal relationship between the index or cash market and futures markets. In addition, the deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may also cause temporary price distortions. As a result of price distortions in the B-9 futures market and the imperfect correlation between movements in the cash market and the price of securities and movements in the price of futures, a correct forecast of general trends by the Advisor may still not result in a successful hedging transaction over a very short time frame. Positions in futures may be closed out only on an exchange or board of trade which provides a secondary market for such futures. Although the Fund may intend to purchase or sell futures only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange or board of trade will exist for any particular contract or at any particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures position, and in the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin. When futures contracts have been used to hedge portfolio securities, such securities will not be sold until the futures contract can be terminated. In such circumstances, an increase in the price of the securities, if any, may partially or completely offset losses on the futures contract. However, as described above, there is no guarantee that the price of the securities will in fact correlate with the price movements in the futures contract and thus provide an offset to losses on a futures contract. Most United States futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day's settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of futures contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses. Successful use of futures by the Fund is also subject to the Advisor's ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the market. For example, if the Fund has hedged against the possibility of a decline in the market adversely affecting stocks held in its portfolio and stock prices increase instead, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of the stocks which it has hedged because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions. In addition, in such situations, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin requirements. Such sales of securities may be, but will not necessarily be, at increased prices which reflect the rising market. The Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In the event of the bankruptcy of a broker through which the Fund engages in transactions in futures contracts or options, the Fund could experience delays and losses in liquidating open positions purchased or sold through the broker, and incur a loss of all or part of its margin deposits with the broker. Options on Futures Contracts. As described above, the Fund may purchase options on the futures contracts they can purchase or sell. A futures option gives the holder, in return for the premium paid, the right to buy (call) from or sell (put) to the writer of the option a futures contract at a specified price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise, the writer of the option is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the futures contract and the exercise price. Like the buyer or seller of a futures contract, the holder or writer of an option has the right to terminate its position prior to the scheduled expiration of the option by selling, or purchasing an option of the same series, at which time the person entering into the closing transaction will realize a gain or loss. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected. Investments in futures options involve some of the same considerations as investments in futures contracts (for example, the existence of a liquid secondary market). In addition, the purchase of an option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option. Depending on the pricing of the option compared to either the futures contract upon which it is based, or upon the price of the securities being hedged, an option may or may not be less risky than ownership of the futures contract or such securities. In general, the market prices of options can be expected to be more volatile than the market prices on the underlying futures contracts. Compared to the purchase or sale of futures contracts, however, the purchase of call or put options on futures contracts may frequently involve less potential risk to the Fund because the maximum amount at risk is limited to the premium paid for the options (plus transaction costs). B-10 Restrictions on the Use or Futures Contracts and Related Options. The Fund will not engage in transactions in futures contracts or related options for speculation, but only as a hedge against changes resulting from market conditions in the values of securities held in the Fund's portfolio or which it intends to purchase and where the transactions are economically appropriate to the reduction of risks inherent in the ongoing management of the Fund. The Fund may not purchase or sell futures or purchase related options if, immediately thereafter, more than 33% of its net assets would be hedged. The Fund also may not purchase or sell futures or purchase related options if, immediately thereafter, the sum of the amount of margin deposits on the Fund's existing futures positions and premiums paid for such options would exceed 5% of the market value of the Fund's net assets. These restrictions, which are derived from current federal regulations regarding the use of options and futures by mutual funds, are not "fundamental restrictions" and may be changed by the Trustees of the Trust if applicable law permits such a change and the change is consistent with the overall investment objective and policies of the Fund. Repurchase Agreements The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with respect to its portfolio securities. Pursuant to such agreements, the Fund acquires securities from financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers as are deemed to be creditworthy by the Advisor, subject to the seller's agreement to repurchase and the Fund's agreement to resell such securities at a mutually agreed upon date and price. The repurchase price generally equals the price paid by the Fund plus interest negotiated on the basis of current short-term rates (which may be more or less than the rate on the underlying portfolio security). Securities subject to repurchase agreements will be held by the Custodian or in the Federal Reserve/Treasury Book-Entry System or an equivalent foreign system. The seller under a repurchase agreement will be required to maintain the value of the underlying securities at not less than 102% of the repurchase price under the agreement. If the seller defaults on its repurchase obligation, the Fund will suffer a loss to the extent that the proceeds from a sale of the underlying securities are less than the repurchase price under the agreement. Bankruptcy or insolvency of such a defaulting seller may cause the Fund's rights with respect to such securities to be delayed or limited. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans under the 1940 Act. When-Issued Securities, Forward Commitments and Delayed Settlements The Fund may purchase securities on a "when-issued," forward commitment or delayed settlement basis. In this event, the Custodian will segregate liquid assets equal to the amount of the commitment in a separate account. Normally, the Custodian will set aside portfolio securities to satisfy a purchase commitment. In such a case, the Fund may be required subsequently to segregate additional assets in order to assure that the value of the account remains equal to the amount of the Fund's commitment. It may be expected that the Fund's net assets will fluctuate to a greater degree when it sets aside portfolio securities to cover such purchase commitments than when it sets aside cash. The Fund does not intend to engage in these transactions for speculative purposes but only in furtherance of its investment objectives. Because the Fund will segregate liquid assets to satisfy its purchase commitments in the manner described, the Fund's liquidity and the ability of the Advisor to manage it may be affected in the event the Fund's forward commitments, commitments to purchase when-issued securities and delayed settlements ever exceeded 15% of the value of its net assets. The Fund will purchase securities on a when-issued, forward commitment or delayed settlement basis only with the intention of completing the transaction. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, the Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it is entered into, and may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Fund on the settlement date. In these cases the Fund may realize a taxable capital gain or loss. When the Fund engages in when-issued, forward commitment and delayed settlement transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the trade. Failure of such party to do so may result in the Fund's incurring a loss or missing an opportunity to obtain a price credited to be advantageous. The market value of the securities underlying a when-issued purchase, forward commitment to purchase securities, or a delayed settlement and any subsequent fluctuations in their market value is taken into account when determining the market value of the Fund starting on the day the Fund agrees to purchase the securities. The Fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. B-11 Lending Portfolio Securities The Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not exceeding one-third of its total assets to financial institutions such as banks and brokers if the loan is collateralized in accordance with applicable regulations. Under the present regulatory requirements which govern loans of portfolio securities, the loan collateral must, on each business day, at least equal the value of the loaned securities and must consist of cash, letters of credit of domestic banks or domestic branches of foreign banks, or securities of the U.S. Government or its agencies. To be acceptable as collateral, letters of credit must obligate a bank to pay amounts demanded by the Fund if the demand meets the terms of the letter. Such terms and the issuing bank would have to be satisfactory to the Fund. Any loan might be secured by any one or more of the three types of collateral. The terms of the Fund's loans must permit the Fund to reacquire loaned securities on five days' notice or in time to vote on any serious matter and must meet certain tests under the Code. Short Sales The Fund is authorized to make short sales of securities. In a short sale, the Fund sells a security which it does not own, in anticipation of a decline in the market value of the security. To complete the sale, the Fund must borrow the security (generally from the broker through which the short sale is made) in order to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The Fund is said to have a "short position" in the securities sold until it delivers them to the broker. The period during which the Fund has a short position can range from one day to more than a year. Until the security is replaced, the proceeds of the short sale are retained by the broker, and the Fund is required to pay to the broker a negotiated portion of any dividends or interest which accrue during the period of the loan. To meet current margin requirements, the Fund is also required to deposit with the broker additional cash or securities so that the total deposit with the broker is maintained daily at 150% of the current market value of the securities sold short (100% of the current market value if a security is held in the account that is convertible or exchangeable into the security sold short within 90 days without restriction other than the payment of money). Short sales by the Fund create opportunities to increase the Fund's return but, at the same time, involve specific risk considerations and may be considered a speculative technique. Since the Fund in effect profits from a decline in the price of the securities sold short without the need to invest the full purchase price of the securities on the date of the short sale, the Fund's net asset value per share will tend to increase more when the securities it has sold short decrease in value, and to decrease more when the securities it has sold short increase in value, than would otherwise be the case if it had not engaged in such short sales. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium, dividends or interest the Fund may be required to pay in connection with the short sale. Furthermore, under adverse market conditions the Fund might have difficulty purchasing securities to meet its short sale delivery obligations, and might have to sell portfolio securities to raise the capital necessary to meet its short sale obligations at a time when fundamental investment considerations would not favor such sales. Illiquid Securities The Fund may not invest more than 15% of the value of its net assets in securities that at the time of purchase have legal or contractual restrictions on resale or are otherwise illiquid. The Advisor will monitor the amount of illiquid securities in the Fund's portfolio, under the supervision of the Trust's Board of Trustees, to ensure compliance with the Fund's investment restrictions. Historically, illiquid securities have included securities subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale because they have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"), securities which are otherwise not readily marketable and repurchase agreements having a maturity of longer than seven days. Securities which have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placement or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of these restricted or other illiquid securities because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemption requests within seven days. The Fund might also have to register such B-12 restricted securities in order to dispose of them, resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities. In recent years, however, a large institutional market has developed for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer's ability to honor a demand for repayment. The fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity of such investments. If such securities are subject to purchase by institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A promulgated by the Commission under the Securities Act, the Trust's Board of Trustees may determine that such securities are not illiquid securities notwithstanding their legal or contractual restrictions on resale. In all other cases, however, securities subject to restrictions on resale will be deemed illiquid. Investment Restrictions The Trust (on behalf of the Fund) has adopted the following restrictions as fundamental policies, which may not be changed without the favorable vote of the holders of a "majority," as defined in the 1940 Act, of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Under the 1940 Act, the "vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" means the vote of the holders of the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of its outstanding shares are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund is diversified. The Fund's investment objective is also fundamental. In addition, the Fund may not: 1. Issue senior securities, borrow money or pledge its assets, except that (i) the Fund may borrow from banks in amounts not exceeding one-third of its total assets (not including the amount borrowed); and (ii) this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from engaging in options transactions or short sales; 2. Purchase securities on margin, except such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of transactions and except that the Fund may borrow money from banks to purchase securities; 3. Act as underwriter (except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its investment portfolio); 4. Invest 25% or more of its total assets, calculated at the time of purchase and taken at market value, in any one industry (other than U.S. Government securities); 5. Purchase or sell real estate or interests in real estate or real estate limited partnerships (although the Fund may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate); 6. Purchase or sell commodities or commodity futures contracts, except that the Fund may purchase and sell foreign currency contracts in accordance with any rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; 7. Make loans of money (except for purchases of debt securities consistent with the investment policies of the Fund and except for repurchase agreements); or 8. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management. The Fund observes the following restrictions as a matter of operating but not fundamental policy, pursuant to positions taken by federal regulatory authorities: The Fund may not: 1. Invest in the securities of other investment companies or purchase any other investment company's voting securities or make any other investment in other investment companies except to the extent permitted by federal law; or 2. Invest more than 15% of its assets in securities which are restricted as to disposition or otherwise are illiquid or have no readily available market (except for securities which are determined by the Board of Trustees to be liquid). B-13 MANAGEMENT The overall management of the business and affairs of the Trust is vested with its Board of Trustees. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Trust and persons or companies furnishing services to it, including the agreements with the Advisor, Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. The day to day operations of the Trust are delegated to its officers, subject to the Fund's investment objectives and policies and to general supervision by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees and officers of the Trust, their ages and positions with the Trust, their business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are:
Name, address and age Position Principal Occupation During Past Five Years Walter E. Auch, Sr. (75) Trustee Director, Geotech Communications, Inc., Nicholas-Applegate 6001 N. 62d Place Investment Trust, Brinson Funds (since 1994), Smith Barney Trak Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 Fund, Pimco Advisors L.P., Banyan Realty Trust, Banyan Land Fund II and Legend Properties. Eric M. Banhazl (40)* Trustee, Senior Vice President, Investment Company Administration 2025 E. Financial Way President and Corporation; Vice President, First Fund Distributors; President, Glendora, CA 91740 Treasurer RNC Mutual Fund Group; Treasurer, Guinness Flight Investment Funds, Inc. and Professionally Managed Portfolios. Donald E. O'Connor (60) Trustee Retired; formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Operating 1700 Taylor Avenue Officer of ICI Mutual Insurance Company (until January, 1997), Fort Washington MD 20744 Vice President, Operations, Investment Company Institute (until June, 1993). George T. Wofford III (57) Trustee Vice President, Information Services, Federal Home Loan Bank of 305 Glendora Circle San Francisco (since March, 1993); formerly Director of Management Danville, CA 94526 Information Services, Morrison & Foerster (law firm). Steven J. Paggioli (47) Vice Executive Vice President, Robert H. Wadsworth & Associates, Inc. 479 W. 22d Street President and Investment Company Administration Corporation; Vice President New York, NY 10011 First Fund Distributors, Inc.; President and Trustee, Professionally Managed Portfolios; Director, Managers Funds, Inc. Robert H. Wadsworth (57) Vice President, Robert H. Wadsworth & Associates, Inc., Investment 4455 E. Camelback Road President Company Administration Corporation and First Fund Distributors, Suite 261E Inc.; Vice President, Professionally Managed Portfolios; President, Phoenix, AZ 85018 Guinness Flight Investment Funds, Inc.; Director, Germany Fund, Inc., New Germany Fund, Inc. and Central European Equity Fund, Inc. Chris O. Kissack (48) Secretary Employed by Investment Company Administration Corporation (since 4455 E. Camelback Road, 261E July, 1996); formerly employed by Bank One, N.A. (from August, Phoenix, AZ 85018 1995 until July, 1996); O'Connor, Cavanagh, Anderson, Killingsworth and Beshears (law firm) (until August, 1995) .
* denotes Trustee who is an "interested person" of the Trust under the 1940 Act. Name and Position Aggregate Compensation from The Trust* - ----------------- -------------------------------------- Walter E. Auch, Sr., Trustee $12,000 Donald E. O'Connor, Trustee $12,000 George T. Wofford III, Trustee $12,000 *Estimated for the current fiscal year. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan. No other entity affiliated with the Trust pays any compensation to the Trustees. B-14 The Advisor Subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, investment management and related services are provided by the Advisor, pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the "Advisory Agreement"). Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor agrees to invest the assets of the Fund in accordance with the investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Fund as set forth in the Fund's and Trust's governing documents, including, without limitation, the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws; the Fund's prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, and undertakings; and such other limitations, policies and procedures as the Trustees of the Trust may impose from time to time in writing to the Advisor. In providing such services, the Advisor shall at all times adhere to the provisions and restrictions contained in the federal securities laws, applicable state securities laws, the Code, and other applicable law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Advisor has agreed to (i) furnish the Fund with advice and recommendations with respect to the investment of the Fund's assets, (ii) effect the purchase and sale of portfolio securities; (iii) manage and oversee the investments of the Fund, subject to the ultimate supervision and direction of the Trust's Board of Trustees; (iv) vote proxies and take other actions with respect to the Fund's securities; (v) maintain the books and records required to be maintained with respect to the securities in the Fund's portfolio; (vi) furnish reports, statements and other data on securities, economic conditions and other matters related to the investment of the Fund's assets which the Trustees or the officers of the Trust may reasonably request; and (vi) render to the Trust's Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports as the Board may reasonably request. The Advisor has also agreed, at its own expense, to maintain such staff and employ or retain such personnel and consult with such other persons as it shall from time to time determine to be necessary to the performance of its obligations under the Advisory Agreement. Personnel of the Advisor may serve as officers of the Trust provided they do so without compensation from the Trust. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the staff and personnel of the Advisor shall be deemed to include persons employed or retained by the Advisor to furnish statistical information, research, and other factual information, advice regarding economic factors and trends, information with respect to technical and scientific developments, and such other information, advice and assistance as the Advisor or the Trust's Board of Trustees may desire and reasonably request. With respect to the operation of the Fund, the Advisor has agreed to be responsible for the expenses of printing and distributing extra copies of the Fund's prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, and sales and advertising materials (but not the legal, auditing or accounting fees attendant thereto) to prospective investors (but not to existing shareholders); and the costs of any special Board of Trustees meetings or shareholder meetings convened for the primary benefit of the Advisor. As compensation for the Advisor's services, the Fund pays it an advisory fee at the rate specified in the prospectus. For the period beginning December 3, 1997 and ending December 31, 1997, the Advisor earned $12,099 in advisory fees. In its voluntary undertaking to limit Fund operating expenses during the year, the Advisor waived $2,080 of the advisory fee earned. In addition to the fees payable to the Advisor and the Administrator, the Trust is responsible for its operating expenses, including: fees and expenses incurred in connection with the issuance, registration and transfer of its shares; brokerage and commission expenses; all expenses of transfer, receipt, safekeeping, servicing and accounting for the cash, securities and other property of the Trust for the benefit of the Fund including all fees and expenses of its custodian, shareholder services agent and accounting services agent; interest charges on any borrowings; costs and expenses of pricing and calculating its daily net asset value and of maintaining its books of account required under the 1940 Act; taxes, if any; a pro rata portion of expenditures in connection with meetings of the Fund's shareholders and the Trust's Board of Trustees that are properly payable by the Fund; salaries and expenses of officers and fees and expenses of members of the Trust's Board of Trustees or members of any advisory board or committee who are not members of, affiliated with or interested persons of the Advisor or Administrator; insurance premiums on property or personnel of the Fund which inure to its benefit, including liability and fidelity bond insurance; the cost of preparing and printing reports, proxy statements, prospectuses and statements of additional information of the Fund or other communications for distribution to existing shareholders; legal, auditing and accounting fees; trade association dues; fees and expenses (including legal fees) of registering and maintaining registration of its shares for sale under federal and applicable state and foreign securities laws; all expenses of maintaining and servicing shareholder accounts, including all charges for transfer, shareholder recordkeeping, dividend disbursing, redemption, and other agents for the benefit of the Fund, if any; and all other B-15 charges and costs of its operation plus any extraordinary and non-recurring expenses, except as otherwise prescribed in the Advisory Agreement. The Advisor may agree to waive certain of its fees or reimburse the Fund for certain expenses, in order to limit the expense ratio of the Fund. In that event, subject to approval by the Trust's Board of Trustees, the Fund may reimburse the Advisor in subsequent years for fees waived and expenses reimbursed, provided the expense ratio before reimbursement is less than the expense limitation in effect at that time. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor will not be liable to the Trust or the Fund or any shareholder for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services or for any loss sustained by the Trust except in the case of a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of damages will be limited as provided in the 1940 Act) or of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Agreement. The Advisory Agreement will remain in effect for a period not to exceed two years. Thereafter, if not terminated, the Advisory Agreement will continue automatically for successive annual periods, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (i) by a majority vote of the Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (ii) by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement is terminable by vote of the Board of Trustees or by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund at any time without penalty, on 60 days written notice to the Advisor. The Advisory Agreement also may be terminated by the Advisor on 60 days written notice to the Trust. The Advisory Agreement terminates automatically upon its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Administrator. The Administrator has agreed to be responsible for providing such services as the Trustees may reasonably request, including but not limited to (i) maintaining the Trust's books and records (other than financial or accounting books and records maintained by any custodian, transfer agent or accounting services agent); (ii) overseeing the Trust's insurance relationships; (iii) preparing for the Trust (or assisting counsel and/or auditors in the preparation of) all required tax returns, proxy statements and reports to the Trust's shareholders and Trustees and reports to and other filings with the Commission and any other governmental agency (the Trust agreeing to supply or cause to be supplied to the Administrator all necessary financial and other information in connection with the foregoing); (iv) preparing such applications and reports as may be necessary to permit the offer and sale of the shares of the Trust under the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various states selected by the Trust (the Trust agreeing to pay all filing fees or other similar fees in connection therewith); (v) responding to all inquiries or other communications of shareholders, if any, which are directed to the Administrator, or if any such inquiry or communication is more properly to be responded to by the Trust's custodian, transfer agent or accounting services agent, overseeing their response thereto; (vi) overseeing all relationships between the Trust and any custodian(s), transfer agent(s) and accounting services agent(s), including the negotiation of agreements and the supervision of the performance of such agreements; and (vii) authorizing and directing any of the Administrator's directors, officers and employees who may be elected as Trustees or officers of the Trust to serve in the capacities in which they are elected. All services to be furnished by the Administrator under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any such directors, officers or employees of the Administrator. DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS Pursuant to the Distribution Plan (the "Plan") adopted by the Trustees, the Fund Pays the Advisor, as distribution coordinator, an annual fee for the Advisor's services in such capacity including its expenses in connection with the promotion and distribution of the Fund's shares and related shareholder servicing (collectively, "Distribution Expenses"). The Plan provides that the Advisor shall furnish to the Board of Trustees of the Trust, for its review, on a quarterly basis, a written report of the monies paid to it under the Plan with respect to the Fund, and shall furnish the Board of Trustees of the Trust with such other information as the Board of Trustees may reasonably request in connection with the payments made under the Plan in order to enable the Board of Trustees to make an informed determination of whether the Plan should be continued as to the Fund. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount to be spent for distribution and servicing of shares of the Fund without approval by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Plan may be B-16 terminated at any time, without penalty, by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, and any Distribution Agreement under the Plan may be likewise terminated on not more than sixty (60) days' written notice. Once terminated, no further payments shall be made under the Plan notwithstanding the existence of any unreimbursed current or carried forward Distribution Expenses. For the period beginning December 3, 1997 and ended December 31, 1997, no payments were made under the Plan. PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE The Advisory Agreement states that the Advisor shall be responsible for broker-dealer selection and for negotiation of brokerage commission rates, provided that the Advisor shall not direct orders to an affiliated person of the Advisor without general prior authorization to use such affiliated broker or dealer by the Trust's Board of Trustees. The Advisor's primary consideration in effecting a securities transaction will be execution at the most favorable price. In selecting a broker-dealer to execute each particular transaction, the Advisor may take the following into consideration: the best net price available; the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker-dealer; the size of and difficulty in executing the order; and the value of the expected contribution of the broker-dealer to the investment performance of the Fund on a continuing basis. The price to the Fund in any transaction may be less favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the difference is reasonably justified by other aspects of the portfolio execution services offered. Subject to such policies as the Advisor and the Board of Trustees of the Trust may determine, the Advisor shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached any duty created by this Agreement or otherwise solely by reason of its having caused the Fund to pay a broker or dealer that provides (directly or indirectly) brokerage or research services to the Advisor an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the Advisor determines in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the Advisor's overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund. The Advisor is further authorized to allocate the orders placed by it on behalf of the Fund to such brokers or dealers who also provide research or statistical material, or other services, to the Trust, the Advisor, or any affiliate of either. Such allocation shall be in such amounts and proportions as the Advisor shall determine, and the Advisor shall report on such allocations regularly to the Advisor and the Trust, indicating the broker-dealers to whom such allocations have been made and the basis therefor. The Advisor is also authorized to consider sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in the selection of brokers or dealers to execute portfolio transactions, subject to the requirements of best execution, i.e., that such brokers or dealers are able to execute the order promptly and at the best obtainable securities price. On occasions when the Advisor deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interest of the Fund as well as other clients of the Advisor, the Advisor, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may aggregate the securities to be so purchased or sold in order to obtain the most favorable price or lower brokerage commissions and the most efficient execution. In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Advisor in the manner it considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients. Brokerage Commissions paid by the Fund during the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997 aggregated $1,478. NET ASSET VALUE The net asset value of the Fund's shares will fluctuate and is determined as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") (currently 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) each business day. The NYSE annually announces the days on which it will not be open for trading. The most recent announcement indicates that it will not be open on the following days: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. However, the NYSE may close on days not included in that announcement. B-17 The net asset value per share is computed by dividing the value of the securities held by the Fund plus any cash or other assets (including interest and dividends accrued but not yet received) minus all liabilities (including accrued expenses) by the total number of shares in the Fund outstanding at such time. Generally, the Fund's investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of a market value, at fair value as determined in good faith by the Advisor and the Trust's Valuation Committee pursuant to procedures approved by or under the direction of the Board. The Fund's securities, including ADRs, EDRs and GDRs, which are traded on securities exchanges are valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which such securities are traded, as of the close of business on the day the securities are being valued or, lacking any reported sales, at the mean between the last available bid and asked price. Securities that are traded on more than one exchange are valued on the exchange determined by the Advisor to be the primary market. Securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the mean between the last available bid and asked price prior to the time of valuation. Securities and assets for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities which are subject to limitations as to their sale) are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Board. Short-term debt obligations with remaining maturities in excess of 60 days are valued at current market prices, as discussed above. Short-term securities with 60 days or less remaining to maturity are, unless conditions indicate otherwise, amortized to maturity based on their cost to the Fund if acquired within 60 days of maturity or, if already held by the Fund on the 60th day, based on the value determined on the 61st day. An option that is written by the Fund is generally valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of the last sale price, the last offer price. An option that is purchased by the Fund is generally valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of the last sale price, the last bid price. If an options exchange closes after the time at which the Fund's net asset value is calculated, the last sale or last bid and asked prices as of that time will be used to calculate the net asset value. All other assets of the Fund are valued in such manner as the Board in good faith deems appropriate to reflect their fair value. TAXATION The Fund will be taxed, under the Code, as a separate entity from any other series of the Trust, and it intends to elect to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company ("RIC") under Subchapter M of the Code. In each taxable year that the Fund so qualifies, the Fund (but not its shareholders) will be relieved of federal income tax on that part of its investment company taxable income (consisting generally of interest and dividend income, net short-term capital gains and net realized gains from currency transactions) and net capital gain that is distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund must distribute annually to shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are, in general, the following: (1) at least 90% of the Fund's gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or currencies; (2) at the close of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, limited in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (3) at the close of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year, not more than 25% of the value of its assets may be invested in securities (other than U.S. Government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer. Distributions of net investment income and net realized capital gains by the Fund will be taxable to shareholders whether made in cash or reinvested in shares. In determining amounts of net realized capital gains to be distributed, any capital loss carry-overs from prior years will be applied against capital gains. Shareholders B-18 receiving distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the net asset value of a share of the Fund on the reinvestment date. Fund distributions also will be included in individual and corporate shareholders' income on which the alternative minimum tax may be imposed. The Fund intends to declare and pay dividends and other distributions annually, as stated in the Prospectus. In order to avoid the payment of any federal excise tax based on net income, the Fund must declare on or before December 31 of each year, and pay on or before January 31 of the following year, distributions at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for that calendar year and at least 98% of the excess of any capital gains over any capital losses realized in the one-year period ending October 31 of that year, together with any undistributed amounts of ordinary income and capital gains (in excess of capital losses) from the previous calendar year. The Fund may receive dividend distributions from U.S. corporations. To the extent that the Fund receives such dividends and distributes them to its shareholders, and meets certain other requirements of the Code, corporate shareholders of the Fund may be entitled to the "dividends received" deduction. Availability of the deduction is subject to certain holding period and debt-financing limitations. The use of hedging strategies, such as purchasing options, involves complex rules that will determine the character and timing of recognition of the income received in connection therewith by the Fund. For accounting purposes, when the Fund purchases an option, the premium paid by the Fund is recorded as an asset and is subsequently adjusted to the current market value of the option. Any gain or loss realized by the Fund upon the expiration or sale of such options held by the Fund generally will be capital gain or loss. Any security, option, or other position entered into or held by the Fund that substantially diminishes the Fund's risk of loss from any other position held by that Fund may constitute a "straddle" for federal income tax purposes. In general, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of the Fund's gains and losses with respect to straddle positions by requiring, among other things, that the loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle be deferred until gain is realized on disposition of the offsetting position; that the Fund's holding period in certain straddle positions not begin until the straddle is terminated (possibly resulting in the gain being treated as short-term capital gain rather than long-term capital gain); and that losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions, which would otherwise constitute short-term capital losses, be treated as long-term capital losses. Different elections are available to the Fund that may mitigate the effects of the straddle rules. Certain options that are subject to Section 1256 of the Code ("Section 1256 Contracts") and that are held by the Fund at the end of its taxable year generally will be required to be "marked to market" for federal income tax purposes, that is, deemed to have been sold at market value. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss recognized on these deemed sales and 60% of any net gain or loss realized from any actual sales of Section 1256 Contracts will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on dividends and interest earned with respect to securities of foreign corporations. Redemptions and exchanges of shares of the Fund will result in gains or losses for tax purposes to the extent of the difference between the proceeds and the shareholder's adjusted tax basis for the shares. Any loss realized upon the redemption or exchange of shares within six months from their date of purchase will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of distributions of long-term capital gain dividends with respect to such shares during such six-month period. All or a portion of a loss realized upon the redemption of shares of the Fund may be disallowed to the extent shares of the Fund are purchased (including shares acquired by means of reinvested dividends) within 30 days before or after such redemption. Distributions and redemptions may be subject to state and local income taxes, and the treatment thereof may differ from the federal income tax treatment. Foreign taxes may apply to non-U.S. investors. The above discussion and the related discussion in the Prospectus are not intended to be complete discussions of all applicable federal tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. The law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP has expressed no opinion in respect thereof. Nonresident aliens and foreign persons are subject to different tax rules, and may be subject to withholding of up to 30% on certain payments received from the B-19 Fund. Shareholders are advised to consult with their own tax advisers concerning the application of foreign, federal, state and local taxes to an investment in the Fund, with special reference to their own tax situation. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS Dividends from the Fund's investment company taxable income (whether paid in cash or invested in additional shares) will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits. Distributions of the Fund's net capital gain (whether paid in cash or invested in additional shares) will be taxable to shareholders as short-, mid- or long-term capital gains based on the characterization of those gains, regardless of how long they have held their Fund shares. Dividends declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a date in one of such months will be deemed to have been paid by the Fund and received by the shareholders on the record date if the dividends are paid by the Fund during the following January. Accordingly, such dividends will be taxed to shareholders for the year in which the record date falls. The Fund or any securities dealer effecting a redemption of the Fund's shares by a shareholder will be required to file information reports with the IRS with respect to distributions and payments made to the shareholder. In addition, the Fund will be required to withhold federal income tax at the rate of 31% on taxable dividends, redemptions and other payments made to accounts of individual or other non-exempt shareholders who have not furnished their correct taxpayer identification numbers and made certain required certifications on the Account Application Form or with respect to which the Fund or the securities dealer has been notified by the IRS that the number furnished is incorrect or that the account is otherwise subject to withholding. Amounts withheld under these rules will be creditable against a shareholder's federal income tax liability. PERFORMANCE INFORMATION Total Return Average annual total return quotations used in the Fund's advertising and promotional materials are calculated according to the following formula: n P(1 + T) = ERV where "P" equals a hypothetical initial payment of $1000; "T" equals average annual total return; "n" equals the number of years; and "ERV" equals the ending redeemable value at the end of the period of a hypothetical $1000 payment made at the beginning of the period. Under the foregoing formula, the time periods used in advertising will be based on rolling calendar quarters, updated to the last day of the most recent quarter prior to submission of the advertising for publication. Average annual total return, or "T" in the above formula, is computed by finding the average annual compounded rates of return over the period that would equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value. Average annual total return assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. Other information Performance data of the Fund quoted in advertising and other promotional materials represents past performance and is not intended to predict or indicate future results. The return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate, and an investor's redemption proceeds may be more or less than the original investment amount. In advertising and promotional materials the Fund may compare its performance with data published by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. ("Lipper") or CDA Investment Technologies, Inc. ("CDA"). The Fund also may refer in such materials to mutual fund performance rankings and other data, such as comparative asset, expense and fee levels, published by Lipper or CDA. Advertising and promotional materials also may refer to discussions of the Fund and comparative mutual fund data and ratings reported in independent periodicals including, but not limited to, The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, Forbes, Business Week, Financial World and Barron's. B-20 GENERAL INFORMATION The Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest and to divide or combine the shares into a greater or lesser number of shares without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest in the Fund. Each share represents an interest in the Fund proportionately equal to the interest of each other share. Upon the Fund's liquidation, all shareholders would share pro rata in the net assets of the Fund available for distribution to shareholders. The Declaration of Trust does not require the issuance of stock certificates. If stock certificates are issued, they must be returned by the registered owners prior to the transfer or redemption of shares represented by such certificates. If they deem it advisable and in the best interest of shareholders, the Board of Trustees may create additional series of shares which differ from each other only as to dividends. The Board of Trustees has created thirteen series of shares, and may create additional series in the future, which have separate assets and liabilities. Income and operating expenses not specifically attributable to a particular Fund are be allocated fairly among the Funds by the Trustees, generally on the basis of the relative net assets of each Fund. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that as to any investment company which has two or more series outstanding and as to any matter required to be submitted to shareholder vote, such matter is not deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a "majority" (as defined in the Rule) of the voting securities of each series affected by the matter. Such separate voting requirements do not apply to the election of Trustees or the ratification of the selection of accountants. The Rule contains special provisions for cases in which an advisory contract is approved by one or more, but not all, series. A change in investment policy may go into effect as to one or more series whose holders so approve the change even though the required vote is not obtained as to the holders of other affected series. The Fund's custodian, Star Bank, 425 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 is responsible for holding the Funds' assets. American Data Services, P.O. Box 5536, Hauppauge, NY 11788 acts as the Fund's accounting services agent. The Fund's independent accountants, McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, 555 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017, assist in the preparation of certain reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Fund's tax returns. Shares of the Fund owned by the Trustees and officers as a group were less than 1% at December 31, 1997. As of April 3, 1998, the Fund was controlled by Putnam Fiduciary Trust Company, FBO Oschner Clinic Thrift Plan, 7 Shattuck Rd., Andover, MA 01810 which owned 99.96% of the then outstanding shares of the Fund. The controlling shareholder would be able to control decisions made by the shareholders with respect to matters affecting only the Fund, such as the Investment Advisory Agreement. APPENDIX Description of Ratings Moody's Investors Service, Inc.: Corporate Bond Ratings Aaa-Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality and carry the smallest degree of investment risk. Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin, and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues. Aa--Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long term risks appear somewhat larger than in Aaa securities. Moody's applies numerical modifiers "1", "2" and "3" to both the Aaa and Aa rating classifications. The modifier "1" indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier "2" indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier "3" indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category. B-21 A--Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future. Baa--Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great period of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well. Standard & Poor's Corporation: Corporate Bond Ratings AAA--This is the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's to a debt obligation and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay principal and interest. AA--Bonds rated AA also qualify as high-quality debt obligations. Capacity to pay principal and interest is very strong, and in the majority of instances they differ from AAA issues only in small degree. A--Bonds rated A have a strong capacity to pay principal and interest, although they are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions. BBB--Bonds rated BBB are regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay principal and interest. Whereas they normally exhibit adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay principal and interest for bonds in this category than for bonds in the A category. Commercial Paper Ratings Moody's commercial paper ratings are assessments of the issuer's ability to repay punctually promissory obligations. Moody's employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment capacity of rated issuers: Prime 1--highest quality; Prime 2--higher quality; Prime 3--high quality. A Standard & Poor's commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment. Ratings are graded into four categories, ranging from "A" for the highest quality obligations to "D" for the lowest. Issues assigned the highest rating, A, are regarded as having the greatest capacity for timely payment. Issues in this category are delineated with the numbers "1", "2" and "3" to indicate the relative degree of safety. The designation A-1 indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is either overwhelming or very strong. A "+" designation is applied to those issues rated "A-1" which possess extremely strong safety characteristics. Capacity for timely payment on issues with the designation "A-2" is strong. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1. Issues carrying the designation "A-3" have a satisfactory capacity for timely payment. They are, however, somewhat more vulnerable to the adverse effect of changes in circumstances than obligations carrying the higher designations. B-22 PART C OTHER INFORMATION Item 24. Financial Statements and Exhibits. (a) Financial Statements: Contained in Part A, the Prospectus: Financial Highlights Contained in Part B, the Statement of Additional Information Incorporated by reference from the Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended December 31, 1997 (b) Exhibits: (1) Agreement and Declaration of Trust (1) (2) By-Laws (1) (3) Not applicable (4) Specimen stock certificates (3) (5) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement (2) (6) Distribution Agreement (2) (7) Not applicable (8) Custodian Agreement (3) (9) (1)Administration Agreement with Investment Company Administration Corporation (2) (2) Fund Accounting Service Agreement (2) (3) Transfer Agency and Service Agreement (2) (10) (i) Opinion and consent of counsel relating to the Al Frank Fund, American Trust Allegiance Fund, Avatar Advantage Balanced Fund, Avatar Advantage Equity Allocation Fund, Avatar Advantage International Equity Fund, Chase Growth Fund, Edgar Lomax Fund, InformationTech 100 Fund, Kaminski Poland Fund, Ridgeway Helms Millenium Fund, Rockhaven Fund (5) (ii) Opinion and consent of counsel relating to the Van Deventer & Hoch American Value Fund (5) (11) Consent of Independent Auditors (12) Not applicable (13) Investment letters (3) C-1 (14) Individual Retirement Account forms (6) (15) (i) Form of Distribution Plan (4) (16) Not applicable (1) Previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A(File No. 33-17391) on December 6, 1996 and incorporated herein by reference. (2) Previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A(File No. 33-17391) on January 29, 1997 and incorporated herein by reference. (3) Previously filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A(File No. 33-17391) on February 28, 1997 and incorporated herein by reference. (4) Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-17391) on February 19, 1998 and incorporated herein by reference. (5) Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-17391) on March 19, 1998 and incorporated herein by reference. (6) To be filed by amendment. Item 25. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant. None. Item 26. Number of Holders of Securities. Shares of Beneficial Interest Number of record holders as of April 13, 1998 C-2 American Trust Allegiance Fund: 331 InformationTech 100 Fund: 34 Kaminski Poland Fund: 376 Ridgeway-Helms Millennium Fund: 115 Rockhaven Fund: 54 Rockhaven Premier Dividend Fund: 27 Chase Growth Fund: 80 The Avatar Advantage Equity Allocation Fund: 3 Edgar Lomax Value Fund: 45 Al Frank Asset Management Fund: 272 The Avatar Advantage Balanced Fund: 1 Item 27. Indemnification. Article VI of Registrant's By-Laws states as follows: Section 1. AGENTS, PROCEEDINGS AND EXPENSES. For the purpose of this Article, "agent" means any person who is or was a Trustee, officer, employee or other agent of this Trust or is or was serving at the request of this Trust as a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise or was a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent of a foreign or domestic corporation which was a predecessor of another enterprise at the request of such predecessor entity; "proceeding" means any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative; and "expenses" includes without limitation attorney's fees and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification under this Article. Section 2. ACTIONS OTHER THAN BY TRUST. This Trust shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of this Trust) by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent of this Trust, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such proceeding, if it is determined that person acted in good faith and reasonably believed: (a) in the case of conduct in his official capacity as a Trustee of the Trust, that his conduct was in the Trust's best interests, and (b) in all other cases, that his conduct was at least not opposed to the Trust's best interests, and (c) in the case of a criminal proceeding, that he had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct of that person was unlawful. The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not of itself create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of this Trust or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that the person's conduct was unlawful. Section 3. ACTIONS BY THE TRUST. This Trust shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action by or in the right of this Trust to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that that person is or was an agent of this Trust, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by that person in connection with the defense or settlement of that action if that C-3 person acted in good faith, in a manner that person believed to be in the best interests of this Trust and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. Section 4. EXCLUSION OF INDEMNIFICATION. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained herein, there shall be no right to indemnification for any liability arising by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or the reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the agent's office with this Trust. No indemnification shall be made under Sections 2 or 3 of this Article: (a) In respect of any claim, issue, or matter as to which that person shall have been adjudged to be liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received by him, whether or not the benefit resulted from an action taken in the person's official capacity; or (b) In respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which that person shall have been adjudged to be liable in the performance of that person's duty to this Trust, unless and only to the extent that the court in which that action was brought shall determine upon application that in view of all the circumstances of the case, that person was not liable by reason of the disabling conduct set forth in the preceding paragraph and is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for the expenses which the court shall determine; or (c) of amounts paid in settling or otherwise disposing of a threatened or pending action, with or without court approval, or of expenses incurred in defending a threatened or pending action which is settled or otherwise disposed of without court approval, unless the required approval set forth in Section 6 of this Article is obtained. Section 5. SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE BY AGENT. To the extent that an agent of this Trust has been successful on the merits in defense of any proceeding referred to in Sections 2 or 3 of this Article or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, before the court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought, the agent shall be indemnified against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the agent in connection therewith, provided that the Board of Trustees, including a majority who are disinterested, non-party Trustees, also determines that based upon a review of the facts, the agent was not liable by reason of the disabling conduct referred to in Section 4 of this Article. Section 6. REQUIRED APPROVAL. Except as provided in Section 5 of this Article, any indemnification under this Article shall be made by this Trust only if authorized in the specific case on a determination that indemnification of the agent is proper in the circumstances because the agent has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Sections 2 or 3 of this Article and is not prohibited from indemnification because of the disabling conduct set forth in Section 4 of this Article, by: (a) A majority vote of a quorum consisting of Trustees who are not parties to the proceeding and are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940); or (b) A written opinion by an independent legal counsel. C-4 Section 7. ADVANCE OF EXPENSES. Expenses incurred in defending any proceeding may be advanced by this Trust before the final disposition of the proceeding upon a written undertaking by or on behalf of the agent, to repay the amount of the advance if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification, together with at least one of the following as a condition to the advance: (i)security for the undertaking; or (ii) the existence of insurance protecting the Trust against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances; or (iii) a determination by a majority of a quorum of Trustees who are not parties to the proceeding and are not interested persons of the Trust, or by an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, based on a review of readily available facts that there is reason to believe that the agent ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification. Determinations and authorizations of payments under this Section must be made in the manner specified in Section 6 of this Article for determining that the indemnification is permissible. Section 8. OTHER CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS. Nothing contained in this Article shall affect any right to indemnification to which persons other than Trustees and officers of this Trust or any subsidiary hereof may be entitled by contract or otherwise. Section 9. LIMITATIONS. No indemnification or advance shall be made under this Article, except as provided in Sections 5 or 6 in any circumstances where it appears: (a) that it would be inconsistent with a provision of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust, a resolution of the shareholders, or an agreement in effect at the time of accrual of the alleged cause of action asserted in the proceeding in which the expenses were incurred or other amounts were paid which prohibits or otherwise limits indemnification; or (b) that it would be inconsistent with any condition expressly imposed by a court in approving a settlement. Section 10. INSURANCE. Upon and in the event of a determination by the Board of Trustees of this Trust to purchase such insurance, this Trust shall purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any agent of this Trust against any liability asserted against or incurred by the agent in such capacity or arising out of the agent's status as such, but only to the extent that this Trust would have the power to indemnify the agent against that liability under the provisions of this Article and the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust. Section 11. FIDUCIARIES OF EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN. This Article does not apply to any proceeding against any Trustee, investment manager or other fiduciary of an employee benefit plan in that person's capacity as such, even though that person may also be an agent of this Trust as defined in Section 1 of this Article. Nothing contained in this Article shall limit any right to indemnification to which such a Trustee, investment manager, or other fiduciary may be entitled by contract or otherwise which shall be enforceable to the extent permitted by applicable law other than this Article. Item 28. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser. The information required by this item with respect to American Trust Company is as follows: C-5 American Trust Company is a trust company chartered under the laws of the State of New Hampshire. Its President and Director, Paul H. Collins, is a director of: MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. 3260 State Road 90 Aurora, New York 13026 Great Northern Arts Castle Music, Inc. World Family Foundation all with an address at Gordon Road, Middletown, New York Robert E. Moses, a Director of American Trust Company, is a director of: Mascoma Mutual Hold Corp. On The Green Lebanon, NH 03766 Information required by this item is contained in the Form ADV of the following entities and is incorporated herein by reference: Name of investment adviser File No. -------------------------- -------- Bay Isle Financial Corporation 801-27563 Kaminski Asset Management, Inc. 801-53485 Ridgeway Helms Investment Management 801-49884 Rockhaven Asset Management, LLC 801-54084 Chase Investment Counsel Corp. 801-3396 Avatar Investors Associates Corp. 801-7061 The Edgar Lomax Company 801-19358 Van Deventer & Hoch 801-6118 Al Frank Asset Management, Inc. 801-30528 Heritage West Advisors, LLC 801-55233 Item 29. Principal Underwriters. (a) The Registrant's principal underwriter also acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies: Guinness Flight Investment Funds, Inc. Fleming Capital Mutual Fund Group Fremont Mutual Funds Jurika & Voyles Mutual Funds Kayne Anderson Mutual Funds Masters' Select Investment Trust O'Shaughnessy Funds, Inc. PIC Investment Trust Purisima Fund Professionally Managed Portfolios Rainier Investment Management Mutual Funds RNC Mutual Fund Group (b) The following information is furnished with respect to the officers and directors of First Fund Distributors, Inc.: C-6 Position and Offices Position and Name and Principal with Principal Offices with Business Address Underwriter Registrant - ---------------- ----------- ---------- Robert H. Wadsworth President Vice 4455 E. Camelback Road and Treasurer President Suite 261E Phoenix, AZ 85018 Eric M. Banhazl Vice President President, 2025 E. Financial Way Treasurer Glendora, CA 91741 and Trustee Steven J. Paggioli Vice President & Vice 479 West 22nd Street Secretary President New York, New York 10011 (c) Not applicable. Item 30. Location of Accounts and Records. The accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Registrant pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules promulgated thereunder are in the possession of the following persons: (a) the documents required to be maintained by paragraph (4) of Rule 31a-1(b) will be maintained by the Registrant; (b) the documents required to be maintained by paragraphs (5), (6), (10) and (11) of Rule 31a-1(b) will be maintained by the respective investment advisors: American Trust Company, One Court Street, Lebanon, NH 03766 Bay Isle Financial Corporation, 160 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104 Kaminski Asset Management, Inc., 210 Second Street, North, #050, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Ridgeway Helms Investment Management, 303 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 Rockhaven Asset Management, 100 First Avenue, Suite 1050, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Chase Investment Counsel Corp., 300 Preston Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22902 Avatar Associates Investment Corp., 900 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 The Edgar Lomax Company, 6564 Loisdale Court, Springfield, VA 22150 Van Deventer & Hoch, 800 North Bend Boulevard, Glendale, CA 91203 Al Frank Asset Management, Inc. 465 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Heritage West Advisors, LLC, 1850 North Central Ave., Suite 610, Phoenix, AZ 85004 C-7 (c) with respect to The Heritage West Dividend Capture Income Fund series of the Registant, all other records will be maintained by the Registrant; and (d) all other documents will be maintained by Registrant's custodian, Star Bank, 425 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Item 31. Management Services. Not applicable. Item 32. Undertakings. Registrant hereby undertakes to: (a) Furnish each person to whom a Prospectus is delivered a copy of the applicable latest annual report to shareholders, upon request and without charge. (b) If requested to do so by the holders of at least 10% of the Trust's outstanding shares, call a meeting of shareholders for the purposes of voting upon the question of removal of a director and assist in communications with other shareholders. (c) On behalf of each of its series, to change any disclosure of past performance of an Advisor to a series to conform to changes in the position of the staff of the Commission with respect to such presentation. C-8 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Advisors Series Trust to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Phoenix and State of Arizona on the 28th day of April, 1998. ADVISORS SERIES TRUST By /s/ Eric M. Banhazl* ------------------------- Eric M. Banhazl President This Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Advisors Series Trust has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on April 28, 1998. /s/ Eric M. Banhazl* President, Principal Financial - ---------------------------- and Accounting Officer, and Trustee Eric M. Banhazl /s/ Walter E. Auch Sr.* Trustee - ---------------------------- Walter E. Auch, Sr. /s/ Donald E. O'Connor* Trustee - ---------------------------- Donald E. O'Connor /s/ George T. Wofford III* Trustee - ---------------------------- George T. Wofford III * /s/ Robert H. Wadsworth -------------------------- By: Robert H. Wadsworth Attorney in Fact EX-11 2 CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS We hereby consent to the use of our report dated February 18, 1998, on the financial statements of The Avatar Equity Allocation Fund, a series of Advisors Series Trust, referred to therein, in Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A, File No. 333-17391 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We also consent to the reference to our Firm in the Prospectus under the caption "Financial Highlights" and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption "General Information." McGladrey & Pullen, LLP New York, New York April 29, 1998 EX-27 3 FDS --
6 1027596 ADVISORS SERIES TRUST 7 AVATAR ADVANTAGE EQUITY ALLOCATION FUND 1 U.S. DOLLARS 6-MOS DEC-31-1997 DEC-03-1997 DEC-31-1997 1 20,169,256 20,241,821 24,672 2,638 34,463 20,303,594 0 0 57,609 57,609 0 20,208,205 2,020,959 0 3,528 0 (38,313) 0 72,565 20,245,985 21,714 7,683 0 22,030 7,367 (38,313) 72,565 41,619 0 (3,839) 0 0 2,020,575 0 384 20,245,985 0 0 0 0 12,099 0 24,110 19,928,710 10.00 .01 .02 (.01) 0 0 10.02 .014 0 0
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