N-CSR 1 dncsr.htm dncsra.htm
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2014

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number 811-03023

FORUM FUNDS
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600
Portland, Maine 04101


Stacey E. Hong, Principal Executive Officer
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600
Portland, Maine 04101
207-347-2000


Date of fiscal year end: March 31

Date of reporting period: April 1, 2013 – March 31, 2014



 
 
 
 

ITEM 1. REPORT TO STOCKHOLDERS.
 

 
 
 
 
 
The views in this report were those of Absolute Strategies Fund and Absolute Opportunities Fund’s (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”) adviser as of March 31, 2014, and may not reflect their views on the date this report is first published or any time thereafter. These views are intended to assist shareholders in understanding their investment in the Funds and do not constitute investment advice. None of the information presented should be construed as an offer to sell or recommendation of any security mentioned herein.
 
Since the Funds utilize multi-manager strategies with multiple sub-advisers, they may be exposed to varying forms of risk. These risks include, but are not limited to, general market risk, multi-manager risk, non-diversification risk, small company risk, foreign risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, prepayment risk, IPO risk, liquidity risk, high turnover risk, leverage risk, pooled investment vehicle risk and derivatives risk. For a complete description of the Funds’ principal investment risks, please refer to each Fund’s prospectus.
 
Beta is a measure of an asset’s sensitivity to broad market moves, as measured for instance by the S&P 500® Index. A fund with a realized beta of 0.5 with respect to the S&P 500®Index infers that about 50% of the fund’s returns were explained by the performance of the index (the rest of the performance was independent of the index). Standard deviation indicates the volatility of a fund’s total returns and is useful because it identifies the spread of a fund’s short-term fluctuations. The HFR Indices are equally weighted performance indexes, utilized by numerous hedge fund managers as a benchmark for their own hedge funds. One cannot invest directly in an index.
 
Absolute Opportunities Fund, Absolute Strategies Fund, Absolute Funds, and Absolute Investment Advisers are registered service marks of Absolute Investment Advisers LLC (“AIA” and “Absolute”) and the respective logos are service marks of AIA; and other marks referred to herein are the trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Dear Shareholder,

We are pleased to present the annual report for the Absolute Strategies Fund (the “Fund”) for the 12 month period ended March 31, 2014 (the “Period”). The Fund (Institutional Shares) returned -2.05% for the Period, versus 21.86% for the S&P 500 Index (“S&P 500”) and 4.63% for the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index.

Fund performance over the last year was a result of having defensive overall positioning. Fund assets were allocated to target very low net exposures. Fund beta to equity indices, bond indices, and hedge fund indices was purposely low and, at times, negative.

The Fund has been positioned defensively based on the belief that low economic growth globally and low cash flow/earnings growth for companies should result in an environment best suited for fundamental stock/bond pickers and those focused on avoiding risk. Instead, low economic growth, low earnings growth, valuation, and fundamentals as a whole seemed to have been mostly ignored during the year. Macro investing, speculation, and, ultimately, momentum seem to have dominated asset prices. The Fund was geared towards fundamentals in a year when fundamentals didn’t seem to matter very much. We firmly believe that long-term equity market valuations are double historical averages and at levels that have only been met 3 other times in history: 1929, 2000, and 2007. Periods of highly correlated, short-term equity rallies in over-valued markets have not been kind to investors.  As such, positioning the Fund to participate in such rallies would put it at risk of failing to achieve its objectives of avoiding large drawdowns and permanent loss of capital. These points are further analyzed in the philosophy and outlook section of this letter.

The Fund is designed with a high degree of flexibility to take a patient and conservative stance if we see the potential for significant losses in financial markets. The willingness and discipline to hedge and/or vary capital at risk to a substantial degree is just one thing that we believe separates the Fund from most mutual funds and many hedge funds.  We believe investors, like the Fund, who are concerned about long-term diversification will ultimately be greatly rewarded for their patience.

We currently allocate the Fund’s assets to eleven subadvisers (managers) that utilize twelve strategies. As of March 31, 2014, we allocated approximately 98% of the Fund’s assets; the remaining 2% was held in cash for future allocations and rebalancing. Allocations to manager strategies were highly focused as of the Period end. The top five manager allocations made up almost 75% of Fund assets. The largest allocation to a single manager strategy was approximately 18% and the smallest was approximately 1%.

While conservative overall, the Fund has had significant long and short exposures. These exposures are achieved through a mix of equity, credit (or fixed income), and arbitrage strategies. It is important to note that we do not allocate to fill a strategy bucket.  We view each manager strategy as unique and vary the Fund’s allocations to achieve its objective of providing risk-adjusted performance. Equity, credit, and arbitrage strategies are currently the predominant Fund exposures; however, it is likely that the Fund will have different exposures over time as manager positions evolve.
  
Convertible arbitrage strategies made up approximately 20% of Fund assets as of March 31st. This included a mix of hedged income, credit, and volatility trading designed to generate moderate but consistent returns in the current environment. During the Period, these strategies generated single low digit returns on a net basis.

Credit strategies made up approximately 12% of Fund assets as of March 31st. This area is largely focused on asset-backed and non-agency residential mortgage backed securities. The Fund had very little corporate credit exposure given a lack of distressed securities and the fact that bond yields are near all-time lows. During the Period, these strategies generated returns in the high single digits.

Allocations to equity related strategies made up approximately 63% of Fund assets as of March 31st. This included long/short strategies, opportunistic equity strategies, special situations strategies, and a portfolio hedge. During the Period, these strategies produced a small aggregate loss in the low single digits. Over the past year, this group had a balance of both long and short positions. At times, the mix was even net short. The long equity
 
 
   1  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
portfolio is largely made up of large-cap companies within consumer staples, health care, and (legacy) technology companies. These are companies with strong brand names and competitive advantages. The short equity portfolio is largely made up of small-cap, cyclical, and financial companies (specifically those in Europe & Asia). These are companies that are trading at high valuations and/or are dependent on a high level of economic growth.

The biggest challenge to Fund performance has been on the short side. During the period, the Fund’s long investments have performed consistent with our expectations, but below market levels due to the factors that have dominated asset prices noted above. The Fund has maintained a significant amount of short equity exposure, including short equity market futures, in large part because that is where we believe the largest mis-pricings to exist.  This is similar to the approach we took leading up to 2008. However, back then roughly 30% of the Fund’s assets were allocated to equity market neutral strategies with an additional 15% allocated to opportunistic long strategies that were hedged using an overlay strategy.  Currently, we have removed all of our market neutral strategies and instead have increased our allocations to concentrated opportunistic long strategies (stock pickers) that we manage using an equity market futures overlay strategy. We believe the Fund’s current positioning creates a similar overall net exposure to the concentrated opportunistic long strategies group as it had in 2008.  The reason for this approach is that market neutral strategies are highly static and performance has not met our expectations due to crowded, quantitative positioning and low interest rates.  Instead, we believe exposures that are more dynamic and fundamentally driven provide the Fund with a more asymmetric risk profile focused around valuation arbitrage and added liquidity.    

With respect to the overlay strategy, during periods of excessive over-valuation or under-valuation in markets, we may utilize futures positions or other securities to provide added long exposure (under-valued markets) or short exposure (over-valued markets). This may result in the Fund having slightly more or less net exposure than usual, including the potential for certain areas of the Fund to have a slight net short bias which could have a negative or positive impact on performance when segments of the market are extremely overvalued or undervalued. Overall the Fund has a positive net exposure although it had a slight net short bias in equity sensitive investments as of March 31, 2014.

Additionally, the Fund has added allocations to several new managers that also have more flexibility to vary their net exposures between defensive (more short), or aggressive (more long).  Those managers are also currently positioned defensively.  The difference in the Fund’s performance during the Period vs. prior periods of defensive positioning is the lack of divergence in prices of companies with positive vs. negative fundamentals.  The recent share price appreciation of many of the companies in the Fund’s short portfolio makes little sense to us given the multitude of data points that historically would have sent prices lower, e.g. missed revenue/earnings targets, negative guidance, and low or flat or negative earnings growth.  However, we believe these divergences are likely to correct over the completion of the current market cycle and the Fund’s performance will likely benefit.

Going forward, we could throw in the towel and cut the Fund’s short exposure in hopes of generating slightly better short term results. Many hedge funds appear to have done just that. Yet doing so would run counter to our investment philosophy and everything that has allowed the Fund to achieve its objectives since its inception.  Thus, we remain steadfast in our disciplined approach which we believe will produce solid risk-adjusted performance over a full market cycle.

The Fund’s overall positioning is not meant to express a one-way directional bet on the markets. We believe it is designed to benefit from a convergence in price and valuation and between the long and short exposures. We believe this convergence will be driven by a renewed focus on asset-specific or company-specific fundamentals versus the focus on market momentum which seems to have driven market performance more recently.

It has been disappointing to watch the price and valuation gap between long and short positions widen over the last year. This is especially true considering many of the underlying fundamentals (low economic growth, low earnings growth and valuation) played out the way we thought they would. Given the foregoing, however, we are more excited about the portfolio. We believe that the potential for both absolute and relative performance is greater now than a year ago.  We also expect the current lineup of managers to provide the Fund with added
 
   2  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
flexibility and a larger range of net exposures.  This would include a much more aggressive profile and higher net exposure should equity and credit market volatility pick up and valuations move closer to historical averages.

Philosophy and Outlook

One of our Subadviser’s portfolio managers, Robert Mark, recently wrote a quarterly letter highlighting how “groupthink” has caused many a seasoned professional to follow each other off a cliff toward bad decisions. Many studies have been done over the years illustrating how group pressure can alter opinion or even obvious facts.  Robert highlights one study in particular by Solomon Asch, a social psychologist, who was well known for conformity experiments.  In 1951, Asch brought together a group of students in a study and asked them to solve a set of problems.  These were simple problems with obvious answers, such as whether or not two lines were the same length. However, several of the students were actors hired by Asch and their job was to purposely give the wrong answers in front of their peers to see if it would sway the students’ opinions.  Asch repeated the study with varying numbers of actor-students calling out the wrong answers.  As a result, just one in four of the students consistently gave the right answer when their acting peers disagreed with them.

When everyone around gives an obviously wrong answer, many people tend to second-guess themselves for fear of embarrassment.  Our natural desire to conform can undermine our rationality.

We believe a similar phenomenon is affecting the investment community, and it’s as though the actor-peers that Solomon Asch used for this studies are influencing the community’s view of the status quo.  In support of our belief we have assembled a modest list of simple yet meaningful facts that are rarely discussed in public by the investing community.  The following items may not be as obvious as whether or not two lines are the same length, but they should give pause to a reasonable person, who possesses a moderate understanding of finance and investing, as to whether the current market environment is divorced from fundamentals.  

Corporate Earnings and Valuation:

Global equity operating earnings peaked in 2011, yet the MSCI World Equity Index rose almost 50% from 2011-2013 on no earnings growth.

S&P 500 operating earnings grew a cumulative total of 10% from 2011-2013 (expectations were for 36% growth), yet the index gained almost 55% over that time.

Russell 2000 operating earnings fell nearly 20% from 2011-2013 (expectations were for 100% growth), yet the index gained 60% over that time.  The Russell 2000 operating P/E ratio is near 50 and the GAAP P/E is over 80.  (Note: most published results of the Russell 2000 P/E ratio, such as iShares IWM ETF, now exclude companies with negative earnings and cap all other P/E ratios at 60 in an effort to make the index appear more reasonably valued).

The Shiller cyclically-adjusted P/E ratio of the S&P 500 recently reached 26, a level that has only been met 3 other times in over 130 years of data, 1929, 2000, and 2007; each peak preceded at least a 50% decline in the S&P 500.  

Except for the 2000 peak, each of the Price/Sales ratio and Price/EBITDA ratio of the S&P 500 is the highest in history and double the historical average despite historically low growth for revenue and earnings.

Corporate profit margins have always been cyclical and have averaged 6% since 1950.  If the S&P 500 profit margin reverted to 6% and maintained a Price to Earnings ratio of 15, the price of the S&P 500 based on current revenue would be around 1000; at a 7% margin it would be around 1150.  The price of the S&P 500 as of March 31 was 1872.
 
 
   3  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Economic and Macro Data:

China’s banking assets total $25 trillion and represent 33% of all Global GDP, higher than both Japan and the US at their respective bubble peaks.  China credit growth has accounted for more than $15 trillion of the $30 trillion in worldwide credit growth since 2008.  To put this in perspective, US subprime totaled $1.2 trillion.

China and Emerging Markets have been the main drivers of economic growth since 2009. Growth has slowed dramatically since 2010 while debt levels have surged. The latest Markit PMI Index for Emerging Markets signaled near-stagnation conditions bordering on contraction.

45% of global imports flow through China and Emerging Markets compared to only 14% for U.S.

Real U.S. GDP growth was only 1.9% in 2013, which was actually lower than 2012’s growth rate.  The U.S. has been operating with $1 trillion budget deficits augmented by $1 trillion in Fed monetary liquidity to create about $300 billion in annual economic growth.  

Despite claims that the U.S. economy is going to reach sustained GDP growth of 3-4%, U.S. real GDP growth has only been 3% or higher in just 2 out of the past 13 years; both of which occurred during the housing bubble.  The average growth rate of the U.S. economy since 1999 has been 1.9%, or right where we are now, even with tremendous stimulus. Q1 2014 GDP growth was near 0%.

Speculative and Miscellaneous concerns

NYSE margin debt is at historic highs and well beyond 2000 and 2007 peaks.  U.S. Covenant Lite and PIK lending have surged well beyond 2006-2007 levels.

Many internet, biotech and technology stocks are trading at 1999 dot.com levels.  Over the past 6 months, 74% of companies doing IPOs have no earnings, the highest level since March 2000.
 
The Federal Reserve (“Fed”) has said Quantitative Easing helps to keep interest rates low, yet the yield on the U.S. 10-yr note doubled from July 2012 to December 2013.  The Bankrate.com 30-yr mortgage rate rose from 3.4% to 4.5% in 2013.

According to Dallas Fed President Fisher, by the end of QE3 the Fed will hold more than 40% of the mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) market and almost 25% of outstanding Treasuries.  With the decline in mortgage supply, the Fed’s QE is absorbing 85% of fixed-rate MBS issuance; the fall in net MBS supply is outpacing the taper.

Greece, an economy on the verge of bankruptcy with debt to GDP of 175% and a 27% unemployment rate, recently issued 5-yr bonds with a coupon of 4.75%, and a yield of 4.95%.  Spain’s 5-yr yield has fallen to parity with both US and UK equivalents (Spanish GDP has not recovered and growth has been negative, unemployment is over 25%, house prices are down 30% and loan delinquencies are over 13%).  

The correlation of the HFRI Equity Hedge Index to the Russell 2000 is 90%.  The correlation of the HFRI Fund of Funds Index to the S&P 500 is over 80%.  Both indices have become more sensitive to equity market beta as the market has become more expensive.

We believe the above facts are very important.  There’s no need to defend or object to them because they are basic facts (although we are sure readers will be surprised by many of them).  Yet, despite these facts, investor sentiment appears to be uniformly bullish.  Overall, however, we believe financial markets have spent the past couple of years discounting a future economic and earnings environment that remains unfulfilled and may now be well out of reach.  As suggested above, in our view it’s not a stretch to place fair value on the S&P 500 around 1000.  That doesn’t mean the market needs to drop there immediately, but we believe it does mean that the market has already priced in an incredible future scenario.  
 
   4  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
We continue to be amazed by the counterintuitive desire to go long risk in overvalued markets, yet shun risk when markets are undervalued; for so-called “hedge” funds to be doing this is extraordinary.  Not only do we see investor preference for risky assets, investors are choosing investments, including higher-beta hedge funds, which have been highly correlated with a market advance devoid of fundamental reasoning.  In effect, investors are choosing the highest point in the market cycle to take on aggressive allocations after avoiding aggressive tactics near the low point of the market cycle.  From our point of view, this can only be explained by the fear of non-conformity.   We view this environment, in which markets are heavily influenced by central bank determinations and QE inspirations, as very fragile and ultimately unsustainable.

Along with other well respected investment managers, we believe in order to achieve investment success over time you must be able to take on non-consensus and sometimes uncomfortable ideas. Most money managers and asset allocators never need to worry about “looking” wrong because they are either passive or they hug a benchmark.  Unfortunately for their investors, not looking wrong has absolutely nothing to do with investment risk or avoiding large losses.  This ultimately defines our willingness to be uncomfortable and not take the same actions as everyone else.  Understanding that the financial industry is currently built on conformity vs. rationality gives us tremendous optimism. The short term periods when are Fund zigs and the overall market zags is exactly what is required for diversification to work over a full market cycle.  When the reverse is true, as it has been in the past, our Fund’s performance will likely provide returns that are equally impressive.  Given the very high correlations of both traditional and alternative investments to equity markets, we believe the Fund may be one of a very few things in a portfolio that provide real and meaningful diversification.



Sincerely,
Jay Compson
Portfolio Manager
Absolute Investment Advisers LLC



Sources:
St. James Investment Company LLC, Bloomberg, Zero Hedge, Dallas Federal Reserve, yale.edu/shiller, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, iShares.com, Longhorn Capital, U.S. Treasury, Wall Street Journal
 
   5  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Dear Shareholder,

We are pleased to present the annual report for the Absolute Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”) for the year ended March 31, 2014 (the “Period”). As a reminder, the Fund was created to access a concentrated number of market inefficiencies and securities mis-pricings and is designed to complement the Absolute Strategies Fund. Many of the Fund’s positions are catalyst or event driven and, at times, may include highly contrarian investments. As such, the Fund is not intended to perform in line with other asset classes. The Fund returned -5.16% over the Period versus 21.86% for the S&P 500 Index and 4.63% for the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index.

Fund performance over the last year was a result of having significant short exposure during a time when equity and credit (or fixed income) markets went up despite a multitude of data points that historically would have sent prices lower, e.g. missed revenue/earnings targets, negative guidance, low or flat or negative earnings growth. The Fund’s short credit instruments experienced a negative carry, which was largely responsible for the Fund’s loss. We believe the Fund’s long investments performed quite well, however, due to the low beta nature of the Fund’s long portfolio, returns were less than market indices.

To best understand Fund performance and Fund exposures, we believe it is helpful to think of the Fund as having experienced two distinct periods over its history.

2008 (Inception) - 2011
 
We designed the Fund in early 2008 based on the premise that financial markets were likely to experience some kind of distressed credit environment.  The Fund’s original investment manager (“Subadviser”) line-up was geared toward managers with particular expertise in distressed debt, special situations (re-capitalizations, re-organizations), and investing in highly leveraged companies based on in-depth analyses of their capital structures.
The Fund also included Subadvisers whose strategies could take advantage of expected equity market volatility.

That distressed environment did materialize for a period of time and the Fund took advantage of a number of opportunities in both the equity and credit markets while many other managers of “alternative” strategies appeared to be sitting on the sidelines.  Most of these opportunities occurred on the long side, resulting in strong performance from inception in October of 2008 through December of 2011 with the Fund returning 29.81% versus 11.47% and 1.21% for the S&P 500 Index and the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, respectively. The Fund’s beta to the S&P 500 during that period was just 0.15 highlighting the unique nature of the Fund’s returns.  

2012 - Present

This period represents a much different market environment. By 2011, we believe it was clear that a combination of government stimulus (monetary & fiscal) and accounting rule changes effectively ended the distressed cycle much earlier than would have otherwise occurred.  Many debts were refinanced, amended, and/or extended rather than being allowed to default. As a result, we were forced us to re-think the Fund’s roster of Subadvisers and shift Fund allocations to achieve what we believe to be a more balanced long and short positioning.

During 2012 – 2013, the Fund did not have a significant long bias and we found it difficult to generate meaningful performance for the Fund. In those years, high beta was rewarded and short exposures were punished. In fact, short exposures suffered despite deteriorating fundamentals for many companies.

Recently we have chosen to maintain that balance of long and short investments rather than throw in the towel on the short side. Indeed, we believe that the largest mis-pricings in the Fund at this point, and therefore the most attractive opportunities, are in the Fund’s short investments.   Thus, we think the Fund’s collection of longs and shorts represents a highly unique portfolio that has the ability to generate solid risk-adjusted performance over the next few years without relying on market beta.
 
   6  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
The Fund’s long investments are largely made up of a concentrated group of special situations equities (selected by Pine Cobble Capital & Sabal Capital). Special situations in which companies may find themselves include those that are a result of a capital structure change (e.g. spin-off), a company operational change (e.g. MLP conversion). A misunderstood company with a unique business prospect (e.g. new product launch) may also be considered a special situations company. Such special situation companies tend to be lower beta investments that don’t necessarily track the equity markets in up or down periods.

The Fund’s short investment strategies are largely dominated by a short-biased investment grade credit strategy (implemented by LakeWater Capital). The Fund also achieves short exposure through an equity market futures overlay strategy. The short-biased investment grade credit strategy has been discussed at length in previous commentaries. As a reminder, it is focused on a highly concentrated group of positions where LakeWater Capital believes there is a mismatch between the credit spread and balance sheet risk of an issuer company.  The Fund’s allocation to this strategy has increased significantly over the past few years as credit spreads have narrowed despite balance sheet risk actually going up in some cases. Simply put, we’ve increased the allocation as these mismatches have grown. With respect to the overlay strategy, during periods of excessive over-valuation or under-valuation in markets, we may utilize futures positions or other securities to provide added long exposure (under-valued markets) or short exposure (over-valued markets). This may result in the Fund having slightly more or less net exposure than usual, including the potential for certain areas of the Fund to have a slight net short bias which could have a negative or positive impact on performance when segments of the market are extremely overvalued or undervalued. The Fund currently has a slight net short bias in equity sensitive investments. The Fund also utilizes a long/short strategy (managed by Harvest Capital) focused on agricultural related companies. We think this strategy is attractive because of longer-term secular tailwinds that we believe will propel the agriculture industry and because near-term supply chain dynamics create shorter-term dislocations. Again, this is a lower beta strategy that we believe will do well over time but not necessarily keep up with rising equity markets.   

We continue to look for ways to improve Fund exposures and performance. As always, our analysis will be based on an investment approach of sourcing mis-priced securities, long and short. It won’t be based on momentum or guessing on market direction or simply on what worked over the last 6 or 12 months.

As a result, our approach will likely lead the Fund to have performance that looks very different from many other investment funds. At times that may appear great. At times that may feel disappointing. Over a long period of time, however, we believe the Fund will generate solid risk-adjusted returns and help diversify investor portfolios.



Sincerely,
 
Jay Compson
Portfolio Manager
Absolute Investment Advisers LLC
 
   7  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
The following charts reflect the change in the value of a hypothetical $1,000,000 investment in Institutional Shares and a $250,000 investment in R Shares, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in Absolute Strategies Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the benchmarks, the S&P 500 Index ("S&P 500"), Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ("Barclays Index"), the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index ("HFRX") and the MSCI World Index ("MSCI World"), since inception. The S&P 500 is a broad-based, unmanaged measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average of 500 widely held common stocks. The Barclays Index covers the U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade, fixed-rate, taxable bond market of SEC-registered securities. The HFRX is designed to be representative of the overall composition of the hedge fund universe; it is comprised of eight strategies - convertible arbitrage, distressed securities, equity hedge, equity market neutral, event driven, macro, merger arbitrage, and relative value arbitrage. The strategies are asset-weighted based on the distribution of assets in the hedge fund industry. The MSCI World measures the performance of a diverse range of 24 developed countries' stock markets including the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific.  The total return of the indices include the reinvestment of dividends and income. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the indices do not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the indices are unmanaged and are not available for investment.
 
Comparison of Change in Value of a $1,000,000 Investment
Institutional Shares vs. S&P 500 Index, Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index,
HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index and MSCI World Index
 
 
Average Annual Total Return as of 03/31/14     One Year    Five Years    Commencement of Investment Operations 07/27/05
Absolute Strategies Fund - Institutional Shares     -2.05%    5.12%    2.44%
S&P 500 Index     21.86%    21.16%    7.15%
Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index     -0.10%    4.80%    4.77%
HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index     4.63%    3.82%    1.04%
MSCI World Index     19.07%    18.28%    6.26%
 
 
   8  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Comparison of Change in Value of a $250,000 Investment
R Shares vs. S&P 500 Index, Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index,
HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index and MSCI World Index
 
 
 
Average Annual Total Return as of 03/31/14     One Year    Five Years    Commencement of Investment Operations 07/27/05
Absolute Strategies Fund - R Shares     -2.05%   4.66%    2.02%
S&P 500 Index     21.86%    21.16%    7.15%
Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index     -0.10%    4.80%    4.77%
HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index     4.63%    3.82%    1.04%
MSCI World Index     19.07%    18.28%    6.26%
 
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (888) 992-2765. As stated in the Fund's prospectus, the annual operating expense ratios (gross) for Institutional Shares and R Shares are 2.47% and 2.87%, respectively. Excluding the effect of expenses attributable to dividends and interest on short sales, the Fund’s total annual operating expense ratios would be 1.74% and 2.14% for Institutional Shares and R Shares, respectively. However, the Fund's adviser has agreed to contractually reduce its advisory fee to 1.55% on average net assets exceeding $4.5 billion but less than $5 billion and to 1.50% on the average net assets exeeeding $5 billion through July 31, 2015. The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns greater than one year are annualized.

   9  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 

The following charts reflect the change in the value of a hypothetical $1,000,000 investment in Institutional Shares, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in the Absolute Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the benchmarks, the S&P 500 Index ("S&P 500"), HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index ("HFRX"), and the MSCI World Index ("MSCI World"), since inception. The S&P 500 is a broad-based, unmanaged measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average of 500 widely held common stocks. The HFRX is designed to be representative of the overall composition of the hedge fund universe; it is comprised of eight strategies - convertible arbitrage, distressed securities, equity hedge, equity market neutral, event driven, macro, merger arbitrage, and relative value arbitrage. The strategies are asset-weighted based on the distribution of assets in the hedge fund industry. The MSCI World measures the performance of a diverse range of 24 developed countries' stock markets including thet United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific. The total return of the indices include the reinvestment of dividends and income. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the indices do not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the indices are unmanaged and are not available for investment.
 
Comparison of Change in Value of a $1,000,000 Investment
Absolute Opportunities Fund vs. S&P 500 Index,
HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index and MSCI World Index
 
 
Average Annual Total Return as of 03/31/14     One Year    Five Years    Commencement of Investment Operations 10/21/08
Absolute Opportunites Fund - Institutional Shares     -5.16%   3.14%   3.98%
S&P 500 Index     21.86%    21.16%    15.71%
HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index     4.63%    3.82%    2.28%
MSCI World Index     19.07%    18.28%    12.94%
 
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (888) 992-2765. As stated in the Fund's prospectus, the annual operating expense ratio (gross) is 4.00%. Excluding the effect of expenses attributable to dividends and interest on short sales, the Fund’s total annual operating expense ratio would be 3.01%. However, the Fund's adviser has agreed to contractually waive a portion of its fees and to reimburse expenses to limit total annual operating expenses to 1.95% (excluding all interest, taxes, portfolio transaction expenses, dividends and interest on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, proxy expenses, and extraordinary expenses), for the period January 1, 2014 to August 1, 2015. The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns greater than one year are annualized.

   10  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS SUMMARY (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 

Portfolio Breakdown (% of Net Assets)
Long Positions
Equity Securities
37.6%
 
Asset Backed Obligations
6.5%
 
Corporate Convertible Bonds
17.7%
 
Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds
2.6%
 
Exchange Traded Notes
0.0%
 
Foreign Government Bonds
0.0%
 
Interest Only Bonds
0.1%
 
Municipal Bonds
0.5%
 
Municipal Demand Notes
0.1%
 
Syndicated Loans
0.1%
 
U.S. Government & Agency Obligations
1.0%
 
Rights
0.0%
 
Investment Companies
9.1%
 
Short-Term Investments
0.3%
 
Purchased Options
1.6%
 
Short Positions
Equity Securities
-27.6%
 
Investment Companies
-1.5%
 
Written Options
-1.1%
 
Other Assets less Liabilities*
53.0%
 
 
100.0%
 

*
Consists of deposits with the custodian and/or brokers for securities sold short, cash, foreign currency, prepaid expenses, receivables, payables and accrued liabilities.  Deposits with the custodian and/or brokers for securities sold short represents 40.1% of net assets.  See Note 2.
 
 
(% of Equity Holdings)
Sector Breakdown
Long
Short
Consumer Discretionary
17.1%
20.8%
 
Consumer Staples
22.1%
5.1%
 
Energy
9.1%
2.2%
 
Financial
16.7%
30.3%
 
Healthcare
7.7%
2.9%
 
Industrial
5.4%
20.6%
 
Information Technology
11.1%
9.8%
 
Materials
3.7%
4.3%
 
Telecommunication Services
6.9%
4.0%
 
Utilities
0.2%
0.0%
 
 
100.0%
100.0%
 

   11  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
                                           
 
 
   
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
   
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
 
Long Positions - 77.2%
             
Energy - 3.1%
             
Equity Securities - 37.6%
               
225,000
 
Apache Corp.
       
$
18,663,750
 
Common Stock - 36.6%
               
60,000
 
ConocoPhillips
         
4,221,000
 
Consumer Discretionary - 6.4%
               
8,692
 
Continental Resources, Inc. (a)
         
1,080,155
 
 
40,000
 
Apollo Education Group, Inc. (a)
       
$
1,369,600
   
406,200
 
Enbridge, Inc.
         
18,486,162
 
 
186,700
 
Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. (a)(b)(c)(d)
         
12,844,960
   
168,000
 
Ensco PLC, Class A
         
8,867,040
 
 
158,300
 
CarMax, Inc. (a)(b)(c)(d)
         
7,408,440
   
120,000
 
Exxon Mobil Corp.
         
11,721,600
 
 
147,500
 
Coach, Inc. (b)(c)(d)
         
7,324,850
   
106,000
 
National Oilwell Varco, Inc.
         
8,254,220
 
 
309,500
 
CVS Caremark Corp. (b)(c)(d)
         
23,169,170
   
61,519
 
Ocean Rig UDW, Inc. (a)(b)
         
1,094,423
 
 
152,600
 
DIRECTV (a)(b)(c)(d)
         
11,661,692
   
400,000
 
Spectra Energy Corp.
         
14,776,000
 
 
4,346
 
Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.
         
218,082
                   
87,164,350
 
 
100,000
 
eBay, Inc. (a)
         
5,524,000
                       
 
78,212
 
General Motors Co. (c)(d)
         
2,692,057
 
Financial - 5.9%
             
 
7,704
 
Google, Inc., Class A (a)(b)(c)(d)
         
8,586,185
   
1,135
 
Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (a)(b)
         
227,057
 
 
16,974
 
Hanesbrands, Inc. (b)
         
1,298,172
   
80,000
 
American Express Co. (b)(c)(d)
         
7,202,400
 
 
581,400
 
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (a)(b)(c)(d)
         
15,488,496
   
266,900
 
American International Group, Inc. (b)(c)(d)
         
13,347,669
 
 
242,800
 
Kohl's Corp. (b)(c)(d)
         
13,791,040
   
52,100
 
Aon PLC (b)
         
4,390,988
 
 
4,346
 
Las Vegas Sands Corp.
         
351,070
   
83,400
 
Bancorp, Inc. (a)
         
1,568,754
 
 
38,000
 
McDonald's Corp. (b)
         
3,725,140
   
601,300
 
Bank of America Corp. (b)(c)(d)
         
10,342,360
 
 
8,692
 
MGM Resorts International (a)
         
224,775
   
50
 
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., Class A (a)(b)
         
9,367,505
 
 
633,588
 
Office Depot, Inc. (a)(b)
         
2,616,718
   
171,700
 
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., Class B (a)(b)(c)(d)
         
21,457,349
 
 
184,200
 
Target Corp. (b)(c)(d)
         
11,145,942
   
13,037
 
Blackstone Group LP
         
433,480
 
 
5,215
 
Tesla Motors, Inc. (a)
         
1,087,067
   
276,352
 
DFC Global Corp. (a)(b)
         
2,440,188
 
 
21,730
 
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
         
567,805
   
470
 
Fairfax Financial Holdings, Ltd.
         
203,557
 
 
72,300
 
The Walt Disney Co. (b)(c)(d)
         
5,789,061
   
214,600
 
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (b)(c)(d)
         
13,028,366
 
 
100,000
 
Viacom, Inc., Class B
         
8,499,000
   
354,700
 
Leucadia National Corp. (b)
         
9,931,600
 
 
239,800
 
Walgreen Co. (b)(c)(d)
         
15,833,994
   
189,700
 
Ocwen Financial Corp. (a)
         
7,432,446
 
 
202,200
 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (b)(c)(d)
         
15,454,146
   
34,856
 
Rayonier, Inc. REIT (b)
         
1,600,239
 
 
60,500
 
Weight Watchers International, Inc. (b)(c)(d)
         
1,242,670
   
150,000
 
Resource America, Inc., Class A
         
1,285,500
 
 
1,738
 
Wynn Resorts, Ltd.
         
386,097
   
30,421
 
Square 1 Financial, Inc. (a)
         
611,462
 
                 
178,300,229
   
588,100
 
The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (b)(c)(d)
         
20,754,049
 
                       
72,500
 
The Travelers Cos., Inc. (b)
         
6,169,750
 
Consumer Staples - 8.2%
               
266,750
 
Wells Fargo & Co. (b)(c)(d)
         
13,268,145
 
 
102,000
 
Aggreko PLC
         
2,578,560
   
420,000
 
WR Berkley Corp.
         
17,480,400
 
 
317,500
 
Avon Products, Inc.
         
4,648,200
                   
162,543,264
 
 
70,000
 
Campbell Soup Co. (b)
         
3,141,600
                       
 
200,000
 
Express Scripts Holding Co. (a)
         
15,018,000
 
Healthcare - 2.8%
             
 
399,780
 
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. (a)(b)
         
3,649,992
   
82,600
 
Abbott Laboratories (b)(c)(d)
         
3,180,926
 
 
88,000
 
Hengan International Group Co., Ltd.
         
915,200
   
32,655
 
Alere, Inc. (a)
         
1,121,699
 
 
265,000
 
Molson Coors Brewing Co., Class B
         
15,597,900
   
63,000
 
Becton Dickinson and Co.
         
7,376,040
 
 
180,000
 
Nestle SA, ADR
         
13,539,600
   
77,300
 
CR Bard, Inc.
         
11,438,854
 
 
510,000
 
PepsiCo, Inc. (b)
         
42,585,000
   
120,000
 
Johnson & Johnson (c)(d)
         
11,787,600
 
 
211,010
 
Philip Morris International, Inc.
         
17,275,389
   
175,000
 
Medtronic, Inc.
         
10,769,500
 
 
960,000
 
Sysco Corp.
         
34,684,800
   
180,000
 
Novartis AG, ADR
         
15,303,600
 
 
76,400
 
The Clorox Co.
         
6,723,964
   
150,000
 
Stryker Corp.
         
12,220,500
 
 
811,400
 
The Coca-Cola Co. (c)(d)
         
31,368,724
   
40,000
 
WellPoint, Inc.
         
3,982,000
 
 
370,000
 
The Procter & Gamble Co.
         
29,822,000
                   
77,180,719
 
 
638,385
 
TherapeuticsMD, Inc. (a)(b)
         
4,028,209
                       
                 
225,577,138
 
Industrial - 2.0%
             
                       
95,000
  CH Robinson Worldwide, Inc.          
4,977,050
 
                       
10,215
 
EnPro Industries, Inc. (a)(b)
         
742,324
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  12  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
 
   
Security
                                   
 
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
       
Security
             
 
460,400
 
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (b)(c)(d)
       
$
18,245,652
   
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
 
 
151,704
 
Global Brass & Copper Holdings, Inc. (b)
         
2,392,372
   
42,246
 
FTD Cos., Inc. (a)
       
$
1,343,845
 
 
44,943
 
ITT Corp. (b)
         
1,921,763
   
120,089
 
Lee Enterprises, Inc. (a)(b)
         
536,798
 
 
62,252
 
KBR, Inc.
         
1,660,883
   
159,014
 
News Corp., Class A (a)(b)
         
2,738,221
 
 
173,747
 
Quality Distribution, Inc. (a)(b)
         
2,256,973
   
300,000
 
Orange SA, ADR
         
4,407,000
 
 
35,768
 
Rock-Tenn Co., Class A (b)
         
3,776,028
   
8,692
 
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (a)
         
596,271
 
 
87,500
 
The Boeing Co. (b)(c)(d)
         
10,980,375
   
15,210
 
Pandora Media, Inc. (a)
         
461,167
 
 
152,365
 
Tutor Perini Corp. (a)(b)
         
4,368,305
   
477,984
 
Parkervision, Inc. (a)(b)
         
2,294,323
 
 
41,100
 
United Parcel Service, Inc., Class B (b)(c)(d)
         
4,002,318
   
2,173
 
Qihoo 360 Technology Co., Ltd., ADR (a)
         
216,388
 
                 
55,324,043
   
364,000
 
Spark Networks, Inc. (a)
         
1,903,720
 
                       
6,519
 
Splunk, Inc. (a)
         
466,043
 
Information Technology - 4.2%
               
89,538
 
Telephone & Data Systems, Inc. (b)
         
2,346,791
 
 
130,800
 
Accenture PLC, Class A (b)(c)(d)
         
10,427,376
   
700,000
 
Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., Class B
         
21,784,000
 
 
29,750
 
Apple, Inc. (b)(d)
         
15,968,015
   
52,363
 
Verizon Communications, Inc. (b)
         
2,490,908
 
 
109,486
 
CareView Communications, Inc. (a)
         
72,261
   
113,578
 
Vitacost.com, Inc. (a)(b)
         
805,268
 
 
107,500
 
Check Point Software Technologies, Ltd. (a)
         
7,270,225
   
108,600
 
Vodafone Group PLC, ADR (b)
         
3,997,566
 
 
502,500
 
Corning, Inc. (b)(c)(d)
         
10,462,050
                   
70,593,614
 
 
102,400
 
Electronic Arts, Inc. (a)(b)
         
2,970,624
                       
 
244,584
 
FormFactor, Inc. (a)(b)
         
1,562,892
 
Utilities - 0.0%
             
 
20,100
 
Hewlett-Packard Co.
         
650,436
   
49,903
 
Dynegy, Inc. (a)(b)
         
1,244,581
 
 
75
 
International Business Machines Corp.
         
14,437
                       
 
29,000
 
Intuit, Inc. (b)
         
2,254,170
 
Total Common Stock
             
 
21,730
 
Micron Technology, Inc. (a)
         
514,132
 
(Cost $756,844,277)
         
1,011,644,514
 
 
860,000
 
Microsoft Corp. (d)
         
35,251,400
       
Security
             
 
64,597
 
NCR Corp. (a)(b)
         
2,361,020
   
Shares
 
Description
 
 Rate
     
Value
 
 
440,000
 
Oracle Corp.
         
18,000,400
 
Preferred Stock - 1.0%
             
 
32,000
 
QUALCOMM, Inc. (b)(d)
         
2,523,520
 
Consumer Staples - 0.2%
             
 
10,864
 
Salesforce.com, Inc. (a)
         
620,226
   
18,089
 
Bunge, Ltd. (b)
 
       4.88
%
   
1,912,912
 
 
40,241
 
Silicon Graphics International Corp. (a)
         
494,159
   
6,472
 
Post Holdings, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       3.75
     
824,274
 
 
63,369
 
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (a)(b)
         
2,377,605
   
1,252
 
Universal Corp. (b)
 
       6.75
     
1,591,135
 
 
4,346
 
Tableau Software, Inc., Class A (a)
         
330,643
                   
4,328,321
 
 
27,549
 
Verint Systems, Inc. (a)(b)
         
1,291,910
                       
 
19,387
 
Vocera Communications, Inc. (a)
         
316,590
 
Energy - 0.3%
             
                 
115,734,091
   
1,299
 
Chesapeake Energy Corp. (b)(e)
 
       5.75
     
1,458,940
 
                       
4,349
 
Energy XXI Bermuda, Ltd. (b)
 
       5.63
     
1,181,025
 
Materials - 1.4%
               
12,844
 
Goodrich Petroleum Corp., Series B (b)
 
       5.38
     
543,301
 
 
19,210
 
Century Aluminum Co. (a)
         
253,764
   
4,710
 
Penn Virginia Corp., Series A (b)
 
       6.00
     
1,418,087
 
 
111,002
 
Constellium NV, Class A (a)(b)
         
3,257,909
   
20,954
 
Sanchez Energy Corp. (b)
 
       4.88
     
1,568,931
 
 
230,000
 
Franco-Nevada Corp.
         
10,547,800
   
6,620
 
Sanchez Energy Corp., Series B (e)
 
       6.50
     
505,503
 
 
149,242
 
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp.
         
613,384
   
6,236
 
SandRidge Energy, Inc. (b)
 
       7.00
     
629,446
 
 
68,000
 
Praxair, Inc.
         
8,905,960
                   
7,305,233
 
 
165,000
 
Royal Gold, Inc.
         
10,332,300
                       
 
43,600
 
Sigma-Aldrich Corp.
         
4,071,368
 
Financial - 0.4%
             
                 
37,982,485
   
56,652
 
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. REIT, Series D (b)
 
       7.00
     
1,522,239
 
                       
20,316
 
AMG Capital Trust II (b)
 
       5.15
     
1,306,573
 
Telecommunication Services - 2.6%
               
368
 
Bank of America Corp., Series L (b)
 
       7.25
     
422,142
 
 
800,000
 
Cisco Systems, Inc.
         
17,928,000
   
20,298
 
Health Care REIT, Inc., Series I (b)
 
       6.50
     
1,127,148
 
 
127,628
 
CommScope Holding Co., Inc. (a)(b)
         
3,149,859
   
16,503
 
iStar Financial, Inc. REIT, Series J (b)
 
       4.50
     
1,064,443
 
 
45,017
 
Comverse, Inc. (a)(b)
         
1,556,688
   
5,148
 
KeyCorp, Series A (b)
 
       7.75
     
669,137
 
 
26,075
 
Facebook, Inc., Class A (a)
         
1,570,758
                       

See Notes to Financial Statements.  13  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Shares
 
Description
 
 Rate
     
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
 
15,413
 
Lexington Realty Trust REIT, Series C
 
                    6.50
%
 
$
722,870
 
$
124,382
 
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Trust, Series 2005-3 8A32 (b)(h)
 
       0.47
%
07/25/35
$
120,248
 
 
528
 
OFG Bancorp, Series C (b)
 
                    8.75
     
844,932
   
1,227,225
 
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Trust, Series 2006-1 2A1 (h)
 
       2.99
 
03/25/36
 
944,585
 
 
1,375
 
Wells Fargo & Co., Series L
 
                    7.50
     
1,612,875
   
65,657
 
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Trust, Series 2006-1 3A3 (h)
 
       2.75
 
03/25/36
 
50,047
 
 
1,141
 
Wintrust Financial Corp., Series C (b)
 
                    5.00
     
1,475,741
   
400,000
 
Alm Loan Funding, Series 2012-7A A1 (e)(h)
 
       1.66
 
10/19/24
 
399,380
 
                 
10,768,100
   
850,885
 
Alta Wind Holdings, LLC (e)
 
       7.00
 
06/30/35
 
936,675
 
 
 
Healthcare - 0.1%
                 
1,940,801
 
American Airlines Pass Through Trust, Series 2013-2 Class A (b)(e)
 
       4.95
 
01/15/23
 
2,091,213
 
 
3,639
 
Alere, Inc., Series B (b)
 
                    3.00
     
1,049,542
   
195,316
 
American Home Mortgage Assets Trust, Series 2007-4 A2 (h)
 
       0.34
 
08/25/37
 
181,631
 
 
70
 
HealthSouth Corp. (b)(e)
 
                    6.50
     
91,280
   
903,629
 
ARES XII CLO, Ltd., Series 2007-12A A (e)(h)
 
       0.86
 
11/25/20
 
899,487
 
 
591
 
HealthSouth Corp., Series A (b)
 
                    6.50
     
770,664
   
1,125,148
 
Asset Backed Funding Certificates, Series 2007-NC1 M2 (e)(h)
 
       1.40
 
05/25/37
 
7,216
 
 
10,378
 
Omnicare Capital Trust II, Series B (b)
 
                    4.00
     
763,432
   
1,285,000
 
Astoria Depositor Corp. (e)
 
       8.14
 
05/01/21
 
1,349,250
 
                 
2,674,918
   
751,160
 
AWAS Aviation Capital, Ltd. (e)
 
       7.00
 
10/17/16
 
781,206
 
 
Industrial - 0.0%
                 
500,000
 
Axis Equipment Finance Receivables, LLC, Series 2012-1I D (b)(f)
 
       5.50
 
11/20/15
 
502,150
 
 
18,041
 
Continental Airlines Finance Trust II (b)
 
                    6.00
     
911,071
   
500,000
 
Axis Equipment Finance Receivables, LLC, Series 2012-1I E1 (b)(f)
 
       6.25
 
04/20/16
 
503,160
 
                       
550,000
 
Axis Equipment Finance Receivables, LLC, Series 2012-1I E2 (b)(f)
 
       7.00
 
03/20/17
 
529,594
 
Materials - 0.0%
                                     
 
32,397
 
ArcelorMittal, Series MTUS (b)
 
                    6.00
     
776,880
                       
                                           
Telecommunication Services - 0.0%
                                     
 
6,790
 
Iridium Communications, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    7.00
     
700,219
                       
                                           
Utilities - 0.0%
                                     
 
20,534
 
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (b)(g)
 
                    3.72
     
1,085,735
                       
Total Preferred Stock
                                     
(Cost $20,764,526)
           
28,550,477
                       
Total Equity Securities
                                     
(Cost $777,608,803)
         
1,040,194,991
                       
                                           
     
Security
                                   
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
                       
Fixed Income Securities - 28.6%
                                   
Asset Backed Obligations - 6.5%
                                   
$
480,884
 
ACE Securities Corp. Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2007-HE1 A2A (h)
 
                    0.24
 
01/25/37
 
283,399
                       
 
873,283
 
ACS Pass Through Trust, Series 2007-1A G1 (b)(e)(h)
 
                    0.46
 
06/14/37
 
830,754
                       
 
1,387,668
 
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Trust, Series 2005-11 2A41 (h)
 
                    2.63
 
02/25/36
 
1,340,734
                       
 
98,426
 
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Trust, Series 2005-12 2A1 (h)
 
                    2.79
 
03/25/36
 
76,784
                       

See Notes to Financial Statements.  14  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
1,067,031
 
Banc of America Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2005-2 4A1
 
                    5.50
%
03/25/20
$
1,117,435
 
$
193,705
 
Bear Stearns Adjustable Rate Mortgage Trust, Series 2007-5 1A1 (h)
 
       2.68
%
08/25/47
$
144,517
 
 
215,732
 
Banc of America Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2005-8 2CB1
 
                    6.00
 
09/25/35
 
198,867
   
205,739
 
Bear Stearns ALT-A Trust, Series 2005-4 1A1 (h)
 
       0.59
 
04/25/35
 
191,428
 
 
52,319
 
Banc of America Funding Corp., Series 2006-E 2A1 (h)
 
                    2.81
 
06/20/36
 
43,891
   
191,479
 
Bear Stearns ALT-A Trust, Series 2005-8 11A1 (h)
 
       0.69
 
10/25/35
 
169,164
 
 
221,420
 
Banc of America Funding Corp., Series 2006-F 1A1 (h)
 
                    2.61
 
07/20/36
 
219,570
   
409,123
 
Bear Stearns ALT-A Trust, Series 2006-1 22A1 (h)
 
       2.41
 
02/25/36
 
305,833
 
 
44,443
 
Banc of America Funding Corp., Series 2006-G 2A3 (b)(h)
                    0.33
 
07/20/36
 
44,408
   
1,881,887
 
Bear Stearns ALT-A Trust, Series 2006-2 21A1 (h)
 
       2.58
 
03/25/36
 
1,282,026
 
 
181,792
 
Banc of America Funding Corp., Series 2006-H 6A1 (h)
 
                    0.35
 
10/20/36
 
130,664
   
181,825
 
Bear Stearns ALT-A Trust, Series 2006-2 23A1 (h)
 
       2.61
 
03/25/36
 
129,143
 
 
114,634
 
Banc of America Funding Corp., Series 2007-E 4A1 (h)
 
                    2.67
 
07/20/47
 
91,461
   
1,172,687
 
Bear Stearns ALT-A Trust, Series 2006-3 1A1 (h)
 
       0.53
 
05/25/36
 
778,278
 
 
1,488,207
 
Bayview Commercial Asset Trust, Series 2004-3 A1 (e)(h)
                    0.52
 
01/25/35
 
1,386,365
   
1,288,974
 
Bear Stearns ALT-A Trust, Series 2006-4 11A1 (h)
 
       0.47
 
08/25/36
 
884,235
 
 
1,225,000
 
Bayview Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Trust, Series 2006-SP1 M1 (b)(e)(h)
 
                    0.60
 
04/25/36
 
1,049,462
   
75,972
 
Bear Stearns Asset Backed Securities Trust, Series 2005-TC2 A3 (b)(h)
 
       0.52
 
08/25/35
 
75,273
 
 
54,920
 
Bayview Financial Mortgage Pass-Through Trust, Series 2005-D AF3 (b)(h)
 
                    5.50
 
12/28/35
 
56,069
   
191,729
 
Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust, Series 2005-T20 AAB (b)(h)
 
       5.12
 
10/12/42
 
193,706
 
 
2,314,104
 
BCAP, LLC, Series 2013-RR2 6A1 (e)(h)
 
                    3.00
 
06/26/37
 
2,319,271
   
1,200,000
 
BlueMountain CLO, Ltd., Series 2013-1A A1 (e)(h)
 
       1.44
 
05/15/25
 
1,187,171
 
 
85,261
 
Beacon Container Finance, LLC, Series 2012-1A A (b)(e)
                    3.72
 
09/20/27
 
85,563
   
55,867
 
BNC Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-1 A2 (b)(h)
 
       0.21
 
03/25/37
 
55,013
 
                       
1,500,000
 
BNC Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-3 A3 (h)
 
       0.28
 
07/25/37
 
1,362,594
 
                       
63,125
 
BNC Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-4 A3A (h)
 
       0.40
 
11/25/37
 
62,931
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  15  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
200,106
 
Centex Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2005-C AF6 (g)
 
                    4.64
%
06/25/35
$
197,948
 
$
832,136
 
Conseco Finance Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2002-C BF1 (h)
 
       8.00
%
06/15/32
$
912,905
 
 
853,276
 
Chase Mortgage Finance Trust, Series 2007-A1 8A1 (h)
 
                    2.65
 
02/25/37
 
870,506
   
787,107
 
Conseco Finance Securitizations Corp., Series 2001-4 A4 (b)
 
       7.36
 
08/01/32
 
861,546
 
 
313,088
 
ChaseFlex Trust, Series 2007-1 2A9
 
                    6.00
 
02/25/37
 
277,177
   
461,778
 
Continental Airlines Pass Through Trust, Series 2007-1 B (b)
       6.90
 
04/19/22
 
500,151
 
 
100,000
 
CIFC Funding Ltd., Series 2012-2A A1L (b)(e)(h)
 
                    1.64
 
12/05/24
 
99,816
   
658,730
 
Continental Airlines Pass Through Trust, Series 2009-1 (b)
       9.00
 
07/08/16
 
754,246
 
 
630,000
 
CIFC Funding, Ltd., Series 2012-2A A3L (e)(h)
 
                    3.24
 
12/05/24
 
624,240
   
697,738
 
Coso Geothermal Power Holdings, LLC (e)
 
       7.00
 
07/15/26
 
404,688
 
 
675,000
 
CIFC Funding, Ltd., Series 2013-3A B (e)(h)
 
                    2.91
 
10/24/25
 
663,325
   
59,366
 
Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2004-J10 4CB1
       6.50
 
10/25/34
 
63,922
 
 
1,514,879
 
CIT Education Loan Trust, Series 2007-1 A (e)(h)
 
                    0.32
 
03/25/42
 
1,417,672
   
64,688
 
Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2005-50CB 1A1
       5.50
 
11/25/35
 
58,969
 
 
1,200,000
 
Citicorp Residential Mortgage Trust, Series 2006-2 A5 (g)
 
                    6.04
 
09/25/36
 
1,155,853
   
225,124
 
Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2005-73CB 1A8
 
       5.50
 
01/25/36
 
210,863
 
 
1,200,000
 
Citicorp Residential Mortgage Trust, Series 2007-1 A5 (g)
 
                    6.05
 
03/25/37
 
1,107,184
   
669,057
 
Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2005-J10 1A16
 
       5.50
 
10/25/35
 
615,733
 
 
317,712
 
Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc., Series 2006-WF1 A2D (g)
 
                    5.62
 
03/25/36
 
215,835
   
483,333
 
Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2005-J12 2A1 (h)
 
       0.42
 
08/25/35
 
292,039
 
 
499,787
 
Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc., Series 2007-AR8 2A1A (h)
 
                    2.76
 
07/25/37
 
423,229
   
262,920
 
Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2006-36T2 1A1 (h)
 
       0.47
 
12/25/36
 
167,914
 
 
285,000
 
Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc., Series 2007-WFH4 A2C (h)
 
                    1.45
 
07/25/37
 
227,289
   
29,205
 
Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2006-7CB 3A1
 
       5.25
 
05/25/21
 
25,405
 
 
130,514
 
CitiMortgage Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2006-A7 1A12
 
                    6.00
 
12/25/36
 
114,223
   
290,874
 
Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2007-16CB 4A7
 
       6.00
 
08/25/37
 
263,250
 
 
50,716
 
CitiMortgage Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2007-A4 1A6
 
                    5.75
 
04/25/37
 
44,145
                       
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  16  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
223,657
 
Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2007-19 1A34
 
                    6.00
%
08/25/37
$
186,697
 
$
1,359,067
 
Credit-Based Asset Servicing and Securitization, LLC, Series 2006-CB8 A2B (h)
 
       0.26
%
10/25/36
$
1,280,411
 
 
123,581
 
Countrywide Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2004-7 MV3 (b)(h)
 
                    1.20
 
12/25/34
 
123,026
   
2,643,525
 
Credit-Based Asset Servicing and Securitization, LLC, Series 2007-CB2 A2E (b)(g)
 
       4.82
 
02/25/37
 
1,944,958
 
 
1,414,415
 
Countrywide Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2007-13 2A1 (h)
 
                    1.05
 
10/25/47
 
1,233,276
   
1,351,859
 
Credit-Based Asset Servicing and Securitization, LLC, Series 2007-CB5 A3 (h)
 
       0.40
 
04/25/37
 
909,909
 
 
1,279,942
 
Countrywide Home Loan Mortgage Pass Through Trust, Series 2004-HYB5 3A1 (h)
 
                    2.62
 
04/20/35
 
1,138,707
   
490,000
 
Cronos Containers Program, Ltd., Series 2012-1A A (e)
 
       4.21
 
05/18/27
 
491,384
 
 
237,048
 
Countrywide Home Loan Mortgage Pass Through Trust, Series 2007-HY3 4A1 (h)
 
                    5.24
 
06/25/47
 
221,484
   
425,000
 
Cronos Containers Program, Ltd., Series 2012-2A A (e)
 
       3.81
 
09/18/27
 
428,680
 
 
81,304
 
Countrywide Home Loan Mortgage Pass Through Trust, Series 2007-HY5 1A1 (h)
 
                    2.86
 
09/25/47
 
71,395
   
881,008
 
CSAB Mortgage Backed Trust, Series 2007-1 1A1A (h)
 
       5.90
 
05/25/37
 
492,386
 
 
17,543
 
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp., Series 2003-AR24 2A4 (h)
 
                    2.58
 
10/25/33
 
17,087
   
1,513,483
 
CSMC Trust, Series 2013-3R 5A1 (e)(h)
 
       2.50
 
10/27/36
 
1,519,603
 
 
389,563
 
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp., Series 2005-11 8A9
 
                    5.25
 
12/25/35
 
395,439
   
75,000
 
DBRR Trust, Series 2011-LC2 A4A (b)(e)(h)
 
       4.54
 
07/12/44
 
81,420
 
 
77,996
 
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp., Series 2005-6 8A1 (b)
 
                    4.50
 
07/25/20
 
79,366
   
158,431
 
Delta Air Lines Pass Through Trust, Series 2002-1 G-1 (b)
 
       6.72
 
01/02/23
 
186,354
 
 
84,419
 
Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Mortgage-Backed Trust, Series 2006-8 3A1
 
                    6.00
 
10/25/21
 
80,919
   
656,294
 
Deutsche Alt-A Securities, Inc. Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-AR1 A4 (h)
 
       0.31
 
01/25/47
 
472,138
 
 
1,372,601
 
Credit-Based Asset Servicing and Securitization, LLC, Series 2006-CB7 A5 (h)
 
                    0.39
 
10/25/36
 
900,425
   
241,303
 
Deutsche Alt-B Securities, Inc. Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-AB2 A5B (g)
 
       6.09
 
06/25/36
 
195,700
 
                       
600,000
 
Dryden XXII Senior Loan Fund, Series 2013-30A C (e)(h)
 
       3.09
 
11/15/25
 
599,863
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  17  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
1,000,000
 
Dryden XXVI Senior Loan Fund, Series 2013-26A C (e)(h)
 
                    2.74
%
07/15/25
$
967,470
 
$
577,593
 
GE Business Loan Trust, Series 2004-1 A (b)(e)(h)
 
       0.45
%
05/15/32
$
552,335
 
 
2,015,000
 
Education Loan Asset-Backed Trust I, Series 2013-1 A2 (e)(h)
 
                    0.95
 
04/26/32
 
1,989,621
   
887,513
 
GE Business Loan Trust, Series 2005-1A A3 (b)(e)(h)
 
       0.41
 
06/15/33
 
833,956
 
 
2,920,000
 
Equifirst Loan Securitization Trust, Series 2007-1 A2B (h)
 
                    0.34
 
04/25/37
 
2,158,966
   
127,856
 
GE Business Loan Trust, Series 2005-2A A (b)(e)(h)
 
       0.40
 
11/15/33
 
118,818
 
 
61,248
 
Equity One Mortgage Pass-Through Trust, Series 2002-4 M1 (h)
 
                    5.22
 
02/25/33
 
58,598
   
49,175
 
GE Business Loan Trust, Series 2005-2A B (b)(e)(h)
 
       0.66
 
11/15/33
 
45,139
 
 
2,851,797
 
First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-FF18 A2B (h)
 
                    0.26
 
12/25/37
 
1,696,748
   
103,895
 
Goal Capital Funding Trust, Series 2006-1 A3 (b)(h)
 
       0.35
 
11/25/26
 
102,958
 
 
1,190,529
 
First Horizon Alternative Mortgage Securities Trust, Series 2005-AA3 2A1 (h)
 
                    2.25
 
05/25/35
 
964,433
   
1,300,000
 
GoldenTree Loan Opportunities VII, Ltd., Series 2013-7A A (e)(h)
 
       1.39
 
04/25/25
 
1,283,275
 
 
402,476
 
First Horizon Alternative Mortgage Securities Trust, Series 2006-FA8 1A1
 
                    6.25
 
02/25/37
 
349,549
   
274,399
 
Green Tree Financial Corp., Series 1997-1 A6 (b)
 
       7.29
 
03/15/28
 
279,215
 
 
474,261
 
First Horizon Alternative Mortgage Securities Trust, Series 2006-FA8 1A8 (h)
 
                    0.52
 
02/25/37
 
309,702
   
769,577
 
Green Tree, Series 2008-MH1 A2 (b)(e)(h)
 
       8.97
 
04/25/38
 
832,310
 
 
216,457
 
FNMA, Series 2012-M15, Class A (b)(h)
 
                    2.66
 
10/25/22
 
211,431
   
747,286
 
Green Tree, Series 2008-MH1 A3 (b)(e)(h)
 
       8.97
 
04/25/38
 
808,202
 
 
148,447
 
FPL Energy National Wind Portfolio, LLC (e)
 
                    6.13
 
03/25/19
 
146,247
   
250,000
 
GS Mortgage Securities Trust, Series 2011-GC5 A4
 
       3.71
 
08/10/44
 
261,270
 
 
1,860,005
 
GCO Education Loan Funding Master Trust-II, Series 2006-2AR A1RN (b)(e)(h)
 
                    0.80
 
08/27/46
 
1,794,832
   
270,080
 
GSAA Home Equity Trust, Series 2005-12 AF3 (h)
 
       5.07
 
09/25/35
 
255,026
 
 
968,871
 
GE Business Loan Trust, Series 2003-2A A (e)(h)
 
                    0.53
 
11/15/31
 
929,142
   
1,372,438
 
GSAA Home Equity Trust, Series 2006-20 1A1 (h)
 
       0.22
 
12/25/46
 
773,024
 
                       
1,222,499
 
GSAA Home Equity Trust, Series 2007-5 2A3A (h)
 
       0.47
 
04/25/47
 
710,623
 
                       
2,503,163
 
GSAA Trust, Series 2007-3 1A1B (h)
 
       0.25
 
03/25/47
 
371,655
 
                       
354,800
 
GSR Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2004-14 3A2 (h)
 
       2.76
 
12/25/34
 
319,943
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  18  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
1,525,000
 
GSR Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2004-9 5A7 (h)
 
                    2.62
%
08/25/34
$
1,476,604
 
$
304,965
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2005-AR5 1A1 (h)
 
       2.52
%
05/25/35
$
222,777
 
 
199,454
 
GSR Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2005-AR5 1A1 (h)
 
                    2.72
 
10/25/35
 
177,280
   
1,613,313
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-AR19 1A2 (b)(h)
 
       2.77
 
08/25/36
 
1,142,587
 
 
860,000
 
Halcyon Loan Advisors Funding, Ltd., Series 2012-2A C (e)(h)
 
                    3.08
 
12/20/24
 
855,028
   
79,174
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-AR25 3A1 (h)
 
       2.71
 
09/25/36
 
58,016
 
 
15,476
 
HarborView Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2004-8 2A4A (b)(h)
 
                    0.56
 
11/19/34
 
12,916
   
151,096
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-AR29 A1 (h)
 
       0.32
 
11/25/36
 
112,079
 
 
68,000
 
Hewett's Island Clo V, Ltd., Series 2006-5A D (e)(h)
 
                    1.69
 
12/05/18
 
65,934
   
201,599
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-AR33 3A1 (h)
 
       2.95
 
01/25/37
 
175,314
 
 
243,019
 
HomeBanc Mortgage Trust, Series 2004-1 2A (h)
 
                    1.01
 
08/25/29
 
229,974
   
2,516,643
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-AR41 A3 (h)
 
       0.33
 
02/25/37
 
1,825,215
 
 
900,000
 
HSBC Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2006-3 A4 (h)
 
                    0.40
 
03/20/36
 
878,917
   
749,978
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-AR7 1A1 (h)
 
       2.88
 
05/25/36
 
556,934
 
 
83,283
 
HSBC Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2006-4 A3V (h)
 
                    0.31
 
03/20/36
 
83,033
   
1,520,341
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-AR7 3A1 (h)
 
       2.70
 
05/25/36
 
1,185,632
 
 
153,996
 
HSBC Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2007-3 APT (b)(h)
 
                    1.36
 
11/20/36
 
153,257
   
391,476
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-AR7 4A1 (h)
 
       2.89
 
05/25/36
 
268,779
 
 
209,923
 
HSI Asset Loan Obligation Trust, Series 2007-AR2 2A1 (h)
 
                    2.78
 
09/25/37
 
163,149
   
450,000
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-R1 A3 (h)
 
       4.69
 
12/25/35
 
364,109
 
 
1,065,930
 
Indiantown Cogeneration LP, Series A-10 (b)
 
                    9.77
 
12/15/20
 
1,202,485
   
367,119
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-FLX2 A1C (h)
 
       0.34
 
04/25/37
 
263,753
 
 
208,965
 
Indymac INDA Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-AR7 1A1 (h)
 
                    2.82
 
11/25/37
 
199,574
   
699,669
 
Indymac Manufactured Housing Contract Pass Through Certificates, Series 1998-2 A4 (b)(h)
 
       6.64
 
08/25/29
 
697,723
 
 
1,087,233
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2004-AR12 A1 (h)
 
                    0.93
 
12/25/34
 
920,607
                       
 
554,573
 
Indymac Index Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2004-AR7 A2 (h)
 
                    1.01
 
09/25/34
 
483,245
                       
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  19  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
250,000
 
ING Investment Management Co., Series 2012-4A A1 (e)(h)
 
                    1.63
%
10/15/23
$
249,536
 
$
2,373,353
 
JP Morgan Mortgage Trust, Series 2006-S2 2A2
 
       5.88
%
06/25/21
$
2,376,212
 
 
1,000,000
 
ING Investment Management Co., Series 2013-3A B (e)(h)
 
                    2.94
 
01/18/26
 
993,742
   
955,098
 
JP Morgan Mortgage Trust, Series 2007-A1 5A2 (b)(h)
 
       2.66
 
07/25/35
 
959,728
 
 
677,330
 
JetBlue Airways Pass Through Trust, Series 2004-2 G1 (h)
 
                    0.61
 
08/15/16
 
668,863
   
45,112
 
JP Morgan Mortgage Trust, Series 2007-A2 4A1M (h)
 
       4.86
 
04/25/37
 
41,394
 
 
2,000,000
 
JetBlue Airways Pass Through Trust, Series 2004-2 G-2 (h)
 
                    0.69
 
11/15/16
 
1,965,000
   
1,500,000
 
KKR Financial CLO, Ltd., Series 2005-1A B (e)(h)
 
       0.69
 
04/26/17
 
1,491,428
 
 
2,705,946
 
JP Morgan Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2006-A2 3A1 (h)
 
                    2.94
 
05/25/36
 
2,131,260
   
909,063
 
Lehman ABS Manufactured Housing Contract Trust, Series 2001-B A6 (b)(h)
 
       6.47
 
04/15/40
 
979,281
 
 
2,930,588
 
JP Morgan Mortgage Acquisition Trust, Series 2006-WMC3 A4 (h)
 
                    0.30
 
08/25/36
 
1,548,054
   
8,959
 
Lehman Mortgage Trust, Series 2006-1 3A3
 
       5.50
 
02/25/36
 
8,959
 
 
400,000
 
JP Morgan Mortgage Acquisition Trust, Series 2007-CH3 A4 (h)
 
                    0.36
 
03/25/37
 
341,928
   
196,924
 
Lehman XS Trust, Series 2005-6 1A1 (h)
 
       0.41
 
11/25/35
 
133,176
 
 
1,110,000
 
JP Morgan Mortgage Acquisition Trust, Series 2007-CH4 A5 (h)
 
                    0.39
 
05/25/37
 
640,412
   
1,605,962
 
Lehman XS Trust, Series 2006-13 1A2 (h)
 
       0.32
 
09/25/36
 
1,326,630
 
 
2,590,000
 
JP Morgan Mortgage Acquisition Trust, Series 2007-HE1 AF2 (g)
 
                    4.55
 
03/25/47
 
1,979,760
   
833,982
 
Lehman XS Trust, Series 2006-14N 3A2 (h)
 
       0.27
 
08/25/36
 
613,636
 
 
2,938,000
 
JP Morgan Mortgage Acquisition Trust, Series 2007-HE1 AV4 (h)
 
                    0.43
 
03/25/47
 
1,639,137
   
1,535,840
 
Lehman XS Trust, Series 2006-19 A2 (h)
 
       0.32
 
12/25/36
 
1,244,379
 
 
163,897
 
JP Morgan Mortgage Trust, Series 2005-A5 TA1 (h)
 
                    5.25
 
08/25/35
 
163,932
   
1,733,952
 
Lehman XS Trust, Series 2006-9 A1B (h)
 
       0.31
 
05/25/46
 
1,406,265
 
 
1,600,293
 
JP Morgan Mortgage Trust, Series 2006-A3 2A1 (h)
 
                    2.75
 
05/25/36
 
1,334,571
   
1,270,000
 
Limerock CLO, Series 2014-2A A (e)(h)
 
       1.73
 
04/18/26
 
1,271,267
 
                       
289,197
 
MASTR Adjustable Rate Mortgages Trust, Series 2007-R5 A1 (e)(h)
 
       2.52
 
11/25/35
 
214,135
 
                       
885,000
 
MASTR Asset Backed Securities Trust, Series 2007-HE1 A3 (h)
 
       0.36
 
05/25/37
 
600,646
 
                       
13,442
 
MASTR Seasoned Securitization Trust, Series 2004-1 4A1 (b)(h)
 
       2.58
 
10/25/32
 
13,462
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  20  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
1,068,693
 
Merrill Lynch First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-1 A2C (h)
 
                    0.40
%
04/25/37
$
590,237
 
$
1,655,152
 
Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-11 1A3 (g)
 
       6.42
%
08/25/36
$
850,007
 
 
61,655
 
Merrill Lynch First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-1 A2D (h)
 
                    0.49
 
04/25/37
 
34,487
   
2,381,410
 
Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-7 5A2 (h)
 
       5.96
 
06/25/36
 
1,423,781
 
 
1,347,163
 
Merrill Lynch First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-3 A2B (h)
 
                    0.28
 
06/25/37
 
873,863
   
215,040
 
Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-13 6A1
 
       6.00
 
10/25/37
 
176,052
 
 
2,241,000
 
Merrill Lynch First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-3 A2C (h)
 
                    0.33
 
06/25/37
 
1,463,900
   
2,509,364
 
Morgan Stanley Reremic Trust, Series 2013-R3 12A (e)(h)
 
       2.71
 
01/26/47
 
2,522,632
 
 
2,869,681
 
Merrill Lynch First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-4 2A4 (h)
 
                    0.40
 
07/25/37
 
1,751,472
   
985,113
 
Nelnet Student Loan Trust, Series 2012-5A A (e)(h)
 
       0.75
 
10/27/36
 
989,222
 
 
774,826
 
Mid-State Capital Corp. Trust, Series 2006-1A (e)
 
                    5.79
 
10/15/40
 
821,673
   
1,270,000
 
Neuberger Berman CLO, Ltd. (e)(h)
 
       1.74
 
04/15/26
 
1,269,211
 
 
200,000
 
Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I, Inc. Trust, Series 2004-NC7 M2 (b)(h)
 
                    1.08
 
07/25/34
 
190,763
   
1,270,000
 
Nomad CLO, Ltd., Series 2013-1A A1 (e)(h)
 
       1.44
 
01/15/25
 
1,255,869
 
 
1,843,713
 
Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I, Inc. Trust, Series 2007-HE1 A2C (h)
 
                    0.30
 
11/25/36
 
1,139,756
   
352,210
 
Nomura Asset Acceptance Corp. Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2007-1 1A1A (g)
 
       6.00
 
03/25/47
 
269,769
 
 
1,651,264
 
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, Series 2005-T19 A4A
 
                    4.89
 
06/12/47
 
1,718,522
   
1,470,873
 
Nomura Home Equity Loan, Inc. Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2005-HE1 M3 (h)
 
       0.63
 
09/25/35
 
1,376,736
 
 
200,000
 
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, Series 2006-T21 A4 (h)
 
                    5.16
 
10/12/52
 
211,807
   
1,261,467
 
NovaStar Mortgage Funding Trust, Series 2006-2 A2C (h)
       0.30
 
06/25/36
 
714,278
 
 
165,000
 
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, Series 2007-T27 A4 (b)(h)
                    5.65
 
06/11/42
 
184,834
   
910,710
 
Oakwood Mortgage Investors, Inc., Series 1999-B A4
 
       6.99
 
12/15/26
 
975,061
 
 
150,000
 
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, Series 2011-C3 A4 (b)
 
                    4.12
 
07/15/49
 
158,615
   
77,599
 
Opteum Mortgage Acceptance Corp. Asset Backed Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-5 2A1B (h)
 
       5.64
 
12/25/35
 
79,094
 
 
120,140
 
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Capital I Trust, Series 2001-TOP3 C (b)
 
                    6.79
 
07/15/33
 
122,098
                       
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  21  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
606,489
 
Origen Manufactured Housing Contract Trust, Series 2004-A M2 (b)(h)
 
                    6.64
%
01/15/35
$
667,682
 
$
1,165,668
 
Residential Asset Securitization Trust, Series 2007-A5 1A2 (h)
 
       0.55
%
05/25/37
$
450,048
 
 
4,872,285
 
Ownit Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-6 A2C (h)
 
                    0.31
 
09/25/37
 
2,530,801
   
100,000
 
Ruby Pipeline, LLC (b)(e)
 
       6.00
 
04/01/22
 
107,627
 
 
220,000
 
Popular ABS Mortgage Pass-Through Trust, Series 2007-A A3 (h)
 
                    0.46
 
06/25/47
 
137,363
   
1,234,894
 
Saxon Asset Securities Trust, Series 2005-4 A1B (h)
 
       0.53
 
11/25/37
 
1,148,673
 
 
985,857
 
Prudential Holdings, LLC (e)
 
                    8.70
 
12/18/23
 
1,243,446
   
1,365,000
 
Saxon Asset Securities Trust, Series 2007-1 A2C (h)
 
       0.30
 
01/25/47
 
998,036
 
 
517,188
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2005-QO3 A1 (h)
 
                    0.55
 
10/25/45
 
379,637
   
2,263,074
 
Securitized Asset Backed Receivables, LLC Trust, Series 2007-BR5 A2C (h)
 
       0.50
 
05/25/37
 
1,525,187
 
 
648,847
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2005-QO5 A1 (b)(h)
 
                    1.13
 
01/25/46
 
470,501
   
221,703
 
Securitized Asset Backed Receivables, LLC Trust, Series 2007-NC1 A2B (h)
 
       0.30
 
12/25/36
 
119,230
 
 
443,655
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2006-QS10 A1
 
                    6.00
 
08/25/36
 
371,771
   
2,258,870
 
Securitized Asset Backed Receivables, LLC Trust, Series 2007-NC2 A2B (h)
 
       0.29
 
01/25/37
 
1,379,578
 
 
228,989
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2006-QS17 A4
 
                    6.00
 
12/25/36
 
180,092
   
1,175,691
 
SLC Student Loan Trust, Series 2004-1 B (h)
 
       0.53
 
08/15/31
 
1,058,560
 
 
349,555
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2007-QS1 1A1
 
                    6.00
 
01/25/37
 
284,263
   
952,354
 
SLC Student Loan Trust, Series 2005-2 B (h)
 
       0.51
 
03/15/40
 
856,193
 
 
173,282
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2007-QS5 A1
 
                    5.50
 
03/25/37
 
136,071
   
1,100,000
 
SLC Student Loan Trust, Series 2006-2 A5 (h)
 
       0.33
 
09/15/26
 
1,078,950
 
 
712,851
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2007-QS8 A6
 
                    6.00
 
06/25/37
 
583,918
   
36,767
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2004-8 B (b)(h)
 
       0.70
 
01/25/40
 
33,183
 
 
413,167
 
Residential Asset Mortgage Products Trust, Series 2004-SL3 A4
 
                    8.50
 
12/25/31
 
393,784
   
1,300,000
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2006-2 A6 (h)
 
       0.41
 
01/25/41
 
1,189,265
 
 
3,044
 
Residential Asset Mortgage Products, Inc., Series 2004-RZ1 AI7 (b)(h)
 
                    4.03
 
01/25/33
 
3,235
   
1,300,000
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2006-8 A6 (h)
 
       0.40
 
01/25/41
 
1,165,835
 
 
411,509
 
Residential Asset Securitization Trust, Series 2006-A10 A5
 
                    6.50
 
09/25/36
 
313,861
   
722,925
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2007-6 B (b)(h)
 
       1.09
 
04/27/43
 
647,181
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  22  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
735,000
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2008-2 B (b)(h)
 
                    1.44
%
01/25/29
$
668,514
 
$
180,876
 
Structured Asset Securities Corp. Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2005-4XS 2A1A (b)(h)
 
       1.90
%
03/25/35
$
181,836
 
 
735,000
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2008-3 B (b)(h)
 
                    1.44
 
04/25/29
 
681,840
   
1,028,051
 
Structured Asset Securities Corp. Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2003-26A 3A5 (b)(h)
 
       2.44
 
09/25/33
 
1,026,614
 
 
735,000
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2008-4 B (b)(h)
 
                    2.09
 
04/25/29
 
726,903
   
1,683,188
 
Structured Receivables Finance, LLC, Series 2010-A B (e)(f)
 
       7.61
 
01/16/46
 
1,998,093
 
 
735,000
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2008-5 B (b)(h)
 
                    2.09
 
07/25/29
 
745,650
   
900,000
 
Structured Receivables Finance, LLC, Series 2010-B B (e)(f)
 
       7.97
 
08/15/36
 
1,103,777
 
 
735,000
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2008-6 B (b)(h)
 
                    2.09
 
07/25/29
 
727,173
   
1,275,000
 
Symphony CLO IX, LP, Series 2012-9A C (e)(h)
 
       3.49
 
04/16/22
 
1,275,278
 
 
735,000
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2008-7 B (b)(h)
 
                    2.09
 
07/25/29
 
720,607
   
187,500
 
TAL Advantage, LLC, Series 2006-1A (b)(e)(h)
 
       0.35
 
04/20/21
 
185,383
 
 
735,000
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2008-8 B (b)(h)
 
                    2.49
 
10/25/29
 
757,937
   
110,833
 
Textainer Marine Containers, Ltd., Series 2005-1A A (b)(e)(h)
 
       0.41
 
05/15/20
 
110,621
 
 
735,000
 
SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2008-9 B (b)(h)
 
                    2.49
 
10/25/29
 
769,722
   
526,887
 
Trinity Rail Leasing LP, Series 2006-1A A1 (b)(e)
 
       5.90
 
05/14/36
 
576,564
 
 
921,455
 
Soundview Home Loan Trust, Series 2006-EQ2 A4 (h)
 
                    0.39
 
01/25/37
 
592,992
   
728,995
 
Trip Rail Master Funding, LLC, Series 2011-1A A1A (b)(e)
 
       4.37
 
07/15/41
 
773,088
 
 
3,349,000
 
Soundview Home Loan Trust, Series 2007-OPT2 2A4 (h)
                    0.40
 
07/25/37
 
2,110,128
   
154,688
 
Triton Container Finance, LLC, Series 2007-1A (b)(e)(h)
 
       0.29
 
02/26/19
 
154,089
 
 
816,579
 
Spirit Master Funding, LLC, Series 2005-1 A1 (b)(e)
 
                    5.05
 
07/20/23
 
836,259
   
653,333
 
Triton Container Finance, LLC, Series 2012-1A A (e)
 
       4.21
 
05/14/27
 
655,333
 
 
70,344
 
Structured Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-1 7A3 (h)
 
                    5.08
 
02/25/36
 
69,930
   
416,289
 
UAL Pass Through Trust, Series 2009-1
 
     10.40
 
11/01/16
 
474,570
 
 
775,386
 
Structured Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2006-1 7A4 (h)
 
                    5.08
 
02/25/36
 
635,172
   
179,382
 
US Airways Pass Through Trust, Series 2012-2A
 
       4.63
 
06/03/25
 
188,800
 
 
65,558
 
Structured Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2007-3 3A1 (h)
 
                    3.98
 
04/25/47
 
52,804
                       
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  23  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
162,657
 
Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust, Series 2005-C20 A7 (b)(h)
 
                    5.12
%
07/15/42
$
170,022
 
$
1,998,680
 
Washington Mutual Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-AR7 A1A (h)
 
       1.05
%
09/25/46
$
1,277,173
 
 
11,986
 
WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2002-AR18 A (b)(h)
 
                    2.50
 
01/25/33
 
12,213
   
2,282,952
 
Washington Mutual Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-OA2 2A (h)
 
       0.83
 
01/25/47
 
1,634,317
 
 
919,649
 
WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-AR7 A2 (h)
 
                    2.41
 
08/25/35
 
919,954
   
2,038,904
 
Washington Mutual Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-OA3 2A (h)
 
       0.88
 
02/25/47
 
1,434,771
 
 
277,121
 
WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-AR12 2A3 (h)
 
                    1.83
 
10/25/36
 
225,703
   
28,397
 
Wells Fargo Alternative Loan Trust, Series 2005-2 A4 (b)(h)
 
       0.49
 
10/25/35
 
28,464
 
 
166,783
 
WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-AR16 1A1 (h)
 
                    2.05
 
12/25/36
 
144,802
   
223,172
 
Wells Fargo Home Equity Asset-Backed Securities Trust, Series 2006-3 A2 (h)
 
       0.30
 
01/25/37
 
204,505
 
 
308,432
 
WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-HY3 4A1 (h)
 
                    2.47
 
03/25/37
 
290,699
   
115,000
 
WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust, Series 2011-C5 A4 (b)
 
       3.67
 
11/15/44
 
118,562
 
 
523,384
 
Washington Mutual Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-3 2A3 (h)
 
                    0.70
 
05/25/35
 
355,922
   
850,000
 
Yandex NV (b)(e)
 
       1.13
 
12/15/18
 
791,031
 
 
376,628
 
Washington Mutual Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-4 CB13 (h)
 
                    0.65
 
06/25/35
 
285,684
 
Total Asset Backed Obligations
             
 
1,253,091
 
Washington Mutual Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-1 4CB
 
                    6.50
 
02/25/36
 
830,311
 
(Cost $156,036,525)
         
178,682,655
 
 
470,020
 
Washington Mutual Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-7 A1A (g)
 
                    4.91
 
09/25/36
 
292,382
                       
                     
Corporate Convertible Bonds - 17.7%
             
                     
Consumer Discretionary - 1.9%
             
                       
349,000
 
Callaway Golf Co. (b)
 
       3.75
 
08/15/19
 
498,416
 
                       
2,676,000
 
Equinix, Inc. (b)
 
       3.00
 
10/15/14
 
4,415,400
 
                       
1,000,000
 
Exide Technologies (b)(f)(h)(i)
 
         0.00
 
09/18/13
 
200,000
 
                       
5,432,000
 
Home Inns & Hotels Management, Inc. (b)
 
      2.00
 
12/15/15
 
5,279,225
 
                       
780,000
 
Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (b)
 
       2.50
 
06/01/16
 
1,063,238
 
                       
5,000,000
 
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       4.25
 
08/01/18
 
5,171,875
 
                       
266,000
 
Jarden Corp. (b)(e)
 
       1.13
 
03/15/34
 
265,501
 
                       
572,000
 
KB Home (b)
 
       1.38
 
02/01/19
 
590,590
 
                       
461,000
 
Lennar Corp. (b)(e)
 
       2.75
 
12/15/20
 
843,630
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  24  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
2,083,000
 
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
 
                    2.88
%
07/15/27
$
2,122,056
 
$
8,000,000
 
Healthways, Inc. (b)
 
       1.50
%
07/01/18
$
8,635,000
 
 
4,750,000
 
M/I Homes, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.25
 
09/15/17
 
5,774,219
   
1,500,000
 
Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       4.50
 
09/15/18
 
1,593,750
 
 
746,000
 
Meritage Homes Corp. (b)
 
                    1.88
 
09/15/32
 
793,091
   
453,000
 
ServiceSource International, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       1.50
 
08/01/18
 
427,802
 
 
896,000
 
Meritor, Inc. (b)
 
                    7.88
 
03/01/26
 
1,372,000
   
3,630,000
 
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       2.75
 
12/15/18
 
3,620,925
 
 
486,000
 
Navistar International Corp. (b)(e)
 
                    4.50
 
10/15/18
 
477,495
                   
50,121,944
 
 
3,407,000
 
Navistar International Corp. (b)(e)
 
                    4.75
 
04/15/19
 
3,417,647
 
Energy - 0.9%
             
 
3,000,000
 
Regis Corp. (b)
 
                    5.00
 
07/15/14
 
3,063,750
   
415,000
 
Alon USA Energy, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       3.00
 
09/15/18
 
500,853
 
 
356,000
 
Standard Pacific Corp. (b)
 
                    1.25
 
08/01/32
 
443,220
   
475,000
 
BPZ Resources, Inc. (b)
 
       8.50
 
10/01/17
 
548,031
 
 
400,000
 
Steinhoff Finance Holding GmbH (e)
 
                    6.38
 
05/26/17
 
699,846
   
920,000
 
Chesapeake Energy Corp.
 
       2.50
 
05/15/37
 
940,700
 
 
1,701,000
 
Tesla Motors, Inc. (b)
 
                    1.25
 
03/01/21
 
1,547,910
   
3,000,000
 
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (b)(e)
 
       5.25
 
10/01/18
 
2,737,500
 
 
742,000
 
The Ryland Group, Inc. (b)
 
                    1.63
 
05/15/18
 
1,059,205
   
575,000
 
Cobalt International Energy, Inc. (b)
 
       2.63
 
12/01/19
 
542,297
 
 
4,100,000
 
Titan Machinery, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.75
 
05/01/19
 
3,497,812
   
532,000
 
Emerald Oil, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       2.00
 
04/01/19
 
551,950
 
 
440,000
 
Vector Group, Ltd. (b)(h)
 
                    2.50
 
01/15/19
 
605,013
   
6,733,000
 
Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       3.25
 
10/01/18
 
10,520,313
 
 
500,000
 
Vector Group, Ltd. (b)
 
                    1.75
 
04/15/20
 
524,063
   
3,414,000
 
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (b)(e)
 
       4.00
 
02/01/19
 
3,098,205
 
 
5,150,000
 
Wabash National Corp. (b)
 
                    3.38
 
05/01/18
 
7,177,812
   
800,000
 
Newpark Resources, Inc. (b)
 
       4.00
 
10/01/17
 
1,026,000
 
 
470,000
 
WESCO International, Inc. (b)
 
                    6.00
 
09/15/29
 
1,397,075
   
461,000
 
Peabody Energy Corp.
 
       4.75
 
12/15/41
 
375,139
 
                 
52,300,089
   
695,000
 
Pengrowth Energy Corp.
 
       6.25
 
03/31/17
 
655,393
 
                       
1,066,000
 
SolarCity Corp. (b)
 
       2.75
 
11/01/18
 
1,379,138
 
Consumer Staples - 1.8%
               
750,000
 
Solazyme, Inc.
 
       5.00
 
10/01/19
 
804,375
 
 
6,488,000
 
Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    2.25
 
11/15/18
 
8,815,570
   
1,378,000
 
Vantage Drilling Co. (b)(e)
 
       5.50
 
07/15/43
 
1,447,761
 
 
4,730,000
 
Array BioPharma, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.00
 
06/01/20
 
4,892,594
                   
25,127,655
 
 
2,468,000
 
Ascent Capital Group, Inc. (b)
 
                    4.00
 
07/15/20
 
2,471,085
 
Financial - 2.0%
             
 
2,000,000
 
Carriage Services, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    2.75
 
03/15/21
 
2,105,010
   
668,000
 
American Residential Properties OP LP (b)(e)
 
       3.25
 
11/15/18
 
711,837
 
 
401,000
 
Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (b)
 
                    4.25
 
08/15/16
 
410,022
   
406,000
 
AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. (b)
 
       5.50
 
12/15/21
 
595,805
 
 
5,817,000
 
Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (b)(e)
 
                    1.25
 
10/15/18
 
5,795,186
   
9,930,000
 
CBIZ, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       4.88
 
10/01/15
 
13,256,550
 
 
7,000,000
 
Emergent Biosolutions, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    2.88
 
01/15/21
 
7,542,500
   
120,000
 
DFC Global Corp. (b)
 
       3.25
 
04/15/17
 
102,900
 
 
4,000,000
 
Endologix, Inc. (b)
 
                    2.25
 
12/15/18
 
3,812,500
   
3,500,000
 
Encore Capital Group, Inc. (b)
 
       3.00
 
11/27/17
 
5,438,125
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  25  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
6,885,000
 
Encore Capital Group, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    3.00
%
07/01/20
$
8,008,116
 
$
3,550,000
 
Volcano Corp. (b)
 
       1.75
%
12/01/17
$
3,530,031
 
 
124,000
 
Encore Capital Group, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    2.88
 
03/15/21
 
122,605
   
959,000
 
Wright Medical Group, Inc. (b)
 
       2.00
 
08/15/17
 
1,308,436
 
 
891,000
 
Forest City Enterprises, Inc. (b)
 
                    4.25
 
08/15/18
 
999,034
                   
36,563,344
 
 
7,405,000
 
Forestar Group, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.75
 
03/01/20
 
7,937,234
                       
 
4,000,000
 
FXCM, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    2.25
 
06/15/18
 
4,150,000
 
Industrial - 2.7%
             
 
6,000,000
 
Gain Capital Holdings, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    4.13
 
12/01/18
 
6,787,500
   
3,655,000
 
AAR Corp., Series B (b)
 
       2.25
 
03/01/16
 
3,762,366
 
 
246,000
 
Jefferies Group, LLC (b)
 
                    3.88
 
11/01/29
 
262,759
   
416,000
 
Aecon Group, Inc.
 
       5.50
 
12/31/18
 
420,516
 
 
3,772,000
 
Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Inc. (b)
 
                    5.00
 
03/15/20
 
3,518,333
   
488,000
 
Aegean Marine Petroleum Network, Inc. (b)
 
       4.00
 
11/01/18
 
491,355
 
 
776,000
 
MGIC Investment Corp. (b)(e)
 
                    9.00
 
04/01/63
 
948,175
   
5,307,000
 
AirTran Holdings, Inc. (b)
 
       5.25
 
11/01/16
 
10,328,749
 
 
706,000
 
Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    3.00
 
08/01/20
 
841,022
   
7,500,000
 
Altra Industrial Motion Corp. (b)
 
       2.75
 
03/01/31
 
10,701,562
 
 
537,000
 
Radian Group, Inc. (b)
 
                    2.25
 
03/01/19
 
823,288
   
1,800,000
 
Bristow Group, Inc. (b)
 
       3.00
 
06/15/38
 
2,237,625
 
 
1,153,000
 
Walter Investment Management Corp. (b)
 
                    4.50
 
11/01/19
 
1,093,909
   
1,500,000
 
Canadian Solar, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       4.25
 
02/15/19
 
1,514,062
 
                 
55,597,192
   
1,020,000
 
Cemex SAB de CV (b)
 
       3.75
 
03/15/18
 
1,461,788
 
                       
340,000
 
Fluidigm Corp. (b)
 
       2.75
 
02/01/34
 
388,663
 
Healthcare - 1.3%
               
910,000
 
Genco Shipping & Trading, Ltd. (b)
 
       5.00
 
08/15/15
 
750,750
 
 
5,500,000
 
Accuray, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.75
 
08/01/16
 
6,603,438
   
1,668,000
 
General Cable Corp. (b)(g)
 
       4.50
 
11/15/29
 
1,680,510
 
 
498,000
 
Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    1.25
 
07/01/20
 
616,898
   
7,595,000
 
Griffon Corp. (b)(e)
 
       4.00
 
01/15/17
 
8,610,831
 
 
5,368,000
 
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (b)
 
                    2.50
 
02/15/19
 
5,438,455
   
10,729,000
 
Kaman Corp. (b)(e)
 
       3.25
 
11/15/17
 
14,034,873
 
 
382,000
 
Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (b)
 
                    2.50
 
11/01/17
 
976,965
   
3,481,000
 
Layne Christensen Co. (b)(e)
 
       4.25
 
11/15/18
 
3,637,645
 
 
201,000
 
Illumina, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    0.25
 
03/15/16
 
365,695
   
399,000
 
PHH Corp. (b)
 
       6.00
 
06/15/17
 
863,336
 
 
259,000
 
Incyte Corp., Ltd. (b)
 
                    4.75
 
10/01/15
 
1,575,853
   
3,750,000
 
RTI International Metals, Inc. (b)
 
       1.63
 
10/15/19
 
3,705,469
 
 
548,000
 
Incyte Corp., Ltd. (b)(e)
 
                    1.25
 
11/15/20
 
704,865
   
2,741,000
 
TTM Technologies, Inc. (b)
 
       1.75
 
12/15/20
 
3,049,362
 
 
4,800,000
 
Molina Healthcare, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.75
 
10/01/14
 
5,946,000
   
3,025,000
 
UTi Worldwide, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       4.50
 
03/01/19
 
3,236,750
 
 
190,000
 
Omnicare, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.75
 
12/15/25
 
431,775
   
3,472,000
 
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       2.25
 
06/01/42
 
4,643,800
 
 
541,000
 
The Medicines Co. (b)
 
                    1.38
 
06/01/17
 
661,034
                   
75,520,012
 
 
3,243,000
 
Theravance, Inc. (b)
 
                    2.13
 
01/15/23
 
4,195,631
                       
 
1,500,000
 
Vivus, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    4.50
 
05/01/20
 
1,140,938
 
Information Technology - 3.3%
             
 
3,022,000
 
Volcano Corp. (b)
 
                    2.88
 
09/01/15
 
3,067,330
   
434,000
 
Bottomline Technologies (de), Inc. (b)
 
       1.50
 
12/01/17
 
569,354
 
                       
1,707,000
 
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (b)
 
       2.63
 
06/01/15
 
3,534,557
 
                       
5,450,000
 
Ciena Corp. (b)(e)
 
       4.00
 
03/15/15
 
6,907,875
 
                       
696,000
 
Ciena Corp. (b)(e)
 
       4.00
 
12/15/20
 
988,320
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  26  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
6,166,000
 
Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    1.50
%
07/01/18
$
7,060,070
 
$
8,500,000
 
Silver Standard Resources, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       2.88
%
02/01/33
$
7,501,250
 
 
4,455,000
 
GT Advanced Technologies, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.00
 
10/01/17
 
10,263,206
   
2,000,000
 
Steel Dynamics, Inc. (b)
 
       5.13
 
06/15/14
 
2,167,500
 
 
3,598,000
 
GT Advanced Technologies, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.00
 
12/15/20
 
5,831,009
   
768,000
 
Sterlite Industries India, Ltd. (b)
 
       4.00
 
10/30/14
 
772,800
 
 
563,000
 
Medidata Solutions, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    1.00
 
08/01/18
 
689,323
   
802,000
 
Stillwater Mining Co. (b)
 
       1.75
 
10/15/32
 
1,049,618
 
 
7,000,000
 
Mentor Graphics Corp. (b)
 
                    4.00
 
04/01/31
 
8,741,250
                   
23,998,526
 
 
301,000
 
Microchip Technology, Inc. (b)
 
                    2.13
 
12/15/37
 
559,860
                       
 
358,000
 
Novellus Systems, Inc. (b)
 
                    2.63
 
05/15/41
 
612,851
 
Telecommunication Services - 2.9%
             
 
3,200,000
 
Photronics, Inc. (b)
 
                    5.50
 
10/01/14
 
5,624,000
   
9,000,000
 
Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       6.25
 
05/01/18
 
7,548,750
 
 
9,708,000
 
Photronics, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.25
 
04/01/16
 
10,703,070
   
253,458
 
Alcatel-Lucent, Series ALU (e)
 
       4.25
 
07/01/18
 
659,280
 
 
359,000
 
Proofpoint, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    1.25
 
12/15/18
 
422,722
   
11,012,000
 
Blucora, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       4.25
 
04/01/19
 
12,471,090
 
 
5,600,000
 
Quantum Corp. (b)
 
                    4.50
 
11/15/17
 
5,736,500
   
5,200,000
 
Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (b)
 
       3.00
 
05/01/29
 
5,346,250
 
 
5,000,000
 
Radisys Corp. (b)(f)
 
                    4.50
 
02/15/15
 
4,701,000
   
7,650,000
 
Dealertrack Technologies, Inc. (b)
 
       1.50
 
03/15/17
 
10,891,687
 
 
5,000,000
 
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    3.75
 
07/15/16
 
5,725,000
   
1,476,000
 
HomeAway, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       0.13
 
04/01/19
 
1,503,675
 
 
387,000
 
SanDisk Corp. (b)
 
                    1.50
 
08/15/17
 
638,308
   
3,750,000
 
Infinera Corp. (b)(e)
 
       1.75
 
06/01/18
 
3,909,375
 
 
370,000
 
ServiceNow, Inc. (b)(e)(j)
 
                       -
 
11/01/18
 
398,213
   
4,078,000
 
InterDigital, Inc. (b)
 
       2.50
 
03/15/16
 
4,243,669
 
 
601,000
 
Spansion, LLC (b)(e)
 
                    2.00
 
09/01/20
 
844,781
   
2,250,000
 
Leap Wireless International, Inc.
 
       4.50
 
07/15/14
 
2,278,125
 
 
799,000
 
SunEdison, Inc. (b)(e)
 
                    2.75
 
01/01/21
 
1,188,013
   
2,000,000
 
ModusLink Global Solutions, Inc. (b)(e)(f)
 
       5.25
 
03/01/19
 
2,026,200
 
 
385,000
 
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (b)
 
                    1.75
 
12/01/16
 
507,478
   
6,500,000
 
Move, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       2.75
 
09/01/18
 
6,386,250
 
 
6,000,000
 
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (b)
 
                    1.00
 
07/01/18
 
7,380,000
   
895,000
 
Qihoo 360 Technology Co., Ltd. (b)(e)
 
       2.50
 
09/15/18
 
1,058,897
 
 
1,500,000
 
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (e)
 
                    4.50
 
11/01/14
 
1,507,500
   
538,000
 
SINA Corp. (b)(e)
 
       1.00
 
12/01/18
 
514,126
 
 
648,000
 
VeriSign, Inc. (b)
 
                    3.25
 
08/15/37
 
1,071,630
   
537,000
 
SouFun Holdings, Ltd. (b)(e)
 
       2.00
 
12/15/18
 
523,575
 
                 
92,205,890
   
779,000
 
Vipshop Holdings, Ltd. (b)
 
       1.50
 
03/15/19
 
794,580
 
                       
7,150,000
 
Web.com Group, Inc. (b)
 
       1.00
 
08/15/18
 
8,450,406
 
Materials - 0.9%
               
6,175,000
 
WebMD Health Corp. (b)
 
       2.25
 
03/31/16
 
6,263,766
 
 
590,000
 
B2Gold Corp. (b)(e)
 
                    3.25
 
10/01/18
 
619,872
   
1,510,000
 
WebMD Health Corp.
 
       2.50
 
01/31/18
 
1,529,819
 
 
7,540,000
 
Horsehead Holding Corp. (b)
 
                    3.80
 
07/01/17
 
9,834,987
   
1,984,000
 
WebMD Health Corp. (b)(e)
 
       1.50
 
12/01/20
 
2,021,200
 
 
2,017,000
 
Primero Mining Corp.
 
                    6.50
 
03/31/16
 
2,052,499
                       
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  27  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
468,000
 
Yahoo!, Inc. (b)(e)(j)
 
                   0.00
%
12/01/18
$
477,945
 
$
80,000
 
Bank of America Corp., MTN (h)
 
       8.68
%
05/02/17
$
88,104
 
                 
78,898,665
   
80,000
 
Bank of America Corp., MTN (h)
 
       8.95
 
05/18/17
 
88,704
 
Total Corporate Convertible Bonds
               
80,000
 
Bank of America Corp., MTN (h)
 
       9.57
 
06/06/17
 
90,400
 
(Cost $427,537,978)
         
490,333,317
   
20,000
 
Bank of America Corp., MTN, Series L
 
       5.65
 
05/01/18
 
22,630
 
                       
1,500,000
 
Bank of America NA BKNT (b)
 
       6.10
 
06/15/17
 
1,697,952
 
Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds - 2.6%
               
750,000
 
Bank of America NA BKNT (h)
 
       0.53
 
06/15/17
 
738,386
 
Consumer Discretionary - 0.1%
               
1,540,000
 
Chase Capital III, Series C (b)(h)
 
       0.79
 
03/01/27
 
1,301,300
 
 
1,416,000
 
Jarden Corp.
 
                    7.50
 
05/01/17
 
1,637,250
   
925,000
 
Chase Capital VI (h)
 
       0.86
 
08/01/28
 
781,625
 
 
2,000,000
 
K Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.
 
                    8.63
 
01/15/17
 
2,222,500
   
500,000
 
CIT Group, Inc. (e)
 
       4.75
 
02/15/15
 
515,000
 
                 
3,859,750
   
40,000
 
CIT Group, Inc. (b)(e)
 
       6.63
 
04/01/18
 
44,950
 
                       
150,000
 
Citigroup, Inc.
 
       5.85
 
08/02/16
 
165,669
 
Consumer Staples - 0.2%
               
90,000
 
Citigroup, Inc.
 
       6.13
 
05/15/18
 
103,535
 
 
2,750,000
 
Monitronics International, Inc. (b)
 
                    9.13
 
04/01/20
 
2,956,250
   
3,750,000
 
Citigroup, Inc. (b)(h)
 
       0.78
 
08/25/36
 
2,958,679
 
 
1,500,000
 
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Care, Inc.
 
                    6.15
 
11/01/43
 
1,728,727
   
1,300,000
 
Credit Suisse, Series YCD (b)(h)
 
       0.56
 
08/24/15
 
1,300,084
 
 
60,000
 
NYU Hospitals Center (b)
 
                    5.75
 
07/01/43
 
67,163
   
965,000
 
Discover Financial Services
 
       3.85
 
11/21/22
 
948,991
 
                 
4,752,140
   
150,000
 
Duke Realty LP REIT
 
       7.38
 
02/15/15
 
158,546
 
                       
1,180,000
 
Farmers Exchange Capital II (b)(e)(h)
 
       6.15
 
11/01/53
 
1,292,852
 
Energy - 0.4%
               
200,000
 
Ford Motor Credit Co., LLC (b)
 
       1.70
 
05/09/16
 
202,337
 
 
2,297,000
 
Alon Refining Krotz Springs, Inc.
 
                  13.50
 
10/15/14
 
2,309,921
   
150,000
 
General Electric Capital Corp., MTN
 
       5.38
 
10/20/16
 
166,724
 
 
750,000
 
Arch Coal, Inc. (e)
 
                    8.00
 
01/15/19
 
751,875
   
150,000
 
General Electric Capital Corp., MTN
 
       3.10
 
01/09/23
 
147,062
 
 
607,000
 
Berry Petroleum Co., LLC
 
                  10.25
 
06/01/14
 
615,346
   
900,000
 
General Electric Capital Corp., MTN (b)(h)
 
       0.62
 
05/05/26
 
825,390
 
 
500,000
 
Chesapeake Energy Corp.
 
                    9.50
 
02/15/15
 
535,625
   
2,200,000
 
General Electric Capital Corp., MTN (h)
 
       0.72
 
08/15/36
 
1,834,598
 
 
2,075,000
 
El Paso, LLC
 
                    6.88
 
06/15/14
 
2,094,453
   
150,000
 
HBOS PLC, MTN (e)
 
       6.75
 
05/21/18
 
170,252
 
 
1,496,000
 
Energy Transfer Partners LP (b)(h)
 
                    3.26
 
11/01/66
 
1,376,320
   
100,000
 
HCP, Inc.
 
       2.63
 
02/01/20
 
97,815
 
 
910,000
 
Newfield Exploration Co.
 
                    5.63
 
07/01/24
 
948,675
   
232,000
 
HCP, Inc. REIT
 
       5.63
 
05/01/17
 
260,126
 
 
55,000
 
Petrobras Global Finance BV (b)(h)
 
                    1.85
 
05/20/16
 
54,519
                       
 
130,000
 
Plains Exploration & Production Co. (b)
 
                    6.88
 
02/15/23
 
145,275
                       
 
122,000
 
The Williams Cos., Inc.
 
                    7.88
 
09/01/21
 
145,161
                       
 
500,000
 
Walter Energy, Inc. (e)
 
                    9.50
 
10/15/19
 
510,625
                       
                 
9,487,795
                       
Financial - 1.5%
                                   
 
2,500,000
 
Ally Financial, Inc. (j)
 
                  0.00
 
06/15/15
 
2,428,125
                       
 
185,000
 
Bank of America Corp.
 
                    5.63
 
10/14/16
 
204,536
                       
 
15,000
 
Bank of America Corp., MTN
 
                    7.38
 
05/15/14
 
15,121
                       
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  28  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
1,380,000
 
Health Care REIT, Inc. (b)
 
                    4.95
%
01/15/21
$
1,501,617
 
$
86,000
 
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., MTN
 
       7.50
%
02/15/19
$
104,151
 
 
60,000
 
Health Care REIT, Inc.
 
                    5.25
 
01/15/22
 
66,196
   
100,000
 
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., MTN, Series B (h)
 
       0.64
 
07/22/15
 
99,983
 
 
35,000
 
Health Care REIT, Inc.
 
                    6.50
 
03/15/41
 
42,778
   
1,500,000
 
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Series D (b)
 
       6.00
 
06/15/20
 
1,724,728
 
 
1,409,000
 
Healthcare Realty Trust, Inc. REIT
 
                    6.50
 
01/17/17
 
1,591,015
   
477,000
 
Thornburg Mortgage, Inc. (i)
 
       8.00
 
05/15/13
 
81,391
 
 
540,000
 
Healthcare Realty Trust, Inc. REIT
 
                    5.75
 
01/15/21
 
599,025
   
15,000
 
WEA Finance, LLC / WT Finance Aust Pty, Ltd. (e)
 
       6.75
 
09/02/19
 
18,052
 
 
175,000
 
International Lease Finance Corp. (e)
 
                    6.75
 
09/01/16
 
195,563
   
100,000
 
ZFS Finance USA Trust II (b)(e)(h)
 
       6.45
 
12/15/65
 
108,500
 
 
500,000
 
iStar Financial, Inc.
 
                    6.05
 
04/15/15
 
523,750
                    40,304,815  
 
150,000
 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
 
                    4.50
 
01/24/22
 
161,980
 
Industrial - 0.1%
             
 
725,000
 
JPMorgan Chase Capital XIII, Series M (h)
 
                    1.18
 
09/30/34
 
607,187
   
1,000,000
 
Sydney Airport Finance Co Pty, Ltd. (e)
 
       5.13
 
02/22/21
 
1,084,028
 
 
3,340,000
 
JPMorgan Chase Capital XXI, Series U (h)
 
                    1.19
 
02/02/37
 
2,647,317
   
125,000
 
Sydney Airport Finance Co. Pty, Ltd. (e)
 
       3.90
 
03/22/23
 
122,500
 
 
450,000
 
JPMorgan Chase Capital XXIII (h)
 
                    1.24
 
05/15/47
 
346,500
                   
1,206,528
 
 
700,000
 
Macquarie Bank, Ltd. (e)
 
                    6.63
 
04/07/21
 
793,112
 
Information Technology - 0.0%
             
 
90,000
 
Morgan Stanley
 
                    4.20
 
11/20/14
 
92,056
   
1,000,000
 
EarthLink Holdings Corp.
 
       7.38
 
06/01/20
 
1,045,000
 
 
100,000
 
Morgan Stanley, MTN
 
                    6.00
 
05/13/14
 
100,619
                       
 
250,000
 
Morgan Stanley, MTN (b)(h)
 
                    0.69
 
10/18/16
 
249,533
 
Materials - 0.0%
             
 
2,575,000
 
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. (b)(e)(h)
 
                    5.81
 
12/15/24
 
2,610,406
   
1,000,000
 
ArcelorMittal
 
       4.25
 
02/25/15
 
1,023,750
 
 
2,282,000
 
Nuveen Investments, Inc.
 
                    5.50
 
09/15/15
 
2,327,640
   
65,000
 
Barrick Gold Corp. (b)
 
       4.10
 
05/01/23
 
61,776
 
 
770,000
 
Raymond James Financial, Inc.
 
                    8.60
 
08/15/19
 
975,334
                   
1,085,526
 
 
1,000,000
 
Realogy Group, LLC / The Sunshine Group Florida, Ltd. (e)
 
                    3.38
 
05/01/16
 
1,010,000
                       
 
900,000
 
Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC
 
                    6.10
 
06/10/23
 
935,858
 
Telecommunication Services - 0.2%
             
 
1,600,000
 
SL Green Realty Corp. / SL Green Operating Partnership / Reckson Operating Partnership
 
                    5.00
 
08/15/18
 
1,734,834
   
 
2,250,000
 
 
Clear Channel Communications, Inc.
 
       5.50
 
09/15/14
 
2,266,875
 
 
355,000
 
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
 
                    6.15
 
04/01/18
 
406,197
   
2,100,000
 
DISH DBS Corp.
 
       6.63
 
10/01/14
 
2,157,750
 
                       
500,000
 
FairPoint Communications, Inc. (e)
 
       8.75
 
08/15/19
 
537,500
 
                       
1,000,000
 
Windstream Corp.
 
       7.88
 
11/01/17
 
1,152,500
 
                                       
6,114,625
 
                                           
                     
Utilities - 0.1%
             
                       
840,000
 
FirstEnergy Corp., Series A
 
       2.75
 
03/15/18
 
838,229
 
                       
675,000
 
GenOn Americas Generation, LLC
 
       8.50
 
10/01/21
 
648,000
 
                       
1,000,000
 
IPALCO Enterprises, Inc.
 
       5.00
 
05/01/18
 
1,062,500
 
                       
150,000
 
Metropolitan Edison Co. (e)
 
       3.50
 
03/15/23
 
144,409
 
                       
145,000
 
Oncor Electric Delivery Co., LLC
 
       6.80
 
09/01/18
 
171,173
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  29  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
115,000
 
PNM Resources, Inc.
 
                    9.25
%
05/15/15
$
125,926
 
$
750,000
 
State of California
 
       7.95
%
03/01/36
$
883,373
 
 
80,000
 
Public Service Co. of New Mexico
 
                    7.95
 
05/15/18
 
95,476
                   
3,452,012
 
 
600,000
 
Sabine Pass LNG LP (e)
 
                    7.50
 
11/30/16
 
645,000
 
Illinois - 0.2%
             
                 
3,730,713
   
1,625,000
 
City of Chicago IL
 
       6.05
 
01/01/29
 
1,647,409
 
Total Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds
               
85,000
 
State of Illinois (b)
 
       4.35
 
06/01/18
 
90,074
 
(Cost $65,946,817)
         
71,586,892
   
1,000,000
 
State of Illinois
 
       6.20
 
07/01/21
 
1,125,730
 
                       
2,105,000
 
State of Illinois (b)
 
       4.95
 
06/01/23
 
2,200,251
 
Exchange Traded Notes - 0.0%
               
100,000
 
State of Illinois (b)
 
       5.10
 
06/01/33
 
98,793
 
 
20,500
 
iPATH S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (a)(b)
       
$
310,370
                   
5,162,257
 
     
(Cost $948,087)
             
New York - 0.1%
             
                       
1,050,000
 
City of New York NY (b)
 
       6.65
 
12/01/31
 
1,209,379
 
Foreign Government Bonds - 0.0%
               
1,025,000
 
New York City Water & Sewer System
 
       6.49
 
06/15/42
 
1,136,008
 
 
220,000
 
Kommunalbanken AS (b)(e)(h)
 
                    0.23
%
08/28/14
 
220,032
                   
2,345,387
 
 
230,000
 
Kommuninvest I Sverige AB (b)(e)(h)
 
                    0.23
 
09/12/14
 
230,057
 
North Carolina - 0.1%
             
 
Total Foreign Government Bonds
         
450,089
   
1,800,000
 
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, Series 2011-1 A3 (h)
 
       1.14
 
10/25/41
 
1,816,254
 
(Cost $450,000)
                                   
                     
Texas - 0.0%
             
Interest Only Bonds - 0.1%
               
100,000
 
City of Houston TX (b)
 
       6.29
 
03/01/32
 
120,400
 
 
23,343,761
 
Lehman ABS Manufactured Housing Contract Trust, Series 2001-B AIOC (h)
 
                    0.55
 
04/15/40
 
518,696
 
 
Total Municipal Bonds
             
 
54,368,447
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2006-QS11 AV (h)
                    0.33
 
08/25/36
 
745,038
 
(Cost $12,740,899)
         
12,896,310
 
 
26,373,723
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2006-QS6 1AV (h)
                    0.74
 
06/25/36
 
835,678
 
Municipal Demand Notes - 0.1%
             
 
59,529,580
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2007-QS2 AV (h)
                    0.31
 
01/25/37
 
694,442
 
Arizona  - 0.1%
             
 
59,773,396
 
Residential Accredit Loans, Inc., Series 2007-QS3 AV (h)
                    0.32
 
02/25/37
 
828,340
   
1,500,000
 
Arizona Health Facilities Authority (h)
 
       0.98
 
01/01/37
 
1,203,960
 
Total Interest Only Bonds
         
3,622,194
 
Total Municipal Demand Notes
             
(Cost $2,084,452)
             
(Cost $1,133,653)
         
1,203,960
 
                     
Syndicated Loans - 0.1%
             
Municipal Bonds - 0.5%
               
1,000,000
 
Arch Coal, Inc. (h)
 
       6.25
 
05/16/18
 
985,625
 
California  - 0.1%
               
877,352
 
HCA, Inc. (h)
 
       3.00
 
05/01/18
 
878,381
 
 
60,000
 
State of California
 
                    6.20
 
03/01/19
 
70,562
   
1,000,000
 
Southern Pacific (h)
 
     11.00
 
03/31/19
 
1,015,000
 
 
2,065,000
 
State of California
 
                    5.70
 
11/01/21
 
2,413,820
   
1,000,000
 
Travelport, LLC (h)
 
       9.50
 
01/31/16
 
1,037,916
 
 
70,000
 
State of California (b)
 
                    6.65
 
03/01/22
 
84,257
 
Total Syndicated Loans
         
3,916,922
 
                     
(Cost $3,845,141)
             
                     
U.S. Government & Agency Obligations - 1.0%
             
                     
Agency - 0.0%
             
                       
170,000
 
FFCB (b)(h)
 
       0.18
 
09/14/16
 
170,092
 
                       
170,000
 
FFCB (b)(h)
 
       0.21
 
02/27/17
 
170,169
 
                       
220,000
 
FHLB (b)(g)
 
       0.75
 
05/26/28
 
213,710
 
                                       
553,971
 

See Notes to Financial Statements.  30  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
Discount Note - 0.1%                                    
$
185,000
 
FHLB (b)(j)
 
                    0.06
%
04/21/14
$
184,998
 
$
2,823,947
 
GNMA, Series 2010-4, Class SL (h)
 
       6.25
%
01/16/40
$
426,512
 
 
715,000
 
FHLB (b)(j)
 
                    0.07
 
04/25/14
 
714,991
                   
7,175,316
 
 
380,000
 
FHLB (b)(j)
 
                    0.07
 
05/16/14
 
379,991
 
Mortgage Securities - 0.4%
             
 
1,030,000
 
FHLB (b)(j)
 
                    0.07
 
05/21/14
 
1,029,971
   
182,097
 
FHLMC Gold Pool #A96411
 
       4.00
 
01/01/41
 
189,798
 
 
745,000
 
FHLB (b)(j)
 
                    0.06
 
05/30/14
 
744,975
   
60,693
 
FHLMC Gold Pool #G01864 (b)
 
       5.00
 
01/01/34
 
66,305
 
 
355,000
 
FHLMC (b)(j)
 
                    0.06
 
04/07/14
 
354,999
   
124,475
 
FHLMC Gold Pool #G05866
 
       4.50
 
02/01/40
 
134,112
 
                 
3,409,925
   
156,312
 
FHLMC Gold Pool #G06361
 
       4.00
 
03/01/41
 
163,051
 
Interest Only Bonds - 0.2%
               
54,499
 
FHLMC Gold Pool #G13475 (b)
 
       6.00
 
01/01/24
 
59,846
 
 
4,288,261
 
FHLMC, Series 3262, Class KS (h)
 
                    6.26
 
01/15/37
 
514,080
   
8,303
 
FHLMC Gold Pool #H03161 (b)
 
       6.50
 
08/01/37
 
9,007
 
 
6,566,044
 
FHLMC, Series 3271, Class SB (h)
 
                    5.90
 
02/15/37
 
799,776
   
205,292
 
FHLMC Gold Pool #Q20178
 
       3.50
 
07/01/43
 
206,950
 
 
3,698,710
 
FHLMC, Series 3404, Class AS (h)
 
                    5.74
 
01/15/38
 
522,344
   
323,820
 
FHLMC Gold Pool #U90791
 
       4.00
 
01/01/43
 
334,195
 
 
4,961,556
 
FHLMC, Series 4030, Class HS (h)
 
                    6.46
 
04/15/42
 
753,875
   
155,000
 
FHLMC Multifamily Structured Pass Through Certificates, Series K009 A2
 
       3.81
 
08/25/20
 
166,089
 
 
3,216,643
 
FNMA, Series 2005-92, Class US (h)
 
                    5.95
 
10/25/25
 
387,290
   
175,000
 
FHLMC Multifamily Structured Pass Through Certificates, Series K010, Class A2 (b)
 
       4.33
 
10/25/20
 
192,801
 
 
4,514,038
 
FNMA, Series 2006-125, Class SM (h)
 
                    7.05
 
01/25/37
 
826,974
   
215,000
 
FHLMC Multifamily Structured Pass Through Certificates, Series K020, Class A2 (b)
 
       2.37
 
05/25/22
 
205,768
 
 
327,981
 
FNMA, Series 2006-27, Class SH (b)(h)
 
                    6.55
 
04/25/36
 
49,710
   
12,494
 
FHLMC, Series 2433, Class SA (b)(h)
 
     20.53
 
02/15/32
 
18,860
 
 
5,300,930
 
FNMA, Series 2007-52, Class LS (h)
 
                    5.90
 
06/25/37
 
691,298
   
1,978
 
FHLMC, Series 2929, Class PE (b)
 
       5.00
 
05/15/33
 
1,977
 
 
1,279,142
 
FNMA, Series 2007-68, Class SC (h)
 
                    6.55
 
07/25/37
 
201,370
   
383,223
 
FHLMC, Series 3442, Class MT (h)
 
       0.16
 
07/15/34
 
356,857
 
 
473,062
 
FNMA, Series 2007-77, Class SK (b)(h)
 
                    5.72
 
08/25/37
 
59,396
   
215,000
 
FNCI25 - FNMA TBA
 
       2.50
 
04/15/29
 
214,899
 
 
5,366,808
 
FNMA, Series 2009-115, Class SB (h)
 
                    6.10
 
01/25/40
 
731,821
   
270,000
 
FNCI3 - FNMA TBA
 
       3.00
 
04/15/29
 
277,425
 
 
1,259,997
 
FNMA, Series 2010-35, Class IA
 
                    5.00
 
07/25/38
 
51,858
   
35,000
 
FNCI3 - FNMA TBA
 
       3.00
 
04/15/29
 
35,963
 
 
2,507,513
 
GNMA, Series 2007-78, Class SG (h)
 
                    6.38
 
12/20/37
 
385,195
   
235,000
 
FNCI35 - FNMA TBA
 
       3.50
 
04/15/29
 
246,456
 
 
3,673,641
 
GNMA, Series 2008-51, Class GS (h)
 
                    6.08
 
06/16/38
 
617,633
                       
 
300,335
 
GNMA, Series 2009-106, Class KS (b)(h)
 
                    6.24
 
11/20/39
 
45,457
                       
 
591,007
 
GNMA, Series 2010-158, Class EI (b)
 
                    4.00
 
12/16/25
 
75,598
                       
 
215,754
 
GNMA, Series 2010-4, Class NS (h)
 
                    6.24
 
01/16/40
 
35,129
                       
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  31  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
575,000
 
FNCL3 - FNMA TBA
 
                    3.00
%
04/15/44
$
555,145
 
$
160,327
 
FNMA Pool #AJ0764
 
       4.50
%
09/01/41
$
171,405
 
 
5,000
 
FNCL3 - FNMA TBA
 
                    3.00
 
04/15/44
 
4,827
   
237,887
 
FNMA Pool #AL0149
 
       4.00
 
02/01/41
 
247,921
 
 
290,000
 
FNCL3 - FNMA TBA
 
                    3.00
 
04/15/44
 
279,986
   
129,857
 
FNMA Pool #AL0851
 
       6.00
 
10/01/40
 
144,785
 
 
235,000
 
FNCL35 - FNMA TBA
 
                    3.50
 
04/15/44
 
236,469
   
211,193
 
FNMA Pool #AL3306
 
       2.46
 
04/01/23
 
203,244
 
 
275,000
 
FNCL35 - FNMA TBA
 
                    3.50
 
04/15/44
 
276,719
   
415,709
 
FNMA Pool #MA1527
 
       3.00
 
08/01/33
 
415,141
 
 
15,000
 
FNCL4 - FNMA TBA
 
                    4.00
 
04/15/44
 
15,595
   
311,725
 
FNMA Pool #MA1608
 
       3.50
 
10/01/33
 
320,934
 
 
315,000
 
FNCL4 - FNMA TBA
 
                    4.00
 
04/15/44
 
327,502
   
37,508
 
FNMA, Series 2001-52, Class YZ (b)
 
       6.50
 
10/25/31
 
42,063
 
 
380,000
 
FNCL4 - FNMA TBA
 
                    4.00
 
04/15/44
 
395,081
   
17,507
 
FNMA, Series 2001-81, Class QG (b)
 
       6.50
 
01/25/32
 
19,384
 
 
345,000
 
FNCL4 - FNMA TBA
 
                    4.00
 
04/15/44
 
358,692
   
603,123
 
FNMA, Series 2003-64, Class KS (h)
 
       9.44
 
07/25/18
 
658,495
 
 
70,000
 
FNCL45 - FNMA TBA
 
                    4.50
 
04/15/44
 
74,692
   
142,929
 
FNMA, Series 2006-4, Class WE
 
       4.50
 
02/25/36
 
152,933
 
 
230,000
 
FNCL45 - FNMA TBA
 
                    4.50
 
04/15/44
 
245,417
   
180,000
 
FNMA, Series 2013-M7, Class A2
 
       2.28
 
12/27/22
 
179,867
 
 
65,709
 
FNMA Pool #545639 (b)
 
                    6.50
 
04/01/32
 
74,973
   
200,000
 
G2SF35 - GNMA TBA
 
       3.50
 
04/15/44
 
204,156
 
 
2,772
 
FNMA Pool #673743 (b)(h)
 
                    2.63
 
11/01/32
 
2,819
   
245,000
 
G2SF45 - GNMA TBA
 
       4.50
 
04/15/44
 
264,179
 
 
99,921
 
FNMA Pool #734922
 
                    4.50
 
09/01/33
 
106,973
   
7,100
 
GNMA II Pool #080610 (b)(h)
 
       1.63
 
06/20/32
 
7,393
 
 
51,146
 
FNMA Pool #735646
 
                    4.50
 
07/01/20
 
54,316
   
20,899
 
GNMA II Pool #081136 (b)(h)
 
       2.13
 
11/20/34
 
21,858
 
 
44,003
 
FNMA Pool #735861 (b)
 
                    6.50
 
09/01/33
 
50,192
   
21,804
 
GNMA II Pool #081432 (b)(h)
 
       1.63
 
08/20/35
 
22,679
 
 
36,631
 
FNMA Pool #735881 (b)
 
                    6.00
 
11/01/34
 
41,353
   
19,314
 
GNMA II Pool #081435 (b)(h)
 
       1.63
 
08/20/35
 
20,088
 
 
18,602
 
FNMA Pool #764388 (b)(h)
 
                    3.88
 
03/01/34
 
19,896
                   
10,698,079
 
 
60,947
 
FNMA Pool #776708 (b)
 
                    5.00
 
05/01/34
 
67,383
                       
 
85,650
 
FNMA Pool #888219
 
                    5.50
 
03/01/37
 
94,657
 
U.S. Treasury Securities - 0.3%
             
 
21,959
 
FNMA Pool #895606 (b)(h)
 
                    5.78
 
06/01/36
 
23,630
   
62,000
 
U.S. Treasury Bill (k)
 
       0.06
 
04/24/14
 
61,999
 
 
105,823
 
FNMA Pool #897164
 
                    6.50
 
08/01/36
 
120,580
   
405,000
 
U.S. Treasury Bond (b)
 
       3.75
 
11/15/43
 
419,365
 
 
156,371
 
FNMA Pool #962723
 
                    5.50
 
04/01/38
 
174,410
   
607,997
 
U.S. Treasury Inflation Indexed Bond (b)
 
       2.00
 
07/15/14
 
618,279
 
 
224,600
 
FNMA Pool #963997
 
                    5.50
 
06/01/38
 
250,650
   
1,419,227
 
U.S. Treasury Inflation Indexed Bond (b)
 
       0.50
 
04/15/15
 
1,449,117
 
 
35,819
 
FNMA Pool #974148
 
                    5.50
 
02/01/38
 
39,551
   
524,507
 
U.S. Treasury Inflation Indexed Bond (b)
 
       0.13
 
04/15/16
 
539,099
 
 
153,184
 
FNMA Pool #AB1613
 
                    4.00
 
10/01/40
 
159,837
   
473,685
 
U.S. Treasury Inflation Indexed Bond (b)
 
       0.13
 
04/15/17
 
482,708
 
 
161,438
 
FNMA Pool #AB3864
 
                    3.50
 
11/01/41
 
162,765
   
222,596
 
U.S. Treasury Inflation Indexed Bond (b)
 
       0.13
 
04/15/18
 
227,875
 
 
139,023
 
FNMA Pool #AD0791 (b)
 
                    4.76
 
02/01/20
 
156,165
                       
 
161,662
 
FNMA Pool #AE0600 (b)
 
                    3.98
 
11/01/20
 
174,767
                       
 
157,900
 
FNMA Pool #AE0605 (b)
 
                    4.67
 
07/01/20
 
176,153
                       
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  32  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 
$
245,872
 
U.S. Treasury Inflation Indexed Bond (b)
 
                    1.38
%
02/15/44
$
251,507
 
$
500,000
 
Mohawk Industries, Inc. (k)
 
       0.50
%
04/16/14
$
499,896
 
 
115,000
 
U.S. Treasury Note (b)
 
                    1.63
 
03/31/19
 
114,421
   
320,000
 
National Rural Utilities (b)(k)
 
       0.10
 
04/15/14
 
319,987
 
 
665,000
 
U.S. Treasury Note (b)
 
                    2.13
 
01/31/21
 
658,557
   
2,000,000
 
PPL Energy Supply, Inc. (k)
 
       0.45
 
04/01/14
 
2,000,000
 
 
2,135,000
 
U.S. Treasury Note (b)
 
                    2.75
 
02/15/24
 
2,139,838
   
2,135,000
 
Textron, Inc. (k)
 
       0.51
 
04/02/14
 
2,134,970
 
                 
6,962,765
 
Total Commercial Paper
             
Total U.S. Government & Agency Obligations
             
(Cost $6,954,828)
         
6,954,828
 
(Cost $25,959,998)
         
28,800,056
 
Total Short-Term Investments
             
Total Fixed Income Securities
             
(Cost $6,954,828)
         
6,954,828
 
(Cost $696,683,550)
         
791,802,765
       
Security
 
 Strike
 
Exp.
     
     
Security
               
Contracts
 
Description
 
 Price
 
Date
 
Value
 
 
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
 
Purchased Options - 1.6%
             
Rights - 0.0%
             
Call Options Purchased - 0.7%
             
 
150,000
 
Comdisco Holding Co., Inc. (a)(l)
         
10,500
   
217
 
Facebook, Inc.
$
     60.00
 
04/14
 
28,210
 
Total Rights
               
2,985
 
General Motors Co.
 
     20.00
 
01/15
 
4,358,100
 
(Cost $43,782)
         
10,500
   
516
 
Johnson & Johnson
 
     55.00
 
01/15
 
2,229,120
 
Investment Companies - 9.1%
               
3,476
 
Parkervision, Inc.
 
       7.00
 
10/14
 
165,110
 
 
37,632
 
BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust
         
508,785
   
4,346
 
Powershares DB U.S. Dollar Index Bullish Fund
 
     22.00
 
09/14
 
78,228
 
 
61,990
 
BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust
         
882,738
   
8,480
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
 
   210.00
 
01/15
 
771,680
 
 
71,620
 
DoubleLine Income Solutions Fund
         
1,519,776
   
9,772
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
 
   183.00
 
01/15
 
10,807,832
 
 
55,320
 
DoubleLine Opportunistic Credit Fund
         
1,280,658
 
Total Call Options Purchased
             
 
69,698
 
Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund
         
1,062,895
 
(Premiums Paid $15,721,712)
         
18,438,280
 
 
125,350
 
Invesco Senior Income Trust
         
629,257
                       
 
21,000
 
iShares Barclays TIPS Bond ETF
         
2,354,100
 
Put Options Purchased - 0.9%
             
 
41,200
 
Montgomery Street Income Securities, Inc.
         
662,908
   
152
 
Amedisys, Inc.
 
     15.00
 
06/14
 
21,432
 
 
70,200
 
Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund
         
667,602
   
108
 
Angie's List, Inc.
 
     17.50
 
05/14
 
57,348
 
 
92,598
 
PCM Fund, Inc.
         
1,127,844
   
283
 
BE Aerospace, Inc.
 
     70.00
 
10/14
 
43,158
 
 
57,500
 
PIMCO Dynamic Credit Income Fund
         
1,299,500
   
868
 
Canadian Solar, Inc.
 
     25.00
 
04/14
 
13,020
 
 
45,200
 
PIMCO Dynamic Income Fund
         
1,370,464
   
74
 
Chipotle Mexican Grill
 
   540.00
 
01/15
 
351,870
 
 
38,380
 
PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund
         
1,083,467
   
1,520
 
Citigroup, Inc.
 
     40.00
 
09/14
 
89,680
 
 
98,012
 
PIMCO Income Strategy Fund II
         
1,019,325
   
4,343
 
Citigroup, Inc.
 
     30.00
 
09/14
 
34,744
 
 
5,000
 
ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury (a)(b)
         
337,750
   
869
 
Deutsche Bank AG
 
     40.00
 
10/14
 
158,592
 
 
1,257,062
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (b)(c)(d)
         
235,120,876
   
869
 
iShares FTSE China 25 Index Fund
 
     32.50
 
06/14
 
38,671
 
 
27,400
 
Western Asset Mortgage Defined Opportunity Fund, Inc.
         
632,666
   
3,694
 
iShares iBoxx High Yield Fund
 
     90.00
 
09/14
 
543,018
 
Total Investment Companies
               
651
 
iShares Russell 2000 ETF
 
   110.00
 
06/14
 
140,942
 
(Cost $161,163,452)
         
251,560,611
   
4,292
 
iShares Russell 2000 ETF
 
     90.00
 
12/14
 
802,604
 
     
Security
               
273
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
 
   180.00
 
06/14
 
73,164
 
 
Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
   
19,327
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
 
   183.00
 
01/15
 
17,790,503
 
Short-Term Investments - 0.3%
               
9,663
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
 
   165.00
 
01/15
 
4,155,090
 
Commercial Paper - 0.3%
                                   
$
2,000,000
 
Mohawk Industries, Inc. (k)
 
                    0.45
%
04/02/14
 
1,999,975
                       
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  33  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
 
 Strike
 
Exp.
                           
 
Contracts
 
Description
 
 Price
 
Date
 
Value
                       
 
12,329
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
$
                130.00
 
01/15
$
1,128,103
                       
 
12,663
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
 
                  90.00
 
01/15
 
151,956
                       
 
633
 
Whole Foods Market, Inc.
 
                  45.25
 
01/15
 
170,277
                       
 
217
 
Yum! Brands, Inc.
 
                  65.00
 
10/14
 
37,107
                       
Total Put Options Purchased
                                   
(Premiums Paid $32,977,472)
         
25,801,279
                       
Total Purchased Options
                                   
(Premiums Paid $48,699,184)
         
44,239,559
                       
Total Long Positions - 77.2%
                                   
(Cost $1,691,153,599)*
       
$
2,134,763,254
                       
Total Short Positions - (29.1)%
                                   
(Cost $(774,982,543))*
         
(802,988,959
)
                     
Total Written Options - (1.1)%
                                   
(Premiums Received $(34,736,623))*
         
(30,154,358
)
                     
Other Assets & Liabilities, Net – 53.0%
         
1,462,643,206
                       
Net Assets – 100.0%
       
$
2,764,263,143
                       
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  34  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
   
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
   
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
 
Short Positions - (29.1)%
               
(22,383)
 
Vector Group, Ltd.
       
$
(482,130)
 
Common Stock - (27.6)%
               
(10,355)
 
Vera Bradley, Inc.
         
(279,481)
 
Consumer Discretionary - (5.7)%
               
(9,812)
 
Vitamin Shoppe, Inc.
         
(466,266)
 
 
(6,717)
 
Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc.
       
$
(1,000,161)
   
(313,400)
 
Wabash National Corp.
         
(4,312,384)
 
 
(39,548)
 
Callaway Golf Co.
         
(404,181)
   
(15,790)
 
WESCO International, Inc.
         
(1,314,044)
 
 
(11,037)
 
Chico's FAS, Inc.
         
(176,923)
   
(104,200)
 
Yum! Brands, Inc.
         
(7,855,638)
 
 
(6,463)
 
Deckers Outdoor Corp.
         
(515,295)
                   
(158,301,152)
 
 
(117,600)
 
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc.
         
(6,422,136)
 
Consumer Staples - (1.4)%
             
 
(11,098)
 
Dorman Products, Inc.
         
(655,448)
   
(323,332)
 
Albany Molecular Research, Inc.
         
(6,010,742)
 
 
(26,371)
 
Equinix, Inc.
         
(4,874,416)
   
(49,798)
 
Amedisys, Inc.
         
(741,492)
 
 
(20,000)
 
Exide Technologies
         
(4,600)
   
(431,500)
 
Array BioPharma, Inc.
         
(2,028,050)
 
 
(5,108)
 
FactSet Research Systems, Inc.
         
(550,694)
   
(16,562)
 
Ascent Capital Group, Inc., Class A
         
(1,251,259)
 
 
(7,828)
 
Family Dollar Stores, Inc.
         
(454,102)
   
(7,174)
 
Bunge, Ltd.
         
(570,405)
 
 
(170,500)
 
Fastenal Co.
         
(8,409,060)
   
(56,100)
 
Carriage Services, Inc.
         
(1,023,264)
 
 
(600,500)
 
Ford Motor Co.
         
(9,367,800)
   
(3,392)
 
Chiquita Brands International, Inc.
         
(42,230)
 
 
(68,500)
 
Fossil Group, Inc.
         
(7,987,785)
   
(33,802)
 
Ctrip.com International, Ltd., ADR
         
(1,704,297)
 
 
(48,430)
 
FTI Consulting, Inc.
         
(1,614,656)
   
(143,191)
 
Emergent Biosolutions, Inc.
         
(3,618,437)
 
 
(8,251)
 
Genesco, Inc.
         
(615,277)
   
(83,000)
 
Endologix, Inc.
         
(1,068,210)
 
 
(99,000)
 
Genuine Parts Co.
         
(8,598,150)
   
(297,516)
 
Healthways, Inc.
         
(5,099,424)
 
 
(147,650)
 
Harley-Davidson, Inc.
         
(9,834,967)
   
(29,300)
 
Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
         
(3,093,787)
 
 
(31,715)
 
Home Inns & Hotels Management, Inc., ADR
         
(1,024,077)
   
(18,793)
 
LifeLock, Inc.
         
(321,548)
 
 
(20,294)
 
Iconix Brand Group, Inc.
         
(796,945)
   
(9,110)
 
On Assignment, Inc.
         
(351,555)
 
 
(7,592)
 
iRobot Corp.
         
(311,652)
   
(11,803)
 
Post Holdings, Inc.
         
(650,581)
 
 
(297,404)
 
JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
         
(2,147,257)
   
(90,848)
 
Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.
         
(416,084)
 
 
(2,595)
 
Jarden Corp.
         
(155,259)
   
(8,345)
 
Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
         
(541,841)
 
 
(180,750)
 
Johnson Controls, Inc.
         
(8,553,090)
   
(12,564)
 
ServiceSource International, Inc.
         
(106,040)
 
 
(11,287)
 
KB Home
         
(191,766)
   
(208,541)
 
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
         
(1,634,962)
 
 
(39,400)
 
L Brands, Inc.
         
(2,236,738)
   
(105,800)
 
The Estee Lauder Cos., Inc., Class A
         
(7,075,904)
 
 
(18,455)
 
Lennar Corp., Class A
         
(731,187)
   
(19,099)
 
Universal Corp.
         
(1,067,443)
 
 
(2,194)
 
Lululemon Athletica, Inc.
         
(115,383)
                   
(38,417,555)
 
 
(135,000)
 
M/I Homes, Inc.
         
(3,026,700)
 
Energy - (0.6)%
             
 
(7,095)
 
Meritage Homes Corp.
         
(297,139)
   
(21,268)
 
Alon USA Energy, Inc.
         
(317,744)
 
 
(51,492)
 
Meritor, Inc.
         
(630,777)
   
(70,967)
 
BPZ Resources, Inc.
         
(225,675)
 
 
(23,375)
 
Multimedia Games Holding Co., Inc.
         
(678,810)
   
(30,042)
 
Chesapeake Energy Corp.
         
(769,676)
 
 
(38,429)
 
Navistar International Corp.
         
(1,301,590)
   
(53,080)
 
Clean Energy Fuels Corp.
         
(474,535)
 
 
(2,173)
 
Netflix, Inc.
         
(764,961)
   
(8,866)
 
Cobalt International Energy, Inc.
         
(162,425)
 
 
(28,400)
 
Nordstrom, Inc.
         
(1,773,580)
   
(26,327)
 
Emerald Oil, Inc.
         
(176,917)
 
 
(24,100)
 
Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc., Class A
         
(1,996,685)
   
(26,463)
 
Energy XXI Bermuda, Ltd.
         
(623,733)
 
 
(4,643)
 
Panera Bread Co., Class A
         
(819,350)
   
(13,311)
 
Goodrich Petroleum Corp.
         
(210,580)
 
 
(11,805)
 
PetSmart, Inc.
         
(813,246)
   
(254,509)
 
Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc.
         
(7,625,090)
 
 
(50,500)
 
Polaris Industries, Inc.
         
(7,055,355)
   
(34,449)
 
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd., ADR
         
(962,850)
 
 
(31,724)
 
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc.
         
(1,289,263)
   
(52,971)
 
Newpark Resources, Inc.
         
(606,518)
 
 
(3,600)
 
priceline.com, Inc.
         
(4,290,804)
   
(72,930)
 
Penn Virginia Corp.
         
(1,275,546)
 
 
(61,650)
 
PriceSmart, Inc.
         
(6,222,335)
   
(52,126)
 
Sanchez Energy Corp.
         
(1,544,493)
 
 
(48,650)
 
Rackspace Hosting, Inc.
         
(1,596,693)
   
(65,565)
 
SandRidge Energy, Inc.
         
(402,569)
 
 
(65,424)
 
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.
         
(4,689,592)
   
(12,101)
 
SolarCity Corp.
         
(757,765)
 
 
(30,412)
 
Regis Corp.
         
(416,644)
   
(32,969)
 
Solazyme, Inc.
         
(382,770)
 
 
(7,088)
 
Sears Holdings Corp.
         
(338,523)
   
(302,748)
 
Vantage Drilling Co.
         
(517,699)
 
 
(4,342)
 
SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.
         
(131,259)
                   
(17,036,585)
 
 
(18,600)
 
Signet Jewelers, Ltd.
         
(1,968,996)
 
Financial - (8.4)%
             
 
(271,500)
 
Southwest Airlines Co.
         
(6,410,115)
   
(2,884)
 
Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.
         
(576,944)
 
 
(28,414)
 
Standard Pacific Corp.
         
(236,120)
   
(10,574,000)
 
Agricultural Bank of China, Ltd., Class H
         
(4,607,764)
 
 
(80,976)
 
Steinhoff International Holdings, Ltd.
         
(397,141)
   
(3,818)
 
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. REIT
         
(277,034)
 
 
(2,708)
 
Tesla Motors, Inc.
         
(564,483)
   
(173,777)
 
Allianz SE, ADR
         
(2,928,142)
 
 
(16,166)
 
The Buckle, Inc.
         
(740,403)
   
(19,925)
 
American Residential Properties, Inc. REIT
         
(358,251)
 
 
(68,180)
 
The Home Depot, Inc.
         
(5,395,083)
   
(17,036)
 
AmTrust Financial Services, Inc.
         
(640,724)
 
 
(18,071)
 
The Ryland Group, Inc.
         
(721,575)
   
(1,356,679)
 
Banco Santander SA, ADR
         
(12,996,985)
 
 
(1,305)
 
Time Warner Cable, Inc.
         
(179,020)
   
(620,820)
 
Bank of America Corp.
         
(10,678,104)
 
 
(20,500)
 
Titan Machinery, Inc.
         
(321,235)
                       
 
(13,600)
 
Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.
         
(1,325,728)
                       
 
(73,900)
 
Under Armour, Inc., Class A
         
(8,471,896)
                       
     
(7,489)
 
United Continental Holdings, Inc.
         
(334,234)
                       
 
(15,653)
 
United Stationers, Inc.
         
(642,869)
                       

See Notes to Financial Statements.  35  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
   
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
   
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
 
 
(11,041,000)
 
Bank of China, Ltd., Class H
       
$
(4,896,672)
   
(4,346)
 
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
       
$
(307,349)
 
 
(7,165,000)
 
Bank of Communications Co., Ltd., Class H
         
(4,683,369)
   
(18,300)
 
Vivus, Inc.
         
(108,702)
 
 
(685,102)
 
Barclays PLC, ADR
         
(10,756,101)
   
(55,665)
 
Volcano Corp.
         
(1,097,157)
 
 
(244,000)
 
BB&T Corp.
         
(9,801,480)
   
(29,079)
 
Wright Medical Group, Inc.
         
(903,485)
 
 
(13,032)
 
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
         
(1,123,228)
                   
(22,202,578)
 
 
(966,116)
 
CBIZ, Inc.
         
(8,849,623)
 
Industrial - (5.7)%
             
 
(9,064,000)
 
China CITIC Bank Corp., Ltd., Class H
         
(5,223,500)
   
(39,100)
 
AAR Corp.
         
(1,014,645)
 
 
(6,749,000)
 
China Construction Bank Corp., Class H
         
(4,724,692)
   
(10,400)
 
Aecon Group, Inc.
         
(161,903)
 
 
(2,567,000)
 
China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd., Class H
         
(4,653,132)
   
(20,571)
 
Aegean Marine Petroleum Network, Inc.
         
(202,830)
 
 
(223,500)
 
Citigroup, Inc.
         
(10,638,600)
   
(219,800)
 
Altra Industrial Motion Corp.
         
(7,846,860)
 
 
(347,865)
 
Deutsche Bank AG
         
(15,594,788)
   
(324,100)
 
Atlas Copco AB, Class A
         
(9,348,990)
 
 
(1,690)
 
DFC Global Corp.
         
(14,923)
   
(35,655)
 
Briggs & Stratton Corp.
         
(793,324)
 
 
(204,451)
 
Encore Capital Group, Inc.
         
(9,343,411)
   
(21,700)
 
Bristow Group, Inc.
         
(1,638,784)
 
 
(320,000)
 
Erste Group Bank AG
         
(10,933,027)
   
(22,600)
 
Canadian Solar, Inc.
         
(724,104)
 
 
(17,378)
 
Financial Engines, Inc.
         
(882,455)
   
(74,058)
 
Caterpillar, Inc.
         
(7,359,144)
 
 
(38,342)
 
Forest City Enterprises, Inc., Class A
         
(732,332)
   
(86,893)
 
Cemex SAB de CV, ADR
         
(1,097,459)
 
 
(199,655)
 
Forestar Group, Inc.
         
(3,553,859)
   
(158,100)
 
Colfax Corp.
         
(11,277,273)
 
 
(116,735)
 
FXCM, Inc., Class A
         
(1,724,176)
   
(11,149)
 
Deere & Co.
         
(1,012,329)
 
 
(307,372)
 
Gain Capital Holdings, Inc.
         
(3,322,691)
   
(218,800)
 
Donaldson Co., Inc.
         
(9,277,120)
 
 
(1,563,909)
 
Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV, Class O
         
(10,576,196)
   
(122,407)
 
Eaton Corp. PLC
         
(9,195,214)
 
 
(11,181)
 
Health Care REIT, Inc.
         
(666,388)
   
(153,775)
 
Emerson Electric Co.
         
(10,272,170)
 
 
(7,607,000)
 
Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, Ltd., Class H
         
(4,678,062)
   
(4,250)
 
Fluidigm Corp.
         
(187,298)
 
 
(55,742)
 
iStar Financial, Inc., REIT
         
(822,752)
   
(119,425)
 
Fluor Corp.
         
(9,282,905)
 
 
(5,346)
 
KeyCorp
         
(76,127)
   
(14,200)
 
Genco Shipping & Trading, Ltd.
         
(24,992)
 
 
(858)
 
Leucadia National Corp.
         
(24,024)
   
(38,828)
 
General Cable Corp.
         
(994,385)
 
 
(263,903)
 
Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Inc.
         
(1,538,554)
   
(363,700)
 
General Electric Co.
         
(9,416,193)
 
 
(1)
 
MetLife, Inc.
         
(53)
   
(71,436)
 
GrafTech International, Ltd.
         
(780,081)
 
 
(12,859)
 
MGIC Investment Corp.
         
(109,559)
   
(190,950)
 
Greif, Inc., Class A
         
(10,022,966)
 
 
(7,113)
 
Moody's Corp.
         
(564,203)
   
(260,345)
 
Griffon Corp.
         
(3,108,519)
 
 
(781,000)
 
Nordea Bank AB
         
(11,077,330)
   
(11,164)
 
Haynes International, Inc.
         
(602,856)
 
 
(38,411)
 
OFG Bancorp
         
(660,285)
   
(230,631)
 
Kaman Corp.
         
(9,382,069)
 
 
(665,500)
 
OTP Bank PLC
         
(12,745,256)
   
(97,255)
 
Layne Christensen Co.
         
(1,769,068)
 
 
(45,600)
 
Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc. REIT
         
(1,917,024)
   
(6,197)
 
Lindsay Corp.
         
(546,451)
 
 
(7,202)
 
Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc.
         
(416,708)
   
(13,038)
 
Lockheed Martin Corp.
         
(2,128,323)
 
 
(39,835)
 
Radian Group, Inc.
         
(598,720)
   
(4,343)
 
Nordson Corp.
         
(306,138)
 
 
(128,200)
 
Royal Bank of Canada
         
(8,459,918)
   
(26,369)
 
PHH Corp.
         
(681,375)
 
 
(372,000)
 
Swedbank AB, Class A
         
(9,983,530)
   
(54,300)
 
RTI International Metals, Inc.
         
(1,508,454)
 
 
(21,729)
 
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
         
(802,669)
   
(408,700)
 
Sandvik AB
         
(5,774,704)
 
 
(11,305)
 
Walter Investment Management Corp. REIT
         
(337,228)
   
(309,300)
 
SKF AB, Class B
         
(7,918,516)
 
 
(204,300)
 
Wells Fargo & Co.
         
(10,161,882)
   
(25,448)
 
Smith & Wesson Holding Corp.
         
(372,050)
 
 
(290,700)
 
Weyerhaeuser Co. REIT
         
(8,532,045)
   
(204,838)
 
TTM Technologies, Inc.
         
(1,730,881)
 
 
(23,195)
 
Wintrust Financial Corp.
         
(1,128,669)
   
(122,209)
 
UTi Worldwide, Inc.
         
(1,294,193)
 
                 
(230,393,189)
   
(64,900)
 
Valmont Industries, Inc.
         
(9,659,716)
 
Healthcare - (0.8)%
               
(256,575)
 
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.
         
(3,817,836)
 
 
(311,800)
 
Accuray, Inc.
         
(2,993,280)
   
(80,000)
 
Wartsila OYJ Abp
         
(4,345,658)
 
 
(15,739)
 
Alere, Inc.
         
(540,635)
                   
(156,877,776)
 
 
(21,149)
 
Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
         
(381,316)
 
Information Technology - (2.7)%
             
 
(126,132)
 
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
         
(2,440,654)
   
(12,646)
 
ACI Worldwide, Inc.
         
(748,517)
 
 
(4,346)
 
BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc.
         
(296,441)
   
(43,800)
 
Akamai Technologies, Inc.
         
(2,549,598)
 
 
(11,874)
 
Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
         
(868,583)
   
(111,000)
 
Autodesk, Inc.
         
(5,458,980)
 
 
(12,415)
 
HealthSouth Corp.
         
(446,071)
   
(10,811)
 
Bottomline Technologies (de), Inc.
         
(380,007)
 
 
(2,108)
 
Illumina, Inc.
         
(313,375)
   
(222,982)
 
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
         
(3,465,140)
 
 
(37,600)
 
Incyte Corp., Ltd.
         
(2,012,352)
   
(20,975)
 
Castlight Health, Inc., Class B
         
(445,089)
 
 
(119,100)
 
Molina Healthcare, Inc.
         
(4,473,396)
   
(24,917)
 
CGI Group, Inc., Class A
         
(770,434)
 
 
(18,543)
 
Omnicare, Inc.
         
(1,106,461)
   
(206,727)
 
Ciena Corp.
         
(4,700,972)
 
 
(2,173)
 
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
         
(652,508)
   
(73,562)
 
Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc.
         
(3,521,413)
 
 
(13,524)
 
The Medicines Co.
         
(384,352)
   
(10,211)
 
Diebold, Inc.
         
(407,317)
 
 
(92,969)
 
Theravance, Inc.
         
(2,876,461)
   
(41,001)
 
Digital River, Inc.
         
(714,647)
 
 
                     
(746,119)
 
GT Advanced Technologies, Inc.
         
(12,721,329)
 
                       
(9,175)
 
Lam Research Corp.
         
(504,625)
 
                       
(15,859)
 
Lexmark International, Inc., Class A
         
(734,113)
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  36  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
   
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
   
Shares
 
Description
         
Value
 
 
(59,178)
 
LivePerson, Inc.
       
$
(714,278)
 
Investment Companies - (1.5)%
             
 
(6,593)
 
Medidata Solutions, Inc.
         
(358,264)
   
(187,494)
 
iShares Russell 2000 ETF
       
$
(21,813,052)
 
 
(198,100)
 
Mentor Graphics Corp.
         
(4,362,162)
   
(108,649)
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
         
(20,321,709)
 
 
(10,704)
 
Microchip Technology, Inc.
         
(511,223)
 
Total Investment Companies
             
 
(1,025,445)
 
Photronics, Inc.
         
(8,747,046)
 
(Proceeds $(42,264,057))
         
(42,134,761)
 
 
(6,546)
 
Proofpoint, Inc.
         
(242,726)
 
Total Short Positions - (29.1)%
             
 
(12,764)
 
Qlik Technologies, Inc.
         
(339,395)
 
(Proceeds $(774,982,543))
       
$
(802,988,959)
 
 
(1,995,512)
 
Quantum Corp.
         
(2,434,525)
                       
 
(37,850)
 
Radisys Corp.
         
(135,881)
                       
 
(215,861)
 
Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
         
(2,462,974)
                       
 
(6,038)
 
SanDisk Corp.
         
(490,225)
                       
 
(116,300)
 
SAP AG, ADR
         
(9,456,353)
                       
 
(3,308)
 
ServiceNow, Inc.
         
(198,215)
                       
 
(34,212)
 
Spansion, Inc., Class A
         
(595,973)
                       
 
(45,304)
 
SunEdison, Inc.
         
(853,527)
                       
 
(207,529)
 
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
         
(4,551,111)
                       
 
(3,739)
 
The Dun & Bradstreet Corp.
         
(371,470)
                       
 
(16,744)
 
VeriSign, Inc.
         
(902,669)
                       
                 
(74,850,198)
                       
Materials - (1.2)%
                                   
 
(34,010)
 
ArcelorMittal, ADR
         
(549,262)
                       
 
(90,642)
 
B2Gold Corp.
         
(243,827)
                       
 
(87,625)
 
BHP Billiton, Ltd., ADR
         
(5,938,346)
                       
 
(362,021)
 
Horsehead Holding Corp.
         
(6,089,193)
                       
 
(1,997,621)
 
Mexichem SAB de CV
         
(7,038,456)
                       
 
(4,343)
 
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.
         
(306,876)
                       
 
(112,550)
 
Rio Tinto PLC, ADR
         
(6,283,667)
                       
 
(1,768)
 
Sesa Sterlite, Ltd., ADR
         
(21,959)
                       
 
(224,281)
 
Silver Standard Resources, Inc.
         
(2,227,110)
                       
 
(60,900)
 
Steel Dynamics, Inc.
         
(1,083,411)
                       
 
(50,922)
 
Stillwater Mining Co.
         
(754,155)
                       
 
(29,700)
 
The Dow Chemical Co.
         
(1,443,123)
                       
 
(12,931)
 
United States Steel Corp.
         
(357,025)
                       
 
(4,691)
 
US Silica Holdings, Inc.
         
(179,055)
                       
                 
(32,515,465)
                       
Telecommunication Services - (1.1)%
                                   
 
(38,801)
 
Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc.
         
(74,886)
                       
 
(134,374)
 
Alcatel-Lucent
         
(529,814)
                       
 
(326,546)
 
Blucora, Inc.
         
(6,429,691)
                       
 
(26,600)
 
Comtech Telecommunications Corp.
         
(847,476)
                       
 
(162,300)
 
Dealertrack Technologies, Inc.
         
(7,983,537)
                       
 
(11,043)
 
HomeAway, Inc.
         
(415,990)
                       
 
(155,131)
 
Infinera Corp.
         
(1,408,589)
                       
 
(7,500)
 
InterDigital, Inc.
         
(248,325)
                       
 
(57,819)
 
Iridium Communications, Inc.
         
(434,221)
                       
 
(207,489)
 
ModusLink Global Solutions, Inc.
         
(877,678)
                       
 
(185,693)
 
Move, Inc.
         
(2,146,611)
                       
 
(4,842)
 
Qihoo 360 Technology Co., Ltd., ADR
         
(482,166)
                       
 
(1,860)
 
SINA Corp.
         
(112,363)
                       
 
(3,019)
 
SouFun Holdings, Ltd., ADR
         
(206,560)
                       
 
(5,400)
 
Time Warner, Inc.
         
(352,782)
                       
 
(2,169)
 
Vipshop Holdings, Ltd., ADR
         
(323,832)
                       
 
(142,700)
 
Web.com Group, Inc.
         
(4,856,081)
                       
 
(50,296)
 
WebMD Health Corp.
         
(2,082,254)
                       
 
(4,119)
 
Yahoo!, Inc.
         
(147,872)
                       
 
(9,903)
 
Yandex NV, Class A
         
(298,972)
                       
                 
(30,259,700)
                       
Total Common Stock
                                   
(Proceeds $(732,718,486))
         
(760,854,198)
                       
 
                                         
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  37  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF CALL AND PUT OPTIONS WRITTEN
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
     
Security
 
Strike
 
Exp.
           
Security
 
 Strike
 
Exp.
     
 
Contracts
 
Description
 
Price
 
Date
 
Value
   
Contracts
 
Description
 
 Price
 
Date
 
Value
 
Written Options - (1.1)%
             
Put Options Written - (0.5)%
             
Call Options Written - (0.6)%
               
(418)
 
Abbott Laboratories
$
     35.00
 
01/15
$
(62,700)
 
 
(418)
 
Abbott Laboratories
$
                  42.00
 
01/15
$
(44,726)
   
(654)
 
Accenture PLC
 
     72.50
 
01/15
 
(235,440)
 
 
(654)
 
Accenture PLC
 
                  87.50
 
01/15
 
(147,150)
   
(400)
 
American Express Co.
 
     80.00
 
01/15
 
(126,000)
 
 
(400)
 
American Express Co.
 
                  97.50
 
01/15
 
(133,200)
   
(1,335)
 
American International Group, Inc.
 
     45.00
 
01/15
 
(301,710)
 
 
(1,335)
 
American International Group, Inc.
 
                  60.00
 
01/15
 
(132,165)
   
(136)
 
Apple, Inc.
 
   490.00
 
01/15
 
(365,840)
 
 
(3,077)
 
Bank of America Corp.
 
                  20.00
 
01/15
 
(166,158)
   
(3,077)
 
Bank of America Corp.
 
     15.00
 
01/15
 
(206,159)
 
 
(949)
 
Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc.
 
                  75.00
 
01/15
 
(322,660)
   
(949)
 
Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc.
 
     60.00
 
01/15
 
(219,219)
 
 
(1,252)
 
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., Class B
 
                125.00
 
01/15
 
(845,100)
   
(1,252)
 
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., Class B
 
   105.00
 
01/15
 
(185,296)
 
 
(792)
 
CarMax, Inc.
 
                  50.00
 
01/15
 
(245,520)
   
(792)
 
CarMax, Inc.
 
     40.00
 
01/15
 
(140,580)
 
 
(37)
 
Chipotle Mexican Grill
 
                580.00
 
01/15
 
(209,050)
   
(74)
 
Chipotle Mexican Grill
 
   490.00
 
01/15
 
(215,710)
 
 
(738)
 
Coach, Inc.
 
                  62.50
 
01/15
 
(53,505)
   
(738)
 
Coach, Inc.
 
     45.00
 
01/15
 
(202,950)
 
 
(2,163)
 
Corning, Inc.
 
                  22.00
 
01/15
 
(263,886)
   
(2,163)
 
Corning, Inc.
 
     15.00
 
01/15
 
(62,727)
 
 
(848)
 
CVS Caremark Corp.
 
                  75.00
 
01/15
 
(398,560)
   
(848)
 
CVS Caremark Corp.
 
     62.50
 
01/15
 
(114,904)
 
 
(763)
 
DIRECTV
 
                  77.50
 
01/15
 
(511,210)
   
(688)
 
Darden Restaurants, Inc.
 
     42.00
 
04/15
 
(688)
 
 
(772)
 
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.
 
                  47.50
 
01/15
 
(55,970)
   
(463)
 
Deere & Co.
 
     80.00
 
01/15
 
(118,528)
 
 
(1,752)
 
General Motors Co.
 
                  45.00
 
01/15
 
(98,112)
   
(763)
 
DIRECTV
 
     62.50
 
01/15
 
(178,161)
 
 
(32)
 
Google, Inc., Class A
 
             1,230.00
 
01/15
 
(177,280)
   
(772)
 
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.
 
     37.50
 
01/15
 
(189,140)
 
 
(2,907)
 
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.
 
                  30.00
 
01/15
 
(558,144)
   
(1,752)
 
General Motors Co.
 
     35.00
 
01/15
 
(692,040)
 
 
(13,546)
 
iShares Russell 2000 ETF
 
                130.00
 
01/15
 
(2,736,292)
   
(32)
 
Google, Inc., Class A
 
1,010.00
 
01/15
 
(162,880)
 
 
(259)
 
Johnson & Johnson
 
                100.00
 
01/15
 
(93,240)
   
(2,907)
 
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.
 
     22.00
 
01/15
 
(392,445)
 
 
(1,073)
 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
 
                  65.00
 
01/15
 
(229,622)
   
(3,477)
 
iShares iBoxx High Yield Fund
 
     85.00
 
09/15
 
(198,189)
 
 
(1,214)
 
Kohl's Corp.
 
                  62.50
 
01/15
 
(264,045)
   
(259)
 
Johnson & Johnson
 
     82.50
 
01/15
 
(34,577)
 
 
(9,772)
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
 
                192.00
 
01/15
 
(5,902,288)
   
(1,073)
 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
 
     52.50
 
01/15
 
(207,625)
 
 
(921)
 
Target Corp.
 
                  67.50
 
01/15
 
(108,678)
   
(293)
 
Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
 
   100.00
 
01/15
 
(514,215)
 
 
(1,591)
 
The Bank of New York Mellon Corp.
 
                  40.00
 
01/15
 
(130,462)
   
(293)
 
Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
 
     55.00
 
01/15
 
(61,530)
 
 
(438)
 
The Boeing Co.
 
                150.00
 
01/15
 
(97,236)
   
(1,214)
 
Kohl's Corp.
 
     45.00
 
01/15
 
(151,750)
 
 
(710)
 
The Coca-Cola Co.
 
                  45.00
 
01/15
 
(16,330)
   
(2,535)
 
Microsoft Corp.
 
     28.00
 
01/15
 
(68,445)
 
 
(367)
 
The Walt Disney Co.
 
                  85.00
 
01/15
 
(159,645)
   
(330)
 
QUALCOMM, Inc.
 
     65.00
 
01/15
 
(51,480)
 
 
(206)
 
United Parcel Service, Inc., Class B
 
                110.00
 
01/15
 
(19,364)
   
(28,302)
 
Sirius XM Holdings, Inc.
 
       3.50
 
01/15
 
(1,669,818)
 
 
(1,213)
 
Walgreen Co.
 
                  65.00
 
01/15
 
(721,735)
   
(28,990)
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
 
   146.00
 
01/15
 
(5,464,615)
 
 
(781)
 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
 
                  85.00
 
01/15
 
(62,480)
   
(282)
 
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
 
     70.00
 
01/15
 
(91,650)
 
 
(605)
 
Weight Watchers International, Inc.
 
                  45.00
 
01/15
 
(605)
   
(921)
 
Target Corp.
 
     55.00
 
01/15
 
(207,225)
 
 
(1,054)
 
Wells Fargo & Co.
 
                  50.00
 
01/15
 
(270,878)
   
(1,591)
 
The Bank of New York Mellon Corp.
 
     30.00
 
01/15
 
(152,736)
 
 
(633)
 
Whole Foods Market, Inc.
 
                  60.00
 
01/15
 
(110,775)
   
(438)
 
The Boeing Co.
 
   125.00
 
01/15
 
(469,755)
 
Total Call Options Written
               
(710)
 
The Coca-Cola Co.
 
     35.00
 
01/15
 
(70,290)
 
(Premiums Received $(16,192,614))
         
(15,286,071)
   
(367)
 
The Walt Disney Co.
 
     65.00
 
01/15
 
(71,565)
 
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  38  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF CALL AND PUT OPTIONS WRITTEN
MARCH 31, 2014
 
     
Security
 
 Strike
 
Exp.
                           
 
Contracts
 
Description
 
 Price
 
Date
 
Value
                       
 
(206)
 
United Parcel Service, Inc., Class B
$
                  90.00
 
01/15
$
(63,860)
                       
 
(1,213)
 
Walgreen Co.
 
                  52.50
 
01/15
 
(163,755)
                       
 
(781)
 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
 
                  70.00
 
01/15
 
(149,952)
                       
 
(605)
 
Weight Watchers International, Inc.
 
                  30.00
 
01/15
 
(756,250)
                       
 
(1,054)
 
Wells Fargo & Co.
 
                  40.00
 
01/15
 
(75,888)
                       
Total Put Options Written
                                   
(Premiums Received $(18,544,009))
         
(14,868,287)
                       
Total Written Options - (1.1)%
                                   
(Premiums Received $(34,736,623))
       
$
(30,154,358)
 
     
                   
                                           

See Notes to Financial Statements.  39  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
NOTES TO SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS, SECURITIES SOLD SHORT AND CALL AND PUT OPTIONS WRITTEN
MARCH 31, 2014
 

                     
 
ADR
American Depositary Receipt
 
(e)
Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933. At the period end, the value of these securities amounted to $272,269,029 or 9.8% of net assets.
 
 
BKNT
Bank Note
 
(f)
Security fair valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. At the period end, the value of these securities amounted to $11,563,974 or 0.4% of net assets.
 
 
ETF
Exchange Traded Fund
 
(g)
Debt obligation initially issued at one coupon rate which converts to higher coupon rate at a specified date. Rate presented is as of March 31, 2014.
 
 
ETN
Exchange Traded Note
 
(h)
Variable rate security. Rate presented is as of March 31, 2014.
 
 
FHLB
Federal Home Loan Bank
 
(i)
Security is currently in default and is on scheduled interest or principal payment.
 
 
FHLMC
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
 
(j)
Zero coupon bond. Interest rate presented is yield to maturity.
 
 
FNMA
Federal National Mortgage Association
 
(k)
Rate presented is yield to maturity.
 
 
GNMA
Government National Mortgage Association
 
(l)
Holders of Comdisco Holding Co., Inc. were issued contingent equity distribution rights pursuant to the Comdisco, Inc. First Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization. Accordingly, there is no associated strike price or expiration date.
 
 
LLC
Limited Liability Company
     
 
LP
Limited Partnership
           
 
MTN
Medium Term Note
           
 
PLC
Public Limited Company
           
 
REIT
Real Estate Investment Trust
           
 
(a)
Non-income producing security.
           
 
(b)
All or a portion of this security is held as collateral for securities sold short.
           
 
(c)
Subject to call option written by the Fund.
           
 
(d)
Subject to put option written by the Fund.
           
                     
 
                                   
 
At March 31, 2014, the Fund held the following credit default swap agreement:
                         
                                   
 
Credit Default Swap – Sell Protection
                           
                                   
 
Counterparty
 
Reference Entity / Obligation
 
Receive Rate
 
Termination Date
 
Credit Spread
as of
03/31/14 (1)
   
Notional Amount
   
Net Unrealized Appreciation
   
 
Barclays Capital, Inc.
INDEX CDX HY CDS
 
                        5.00
%
06/20/17
 
                                2.28
%
$
 (990,000
)
$
     133,659
   
                                   
 
(1) Credit spreads are an indication of the seller’s performance risk, related to the likelihood of a credit event occurring that would require a seller to make payment to a buyer.  Credit spreads are used to determine the value of swap contracts and reflect the cost of buying/selling protection, which may include upfront payments made to enter into the contract.
 
 
   
 
The notional amounts are equal to the potential payment that the Fund could be required to make as a seller of credit protection.
 
 
The Fund enters contracts to sell protection to create a long credit position. Credit events that could require payment are bankruptcy, failure to pay, restructuring, obligation acceleration, obligation default, or repudiation/moratorium.
 
   
                                   
 
At March 31, 2014, the Fund held the following futures contracts:
                   
 
 
Contracts
 
Type
 
Expiration Date
 
Notional Contract Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
 
 
                             3
 
U.S. 10-year Note Future
 
06/19/14
$
                           372,194
$
                             (1,694)
 
 
                             7
 
U.S. 5-year Note Future
 
06/30/14
 
                           836,445
 
                             (3,773)
 
 
                             6
 
U.S. Ultra Bond Future
 
06/19/14
 
                           844,762
 
                            22,051
 
 
                        (800)
 
Euro FX Currency Future
 
06/16/14
 
                   (139,016,800)
 
                       1,276,800
 
 
                     (6,500)
 
Russell 2000 Mini Future
 
06/20/14
 
                   (769,778,750)
 
                       8,953,750
 
 
                     (2,250)
 
S&P 500 Emini Future
 
06/20/14
 
                   (206,966,250)
 
                      (2,790,000)
 
 
                          (30)
 
U.S. 10-year Note Future
 
06/19/14
 
                       (3,709,686)
 
                              4,686
 
 
                        (415)
 
U.S. 5-year Note Future
 
06/30/14
 
                     (49,511,451)
 
                          145,904
 
 
                          (40)
 
U.S. 2-year Note Future
 
06/30/14
 
                       (8,786,248)
 
                              3,748
 
 
                          (20)
 
U.S. Long Bond Future
 
06/19/14
 
                       (2,624,376)
 
                           (39,999)
 
           
$
                (1,178,340,160)
$
                       7,571,473
 
 
AFA
                 

See Notes to Financial Statements.  40  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
NOTES TO SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS, SECURITIES SOLD SHORT AND CALL AND PUT OPTIONS WRITTEN
MARCH 31, 2014
 

                             
 
The values of each individual forward currency contract outstanding in the Absolute Strategies Fund as of March 31, 2014, are disclosed in the table below.
       
 
Contracts to Sell
 
Settlement Date
 
Settlement Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
         
 
                 (280,000)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
06/18/14
$
                           252,766
$
                                  (32)
         
 
                 (549,925)
 
European Union Euro
 
04/02/14
 
                           755,927
 
                             (1,677)
         
 
                 (222,725)
 
European Union Euro
 
06/18/14
 
                           310,174
 
                              3,372
         
 
                   (92,400)
 
European Union Euro
 
06/18/14
 
                           128,674
 
                              1,394
         
 
          (169,198,536)
 
Hungarian Forint
 
04/02/14
 
                           750,804
 
                             (7,714)
         
 
              (4,852,449)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/02/14
 
                           745,527
 
                             (4,199)
         
 
              (4,943,179)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/02/14
 
                           759,466
 
                             (4,278)
         
 
              (4,947,576)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/02/14
 
                           760,142
 
                             (4,280)
         
               
$
                           (17,414)
         
                             
 
*  Cost for federal income tax purposes is $1,027,841,126 and net unrealized appreciation consists of:
         
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
         
$
                   456,370,390
         
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
           
                  (182,591,579)
         
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation
         
$
                   273,778,811
         
                             
                             
 
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments and other financial instruments and liabilities as of March 31, 2014.
         
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 
   
                             

See Notes to Financial Statements.  41  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
NOTES TO SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS, SECURITIES SOLD SHORT AND CALL AND PUT OPTIONS WRITTEN
MARCH 31, 2014
 

         
Level 1
 
 Level 2
 
 Level 3
 
Total
 
 
Assets
                     
 
Investments At Value
                 
 
Common Stock
                 
   
Consumer Discretionary
$
           178,300,229
$
 -
$
 -
$
                178,300,229
 
   
Consumer Staples
 
           225,577,138
 
 -
 
 -
 
                225,577,138
 
   
Energy
 
             87,164,350
 
 -
 
 -
 
                  87,164,350
 
   
Financial
 
           162,543,264
 
 -
 
 -
 
                162,543,264
 
   
Healthcare
 
             77,180,719
 
 -
 
 -
 
                  77,180,719
 
   
Industrial
 
             55,324,043
 
 -
 
 -
 
                  55,324,043
 
   
Information Technology
 
           115,734,091
 
 -
 
 -
 
                115,734,091
 
   
Materials
 
             37,982,485
 
 -
 
 -
 
                  37,982,485
 
   
Telecommunication Services
 
             70,593,614
 
 -
 
 -
 
                  70,593,614
 
   
Utilities
 
               1,244,581
 
 -
 
 -
 
                    1,244,581
 
 
Preferred Stock
                 
   
Consumer Staples
 
               1,591,135
 
                        2,737,186
 
 -
 
                    4,328,321
 
   
Energy
 
               1,961,388
 
                        5,343,845
 
 -
 
                    7,305,233
 
   
Financial
 
               1,064,443
 
                        9,703,657
 
 -
 
                  10,768,100
 
   
Healthcare
 
 -
 
                        2,674,918
 
 -
 
                    2,674,918
 
   
Industrial
 
 -
 
                           911,071
 
 -
 
                       911,071
 
   
Materials
 
 -
 
                           776,880
 
 -
 
                       776,880
 
   
Telecommunication Services
 
 -
 
                           700,219
 
 -
 
                       700,219
 
   
Utilities
 
 -
 
                        1,085,735
 
 -
 
                    1,085,735
 
 
Asset Backed Obligations
 
 -
 
                    174,045,881
 
                       4,636,774
 
                178,682,655
 
 
Corporate Convertible Bonds
 
 -
 
                    483,406,117
 
                       6,927,200
 
                490,333,317
 
 
Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds
 
 -
 
                      71,586,892
 
 -
 
                  71,586,892
 
 
Exchange Traded Notes
 
                  310,370
 
 -
 
 -
 
                       310,370
 
 
Foreign Government Bonds
 
 -
 
                           450,089
 
 -
 
                       450,089
 
 
Interest Only Bonds
 
 -
 
                        3,622,194
 
 -
 
                    3,622,194
 
 
Municipal Bonds
 
 -
 
                      12,896,310
 
 -
 
                  12,896,310
 
 
Municipal Demand Notes
 
 -
 
                        1,203,960
 
 -
 
                    1,203,960
 
 
Syndicated Loans
 
 -
 
                        3,916,922
 
 -
 
                    3,916,922
 
 
U.S. Government & Agency Obligations
 
 -
 
                      28,800,056
 
 -
 
                  28,800,056
 
 
Rights
 
                    10,500
 
 -
 
 -
 
                         10,500
 
 
Investment Companies
 
           251,560,611
 
 -
 
 -
 
                251,560,611
 
 
Commercial Paper
 
 -
 
                        6,954,828
 
 -
 
                    6,954,828
 
 
Purchased Options
 
             44,239,559
 
 -
 
 -
 
                  44,239,559
 
 
Total Investments At Value
$
        1,312,382,520
$
                    810,816,760
$
                     11,563,974
$
             2,134,763,254
 
                         
 
Other Financial Instruments**
                 
 
Credit Default Swaps
 
 -
 
                           133,659
 
 -
 
                       133,659
 
 
Forward Currency Contracts
 
 -
 
                               4,766
 
 -
 
                           4,766
 
 
Futures
 
             10,406,939
 
 -
 
 -
 
                  10,406,939
 
 
Total Other Financial Instruments
$
             10,406,939
$
                           138,425
$
 -
$
                  10,545,364
 
 
Total Assets
$
        1,336,487,430
$
                    797,257,214
$
                     11,563,974
$
             2,145,308,618
 
                         
 
Liabilities
                 
 
Securities Sold Short
                 
 
Common Stock
$
         (760,854,198)
$
 -
$
 -
$
              (760,854,198)
 
 
Investment Companies
 
           (42,134,761)
 
 -
 
 -
 
                (42,134,761)
 
 
Total Securities Sold Short
$
         (802,988,959)
$
 -
$
 -
$
              (802,988,959)
 
 
Other Financial Instruments**
                 
 
Written Options
 
           (30,153,065)
 
                              (1,293)
 
 -
 
                (30,154,358)
 
 
Forward Currency Contracts
 
 -
 
                            (22,180)
 
 -
 
                       (22,180)
 
 
Futures
 
             (2,835,466)
 
 -
 
 -
 
                  (2,835,466)
 
 
Total Other Financial Instruments
$
           (32,988,531)
$
                            (23,473)
$
 -
$
                (33,012,004)
 
 
Total Liabilities
$
         (835,977,490)
$
                            (23,473)
$
 -
$
              (836,000,963)
 
                         
                         
 
** Other Financial Instruments are derivative instruments not reflected in the Schedule of Investments and Schedule of Securities Sold Short, such as credit default swaps, forward currency contracts and futures, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of the instrument.  Written options are reported at their market value at year end.
 

                             

See Notes to Financial Statements.  42  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
NOTES TO SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS, SECURITIES SOLD SHORT AND CALL AND PUT OPTIONS WRITTEN
MARCH 31, 2014
 

 
The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets for which significant unobservable inputs were used to determine fair value.
                         
         
Asset Backed Obligations
 
Corporate Convertible Bonds
 
Corporate Non-
Convertible Bonds
 
U.S. Government & Agency Obligations
 
                         
 
Balance as of 03/31/13
$
               1,953,489
 $
                        4,796,000
 $
                            38,160
 $
                       216,839
 
 
Accrued Accretion / (Amortization)
 
                    55,549
 
                             23,986
 
 -
 
                              (33)
 
 
Change in Unrealized Appreciation / (Depreciation)
 
                  171,160
 
                          (142,786)
 
                            43,231
 
                         (9,750)
 
 
Purchases
 
               3,084,503
 
                        2,050,000
 
 -
 
 -
 
 
Sales
 
                (581,401)
 
 -
 
 -
 
 -
 
 
Paydowns
 
                  (46,526)
 
 -
 
 -
 
                         (3,812)
 
 
Transfers In / (Out)
 
 -
 
                           200,000
 
                           (81,391)
 
                     (203,244)
 
 
Balance as of 03/31/14
$
               4,636,774
 $
                        6,927,200
 $
 -
 $
 -
 
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation / (depreciation) from investments held as of 03/31/14***
$
                  180,326
 $
                          (904,860)
 $
                            43,231
 $
                         (9,750)
 
                         
                         
 
*** The change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) is included in net changes in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) of investments in the accompanying Statements of Operations.
 
                         
 
The Fund utilizes the end of period methodology when determining transfers in or out of the Level 3 category.
 
 
There were no transfers among Level 1 and Level 2 for the year ended March 31, 2014.
 

                             

See Notes to Financial Statements.  43  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS SUMMARY (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 

Portfolio Breakdown (% of Net Assets)
Long Positions
Equity Securities
44.4%
 
Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds
0.9%
 
Syndicated Loans
0.1%
 
Warrants
1.1%
 
Short-Term Investments
13.0%
 
Purchased Options
0.2%
 
Short Positions
Equity Securities
-13.1%
 
Investment Companies
-6.9%
 
Other Assets less Liabilities*
60.3%
 
 
100.0%
 

*
Consists of deposits with the custodian and/or brokers for securities sold short, cash, foreign currency, prepaid expenses, receivables, payables, and accrued liabilities.  Deposits with the custodian and/or brokers for securities sold short represents 22.6% of net assets.  See Note 2.
 
 
(% of Equity Holdings)
Sector Breakdown
Long
Short
Consumer Discretionary
18.7%
27.1%
 
Consumer Staples
7.5%
42.3%
 
Energy
25.9%
2.1%
 
Financial
9.0%
1.2%
 
Industrial
13.9%
13.5%
 
Information Technology
3.1%
5.8%
 
Materials
13.0%
7.4%
 
Telecommunication Services
6.9%
0.6%
 
Utilities
2.0%
0.0%
 
 
100.0%
100.0%
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  44  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
                                           
 
   
Security
                   
Security
             
 
 Shares
 
Description
         
 Value
   
 Shares
 
Description
         
 Value
 
Long Positions - 59.7%
               
            65,369
 
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. (a)(b)
       
$
              596,819
 
Equity Securities - 44.4%
               
              7,336
 
ITT Corp. (b)
         
              313,687
 
Common Stock - 44.4%
               
            10,266
 
KBR, Inc.
         
              273,897
 
Consumer Discretionary - 8.3%
               
              3,839
 
Masonite International Corp. (a)
         
              216,980
 
 
             8,171
 
Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (a)(b)
       
$
                1,216,662
   
            28,140
 
Quality Distribution, Inc. (a)(b)
         
              365,539
 
 
           12,380
 
Bunge, Ltd.
         
                   984,334
   
            43,329
 
Trimble Navigation, Ltd. (a)(b)
         
           1,684,198
 
 
           27,131
 
Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. REIT
         
                   989,196
   
            24,959
 
Tutor Perini Corp. (a)(b)
         
              715,575
 
 
             5,497
 
General Motors Co.
         
                   189,207
                   
           7,135,341
 
 
             2,779
 
Hanesbrands, Inc. (b)
         
                   212,538
 
Information Technology - 1.4%
             
 
           33,660
 
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. (a)
         
                   258,172
   
                 433
 
Apple, Inc. (b)
         
              232,408
 
 
           14,595
 
Jack in the Box, Inc. (a)
         
                   860,229
   
            40,336
 
FormFactor, Inc. (a)(b)
         
              257,747
 
 
           12,380
 
Lithia Motors, Inc., Class A (b)
         
                   822,775
   
            10,676
 
NCR Corp. (a)(b)
         
              390,208
 
 
           97,522
 
Luby's, Inc. (a)
         
                   600,735
   
              6,589
 
Silicon Graphics International Corp. (a)
         
                80,913
 
 
             6,061
 
Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (a)
         
                   289,898
   
            10,443
 
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (a)(b)
         
              391,821
 
 
         103,855
 
Office Depot, Inc. (a)(b)
         
                   428,921
   
              4,537
 
Verint Systems, Inc. (a)(b)
         
              212,763
 
 
             7,158
 
Tempur Sealy International, Inc. (a)
         
                   362,696
   
              3,197
 
Vocera Communications, Inc. (a)
         
                52,207
 
 
           15,846
 
Tractor Supply Co. (b)
         
                1,119,203
                   
           1,618,067
 
 
           25,997
 
Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. (a)(b)
         
                1,235,377
 
Materials - 5.8%
             
                 
                9,569,943
   
              7,295
 
Agrium, Inc.
         
              711,408
 
Consumer Staples - 3.3%
               
              4,704
 
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (b)
         
           1,226,051
 
 
             5,384
 
Alere, Inc. (a)
         
                   184,941
   
            18,128
 
Constellium NV, Class A (a)(b)
         
              532,057
 
 
           24,759
 
Calavo Growers, Inc.
         
                   880,925
   
            13,440
 
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.
         
              901,824
 
 
           15,124
 
Diamond Foods, Inc. (a)
         
                   528,281
   
            12,157
 
FMC Corp.
         
              930,740
 
 
           22,283
 
Tyson Foods, Inc., Class A (b)
         
                   980,675
   
              9,904
 
Monsanto Co. (b)
         
           1,126,778
 
 
           43,782
 
Zoetis, Inc. (b)
         
                1,267,051
   
            33,425
 
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc.
         
           1,210,653
 
                 
                3,841,873
                   
           6,639,511
 
Energy - 11.5%
             
Telecommunication Services - 3.0%
             
 
           68,486
 
Crestwood Equity Partners LP (b)
         
                   947,846
   
            21,067
 
CommScope Holding Co., Inc. (a)(b)
         
              519,933
 
 
           28,837
 
Crestwood Midstream Partners LP
         
                   649,986
   
              7,359
 
Comverse, Inc. (a)(b)
         
              254,474
 
 
           55,739
 
Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. (a)
         
                   676,672
   
              6,968
 
FTD Cos., Inc. (a)
         
              221,652
 
 
           11,721
 
NuStar Energy LP
         
                   644,069
   
            19,545
 
Lee Enterprises, Inc. (a)(b)
         
                87,366
 
 
           25,500
 
NuStar GP Holdings, LLC
         
                   868,020
   
            26,037
 
News Corp., Class A (a)(b)
         
              448,357
 
 
           10,061
 
Ocean Rig UDW, Inc. (a)(b)
         
                   178,985
   
              9,904
 
OpenTable, Inc. (a)(b)
         
              761,915
 
 
           12,267
 
Phillips 66 Partners LP
         
                   595,808
   
            14,780
 
Telephone & Data Systems, Inc. (b)
         
              387,384
 
 
           52,971
 
QEP Midstream Partners LP (b)
         
                1,238,462
   
              8,826
 
Tribune Co. (a)(b)
         
              702,991
 
 
           49,293
 
QEP Resources, Inc. (b)
         
                1,451,186
   
            18,762
 
Vitacost.com, Inc. (a)(b)
         
              133,023
 
 
           25,775
 
Rose Rock Midstream LP (b)
         
                1,069,405
                   
           3,517,095
 
 
           23,376
 
SemGroup Corp., Class A (b)
         
                1,535,336
 
Utilities - 0.9%
             
 
           24,145
 
Summit Midstream Partners LP
         
                1,038,959
   
            21,047
 
Western Gas Equity Partners LP
         
           1,033,618
 
 
           14,647
 
Susser Petroleum Partners LP
         
                   514,842
 
Total Common Stock
             
 
           29,276
 
Tallgrass Energy Partners LP
         
                1,065,939
 
(Cost $42,156,796)
         
         51,189,038
 
 
           19,420
 
Valero Energy Partners LP
         
                   768,838
 
Total Equity Securities
             
                 
              13,244,353
 
(Cost $42,156,796)
         
         51,189,038
 
Financial - 4.0%
                   
Security
             
 
         163,445
 
Coventree, Inc. (a)(c)
         
                     36,962
   
 Principal
 
Description
 
Rate
 
Maturity
 
 Value
 
 
           45,519
 
DFC Global Corp. (a)(b)
         
                   401,933
 
Fixed Income Securities - 1.0%
             
 
         489,865
 
Gramercy Property Trust, Inc. REIT
         
                2,527,703
 
Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds - 0.9%
             
 
           29,005
 
NorthStar Realty Finance Corp. REIT
         
                   468,141
 
Energy - 0.9%
             
 
             5,707
 
Rayonier, Inc. REIT (b)
         
                   262,008
 
$
          987,000
 
Alon Refining Krotz Springs, Inc.
 
     13.50
%
10/15/14
 
              992,552
 
 
           31,000
 
Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust REIT (a)
         
                   892,490
 
Total Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds
             
                 
                4,589,237
 
(Cost $991,673)
         
              992,552
 
Industrial - 6.2%
                                   
 
           41,338
 
Briggs & Stratton Corp.
         
                   919,771
 
Syndicated Loans - 0.1%
             
 
           25,518
 
Builders FirstSource, Inc. (a)
         
                   232,469
   
       2,450,401
 
Cinram International, Inc. (d)
 
     10.25
 
12/31/49
 
              134,772
 
 
           65,068
 
Darling International, Inc. (a)(b)
         
                1,302,661
 
Total Syndicated Loans (Cost $1,597,803)
         
              134,772
 
 
             1,645
 
EnPro Industries, Inc. (a)(b)
         
                   119,542
 
Total Fixed Income Securities (Cost $2,589,476)
         
           1,127,324
 
 
           24,997
 
Global Brass & Copper Holdings, Inc. (b)
         
                   394,203
                       
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  45  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
                                           
 
   
Security
                                   
 
 Shares
 
Description
 
 Strike
Price
 
Exp. Date
 
 Value
                       
Warrants - 1.1%
                                       
 
         705,519
 
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (a)(b)
$
                100.00
 
05/14
$
                1,248,769
                       
Total Warrants
                                       
(Cost $1,051,139)
         
                1,248,769
                       
     
Security
                                   
 
 Principal
 
Description
 
 Rate
 
Maturity
 
 Value
                       
Short-Term Investments - 13.0%
                                   
Commercial Paper (e) - 13.0%
                                   
$
      1,500,000
 
Akzo Nobel NV
 
                    0.31
%
04/28/14
 
                1,499,651
                       
 
      1,500,000
 
Cabot Corp.
 
                    0.28
 
04/25/14
 
                1,499,720
                       
 
      1,500,000
 
Commonwealth Edison Co.
 
                    0.26
 
04/24/14
 
                1,499,751
                       
 
      1,500,000
 
Edison International
 
                    0.45
 
04/07/14
 
                1,499,888
                       
 
      1,500,000
 
Enbridge US, Inc.
 
                    0.26
 
04/25/14
 
                1,499,740
                       
 
      1,500,000
 
Mohawk Industries, Inc.
 
                    0.55
 
04/16/14
 
                1,499,656
                       
 
      1,500,000
 
Molson Coors Brewing Co.
 
                    0.35
 
04/14/14
 
                1,499,810
                       
 
      1,500,000
 
Textron, Inc.
 
                    0.63
 
04/01/14
 
                1,500,000
                       
 
      1,500,000
 
Time Warner Cable, Inc.
 
                    0.26
 
05/02/14
 
                1,499,664
                       
 
      1,500,000
 
Wyndham Worldwide Corp.
 
                    0.50
 
04/11/14
 
                1,499,792
                       
Total Commercial Paper
                                   
(Cost $14,997,672)
           
              14,997,672
                       
Total Short-Term Investments
                                   
(Cost $14,997,672)
             
              14,997,672
                       
     
Security
 
 Strike
 
Exp.
                           
 
 Contracts
 
Description
 
 Price
 
Date
 
 Value
                       
Purchased Options - 0.2%
                                   
Call Options Purchased - 0.2%
                                   
 
                278
 
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.
 
                  26.00
 
06/14/14
 
                     56,990
                       
 
                130
 
NuStar Energy LP
 
                  55.00
 
06/14/14
 
                     26,650
                       
 
                475
 
NuStar GP Holdings, LLC
 
                  35.00
 
06/14/14
 
                     73,625
                       
Total Call Options Purchased
                                   
(Premiums Paid $155,920)
         
                   157,265
                       
                                         
Put Options Purchased - 0.0%
                                   
 
                  36
 
Amedisys, Inc.
 
                  15.00
 
06/14
 
                       5,076
                       
 
                  25
 
Angie's List, Inc.
 
                  17.50
 
05/14
 
                     13,275
                       
 
                  45
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
 
                180.00
 
06/14
 
                     12,060
                       
Total Put Options Purchased
                                   
(Premiums Paid $31,755)
         
                     30,411
                       
Total Purchased Options
                                   
(Premiums Paid $187,675)
         
                   187,676
                       
Total Long Positions - 59.7%
                                   
(Cost $60,982,758)*
       
$
              68,750,479
                       
Total Short Positions - (20.0)%
                                   
(Proceeds $(22,812,033))*
         
            (23,007,156)
                       
Other Assets & Liabilities, Net – 60.3%
         
              69,465,094
                       
Net Assets – 100.0%
       
$
            115,208,417
                       
                                           
                                           
                                           
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  46  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
AFA
                                         
 
   
Security
                   
Security
             
 
Shares
 
Description
         
 Value
   
 Shares
 
Description
         
 Value
 
Short Positions - (20.0)%
               
             (1,840)
 
Haynes International, Inc.
       
$
              (99,360)
 
Common Stock - (13.1)%
               
             (1,016)
 
Lindsay Corp.
         
              (89,591)
 
Consumer Discretionary - (3.5)%
               
             (8,416)
 
Raven Industries, Inc.
         
            (275,624)
 
 
            (7,923)
 
Bob Evans Farms, Inc.
       
$
                 (396,388)
   
             (4,141)
 
Smith & Wesson Holding Corp.
         
              (60,541)
 
 
               (391)
 
Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc.
         
                   (58,220)
   
             (3,219)
 
Valmont Industries, Inc.
         
            (479,116)
 
 
            (1,822)
 
Chico's FAS, Inc.
         
                   (29,207)
                   
         (2,026,277)
 
 
            (1,065)
 
Deckers Outdoor Corp.
         
                   (84,912)
 
Information Technology - (0.8)%
             
 
          (49,519)
 
Denny's Corp.
         
                 (318,407)
   
             (2,076)
 
ACI Worldwide, Inc.
         
            (122,878)
 
 
            (1,819)
 
Dorman Products, Inc.
         
                 (107,430)
   
             (3,459)
 
Castlight Health, Inc., Class B
         
              (73,400)
 
 
               (836)
 
FactSet Research Systems, Inc.
         
                   (90,129)
   
             (4,109)
 
CGI Group, Inc., Class A
         
            (127,050)
 
 
            (1,287)
 
Family Dollar Stores, Inc.
         
                   (74,659)
   
             (1,668)
 
Diebold, Inc.
         
              (66,536)
 
 
          (26,683)
 
Fox Factory Holding Corp.
         
                 (504,309)
   
             (6,709)
 
Digital River, Inc.
         
            (116,938)
 
 
            (2,958)
 
FTI Consulting, Inc.
         
                   (98,620)
   
             (2,596)
 
Lexmark International, Inc., Class A
         
            (120,169)
 
 
            (1,362)
 
Genesco, Inc.
         
                 (101,564)
   
           (10,509)
 
LivePerson, Inc.
         
            (126,844)
 
 
            (1,252)
 
iRobot Corp.
         
                   (51,395)
   
             (2,106)
 
Qlik Technologies, Inc.
         
              (55,999)
 
 
               (362)
 
Lululemon Athletica, Inc.
         
                   (19,037)
   
                (608)
 
The Dun & Bradstreet Corp.
         
              (60,405)
 
 
            (3,854)
 
Multimedia Games Holding Co., Inc.
         
                 (111,920)
                   
            (870,219)
 
 
          (12,380)
 
Noodles & Co.
         
                 (488,639)
 
Materials - (1.0)%
             
 
            (3,438)
 
Panera Bread Co., Class A
         
                 (606,704)
   
           (21,045)
 
American Vanguard Corp.
         
            (455,624)
 
 
            (1,946)
 
PetSmart, Inc.
         
                 (134,060)
   
             (6,082)
 
Compass Minerals International, Inc.
         
            (501,887)
 
 
            (1,168)
 
Sears Holdings Corp.
         
                   (55,784)
   
             (3,909)
 
Rentech Nitrogen Partners LP
         
              (72,747)
 
 
            (2,654)
 
The Buckle, Inc.
         
                 (121,553)
   
             (2,138)
 
United States Steel Corp.
         
              (59,030)
 
 
          (44,567)
 
The Wendy's Co.
         
                 (406,451)
   
                (777)
 
US Silica Holdings, Inc.
         
              (29,658)
 
 
            (2,582)
 
United Stationers, Inc.
         
                 (106,043)
                   
         (1,118,946)
 
 
            (1,693)
 
Vera Bradley, Inc.
         
                   (45,694)
 
Telecommunication Services - (0.1)%
             
 
            (1,618)
 
Vitamin Shoppe, Inc.
         
                   (76,887)
   
             (2,282)
 
WebMD Health Corp.
         
              (94,475)
 
                 
              (4,088,012)
 
Total Common Stock
             
Consumer Staples - (5.5)%
             
(Proceeds $(15,398,816))
         
       (15,066,680)
 
 
            (8,178)
 
Amedisys, Inc.
         
                 (121,770)
                       
 
          (26,864)
 
Amira Nature Foods, Ltd.
         
                 (457,762)
 
Investment Companies - (6.9)%
             
 
            (9,904)
 
Annie's, Inc.
         
                 (398,042)
   
             (8,310)
 
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund
         
            (357,829)
 
 
            (7,428)
 
Campbell Soup Co.
         
                 (333,369)
   
           (10,180)
 
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF
         
         (1,110,638)
 
 
            (9,161)
 
Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.
         
                 (498,908)
   
           (26,317)
 
iShares Russell 2000 ETF
         
         (3,061,720)
 
 
          (24,325)
 
Fairway Group Holdings Corp.
         
                 (185,843)
   
           (10,793)
 
iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF
         
            (730,362)
 
 
            (5,812)
 
Healthways, Inc.
         
                   (99,618)
   
             (7,770)
 
SPDR Barclays High Yield Bond ETF
         
            (320,979)
 
 
            (8,418)
 
Hormel Foods Corp.
         
                 (414,755)
   
           (12,612)
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
         
         (2,358,948)
 
 
            (3,101)
 
LifeLock, Inc.
         
                   (53,058)
 
Total Investment Companies
             
 
            (1,501)
 
On Assignment, Inc.
         
                   (57,924)
 
(Proceeds $(7,413,217))
         
         (7,940,476)
 
 
            (5,942)
 
PepsiCo, Inc.
         
                 (496,157)
 
Total Short Positions - (20.0)%
             
 
          (17,022)
 
Pilgrim's Pride Corp.
         
                 (356,100)
 
(Proceeds $(22,812,033))
       
$
       (23,007,156)
 
 
            (1,376)
 
Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
         
                   (89,344)
                       
 
            (6,685)
 
Sanderson Farms, Inc.
         
                 (524,706)
                       
 
          (12,693)
 
SodaStream International, Ltd.
         
                 (559,761)
                       
 
          (22,519)
 
The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc.
         
                 (481,907)
                       
 
            (9,409)
 
The Fresh Market, Inc.
         
                 (316,142)
                       
 
            (7,923)
 
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., Class A
         
                 (485,521)
                       
 
            (6,190)
 
TreeHouse Foods, Inc.
         
                 (445,618)
                       
                 
              (6,376,305)
                       
Energy - (0.3)%
                                   
 
          (26,740)
 
Renewable Energy Group, Inc.
         
                 (320,345)
                       
                                           
Financial - (0.1)%
                                   
 
            (2,500)
 
Altisource Residential Corp. REIT
         
                   (78,900)
                       
 
            (1,175)
 
Moody's Corp.
         
                   (93,201)
                       
                 
                 (172,101)
                       
Industrial - (1.8)%
                                   
 
            (5,855)
 
Briggs & Stratton Corp.
         
                 (130,274)
                       
 
            (1,026)
 
Caterpillar, Inc.
         
                 (101,953)
                       
 
            (7,281)
 
Deere & Co.
         
                 (661,115)
                       
 
          (11,786)
 
GrafTech International, Ltd.
         
                 (128,703)
                       
 
                                         
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  47  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
NOTES TO SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS AND SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
ETF
Exchange Traded Fund
 
(d)
Security is currently in default and is on scheduled interest or principal payment.
LLC
Limited Liability Company
 
(e)
Rate presented is yield to maturity.
LP
Limited Partnership
         
REIT
Real Estate Investment Trust
         
(a)
Non-income producing security.
         
(b)
All or a portion of this security is held as collateral for securities sold short.
         
(c)
Security fair valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. At the period end, the value of these securities amounted to $36,962 or 0.0% of net assets.
         

At March 31, 2014, the Fund held the following credit default swap agreements:

Credit Default Swaps – Buy Protection

Counterparty
 
Reference Entity / Obligation
 
Pay Rate
 
Termination Date
 
Credit Spread
as of 03/31/14 (1)
 
Notional Amount
 
Net Unrealized Depreciation
Deutsche Bank Alex Brown, Inc.
 
Carnival Corp. 6.65%, 01/15/28
 
1.00%
 
06/20/19
 
0.73%
 
$
10,000,000
   
$
(10,257
)
 
Deutsche Bank Alex Brown, Inc.
 
Dow Chemical Co., 7.38%, 11/01/29
 
1.00%
 
06/20/19
 
0.70
   
5,000,000
     
(21,518
)
 
Barclays
 
Dow Chemical Co., 7.38%, 11/01/29
 
1.00%
 
12/20/18
 
0.61
   
5,000,000
     
(70,159
)
 
Barclays
 
Kimco Realty Corp., 6.88%, 10/01/19
 
 
1.00%
 
12/20/18
 
0.68
   
5,000,000
     
(82,697
)
 
Barclays
 
Kimco Realty Corp., 6.88%, 10/01/19
 
 
1.00%
 
06/20/19
 
0.74
   
5,000,000
     
(17,493
)
 
Deutsche Bank Alex Brown, Inc.
 
Macy's Retail Holdings, Inc., 7.45%, 07/15/17
 
 
1.00%
 
06/20/19
 
0.66
   
10,000,000
     
(34,551
)
 
Deutsche Bank Alex Brown, Inc.
 
Nordstrom, Inc., 6.95%, 03/15/28
 
1.00%
 
06/20/19
 
0.64
   
5,000,000
     
(14,637
)
 
Barclays
 
Nordstrom, Inc., 6.95%, 03/15/28
 
1.00%
 
06/20/19
 
0.64
   
5,000,000
     
(7,119
)
 
Deutsche Bank Alex Brown, Inc.
 
Ryder System, Inc., 6.95%, 12/01/25
 
1.00%
 
06/20/19
 
0.69
   
10,000,000
     
(42,933
)
 
Goldman Sachs & Co.
 
Ryder System, Inc., 6.95%, 12/01/25
 
1.00%
 
06/20/19
 
0.69
   
5,000,000
     
(6,637
)
 
BNP Paribas
 
Ryder System, Inc., 6.95%, 12/01/25
 
1.00%
 
06/20/19
 
0.69
   
5,000,000
     
(16,565
)
 
Goldman Sachs & Co.
 
Southwest Airlines Co., 5.13%, 03/01/17
 
 
1.00%
 
06/20/19
 
0.70
   
15,000,000
     
(20,027
)
 
                           
$
(344,593
)
 
AFA

(1) Credit spreads are an indication of the seller’s performance risk, related to the likelihood of a credit event occurring that would require a seller to make payment to a buyer.  Credit spreads are used to determine the value of swap contracts and reflect the cost of buying/selling protection, which may include upfront payments made to enter into the contact.
 
At March 31, 2014, the Fund sold the following futures contracts:
 
Contracts
 
Type
 
Expiration Date
 
Notional Contract Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation
(325
)
 
Russell 2000 Mini Future
 
06/20/14
 
$
(38,489,253
)
 
$
448,003
 

AFA
 
*
Cost for federal income tax purposes is $40,147,550 and net unrealized appreciation consists of:
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
10,299,507
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
   
(4,703,734
)
Net Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
5,595,773
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  48  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
NOTES TO SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS AND SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014
 

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments and other financial instruments and liabilities as of March 31, 2014.
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 

 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total

Assets
Investments At Value
Common Stock
                               
Consumer Discretionary
 
$
9,569,943
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
9,569,943
 
Consumer Staples
   
3,841,873
     
-
     
-
     
3,841,873
 
Energy
   
13,244,353
     
-
     
-
     
13,244,353
 
Financial
   
4,552,275
     
-
     
36,962
     
4,589,237
 
Industrial
   
7,135,341
     
-
     
-
     
7,135,341
 
Information Technology
   
1,618,067
     
-
     
-
     
1,618,067
 
Materials
   
6,639,511
     
-
     
-
     
6,639,511
 
Telecommunication Services
   
3,517,095
     
-
     
-
     
3,517,095
 
Utilities
   
1,033,618
     
-
     
-
     
1,033,618
 
Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds
   
-
     
992,552
     
-
     
992,552
 
Syndicated Loans
   
-
     
134,772
     
-
     
134,772
 
Warrants
   
1,248,769
     
-
     
-
     
1,248,769
 
Commercial Paper
   
-
     
14,997,672
     
-
     
14,997,672
 
Purchased Options
   
187,676
     
-
     
-
     
187,676
 
Total Investments At Value
 
$
52,588,521
   
$
16,124,996
   
$
36,962
   
$
68,750,479
 
Other Financial Instruments**
                               
Futures
   
448,003
     
-
     
-
     
448,003
 
Total Assets
 
$
53,036,524
   
$
16,124,996
   
$
36,962
   
$
69,198,482
 
 
Liabilities
Securities Sold Short
Common Stock
   
(15,066,680
)
   
-
     
-
     
(15,066,680
)
Investment Companies
   
(7,940,476
)
   
-
     
-
     
(7,940,476
)
Total Securities Sold Short
 
$
(23,007,156
)
 
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
(23,007,156
)
Other Financial Instruments**
                               
Credit Default Swaps
   
-
     
(344,593
)
   
-
     
(344,593
)
Total Liabilities
 
$
(23,007,156
)
 
$
(344,593
)
 
$
-
   
$
(23,351,749
)

**
Other Financial Instruments are derivative instruments not reflected in the Schedule of Investments and Schedule of Securities Sold Short, such as futures and credit default swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of the instrument.   

See Notes to Financial Statements.  49  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
NOTES TO SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS AND SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 investments for which significant unobservable inputs were used to determine fair value.

 
   
 
Common Stock
 
Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds
 
Warrants
Balance as of 03/31/13
 
$
40,224
   
$
1,693,497
   
$
3,358
 
Accrued Accretion / (Amortization)
   
-
     
92,762
     
-
 
Realized Gain /
    (Loss)
   
-
     
925,615
     
509
 
Change in Unrealized Appreciation /
   (Depreciation)
   
(3,262
)
   
(1,045,715
)
   
(3,358
)
Sales
   
-
     
(1,666,159
)
   
(509
)
Balance as of 03/31/14
 
 
$
 
36,962
   
 
$
 
-
   
 
$
-
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation / (depreciation) from investments held as of 03/31/14***
 
 
 
 
$
 
 
 
 
(3,262
)
 
 
 
 
 
$
 
 
 
 
-
   
 
 
 
 
$
 
 
 
 
-
 
 
*** The change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) is included in net changes in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) of investments in the accompanying Statements of Operations.

There were no transfers among Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 for the year ended March 31, 2014.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  50  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
         
 ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
     
 ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
 
ASSETS
               
 
Total investments, at value (Cost $1,691,153,599 and $60,982,758, respectively)
$
2,134,763,254
   
$
68,750,479
 
 
Deposits with brokers
   
1,109,093,430
     
26,033,094
 
 
Cash
   
387,509,037
     
45,211,219
 
 
Foreign currency (Cost $0 and $1,795, respectively)
   
-
     
1,945
 
 
Receivables:
               
   
Fund shares sold
   
6,117,935
     
87,139
 
   
Investment securities sold
   
52,421,203
     
2,360,416
 
   
Dividends and interest
   
8,482,905
     
86,709
 
   
From administrator
   
-
     
46,581
 
   
Variation margin
   
8,563
     
-
 
 
Swap premiums paid
   
-
     
6,630
 
 
Unrealized appreciation on swap agreements
   
133,659
     
-
 
 
Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts
   
4,766
     
-
 
 
Prepaid expenses
   
31,947
     
12,027
 
Total Assets
   
3,698,566,699
     
142,596,239
 
                     
LIABILITIES
               
 
Swap premiums received
   
49,710
     
1,035,633
 
 
Unrealized depreciation on swap agreements
   
-
     
344,593
 
 
Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts
   
22,180
     
-
 
 
Securities sold short, at value (Proceeds $774,982,543 and $22,812,033, respectively)
   
802,988,959
     
23,007,156
 
 
Call options written, at value (Premiums received $16,192,614 and $0, respectively)
   
15,286,071
     
-
 
 
Put options written, at value (Premiums received $18,544,009 and $0, respectively)
   
14,868,287
     
-
 
 
Payables:
               
   
Investment securities purchased
   
49,036,503
     
1,810,193
 
   
Fund shares redeemed
   
10,642,885
     
161,647
 
   
Dividends and interest on securities sold short
   
1,391,592
     
20,277
 
   
Variation margin
   
17,135,814
     
763,750
 
   
Due to broker
   
18,274,179
     
-
 
   
Other
   
29,267
     
-
 
 
Accrued Liabilities:
               
   
Investment adviser fees
   
4,042,397
     
152,399
 
   
Trustees’ fees and expenses
   
1,900
     
80
 
   
Fund services fees
   
118,901
     
10,658
 
   
Other expenses
   
414,911
     
81,436
 
Total Liabilities
   
934,303,556
     
27,387,822
 
                     
NET ASSETS
 
$
 2,764,263,143
   
$
 115,208,417
 

See Notes to Financial Statements.  51  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 

         
 ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
     
 ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
 
COMPONENTS OF NET ASSETS
               
 
Paid-in capital
 
$
2,612,274,110
   
$
112,260,287
 
 
Accumulated net investment income (loss)
   
10,781
     
(1,922,673
)
 
Accumulated net realized loss
   
(275,960,958
)
   
(2,805,355
)
 
Net unrealized appreciation
   
427,939,210
     
7,676,158
 
NET ASSETS
 
$
2,764,263,143
   
$
115,208,417
 
                     
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST AT NO PAR VALUE (UNLIMITED SHARES AUTHORIZED)
               
 
Institutional Shares
   
245,081,286
     
10,443,640
 
 
R Shares
   
6,109,479
     
-
 
                     
NET ASSET VALUE, OFFERING AND REDEMPTION PRICE PER SHARE
               
 
Institutional Shares (based on net assets of $2,697,674,615 and $115,208,417, respectively)
 
$
11.01
   
$
11.03
 
 
R Shares (based on net assets of $66,588,528 and $0, respectively)
 
$
10.90
   
$
-
 

See Notes to Financial Statements.  52  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2014
 

         
 ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
     
 ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
   
INVESTMENT INCOME
                 
 
Dividend income (Net of foreign withholding taxes of $267,365 and $9,581, respectively)
 
$
36,151,696
   
$
2,279,775
   
 
Interest income (Net of foreign withholding taxes of $2,572 and $0, respectively)
   
19,863,900
     
1,168,235
   
Total Investment Income
   
56,015,596
     
3,448,010
   
Adviser
                 
EXPENSES
                 
 
Investment adviser fees
   
56,195,212
     
7,608,470
   
 
Fund services fees
   
1,240,977
     
157,455
   
 
Transfer agent fees:
                 
 
Institutional Shares
   
157,997
     
21,738
   
 
R Shares
   
114,914
     
-
   
 
Distribution fees:
                 
 
R Shares
   
200,801
     
-
   
 
Custodian fees
   
551,874
     
150,042
   
 
Registration fees:
                 
 
Institutional Shares
   
68,277
     
34,324
   
 
R Shares
   
25,153
     
-
   
 
Professional fees
   
217,692
     
89,647
   
 
Trustees' fees and expenses
   
134,289
     
18,125
   
 
Dividend expense on securities sold short
   
18,737,677
#
   
722,489
#
 
 
Interest expense
   
6,437,704
#
   
360,526
0
 
 
Miscellaneous expenses
   
2,883,571
     
366,421
   
Total Expenses
   
86,966,138
     
9,529,237
   
 
Fees waived
   
(646,931
)
   
(686,328
)
 
Net Expenses
   
86,319,207
     
8,842,909
   
                       
NET INVESTMENT LOSS
   
(30,303,611
)
   
(5,394,899
)
 
                       
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)
                 
 
Net realized gain (loss) on:
                 
 
Investments
   
577,118,695
     
55,138,971
   
 
Foreign currency transactions
   
(508,436
)
   
206,732
   
 
Futures
   
(237,201,954
)
   
(15,051,013
)
 
 
Securities sold short
   
(327,289,845
)
   
(12,266,991
)
 
 
Written options
   
10,075,830
     
82,342
   
 
Swaps
   
65,617
     
(9,240,959
)
 
 
Net realized gain
   
22,259,907
     
18,869,082
   

See Notes to Financial Statements.  53  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2014
 

         
 ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
     
 ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
   
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
                 
 
Investments
 
$
(163,514,708
)
 
$
(33,310,582
)
 
 
Foreign currency translations
   
(67,085
)
   
5,663
   
 
Futures
   
29,696,672
     
1,589,441
   
 
Securities sold short
   
64,976,398
     
2,742,860
   
 
Written options
   
2,201,034
     
30,014
   
 
Swaps
   
16,083
     
666,780
   
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
(66,691,606
)
   
(28,275,824
)
 
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED LOSS
   
(44,431,699
)
   
(9,406,742
)
 
DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS
 
$
 (74,735,310
)
 
$
 (14,801,641
)
 
                       

See Notes to Financial Statements.  54  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
 
 

       
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
 
                                       
   
March 31, 2012
           
Shares
             
Shares
   
NET ASSETS MARCH 31, 2012
 
$
 3,983,432,430
     
 $ 3,983,432,430
   
$
 510,920,929
     
 $510,920,929
   
                                       
OPERATIONS
                                 
 
Net investment loss
   
(36,537,064
)
           
(9,761,973
)
         
 
Net realized loss
   
(30,715,024
)
           
(7,899,950
)
         
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
116,634,001
             
18,701,069
           
Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations
   
49,381,913
             
1,039,146
           
                                       
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                                 
 
Sale of shares:
                                 
   
Institutional Shares
   
1,275,564,625
     
114,078,621
     
126,849,777
     
10,997,972
   
   
R Shares
   
36,451,388
     
3,273,000
     
-
     
-
   
 
Redemption of shares:
                                 
   
Institutional Shares
   
(1,413,621,327
)
   
(126,745,214
)
   
(256,362,656
)
   
(22,218,799
)
 
   
R Shares
   
(42,962,020
)
   
(3,864,023
)
   
-
     
-
   
Decrease in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions
   
(144,567,334
)
   
(13,257,616
)
   
(129,512,879
)
   
(11,220,827
)
 
Decrease in Net Assets
   
(95,185,421
)
           
(128,473,733
)
         
   
March 31, 2013
                                 
NET ASSETS MARCH 31, 2013 (Including line (a))
 
$
 3,888,247,009
           
$
 382,447,196
           
                                       
OPERATIONS
                                 
 
Net investment loss
   
(30,303,611
)
           
(5,394,899
)
         
 
Net realized gain
   
22,259,907
             
18,869,082
           
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
(66,691,606
)
           
(28,275,824
)
         
Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations
   
(74,735,310
)
           
(14,801,641
)
         
                                       
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                                 
 
Sale of shares:
                                 
   
Institutional Shares
   
840,977,946
     
75,443,988
     
61,461,658
     
5,391,862
   
   
R Shares
   
24,205,043
     
2,185,483
     
-
     
-
   
 
Redemption of shares:
                                 
   
Institutional Shares
   
(1,870,531,696
)
   
(168,395,529
)
   
(313,898,796
)
   
(27,820,270
)
 
   
R Shares
   
(43,899,849
)
   
(3,980,271
)
   
-
     
-
   
Decrease in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions
   
(1,049,248,556
)
   
(94,746,329
)
   
(252,437,138
)
   
(22,428,408
)
 
Decrease in Net Assets
   
(1,123,983,866
)
           
(267,238,779
)
         
   
March 31, 2014
                                 
NET ASSETS MARCH 31, 2014 (Including line (b))
 
$
 2,764,263,143
           
$
 115,208,417
           
                                       
(a)
Accumulated net investment income (loss)
March 31, 2013
 
$
(4,777,213
)
         
$
(4,401,844
)
         
                                       
(b)
Accumulated net investment income (loss)
March 31, 2014
 
$
10,781
           
$
(1,922,673
)
         

See Notes to Financial Statements.  55  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
 
These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout each year.
 
           
   
For the Years Ended March 31,
   
   
2014
 
2013
 
 2012
 
 2011
 
2010
 
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES 
                                       
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning
                                       
of Year 
$
11.24
   
$
11.09
   
$
10.80
   
$
10.66
   
$
8.79
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                                       
Net investment income (loss) (a)
 
 (0.10
)
   
 (0.10
)
   
 (0.09
)
   
 (0.02
)
   
 0.10
   
Net realized and unrealized
                                       
 
gain (loss)
 
 (0.13
)
   
 0.25
     
 0.45
     
 0.20
     
 1.91
   
Total from Investment
                                       
 
Operations
 
 (0.23
)
   
 0.15
     
 0.36
     
 0.18
     
 2.01
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO
                                       
SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                       
Net investment income
 
     
     
 (0.02
)
   
 (0.04
)
   
 (0.14
)
 
Net realized gain
 
     
     
 (0.05
)
   
     
(b)
 
Total Distributions to
                                       
 
Shareholders
 
     
     
 (0.07
)
   
 (0.04
)
   
 (0.14
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End
                                       
of Year 
$
11.01
   
$
11.24
   
$
11.09
   
$
10.80
   
$
10.66
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
(2.05
)%
 
1.35
%
 
3.36
%
 
1.73
%
 
22.95
%
 
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY
                                       
DATA
                                       
Net Assets at End of
                                       
 
Year (000's omitted)
$2,697,675
   
$3,799,857
   
$3,899,319
   
$3,300,120
   
$2,116,412
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                       
Net investment income (loss) 
 
(0.85
)%
 
(0.87
)%
 
(0.80
)%
 
(0.20
)%
 
0.98
%
 
Net expense (c)
 
1.73
%
 
1.73
%
 
1.73
%
 
1.73
%
 
1.78
%
 
Dividend and interest expense
 
0.72
%
 
0.84
%
 
0.85
%
 
0.53
%
 
0.34
%
 
Gross expense 
 
2.47
%(d)
2.57
%
 
2.58
%
 
2.26
%(d)
2.12
%(d)
 
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
 
75
%
 
68
%
 
112
%
 
192
%
 
114
%
 
                                           
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during each year.
 
(b)
Less than $0.01 per share.
 
(c)
Excludes dividend and interest expense.
 
(d)
Reflects the expense ratio excluding any waivers and/or reimbursements.
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  56  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE STRATEGIES FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
 

These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout each year.
 
           
   
For the Years Ended March 31,
   
   
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
 
2010
 
R SHARES 
                                       
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning
                                       
of Year 
$
11.18
   
$
11.08
   
$
10.82
   
$
10.67
   
$
8.82
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                                       
Net investment income (loss) (a)
 
 (0.14
)
   
 (0.15
)
   
 (0.16
)
   
 (0.10
)
   
 0.05
   
Net realized and unrealized
                                       
 
gain (loss)
 
 (0.14
)
   
 0.25
     
 0.47
     
 0.26
     
 1.91
   
Total from Investment
                                       
 
Operations
 
 (0.28
)
   
 0.10
     
 0.31
     
 0.16
     
 1.96
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO
                                       
SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                       
Net investment income
 
     
     
     
 (0.01
)
   
 (0.11
)
 
Net realized gain
 
     
     
 (0.05
)
   
     
(b)
Total Distributions to
                                       
 
Shareholders
 
     
     
 (0.05
)
   
 (0.01
)
   
 (0.11
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End
                                       
of Year 
$
10.90
   
$
11.18
   
$
11.08
   
$
10.82
   
$
10.67
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
(2.50
)%
 
0.90
%
 
2.87
%
 
1.49
%
 
22.28
%
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY
                                       
DATA
                                       
Net Assets at End of
                                       
 
Year (000's omitted)
$66,589
   
$88,390
   
$94,113
   
$101,868
   
$93,696
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                       
Net investment income (loss) 
 
(1.23
)%
 
(1.34
)%
 
(1.43
)%
 
(0.95
)%
 
0.52
%
Net expense (c)
 
2.19
%
 
2.14
%
 
2.14
%
 
2.11
%
 
2.22
%
Dividend and interest expense
 
0.73
%
 
0.84
%
 
0.81
%
 
0.53
%
 
0.34
%
Gross expense 
 
2.93
%(d)
2.98
%
 
2.95
%
 
2.64
%(d)
2.56
%(d)
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
 
75
%
 
68
%
 
112
%
 
192
%
 
114
%
                                           
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during each year.
(b)
Less than $0.01 per share.
(c)
Excludes dividend and interest expense.
(d)
Reflects the expense ratio excluding any waivers and/or reimbursements.

See Notes to Financial Statements.  57  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
 
These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout each year.
 
           
   
For the Years Ended March 31,
 
   
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
 
2010
 
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES 
                                       
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning
                                       
of Year 
$
11.63
   
$
11.59
   
$
12.41
   
$
11.77
   
$
10.57
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                                       
Net investment loss (a)
 
 (0.22
)
   
 (0.26
)
   
 (0.25
)
   
 (0.13
)
   
 (0.11
)
 
Net realized and unrealized
                                       
 
gain (loss)
 
 (0.38
)
   
 0.30
     
 (0.21
)
   
 0.95
     
 2.11
   
Total from Investment
                                       
 
Operations
 
 (0.60
)
   
 0.04
     
 (0.46
)
   
 0.82
     
 2.00
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO
                                       
SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                       
Net investment income
 
     
     
     
     
 (0.01
)
 
Net realized gain
 
     
     
 (0.36
)
   
 (0.18
)
   
 (0.75
)
 
Return of capital
 
     
     
     
     
 (0.04
)
 
Total Distributions to
                                       
 
Shareholders
 
     
     
 (0.36
)
   
 (0.18
)
   
 (0.80
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End
                                       
of Year 
$
11.03
   
$
11.63
   
$
11.59
   
$
12.41
   
$
11.77
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
(5.16
)%
 
0.34
%
 
(3.68
)%
 
6.98
%
 
19.00
%
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY
                                       
DATA
                                       
Net Assets at End of
                                       
 
Year (000's omitted)
$115,208
   
$382,447
   
$510,921
   
$593,127
   
$285,639
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                       
Net investment loss 
 
(1.95
)%
 
(2.25
)%
 
(2.12
)%
 
(1.05
)%
 
(0.90
)%
Net expense (b)
 
2.80
%
 
2.95
%
 
2.95
%
 
2.95
%
 
2.95
%
Dividend and interest expense
 
0.39
%
 
0.99
%
 
0.61
%
 
0.42
%
 
0.46
%
Gross expense (c)
 
3.44
%
 
4.00
%
 
3.58
%
 
3.42
%
 
3.66
%
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
 
157
%
 
205
%
 
430
%
 
630
%
 
597
%
                                           
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during each year.
(b)
Excludes dividend and interest expense.
(c)
Reflects the expense ratio excluding any waivers and/or reimbursements.

See Notes to Financial Statements.  58  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Note 1. Organization
 
Absolute Strategies Fund and Absolute Opportunities Fund (individually, a “Fund” and, collectively the “Funds”) are non-diversified portfolios of Forum Funds (the “Trust”). The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust that is registered as an open-end, management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”), as amended. Under its Trust Instrument, the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of each Fund’s shares of beneficial interest without par value. Absolute Strategies Fund currently offers two classes of shares: Institutional Shares and R Shares. Institutional and R Shares commenced operations on July 11, 2005. Absolute Strategies Fund seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation with an emphasis on absolute (positive) returns and low sensitivity to traditional financial market indices, such as the S&P 500 Index. Absolute Opportunities Fund currently offers Institutional Shares. Absolute Opportunities Fund commenced operations on October 21, 2008. Absolute Opportunities Fund seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation with an emphasis on risk-adjusted returns and lower volatility than traditional equity market indices, such as the S&P 500 Index.
 
Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 
These financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the fiscal year. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates. The following summarizes the significant accounting policies of each Fund:
 
Security Valuation – Exchange-traded securities and over-the-counter securities are valued using the last quoted trade or official closing price, provided by independent pricing services as of the close of trading on the market or exchange for which they are primarily traded, on each Fund business day. In the absence of a sale, such securities are valued at the mean of the last bid and ask price provided by independent pricing services. Non-exchange traded securities for which quotations are available are valued using the last quoted sales price, or in the absence of a sale, at the mean of the last bid and ask prices provided by independent pricing services. Debt securities may be valued at prices supplied by a fund’s pricing agent based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics such as rating, interest rate and maturity. Exchange-traded options for which the last quoted sale price is outside the closing bid and ask price, will be valued at the mean of the closing bid and ask price. Shares of open-end mutual funds are valued at net asset value (“NAV”). Futures contracts listed for trading on a securities exchange or board of trade shall be valued at the last quoted sales price or in the absence of a sale at the mean of the last bid and asked prices. Short-term investments that mature in 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost.
 
Each Fund values its investments and other financial instruments at fair value pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board") if (1) market quotations are insufficient or not readily available or (2) the adviser believes that the values available are unreliable. The Trust’s Valuation Committee, as defined in each Fund’s registration statement, performs certain functions as they relate to the administration and oversight of each Fund’s valuation procedures. Under these procedures, the Valuation Committee convenes on a regular and ad-hoc basis to review such securities and considers a number of factors, including valuation methodologies and significant unobservable inputs, when arriving at fair value.  

The Valuation Committee may work with an adviser to provide valuation inputs. In determining fair valuations, inputs may include market-based analytics which may consider related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values and other relevant investment information. Adviser inputs may include an income-based approach in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted in determining fair value. Discounts may also be applied based on the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. The Valuation Committee performs regular reviews of valuation methodologies, key inputs and assumptions, disposition analysis and market activity.  

Fair valuation is based on subjective factors and, as a result, the fair value price of an investment may differ from

   59  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
the security’s market price and may not be the price at which the asset may be sold. Fair valuation could result in a different NAV than a NAV determined by using market quotes.
 
Each Fund has a three-tier fair value hierarchy. The basis of the tiers is dependent upon the various “inputs” used to determine the value of each Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:
 
Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical assets
 
Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices of similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)
 
Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including each Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)
 
The aggregate value by input level, as of March 31, 2014, for each Fund’s investments is included in the Notes to Schedules of Investments, Securities Sold Short and Call and Put Options Written.
 
Security Transactions, Investment Income and Realized Gain and Loss – Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Dividend income and expense are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Foreign dividend income and expense are recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as possible after each Fund determines the existence of a dividend declaration after exercising reasonable due diligence. Income and capital gains on some foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, which are accrued as applicable. Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Premium is amortized and discount is accreted using the effective interest method. Identified cost of investments sold is used to determine the gain and loss for both financial statement and federal income tax purposes. Each Fund estimates components of distributions from real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). Distributions received in excess of income are recorded as a reduction of the cost of the related investments.
 
Foreign Currency Translations – Foreign currency amounts are translated into U.S. dollars as follows: (1) assets and liabilities at the rate of exchange at the end of the respective period; and (2) purchases and sales of securities and income and expenses at the rate of exchange prevailing on the dates of such transactions. The portion of the results of operations arising from changes in the exchange rates and the portion due to fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of securities are not isolated. Such fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments.
 
Futures Contracts – Each Fund may purchase futures contracts to gain exposure to market changes, which may be more efficient or cost effective than actually buying the securities. A futures contract is an agreement between parties to buy or sell a security at a set price on a future date. Upon entering into such a contract, a fund is required to pledge to the broker an amount of cash, U.S. Government obligations or other high-quality debt securities equal to the minimum “initial margin” requirements of the exchange on which the futures contract is traded. Pursuant to the contract, the fund agrees to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin” and are recorded by the fund as unrealized gains or losses. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and value at the time it was closed. Risks of entering into futures contracts include the possibility that there may be an illiquid market and that a change in the value of the contract may not correlate with changes in the value of the underlying securities.
 
Notional amounts of each individual futures contract outstanding as of March 31, 2014, for each Fund, are disclosed in the Notes to Schedule of Investments, Securities Sold Short and Call and Put Options Written.
 
Securities Sold Short – Each Fund may sell a security short to increase investment returns. Each Fund may also

   60  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
sell a security short in anticipation of a decline in the market value of a security. A short sale is a transaction in which a fund sells a security that it does not own. To complete the transaction, the fund must borrow the security in order to deliver it to the buyer. The fund must replace the borrowed security by purchasing it at market price at the time of replacement; the price may be higher or lower than the price at which the fund sold the security. The fund incurs a loss from a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the fund replaces the borrowed security. The fund realizes a profit if the price of the security declines between those dates.
 
Until the fund replaces the borrowed security, the fund will maintain on its books and records cash and long securities to sufficiently cover its short position on a daily basis. The collateral for the securities sold short includes the Deposits with Brokers as shown on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities and the securities held long as shown on the Schedules of Investments. Dividends and interest paid on securities sold short are recorded as an expense on each Fund’s Statement of Operations.
 
Purchased Options – When a fund purchases an option, an amount equal to the premium paid by the fund is recorded as an investment and is subsequently adjusted to the current value of the option purchased.  If an option expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the fund enters into a closing sale transaction, a gain or loss is realized. If a call option is exercised, the cost of the security acquired is increased by the premium paid for the call. If a put option is exercised, a gain or loss is realized from the sale of the underlying security, and the proceeds from such sale are decreased by the premium originally paid. Purchased options are non-income producing securities.
 
The values of each individual purchased option outstanding as of March 31, 2014, are disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments.
 
Written Options – When a fund writes an option, an amount equal to the premium received by the fund is recorded as a liability and is subsequently adjusted to the current value of the option written. Premiums received from writing options that expire unexercised are treated by the fund on the expiration date as realized gain from written options. The difference between the premium and the amount paid on effecting a closing purchase transaction, including brokerage commissions, is also treated as a realized gain, or if the premium is less than the amount paid for the closing purchase transaction, as a realized loss. If a call option is exercised, the premium is added to the proceeds from the sale of the underlying security in determining whether the fund has realized a gain or loss. If a put option is exercised, the premium reduces the cost basis of the securities purchased by the fund. The fund, as writer of an option, bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the security underlying the written option. Written options are non-income producing securities.
 
The values of each individual written option outstanding as of March 31, 2014, if any, are disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Call and Put Options Written. There were no written options outstanding at March 31, 2014, for the Absolute Opportunities Fund.
 
Transactions in written options during the year ended March 31, 2014, were as follows:
 
Absolute Strategies Fund
                           
   
Calls
 
Puts
   
Number of
         
Number of
       
   
Contracts
   
Premiums Received
 
Contracts
 
Premiums Received
Options Outstanding, March 31, 2013
 
(112,745
)
 
$
(17,248,328
)
 
(143,309
)
 
$
(23,640,990
)
Options written
 
(112,523
)
   
(43,077,312
)
 
(135,686
)
   
(24,146,549
)
Options terminated in closing transactions
 
64,401
   
15,022,871
 
120,168
   
17,805,552
 
Options exercised
 
85,445
   
27,063,652
 
1,863
   
528,246
 
Options expired
 
22,150
   
2,046,503
 
61,817
   
10,909,732
 
Options Outstanding, March 31, 2014
 
(53,272
 
$
(16,192,614
 
(95,147
 
$
(18,544,009
                             

   61  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Absolute Opportunities Fund
                           
   
Calls
 
Puts
   
Number of
         
Number of
       
   
Contracts
   
Premiums Received
 
Contracts
 
Premiums Received
Options Outstanding, March 31, 2013
 
-
   
$
-
   
(1,400
)
 
$
(48,386
)
Options written
 
(593
)
   
(21,438
)
 
(399
)
   
(19,247
)
Options terminated in closing transactions
 
593
   
21,438
 
-
     
-
 
Options exercised
 
-
     
-
   
-
     
-
 
Options expired
 
-
     
-
   
1,799
   
67,633
 
Options Outstanding, March 31, 2014
 
-
   
$
-
   
-
   
$
-
 

Credit Default Swaps – Each Fund may invest in credit default swaps. A credit default swap gives one party (the buyer) the right to recoup the economic value of a decline in the value of debt securities of the reference issuer (including sovereign debt obligations) if a credit event (a downgrade or default) occurs. This value is obtained by delivering a debt security of the reference issuer to the party in return for a previously agreed payment from the other party (frequently, the par value of the debt security). Credit default swaps may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of a reference obligation.
 
If a fund is a seller of a credit default swap contract, the fund would be required to pay the par (or other agreed upon) value of a referenced debt obligation to the counterparty in the event of a default or other credit event by the reference issuer, such as a U.S. or foreign corporate issuer, with respect to such debt obligations. In return, the fund would receive from the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the fund would keep the stream of payments and would have no payment obligations. As the seller, the fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.
 
If a fund is the buyer of a credit default swap contract, the fund would have the right to deliver a referenced debt obligation and receive the par (or other agreed-upon) value of such debt obligation from the counterparty in the event of a default or other credit event (such as a credit downgrade) by the reference issuer, such as a U.S. or foreign corporation, with respect to its debt obligations. In return, the fund would pay the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the counterparty would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligations to the fund.
 
Notional amounts of each individual credit default swap agreement outstanding as of March 31, 2014, for each Fund, are disclosed in the Notes to Schedule of Investments, Securities Sold Short and Call and Put Options Written.
 
Interest Rate Swaps – Each Fund may enter into interest rate swaps for investment purposes to manage exposure to fluctuations in interest rates or to add leverage.
 
Interest rate swaps represent an agreement between two counterparties to exchange cash flows based on the difference in two interest rates, applied to the notional principal amount for a specified period.  The payment flows are usually netted against each other, with the difference being paid by one party to the other.  The Fund settles accrued net receivables or payables under the swap contracts on a periodic basis.
 
The primary risk associated with interest rate swaps is that unfavorable changes in interest rates could adversely impact the Funds.
 
Notional amounts of each individual interest rate swap agreement outstanding as of March 31, 2014, if any, are

   62  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
disclosed in each Fund’s Notes to Schedule of Investments, Securities Sold Short and Call and Put Options Written.  The Funds did not enter into any interest rate swaps during the year ended March 31, 2014.
 
Restricted Securities – Each Fund may invest in securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale (“restricted securities”). Restricted securities may be resold in transactions that are exempt from registration under the Federal securities laws or if the securities are registered to the public. The sale or other disposition of these securities may involve additional expenses and the prompt sale of these securities at an acceptable price may be difficult. Information regarding restricted securities held by each Fund is included in their Schedule of Investments, if applicable.
 
When-Issued Transactions – Each Fund may purchase securities on a forward commitment or ‘when-issued’ basis. A fund records a when-issued transaction on the trade date and will segregate with the custodian qualifying assets that have a value sufficient to make payment for the securities purchased. Securities purchased on a when-issued basis are marked-to-market daily and the fund begins earning interest on the settlement date. Losses may arise due to changes in the market value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.
 
Distributions to Shareholders – Distributions to shareholders of net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least semi-annually. Distributions to shareholders of net capital gains, if any, are declared and paid annually. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributions are based on amounts calculated in accordance with applicable federal income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP. These differences are due primarily to differing treatments of income and gain on various investment securities held by each Fund, timing differences and differing characterizations of distributions made by each Fund.
 
Federal Taxes – Each Fund intends to continue to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and to distribute all of their taxable income to shareholders. In addition, by distributing in each calendar year substantially all of their net investment income and capital gains, if any, the Funds will not be subject to a federal excise tax. Therefore, no federal income or excise tax provision is required. Each Fund files a U.S. federal income and excise tax return as required. A fund’s federal income tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a period of three fiscal years after they are filed. As of March 31, 2014, there are no uncertain tax positions that would require financial statement recognition, de-recognition, or disclosure.
 
Income and Expense Allocation – The Trust accounts separately for the assets, liabilities and operations of each of its investment portfolios. Expenses that are directly attributable to more than one investment portfolio are allocated among the respective investment portfolios in an equitable manner.
 
Absolute Strategies Fund’s class specific expenses are charged to the operations of that class of shares. Income and expenses (other than expenses attributable to a specific class) and realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments are allocated to each class of shares based on the class’ respective net assets to the total net assets of the Fund.
 
Commitments and Contingencies – In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that provide general indemnifications by each Fund to the counterparty to the contract. Each Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against each Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated; however, based on experience, the risk of loss from such claims is considered remote.
 
Note 3. Fees and Expenses
 
Investment Adviser – Absolute Investment Advisers LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Funds. Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser receives an advisory fee at an annual rate of 1.60% and 2.75% of the average daily net assets of Absolute Strategies Fund and Absolute Opportunities Fund, respectively.
 

   63  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Each sub-advisory fee, calculated as a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets, is paid by the Adviser.
 
Distribution – Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as each Fund’s distributor (the “Distributor”). The Distributor is not affiliated with the Adviser or Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC (d/b/a Atlantic Fund Services) (“Atlantic”) or their affiliates. Absolute Strategies Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for R Shares of the Fund in accordance with Rule 12b-1 of the Act. Under the Plan, the Fund pays the Distributor and/or any other entity as authorized by the Board a fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of R Shares.
 
Other Service Providers – Atlantic provides fund accounting, fund administration, compliance and transfer agency services to each Fund. Atlantic also provides certain shareholder report production, and EDGAR conversion and filing services. Pursuant to an Atlantic services agreement, each Fund pays Atlantic customary fees for its services. Atlantic provides a Principal Executive Officer, a Principal Financial Officer, a Chief Compliance Officer, and an Anti-Money Laundering Officer to each Fund, as well as certain additional compliance support functions.
 
Trustees and Officers – The Trust pays each independent Trustee an annual retainer fee of $45,000 for service to the Trust ($66,000 for the Chairman). The Trustees and Chairman may receive additional fees for special Board meetings. Each Trustee is also reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with his duties as a Trustee, including travel and related expenses incurred in attending Board meetings. The amount of Trustees’ fees attributable to each Fund is disclosed in the Statement of Operations. Certain officers of the Trust are also officers or employees of the above named service providers, and during their terms of office received no compensation from each Fund.
 
Note 4. Expense Reimbursements and Fees Waived
 
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or reimburse expenses to limit total annual operating expenses (excluding all taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees, proxy expenses and extraordinary expenses) of Institutional Shares of Absolute Opportunities Fund to 1.95% for the period January 1, 2014 to August 1, 2015. Prior to January 1, 2014, the Adviser waived fees and reimbursed expenses to limit total annual operating expenses to 2.95%. The Adviser has also contractually agreed to reduce its advisory fee through July 31, 2014 for Absolute Strategies Fund, to 1.55% on average net assets exceeding $4.5 billion but less then $5 billion, and to 1.50% on the average net assets exceeding $5 billion. The Adviser waived fees of $646,931 and $686,328, for Absolute Strategies Fund and Absolute Opportunities Fund, respectively, for the year ended March 31, 2014.
 
Note 5. Security Transactions
 
The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities (including maturities), other than short-term investments during the year ended March 31, 2014, were as follows:
 
Absolute Strategies Fund
 
Non-U.S. Government Obligations
 
U.S. Government Obligations
Purchases
 
Sales
 
Purchases
 
Sales
$
2,002,823,982
 
$
3,524,117,527
 
$
93,343,026
 
$
159,474,445
 

Absolute Strategies Fund placed a portion of it’s portfolio transactions with a brokerage firm affiliated with a sub-adviser. The commissions paid to this affiliated firm were $48,397 for the period.
 
Absolute Opportunities Fund
 
Non-U.S. Government Obligations
   
Purchases
 
Sales
       
$
200,846,990
 
$
345,320,711
           

   64  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Note 6. Summary of Derivative Activity
 
The volume of open derivative positions may vary on a daily basis as each Fund transacts derivative contracts in order to achieve the exposure desired by the Adviser. The notional value of activity for the year ended March 31, 2014 for any derivative type during the period is as follows:
 
   
Absolute Strategies
 
Absolute Opportunities
Forward Currency Contracts
 
$
201,368,715
   
$
3,832,294
 
Futures
   
5,092,544,855
     
256,237,810
 
Purchased Options
   
100,812,945
     
1,564,028
 
Written Options
   
(67,223,861
)
   
(40,685
)
Credit Default Swaps
   
-
     
525,000,000
 

Each Fund’s use of derivatives during the year ended March 31, 2014, was limited to credit default swaps, options, forward currency contracts and futures contracts.
 
Following is a summary of the effect of derivatives on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of March 31, 2014:
 
Absolute Strategies Fund
                   
Location:
 
Credit
Contracts
 
Currency
Contracts
 
Equity
Contracts
 
Forward Currency Contracts
 
Interest
Contracts
Asset derivatives:
                                       
Unrealized gain on swap agreements
 
$
133,659
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
-
 
Unrealized gain on forward currency contracts
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
4,766
     
-
 
Receivable – variation margin
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
-
     
8,563
 
Total investments, at value
   
-
     
-
     
44,239,559
     
-
     
-
 
Total asset derivatives
 
$
133,659
   
$
-
   
$
44,239,559
   
$
4,766
   
$
8,563
 
                                         
Liability derivatives:
                                       
Swap premiums received
   
(49,710
)
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
-
 
Payable – variation margin
   
-
     
(240,000
)
   
(16,863,689
)
   
-
     
(32,125
)
Call options written, at value
   
-
     
-
     
(15,286,071
)
   
-
     
-
 
Put options written, at value
   
-
     
-
     
(14,868,287
)
   
-
     
-
 
Unrealized loss on forward currency contracts
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
(22,180
)
   
-
 
Total liability derivatives
 
$
(49,710
)
 
$
(240,000
)
 
$
(47,018,047
)
 
$
(22,180
)
 
$
(32,125
)


Absolute Opportunities Fund
         
Location:
 
Credit
Contracts
 
Equity
Contracts
 
Asset derivatives:
                 
Swap premiums paid
 
$
6,630
   
$
-
   
Total investments, at value
   
-
     
187,676
   
Total asset derivatives
 
$
6,630
   
$
187,676
   
                   
Liability derivatives:
                 
Swap premiums received
   
(1,035,633
)
   
-
   
Unrealized loss on swap agreements
   
(344,593
)
   
-
   
Payable – variation margin
   
-
     
(763,750
)
 
Total liability derivatives
 
$
(1,380,226
)
 
$
(763,750
)
 

   65  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Realized and unrealized gains and losses on derivatives contracts during the year ended March 31, 2014, by each Fund are recorded in the following locations on the Statements of Operations:
 
Absolute Strategies Fund
                   
Location:
 
Credit
Contracts
 
Currency
Contracts
 
Equity
Contracts
 
Forward Currency Contracts
 
Interest
Contracts
Net realized gain (loss) on:
                                       
Swaps
 
$
65,617
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
-
 
Futures
   
-
     
(9,293,000
)
   
(232,265,980
)
   
-
     
4,357,026
 
Investments
   
-
     
-
     
(41,330,741
)
   
-
     
-
 
Written options
   
-
     
-
     
10,075,830
     
-
     
-
 
Foreign currency transactions
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
(254,090
)
   
-
 
Total net realized gain (loss)
 
$
65,617
   
$
(9,293,000
)
 
$
(263,520,891
)
 
$
(254,090
)
 
$
4,357,026
 
                                         
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
                                       
Swaps
   
16,083
     
-
     
-
     
-
     
-
 
Futures
   
-
     
(162,400
)
   
29,251,621
     
-
     
607,451
 
Investments
   
-
     
-
     
9,006,060
     
-
     
-
 
Written options
   
-
     
-
     
2,201,034
     
-
     
-
 
Foreign currency translations
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
(17,414
)
   
-
 
Total net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
 
$
16,083
   
 
$
 
(162,400
 
)
 
 
$
 
40,058,715
   
 
$
 
(17,414
 
)
 
$
607,451
 

 Absolute Opportunities Fund
                 
Location:
 
Credit
Contracts
 
Currency
Contracts
 
Equity
Contracts
 
Forward Currency Contracts
 
Net realized gain (loss) on:
                                 
Swaps
 
$
(9,240,959
)
 
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
Futures
   
-
     
(960,225
)
   
(14,090,788
)
   
-
   
Investments
   
-
     
-
     
(922,521
)
   
-
   
Written options
   
-
     
-
     
82,342
     
-
   
Foreign currency transactions
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
3,860
   
Total net realized gain (loss)
 
$
(9,240,959
)
 
$
(960,225
)
 
$
(14,930,967
)
 
$
3,860
   
                                   
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
                                 
Swaps
   
666,780
     
-
     
-
     
-
   
Futures
   
-
     
(179,900
)
   
1,769,341
     
-
   
Investments
   
-
     
-
     
207,059
     
-
   
Written options
   
-
     
-
     
30,014
     
-
   
Foreign currency translations
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
216
   
Total net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
 
$
666,780
   
 
$
 
(179,900
 
)
 
 
$
 
2,006,414
   
 
$
 
216
   

Asset (Liability) amounts shown in the table below represent amounts for derivative related investments at March 31, 2014. These amounts may be collateralized by cash or financial instruments.

   
Gross Asset (Liability) as Presented in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities
 
Financial Instruments (Received) Pledged**
 
 
 
Cash Collateral (Received) Pledged**
 
 
 
 
Net Amount
                                 
Absolute Strategies Fund
                               
                                 
Assets:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
 
$
44,386,547
   
$
(4,766
)
 
$
(44,381,781
)
 
$
-
 
Liabilities:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
   
(47,362,062
)
   
30,154,358
     
17,207,704
     
-
 

Absolute Opportunities Fund
               
                 
Assets:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
 
$
194,306
   
$
-
   
$
(194,306
)
 
$
-
 
Liabilities:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
   
(2,143,976
)
   
-
     
2,143,976
     
-
 

   66  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Over-the-counter derivatives may consist of forward currency contracts, options contracts, futures contracts and swap agreements.  The amounts disclosed above represent the exposure to one or more counterparties.  For further detail on individual derivative contracts and the corresponding unrealized appreciation (depreciation), see the Notes to Schedule of Investments.
**
The actual financial instruments and cash collateral (received) pledged may be in excess of the amounts shown in the table. The table only reflects collateral amounts up to the amount of the financial instrument disclosed on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.
 
Note 7. Federal Income Tax
 
As of March 31, 2014, distributable earnings (accumulated loss) on a tax basis were as follows:
 
         
Capital and Other Losses
 
Unrealized Appreciation
 
Total
Absolute Strategies Fund
 
$
(121,987,776
)
 
$
273,976,809
   
$
151,989,033
       
Absolute Opportunities Fund
   
(2,329,172
)
   
5,277,302
     
2,948,130
       
 
The difference between components of distributable earnings on a tax basis and the amounts reflected in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities are primarily due to wash sales, futures, passive foreign investment holdings, real estate investment trusts, constructive sales, straddles, convertible bond premium, contingent payment debt instruments, cover loss deferrals, short dividends, registered investment companies, partnerships, currency contracts and credit default swaps.
 
For tax purposes, the current deferred late year ordinary loss was $1,001,160 (realized during the period January 1, 2014 through March 31, 2014) for Absolute Opportunities Fund. This loss will be recognized for tax purposes on the first business day of the Fund’s current fiscal year, April 1, 2014.
 
Absolute Strategies Fund and Absolute Opportunities Fund had $121,987,776 and $1,328,012, respectively, of available short term capital loss carryforwards that have no expiration date.
 
On the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, as a result of permanent book to tax differences, certain amounts have been reclassified for the year ended March 31, 2014. The following reclassifications were the result of book to tax differences resulting from real estate investment trusts, partnerships, passive foreign investment holdings, grantor trusts, straddles, constructive sales, short dividend reclassifications, currency, paydowns, convertible bond premium adjustments, contingent payment debt instruments, credit default swap income, inflation indexed securities and net operating losses and has no impact on the net assets of each Fund.
 
 
 
Accumulated Net Investment Income (Loss)
 
Accumulated Net Realized Gain (Loss)
 
Paid-in-Capital
Absolute Strategies Fund
 
$
35,091,605
   
$
(32,806,590
)
 
$
(2,285,015
)
Absolute Opportunities Fund
   
7,874,070
     
1,539,065
     
(9,413,135
)
 
 
Note 8. Subsequent Events
 
Subsequent events occurring after the date of this report through the date these financial statements were issued have been evaluated for potential impact and each Fund has had no such events.  
   67  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
 
 
 
To the Shareholders of Absolute Strategies Fund
and Absolute Opportunities Fund
and the Board of Trustees of Forum Funds
 
We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities of the Absolute Strategies Fund and Absolute Opportunities Fund, each a series of shares of beneficial interest in the Forum Funds, including the schedules of investments, as of March 31, 2014, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended.  These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds' management.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.  
 
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.  Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of March 31, 2014 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers and by other appropriate auditing procedures where responses from brokers were not received.  An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.  We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Absolute Strategies Fund and Absolute Opportunities Fund as of March 31, 2014, and the results of their operations for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and their financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.


   
BBD, LLP
 
 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 30, 2014
 
 
   68  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Investment Advisory Agreement Approval
 
At the March 21, 2014 Board meeting, the Board, including the Independent Trustees, considered the approval of the continuance of the investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust pertaining to the Absolute Funds (the “Advisory Agreement”) and the subadvisory agreements between the Adviser and the following subadvisers to the Absolute Funds: Harvest Capital Strategies LLC; Horizon Asset Management LLC; Kovitz Investment Group, LLC; LakeWater Capital LLC; Longhorn Capital Partners, LLC; Madden Asset Management, LLC; MetWest Asset Management, LLC; Mohican Financial Management, LLC; Pine Cobble Capital, LLC; Sabal Capital Management, LLC; SSI Investment Management, Inc.; St. James Investment Company, LLC and Yacktman Asset Management LP. (the “Subadvisers”) (the "Subadvisory Agreements"). In preparation for its deliberations, the Board requested and reviewed written responses from the Adviser and Subadvisers to due diligence questionnaires circulated on the Board's behalf. The Board also discussed the materials with Independent Trustee counsel and, with the Trust's administrator, Atlantic Fund Services. During its deliberations, the Board also received an oral presentation from the Adviser, and was assisted by the advice of Independent Trustee counsel.

In evaluating the Advisory Agreement and the Subadvisory Agreements for the Absolute Funds, the Board reviewed written materials furnished by the Adviser, Subadvisers and the administrator, including information regarding the Adviser's and Subadvisers' personnel, operations and financial condition. In addition, the Board considered that the evaluation process with respect to the Adviser and Subadvisers is an ongoing one that extends over multiple review periods and, in this regard, the Board considers information at each regularly scheduled meeting including, among other things, information concerning the Funds' performance and services provided by the Adviser and, under certain circumstances, by the Subadvisers.

At the meeting, the Board considered, among other matters: (1) the nature, extent and quality of the services to be provided to the Funds by the Adviser and Subadvisers, including information on the investment performance of the Funds and Subadvisers; (2) the costs of the services provided and profitability to the Adviser with respect to its relationship with each of the Funds; (3) the advisory fee and total expense ratio each Fund compared to a relevant peer group of funds; (4) the extent to which economies of scale may be realized as the Funds grow and whether the advisory fee enables each Fund's investors to share in the benefits of economies of scale; and (5) other benefits received by the Adviser and Subadvisers from their respective relationships with the Funds.

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services

Based on the written materials received and a presentation from senior representatives of the Adviser as well as a discussion with the Adviser about the personnel, operations and financial condition of itself and each Subadviser, and discussions with the Trust's CCO regarding the Adviser and the Subadvisers, the Board considered the nature, extent and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement and by each Subadviser under each Subadvisory Agreement. In this regard, the Board reviewed information regarding the experience, qualifications and professional background of the portfolio managers and other personnel at the Adviser and the Subadvisers with principal investment responsibility for the Absolute Funds’ investments; the investment philosophy and decision-making processes of the Adviser's and Subadvisers' investment professionals; the capability and integrity of the Adviser's and each Subadviser’s senior management and staff; the quality of the Adviser's and each Subadviser’s services with respect to regulatory compliance; and the Adviser's and each Subadviser’s representation that it is financially stable and able to provide investment advisory services to the applicable Absolute Fund. The Board also considered the Adviser’s analysis and recommendations regarding each Subadviser. The Board concluded that, overall, it was satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services to be provided to the Absolute Funds by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement and each Subadviser under each of the respective Subadvisory Agreements.

Costs of Services and Profitability

The Board evaluated information provided by the Adviser regarding its costs of services and its profitability with respect to each Absolute Fund. In this regard, the Board reviewed the Adviser’s resources devoted to the Absolute Funds as well as the Adviser’s discussion of costs and profitability. The Board also considered the percentage and
 
   69  ABSOLUTE FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
amount of the Adviser’s fee that the Adviser retained and the percentage and amount of the fee that was paid to the Subadvisers. Based on these and other applicable considerations, the Board concluded that the Adviser’s profits attributable to the management of the Absolute Funds were reasonable in the context of all factors considered.

The Board did not consider information regarding the costs of services provided or profits realized by each Subadviser from its relationship with the Absolute Funds, noting instead the arms-length nature of the relationship between the Adviser and the Subadvisers with respect to the negotiation of the subadvisory fee rate on behalf of each Absolute Fund and that the Adviser, and not the Fund, was responsible for paying the subadvisory fees due under each Subadvisory Agreement. The Board concluded that each Subadviser’s profitability was not a material factor in determining whether or not to approve the Subadvisory Agreements.

Performance

The Board reviewed the performance of the Absolute Funds in light of each Fund's investment objective and strategy and the Adviser's discussion of the performance of each of the Subadvisers. The Board reviewed the Absolute Strategies Fund’s performance over the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year periods ended January 31, 2014, compared to a peer group identified by Lipper Inc. The Board noted that the Absolute Strategies Fund underperformed its Lipper Inc. peer group during the 1-year and 3-year periods, though its performance for the 5-year period was near the median of the peer group. The Board reviewed the Absolute Opportunities Fund's performance over the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year periods ended January 31, 2014, also as compared to a peer group identified by Lipper Inc. The Board noted that the Absolute Opportunities Fund underperformed its Lipper Inc. peer group for all of the periods. Addressing the Funds’ apparent underperformance relative to their Lipper Inc. peer groups, the Adviser asserted that it does not view the funds in the peer group identified by Lipper Inc. to be comparable to the Funds and, referencing the hedge-fund-like strategies of the Funds, explained the basis for this assertion.

The Board evaluated the Adviser's opinion that hedge funds and hedge funds of funds provide the most relevant performance comparisons for the Absolute Funds.  In this regard, the Board considered the performance of the Absolute Funds relative to the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index. The Board considered that, since the Absolute Strategies Fund's inception on July 27, 2005, the Fund had better cumulative returns than the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index. The Board also considered that, since the Absolute Opportunities Fund's inception on October 21, 2008, it posted better cumulative returns than the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index.

The Board reviewed each Absolute Fund's performance compared to another mutual fund that was not included in the Absolute Funds' Lipper Inc. peer groups but that the Adviser represented to the Board provided a meaningful comparison (a "Comparable Fund"). The Board considered the Adviser’s explanation as to why the performance of the Comparable Fund should be taken into account in evaluating the performance of the Absolute Funds and considered the Funds’ performance relative to the Comparable Fund and a statement by the Adviser that, since their respective inceptions, the cumulative returns of both the Absolute Funds compared favorably with those of the Comparable Fund over the same periods. 

With respect to Subadviser performance, the Board evaluated the Adviser's assessment of each Subadviser's performance. The Board acknowledged the Adviser's representation that the different Subadvisers could be expected to achieve different performance results in light of the differences in their strategies. The Board also weighed the Adviser’s explanation that, standing alone, no Subadviser should necessarily be expected to perform in line with the market or with the relevant Absolute Fund's benchmarks. In this regard, the Board noted  that the Adviser emphasized its responsibility for allocating each Absolute Fund’s assets among Subadvisers in order to achieve the applicable Absolute Fund’s investment objective. Under the circumstances, and considering the level of each Absolute Fund’s assets, the Board determined that it was appropriate to evaluate the contribution of each Subadviser to the performance of the Absolute Funds and the performance of each Absolute Fund as a whole.  In addition, the Board concluded that the Absolute Funds and their shareholders could benefit from the renewal of the Advisory Agreement and of each applicable Subadvisory Agreement.

   70  ABSOLUTE FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Compensation

The Board evaluated the Adviser's compensation for providing advisory services to each Absolute Fund. The Board considered the Adviser’s representation that the actual advisory fee rates and total expense ratios of hedge funds provide fairer points of comparison for the Absolute Funds than the fee rates and expense ratios of the funds in the Lipper Inc. peer groups.  In this regard, the Board weighed the Adviser’s explanation that the complex strategies of hedge funds are more similar to the strategy of each of the Absolute Funds than the mutual funds in the Lipper Inc. peer groups. In addition, with respect to advisory fee rates and total expenses, the Board noted the Adviser's representation that hedge funds’ fees typically consist of a base advisory fee as high as 2% and performance fee as high as 20%. The Board recognized that the Adviser’s fees do not include performance fees and that the Adviser pays all of the Subadvisers out of its advisory fee.

The Board took into consideration comparative information on each Absolute Fund's actual advisory fee rate and total expenses compared to its Lipper Inc. peer group. In this regard, among other things, the Board noted that the Adviser’s actual advisory fee rate and the total expense ratio of each Absolute Fund was the highest of the funds in its Lipper Inc. peer group. The Board noted also that, with respect to the Absolute Strategies Fund, the Adviser had implemented breakpoints that would reduce the advisory fee rate charged to the Fund at certain asset levels. In addition, with respect to the Absolute Opportunities Fund, the Board recognized that the Adviser had recently contractually agreed to cap the Fund's total operating expenses (excluding all taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses, dividend and interest expense on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, proxy expenses and extraordinary expenses) at 1.95% until August 1, 2015 (“Expense Cap”), and that the Expense Cap was not fully reflected in that Fund's Lipper Inc. comparison. The Board further acknowledged the Adviser’s representation that, although the Absolute Opportunities Fund maintained the highest total expense ratio of its Lipper Inc. peer group with the Expense Cap, the Adviser expected the Expense Cap to make the Fund more competitive.  

Under these circumstances, the Board concluded that it is difficult to make meaningful comparisons between the Absolute Funds’ actual advisory fee rates and total expense ratios and those of the Absolute Funds’ Lipper Inc. peer groups due to, among other things, variations between the services provided by the Adviser to the Absolute Funds and those provided to the Lipper Inc. peer group funds by their advisers. Further, the Board concluded that the complex investment strategies provided to the Absolute Funds by the Adviser are comparable to the strategies provided to hedge funds by their advisers at much higher advisory fee rates.  Based on the foregoing, and on all of the information presented, the Board concluded that the advisory fees paid to the Adviser by the Absolute Funds were reasonable.

Economies of Scale

The Board considered whether either of the Absolute Funds could benefit from economies of scale. The Board noted the Adviser's explanation that it is difficult for either Absolute Fund to achieve large economies of scale because the investment strategies of the Subadvisers, which are employed by the Funds, are not high-capacity strategies – meaning the Subadvisers generally cannot successfully manage ever-larger amounts of assets. The Board also noted the Adviser’s explanation that, to the extent it was able to obtain fee breaks with certain Subadvisers, the Adviser's profitability may not increase commensurately given the potential need for the Adviser to hire additional Subadvisers at different, including higher, subadvisory fee rates. In this regard, the Board recognized the Adviser's representation that it expects to pay higher subadvisory fees in the future given that the Subadvisers’ strategies are not high-capacity strategies and that the Funds face increased competition in identifying and retaining Subadvisers.

The Board noted that, with respect to the Absolute Strategies Fund, the Adviser had implemented fee breakpoints by contractually waiving its advisory fee to 1.55% on assets in excess of $4.5 billion and to 1.50% on assets in excess of $5 billion (the "Fee Break"). The Board recognized that, although the Absolute Strategies Fund’s current asset level was below $4.5 billion, the Adviser had recently lifted the “soft close” on the Fund and was actively seeking new investors for the Fund.  In addition, the Board recognized that the Adviser had agreed to renew the Fee Break until August 1, 2015.

   71  ABSOLUTE FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
With respect to the Absolute Opportunities Fund, the Board considered the Adviser's representation that the Absolute Opportunities Fund potentially could benefit from economies of scale as assets grow.  The Board acknowledged, however, the Adviser’s opinion that the Fund is not currently operating at an asset level that generates economies of scale and the fact that the Adviser currently forgoes approximately one half of its advisory fee pursuant to the Expense Cap. In this regard, the Board recognized that the Adviser currently is not proposing breakpoints or changes in fees for the Absolute Opportunities Fund at this time.

Based on the foregoing information, and other considerations, the Board concluded that shareholders of the Absolute Strategies Fund should have an opportunity to share in future economies of scale and that economies of scale were not yet a material factor to be considered with respect to the Absolute Opportunities Fund.

Other Benefits

The Board noted the Adviser’s representation that, aside from its contractual advisory fees, it does not benefit in a material way from its relationship with the Funds. Based on the foregoing representation, the Board concluded that other benefits received by the Adviser from its relationship with the Funds were not a material factor to consider in approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreement.

Conclusion

The Board did not identify any single factor as being of paramount importance, and different Trustees may have given different weight to different factors. In light of the fact that each Fund is a multi-manager Fund, however, for which the Adviser identifies Subadvisers whose strategies it seeks to combine to achieve the Fund’s investment objective, when considering the renewal of the Subadvisory Agreements, the Board gave significant weight to the Adviser’s recommendation that each Subadvisory Agreement be renewed and to the Adviser’s representation that the reappointment of the Subadvisers would positively contribute to the Adviser’s successful execution of the Funds’ overall strategies. The Board reviewed a memorandum from Trust counsel discussing the legal standards applicable to its consideration of the Advisory Agreement and Subadvisory Agreements. Based on its review, including consideration of each of the factors referenced above, the Board determined, in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment, that the advisory arrangement, as outlined in each Advisory Agreement and in each Subadvisory Agreement, was fair and reasonable in light of the services performed or to be performed, expenses incurred or to be incurred and such other matters as the Board considered relevant.

Proxy Voting Information
 
A description of the policies and procedures that each Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to securities held in each Fund’s portfolio is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (888) 992-2765 and on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”) website at www.sec.gov. Each Fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (888) 992-2765 and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
 
Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedules
 
Each Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. These filings are available, without charge and upon request on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.
 
Shareholder Expense Example
 
As a shareholder of the Funds, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) fees and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Funds and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
 
   72  ABSOLUTE FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period from October 1, 2013, through March 31, 2014.
 
Actual Expenses – The first line under each share class of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during the period.
 
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes – The second line under each share class of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on each Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not each Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in each Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.
 
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds.
 
 
Beginning
 
Ending
 
Expenses
 
Annualized
 
Account Value
 
Account Value
 
Paid During
 
Expense
 
October 1, 2013
 
March 31, 2014
 
Period*
 
Ratio*
 Absolute Strategies Fund
                     
 Institutional Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00   
 
$
          994.58   
 
$
 11.39   
 
2.29
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00   
 
$
      1,013.51   
 
$
 11.50   
 
2.29
%
 R Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00   
 
$
          991.81   
 
$
 13.71   
 
2.76
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00   
 
$
      1,011.17   
 
$
 13.84   
 
2.76
%
                       
 Absolute Opportunities Fund
                     
 Institutional Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00   
 
$
          972.64   
 
$
 14.61   
 
2.97
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00   
 
$
      1,010.12   
 
$
 14.88   
 
2.97
%
                       
 
Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by 365 to reflect the half-year period.
 
Trustees and Officers of the Trust
 
The Board is responsible for oversight of the management of the Trust’s business affairs and of the exercise of all the Trust’s powers except those reserved for the shareholders. The following table provides information about each Trustee and certain officers of the Trust. Each Trustee and officer holds office until the person resigns, is removed, or is replaced. Unless otherwise noted, the persons have held their principal occupations for more than five years. The address for all Trustees and officers is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600, Portland, Maine 04101. Mr. Keffer is considered an Interested Trustee due to his affiliation with Atlantic. Each Fund’s Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (888) 992-2765.
 
   73  ABSOLUTE FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSOLUTE FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Name and Year of Birth
Position with the Trust
Length of Time Served
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of Series of Fund Complex¹ Overseen by Trustee
Other Directorships Held by Trustee
Independent Trustees
         
J. Michael Parish
Born: 1943
Chairman of the Board; Trustee; Chairman, Nominating Committee and Qualified Legal Compliance Committee
Since 1989 (Chairman since 2004)
Retired since 2003.
24
0
Costas Azariadis
Born: 1943
Trustee
Since 1989
Professor of Economics, Washington University since 2006.
24
0
James C. Cheng
Born: 1942
Trustee; Chairman, Audit Committee
Since 1989
President, Technology Marketing Associates (marketing company for small- and medium-sized businesses in New England) since 1991.
24
0
David Tucker
Born: 1958
Trustee
Since 2011
Director, Blue Sky Experience since 2008; Senior Vice President & General Counsel, American Century Companies 1998-2008.
28
Trustee, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust
Interested Trustee
         
John Y. Keffer2
Born: 1942
Trustee; Vice Chairman
Since 1989
Chairman, Atlantic since 2008; President, Forum Foundation (a charitable organization) since 2005; President, Forum Trust, LLC (a non-depository trust company chartered in the State of Maine) since 1997.
28
Director, Wintergreen Fund, Inc.; Trustee, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust
Officers
         
Stacey E. Hong
Born: 1966
President; Principal Executive Officer
Since 2008
President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Karen Shaw
Born: 1972
Treasurer; Principal Financial Officer
Since 2008
Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Zachary Tackett
Born: 1988
Vice President; Secretary; Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer
Since 2014
Associate Counsel, Atlantic since 2014; Intern Associate, Coakley & Hyde, PLLC, 2010-2013.
N/A
N/A
Michael J. McKeen
Born: 1971
Vice President
Since 2009
Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Timothy Bowden
Born: 1969
Vice President
Since 2009
Manager, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Geoffrey Ney
Born: 1975
Vice President
Since 2013
Manager, Atlantic since 2013; Senior Fund Accountant, Atlantic, 2008-2013.
N/A
N/A
Todd Proulx
Born: 1978
Vice President
Since 2013
Manager, Atlantic since 2013; Senior Fund Accountant, Atlantic, 2008-2013.
N/A
N/A
1The Fund Complex includes the Trust, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust and is overseen by different Boards of Trustees.
2Atlantic is a subsidiary of Forum Holdings Corp. I, a Delaware corporation that is wholly owned by Mr. Keffer.

   74  ABSOLUTE FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
 
 
 
   75  ABSOLUTE FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
 
 
 
   76  ABSOLUTE FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
 
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund  
A Message to Our Shareholders (Unaudited)   2
Performance Chart and Analysis (Unaudited)   8
Portfolio Profile (Unaudited)   10
Schedule of Investments   11
Statement of Assets and Liabilities   17
Statement of Operations   18
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   19
Financial Highlights   20
 
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund  
A Message to Our Shareholders (Unaudited)   21
Performance Chart and Analysis (Unaudited)   27
Portfolio Profile (Unaudited)   28
Schedule of Investments   29
Statement of Assets and Liabilities   30
Statement of Operations   31
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   32
Financial Highlights   33
 
Notes to Financial Statements   34
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   41
Additional Information (Unaudited)   42

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
Dear Shareholders:
 
The Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund (the “Global Fund”) ended its fiscal year on March 31, 2014 (the “Fiscal Year 2013” or the “Period”) with a net asset value (“NAV”) of $18.50 per share, realizing a return of -0.54% for the Period. The Global Fund’s fiscal return compares with a return of 19.07% for the Global Fund’s benchmark, the MSCI World Index1 (“MSCI World” or the “Benchmark”), a 17.56% return for the MSCI EAFE Index2 (“MSCI EAFE”) and 12.31% return for the MSCI ACWI ex U.S. Index3 (the “MSCI ACWI ex US”). For a longer term perspective, the Global Fund’s 3-, 5-, 10-year, and since inception average annual total returns as of March 31, 2014 were as follows:
 
Average Annual Total Return as of 03/31/2014
 
One Year
 
Three Years
 
Five Years
 
Ten Years
 
Since Inception (12/08/93)
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
 
(0.54)%
 
2.96%
 
13.36%
 
5.97%
 
7.46%
MSCI ACWI ex US
 
12.31%
 
4.15%
 
15.52%
 
7.12%
 
N/A3
MSCI World Index
 
19.07%
 
10.23%
 
18.28%
 
6.83%
 
7.26%
MSCI EAFE Index
 
17.56%
 
7.21%
 
16.02%
 
6.53%
 
5.98%

Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost.  For the most recent month-end performance, please call (800) 943-6786. Shares redeemed or exchanged within 60 days of purchase will be charged a 2.00% redemption fee. As stated in the current prospectus, the Global Fund’s annual operating expense ratio (gross) is 1.89%. However, the Global Fund’s adviser has agreed to contractually waive a portion of its fees and/or reimburse expenses such that total operating expenses (excluding taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed 1.50%, which is in effect until July 31, 2014. During the period certain fees were waived and/or expenses reimbursed; otherwise returns would have been lower. Returns greater than one year are annualized.
 
Fiscal Year 2013 Performance
The Global Fund’s return of -0.54% net of fees for Fiscal Year 2013 was disappointing and reflected both our lack of U.S. exposure amid a very bullish U.S. market and our relative over-weighting to emerging markets stocks versus our

 
1
The MSCI World Index measures the performance of a diverse range of global stock markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Far East. The total return of the MSCI World includes reinvestment of dividends and income. The total return of the Global Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the MSCI World does not include expenses. The Global Fund is professionally managed while the MSCI World is unmanaged and is not available for investment.
 
2
The MSCI EAFE Index is a stock market index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets outside of the United States and Canada.  The total return of the MSCI EAFE includes the reinvestment of dividends and income.
 
3
The MSCI ACWI ex U.S. is a stock market index that is a free float adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets. Net index data is not available prior to its inception on 01/01/01.
 
 
   2  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
Benchmark during a period when developed markets outperformed emerging markets. The impact of these exposures is evident in the divergent performance between the MSCI World, a developed markets index which returned 19.07% for Fiscal Year 2013, and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index4 which returned -1.43% for the same period.
 
Portfolio Contribution by Country – Global Fund vs. MSCI World Index (April 1, 2013 – March 31, 2014)
 
   
Portfolio
 
Benchmark
Country
 
Weight
 
Return
 
Contribution5
 
Weight
 
Return
 
Contribution5
United States of America
 
5.2%
 
4.0%
 
0.26%
 
52.6%
 
21.8%
 
11.51%
United Kingdom
 
6.2%
 
11.7%
 
0.57%
 
8.3%
 
16.9%
 
1.43%
France
 
-
 
-
 
-
 
4.0%
 
30.9%
 
1.15%
Germany
 
-
 
-
 
-
 
3.7%
 
31.5%
 
1.08%
Switzerland
 
8.8%
 
25.5%
 
2.02%
 
4.4%
 
20.0%
 
0.84%
Total for 5 Countries
 
20.2%
     
2.85%
 
72.9%
     
16.01%
Total Return for Period
         
-0.54%
         
19.07%
Source: S&P Capital IQ; MSCI.
 
On more a granular basis, the table above shows the five highest contributing countries to the Benchmark’s total return for Fiscal Year 2013 versus the Global Fund’s exposures and country-specific returns. Our allocation to the best performing countries in the Benchmark was low with 20.2% of our assets in these countries versus 72.9% for the Benchmark. Exacerbating this, the Global Fund's investments in the U.S. and the U.K. did not perform in line with their respective overall markets. These differences in aggregate accounted for approximately 13% of the Global Fund’s underperformance versus its Benchmark during the Period.
 
The top-5 positive and negative contributors5 to portfolio performance for the Period are provided below:
 
Top 5 Gainers
 
Return
 
Portfolio Contribution5
 
Top 5 Losers
 
Return
 
Portfolio Contribution5
Dufry AG
 
38.3%
 
1.71%
 
Kinross Gold Corp.
 
-47.7%
 
-1.10%
Scomi Energy Services BHD
150.7%
 
1.32%
 
Wheelock and Co., Ltd.
-24.6%
 
-1.07%
SoftBank Corp.
 
65.0%
 
0.83%
 
Banpu Public Co., Ltd.
-35.5%
 
-0.78%
Arab Bank PLC
 
30.5%
 
0.70%
 
Huntingdon Capital Corp.
-8.5%
 
-0.75%
BBA Aviation PLC
 
46.4%
 
0.70%
 
Penn West Petroleum Ltd.
-13.5%
 
-0.52%
Total
     
5.26%
         
-3.71%
Source: S&P Capital IQ; MSCI.


 
4
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets.
 
   3  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
Although developed markets did very well during the Period, some of our developed market investments did not perform in line despite higher returns historically. For instance, Huntingdon Capital advanced by 12.3% in the Global Fund’s 2012 fiscal year but declined 8.5% during the Period. Like any publicly traded stock, market sentiment is an inconsistent companion that can behave irrespective of improving underlying fundamentals.
 
Dufry AG and Scomi Energy Services were our largest contributors during the Period. Dufry, the leading travel retailer in emerging markets, increased 38% during Fiscal Year 2013 as its business hit on all cylinders. The company is benefitting from two large tailwinds. First, the number of international passengers, especially from Asia and the Middle East, is growing rapidly. Second, as per-capita incomes in these countries increase, we believe organic like-for-like sales growth could increase and exceed the growth in passengers. Exposure to a strong structural sales growth opportunity and a business model with a high return on invested capital could potentially generate higher free cash flow to shareholders over time.
 
Scomi Energy Services was a special situations investment. The company went through a business restructuring where majority shareholder Scomi Group (SGB MK) wanted to consolidate its Southeast Asian oil services businesses into one listed entity. The pro-forma financials of the restructured business were not made clear to public investors. Consequently the market perception was that the restructured business was a poorly performing coal transport company with a cheap pro-forma valuation of 9x price-to-earnings ratio (“P/E”) and 4x enterprise value (“EV”)/EBITDA ratio. Comparative companies in the industry typically traded for 25x P/E and 10x EV/EBITDA, respectively. As the results of the newly consolidated business became clear, the market fairly quickly re-rated the stock, resulting in a 150% return during the Period.
 
Our most significant underperforming stocks during the Period were mainly materials and real estate related. Wheelock & Co., a long-term Global Fund holding whose stock has increased 140% (cumulative total return) since we initiated the position in August 2006, declined 25% during the Period on the back of concerns over the Hong Kong and China real estate markets. Nonetheless, it still trades at a significant discount to the sum-of-its-parts value and remains in the portfolio. Kinross Gold Corp. weakened on the back of lower gold prices. Banpu Coal, a Southeast Asian coal producer, declined with falling seaborne coal prices as China's domestic coal oversupply situation worsened with new capacity coming online despite falling coal consumption. We exited Banpu given China’s continued plans to increase coal supply despite falling prices.
 
In light of our current portfolio composition and our intent to invest the Global Fund primarily in non-U.S. markets going forward, we have decided to amend the Global Fund's principal investment strategy. As discussed in past letters, in recent years more of the portfolio has been invested outside of the U.S., leading to a higher divergence from our Benchmark. Whilst the MSCI World’s allocation to the U.S. has remained above 45% during the last 10 years, the proportion of the Global Fund invested in U.S. markets has consistently been below 20% since 2009 and was further reduced to 11% last year. This shift is a reflection of where we see investment opportunities globally. With higher U.S. market valuations and weaker markets outside the U.S., we find more attractive long-term investments abroad for the Global Fund. We remain focused on identifying businesses able to compound capital at high rates, wherever they may be found.
 
The concentration of the portfolio has been increased over the last few years with the Global Fund owning fewer positions. This has the effect of creating more volatility relative to our Benchmark while potentially offering the opportunity to increase our returns over time. Much of Beck, Mack & Oliver's past success has come from a focus on owning strong business franchises over long periods of time having purchased the security at what the firm believed was a discount to intrinsic value. The scarcity of such investments has resulted in the firm having fairly concentrated portfolios. Fewer positions allow us to
 
   4  
 
 
 
 
 

 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
focus intensely on existing investments and ensure marginal ideas do not dilute our potential returns. As of March 31, 2014 the Global Fund’s top 10 positions constituted approximately 41.4% of NAV versus 33.3% five years ago. This trend will likely continue. The Global Fund's top ten positions as of March 31, 2014 are provided at the end of this letter.
 
The Global Fund will be Renamed the Beck, Mack & Oliver International Fund
In recognition of the current positioning of the Global Fund’s portfolio and our intention to invest primarily in non-U.S. opportunities as discussed above, effective August 1, 2014, the Global Fund will be renamed the Beck, Mack & Oliver International Fund. The updated Prospectus, which will reflect select and related changes to the Fund’s principal investment strategy, will be mailed to shareholders in August. The Fund’s new primary benchmark will be the MSCI All Country World Index ex U.S., which includes both emerging and developed markets outside the U.S. and better reflects our current portfolio and the markets where we are actively looking for new investments.
 
Establishing a Presence in Asia
Signaling Beck, Mack & Oliver’s long-term commitment to the Global Fund and a presence on the ground in Asia, the firm hired Geoffrey Yamane on April 1, 2014 to open our first Asian office in Singapore. Geoffrey brings with him broad investment experience in both the U.S. and Asia. Prior to joining Beck, Mack & Oliver, Geoffrey most recently worked for Putnam Investments in Singapore and Kingstown Capital. He is a graduate of Columbia Business School’s Value Investing Program and has 11 years of investment experience.
 
Looking Ahead
Notwithstanding the aforementioned changes to the Global Fund’s principal investment strategy, we believe the ingredients for the Global Fund’s long-term success remain intact. As we outlined earlier, higher emerging markets exposures and lower developed market exposures hurt the Global Fund’s return in Fiscal Year 2013. The portfolio, however, has remained invested in strong businesses we understand that were purchased in our opinion at attractive valuations in what we believe are economically and demographically attractive markets outside the U.S.
 
We believe a competitive advantage of the Global Fund has been derived from our ability to think and act differently towards the long-term goal of capital appreciation. Through our focus on attracting committed long-term investors, building a disciplined investment culture, and investing with what we believe are capable and conservative corporate managers, we’ve created an environment focused on compounding capital over the long-term. While this may seem simple, many fund investors, market participants, and corporate executives that state they are focused on such an objective are influenced otherwise by competing factors. For example, asset management firms may care more about gathering assets than generating performance; investors often choose managers based on asset allocation strategies that result in short-term fund flows; and, corporate executives may make decisions driven by career advancement goals instead of growing shareholder value.
 
We believe that our investors, many of whom have been invested with us for over 10 years, understand that a focus on long-term returns may involve intermittent periods of under-performance. Investors such as these allow us to make investments irrespective of benchmark, asset allocation and other short-term considerations that many of our competitors do not. With over 250 years combined investment experience, our firm’s investment team fosters an environment conducive to independent and contrarian thinking which permits the discovery of value off the beaten path. We invest in companies whose management teams are focused on making decisions that increase the value and competitive moats of their businesses, therefore growing shareholder value over time. This environment was not built overnight and reflects
 
   5  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
Beck, Mack & Oliver’s 83-year commitment to disciplined value investing and seeking to grow client wealth over time.
 
2013 Tax Distributions
On the tax front, the Global Fund made a significant distribution of ordinary income in December 2013 of $1.46 per share on our calendar year-end $18.52 NAV per share. The majority of this distribution arose from the Global Fund’s large position in Huntingdon Capital (“Huntingdon”).  Huntingdon underwent a restructuring in December 2012 that resulted in Huntingdon becoming a passive foreign investment company (PFIC)6 for federal tax purposes. The Global Fund filed an election with the IRS in 2013 to recognize as ordinary income its 2013 unrealized capital gains from Huntingdon common stock (as if the position had been sold during the year) consistent with PFIC rules. This was the primary reason for the Fund’s sizable year-end distribution.  Although we regret the unfavorable tax treatment applicable to the Fund’s investment in Huntingdon, we note that the Global Fund has made a 128% unrealized profit in Huntingdon and continue to regard it as a positive contributor to the portfolio.
 
We thank you for your loyalty and patience which we believe will be rewarded in the fullness of time. We look forward to updating you on our progress in the coming months.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
 
      
David E. Rappa                                                                                Peter A. Vlachos
Lead Manager                                                                                Co-Manager
            
Robert C. Beck
Co-Manager


 
6
A PFIC is, essentially, a foreign corporation that, for example, derives at least three-fourths of its income from passive activities.
 
   6  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
The Global Fund's top ten positions as of March 31, 2014 are provided below.
 
Security
 
Cost
 
Market Value
Huntingdon Capital Corp.
 
$3,081,062
 
$7,025,780
Panin Financial Tbk PT
5,139,719
 
6,235,365
Dufry AG
 
3,268,353
 
5,158,079
Genting Bhd
 
2,840,030
 
3,062,012
Leucadia National Corp.
 
2,186,589
 
2,967,944
Coal India, Ltd.
 
2,487,568
 
2,791,794
K1 Ventures, Ltd.
 
2,407,182
 
2,785,977
Wheelock & Co., Ltd.
 
1,832,343
 
2,711,042
Fairfax Financial Holdings, Ltd.
 
2,117,372
 
2,707,191
Arab Bank PLC
 
2,393,099
 
2,564,364

 
Definitions:
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E) is current share price of a stock divided by its earnings per share.
 
Enterprise Value-to-EBITDA Ratio (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) is used to analyze a company's operating profitability before non-operating expenses.
 
IMPORTANT RISKS AND DISCLOSURE:
There is no assurance that the Global Fund will achieve its investment objective.  Investing overseas involves special risks, including the volatility of currency exchange rates and, in some cases, political and economic instability, and relatively illiquid markets. The Global Fund may invest in small and mid-sized capitalization companies meaning that these companies carry greater risk than is customarily associated with larger companies for various reasons such as narrower markets, limited financial resources and less liquid stock. Forward currency contracts are obligations to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date.  There is the risk that these contracts could generate losses based on movements in currencies, and limit potential gain.
 
The views in this report were those of the Global Fund managers as of March 31, 2014 and may not reflect their views on the date this report is first published or any time thereafter. These views are intended to assist shareholders in understanding their investment in the Global Fund and do not constitute investment advice. This letter may contain discussions about certain investments both held and not held in the portfolio. All current and future holdings are subject to risk and to change.
 
   7  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
The following chart reflects the change in the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the primary benchmark, MSCI World Index (“MSCI World”), the secondary benchmark, MSCI EAFE (“MSCI EAFE”) and its tertiary benchmark MSCI All Cap World Index except United States (“MSCI ACWI ex US”) over the past ten fiscal years. The MSCI ACWI ex US will replace the MSCI World as the Fund’s primary benchmark effective August 1, 2014, because the investment adviser believes that the MSCI ACWI ex US is the best comparative benchmark for the Fund’s portfolio based on a number of factors, including the current orientation of the portfolio toward non-U.S. securities and the intention to remain focused primarily on non-U.S. markets going forward.  Also, the MSCI ACWI ex US encompasses emerging markets, unlike the MSCI World Index, and over the last five years has become the index standard for international mutual funds where exposure includes both developed and developing markets.  The MSCI  ACWI ex US  is a stock market index that is a free float adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets. The MSCI EAFE is a stock market index that is designed to measure the equity market performance with dividends reinvested of developed markets outside of the United States and Canada.  The MSCI World measures the performance of a diverse range of 24 developed countries’ stock markets including the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific. The total return of the MSCI ACWI ex US, MSCI EAFE and MSCI World include the reinvestment of dividends and income. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the MSCI ACWI ex US, MSCI EAFE and MSCI World do not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the MSCI ACWI ex US, MSCI EAFE and MSCI World are unmanaged and are not available for investment.
 
Comparison of a $10,000 Investment
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund vs. MSCI ACWI ex US, MSCI World Index and MSCI EAFE Index
 

Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended March 31, 2014:
 
One Year
 
Five Years
 
Ten Years
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
 
(0.54
)%
 
13.36
%
 
5.97
%
MSCI ACWI ex US
 
12.31
%
 
15.52
%
 
7.12
%
MSCI World Index
 
19.07
%
 
18.28
%
 
6.83
%
MSCI EAFE Index
 
17.56
%
 
16.02
%
 
6.53
%
 
   8  
 
 
 
 
 

 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 

Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (800) 943-6786. Shares redeemed or exchanged within 60 days of purchase will be charged a 2.00% redemption fee. As stated in the Fund’s current prospectus, the annual operating expense ratio (gross) is 1.90%. However, the Fund’s adviser has contractually agreed to reduce a portion of its fees and reimburse expenses to limit total operating expenses (excluding taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses and extraordinary expenses) to 1.25%, through July 31, 2014. During the period, certain fees were waived and/or expenses reimbursed; otherwise, returns would have been lower. The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns greater than one year are annualized.
 
   9  

 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
PORTFOLIO PROFILE (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
 
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
   
% of Total Investments
   
Financials
44.7
%
Energy
14.5
%
Consumer Discretionary
10.2
%
Industrials
10.2
%
Investment Companies
8.0
%
Consumer Staples
5.6
%
Telecommunication Services
3.8
%
Materials
1.3
%
Information Technology
1.2
%
Warrants
0.5
%
Purchased Options
0.0
%
 
100.0
%
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  10  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014 
 

A
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

Common Stock - 79.2%
Australia - 0.9%
 
125,945
 
UGL, Ltd.
$
819,946
 
       
Bermuda - 4.1%
 
1,384,700
 
Archer, Ltd. (a)
 
1,803,778
 
 
14,500
 
Enstar Group, Ltd. (a)
 
1,976,495
 
   
3,780,273
 
Canada - 16.4%
 
6,235
 
Fairfax Financial Holdings, Ltd.
 
2,707,191
 
 
173,500
 
FAM Real Estate Investment Trust REIT
 
1,381,094
 
 
647,250
 
Huntingdon Capital Corp. (b)
 
7,025,780
 
 
252,000
 
Kinross Gold Corp. (a)
 
1,041,737
 
 
124,733
 
Lone Pine Resources Canada, Ltd., Common Class (a)(c)
 
67,843
 
 
124,733
 
Lone Pine Resources, Inc., Class A (a)(c)
 
67,843
 
 
278,612
 
Penn West Petroleum, Ltd.
 
2,328,697
 
 
2,651,700
 
Petromanas Energy, Inc. (a)
 
491,722
 
   
15,111,907
 
Chile - 2.1%
 
17,032,937
 
Cia Sud Americana de Vapores SA (a)
 
833,360
 
 
616,000
 
Coca-Cola Embonor SA, B Shares
 
1,112,085
 
   
1,945,445
 
Colombia – 4.2%
 
116,000
 
Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp.
 
2,089,154
 
 
6,418,800
 
Petroamerica Oil Corp. (a)
 
1,741,873
 
   
3,831,027
 
Hong Kong – 4.4%
 
486,000
 
First Pacific Co., Ltd.
 
483,087
 
 
35,130,000
 
Midland IC&I, Ltd. (a)
 
221,926
 
 
959,000
 
Value Partners Group, Ltd.
 
579,863
 
 
694,000
 
Wheelock & Co., Ltd.
 
2,711,042
 
   
3,995,918
 
India - 4.9%
 
577,430
 
Coal India, Ltd.
 
2,791,794
 
 
465,285
 
Dewan Housing Finance Corp., Ltd.
 
1,704,233
 
   
4,496,027
 
Indonesia – 6.8%
 
272,437,500
 
Panin Financial Tbk PT (a)
 
6,235,365
 
       
Japan - 4.4%
 
12,800
 
Fanuc Corp.
 
2,257,656
 
 
8,000
 
Nintendo Co., Ltd.
 
950,250
 
 
11,500
 
Softbank Corp.
 
869,060
 
   
4,076,966
 
Jordan - 2.8%
 
199,995
 
Arab Bank PLC
 
2,564,364
 
 
AFA
Kazakhstan - 2.3%
 
157,360
 
KCell JSC, ADR
 
2,155,832
 
       
Malaysia - 3.3%
 
999,900
 
Genting Bhd
 
3,062,012
 
       
Mexico - 2.7%
 
5,500
 
Coca-Cola Femsa S.A.B. de C.V., ADR
 
580,360
 
 
840,000
 
Empresas ICA SAB de CV (a)
 
1,402,627
 
 
5,000
 
Fomento Economico Mexicano S.A.B. de C.V., ADR
 
466,200
 
   
2,449,187
 
Singapore - 3.0%
 
17,880,000
 
K1 Ventures, Ltd.
 
2,785,977
 
       
Switzerland - 7.0%
 
30,000
 
Dufry AG (a)
 
5,158,079
 
 
16,720
 
Nestle SA
 
1,258,658
 
   
6,416,737
 
United Kingdom - 6.7%
 
200,000
 
Aquasition Corp. (a)
 
2,095,000
 
 
340,000
 
BBA Aviation PLC
 
1,880,745
 
 
255,000
 
G4S PLC
 
1,026,673
 
 
225,500
 
Tesco PLC
 
1,110,534
 
   
6,112,952
 
United States - 3.2%
 
105,998
 
Leucadia National Corp.
 
2,967,944
 
       
Total Common Stock
(Cost $64,060,328)
 
72,807,879
 

Preferred Stock - 0.2%
United States - 0.2%
 
132,573
 
Earlyshares.com, Inc., Class A (c)(d) (Cost $200,000)
 
200,000
 
       

 
AFA
Shares/
Principal
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

Private Equity Fund - 6.3%
Brazil - 0.6%
 
5,000
 
Nucleo Capital Equity Fund, LLC (a)(e)
 
538,947
 
       
India - 1.3%
$
1,000,000
 
Bharat Investors, LP (a)(b)(f)
 
1,154,294
 
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  11  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014 
 

 
AFA
Principal
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

United States - 4.4%
$
500,000
 
Brightwood Capital Fund III, LP (a)(c)(g)
$
502,820
 
 
1,200,000
 
Brightwood Switch SPV, LP (a)(b)(c)(h)
 
1,442,007
 
 
2,000,000
 
Eaglewood Income Fund I, LP (a)(b)(c)(i)
 
2,139,733
 
   
4,084,560
 
Total Private Equity Fund
(Cost $5,200,000)
 
5,777,801
 
 
 
Principal
 
Security
Description
 
Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value
 

Fixed Income Securities - 0.8%
Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds - 0.8%
Canada - 0.5%
$
500,000
 
Huntingdon Real Estate (b)
 
7.50
%
12/31/16
 
462,148
 
       
Colombia - 0.3%
 
250,000
 
Petroamerica Oil Corp.
 
11.50
 
04/19/15
 
229,534
 
       
Total Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds
(Cost $742,896)
 
691,682
 

 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Rate
 
Exp.
Date
 
Value
 

Warrants - 0.5%
 
249,975
 
Genting Bhd (a)
 
7.96
%
12/18/18
 
221,996
 
 
14,000
 
Huntingdon Capital Corp. (a)(b)
 
9.00
 
12/31/16
 
50,846
 
 
14,048,000
 
Panin Financial Tbk PT (a)
 
130.00
 
11/10/14
 
158,287
 
 
25
 
Petroamerica Oil Corp. (a)
 
0.20
 
04/23/19
 
4
 
Total Warrants
(Cost $113,711)
 
431,133
 
 
 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

Investment Companies - 0.5%
 
23,741
 
Carlyle GMS Finance, Inc. (a)(c)(j) (Cost $474,194)
 
465,801
 
       

 
Contracts
 
Security
Description
   
Strike
Price
 
Exp.
Date
 
Value
 

Purchased Options - 0.0%
Call Options Purchased - 0.0%
 
1,500,000
 
Swiss Currency (Premiums paid $26,250)
 
$
0.99
 
04/14
 
0
 

Total Investments - 87.5%
(Cost $70,817,379)*
$
80,374,296
 
Other Assets & Liabilities, Net – 12.5%
 
11,523,331
 
Net Assets – 100.0%
$
91,897,627
 

 ADR
American Depositary Receipt
LLC
Limited Liability Company
LP
Limited Partnership
PLC
Public Limited Company
REIT
Real Estate Investment Trust
(a)
Non-income producing security.
(b)
Affiliate.
(c)
Security fair valued in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. At the period end, the value of these securities amounted to $4,886,047 or 5.3% of net assets.
(d)
Private preferred stock purchased on 06/21/13.  The preferred shares have the right to receive dividends when, as and if declared by the Board of Trustees.  Preferred shares hold rights to convert to shares of Common Stock.  Illiquid investment in which redemptions are not accepted.  No unfunded commitments as of March 31, 2014.
(e)
Private equity fund purchased on 08/01/12 that invests in a master fund which invests primarily in Brazilian companies.  Redemptions may be made on the last business day of each month with three months written notice.  No unfunded commitments as of March 31, 2014.
(f)
Private equity fund purchased on 03/08/13 that invests in Unitech Corporate Parks PLC.  Redemptions may be made on the last day of each calendar quarter upon 60 days written notice.  No unfunded commitments as of March 31, 2014.
(g)
Private equity fund purchased on 12/16/13 that invests in secured loans of leveraged companies organized and located in the United States.  Illiquid investment in which redemptions are not accepted.  No unfunded commitments as of March 31, 2014.
(h)
Private equity fund purchased on 02/21/12 that invests in Switch Communications Group, LLC.  Illiquid investment in which redemptions are not accepted.  No unfunded commitments as of March 31, 2014.
(i)
Private equity fund purchased on 11/30/12 that invests in consumer loans, primarily those originated by Lending Club Corporation.  Redemptions may be made on the last day of each calendar quarter upon 90 days written notice.  No unfunded commitments as of March 31, 2014.
(j)
Business development company purchased on 06/05/13 that invests in first lien senior secured and unitranche loans to private U.S. middle market companies that are, in many cases, controlled by private investment firms.  Illiquid investment in which redemptions are not accepted.  Unfunded commitments of $1,555,840 as of March 31, 2014.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  12  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
*
Cost for federal income tax purposes is $76,707,672 and net unrealized appreciation consists of:
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
10,933,141
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
   
(7,266,517
)
Net Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
3,666,624
 
 
An affiliate is an entity in which the Fund has ownership of at least 5% of the voting securities.  Transactions during the year with affiliates were as follows:
 
   
Common Stock
 
Private Equity Funds
 
Corporate Bond
 
Warrant
 
Investment Company
   
   
Huntingdon Capital Corp.
 
Bharat Invesors, LP
 
Brightwood Switch SPV, LP
 
Eaglewood Income Fund I, LP**
 
Huntingdon Real Estate
 
Huntingdon Capital Corp.
 
Sound Point Floating Rate Income Fund**
 
Total
Balance 03/31/13
                               
Shares/Principal
 
647,250
$
1,000,000
$
1,200,000
$
2,000,000
$
500,000
 
14,000
 
97,561
   
Cost
$
3,081,062
$
1,000,000
$
1,200,000
$
2,000,000
$
491,690
$
-
$
1,000,000
$
8,772,752
Value
$
7,843,331
$
1,013,884
$
1,397,624
$
2,058,242
$
517,006
$
45,342
$
1,012,683
$
13,888,112
Gross Additions
                               
Shares/Principal
 
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
 
3,487
   
Cost
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
36,076
$
36,076
Gross Reductions
                               
Shares/Principal
 
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
 
-
 
(101,048)
   
Cost
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
(1,036,076)
$
(1,036,076)
Proceeds
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
1,087,695
 
1,087,695
Balance 03/31/14
                               
Shares/Principal
 
647,250
$
1,000,000
$
1,200,000
$
2,000,000
$
500,000
 
14,000
 
-
   
Cost
$
3,081,062
$
1,000,000
$
1,200,000
$
2,000,000
$
491,692
$
-
$
-
$
7,772,754
Value
$
7,025,780
$
1,154,294
$
1,442,007
$
2,139,733
$
462,148
$
50,846
$
-
$
12,274,808
Realized gain
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
51,619
$
51,619
Investment Income
$
125,809
$
-
$
-
$
289,623
$
35,627
$
-
$
23,859
$
474,918

** No longer affiliated as of 03/31/14.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  13  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014 
 

The values of each individual forward currency contract outstanding in Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund as of March 31, 2014, are disclosed in the table below.
 
Contracts to Purchase/(Sell)
 
Settlement Date
 
Settlement Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
(6,517,665
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/22/14
 
$
6,300,000
   
$
407,338
 
(3,492,450
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
06/19/14
   
3,250,000
     
96,916
 
(2,709,695
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
08/05/14
   
2,425,000
     
(18,661
)
(5,774,123
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
08/25/14
   
5,167,000
     
(37,744
)
(1,071,120
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
06/20/14
   
1,200,000
     
(12,416
)
(188,328,000
)
 
Chilean Peso
 
06/26/14
   
350,000
     
9,594
 
(155,856,250
)
 
Chilean Peso
 
08/04/14
   
275,000
     
(5,725
)
(740,831
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
06/24/14
   
1,210,000
     
(24,280
)
(474,796
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
08/21/14
   
791,000
     
319
 
(8,865,200,000
)
 
Indonesian Rupiah
 
04/03/14
   
740,000
     
(39,978
)
(20,037,500,000
)
 
Indonesian Rupiah
 
04/17/14
   
1,750,000
     
(8,611
)
(7,464,600,000
)
 
Indonesian Rupiah
 
06/30/14
   
580,000
     
(66,278
)
(11,859,360,000
)
 
Indonesian Rupiah
 
07/25/14
   
930,000
     
(91,992
)
(6,493,830,000
)
 
Indonesian Rupiah
 
08/25/14
   
535,000
     
(21,359
)
44,920,000
   
Indian Rupee
 
04/04/14
   
(706,400
)
   
44,937
 
(130,920,000
)
 
Indian Rupee
 
04/04/14
   
2,000,000
     
(189,784
)
(31,100,103
)
 
Indian Rupee
 
07/28/14
   
475,000
     
(30,929
)
(19,322,490
)
 
Indian Rupee
 
08/25/14
   
300,000
     
(12,152
)
(79,412,500
)
 
Indian Rupee
 
09/24/14
   
1,250,000
     
(23,291
)
241,536,300
   
Japanese Yen
 
05/30/14
   
(2,365,179
)
   
(24,292
)
(313,636,300
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
05/30/14
   
3,100,000
     
60,345
 
72,100,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
05/30/14
   
(692,105
)
   
6,664
 
(6,224,260
)
 
Mexican Peso
 
09/05/14
   
460,000
     
(10,906
)
(5,663,380
)
 
Malaysian Ringgit
 
08/25/14
   
1,700,000
     
(17,385
)
(1,487,375
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
08/14/14
   
250,000
     
1,599
 
(3,412,864
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
09/05/14
   
560,000
     
(6,459
)
(2,061,682
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
05/27/14
   
1,647,000
     
7,974
 
                     
$
(6,556
)

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  14  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014 
 

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments and other financial instruments and liabilities as of March 31, 2014.
 

 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
Assets
Investments At Value
Common Stock
                               
Australia
 
$
819,946
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
819,946
 
Bermuda
   
3,780,273
     
-
     
-
     
3,780,273
 
Canada
   
14,976,221
     
-
     
135,686
     
15,111,907
 
Chile
   
1,945,445
     
-
     
-
     
1,945,445
 
Colombia
   
3,831,027
     
-
     
-
     
3,831,027
 
Hong Kong
   
3,995,918
     
-
     
-
     
3,995,918
 
India
   
4,496,027
     
-
     
-
     
4,496,027
 
Indonesia
   
6,235,365
     
-
     
-
     
6,235,365
 
Japan
   
4,076,966
     
-
     
-
     
4,076,966
 
Jordan
   
2,564,364
     
-
     
-
     
2,564,364
 
Kazakhstan
   
2,155,832
     
-
     
-
     
2,155,832
 
Malaysia
   
3,062,012
     
-
     
-
     
3,062,012
 
Mexico
   
2,449,187
     
-
     
-
     
2,449,187
 
Singapore
   
2,785,977
     
-
     
-
     
2,785,977
 
Switzerland
   
6,416,737
     
-
     
-
     
6,416,737
 
United Kingdom
   
6,112,952
     
-
     
-
     
6,112,952
 
United States
   
2,967,944
     
-
     
-
     
2,967,944
 
Preferred Stock
                               
United States
   
-
     
-
     
200,000
     
200,000
 
Private Equity Fund
                               
Brazil
   
-
     
538,947
     
-
     
538,947
 
India
   
-
     
1,154,294
     
-
     
1,154,294
 
United States
   
-
     
-
     
4,084,560
     
4,084,560
 
Corporate Non-Convertible Bonds
   
-
     
691,682
     
-
     
691,682
 
Warrants
   
431,133
     
-
     
-
     
431,133
 
Investment Companies
   
-
     
-
     
465,801
     
465,801
 
Purchased Options
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
-
 
Total Investments At Value
 
$
73,103,426
   
$
2,384,923
   
$
4,886,047
   
$
80,374,296
 
Other Financial Instruments***
                               
Forward Currency Contracts
   
-
     
635,686
     
-
     
635,686
 
Total Assets
 
$
73,103,426
   
$
3,020,609
   
$
4,886,047
   
$
81,009,982
 

Liabilities
                               
Other Financial Instruments***
                               
Forward Currency Contracts
   
-
     
642,242
     
-
     
642,242
 
Total Liabilities
 
$
-
   
$
642,242
   
$
-
   
$
642,242
 
***
Other Financial Instruments are derivatives not reflected in the Schedule of Investments, such as forward currency contracts, which are value at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation at year end.

See Notes to Financial Statements.  15  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 investments for which significant unobservable inputs were used to determine fair value.
 
   
Common Stock
 
Preferred Stock
 
Corporate Non-
Convertible Bonds
 
Private Equity Funds
 
Investment Companies
Balance as of 03/31/13
 
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
246,099
   
$
3,455,866
   
$
-
 
Purchases
   
-
     
200,000
     
-
     
500,000
     
474,194
 
Transfers out
                   
(229,534
)
               
Transfers in
   
135,686
     
-
             
-
     
-
 
Change in Unrealized Appreciation / (Depreciation)
   
-
     
-
     
(16,565
)
   
128,694
     
(8,393
)
Balance as of 03/31/14
 
$
135,686
   
$
200,000
   
$
-
   
$
4,084,560
   
$
465,801
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation / (depreciation) from investments held as of 03/31/14
 
$
(798,637
)
 
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
128,694
   
$
(8,393
)

There were no transfers among Level 1 and Level 2 for the year ended March 31, 2014.
 
The Fund utilizes the end of period methodology when determining transfers in or out of the Level 3 category.
 
Significant unobservable valuation inputs for material Level 3 investments as of March 31, 2014, are as follows:
 
Investments in Securities
Fair Value at 03/31/14
Valuation
Technique(s)
Unobservable Input
Range as of 12/31/13
Weighted Average as of 03/31/14
Private Equity Funds – United States
       
Brightwood Switch SPV, LP
$1,442,007
Market Comparables
EV/EBITDA Multiple(1)
8.50x – 9.0x NFY EBITDA projection of $119.6mm (or EV of $1,016.6mm - $1,076.4mm and equity value of $824.3mm – $884.1mm
60% Equinix, 30% REITs, 10% other publicly traded data center companies
           
Eaglewood Income Fund I, LP
 2,139,733
Loan Valuation Model
Interest Rates, Seasoning, FICO Scores, Loan loss Reserves(2)
Interest Rates: 6.03%-23.40%. Seasoning 0-15 months, FICO 660-850, Loan Loss Reserves -12% to 100%.
Delinquency Levels: 16-30 days: 0.16%, 31+ days: 1.75% (includes charged-off). Interest Rate 11.73%, Seasoning 6.8 months, FICO: 705, Loan Loss Reserves: 1.95% of par (sum of all loans marked less than par divided by par outstanding).

(1)
Significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement included enterprise value (EV) to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) ratio. A significant change in the EV/EBITDA Multiple ratio may result in a similar significant change in the fair value measurement.
(2)
Significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement include interest rates, seasoning, FICO scores and loan loss reserves.  A significant increase or decrease in FICO scores and seasoning may result in a similar significant change in the fair value measurement.  A significant increase or decrease in interest rates or loan loss reserves may result in an opposite significant change in the fair value measurement.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  16  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
ASSETS
       
 
Investments at value (Cost $65,044,625)
 
$
70,239,221
 
 
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (Cost $5,772,754)
   
10,135,075
 
 
Total investments, at value (Cost $70,817,379)
 
$
80,374,296
 
 
Cash
   
10,853,091
 
 
Foreign currency (Cost $6,502)
   
6,502
 
 
Receivables:
       
   
Fund shares sold
   
8,600
 
   
Investment securities sold
   
611,073
 
   
Dividends and interest
   
260,102
 
 
Unrealized gain on forward currency contracts
   
635,686
 
 
Prepaid expenses
   
13,368
 
Total Assets
   
92,762,718
 
             
LIABILITIES
       
 
Unrealized loss on forward currency contracts
   
642,242
 
 
Payables:
       
   
Investment securities purchased
   
5,958
 
   
Fund shares redeemed
   
19,235
 
   
Foreign capital gains tax payable
   
60,548
 
 
Accrued Liabilities:
       
Adviser
Investment adviser fees
   
82,058
 
   
Trustees’ fees and expenses
   
30
 
   
Fund services fees
   
14,009
 
   
Other expenses
   
41,011
 
Total Liabilities
   
865,091
 
             
NET ASSETS
 
$
 91,897,627
 
             
COMPONENTS OF NET ASSETS
       
 
Paid-in capital
 
$
82,760,938
 
 
Distributions in excess of net investment income
   
(3,500,894
)
 
Accumulated net realized gain
   
3,138,853
 
 
Net unrealized appreciation
   
9,498,730
 
NET ASSETS
 
$
91,897,627
 
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST AT NO PAR VALUE (UNLIMITED SHARES AUTHORIZED)
   
4,967,088
 
NET ASSET VALUE, OFFERING AND REDEMPTION PRICE PER SHARE*
 
$
18.50
 
*
Shares redeemed or exchanged within 60 days of purchase are charged a 2.00% redemption fee.
 

See Notes to Financial Statements.  17  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
               
INVESTMENT INCOME
         
 
Dividend income (Net of foreign withholding taxes of $142,787)
 
$
1,689,937
   
 
Dividend income from affiliated investments (Net of foreign withholding taxes of $22,202)
   
439,291
   
 
Interest income
   
87,970
   
 
Interest income from affiliated investments
   
35,627
   
Total Investment Income
   
2,252,825
   
Adviser
         
EXPENSES
         
 
Investment adviser fees
   
1,460,400
   
 
Fund services fees
   
169,379
   
 
Custodian fees
   
88,652
   
 
Registration fees
   
18,968
   
 
Professional fees
   
47,261
   
 
Trustees' fees and expenses
   
3,610
   
 
Miscellaneous expenses
   
62,999
   
Total Expenses
   
1,851,269
   
 
Fees waived
   
(474,822
)
 
Net Expenses
   
1,376,447
   
               
NET INVESTMENT INCOME
   
876,378
   
               
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)
         
 
Net realized gain (loss) on:
         
 
Investments in unaffiliated issuers
   
4,691,001
   
 
Investments in affiliated issuers
   
51,619
   
 
Foreign currency transactions
   
936,537
   
 
Net realized gain
   
5,679,157
   
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
         
 
Investments in unaffiliated issuers
   
(6,176,388
)
 
 
Investments in affiliated issuers
   
(753,037
)
 
 
Deferred foreign capital gains taxes
   
(60,548
)
 
 
Foreign currency translations
   
(253,844
)
 
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
(7,243,817
)
 
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED LOSS
   
(1,564,660
)
 
DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS
 
$
 (688,282
)
 

See Notes to Financial Statements.  18  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
 
 
 
   
r2014
#
 For the Years Ended March 31,
       
2014
   
2013
OPERATIONS
                 
 
Net investment income
 
$
876,378
     
$
614,170
 
 
Net realized gain
   
5,679,157
       
4,643,076
 
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
(7,243,817
)
     
6,600,225
 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations
   
(688,282
)
     
11,857,471
 
                       
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                 
 
Net investment income
   
(7,091,388
)
     
-
 
 
Net realized gain
   
(3,082,468
)
     
(3,042,594
)
Total Distributions to Shareholders
   
(10,173,856
)
     
(3,042,594
)
                       
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                 
 
Sale of shares
   
3,654,332
       
5,609,566
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions
   
8,932,606
       
2,681,183
 
 
Redemption of shares
   
(11,688,789
)
     
(8,439,393
)
 
Redemption fees
   
863
       
6,798
 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions
 
899,012
       
(141,846
)
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets
   
(9,963,126
)
     
8,673,031
 
                       
NET ASSETS
                 
 
Beginning of Year
   
 101,860,753
       
 93,187,722
 
 
End of Year (Including line (a))
 
$
 91,897,627
     
$
 101,860,753
 
                       
SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                 
 
Sale of shares
   
185,070
       
281,247
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions
   
474,757
       
135,208
 
 
Redemption of shares
   
(606,023
)
     
(439,340
)
Increase (Decrease) in Shares
   
53,804
       
(22,885
)
                       
(a)
Undistributed (distributions in excess of) net investment income
 
$
(3,500,894
)
   
$
432,522
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  19  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER GLOBAL FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
 

These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout each year.
 
           
   
For the Years Ended March 31,
 
   
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
 
2010
 
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Year 
$
20.73
   
$
18.88
   
$
20.28
   
$
17.96
   
$
11.99
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                                       
Net investment income (a)
 
 0.18
     
 0.13
     
 0.16
     
 0.13
     
 0.11
   
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
 
 (0.30
)
   
 2.36
     
 (0.89
)
   
 2.42
     
 5.90
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 (0.12
)
   
 2.49
     
 (0.73
)
   
 2.55
     
 6.01
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO
                                       
SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                       
Net investment income
 
 (1.46
)
   
     
 (0.64
)
   
 (0.23
)
   
 (0.04
)
 
Net realized gain
 
 (0.65
)
   
 (0.64
)
   
 (0.03
)
   
     
   
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
 (2.11
)
   
 (0.64
)
   
 (0.67
)
   
 (0.23
)
   
 (0.04
)
 
REDEMPTION FEES (a)
 
(b)
   
(b)
 
(b)
 
(b)
 
   
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Year
$
18.50
   
$
20.73
   
$
18.88
   
$
20.28
   
$
17.96
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
(0.54
)%
 
13.35
%
 
(3.20
)%
 
14.24
%
 
50.16
%
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
                                       
Net Assets at End of Year (000's omitted)
$91,898
   
$101,861
   
$93,188
   
$105,157
   
$66,169
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                       
Net investment income 
 
0.90
%
 
0.66
%
 
0.87
%
 
0.68
%
 
0.69
%
Net expense 
 
1.41
%
 
1.25
%
 
1.25
%
 
1.25
%
 
1.34
%
Gross expense (c)
 
1.90
%
 
1.88
%
 
1.90
%
 
1.97
%
 
2.20
%
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
 
39
%
 
67
%
 
101
%
 
122
%
 
54
%
                                           
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during each year.
(b)
Less than $0.01 per share.
(c)
Reflects the expense ratio excluding any waivers and/or reimbursements.

See Notes to Financial Statements.  20  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Dear Fellow Shareholder:
 
The Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund (the “Partners Fund”) returned 14.59% net of fees and expenses for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, resulting in a net asset value of $14.82 per share.  By comparison, the S&P 500 Index ended the March 31, 2014 year with a return of 21.86% (with dividends reinvested).  Since its December 1, 2009 reorganization from a limited partnership, the Partners Fund has returned 16.02% annualized versus 15.27% annualized for the S&P 500 Index7. For a longer-term perspective, the Partners Fund’s average annual total returns for the period ending March, 31 2014 were as follows:
 
Average Annual Total Return as of 03/31/14
 
One Year
 
Three Years
 
Since 12/01/2009 Reorg*
 
Five Years
 
Ten Years
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund
 
14.59%
 
13.75%
 
16.02%
 
21.45%
 
8.04%
S&P 500 Index7
 
21.86%
 
14.66%
 
15.27%
 
21.16%
 
7.42%

Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. Shares redeemed or exchanged within 60 days of purchase will be charged a 2.00% redemption fee. As stated in the current prospectus, the Partners Fund’s annual operating expense ratio (gross) is 1.42%. However, the Partners Fund’s adviser has agreed to contractually waive a portion of its fees and/or reimburse expenses such that total operating expenses (excluding taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed 1.00%, which is in effect until July 31, 2014; otherwise performance shown would have been lower. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (800) 943-6786. Returns greater than one year are annualized.
 
*Excludes performance prior to the Partners Fund’s reorganization from a limited partnership. See important risks and disclosures regarding performance on page 26.
 
Performance and Portfolio Update
At fiscal year-end, the Partners Fund had 29 equity holdings with the top ten (10) largest positions representing 55.3% of net assets.  The Fund’s weighted average market capitalization was $53.3 billion, with one (1) of the Fund’s top ten largest positions below $2 billion in market capitalization.  The largest sector exposures remained Financials (27.5% of net assets), Energy (22.8%) and Healthcare (15.7%), with Cash representing 11.4%.
 
The relative underperformance of the Partner’s Fund last year was driven to a large extent by the high cash position maintained during the balance of the year.  With equities generally moving higher on the back of multiple expansions as

 
7
The S&P 500 is a broad-based, unmanaged measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average of 500 widely held common stocks. The total return of the S&P 500 includes the reinvestment of dividends and income. The total return of the Partners Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the S&P 500 does not include expenses. The Partners Fund is professionally managed while the S&P 500 is unmanaged and is not available for investment.
 
   21  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
opposed to earnings growth, there were an increasingly limited number of opportunities that appeared attractive (attractiveness defined by a high degree of asymmetry to the upside).  Additionally, large positions in high quality companies like IBM, LUK, ESGR and BAX, where we believe intrinsic value per share continues to advance at an attractive pace, hampered relative performance during the past 12 months as these shares did not fully participate in the market’s strong move higher.  We will continue to exercise discipline, being fully invested only when opportunities are at their maximum and looking to proliferate the portfolio with high quality businesses trading at attractive valuations.
 
Looking at the portfolio, the securities that contributed most positively to the Partners Fund’s fiscal year performance included:
 
Best Performing Equities
 
Contribution to Performance8
Level 3 Communications, Inc.
 
1.83%
Molex, Inc., Class A
 
1.28%
Dover Corp.
 
1.19%
Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., Class A
 
0.97%
Encana Corp.
 
0.76%

Those that detracted from the Partners Fund’s fiscal year performance included:

Underperforming Equities
 
Contribution to Performance8
Boulevard Acquisition Corp.
 
0.00%
Knowles Corp.
 
0.00%
International Business Machines Corp.
 
-0.07%
Subsea 7 SA, ADR.
 
-0.22%
Noble Corp. PLC
 
-0.85%

Hoosiers… Low Expectations and Exceptional Results
Everybody likes to cheer for the underdog; it’s a timeless storyline which has captivated our imaginations since David slung a stone at Goliath. Whether it is the story of a small Indiana high school basketball team winning the state championship (Milan High School in 1954) or a single mother living on welfare authoring the best-selling book series in history (J.K Rowling), improbable stories of success are nothing short of inspirational and embolden us to believe that against all odds anything is possible.
 
Paradoxically, when it comes to allocating capital, hardly anyone bets on the underdog to win. This basic malfunction of human decision-making persists even when odds are adjusted to make outcomes statistically equivalent.  The research of Joseph Simmons (University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School) and Leif Nelson (Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley) illuminated this behavior through an analysis of sports betting behavior. The study
 

 
8 Contribution is the annualized return of a security multiplied by the security’s weight in the portfolio.  Such weighting is of the public equity securities and cash held in the portfolio.

   22  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 

showed that even though favorites beat the spread only fifty percent of the time, people bet on the favorite more than two-thirds of the time. In fact, the more that people believed a certain team would win, the more likely they were to also choose that team to beat the spread. Put another way, increasing levels of confidence made bettors increasingly willing to make irrational decisions.
 
The parallels to investing are clear. Investors become attracted to stocks that they have observed rising in price and become increasingly confident of further increases as the trend persists. The problem with this approach is that it often occurs with a flagrant disregard for valuation, and when the bubble begins to burst, it does so in spectacular fashion.
 
Recently, some bubbles have been popping. Netflix, Tesla, Twitter and Amazon, all growth darlings which have attracted increasing amounts of investor capital as shares have ascended rapidly over the past 6 months, have declined significantly. While further declines may be on the horizon, the timing is difficult to predict. What we do know (based on the research of James Cullen) is that “on an annualized basis for the period from 1968 to 2012, growth stocks (the top 20 percent of the S&P 500 based on price-to-earnings ratios) returned 7.9 percent, while value stocks returned 13.8 percent. Growth stocks outperformed value stocks in only four of the 46 rolling five-year periods during that time span.”9
 
As investors, our job is not to allocate capital to the underdog for sentimental reasons, but to identify companies where the expectations have become so diminished and the valuations so compelling that the odds of winning are overwhelmingly in our favor. At current levels, we believe IBM represents such an opportunity. The well-publicized pressures on the hardware business (having declined in revenue from $20.1 billion in 2008 to $15.0 billion in 2013), which now represents only 15% of total company revenue and 0% of pre-tax profitability (the hardware business lost money last year), seems to be distracting investors from the fact that pre-tax profits have grown from $16.7 billion in 2008 to $19.5 billion in 2013 on the back of strong growth in the higher margin software business. With its shares now trading at 9.5x 2015E EPS of $20.00 per share, IBM’s valuation appears very compelling to us.
 
Antennas Up
Over the past three years, the willingness to own riskier assets has expanded almost unabated. In the credit markets junk bond yields are close to record lows. Securitizations are back in fashion and lending standards in many cases have reverted to pre-2007 standards as payment-in-kind notes and “covenant-lite” loans that provide poor protection for investors are meeting with significant demand. Further, margin debt is on the rise, setting historic highs for several consecutive months and, according to the latest data from the New York Stock Exchange, now stands at $466 billion. That is double the level at the start of 2010.
 
All this is quite a tribute to the power of the central banks, which have all but eliminated the real return potential of risk free assets and succeeded in stirring investors’ appetite for risk. While the impact in the real economy has been minimal (GDP growth remains substandard), this increased appetite for risk has had the effect of stretching valuations. Recently, Richard Fisher, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, pointed out that the price/earnings (“PE”) ratio of stocks was among the highest decile of reported values since 1881 while the economist Robert Shiller’s inflation-


 
9
James B. Stewart, “A Chance for a Market’s Wallflowers to Bloom.” The New York Times (April 11, 2014). Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/12/business/a-chance-for-markets-wallflowers-to-bloom.html?emc=eta1&_r=1>

   23  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
adjusted PE ratio had reached 26 as the Standard & Poor’s 500 hit yet another record high.
 
We remain committed to investing for the long term, but our antennas are up and we are well situated to withstand and take advantage of market volatility should it arrive. The value of 1) having a thoughtful group of clients who have entrusted us with the responsibility of managing their capital and 2) ensuring that our assets never grow to an inefficient size is never more essential than during periods of market dislocation. It is during these periods that we add the most value in portfolios by identifying new opportunities and tactically reallocating capital towards securities that provide the most asymmetric risk/reward to the upside.
 
Foundations of Success
I have many close friends in Alabama. They often extol the virtues of the University of Alabama football coach…and their analysis is spot on. Nick Saban has been the most successful coach in all of sports over the past seven years, with the Alabama Crimson Tide holding three national titles and a 74-14 record. Saban and his team cite process as a key contributor to their success. "Process guarantees success," says Saban. "A good process produces good results.”10 In our pursuit of positive results we look to apply an investment process that is both consistent and disciplined. Some of the tenets that we believe in are:
 
Valuation Matters
Valuation alone does not define the attractiveness of an investment opportunity, but when compelling valuation is sought in conjunction with characteristics such as 1) significant return of capital to shareholders (through either dividends and/or share buybacks), 2) high return on equity, and 3) strength of balance sheet, the returns are meaningfully enhanced. A high growth rate is a desirable characteristic for a company, but often can be misused as a reason for buying expensive stocks. Only when a business meets our high standards in terms of quality and attractiveness of the current valuation does it garner our full attention.
 
Use History As a Guide… But Always Look Forward
History can serve as a great teacher, however successful investors must recognize that industries evolve, competitive dynamics shift, and historic valuation parameters do not always hold. In July of 1998, shares of Coca Cola reached ~$43 per share. At the time shares were trading at sixty times annual earnings of $0.71 and the investment community was convinced that the consumption of carbonated beverages would increase unabated into perpetuity. Sixteen years later the price of the S&P 500 has advanced ~58% on a cumulative basis while Coca Cola’s share price has declined ~5%. The consumption of carbonated beverages in developed markets is now in decline (a shift in Coca Cola’s competitive positioning in the beverage markets), and while earnings have grown to $1.90 per share, Coke’s investors may no longer be willing to place such a lofty multiple on earnings – historical valuation parameters have changed. Becoming anchored in historical valuation metrics or failing to continually re-evaluate a company’s potential can lead to both errors of commission and errors of omission.
 


 
10
Gardner Sherrill, “Coach Nick Saban has success model: It's all about process.” Bradenton Herald (December 31, 2013). Web.  <http://www.bradenton.com/2013/12/31/4912555/coach-nick-saban-has-success-model.html>

   24  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Learn the Language
A tonal language is a language in which pitch is used as a part of speech, changing the meaning of a word. Perhaps the most famous tonal language is Chinese, which is infamously hard to learn because of the subtle variations in tone that can change the meanings of words.
 
Accounting is the language of investing and is itself highly tonal…meaning that the way financial information is represented can change the meaning. Even within generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) companies have wide latitude to make either aggressive or conservative representations of reality, and understanding the difference is paramount.
 
Know When to Fold ‘Em
A rotten apple can spoil the bunch. Recognizing that as investors we are not immune from making mistakes, in the face of those mistakes not becoming ossified in our thinking is essential to pursuing positive results. Extremely poor performance of a single security in concentrated, high conviction portfolios can have highly negative consequences, thus when a security performs in a way that we did not predict, unless we can definitively identify the issue and gain clarity as to why it will not lead to long term impairment of capital, we are compelled to sell. Kenny Rogers may have said it best in his Grammy winning song The Gambler: “…the secret to survivin' is knowin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep…”
 
Independence
It is probably not a surprise that only ~45% of stocks outperform the market over time with the other ~55% performing in line or underperforming. It should also come as no surprise that ~70% of the stocks in the S&P 500 are rated BUY by Wall Street Analysts and amazingly, only 1% of the stocks are rated SELL. This bias towards BUY recommendations is driven by the underlying profit motives of Wall Street analysts…it’s not nefarious; it’s just that they generate revenue based upon portfolio activity, not portfolio performance.11
 
Thus, we must be willing to think differently while at the same time not becoming anchored in being a contrarian. Respecting the wisdom of the crowd while avoiding herd behavior is a fine line that must be walked.
 
As always, my most sincere thanks for your support.
 
Zachary A. Wydra
Portfolio Manager
 


 
11
Stephen Gregory, Katherine Krantz, and Joe Ramirez, “7 Habits Of Highly-Effective Stock Pickers,” Cornerstone Macro’s Portfolio Insights (April 16, 2014): 7.

   25  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
IMPORTANT RISKS AND DISCLOSURE:
There is no assurance that the Partners Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Partners Fund is subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal amount invested. The risks associated with the Partners Fund include: equity and convertible securities risk, foreign securities risk, management risk, debt securities risk, non-investment grade securities risk, liquidity risk and non-diversification risk. The Partners Fund may invest in small and mid-sized capitalization companies meaning that these companies carry greater risk than is customarily associated with larger companies for various reasons such as narrower markets, limited financial resources and less liquid stock.
 
The views in this report were those of the Partners Fund managers as of March 31, 2014 and may not reflect their views on the date this report is first published or any time thereafter. These views are intended to assist shareholders in understanding their investment in the Partners Fund and do not constitute investment advice. This letter may contain discussions about certain investments both held and not held in the portfolio. All current and future holdings are subject to risk and to change.
 
On December 1, 2009, a limited partnership managed by the adviser reorganized into the Partners Fund. The predecessor limited partnership maintained an investment objective and investment policies that were, in all material respects, equivalent to those of the Partners Fund. The Partners Fund’s performance for the periods before December 1, 2009 is that of the limited partnership and includes the expenses of the limited partnership, which were lower than the Partners Fund’s current expenses, except for 2008 where the expenses of the limited partnership were higher. The performance prior to December 1, 2009 is based on calculations that are different from the standardized method of calculations by the SEC. If the limited partnership’s performance had been readjusted to reflect the estimated expenses of the Partners Fund for its first fiscal year, the performance would have been lower. The limited partnership was not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) and was not subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements, and other restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, which, if applicable, may have adversely affected its performance.
 
The recent growth rate in the stock market has helped to produce short-term returns that are not typical and may not continue in the future. Because of ongoing market volatility, fund performance may be subject to substantial short-term changes.
 
   26  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
The following chart reflects the change in the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the primary benchmark, S&P 500 Index (the “S&P 500”), and the secondary benchmark, Russell 1000® Index (the “Russell 1000”) over the past 10 fiscal years. The S&P 500 is a broad-based, unmanaged measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average of 500 widely held common stocks. The Russell 1000 Index is an unmanaged index which measures the performance of a subset of the Russell 3000® Index and includes the 1,000 largest U.S. companies in terms of market capitalization based upon a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The total return of the S&P 500 includes the reinvestment of dividends and income. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the S&P 500 does not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the S&P 500 is unmanaged and is not available for investment.
 
Comparison of a $10,000 Investment
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund vs. S&P 500 Index and Russell 1000 Index



Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended March 31, 2014:
 
One Year
 
Five Years
 
Ten Years
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund
 
14.59
%
 
21.45
%
 
8.04
%
S&P 500 Index
 
21.86
%
 
21.16
%
 
7.42
%
Russell 1000 Index
 
22.41
%
 
21.73
%
 
7.80
%

Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (800) 943-6786. Shares redeemed or exchanged within 60 days of purchase will be charged a 2.00% redemption fee. As stated in the Fund’s current prospectus, the annual operating expense ratio (gross) is 1.42%. However, the Fund’s adviser has contractually agreed to reduce a portion of its fees and reimburse expenses to limit total operating expenses (excluding taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses and extraordinary expenses) to 1.00%, through July 31, 2014. During the period, certain fees were waived and/or expenses reimbursed; otherwise, returns would have been lower. The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns greater than one year are annualized.

 
   27  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
PORTFOLIO PROFILE (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  28  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

Common Stock - 88.8%
Consumer Discretionary - 4.7%
 
127,700
 
Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. (a)
$
8,785,760
 
       
Consumer Staples - 1.2%
 
22,000
 
Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, ADR
 
2,316,600
 
       
Energy - 22.8%
 
16,000
 
Bristow Group, Inc.
 
1,208,320
 
 
86,300
 
Devon Energy Corp.
 
5,776,059
 
 
513,450
 
Encana Corp.
 
10,977,561
 
 
41,500
 
Matador Resources Co. (a)
 
1,016,335
 
 
62,400
 
National Oilwell Varco, Inc.
 
4,859,088
 
 
360,000
 
Noble Corp PLC
 
11,786,400
 
 
23,000
 
Schlumberger, Ltd.
 
2,242,500
 
 
245,000
 
Subsea 7 SA, ADR
 
4,534,950
 
   
42,401,213
 
Financials - 27.5%
 
151,350
 
Boulevard Acquisition Corp. (a)
 
1,524,095
 
 
267,000
 
Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., Class A
 
10,906,950
 
 
43,342
 
Enstar Group, Ltd. (a)
 
5,907,948
 
 
30,080
 
Homefed Corp. (a)(b)
 
1,473,920
 
 
382,200
 
Leucadia National Corp.
 
10,701,600
 
 
5,000
 
Markel Corp. (a)
 
2,980,500
 
 
295,000
 
PICO Holdings, Inc. (a)
 
7,667,050
 
 
61,950
 
RenaissanceRe Holdings, Ltd.
 
6,046,320
 
 
93,100
 
U.S. Bancorp
 
3,990,266
 
   
51,198,649
 
Healthcare - 15.7%
 
214,500
 
Abbott Laboratories
 
8,260,395
 
 
176,000
 
Baxter International, Inc.
 
12,950,080
 
 
57,100
 
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (a)
 
5,607,791
 
 
41,750
 
Merck & Co., Inc.
 
2,370,147
 
   
29,188,413
 
Industrials - 3.3%
 
39,200
 
Dover Corp.
 
3,204,600
 
 
38,500
 
Fluor Corp.
 
2,992,605
 
   
6,197,205
 
Information Technology - 13.6%
 
70,550
 
International Business Machines Corp.
 
13,580,170
 
 
19,600
 
Knowles Corp. (a)
 
618,772
 
 
94,700
 
Microsoft Corp.
 
3,881,753
 
 
93,000
 
QUALCOMM, Inc.
 
7,333,980
 
   
25,414,675
 
Total Common Stock
(Cost $140,415,851)
 
165,502,515
 
 
Total Investments - 88.8%
(Cost $140,415,851)*
$
165,502,515
 
Other Assets & Liabilities, Net – 11.2%
 
20,812,367
 
Net Assets – 100.0%
$
186,314,882
 

 
 
ADR
American Depositary Receipt
PLC
Public Limited Company
(a)
Non-income producing security.
(b)
The security transferred from Level 1 to Level 2 due to a lack of available quoted prices in an active market during the period.


*
Cost for federal income tax purposes is $140,715,623 and net unrealized appreciation consists of:
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
26,253,008
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
   
(1,466,116
)
Net Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
24,786,892
 
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of March 31, 2014.
 
Valuation Inputs
 
Investments in Securities
Level 1 - Quoted Prices
 
$
164,028,595
 
Level 2 - Other Significant Observable Inputs
   
1,473,920
 
Level 3 - Significant Unobservable Inputs
   
-
 
Total
 
$
165,502,515
 
 
 
The Level 1 and Level 2 value displayed in this table is Common Stock. Refer to the Schedule of Investments for a further breakout of each security by industry.
 
There were no transfers among Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 for the year ended March 31, 2014.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  29  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
             
ASSETS
       
 
Total investments, at value (Cost $140,415,851)
 
$
165,502,515
 
 
Cash
   
21,225,630
 
 
Receivables:
       
   
Fund shares sold
   
52,926
 
   
Dividends and interest
   
145,862
 
 
Prepaid expenses
   
12,204
 
Total Assets
   
186,939,137
 
             
LIABILITIES
       
 
Payables:
       
   
Investment securities purchased
   
365,758
 
   
Fund shares redeemed
   
87,722
 
 
Accrued Liabilities:
       
Adviser
Investment adviser fees
   
108,702
 
   
Trustees’ fees and expenses
   
90
 
   
Fund services fees
   
21,667
 
   
Other expenses
   
40,316
 
Total Liabilities
   
624,255
 
             
NET ASSETS
 
$
 186,314,882
 
             
COMPONENTS OF NET ASSETS
       
 
Paid-in capital
 
$
155,443,657
 
 
Undistributed net investment income
   
193,331
 
 
Accumulated net realized gain
   
5,591,230
 
 
Net unrealized appreciation
   
25,086,664
 
NET ASSETS
 
$
186,314,882
 
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST AT NO PAR VALUE (UNLIMITED SHARES AUTHORIZED)
   
12,574,573
 
NET ASSET VALUE, OFFERING AND REDEMPTION PRICE PER SHARE*
 
$
14.82
 
*
Shares redeemed or exchanged within 60 days of purchase are charged a 2.00% redemption fee.
 

See Notes to Financial Statements.  30  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
               
INVESTMENT INCOME
         
 
Dividend income (Net of foreign withholding taxes of $79,097)
 
$
1,917,763
   
 
Interest income
   
36,038
   
Total Investment Income
   
1,953,801
   
Adviser
         
EXPENSES
         
 
Investment adviser fees
   
1,497,043
   
 
Fund services fees
   
223,128
   
 
Custodian fees
   
15,394
   
 
Registration fees
   
19,710
   
 
Professional fees
   
44,188
   
 
Trustees' fees and expenses
   
5,166
   
 
Transfer agency expenses
   
105,735
   
 
Miscellaneous expenses
   
25,318
   
Total Expenses
   
1,935,682
   
 
Fees waived
   
(438,633
)
 
Net Expenses
   
1,497,049
   
               
NET INVESTMENT INCOME
   
456,752
   
               
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN
         
 
Net realized gain on investments
   
12,995,670
   
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments
   
7,860,239
   
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN
   
20,855,909
   
INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS
 
$
 21,312,661
   
               

See Notes to Financial Statements.  31  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
 
 
 
       
For the Years Ended March 31,
       
2014
   
2013
OPERATIONS
                 
 
Net investment income
 
$
456,752
     
$
313,266
 
 
Net realized gain
   
12,995,670
       
3,614,957
 
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
7,860,239
       
8,842,792
 
Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations
   
21,312,661
       
12,771,015
 
                       
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                 
 
Net investment income
   
(323,014
)
     
(281,799
)
 
Net realized gain
   
(9,206,221
)
     
(2,179,737
)
Total Distributions to Shareholders
   
(9,529,235
)
     
(2,461,536
)
                       
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                 
 
Sale of shares
   
66,036,893
       
63,095,091
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions
   
9,421,736
       
2,415,936
 
 
Redemption of shares
   
(16,975,447
)
     
(6,840,946
)
 
Redemption fees
   
10,009
       
1,729
 
Increase in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions
   
58,493,191
       
58,671,810
 
Increase in Net Assets
   
70,276,617
       
68,981,289
 
                       
NET ASSETS
                 
 
Beginning of Year
   
 116,038,265
       
 47,056,976
 
 
End of Year (Including line (a))
 
$
 186,314,882
     
$
 116,038,265
 
                       
SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                 
 
Sale of shares
   
4,664,439
       
4,915,377
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions
   
678,124
       
192,467
 
 
Redemption of shares
   
(1,201,739
)
     
(542,992
)
Increase in Shares
   
4,140,824
       
4,564,852
 
                       
(a)
Undistributed net investment income
 
$
193,331
     
$
59,027
 

See Notes to Financial Statements.  32  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER PARTNERS FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
 
These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period.
 
           
   
For the Years Ended March 31,
 
December 1, 2009 (a) through
March 31,
 
   
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
 
2010
 
                                         
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Period 
$
13.76
   
$
12.16
   
$
12.53
   
$
10.66
   
$
10.00
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                                       
Net investment income (b)
 
 0.04
     
 0.06
     
 0.08
     
 0.11
     
 0.03
   
Net realized and unrealized gain
 
 1.91
     
 1.97
     
 0.95
     
 2.25
     
 0.64
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 1.95
     
 2.03
     
 1.03
     
 2.36
     
 0.67
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO
                                       
SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                       
Net investment income
 
 (0.03
)
   
 (0.05
)
   
 (0.06
)
   
 (0.10
)
   
 (0.01
)
 
Net realized gain
 
 (0.86
)
   
 (0.38
)
   
 (1.34
)
   
 (0.39
)
   
   
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
 (0.89
)
   
 (0.43
)
   
 (1.40
)
   
 (0.49
)
   
 (0.01
)
 
REDEMPTION FEES (b)
 
(c)
 
(c)
 
(c)
 
     
   
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Period 
$
14.82
   
$
13.76
   
$
12.16
   
$
12.53
   
$
10.66
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
14.59
%
 
16.97
%
 
9.82
%
 
22.62
%
 
6.70
%(d)
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
                                       
Net Assets at End of Period (000's omitted)
$186,315
   
$116,038
   
$47,057
   
$26,481
   
$19,218
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                       
Net investment income 
 
0.31
%
 
0.46
%
 
0.68
%
 
1.03
%
 
0.86
%(e)
Net expense 
 
1.00
%
 
1.00
%
 
1.00
%
 
1.00
%
 
1.00
%(e)
Gross expense (f)
 
1.29
%
 
1.42
%
 
1.80
%
 
2.13
%
 
2.56
%(e)
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
 
32
%
 
37
%
 
67
%
 
49
%
 
17
%(d)
                                           
(a)
Commencement of operations.
(b)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during each period.
(c)
Less than $0.01 per share.
(d)
Not annualized.
(e)
Annualized.
(f)
Reflects the expense ratio excluding any waivers and/or reimbursements.

See Notes to Financial Statements.  33  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Note 1. Organization
 
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund and Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund (individually, a “Fund” and, collectively the “Funds”) are diversified and non-diversified portfolios of Forum Funds (the “Trust”), respectively. The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust that is registered as an open-end, management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”), as amended. Under its Trust Instrument, the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of each Fund’s shares of beneficial interest without par value. Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund commenced operations on December 8, 1993, and seeks capital appreciation by investing primarily in a portfolio of common stock and securities convertible into common stock. Effective August 1, 2012, Beck Mack & Oliver Global Equity Fund was renamed Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund.  Prior to June 24, 2009, Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund was named Austin Global Equity Fund.  Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund commenced operations on December 1, 2009, after it acquired the net assets of BMO Partners Fund, L.P. (the “Partnership”), in exchange for Fund shares. The Partnership commenced operations in 1991.  Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation consistent with the preservation of capital.
 
Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 
These financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the fiscal year. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates. The following summarizes the significant accounting policies of each Fund:
 
Security Valuation – Exchange-traded securities and over-the-counter securities are valued using the last quoted trade or official closing price, provided by independent pricing services as of the close of trading on the market or exchange for which they are primarily traded, on each Fund business day. In the absence of a sale, such securities are valued at the mean of the last bid and ask price provided by independent pricing services. Non-exchange traded securities for which quotations are available are valued using the last quoted sales price, or in the absence of a sale, at the mean of the last bid and ask prices provided by independent pricing services. Debt securities may be valued at prices supplied by a fund’s pricing agent based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics such as rating, interest rate and maturity. Forward currency contracts are generally valued at the mean of bid and ask prices for the time period interpolated from rates reported by an independent pricing service for proximate time periods. Exchange-traded options for which the last quoted sale price is outside the closing bid and ask price, will be valued at the mean of the closing bid and ask price. Shares of open-end mutual funds are valued at net asset value (“NAV”). Interests in private investments will generally be subject to fair valuation. Private investments with liquidity restrictions of 3 months or less will be valued at their net asset value. Short-term investments that mature in 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost.
 
Each Fund values its investments at fair value pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board") if (1) market quotations are insufficient or not readily available or (2) the adviser believes that the values available are unreliable. The Trust’s Valuation Committee, as defined in each Fund’s registration statement, performs certain functions as they relate to the administration and oversight of each Fund’s valuation procedures. Under these

   34  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
procedures, the Valuation Committee convenes on a regular and ad-hoc basis to review such securities and considers a number of factors, including valuation methodologies and significant unobservable inputs, when arriving at fair value.
 
The Valuation Committee may work with the adviser to provide valuation inputs. In determining fair valuations, inputs may include market-based analytics which may consider related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values and other relevant investment information. Adviser inputs may include an income-based approach in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted in determining fair value. Discounts may also be applied based on the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. The Valuation Committee performs regular reviews of valuation methodologies, key inputs and assumptions, disposition analysis and market activity.
 
Fair valuation is based on subjective factors and, as a result, the fair value price of an investment may differ from the security’s market price and may not be the price at which the asset may be sold. Fair valuation could result in a different NAV than a NAV determined by using market quotes.
 
Each Fund has a three-tier fair value hierarchy. The basis of the tiers is dependent upon the various “inputs” used to determine the value of each Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:
 
Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities
 
Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices of similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)
 
Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including each Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)
 
The aggregate value by input level, as of March 31, 2014, for each Fund’s investments is included at the end of each Fund’s Schedule of Investments.
 
Security Transactions, Investment Income and Realized Gain and Loss – Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Foreign dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as possible after each Fund determines the existence of a dividend declaration after exercising reasonable due diligence. Income and capital gains on some foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, which are accrued as applicable. Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Premium is amortized and discount is accreted using the effective interest method. Identified cost of investments sold is used to determine the gain and loss for both financial statement and federal income tax purposes.
 
Foreign Currency Translations – Foreign currency amounts are translated into U.S. dollars as follows: (1) assets and liabilities at the rate of exchange at the end of the respective period; and (2) purchases and sales of securities and income and expenses at the rate of exchange prevailing on the dates of such transactions. The portion of the results of operations arising from changes in the exchange rates and the portion due to fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of securities are not isolated. Such fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments.
 
   35  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 

Foreign Currency Transactions – Each Fund may enter into transactions to purchase or sell foreign currency contracts and options on foreign currency. Forward currency contracts are agreements to exchange one currency for another at a future date and at a specified price. A fund may use forward currency contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign securities, to manage a fund’s foreign currency exposure and to protect the U.S. dollar value of its underlying portfolio securities against the effect of possible adverse movements in foreign exchange rates. These contracts are intrinsically valued daily based on forward rates, and a fund’s net equity therein, representing unrealized gain or loss on the contracts as measured by the difference between the forward foreign exchange rates at the dates of entry into the contracts and the forward rates at the reporting date, is recorded as a component of net asset value. These instruments involve market risk, credit risk, or both kinds of risks, in excess of the amount recognized in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Risks arise from the possible inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts and from movement in currency and securities values and interest rates. Due to the risks associated with these transactions, a fund could incur losses up to the entire contract amount, which may exceed the net unrealized value included in its net asset value.
 
Purchased Options – When a fund purchases an option, an amount equal to the premium paid by the fund is recorded as an investment and is subsequently adjusted to the current value of the option purchased.  If an option expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the fund enters into a closing sale transaction, a gain or loss is realized. If a call option is exercised, the cost of the security acquired is increased by the premium paid for the call. If a put option is exercised, a gain or loss is realized from the sale of the underlying security, and the proceeds from such sale are decreased by the premium originally paid. Purchased options are non-income producing securities.
 
Distributions to Shareholders – Distributions to shareholders of net investment income and net capital gains, if any, are declared and paid at least annually. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributions are based on amounts calculated in accordance with applicable federal income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP. These differences are due primarily to differing treatments of income and gain on various investment securities held by each Fund, timing differences and differing characterizations of distributions made by each Fund.
 
Federal Taxes – Each Fund intends to continue to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and to distribute all of their taxable income to shareholders. In addition, by distributing in each calendar year substantially all of their net investment income and capital gains, if any, the Funds will not be subject to a federal excise tax. Therefore, no federal income or excise tax provision is required. Each Fund files a U.S. federal income and excise tax return as required. A fund’s federal income tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a period of three fiscal years after they are filed. As of March 31, 2014, there are no uncertain tax positions that would require financial statement recognition, de-recognition, or disclosure.
 
Income and Expense Allocation – The Trust accounts separately for the assets, liabilities and operations of each of its investment portfolios. Expenses that are directly attributable to more than one investment portfolio are allocated among the respective investment portfolios in an equitable manner.
 
   36  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Redemption Fees – A shareholder who redeems or exchanges shares within 60 days of purchase will incur a redemption fee of 2.00% of the current net asset value of shares redeemed or exchanged, subject to certain limitations. The fee is charged for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and will be paid to each Fund to help offset transaction costs. The fee is accounted for as an addition to paid-in capital. Each Fund reserves the right to modify the terms of or terminate the fee at any time. There are limited exceptions to the imposition of the redemption fee.
 
Commitments and Contingencies – In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that provide general indemnifications by each Fund to the counterparty to the contract. Each Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against each Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated; however, based on experience, the risk of loss from such claims is considered remote.
 
Note 3. Fees and Expenses
 
Investment Adviser – Beck, Mack & Oliver LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Funds. Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser receives an advisory fee at an annual rate of 1.50% and 1.00% of the average daily net assets of Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund and Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund, respectively.
 
Distribution – Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as each Fund’s distributor (the “Distributor”). The Funds do not have a distribution (12b-1) plan; accordingly, the Distributor does not receive compensation from the Funds for its distribution (12b-1) services. The Funds do not compensate the Distributor for its services.  The Adviser compensates the Distributor directly for its services. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Adviser or Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC (d/b/a Atlantic Fund Services) (“Atlantic”) or their affiliates.
 
Other Service Providers – Atlantic provides fund accounting, fund administration, compliance and transfer agency services to each Fund. Atlantic also provides certain shareholder report production, and EDGAR conversion and filing services. Pursuant to an Atlantic services agreement, each Fund pays Atlantic customary fees for its services. Atlantic provides a Principal Executive Officer, a Principal Financial Officer, a Chief Compliance Officer, and an Anti-Money Laundering Officer to each Fund, as well as certain additional compliance support functions.
 
Trustees and Officers – The Trust pays each independent Trustee an annual retainer fee of $45,000 for service to the Trust ($66,000 for the Chairman). The Trustees and Chairman may receive additional fees for special Board meetings. Each Trustee is also reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with his duties as a Trustee, including travel and related expenses incurred in attending Board meetings. The amount of Trustees’ fees attributable to each Fund is disclosed in the Statement of Operations. Certain officers of the Trust are also officers or employees of the above named service providers, and during their terms of office received no compensation from each Fund.
 
Note 4. Expense Reimbursement and Fees Waived
 
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its fee and reimburse certain expenses to limit total annual operating expenses to 1.50% and 1.00% of average daily net assets through July 31, 2014, of Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund and Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund, respectively. Effective August 1, 2013, the expense cap for Beck,

   37  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Mack & Oliver Global Fund changed from 1.25% to 1.50%.  For the year ended March 31, 2014, fees waived were as follows:
 
   
Investment Adviser
Fees Waived
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
 
$
474,822
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund
   
438,633

Note 5. Security Transactions
 
The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities (including maturities), other than short-term investments during the year ended March 31, 2014, were as follows:

   
Purchases
 
Sales
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
 
$
35,275,516
 
$
47,912,745
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund
   
91,187,128
   
40,142,263
 
 
Note 6. Summary of Derivative Activity
 
The volume of open derivative positions many vary on a daily basis as Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund transacts derivative contracts in order to achieve the exposure desired by the Adviser. The notional value of activity for the year ended March 31, 2014 for any derivative type that was held during the period is as follows:
 
Purchased Options
$
1,696,737
   
Forward Currency Contracts
 
77,612,222
   

Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund’s use of derivatives during the year ended March 31, 2014, was limited to forward currency contracts and purchased options.
 
Following is a summary of the effect of derivatives on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of March 31, 2014:
 
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
           
Location:
 
Equity
Contracts
   
Forward Currency
Contracts
 
Asset derivatives:
                   
Total investments, at value
 
$
-
     
$
-
   
Unrealized gain on forward currency contracts
   
-
       
635,686
   
Total asset derivatives
 
$
-
     
$
635,686
   
                     
Liability derivatives:
                   
Unrealized loss on forward currency contracts
 
$
-
     
$
(642,242
)
 
Total liability derivatives
 
$
-
     
$
(642,242
)
 
 
   38  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Realized and unrealized gains and losses on derivatives contracts during the year ended March 31, 2014, by Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund are recorded in the following locations on the Statement of Operations:
 
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
         
Location:
 
Equity
Contracts
 
Forward Currency
Contracts
 
Net realized gain (loss) on:
                 
Foreign currency transactions
 
$
-
   
$
1,051,023
   
Total net realized gain (loss)
 
$
-
   
$
1,051,023
   
                   
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
                 
Investments
 
$
(26,250
)
 
$
-
   
Foreign currency translations
   
-
     
(258,416
)
 
Total net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
 
$
(26,250
)
 
$
(258,416
)
 

Asset (Liability) amounts shown in the table below represent amounts for derivative related investments at March 31, 2014. These amounts may be collateralized by cash or financial instruments.
 
   
Gross Asset (Liability) as Presented in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities
 
Financial Instruments (Received) Pledged**
 
Cash Collateral (Received) Pledged**
 
Net Amount
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
               
Assets:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
 
$
635,686
   
$
(635,686
)
 
$
-
   
$
-
 
Liabilities:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
   
(642,242
)
   
642,242
     
-
     
-
 

*
Over-the-counter derivatives may consist of forward currency contracts and options contracts.  The amounts disclosed above represent the exposure to one or more counterparties.  For further detail on individual derivative contracts and the corresponding unrealized appreciation (depreciation), see the Schedule of Investments.
**
The actual financial instruments and cash collateral (received) pledged may be in excess of the amounts shown in the table. The table only reflects collateral amounts up to the amount of the financial instrument disclosed on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Note 7. Federal Income Tax
 
Distributions during the fiscal years as noted were characterized for tax purposes as follows:
 
   
Ordinary Income
 
Long Term
Capital Gain
 
Total
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
                 
2014
 
$
8,580,703
 
$
1,593,153
 
$
10,173,856
2013
   
-
   
3,042,594
   
3,042,594
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund
                 
2014
   
4,166,426
   
5,362,809
   
9,529,235
2013
   
1,641,040
   
820,496
   
2,461,536

   39  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
As of March 31, 2014, distributable earnings (accumulated loss) on a tax basis were as follows:
 
   
Undistributed Ordinary Income
 
Undistributed Long-Term Gain
 
Unrealized Appreciation
 
Total
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
 
$
2,347,348
   
$
3,408,108
   
$
3,381,233
   
$
9,136,689
 
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund
   
2,217,063
     
3,867,270
     
24,786,892
     
30,871,225
 
 
The difference between components of distributable earnings on a tax basis and the amounts reflected in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities are primarily due to partnerships, wash sales, currency contracts, real estate investment trusts and investments in passive foreign investment companies in the Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund and in differing treatment of short-term capital gains and wash sales in the Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund.
 
On the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, as a result of permanent book to tax differences, certain amounts have been reclassified for the year ended March 31, 2014. The following reclassifications were the result of currency gain/loss reclassifications, partnerships and investments in passive foreign investment companies in the Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund and reclassified partnership and securities litigation income in the Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund and have no impact on the net assets of each Fund.
 

 
 
Undistributed (Distributions in Excess of) Net Investment Income
 
Undistributed Net Realized Gain (Loss)
 
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
 
$
2,281,594
   
$
(2,281,594
)
   
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund
   
566
     
(566
)
   
 
Note 8. Subsequent Events
 
Subsequent events occurring after the date of this report through the date these financial statements were issued have been evaluated for potential impact and each Fund has had no such events.
 
   40  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
 
 

To the Shareholders of Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund,
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund,
and the Board of Trustees of Forum Funds
 
We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities of the Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund and Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund (the “Funds”), each a series of shares of beneficial interest in the Forum Funds, including the schedules of investments, as of March 31, 2014, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended for Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund and for each of the years in the four-year period then ended and for the period December 1, 2009 (commencement of operations) through March 31, 2010 for Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund.  These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds’ management.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.
 
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.  Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of March 31, 2014 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers and by other appropriate auditing procedures where responses from brokers were not received. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.  We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund and Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund as of March 31, 2014, and the results of their operations for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and their financial highlights for each of the years or periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
 
 
BBD, LLP
 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
 
May 30, 2014
 
   41  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Investment Advisory Agreement Approval
 
At the March 21, 2014 Board meeting, the Board, including the Independent Trustees, considered the approval of the continuance of the investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust pertaining to the Funds (the “Advisory Agreement”). In preparation for its deliberations, the Board requested and reviewed written responses from the Adviser to a due diligence questionnaire circulated on the Board's behalf. The Board also discussed the materials with Independent Trustee counsel and, as necessary, with the Trust's administrator, Atlantic Fund Services. During its deliberations, the Board received an oral presentation from the Adviser, and was assisted by the advice of Independent Trustee counsel.
 
In evaluating the Advisory Agreement for the Funds, the Board reviewed written materials furnished by the Adviser and the administrator, including information regarding the Adviser's personnel, operations and financial condition. In addition, the Board considered that the evaluation process with respect to the Adviser is an ongoing one and, in this regard, the Board receives and evaluates information at each regularly scheduled meeting including, among other things, information concerning the Funds' performance and services provided by the Adviser.
 
At the meeting, the Board reviewed, among other matters: (1) the nature, extent and quality of the services to be provided to the Funds by the Adviser, including information on the investment performance of the Funds and Adviser; (2) the costs of the services to be provided and profitability to the Adviser with respect to its relationship with the Funds; (3) the advisory fee and total expense ratio of the Funds compared to a relevant peer group of funds; (4) the extent to which economies of scale may be realized as the Funds grow and whether the advisory fee enables each Fund's investors to share in the benefits of economies of scale; and (5) other benefits received by the Adviser from its relationship with the Funds.
 
Nature, Extent and Quality of Services
 
Based on the written materials received, a presentation from senior representatives of the Adviser, and a discussion with the Adviser about the Adviser’s personnel, operations and financial condition and discussions with the Trust's CCO regarding the Adviser, the Board evaluated the nature, extent and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement and possible future changes in investment orientation that the Adviser was exploring. In this regard, the Board reviewed information regarding the experience, qualifications and professional background of the portfolio managers and other personnel at the Adviser with principal investment responsibility for each Fund's investments as well as the investment philosophy and decision-making processes of those professionals. The Board also reviewed the capability and integrity of the Adviser’s senior management and staff.
 
With respect to the adequacy of the Adviser’s resources, the Board weighed total assets under management of the Adviser and the Adviser’s representation that the firm is financially stable and has the operational capability needed to provide investment advisory services to the Funds for the foreseeable future. Based on the foregoing and other relevant considerations, the Board concluded that, overall, it was satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services to be provided by the Adviser to each Fund under the Advisory Agreement.
 
   42  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 

Performance
 
In connection with a presentation by the Adviser regarding its approach to managing the Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund (the "Global Fund"), the Board reviewed the performance of the Global Fund. First, the Board evaluated the performance of the Global Fund relative to its primary benchmark, as of December 31, 2013. The Board noted that the Global Fund underperformed its benchmark for each period measured, except for the period since inception. The Board also noted the Global Fund’s performance relative to its Lipper Inc. peer group. The Board considered that, based on the information provided, the Global Fund underperformed each of its peers for the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year periods ended January 31, 2014. The Board observed that, as recently as last year, the Global Fund's long-term performance had been positive relative to its benchmark and Lipper Inc. peer group. The Adviser explained that, during the last [calendar] year, the Global Fund had focused on investing in value stocks and this focus as well as a focus on U.S. stocks and the effects of a large cash position resulting from a shift away from holdings of U.S. stocks caused the Global Fund to significantly underperform during that time period. The Adviser represented that this underperformance negatively affected the Global Fund's entire performance history, including its long-term performance, relative to the benchmark and Lipper Inc. peer group. The Board considered the Adviser's representation that the increased focus on value stocks was designed to promote the long-term performance of the Global Fund, although it proved to be detrimental to the short-term performance of the Fund.
 
In connection with a presentation by the Adviser regarding its approach to managing the Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund (the "Partners Fund"), the Board reviewed the performance of the Partners Fund. The Board first reviewed the performance of the Partners Fund relative to its primary benchmark as of December 31, 2013.  The Board noted that the Partners Fund underperformed the benchmark for the 1-year and 3-year periods but outperformed the benchmark for the since inception period. The Board evaluated the Partners Fund’s performance relative to its Lipper Inc. peer group as of January 31, 2014. In this regard, the Board noted that, based on the information provided, the Partners Fund underperformed each of its peers for the 1-year period but outperformed half of its peers for the 3-year period.
 
Noting each Fund's past instances of outperforming its benchmark, among other relevant considerations, the Board determined that the Adviser’s management of each Fund could benefit the Funds and its shareholders.
 
Compensation
 
The Board reviewed the Adviser’s compensation for providing advisory services to the Funds and analyzed comparative information on actual advisory fee rates and actual total expenses of similar mutual funds. The Board observed that the Adviser’s actual advisory fee rate for Global Fund was above the median advisory fee rate of its Lipper peer group but that the Fund's actual total expenses were the lowest of its Lipper peer group. The Board also observed that the Adviser’s actual advisory fee rate for the Partners Fund was below the median advisory fee rate of its Lipper peer group and that the Partners Fund's actual total expenses were the lowest of its Lipper peer group. Based on the foregoing, the Board concluded that the Adviser’s advisory fee rate charged to each Fund appeared to be within a reasonable range in light of the services it provides to each Fund.
 
   43  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 

Costs of Services and Profitability
 
The Board considered information provided by the Adviser regarding its costs of services and its profitability with respect to each Fund. In this regard, the Board considered the Adviser’s resources devoted to each Fund. Based on these and other applicable considerations, the Board concluded that the Adviser’s profits attributable to management of each Fund were reasonable.
 
Economies of Scale
 
The Board evaluated whether either Fund would benefit from any economies of scale. In this respect, the Board considered the Adviser’s representations that each Fund potentially could benefit from economies of scale as assets grow but that the Adviser currently is not proposing breakpoints or changes in fees at this time. The Board recognized that the Adviser is currently waiving a portion of its advisory fee for each Fund in order to maintain a cap on total expenses. Based on the foregoing information, the Board concluded that economies of scale were not a material factor in renewing the Advisory Agreement.
 
Other Benefits
 
The Board weighed the Adviser’s representation that, aside from its contractual advisory fees, it does not benefit in a material way from its relationship with the Funds. Based on the foregoing representation, the Board concluded that other benefits received by the Adviser from its relationship with the Funds were not a material factor to consider in approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreement.
 
Conclusion
 
The Board did not identify any single factor as being of paramount importance, and different Trustees may have given different weight to different factors. The Board reviewed a memorandum from Trust counsel discussing the legal standards applicable to its consideration of the Advisory Agreement. Based on its review, including consideration of each of the factors referenced above, the Board determined, in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment, that the advisory arrangement, as outlined in the Advisory Agreement, was fair and reasonable in light of the services performed or to be performed, expenses incurred or to be incurred and such other matters as the Board considered relevant.
 
   44  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 

Proxy Voting Information
 
A description of the policies and procedures that each Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to securities held in each Fund’s portfolio is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (800) 943-6786 and on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”) website at www.sec.gov. Each Fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (800) 943-6786 and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
 
Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedules
 
Each Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. These filings are available, without charge and upon request on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.
 
Shareholder Expense Example
 
As a shareholder of the Funds, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including redemption fees and exchange fees, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Funds, and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
 
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period from October 1, 2013, through March 31, 2014.
 
Actual Expenses – The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during the period.
 
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes – The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on each Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not each Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in each Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.
 
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as redemption fees and exchange fees. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds.  In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
 
   45  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
Beginning Account Value
October 1, 2013
 
Ending Account Value
March 31, 2014
 
Expenses Paid During Period *
 
Annualized Expense Ratio *
Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund
                       
Actual
$
1,000.00
   
$
1,026.25
   
$
7.58
     
1.33%
Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)
$
1,000.00
   
$
1,017.45
   
$
7.54
     
1.33%
Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund
                           
Actual
$
1,000.00
   
$
1,084.39
   
$
5.20
     
1.00%
Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)
$
1,000.00
   
$
1,019.95
   
$
5.04
     
1.00%
 
*  
Expenses are equal to each Fund’s annualized expense ratio as indicated above multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by 365 to reflect the half-year period.
 
Federal Tax Status of Dividends Declared during the Tax Year
 
For federal income tax purposes, dividends from short-term capital gains are classified as ordinary income. The Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund designates 0.80% of its income dividend distributed as qualifying for the corporate dividends-received deduction (DRD) and 10.00% for the qualified dividend rate (QDI) as defined in Section 1(h)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code.  The Beck, Mack & Oliver Global Fund also designates 1.24% as qualified interest income exempt from U.S. tax for foreign shareholders (QII) and 17.36% as short-term capital gain dividends exempt from U.S. tax for foreign shareholders (QSD).
 
The Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund designates 23.60% of its income dividend distributed as DRD and 38.86% for QDI.  The Beck, Mack & Oliver Partners Fund also designates 0.46% as QII and 92.25% as QSD.
 
Trustees and Officers of the Trust
 
The Board is responsible for oversight of the management of the Trust’s business affairs and of the exercise of all the Trust’s powers except those reserved for the shareholders. The following table provides information about each Trustee and certain officers of the Trust. Each Trustee and officer holds office until the person resigns, is removed, or is replaced. Unless otherwise noted, the persons have held their principal occupations for more than five years. The address for all Trustees and officers is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600, Portland, Maine 04101. Mr. Keffer is considered an Interested Trustee due to his affiliation with Atlantic. Each Fund’s Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (800) 943-6786.

   46  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Name and Year of Birth
Position with the Trust
Length of Time Served
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of Series of Fund Complex¹ Overseen by Trustee
Other Directorships Held by Trustee
Independent Trustees
         
J. Michael Parish
Born: 1943
Chairman of the Board; Trustee; Chairman, Nominating Committee and Qualified Legal Compliance Committee
Since 1989 (Chairman since 2004)
Retired since 2003.
24
0
Costas Azariadis
Born: 1943
Trustee
Since 1989
Professor of Economics, Washington University since 2006.
24
0
James C. Cheng
Born: 1942
Trustee; Chairman, Audit Committee
Since 1989
President, Technology Marketing Associates (marketing company for small- and medium-sized businesses in New England) since 1991.
24
0
David Tucker
Born: 1958
Trustee
Since 2011
Director, Blue Sky Experience since 2008; Senior Vice President & General Counsel, American Century Companies 1998-2008.
28
Trustee, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust
Interested Trustee
         
John Y. Keffer2
Born: 1942
Trustee; Vice Chairman
Since 1989
Chairman, Atlantic since 2008; President, Forum Foundation (a charitable organization) since 2005; President, Forum Trust, LLC (a non-depository trust company chartered in the State of Maine) since 1997.
28
Director, Wintergreen Fund, Inc.; Trustee, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust
Officers
         
Stacey E. Hong
Born: 1966
President; Principal Executive Officer
Since 2008
President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Karen Shaw
Born: 1972
Treasurer; Principal Financial Officer
Since 2008
Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Zachary Tackett
Born: 1988
Vice President; Secretary; Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer
Since 2014
Associate Counsel, Atlantic since 2014; Intern Associate, Coakley & Hyde, PLLC, 2010-2013.
N/A
N/A
 
1The Fund Complex includes the Trust, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust and is overseen by different Boards of Trustees.
2Atlantic is a subsidiary of Forum Holdings Corp. I, a Delaware corporation that is wholly owned by Mr. Keffer.

   47  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BECK, MACK & OLIVER FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Name and Year of Birth
Position with the Trust
Length of Time Served
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of Series of Fund Complex¹ Overseen by Trustee
Other Directorships Held by Trustee
Officers (continued)
         
Michael J. McKeen
Born: 1971
Vice President
Since 2009
Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Timothy Bowden
Born: 1969
Vice President
Since 2009
Manager, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Geoffrey Ney
Born: 1975
Vice President
Since 2013
Manager, Atlantic since 2013; Senior Fund Accountant, Atlantic, 2008-2013.
N/A
N/A
Todd Proulx
Born: 1978
Vice President
Since 2013
Manager, Atlantic since 2013; Senior Fund Accountant, Atlantic, 2008-2013.
N/A
N/A
 
1The Fund Complex includes the Trust, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust and is overseen by different Boards of Trustees.

   48  
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG FUNDS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund  
A Message to Our Shareholders (Unaudited)   1
Performance Chart and Analysis (Unaudited)   3
Schedule of Investments   4
Statement of Assets and Liabilities   12
Statement of Operations   13
Statement of Changes in Net Assets   14
Financial Highlights   15
 
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund  
A Message to Our Shareholders (Unaudited)   16
Performance Chart and Analysis (Unaudited)   18
Schedule of Investments   19
Statement of Assets and Liabilities   23
Statement of Operations   24
Statement of Changes in Net Assets   25
Financial Highlights   26
 
Notes to Financial Statements   27
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   32
Additional Information (Unaudited)   33

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
An investment in the Funds is subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal. Investments in small and/or midsize companies increase the risk of greater price fluctuations. Stock prices may fall or fail to rise over time for several reasons, including general financial market conditions and factors related to a specific issuer or industry. As a result of political or economic instability in foreign countries, there can be special risks associated with investing in foreign securities, including fluctuations in currency exchange rates, increased price volatility and difficulty obtaining information. In addition, emerging markets may present additional risk due to potential for greater economic and political instability in less developed countries.
 
Investing in a market neutral style may involve the use of short sales. There is no guarantee that the use of long and short positions will succeed in limiting the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund's exposure to stock market movements, capitalization, or other risk factors. Investments involved in long and short selling may cause higher turnover rates. This will likely result in additional tax consequences. Short selling involves certain risks, including additional costs associated with covering short positions and a possibility of unlimited loss on certain short sale positions.
 
There is no assurance that the Funds will achieve their investment objectives.
 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
Dear Shareholder,
 
The LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund (the “Fund”) performed well over the last year (the “period”) during a volatile market environment, returning +1.10% since inception versus +0.04% for the Citigroup 3 Month U.S. T-Bill Index.  While over the entire period, U.S. and developed market equities performed quite well, it was not without some ups and downs along the way.

The Fund is managed using a quantitative approach that seeks to add value primarily through stock selection.  The stock selection model is a multi-factor model that has a variety of components, including Valuation, Market Dynamics, and Quality.  Market Dynamics is meant to capture market sentiment and includes Price Momentum and Estimate Revision.  Throughout 2013, we saw a positive payoff to Price Momentum among global equities, particularly internationally.  Stocks that had good price performance were favored over cheap stocks which were perceived as more risky with economic concerns plaguing many non-U.S. markets.  In March of 2014, we saw a reversal in this trend and Valuation started to gain significance again.  In this environment, where investors can shift their focus on what’s important from month to month, we believe it is important to maintain a balanced approach to our stock selection factors to best capture the strength in any one of the major factor components.

One of the key strengths of the Fund is the diversification in sources for absolute return.  This is important as we believe it helps provide a steadier stream of returns.  The Fund aims to achieve diversification through its investments in a broad universe of global stocks as well its ability to invest long and short.  The Fund invests globally using customized stock selection models for the U.S. and developed market portions of the portfolio.  For the first quarter of this year, the international stock selection model has been twice as effective as the U.S. model.  Consequently, the international stocks in the portfolio were the primary contributors to performance in the most recent quarter.  The major difference in the overall effectiveness of the model was the strength of the Quality factor component.  While it worked quite well in international markets during the period, it was essentially flat in U.S. stocks.

Over the entire period, U.S. and international stocks both contributed positively with similar contributions from each.  The ability to short adds another level of diversification in the sources of absolute return.  As a quantitative manager, we rank all the stocks in our universe based on their attractiveness versus their peers.  In long-only portfolios, we can only act on those stocks that rank well versus their peers, since we can only underweight stocks by their benchmark weight if we can’t short.  In this portfolio, we are able to capitalize on the stocks that rank poorly by shorting to achieve a more meaningful underweight.  In this period, where markets were up strongly, our longs provided most of the performance.  The Fund’s short positions detracted from performance but were more than offset by the outperformance of the longs, resulting in a positive absolute return for the period.  The shorts may also provide capital preservation during market sell-offs.
 
 
Outlook
The U.S. equity markets posted very strong performance in 2013 while non-U.S. markets trailed, producing returns well above long term averages.  Returns in the first quarter were very mixed, but global equities ended with small positive returns.  Fixed Income markets struggled in 2013 but have recovered so far in 2014.  We believe that a mid-cycle correction in equities would not be a surprising event in 2014, while interest rate direction continues to puzzle investors world-wide.  In this environment, we continue to believe that a balanced approach to our alpha components is important.

Part of what we do in managing the Fund, is to analyze where we are in a market cycle so that we can best position the portfolio to outperform going forward.  At the beginning of the year, our analysis indicated that we were in a normal market environment where our major factor components should behave more in line with their historical averages barring any catastrophic events.  While we still believe we are in a normal market environment, equity valuation levels are not looking as cheap as they did given the strong performance since the beginning of 2013.  Valuation spreads, which are a measure of the difference between the most expensive stocks and the cheapest stocks in the universe, have also narrowed.  Hence, we feel the opportunity for Valuation to work well on its own is not as great as it was at the beginning of last year.  Given this, as we trade the portfolio we will continue to invest long in stocks that not only have strong Valuation factors, but also have a catalyst such as Estimate Revision or Price Momentum. For shorts, we will look for stocks that rank poorly on both.  So far this year, stocks that possess Valuation along with a Price Momentum catalyst have outperformed and the Fund has benefited.  Valuation with Estimate Revision as a catalyst has also worked, but not as strongly as combining Valuation with Price Momentum as the catalyst.  We are optimistic that this trend will continue and the Fund will hopefully have an easier time adding value.

There can be no guarantee that any strategy/diversification (risk management or otherwise) will be successful. All investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal.
 
   1  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
Alpha – is the incremental return of a manager when the market is stationary. This risk-adjusted measurement takes into account both the performance of the market as a whole and the volatility of a manager. A positive alpha indicated that a selected portfolio has produced returns above the expected level at that level of risk, and vice versa for a negative alpha.

Long Position - Long positions involve buying a security outright and then selling it later, with the hope that the security price rises over time.

Short Position - To establish a short stock position, the portfolio manager borrows shares of stock from another party, sells the shares and receives cash. The manager is then obligated to buy the stock and return the shares at some point in the future. (If the price falls after the short sale,) the manager can profit from buying the shares back at a lower price and returning the borrowed shares. (However, if the price of the security rises after the short sale, the manager will experience losses.) Morningstar calculates portfolio statistics on the short positions in each fund and displays long, short, and net statistics as appropriate. Short positions produce negative exposure to the security that is being shorted.
 
   2  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
The following chart reflects the change in the value of a hypothetical $100,000 investment in Institutional Shares, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the benchmark, the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index, since inception. The Citigroup 3-Month T-Bill Index measures return equivalents of yield averages that are not marked to market and consists of the last three three-month Treasury bill month-end rates. The total return of the Citigroup 3-Month T-Bill Index includes the reinvestment of dividends and income. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the Citigroup 3-Month T-Bill Index does not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the Citigroup 3-Month T-Bill Index is unmanaged and is not available for investment.
 
Comparison of Change in Value of a $100,000 Investment
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund – Institutional Shares vs. Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index




Average Annual Total Returns
     
Since Inception
Period Ended March 31, 2014
     
May 21, 2013
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund — Institutional Shares
       
1.10
%
Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index
       
0.04
%

Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (877) 591-4667. As stated in the Fund's prospectus, the estimated annual operating expense ratio (gross) for Institutional Shares is 3.92%. Excluding the effect of expenses attributable to dividends and interest on short sales, the Fund’s estimated total annual operating expense ratio would be 2.42%. However, the Fund's adviser has agreed to contractually waive its fees and/or reimburse Fund expenses to limit total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding all taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, proxy expenses and extraordinary expenses) of Institutional Shares to 1.60%, through July 31, 2015. The Fund may repay the Adviser for fees waived and expenses reimbursed pursuant to the expense cap if such payment is made within three years of the fees waived or expense reimbursement and the resulting expenses do not exceed 1.60% for Institutional Shares of the Fund. The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.
 
   3  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

Equity Securities (a) - 97.5%
Common Stock - 96.2%
Australia - 1.5%
 
7,030
 
Mineral Resources, Ltd.
 
$
74,993
 
 
2,084
 
Ramsay Health Care, Ltd.
 
93,122
 
   
168,115
 
Austria - 0.7%
 
1,882
 
OMV AG
 
85,427
 
       
Belgium - 0.6%
 
1,015
 
Delhaize Group SA
 
74,229
 
       
Bermuda - 1.4%
 
554
 
Everest Re Group, Ltd.
 
84,790
 
 
6,065
 
Maiden Holdings, Ltd.
 
75,691
 
   
160,481
 
Denmark - 0.9%
 
2,069
 
Schouw & Co.
 
101,289
 
       
France - 3.1%
 
1,302
 
Eiffage SA
 
97,399
 
 
775
 
Sopra Group SA
 
92,405
 
 
3,948
 
Suez Environnement Co.
 
80,167
 
 
1,177
 
Vinci SA
 
87,368
 
   
357,339
 
Germany - 3.4%
 
414
 
Allianz SE
 
69,974
 
 
918
 
Daimler AG
 
86,842
 
 
459
 
Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA
 
72,049
 
 
1,990
 
Indus Holding AG
 
87,681
 
 
931
 
Wincor Nixdorf AG
 
66,912
 
   
383,458
 
Ireland - 1.4%
 
1,529
 
DCC PLC
 
83,222
 
 
1,646
 
Shire PLC
 
81,486
 
   
164,708
 
Isle Of Man - 0.6%
 
6,520
 
Playtech PLC
 
73,607
 
       
Italy - 0.6%
 
2,284
 
Gtech Spa
 
69,391
 
       
Japan - 10.9%
 
5,700
 
Aeon Co., Ltd.
 
64,156
 
 
2,900
 
Aoyama Trading Co., Ltd.
 
76,133
 
 
5,600
 
Brother Industries, Ltd.
 
78,300
 
 
2,500
 
Electric Power Development Co., Ltd.
 
70,313
 
 
5,300
 
Fuji Machine Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
 
46,655
 
 
5,000
 
Hitachi, Ltd.
 
37,010
 
 
5,000
 
Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Ltd.
 
 
74,497
 
 
2,300
 
Japan Tobacco, Inc.
 
72,191
 
 
2,200
 
Kao Corp.
 
77,911
 
 
4,000
 
Kikkoman Corp.
 
75,511
 
 
18,000
 
Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd.
 
50,859
 
 
8,500
 
Nexon Co., Ltd.
 
71,384
 
 
5,000
 
Nippon Meat Packers, Inc.
 
74,429
 
 
5,700
 
Nisshin Steel Co., Ltd.
 
48,825
 
 
5,700
 
Sumitomo Corp.
 
72,479
 
 
1,800
 
Taiyo Holdings Co., Ltd.
 
53,221
 
 
5,000
 
Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.
 
35,749
 
 
13,000
 
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
 
92,179
 
 
5,300
 
Ushio, Inc.
 
68,466
 
   
1,240,268
 
Netherlands - 1.4%
 
2,138
 
Arcadis NV
 
82,170
 
 
3,473
 
AVG Technologies NV (b)
 
72,794
 
   
154,964
 
Norway - 0.8%
 
2,826
 
Leroy Seafood Group ASA
 
91,713
 
       
Portugal - 0.8%
 
6,289
 
Semapa-Sociedade de Investimento e Gestao, SGPS, SA
 
92,230
 
       
Spain - 0.8%
 
2,108
 
Amadeus IT Holding SA, Class A
 
87,598
 
       
Sweden - 2.8%
 
5,785
 
Fastighets AB Balder, Class B (b)
 
70,219
 
 
10,763
 
Kungsleden AB
 
88,992
 
 
3,509
 
Loomis AB, Class B
 
90,457
 
 
5,790
 
Securitas AB, Class B
 
67,056
 
   
316,724
 
Switzerland - 3.7%
 
282
 
Bucher Industries AG
 
95,868
 
 
117
 
Georg Fischer AG
 
90,785
 
 
165
 
Kuoni Reisen Holding AG
 
74,127
 
 
367
 
Swiss Life Holding AG (b)
 
90,252
 
 
1,676
 
Transocean, Ltd.
 
69,101
 
   
420,133
 
United Kingdom - 4.2%
 
4,947
 
Berendsen PLC
 
92,279
 
 
3,243
 
Close Brothers Group PLC
 
76,449
 
 
2,684
 
Go-Ahead Group PLC
 
83,421
 
 
10,039
 
Halfords Group PLC
 
77,367
 
 
9,613
 
Marks & Spencer Group PLC
 
72,366
 
 
4,717
 
Mondi PLC
 
82,659
 
   
484,541
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   4  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

United States - 56.6%
 
1,183
 
Adams Resources & Energy, Inc.
 
$
68,519
 
 
630
 
Alliant Techsystems, Inc.
 
89,555
 
 
3,349
 
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (b)
 
64,803
 
 
22,467
 
AmeriServ Financial, Inc.
 
86,498
 
 
4,905
 
AngioDynamics, Inc. (b)
 
77,254
 
 
1,398
 
AOL, Inc. (b)
 
61,190
 
 
1,347
 
Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc.
 
88,794
 
 
1,951
 
Avnet, Inc.
 
90,780
 
 
5,474
 
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (b)
 
114,407
 
 
3,995
 
Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (b)
 
80,220
 
 
168
 
Biglari Holdings, Inc. (b)
 
81,898
 
 
2,869
 
Black Box Corp.
 
69,831
 
 
4,555
 
Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp.
 
100,210
 
 
4,049
 
Brown Shoe Co., Inc.
 
107,460
 
 
1,105
 
CACI International, Inc., Class A (b)
 
81,549
 
 
1,973
 
CNA Financial Corp.
 
84,287
 
 
4,291
 
Comfort Systems USA, Inc.
 
65,395
 
 
4,549
 
Convergys Corp
 
99,669
 
 
2,873
 
CoreLogic, Inc. (b)
 
86,305
 
 
3,074
 
CSG Systems International, Inc.
 
80,047
 
 
931
 
Dillard's, Inc., Class A
 
86,024
 
 
1,021
 
DST Systems, Inc.
 
96,781
 
 
3,330
 
Emergent Biosolutions, Inc. (b)
 
84,149
 
 
1,427
 
EnerSys, Inc.
 
98,877
 
 
1,903
 
Engility Holdings, Inc. (b)
 
85,730
 
 
1,460
 
ePlus, Inc. (b)
 
81,410
 
 
342
 
First Citizens BancShares, Inc., Class A
 
82,337
 
 
2,031
 
Foot Locker, Inc.
 
95,416
 
 
5,074
 
FutureFuel Corp.
 
103,002
 
 
9,602
 
Graphic Packaging Holding Co. (b)
 
97,556
 
 
2,154
 
Greatbatch, Inc. (b)
 
98,912
 
 
1,687
 
HCA Holdings, Inc. (b)
 
88,568
 
 
1,936
 
Heartland Payment Systems, Inc.
 
80,247
 
 
1,839
 
Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co., Inc. (b)
 
79,684
 
 
1,653
 
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Class A (b)
 
88,948
 
 
1,066
 
IAC/InterActiveCorp.
 
76,102
 
 
2,604
 
Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (b)
 
102,259
 
 
3,492
 
Insight Enterprises, Inc. (b)
 
87,684
 
 
2,196
 
Insperity, Inc.
 
68,032
 
 
2,430
 
Insys Therapeutics, Inc. (b)
 
100,675
 
 
7,104
 
Inteliquent, Inc.
 
103,221
 
 
5,517
 
Kimball International., Inc., Class B
 
99,913
 
 
9,081
 
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (b)
 
68,471
 
 
2,254
 
Lannett Co., Inc. (b)
 
80,513
 
 
955
 
Lennox International, Inc.
 
86,819
 
 
1,969
 
Lexmark International, Inc., Class A
 
91,145
 
 
1,315
 
Magellan Health Services, Inc. (b)
 
78,045
 
 
1,273
 
Manpowergroup, Inc.
 
 
100,351
 
 
1,738
 
Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp. (b)
 
97,172
 
 
3,596
 
Matrix Service Co. (b)
 
121,473
 
 
2,238
 
Multimedia Games Holding Co., Inc. (b)
 
64,992
 
 
5,170
 
Navigant Consulting, Inc. (b)
 
96,472
 
 
2,059
 
Nelnet, Inc., Class A
 
84,213
 
 
1,455
 
PAREXEL International Corp. (b)
 
78,701
 
 
10,033
 
Parker Drilling Co. (b)
 
71,134
 
 
3,133
 
Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc.
 
78,262
 
 
1,494
 
Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc.
 
63,629
 
 
6,533
 
Select Medical Holdings Corp.
 
81,336
 
 
779
 
SPX Corp.
 
76,583
 
 
1,712
 
Stamps.com, Inc. (b)
 
57,455
 
 
2,622
 
SurModics, Inc. (b)
 
59,257
 
 
4,148
 
Symetra Financial Corp.
 
82,213
 
 
2,890
 
TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.
 
98,115
 
 
8,936
 
The Wendy's Co.
 
81,496
 
 
1,415
 
Trinity Industries, Inc.
 
101,979
 
 
5,008
 
United Community Banks, Inc. (b)
 
97,205
 
 
2,468
 
Universal Electronics, Inc. (b)
 
94,747
 
 
5,248
 
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.
 
78,090
 
 
3,716
 
Washington Federal, Inc.
 
86,583
 
 
3,094
 
Webster Financial Corp.
 
96,100
 
 
2,526
 
WesBanco, Inc.
 
80,403
 
 
1,687
 
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.
 
74,312
 
 
2,087
 
Western Refining, Inc.
 
80,558
 
 
9,207
 
Wilshire Bancorp, Inc.
 
102,198
 
 
2,442
 
Worthington Industries, Inc.
 
93,406
 
   
6,447,626
 
Total Common Stock
(Cost $9,946,125)
 
10,973,841
 


 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Rate
   
Value
 

Preferred Stock - 1.3%
Germany - 1.3%
 
577
 
Draegerwerk AG & Co. KGaA
 
0.00
%
 
70,980
 
 
2,357
 
Sixt SE
 
0.57
   
74,198
 
   
145,178
 
Total Preferred Stock
(Cost $128,919)
 
145,178
 
Total Equity Securities
(Cost $10,075,044)
 
11,119,019
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   5  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

Money Market Fund – 7.8%
 
890,659
 
Dreyfus Treasury Prime Cash Management, 0.00% (c)
(Cost $890,659)
 
$
890,659
 
 
Total Long Positions – 105.3%
(Cost $10,965,703)*
 
$
12,009,678
 
Total Short Positions - (96.5)%
(Proceeds $(10,806,367))*
 
(10,997,652
)
Other Assets & Liabilities, Net – 91.2%
 
10,388,702
 
Net Assets – 100.0%
 
$
11,400,728
 

 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   6  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value

Short Positions - (96.5)%
Common Stock - (96.5)%
Austria - (0.8)%
 
(4,409)
 
Wienerberger AG
 
$
(84,468)


Belgium - (0.7)%
 
(692)
 
Cofinimmo REIT
 
(82,461)


Finland - (0.7)%
 
(1,946)
 
Nokian Renkaat OYJ
 
(78,734)

France - (3.1)%
 
(2,176)
 
Carrefour SA
 
(84,177)
 
(1,731)
 
Nexans SA
 
(90,676)
 
(929)
 
Remy Cointreau SA
 
(74,519)
 
(5,780)
 
UBISOFT Entertainment
 
(103,360)
         
(352,732)
Germany - (6.7)%
 
(526)
 
Bertrandt AG
 
(80,565)
 
(2,821)
 
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
 
(79,280)
 
(1,010)
 
Deutsche Boerse AG
 
(80,409)
 
(2,016)
 
ElringKlinger AG
 
(79,535)
 
(1,155)
 
Gerresheimer AG
 
(74,973)
 
(1,996)
 
Gerry Weber International AG
 
(98,715)
 
(4,732)
 
Kloeckner & Co. SE
 
(69,846)
 
(160)
 
KWS Saat AG
 
(57,981)
 
(908)
 
MTU Aero Engines AG
 
(84,294)
 
(1,552)
 
Salzgitter AG
 
(61,444)
         
(767,042)
Italy - (1.2)%
 
(6,480)
 
Ansaldo STS SpA
 
(75,996)
 
(494)
 
Tod's SpA
 
(64,113)
         
(140,109)
Japan - (9.6)%
 
(7,900)
 
Advantest Corp.
 
(85,424)
 
(3,400)
 
Daiseki Co., Ltd.
 
(58,798)
 
(5,800)
 
Fancl Corp.
 
(68,824)
 
(1,300)
 
Hamamatsu Photonics KK
 
(58,646)
 
(6,700)
 
Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.
 
(56,472)
 
(3,400)
 
House Foods Group, Inc.
 
(56,456)
 
(4,400)
 
Kyoei Steel, Ltd.
 
(77,968)
 
(1,100)
 
Lawson, Inc.
 
(77,835)
 
(2,300)
 
LIXIL Group Corp.
 
(63,468)
 
(4,600)
 
M3, Inc.
 
(75,438)
 
(3,100)
 
McDonald's Holdings Co. Japan, Ltd.
 
(83,341)
 
(3,300)
 
MonotaRO Co., Ltd.
 
(83,702)
 
(15,000)
 
Obayashi Corp.
 
(84,555)
 
(2,800)
 
Temp Holdings Co., Ltd.
 
(74,202)
 
(16,400)
 
Tokyo Steel Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
 
(87,791)
         
(1,092,920)

Jersey - (0.6)%
 
(951)
 
Randgold Resources, Ltd.
   (71,385)

Netherlands - (0.7)%
 
(1,575)
 
Corio NV REIT
 
(71,948)

New Zealand - (0.7)%
 
(2,269)
 
Xero, Ltd.
 
(77,729)

Norway - (1.4)%
 
(4,789)
 
Aker Solutions ASA
 
(74,534)
 
(6,802)
 
Opera Software ASA
 
(88,571)
         
(163,105)
Singapore - (0.7)%
 
(10,000)
 
Singapore Airlines, Ltd.
 
(83,317)

Spain - (1.3)%
 
(1,373)
 
Viscofan SA
 
(71,833)
 
(4,516)
 
Zardoya Otis SA
 
(76,970)
         
(148,803)
Sweden - (2.2)%
 
(1,179)
 
AarhusKarlshamn AB
 
(77,409)
 
(6,265)
 
Elekta AB, Class B
 
(83,403)
 
(2,818)
 
Saab AB, Class B
 
(86,140)
         
(246,952)
Switzerland - (2.0)%
 
(3,051)
 
ABB, Ltd.
 
(78,810)
 
(1,302)
 
Huber & Suhner AG
 
(70,655)
 
(1,642)
 
Julius Baer Group, Ltd.
 
(72,923)
         
(222,388)
United Kingdom - (6.5)%
 
(6,032)
 
Drax Group PLC
 
(77,125)
 
(9,372)
 
Hammerson PLC REIT
 
(86,642)
 
(25,057)
 
Imagination Technologies Group PLC
 
(85,244)
 
(9,130)
 
Michael Page International PLC
 
(74,926)
 
(8,226)
 
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels PLC
 
(77,620)
 
(7,823)
 
Ocado Group PLC
 
(60,097)
 
(14,436)
 
Ophir Energy PLC
 
(57,848)
 
(2,147)
 
Renishaw PLC
 
(69,863)
 
(1,717)
 
Rotork PLC
 
(75,891)
 
(13,759)
 
SDL PLC
 
(78,185)
         
(743,441)

United States - (57.6)%
 
(1,900)
 
Abaxis, Inc.
 
(73,872)
 
(5,907)
 
Acacia Research Corp.
 
(90,259)
 
(3,916)
 
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
 
(82,980)
 
(12,984)
 
Aeropostale, Inc.
 
(65,180)
 
(3,506)
 
Aerovironment, Inc.
 
(141,117)
 
(1,942)
 
Air Methods Corp.
 
(103,761)
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   7  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value

United States - (continued)
 
(2,116)
 
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
 
$
(100,679)
 
(2,905)
 
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
 
(78,958)
 
(1,903)
 
Axiall Corp.
 
(85,483)
 
(12,425)
 
Bazaarvoice, Inc.
 
(90,703)
 
(2,112)
 
Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc.
 
(81,650)
 
(10,272)
 
BioScrip, Inc.
 
(71,699)
 
(2,771)
 
BJ's Restaurants, Inc.
 
(90,639)
 
(5,181)
 
Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, Inc.
 
(73,104)
 
(10,519)
 
Citizens, Inc.
 
(77,841)
 
(2,073)
 
City Holding Co.
 
(92,995)
 
(1,570)
 
CLARCOR, Inc.
 
(90,040)
 
(8,881)
 
Coeur Mining, Inc.
 
(82,504)
 
(3,315)
 
Cognex Corp.
 
(112,246)
 
(2,353)
 
Community Bank System, Inc.
 
(91,814)
 
(2,615)
 
DigitalGlobe, Inc.
 
(75,861)
 
(3,476)
 
E2open, Inc.
 
(81,929)
 
(3,745)
 
Ellie Mae, Inc.
 
(108,006)
 
(14,836)
 
Endeavour International Corp.
 
(48,217)
 
(4,484)
 
Endologix, Inc.
 
(57,709)
 
(425)
 
Equinix, Inc.
 
(78,557)
 
(2,555)
 
Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc.
 
(65,025)
 
(2,818)
 
Fidelity National Financial, Inc., Class A
 
(88,598)
 
(1,479)
 
First Financial Bankshares, Inc.
 
(91,387)
 
(6,280)
 
GenMark Diagnostics, Inc.
 
(62,423)
 
(8,098)
 
GrafTech International, Ltd.
 
(88,430)
 
(9,358)
 
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp.
 
(85,439)
 
(1,595)
 
Greenhill & Co., Inc.
 
(82,908)
 
(1,589)
 
Guidewire Software, Inc.
 
(77,940)
 
(1,422)
 
Gulfport Energy Corp.
 
(101,218)
 
(4,381)
 
Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc.
 
(79,428)
 
(1,416)
 
Hibbett Sports, Inc.
 
(74,878)
 
(3,444)
 
HMS Holdings Corp.
 
(65,608)
 
(812)
 
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.
 
(98,577)
 
(7,143)
 
Ignite Restaurant Group, Inc.
 
(100,502)
 
(2,300)
 
Independent Bank Corp.
 
(90,551)
 
(11,252)
 
InnerWorkings, Inc.
 
(86,190)
 
(12,664)
 
Iridium Communications, Inc.
 
(95,107)
 
(1,805)
 
j2 Global, Inc.
 
(90,340)
 
(6,991)
 
Kearny Financial Corp.
 
(103,327)
 
(2,086)
 
Life Time Fitness, Inc.
 
(100,337)
 
(6,025)
 
LivePerson, Inc.
 
(72,722)
 
(5,452)
 
LMI Aerospace, Inc.
 
(76,873)
 
(4,939)
 
Louisiana-Pacific Corp.
 
(83,321)
 
(1,637)
 
MICROS Systems, Inc.
 
(86,646)
 
(2,495)
 
National Instruments Corp.
 
(71,582)
 
(6,191)
 
NCI Building Systems, Inc.
 
(108,095)
 
(7,081)
 
NL Industries, Inc.
 
(76,758)
 
(2,360)
 
NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
 
(70,635)
 
(3,642)
 
Nuance Communications, Inc.
 
(62,533)
 
(1,141)
 
Oxford Industries, Inc.
 
(89,226)
 
(7,033)
 
Procera Networks, Inc.
 
(73,073)
 
(3,984)
 
RealPage, Inc.
 
(72,349)
 
(1,896)
 
RLI Corp.
 
(83,879)
 
(1,326)
 
Royal Gold, Inc.
   (83,034)
 
(9,928)
 
ServiceSource International, Inc.
 
(83,792)
 
(3,532)
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc.
 
(81,377)
 
(7,120)
 
Silicon Graphics International Corp.
 
(87,434)
 
(10,106)
 
Sprint Corp.
 
(92,874)
 
(1,063)
 
SPS Commerce, Inc.
 
(65,321)
 
(3,805)
 
Stage Stores, Inc.
 
(93,032)
 
(2,148)
 
Steven Madden, Ltd.
 
(77,285)
 
(9,421)
 
Synergy Resources Corp.
 
(101,276)
 
(5,006)
 
TCP Capital Corp.
 
(82,849)
 
(1,665)
 
The Cheesecake Factory, Inc.
 
(79,304)
 
(2,085)
 
Theravance, Inc.
 
(64,510)
 
(10,426)
 
Triangle Petroleum Corp.
 
(85,910)
 
(6,390)
 
Valley National Bancorp
 
(66,520)
 
(5,699)
 
Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
 
(92,609)
 
(1,159)
 
ViaSat, Inc.
 
(80,017)
 
(3,492)
 
ViewPoint Financial Group, Inc.
 
(100,744)
 
(3,957)
 
Volcano Corp.
 
(77,992)
 
(1,674)
 
Westamerica Bancorporation
 
(90,530)
         
(6,570,118)
Total Common Stock
(Proceeds $(10,806,367))
 
(10,997,652)
Total Short Positions - (96.5)%
(Proceeds $(10,806,367))
 
$
(10,997,652)
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   8  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
NOTES TO SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS AND SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014 
 

PLC
Public Limited Company
REIT
Real Estate Investment Trust
(a)
All or a portion of these securities are held as collateral for securities sold short.
(b)
Non-income producing security.
(c)
Variable rate security. Rate presented is as of March 31, 2014.
 
 
Cost for federal income tax purposes is $208,394 and net unrealized appreciation consists of:
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
1,807,322
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
   
(1,003,690
)
Net Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
803,632
 
 
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments and liabilities as of March 31, 2014.
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
Assets
Investments At Value
Common Stock
                               
Australia
 
$
-
   
$
168,115
   
$
-
   
$
168,115
 
Austria
   
-
     
85,427
     
-
     
85,427
 
Belgium
   
-
     
74,229
     
-
     
74,229
 
Bermuda
   
160,481
     
-
     
-
     
160,481
 
Denmark
   
-
     
101,289
     
-
     
101,289
 
France
   
-
     
357,339
     
-
     
357,339
 
Germany
   
-
     
383,458
     
-
     
383,458
 
Ireland
   
-
     
164,708
     
-
     
164,708
 
Isle Of Man
   
-
     
73,607
     
-
     
73,607
 
Italy
   
-
     
69,391
     
-
     
69,391
 
Japan
   
-
     
1,240,268
     
-
     
1,240,268
 
Netherlands
   
72,794
     
82,170
     
-
     
154,964
 
Norway
   
-
     
91,713
     
-
     
91,713
 
Portugal
   
-
     
92,230
     
-
     
92,230
 
Spain
   
-
     
87,598
     
-
     
87,598
 
Sweden
   
-
     
316,724
     
-
     
316,724
 
Switzerland
   
-
     
420,133
     
-
     
420,133
 
United Kingdom
   
-
     
484,541
     
-
     
484,541
 
United States
   
6,447,626
     
-
     
-
     
6,447,626
 
Preferred Stock
                               
Germany
   
-
     
145,178
     
-
     
145,178
 
Money Market Fund
   
-
     
890,659
     
-
     
890,659
 
Total Investments At Value
 
$
6,680,901
   
$
5,328,777
   
$
-
   
$
12,009,678
 
Total Assets
 
$
6,680,901
   
$
5,328,777
   
$
-
   
$
12,009,678
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   9  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
NOTES TO SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS AND SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014 
 

 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
Liabilities
Securities Sold Short at Value
Common Stock
                               
Austria
 
$
-
   
$
(84,468
)
 
$
-
   
$
(84,468
)
Belgium
   
-
     
(82,461
)
   
-
     
(82,461
)
Finland
   
-
     
(78,734
)
   
-
     
(78,734
)
France
   
-
     
(352,732
)
   
-
     
(352,732
)
Germany
   
-
     
(767,042
)
   
-
     
(767,042
)
Italy
   
-
     
(140,109
)
   
-
     
(140,109
)
Japan
   
-
     
(1,092,920
)
   
-
     
(1,092,920
)
Jersey
   
-
     
(71,385
)
   
-
     
(71,385
)
Netherlands
   
-
     
(71,948
)
   
-
     
(71,948
)
New Zealand
   
-
     
(77,729
)
   
-
     
(77,729
)
Norway
   
-
     
(163,105
)
   
-
     
(163,105
)
Singapore
   
-
     
(83,317
)
   
-
     
(83,317
)
Spain
   
-
     
(148,803
)
   
-
     
(148,803
)
Sweden
   
-
     
(246,952
)
   
-
     
(246,952
)
Switzerland
   
-
     
(222,388
)
   
-
     
(222,388
)
United Kingdom
   
-
     
(743,441
)
   
-
     
(743,441
)
United States
   
(6,570,118
)
   
-
     
-
     
(6,570,118
)
Total Securities Sold Short at Value
 
$
(6,570,118
)
 
$
(4,427,534
)
 
$
-
   
$
(10,997,652
)
Total Liabilities
 
$
(6,570,118
)
 
$
(4,427,534
)
 
$
-
   
$
(10,997,652
)
 
 
At March 31, 2014, foreign securities representing the following percentage of net assets of the Fund were fair valued by independent pricing services and are classified as using Level 2 inputs within the valuation inputs disclosure on the Fund’s Schedule of Investments:
 
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund

Long Securities 38.93%
Short Securities (38.84)%

There were no transfers among Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 for the period ended March 31, 2014.
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   10  LMCG FUNDS
 

 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
NOTES TO SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS AND SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
         
% of Total Investments
Long
   
Short
 
Australia
1.4
%
 
0.0
%
Austria
0.7
%
 
0.8
%
Belgium
0.6
%
 
0.7
%
Bermuda
1.3
%
 
0.0
%
Denmark
0.8
%
 
0.0
%
Finland
0.0
%
 
0.7
%
France
3.0
%
 
3.2
%
Germany
4.4
%
 
7.0
%
Ireland
1.4
%
 
0.0
%
Isle Of Man
0.6
%
 
0.0
%
Italy
0.6
%
 
1.3
%
Japan
10.3
%
 
9.9
%
Jersey
0.0
%
 
0.6
%
Netherlands
1.3
%
 
0.7
%
New Zealand
0.0
%
 
0.7
%
Norway
0.8
%
 
1.5
%
Portugal
0.8
%
 
0.0
%
Singapore
0.0
%
 
0.8
%
Spain
0.7
%
 
1.4
%
Sweden
2.7
%
 
2.2
%
Switzerland
3.5
%
 
2.0
%
United Kingdom
4.0
%
 
6.8
%
United States
53.7
%
 
59.7
%
Money Market Fund
7.4
%
 
0.0
%
 
100.0
%
 
100.0
%
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   11  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
MARCH 31, 2014 
 
 
ASSETS
       
 
Total investments, at value (Cost $10,965,703)
 
$
12,009,678
 
 
Deposits with brokers
   
10,102,005
 
 
Cash
   
278,744
 
 
Foreign currency (Cost $392)
   
386
 
 
Receivables:
       
   
Dividends
   
22,341
 
 
From investment adviser
   
24,076
 
 
Prepaid expenses
   
15,761
 
 
Deferred offering costs
   
4,198
 
Total Assets
   
22,457,189
 
             
LIABILITIES
       
 
Payables:
       
   
Securities sold short, at value (Proceeds $10,806,367)
   
10,997,652
 
   
Dividends on securities sold short
   
13,966
 
 
Accrued Liabilities:
       
   
Fund services fees
   
6,659
 
   
Other expenses
   
38,184
 
Total Liabilities
   
11,056,461
 
             
NET ASSETS
 
$
 11,400,728
 
             
COMPONENTS OF NET ASSETS
       
 
Paid-in capital
 
$
11,128,244
 
 
Accumulated net investment loss
   
(45,784
)
 
Accumulated net realized loss
   
(534,424
)
 
Net unrealized appreciation
   
852,692
 
NET ASSETS
 
$
11,400,728
 
             
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST AT NO PAR VALUE (UNLIMITED SHARES AUTHORIZED)
       
 
Institutional Shares
   
1,127,268
 
             
NET ASSET VALUE, OFFERING AND REDEMPTION PRICE PER SHARE*
       
 
Institutional Shares (based on net assets of $11,400,728)
 
$
10.11
 
*
 
Shares redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase may be charged a 2.00% redemption fee.
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   12  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2014* 
 
 
INVESTMENT INCOME
       
 
Dividend income (Net of foreign withholding taxes of $5,384)
 
$
89,734
 
 
Interest income
   
15
 
Total Investment Income
   
89,749
 
         
EXPENSES
       
 
Investment adviser fees
   
53,736
 
 
Fund services fees
   
164,065
 
 
Custodian fees
   
60,508
 
 
Registration fees
   
576
 
 
Professional fees
   
25,957
 
 
Trustees' fees and expenses
   
139
 
 
Offering costs
   
46,179
 
 
Dividend expense on securities sold short
   
72,059
#
 
Pricing Fees
   
30,365
 
 
Miscellaneous expenses
   
15,492
 
Total Expenses
   
469,076
 
 
Fees waived and expenses reimbursed
   
(310,850
)
Net Expenses
   
158,226
 
             
NET INVESTMENT LOSS
   
(68,477
)
             
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)
       
 
Net realized gain (loss) on:
       
 
Investments
   
96,662
 
 
Foreign currency transactions
   
(16,182
)
 
Securities sold short
   
(621,977
)
 
Net realized loss
   
(541,497
)
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
       
 
Investments
   
1,043,975
 
 
Foreign currency translations
   
2
 
 
Securities sold short
   
(191,285
)
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation
   
852,692
 
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN
   
311,195
 
INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS
 
$
 242,718
 
             
*
Commencement of operations was May 21, 2013.
       
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   13  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
 
 
 
       
May 21, 2013*
through
March 31, 2014
OPERATIONS
       
 
Net investment loss
 
$
(68,477
)
 
Net realized loss
   
(541,497
)
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
852,692
 
Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations
   
242,718
 
             
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS
       
 
Sale of shares:
       
   
Institutional Shares
   
11,233,615
 
 
Redemption of shares:
       
 
2
Institutional Shares
   
(75,605
)
Increase in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions
   
11,158,010
 
Increase in Net Assets
   
11,400,728
 
             
NET ASSETS
       
 
Beginning of Period
   
 -
 
 
End of Period (Including line (a))
 
$
 11,400,728
 
             
SHARE TRANSACTIONS
       
 
Sale of shares:
       
   
Institutional Shares
   
1,134,828
 
 
Redemption of shares:
       
   
Institutional Shares
   
(7,560
)
Increase in Shares
   
1,127,268
 
             
(a)
Accumulated net investment loss
 
$
(45,784
)
*
Commencement of operations.
       
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   14  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MARKET NEUTRAL FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
 
These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout the period.
 
   
May 21, 2013 (a)
through
March 31, 2014
 
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES 
       
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Period 
$
10.00
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
       
Net investment loss (b)
 
 (0.11
)
 
Net realized and unrealized gain
 
 0.22
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 0.11
   
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Period 
$
10.11
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
1.10
%(c)
         
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
       
Net Assets at End of Period (000's omitted)
$11,401
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
       
Net investment loss 
 
(1.27
)%(d)
Net expense (e)
 
1.60
%(d)
Dividend expense
 
1.34
%(d)
Gross expense (f)
 
8.73
%(d)
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
 
62
%(c)
           
(a)
Commencement of operations.
(b)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)
Not annualized.
(d)
Annualized.
(e)
Excludes dividend expense on securities sold short.
(f)
Reflects the expense ratio excluding any waivers and/or reimbursements.
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   15  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Dear Shareholder,
 
The first six months since the launch of LMCG Global MultiCap Fund (the “Fund”) has been a positive experience for investors, although the global equity markets have been anything but sanguine.  Since inception on September 11, 2013 through March 31, 2014, the Fund has posted a return of +8.8%, slightly trailing its benchmark, MSCI All Country World Investable Market Index(1), which returned +9.4%.

The two quarters which encompass the life of the Fund are best considered a transition period for world equity markets.  By March 2014, the U.S. equity market completed five years of recovery that surpassed both investor’s highest hopes and surpassed returns of nearly every five year period that had followed previous financial crises.  The transition occurred as investors began aggressive profit taking in the first quarter out of sectors that had posted strong returns in 2013 and over the previous five years in the U.S.  The important transition of the Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank took place during this period, a change that we believe will have important implications for interest rates for some time to come.  Another transition occurred among key trading partners of the U.S. as the once deeply troubled Eurozone “peripheral” countries posted the strongest equity market gains in the world during the first quarter.

International small cap equity holdings produced the most significant returns of any asset class in which we invest, posting returns of over 18% in the portfolio since inception.  Active stock selection contributed substantially to this asset class, which represents roughly 8% of the Fund, and the strongest performers were small companies domiciled in Europe.  Small and mid-cap value U.S. equities were the second strongest performers during this period, although that performance was driven primarily through the asset class returns  Emerging markets continue to be the laggard investment category for the Fund, although we are comfortable with the valuation of the asset class as a whole, and felt that the resilience of several key markets during a very difficult period in January and February signaled a turn for the better.  Emerging markets represent roughly 11% of the Fund.

We continue to favor small and mid-cap stocks – U.S. small and mid-cap value as well as European/Asian small caps in particular.  We remain underweight large cap developed market securities.  Our valuation tilt within the developed non-U.S. equity markets has produced offsetting results – strong performance of Europe ex-UK and Switzerland has been more than offset by poor relative performance of Japanese shares.  We tend to hold more U.S. equities than non-U.S. equities, and the performance of the U.S. equities has continued to outpace non-U.S. equity returns during this period.

Outlook

Three themes continue to guide our outlook and, as a consequence, our active/passive approach and asset class positioning for the Fund.  The first is that we believe a mid-cycle correction is a normal, and perhaps, a likely event sometime this year.  These corrections usually hit areas of speculation in the market fairly hard.  The reversal of growth stock leadership in favor of value stocks, which began in late March and has continued into the second quarter, seems consistent with this theme.  The Fund remains overweight to small and mid-cap value stocks to counter this leadership change.  The action one takes as an investment manager is not to time change or to panic, but to carefully study the vulnerable areas that may be exposed to a correction and to identify potential opportunities.  We believe that such exposure may be occurring in the growth segment of equity markets in technology, and growth areas within health care and banking.

The second theme that guides our thinking is of market leadership.  While the U.S. financial industry may have led world markets into the financial crisis, U.S. leadership in the economic recovery should also receive credit, and may have re-established a trend that drove world markets in the latter half of the 20th century.  If this recovery follows more traditional cycles, we believe that U.S. performance is likely to be followed by strong non-U.S. market performance, perhaps in 2014.  Europe’s economic recovery is fragile and was not helped by continuing concerns over escalating tensions in Ukraine; however, confidence continues to return and benefit our Fund.  The Fund has benefited so far from the overweight to U.S. stocks, but a healthy weighting to non-U.S. markets, both emerging and developed, should help returns going forward.

 

(1)  MSCI All Country World Investable Market Index, net of foreign withholding taxes (reflects no deduction for fees or expenses).
 
   16  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 

The third theme that guides our outlook is the importance of managing the current not-so-normal interest rate cycle.  Historically, equities have performed well in a low inflation, rising interest rate environment.  During the first quarter of 2014, interest rates declined in conjunction with the mid-cycle slowdown, but our outlook is that longer term interest rates will rise with an improving global economy.  Once exiting a mid-cycle slowdown, the areas of the equity market that tend to perform well are the mid-stage cyclical industries which include financial services, technology and industrial stocks.  The Fund remains overweight in these areas, as we believe earnings will accelerate throughout the year and the recovery will lead equity prices higher.  Defensive or countercyclical companies outperformed in the first quarter.  However, we are confident in the belief that this trend will reverse in the near term and should benefit the Fund.  Managing the portfolio will be challenging should we experience a continuation of declining interest rates, a situation few are expecting.  However, our approach is to monitor and deliberately manage risks carefully, and respect the fact that this portfolio represents a core equity position for investors.   We believe that sustained low interest rates may lead to significant distortions of value in areas where we are currently invested and will be monitoring our risk exposures carefully.

 
There can be no guarantee that any strategy/diversification (risk management or otherwise) will be successful.  All investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal.
 
 
   17  LMCG FUNDS


 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 

The following chart reflects the change in the value of a hypothetical $100,000 investment in Institutional Shares, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in the LMCG Global MultiCap Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the benchmark, the MSCI All Country World Investable Market Index (the "MSCI ACWI"), since inception. The MSCI ACWI is a stock market index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets. The total return of the MSCI ACWI includes the reinvestment of dividends and income. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the MSCI ACWI does not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the MSCI ACWI is unmanaged and is not available for investment.
 
Comparison of Change in Value of a $100,000 Investment
LMCG Global MultiCap Fund – Institutional Shares vs. MSCI All Country World Investable Market Index




Average Annual Total Returns
     
Since Inception
Period Ended March 31, 2014
     
September 11, 2013
LMCG Global MultiCap Fund — Institutional Shares
       
8.79
%
MSCI All Country World Investable Market Index(1)
       
9.43
%
 
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (877) 591-4667. As stated in the Fund's prospectus, the estimated annual operating expense ratios (gross) for Institutional Shares are 3.88%. However, the Fund's adviser has agreed to contractually waive its fees and/or reimburse Fund expenses to limit total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding all taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, proxy expenses, and extraordinary expenses) of Institutional Shares to 1.20%, through July 31, 2015.  The Fund may repay the Adviser for fees waived and expenses reimbursed pursuant to the expense cap if such payment is made within three years of the fees waived for expense reimbursement and the resulting expenses do not exceed 1.20% for Institutional Shares of the Fund.  The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.
 
_________________________________________________________

(1) MSCI All Country World Investable Market Index, net of foreign withholding taxes (reflects no deduction for fees or expenses).
 
   18  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

Equity Securities - 64.9%
Common Stock - 64.8%
Australia - 0.3%
 
55
 
Flight Centre Travel Group, Ltd.
 
$
2,683
 
 
468
 
Primary Health Care, Ltd.
 
2,049
 
   
4,732
 
Austria - 0.3%
 
81
 
Oesterreichische Post AG
 
4,082
 
       
Bermuda - 0.3%
 
167
 
Nabors Industries, Ltd.
 
4,117
 
       
Brazil - 0.4%
 
400
 
Hypermarcas SA
 
2,898
 
 
209
 
Vale SA, ADR
 
2,602
 
   
5,500
 
Canada - 0.4%
 
195
 
Goldcorp, Inc.
 
4,774
 
       
China - 1.0%
 
14,000
 
Bank of China, Ltd., Class H
 
6,220
 
 
15,000
 
GOME Electrical Appliances Holding, Ltd.
 
2,538
 
 
113
 
WuXi PharmaTech Cayman, Inc., ADR (a)
 
4,165
 
   
12,923
 
Denmark - 0.3%
 
61
 
NKT Holding A/S
 
3,534
 
       
France - 0.4%
 
42
 
Valeo SA
 
5,915
 
       
Germany - 0.3%
 
125
 
Freenet AG
 
4,375
 
       
Hong Kong - 0.4%
 
500
 
China Mobile, Ltd.
 
4,591
 
 
2,000
 
Shun Tak Holdings, Ltd.
 
1,031
 
   
5,622
 
Ireland - 0.6%
 
87
 
DCC PLC
 
4,735
 
 
114
 
Smurfit Kappa Group PLC
 
2,766
 
   
7,501
 
Italy - 0.3%
 
244
 
Recordati SpA
 
4,268
 
       
Japan - 1.6%
 
100
 
Aoyama Trading Co., Ltd.
 
2,625
 
 
1,000
 
Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
 
2,488
 
 
200
 
NS Solutions Corp.
 
4,535
 
 
100
 
Obic Co., Ltd.
 
 
3,156
 
 
3
 
Orix JREIT, Inc. REIT
 
3,745
 
 
100
 
TS Tech Co., Ltd.
 
3,028
 
 
200
 
Yamaha Corp.
 
2,572
 
   
22,149
 
Malta - 0.3%
 
81
 
Unibet Group PLC, SDR
 
4,069
 
       
Netherlands - 0.5%
 
161
 
AerCap Holdings NV (a)
 
6,793
 
       
Republic Of South Korea - 1.4%
 
16
 
Hyundai Motor Co.
 
3,783
 
 
6
 
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
 
7,585
 
 
80
 
Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd.
 
3,540
 
 
110
 
SK Hynix, Inc. (a)
 
3,732
 
   
18,640
 
Russian Federation - 0.6%
 
296
 
Gazprom OAO, ADR
 
2,298
 
 
215
 
Sberbank of Russia, ADR
 
2,101
 
 
97
 
Tatneft OAO, ADR
 
3,323
 
   
7,722
 
South Africa - 1.4%
 
148
 
African Rainbow Minerals, Ltd.
 
2,928
 
 
534
 
Mediclinic International, Ltd.
 
3,791
 
 
229
 
Mondi, Ltd.
 
4,010
 
 
168
 
MTN Group, Ltd.
 
3,439
 
 
849
 
Steinhoff International Holdings, Ltd.
 
4,106
 
   
18,274
 
Switzerland - 0.4%
 
5
 
Forbo Holding AG (a)
 
5,250
 
       
Taiwan - 1.0%
 
4,000
 
Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.
 
4,439
 
 
1,000
 
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
 
3,935
 
 
3,000
 
Uni-President Enterprises Corp.
 
5,226
 
   
13,600
 
Thailand - 0.2%
 
1,100
 
PTT Global Chemical PCL, Class F
 
2,453
 
       

United Kingdom - 1.5%
 
280
 
Berendsen PLC
 
5,223
 
 
194
 
Close Brothers Group PLC
 
4,573
 
 
200
 
Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC
 
5,537
 
 
139
 
Mondi PLC
 
2,436
 
 
57
 
SABMiller PLC
 
2,847
 
   
20,616
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  19  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

United States - 50.9%
 
118
 
Abbott Laboratories
 
$
4,544
 
 
91
 
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
 
5,089
 
 
216
 
AGL Resources, Inc.
 
10,575
 
 
41
 
Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.
 
4,881
 
 
53
 
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (a)
 
3,085
 
 
70
 
Allegheny Technologies, Inc.
 
2,638
 
 
156
 
Altera Corp.
 
5,653
 
 
28
 
Amazon.com, Inc. (a)
 
9,423
 
 
353
 
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
 
4,321
 
 
162
 
AmerisourceBergen Corp.
 
10,626
 
 
55
 
Apache Corp.
 
4,562
 
 
37
 
Apple, Inc.
 
19,859
 
 
532
 
Bank of America Corp.
 
9,150
 
 
78
 
Belden, Inc.
 
5,429
 
 
16
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
5,032
 
 
178
 
Boise Cascade Co. (a)
 
5,098
 
 
85
 
Capital One Financial Corp.
 
6,559
 
 
60
 
Caterpillar, Inc.
 
5,962
 
 
159
 
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. REIT
 
2,822
 
 
53
 
Celgene Corp. (a)
 
7,399
 
 
44
 
Cerner Corp. (a)
 
2,475
 
 
70
 
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (a)
 
4,224
 
 
57
 
Chevron Corp.
 
6,778
 
 
167
 
Cintas Corp.
 
9,955
 
 
269
 
Cisco Systems, Inc.
 
6,028
 
 
134
 
Citigroup, Inc.
 
6,378
 
 
62
 
Clean Harbors, Inc. (a)
 
3,397
 
 
178
 
Comerica, Inc.
 
9,220
 
 
162
 
Community Health Systems, Inc. (a)
 
6,346
 
 
69
 
Danaher Corp.
 
5,175
 
 
325
 
Darling International, Inc. (a)
 
6,507
 
 
183
 
Del Frisco's Restaurant Group, Inc. (a)
 
5,106
 
 
131
 
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc.
 
7,154
 
 
174
 
Diebold, Inc.
 
6,941
 
 
154
 
EMC Corp.
 
4,221
 
 
82
 
Emerson Electric Co.
 
5,478
 
 
228
 
Equity One, Inc. REIT
 
5,094
 
 
163
 
ExlService Holdings, Inc. (a)
 
5,038
 
 
141
 
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.
 
5,588
 
 
188
 
Federated Investors, Inc., Class B
 
5,742
 
 
631
 
Fifth Third Bancorp
 
14,481
 
 
488
 
General Electric Co.
 
12,634
 
 
162
 
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (a)
 
11,479
 
 
8
 
Google, Inc., Class A (a)
 
8,916
 
 
102
 
HealthSouth Corp.
 
3,665
 
 
44
 
HeartWare International, Inc. (a)
 
4,126
 
 
183
 
Hexcel Corp. (a)
 
7,968
 
 
219
 
Horace Mann Educators Corp.
 
6,351
 
 
91
 
HSN, Inc.
   5,435  
 
70
 
Innophos Holdings, Inc.
 
3,969
 
 
225
 
Intel Corp.
 
5,807
 
 
150
 
Interface, Inc.
 
3,083
 
 
382
 
Internap Network Services Corp. (a)
 
2,705
 
 
216
 
International Paper Co.
 
9,910
 
 
313
 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
 
19,002
 
 
105
 
Juniper Networks, Inc. (a)
 
2,705
 
 
94
 
Kadant, Inc.
 
3,428
 
 
175
 
Kelly Services, Inc., Class A
 
4,153
 
 
270
 
Kforce, Inc.
 
5,756
 
 
108
 
Life Time Fitness, Inc. (a)
 
5,195
 
 
141
 
Lincoln National Corp.
 
7,145
 
 
79
 
Lithia Motors, Inc., Class A
 
5,250
 
 
203
 
Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc.
 
10,008
 
 
37
 
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.
 
4,749
 
 
160
 
MasterCard, Inc., Class A
 
11,952
 
 
116
 
Merck & Co., Inc.
 
6,585
 
 
350
 
MFA Financial, Inc. REIT
 
2,713
 
 
205
 
Micron Technology, Inc. (a)
 
4,850
 
 
188
 
Microsoft Corp.
 
7,706
 
 
428
 
National Penn Bancshares, Inc.
 
4,473
 
 
245
 
New York Community Bancorp, Inc.
 
3,937
 
 
138
 
Oracle Corp.
 
5,646
 
 
141
 
Owens-Illinois, Inc. (a)
 
4,770
 
 
143
 
PAREXEL International Corp. (a)
 
7,735
 
 
78
 
PepsiCo, Inc.
 
6,513
 
 
195
 
Pfizer, Inc.
 
6,263
 
 
37
 
Pioneer Natural Resources Co.
 
6,924
 
 
167
 
Portland General Electric Co.
 
5,401
 
 
125
 
QUALCOMM, Inc.
 
9,858
 
 
37
 
Ralph Lauren Corp.
 
5,954
 
 
814
 
RF Micro Devices, Inc. (a)
 
6,414
 
 
33
 
Rockwell Automation, Inc.
 
4,110
 
 
78
 
Schlumberger, Ltd.
 
7,605
 
 
118
 
Semtech Corp. (a)
 
2,990
 
 
37
 
Starbucks Corp.
 
2,715
 
 
104
 
State Street Corp.
 
7,233
 
 
141
 
SunTrust Banks, Inc.
 
5,610
 
 
216
 
Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (a)
 
7,407
 
 
141
 
Sysco Corp.
 
5,094
 
 
329
 
TCF Financial Corp.
 
5,481
 
 
208
 
The Dow Chemical Co.
 
10,107
 
 
125
 
The Geo Group, Inc.
 
4,030
 
 
44
 
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
 
7,209
 
 
273
 
The Interpublic Group of Cos., Inc.
 
4,679
 
 
121
 
Theravance, Inc. (a)
 
3,744
 
 
33
 
Towers Watson & Co., Class A
 
3,764
 
 
138
 
TriMas Corp. (a)
 
4,582
 
 
62
 
Triumph Group, Inc.
 
4,004
 
 
37
 
Union Pacific Corp.
 
6,943
 
 
91
 
United Technologies Corp.
 
10,632
 
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  20  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 

 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

United States – (continued)
 
188
 
Unum Group
 
$
6,638
 
 
167
 
Valero Energy Corp.
 
8,868
 
 
188
 
Vantiv, Inc., Class A (a)
 
5,681
 
 
141
 
Wells Fargo & Co.
 
7,013
 
 
203
 
Xcel Energy, Inc.
 
6,163
 
 
462
 
Xerox Corp.
 
5,221
 
 
353
 
Zions Bancorp.
 
10,936
 
   
683,625
 
Total Common Stock
(Cost $805,167)
 
870,534
 
 
Preferred Stock - 0.1%
Brazil - 0.1%
 
600
 
Suzano Papel e Celulose SA
 
2,203
 
Total Preferred Stock
(Cost $2,524)
 
2,203
 
Total Equity Securities
(Cost $807,691)
 
872,737
 

Investment Companies - 32.8%
 
504
 
Global X FTSE Nordic Region ETF
 
12,872
 
 
218
 
iPath MSCI India Index ETN (a)
 
13,217
 
 
335
 
iShares MSCI ACWI ETF
 
19,477
 
 
547
 
iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF
 
32,322
 
 
556
 
iShares MSCI Canada ETF
 
16,430
 
 
445
 
iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF
 
23,229
 
 
2,993
 
iShares MSCI EMU ETF
 
126,514
 
 
9,561
 
iShares MSCI Japan ETF
 
108,326
 
 
391
 
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF
 
18,803
 
 
353
 
iShares MSCI Switzerland Capped ETF
 
12,122
 
 
127
 
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF
 
6,183
 
 
2,486
 
iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF
 
51,187
 
Total Investment Companies
(Cost $422,987)
 
440,682
 
 
Money Market Fund - 1.1%
 
14,445
 
Dreyfus Treasury Prime Cash Management, 0.00% (b)
(Cost $14,445)
 
14,445
 
Total Investments - 98.8%
(Cost $1,245,123)*
 
$
1,327,864
 
Other Assets & Liabilities, Net – 1.2%
 
15,898
 
Net Assets – 100.0%
 
$
1,343,762
 
 
ADR
American Depositary Receipt
ETF
Exchange Traded Fund
ETN
Exchange Traded Note
PCL
Public Company Limited
PLC
Public Limited Company
REIT
Real Estate Investment Trust
SDR
Swedish Depositary Receipt
(a)
Non-income producing security.
(b)
Variable rate security. Rate presented is as of March 31, 2014.
 
Cost for federal income tax purposes is $1,245,841 and net unrealized appreciation consists of:
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
104,765
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
   
(22,742
)
Net Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
82,023
 

 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  21  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of March 31, 2014.
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
Investments At Value
Common Stock
                               
Australia
 
$
-
   
$
4,732
   
$
-
   
$
4,732
 
Austria
   
-
     
4,082
     
-
     
4,082
 
Bermuda
   
4,117
     
-
     
-
     
4,117
 
Brazil
   
5,500
     
-
     
-
     
5,500
 
Canada
   
4,774
     
-
     
-
     
4,774
 
China
   
4,165
     
8,758
     
-
     
12,923
 
Denmark
   
-
     
3,534
     
-
     
3,534
 
France
   
-
     
5,915
     
-
     
5,915
 
Germany
   
-
     
4,375
     
-
     
4,375
 
Hong Kong
   
-
     
5,622
     
-
     
5,622
 
Ireland
   
-
     
7,501
     
-
     
7,501
 
Italy
   
-
     
4,268
     
-
     
4,268
 
Japan
   
-
     
22,149
     
-
     
22,149
 
Malta
   
-
     
4,069
     
-
     
4,069
 
Netherlands
   
6,793
     
-
     
-
     
6,793
 
Republic Of South Korea
   
-
     
18,640
     
-
     
18,640
 
Russian Federation
   
4,399
     
3,323
     
-
     
7,722
 
South Africa
   
-
     
18,274
     
-
     
18,274
 
Switzerland
   
-
     
5,250
     
-
     
5,250
 
Taiwan
   
-
     
13,600
     
-
     
13,600
 
Thailand
   
-
     
2,453
     
-
     
2,453
 
United Kingdom
   
-
     
20,616
     
-
     
20,616
 
United States
   
683,625
     
-
     
-
     
683,625
 
Preferred Stock
                               
Brazil
   
2,203
     
-
     
-
     
2,203
 
Investment Companies
   
440,682
     
-
     
-
     
440,682
 
Money Market Fund
   
-
     
14,445
     
-
     
14,445
 
Total Investments At Value
 
$
1,156,258
   
$
171,606
   
$
-
   
$
1,327,864
 
 
At March 31, 2014, foreign securities representing the following percentage of net assets of the Fund were fair valued by independent pricing services and are classified as using Level 2 inputs within the valuation inputs disclosure on the Fund’s Schedule of Investments:
 
LMCG Global MultiCap Fund

Long Securities                                           12.77%
 
There were no transfers among Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 for the period ended March 31, 2014.
 
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
   
% of Total Investments
   
Australia
0.3
%
Austria
0.3
%
Bermuda
0.3
%
Brazil
0.6
%
Canada
0.4
%
China
1.0
%
Denmark
0.3
%
France
0.4
%
Germany
0.3
%
Hong Kong
0.4
%
Ireland
0.6
%
Italy
0.3
%
Japan
1.7
%
Malta
0.3
%
Netherlands
0.5
%
Republic Of South Korea
1.4
%
Russian Federation
0.6
%
South Africa
1.4
%
Switzerland
0.4
%
Taiwan
1.0
%
Thailand
0.2
%
United Kingdom
1.5
%
United States
84.7
%
Money Market Fund
1.1
%
 
100.0
%
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  22  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 

 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
ASSETS
       
 
Total investments, at value (Cost $1,245,123)
 
$
1,327,864
 
 
Cash
   
118
 
 
Foreign currency (Cost $383)
   
381
 
 
Receivables:
       
   
Dividends
   
1,340
 
 
From investment adviser
   
10,197
 
 
Prepaid expenses
   
15,651
 
 
Deferred offering costs
   
16,409
 
Total Assets
   
1,371,960
 
             
LIABILITIES
       
 
Accrued Liabilities:
       
   
Fund services fees
   
5,005
 
   
Other expenses
   
23,193
 
Total Liabilities
   
28,198
 
             
NET ASSETS
 
$
 1,343,762
 
             
COMPONENTS OF NET ASSETS
       
 
Paid-in capital
 
$
1,259,086
 
 
Distributions in excess of net investment income
   
(1,375
)
 
Accumulated net realized gain
   
3,312
 
 
Net unrealized appreciation
   
82,739
 
NET ASSETS
 
$
1,343,762
 
             
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST AT NO PAR VALUE (UNLIMITED SHARES AUTHORIZED)
       
 
Institutional Shares
   
124,369
 
             
NET ASSET VALUE, OFFERING AND REDEMPTION PRICE PER SHARE
       
 
Institutional Shares (based on net assets of $1,343,762)
 
$
10.80
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  23  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2014*
 

INVESTMENT INCOME
       
 
Dividend income (Net of foreign withholding taxes of $123)
 
$
9,950
 
Total Investment Income
   
9,950
 
Adviser
       
EXPENSES
       
 
Investment adviser fees
   
5,592
 
 
Fund services fees
   
91,889
 
 
Custodian fees
   
7,633
 
 
Registration fees
   
187
 
 
Professional fees
   
20,589
 
 
Trustees' fees and expenses
   
16
 
 
Offering costs
   
22,973
 
 
Miscellaneous expenses
   
15,352
 
Total Expenses
   
164,231
 
 
Fees waived and expenses reimbursed
   
(156,336
)
Net Expenses
   
7,895
 
             
NET INVESTMENT INCOME
   
2,055
 
             
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)
       
 
Net realized gain (loss) on:
       
 
Investments
   
5,311
 
 
Foreign currency transactions
   
(286
)
 
Net realized gain
   
5,025
 
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
       
 
Investments
   
82,741
 
 
Foreign currency translations
   
(2
)
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation
   
82,739
 
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN
   
87,764
 
INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS
 
$
 89,819
 
             
*
Commencement of operations was September 11, 2013.
       
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  24  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
 
 

       
September 11, 2013*
through
March 31, 2014
OPERATIONS
       
 
Net investment income
 
$
2,055
 
 
Net realized gain
   
5,025
 
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation
   
82,739
 
Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations
   
89,819
 
             
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
       
 
Net investment income:
       
   
Institutional Shares
   
(7,357
)
 
Net realized gain:
       
   
Institutional Shares
   
(1,999
)
Total Distributions to Shareholders
   
(9,356
)
             
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS
       
 
Sale of shares:
       
   
Institutional Shares
   
1,388,943
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions:
       
   
Institutional Shares
   
9,356
 
 
Redemption of shares:
       
 
2
Institutional Shares
   
(135,000
)
Increase in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions
   
1,263,299
 
Increase in Net Assets
   
1,343,762
 
             
NET ASSETS
       
 
Beginning of Period
   
 -
 
 
End of Period (Including line (a))
 
$
 1,343,762
 
             
SHARE TRANSACTIONS
       
 
Sale of shares:
       
   
Institutional Shares
   
136,290
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions:
       
   
Institutional Shares
   
875
 
 
Redemption of shares:
       
   
Institutional Shares
   
(12,796
)
Increase in Shares
   
124,369
 
             
(a)
Distributions in excess of net investment income
 
$
(1,375
)
*
Commencement of operations.
       
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  25  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG GLOBAL MULTICAP FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
 
These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout the period.
 
   
September 11, 2013 (a)
through
March 31, 2014
 
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES 
       
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Period
$
10.00
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
       
Net investment income (b)
 
 0.02
   
Net realized and unrealized gain
 
 0.86
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 0.88
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
       
Net investment income
 
 (0.06
)
 
Net realized gain
 
 (0.02
)
 
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
 (0.08
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Period 
$
10.80
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
8.79
%(c)
         
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
       
Net Assets at End of Period (000's omitted)
$1,344
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
       
Net investment income 
 
0.31
%(d)
Net expense 
 
1.20
%(d)
Gross expense (e)
 
24.97
%(d)
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
 
32
%(c)
           
(a)
Commencement of operations.
(b)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(c)
Not annualized.
(d)
Annualized.
(e)
Reflects the expense ratio excluding any waivers and/or reimbursements.
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  26  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Note 1. Organization
 
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and LMCG Global MultiCap Fund (individually, a “Fund” and, collectively the “Funds”) are diversified portfolios of Forum Funds (the “Trust”). The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust that is registered as an open-end, management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”), as amended. Under its Trust Instrument, the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of each Fund’s shares of beneficial interest without par value. The LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and the LMCG Global MultiCap Fund commenced operations on May 21, 2013, and September 11, 2013, respectively. Each Fund currently offers two classes of shares: Institutional Shares and Investor Shares. As of March 31, 2014, Investor Shares had not commenced operations. The LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund seeks capital appreciation independent of equity market conditions. The LMCG Global MultiCap Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
 
Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 
These financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the fiscal period. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates. The following summarizes the significant accounting policies of each Fund:
 
Security Valuation – Exchange-traded securities and over-the-counter securities are valued using the last quoted trade or official closing price, provided by independent pricing services as of the close of trading on the market or exchange for which they are primarily traded, on each Fund business day. In the absence of a sale, such securities are valued at the mean of the last bid and ask price provided by independent pricing services. Non-exchange traded securities for which quotations are available are valued using the last quoted sales price, or in the absence of a sale, at the mean of the last bid and ask prices provided by independent pricing services. Shares of open-end mutual funds are valued at net asset value (“NAV”). Short-term investments that mature in 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost.
 
Each Fund values its investments at fair value pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board") if (1) market quotations are insufficient or not readily available or (2) the adviser believes that the values available are unreliable. The Trust’s Valuation Committee, as defined in each Fund’s registration statement, performs certain functions as they relate to the administration and oversight of each Fund’s valuation procedures. Under these procedures, the Valuation Committee convenes on a regular and ad-hoc basis to review such securities and considers a number of factors, including valuation methodologies and significant unobservable inputs, when arriving at fair value.
 
The Valuation Committee may work with the adviser to provide valuation inputs. In determining fair valuations, inputs may include market-based analytics which may consider related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values and other relevant investment information. Adviser inputs may include an income-based approach in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted in determining fair value. Discounts may also be applied based on the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. Foreign securities’ prices may be fair valued by independent pricing services in consideration of events occurring after the close of overseas markets and prior to the close of the NYSE. To the extent that securities are valued using this service, they will be classified as Level 2 securities in the fair value measurement framework described below. The Valuation Committee performs regular reviews of valuation methodologies, key inputs and assumptions, disposition analysis and market activity.
 
Fair valuation is based on subjective factors and, as a result, the fair value price of an investment may differ from the security’s market price and may not be the price at which the asset may be sold. Fair valuation could result in a different NAV than a NAV determined by using market quotes.
 
Each Fund has a three-tier fair value hierarchy. The basis of the tiers is dependent upon the various “inputs” used to determine the value of each Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:
 
Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical assets
 
Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices of similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)
 
Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including each Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)
 
   27  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
The aggregate value by input level, as of March 31, 2014, for each Fund’s investments is included at the end of each Fund’s Schedule of Investments.
 
Security Transactions, Investment Income and Realized Gain and Loss – Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Foreign dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as possible after each Fund determines the existence of a dividend declaration after exercising reasonable due diligence. Income and capital gains on some foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, which are accrued as applicable. Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Premium is amortized and discount is accreted using the effective interest method. Identified cost of investments sold is used to determine the gain and loss for both financial statement and federal income tax purposes.
 
Foreign Currency Translations – Foreign currency amounts are translated into U.S. dollars as follows: (1) assets and liabilities at the rate of exchange at the end of the respective period; and (2) purchases and sales of securities and income and expenses at the rate of exchange prevailing on the dates of such transactions. The portion of the results of operations arising from changes in the exchange rates and the portion due to fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of securities are not isolated. Such fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments.
 
Foreign Currency Transactions – Each Fund may enter into transactions to purchase or sell foreign currency contracts and options on foreign currency. Forward currency contracts are agreements to exchange one currency for another at a future date and at a specified price. A fund may use forward currency contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign securities, to manage a fund’s foreign currency exposure and to protect the U.S. dollar value of its underlying portfolio securities against the effect of possible adverse movements in foreign exchange rates. These contracts are intrinsically valued daily based on forward rates, and a fund’s net equity therein, representing unrealized gain or loss on the contracts as measured by the difference between the forward foreign exchange rates at the dates of entry into the contracts and the forward rates at the reporting date, is recorded as a component of net asset value. These instruments involve market risk, credit risk, or both kinds of risks, in excess of the amount recognized in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Risks arise from the possible inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts and from movement in currency and securities values and interest rates. Due to the risks associated with these transactions, a fund could incur losses up to the entire contract amount, which may exceed the net unrealized value included in its net asset value.
 
Securities Sold Short – Each Fund may sell a security short to increase investment returns. Each Fund may also sell a security short in anticipation of a decline in the market value of a security. A short sale is a transaction in which a fund sells a security that it does not own. To complete the transaction, the fund must borrow the security in order to deliver it to the buyer. The fund must replace the borrowed security by purchasing it at market price at the time of replacement; the price may be higher or lower than the price at which the fund sold the security. The fund incurs a loss from a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the fund replaces the borrowed security. The fund realizes a profit if the price of the security declines between those dates.
 
Until the fund replaces the borrowed security, the fund will maintain on its books and records cash and long securities to sufficiently cover its short position on a daily basis. The collateral for the securities sold short includes the deposits with broker for securities sold short as shown on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities and the securities held long as shown on the Schedules of Investments. Dividends and interest paid on securities sold short are recorded as an expense on each Fund’s Statement of Operations.
 
Distributions to Shareholders – Distributions to shareholders of net investment income and net capital gains, if any, are declared and paid at least annually. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributions are based on amounts calculated in accordance with applicable federal income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP. These differences are due primarily to differing treatments of income and gain on various investment securities held by each Fund, timing differences and differing characterizations of distributions made by each Fund.
 
Federal Taxes – Each Fund intends to continue to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and to distribute all of its taxable income to shareholders. In addition, by distributing in each calendar year substantially all of its net investment income and capital gains, if any, the Fund will not be subject to a federal excise tax. Therefore, no federal income or excise tax provision is required. Each Fund will file a U.S. federal income and excise tax return as required. A fund’s federal income tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a period of three fiscal years after they are filed. As of March 31, 2014, there are no uncertain tax positions that would require financial statement recognition, de-recognition, or disclosure.
 
Income and Expense Allocation – The Trust accounts separately for the assets, liabilities and operations of each of its investment
 
   28  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
portfolios. Expenses that are directly attributable to more than one investment portfolio are allocated among the respective investment portfolios in an equitable manner.
 
Redemption Fees – A shareholder who redeems shares of the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund within 90 days of purchase may incur a redemption fee of 2.00% of the current net asset value of shares redeemed, subject to certain limitations. The fee is charged for the benefit of the remaining shareholders and will be paid to the Fund to help offset transaction costs. The fee is accounted for as an addition to paid-in capital. The Fund reserves the right to modify the terms of or terminate the fee at any time. There are limited exceptions to the imposition of the redemption fee.
 
Commitments and Contingencies – In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that provide general indemnifications by each Fund to the counterparty to the contract. Each Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against each Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated; however, based on experience, the risk of loss from such claims is considered remote.
 
Offering Costs – Offering costs of $50,377 and $39,382 for the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and LMCG Global MultiCap Fund, respectively, consist of fees related to the mailing and printing of the initial prospectus, certain startup legal costs, and initial registration filings. Such costs are amortized over a twelve-month period beginning with the commencement of operations of the Funds.
 
Note 3. Fees and Expenses
 
Investment Adviser – Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Funds. Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser receives an advisory fee at an annual rate of 1.00% and 0.85% of the average daily net assets of LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and LMCG Global MultiCap Fund, respectively.
 
Distribution – Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as each Fund’s distributor (the “Distributor”). The Distributor is not affiliated with the Adviser or Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC (d/b/a Atlantic Fund Services) (“Atlantic”) or their affiliates. The Funds have adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Investor Shares in accordance with Rule 12b-1 of the Act. Under the Plan, the Funds pay the Distributor and/or any other entity as authorized by the Board a fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of Investor Shares.
 
Other Service Providers – Atlantic provides fund accounting, fund administration, compliance and transfer agency services to each Fund. Atlantic also provides certain shareholder report production, and EDGAR conversion and filing services. Pursuant to an Atlantic services agreement, each Fund pays Atlantic customary fees for its services. Atlantic provides a Principal Executive Officer, a Principal Financial Officer, a Chief Compliance Officer, and an Anti-Money Laundering Officer to each Fund, as well as certain additional compliance support functions.
 
Trustees and Officers – The Trust pays each independent Trustee an annual retainer fee of $45,000 for service to the Trust ($66,000 for the Chairman). The Trustees and Chairman may receive additional fees for special Board meetings. Each Trustee is also reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with his duties as a Trustee, including travel and related expenses incurred in attending Board meetings. The amount of Trustees’ fees attributable to each Fund is disclosed in the Statement of Operations. Certain officers of the Trust are also officers or employees of the above named service providers, and during their terms of office received no compensation from each Fund.
 
Note 4. Expense Reimbursements and Fees Waived
 
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its fees and reimburse certain expenses through July 31, 2015, to limit total annual operating expenses (excluding all taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, proxy expenses and extraordinary expenses) to 1.60% for Institutional Shares of the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund. The Adviser has also contractually agreed to waive a portion of its fees and reimburse certain expenses through July 31, 2015, to limit total annual operating expenses (excluding all taxes, interest, portfolio transaction expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, proxy expenses and extraordinary expenses) to 1.20% for Institutional Shares of the LMCG Global MultiCap Fund. Other Fund service providers have voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of their fees. The contractual waivers may be changed or eliminated at any time with consent of the Board and voluntary fee waivers and expense reimbursements may be reduced or eliminated at any time. For the period ended March 31, 2014, fees waived and expenses reimbursed were as follows:
 
 
   29  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
Investment Adviser Fees Waived
 
Expenses Reimbursed by Investment Adviser
 
Other
Waivers
 
Total Fees Waived and Expenses Reimbursed
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund
$
53,736
 
$
160,668
 
$
96,446
 
$
310,850
LMCG Global MultiCap Fund
 
5,592
   
92,402
   
58,342
   
156,336

Each Fund may repay the Adviser for fees waived and expenses reimbursed pursuant to the expense cap if such payment is made within three years of the fees waived or expense reimbursement and the resulting expenses do not exceed 1.60% for Institutional Shares of the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and 1.20% for Institutional Shares of the LMCG Global MultiCap Fund. As of March 31, 2014, the amount of waived fees and reimbursed expenses subject to recapture by the Adviser are as follows:
 
   
Amount of Fees Waived and/or Expenses Reimbursed
 
Expiration Date to Recoup Fees Waived and/or Expenses Reimbursed
 
Fees Recouped
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund
 
$
214,404
 
March 31, 2017
 
$
-
LMCG Global MultiCap Fund
   
97,994
 
March 31, 2017
   
-

Note 5. Security Transactions
 
The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities (including maturities), other than short-term investments during the period ended March 31, 2014, were as follows:
 
 
 
Purchases
 
Sales
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund
 
$
13,942,591
 
$
3,963,228
LMCG Global MultiCap Fund
   
1,621,740
   
396,373

Note 6. Summary of Derivative Activity
 
The volume of open derivative positions may vary on a daily basis as the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund transacts currency contracts in order to achieve the exposure desired by the Adviser. The notional value of activity for the period ended March 31, 2014 for any derivative type that was held during the period is as follows:
 
Forward Currency Contracts
 
$
4,673,691
 

The LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund’s use of derivatives during the period ended March 31, 2014, was limited to forward currency contracts.  As of March 31, 2014, there were no outstanding forward currency contracts.
 
Realized gains and losses on derivatives contracts during the period ended March 31, 2014, by the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund are recorded in the following locations on the Statement of Operations:
 
Location
 
Forward Currency Contracts
Net realized gain (loss) on:
       
Foreign currency transactions
 
$
4,179
 

Note 7. Federal Income Tax
 
As of March 31, 2014, distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:
 
   
Undistributed Ordinary Income
 
Capital and Other Losses
 
Unrealized Appreciation
 
Total
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund
 
$
-
   
$
(531,150
)
 
$
803,634
   
$
272,484
 
LMCG Global MultiCap Fund
   
3,687
     
(1,032
)
   
82,021
     
84,676
 
 
 
   30  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMCG FUNDS
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Distributions paid during the fiscal period were characterized for tax purposes as follows:
 
   
Ordinary Income
LMCG Global MultiCap Fund
 
$
9,356
 

The difference between components of distributable earnings on a tax basis and the amounts reflected in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities are primarily due to differing book to tax treatment of investments in passive foreign investment holdings (PFICs), wash sales and real estate investment trusts (REITs).
 
For tax purposes, the current year post-October loss was $438,795 for the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund, and the current deferred late year ordinary loss was $14,446 and $1,032 for the LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and LMCG Global MultiCap Fund, respectively (realized during the period November 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014). These losses will be recognized for tax purposes on the first business day of each Fund’s next fiscal year, April 1, 2014.
 
The LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund has $77,909 available short term capital loss carryforwards that have no expiration date.
 
On the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, as a result of permanent book to tax differences, certain amounts have been reclassified for the period ended March 31, 2014. The following reclassifications were the result of net operating losses, disallowed short dividend expenses, non-deductible offering costs, currency gain/loss, PFICs and REIT return of capital and had no impact on the net assets of each Fund.
 
 
 
Undistributed Net Investment Income
 
Accumulated Net Realized Gain
 
Paid-in Capital
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund
 
$
22,693
   
$
7,073
   
$
(29,766
)
LMCG Global MultiCap Fund
   
3,927
     
286
     
(4,213
)

Note 8. Subsequent Events
 
Subsequent events occurring after the date of this report through the date these financial statements were issued have been evaluated for potential impact and each Fund has had no such events.
 
   31  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
 
 
 
To the Board of Trustees of Forum Funds and the Shareholders of
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and LMCG Global MultiCap Fund

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities of LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and LMCG Global MultiCap Fund (the "Funds"), each a series of shares of beneficial interest in the Forum Funds, including the schedules of investments, as of March 31, 2014, and the related statements of operations and changes in net assets and the financial highlights for the period May 21, 2013 (commencement of operations) through March 31, 2014 for LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and for the period September 11, 2013 (commencement of operations) through March 31, 2014 for LMCG Global MultiCap Fund. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds' management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.
 
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of March 31, 2014 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund and LMCG Global MultiCap Fund as of March 31, 2014, and the results of their operations, the changes in their net assets and their financial highlights for each of the periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
 

 

BBD, LLP
 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 30, 2014
 
   32  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 

 
LMCG FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Proxy Voting Information
 
A description of the policies and procedures that each Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to securities held in each Fund’s portfolio is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (877) 591-4667 and on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”) website at www.sec.gov. Each Fund’s proxy voting record for the period from the Fund’s commencement of operations to June 30 is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (877) 591-4667 and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
 
Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedules
 
Each Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. These filings are available, without charge and upon request on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.
 
Shareholder Expense Example
 
As a shareholder of the Funds, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including redemption fees, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Funds, and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
 
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period from October 1, 2013, through March 31, 2014.
 
Actual Expenses – The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during the period.
 
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes – The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on each Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not each Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in each Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.
 
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as redemption fees. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
 
 
Beginning
 
Ending
 
Expenses
 
Annualized
 
Account Value
 
Account Value
 
Paid During
 
Expense
LMCG Global Market Neutral Fund
October 1, 2013
 
March 31, 2014
 
Period*
 
Ratio*
 Institutional Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,048.75
 
$
    14.76
 
2.89
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,010.52
 
$
    14.49
 
2.89
%

LMCG Global MultiCap Fund
             
 Institutional Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,078.17
 
$
    6.22
 
1.20
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,018.95
 
$
    6.04
 
1.20
%

 
*
Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by 365 to reflect the half-year period.
 
   33  LMCG FUNDS

 
 
 
 

 
LMCG FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Federal Tax Status of Dividends Declared during the Tax Year
 
For federal income tax purposes, dividends from short-term capital gains are classified as ordinary income. The LMCG Global MultiCap Fund designates 39.06% of its income dividend distributed as qualifying for the corporate dividends received deduction (DRD) and 46.07% for the qualified dividend rate (QDI) as defined in Section 1(h)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code. The LMCG Global MultiCap Fund also designates 21.77% as short-term capital gain dividends exempt from U.S. tax for foreign shareholders (QSD).
 
Trustees and Officers of the Trust
 
The Board is responsible for oversight of the management of the Trust’s business affairs and of the exercise of all the Trust’s powers except those reserved for the shareholders. The following table provides information about each Trustee and certain officers of the Trust. Each Trustee and officer holds office until the person resigns, is removed, or is replaced. Unless otherwise noted, the persons have held their principal occupations for more than five years. The address for all Trustees and officers is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600, Portland, Maine 04101. Mr. Keffer is considered an Interested Trustee due to his affiliation with Atlantic. Each Fund’s Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (877) 591-4667.
 
Name and Year of Birth
Position with the Trust
Length of Time Served
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of Series of Fund Complex¹ Overseen by Trustee
Other Directorships Held by Trustee
Independent Trustees
         
J. Michael Parish
Born: 1943
Chairman of the Board; Trustee; Chairman, Nominating Committee and Qualified Legal Compliance Committee
Since 1989 (Chairman since 2004)
Retired since 2003.
24
0
Costas Azariadis
Born: 1943
Trustee
Since 1989
Professor of Economics, Washington University since 2006.
24
0
James C. Cheng
Born: 1942
Trustee; Chairman, Audit Committee
Since 1989
President, Technology Marketing Associates (marketing company for small- and medium-sized businesses in New England) since 1991.
24
0
David Tucker
Born: 1958
Trustee
Since 2011
Director, Blue Sky Experience since 2008; Senior Vice President & General Counsel, American Century Companies 1998-2008.
28
Trustee, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust
Interested Trustee
         
John Y. Keffer2
Born: 1942
Trustee; Vice Chairman
Since 1989
Chairman, Atlantic since 2008; President, Forum Foundation (a charitable organization) since 2005; President, Forum Trust, LLC (a non-depository trust company chartered in the State of Maine) since 1997.
28
Director, Wintergreen Fund, Inc.; Trustee, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust
1The Fund Complex includes the Trust, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust and is overseen by different Boards of Trustees.
2Atlantic is a subsidiary of Forum Holdings Corp. I, a Delaware corporation that is wholly owned by Mr. Keffer.
 
   34  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 

 
LMCG FUNDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Name and Year of Birth
Position with the Trust
Length of Time Served
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of Series of Fund Complex¹ Overseen by Trustee
Other Directorships Held by Trustee
Officers
         
Stacey E. Hong
Born: 1966
President; Principal Executive Officer
Since 2008
President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Karen Shaw
Born: 1972
Treasurer; Principal Financial Officer
Since 2008
Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Zachary Tackett
Born: 1988
Vice President; Secretary; Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer
Since 2014
Associate Counsel, Atlantic since 2014; Intern Associate, Coakley & Hyde, PLLC, 2010-2013.
N/A
N/A
Michael J. McKeen
Born: 1971
Vice President
Since 2009
Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Timothy Bowden
Born: 1969
Vice President
Since 2009
Manager, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Geoffrey Ney
Born: 1975
Vice President
Since 2013
Manager, Atlantic since 2013; Senior Fund Accountant, Atlantic, 2008-2013.
N/A
N/A
Todd Proulx
Born: 1978
Vice President
Since 2013
Manager, Atlantic since 2013; Senior Fund Accountant, Atlantic, 2008-2013.
N/A
N/A
1The Fund Complex includes the Trust, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust and is overseen by different Boards of Trustees.
 
 
   35  LMCG FUNDS
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)  MARCH 31, 2014
 
Dear Shareholder,
 
We present the annual report for the Merk Hard Currency Fun, Merk Asian Currency Fund®, Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund®, and Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund® (individually a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”) with respect to the period April 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014 (the “Period”).

·  
The Merk Hard Currency Fund seeks to profit from a rise in hard currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.
·  
The Merk Asian Currency Fund seeks to profit from a rise in Asian currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.
·  
The Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund seeks to generate positive absolute returns by investing in securities and instruments that create exposure to currencies.
·  
The Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund seeks to generate total return by investing in securities and instruments that create exposure to U.S. equities and currencies.

Merk Hard Currency Fund Investor Shares posted a return of 0.08% for the 12-month period ended March 31, 2014. In comparison, the JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index (“reference basket”) posted a return of 2.76% during the Period. As of March 31, 2014, the Investor Shares of the Fund had a five-year annualized return of 4.27% and an annualized return of 4.19% since inception on May 10, 2005; this compares to a five-year annualized return of 2.80% and an annualized return of 3.07% since May 10, 2005 for the reference basket. The Fund’s performance data represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. Please visit www.merkfunds.com for most recent month end performance.  The Fund’s expense ratio for the Investor Shares is 1.30%.

The Fund’s performance is foremost influenced by changes in exchange rates of currencies to which the Fund has exposure. Currencies that the Fund had exposure to over the Period had mixed returns. Generally, European currencies performed relatively well, while gold and the Australian dollar underperformed. Over the Period the British pound returned 9.63%, the euro returned 7.41%, the Swiss franc returned 7.30%, the Danish krone returned 7.26%, the New Zealand dollar returned 3.49%, the Swedish krona returned 0.86%, the Singapore dollar returned -1.37%, the Norwegian krone returned -2.36%, Canadian dollar -7.93%, Japanese yen -8.73%, Australian dollar -11.09%. Gold underperformed, returning -19.62% during the Period, as measured by the spot price of gold per troy ounce.

We adapt the currency allocations as our analysis of monetary policies and economic environments evolves. The Fund roughly doubled euro exposure throughout the Period, starting with an allocation of 22.0% and ending the Period with an allocation of 43.5%. The additional exposure came mostly from reduced allocation to the Canadian and Singapore dollar. The euro was up 7.41% over the Period, benefitting from early LTRO (“Long Term Refinancing Operations”) repayments at the European Central Bank (ECB), as well as confidence returning into the weaker Eurozone countries.

The Fund also initiated a position in the British pound, which was the best performing G10 currency over the Period, appreciating 9.63% against the dollar. The British pound position was entered in large part because of an improved economic outlook in the UK and increased chances of a rate hike from the Bank of England coming sooner rather than later. The Fund eliminated its exposure to the Norwegian krone during the Period as the Norges Bank and the newly elected Prime Minister signaled that policy should aim to reduce the value of the currency to support exports. The Canadian dollar position was also reduced as a lesser known, and by all accounts more dovish, governor took the helm at the Bank of Canada following Mark Carney’s departure to the Bank of England.

Gold fell substantially during the first half of the Period as expectations of the Fed’s reduction of asset purchases dampened inflation fears. The downward trend appeared to become self-reinforcing as initial declines triggered further selling. Gold rallied 6.85% in the first quarter of this calendar year coming off of what appeared to be depressed levels near $1,200 per ounce at year-end. The Fund scaled into the gold position throughout the Period in an effort to take advantage of the lower prices prevailing in the market. As we believe the U.S., as well as other large economies cannot afford positive real interest rates in the long-term, the sell off that took place in the second quarter provided an opportunity to build the gold position.

Merk Asian Currency Fund Investor Shares posted a return of -1.05% for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2014. In comparison, the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index (“reference basket”) increased 0.05% during the Period. As of March 31, 2014, the Investor Shares had a three-year annualized return of -0.74%, a five-year annualized return of 0.40% an annualized return of -0.47% since inception on April 1, 2008; this compares to a three-year annualized return of 0.06%, a five-year annualized return of 0.09% and an annualized return of 0.26% since March 31, 2008 for the reference basket.1 The Fund’s Performance data represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal
 

 
 
   1  

 
 
 
 
 
value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. Please visit www.merkfunds.com for most recent month end performance.  The Fund’s expense ratio for the Investor Shares is 1.30%.

The Fund’s performance is foremost influenced by changes in exchange rates of currencies to which the Fund has exposure. During the Period, concerns surrounding the Federal Reserve’s reduction of monthly asset purchases and slowdown in China were significant headwinds to Asian currencies. The majority of currencies that the Fund had exposure to depreciated against the dollar during the Period. The Singapore dollar returned -1.37%, the Taiwanese dollar returned -2.17%, and the Malaysian ringgit returned -5.23%. Conversely, the South Korean won appreciated 4.38% against the dollar during the Period. The Chinese renminbi hit a 20-year high against the dollar in January 2014 before a sharp correction in February and March. Throughout the entire Period the Chinese renminbi returned -0.11%.

During the Period the Fund maintained its largest position in the Chinese renminbi but reduced the exposure in February and March 2014. Renminbi volatility rose after the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, widened the renminbi daily trading band from 1% to 2%. In our view, this is a logical and necessary step for China to embrace a more flexible exchange rate regime, and is consistent with China’s agenda to make the renminbi an international reserve currency. Over the long term, we believe the renminbi may benefit from China’s transition to a higher value added and more consumption-oriented growth model.

The Fund’s performance benefited from a new position in the Indian rupee which was initiated in September 2013, as the currency appreciated 9.71% against the dollar from August 31, 2013 to March 31, 2014. The rally was primarily driven by the new governor of the Reserve Bank of India as he took a series of measures to stabilize the currency and improve India’s dollar liquidity. The Indian rupee also benefited from the expectation that a more business-friendly government will take office after the election in May 2014. The Fund also established a short position in the Japanese yen since January 2014, as we believe the deterioration of Japan’s current account balance will increase the country’s reliance on foreign capital and place downward pressure on the Japanese yen.

In addition to Chinese renminbi time deposits, the Fund has increasingly been buying high quality, short-term debt instruments denominated in Asian currencies in pursuing its investment objective. At the end of the Period, the Fund held, among others, International Finance Corporation offshore Chinese renminbi discount notes, Monetary Authority of Singapore Bills, Singapore Government Bills, and Bank Negara Malaysia monetary notes as part of its Chinese renminbi, Singapore dollar and Malaysian ringgit exposure.

Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund Investor Shares posted a return of 5.68% for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2014. In comparison, the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index (“reference basket”) increased 0.05% during the Period. As of March 31, 2014, the Investor Shares had a three-year annualized return of -1.45% and an annualized return of -0.09% since inception on September 9, 2009; this compares to a three-year annualized return of 0.06% and an annualized return of 0.08% since August 31, 2009 for the reference basket.2 The Fund’s performance data represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. Please visit www.merkfunds.com for most recent month end performance.  The Fund’s expense ratio for the Investor Shares is 1.30%.
 
The Fund’s performance is foremost influenced by changes in exchange rates of currencies to which the Fund has exposure. The Fund employs a periodic currency allocation process based on strategic and tactical considerations. We consider factors that lead to gradual allocation changes to be “strategic,” in contrast we consider factors that lead to allocation changes over shorter periods “tactical.” As such, currency exposures can change significantly from one holding period to the next and the Fund may have a net long or net short U.S. dollar currency exposure at any time.

The Fund can take offsetting positions in otherwise highly correlated3 currencies, on a short-term view that such currency positioning may yield profitable returns. Indeed, during the Period, the Fund held both long and short positions at various points in time in the majority of currencies the Fund invests in. Such allocations may generate returns that are unlikely to be correlated to traditional asset classes. Holding offsetting positions in otherwise correlated currencies may also help contain the volatility of the Fund.

We made substantial enhancements to the investment process, fully implemented in June 2012. Specifically, we added a systematic integration of the Merk hard currency strategy investment process to the underlying quantitative model and employed more frequent currency rebalancing to be able to more swiftly react to changing market sentiment. The result is a hybrid quantitative and systematic macro discretionary approach. The quantitative model provides a rules-based discipline while the tactical allocation includes a systematic discretionary macro overlay seeking to manage risk and capture upside potential based on more qualitative judgments. The enhanced investment process provides for a more active management that incorporates a holistic approach to risk management in response to increased policy intervention risk globally. Additionally, we have streamlined management of the Fund, moving to a team approach: Axel Merk is primarily responsible for the management of the Fund, relying on the support of the investment management team. Since implementation of the changes, we are pleased with the improved risk/return profile the Fund has exhibited.


2 Note that data is not available for the reference basket on the inception date of the Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund (September 9, 2009). As such, performance for the reference basket is calculated for the time period August 31, 2009 through March 31, 2014, whereas performance for the Fund is calculated for the period since inception through March 31, 2014.
 
   2  

 
 
 
 

Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund Investor Shares posted a return of 28.40% for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2014. In comparison, the S&P 500 Total Return Index (“reference basket”) increased 21.86% during the Period. As of March 31, 2014, the Investor Shares had an annualized return of 23.85% since inception on September 12, 2011; this compares to an annualized return of 23.23% since September 12, 2011 for the reference basket. The Fund’s performance data represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. Please visit www.merkfunds.com for most recent month end performance.  The Fund’s expense ratio for the Investor Shares is 1.38%.

The Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund combines a passive investment in U.S. equities with an actively managed exposure to currencies, seeking to generate total returns. By enhancing U.S. equities exposure with a currency overlay, the Fund seeks to generate excess returns from an actively managed currency basket in addition to investment exposure to the S&P 500. At the same time, a combination of U.S. equities and international currencies may offer portfolio diversification benefits to traditional domestic equities, given the historically low correlation between currencies and equities. The combination of U.S. equities and international currencies may also bring portfolio benefits similar to international equity exposure. Therefore, in addition to considering the Fund’s performance relative to the S&P 500 Index, it may be appropriate to consider the Fund’s performance also relative to an international equity index, which would be an alternative way to introduce international diversification to an equity portfolio.

In comparing the Fund’s performance with an international equity index, for the period ending March 31, 2014, the Fund had an annualized return of 23.85% since inception compared to the MSCI EAFE Index of 17.59%. The MSCI EAFE Index is an index that is used as a proxy for the international equity market performance in developed markets outside the U.S. & Canada.

In an effort to achieve desired excess returns, we aim to enhance a passive investment in U.S. equities with currency allocation that follow the general methodology of the Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund, which seeks to achieve positive absolute returns from the Fund’s exposure to currencies. We made substantial enhancements to the investment process, fully implemented as in June 2012. Specifically, we added a systematic integration of the Merk hard currency strategy investment process to the underlying quantitative model and employed more frequent currency rebalancing to be able to more swiftly react to changing market sentiment. The result is a hybrid quantitative and systematic macro discretionary approach. The quantitative model provides a rules-based discipline while the tactical allocation includes a systematic discretionary macro overlay seeking to manage risk and capture upside potential based on more qualitative judgments. The enhanced investment process provides for a more active management that incorporates a holistic approach to risk management in response to increased policy intervention risk globally. As an additional risk management measure, we amended the prospectus in January 2014 to indicate that we may be more active in managing downside equity risk to mitigate loss potential resulting from possible stock market corrections. Lastly, we have streamlined management of the Fund, moving to a team approach: Axel Merk is primarily responsible for the management of the Fund, relying on the support of the investment management team. Since implementation of the changes, we are pleased with the improved risk/return profile the Fund has exhibited.

Market Analysis and Insights

Many major markets ended the calendar year near their highs or low for the year. For example: the S&P 500 closed at an all time record high, gold closed near its lows of the year just above $1,200/oz, dollar-yen ended at its high for the year over 105, and U.S. 10-year yield closed at their high for the year above 3.00%. There was a strong consensus around certain themes coming into this year. Namely: rising interest rates, rising stock prices, falling gold prices, a stronger dollar, and a continued unwinding of the commodities supercycle. Many of those consensus views have not played out so far. Stocks have moved sideways, gold is up, bonds are down, and the dollar is down as measured by the U.S. Dollar Index. Fed tapering has not lead to the dollar strength many predicted. There are two main elements to accommodative policy by the Fed, one is the Quantitative Easing (QE) program, the other is the fed funds rate, the short-term interest rate that the Fed controls, and the forward guidance that they provide on that rate. In our view, the fed funds rate is the more important piece of the puzzle for currency markets and asset markets more broadly. As such, the mere gradual slowdown of QE may not be sufficient to consider buying the U.S. dollar, particularly when new Fed Chair Janet Yellen has gone out of her way to strike a dovish tone in her policy speeches of late.

For example, the euro rose 7.41% against the dollar over the Period. There are a number of reasons why the euro may be cursed to go higher. One being that everyone loves to hate the euro. In other words, the consensus view is that the euro should go down. We believe going counter to the consensus view when your convictions are strong has the advantage of providing a more attractive risk/return dynamic than going with the herd. That’s because if you’re right, the herd might shift in your direction and push the price in your favor; and if you’re wrong most of that may be priced-in and thus provide limited downside risk. Secondly, the fiscal problems in the Eurozone are known and are being addressed, whereas in the U.S. the fiscal problems, particularly related to entitlement reform, are not being meaningfully addressed. Thirdly, the European Central Bank (ECB) has less flexibility in terms of engaging in expansionary monetary policy than the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve is still expanding its balance sheet while the ECBs balance sheet is shrinking- primarily due to early repayment of LTRO loans to banks. Finally, the world may be moving to a multi-reserve currency regime from a single reserve currency. In our assessment, the euro is the only major liquid viable competitor to the dollar at the moment. Gold and the Chinese renminbi may increasingly play a role over time as well and should be considered for inclusion in a diversified portfolio.
 
   3  
 
 
 
 
 

As we have said before there may be no such thing as a risk free asset anymore and investors should consider diversifying something as mundane as cash.

While many Asian currencies may rise over the coming years, we think Asian countries like China, that are moving their economies up the value-added chain, are in a better position to handle more rapid currency appreciation than others notwithstanding the recent pullback. As production processes become more complex, it is harder for low-price competitors to easily replicate that output. As such, higher value-added products may provide China’s exporters with greater pricing power in the global market, limiting the need and effectiveness of a cheap currency policy.

With so many global dynamics to play out, we believe numerous opportunities are evident within the currency asset class, and continue to believe that currencies may provide valuable portfolio diversification benefits and upside potential.

Please read more about our Funds and sign up for our newsletter at merkfunds.com.

Sincerely,

Axel G. Merk
President & Chief Investment Officer

The views in this Report were those of the Fund Manager as of March 31, 2014 and may not reflect the views of the Manager on the date this Report is first published or anytime thereafter. These views are intended to assist shareholders of the Fund in understanding their investments in a Fund and do not constitute investment advice.

Since the Funds primarily invest in foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of what the respective Fund owns and the price of the Fund’s shares. Investing in foreign instruments bears a greater risk than investing in domestic instruments for reasons such as volatility of currency exchange rates and, in some cases, limited geographic focus, political and economic instability, and relatively illiquid markets. The Funds are subject to interest rate risk, which is the risk that debt securities in a Fund’s portfolio will decline in value because of increases in market interest rates. As a non-diversified fund, the Merk Hard Currency Fund will be subject to more investment risk and potential for volatility than a diversified fund because its portfolio may, at times, focus on a limited number of issuers. The Funds may also invest in derivative securities, which can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risk.

The Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index is an unmanaged index representing monthly return equivalents of yield averages of the last 3 month Treasury Bill issues. It is not possible to invest directly in an unmanaged index.

The JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index tracks total returns of three-month constant maturity euro-currency deposits. The euro-currency deposits are the only short-term securities consistent across all markets in terms of liquidity, maturity and credit quality.  The index is unmanaged and includes reinvested distributions.  One cannot invest directly in an index, nor is an index representative of the Fund's portfolio.

JPMorgan does not sponsor, endorse or promote the Merk Hard Currency Fund in connection with any reference to the JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index. JPMorgan makes no representation or warranty, express or implied regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in any product particularly or the ability of the JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index to track general bond market performance.

The S&P 500 Index is widely regarded as the standard index for measuring large-cap U.S. stock market performance. An investment cannot be made directly in an index.

All returns are relative to the U.S. dollar unless otherwise stated. Returns for the U.S. dollar are calculated using the Dollar Index (DXY). Source for exchange rates and currency returns listed in this letter: Bloomberg.
 
   4  

 
 
 
 
 
   
MERK HARD CURRENCY FUND  MARCH 31, 2014
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (UNAUDITED)  
 
The following chart reflects the change in the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in Investor Shares, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in Merk Hard Currency Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the benchmark, JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index, since inception. The JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index tracks total returns of three-month constant maturity euro-currency deposits. The euro-currency deposits are the only short-term securities consistent across all markets in terms of liquidity, maturity and credit quality. The total return of the JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index includes reinvestment of distributions. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index does not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index is unmanaged and is not available for investment, nor is the JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index  representative of the Fund’s portfolio.
 
Comparison of Change in Value of a $10,000 Investment

Merk Hard Currency Fund Investor Shares vs. JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index
 
 
Average Annual Total Returns
         
Since Inception
Periods Ended March 31, 2014
 
One Year
 
Five Year
 
(05/10/05)
Merk Hard Currency Fund Investor Shares
 
0.08
%
 
4.27
%
 
4.19
%
Merk Hard Currency Fund Institutional Shares*
 
0.38
%
 
4.50
%
 
4.32
%
JPMorgan 3-Month Global Cash Index
 
2.76
%
 
2.80
%
 
3.07
%

For the Institutional Shares, performance for the above periods are blended average annual returns which include the returns of the Investor Shares prior to April 1, 2010, the commencement of operations of the Institutional Shares.
 
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. As stated in the Fund’s prospectus, the annual operating expense ratios (gross) for  Investor and Institutional Class are 1.30% and 1.05%, respectively. The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns greater than one year are annualized. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (866) 637-5386 or visit www.merkfunds.com.
 
   5  

 
 
 
 
 
   
MERK ASIAN CURRENCY FUND  MARCH 31, 2014
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (UNAUDITED)  
 
The following chart reflects the change in the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in Investor Shares, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in Merk Asian Currency Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the benchmark, Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index, since inception. The Citigroup 3-Month T-Bill Index measures return equivalents of yield averages that are not marked to market and consists of the last three three-month Treasury bill month-end rates. The total return of the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index includes reinvestment of distributions. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index does not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index is unmanaged and is not available for investment, nor is the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index  representative of the Fund’s portfolio.
 
Comparison of Change in Value of a $10,000 Investment

Merk Asian Currency Fund Investor Shares vs. Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index
 

 
Average Annual Total Returns
         
Since Inception
Periods Ended March 31, 2014
 
One Year
 
Five Year
 
(04/01/08)
Merk Asian Currency Fund Investor Shares
 
-1.05
%
 
0.40
%
 
-0.47
%
Merk Asian Currency Fund Institutional Shares*
 
-0.84
%
 
0.59
%
 
-0.31
%
Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index**
 
0.05
%
 
0.09
%
 
0.26
%

For the Institutional Shares, performance for the above periods are blended average annual returns which include the returns of the Investor Shares prior to April 1, 2010, the commencement of operations of the Institutional Shares.
** 
Since inception return for the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index is for the period beginning March 31, 2008.
 
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. As stated in the Fund’s prospectus, the annual operating expense ratios (gross) for  Investor and Institutional Class are 1.30% and 1.05%, respectively. The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns greater than one year are annualized. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (866) 637-5386 or visit www.merkfunds.com.
 
   6  

 
 
 
 
 
   
MERK ABSOLUTE RETURN CURRENCY FUND  MARCH 31, 2014
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (UNAUDITED)  
 
The following chart reflects the change in the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in Investor Shares, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the benchmark, Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index, since inception. The Citigroup 3-Month T-Bill Index measures return equivalents of yield averages that are not marked to market and consists of the last three three-month Treasury bill month-end rates. The total return of the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index includes reinvestment of distributions. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index does not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index is unmanaged and is not available for investment, nor is the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index  representative of the Fund’s portfolio.
 
Comparison of Change in Value of a $10,000 Investment

Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund Investor Shares vs. Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index


 
Average Annual Total Returns
       
Since Inception
Periods Ended March 31, 2014
 
One Year
   
(09/09/09)
Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund Investor Shares
 
5.68
%
   
-0.09
%
Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund Institutional Shares*
 
5.94
%
   
0.13
%
Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index**
 
0.05
%
   
0.08
%
               

*
For the Institutional Shares, performance for the above periods are blended average annual returns which include the returns of the Investor Shares prior to April 1, 2010, the commencement of operations of the Institutional Shares.
**
Since inception return for the Citigroup 3-Month U.S. T-Bill Index is for the period beginning August 31, 2009.
 
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. As stated in the Fund’s prospectus, the annual operating expense ratios (gross) for  Investor and Institutional Class are 1.30% and 1.05%, respectively. The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns greater than one year are annualized. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (866) 637-5386 or visit www.merkfunds.com.
 
   7  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
MERK CURRENCY ENHANCED U.S. EQUITY FUND  MARCH 31, 2014
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (UNAUDITED)  
 
The following chart reflects the change in the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in Investor Shares, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the primary benchmark, S&P 500 Index (the "S&P 500"), and the secondary benchmark, MSCI EAFE Index (the "MSCI") . The S&P 500 is a broad-based, unmanaged measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average of 500 widely held common stocks. The MSCI is a stock market index that is designed to measure the equity market performance with dividends reinvested of developed markets outside of the United States and Canada.  The total return of the indices include reinvestment of distributions. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the indices do not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the indices are unmanaged and are not available for investment, nor are the indices  representative of the Fund’s portfolio.
 
Comparison of Change in Value of a $10,000 Investment

Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund Investor Shares vs. S&P 500 Index and MSCI EAFE Index
 


Average Annual Total Returns
     
Since Inception
Periods Ended March 31, 2014
 
One Year
 
(09/12/11)
Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund Investor Shares
 
28.40
%
 
23.85
%
Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund Institutional Shares
 
28.67
%
 
24.17
%
S&P 500 Index
 
21.86
%
 
23.23
%
MSCI EAFE Index
 
17.56
%
 
17.59
%

Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. As stated in the Fund’s prospectus Investor and Institutional Class expense ratios are 1.38% and 1.13%, respectively. The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns greater than one year are annualized. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (866) 637-5386 or visit www.merkfunds.com.
 
   8  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
MERK HARD CURRENCY FUND  MARCH 31, 2014
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS  
 
Principal
 
Security Description
 
Currency
 
Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value in USD

Foreign Bonds (a) – 55.0%
Non-U.S. Government - Australia - 3.0%
$
9,900,000
 
Australia Government Bond, Series 125
 
AUD
   
6.250
%
06/15/14
$
9,252,602
 
Non-U.S. Government - Austria - 5.4%
 
 
12,000,000
 
Austria Government Bond (b)
 
EUR
   
4.300
 
07/15/14
 
16,727,994
 
Non-U.S. Government - Finland - 3.2%
 
 
7,000,000
 
Finland Government Bond (b)
 
EUR
   
3.125
 
09/15/14
 
9,772,423
 
Non-U.S. Government - Netherlands - 4.7%
 
 
10,500,000
 
Netherlands Government Bond (b)
 
EUR
   
3.750
 
07/15/14
 
14,612,302
 
Non-U.S. Government - New Zealand - 6.3%
 
 
22,000,000
 
New Zealand Government Bond, Series 415
 
NZD
   
6.000
 
04/15/15
 
19,607,742
 
Non-U.S. Government - Singapore - 5.3%
 
 
20,550,000
 
Singapore Government Bond
 
SGD
   
3.625
 
07/01/14
 
16,471,465
 
Non-U.S. Government - United Kingdom - 4.8%
 
 
8,700,000
 
United Kingdom Gilt (b)
 
GBP
   
5.000
 
09/07/14
 
14,795,074
 
Non-U.S. Government Agency - Germany - 5.0%
 
 
11,200,000
 
KFW EMTN (b)
 
EUR
   
0.375
 
04/03/14
 
15,429,675
 
Non-U.S. Government Agency - Sweden - 5.4%
 
 
108,000,000
 
Kommuninvest I Sverige AB, Series 1405
 
SEK
   
2.250
 
05/05/14
 
16,708,938
 
Regional Authority - Australia - 2.4%
 
 
8,000,000
 
Western Australian Treasury Corp., Series 14
 
AUD
   
5.500
 
04/23/14
 
7,430,621
 
Regional Authority - Canada - 4.7%
 
 
16,000,000
 
Alberta Capital Finance Authority (d)
 
CAD
   
1.665
 
07/02/14
 
14,497,838
 
Supranational - Europe - 4.8%
 
 
10,500,000
 
European Investment Bank, EMTN
 
EUR
   
4.250
 
10/15/14
 
14,785,149
 

Total Foreign Bonds (Cost $170,688,314)
 
170,091,823
 
Foreign Treasury Securities (a)- 23.2%
Non-U.S. Government - Belgium - 4.6%
 
10,400,000
 
Belgium Treasury Bill (c)
 
EUR
   
0.175
 
06/19/14
 
14,321,996
 
Non-U.S. Government - France - 4.6%
 
10,400,000
 
France Treasury Bill BTF (c)
 
EUR
   
0.180
 
06/26/14
 
14,322,240
 
Non-U.S. Government - Germany - 4.9%
 
11,000,000
 
German Treasury Bill (c)
 
EUR
   
0.030
 
04/16/14
 
15,153,873
 
Non-U.S. Government - Sweden - 4.5%
 
90,000,000
 
Sweden Treasury Bill, Series 194D (c)
 
SEK
   
0.650
 
06/18/14
 
13,884,610
 
Supranational - Europe - 4.6%
 
10,400,000
 
European Stability Mechanism Treasury Bill (c)
 
EUR
   
0.195
 
06/05/14
 
14,323,529
 

Total Foreign Treasury Securities (Cost $72,286,889)
 
72,006,248
 

Shares
 
Security Description
 
Currency
 
Value in USD

Exchange Traded Product - United States - 13.4%
 
335,800
 
SPDR Gold Trust (e) (Cost $46,994,621)
 
USD
           
41,508,238
 
 
Total Investments – 91.6% (Cost $289,969,824)*
$
283,606,309
 
Foreign Currencies – 6.8% (Cost $21,066,018)
 
21,118,436
 
Net Unrealized Gain/Loss on Forward Currency Contracts – 0.1%
 
283,123
 
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net – 1.5%
 
4,696,805
 
NET ASSETS – 100.0%
$
309,704,673
 
 
EMTN
European Medium Term Note
 
(a)
All or a portion of these securities are segregated to cover outstanding forward currency contracts and future contract exposures.
(b)
Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933. At the period end, the value of these securities amounted to $71,337,468 or 23.0% of net assets.
(c)
Zero coupon bond. Interest rate presented is yield to maturity.
(d)
Variable rate security. Rate presented is as of March 31, 2014.
(e)
Non-income producing security.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   9  

 
 
 
 
 
*
Cost for federal income tax purposes is $289,839,469 and net unrealized depreciation consists of:
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
1,951,674
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
   
(8,184,834
)
Net Unrealized Depreciation
 
$
(6,233,160
)

 
At March 31, 2014, Merk Hard Currency Fund held the following futures contracts:
 
Contracts
 
Type
 
Expiration Date
 
Notional Contract Value
 
Net Unrealized Depreciation
25
   
Gold 100 oz. Future
 
06/30/14
 
$
3,323,050
   
$
(113,550
)

AFA
As of March 31, 2014, Merk Hard Currency Fund had the following forward currency contracts outstanding:
             
Contracts to Sell
 
Settlement Date
 
Settlement Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation
(850,000,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/09/14
 
$
(8,319,443
)
 
$
83,800
 
(850,000,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/09/14
   
(8,319,126
)
   
83,482
 
(500,000,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/09/14
   
(4,893,699
)
   
49,203
 
(500,000,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/09/14
   
(4,893,747
)
   
49,251
 
(175,000,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/09/14
   
(1,712,961
)
   
17,387
 
                     
$
283,123
 
 
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments and other financial instruments as of March 31, 2014.
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
Assets
Investments At Value
Foreign Bonds
 
$
-
   
$
170,091,823
   
$
-
   
$
170,091,823
 
Foreign Treasury Securities
   
-
     
72,006,248
     
-
     
72,006,248
 
Exchange Traded Product
   
41,508,238
     
-
     
-
     
41,508,238
 
Total Investments At Value
 
$
41,508,238
   
$
242,098,071
   
$
-
   
$
283,606,309
 

Other Financial Instruments**
                               
Forward Currency Contracts
 
$
-
   
$
283,123
   
$
-
   
$
283,123
 
Total Assets
 
$
41,508,238
   
$
242,381,194
   
$
-
   
$
283,889,432
 
Liabilities
Other Financial Instruments
Futures
 
$
(113,550
)
 
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
(113,550
)
Total Liabilities
 
$
(113,550
)
 
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
(113,550
)
 
**Other Financial Instruments are derivative instruments not reflected in the Schedule of Investments, such as futures and forward currency contracts, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) at year end.

There were no transfers among Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 for the year ended March 31, 2014.
 
AFA
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
   
% of Net Assets
   
Foreign Bonds
55.0
%
Foreign Treasury Securities
23.2
%
Exchange Traded Product
13.4
%
Foreign Currencies
6.8
%
Net Unrealized Gain on Forward Currency Contracts
0.1
%
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net
1.5
%
 
100.0
%
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   10  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
MERK ASIAN CURRENCY FUND  MARCH 31, 2014
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS  
 
Principal
 
Security Description
 
Currency
 
Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value in USD
 
Foreign Bonds (a) - 9.8%
Supranational - Asia - 4.9%
$
1,800,000
 
Asian Development Bank, MTN
 
USD
   
2.750
%
05/21/14
$
1,806,390
 
 
Supranational - Europe - 4.9%
 
1,800,000
 
European Investment Bank
 
USD
   
1.500
 
05/15/14
 
1,802,878
 

Total Foreign Bonds (Cost $3,609,333)
 
3,609,268
 
Foreign Treasury Securities (a) – 32.0%
Central Bank - Malaysia - 9.9%
 
12,000,000
 
Bank Negara Malaysia Monetary Notes, Series 514 (b)
 
MYR
   
2.815
 
04/29/14
 
3,666,477
 
Central Bank - Singapore - 4.6%
 
2,150,000
 
Monetary Authority of Singapore, Series 84 (b)
 
SGD
   
0.291
 
06/06/14
 
1,708,326
 
Non-U.S. Government - Singapore - 4.5%
 
2,100,000
 
Singapore Treasury Bill, Series 182 (b)
 
SGD
   
0.261
 
06/13/14
 
1,668,698
 
Supranational - Global - 13.0%
 
30,000,000
 
International Finance Corp., EMTN (b)
 
CNH
   
1.050
 
05/21/14
 
4,819,810
 

Total Foreign Treasury Securities (Cost $11,785,701)
 
11,863,311
 
U.S. Government & Agency Obligations (a) - 37.9%
U. S. Treasury Bills - 37.9%
 
7,000,000
 
U.S. Treasury Bill (c)
 
USD
 
0.085
 
05/08/14
 
6,999,811
 
 
1,000,000
 
U.S. Treasury Bill (c)
 
USD
 
0.060
 
06/26/14
 
999,925
 
 
6,000,000
 
U.S. Treasury Bill (c)
 
USD
   
0.050
 
09/25/14
 
5,998,302
 
Total U.S. Government & Agency Obligations (Cost $13,997,770)
 
13,998,038
 
 
Time Deposit (a) - 13.4%
 
10,300,000
 
Barclays Capital, Inc.
 
CNH
 
0.850
 
05/14/14
 
1,657,214
 
 
10,300,000
 
Deutsche Bank AG
 
CNH
 
1.050
 
05/14/14
 
1,657,214
 
 
10,300,000
 
JPMorgan Bank Hong Kong
 
CNH
   
1.420
 
05/14/14
 
1,657,214
 
Total Time Deposit (Cost $4,977,649)
 
4,971,642
 
Total Investments – 93.1% (Cost $34,370,453)*
$
34,442,259
 
Foreign Currencies – 2.6% (Cost $944,860)
 
950,810
 
Net Unrealized Gain/Loss on Forward Currency Contracts – 0.3%
 
125,894
 
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net – 4.0%
 
1,463,325
 
NET ASSETS – 100.0%
$
36,982,288
 

 
EMTN
European Medium Term Note
MTN
Medium Term Note

(a)
All or a portion of these securities are segregated to cover outstanding forward currency contract exposure.
(b)
Zero coupon bond. Interest rate presented is yield to maturity.
(c)
Rate presented is yield to maturity.
 
*
Cost for federal income tax purposes is $34,370,453 and net unrealized appreciation consists of:
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
92,684
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
   
(20,878
)
Net Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
71,806
 

As of March 31, 2014, Merk Asian Currency Fund had the following forward currency contracts outstanding:
             
Contracts to Purchase/(Sell)
 
Settlement Date
 
Settlement Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
6,200,000
   
China Renminbi (Yuan)
 
04/30/14
 
$
1,006,739
   
$
(10,267
)
16,500,000
   
China Renminbi (Yuan)
 
04/30/14
   
2,675,965
     
(24,063
)
259,500,000
   
Indian Rupee
 
04/30/14
   
4,217,112
     
92,981
 
(200,000,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/30/14
   
(1,970,135
)
   
32,114
 
3,400,000,000
   
South Korean Won
 
04/30/14
   
3,170,695
     
18,649
 
5,900,000
   
Malaysian Ringgit
 
04/30/14
   
1,793,967
     
8,936
 
194,200,000
   
New Taiwan Dollar
 
04/30/14
   
6,375,365
     
7,544
 
                     
$
125,894
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   11  

 
 
 
 
 
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments and other financial instruments as of March 31, 2014.
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 

 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
Assets
Investments At Value
Foreign Bonds
 
$
-
   
$
3,609,268
   
$
-
   
$
3,609,268
 
Foreign Treasury Securities
   
-
     
11,863,311
     
-
     
11,863,311
 
U. S. Treasury Bills
   
-
     
13,998,038
     
-
     
13,998,038
 
Time Deposits
   
-
     
4,971,642
     
-
     
4,971,642
 
Total Investments At Value
 
$
-
   
$
34,442,259
   
$
-
   
$
34,442,259
 
Other Financial Instruments**
                               
Forward Currency Contracts
   
-
     
160,224
     
-
     
160,224
 
Total Assets
 
$
-
   
$
34,602,483
   
$
-
   
$
34,602,483
 
Liabilities
Other Financial Instruments**
                               
Forward Currency Contracts
   
-
     
(34,330
)
   
-
     
(34,330
)
Total Liabilities
 
$
-
   
$
(34,330
)
 
$
-
   
$
(34,330
)
 
**Other Financial Instruments are derivative instruments not reflected in the Schedule of Investments, such as forward currency contracts, which are valued at unrealized appreciation (depreciation) at year end.

There were no transfers among Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 for the year ended March 31, 2014.
 
AFA
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
   
% of Net Assets
   
Foreign Bonds
9.8
%
Foreign Treasury Securities
32.0
%
U.S. Treasury Bills
37.9
%
Time Deposit
13.4
%
Foreign Currencies
2.6
%
Net Unrealized Gain on Forward Currency Contracts
0.3
%
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net
4.0
%
 
100.0
%
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   12  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
MERK ABSOLUTE RETURN CURRENCY FUND  MARCH 31, 2014
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS  
 
Principal
 
Security Description
 
Currency
 
Rate
 
Maturity
 
Value in USD
Foreign Bonds (a) - 33.3%
Non-U.S. Government - Australia - 2.1%
 
800,000
 
Australia Government Bond, Series 125
 
AUD
   
6.250
%
06/15/14
$
747,685
 
 
Non-U.S. Government - Austria - 3.2%
 
 
800,000
 
Austria Government Bond (b)
 
EUR
   
4.300
 
07/15/14
 
1,115,199
 
Non-U.S. Government - Finland - 3.9%
 
 
975,000
 
Finland Government Bond (b)
 
EUR
   
3.125
 
09/15/14
 
1,361,159
 
Non-U.S. Government - Netherlands - 3.9%
 
 
975,000
 
Netherlands Government Bond (b)
 
EUR
   
3.750
 
07/15/14
 
1,356,857
 
Non-U.S. Government - New Zealand - 2.2%
 
 
850,000
 
New Zealand Government Bond, Series 415
 
NZD
   
6.000
 
04/15/15
 
757,572
 
Regional Authority - Australia - 5.5%
 
 
1,100,000
 
New South Wales Treasury Corp.
 
AUD
 
2.750
 
07/08/14
 
1,020,498
 
 
1,000,000
 
Western Australian Treasury Corp., Series 14
 
AUD
   
5.500
 
04/23/14
 
928,828
 
   
1,949,326
 
Regional Authority - Canada – 10.6%
 
 
1,000,000
 
Province of British Columbia, Series Q
 
CAD
 
7.500
 
06/09/14
 
915,586
 
 
1,350,000
 
Province of Manitoba Canada (c)
 
CAD
   
1.445
 
04/17/14
 
1,222,046
 
 
1,700,000
 
Province of New Brunswick Canada
 
CAD
   
4.500
 
02/04/15
 
1,582,807
 
   
3,720,439
 
Supranational - Europe - 1.9%
 
 
4,000,000
 
European Investment Bank (b)
 
NOK
   
4.000
 
05/15/14
 
669,818
 
Total Foreign Bonds(Cost $11,761,537)
 
11,678,055
 
Foreign Treasury Securities (a) - 43.0%
Non-U.S. Government - Belgium - 3.7%
 
950,000
 
Belgium Treasury Bill (d)
 
EUR
   
0.175
 
06/19/14
 
1,308,259
 
Non-U.S. Government - Canada - 4.5%
 
1,750,000
 
Canadian Treasury Bill (d)
 
CAD
   
0.881
 
06/19/14
 
1,579,907
 
Non-U.S. Government - France - 3.8%
 
950,000
 
France Treasury Bill BTF (d)
 
EUR
   
0.180
 
06/26/14
 
1,308,282
 
Non-U.S. Government - Germany - 3.9%
 
1,000,000
 
German Treasury Bill (d)
 
EUR
   
0.030
 
04/16/14
 
1,377,625
 
Non-U.S. Government - Norway - 3.4%
 
7,200,000
 
Norway Treasury Bill, Series 23 (d)
 
NOK
   
1.163
 
06/18/14
 
1,199,111
 
Non-U.S. Government - Sweden - 20.2%
 
46,000,000
 
Sweden Treasury Bill, Series 194D (d)
 
SEK
   
0.650
 
06/18/14
 
7,096,578
 
Supranational - Europe - 3.5%
 
875,000
 
European Stability Mechanism Treasury Bill (d)
 
EUR
   
0.195
 
06/05/14
 
1,205,105
 
Total Foreign Treasury Securities (Cost $15,247,083)
 
15,074,867
 
U.S. Government & Agency Obligations (a) - 20.5%
U.S. Treasury Bills - 20.5%
 
5,000,000
 
U.S. Treasury Bill (e)
 
USD
 
0.085
 
05/08/14
 
4,999,865
 
 
1,000,000
 
U.S. Treasury Bill (e)
 
USD
 
0.080
 
06/26/14
 
999,925
 
 
1,200,000
 
U.S. Treasury Bill (e)
 
USD
   
0.050
 
09/25/14
 
1,199,660
 
Total U.S. Government & Agency Obligations (Cost $7,199,077)
 
7,199,450
 
Total Investments – 96.8% (Cost $34,207,697)*
$
33,952,372
 
Foreign Currencies – 4.9% (Cost $1,703,121)
 
1,705,727
 
Net Unrealized Gain/Loss on Forward Currency Contracts – 0.4%
 
157,670
 
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net – (2.1)%
 
(722,984
)
NET ASSETS – 100.0%
$
35,092,785
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   13  
 
 
 
 
 
 
(a) 
All or a portion of these securities are segregated to cover outstanding forward currency contract exposure.
(b)
Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933. At the period end, the value of these securities amounted to $4,503,133 or 12.8% of net assets.
(c)
Variable rate security. Rate presented is as of March 31, 2014.
(d)
Zero coupon bond. Interest rate presented is yield to maturity.
(e)
Rate presented is yield to maturity.
 
*
Cost for federal income tax purposes is $34,207,697 and net unrealized depreciation consists of:
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
93,720
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
   
(349,045
)
Net Unrealized Depreciation
 
$
(255,325
)
 
 
 
As of March 31, 2014, Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund had the following forward currency contracts outstanding:
Contracts to Purchase/(Sell)
 
Settlement Date
 
Settlement Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
(10,452,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
 
$
(9,368,566
)
 
$
(314,029
)
(4,215,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(3,801,112
)
   
(103,608
)
(3,615,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(3,334,910
)
   
(13,979
)
(2,965,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(2,687,301
)
   
(59,436
)
(2,385,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(2,131,892
)
   
(77,541
)
(1,815,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(1,647,209
)
   
(34,183
)
(210,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(187,869
)
   
(6,672
)
65,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
58,270
     
1,945
 
100,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
90,672
     
1,967
 
225,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
207,547
     
890
 
700,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
636,672
     
11,799
 
885,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
816,002
     
3,850
 
1,105,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
1,006,601
     
17,057
 
1,200,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
1,080,911
     
30,753
 
1,700,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
1,539,386
     
35,472
 
2,825,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
2,611,922
     
5,121
 
3,195,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
2,874,251
     
85,555
 
3,715,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
3,375,003
     
66,524
 
3,810,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
3,518,325
     
11,208
 
10,900,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
9,956,845
     
140,772
 
(11,202,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(10,082,019
)
   
(47,191
)
(7,035,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(6,283,247
)
   
(78,027
)
(6,730,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(5,968,058
)
   
(117,425
)
(3,940,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(3,575,220
)
   
12,545
 
(3,900,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(3,525,835
)
   
(671
)
(2,995,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(2,703,496
)
   
(4,680
)
(2,630,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(2,372,297
)
   
(5,834
)
(2,480,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(2,241,342
)
   
(1,154
)
(2,460,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(2,216,857
)
   
(7,554
)
(1,870,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(1,691,242
)
   
328
 
(1,575,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(1,421,992
)
   
(2,174
)
(610,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(552,867
)
   
1,286
 
(570,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(516,077
)
   
664
 
(150,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(134,944
)
   
(691
)
1,160,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
1,038,505
     
10,404
 
1,705,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
1,524,557
     
17,159
 
1,845,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
1,644,442
     
23,866
 
2,145,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
1,924,455
     
15,123
 
2,480,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
2,225,299
     
17,197
 
2,600,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
2,311,853
     
39,151
 
3,495,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
3,156,914
     
3,378
 
3,760,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
3,356,555
     
43,358
 
7,095,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
6,325,046
     
90,482
 
9,755,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
8,797,014
     
23,772
 
(8,475,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(9,700,592
)
   
112,816
 
(6,980,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(7,892,089
)
   
(4,393
)
(3,300,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(3,734,345
)
   
1,052
 
(1,095,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(1,253,288
)
   
14,513
 
(1,000,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(1,142,770
)
   
11,469
 
(610,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(688,269
)
   
(1,825
)
(335,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(378,893
)
   
(93
)
(165,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(188,083
)
   
1,419
 
(160,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(183,726
)
   
2,718
 
(50,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(56,689
)
   
124
 
85,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
97,379
     
(1,218
)
1,475,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
1,671,259
     
(2,590
)
1,580,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
1,783,135
     
4,321
 
2,620,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
3,001,758
     
(37,749
)
4,195,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
4,793,086
     
(47,278
)
4,470,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
5,052,754
     
4,161
 
(4,715,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(6,566,491
)
   
71,074
 
(4,625,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(6,439,688
)
   
68,256
 
(3,870,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(5,335,720
)
   
4,381
 
(1,600,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(2,231,597
)
   
27,426
 
(1,260,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(1,731,370
)
   
(4,415
)
(755,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(1,038,922
)
   
(1,171
)
(610,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(839,821
)
   
(520
)
(140,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(192,938
)
   
73
 
(50,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(69,535
)
   
655
 
45,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
62,028
     
(36
)
60,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
83,481
     
(824
)
160,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
222,150
     
(1,733
)
210,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
291,225
     
(1,927
)
500,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
688,203
     
601
 
735,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
1,013,295
     
(754
)
1,200,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
1,668,067
     
(14,939
)
1,235,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
1,706,661
     
(5,317
)
1,640,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
2,260,653
     
(1,378
)
1,785,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
2,462,297
     
(3,268
)
2,455,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
3,418,421
     
(36,395
)
2,520,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
3,489,109
     
(17,539
)
3,355,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
4,670,871
     
(49,000
)
3,991,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
5,551,724
     
(53,695
)
(3,080,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(5,114,626
)
   
(19,589
)
(1,735,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(2,883,232
)
   
(8,932
)
(1,480,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(2,461,549
)
   
(5,541
)
(1,090,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(1,810,422
)
   
(6,556
)
(955,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(1,583,468
)
   
(8,472
)
(735,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(1,211,872
)
   
(13,339
)
(590,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(973,400
)
   
(10,102
)
(260,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(432,308
)
   
(1,100
)
195,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
325,067
     
(11
)
220,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
363,929
     
2,801
 
290,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
481,065
     
2,352
 
420,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
698,673
     
1,447
 
605,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
997,647
     
10,860
 
925,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
1,525,538
     
16,394
 
965,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
1,603,700
     
4,910
 
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   14  
 
 
 
 
 

Contracts to Purchase/(Sell)
 
Settlement Date
 
Settlement Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
1,025,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
 
$
1,700,139
   
$
8,488
 
1,295,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
2,137,496
     
21,208
 
1,695,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
2,818,761
     
6,724
 
3,570,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
5,933,883
     
17,140
 
4,175,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
6,967,315
     
(7,786
)
(667,350,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(6,566,803
)
   
100,606
 
(341,550,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(3,366,438
)
   
57,036
 
(339,400,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(3,314,304
)
   
25,734
 
(233,050,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(2,297,829
)
   
39,723
 
(227,450,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(2,201,264
)
   
(2,582
)
(208,050,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(2,025,791
)
   
9,920
 
(202,450,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(1,990,068
)
   
28,456
 
(168,950,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(1,664,425
)
   
27,408
 
(69,700,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(682,403
)
   
7,055
 
(39,050,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(383,018
)
   
4,648
 
66,400,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
646,470
     
(3,097
)
97,050,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
948,504
     
(8,152
)
141,650,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
1,379,397
     
(6,899
)
143,950,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
1,405,216
     
(10,432
)
332,050,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
3,270,243
     
(52,890
)
631,350,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
6,204,755
     
(87,376
)
(23,320,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(3,914,375
)
   
22,194
 
(23,110,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(3,813,198
)
   
(43,934
)
(5,390,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(906,080
)
   
6,472
 
(5,260,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(869,322
)
   
(8,589
)
(5,170,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(860,925
)
   
(1,965
)
(4,800,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(809,264
)
   
8,129
 
(1,820,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(299,497
)
   
(4,266
)
(1,030,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(170,267
)
   
(1,643
)
390,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
65,402
     
(310
)
2,920,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
482,636
     
4,721
 
2,920,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
486,971
     
386
 
3,570,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
598,934
     
(3,089
)
3,610,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
603,109
     
(589
)
3,900,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
652,004
     
(1,082
)
6,820,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
1,140,785
     
(2,506
)
9,200,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
1,534,099
     
1,410
 
11,035,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
1,852,280
     
(10,504
)
(3,605,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(3,098,386
)
   
(26,118
)
(3,535,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(3,038,941
)
   
(24,893
)
(2,660,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(2,245,702
)
   
(59,757
)
(2,565,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(2,204,535
)
   
(18,586
)
(1,930,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(1,645,402
)
   
(27,356
)
(1,915,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(1,632,289
)
   
(27,469
)
(1,905,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(1,621,366
)
   
(29,724
)
(1,250,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(1,079,654
)
   
(3,739
)
(425,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(368,202
)
   
(151
)
(345,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(293,923
)
   
(5,093
)
115,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
97,093
     
2,579
 
340,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
292,796
     
1,886
 
815,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
700,318
     
6,054
 
1,215,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
1,036,662
     
16,395
 
1,930,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
1,644,889
     
27,869
 
1,950,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
1,657,888
     
32,204
 
1,990,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
1,724,317
     
444
 
2,335,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
2,002,080
     
21,697
 
2,825,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
2,411,273
     
37,194
 
5,010,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
4,243,089
     
99,147
 
5,035,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
4,302,327
     
61,578
 
(43,660,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(6,784,634
)
   
40,653
 
(23,600,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(3,672,322
)
   
26,927
 
(17,360,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(2,739,042
)
   
57,514
 
(11,620,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(1,830,279
)
   
35,385
 
(10,830,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(1,705,203
)
   
32,337
 
(9,540,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(1,471,743
)
   
(1,862
)
(8,240,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(1,275,056
)
   
2,257
 
(7,480,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(1,174,535
)
   
19,130
 
(7,020,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(1,081,140
)
   
(3,211
)
(6,910,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(1,066,710
)
   
(650
)
(4,490,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(706,477
)
   
12,925
 
(4,240,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(659,379
)
   
4,443
 
(3,540,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(557,564
)
   
10,755
 
(3,050,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(479,091
)
   
7,970
 
(1,140,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(176,436
)
   
345
 
(330,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(51,809
)
   
835
 
700,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
109,779
     
(1,653
)
6,035,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
946,558
     
(14,356
)
7,940,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
1,236,152
     
(9,692
)
8,010,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
1,247,286
     
(10,014
)
8,570,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
1,337,077
     
(13,304
)
8,810,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
1,378,494
     
(17,649
)
9,150,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
1,440,377
     
(27,014
)
11,070,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
1,720,010
     
(10,072
)
22,770,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
3,505,889
     
11,299
 
(4,275,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(3,356,411
)
   
(42,139
)
(4,075,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(3,216,129
)
   
(23,424
)
(3,590,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(2,811,618
)
   
(42,369
)
(3,490,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(2,760,065
)
   
(14,424
)
(3,320,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(2,625,145
)
   
(14,197
)
(2,285,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(1,794,135
)
   
(22,399
)
(2,125,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(1,675,746
)
   
(13,591
)
(1,385,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(1,092,152
)
   
(8,898
)
(675,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(533,931
)
   
(2,681
)
(85,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(67,055
)
   
(518
)
(75,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(59,203
)
   
(420
)
3,160,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
2,489,649
     
22,495
 
3,370,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
2,676,298
     
2,793
 
4,410,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
3,486,681
     
19,191
 
4,780,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
3,779,379
     
20,637
 
5,045,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
3,983,888
     
26,799
 
7,985,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
6,313,246
     
34,688
 
                     
$
157,670
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   15  
 
 
 
 
 

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments and other financial instruments as of March 31, 2014.
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 

 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total

Assets
Investments At Value
Foreign Bonds
   
-
     
11,678,055
     
-
     
11,678,055
 
Foreign Treasury Securities
   
-
     
15,074,867
     
-
     
15,074,867
 
U.S. Treasury Bills
   
-
     
7,199,450
     
-
     
7,199,450
 
Total Investments At Value
 
$
-
   
$
33,952,372
   
$
-
   
$
33,952,372
 
Other Financial Instruments**
                               
Forward Currency Contracts
   
-
     
2,169,331
     
-
     
2,169,331
 
Total Assets
 
$
-
   
$
36,121,703
   
$
-
   
$
36,121,703
 
Liabilities
Other Financial Instruments**
                               
Forward Currency Contracts
   
-
     
(2,011,661
)
   
-
     
(2,011,661
)
Total Liabilities
 
$
-
   
$
(2,011,661
)
 
$
-
   
$
(2,011,661
)
 
**Other Financial Instruments are derivative instruments not reflected in the Schedule of Investments, such as forward currency contracts, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) at year end.

There were no transfers among Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 for the year ended March 31, 2014.
 
AFA
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
   
% of Net Assets
   
Foreign Bonds
33.3
%
Foreign Treasury Securities
43.0
%
U.S. Treasury Bills
20.5
%
Foreign Currencies
4.9
%
Net Unrealized Gain on Forward Currency Contracts
0.4
%
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net
(2.1)
%
 
100.0
%
AFA
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   16  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
MERK ABSOLUTE RETURN CURRENCY FUND  MARCH 31, 2014
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS  
 
Shares
 
Security Description
 
Currency
 
Value in USD

Exchange Traded Product - 93.3%
 
21,200
 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Cost $2,892,083)
 
USD
         
$
3,965,248
 

Total Investments – 93.3% (Cost $2,892,083)*
$
3,965,248
 
Net Unrealized Gain/Loss on Forward Currency Contracts – 0.2%
 
7,718
 
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net – 6.5%
 
278,760
 
NET ASSETS – 100.0%
$
4,251,726
 
 
ETF
Exchange Traded Fund

 
*
Cost for federal income tax purposes is $2,903,467and net Unrealized Appreciation consists of:
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
1,061,781
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
   
-
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
1,061,781
 
 
AFA
 
At March 31, 2014, the Fund held the following futures contracts:
Contracts
 
Type
 
Expiration Date
 
Notional Contract Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation
2
   
S&P 500 Emini Future
 
06/20/14
 
$
184,900
   
$
1,550
 

AFA
 
As of March 31, 2014, Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund had the following forward currency contracts outstanding:
             
Contracts to Purchase/(Sell)
 
Settlement Date
 
Settlement Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
(940,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
 
$
(842,561
)
 
$
(28,242
)
(495,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(446,394
)
   
(12,168
)
(425,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(392,071
)
   
(1,643
)
(355,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(321,751
)
   
(7,116
)
(280,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(250,285
)
   
(9,103
)
(220,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(199,662
)
   
(4,143
)
(15,000
)
 
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(13,419
)
   
(477
)
5,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
4,482
     
150
 
10,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
9,224
     
40
 
15,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
13,601
     
295
 
75,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
68,215
     
1,264
 
115,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
106,034
     
500
 
135,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
122,978
     
2,084
 
145,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
130,610
     
3,716
 
205,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
185,632
     
4,277
 
335,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
309,732
     
607
 
390,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
350,848
     
10,443
 
445,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
404,274
     
7,969
 
450,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
415,550
     
1,324
 
1,330,000
   
Australian Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
1,214,918
     
17,177
 
(900,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(810,018
)
   
(3,791
)
(855,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(763,636
)
   
(9,483
)
(825,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(731,597
)
   
(14,395
)
(475,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(431,023
)
   
1,512
 
(470,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(424,908
)
   
(81
)
(355,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(320,448
)
   
(555
)
(320,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(288,645
)
   
(710
)
(310,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(279,360
)
   
(952
)
(300,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(271,130
)
   
(140
)
(195,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(176,056
)
   
(269
)
(75,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(67,975
)
   
158
 
(65,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(58,851
)
   
76
 
(5,000
)
 
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
(4,498
)
   
(23
)
145,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
 
 
129,813
   
 
1,301
 
210,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
187,775
     
2,113
 
225,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
200,542
     
2,911
 
275,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
246,725
     
1,939
 
300,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
269,189
     
2,080
 
315,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
280,090
     
4,743
 
430,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
388,404
     
416
 
460,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
410,642
     
5,304
 
865,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
771,130
     
11,031
 
1,185,000
   
Canadian Dollars
 
04/16/14
   
1,068,628
     
2,888
 
(1,068,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(1,222,446
)
   
14,217
 
(855,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(966,724
)
   
(538
)
(405,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(458,306
)
   
129
 
(130,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(148,792
)
   
1,723
 
(125,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(142,846
)
   
1,434
 
(65,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(73,340
)
   
(194
)
(20,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(22,620
)
   
(6
)
(15,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(17,224
)
   
255
 
(10,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(11,338
)
   
25
 
(5,000
)
 
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
(5,699
)
   
43
 
15,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
17,184
     
(215
)
180,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
203,950
     
(316
)
190,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
214,428
     
520
 
315,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
360,898
     
(4,538
)
530,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
605,563
     
(5,973
)
550,000
   
Swiss Franc
 
04/16/14
   
621,704
     
512
 
(590,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(821,682
)
   
8,894
 
(560,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(779,724
)
   
8,264
 
(470,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(648,007
)
   
532
 
(200,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(278,950
)
   
3,428
 
(150,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(206,115
)
   
(526
)
(95,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(130,725
)
   
(147
)
(80,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(110,140
)
   
(68
)
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   17  

 
 
 
 

 
Contracts to Purchase/(Sell)
 
Settlement Date
 
Settlement Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
(25,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
 
$
(34,453
)
 
$
13
 
(5,000
)
 
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
(6,954
)
   
65
 
5,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
6,934
     
(46
)
5,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
6,942
     
(54
)
10,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
13,913
     
(137
)
15,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
20,676
     
(12
)
60,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
82,584
     
72
 
95,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
130,970
     
(97
)
150,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
208,508
     
(1,867
)
155,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
214,196
     
(667
)
185,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
255,196
     
(339
)
205,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
282,582
     
(172
)
300,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
417,730
     
(4,447
)
310,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
429,216
     
(2,158
)
400,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
556,885
     
(5,842
)
1,339,000
   
Euro
 
04/16/14
   
1,862,631
     
(18,015
)
(380,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(631,025
)
   
(2,417
)
(210,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(348,979
)
   
(1,081
)
(185,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(307,694
)
   
(693
)
(135,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(224,227
)
   
(812
)
(120,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(198,970
)
   
(1,065
)
(85,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(140,148
)
   
(1,543
)
(70,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(115,488
)
   
(1,199
)
(30,000
)
 
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
(49,882
)
   
(127
)
15,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
24,883
     
122
 
30,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
50,010
     
(2
)
35,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
57,898
     
446
 
55,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
91,493
     
189
 
75,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
123,675
     
1,346
 
110,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
181,415
     
1,950
 
122,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
202,748
     
621
 
130,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
215,627
     
1,077
 
155,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
255,839
     
2,538
 
205,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
340,912
     
813
 
430,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
714,725
     
2,064
 
510,000
   
Pounds Sterling
 
04/16/14
   
851,097
     
(951
)
(82,000,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(806,890
)
   
12,362
 
(41,800,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(411,996
)
   
6,980
 
(41,400,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(404,279
)
   
3,139
 
(28,300,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(279,033
)
   
4,824
 
(27,700,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(268,081
)
   
(314
)
(25,550,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(248,781
)
   
1,218
 
(24,400,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(239,850
)
   
3,430
 
(19,100,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(188,165
)
   
3,098
 
(7,550,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(73,919
)
   
764
 
(3,100,000
)
 
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
(30,406
)
   
369
 
8,400,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
81,782
     
(392
)
11,900,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
116,303
     
(1,000
)
17,150,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
167,008
     
(835
)
17,400,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
169,856
     
(1,261
)
40,100,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
394,931
     
(6,387
)
76,400,000
   
Japanese Yen
 
04/16/14
   
750,841
     
(10,573
)
(2,820,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(465,306
)
   
(5,361
)
(2,810,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(471,672
)
   
2,674
 
(710,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(119,354
)
   
852
 
(660,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(109,078
)
   
(1,078
)
(590,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(98,249
)
   
(224
)
(590,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(99,472
)
   
999
 
(220,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(36,203
)
   
(516
)
(70,000
)
 
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
(11,572
)
   
(112
)
10,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
1,677
     
(8
)
350,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
58,370
     
46
 
360,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
59,503
     
582
 
440,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
 
 
73,509
   
 
(72
)
440,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
73,818
     
(381
)
470,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
78,575
     
(130
)
810,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
135,489
     
(298
)
1,080,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
180,090
     
166
 
2,815,000
   
Norwegian Krone
 
04/16/14
   
472,512
     
(2,679
)
(430,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(369,659
)
   
(3,028
)
(425,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(365,274
)
   
(3,079
)
(335,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(282,823
)
   
(7,526
)
(310,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(266,435
)
   
(2,246
)
(235,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(200,011
)
   
(3,667
)
(235,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(200,347
)
   
(3,331
)
(230,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(196,045
)
   
(3,299
)
(145,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(125,240
)
   
(434
)
(50,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(43,318
)
   
(18
)
(45,000
)
 
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(38,338
)
   
(664
)
5,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
4,221
     
112
 
40,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
34,447
     
222
 
85,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
73,039
     
631
 
145,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
123,717
     
1,957
 
235,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
203,625
     
52
 
240,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
204,048
     
3,964
 
240,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
204,546
     
3,466
 
285,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
244,365
     
2,648
 
335,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
285,939
     
4,411
 
605,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
516,963
     
7,399
 
750,000
   
New Zealand Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
635,193
     
14,842
 
(5,320,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(826,712
)
   
4,954
 
(2,870,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(446,592
)
   
3,275
 
(2,100,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(331,336
)
   
6,957
 
(1,390,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(218,940
)
   
4,233
 
(1,130,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(174,326
)
   
(221
)
(1,040,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(160,929
)
   
285
 
(1,000,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(157,023
)
   
2,557
 
(820,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(126,287
)
   
(375
)
(790,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(121,954
)
   
(74
)
(540,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(84,966
)
   
1,554
 
(530,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(82,422
)
   
555
 
(440,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(69,302
)
   
1,337
 
(380,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(59,690
)
   
993
 
(40,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(6,191
)
   
12
 
(20,000
)
 
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
(3,140
)
   
51
 
20,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
3,137
     
(47
)
970,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
151,016
     
(1,184
)
970,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
151,045
     
(1,213
)
1,020,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
159,599
     
(2,043
)
1,050,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
163,819
     
(1,630
)
1,110,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
174,734
     
(3,277
)
1,360,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
211,311
     
(1,237
)
2,670,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
411,099
     
1,325
 
5,170,000
   
Swedish Krona
 
04/16/14
   
810,887
     
(12,298
)
(520,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(408,265
)
   
(5,126
)
(515,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(406,456
)
   
(2,960
)
(440,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(344,599
)
   
(5,193
)
(420,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(332,157
)
   
(1,736
)
(395,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(312,329
)
   
(1,689
)
(275,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(215,924
)
   
(2,696
)
(255,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(201,090
)
   
(1,631
)
(170,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(134,055
)
   
(1,092
)
(85,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(67,236
)
   
(338
)
(5,000
)
 
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
(3,947
)
   
(28
)
385,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
303,328
     
2,741
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   18  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Contracts to Purchase/(Sell)
 
Settlement Date
 
Settlement Value
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
405,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
 
$
321,632
   
$
336
 
545,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
430,894
     
2,372
 
570,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
450,679
     
2,461
 
615,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
485,647
     
3,267
 
965,000
   
Singapore Dollar
 
04/16/14
   
762,966
     
4,192
 
                     
$
7,718
 
 
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments and other financial instruments as of March 31, 2014.
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 

 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
Assets
Investments At Value
Exchange Traded Product
 
$
3,965,248
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
3,965,248
 
Total Investments At Value
 
$
3,965,248
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
3,965,248
 
Other Financial Instruments**
                               
Forward Currency Contracts
   
-
     
262,274
     
-
     
262,274
 
Futures
   
1,550
     
-
     
-
     
1,550
 
Total Assets
 
$
3,966,798
   
$
262,274
   
$
-
   
$
4,229,072
 
Liabilities
Other Financial Instruments**
                               
Forward Currency Contracts
 
$
-
   
$
(254,556
)
 
$
-
   
$
(254,556
)
Total Liabilities
 
$
-
   
$
(254,556
)
 
$
-
   
$
(254,556
)
 
**Other Financial Instruments are derivative instruments not reflected in the Schedule of Investments, such as futures and forward currency contracts, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) at year end.

There were no transfers among Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 for the year ended March 31, 2014.
 
AFA
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
   
% of Net Assets
   
Exchange Traded Product
93.3
%
Net Unrealized Gain on Forward Currency Contracts
0.2
%
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net
6.5
%
 
100.0
%
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   19  
 
 
 
 
 

   
STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES  MARCH 31, 2014

         
 MERK HARD CURRENCY FUND
     
 MERK ASIAN CURRENCY FUND
     
 MERK ABSOLUTE RETURN CURRENCY FUND
     
 MERK CURRENCY ENHANCED U.S. EQUITY FUND
 
ASSETS
                               
 
Total investments, at value (Cost $289,969,824, $34,370,453, $34,207,697 and $2,892,083, respectively)
$
283,606,309
   
$
34,442,259
   
$
33,952,372
   
$
3,965,248
 
 
Deposits with brokers
   
187,252
     
-
     
-
     
4,850
 
 
Cash
   
2,572,380
     
7,477,341
     
1,813,184
     
339,803
 
 
Foreign Currencies (Cost $21,066,018, $944,860, $1,703,121 and $0, respectively)
   
21,118,436
     
950,810
     
1,705,727
     
-
 
 
Receivables:
                               
   
Fund shares sold
   
217,222
     
-
     
71,809
     
6,073
 
   
Dividends and interest
   
3,108,976
     
29,585
     
210,977
     
17,072
 
Adviser
From investment adviser
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
5,230
 
   
Variation margin
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
670
 
 
Unrealized gain on forward currency contracts
   
283,123
     
160,224
     
2,169,331
     
262,274
 
Total Assets
   
311,093,698
     
43,060,219
     
39,923,400
     
4,601,220
 
                                     
LIABILITIES
                               
 
Payables:
                               
   
Investment securities purchased
   
-
     
5,998,525
     
2,793,298
     
93,470
 
   
Fund shares redeemed
   
1,047,584
     
20,213
     
41
     
-
 
   
Variation margin
   
26,250
     
-
     
-
     
-
 
   
Other payables
   
88
     
-
     
-
     
-
 
 
Accrued Liabilities:
                               
Adviser
Investment adviser fees
   
246,875
     
17,860
     
19,427
     
-
 
   
Distribution fees
   
54,739
     
5,409
     
4,789
     
332
 
   
Other expenses
   
13,489
     
1,594
     
1,399
     
1,136
 
 
Unrealized loss on forward currency contracts
   
-
     
34,330
     
2,011,661
     
254,556
 
Total Liabilities
   
1,389,025
     
6,077,931
     
4,830,615
     
349,494
 
                                     
NET ASSETS
 
$
 309,704,673
   
$
 36,982,288
   
$
 35,092,785
   
$
 4,251,726
 
                                     
COMPONENTS OF NET ASSETS
                               
 
Paid-in capital
 
$
315,884,588
   
$
37,505,098
   
$
34,655,072
   
$
3,095,534
 
 
Accumulated net investment income (loss)
   
1,812,581
     
(726,459
)
   
527,131
     
69,147
 
 
Accumulated net realized gain (loss)
   
(1,887,545
)
   
-
     
(50
)
   
4,612
 
 
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
(6,104,951
)
   
203,649
     
(89,368
)
   
1,082,433
 
NET ASSETS
 
$
309,704,673
   
$
36,982,288
   
$
35,092,785
   
$
4,251,726
 
                                     
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST AT NO PAR VALUE (UNLIMITED SHARES AUTHORIZED)
                               
 
Investor Shares
   
21,882,110
     
2,648,936
     
2,414,935
     
109,412
 
 
Institutional Shares
   
4,840,666
     
1,264,250
     
1,260,517
     
157,630
 
                                     
NET ASSET VALUE, OFFERING AND REDEMPTION PRICE PER SHARE
                               
 
Investor Shares (based on net assets of $253,431,774, $24,982,466, $23,015,800 and $1,737,032, respectively)
 
$
11.58
   
$
9.43
   
$
9.53
   
$
15.88
 
 
Institutional Shares (based on net assets of $56,272,899, $11,999,822, $12,076,985 and $2,514,694, respectively)
 
$
11.62
*
 
$
9.49
   
$
9.58
   
$
15.95
 

*Net Asst Value does not recalculate due to rounding.

 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   20  
 
 
 
 
 

   
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS YEAR ENDEDMARCH 31, 2014
 
       
 
MERK HARD CURRENCY FUND
 
 
MERK ASIAN CURRENCY FUND
 
 
 MERK ABSOLUTE RETURN CURRENCY FUND
 
 
 MERK CURRENCY ENHANCED U.S. EQUITY FUND
 
INVESTMENT INCOME
                                 
 
Dividend income
 
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
68,636
   
 
Interest income (Net of foreign withholding taxes of $86,460, $0, $0 and $0, respectively)
   
2,090,787
     
403,393
     
201,918
     
24
   
Total Investment Income
   
2,090,787
     
403,393
     
201,918
     
68,660
   
Adviser
                                 
EXPENSES
                                 
 
Investment adviser fees
   
3,898,989
     
451,598
     
261,249
     
24,636
   
 
Non 12b-1 shareholder servicing fees:
                                 
 
Investor Shares
   
161,357
     
15,286
     
8,104
     
-
   
 
Institutional Shares
   
33,597
     
7,295
     
4,957
     
-
   
 
Distribution fees:
                                 
 
Investor Shares
   
806,762
     
76,428
     
40,524
     
2,949
   
 
Operating expenses
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
11,291
   
Total Expenses
   
4,900,705
     
550,607
     
314,834
     
38,876
   
                                       
NET INVESTMENT INCOME (LOSS)
   
(2,809,918
)
   
(147,214
)
   
(112,916
)
   
29,784
   
                                       
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)
                                 
 
Net realized gain (loss) on:
                                 
 
Investments
   
3,424,692
     
(600,363
)
   
(426,451
)
   
(3,157
)
 
 
Foreign currency transactions
   
5,328,170
     
(54,319
)
   
1,435,159
     
170,408
   
 
Futures
   
(446,822
)
   
-
     
-
     
15,415
   
 
Net realized gain (loss)
   
8,306,040
     
(654,682
)
   
1,008,708
     
182,666
   
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
                                 
 
Investments
   
(7,845,809
)
   
112,940
     
(18,152
)
   
560,634
   
 
Foreign currency translations
   
270,403
     
242,340
     
446,422
     
54,866
   
 
Futures
   
(106,200
)
   
-
     
-
     
917
   
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
(7,681,606
)
   
355,280
     
428,270
     
616,417
   
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)
   
624,434
     
(299,402
)
   
1,436,978
     
799,083
   
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS
 
$
 (2,185,484
)
 
$
 (446,616
)
 
$
 1,324,062
   
$
 828,867
   
                                       
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   21  
 
 
 
 
 

   
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS  
 
       
MERK HARD CURRENCY FUND
 
MERK ASIAN CURRENCY FUND
       
 For the Year Ended
March 31, 2014
   
 For the Year Ended
March 31, 2013
 
 For the Year Ended
March 31, 2014
   
 For the Year Ended
March 31, 2013
OPERATIONS
                                   
 
Net investment loss
 
$
(2,809,918
)
   
$
(1,458,094
)
 
$
(147,214
)
   
$
(651,200
)
 
Net realized gain (loss)
   
8,306,040
       
9,045,621
     
(654,682
)
     
1,090,351
 
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
(7,681,606
)
     
(9,678,035
)
   
355,280
       
(459,233
)
Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations
   
(2,185,484
)
     
(2,090,508
)
   
(446,616
)
     
(20,082
)
                                         
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                   
 
Net investment income:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
(4,920,661
)
     
-
     
-
       
-
 
   
Institutional Shares
   
(1,381,052
)
     
-
     
-
       
-
 
 
Net realized gain:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
(2,924,926
)
     
(4,364,804
)
   
-
       
-
 
   
Institutional Shares
   
(745,452
)
     
(711,759
)
   
-
       
-
 
Total Distributions to Shareholders
   
(9,972,091
)
     
(5,076,563
)
   
-
       
-
 
                                         
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                                   
 
Sale of shares:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
54,152,584
       
179,258,415
     
4,035,908
       
6,762,643
 
   
Institutional Shares
   
21,929,584
       
32,019,828
     
1,351,749
       
1,917,315
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
7,323,902
       
4,103,634
     
-
       
-
 
   
Institutional Shares
   
2,070,656
       
697,874
     
-
       
-
 
 
Redemption of shares:
                                   
 
2
Investor Shares
   
(262,661,086
)
     
(180,720,767
)
   
(16,366,659
)
     
(33,691,058
)
 
4
Institutional Shares
   
(41,219,905
)
     
(39,110,345
)
   
(9,930,825
)
     
(11,200,619
)
Decrease in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions
   
(218,404,265
)
     
(3,751,361
)
   
(20,909,827
)
     
(36,211,719
)
Decrease in Net Assets
   
(230,561,840
)
     
(10,918,432
)
   
(21,356,443
)
     
(36,231,801
)
                                         
NET ASSETS
                                   
 
Beginning of Year
   
 540,266,513
       
 551,184,945
     
 58,338,731
       
 94,570,532
 
 
End of Year (Including line (a))
 
$
 309,704,673
     
$
 540,266,513
   
$
 36,982,288
     
$
 58,338,731
 
                                         
SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                                   
 
Sale of shares:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
4,607,147
       
14,931,081
     
425,395
       
707,386
 
   
Institutional Shares
   
1,857,370
       
2,665,138
     
141,546
       
201,881
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
632,155
       
339,143
     
-
       
-
 
   
Institutional Shares
   
178,062
       
57,485
     
-
       
-
 
 
Redemption of shares:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
(22,369,660
)
     
(15,141,221
)
   
(1,725,935
)
     
(3,547,941
)
   
Institutional Shares
   
(3,515,336
)
     
(3,294,393
)
   
(1,037,996
)
     
(1,176,461
)
Decrease in Shares
   
(18,610,262
)
     
(442,767
)
   
(2,196,990
)
     
(3,815,135
)
                                         
(a)
Accumulated net investment income (loss)
 
$
1,812,581
     
$
568,666
   
$
(726,459
)
   
$
11,600
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   22  
 
 
 
 
 

   
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS  
 
       
MERK ABSOLUTE RETURN CURRENCY FUND
 
MERK CURRENCY ENHANCED U.S. EQUITY FUND
       
 For the Year Ended
March 31, 2014
   
 For the Year Ended
March 31, 2013
 
 For the Year Ended
March 31, 2014
   
 For the Year Ended
March 31, 2013
OPERATIONS
                                   
 
Net investment income (loss)
 
$
(112,916
)
   
$
(165,807
)
 
$
29,784
     
$
24,051
 
 
Net realized gain (loss)
   
1,008,708
       
(97,522
)
   
182,666
       
36,848
 
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
428,270
       
(655,554
)
   
616,417
       
184,359
 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations
   
1,324,062
       
(918,883
)
   
828,867
       
245,258
 
                                         
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                   
 
Net investment income:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
(408,334
)
     
-
     
(64,790
)
     
(2,999
)
   
Institutional Shares
   
(232,985
)
     
-
     
(112,159
)
     
(13,465
)
 
Net realized gain:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
-
       
-
     
(2,443
)
     
(4,372
)
   
Institutional Shares
   
-
       
-
     
(4,479
)
     
(19,186
)
Total Distributions to Shareholders
   
(641,319
)
     
-
     
(183,871
)
     
(40,022
)
                                         
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                                   
 
Sale of shares:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
18,111,490
       
3,383,187
     
1,648,014
       
655,310
 
   
Institutional Shares
   
11,638,473
       
2,337,123
     
-
       
-
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
350,356
       
-
     
63,078
       
6,099
 
   
Institutional Shares
   
232,117
       
-
     
116,637
       
32,650
 
 
Redemption of shares:
                                   
 
2
Investor Shares
   
(6,653,202
)
     
(11,526,866
)
   
(976,204
)
     
(365,858
)
 
4
Institutional Shares
   
(6,122,169
)
     
(1,661,463
)
   
(50,000
)
     
-
 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions
 
17,557,065
       
(7,468,019
)
   
801,525
       
328,201
 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets
   
18,239,808
       
(8,386,902
)
   
1,446,521
       
533,437
 
                                         
NET ASSETS
                                   
 
Beginning of Year
   
 16,852,977
       
 25,239,879
     
 2,805,205
       
 2,271,768
 
 
End of Year (Including line (a))
 
$
 35,092,785
     
$
 16,852,977
   
$
 4,251,726
     
$
 2,805,205
 
                                         
SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                                   
 
Sale of shares:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
1,909,414
       
376,588
     
110,998
       
54,269
 
   
Institutional Shares
   
1,214,395
       
260,260
     
-
       
-
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
36,802
       
-
     
4,035
       
560
 
   
Institutional Shares
   
24,255
       
-
     
7,434
       
3,015
 
 
Redemption of shares:
                                   
   
Investor Shares
   
(701,065
)
     
(1,305,387
)
   
(67,497
)
     
(32,806
)
   
Institutional Shares
   
(642,132
)
     
(190,340
)
   
(3,718
)
     
-
 
Increase (Decrease) in Shares
   
1,841,669
       
(858,879
)
   
51,252
       
25,038
 
                                         
(a)
Accumulated net investment income (loss)
 
$
527,131
     
$
272,608
   
$
69,147
     
$
45,904
 

 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   23  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  
 
These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period.
 
           
   
For the Years Ended March 31,
 
   
2014
     
2013
     
2012
     
2011
     
2010
   
MERK HARD CURRENCY FUND
                                       
INVESTOR SHARES 
                                       
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Year 
$
11.91
   
$
12.04
   
$
12.58
   
$
11.75
   
$
10.42
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                                       
Net investment income (loss) (a)
 
 (0.09
)
   
 (0.04
)
   
(b)
 
 0.01
     
 (0.01
)
 
    Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
 
 0.09
(c)
   
 0.02
(c)
 
 (0.22
)
   
 1.07
     
 1.55
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 —
     
 (0.02
)
   
 (0.22
)
   
 1.08
     
 1.54
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                   
Net investment income
 
 (0.21
)
   
     
 (0.15
)
   
 (0.12
)
   
 (0.14
)
 
Net realized gain
 
 (0.12
)
   
 (0.11
)
   
 (0.17
)
   
 (0.13
)
   
 (0.07
)
 
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
 (0.33
)
   
 (0.11
)
   
 (0.32
)
   
 (0.25
)
   
 (0.21
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Year 
$
11.58
   
$
11.91
   
$
12.04
   
$
12.58
   
$
11.75
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
0.08
%
 
(0.15
)%
 
(1.68
)%
 
9.39
%
 
14.70
%
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
                                       
Net Assets at End of Year (000's omitted)
$253,432
   
$464,720
   
$468,130
   
$378,289
   
$437,387
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                       
Net investment income (loss) 
 
(0.76
)%
 
(0.30
)%
 
(0.01
)%
 
0.09
%
 
(0.12
)%
Net expense 
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
Gross expense 
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE (d)
 
45
%
 
56
%
 
94
%
 
49
%
 
15
%

   
For the Years Ended March 31,
 
April 1, 2010 (e)
through
       
   
2014
     
2013
     
2012
 
March 31, 2011
 
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES 
                               
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Period 
$
11.95
   
$
12.05
   
$
12.59
   
$
11.81
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                               
Net investment income (loss) (a)
 
 (0.06
)
   
 (0.02
)
   
 0.03
     
 0.05
   
    Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
 
 0.10
(c)
   
 0.03
(c)
 
 (0.23
)
   
 1.01
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 0.04
     
 0.01
     
 (0.20
)
   
 1.06
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                               
Net investment income
 
 (0.25
)
   
     
 (0.17
)
 
 (0.15
)
       
Net realized gain
 
 (0.12
)
   
 (0.11
)
   
 (0.17
)
 
 (0.13
)
       
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
 (0.37
)
   
 (0.11
)
   
 (0.34
)
 
 (0.28
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Period 
$
11.62
   
$
11.95
   
$
12.05
 
$
12.59
         
TOTAL RETURN 
 
0.38
%
 
0.10
%
 
(1.49
)%
 
9.21
%(f)
     
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
                                 
Net Assets at End of Period (000's omitted)
$56,273
   
$75,547
   
$83,055
   
$94,878
     
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                   
Net investment income (loss) 
 
(0.52
)%
 
(0.15
)%
 
0.26
%
 
0.35
%(g)
   
Net expense 
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%(g)
   
Gross expense 
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%(g)
   
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE (d)
 
45
%
 
56%
   
94%
   
49
%(f)
   
                                       
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during each period.
(b)
Less than $0.01 per share.
(c)
The net realized and unrealized gain (loss) per share does not correlate to the aggregate of the net realized and unrealized loss in the Statement of Operations, primarily due to the timing of the sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to fluctuating market values for the Fund's portfolio.
(d)
The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to any securities whose maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less.
(e)  Commencement of operations. 
(f)
Not annualized.
(g)
Annualized.
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   24  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  
 
These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period.
 
           
   
For the Years Ended March 31,
 
MERK ASIAN CURRENCY FUND
 
2014
     
2013
     
2012
     
2011
     
2010
   
INVESTOR SHARES 
                                       
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Year 
$
9.53
   
$
9.52
   
$
9.74
   
$
9.63
   
$
9.53
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                                       
Net investment loss (a)
 
 (0.04
)
   
 (0.10
)
   
 (0.11
)
   
 (0.11
)
   
 (0.10
)
 
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
 
 (0.06
)
   
 0.11
     
 (0.01
)
   
 0.37
     
 0.24
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 (0.10
)
   
 0.01
     
 (0.12
)
   
 0.26
     
 0.14
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                   
Net investment income
 
     
     
 (0.10
)
   
 (0.15
)
   
 (0.04
)
 
Net realized gain
 
     
     
     
(b)
 
(b)
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
     
     
 (0.10
)
   
 (0.15
)
   
 (0.04
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Year 
$
9.43
   
$
9.53
   
$
9.52
   
$
9.74
   
$
9.63
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
(1.05
)%
 
0.11
%
 
(1.28
)%
 
2.74
%
 
1.51
%
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
                                       
Net Assets at End of Year (000's omitted)
$24,982
   
$37,655
   
$64,667
   
$82,711
   
$74,473
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                       
Net investment loss 
 
(0.41
)%
 
(1.00
)%
 
(1.18
)%
 
(1.12
)%
 
(1.03
)%
Net expense 
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
Gross expense 
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE (c)
 
0
%
 
0
%
 
0
%
 
0
%
 
0
%

   
For the Years Ended March 31,
 
April 1, 2010 (d) through
 
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES 
 
2014
     
2013
     
2012
   
March 31, 2011
 
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Period 
$
9.57
   
$
9.54
   
$
9.74
   
$
9.63
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                               
Net investment loss (a)
 
 (0.02
)
   
 (0.07
)
   
 (0.09
)
   
 (0.08
)
 
    Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
 
 (0.06
)
   
 0.10
     
 (0.01
)
   
 0.37
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 (0.08
)
   
 0.03
     
 (0.10
)
   
 0.29
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                           
Net investment income
 
     
     
 (0.10
)
   
 (0.18
)
 
Net realized gain
 
     
     
     
(b)
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
     
     
 (0.10
)
   
 (0.18
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Period 
$
9.49
   
$
9.57
   
$
9.54
   
$
9.74
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
(0.84
)%
 
0.31
%
 
(1.01
)%
 
3.00
%(e)

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
         
Net Assets at End of Period (000's omitted)
 
$12,000
   
$20,684
   
$29,904
 
$22,835
 
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                     
Net investment loss 
 
(0.16
)%
 
(0.75
)%
 
(0.94
)%
(0.86
)%(f)
Net expense 
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
1.05
%(f)
Gross expense 
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
1.05
%(f)
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE(c)
 
0
%
 
0
%
 
0
%
0
%(e)
                       
 
(a)  Calculated based on average shares outstanding during each period.
(b)  Less than $0.01 per share.
(c)
The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to any securities whose maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less.
(d)
Commencement of operations.
(e)
Not annualized.
(f)
Annualized.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   25  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  
 
These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period.
 
             
MERK ABSOLUTE RETURN CURRENCY FUND
For the Year Ended March 31,
 
September 9, 2009 (a)
through
   
INVESTOR SHARES 
 
2014
     
2013
     
2012
     
2011
   
March 31, 2010
 
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Period 
$
9.18
   
$
9.37
   
$
10.27
   
$
9.77
   
$
10.00
     
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                                         
Net investment loss (b)
 
 (0.05
)
   
 (0.09
)
   
 (0.11
)
   
 (0.11
)
   
 (0.06
)
   
    Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
 
 0.57
     
 (0.10
)
   
 (0.66
)
   
 0.75
     
 (0.17
)
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 0.52
     
 (0.19
)
   
 (0.77
)
   
 0.64
     
 (0.23
)
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                     
Net investment income
 
 (0.17
)
   
     
 (0.13
)
   
 (0.14
)
   
     
Net realized gain
 
     
     
     
(c)
 
     
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
 (0.17
)
   
     
 (0.13
)
   
 (0.14
)
   
     
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Period 
$
9.53
   
$
9.18
   
$
9.37
   
$
10.27
   
$
9.77
     
TOTAL RETURN 
 
5.68
%
 
(2.03
)%
 
(7.57
)%
 
6.52
%
 
(2.30
)%(e)
 
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
                                         
Net Assets at End of Period (000's omitted)
$23,016
   
$10,733
   
$19,662
   
$24,568
   
$22,543
     
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                         
Net investment loss 
 
(0.53
)%
 
(0.98
)%
 
(1.18
)%
 
(1.11
)%
 
(1.16
)%(f)
 
Net expense 
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%(f)
 
Gross expense 
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%(f)
 
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE (d)
 
0
%
 
0
%
 
0
%
 
0
%
 
0
%(e)
 
 
 
For the Year Ended March 31,
 
April 1, 2010 (a) through
   
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES 
 
2014
     
2013
     
2012
   
March 31, 2011
   
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Period 
$
9.22
   
$
9.39
   
$
10.28
   
$
9.82
     
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                                 
Net investment loss (b)
 
 (0.03
)
   
 (0.06
)
   
 (0.09
)
   
 (0.09
)
   
    Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
 
 0.58
     
 (0.11
)
   
 (0.67
)
   
 0.71
     
Total from Investment Operations
 
 0.55
     
 (0.17
)
   
 (0.76
)
   
 0.62
     
DISTRIBUTIONS TO
                                 
SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                 
Net investment income
 
 (0.19
)
   
     
 (0.13
)
   
 (0.16
)
   
Net realized gain
 
     
     
     
(c)
 
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
 (0.19
)
   
     
 (0.13
)
   
 (0.16
)
   
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Period 
$
9.58
   
$
9.22
   
$
9.39
   
$
10.28
     
TOTAL RETURN 
5.94
%
 
(1.81
)%
 
(7.41
)%
 
6.33
%(e)
 
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
                             
Net Assets at End of Period (000's omitted)
$12,077
   
$6,120
   
$5,578
   
$4,813
     
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                 
Net investment loss 
 
(0.28
)%
 
(0.67
)%
 
(0.94
)%
 
(0.86
)%(f)
 
Net expense 
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%(f)
 
Gross expense 
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%(f)
 
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE (d)
 
0
%
 
0
%
 
0
%
 
0
%(e)
 
 
                                   
(a)
Commencement of operations.
(b)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during each period.
(c)
Less than $0.01 per share.
(d)
The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to any securities whose maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less.
(e)
Not annualized.
(f)
Annualized.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   26  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  

These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period.
 
   
For the Year Ended March 31,
 
September 12, 2011 (a) through
 
MERK CURRENCY ENHANCED U.S. EQUITY FUND
   
2014
   
2013
   
March 31, 2012
 
INVESTOR SHARES 
                       
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Period 
$
12.96
   
$
11.89
   
$
10.00
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                       
Net investment income (b)
 
 0.12
     
 0.10
     
 0.07
   
    Net realized and unrealized gain
 
 3.54
     
 1.18
     
 2.00
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 3.66
     
 1.28
     
 2.07
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                       
Net investment income
 
 (0.71
)
   
 (0.08
)
   
 (0.07
)
 
Net realized gain
 
 (0.03
)
   
 (0.13
)
   
 (0.11
)
 
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
 (0.74
)
   
 (0.21
)
   
 (0.18
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Period 
$
15.88
   
$
12.96
   
$
11.89
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
28.40
%
 
11.09
%
 
20.99
%(c)
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
                       
Net Assets at End of Period (000's omitted)
$1,737
   
$802
   
$474
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:(d)
                       
Net investment income (e)
 
0.80
%
 
0.88
%
 
1.26
%(f)
Net expense 
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%(f)
Gross expense 
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%
 
1.30
%(f)
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
 
17
%
 
20
%
 
0
%(c)

   
For the Year Ended March 31,
 
September 12, 2011 (a) through
 
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES 
 
2014
     
2013
   
March 31, 2012
 
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Period 
$
13.01
   
$
11.91
   
$
10.00
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                       
Net investment income (b)
 
 0.13
     
 0.13
     
 0.09
   
    Net realized and unrealized gain
 
 3.58
     
 1.19
     
 2.00
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 3.71
     
 1.32
     
 2.09
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                       
Net investment income
 
 (0.74
)
   
 (0.09
)
   
 (0.07
)
 
Net realized gain
 
 (0.03
)
   
 (0.13
)
   
 (0.11
)
 
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
 (0.77
)
   
 (0.22
)
   
 (0.18
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Period 
$
15.95
   
$
13.01
   
$
11.91
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
28.67
%
 
11.42
%
 
21.28
%(c)
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
                       
Net Assets at End of Period (000's omitted)
$2,515
   
$2,003
   
$1,798
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:(d)
                       
Net investment income (e)
 
0.91
%
 
1.14
%
 
1.58
%(f)
Net expense 
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%(f)
Gross expense 
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%
 
1.05
%(f)
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
 
17
%
 
20
%
 
0
%(c)
                           
(a)
Commencement of operations.
(b)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during each period.
(c)
Not annualized.
(d)
The ratios of expenses and net investment income to average net assets do not reflect the Fund's proportionate share of income and expenses of underlying investment companies in which the Fund invests.
(e)
Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing of the declaration of dividends by the underlying investments in which the Fund invests.
(f)
Annualized.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.   27  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   MARCH 31, 2014

Note 1. Organization
 
The Merk Asian Currency Fund, Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund and Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund (individually, a “Fund” and, collectively the “Funds”) are diversified portfolios of Forum Funds (the “Trust”). The Merk Hard Currency Fund (individually included in the defined term, “Fund” and, collectively included in the defined term, “Funds”) is a non-diversified portfolio of the Trust. The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust that is registered as an open-end, management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”), as amended. Under its Trust Instrument, the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of each Fund’s shares of beneficial interest without par value. Each Fund currently offers two classes of shares: Investor Shares and Institutional Shares. The Merk Hard Currency Fund seeks to profit from a rise in hard currencies relative to the U.S. dollar. The Merk Asian Currency Fund seeks to profit from a rise in Asian currencies relative to the U.S. dollar. The Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund seeks to generate positive absolute returns by investing in securities and instruments that create exposure to currencies. The Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund seeks to generate total return by investing in securities and instruments that create exposure to U.S. equities and currencies.  The Merk Hard Currency Fund Investor Shares and Institutional Shares commenced operations on May 10, 2005 and April 1, 2010, respectively.  The Merk Asian Currency Fund Investor Shares and Institutional Shares commenced operations on April 1, 2008 and April 1, 2010, respectively. The Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund Investor Shares and Institutional Shares commenced operations on September 9, 2009 and April 1, 2010, respectively.  The Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund Investor Shares and Institutional Shares commenced operations on September 12, 2011.
 
Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 
These financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the fiscal year. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates. The following summarizes the significant accounting policies of each Fund:
 
Security Valuation – Exchange-traded securities and over-the-counter securities are valued using the last quoted trade or official closing price, provided by independent pricing services as of the close of trading on the market or exchange for which they are primarily traded, on each Fund business day. In the absence of a sale, such securities are valued at the mean of the last bid and ask price provided by independent pricing services. Non-exchange traded securities for which quotations are available are valued using the last quoted sales price, or in the absence of a sale, at the mean of the last bid and ask prices provided by independent pricing services. Debt securities may be valued at prices supplied by a fund’s pricing agent based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics such as rating, interest rate and maturity. Shares of open-end mutual funds are valued at net asset value (“NAV”). Futures contracts listed for trading on a securities exchange or board of trade shall be valued at the last quoted sales price or in the absence of a sale at the mean of the last bid and asked prices. Forward currency contracts are generally valued at the mean of bid and ask prices for the time period interpolated from rates reported by an independent pricing service for proximate time periods. Short-term investments that mature in 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost.
 
Each Fund values its investments at fair value pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board") if (1) market quotations are insufficient or not readily available or (2) the adviser believes that the values available are unreliable. The Trust’s Valuation Committee, as defined in each Fund’s registration statement, performs certain functions as they relate to the administration and oversight of each Fund’s valuation procedures. Under these procedures, the Valuation Committee convenes on a regular and ad-hoc basis to review such securities and considers a number of factors, including valuation methodologies and significant unobservable inputs, when arriving at fair value.
 
The Valuation Committee may work with the adviser to provide valuation inputs. In determining fair valuations, inputs may include market-based analytics which may consider related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values and other relevant investment information. Adviser inputs may include an income-based approach in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted in determining fair value. Discounts may also be applied based on the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. The Valuation Committee performs regular reviews of valuation methodologies, key inputs and assumptions, disposition analysis and market activity.
 
Fair valuation is based on subjective factors and, as a result, the fair value price of an investment may differ from the security’s market price and may not be the price at which the asset may be sold. Fair valuation could result in a different NAV than a NAV determined by using market quotes.
 
Each Fund has a three-tier fair value hierarchy. The basis of the tiers is dependent upon the various “inputs” used to determine the value of each Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:
 
Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities
 
 
   28  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices of similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)
 
Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including each Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)
 
The aggregate value by input level, as of March 31, 2014, for each Fund’s investments is included at the end of each Fund’s Schedule of Investments.
 
Security Transactions, Investment Income and Realized Gain and Loss – Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Income and capital gains on some foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, which are accrued as applicable. Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Premium is amortized and discount is accreted using the effective interest method. Identified cost of investments sold is used to determine the gain and loss for both financial statement and federal income tax purposes.
 
Foreign Currency Translations – Foreign currency amounts are translated into U.S. dollars as follows: (1) assets and liabilities at the rate of exchange at the end of the respective period; and (2) purchases and sales of securities and income and expenses at the rate of exchange prevailing on the dates of such transactions. The portion of the results of operations arising from changes in the exchange rates and the portion due to fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of securities are not isolated. Such fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments.
 
Foreign Currency Transactions – Each Fund may enter into transactions to purchase or sell foreign currency contracts and options on foreign currency. Forward currency contracts are agreements to exchange one currency for another at a future date and at a specified price. A fund may use forward currency contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign securities, to manage a fund’s foreign currency exposure and to protect the U.S. dollar value of its underlying portfolio securities against the effect of possible adverse movements in foreign exchange rates. These contracts are intrinsically valued daily based on forward rates, and a fund’s net equity therein, representing unrealized gain or loss on the contracts as measured by the difference between the forward foreign exchange rates at the dates of entry into the contracts and the forward rates at the reporting date, is recorded as a component of net asset value. These instruments involve market risk, credit risk, or both kinds of risks, in excess of the amount recognized in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Risks arise from the possible inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts and from movement in currency and securities values and interest rates. Due to the risks associated with these transactions, a fund could incur losses up to the entire contract amount, which may exceed the net unrealized value included in its net asset value.
 
The values of each individual forward currency contract outstanding as of March 31, 2014, are disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments.
 
Futures Contracts – Each Fund may purchase futures contracts to gain exposure to market changes, which may be more efficient or cost effective than actually buying the securities. A futures contract is an agreement between parties to buy or sell a security at a set price on a future date. Upon entering into such a contract, a fund is required to pledge to the broker an amount of cash, U.S. Government obligations or other high-quality debt securities equal to the minimum “initial margin” requirements of the exchange on which the futures contract is traded. Pursuant to the contract, the fund agrees to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin” and are recorded by the fund as unrealized gains or losses. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and value at the time it was closed. Risks of entering into futures contracts include the possibility that there may be an illiquid market and that a change in the value of the contract may not correlate with changes in the value of the underlying securities.
 
Distributions to Shareholders – Distributions to shareholders of net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least quarterly. Distributions to shareholders of net capital gains, if any, are declared and paid annually. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributions are based on amounts calculated in accordance with applicable federal income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP. These differences are due primarily to differing treatments of income and gain on various investment securities held by each Fund, timing differences and differing characterizations of distributions made by each Fund.
 
Federal Taxes – Each Fund intends to continue to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and to distribute all of its taxable income to shareholders. In addition, by distributing in each calendar year substantially all of its net investment income and capital gains, if any, the Funds will not be subject to a federal excise tax. Therefore, no federal income or excise tax provision is required. Each Fund files a U.S. federal income and excise tax return as required. A fund’s federal income tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a period of three fiscal years after they are filed. As of March 31, 2014, there are no uncertain tax positions that would require financial statement recognition, de-recognition, or disclosure.
 
Income and Expense Allocation – The Trust accounts separately for the assets, liabilities and operations of each of its investment portfolios. Expenses that are directly attributable to more than one investment portfolio are allocated among the respective investment portfolios in an equitable manner.
 
 
   29  

 
 
 
 

Commitments and Contingencies – In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that provide general indemnifications by each Fund to the counterparty to the contract. Each Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against each Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated; however, based on experience, the risk of loss from such claims is considered remote.
 
Note 3. Fees and Expenses
 
Investment Adviser – Merk Investments LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to each Fund. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement, the Adviser receives an advisory fee from the Merk Hard Currency Fund, Merk Asian Currency Fund and Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund at an annual rate of 1.00% of each Fund’s average daily net assets.  Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement and an operating services agreement, the Adviser receives an advisory fee and an operational services fee, at annual rates of 0.72% and 0.33%, respectively, on the Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund’s average daily net assets.
 
Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Merk Hard Currency Fund, Merk Asian Currency Fund and Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund and the Operating Services Agreement for Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund, the Adviser is obligated to pay all expenses of each Fund except any expenses it is authorized to pay under Rule 12b-1, brokerage costs, commissions, borrowing costs, taxes, the non 12b-1 shareholder servicing fees and extraordinary and non-recurring expenses. 
 
Distribution – Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as each Fund’s distributor (the “Distributor”). The Distributor is not affiliated with the Adviser or Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC (d/b/a Atlantic Fund Services) (“Atlantic”) or their affiliates. The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Investor Shares of the Funds in accordance with Rule 12b-1 of the Act. Under the Plan, the Funds pay the Distributor and/or any other entity as authorized by the Board a fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each Fund’s Investor Shares for the marketing of fund shares and for services provided to shareholders.
 
Other Service Providers – Atlantic provides fund accounting, fund administration, compliance and transfer agency services to each Fund. Atlantic also provides certain shareholder report production, and EDGAR conversion and filing services. Atlantic provides a Principal Executive Officer, a Principal Financial Officer, a Chief Compliance Officer, and an Anti-Money Laundering Officer to each Fund, as well as certain additional compliance support functions.
 
Note 4. Security Transactions
 
The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities (including maturities), other than short-term investments during the year ended March 31, 2014, were as follows:
 
   
Purchases
 
Sales
Merk Hard Currency Fund
 
$
59,807,960
 
$
124,122,741
Merk Asian Currency Fund
 
$
-
 
$
-
Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund
 
$
2,459,822
 
$
-
Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund
 
$
1,224,527
 
$
540,725
 
Note 5. Summary of Derivative Activity
 
The volume of open derivative positions may vary on a daily basis as each Fund transacts derivative contracts in order to achieve the exposure desired by the Adviser. The notional value of activity for the year ended March 31, 2014 for any derivative type that was held during the year is as follows:
 
   
Merk Hard Currency
 
Merk Asian Currency
 
Merk Absolute Return Currency
   
Merk Currency
Enhanced U.S. Equity
Forward Currency Contracts
 
$
1,625,068,894
   
$
332,991,302
     
$
8,182,862,394
   
$
1,077,083,632
 
Futures
   
22,148,248
     
-
       
-
     
438,820
 

Each Fund’s use of derivatives during the year ended March 31, 2014, was limited to futures and forward currency contracts.
 
Following is a summary of the effect of derivatives on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of March 31, 2014:
 
Merk Hard Currency Fund
       
Location:
 
Currency
Contracts
 
Commodity
Contracts
Asset derivatives:
               
Unrealized gain on forward currency contracts
 
$
283,123
   
$
-
 
                 
Liability derivatives:
               
Payable – variation margin
 
$
-
   
$
(26,250
)

 
Merk Asian Currency Fund
   
Location:
 
Currency
Contracts
Asset derivatives:
       
Unrealized gain on forward currency contracts
 
$
160,224
 
         
Liability derivatives:
       
Unrealized loss on forward currency contracts
 
$
(34,330
)
 
 
   30  

 
 
 
 

Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund
   
Location:
 
Currency
Contracts
Asset derivatives:
       
Unrealized gain on forward currency contracts
 
$
2,169,331
 
         
Liability derivatives:
       
Unrealized loss on forward currency contracts
 
$
(2,011,661
)

Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund
       
Location:
 
Currency
Contracts
 
Commodity
Contracts
Asset derivatives:
               
Unrealized gain on forward currency contracts
 
$
262,274
   
$
-
 
Receivable – variation margin
   
-
     
670
 
Total asset derivatives
 
$
262,944
   
$
670
 
                 
Liability derivatives:
               
Unrealized loss on forward currency contracts
 
$
(254,556
)
 
$
-
 
Total liability derivatives
 
$
(254,556
)
 
$
-
 

Realized and unrealized gains and losses on derivatives contracts during the year ended March 31, 2014, by each Fund are recorded in the following locations on the Statement of Operations:
 
Merk Hard Currency Fund
       
Location:
 
Currency
Contracts
 
Commodity
Contracts
Net realized gain (loss) on:
               
Futures
 
$
-
   
$
(446,822
)
Foreign currency transactions
   
4,423,993
     
-
 
                 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
               
Futures
 
$
-
   
$
(106,200
)
Foreign currency translations
   
828,466
     
-
 

Merk Asian Currency Fund
   
Location:
 
Currency
Contracts
Net realized gain (loss) on:
       
Foreign currency transactions
 
$
(112,420
)
         
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
       
Foreign currency translations
 
$
237,345
 

Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund
   
Location:
 
Currency
Contracts
Net realized gain (loss) on:
       
Foreign currency transactions
 
$
1,284,010
 
         
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
       
Foreign currency translations
 
$
437,357
 


Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund
       
Location:
 
Currency
Contracts
 
Commodity
Contracts
Net realized gain (loss) on:
               
Futures
 
$
-
   
$
15,415
 
Foreign currency transactions
   
160,754
     
-
 
Total net realized gain (loss)
 
$
160,754
   
$
15,415
 
                 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
               
Futures
 
$
-
   
$
917
 
Foreign currency translations
   
54,866
     
-
 
Total net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
 
$
54,866
   
$
917
 
 
 
   31  

 
 
 
 
 
Asset (Liability) amounts shown in the table below represent amounts for derivative related investments at March 31, 2014. These amounts may be collateralized by cash or financial instruments.

   
Gross Asset (Liability) as Presented in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities
 
Financial Instruments (Received) Pledged**
 
Cash Collateral (Received) Pledged**
 
Net Amount
 
Merk Hard Currency Fund
               
Assets:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
 
$
283,123
   
$
(283,123
)
 
$
-
   
$
-
 
Liabilities:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
   
(26,250
)
   
-
     
26,250
     
-
 
Merk Asian Currency Fund
               
Assets:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
 
$
160,224
   
$
(160,224
)
 
$
-
   
$
-
 
Liabilities:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
   
(34,330
)
   
34,330
     
-
     
-
 
Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund
               
Assets:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
 
$
2,169,331
   
$
(2,169,331
)
 
$
-
   
$
-
 
Liabilities:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
   
(2,011,661
)
   
2,011,661
     
-
     
-
 
Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund
               
Assets:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
 
$
262,944
   
$
(262,274
)
 
$
(670
)
 
$
-
 
Liabilities:
                               
Over-the-counter derivatives*
   
(254,556
)
   
254,556
     
-
     
-
 

Over-the-counter derivatives may consist of forward currency contracts and futures contracts.  The amounts disclosed above represent the exposure to one or more counterparties.  For further detail on individual derivative contracts and the corresponding unrealized appreciation (depreciation), see the Schedule of Investments.
** 
The actual financial instruments and cash collateral (received) pledged may be in excess of the amounts shown in the table. The table only reflects collateral amounts up to the amount of the financial instrument disclosed on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.
 
Note 6. Federal Income Tax
 
Distributions paid during the fiscal years ended as noted were characterized for tax purposes as follows:
 
   
Ordinary Income
 
Long-Term Capital Gain
 
Total
Merk Hard Currency Fund
2014
 
$
6,301,780
   
$
3,670,311
     
$
9,972,091
 
2013
   
-
     
5,076,563
       
5,076,563
 
Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund
2014
   
641,319
     
-
       
641,319
 
Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund
2014
   
177,852
     
6,019
       
183,871
 
2013
   
25,887
     
14,135
       
40,022
 
                           
 
As of March 31, 2014, distributable earnings (accumulated loss) on a tax basis were as follows:
 
   
Undistributed Ordinary Income
 
Undistributed Long-Term Gain
 
Capital and Other Losses
 
Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
 
Total
Merk Hard Currency Fund
 
$
2,095,616
   
$
-
   
$
(2,131,450
)
 
$
(6,144,081
)
 
$
(6,179,915
)
Merk Asian Currency Fund
   
-
     
-
     
(617,045
)
   
94,235
     
(522,810
)
Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund
   
743,263
     
-
     
(50
)
   
(305,500
)
   
437,713
 
Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund
   
86,794
     
14,737
     
-
     
1,054,661
     
1,156,192
 
 
The difference between components of distributable earnings on a tax basis and the amounts reflected in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities are primarily due to grantor trust adjustments, futures contracts, forward contracts and wash sales.
 
For tax purposes, the current deferred late year ordinary loss was 617,045 (realized during the period January 1, 2014 through March 31, 2014) for Merk Asian Currency Fund. This loss was recognized for tax purposes on the first business day of the Fund’s next fiscal year, April 1, 2014.
 
As of March 31, 2014, the Funds had the following available short term and long term capital loss carry forwards that have no expiration date:

 
   32  
 
 
 
 
 

   
Short Term
 
Long Term
Merk Hard Currency Fund
$
285,762
$
1,845,688
Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund
 
50
 
-

On the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, as a result of permanent book to tax differences, certain amounts have been reclassified for the year ended March 31, 2014. The following reclassifications were the result of currency gain/loss reclassification, grantor trust adjustments and net operating losses and have no impact on the net assets of each Fund.

 
 
 
Accumulated Net Investment Income (Loss)
 
Accumulated Net Realized Gain (Loss)
 
Paid-in-Capital
Merk Hard Currency Fund
 
$
10,355,546
   
$
(10,355,546
)
 
$
-
 
Merk Asian Currency Fund
   
(590,845
)
   
654,705
     
(63,860
)
Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund
   
1,008,758
     
(1,008,758
)
   
-
 
Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund
   
170,408
     
(170,408
)
   
-
 

Note 7. Underlying Investments in Other Investment Companies
 
The Merk Hard Currency Fund currently invests a portion of its assets in SPDR Gold Trust.  The Merk Currency Enhanced U. S. Equity Fund currently invests a portion of its assets in SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.  The Merk Hard Currency Fund and Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund may eliminate its investments at any time if the Adviser determines that it is in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders to do so.
 
The performance of the Merk Hard Currency Fund and Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund may be directly affected by the performance of the SPDR Gold Trust and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, respectively.  The financial statements of the SPDR Gold Trust and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, including the portfolio of investments, can be found at the SPDR ETF Trust’s website www.spdrs.com or the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website www.sec.gov and should be read in conjunction with the Merk Hard Currency and Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund’s financial statements.  As of March 31, 2014 the percentage of the Merk Hard Currency Fund’s net assets invested in the SPDR Gold Trust was 13.4% and Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund’s net assets invested in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust was 93.3%.
 
Note 8. Subsequent Events
 
Subsequent events occurring after the date of this report through the date these financial statements were issued have been evaluated for potential impact and each Fund has had no such events.
 
   33  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED  MARCH 31, 2014
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM  
 
To the Shareholders of Merk Hard Currency Fund,
Merk Asian Currency Fund, Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund
and Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund
and the Board of Trustees of Forum Funds
 
We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities of the Merk Hard Currency Fund, Merk Asian Currency Fund, Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund and Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund (the "Funds"), each a series of shares of beneficial interest in the Forum Funds, including the schedules of investments, as of March 31, 2014, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods presented.  These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds' management.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.
 
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.  Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of March 31, 2014 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers and by other appropriate auditing procedures where responses from brokers were not received. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.  We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Merk Hard Currency Fund, Merk Asian Currency Fund, Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund and Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund as of March 31, 2014, and the results of their operations for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and their financial highlights for each of the years or periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
 
 

                                                           
                    BBD, LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 30, 2014
 
   34  

 
 
 
 
 
   
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (UNAUDITED)  MARCH 31, 2014
 
Proxy Voting Information
 
A description of the policies and procedures that each Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to securities held in each Fund’s portfolio is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (866) 637-5386 and on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”) website at www.sec.gov. Each Fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (866) 637-5386 and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
 
Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedules
 
Each Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. These filings are available, without charge and upon request on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.
 
Shareholder Expense Example
 
As a shareholder of the Funds, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Funds and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
 
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period from October 1, 2013, through March 31, 2014.
 
Actual Expenses – The first line under each Fund of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during the period.
 
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes – The second line under each Fund of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on each Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not each Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in each Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.
 
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds.
 
 
Beginning Account Value
 
Ending Account Value
 
Expenses Paid
 
Annualized
 
October 1, 2013
 
March 31, 2014
 
During Period*
 
Expense Ratio*
 Merk Hard Currency
                     
 Investor Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,005.04
 
$
    6.50
 
1.30
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,018.45
 
$
    6.54
 
1.30
%
 Institutional Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,005.53
 
$
    5.25
 
1.05
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,019.70
 
$
    5.29
 
1.05
%
 Merk Asian Currency
                     
 Investor Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
          994.72
 
$
    6.47
 
1.30
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,018.45
 
$
    6.54
 
1.30
%
 Institutional Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
          995.80
 
$
    5.22
 
1.05
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,019.70
 
$
    5.29
 
1.05
%
 Merk Absolute Return Currency
                     
 Investor Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,024.48
 
$
    6.56
 
1.30
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,018.45
 
$
    6.54
 
1.30
%
 Institutional Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,024.97
 
$
    5.30
 
1.05
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,019.70
 
$
    5.29
 
1.05
%
 Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity
                     
 Investor Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,148.39
 
$
    6.96
 
1.30
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,018.45
 
$
    6.54
 
1.30
%
 Institutional Shares
                     
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,149.68
 
$
    5.63
 
1.05
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,019.70
 
$
    5.29
 
1.05
%
 
*Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by 365 to reflect the half-year period.
 
   35  
 
 
 
 
 

Federal Tax Status of Dividends Declared during the Tax Year
 
For federal income tax purposes, dividends from short-term capital gains are classified as ordinary income. The Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund designates 0.21% of its income distributions as qualified interest income exempt from U.S. tax for foreign shareholders (QII) and the Merk Currency Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund designates 0.01% of its income distributions as QII and 0.51% of its income distributions as short-term capital gain dividends exempt from U.S. tax for foreign shareholders (QSD).
 
Trustees and Officers of the Trust
 
The Board is responsible for oversight of the management of the Trust’s business affairs and of the exercise of all the Trust’s powers except those reserved for the shareholders. The following table provides information about each Trustee and certain officers of the Trust. Each Trustee and officer holds office until the person resigns, is removed, or is replaced. Unless otherwise noted, the persons have held their principal occupations for more than five years. The address for all Trustees and officers is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600, Portland, Maine 04101. Mr. Keffer is considered an Interested Trustee due to his affiliation with Atlantic. Each Fund’s Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (866) 637-5386.
 
Name and Year of Birth
Position with the Trust
Length of Time Served
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of Series of Fund Complex¹ Overseen by Trustee
Other Directorships Held by Trustee
Independent Trustees
         
J. Michael Parish
Born: 1943
Chairman of the Board; Trustee; Chairman, Nominating Committee and Qualified Legal Compliance Committee
Since 1989 (Chairman since 2004)
Retired since 2003.
24
0
Costas Azariadis
Born: 1943
Trustee
Since 1989
Professor of Economics, Washington University since 2006.
24
0
James C. Cheng
Born: 1942
Trustee; Chairman, Audit Committee
Since 1989
President, Technology Marketing Associates (marketing company for small- and medium-sized businesses in New England) since 1991.
24
0
David Tucker
Born: 1958
Trustee
Since 2011
Director, Blue Sky Experience since 2008; Senior Vice President & General Counsel, American Century Companies 1998-2008.
28
Trustee, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust
Interested Trustee
         
John Y. Keffer2
Born: 1942
Trustee; Vice Chairman
Since 1989
Chairman, Atlantic since 2008; President, Forum Foundation (a charitable organization) since 2005; President, Forum Trust, LLC (a non-depository trust company chartered in the State of Maine) since 1997.
28
Director, Wintergreen Fund, Inc.; Trustee, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust
Officers
         
Stacey E. Hong
Born: 1966
President; Principal Executive Officer
Since 2008
President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Karen Shaw
Born: 1972
Treasurer; Principal Financial Officer
Since 2008
Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Zachary Tackett
Born: 1988
Vice President; Secretary; Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer
Since 2014
Associate Counsel, Atlantic since 2014; Intern Associate, Coakley & Hyde, PLLC, 2010-2013.
N/A
N/A
Michael J. McKeen
Born: 1971
Vice President
Since 2009
Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Timothy Bowden
Born: 1969
Vice President
Since 2009
Manager, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Geoffrey Ney
Born: 1975
Vice President
Since 2013
Manager, Atlantic since 2013; Senior Fund Accountant, Atlantic, 2008-2013.
N/A
N/A
Todd Proulx
Born: 1978
Vice President
Since 2013
Manager, Atlantic since 2013; Senior Fund Accountant, Atlantic, 2008-2013.
N/A
N/A
1The Fund Complex includes the Trust, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust and is overseen by different Boards of Trustees.
2Atlantic is a subsidiary of Forum Holdings Corp. I, a Delaware corporation that is wholly owned by Mr. Keffer.
 
 
   36  

 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
A Message to Our Shareholders  1
Performance Chart and Analysis (Unaudited)   3
Schedule of Investments   4
Statement of Assets and Liabilities  6
Statement of Operations   7
Statements of Changes in Net Assets   8
Financial Highlights   9
Notes to Financial Statements  10
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   14
Additional Information (Unaudited)   15
 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
 
The views in this report were those of the Payson Total Return Fund’s (the “Fund”) adviser, H.M. Payson & Co. as of March 31, 2014, and may not reflect their views on the date this report is first published or anytime thereafter. This report may contain discussions about investments that may or may not be held by the Fund as of the date of this report. Holdings and allocations are subject to risk and to change. These views are intended to assist shareholders in understanding their investment in the Fund and do not constitute investment advice.
 
An investment in the Fund is subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal. Other Fund risks include debt securities risk, exchange-traded risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, inflation-indexed security risk, government securities risk and value investment risk. Foreign investing involves certain risks and increased volatility not associated with investing solely in the U.S., including currency fluctuations, economic or financial instability, lack of timely or reliable financial information or unfavorable political or legal developments. Mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities risks include extension risk and prepayment risk. In addition, the Fund invests in midcap companies which pose greater risks than those associated with larger, more established companies. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
 
The Fund’s benchmark, the S&P 500® Index, is a broad-based, unmanaged measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average of 500 widely held common stocks. One cannot invest directly in an index.
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Dear Payson Total Return Fund Shareholder,
 
The Payson Total Return Fund (the “Fund”) provided a total return of 19.62% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, underperforming by 2.24% the S&P 500 Index (the “Index”), which had a total return of 21.86%. From a longer-term perspective, the Fund generated a 3-year annualized return of 11.81% as compared to the S&P 500 of 14.66%. On a 5-year basis, the Fund posted annualized results of 21.25%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index with a five year annualized return over the same time period of 21.16%
 
For a longer-term perspective, the Fund’s ten-year average annual total return for the period ended March 31, 2014, was 6.40%. Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. As stated in the current prospectus, the Fund's annual gross operating expense ratio is 1.07%. For the most recent month end performance, please call (800) 805-8258. Total returns include reinvestment of dividend and capital gains. For some of the periods reported, some of the Fund’s fees were waived or expenses reimbursed, otherwise total return would have been lower.
 
Stock prices rose consistently throughout the fiscal year as confidence in the growth of the US economy and corporate earnings continued to grow. Further, the Federal Reserve (“Fed”) remained in an accommodative posture keeping short term interest rates low while maintaining its Quantitative Easing program, purchasing longer term fixed income instruments in an effort to keep long term rates low as well. This easy money policy has helped stimulate the economy as evidenced by the pickup in the demand for housing and auto sales. In addition, the Fed’s policy, as stated by its Chairman, is designed, among other things, to inflate asset prices including stock valuations.  As a result of this stimulus, stock prices in many of the more cyclical sectors and industries enjoyed the strongest appreciation in 2013 while the more stable sectors lagged the overall Index.
 
These trends both contributed to the Fund’s result during the fiscal year and led to its underperformance. As stock prices have climbed over the past several years from the lows set in 2009, the Fund has been increasingly wary of the rising valuations of stock prices in the absence of significant overall earnings growth. In particular, this past fiscal year saw lower quality and smaller capitalized companies far outperform larger capitalized companies and companies that generally have had higher and more stable margins. Given our concerns about valuations, the Fund has been increasingly invested in less cyclical companies. We strongly believe these companies are likely to maintain margins and comparatively high cash flows in the current slow-growth economic environment. Importantly, we are also mindful of the overall valuations of the stocks held in the Fund, desiring to maintain comparatively low equity valuations relative to the Index
 
More specifically, the Fund on average was overweight technology, industrial, energy, and consumer discretionary stocks this past fiscal year while underweighting consumer staples, health care, telecommunications, utilities, and financial services stocks. Our choice to overweight technology and industrial stocks contributed positively to overall performance while our choice to overweight energy and consumer discretionary detracted from relative returns.
 
The best performing stocks for the fiscal year in the Fund portfolio included Harris Corp. (+62.15%), John Wiley & Sons Cl A (+58.80%), Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Cl A (+56.12+), and General Dynamics Corp
 
   1  

 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 

(+51.00%). The worst performing stocks for the fiscal year in the Fund portfolio included Weightwatchers Int’l Inc. (-50.80%), Alpha Natural Resources Inc. (-35.69%), Peabody Energy Corp. (-21.29%), and Iron Mountain Inc. (-14.02%). Returns shown are the full year total return if the stock was held for the full year in the Fund portfolio, or if the stock was held for less than the full year then the total return from the stock while held in the Fund’s portfolio is shown above.
 
We continue to believe the portfolio is well positioned to perform relatively well in the current slow growth environment. Investors have recently begun to question the excessive valuations of smaller capitalized companies and of those companies whose valuations suggested much higher growth than the companies are likely to deliver. In the final quarter of the fiscal year (the first quarter of 2014) smaller capitalized companies have generally declined while larger capitalized companies have maintained their valuations if not increased in value. We are encouraged by these trends noting that recent returns have been higher than the S&P 500 Index returns.
 
As always, we thank you for your continued investment in the Payson Total Return Fund and confidence in H.M. Payson & Co.
 
Short-term performance, in particular, is not a good indication of the Fund’s future performance, and an investment should not be made based solely on returns. Because of ongoing market volatility, Fund performance may be subject to substantial short-term changes.
 
 
   2  

 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
PERFORMANCE CHART AND ANALYSIS (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
The following chart reflects the change in the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment, including reinvested dividends and distributions, in Payson Total Return Fund (the “Fund”) compared with the performance of the benchmark, S&P 500 Index (the "S&P 500"), over the past ten fiscal years. The S&P 500 is a broad-based, unmanaged measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average of 500 widely held common stocks. The total return of the S&P 500 includes the reinvestment of dividends and income. The total return of the Fund includes operating expenses that reduce returns, while the total return of the S&P 500 does not include expenses. The Fund is professionally managed while the S&P 500 is unmanaged and is not available for investment.
 


Comparison of Change in Value of a $10,000 Investment
Payson Total Return Fund vs. S&P 500 Index

 
Average Annual Total Returns
Periods Ended March 31, 2014
 
One Year
 
Five Years
 
Ten Years
Payson Total Return Fund
 
19.62
%
 
21.25
%
 
6.40
%
S&P 500 Index
 
21.86
%
 
21.16
%
 
7.42
%

 
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost. For the most recent month-end performance, please call (800) 805-8258. As stated in the Fund's prospectus, the annual operating expense ratio (gross) is 1.07%. The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Returns greater than one year are annualized.
 
   3  

 
 
 
 

 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
Shares
 
Security
Description
 
Value
 

Common Stock - 95.7%
Communications - 7.5%
 
32,523
 
DIRECTV (a)
$
2,485,408
 
 
15,080
 
Verizon Communications, Inc.
 
717,355
 
 
57,858
 
Vodafone Group PLC, ADR
 
2,129,753
 
   
5,332,516
 
Consumer Discretionary - 7.7%
 
33,485
 
Coach, Inc.
 
1,662,865
 
 
30,048
 
Kohl's Corp.
 
1,706,726
 
 
21,700
 
McDonald's Corp.
 
2,127,251
 
   
5,496,842
 
Consumer Staples - 5.8%
 
22,420
 
PepsiCo, Inc.
 
1,872,070
 
 
29,700
 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
 
2,269,971
 
   
4,142,041
 
Energy - 8.9%
 
29,674
 
BP PLC, ADR
 
1,427,319
 
 
34,000
 
ConocoPhillips
 
2,391,900
 
 
37,380
 
Devon Energy Corp.
 
2,501,844
 
   
6,321,063
 
Financial - 15.6%
 
32,600
 
Aflac, Inc.
 
2,055,104
 
 
45,577
 
American International Group, Inc.
 
2,279,306
 
 
121,440
 
Bank of America Corp.
 
2,088,768
 
 
17,156
 
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., Class B (a)
 
2,143,985
 
 
16,350
 
MasterCard, Inc., Class A
 
1,221,345
 
 
5,925
 
Visa, Inc., Class A
 
1,278,971
 
   
11,067,479
 
Health Care - 15.5%
 
44,079
 
Abbott Laboratories
 
1,697,482
 
 
17,428
 
Baxter International, Inc.
 
1,282,352
 
 
24,500
 
Express Scripts Holding Co. (a)
 
1,839,705
 
 
13,223
 
Johnson & Johnson
 
1,298,895
 
 
36,195
 
Merck & Co., Inc.
 
2,054,790
 
 
24,391
 
Sanofi, ADR
 
1,275,162
 
 
28,952
 
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd., ADR
 
1,529,824
 
   
10,978,210
 
Industrials - 12.2%
 
9,300
 
Danaher Corp.
 
697,500
 
 
17,565
 
General Dynamics Corp.
 
1,913,180
 
 
42,000
 
General Electric Co.
 
1,087,380
 
 
42,526
 
Joy Global, Inc.
 
2,466,508
 
 
6,060
 
Parker Hannifin Corp.
 
725,443
 
 
15,335
 
United Technologies Corp.
 
1,791,741
 
   
8,681,752
 
Technology - 22.5%
 
5,868
 
Apple, Inc.
 
3,149,590
 
 
33,707
 
Cisco Systems, Inc.
 
755,374
 
 
25,500
 
Harris Corp.
 
1,865,580
 
 
11,830
 
IBM
 
2,277,157
 
 
100,066
 
Intel Corp.
 
2,582,703
 
 
63,300
 
Microsoft Corp.
 
2,594,667
 
 
34,900
 
QUALCOMM, Inc.
 
2,752,214
 
   
15,977,285
 
Total Common Stock
(Cost $55,004,671)
 
67,997,188
 

Investment Companies - 3.0%
 
52,000
 
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (Cost $2,099,066)
 
2,110,160
 
       
Total Investments - 98.7%
(Cost $57,103,737)*
$
70,107,348
 
Other Assets & Liabilities, Net – 1.3%
 
927,883
 
Net Assets – 100.0%
$
71,035,231
 
 
ADR
American Depositary Receipt
ETF
Exchange Traded Fund
PLC
Public Limited Company
(a)
Non-income producing security.
 
Cost for federal income tax purposes is $57,148,718 and net unrealized appreciation consists of:
 
Gross Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
14,177,031
 
Gross Unrealized Depreciation
   
(1,218,401
)
Net Unrealized Appreciation
 
$
12,958,630
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  4  

 
 
 
 

 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of March 31, 2014.
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. For more information on valuation inputs, and their aggregation into the levels used in the table below, please refer to the Security Valuation section in Note 2 of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
 
Valuation Inputs
 
Investments in Securities
Level 1 - Quoted Prices
 
$
70,107,348
 
Level 2 - Other Significant Observable Inputs
   
-
 
Level 3 - Significant Unobservable Inputs
   
-
 
Total
 
$
70,107,348
 
 
The Level 1 value displayed in this table is Common Stock and Investment Companies. Refer to the Schedule of Investments for a further breakout of each security by industry.
 
There were no transfers among Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 for the year ended March 31, 2014.
 
APORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
   
% of Total Investments
   
Communications
7.6
%
Consumer Discretionary
7.8
%
Consumer Staples
5.9
%
Energy
9.0
%
Financial
15.8
%
Health Care
15.7
%
Industrials
12.4
%
Technology
22.8
%
Investment Companies
3.0
%
 
100.0
%
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  5  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
MARCH 31, 2014
 

ASSETS
       
 
Total investments, at value (Cost $57,103,737)
 
$
70,107,348
 
 
Cash
   
1,718,628
 
 
Receivables:
       
   
Fund shares sold
   
5,566
 
   
Dividends and interest
   
56,816
 
 
Prepaid expenses
   
9,995
 
Total Assets
   
71,898,353
 
             
LIABILITIES
       
 
Payables:
       
   
Fund shares redeemed
   
89,010
 
   
Distributions payable
   
698,469
 
 
Accrued Liabilities:
       
Adviser
Investment adviser fees
   
35,943
 
   
Trustees’ fees and expenses
   
43
 
   
Fund services fees
   
14,738
 
   
Other expenses
   
24,919
 
Total Liabilities
   
863,122
 
             
NET ASSETS
 
$
 71,035,231
 
             
COMPONENTS OF NET ASSETS
       
 
Paid-in capital
 
$
55,173,646
 
 
Undistributed net investment income
   
265
 
 
Accumulated net realized gain
   
2,857,709
 
 
Net unrealized appreciation
   
13,003,611
 
NET ASSETS
 
$
71,035,231
 
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST AT NO PAR VALUE (UNLIMITED SHARES AUTHORIZED)
   
4,668,318
 
NET ASSET VALUE, OFFERING AND REDEMPTION PRICE PER SHARE
 
$
15.22
 
             
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  6  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
INVESTMENT INCOME
         
 
Dividend income (Net of foreign withholding taxes of $15,503)
 
$
2,525,918
   
 
Interest income
   
1,479
   
Total Investment Income
   
2,527,397
   
Adviser
         
EXPENSES
         
 
Investment adviser fees
   
394,310
   
 
Fund services fees
   
176,783
   
 
Custodian fees
   
6,729
   
 
Registration fees
   
20,082
   
 
Professional fees
   
35,283
   
 
Trustees' fees and expenses
   
2,372
   
 
Miscellaneous expenses
   
27,567
   
Total Expenses
   
663,126
   
NET INVESTMENT INCOME
   
1,864,271
   
               
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN
         
 
Net realized gain on investments
   
3,563,307
   
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments
   
6,403,979
   
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN
   
9,967,286
   
INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS
 
$
 11,831,557
   
               
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  7  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
 
 
 
       
For the Years Ended March 31,
       
 2014
   
2013
OPERATIONS
                 
 
Net investment income
 
$
1,864,271
     
$
829,299
 
 
Net realized gain
   
3,563,307
       
5,410,208
 
 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
   
6,403,979
       
(3,217,704
)
Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations
   
11,831,557
       
3,021,803
 
                       
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                 
 
Net investment income
   
(1,864,230
)
     
(830,782
)
 
Net realized gain
   
(3,943,265
)
     
(4,237,270
)
Total Distributions to Shareholders
   
(5,807,495
)
     
(5,068,052
)
                       
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                 
 
Sale of shares
   
7,039,247
       
10,602,365
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions
   
4,677,577
       
4,524,590
 
 
Redemption of shares
   
(8,557,925
)
     
(5,971,274
)
Increase in Net Assets from Capital Share Transactions
   
3,158,899
       
9,155,681
 
Increase in Net Assets
   
9,182,961
       
7,109,432
 
                       
NET ASSETS
                 
 
Beginning of Year
   
 61,852,270
       
 54,742,838
 
 
End of Year (Including line (a))
 
$
 71,035,231
     
$
 61,852,270
 
                       
SHARE TRANSACTIONS
                 
 
Sale of shares
   
476,422
       
764,225
 
 
Reinvestment of distributions
   
319,630
       
340,924
 
 
Redemption of shares
   
(581,439
)
     
(434,000
)
Increase in Shares
   
214,613
       
671,149
 
                       
(a)
Undistributed net investment income
 
$
265
     
$
224
 
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  8  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
 
These financial highlights reflect selected data for a share outstanding throughout each year.
 
           
   
For the Years Ended March 31,
   
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
 
2010
 
NET ASSET VALUE, Beginning of Year 
$
13.89
   
$
14.47
   
$
14.00
   
$
12.48
   
$
7.59
   
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS
                                       
Net investment income (a)
 
 0.42
     
 0.20
     
 0.20
     
 0.13
     
 0.09
   
Net realized and unrealized gain
 
 2.23
     
 0.45
     
 1.25
     
 1.52
     
 4.87
   
Total from Investment Operations
 
 2.65
     
 0.65
     
 1.45
     
 1.65
     
 4.96
   
DISTRIBUTIONS TO
                                       
SHAREHOLDERS FROM
                                       
Net investment income
 
 (0.41
)
   
 (0.20
)
   
 (0.19
)
   
 (0.13
)
   
 (0.07
)
 
Net realized gain
 
 (0.91
)
   
 (1.03
)
   
 (0.79
)
   
     
   
Total Distributions to Shareholders
 
 (1.32
)
   
 (1.23
)
   
 (0.98
)
   
 (0.13
)
   
 (0.07
)
 
NET ASSET VALUE, End of Year 
$
15.22
   
$
13.89
   
$
14.47
   
$
14.00
   
$
12.48
   
TOTAL RETURN 
 
19.62
%
 
4.94
%
 
11.35
%
 
13.33
%
 
65.44
%
                                         
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
                                       
Net Assets at End of
                                       
 
Year (000's omitted)
$71,035
   
$61,852
   
$54,743
   
$46,985
   
$37,608
   
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
                                       
Net investment income 
 
2.84
%
 
1.47
%
 
1.45
%
 
1.08
%
 
0.83
%
Net expense 
 
1.01
%
 
1.07
%
 
1.15
%
 
1.28
%
 
1.59
%
Gross expense 
 
1.01
%
 
1.07
%
 
1.15
%
 
1.29
%(b)
1.61
%(b)
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
 
47
%
 
103
%
 
101
%
 
72
%
 
79
%
                                           
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during each year.
(b)
Reflects the expense ratio excluding any waivers and/or reimbursements.
 
See Notes to Financial Statements.  9  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Note 1. Organization
 
The Payson Total Return Fund (the “Fund”) is a diversified portfolio of Forum Funds (the “Trust”). The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust that is registered as an open-end, management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”), as amended. Under its Trust Instrument, the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of the Fund’s shares of beneficial interest without par value. The Fund commenced operations on November 25, 1991. The Fund seeks a combination of high current income and capital appreciation.
 
Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 
These financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the fiscal year. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates. The following summarizes the significant accounting policies of the Fund:
 
Security Valuation – Exchange-traded securities and over-the-counter securities are valued using the last quoted trade or official closing price, provided by independent pricing services as of the close of trading on the market or exchange for which they are primarily traded, on each Fund business day. In the absence of a sale, such securities are valued at the mean of the last bid and ask price provided by independent pricing services. Non-exchange traded securities for which quotations are available are valued using the last quoted sales price, or in the absence of a sale, at the mean of the last bid and ask prices provided by independent pricing services. Shares of open-end mutual funds are valued at net asset value (“NAV”). Short-term investments that mature in 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost.
 
The Fund values its investments at fair value pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board") if (1) market quotations are insufficient or not readily available or (2) the adviser believes that the values available are unreliable. The Trust’s Valuation Committee, as defined in the Fund’s registration statement, performs certain functions as they relate to the administration and oversight of the Fund’s valuation procedures. Under these procedures, the Valuation Committee convenes on a regular and ad-hoc basis to review such securities and considers a number of factors, including valuation methodologies and significant unobservable inputs, when arriving at fair value.
 
The Valuation Committee may work with the adviser to provide valuation inputs. In determining fair valuations, inputs may include market-based analytics which may consider related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values and other relevant investment information. Adviser inputs may include an income-based approach in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted in determining fair value. Discounts may also be applied based on the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. The Valuation Committee performs regular reviews of valuation methodologies, key inputs and assumptions, disposition analysis and market activity.
 
Fair valuation is based on subjective factors and, as a result, the fair value price of an investment may differ
 
 
   10  

 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
from the security’s market price and may not be the price at which the asset may be sold. Fair valuation could result in a different NAV than a NAV determined by using market quotes.
 
The Fund has a three-tier fair value hierarchy. The basis of the tiers is dependent upon the various “inputs” used to determine the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:
 
Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities
 
Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices of similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)
 
Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)
 
The aggregate value by input level, as of March 31, 2014, for the Fund’s investments is included at the end of the Fund’s Schedule of Investments.
 
Security Transactions, Investment Income and Realized Gain and Loss – Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividend income is recorded at the fair market value of the securities received. Foreign dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as possible after the Fund determines the existence of a dividend declaration after exercising reasonable due diligence. Income and capital gains on some foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, which are accrued as applicable. Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Premium is amortized and discount is accreted using the effective interest method. Identified cost of investments sold is used to determine the gain and loss for both financial statement and federal income tax purposes.
 
Distributions to Shareholders – Distributions to shareholders of net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least quarterly. Distributions to shareholders of net capital gains, if any, are declared and paid annually. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributions are based on amounts calculated in accordance with applicable federal income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP. These differences are due primarily to differing treatments of income and gain on various investment securities held by the Fund, timing differences and differing characterizations of distributions made by the Fund.
 
Federal Taxes – The Fund intends to continue to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and to distribute all of its taxable income to shareholders. In addition, by distributing in each calendar year substantially all of its net investment income and capital gains, if any, the Fund will not be subject to a federal excise tax. Therefore, no federal income or excise tax provision is required. The Fund files a U.S. federal income and excise tax return as required. A fund’s federal income tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a period of three fiscal years after they are filed. As of March 31, 2014, there are no uncertain tax positions that would require financial statement recognition, de-recognition, or disclosure.
 
   11  

 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 

Income and Expense Allocation – The Trust accounts separately for the assets, liabilities and operations of each of its investment portfolios. Expenses that are directly attributable to more than one investment portfolio are allocated among the respective investment portfolios in an equitable manner.
 
Commitments and Contingencies – In the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that provide general indemnifications by the Fund to the counterparty to the contract. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated; however, based on experience, the risk of loss from such claims is considered remote.
 
Note 3. Fees and Expenses
 
Investment Adviser – H.M. Payson & Co. (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Fund. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement, the Adviser receives an advisory fee from the Fund at an annual rate of 0.60% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
 
Distribution – Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as the Fund’s distributor (the “Distributor”). The Fund does not have a distribution (12b-1) plan; accordingly, the Distributor does not receive compensation from the Fund for its distribution (12b-1) services. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Adviser or Atlantic Fund Administration, LLC (d/b/a Atlantic Fund Services) (“Atlantic”) or their affiliates.
 
Other Service Providers – Atlantic provides fund accounting, fund administration, compliance and transfer agency services to the Fund. Atlantic also provides certain shareholder report production, and EDGAR conversion and filing services. Pursuant to an Atlantic services agreement, the Fund pays Atlantic customary fees for its services. Atlantic provides a Principal Executive Officer, a Principal Financial Officer, a Chief Compliance Officer, and an Anti-Money Laundering Officer to the Fund, as well as certain additional compliance support functions.
 
Trustees and Officers – The Trust pays each independent Trustee an annual retainer fee of $45,000 for service to the Trust ($66,000 for the Chairman). The Trustees and Chairman may receive additional fees for special Board meetings. Each Trustee is also reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with his duties as a Trustee, including travel and related expenses incurred in attending Board meetings. The amount of Trustees’ fees attributable to the Fund is disclosed in the Statement of Operations. Certain officers of the Trust are also officers or employees of the above named service providers, and during their terms of office received no compensation from the Fund.
 
Note 4. Security Transactions
 
The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities (including maturities), other than short-term investments during the year ended March 31, 2014, were $30,404,536 and $32,303,274, respectively.
 
   12  

 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Note 5. Federal Income Tax
 
Distributions paid during the fiscal years ended as noted were characterized for tax purposes as follows:
 
   
2014
 
2013
Ordinary Income
 
$
2,225,195
 
$
1,614,931
Long-Term Capital Gain
   
2,986,532
   
3,533,775
   
$
5,211,727
 
$
5,148,706
 
As of March 31, 2014, distributable earnings (accumulated loss) on a tax basis were as follows:
 
Undistributed Ordinary Income
 
$
1,723,993
 
Undistributed Long-Term Gain
   
1,877,431
 
Net Unrealized Appreciation
   
12,958,630
 
Other Temporary Differences
   
(698,469
)
Total
 
$
15,861,585
 
 
 The difference between components of distributable earnings on a tax basis and the amounts reflected in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are primarily due to wash sales, the treatment of short-term gains and the treatment of distributions payable.
 
Note 6. Subsequent Events
 
Subsequent events occurring after the date of this report through the date these financial statements were issued have been evaluated for potential impact and the Fund has had no such events.
 
   13  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
 
 
 
To the Shareholders of Payson Total Return Fund and the Board of Trustees of Forum Funds
 
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Payson Total Return Fund (the “Fund”), a series of shares of beneficial interest in the Forum Funds, including the schedule of investments, as of March 31, 2014, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.
 
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of March 31, 2014 by correspondence with the custodian. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Payson Total Return Fund as of March 31, 2014, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and its financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
 

 

 
BBD, LLP
 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 30, 2014
 
 
   14  
 
 
 
 
 

 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Proxy Voting Information
 
A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to securities held in the Fund’s portfolio is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (800) 805-8258 and on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”) website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (800) 805-8258 and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
 
Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedules
 
The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. These filings are available, without charge and upon request on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.
 
Shareholder Expense Example
 
As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
 
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period from October 1, 2013, through March 31, 2014.
 
Actual Expenses – The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during the period.
 
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes – The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.
 
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds.
 
   15  

 
 
 
 

 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
 
Beginning
 
Ending
 
Expenses
 
Annualized
 
Account Value
 
Account Value
 
Paid During
 
Expense
 
October 1, 2013
 
March 31, 2014
 
Period*
 
Ratio*
 Actual
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,127.97
 
$
    5.31
 
1.00
%
 Hypothetical (5% return before taxes)
$
      1,000.00
 
$
      1,019.95
 
$
    5.04
 
1.00
%

 
*
Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by 365 to reflect the half-year period.
 
Federal Tax Status of Dividends Declared during the Tax Year
 
For federal income tax purposes, dividends from short-term capital gains are classified as ordinary income. The Fund designates 45.50% of its income dividend distributed as qualifying for the corporate dividends-received deduction (DRD) and 70.63% for the qualified dividend rate (QDI) as defined in Section 1(h)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund also designates 0.04% as qualified interest income exempt from U.S. tax for foreign shareholders (QII) and 43.00% as short-term capital gain dividends exempt from U.S. tax for foreign shareholders (QSD).
 
Trustees and Officers of the Trust
 
The Board is responsible for oversight of the management of the Trust’s business affairs and of the exercise of all the Trust’s powers except those reserved for the shareholders. The following table provides information about each Trustee and certain officers of the Trust. Each Trustee and officer holds office until the person resigns, is removed, or is replaced. Unless otherwise noted, the persons have held their principal occupations for more than five years. The address for all Trustees and officers is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 600, Portland, Maine 04101. Mr. Keffer is considered an Interested Trustee due to his affiliation with Atlantic. The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge and upon request, by calling (800) 805-8258.
 
Name and Year
of Birth
Position with the Trust
Length of Time Served
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of Series of Fund Complex¹ Overseen by Trustee
Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
Independent Trustees
         
J. Michael Parish
Born: 1943
Chairman of the Board; Trustee; Chairman, Nominating Committee and Qualified Legal Compliance Committee
Since 1989 (Chairman since 2004)
Retired since 2003.
24
0
Costas Azariadis
Born: 1943
Trustee
Since 1989
Professor of Economics, Washington University since 2006.
24
0
1The Fund Complex includes the Trust, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust and is overseen by different Boards of Trustees.
 
 
   16  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAYSON TOTAL RETURN FUND
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
MARCH 31, 2014
 
 
Name and Year
of Birth
Position with the Trust
Length of Time Served
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of Series of Fund Complex¹ Overseen by Trustee
Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
Independent Trustees - continued
         
James C. Cheng
Born: 1942
Trustee; Chairman, Audit Committee
Since 1989
President, Technology Marketing Associates (marketing company for small- and medium-sized businesses in New England) since 1991.
24
0
David Tucker
Born: 1958
Trustee
Since 2011
Director, Blue Sky Experience since 2008; Senior Vice President & General Counsel, American Century Companies 1998-2008.
28
Trustee, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust
Interested Trustee
         
John Y. Keffer2
Born: 1942
Trustee; Vice Chairman
Since 1989
Chairman, Atlantic since 2008; President, Forum Foundation (a charitable organization) since 2005; President, Forum Trust, LLC (a non-depository trust company chartered in the State of Maine) since 1997.
28
Director, Wintergreen Fund, Inc.; Trustee, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust
Officers
         
Stacey E. Hong
Born: 1966
President; Principal Executive Officer
Since 2008
President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Karen Shaw
Born: 1972
Treasurer; Principal Financial Officer
Since 2008
Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Zachary Tackett
Born: 1988
Vice President; Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer, Secretary
Since 2014
Associate Counsel, Atlantic since 2014; Intern Associate, Coakley & Hyde, PLLC, 2010-2013.
N/A
N/A
Michael J. McKeen
Born: 1971
Vice President
Since 2009
Senior Vice President, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Timothy Bowden
Born: 1969
Vice President
Since 2009
Manager, Atlantic since 2008.
N/A
N/A
Geoffrey Ney
Born: 1975
Vice President
Since 2013
Manager, Atlantic since 2013; Senior Fund Accountant, Atlantic, 2008-2013.
N/A
N/A
Todd Proulx
Born: 1978
Vice President
Since 2013
Manager, Atlantic since 2013; Senior Fund Accountant, Atlantic, 2008-2013.
N/A
N/A
1The Fund Complex includes the Trust, Forum Funds II and Forum ETF Trust and is overseen by different Boards of Trustees.
2Atlantic is a subsidiary of Forum Holdings Corp. I, a Delaware corporation that is wholly owned by Mr. Keffer.
 
 
   17  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS.
(a)  
As of the end of the period covered by this report, Forum Funds (the “Registrant”) has adopted a code of ethics, which applies to its Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer (the “Code of Ethics”).

(c)
There have been no amendments to the Registrant’s Code of Ethics during the period covered by this report.

(d)  
There have been no waivers to the Registrant’s Code of Ethics during the period covered by this report.

(e)  
Not applicable.

(f) (1)  A copy of the Code of Ethics is being filed under Item 12(a) hereto.
 
ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.
The Board of Trustees has determined that no member of the Audit Committee is an "audit committee financial expert" as that term is defined under applicable regulatory guidelines.

ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
(a) Audit Fees - The aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years (the “Reporting Periods”) for professional services rendered by the Registrant’s principal accountant for the audit of the Registrant’s annual financial statements, or services that are normally provided by the principal accountant in connection with the statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for the Reporting Periods, were $195,800 in 2013 and $223,800 in 2014.

(b) Audit-Related Fees – The aggregate fees billed in the Reporting Periods for assurance and related services rendered by the principal accountant that were reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the Registrant’s financial statements and are not reported under paragraph (a) of this Item 4 were $0 in 2013 and $0 in 2014.

(c) Tax Fees - The aggregate fees billed in the Reporting Periods for professional services rendered by the principal accountant to the Registrant for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning were $38,000 in 2013 and $44,000 in 2014. These services consisted of review or preparation of U.S. federal, state, local and excise tax returns.

(d) All Other Fees - The aggregate fees billed in the Reporting Periods for products and services provided by the principal accountant to the Registrant, other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item, were $0 in 2013 and $0 in 2014.

(e) (1) The Audit Committee reviews and approves in advance all audit and “permissible non-audit services” (as that term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission) to be rendered to a series of the Registrant (each, a “Series”). In addition, the Audit Committee reviews and approves in advance all “permissible non-audit services” to be provided to an investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser) of a Series, or an affiliate of such investment adviser, that is controlling, controlled by or under common control with the investment adviser and provides on-going services to the Registrant (“Affiliate”), by the Series’ principal accountant if the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Series. The Audit Committee considers whether fees paid by a Series’ investment adviser or an Affiliate to the Series’ principal accountant for audit and permissible non-audit services are consistent with the principal accountant’s independence.

(e) (2) No services included in (b) - (d) above were approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

(f) Not applicable

(g) The aggregate non-audit fees billed by the principal accountant for services rendered to the Registrant for the Reporting Periods were $0 in 2013 and $0 in 2014. There were no fees billed in either of the Reporting Periods for non-audit services rendered by the principal accountant to the Registrant’s investment adviser or any Affiliate.

(h) During the Reporting Period, the Registrant's principal accountant provided no non-audit services to the investment advisers or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the investment advisers to the series of the Registrant to which this report relates.
 
ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS.
Not applicable.

ITEM 6. INVESTMENTS.

(a)  
Included as part of report to shareholders under Item 1.

(b)  
Not applicable.
 
ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
Not applicable.

ITEM 9. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.
Not applicable.

ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
The Registrant does not accept nominees to the board of trustees from shareholders.

ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
(a) The Registrant’s Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have concluded that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”)) are effective, based on their evaluation of the controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the Act and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report.
 
 (b) There were no changes in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in
Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act) that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
 
ITEM 12. EXHIBITS.

(a)(1)  Code of Ethics (Exhibit filed herewith).

(a)(2) Certifications pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) of the Act, and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (Exhibits filed herewith)

(a)(3)  Not applicable.

(b)      Certifications pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) of the Act, and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (Exhibit filed herewith)

 
 
 
 
 
SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Registrant                      Forum Funds
 
By 
/s/ Stacey E. Hong
 
  Stacey E. Hong, Principal Executive Officer   
     
Date  May 30, 2014   
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 
By 
/s/ Stacey E. Hong
 
  Stacey E. Hong, Principal Executive Officer   
     
Date  May 30, 2014   
 
 
By 
/s/ Karen Shaw
 
  Karen Shaw, Principal Financial Officer   
     
Date  May 30, 2014