POS AMI 1 d910136dposami.htm POS AMI AMENDMENT NO. 40 POS AMI Amendment No. 40
Table of Contents

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

 

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

Amendment No. 40

File No. 811-1144

 

 

THE FINANCE COMPANY OF PENNSYLVANIA

 

 

400 Market Street

Suite 425

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106

215-351-4778

 

 

Mr. Charles E. Mather III, President

400 Market Street

Suite 425

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106

 

 

 


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PART A      2   

Item 1. Front and Back Cover Pages — NOT REQUIRED

     2   

Item 2. Risk/Return Summary: Investment Objectives/Goals — NOT REQUIRED

     2   

Item 3. Risk/Return Summary: Fee Table — NOT REQUIRED

     2   

Item 4. Risk/Return Summary: Investments, Risks and Performance — NOT REQUIRED

     2   

Item 5. Management

     2   

Item 6. Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

     3   

Item 7. Tax Information

     3   

Item 8. Financial Intermediary Compensation — NOT APPLICABLE

     3   

Item  9. Investment Objectives, Principal Investment Strategies, Related Risks, and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

     3   

Item 10. Management, Organization and Capital Structure

     5   

Item 11. Shareholder Information

     7   

Item 12. Distribution Arrangements

     8   

Item 13. Financial Highlights Information — NOT REQUIRED

     8   
PART B        9   

Item 15. Fund History

     10   

Item 16. Description of the Fund and Its Investments and Risks

     10   

Item 17. Management of the Fund

     14   

Item 18. Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities

     19   

Item 19. Investment Advisory and Other Services

     20   

Item 20. Portfolio Managers

     21   

Item 21. Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices

     24   

Item 22. Capital Stock and Other Securities

     24   

Item 23. Purchase, Redemption, and Pricing of Shares

     25   

Item 24. Taxation of the Fund

     25   

Item 25. Underwriters — NOT APPLICABLE

     28   

Item 26. Calculation of Performance Data

     28   

Item  27. Financial Statements — The required financial statements are included in a separate section following this item

     28   
PART C        56   

Item 28. Exhibits

     56   

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund

     56   

Item 30. Indemnification

     56   

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser — NONE

     57   

Item 32. Principal Underwriters — NOT APPLICABLE

     57   

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

     57   

Item 34. Management Services — NONE

     57   

Item 35. Undertakings — NOT APPLICABLE

     57   
SIGNATURES     


Table of Contents

THE FINANCE COMPANY OF PENNSYLVANIA

FORM N-1A

The Finance Company of Pennsylvania (the “Company”) does not sell its shares and thus, does not prepare a prospectus.

PART A

Item 1. Front and Back Cover Pages — NOT REQUIRED

Item 2. Risk/Return Summary: Investment Objectives/Goals — NOT REQUIRED

Item 3. Risk/Return Summary: Fee Table — NOT REQUIRED

Item 4. Risk/Return Summary: Investments, Risks and Performance — NOT REQUIRED

Item 5. Management

Investment Advisers:

Cooke & Bieler, L.P. (“Cooke & Bieler”), acts as an investment adviser (without investment discretion) to the Company with respect to the Company’s portfolio of equity securities and investments.

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (“Schroders”), acts as an investment adviser to the Company with respect to the Company’s portfolio of fixed income securities and investments.

Portfolio Managers:

Cooke & Bieler

 

Portfolio Manager

  

Experience with the Company

  

Title with Adviser

Michael M. Meyer, CFA    Since 1993    Partner, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst
Steve Lyons, CFA    Since 2006    Partner, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst
Edward W. O’Connor, CFA    Since 2002    Partner, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst
R. James O’Neil, CFA    Since 1988    Partner, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst
Mehul Trivedi, CFA    Since 1998    Partner, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst
William Weber, CFA    Since 2010    Principal, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst
John Pickering    Since 2006    Partner and Portfolio Manager
Andrew Armstrong    Since 2014    Principal and Research Analyst

Schroders

 

Portfolio Manager

  

Experience with the Company

  

Title with Adviser

Susan Beck    Since 2005    Co-Head of Tax-Exempt Fixed Income
Dan Scholl    Since 2005    Co-Head of Tax-Exempt Fixed Income
Whitney Sweeney    Since 2006   

Investment Director

 

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Portfolio Manager

  

Experience with the Company

  

Title with Adviser

Ryan Haynes    Since 2005   

Trader

Dennis C. Darling    Since 2008    Portfolio Manager

Item 6. Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Company does not sell its shares. The Company does, however, hold itself ready to redeem any of its outstanding shares at net asset value as determined on the day of final tender of the shares or on the next day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open. Shares of the Company may be redeemed by mail by writing directly to the Company.

Item 7. Tax Information

The Company has adopted the policy of paying out in dividends each year substantially all net investment income. Distributions received from the Company generally will be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax advantaged account. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, consistent with existing policy, the Company pays the applicable Federal capital gains tax for shareholders and retains the net balance for reinvestment, except to the extent that such gains are considered to have been distributed to redeeming shareholders. Each year the Company advises its stockholders of the amount of capital gains taxes paid which is attributable to them, and they may claim a credit for this amount on their federal income tax returns.

Item 8. Financial Intermediary Compensation NOT APPLICABLE

Item 9. Investment Objectives, Principal Investment Strategies, Related Risks, and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

The business purposes of the Company, as set forth in its Articles of Incorporation, are to own, purchase and sell securities of business enterprises of any nature whatsoever; to own, hold, use, purchase and sell real and personal property of any nature whatsoever as principal and not as agent; and to carry on the business of an open-end investment company, as defined under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law (as in effect on December 29, 1961). The Company’s investment objective in carrying out its business as an investment company is to seek long-term appreciation of its shareholders’ capital. Further reference is made to Item 16 of Part B of this Registration Statement for a description of its investment policies.

The Company invests primarily in common stocks and to a lesser extent fixed income securities. It also invests in U.S. Treasury notes and bills and registered money market funds as a liquidity technique to cover redemptions and as a temporary investment pending a decision to redeploy the proceeds of securities that were sold. The company may also invest in other registered investment companies and may write call options on securities it owns.

The authority to make, alter, amend or repeal these objectives is vested in the Board of Directors, subject to the power of the stockholders to approve such action. Item 16 of Part B identifies the investment policies of the Company which require stockholder approval to change.

The Board of Directors of the Company oversees the investment of its assets in order to preserve capital and produce income for the stockholders. The Board utilizes the services of Cooke & Bieler to provide recommendations with respect to the investment of a portion of its equity holdings. Cooke & Bieler does not provide recommendations to the Board with respect to several of the Company’s holdings, such as PNC Bank Corp., Penn Virginia Corporation, Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Coca Cola Co., fixed income securities, the international and small cap mutual funds in which the Company invests and the money market funds, Treasury Notes and other short term investments used for the Company’s liquidity needs, such as redemptions, dividends and taxes. Cooke & Bieler’s style can be characterized as value oriented, and thus the overall approach of the Company to its equity portfolio may also be characterized as a value style. The Company has engaged the services of Schroder to provide the day-to-day investment management of the portion of the Company’s assets devoted to fixed-income investments, which are limited to investment grade fixed-income investments or their unrated equivalents as determined by Schroder. If an investment grade security is subsequently downgraded to non-investment grade after purchase by the Company, the Company may continue to hold such security in the discretion of Schroder.

 

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Schroder’s practices a duration-neutral, relative value fixed income discipline. The term duration neutral means that the duration of the Company’s fixed-income portfolio managed by Schroder will generally resemble the duration of the Barclays Aggregate Bond Index, the benchmark for the Company’s fixed-income portfolio managed by Schroder (the “benchmark”). Relative value refers to Schroder’s process of identifying the intrinsic value of a security based on certain characteristics (e.g., credit quality premium and structure premium) to determine a target yield for each security. The target yield is then compared to the yield of a risk-free security (i.e., Treasury Yield) of a similar maturity. Relative value can be assessed versus the risk-free rate and both within and across sectors. Schroder’s team focuses its efforts on identifying attractive issues from the bottom up, capitalizing on pricing inefficiencies identified through fundamental research. The Schroder team specifically avoids interest rate forecasting and sector rotation as they believe these techniques add no long-term value and cause unnecessary principal risk. When fully invested, the average effective duration of the Company’s fixed-income portfolio managed by Schroder will normally vary by no more than one year from the average effective duration of the benchmark.

The Company does not engage in active trading; on the contrary, it makes a value judgment on the worth of an organization and tends to hold the security for the long term. The Board considers its investment approach to be generally conservative, and thus the risks are those risks generally applicable to the equity and fixed income markets. It has limited (under 10% in the aggregate) exposure to international securities and small cap securities which may involve more risks than the broad market. Also, it has had a significant portion of its assets invested in PNC Bank Corp. and ExxonMobil Corporation, and thus is subject to the risks inherent in investing in banking institutions and oil and gas companies, respectively, and having a significant portion of its assets committed to two securities.

Risks of Non-Diversification and Focus on Banking and Oil and Gas Companies. The Company has held shares of PNC Bank Corp. and its predecessors for over 40 years. Its holdings in PNC stock amount to approximately 15.33% of its portfolio and its holdings of ExxonMobil amounted to approximately 16.36% of its portfolio, each as of March 31, 2014. While the rest of its portfolio is diversified among various sectors, the Company is subject to the risk that the banking industry and financial services sector and oil and gas companies generally will underperform the broader market, as well as the risk that issuers in those sectors will be impacted by market conditions, legislative or regulatory changes or competition. The Company may also be more susceptible to changes in interest rates and other market and economic factors that affect financial services firms, including the effect of interest rate changes on the share prices of those financial service firms. In addition, the Company will be subject to the risks applicable to the oil and gas sector. Companies in the oil and gas sector will be affected by changes in worldwide energy prices and exploration and production spending; adverse effects from changes in exchange rates, government regulation (e.g., higher taxes or other regulatory actions that increase costs), world events, economic conditions, warmer winters and energy efficiency; market, economic and political risks of the countries where these companies are located or do business; risk for environmental damage claims; and risks related to terrorism.

Equity Risk. Since it purchases primarily equity securities, the Company is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of the Company’s equity securities may fluctuate drastically from day-to-day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. These factors contribute to price volatility which is a principal risk of owning shares in the Company.

Fixed Income Risk. The market values of fixed income investments change in response to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to perceptions about the creditworthiness of individual issuers, including governments. During periods of rising interest rates, the values of outstanding fixed income securities generally decrease. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. During periods of falling interest rates, certain debt obligations with high interest rates may be prepaid (or “called”) by the issuer prior to maturity. Declines in dealer market-making capacity as a result of structural or regulatory changes could decrease liquidity and/or increase volatility in the fixed income markets. In response to these events, the Company’s value may fluctuate and/or the Company may experience increased redemptions from shareholders, which may impact the Company’s liquidity or force the Company to sell securities into a declining or illiquid market. In addition to these risks, fixed income securities may be subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that an issuer will be unable to make timely payments of either principal or interest.

International Investment Risk. The Company’s investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, or changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges). In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the United States. The securities of some foreign companies may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. The Company may also experience more rapid or extreme changes in value as compared to a fund that invests solely in securities of U.S. companies because the securities’ markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies representing a small number of industries.

Investment Company Risk. When the Company invests in an investment company, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the investment company’s expenses. In addition, while the risks of owning shares of an investment company generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the investment company, the Company may be subject to additional or different risks than if the Company had invested directly in the underlying investments. For example, the lack of liquidity in an exchange-traded fund could result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. Closed-end investment companies issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their net asset value. As a result, a closed-end fund’s share price fluctuates based on what another investor is willing to pay rather than on the market value of the securities in the fund.

Options Risk. The Company utilizes options strategies, and, therefore, the Company is subject to options risk. An option is a contract between two parties for the purchase and sale of a financial instrument for a specified price at any time during the option period. Unlike a futures contract, an option grants a right (not an obligation) to buy or sell a financial instrument. For example, an option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. The seller of an uncovered call option assumes the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The securities necessary to satisfy the exercise of the call option may be unavailable for purchase except at much higher prices. Purchasing securities to satisfy the exercise of the call option can itself cause the price of the securities to rise further, sometimes by a significant amount, thereby exacerbating the loss. The buyer of a call option assumes the risk of losing its entire premium invested in the call option. The seller (writer) of a put option that is covered (e.g., the writer has a short position in the underlying security) assumes the risk of an increase in the market price of the underlying security above the sales price (in establishing the short position) of the underlying security plus the premium received and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. The seller of an uncovered put option assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a put option assumes the risk of losing his entire premium invested in the put option.

Small- and Mid-Cap Risk. Small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. In particular, small- and mid-cap companies may

 

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have limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and may depend upon a relatively small management group. The securities of smaller companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and, even if listed on a national securities exchange, the trading market (i.e., the volume of trades on any given day) for such securities may be less active than larger companies listed on that exchange. Consequently, the securities of these companies may be less liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than the securities of larger, more established companies. As a result, the prices of the smaller companies owned by the Company may be volatile.

Value Investing Risk. Value investing focuses on companies whose stocks appear undervalued in light of factors such as the company’s earnings, book value, revenues or cash flow. If the Company’s investment adviser’s assessment of a company’s value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations or market conditions is wrong, the Company could suffer losses or produce poor performance relative to other funds. In addition, “value stocks” can continue to be undervalued by the market for long periods of time.

Portfolio Holdings. A description of the Company’s policy and procedures with respect to the circumstances under which the Company discloses its portfolio securities is available in Item 16 of Part  B of this Registration Statement.

Item 10. Management, Organization and Capital Structure

The Directors of the Company consist of five individuals, three of whom are not “interested persons” of the Company as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Directors of the Company are responsible for the overall supervision of the operations of the Company and perform the various duties imposed on the Directors of investment companies by the Investment Company Act of 1940.

COOKE & BIELER, L.P., which is located at 1700 Market Street, Suite 3222, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, acts as an investment adviser (without investment discretion) to the Company. Cooke & Bieler is retained to furnish reports, statistical and research services, and advise and make recommendations with respect to the Company’s portfolio of equity securities and investments. However, Cooke & Bieler is not authorized to take any action with respect to these equity securities and investments except upon the Board’s instructions and authorization. Cooke & Bieler is paid a fee at an annual rate of fifty basis points (0.50%) of the Company’s portfolio value less the value of certain investments as to which it has no investment responsibility. Cooke & Bieler’s investment advisory fee is payable monthly in arrears on the last day of each month. For the fiscal year ended 12/31/14, the Company paid Cooke & Bieler investment advisory fees of $133,813.

The following portfolio managers of Cooke & Bieler, L.P. provide advice and recommendations with respect to the Company’s portfolio of equity securities and investments: Messrs. Michael M. Meyer, Edward W. O’Connor, R. James O’Neil, John Pickering, Mehul Trivedi, Steve Lyons, William Weber and Andrew Armstrong CFA. The portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for the advice and recommendations provided to the Company. The biography of each of these portfolio managers is set forth below. Additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in the Company (if any) is available in Item 20 of Part B of this Registration Statement.

Michael M. Meyer, CFA, began his career at Sterling Capital Management as an equity analyst and head equity trader. He joined Cooke & Bieler in 1993 where he is currently a Partner, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. Mr. Meyer earned his B.A. in economics at Davidson College and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business.

Edward W. O’Connor, CFA, spent three years at Cambiar Investors in Denver, Colorado where he served as an equity analyst and portfolio manager and participated in Cambiar’s 2001 management buyout. He joined Cooke & Bieler in 2002 where he is currently a Partner, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. Mr. O’Connor earned his B.A. of Arts in economics and philosophy at Colgate University and his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

 

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R. James O’Neil, CFA, served as an Investment Officer in the Capital Markets Department at Mellon Bank beginning in 1984. He joined Cooke & Bieler in 1988 where he is currently a Partner, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. Mr O’Neil earned his B.A. in economics at Colby College and his M.B.A. from the Harvard School of Business.

Mehul Trivedi, CFA, was a fixed income analyst at Blackrock Financial Management and then a product manager at PNC Asset Management. He joined Cooke & Bieler in 1998 where he is currently a Partner, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. Mr. Trivedi earned his B.A. in international relations at the University of Pennsylvania, a B.S. in economics at the Wharton School of Business and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business.

Steve Lyons, CFA, worked in the investment services industry specializing in private equity and business valuation before returning to business school to complete his MBA. He joined Cooke & Bieler, where he is currently a Partner, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst, in the summer of 2005 as an intern and joined the firm permanently in August 2006. Mr. Lyons earned his B.S. in Finance at Arizona State University and his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

William Weber, CFA, graduated magna cum laude from Villanova University in 2002 with dual degrees in Finance and Engineering. He then worked at Cooke & Bieler for six years in various roles including marketing, operations and research support, before earning his MBA with honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2010. While at Booth, he co-managed the school’s Student Managed Investment Fund and interned at T. Rowe Price Associates as an equity research analyst. He returned to Cooke & Bieler in 2010 and currently is a Principal, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst.

John Pickering earned his undergraduate degree in 1978 from Harvard University, where he studied Economics and English, as well as captained the lightweight crew. John worked for over 20 years, including several as Managing Director, at Brown Bros. Harriman & Co., the private bank, in Philadelphia, Dublin and New York. Most recently, John was the Head of Wealth Management and an EVP at the Bryn Mawr Trust Company, based west of Philadelphia. He currently serves on the Boards of Episcopal Community Services (where he also chairs the Investment Committee), of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania and of Church Farm School, where he chairs the Audit Committee.

Andrew Armstrong, CFA, earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. He worked as an Associate at Cooke & Bieler for three years before joining Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management as an investment analyst in 2011. Andrew returned to Cooke & Bieler in 2014.

SCHRODER INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT NORTH AMERICA INC. (“SCHRODERS”), which is located at 875 Third Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, acts as an investment adviser to the Company. Schroders is retained to provide the Company investment research, advice and supervision and to continuously furnish a fixed income investment program for the Company’s portfolio of fixed income securities and investments. Schroders is paid a fee at an annual rate of 0.30% (30 basis points) of the value of the Company’s assets entrusted to Schroders. Schroder’s investment advisory fee is payable monthly in arrears on the last day of each month. For the fiscal year ended 12/31/14, the Company paid Schroders investment advisory fees of $18,783.

The following portfolio managers of Schroders are primarily responsible from making investment decisions for the Company’s portfolio of fixed income securities and investments: Dan Scholl, Whitney Sweeney, Susan Beck, Ryan Haynes and Dennis C. Darling. Ms. Beck and Mr. Scholl act as the lead portfolio managers for the Company. The other portfolio managers perform the following roles: conducting credit research and portfolio analysis, and trade securities. The biography of each of these portfolio managers is set forth below. Additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in the Company (if any) is available in Item 20 of Part B of this Registration Statement.

Susan Beck is Co-Head of Tax Exempt Fixed Income of Schroders and has been employed as an investment fund professional at Schroders since fall 2003. Previously, she was a Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Deutsche Asset Management since 1989.

Dan Scholl is Co-Head of Tax Exempt Fixed Income of Schroders and has been employed as an investment professional at Schroders since fall 2003. Previously, he was a Director and Portfolio Manager of Deutsche Asset Management since 1999.

Whitney Sweeney is an Investment Director of Schroders and has been employed as investment fund professional at Schroders since June 2006. Previously, she was an Assistant Vice President at MBNA Bank.

Ryan Haynes is a Trader of Schroders and has been employed at Schroders since November 2003.

Dennis C. Darling is a Portfolio Manager of Schroders and has been employed as an investment fund professional at Schroders since April 2008. Previously, he was a Vice President with W. H. Mell (2004-2008).

 

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A discussion regarding the Board of Directors’ consideration with respect to the approval of each of the Company’s investment advisory agreements is included in the Company’s June 30, 2014 Semi-Annual Shareholder Report, which covers the period January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2014.

U.S. Bank National Association is the Company’s Custodian. U.S. Bank National Association is located at 615 E. Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. The custodian is responsible for the daily safekeeping of securities and cash held or sold by the Company.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP acts as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. Deloitte & Touche is located at 1700 Market Street, Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19103.

The Company acts as its own transfer agent, dividend paying agent, and registrar.

Total expenses for the Company during fiscal year 2014 were $880,331 or 1.48% of the Company’s average net assets.

The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 232,000 shares of capital stock, par value $10 each. Each share has equal dividend, distribution and liquidation rights. All dividends and distributions are payable in cash. Each holder of capital stock has one vote for each share held. Voting rights are cumulative for directors. The registrant met the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code during the last fiscal year and does not anticipate any change in such status. The Company has adopted the policy of paying out in dividends each year substantially all of its net investment income. Currently, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Company pays the applicable Federal capital gains tax for shareholders and retains the net balance for reinvestment, except to the extent that such gains are considered distributed to redeeming shareholders. Shareholder inquiries should be directed to the Company by writing or telephoning the Company at the address or telephone number indicated on the cover of this registration statement.

Item 11. Shareholder Information

Shares of the Company may be redeemed by mail by writing directly to the Company. The redemption request must be signed exactly as the shareholder’s name appears on the form of registration and must include the account number. If shares are owned by more than one person, the redemption request must be signed by all owners exactly as their names appear in the registration. Stock certificates must be tendered along with the signed redemption request. Shares are generally redeemed in-kind. The Company has adopted a policy of meeting shareholder redemptions in whole or in part, at the discretion of the Board, through the distribution of readily marketable securities. A shareholder will incur brokerage charges and other costs and may be exposed to market risk in selling the distributed securities. At the discretion of the Board of the Company, shares may be redeemed in whole or in part for cash.

The net asset value per share of the Company is computed by dividing the total value of the assets of the Company, less its liabilities, by the total number of outstanding shares. Computations are made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, valuing each listed security at its last sale price on the day on which the determination is made, or if no price is available, the latest bid price is used. Securities listed on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ official closing price. Securities traded over-the-counter are valued at the mean of the latest available bid and asked prices. Securities for which market quotations are not readily available, such as The Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors.

 

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Examples of when the Company may fair value a security include: when a security is de-listed or its trading is halted or suspended; when a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; when a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or when a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. By fair valuing securities, the Company seeks to establish prices that the Company might expect to realize upon the current sales of these securities. However, due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the Company could obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Company Shares. The Company does not sell its shares and, therefore, the Board of Directors has not adopted procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Company shares.

Dividends, Distribution and Tax Information. Income dividends are normally declared and paid quarterly and, to the extent that a net capital gain distribution is made, it would normally be declared in December each year and paid in the following January for the preceding year.

Please consult your tax advisor regarding your specific questions about federal, state and local income taxes. The Company has elected to be taxed as a regulated investment company and intends to meet the requirements set forth in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) to retain its status as such. The Company intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income. The dividends and distributions you receive, whether in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Company, may be subject to federal, state and local taxation, depending upon your tax situation. Income distributions (including net short-term capital gains), other than distributions of qualified dividend income, are generally taxable at ordinary income tax rates. Capital gains distributions, if any, and distributions that are reported by the Company as qualified dividend income are generally taxable at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, consistent with existing policy, the Company intends to designate its net capital gains as “undistributed capital gains” which will be subject to tax at corporate rates. The Company’s shareholders will be required to include their share of such undistributed amount into their income for federal income tax purposes as long-term capital gain. Shareholders will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Company on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Company will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder as described above.

Each sale of Company shares may be a taxable event. The gain or loss on the sale of Company shares generally will be treated as a short-term capital gain or loss if you held the shares for 12 months or less or a long-term capital gain or loss if you held the shares for longer.

In addition to the federal income tax described above, U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net investment income,” including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of the Company).

Item 12. Distribution Arrangements

 

  a) Sales Loads — None.

 

  b) Rule 12b-1 Fees — None.

 

  c) Multiple Class and Master-Feeder Funds — Not applicable.

Item 13. Financial Highlights Information — NOT REQUIRED.

 

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PART B

THE FINANCE COMPANY OF PENNSYLVANIA

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

April 30, 2015

The Finance Company of Pennsylvania (the “Company”) does not sell its shares and thus, does not prepare a prospectus. This Statement of Additional Information is not a Prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with Part A of this Registration Statement. Copies of the Registration Statement may be obtained by writing to The Finance Company of Pennsylvania, 400 Market Street, Suite 425, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106.

 

Table of Contents    Page  

Fund History

     10   

Description of the Fund and Its Investment and Risks

     10   

Management of the Fund

     14   

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities

     19   

Investment Advisory and Other Services

     20   

Portfolio Managers

     21   

Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices

     24   

Capital Stock and Other Securities

     24   

Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares

     25   

Taxation of the Fund

     25   

Underwriters

     28   

Calculation of Performance Data

     28   

Financial Statements

     28   

 

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Item 15. Fund History

The Company was organized as a corporation by a special act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, approved May 12, 1871.

The Company, until December 29, 1961, carried on its business under a special charter granted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, approved May 12, 1871. Until December 29, 1961, it was engaged in the business of banking; it also held certain investments and parcels of real estate. On December 29, 1961, it filed Articles of Amendment with the Bureau of Corporations, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending its charter to permit it to act as an open-end investment company; and on that date an agreement with the Secretary of Banking of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was entered into under which the Commonwealth recognized that the company was no longer engaged in the banking business.

Item 16. Description of the Fund and Its Investments and Risks

 

  (a) Classification. The Company is a nondiversified, open-end management investment company.

 

  (b) Investment Strategies and Risks. None except as described in Item 9.

 

  (c) Policies. In addition to the investment objectives and policies set forth under Item 9 of Part A, the Company has adopted the following policies relating to the investment of its assets and its activities, which are fundamental policies and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Company’s outstanding voting securities as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Fundamental Policies of the Company:

 

  i) The issuance of senior securities: the Company has not issued any senior securities, and it does not propose to issue any senior securities.

 

  ii) The borrowing of money: the Company has not borrowed money, and it does not propose to borrow money.

 

  iii) The underwriting of securities of other issuers: the Company has not underwritten securities of other issuers, and it does not propose to underwrite securities of other issuers.

 

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  iv) The concentration of investments in particular industries: The Company will not concentrate its investments in a particular industry, as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time, except that the Company may invest without limitation in: (i) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities; and (ii) tax-exempt obligations of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions.

 

  v) The purchase and sale of real estate or commodities: the Company has neither purchased nor sold commodities, commodity contracts or real estate, nor does it propose to do so in the future.

 

  vi) Making loans: The Company does not make loans.

 

  vii) Other Policies: The Company reserves freedom of action to, and from time to time, may invest in any type of security or property whatever, to the extent permitted by law. It is the policy of the Company to engage as its principal activity in the business of investing and reinvesting its capital in a widely diversified portfolio of securities with a view to holding those which appear to offer sound possibilities of current income and future growth of principal. To the extent that the Company presently owns securities of various corporations, it is its policy to retain those investments, adding to them if deemed advisable by the Board of Directors or the investment adviser, as applicable, so long as they appear to meet the criteria set forth above.

The Company may write call options on securities it owns, up to 5% of its total assets. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period. The premium paid to the writer is the consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract. The initial purchase (sale) of an option contract is an “opening transaction.” In order to close out an option position, the Company may enter into a “closing transaction,” which is simply the sale (purchase) of an option contract on the same security with

 

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the same exercise price and expiration date as the option contract originally opened. If the Company is unable to effect a closing transaction with respect to an option it has written, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or the Company delivers the security upon exercise.

The Company may write covered call options as a means of increasing the yield on its assets and as a means of providing limited protection against decreases in its market value. When the Company sells an option, if the underlying securities do not increase or decrease to a price level that would make the exercise of the option profitable to the holder thereof, the option generally will expire without being exercised, and the Company will realize as profit the premium received for such option. When a call option written by the Company is exercised, the Company will be required to sell the underlying securities to the option holder at the strike price, and will not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price.

Except as described above as to covered call options, the Company will not write or purchase options, including puts, calls, straddles, spreads or any combination thereof. Nor will the Company purchase or sell commodities, commodity contracts, oil, gas or mineral exploration or development programs, or real estate (although investments in marketable securities of companies engaged in such activities are not precluded in this restriction).

The Company may invest in fixed income securities, preferred stocks and common stocks of other issuers and securities of other investment companies. It reserves the right to invest in such securities in any proportion deemed advisable by its Board of Directors.

Except as noted above, the Company may invest no more than 25% of its assets in the securities of any one issuer, based on a valuation of its assets at the time of any investment in such securities.

It is not the policy of the Company to invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.

The Company reserves the right to invest in securities of other investment companies if deemed advisable by its Board of Directors or the investment adviser, as applicable, within the limits prescribed by the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

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  (d) Temporary Defensive Position. The Board has no policy with respect to taking temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Company’s principal investment strategies as described in Item 9, but the Company may take such temporary defensive positions if deemed advisable by its Board of Directors or its investments advisers.

 

  (e) Portfolio Turnover. The Company has no restrictions upon portfolio turnover of its investments. However, it is not the Company’s policy to engage in portfolio transactions with the objective of seeking profits from short-term trading. It does reserve the right, if deemed advisable or necessary by its Board of Directors or the investment adviser, as applicable, to sell any asset at any time, regardless of the holding period.

 

  (f) Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. The Company’s Board of Directors has approved a policy and procedures that governs the timing and circumstances regarding the disclosure of Company portfolio holdings information to shareholders and third parties. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information regarding the Company’s portfolio securities is in the best interests of Company shareholders, and include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the Company’s shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Company’s investment advisers on the other.

Pursuant to applicable law, the Company is required to disclose its complete portfolio holdings quarterly, within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter (currently, each March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31). The Company discloses a complete schedule of investments in each semi-annual report and annual report to shareholders or, following the first and third fiscal quarters, in quarterly holdings reports filed with the SEC on Form N-Q. Semi-annual and annual reports are distributed to Company shareholders. Quarterly holdings reports filed with the SEC on Form N-Q are not distributed to Company shareholders, but are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

In addition to the above, the Company’s policy is to provide information regarding portfolio holdings, or information derived from the Company’s portfolio holdings, ONLY to shareholders and service providers of the Company. This information will be made available to any shareholder upon his or her written request to the Secretary of the Company. Any officer or Director of the Company can authorize the release of the Company’s portfolio holdings information to a shareholder. The portfolio holdings information released to a shareholder will be current as of the most recent date that the Company calculated its net asset value. The Company does not permit selective disclosure of its portfolio holdings.

The Company’s policy prohibits the Company and its investment advisers from receiving any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of information about portfolio securities.

The Company’s service providers, such as its custodian and investment advisers, may receive portfolio holdings information as frequently as daily in connection with their services to the Company. In addition to any contractual provisions relating to confidentiality of information that may be included in the service providers’ contracts with the Company, these arrangements impose obligations on the Company’s service providers that would prohibit them from disclosing or trading on the Company’s non-public information.

 

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Item 17. Management of the Fund

Information regarding directors and executive officers of the Company follows:

 

NAME, ADDRESS(1), POSITION(S)
HELD WITH

THE COMPANY, AND

AGE

   EXPIRATION
OF TERM OF
OFFICE AND
LENGTH OF
TIME SERVED
  

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S)

DURING PAST 5 YEARS

  

OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD

BY DIRECTOR DURING

THE PAST FIVE YEARS

   NUMBER OF
PORTFOLIOS
IN
FUND
COMPLEX
OVERSEEN BY
DIRECTOR

INTERESTED

DIRECTORS(2)

           

Charles E. Mather III

Director and President

Age: 80

   2017

34 years

   President and Director of Mather Brothers Company with which he has been associated for more than five years    Director of Penn Series Funds, Inc., (2002-2011), a registered investment company consisting of 29 portfolios.    1

Herbert S. Riband, Jr.

Director and Treasurer

Age: 78

   2016
21 years
   Of counsel to the law firm of Saul, Ewing LLP    Director of Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company    1
NON-INTERESTED DIRECTORS            

Jonathan D. Scott

Director

Age: 62

   2018
25 years
   Partner, Veritable, L.P. (investment consulting firm). Formerly, Senior Vice President, PNC Bank Corp.    None    1

Peter Bedell

Director

Age: 77

   2016
11 years
  

Retired. Formerly

Executive Vice-President, Burke Lawton Brewer & Burke (investment adviser).

   None    1

Henry F. Reichner

Director

Age: 54

   2017

1 year

   Attorney & Partner, Reed Smith LLP, with which he has been associated for more than 5 years.    None    1

 

(1) The address of all Directors is 400 Market Street, Suite, 425, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
(2) The two interested directors are classified as such because they are executive officers of the Company.

 

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Board of Directors

The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the Company’s affairs. It retains and reviews its chief executive and chief financial officers who have overall daily responsibility for the Company’s affairs. The Board also retains the overall investment responsibility for the Company’s equity investments after receiving recommendations from Cooke & Bieler, L.P., an investment adviser to the Company.

The Board has two standing committees: Executive Committee and Audit Committee. The Executive Committee, composed of Messrs. Mather and Riband, meets only under unusual circumstances when the full Board cannot meet, and its authority is thereby limited. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, the Audit Committee was composed of Messrs. Scott, Bedell, Reichner and Shaun F. O’Malley, each a non-interested director of the Company. Mr. O’Malley passed away in late February 2015 and the Audit Committee is now composed of Messrs. Scott, Bedell and Reichner. This Committee is responsible principally for recommending the Company’s independent accountants, reviewing the adequacy of the Company’s internal accounting controls and reviewing auditing fees. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, the Executive Committee met once and the Audit Committee met twice. All members of the committees attended each meeting.

No officer or director of the Company has any employment or ownership relationship with Cooke & Bieler, L.P. or Schroder Investment Management North America, Inc., the Company’s investment advisers.

The following table sets forth the dollar-value range of Common Stock of the Company beneficially owned by the directors of the Company, as of December 31, 2014:

 

DIRECTORS    DOLLAR RANGE OF SHARES
INTERESTED DIRECTORS    OWNED BENEFICIALLY(1)
Charles E. Mather III    Over $100,000
Herbert S. Riband, Jr.    $10,001-$50,000
INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS   
Jonathan D. Scott    None
Peter Bedell    $10,001-$50,000
Henry F. Reichner    None

 

(1) For purposes of this Registration Statement, beneficial ownership of shares is defined in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and means generally the power to vote or dispose of the shares, regardless of any economic interest therein.

COMPENSATION. The Company pays each Director who is not a salaried officer an annual fee and a fee for each meeting of the Board and each meeting of the Executive Committee and Audit Committee actually attended. Aggregate remuneration for all officers and directors as a group (9 persons) during the year was $332,518, including $81,350 paid to directors who were not salaried officers of the Company. The Company rented office space from Mr. Mather’s employer, Mather Brothers Company, for an annual rent of $22,956. The Board, with Mr. Mather abstaining, approved such rental payments as being in the Company’s best interests.

The aggregate compensation paid by the Company to each of its directors and each of the three highest paid executive officers who received more than $60,000 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 is set forth in the table below. None of the Company’s directors is a director of any other investment company in a “fund complex” with the Company (that is, an investment company held out to investors as being related to the Company and that receives investment advisory services from the Company’s investment adviser or any affiliated person of the Company’s investment adviser) and, therefore, the column for compensation paid by the Company and a fund complex is omitted.

 

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Name

  Aggregate Compensation
from the Company
    Pension or Retirement
Benefit  Accrued as Part of
Company Expenses
    Estimated Annual Benefits
Upon Retirement
 

Interested Directors

     

Charles E. Mather, III

  $ 98,000   1/   $ 0      $ 0   

Herbert S. Riband, Jr.

  $ 18,500      $ 0      $ 0   

Non-Interested Directors

     

Jonathan D. Scott

  $ 16,700      $ 0      $ 0   

Shaun F. O’Malley 2/

  $ 16,700      $ 0      $ 0   

Peter Bedell

  $ 16,700      $ 0      $ 0   

Henry F. Reichner

  $ 12,750      $ 0      $ 0   

Officer

     

William S. McNish, Chief Compliance Officer

  $ 55,000      $ 0      $ 0   

 

1/ Mr. Mather receives no compensation for serving as director of the Company.
2/ Mr. O’Malley passed away in February 2015.

Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Company are overseen by the Directors. The Board has approved contracts under which certain companies provide essential management services to the Company. The Board of Directors of the Company oversees the investment of its assets in order to preserve and grow capital and produce income for the stockholders. The Company has engaged Cooke & Bieler to act as a non-discretionary investment adviser with respect to certain of the Company’s equity holdings. In this regard, Cooke & Bieler provides recommendations to the Board with regard to purchase and sale transactions involving these holdings. However, Cooke & Bieler is not authorized to take any action with respect to these holdings except upon the Board’s instructions and authorization. The Company has engaged the services of Schroders to provide the day-to-day investment management of most of the Company’s assets devoted to fixed-income investments. The Company has engaged the services of U.S. Bancorp for the daily safekeeping of securities and cash held or sold by the Company. The Company has engaged the services of Deloitte & Touche LLP to act as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

The day-to-day business of the Company, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as Cooke & Bieler and Schroders (together, the “Advisers”). The Directors are responsible for overseeing the Company’s service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management is the process of identifying and addressing risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, investment performance or reputation of the Company. The Company and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various possible risk-related events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. The Board has emphasized to the Company’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

The Company’s service providers periodically present the Board with information concerning their compliance with the investment objectives, strategies and limitations of the Company. Additionally, Cooke & Bieler and Schroders each provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Advisers and other service providers such as the Company’s independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Company may be exposed.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Company by the Advisers and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, in connection with its consideration of whether to annually renew the Advisory Agreements between the Company and each of the Advisers, the Board annually reviews each Adviser’s services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Advisers’ adherence to the Company’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Company policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations.

 

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The Company’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and the Company’s risk assessments. At least annually, the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Company’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Advisers. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Company and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board receives reports from the Company’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Company’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Company and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Company management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Company’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Company’s financial statements.

From their review of these reports and discussions with the Advisers, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn about the material risks of the Company, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Company can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Company’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Directors as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Company’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Advisers and the Company’s other service providers each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Company’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.

Members of the Board. There are five members of the Board of Directors, three of whom are not interested persons of the Company, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (“independent Directors”). Charles E. Mather, III, an interested person of the Company, serves as President of the Company and is Chairman of the Board. Herbert S. Riband, Jr., an interested person of the Company, serves as the Treasurer of the Company and a Director. Messrs. Mather and Riband are classified as interested persons of the Company because they are executive officers of the Company. The Company does not have a single lead independent Director.

The Company has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Company. The Company made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent Directors constitute a majority (60%) of the Board, that the Audit Committee of the Board is comprised entirely of independent Directors, that the Company does not sell its shares, and the amount of assets under management in the Company. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the independent Directors from Company management.

 

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The Board of Directors has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and the Executive Committee. The Audit Committee is chaired by an independent Director and composed of all of the independent Directors. The Executive Committee, composed of Messrs. Mather and Riband, meets only under unusual circumstances when the full Board cannot meet, and its authority is thereby limited.

Individual Director Qualifications

The Company has concluded that each of the Directors should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Company provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Company, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Company’s shareholders. The Company has concluded that each of the Directors should serve as a Director based on their own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

The Company has concluded that Mr. Mather should serve as Director because of the experience he has gained as the President and Chief Executive Officer of an insurance brokerage and consulting firm and in his prior role as a director of another registered investment company consisting of 29 portfolios, his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as a director of the Company since 1981.

The Company has concluded that Mr. Riband should serve as Director because of the experience he gained as an attorney for a large law firm and as a director of a private company, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as a director of the Company since 1994.

The Company has concluded that Mr. Scott should serve as Director because of the experience he gained as a partner at an investment consulting firm and as a senior vice president at a major banking institution, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services and banking industries, and the experience he has gained serving as a director of the Company since 1990.

The Company has concluded that Mr. Bedell should serve as Director because of the experience he gained serving in a variety of executive-level positions for several investment advisory firms, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as a director of the Company since 2004.

The Company has concluded that Mr. Reichner should serve as Director because of the experience he gained as an attorney for a large law firm, his experience and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as a director on other boards.

In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Directors primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Company. Moreover, references to the qualifications, attributes and skills of Directors are pursuant to requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, do not constitute holding out of the Board or any Director as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not be deemed to impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.

Code of Ethics. The Company and its investment advisers, Cooke & Bieler, L.P., and Schroder Investment Management, North America, Inc., have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. The Company’s Code does not prohibit the investment by persons subject to the Code in securities that may be purchased by the Company. However, any such purchase is subject to preclearance and/ or reporting procedures. The Codes are on file with, and available to the public from, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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PROXY VOTING POLICY. The following is the Proxy Voting Policy (the “Policy”) of The Finance Company of Pennsylvania (the “Company”). The purpose of the Policy is to set forth the process by which the Company will vote proxies related to the assets in its investment portfolio (the “portfolio securities”). The Policy may be amended only by the Board. The Board shall review the Policy at its discretion, and make any revisions thereto as deemed appropriate.

Proxy Voting Policy. The Company’s Policy is to vote all proxies for portfolio securities in a manner considered by the Board to be in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders without regard to any benefit to any other person or entities. In furtherance of this Policy, the Board may delegate the authority and responsibility to vote all proxies related to the Company’s portfolio securities to one of its members (the “Designee”) subject to the general oversight responsibilities of the entire Board.

The Policy of the Company is to examine each proxy proposal and vote against the proposal when, in its judgment, approval or adoption of the proposal would be expected to adversely impact the current or potential market value of the issuer’s securities or the best interests of the Company’s shareholders. The Company determines the best interests of its shareholders in light of the potential economic return on the Company’s investment.

On occasions when the Board determines that the cost associated with the attempt to vote a particular proxy outweighs the potential benefits shareholders may derive from voting, including voting foreign proxies, the Board may decide not to attempt to vote such proxy.

Conflicts of Interest. Because the responsibility for voting all proxies related to the Company’s portfolio securities is retained by the Board, the Company does not foresee any instance in which a proxy proposal would present a material conflict of interest between the Company and/or its Board and the Company’s shareholders. Nevertheless, if a Designee has any relationship with a party making a proposal or there is any other matter known to such Designee that would reasonably be considered to create the potential for a material conflict of interest between such Designee and the Company’s shareholders, the Designee is required to disclose such fact to the Board. If it is determined that a Designee has a material conflict of interest with respect to a given proposal, the Board will designate another member of the Board as its Designee for the purpose of voting on such proposal or will vote on such proposal in accordance with the recommendations provided by an independent unaffiliated proxy firm (e.g., Institutional Shareholder Services). In the unlikely instance that the Board determines that a proxy proposal presents a material conflict of interest between the Company and its shareholders, the Board will vote such proxies in accordance with the recommendations provided by an independent unaffiliated proxy firm.

Proxy Voting Record. The Company is required to disclose annually the Company’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. The Company’s proxy voting record for the most recent 12 month period ended June 30th is available upon request by calling
1-215-351-4778 (you may call collect) or by writing to the Company at The Finance Company of Pennsylvania, 400 Market Street, Suite 425, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106. The Company’s Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Item 18. Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities

As of April 24, 2015, the following stockholders were beneficial owners, having voting and investment power, or sharing voting and investment power, of more than 5% of the capital stock of the Company.

 

TITLE OF
CLASS

  

NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER

   NO. OF
SHARES
     PERCENT OF
CLASS
 
Common    PNC Bank, sole trustee of various trusts, 620 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222      28,826         66.14
Common    PNC Bank, as co-trustee, custodian or adviser/agent of other accounts, 620 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222      2,590         5.94

 

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While PNC Bank has the power to vote over 25% of the Company’s outstanding shares and this falls within the definition of “control person,” it may exercise the voting power only as a fiduciary to the many individual trusts of which it is trustee or co-trustee. Accordingly, the Company does not believe PNC Bank is actually a controlling person.

Management Ownership. As of April 24, 2015 the aggregate amount of shares owned by the officers and directors of the Company is less than 1%.

Item 19. Investment Advisory and Other Services

Cooke & Bieler, L.P. (“C&B”), which is located at 1700 Market Street, Suite 3222, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, acts as an investment adviser (without investment discretion) to the Company pursuant to an investment advisory agreement dated April 29, 2005. C&B is retained to furnish reports, statistical and research services, and advise and make recommendations with respect to a certain portion of the Company’s portfolio of equity securities and investments. However, C&B is not authorized to take any action with respect to these equity securities and investments except upon the Board’s instructions and authorization. C&B is a Pennsylvania limited partnership. The general partner of C&B is CBGP, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company, the managers of which are John P. McNiff, Linda N. Perna, Mehul Trivedi and Michael M. Meyer. Linda N. Perna, Mehul Trivedi and Michael M. Meyer are also limited partners of C&B while John P. McNiff is also the general partner of C&B Partner, L.P which is also a limited partner of C&B.

As compensation for its services, the Company pays C&B an investment advisory fee at an annual rate of fifty basis points (0.50%) (the “Fee”). The Fee is payable monthly in arrears on the last day of each month. The Fee is determined based upon the value of the equity securities and investments of the Company at the end of the month immediately preceding the date of payment (the “Portfolio Value”). For purposes of calculating the Fee, Portfolio Value equals the market value of such assets, including cash, which is computed in the same manner as that used to establish the net asset value of the Company’s shares, except as noted in the following sentence. The following are excluded when calculating Portfolio Value: (a) the value of the holdings of the Company at the applicable dates in PNC Bank Corp. (formerly PNC Financial Corporation), Pennsylvania Warehousing & Safe Deposit Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, their successors, United States Treasury Notes, Dreyfus International Stock I, Oakmark International Fund I, Harbor International Fund, a series of Harbor Fund, the ETF shares of the Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund, a series of Vanguard International Equity Index Funds, and fixed income securities; (b) the value of the holdings of the Company at the applicable dates in such other companies as may be mutually agreed upon by the Company and C&B; and (c) the amount of any accrued liability for the payment of taxes on the net gains from the sales of the Company’s portfolio securities. The exclusion of the holdings listed above is appropriate as they are all holdings without any regular trading market or without an active regular market and/or with respect to each of which the officers and directors of the Company have particularly close knowledge or are other investment companies.

The total dollar amount paid by the Company to C&B under the investment advisory agreement for the last three fiscal years (2012, 2013 and 2014) was $102,528, $119,971 and $133,813 respectively.

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (“Schroder”), which is located at 875 Third Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, acts as an investment adviser to the Company pursuant to an investment advisory agreement dated April 29, 2005. Schroder is retained to provide the Company investment research, advice and supervision and to continuously furnish a fixed income investment program for the Company’s portfolio of fixed income securities and investments. Schroder is a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Schroder U.S. Holdings Inc. (“Schroder US”), which, in turn, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Schroder International Holdings (“SIH”). SIH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Schroder Administration Limited (“SAL”), which, in turn, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Schroder Holdings plc. (“Schroder Holding”). Schroder Holding is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Schroders plc. (“Schroders plc.”), which is a publicly-owned holding company organized under the laws of England. Almost half of the voting capital of Schroders plc. is owned by the Schroder family.

 

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As compensation for its services, the Company pays Schroder an investment advisory fee at an annual rate of 0.30% (30 basis points) of the value of the Company’s assets entrusted to Schroder. Schroder’s investment advisory fee is payable monthly in arrears on the last day of each month.

The total dollar amount paid by the Company to Schroder under the investment advisory agreement for the last three fiscal years (2012, 2013 and 2014) was $18,900, $18,295 and $18,783 respectively.

The investment advisory agreements between the Company and C&B and the Company and Schroder, each dated April 29, 2005, are scheduled to continue in effect for an initial two year term, and may be continued from year to year thereafter if approved by a majority vote of the Directors, including a majority vote of such Directors who are not interested persons of the Company or, as applicable, C&B or Schroder, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Each agreement can be terminated at any time and without penalty by the investment adviser on at least 30 days’ written notice and by the Company upon a vote of its Board or upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the Company’s outstanding voting securities. Each agreement also will terminate automatically upon its assignment, as such term is defined in the 1940 Act.

Item 20. Portfolio Managers

This section includes information about the Company’s portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Company shares they own (if any) and how they are compensated.

Cooke & Bieler, L.P.

The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the section in the Prospectus discussing the portfolio managers of Cooke & Bieler, L.P. The following portfolio managers of Cooke & Bieler, L.P. provide advice and recommendations with respect to the Company’s portfolio of equity securities and investments: Messrs. Michael M. Meyer, Edward W. O’Connor, R. James O’Neil, John Pickering, Mehul Trivedi, Steve Lyons, William Weber and Andrew Armstrong (together, the “Portfolio Managers”).

Management of Other Accounts. As of the Company’s most recent fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, each of the Portfolio Managers managed a total of two registered investment companies totaling $537 million in assets. They each also managed 173 other accounts totaling $4.0 billion. For nine of the other accounts (i.e., a non-registered investment company) totaling $336 million in assets, the investment advisory fee is based on the account’s performance.

Material Conflicts. The Portfolio Managers face inherent conflicts of interest in their day-to-day management because they manage multiple accounts. For instance, to the extent that the Portfolio Managers manage accounts with different investment strategies, they may from time to time be inclined to purchase securities, including initial public offerings, for one account but not for another account. Additionally, some of the accounts managed by Portfolio Managers have different fee structures, including performance fees, which are or have the potential to be higher or lower, in some cases significantly higher or lower, than the fees paid by the Company. This difference in fee structure may provide an incentive to the Portfolio Managers to allocate more favorable trades to the higher paying accounts.

To minimize the effects of these inherent conflicts of interest, C&B has adopted and implemented policies and procedures, including brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures, that it believes address the potential conflicts associated with managing portfolios for multiple clients and ensure that all clients are treated fairly and equitably. Additionally, C&B minimizes inherent conflicts of interest by assigning Portfolio Managers to accounts having similar objectives. Accordingly, security block purchases are allocated to all accounts with similar objectives in proportionate weightings.

 

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Compensation. As of the Company’s most recent fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, the Portfolio Managers were compensated using similar compensation structures among all accounts managed. They each received a fixed cash salary and an annual bonus from a bonus pool based on the pre-tax performance of individual securities selected by the Portfolio Managers. C&B measures performance of securities against the S&P 500 Index and the Russell 1000 Value Index for the Large Cap Value strategy accounts. Bonus allocations are determined by an annual peer review process conducted by the investment team. Allocations vary depending primarily on the four year rolling investment results attributed to each individual security. The Portfolio Managers also receive a fixed deferred compensation. Partners of Cooke & Bieler receive a return proportionate to their investment based upon the firm’s overall success.

Beneficial Ownership in the Company. As of the Company’s most recent fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, the Portfolio Managers did not beneficially own any securities of the Company.

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (“Schroders”)

The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the section in the Prospectus discussing the portfolio managers of Schroders. The following portfolio managers of Schroder are primarily responsible for making investment decisions for the Company’s portfolio of fixed income securities and investments: Dan Scholl, Susan Beck, Whitney Sweeney, Ryan Haynes and Dennis C. Darling.

Other Accounts Managed. The following table shows information regarding other accounts managed by the portfolio managers of the Company, as of December 31, 2014:

 

    

Number of

Accounts

  

Total Assets in

Accounts

    

Number of

Accounts where

Advisory Fee is

Based on Account

Performance

  

Total Assets in

Accounts where

Advisory Fee is

Based on Account

Performance

Registered

   NONE    $  NONE       None    None

Investment Companies

           

Other Pooled

   2    $ 145.84 MILLION       None    None

Investment Vehicles

           

Other Accounts

   130    $  839.06 MILLION       None    None

Material Conflicts of Interest. Whenever a portfolio manager of the Company manages other accounts, potential conflicts of interest exist, including potential conflicts between the investment strategy of the Company and the investment strategy of the other accounts. For example, in certain instances, a portfolio manager may take conflicting positions in a particular security for different accounts, by selling a security for one account and continuing to hold it for another account. In addition, the fact that other accounts require the portfolio manager to devote less than all of his or her time to the Company may be seen itself to constitute a conflict with the interest of the Company.

A portfolio manager may also execute transactions for another fund or account at the direction of such fund or account that may adversely impact the value of securities held by the Company. Securities selected for funds or accounts other than the Company may outperform the securities selected for the Company. Finally, if the portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, the Company may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of that opportunity across all eligible funds and accounts. Schroders’ policies, however, require that portfolio managers allocate investment opportunities among accounts managed by them in an equitable manner over time.

 

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The structure of a portfolio manager’s compensation may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A portfolio manager’s base pay tends to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management, which indirectly links compensation to sales. Also, potential conflicts of interest may arise since the structure of Schroders’ compensation may vary from account to account.

Schroders has adopted certain compliance procedures that are designed to address these, and other, types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation where a conflict arises.

Compensation. Each portfolio manager is paid in a combination of base salary and annual discretionary bonus, as well as the standard retirement, health and welfare benefits available to all Schroders employees. Base salary of Schroders employees is determined by reference to the level of responsibility inherent in the role and the experience of the incumbent, and is benchmarked annually against market data to ensure competitive salaries. Each portfolio manager’s base salary is fixed and is subject to an annual review and will increase if market movements make this necessary or if there has been an increase in his or her responsibilities.

Schroders’ methodology for measuring and rewarding the contribution made by portfolio managers combines quantitative measures with qualitative measures. Each portfolio manager is compensated in a combination of base salary and annual bonus, as well as the standard retirement, health and welfare benefits available to all Schroders employees. Base salary of Schroders employees is determined by reference to the level of responsibility inherent in the role and the experience of the incumbent, is benchmarked annually against market data to ensure competitive salaries, and is paid in cash. The portfolio managers’ base salary is fixed and is subject to an annual review and will increase if market movements make this necessary or if there has been an increase in responsibilities.

Each portfolio manager’s bonus is based in part on performance. Discretionary bonuses for portfolio managers may be comprised of an agreed contractual floor, a revenue component and/or a discretionary component. Any discretionary bonus is determined by a number of factors. At a macro level the total amount available to spend is a function of the compensation to revenue ratio achieved by Schroders globally. Schroders then assesses the performance of the division and of a management team to determine the share of the aggregate bonus pool that is spent in each area. This focus on “team” maintains consistency and minimizes internal competition that may be detrimental to the interests of Schroders clients. For each team, Schroders assesses the performance of their funds relative to competitors and to relevant benchmarks, which may be internally- and/or externally-based, over one and/or three year periods, the level of funds under management and the level of performance fees generated. Performance is evaluated for each quarter, year and since inception of the Fund. The portfolio managers’ compensation for other accounts they manage may be based upon such accounts’ performance.

For those employees receiving significant bonuses, a part may be deferred in the form of Schroders plc stock. These employees may also receive part of the deferred award in the form of notional cash investments in a range of Schroders funds. These deferrals vest over a period of three years and are designed to ensure that the interests of the employees are aligned with those of the shareholders of Schroders.

For the purposes of determining the portfolio managers’ bonuses, the relevant external benchmarks for performance comparison include the Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index as well as other relevant fixed income indices determined by client guidelines for Messrs. Scholl, Haynes and Darling and Mses. Beck and Sweeney as portfolio managers to the Company.

Beneficial Ownership in the Company. As of the Company’s most recent fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, the portfolio managers did not beneficially own any securities of the Company.

 

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Item 21. Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices

The Company’s investment advisers are responsible for implementing decisions for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities, including the negotiation of commissions and the allocation of principal business and portfolio brokerage. Purchases and sales of securities on a stock exchange or certain riskless principal transactions placed on NASDAQ are typically effected through brokers who charge a commission for their services. Purchases and sales of fixed income securities may be transacted with the issuer, the issuer’s underwriter, or a dealer. The Company does not usually pay brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fixed income securities, although the price of the securities generally includes compensation, in the form of a spread or a mark-up or mark-down, which is not disclosed separately. The prices the Company pays to underwriters of newly-issued securities usually include a commission paid by the issuer to the underwriter. Transactions placed through dealers who are serving as primary market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices.

During the past year the Company engaged in a number of brokerage transactions in the ordinary course of business with respect to its investments. Brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of securities for the Company’s portfolio during the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 amounted to $7,154, $10,052 and $9,807.91 respectively.

Although Cooke & Bieler, L.P. may not use commissions paid on Company portfolio transactions to obtain brokerage or research services, Cooke & Bieler has advised the Company that certain brokers who receive commissions from the Company make statistical and research services available to Cooke & Bieler. Such services consist of items such as basic reports on specific companies, quarterly updates on specific companies, statistical analyses of a specific industry, reports on the outlook for a particular industry, economic analyses of the domestic and foreign economies and analyses of standard portfolios (for example, diversification and beta factors) and reports of economic statistics. To the extent that they have value, these services may benefit not only the Company but also Cooke & Bieler and its other clients. However, the expenses of the Company will not necessarily be reduced as a result of the receipt of such services. The Company has been further advised that it is the policy of Cooke & Bieler to recommend for transactions of the Company those brokers who in its judgment will provide the best price and execution. In reaching its decision, Cooke & Bieler considers such factors as the rate of commission to be paid by the Company with rates paid by other institutional investors, the price of the security, the size, type and difficulty of the transaction and the brokers’ general execution and operational facilities.

Ite m 22. Capital Stock and Other Securities

The only class of capital stock authorized by the Company is Common Stock.

The following information applies to the common stock:

 

  (1) Dividend rights: each share has equal dividend rights, such rights to be determined by the Board of Directors.

 

  (2) Voting rights: one vote per share, cumulative voting for election of directors.

 

  (3) Liquidation rights: each share has equal liquidation rights, pro rata, after payment of all liabilities.

 

  (4) Preemptive rights: holders shall have preemptive rights in any issue for cash.

 

  (5) Conversion rights: none.

 

  (6) Redemption provisions: See Items 6 of Part A and 23 of Part B.

 

  (7) Sinking fund provisions: none.

 

  (8) Liability to further calls or assessment: none.

 

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Item 23. Purchase, Redemption, and Pricing of Shares

The redemption price for shares upon written request will be the net asset value per share as next computed after receipt of such request in good order by the Company. Payment for shares redeemed will be made typically within several days after receipt, if in good order, but no later than five working days after the valuation date.

Shares are generally redeemed in-kind. At the discretion of the Board of the Company, shares may be redeemed in whole or in part for cash. In either event, the redemption will be a taxable event to a shareholder, and thus could result in a capital gain, capital loss, or, in certain cases, ordinary income to the shareholder. The Company will only distribute readily marketable securities, which would be valued pursuant to the Company’s valuation procedures. When shares are redeemed in whole or in part in-kind, a shareholder will incur brokerage charges and other costs and may be exposed to market risk in selling the distributed securities. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the tax consequences of the redemption in their particular circumstances.

The Company has adopted a policy of meeting shareholder redemptions in whole or in part through the distribution of readily marketable securities. The Company may follow the practice of distributing selected appreciated securities to meet redemptions and may, within certain limits, use the selection of securities distributed to meet such redemptions as a tax efficient management tool. By distributing appreciated securities, the Company can reduce its position in such securities without realizing capital gains. Since the Company does not distribute its shares, the distribution of portfolio securities also enables the Company to avoid the forced sales of securities to raise cash for meeting redemptions. A redeeming shareholder of the Company who received securities would incur no more or less taxable income than if the redemption had been paid in cash.

The net asset value per share is computed by dividing the total value of the assets of the Company, less its liabilities, by the total number of outstanding shares. Computations are made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, valuing each listed security at its last sale price on the day on which the determination is made, or if no price is available, the latest bid price is used. Securities traded over-the-counter are valued at the mean of the latest available bid and asked prices. Securities for which quotations are not readily available, restricted securities and other assets are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors. The determination of a security’s fair value price often involves the consideration of a number of subjective factors and is therefore subject to the unavoidable risk that the value assigned to a security may he higher or lower than the security’s value would be if a reliable market quotation for the security was readily available. Securities listed on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ official closing price.

Item 24. Taxation of the Fund

The following is only a summary of certain additional federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Company and its shareholders that is intended to supplement the discussion contained in the Company’s prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Company or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Company’s prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.

The following general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.

Qualification as a RIC. The Company intends to qualify and will elect (or has elected) to be treated as a “regulated investment company” (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code. By following such a policy, the Company expects to reduce the amount of federal taxes to which it may be subject. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Company as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

 

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In order to be taxable as a RIC, the Company must distribute annually to its shareholders at least 90% of the Company’s net investment income (generally net investment income plus the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, less operating expenses) and at least 90% of the Company’s net tax exempt interest income, for each tax year, if any, to its shareholders (“Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Company’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, and certain other related income, including, generally, certain gains from options, futures, and forward contracts derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership; (ii) at the end of each fiscal quarter of the Company’s taxable year, at least 50% of the market value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Company’s total assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership; and (iii) at the end of each fiscal quarter of the Company’s taxable year, not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or two or more issuers that the Company controls and which are engaged in the same, or similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

If the Company fails to satisfy the qualifying income or the asset diversification tests in any taxable year, the Company may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the asset diversification requirements where the Company corrects the failure within a specified period. If these relief provisions are not available to the Company for any year in which it fails to qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally will be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and lower tax rates on qualified dividend income for individual shareholders. In addition, the Company could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC.

The treatment of capital loss carryovers for the Company is similar to the rules that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals, which provide that such losses are carried over indefinitely. If the Company has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), for a taxable year beginning after December 22, 2010 (a “Post-2010 Loss”), the excess of the Company’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Company’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Company’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Company’s next taxable year. The Company’s unused capital loss carryforwards that arose in taxable years that began on or before December 22, 2010 (“Pre-2011 Losses”) are available to be applied against future capital gains, if any, realized by the Company prior to the expiration of those carryforwards, generally eight years after the year in which they arose. The Company’s Post-2010 Losses must be fully utilized before the Company will be permitted to utilize carryforwards of Pre-2011 Losses. In addition, the carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Company experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

Federal Excise Tax. Notwithstanding the Distribution Requirement described above, which only requires the Company to distribute at least 90% of its annual investment company taxable income and the excess of its exempt interest income (but does not require any minimum distribution of net capital gain), the Company will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax to the extent it fails to distribute, by the end of any calendar year, at least 98% of the Company’s ordinary income for that year and 98.2% of the Company’s capital gain net income (the excess of short- and long-term capital gain over short- and long-term capital loss, less any undistributed capital gains subjected to corporate level rates described below) for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, plus certain other amounts. The Company intends to make sufficient distributions to avoid liability for federal excise tax, but can make no assurances that such tax will be completely eliminated. The Company may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate the Company investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Company to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.

 

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Shareholder Treatment. The Company receives income generally in the form of dividends and interest on investments. This income, plus net short-term capital gains, if any, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Company, constitutes the Company’s net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. Any distributions by the Company from such income will be taxable to you as ordinary income or at the lower capital gains rates that apply to individuals receiving qualified dividend income, whether you take them in cash or in additional shares. Distributions by the Company of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. If the Company were to be determined to be a non-publicly offered registered investment company, shareholders may be treated as receiving additional dividends equal to their share of the Company’s affected expense and as having paid such expenses. The Company’s dividends that are paid to its corporate shareholders and are attributable to qualifying dividends it received from U.S. domestic corporations may be eligible, in the hands of such shareholders, for the corporate dividends received deduction, subject to certain holding period requirements and debt financing limitations. Generally, and subject to certain limitations (including certain holding period limitations), a dividend will be treated as a qualifying dividend taxed at a current maximum rate to individuals of 20% if it has been received from a domestic corporation or certain foreign corporations. All dividends (including the deducted portion) must be included in your alternative minimum taxable income calculation.

A dividend or distribution received shortly after the purchase of shares of the Company reduces the net asset value of the shares by the amount of the dividend or distribution and, although in effect a return of capital, will be taxable to the shareholder. If the net asset value of shares were reduced below the shareholder’s cost by dividends or distributions representing gains realized on sales of securities, such dividends or distributions would be a return of investment though taxable to the shareholder in the same manner as other dividends or distributions.

The Company intends to designate its net capital gains as “undistributed capital gains” which will be subject to tax at corporate rates. The Company’s shareholders will be required to include their shares of such undistributed amount into their income for federal income tax purposes as long-term capital gain. Shareholders will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Company on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Company will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder as described above.

If the Company’s distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to the shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Company and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.

If the Company declares a distribution to shareholders of record in October, November or December of one year and pays the distribution by January 31 of the following year, the Company and its shareholders will be treated as if the Company paid the distribution by December 31 of the first taxable year.

Any gain or loss recognized on a sale, exchange, or redemption of shares of the Company by a shareholder who is not a dealer in securities will generally, for individual shareholders, be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than twelve months and otherwise will be treated as a short-term capital gain or loss. However, if shares on which a shareholder has received a net capital gain distribution are subsequently sold, exchanged, or redeemed and such shares have been held for six months or less, any loss recognized will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the net capital gain distribution. In addition, the loss realized on a sale or other disposition of shares will be disallowed to the extent a shareholder

 

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repurchases (or enters into a contract to or option to repurchase) shares within a period of 61 days (beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares). This loss disallowance rule will apply to shares received through the reinvestment of dividends during the 61-day period.

In addition to the federal income tax described above, U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net investment income,” including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of the Company).

Equalization Accounting. The Company may use the so-called “equalization method” of accounting to allocate a portion of its “earnings and profits,” which generally equals the Company’s undistributed investment company taxable income and net capital gain, with certain adjustments, to redemption proceeds. This method permits the Company to achieve more balanced distributions for both continuing and redeeming shareholders. Although using this method generally will not affect the Company’s total returns, it may reduce the amount that the Company would otherwise distribute to continuing shareholders by reducing the effect of redemptions of Company shares on Company distributions to shareholders. However, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may not have expressly sanctioned the particular equalization method used by a Company, and thus a Company’s use of this method may be subject to IRS scrutiny.

Backup Withholding. The Company will be required in certain cases to withhold at applicable withholding rates and remit to the United States Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Company either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) who is subject to backup withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) who has failed to certify to the Company that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Item 25. Underwriters — NOT APPLICABLE.

Item 26. Calculation of Performance Data

The Company does not advertise performance data.

Item 27. Financial Statements — The required financial statements are included in a separate section following this item.

 

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED

PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of

The Finance Company of Pennsylvania

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of The Finance Company of Pennsylvania (the “Company”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2014, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the condensed financial information for each of the five years in the period then ended. These financial statements and condensed financial information are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and condensed financial information 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 audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and condensed financial information are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2014, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and condensed financial information referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of The Finance Company of Pennsylvania as of December 31, 2014, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the condensed financial information for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Deloitte & Touche LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

February 26, 2015

 

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Table of Contents

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

December 31, 2014

 

ASSETS   

Investments at fair value—unaffiliated (Note 2):

  

Short Term Investments (identified cost $2,857,941)

   $ 2,857,941   

Bonds (identified cost $5,858,971)

     6,052,096   

Common Stocks & Mutual Funds (identified cost $22,647,026)

     49,964,826   

Investments at fair value—affiliated (Note 3):

  

Common Stocks & Mutual Funds (Identified cost $71,399)

     2,438,435   
  

 

 

 

Total Investments

     61,313,298   

Cash

     95,336   

Receivable for securities sold

     475,283   

Accrued interest and dividends receivable

     116,539   

Prepaid expenses

     32,313   

Other assets

     505   
  

 

 

 

Total

     62,033,274   
  

 

 

 
LIABILITIES   

Accrued expenses and taxes (Note 1)

     951,421   

Advisory fees payable (Note 9)

     13,159   

Payroll Taxes Payable

     1,137   

Dividends Payable

     2,421,029   

Covered Call Options written at fair value (premiums received $7,259)

     9,000   
  

 

 

 

Total

     3,395,746   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 58,637,528   
  

 

 

 
COMPONENTS OF NET ASSETS   

Paid in Capital

     14,347,199   

Net Accumulated Realized Gain on Investments and Written Options

     14,420,742   

Net Unrealized Appreciation on Investments and Written Options

     29,869,587   
  

 

 

 

Net assets equivalent to $1,359.65 per share on shares of 43,127 $10 par value capital stock outstanding at December 31, 2014 (authorized 232,000 shares)

   $ 58,637,528   
  

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

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Table of Contents

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

December 31, 2014

SHORT TERM SECURITIES—4.87%

 

Number of
Shares

       Identified
Cost
    Fair Value
(Note 1)
 
265,019   

Invesco Short Term Investment Trust—Treasury 0.01%†

  $ 265,019      $ 265,019   
2,592,922   

Alpine Municipal Money Market 0.02%†

    2,592,922        2,592,922   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total

  $ 2,857,941      $ 2,857,941   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
BONDS—10.32%   

Principal
Amount

                
   U.S. GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS—1.16%   
49,827   

U.S. Federal Home Loan Mortgage 6% due 7/1/2019

  $ 52,434      $ 50,943   
168,835   

U.S. Federal Home Loan Mortgage 6% due 8/1/2019

    171,689        179,524   
127,467   

U.S. Federal Home Loan Mortgage 3.5% due 9/1/2026

    133,713        135,061   
155,371   

U.S. Federal National Mortgage Association 3.5% due 2/1/2027

    165,264        164,971   
82,453   

Government National Mortgage Association II 5.5% due 1/20/2036

    93,737        93,092   
31,371   

Government National Mortgage Association 5% due 5/15/2039

    35,890        34,691   
17,618   

Government National Mortgage Association 6% due 4/15/2036

    23,141        20,335   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
       675,868        678,617   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   MUNICIPAL & CORPORATE BONDS—9.16%   
100,000   

Alameda Corridor CA 6.5% due 10/01/2019

    109,915        111,750   
71,670   

Alt Bldg Concepts 4.16% due 12/20/2032

    72,336        70,637   
145,000   

Apache Corp. 3.25% due 4/15/2022

    147,954        142,467   
200,000   

California St Build America 6.65% due 3/1/2022

    241,150        246,658   
160,000   

California Statewide 4.375% due 1/1/2023

    160,000        169,321   
100,000   

Cerritos CA Cmnty 2.971% due 8/1/2022

    100,000        101,147   
30,000   

Cuyahoga Cnty OH Eco Dev 8.625% due 6/1/2022

    33,051        35,484   

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

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Table of Contents

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

December 31, 2014

BONDS — Continued

 

Principal

Amount

       Identified
Cost
    Fair Value
(Note 1)
 
185,000   

Ensco Plc 4.5% due 10/01/2024

  $ 178,208      $ 179,816   
125,000   

Florida St Hurricane Catastrophe 2.995% due 7/1/2020

    120,515        127,034   
125,000   

General Electric Co. 5.25% due 12/6/2017

    138,356        138,664   
175,000   

Glendale CA Hlth Facs Revenue Insd 5.60% due 11/15/2025

    203,777        213,821   
200,000   

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. 5.375% due 3/15/2020

    195,565        224,140   
45,000   

Grand Terrace CA Cmty 7.2% due 9/1/2018

    46,505        48,412   
135,000   

Illinois St Build 5.563% due 2/1/2021

    147,147        150,267   
100,000   

Illinois St Sales Tax Taxable Building 3.081% due 6/15/2023

    100,000        99,792   
140,000   

JP Morgan Chase Mtn 3.875% due 2/1/2024

    142,068        145,940   
70,000   

Louisiana Hsg Fin Agy 4.75% due 6/1/2027

    73,080        75,142   
200,000   

Loyola University of Chicago 3.199% due 7/1/2022

    200,000        197,240   
40,000   

Maryland ST Health 5.0% due 7/01/2027

    46,863        48,578   
125,000   

Massachusetts St. Housing 5.962% due 6/1/2017

    125,000        131,850   
150,000   

Minneapolis St. Paul MN Metarpts 2.755% due 1/1/2020

    150,000        150,734   
70,000   

Montana State Board of Housing 5% due 12/1/2027

    72,566        74,341   
10,000   

NJ Economic Dev. Authority 5.178% due 11/1/2015

    10,000        10,125   
50,000   

New Jersey State Health Care Facs 4.75% due 7/1/2025

    54,143        59,420   
115,000   

New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority 5.35% due 3/1/2030

    118,172        122,811   
225,000   

New York NY Build America Bonds 5.487% due 12/1/2022

    264,093        266,618   
150,000   

New York St Dorm Authority Revenues 3.292% due 12/1/2021

    150,000        154,631   
200,000   

Ohio St Water Dev Authority 4.879% due 12/1/2034

    200,000        224,474   
95,000   

Oklahoma Hsg Fin Agy 4.5% due 9/1/2024

    99,068        98,193   
150,000   

Pennsylvania Economic Dev Fing 6.25% due 10/1/2017

    151,444        168,470   

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

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Table of Contents

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

December 31, 2014

BONDS — Concluded

 

Principal

Amount

       Identified
Cost
    Fair Value
(Note 1)
 
250,000   

Pennsylvania State Turnpike Comm 2.023% due 12/1/2019

  $ 250,000      $ 251,258   
170,000   

Philips 66 4.3% due 4/1/2022

    180,596        179,467   
150,000   

Salt Lake City Utah 4.611% due 4/1/2023

    150,000        167,133   
100,000   

Salt Lake Cnty UT Hosp 5.4% due 2/15/2028

    105,908        115,042   
100,000   

Texas St Transn Commn 5.028% due 4/01/2026

    100,000        116,571   
150,000   

University North Carolina 2.535% due 12/1/2022

    150,000        146,471   
75,000   

Virginia St Resrcs Authority 4.753% due 11/1/31

    83,221        78,492   
65,000   

Washington St Series B 5.5% due 5/1/2018

    67,265        70,221   
215,000   

Wisconsin St Gen Rev 5.2% due 5/1/2018

    215,000        230,416   
30,000   

Yorba Linda CA Redev Agy 5.25% due 09/01/2015

    30,137        30,430   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
       5,183,103        5,373,479   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total Bonds

  $ 5,858,971      $ 6,052,096   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

COMMON STOCKS & MUTUAL FUNDS — 89.37%

 

  

Number of

Shares

       Identified
Cost
    Fair Value
(Note 1)
 
   ENERGY—16.11%   
10,300   

Devon Energy Corp.

  $ 746,246      $ 630,463   
95,395   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

    125,901        8,819,268   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total

    872,147        9,449,731   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   FINANCIAL SERVICES—26.76%   
5,200   

American Express Co.

    192,972        483,808   
8,000   

Berkshire Hathaway B*

    352,582        1,201,200   
19,600   

Fidelity National Financial Inc.

    648,927        675,220   
102,455   

PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

    61,916        9,346,970   
20,000   

Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc.

    262,439        1,144,800   

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

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Table of Contents

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

December 31, 2014

COMMON STOCKS & MUTUAL FUNDS — Continued

 

Number of

Shares

       Identified
Cost
    Fair Value
(Note 1)
 
26,600   

Progressive Corp.

  $ 714,407      $ 717,934   
7,700   

Renaissance RE Holdings LTD

    813,271        748,594   
12,000   

State Street Corp.

    88,500        942,000   
24,000   

Western Union Co

    424,778        429,840   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total

    3,559,792        15,690,366   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   TECHNOLOGY—2.79%   
2,500   

Int’l Business Machines Corp.

    59,809        401,100   
8,300   

Qualcomm

    638,565        616,939   
27,300   

Rovi Corp.*

    640,124        616,707   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total

    1,338,498        1,634,746   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY—9.05%   
18,300   

Carnival Corp.

    722,727        829,539   
12,300   

Gildan Activewear Inc.

    753,213        695,565   
11,600   

Kohl’s Corp.

    656,334        708,064   
6,300   

McDonalds Corp.

    85,613        590,310   
9,400   

Omnicom Group Inc

    731,719        728,218   
16,000   

Twenty-First Century Fox (non voting)

    592,235        614,480   
6,900   

WalMart Stores Inc.

    340,802        592,572   
25,200   

Winnebago Inds Inc.

    621,957        548,352   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total

    4,504,600        5,307,100   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   CONSUMER STAPLES—5.03%   
22,000   

Coca Cola Co.

    9,597        928,840   
5,800   

Colgate Palmolive Co.

    159,669        401,302   
3,100   

Diageo PLC Sponsored ADR

    372,527        353,679   
6,600   

Procter & Gamble Company

    591,960        601,194   
16,400   

Unilever PLC SPSD ADR

    737,762        663,872   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total

    1,871,515        2,948,887   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   PRODUCER DURABLES—6.33%   
3,800   

3M Company

    598,364        624,416   
12,900   

Crown Holdings Inc.

    645,827        656,610   

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

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Table of Contents

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

December 31, 2014

COMMON STOCKS & MUTUAL FUNDS — Continued

 

Number of

Shares

       Identified
Cost
    Fair Value
(Note 1)
 
6,400   

Eaton Corporation Plc.

  $ 432,485      $ 434,944   
7,500   

Emerson Electric Co.

    57,084        462,975   
22,100   

General Electric Co.

    423,606        558,467   
3,000   

Illinois Tool Works #

    173,016        284,100   
6,200   

United Parcel Service Class B

    531,107        689,254   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total

    2,861,489        3,710,766   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   MATERIALS & PROCESSING—3.89%   
18,000   

Dow Chemical Co.

    116,338        820,980   
5,700   

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.

    376,245        349,239   
5,200   

Rock Tenn Co.

    305,234        317,096   
18,800   

Schweitzer Mauduit

    806,165        795,240   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total

    1,603,982        2,282,555   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   HEALTHCARE—6.61%   
8,400   

Baxter International Inc.

    645,385        615,636   
2,500   

Becton Dickinson & Co.

    66,953        347,900   
7,300   

Cardinal Health Inc.

    585,291        589,329   
9,600   

Johnson and Johnson

    52,842        1,003,872   
6,600   

Laboratory Corp. of America *

    697,566        712,140   
10,700   

Merck & Co. Inc.

    114,053        607,653   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total

    2,162,090        3,876,530   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   UTILITIES—0.40%   
5,000   

Verizon Communications Inc.

    37,808        233,900   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   INTERNATIONAL—8.24%   
30,707   

Oakmark International Fund I

    601,865        716,711   
87,258   

Dreyfus International Stock I

    1,204,159        1,280,073   
40,818   

Harbor International Funds

    1,865,000        2,644,167   
4,730   

Vanguard Emerging Mkts. Stock Index Fund

    164,081        189,294   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total

  $ 3,835,105      $ 4,830,245   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

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Table of Contents

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

December 31, 2014

COMMON STOCKS & MUTUAL FUNDS — Concluded

 

Number of

Shares

       Identified
Cost
    Fair Value
(Note 1)
 
   DIVERSIFIED HOLDING— 4.16%   
732   

Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company (Note 3)‡

  $ 71,399      $ 2,438,435   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total Common Stocks & Mutual Funds

    22,718,425        52,403,261   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Total Investments—104.56%

  $ 31,435,337      $ 61,313,298   
    

 

 

   

 

 

 
  

Other assets in excess of liabilities—(4.56)%

      (2,675,770
      

 

 

 
  

NET ASSETS—100%

    $ 58,637,528   
      

 

 

 

 

* Non-income producing.

 

†- Variable rate security, rate disclosed is as of 12/31/14

 

‡- Fair valued by Board of Directors

 

#- All of the security is pledged as collateral for call options written.

ADR—American depository receipt

 

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

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Table of Contents

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

For the Year Ended December 31, 2014

 

INVESTMENT INCOME:

  

Income:

  

Dividends

   $ 1,174,777   

Dividends from affiliates (Note 3)

     139,080   

Interest

     241,710   
  

 

 

 

Total

     1,555,567   

Expenses:

  

Accounting

     71,412   

Compensation

     196,168   

Compliance fees

     56,033   

Custodian

     8,157   

Directors’ fees

     81,350   

Insurance

     43,248   

Investment advisory fees (Note 9)

     152,697   

Printing and postage

     7,590   

Professional fees

     172,049   

Other office and administrative

     91,627   
  

 

 

 

Total

     880,331   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     675,236   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS):

  

Net realized gain from:

  

Investments

     4,653,116   

In-kind transfers (Note 5)

     933,926   

Written options

     7,930   
  

 

 

 

Net realized gain

     5,594,972   
  

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation / depreciation on:

  

Investments

     (3,352,101

Investments in affiliate

     187,903   

Written options

     25,189   
  

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation / depreciation

     (3,139,009
  

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     2,455,963   

Capital gains tax payable on behalf of shareholders (Note 1)

     (844,621
  

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

   $ 2,286,578   
  

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

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Table of Contents

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

      2014     2013  

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets from:

    

Operations:

    

Net investment income

   $ 675,236      $ 778,550   

Net realized gain on investments

   $ 5,594,972        5,152,762   

Change in net unrealized appreciation / depreciation on investments

   $ (3,139,009     6,498,679   

Capital gains tax payable on behalf of shareholders (Note 1)

   $ (844,621     (792,672
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

   $ 2,286,578        11,637,319   

Undistributed investment income included in price of shares redeemed

   $ (18,431     (5,009

Realized gain from security transactions Included in price of shares redeemed

   $ (36,636     (4,386

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income

   $ (656,805     (773,541

Dividends to shareholders from short-term capital gains

   $ (2,211,034     (2,731,551

Capital Share Transactions:

    

(Exclusive of amounts allocated to investment income and net realized gain from security transactions) (Note 1):

    

Cost of shares of capital stock redeemed

   $ (892,162     (196,735
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

   $ (1,528,490     7,926,097   

Net Assets:

    

Beginning of year

   $ 60,166,018        52,239,921   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of year

   $ 58,637,528      $ 60,166,018   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

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Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the Year Ended December 31, 2014

 

1. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The Finance Company of Pennsylvania (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a regulated open-end investment company. On April 21, 1964, the stockholders approved amendments to the Articles of Incorporation whereby, since that date, the Company has held itself ready to redeem any of its outstanding shares at net asset value. Net asset value for redemptions is determined at the close of business on the day of formal tender of shares or the next day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open. There were 673 and 155 shares of capital stock redeemed during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Company in the preparation of its financial statements. The policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Portfolio Valuation

Equity securities and exchange traded options that are listed on an exchange are valued at the last quoted sales price. When valuing equity securities that are not listed on an exchange or have not traded, the Company uses the mean between the bid and asked prices for that day. Fixed income securities are valued on the basis of prices provided by pricing services. In determining the value of a particular investment, pricing services may use certain information with respect to transactions in such securities, market transactions in comparable securities and various relationships between securities. When valuing fixed income securities that mature within sixty days, the Company uses amortized cost which approximates fair value. It is the responsibility of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) to establish fair valuation procedures. When valuing securities for which market quotations are not readily available or for which the market quotations that are available are considered inapplicable, the Company determines a fair value in good faith in accordance with these procedures. As of December 31, 2014, Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company is a non-marketable security priced at fair value as determined by the Board. (See Note 2)

Federal Income Taxes

No provision has been made for Federal income taxes other than capital gains tax because the Company has elected to be taxed as a regulated investment company meeting certain requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue

 

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Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

Code. As such, the Company is paying the applicable federal capital gains tax for shareholders and retaining the net balance for reinvestment, except to the extent that such gains are considered to have been distributed to redeeming shareholders.

Distributions to shareholders

Dividends to shareholders from net investment income, if any, are paid quarterly. Distributions of capital gains, if any, are made at least annually, and as required to comply with federal exercise tax requirements. Distributions to shareholders are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and recorded on the ex-dividend date.

Equalization

The Company follows the accounting practices known as “equalization” by which a portion of the costs of redemption of capital shares equivalent to the amount, on a per share basis, of distributable investment income on the date of the transaction is charged to the undistributed income, so that undistributed income per share is unaffected by Company shares redeemed. Similarly, on redemptions, a pro rata portion of realized capital gains is charged against undistributed realized gains.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Investing in Government Sponsored Agency Securities

The Company invests in United States Government sponsored entities. Such sponsored entities, although chartered and sponsored by the U.S. Congress, are not funded by Congressional appropriations and are neither guaranteed nor insured by the United States Government.

Inflation-Indexed Bonds

Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. If the index measuring

 

-40-


Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds. For bonds that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.

Security Transactions, Investment Income, and Realized Gain/Loss

Security transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Dividend income, distributions from other investment companies, and distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Expenses are recorded on an accrual basis. Realized gains and losses are based on the specific identified cost method for both financial and Federal income tax purposes.

 

2. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT

In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820-10, fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset, or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820-10 establishes a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk, for example, the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including such a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad levels listed below.

 

   

Level 1 — unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities

 

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NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

   

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

   

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the Company’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of assets and liabilities)

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of December 31, 2014 in valuing the Company’s investments carried at fair value:

 

    Level 1
Quoted
Prices
     Level 2
Significant
Observable
Inputs
     Level 3
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
     Total Value  

Assets

          

Investments in securities

          

Common stock

  $ 45,134,581       $ —         $ 2,438,435       $ 47,573,016   

U.S. government and agency obligations

    —           678,617         —           678,617   

Municipal and corporate bonds

    —           5,373,479         —           5,373,479   

Mutual funds

    4,830,245         —           —           4,830,245   

Short-term investments

    2,857,941         —            —           2,857,941   
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

  $ 52,822,767       $ 6,052,096       $ 2,438,435       $ 61,313,298   
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Liabilities

          
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Written options

  $ 9,000       $ —         $ —         $ 9,000   
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

See Portfolio of Investments for values by industry classification.

Management has determined the value of its investment in Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company using a combination of valuation techniques, including the dividend discount and net asset value methodologies. Significant inputs of the divided discount method include the estimated dividend growth rate and the required rate of return. The net asset value method takes into consideration financial information received from the Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company. A discount for lack of marketability is a significant input of both methods.

 

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NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities. The table below summarizes the techniques and unobservable inputs for the valuation of the Level 3 investments.

Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

 

Asset

 

Fair Value at
December 31,
2014

 

Valuation Technique

 

Unobservable Inputs

 

Value *

Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company

  $2,438,435   Dividend discount method  

Lack of marketability discount

Estimated dividend growth rate

Required rate of return

Valuation technique weighting

 

26.00% 0.78% 9.43%

50.00%

    Net asset value method  

Lack of marketability discount

Discount to net asset value

Valuation technique weighting

 

26.00%

9.14%

50.00%

 

* Significant changes in any of these inputs would result in a significantly higher or lower fair value measurement. Generally a change to the estimated dividend growth rate or the weighting applied to the net asset value would result in a directionally similar change in fair value. Conversely, a change in the required rate of return, the weighting applied to the dividend discount method or the discounts would result in a directionally opposite change in fair value.

The Company’s policy is to disclose transfers between levels at the reporting period end. For the year ended December 31, 2014 there were no transfers between Levels.

A roll forward of fair value investments using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) at December 31, 2014 was as follows:

 

      Common
Stock
 

Beginning Balance, 1/1/2014

   $ 2,250,532   

Purchases

       

Sales

       

Total Unrealized Appreciation1

     187,903   
  

 

 

 

Ending Balance, 12/31/2014

   $ 2,438,435   
  

 

 

 

 

1 Included in related net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation in Statement of Operations. The change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on Level 3 investments still held as of December 31, 2014 was $187,903.

 

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NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

3. NON-MARKETABLE SECURITY OF AFFILIATE

There is no ready market for the below listed security. Fair value is established by the Board.

Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company is defined as an affiliate under the Investment Company Act of 1940 in that the Company owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of such company. Further, if at the time of public sale of any of these shares the Company would be deemed a “control person,” it would be necessary to register such shares under the Securities Act of 1933 prior to their sale. The Company has owned shares of Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company since 1917. As of December 31, 2014, the Pennsylvania Warehousing and Safe Deposit Company owns 4.84% of the outstanding shares of the Company.

 

Shares

       December 31, 2014     For the Year Ended
    December 31, 2014    
 
     Percent
Owned
    Identified
Cost
    Fair
Value
    Dividend
Income
 

732

   Pennsylvania Warehousing
and Safe Deposit Company
    16.94%      $ 71,399      $ 2,438,435      $ 139,080   
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

4. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

In accordance with FASB ASC 815-10, the Company has disclosed information intended to enable financial statement users to understand how and why the Company uses derivative instruments, how derivatives are accounted for under ASC 815-10 and how derivative instruments affect the Company’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

Market risks of investing in derivatives

Derivative instruments are investments whose values are tied to the value of an underlying security or asset, a group of assets, interest rates, exchange rates, currency or an index. The Company periodically invests in options contracts. Derivatives may have little or no initial cash investment value relative to their market value exposure and therefore can produce significant gains or losses in excess of their cost. This is sometimes referred to as leverage. Leverage can magnify a portfolio’s gains and losses and therefore increase its volatility. A

 

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NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

portfolio’s investments in derivatives may increase, decrease or change the level or types of exposure to certain risk factors. The market risk exposure from investing in option contracts is price volatility.

Price volatility risk

Derivatives tied to equity are exposed to potential price volatility. The prices of equity securities change in response to many factors, including a company’s historical and prospective earnings, the value of its assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity. Due to the complexities of markets, events in one market or sector may adversely impact other markets or sectors. Transactions in listed securities are settled/paid for upon delivery with its counterparties. Therefore, the risk of counterparty default for listed securities is considered minimal, as delivery of securities sold is only made once a portfolio has received payment. Payment is made on a purchase once the securities have been delivered by the counterparty. The trade will fail if either party fails to meet its obligations.

Options Contracts

The Company may write covered call options as a means of increasing the yield on its assets and as a means of providing limited protection against decreases in its market value. When the Company writes an option, if the underlying security does not increase or decrease to a price level that would make the exercise of the option profitable to the holder thereof, the option generally will expire without being exercised, and the Company will realize as profit the premium received for such option. When a call option written by the Company is exercised, the Company will be required to sell the underlying securities to the option holder at the strike price, and will not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price. The company does not write uncovered written options.

 

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Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

At December 31, 2014 the Company has written covered calls as follows:

 

Common Stock

  Expiration Date     Exercise
Price
    Premium
Received
    Number of
Shares in
Equity
Contracts
    Fair Value  

Illinois Tool Works

    3/20/2015      $ 95.00        7,259        3,000        9,000   

Transactions in written covered calls for the year ended December 31, 2014 were as follows:

 

     Shares in
Equity Contracts
    Premium  

Outstanding at December 31, 2013

     18,900      $ 107,955   

Covered Calls written during the period

     33,000        156,996   

Covered Calls Closed during the period

     (40,000     (189,682

Covered Calls exercised during the period

     (8,900     (68,010
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2014

     3,000      $ 7,259   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The following is a summary of the location of derivatives on the Company’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of December 31, 2014

 

Location on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities

Derivative Type

  

Liability Derivatives

Equity Contract

   Covered Call Options Written, at Fair Value

 

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Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

The following is a summary of the Company’s derivative instrument holdings categorized by primary risk exposure as of December 31, 2014:

 

Liability Derivatives Value

Total Value At December 31, 2014

      

Number of Shares in Equity Contracts

$9,000

    3,000

The following is a summary of the effect of derivative instruments on the Company’s Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

Derivative Type

 

Location of Gain (Loss)
on Derivatives Recognized
in Income

  Realized Gain (Loss)
on Derivatives
Recognized in Income
    Change in Unrealized
Appreciation/(Depreciation)
on Derivatives Recognized
in Income
 

Equity contract

  Net realized gain from written options, Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on written options   $ 7,930      $ 25,189   

For the year ended December 31, 2014, the average quarterly balances of outstanding derivative financial instruments were as follows:

 

Options:   

Average number of contracts written

     83   

Average notional value of contracts written

   $ 746,250   

 

5. PURCHASES AND SALES OF SECURITIES

The aggregate cost of securities purchased, the proceeds from sales and maturities of investments, and the cost of securities sold for the year ended December 31, 2014 were:

 

     Cost of
Investments
Purchased
    Proceeds from
Sales and
Maturities
    Cost of
Securities Sold
and Maturities
 

Common Stocks and mutual funds

  $ 45,054,569      $ 48,898,869      $ 44,320,373   

U.S. Government & Agency Obligations

    -        138,220        138,220   

Municipal & Corporate Bonds

    1,161,780        1,015,319        991,020   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $ 46,216,349      $ 50,052,408      $ 45,449,613   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

The amounts above do not include the fair value and cost of shares distributed in connection with redemptions. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company distributed common stock with fair value of $947,008 and cost of $13,082. The related gain of $933,926 has been disclosed in the Company’s Statement of Operations.

 

6. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

Ordinary income and short term capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with Federal tax regulations, which may differ from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

The tax character of dividends and distributions declared by the Company was as follows:

 

      For the
Year Ended
December 31, 2014
     For the
Year Ended
December 31, 2013
 

Distributions paid from Ordinary Income

   $ 2,867,839       $ 3,505,092   

 

7. TAX MATTERS

For U.S. federal income purposes, the cost of securities owned, gross unrealized appreciation, gross unrealized depreciation and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments at December 31, 2014 was as follows:

 

Cost

  

Gross
Unrealized
Appreciation

  

Gross
Unrealized
Depreciation

  

Net Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)

$31,463,176

   $30,397,648    $547,526    $29,850,122

The difference between the book basis and the tax basis of net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) is attributed primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales.

FASB ASC 740-10 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. It also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition. Management has concluded that as of December 31, 2014, there were no uncertain tax positions that would require financial statement recognition, de-recognition, or disclosure.

 

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Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

The Company files U.S. Federal and Pennsylvania state tax returns. No income tax returns are currently under examination. The Company’s federal and state tax returns remain open for examination for the years ended December 31, 2011 through December 31, 2014.

 

8. LEASE

The Company rents office space from an affiliate and has not entered into a formal lease agreement. The lessor company’s president is an officer and director of the Company. Minimum annual rental for this space is $23,074.

 

9. OTHER INFORMATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014

Directors of the Company, who are not also employees, are paid a fee for attendance at meetings of the Board of Directors and its committees. Compensation of those Directors amounted to $81,350. The compensation of Officers of the Company, who are also employees of the Company, amounted to $196,168.

Investment advisory fees payable monthly to Cooke & Bieler, LP, are based on the monthly closing equity portfolio value, less the value of certain investments at an annual rate of 0.50%. Cooke & Bieler, L.P. earned $133,763 for their services during the year ended December 31, 2014. Advisory fees payable to Cooke & Bieler, L.P. at December 31, 2014 were $11,580.

Investment advisory fees payable monthly to Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. are based on the monthly closing bond portfolio value at an annual rate of 0.30%. Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. earned $18,933 for their services during the year ended December 31, 2014. Advisory fees payable to Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. at December 31, 2014 were $1,579.

 

10. PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, the Company invests in securities and enters into transactions where risks exist due to fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of the issuer of a security to meet all its obligations (issuer credit risk). The value of securities held by the Company may decline in response to certain events, including those directly involving the issuers whose securities are owned by the Company; conditions affecting the general economy; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability, and currency and interest rate and price fluctuations. The extent of the Company’s exposure to market and issuer credit risks with respect to these financial assets is generally approximated by their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

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Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — Continued

 

The Company invests a portion of its assets in fixed-income securities. See the Portfolio of Investments for these securities. Changes in market interest rates or economic conditions may affect the value and/or liquidity of such investments. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise.

GNMA and U.S. Government Bond invest a significant portion of its assets in securities backed by commercial or residential mortgage loans or in issuers that hold mortgage and other asset-backed securities. Please see the Portfolio of Investments for these securities. Changes in economic conditions, including delinquencies and/or defaults on assets underlying these securities, can affect the value, income and/or liquidity of such positions.

 

11. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

In preparing these financial statements, management has evaluated events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date the financial statements were issued. Management has determined that there are no events that would require disclosure in the Company’s financial statement through this date.

 

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Table of Contents

CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Selected data for each share of capital stock outstanding throughout each period:

 

    Years Ended December 31,  
    2014     2013     2012     2011     2010  

Investment Income

  $ 36.07      $ 35.47      $ 34.94      $ 32.96      $ 28.37   

Expenses

    20.41        17.69        17.73        17.33        16.32   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Investment Income

    15.66        17.78        17.21        15.63        12.05   

Dividends from net investment income

    (15.23     (17.66     (17.15     (15.08     (11.75

Dividends from short term capital gains

 

 

(51.20

    (62.34     (27.18     (31.69     (36.21

Net realized gain (loss) and increase (decrease) in unrealized appreciation

    36.77        247.38        69.70        (4.99     108.29   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets value

    (14.00     185.16        42.58        (36.13     72.38   

Net assets value:

         

Beginning of year

    1,373.65        1,188.49        1,145.91        1,182.04        1,109.66   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of year

  $ 1,359.65      $ 1,373.65      $ 1,188.49      $ 1,145.91      $ 1,182.04   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Assets at end of Period (in millions)

  $ 58.6      $ 60.2      $ 52.2      $ 50.9      $ 53.3   

Annual ratio of expenses to average net assets

    1.45     1.34     1.47     1.44     1.43

Annual ratio of net investment income to average net assets

    1.11     1.35     1.43     1.30     1.06

Annual portfolio turnover rate

    77.53     82.67     40.44     39.08     44.22

Annual Total Investment Return

    3.82     22.31     7.58     0.90     10.84

Number of shares outstanding at end of period in thousands

    43        44        44        44        45   

 

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Table of Contents

CHANGES IN THE PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

(Exclusive of Short-Term Investments)

For the Six Months Ended December 31, 2014

(Unaudited)

PURCHASES

STOCKS

 

     Changes
During
the Period
     Balance
December 31, 2014
 
     Number of Shares  

3M Company

     4,500         3,800   

Ball Corporation

     8,900         -   

Baxter International Inc.

     8,400         8,400   

Cardinal Health Inc.

     14,600         7,300   

Carnival Corp.

     5,200         18,300   

Crown Holdings Inc

     27,600         12,900   

Diageo PLC Sponsored ADR

     3,100         3,100   

Eaton Corporation Plc

     12,800         6,400   

Fidelity National Financial Inc.

     58,800         19,600   

Gildan Activewear Inc

     12,300         12,300   

Kohls Corp.

     7,600         11,600   

Laboratory Corp. of America

     6,600         6,600   

Microsoft Corporation

     10,500         -   

Omnicom Group Inc.

     11,200         9,400   

Procter & Gamble Company

     13,200         6,600   

Progressive Corp

     65,200         26,600   

Qualcomm

     2,800         8,300   

Reliance Steel Aluminum

     4,200         5,700   

Rock Tenn Co

     13,400         5,200   

Rovi Corp

     10,500         27,300   

Schweitzer Mauduit

     15,400         18,800   

Twenty-First Century Fox (non voting)

     16,000         16,000   

United Parcel Service CL B

     4,400         6,200   

Western Union Co.

     24,000         24,000   

Winnebago Inds Inc.

     8,900         25,200   

 

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Table of Contents

CHANGES IN THE PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

(Exclusive of Short-Term Investments)

For the Six Months Ended December 31, 2014

(Unaudited)

SALES

STOCKS

 

     Changes
During
the Period
     Balance
December 31, 2014
 
     Number of Shares  

3M Company

     5,200         3,800   

Ball Corporation

     17,800         -   

Baxter International Inc.

     8,400         8,400   

The Brinks Company

     16,000         -   

Cardinal Health Inc.

     14,600         7,300   

Carnival Corp.

     2,600         18,300   

Charles Schwab Corp

     16,700         -   

Crown Holdings Inc

     14,700         12,900   

Diageo PLC Sponsored ADR

     2,000         3,100   

Eaton Corporation Plc

     6,400         6,400   

Fidelity National Financial Inc.

     39,200         19,600   

Gildan Activewear Inc

     12,300         12,300   

Kennemetal Inc.

     13,300         -   

Kohls Corp.

     7,600         11,600   

Laboratory Corp. of America

     5,400         6,600   

Microsoft Corporation

     21,000         -   

Omnicom Group Inc.

     11,200         9,400   

PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

     5,000         102,455   

Procter & Gamble Company

     13,200         6,600   

Progressive Corp

     38,600         26,600   

Reliance Steel Aluminum

     7,000         5,700   

Rock Tenn Co

     16,400         5,200   

Schweitzer Mauduit

     14,300         18,800   

Twenty-First Century Fox (non voting)

     16,000         16,000   

United Parcel Service CL B

     3,500         6,200   

Western Union Co.

     31,700         24,000   

Winnebago Inds Inc.

     8,900         25,200   

 

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Table of Contents

CHANGES IN THE PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

(Exclusive of Short-Term Investments)

For the Six Months Ended December 31, 2014

(Unaudited)

PURCHASES

BONDS

 

     Changes
During
the Period
     Balance
December 31, 2014
 
     Number of Units  

Cerritos CA Cmnty 2.971% 8/1/2022

     100,000         100,000   

Ensco Plc 4.5% 10/01/2024

     185,000         185,000   

Glendale CA Hlth Facs Revenue Insd 5.600 11/15/2025

     25,000         175,000   

Maryland ST Health 5.0% 7/01/2027

     40,000         40,000   

Pennsylvania State Turnpike Comm 2.023% 12/1/19

     250,000         250,000   

Philips 66 4.3% 4/1/22

     170,000         170,000   

 

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Table of Contents

CHANGES IN THE PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

(Exclusive of Short-Term Investments)

For the Six Months Ended December 31, 2014

(Unaudited)

CALLS

BONDS

 

     Changes
During
the Period
     Balance
December 31, 2014
 
     Number of Units  

Fed. Home Loan Mtg. 6% 7/1/2019

     8,978         49,827   

Fed. Home Loan Mtg. 6% 8/1/2019

     17,181         168,835   

Fed. Home Loan Mtg. 3.5% 9/1/2026

     10,323         127,467   

Fed. Natl. Mortg . Assoc. 3.5% 2/1/27

     12,967         155,371   

Govt Natl Mort Assoc II 5.5% 1/20/2036

     12,074         82,453   

Govt Natl Mort Assoc 5% 5/15/2039

     5,418         31,371   

Govt Natl Mort Assoc 6% 4/15/2036

     2,277         17,618   

Alameda Corridor CA 6.5% 10/1/19

     5,000         100,000   

Alt Bldg Concepts 4.160% 12/20/32

     952         71,670   

California Statewide 4.375% 1/1/2023

     10,000         160,000   

East Baton Rouge LA Mtg Fin 9/10/2014

     30,000         -   

Grand Terrace CA Cmty 7.2% 9/1/2018

     10,000         45,000   

Louisiana Hsg Fin Agy 4.75% 6/1/27

     5,000         70,000   

Massachusetts St. Hsg. 5.962% 6/1/2017

     20,000         125,000   

Montana ST BRD HSG 5% 12/1/2027

     10,000         70,000   

Montana ST BRD HSG 5.5% 12/1/2037

     10,000         -   

NJ Economic Dev. Auth. 5.178% 11/1/2015

     10,000         10,000   

Oklahoma Hsg Fin Agy 4.5% 9/1/2024

     20,000         95,000   

Southern CA Public Power 2.178% 7/1/19

     75,000         -   

University Oklahoma 5.6% 7/1/2020

     320,000         -   

Wyoming Cmnt Dev Auth 4.8% 9/01/2015

     80,000         -   

Yorba Linda CA Redev Agy 5.25% 9/1/2015

     110,000         30,000   

 

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Table of Contents

PART C

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a)

  Articles of Incorporation as amended December 29, 1961 and April 21, 1964 are incorporated by reference to Exhibit (1) of the Company’s Post Effective Amendment No. 21 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A.

(b)(1)

  By-Laws as amended through February 19, 1997 are incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2(a) of the Company’s Post Effective Amendment No. 21 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A.

(b)(2)

  By-laws as amended through November 10, 2004 are incorporated by reference to Exhibit (b)(2) of the Company’s Post Effective Amendment No. 29 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A.

(d)(1)

  Investment Advisory Contract between the Company and Cooke & Bieler, L.P. dated April 29, 2005 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(1) of the Company’s Post Effective Amendment No. 29 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A.

(d)(2)

  Investment Advisory Agreement between the Company and Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. dated April 29, 2005 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of the Company’s Post Effective Amendment No. 29 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A.

(g)(i)

  Custodian Agreement between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association dated June 25, 2012 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (g)(i) of the Company’s Post Effective Amendment No. 37 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A.

(p)(i)

  Code of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the Company is incorporated by reference to Exhibit p(i) of the Company’s Post Effective Amendment No. 24 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A.

(p)(ii)

  Code of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of Cooke & Bieler, L.P. is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(ii) of the Company’s Post Effective Amendment No. 38 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A.

(p)(iii)

  Code of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. is filed herewith.

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund

NONE

Item 30. Indemnification

Sections 1741 et seq. of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law (the PBCL) provide that a business corporation may indemnify directors and officers against liabilities they may incur in such capacities provided certain standards are met, including good faith and the reasonable belief that the particular action is in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation. In general, this power to indemnify does not exist in the case of actions against a director or officer by or in the right of the corporation if the person

 

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entitled to indemnification shall have been adjudged to be liable unless a court determines upon application that the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification despite the adjudication of liability. However, Section 1746 of the PBCL provides that the other sections of the law are not exclusive and that further indemnification may be provided by by-law, agreement or otherwise except where the act or failure to act giving rise to a claim for indemnification is determined by a court to have constituted willful misconduct or recklessness. The corporation is required to indemnify directors and officers against expenses they may incur in defending actions against themselves as such directors or officers if they are successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of such actions.

The Company’s By-Laws also provide indemnification to the directors and officers of the Company to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Company maintains, on behalf of its directors and officers, insurance protection against certain liabilities arising out of the discharge of their duties, as well as insurance covering the Company for indemnification payments made to directors and officers for liabilities.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser — NONE.

Item 32. Principal Underwriters — NOT APPLICABLE.

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

Mr. Charles Mather, III, President, The Finance Company of

Pennsylvania, 400 Market Street, Suite 425,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106.

Cooke & Bieler, L.P.

1700 Market Street, Suite 3222

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc.

875 Third Avenue, 22nd Floor

New York, New York 10022

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services

615 E. Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Item 34. Management Services — NONE.

Item 35. Undertakings — NOT APPLICABLE.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Company has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in this city of Philadelphia and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the 30th day of April 2015.

 

THE FINANCE COMPANY OF PENNSYLVANIA
By:  

/s/ Charles E. Mather III

  Charles E. Mather III, President

 

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