N-30B-2 1 fp0042588_n30b2.htm

 

 

LIBERTY ALL-STAR® GROWTH FUND
Period Ended March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

 

Fund Statistics 1st Quarter 2019
Net Asset Value (NAV) $5.90
Market Price $5.56
Discount -5.8%
Distribution* $0.10
Market Price Trading Range $4.34 to $5.63
Discount Range -5.1% to -10.1%

 

Performance  
Shares Valued at NAV with Dividends Reinvested 21.70%
Shares Valued at Market Price with Dividends Reinvested 29.06%
Dow Jones Industrial Average 11.81%
Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Mutual Fund Average 16.64%
NASDAQ Composite Index 16.81%
Russell Growth Benchmark 17.28%
S&P 500® Index 13.65%

 

*Sources of distributions to shareholders may include ordinary dividends, long-term capital gains and return of capital. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2019 for tax reporting purposes will be made after year end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund’s investment experience during its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, the taxability of this distribution will be reported on Form 1099-DIV for 2019.

 

Performance returns for the Fund are total returns, which include dividends. Returns are net of management fees and other Fund expenses.

 

The return shown for the Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Mutual Fund Average is based on open-end mutual funds’ total returns, which include dividends, and are net of fund expenses. Returns shown for the unmanaged Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ Composite Index, the Russell Growth Benchmark and the S&P 500® Index are total returns, including dividends. A description of the Lipper benchmark and the market indices can be found on page 17.

 

Past performance cannot predict future results. Performance will fluctuate with market conditions. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data shown. Performance information does not reflect the deduction of taxes that shareholders would pay on Fund distributions or the sale of Fund shares. An investment in the Fund involves risk, including loss of principal.

 

Closed-end funds raise money in an initial public offering and shares are listed and traded on an exchange. Open-end mutual funds continuously issue and redeem shares at net asset value. Shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to net asset value. The price of the Fund’s shares is determined by a number of factors, several of which are beyond the control of the Fund. Therefore, the Fund cannot predict whether its shares will trade at, below or above net asset value.

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund President’s Letter
  (Unaudited)

 

Fellow Shareholders: April 2019

 

In a mirror image reversal, the equity market generally gained as much in the first quarter of 2019 as it gave up in the fourth quarter of 2018. The S&P 500® Index returned -13.52 percent in 4Q18 but changed direction and rose 13.65 percent in 1Q19. Other key market indices turned in highly positive first quarters as well, with the widely followed Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) returning 11.81 percent and the NASDAQ Composite Index advancing 16.81 percent.

 

Growth style stocks continued to outperform their value counterparts across all capitalization ranges for the first quarter, as key Russell growth style benchmarks delivered highly positive returns. The broad market Russell 3000® Growth Index returned 16.18 percent for the quarter, well ahead of its Value counterpart, which gained 11.93 percent. Among key market capitalization indices, the Russell 1000® Growth Index (large cap) returned 16.10 percent, while the Russell Midcap® Growth Index returned 19.62 percent. Small cap stocks, as represented by the Russell 2000® Growth Index, delivered a 17.14 percent return.

 

The final quarter of 2018 was marked by broad-based investor concerns: rising interest rates and the expectations of further rate hikes by the Federal Reserve; the trade/tariff dispute between the U.S. and China; dysfunction in Washington and the shutdown of the U.S. government; and slowing economic growth in developed and emerging markets around the world. Global growth remains a challenge. But the interest rate picture changed dramatically as the Fed saw the economy slowing more than anticipated and signaled it may not increase rates in 2019. This put an end to five consecutive quarterly increases, which took the fed funds rate to a range of 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent with one rate increase now anticipated for 2020. In December, the Fed had forecast two increases in 2019 and another in 2020. Moreover, the Fed expressed little concern about inflation, which has remained near its 2 percent target. On the trade front, the first quarter saw periodic signs of progress in the U.S.–China trade negotiations and investors were hopeful that the two countries would reach an agreement. Corporate earnings reports did not excite investors, but were better than generally expected, spurring a relief rally; in addition, the 4Q18 sell-off lowered stock prices, which attracted buyers looking for bargains.

 

In terms of economic news, the U.S. Department of Labor in January reported that nonfarm payrolls increased by 312,000 in December—easily topping all forecasts—on the heels of an upwardly revised gain of 196,000 jobs the prior month. Average hourly earnings rose 3.2 percent from a year earlier, which was more than projected and matched the fastest pace since 2009, according to Bloomberg. The January numbers were equally strong, as nonfarm payrolls increased by 312,000; The Wall Street Journal reported that it was the 100th straight month in which nonfarm payrolls increased. The February jobs number was a surprisingly low increase of 33,000, but the unemployment rate fell nevertheless, reaching 3.8 percent.

 

GDP grew at a 2.6 percent annual pace in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department reported in February. (The figure was later revised to 2.2 percent.) GDP ended up at 2.9 percent for full year 2018, matching 2015 as the largest increase since the end of the 2007-2009 Great Recession. In a potentially negative signal, the yield curve inverted, with three-year treasury notes commanding a slightly higher rate than 10-year notes in the latter part of March. An inverted yield curve is sometimes viewed as a precursor to an economic recession.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2019

1

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund President’s Letter
  (Unaudited)

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund

On both an absolute and relative basis, Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund turned in an exceptionally strong first quarter. For the period, the Fund returned 21.70 percent with shares valued at net asset value (NAV) with dividends reinvested and 29.06 percent with shares valued at market price with dividends reinvested. The Fund’s primary benchmark, the Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Mutual Fund Average, returned 16.64 percent for the quarter. The Fund’s performance for the quarter ranked it in the top 7 percent of peer funds in the Lipper Multi-Cap Growth universe. The Fund’s returns also surpassed the three benchmarks cited earlier in this letter: the S&P 500® Index, the DJIA and the NASDAQ Composite Index.

 

Over the longer term, Fund shares have outperformed the Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Fund Average and the Russell 3000® Growth Average for the trailing three years and rank in the top 10 percent of funds in the Lipper Multi-Cap Growth universe for that period. In addition, the Fund ranks in the top 35 percent of peer funds in the Lipper universe for the five- and 10-year periods.

 

The upper range of the discount at which Fund shares trade relative to their underlying NAV narrowed modestly during the first quarter. For the period, Fund shares traded in a discount range of -5.1 percent to -10.1 percent versus a 7.0 percent premium to a -12.6 percent discount in the fourth quarter.

 

In accordance with the Fund’s distribution policy, the Fund paid a distribution of $0.10 to shareholders during the first quarter, bringing the total distributed to shareholders since 1997, when the distribution policy commenced, to $13.99 per share. The Fund’s distribution policy is a major component of the Fund's total return, and we continue to emphasize that shareholders should include these distributions when determining the total return on their investment in the Fund.

 

We are gratified by the Fund’s strong first quarter performance and the fact that its return exceeded all relevant benchmarks as equities staged a solid rebound from the disappointing fourth quarter of 2018. As well, we are equally pleased with the consistent long-term results. We can’t expect the equity market to continue to benefit from the same tailwinds that propelled it forward in the first quarter, but regardless of market conditions we will remain true to the Fund’s underlying principles and keep shareholder interests first and foremost in all our decisions.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

William R. Parmentier, Jr.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund, Inc.

 

The views expressed in the President’s letter reflect the views of the President as of April 2019 and may not reflect his views on the date this report is first published or anytime thereafter. These views are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict so actual outcomes and results may differ significantly from the views expressed. These views are subject to change at any time based upon economic, market or other conditions and the Fund disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for the Fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent.

 

 

2

 www.all-starfunds.com

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Table of Distributions & Rights Offerings
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

    Rights Offerings
Year Per Share Distributions Month Completed Shares Needed to Purchase One Additional Share Subscription Price
1997 $1.24      
1998 1.35 July 10 $12.41
1999 1.23      
2000 1.34      
2001 0.92 September 8 6.64
2002 0.67      
2003 0.58 September 81 5.72
2004 0.63      
2005 0.58      
2006 0.59      
2007 0.61      
2008 0.47      
20092 0.24      
2010 0.25      
2011 0.27      
2012 0.27      
2013 0.31      
2014 0.33      
20153 0.77      
2016 0.36      
2017 0.42      
2018 0.46 November 3 4.81
2019        

1st Quarter

 0.10      
Total $13.99      

 

1The number of shares offered was increased by an additional 25 percent to cover a portion of the over-subscription requests.
2Effective with the second quarter distribution, the annual distribution rate was changed from 10 percent to 6 percent.
3Effective with the second quarter distribution, the annual distribution rate was changed from 6 percent to 8 percent.

 

DISTRIBUTION POLICY

 

The current policy is to pay distributions on its shares totaling approximately 8 percent of its net asset value per year, payable in four quarterly installments of 2 percent of the Fund’s net asset value at the close of the New York Stock Exchange on the Friday prior to each quarterly declaration date. Sources of distributions to shareholders may include ordinary dividends, long-term capital gains and return of capital. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2019 for tax reporting purposes will be made after year end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund’s investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. If a distribution includes anything other than net investment income, the Fund provides a Section 19(a) notice of the best estimate of its distribution sources at that time. These estimates may not match the final tax characterization (for the full year’s distributions) contained in shareholder 1099-DIV forms after the end of the year. If the Fund’s ordinary dividends and long-term capital gains for any year exceed the amount distributed under the distribution policy, the Fund may, in its discretion, retain and not distribute capital gains and pay income tax thereon to the extent of such excess.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2019

3

 

 

  Investment Managers/
Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Portfolio Characteristics
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

THE FUND’S THREE GROWTH INVESTMENT MANAGERS AND THE MARKET CAPITALIZATION ON WHICH EACH FOCUSES:

 

 

 

ALPS Advisors, Inc., the investment advisor to the Fund, has the ultimate authority (subject to oversight by the Board of Directors) to oversee the investment managers and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement.

 

MANAGERS’ DIFFERING INVESTMENT STRATEGIES ARE REFLECTED IN PORTFOLIO CHARACTERISTICS

 

 

The portfolio characteristics table below is a regular feature of the Fund’s shareholder reports. It serves as a useful tool for understanding the value of the Fund’s multi-managed portfolio. The characteristics are different for each of the Fund’s three investment managers. These differences are a reflection of the fact that each has a different capitalization focus and investment strategy. The shaded column highlights the characteristics of the Fund as a whole, while the first three columns show portfolio characteristics for the Russell Smallcap, Midcap and Largecap Growth indices. See page 17 for a description of these indices.

 

PORTFOLIO CHARACTERISTICS As of March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

    Market Capitalization
Spectrum		  
  RUSSELL GROWTH Small   Large  
  SMALLCAP MIDCAP LARGECAP   TOTAL
  INDEX INDEX INDEX WEATHERBIE  CONGRESS  SUSTAINABLE FUND
               
Number of Holdings 1,239 417 545 50 40 28 118*
Weighted Average Market Capitalization (billions) $2.7 $17.5 $291.6 $4.4 $11.2 $206.1 $72.4
Average Five-Year Earnings Per Share Growth 13% 15% 16% 33% 17% 14% 18%
Average Five-Year Sales Per Share Growth 10% 13% 12% 16% 12% 10% 12%
Price/Earnings Ratio** 23x 24x 24x 40x 28x 31x 31x
Price/Book Value Ratio 4.1x 6.7x 7.4x 7.1x 5.3x 7.5x 6.5x

  

*Certain holdings are held by more than one manager.
**Excludes negative earnings.

 

 

4

 www.all-starfunds.com

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Top 20 Holdings & Economic Sectors
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

Top 20 Holdings* Percent of Net Assets
FirstService Corp. 2.09%
Chegg, Inc. 2.02
HEICO Corp. 1.70
Paylocity Holding Corp. 1.63
Equinix, Inc. 1.43
Visa, Inc. 1.42
Planet Fitness, Inc. 1.41
Ecolab, Inc. 1.40
Trade Desk, Inc. 1.38
Yum! Brands, Inc. 1.37
Microsoft Corp. 1.36
Alphabet, Inc. 1.35
Abbott Laboratories 1.35
Everbridge, Inc. 1.34
Autodesk, Inc. 1.27
Amazon.com, Inc. 1.27
Nevro Corp. 1.26
Insulet Corp. 1.24
Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1.21
Walt Disney Co. 1.18
  28.68%

 

Economic Sectors* Percent of Net Assets
Information Technology 28.97%
Consumer Discretionary 18.83
Health Care 18.72
Industrials 12.52
Consumer Staples 4.35
Communication Services 4.18
Real Estate 3.52
Materials 3.31
Financials 2.98
Energy 0.33
Other Net Assets 2.29
  100.00%

 

*Because the Fund is actively managed, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will continue to hold securities of the indicated issuers and sectors in the future.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2019

5

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Major Stock Changes in the Quarter
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

The following are the major ($600,000) stock changes - both purchases and sales - that were made in the Fund’s portfolio during the first quarter of 2019.

 

  SHARES
Security Name Purchases (Sales) Held as of 3/31/19
Purchases    
Casella Waste Systems, Inc. 60,314 60,314
Dermira, Inc. 119,450 119,450
HEICO Corp. 12,493 39,502
IDEX Corp. 12,000 12,000
Nevro Corp. 18,078 44,262
PayPal Holdings, Inc. 20,991 20,991
Planet Fitness, Inc. 19,536 45,245
     
Sales    
Allegion PLC (19,000) 0
Alliance Data Systems Corp. (6,817) 0
Etsy, Inc. (9,000) 30,000
FleetCor Technologies, Inc. (3,191) 10,289
Insulet Corp. (6,123) 28,611
Stamps.com, Inc. (10,099) 4,906
Ultimate Software Group, Inc. (5,237) 0
Wayfair, Inc. (26,393) 5,605

 

 

6

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Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
COMMON STOCKS (97.71%)        
COMMUNICATION SERVICES (4.18%)        
Entertainment (1.74%)        
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.(a)   13,000   $1,226,810 
Walt Disney Co.   23,351    2,592,662 
         3,819,472 
Interactive Media & Services (2.44%)          
Alphabet, Inc., Class C(a)   2,539    2,979,034 
Care.com, Inc.(a)   22,160    437,881 
Eventbrite, Inc., Class A(a)(b)   963    18,461 
Facebook, Inc., Class A(a)   11,677    1,946,439 
         5,381,815 
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY (18.83%)          
Distributors (0.82%)          
Pool Corp.   11,000    1,814,670 
           
Diversified Consumer Services (2.02%)          
Chegg, Inc.(a)   116,538    4,442,429 
           
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure (4.46%)          
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Class A   23,000    1,669,110 
Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc.(a)   19,942    304,116 
Planet Fitness, Inc., Class A(a)   45,245    3,109,236 
Texas Roadhouse, Inc.   27,500    1,710,225 
Yum! Brands, Inc.   30,238    3,018,055 
         9,810,742 
Internet & Direct Marketing Retail (3.70%)          
Amazon.com, Inc.(a)   1,565    2,786,874 
Booking Holdings, Inc.(a)   1,208    2,107,851 
Etsy, Inc.(a)   30,000    2,016,600 
Stamps.com, Inc.(a)   4,906    399,398 
Wayfair, Inc., Class A(a)   5,605    832,062 
         8,142,785 
Multiline Retail (0.81%)          
Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc.(a)   20,803    1,775,120 
           
Specialty Retail (4.13%)          
Burlington Stores, Inc.(a)   9,500    1,488,460 
Five Below, Inc.(a)   15,000    1,863,750 
Lowe's Cos., Inc.   17,412    1,906,092 
TJX Cos., Inc.   42,458    2,259,190 
Ulta Beauty, Inc.(a)   4,535    1,581,490 
         9,098,982 

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2019

7

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
COMMON STOCKS (continued)        
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods (2.89%)        
Canada Goose Holdings, Inc.(a)(b)   44,713   $2,147,118 
NIKE, Inc., Class B   30,533    2,571,184 
PVH Corp.   13,500    1,646,325 
         6,364,627 
CONSUMER STAPLES (4.35%)          
Food Products (2.48%)          
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.   21,000    1,573,740 
McCormick & Co., Inc.   10,500    1,581,615 
Mondelez International, Inc., Class A   45,981    2,295,372 
         5,450,727 
Household Products (0.81%)          
Church & Dwight Co., Inc.   25,000    1,780,750 
           
Personal Products (1.06%)          
Estee Lauder Cos., Inc., Class A   14,077    2,330,447 
           
ENERGY (0.33%)          
Energy Equipment & Services (0.33%)          
Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure, Inc., Class A(b)   43,922    722,078 
          
FINANCIALS (2.98%)          
Banks (1.85%)          
First Republic Bank   18,000    1,808,280 
Independent Bank Group, Inc.   21,906    1,123,559 
Signature Bank   8,884    1,137,774 
         4,069,613 
Capital Markets (0.81%)          
Hamilton Lane, Inc., Class A   1,130    49,245 
Raymond James Financial, Inc.   21,500    1,728,815 
         1,778,060 
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance (0.32%)          

Axos Financial, Inc.(a)

   24,647    713,777 
           
HEALTH CARE (18.72%)          
Biotechnology (4.36%)          
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)   49,976    1,341,856 
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.(a)   35,490    471,662 
Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)   76,533    2,655,695 
Puma Biotechnology, Inc.(a)(b)   54,272    2,105,211 
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)   5,895    2,420,605 
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Inc.(a)   8,709    604,056 
         9,599,085 

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.

 

8

 www.all-starfunds.com
 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
COMMON STOCKS (continued)        
Health Care Equipment & Supplies (7.67%)        
Abbott Laboratories   37,174   $2,971,689 
Becton Dickinson and Co.   9,917    2,476,572 
Cooper Cos., Inc.   6,000    1,777,020 
Glaukos Corp.(a)   8,708    682,446 
Insulet Corp.(a)   28,611    2,720,620 
Nevro Corp.(a)   44,262    2,766,818 
ResMed, Inc.   15,000    1,559,550 
STERIS PLC   15,000    1,920,450 
         16,875,165 
Health Care Providers & Services (2.28%)          
PetIQ, Inc.(a)(b)   43,634    1,370,544 
UnitedHealth Group, Inc.   9,887    2,444,659 
US Physical Therapy, Inc.   11,489    1,206,690 
         5,021,893 
Life Sciences Tools & Services (1.84%)          
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.(a)   13,500    1,960,875 
Mettler-Toledo International, Inc.(a)   2,900    2,096,700 
         4,057,575 
Pharmaceuticals (2.57%)          
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)   8,464    402,040 
Dermira, Inc.(a)   119,450    1,618,548 
Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC(a)   10,500    1,500,975 
Novo Nordisk A/S(c)   40,627    2,125,198 
         5,646,761 
INDUSTRIALS (12.52%)          
Aerospace & Defense (2.27%)          
HEICO Corp.   39,502    3,747,555 
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.(a)   79,654    1,244,992 
         4,992,547 
Air Freight & Logistics (0.49%)          
XPO Logistics, Inc.(a)   20,020    1,075,875 
           
Building Products (0.92%)          
Lennox International, Inc.   7,700    2,035,880 
           
Commercial Services & Supplies (3.49%)          
Casella Waste Systems, Inc., Class A(a)   60,314    2,144,766 
Cintas Corp.   9,000    1,818,990 
Copart, Inc.(a)   32,000    1,938,880 
Rollins, Inc.   42,750    1,779,255 
         7,681,891 

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2019

9

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
COMMON STOCKS (continued)        
Electrical Equipment (0.71%)        
Generac Holdings, Inc.(a)   30,500   $1,562,515 
           
Machinery (3.10%)          
IDEX Corp.   12,000    1,820,880 
Middleby Corp.(a)   12,357    1,606,781 
RBC Bearings, Inc.(a)   11,500    1,462,455 
Xylem, Inc.   24,500    1,936,480 
         6,826,596 
Professional Services (0.01%)          
WageWorks, Inc.(a)   736    27,791 
           
Road & Rail (0.82%)          
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.   12,500    1,804,875 
           
Trading Companies & Distributors (0.71%)          
SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc.(a)   27,196    1,554,251 
           
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (28.97%)          
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components (3.18%)          
Keysight Technologies, Inc.(a)   25,000    2,180,000 
Littelfuse, Inc.   9,000    1,642,320 
nLight, Inc.(a)   14,834    330,502 
Novanta, Inc.(a)   11,340    960,838 
Zebra Technologies Corp., Class A(a)   9,000    1,885,770 
         6,999,430 
IT Services (7.36%)          
Automatic Data Processing, Inc.   14,377    2,296,582 
EPAM Systems, Inc.(a)   14,586    2,466,930 
FleetCor Technologies, Inc.(a)   10,289    2,537,165 
Genpact, Ltd.   59,000    2,075,620 
Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.   11,000    1,526,140 
PayPal Holdings, Inc.(a)   20,991    2,179,706 
Visa, Inc., Class A   19,986    3,121,613 
         16,203,756 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment (1.62%)          
Impinj, Inc.(a)(b)   5,084    85,182 
Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.   13,500    1,829,115 
Skyworks Solutions, Inc.   20,000    1,649,600 
         3,563,897 
Software (16.81%)          
2U, Inc.(a)   20,614    1,460,502 
Altair Engineering, Inc., Class A(a)   23,513    865,514 

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.

 

10

 www.all-starfunds.com
 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
COMMON STOCKS (continued)        
Software (continued)        
Autodesk, Inc.(a)   17,923   $2,792,762 
Avalara, Inc.(a)   21,860    1,219,569 
Ebix, Inc.(b)   27,971    1,380,928 
Everbridge, Inc.(a)   39,418    2,956,744 
Globant SA(a)   20,776    1,483,406 
HubSpot, Inc.(a)   5,444    904,847 
Intuit, Inc.   9,838    2,571,752 
Microsoft Corp.   25,452    3,001,809 
Paycom Software, Inc.(a)   10,000    1,891,300 
Paylocity Holding Corp.(a)   40,161    3,581,960 
Qualys, Inc.(a)   22,000    1,820,280 
Rapid7, Inc.(a)   3,215    162,711 
salesforce.com, Inc.(a)   14,866    2,354,328 
SPS Commerce, Inc.(a)   12,381    1,313,129 
SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.   30,000    1,910,700 
Synopsys, Inc.(a)   18,500    2,130,275 
Trade Desk, Inc., Class A(a)   15,385    3,045,461 
Zuora, Inc., Class A(a)   7,179    143,795 
         36,991,772 
MATERIALS (3.31%)          
Chemicals (2.41%)          
Ecolab, Inc.   17,421    3,075,503 
Linde PLC   12,670    2,229,033 
         5,304,536 
Containers & Packaging (0.90%)          
Avery Dennison Corp.   17,500    1,977,500 
           

REAL ESTATE (3.52%)

          
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) (1.43%)          
Equinix, Inc.   6,939    3,144,477 
           
Real Estate Management & Development (2.09%)          
FirstService Corp.   51,413    4,593,238 
           
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS          
(COST OF $149,380,043)        215,037,400 
           
SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (3.21%)          
MONEY MARKET FUND (2.36%)          
State Street Institutional US Government Money Market Fund, 2.373%(d)          
(COST OF $5,199,133)   5,199,133    5,199,133 

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2019

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Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Schedule of Investments
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

   SHARES   MARKET VALUE 
SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS (continued)        
         
INVESTMENTS PURCHASED WITH COLLATERAL FROM SECURITIES LOANED (0.85%)        
State Street Navigator Securities Lending Government Money Market Portfolio, 2.46%        
(COST OF $1,869,543)   1,869,543   $1,869,543 
           
TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS          
(COST OF $7,068,676)        7,068,676 
           
TOTAL INVESTMENTS (100.92%)         
(COST OF $156,448,719)        222,106,076 
           
LIABILITIES IN EXCESS OF OTHER ASSETS (-0.92%)        (2,031,867)
           
NET ASSETS (100.00%)       $220,074,209 
           
NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE          
(37,302,489 SHARES OUTSTANDING)       $5.90 

 

(a)Non-income producing security.
(b)Security, or a portion of the security position, is currently on loan. The total market value of securities on loan is $9,170,716.
(c)American Depositary Receipt.
(d)Rate reflects seven-day effective yield on March 31, 2019.

 

See Notes to Schedule of Investments.

 

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Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Notes to Schedule of Investments
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

Security Valuation

Equity securities are valued at the last sale price at the close of the principal exchange on which they trade, except for securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”), which are valued at the NASDAQ official closing price. Unlisted securities or listed securities for which there were no sales during the day are valued at the closing bid price on such exchanges or over-the-counter markets.

 

Cash collateral from securities lending activity is reinvested in the State Street Navigator Securities Lending Government Money Market Portfolio, a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), which operates as a money market fund in compliance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act. Shares of registered investment companies are valued daily at that investment company’s net asset value per share.

 

The Fund’s investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any portfolio securities, at fair value according to procedures adopted by the Fund's Board of Directors (the "Board"). When market quotations are not readily available, or in management’s judgment they do not accurately reflect fair value of a security, or an event occurs after the market close but before the Fund is priced that materially affects the value of a security, the security will be valued by the Fund’s Valuation Committee, using fair valuation procedures established by the Board. Examples of potentially significant events that could materially impact a Fund’s net asset value include, but are not limited to: single issuer events such as corporate actions, reorganizations, mergers, spin-offs, liquidations, acquisitions and buyouts; corporate announcements on earnings or product offerings; regulatory news; and litigation and multiple issuer events such as governmental actions; natural disasters or armed conflicts that affect a country or a region; or significant market fluctuations. Potential significant events are monitored by the Advisor, ALPS Advisors, Inc. (the “Advisor”), Sub-Advisers and/or the Valuation Committee through independent reviews of market indicators, general news sources and communications from the Fund’s custodian. As of March 31, 2019, the Fund held no securities that were fair valued.

 

Security Transactions

Security transactions are recorded on trade date. Cost is determined and gains/(losses) are based upon the specific identification method for both financial statement and federal income tax purposes.

 

Income Recognition

Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Corporate actions and dividend income are recorded on the ex-date.

 

The Fund estimates components of distributions from real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). Distributions received in excess of income are recorded as a reduction of the cost of the related investments. Once the REIT reports annually the tax character of its distributions, the Fund revises its estimates. If the Fund no longer owns the applicable securities, any distributions received in excess of income are recorded as realized gains.

 

Lending of Portfolio Securities

The Fund may lend its portfolio securities only to borrowers that are approved by the Fund’s securities lending agent, State Street Bank & Trust Co. (“SSB”). The Fund will limit such lending to not more than 20% of the value of its total assets. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash (U.S. Dollar only), securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, or by irrevocable bank letters of credit issued by a person other than the borrower or an affiliate of the borrower. The initial collateral received by the Fund is required to have a value of no less than 102% of the market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of no less than 105% of the market value for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter, at a market value equal to no less than 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund on the next business day. During the term of the loan, the Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2019

13

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Notes to Schedule of Investments
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

Any cash collateral received is reinvested in a money market fund managed by SSB as disclosed in the Fund’s Schedule of Investments. Non-cash collateral, in the form of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, is not disclosed in the Fund’s Schedule of Investments as it is held by the lending agent on behalf of the Fund, and the Fund does not have the ability to re-hypothecate these securities.

 

The following is a summary of the Fund’s securities lending positions and related cash and non-cash collateral received as of March 31, 2019:

 

Market Value of Securities on Loan Cash Collateral Received Non-Cash Collateral Received Total Collateral Received
$9,170,716 $1,869,543 $7,367,813 $9,237,356

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, the Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by SSB. SSB’s indemnity allows for full replacement of securities lent wherein SSB will purchase the unreturned loaned securities on the open market by applying the proceeds of the collateral, or to the extent such proceeds are insufficient or the collateral is unavailable, SSB will purchase the unreturned loan securities at SSB’s expense. However, the Fund could suffer a loss if the value of the investments purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the cash collateral received.

 

Fair Value Measurements

The Fund discloses the classification of its fair value measurements following a three-tier hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

 

 

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Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Notes to Schedule of Investments
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

Valuation techniques used to value the Fund’s investments by major category are as follows:

 

Equity securities that are valued based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets are categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy. In the event there were no sales during the day or closing prices are not available, securities are valued at the mean of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices on such day and are generally categorized as Level 2 in the hierarchy. Investments in shares of registered investment companies are valued at their closing NAV each business day and are categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy.

 

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments as of the end of the reporting period. When inputs used fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The designated input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with these investments.

 

These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for  identical  investments,  unrestricted assets or liabilities that a Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;
     
Level 2 – Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and
     
Level 3 – Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of March 31, 2019:

  

   Valuation Inputs     
Investments in Securities at Value*  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Common Stocks  $215,037,400   $–   $–   $215,037,400 
Short Term Investments   7,068,676    –    –    7,068,676 
Total  $222,106,076   $–   $–   $222,106,076 

 

*See Schedule of Investments for industry classifications.

 

The Fund did not have any securities which used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) in determining fair value during the period.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2019

15

 

 

Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund Notes to Schedule of Investments
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

Indemnification

In the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnities. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims against the Fund. Also, under the Fund’s organizational documents and by contract, the Directors and Officers of the Fund are indemnified against certain liabilities that may arise out of their duties to the Fund. However, based on experience, the Fund expects the risk of loss due to these warranties and indemnities to be minimal.

 

Maryland Statutes

By resolution of the Board of Directors, the Fund has opted into the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act and the Maryland Business Combination Act. In general, the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act provides that “control shares” of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition may not be voted except to the extent approved by shareholders at a meeting by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter (excluding shares owned by the acquirer and by officers or directors who are employees of the corporation). “Control shares” are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquirer or in respect of which the acquirer is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting power in electing directors within certain statutorily defined ranges (one-tenth but less than one-third, one-third but less than a majority, and more than a majority of the voting power). In general, the Maryland Business Combination Act prohibits an interested shareholder (a shareholder that holds 10% or more of the voting power of the outstanding stock of the corporation) of a Maryland corporation from engaging in a business combination (generally defined to include a merger, consolidation, share exchange, sale of a substantial amount of assets, a transfer of the corporation’s securities and similar transactions to or with the interested shareholder or an entity affiliated with the interested shareholder) with the corporation for a period of five years after the most recent date on which the interested shareholder became an interested shareholder. At the time of adoption, March 19, 2009, the Board and the Fund were not aware of any shareholder that held control shares or that was an interested shareholder under the statutes.

 

 

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  Description of Lipper Benchmark
Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund And Market Indices
  March 31, 2019 (Unaudited)

 

Dow Jones Industrial Average

A price-weighted measure of 30 U.S. blue-chip companies.

 

Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Mutual Fund Average

The average of funds that, by portfolio practice, invest in a variety of market capitalization ranges without concentrating 75% of their equity assets in any one market capitalization range over an extended period of time. Multi-Cap growth funds typically have above-average characteristics compared to the S&P SuperComposite 1500® Index.

 

NASDAQ Composite Index

Measures all NASDAQ domestic and international based common type stocks listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market.

 

Russell 3000® Growth Index

Measures the performance of those Russell 3000® companies with higher price-to-book-ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 3000® Index measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization, which represents approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market.

 

Russell Top 200® Growth Index

Measures the performance of those Russell Top 200® companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell Top 200® Index measures the performance of the 200 largest companies in the Russell 3000® Index.

 

Russell 1000® Growth Index (Largecap)

Measures the performance of those Russell 1000® companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 1000® Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000® Index.

 

Russell Midcap® Growth Index

Measures the performance of those Russell Midcap® companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell Midcap® Index measures the performance of the 800 smallest companies in the Russell 1000® Index.

 

Russell 2000® Growth Index (Smallcap)

Measures the performance of those Russell 2000® companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000® Index.

 

Russell Growth Benchmark

The average of the Russell Top 200®, Midcap® and 2000® Growth Indices.

 

S&P 500® Index

A large cap U.S. equities index that includes 500 leading companies and captures approximately 80% coverage of available market capitalization.

 

An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

First Quarter Report (Unaudited) | March 31, 2019

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