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Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund
Summary Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund (CNZLX)
Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund (the “Australia/New Zealand Fund”) is to provide long-term capital appreciation and current income.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Australia/New Zealand Fund.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees
Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund
Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund Shares
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of the amount redeemed or exchanged within 14 days) 2.00%
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund
Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund Shares
Management Fee 0.75%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees 0.25% [1]
Other Expenses 1.69%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2.69%
[1] The Australia/New Zealand Fund has adopted a Rule 12b-1 Plan that permits it to pay up to 0.35% of its average net assets each year. The Board of Trustees has adopted a resolution to spend not more than 0.25% of the Fund's average net assets under the Rule 12b-1 Plan until, at the earliest, March 1, 2021.
Example:

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Australia/New Zealand Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

 

The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Australia/New Zealand Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, and that the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although, your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example
One Year
Three Years
Five Years
Ten Years
Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund | Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund Shares | USD ($) 272 835 1,425 3,022
Portfolio Turnover

The Australia/New Zealand Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Australia/New Zealand Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 6% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Australia/New Zealand Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in the securities of, and depositary receipts (including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”)) represented by, Australian and New Zealand issuers that are tied economically to Australia or New Zealand. The Australia/New Zealand Fund considers an issuer to be an Australian or New Zealand issuer and thus tied economically to Australia or New Zealand if: (1) the issuer is organized under Australia or New Zealand law; (2) the securities of the issuer are listed on Australia or New Zealand stock exchanges regardless of the country in which the issuer is organized; (3) the issuer derives 50% or more of its total revenue from goods and/or services produced or sold in Australia or New Zealand; or (4) the securities are issued or guaranteed by government entities of Australia or New Zealand. The Australia/New Zealand Fund invests primarily in debt and equity securities of Australian/New Zealand issuers. The Australia/New Zealand Fund may also consider an issuer to be an Australian or New Zealand issuer if it issues securities denominated in the local currency of either Australia or New Zealand. The Australia/New Zealand Fund’s equity investments may include common and preferred stock and securities convertible into common stock. The Australia/New Zealand Fund’s investments may include issuers of any market capitalization. In addition, the Australia/New Zealand Fund may invest in ADRs, which are dollar-denominated depositary receipts that, typically, are issued by a United States bank or trust company and represent the deposit with that bank or trust company of a security of a foreign issuer. Generally, ADRs are designed for trading on U.S. securities exchanges or other markets. The Australia/New Zealand Fund may also invest in EDRs, GDRs and in similar instruments representing foreign-traded depositary interests in securities of foreign companies. EDRs are receipts issued by a European financial institution evidencing arrangements similar to ADRs. EDRs are generally designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are receipts for foreign-based corporations that are traded in capital markets around the world. These depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. The depositary receipts in which the Fund invests are U.S. dollar-denominated.

 

The Australia/New Zealand Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies, including open-end and closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds.

 

FCA Corp, the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s investment adviser (“FCA Corp” or the “Adviser”), does not attempt to maintain equal or set allocations to Australia or New Zealand. Rather, the Australia/New Zealand Fund, from time to time, invests different percentages of its assets in Australia and New Zealand, depending on available investment opportunities and economic and market conditions. The Australia/New Zealand Fund may invest in companies that focus on natural resources production, refining and development.

 

The Australia/New Zealand Fund’s investments in debt securities may include obligations of governmental issuers, commercial paper and other companies regardless of credit quality and regardless of whether such securities are rated or unrated by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”). The determination as to whether to make a particular investment in debt securities is based on FCA Corp’s analysis of the risk of the debt security versus the price and return of such debt security. The Australia/New Zealand Fund’s debt investments may include securities that are viewed as being of a credit quality that is below investment-grade (i.e., “junk bonds”) based on ratings established by NRSROs regardless of whether such debt security is rated or not.

 

The Australia/New Zealand Fund may also enter into derivative transactions. The Australia/New Zealand Fund may use derivative transactions for any purpose consistent with its investment objective, such as for hedging, obtaining market exposure, and generating premium income. The Australia/New Zealand Fund may purchase or sell (write) exchange-traded put or call options on stocks or stock indices. The Australia/New Zealand Fund also may enter into foreign currency forward contracts. The Australia/New Zealand Fund may also engage in borrowing for cash management purposes. The Australia/New Zealand Fund may borrow to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, which generally means that the Australia/New Zealand Fund may borrow up to one-third of its total assets.

 

FCA Corp has long-term investment goals and its process seeks to identify potential portfolio investments that can be held over an indefinite time horizon. FCA Corp adjusts portfolio holdings in light of prevailing market conditions and other factors, including, among other things, economic, political, or market events, changes in relative valuations (to both a company’s growth prospects and to other issuers), and liquidity requirements. In selecting investments for the Australia/New Zealand Fund, FCA Corp will assess factors it deems relevant and applicable under the particular circumstances, including, among others:

 

  ● Potential for capital appreciation (to both a company’s growth prospects and to other issuers);

 

  ● Earnings growth potential and/or sustainability;

 

  ● Price of security relative to historical and/or future cash flow;

 

  ● Sustainable franchise value;

 

  ● Price of a security relative to price of underlying stock, if a convertible security;

 

  ● Yield on security relative to yield of other fixed-income securities;

 

  ● Interest or dividend income;

 

  ● Call and/or put features;

 

  ● Price of a security relative to price of other comparable securities;

 

  ● Size of issue; and

 

  ● Impact of security on diversification of the portfolio.

 

FCA Corp will also seek to sell a security when it believes its price is unlikely to appreciate longer term, other comparable investments offer better opportunities for the Fund, or in the course of adjusting the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s emphasis(es) on a given country(ies) or sector(s). The Australia/New Zealand Fund generally invests in equity securities with the view to hold them long-term and debt securities to hold to maturity.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Australia/New Zealand Fund may lose value and is not guaranteed or insured by a bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any other government agency. In addition, the Fund is subject to the following principal risks (presented alphabetically):

 

Abusive Trading Activities. Frequent short-term purchases, redemptions or exchanges in Australia/New Zealand Fund shares (sometimes referred to as “market timing” or “frequent trading activities”) may result in a dilution in the value of Australia/New Zealand Fund shares for other shareholders. Such activity may create transaction costs that are borne by all shareholders, may disrupt the orderly management of the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s portfolio investments, and may affect the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s cost and performance for other shareholders. The Board of Trustees has adopted policies to discourage abusive trading activities and has approved procedures to implement those policies. There is no guarantee that these procedures can detect or prevent all abusive trading activities and, therefore, such activities may occur.

 

Borrowing Risk. Borrowing creates leverage, which will exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s net asset value and, therefore, may increase the volatility of the Australia/New Zealand Fund. Money borrowed will be subject to interest and other costs (that may include commitment fees) which may reduce the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s total return. Unless the income and capital appreciation, if any, exceed the cost of borrowing, the use of leverage will diminish the investment performance of the Australia/New Zealand Fund.

 

Currency Risk. Investments that are denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar, or currency-related derivative instruments, are subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to one or more other currencies including the U.S. dollar. When the Australia/New Zealand Fund conducts securities transactions in a foreign currency, there is the risk of the value of the foreign currency increasing or decreasing against the value of the U.S. dollar. The value of an investment denominated in a foreign currency will decline in dollar terms if that currency weakens against the U.S. dollar. Risks associated with currency may also be exacerbated by foreign government exchange controls which may include, among others, banning the use of foreign currency within the country, fixed exchange rates, restricting currency exchange to government-approved exchangers, and restrictions on the amount of currency that may be imported or exported. In addition, the Australia/New Zealand Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies.

 

Debt Securities Risk. Investments in debt and/or fixed income securities tend to fluctuate inversely with changes in interest rates (i.e. if interest rates increase, the price of debt securities will generally decline). Changes in an issuer’s financial strength or creditworthiness also can affect the value of the securities it issues. Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential income and/or gains from the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s investments in fixed income securities denominated in a foreign currency. Convertible and preferred stocks, which have some characteristics of both equity and fixed income securities, also contain, to varying degrees depending on their structure, the associated risks of each. The Australia/New Zealand Fund may invest in securities rated investment-grade or below investment-grade (“junk bonds”), and it may invest in debt securities that are of comparable quality that are not rated. The Australia/New Zealand Fund could lose money or experience a lower rate of return if it holds junk bonds that are subject to higher credit risks and are less liquid than other fixed income or debt instruments. Junk bonds are often considered speculative and have significantly higher credit risk than investment-grade bonds.

 

Derivatives Risk. The value of derivatives may rise or fall more rapidly than other investments. For some derivatives, it is possible to lose more than the amount invested in the derivative. If the Australia/New Zealand Fund uses derivatives to “hedge” the overall risk of its portfolio, it is possible that the hedge may not succeed. Over-the-counter derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party to the contract will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with the Australia/New Zealand Fund. Other risks of investments in derivatives include imperfect correlation between the value of these instruments and the underlying assets; risks that the transactions may result in losses that offset gains in portfolio positions; and risks that the derivative transactions may not be liquid.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Foreign securities risks to which the Australia/New Zealand Fund will be exposed include differences in securities markets in other countries, in tax policies, in the level of regulation and in accounting standards, as well as risks associated with fluctuations in currency values. Further, there is often less publicly available information about foreign issuers, and there is the possibility of negative governmental actions and of political and social unrest. The Australia/New Zealand Fund may not be able to participate in rights and offerings that are not registered for sale to a U.S. investor. Securities in foreign markets also are generally less liquid and have greater price fluctuation than is typical in the U.S. for securities of comparable issuers. Transactions in foreign securities generally involve currency exchange cost and risk and often take longer to settle than do securities in the U.S., which may make it more difficult for the Australia/New Zealand Fund to liquidate positions. This in turn may cause delays in the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s receipt of proceeds and an associated loss of potential dividend and interest income or the incurrence of interest cost on debt incurred to cover the period required until the receipt of the proceeds of these same securities. Although depositary receipts provide a convenient means to invest in non-U.S. securities, such investments involve risks generally similar to investments directly in foreign securities. The issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts may not receive information from the foreign issuer, and it is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications or other information received from the foreign issuer of the deposited securities or to pass through voting rights to the holders of the depositary receipts. It may not be possible to hedge the risk of currency fluctuations in foreign countries. Additionally, although depositary receipts have risks similar to the securities that they represent, they may involve higher expenses, may trade at a discount (or premium) to the underlying security, may not pass through voting and other shareholder rights, and may be less liquid than the underlying securities listed on an exchange.

 

Management Risk. FCA Corp’s judgments about the attractiveness and potential appreciation of a security may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results. Additionally, FCA Corp’s reliance on investment strategy judgments about the “growth” potential of particular companies or the relative “value” of particular securities may prove to be incorrect or inconsistent with the overall market’s assessment of these characteristics, which may result in lower-than-expected returns.

 

Operational Risk. The ability of the Australia/New Zealand Fund to achieve its investment objective is contingent on a variety of factors, and perhaps most importantly, the ability of FCA Corp to implement the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s strategies effectively and efficiently. Any of these factors could negatively affect the performance of the Australia/New Zealand Fund. Additionally, the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s direct operations could negatively impact the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s performance. For instance, because the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s asset base may be considered small relative to other mutual funds, the Australia/New Zealand Fund will operate with correspondingly higher total annual operating expenses. To the extent the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s assets are not increased and the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s expense ratios are not decreased, the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s expenses will detract from its performance more significantly than with other mutual funds.

 

Risks Associated with Australia/New Zealand. The Australia/New Zealand Fund, by focusing its investments on Australian and New Zealand issuers, may be exposed to additional risks that other funds that invest in securities of issuers in a broader region may not be exposed. For instance, financial, economic or political instabilities, and natural disasters, that impact Australia and/or New Zealand, but that do not impact the broader Pacific region, could impact the Australia/New Zealand Fund to a larger degree than other funds that invest in securities of issuers in a broader geographical area.

 

Risks Associated with Investments in Other Investment Companies. The Australia/New Zealand Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies, including open-end funds and closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). When the Australia/New Zealand Fund invests in other investment companies and ETFs, it will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the other investment company. Therefore, the Australia/New Zealand Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. In addition, the Australia/New Zealand Fund may be affected by losses of the underlying funds and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of the underlying funds (such as the use of derivative transactions by the underlying funds). ETFs and closed-end funds are subject to additional risks such as, its shares may trade above or below its net asset value or an active market may not develop. The Australia/New Zealand Fund has no control over the investments and related risks taken by the underlying funds in which it invests.

 

Risks Associated with Natural Resources and Commodity Investments. Should the Australia/New Zealand Fund invest in securities of companies involved in oil and gas, timber or mining activities, such investments will involve an increased number of risks, including geological risks, environmental liabilities, governmental regulations, and other risks involved in exploration, mining, distribution and marketing oil, gas, and other minerals, which can result in a higher degree of overall risk for the Australia/New Zealand Fund. These companies may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity prices, interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments.

 

Small Capitalization Risk. Investing in small capitalization companies may be subject to special risks associated with narrower product lines, more limited financial resources, smaller management groups, and a more limited trading market for their stocks as compared with larger companies. In addition, the earnings and prospects of smaller companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies and smaller companies may experience higher failure rates than do larger companies.

 

Stock Market Risk. The Australia/New Zealand Fund’s investments will fluctuate in price. This means that the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s share price will go up and down, and Australia/New Zealand Fund shareholders can lose money. Investments in stocks of any type involve risk because stock prices have no guaranteed value. Stock prices may fluctuate in response to various factors, including market conditions, political and other events, and developments affecting the particular issuer or its industry or geographic segment.

FUND’S PAST PERFORMANCE

The bar chart and performance table that follows illustrate the variability of the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s returns. The Australia/New Zealand Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Australia/New Zealand Fund will perform in the future. The information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Australia/New Zealand Fund by showing changes in its performance from year to year over the life of the Fund and by showing how its average annual returns for 1, 5, and 10 years compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The performance of the comparative indices does not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. Updated performance information, current through the most recent month end, is available on the Australia/New Zealand Fund’s website at www.commonwealthfunds.com.

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND FUND Year-by-year return as of 12/31 each year (%)
Bar Chart

For the periods included in the bar chart:

 

Best Quarter 15.85%, 3rd Quarter, 2010
Worst Quarter (14.12)%, 3rd Quarter, 2011
Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2019
Average Annual Total Returns - Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund Shares 17.39% 6.11% 5.95%
Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund Shares | After Taxes on Distributions 16.10% 5.96% 5.80%
Commonwealth Australia/New Zealand Fund Shares | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales 11.79% 5.28% 5.25%
NZX 50 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 31.54% 12.38% 12.74%
Australian All Ordinaries Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 25.25% 7.54% 6.74%

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Australia/New Zealand Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.