497K 1 d497k.htm ASTON/VEREDUS SELECT GROWTH FUND - SUMMARY PROSPECTUS ASTON/Veredus Select Growth Fund - Summary Prospectus

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ASTON/Veredus Select Growth Fund

 

Summary Prospectus – March 1, 2011    Ticker: Class N–AVSGX, Class I–AVISX

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus and other information about the Fund online at www.astonfunds.com/FormsProspectuses/Prospectuses. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800-992-8151 or by sending an e-mail to contactfunds@astonasset.com. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, each dated March 1, 2011, are incorporated by reference to this summary prospectus.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Fund seeks to provide capital appreciation.

FEES AND EXPENSES

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

        Class N Shares      Class I Shares  
Management Fees        0.80      0.80
Distribution (12b-1) Fees        0.25      None   
Other Expenses        0.28      0.28
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses        0.02      0.02
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses        1.35      1.10

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

       (0.03 )%(a)       (0.03 )%(a) 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement        1.32 %(a)       1.07 %(a) 
(a)

The adviser is contractually obligated to waive management fees and/or reimburse ordinary operating expenses through February 28, 2012 at the rates shown in the table, not including fees and expenses from investments in other investment companies (acquired fund fees and expenses). Prior to February 28, 2012, the arrangement may be amended or terminated for a class only by a vote of the Board of Trustees of Aston Funds.

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example shows the operating expenses you would incur as a shareholder if you invested $10,000 in the Fund over the time periods shown and you redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example assumes that the average annual return was 5% and that operating expenses remained the same and expenses were capped for one year in each period.

Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the above assumptions, your costs would be:

 

        1 Year        3 Years        5 Years        10 Years  
Class N Shares      $ 134         $ 425         $ 736         $ 1,621   
Class I Shares        109           347           603           1,338   

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The 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 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 Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 325.01%.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

The Fund invests primarily in growth stocks of mid-cap and large-cap companies whose earnings are growing, or expected to grow, at an accelerating rate. The Fund defines a mid-cap company as one having a market capitalization of between approximately $2.5 and $9 billion at the time of acquisition. The Fund defines a large-cap company as one having a market capitalization of approximately $9 billion or more at the time of acquisition. The portfolio managers look for inefficiencies in the market caused by inaccurate expectations (e.g., positive earnings surprises, estimate revisions). The focus is on companies that have:

 

n  

expanding unit volume growth

n  

expanding profit margin potential

 

 

Aston Funds   1   Summary Prospectus


n  

high or improving cash flow return on investment

n  

large markets with high barriers to entry

The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and foreign securities (directly and through depositary receipts).

To manage risk, the portfolio managers adhere to a strong sell discipline. The Fund’s investment strategies may result in high portfolio turnover.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund.

ETF Risk. ETFs seek to track the performance of an index by holding in its portfolio shares of all the companies, or a representative sample of the companies, that are components of a particular index. The risks of investment in ETFs typically reflect the risk of the types of securities in which the ETFs invest. Shares of an ETF may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value per share. In addition, when the Fund invests in an ETF, shareholders of the Fund bear their proportionate share of the ETF’s fees and expenses as well as their share of the Fund’s fees and expenses.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in the securities of foreign issuers involves special risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. The securities of foreign companies may be less liquid and may fluctuate more widely than those traded in U.S. markets. Foreign companies and markets may also have less governmental supervision. There may be difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations and little public information about the companies. Trades typically take more time to settle and clear, and the cost of buying and selling foreign securities is generally higher than similar costs associated with U.S. traded securities.

The value of the securities held by the Fund may be affected by changes in exchange rates or control regulations. If a local currency gains against the U.S. dollar, the value of the holding increases in U.S. dollar terms. If a local currency declines against the U.S. dollar, the value of the holding decreases in U.S. dollar terms. Changes in economic, tax or foreign investment policies, or other political, governmental or economic actions can adversely affect the value of the securities in the Fund. In foreign countries, accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and other regulatory practices and requirements are generally different from those required for U.S. companies.

Growth Style Risk. Growth investing involves buying stocks that have relatively high price-to-earnings ratios. Growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they are generally more sensitive to investor perceptions and market moves. During periods of growth stock underperformance, the Fund’s performance may suffer.

Liquidity Risk. When there is no willing buyer and investments cannot be readily sold at the desired time or price, the Fund may need to accept a lower price or may not be able to sell the security at all. An inability to sell securities can adversely affect the Fund’s value or prevent the Fund from being able to take advantage of other investment opportunities. Recent instability in certain credit and fixed income markets has adversely affected and is expected to continue to affect the liquidity of certain asset classes of securities including, in particular, certain types of asset-backed, mortgage-backed and real-estate related securities. Less liquid securities are more difficult to dispose of at their recorded values and are subject to increased spreads and volatility.

Manager Risk. The performance of the Fund is dependent upon the investment adviser’s skill in selecting managers and the portfolio manager’s skill in making appropriate investments. As a result, the Fund may underperform its benchmark or its peers.

Market Risk. The Fund’s share price can move down in response to stock market conditions, changes in the economy or changes in a particular company’s stock price. An individual stock may decline in value even when the value of stocks in general is rising.

Mid-Cap Company Risk. Investments in mid-cap companies may entail greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. Mid-cap companies generally have narrower product lines, more limited financial resources and a more limited trading market for their stocks compared with larger companies. As a result, their stock prices may experience greater volatility and may decline significantly in market downturns.

Portfolio Turnover Risk. Frequent trading of the Fund’s portfolio holdings may result in a higher than average level of capital gains, including short-term gains, and will result in greater transaction costs to the Fund. High portfolio turnover may increase the level of short-term capital gains. To the extent distributions to shareholders are made from net short-term capital gains (i.e., net capital gain on securities held or treated as held by the Fund for one year or less minus any net capital losses on securities held or treated as held by the Fund for more than one year), the distributions will be taxed at ordinary income rates for federal income tax purposes, rather than at lower long-term capital gains rates. Greater transaction costs and higher expenses as a result of portfolio turnover can negatively impact the Fund’s performance.

FUND PERFORMANCE

The bar chart shows how the performance of the Class N shares of the Fund has varied from year-to-year over the periods shown. Class N shares and Class I shares are invested in the same portfolio of securities, so the annual returns would differ only to the extent that the classes do not have the same expenses. The annual returns of the Class I shares would be higher than the returns of the Class N shares, due to distribution fees paid by Class N shares. This information may help illustrate the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund makes updated performance information available on the Fund’s Web site, www.astonfunds.com, or by calling 800 992-8151. As with all mutual funds, past performance (before and after taxes) does not guarantee future performance.

 

 

Aston Funds   2   Summary Prospectus


Class N Shares

Calendar Year Total Return

 

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  Best quarter:     12/10         18.11
  Worst quarter:     12/08         (25.56 )% 
      
      
      

The following table indicates how the Fund’s average annual returns for different calendar periods compared to the returns of a broad-based securities market index.

Average Annual Total Return

(For the periods ended December 31, 2010)

 

       ASTON/Veredus Select Growth Fund  
        1 Year        5 Years        Since Inception  
Class N Shares (Inception 12/31/01):               

Return Before Taxes

       23.00        3.68        4.63

Return After Taxes on Distributions

       23.00        2.71        4.08

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

       14.95        2.68        3.76
Class I Shares (Inception 9/11/06):               

Return Before Taxes

       23.17        N/A           5.66
Russell 1000 Growth Index (Reflects no deduction for taxes, expenses or fees. Index return for Class I shares’ inception, computed from August 31, 2006, is 4.29%.)        16.71        3.75        2.59

After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical marginal individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown only for Class N shares. After-tax returns for Class I shares will vary.

MANAGEMENT

Aston Asset Management, LP serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Todd-Veredus Asset Management LLC (“Todd-Veredus”) serves as the subadviser to the Fund.

Mr. B. Anthony Weber, Co-President and Chief Investment Officer of Todd-Veredus, Mr. Charles F. Mercer, Jr., Executive Vice President of Todd-Veredus, and Mr. Michael E. Johnson, Vice President of Todd-Veredus, serve as portfolio managers of the Fund. Mr. Weber has served as the Fund’s portfolio manager since September 2002. Mr. Mercer has served as the Fund’s portfolio manager since December 2001. Mr. Johnson has served as the Fund’s portfolio manager since January 2009.

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

Shares of the Fund may be purchased, exchanged, or redeemed on any business day by written request (Aston Funds, P.O Box 9765, Providence, RI 02940), wire transfer, online access (www.astonfunds.com), or by telephone
(800-992-8151). Additional information may be required on certain redemptions. Investors who wish to purchase, exchange or redeem Fund shares through a broker-dealer should contact the broker-dealer directly.

 

Class and Account Type      Minimum Initial Investment        Subsequent Investments  
Class N—Regular Accounts      $ 2,500         $ 50   
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)      $ 500         $ 50   
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)      $ 500         $ 50   
Custodial Accounts for Minors (UGMA/UTMA)      $ 500         $ 50   
Class I—Institutional Accounts      $ 1 Million         $ 50   

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains for federal income tax purposes, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred account such as a 401(k) or individual retirement account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred vehicles, such as 401(k) plans or IRAs, may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those plans or accounts.

 

 

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PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

VSELG311

 

 

Aston Funds   4   Summary Prospectus