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ASTON/LMCG Emerging Markets Fund
ASTON/LMCG Emerging Markets Fund
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund seeks to provide long-term 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.
SHAREHOLDER FEES
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees ASTON/LMCG Emerging Markets Fund
Class N Shares
Class I Shares
Redemption Fee (on shares held less than 90 days, as a percentage of amount redeemed) 2.00%rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption 2.00%rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses ASTON/LMCG Emerging Markets Fund
Class N Shares
Class I Shares
Management Fees 1.05%rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 1.05%rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25%rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses 4.66%rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 4.66%rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses 0.05%rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.05%rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 6.01%rr_ExpensesOverAssets 5.76%rr_ExpensesOverAssets
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement [1][2] (4.53%)rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (4.53%)rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses [1][2][3] 1.48%rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.23%rr_NetExpensesOverAssets
[1] The investment adviser is contractually obligated to waive management fees and/or reimburse ordinary operating expenses, not including investment-related costs (such as brokerage commissions), interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses, through February 29, 2016, to the extent that operating expenses exceed 1.43% of the Fund's average daily net assets with respect to Class N shares and 1.18% of the Fund's average daily net assets with respect to Class I shares (the "Operating Expense Limit"). Prior to February 29, 2016, the arrangement may be amended or terminated for a class only by a vote of the Board of Trustees of Aston Funds. For a period of up to three years from the end of the fiscal year during which fees are waived or expenses are reimbursed, the investment adviser is entitled to be reimbursed by the Fund for such fees waived and expenses reimbursed from the commencement of operations through the completion of the first three full fiscal years to the extent that the Fund's Total Annual Operating Expenses for a class, not including investment-related costs (such as brokerage commissions), interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses, remain at or below the Operating Expense Limit after such reimbursement.
[2] Expenses shown above have been restated to reflect the Fund's contractual expense limits currently in effect and will differ from the expenses reflected in the Fund's annual report for fiscal year ended October 31, 2014.
[3] After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement
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%, 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:
Expense Example ASTON/LMCG Emerging Markets Fund (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class N Shares
151 1,382 2,589 5,502
Class I Shares
125 1,312 2,480 5,324
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 63.48%.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of emerging market companies. The Fund determines emerging market companies based on the security’s country classification assigned by Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”), an index provider. MSCI generally determines a security’s country classification by the country of incorporation of the issuing company and the primary listing of the security and categorizes certain countries as emerging markets based on a number of factors. Securities of exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) that track an emerging market index will be considered emerging market securities for purposes of this investment policy. Emerging market countries may be located in such regions as Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Southern Europe, Eastern Europe and Africa.

The Fund invests primarily in common stocks from the universe of companies in the MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index, utilizing a proprietary, fundamentally-based, quantitative investment process of LMCG Investments, LLC (“LMCG”) (formerly, Lee Munder Capital Group, LLC), the Fund’s subadviser. The Fund also invests in ETFs, ETNs and depositary receipts to seek exposure to certain emerging markets. The Fund may also invest in preferred stocks, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and other investment companies. The subadviser uses a bottom-up and risk-controlled approach in seeking to identify stocks with good growth prospects and high quality of earnings through a proprietary stock selection and ranking methodology. The investment methodology evaluates three broad metrics: (i) market dynamics, (ii) value and (iii) quality. For market dynamics, stocks are ranked on earnings growth prospects and relative strength. For value, stocks are evaluated on relative value using valuation measures such as price/book, price/earnings, dividend yield and cash/price. For quality, a company’s earnings quality is assessed as well as its operating efficiency and use of capital. The methodology seeks to construct a portfolio that is balanced across these metrics.

Subject to minimum capitalization and liquidity constraints, the Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization including small-cap and mid-cap companies. Allocation of assets to particular countries, regions and sectors is a residual of the investment process. Accordingly, the Fund may at times have a significant portion of its portfolio invested in one country, region or sector, or in a group of related countries, regions or sectors.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of assets in the United States or other developed markets.
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.

Emerging Market Securities Risk. In addition to the general foreign securities risks described below, investing in emerging market countries is subject to a number of risks, including:
  • Economic structures that are less diverse and mature than those of developed countries
  • Less stable political systems and less developed legal systems
  • National policies that may restrict foreign investment
  • Wide fluctuations in the value of investments, possibly as a result of significant currency exchange rate fluctuations
  • Smaller securities markets, making investments less liquid
  • Special custody arrangements
Exchange-Traded Note Risk. The returns of ETNs are based on the performance of a specified market index minus applicable fees. The risks of ETNs include the risks that may affect the value of the reference index. The value of an ETN is also subject to the credit risk of the issuer. Thus, the value of an ETN may drop due to a decline in an issuer’s credit quality or a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, even if there is no change or an increase in the reference index. ETNs are subject to the additional risk that notes may trade at a premium or discount to their reference index. There may also not be an active trading market available for some ETNs. Additionally, trading of ETNs may be halted or delisted by the listing exchange. When the Fund invests in an ETN, shareholders of the Fund bear their proportionate share of the ETNs’ 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 in addition to those typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks are heightened for issuers located in emerging markets. The securities of foreign companies may be less liquid and their prices 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 against, and little public information about, the companies. Trades typically take more time to settle and clear, and the costs of buying and selling foreign securities are generally higher than the costs associated with buying and selling securities traded in U.S. markets.

The values of the foreign securities held by the Fund may be affected by changes in currency exchange rates or control regulations. If a local currency gains against the U.S. dollar, the value of a holding denominated in that currency 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 foreign securities held by 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. Investments in securities of foreign issuers may also be subject to foreign withholding and other taxes.

Geographic Concentration Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a substantial amount of its assets in securities of issuers located in a single country or geographic region, any changes to the regulatory, political, social or economic conditions in such country or geographic region will generally have greater impact on the Fund than such changes would have on a more geographically diversified fund, and may result in increased volatility and greater losses.

Investment Company Risk. The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, open-end funds and closed-end funds. The risks of investing in other investment companies typically reflect the risks of the types of securities in which those investment companies invest. Investments in ETFs and closed-end funds are subject to the additional risk that shares of the fund may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value per share. When the Fund invests in another investment company, shareholders of the Fund bear their proportionate share of the other investment company’s fees and expenses as well as their share of the Fund’s fees and expenses.

Liquidity Risk. When there is no willing buyer and a security 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, at the Fund’s desired price or at all, can adversely affect the Fund’s value or prevent the Fund from being able to take advantage of other investment opportunities. Less liquid securities are more difficult to dispose of at their recorded values and are subject to wider bid-ask spreads and volatility.

Manager Risk. The performance of the Fund is dependent upon the investment adviser’s skill in selecting managers and the subadviser’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.

Quantitative Model Risk. To the extent that the subadviser relies on its proprietary quantitative models to identify securities for investment, the Fund bears the risk that the quantitative models will not be successful in identifying securities that will help the Fund achieve its investment objective, and may cause the Fund to underperform its benchmark or its peers.

REIT Risk. Securities of REITs may be affected by changes in the values of their underlying properties. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders, which may be subject to defaults by borrowers and self-liquidations. Some REITs may have limited diversification and may be subject to risks inherent in investments in a limited number of properties, in a narrow geographic area, or in a single property type. Real estate prices are also affected by general economic conditions. When growth is slowing, demand for property decreases and prices and rents may decline. High or rising interest rates, which result in high or rising mortgage and financing costs, may restrain buying and selling activity, reducing the appeal of real estate investments. Distributions from REITs generally are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes.

Sector Concentration Risk. The Fund may entail greater risks than investing in funds diversified across sectors. Because the Fund may at times have a significant portion of its assets in one or more related sectors, the Fund may be subject to a greater level of market risk and its performance may be more volatile than a fund that does not concentrate its investments in a specific sector.

Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Company Risk. Investing in securities of small-cap and mid-cap companies may involve greater risks than investing in securities of larger, more established companies. Small-cap and mid-cap companies generally have limited product lines, markets, and financial resources. Their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volumes than the securities of larger, more established companies. Also, small-cap and mid-cap companies are typically subject to greater changes in earnings and business prospects than larger companies. As a result, their stock prices may experience greater volatility and may decline more than those of large-cap companies in market downturns.

Style Risk. The subadviser’s stock selection strategy includes both value and growth factors. During periods when value investing significantly outperforms growth investing, or during periods when growth investing significantly outperforms value investing, the Fund may underperform funds that exclusively employ the favored investing style.
FUND PERFORMANCE
The bar chart shows the performance of the Class N shares of the Fund for the period 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 have different expenses. The annual returns of the Class I shares would be higher than the returns of the Class N shares due to 12b-1 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 website, www.astonfunds.com, or by calling toll-free 800-992-8151. As with all mutual funds, past performance (before and after taxes) does not guarantee future performance.
Class N Shares
Calendar Year Total Return
Bar Chart
Best quarter:06/145.81
Worst quarter:09/14(2.90)% 
The following table indicates how the Fund’s average annual returns for the calendar period compared to the returns of a broad-based securities market index.
Average Annual Total Returns
(For the periods ended December 31, 2014)
Average Annual Total Returns ASTON/LMCG Emerging Markets Fund
1 Year
Since Inception
Inception Date
Class N Shares
(0.09%) (3.72%) Mar. 28, 2013
Class N Shares Return After Taxes on Distributions
(0.23%) (4.01%) Mar. 28, 2013
Class N Shares Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
0.06% (2.85%) Mar. 28, 2013
Class I Shares
0.15% (3.42%) Mar. 28, 2013
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Reflects no deduction for taxes, expenses or fees. Index return since inception for Class N and Class I shares is computed from March 31, 2013.)
(2.19%) (1.82%) Mar. 31, 2013
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In some instances, the “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares” may be greater than “Return Before Taxes” because the investor is assumed to be able to use the capital loss of the sale of Fund shares to offset other taxable gains. 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.