UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-CSR
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF
REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Investment Company Act File Number: 811-07749
T. Rowe Price Financial Services Fund, Inc. |
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter) |
100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
David Oestreicher |
100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 |
(Name and address of agent for service) |
Registrants telephone number, including
area code: (410) 345-2000
Date of fiscal year end:
December 31
Date of reporting period: December 31, 2012
Item 1. Report to Shareholders
Financial
Services Fund |
December
31, 2012 |
The views and opinions in this report were current as of December 31, 2012. They are not guarantees of performance or investment results and should not be taken as investment advice. Investment decisions reflect a variety of factors, and the managers reserve the right to change their views about individual stocks, sectors, and the markets at any time. As a result, the views expressed should not be relied upon as a forecast of the funds future investment intent. The report is certified under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires mutual funds and other public companies to affirm that, to the best of their knowledge, the information in their financial reports is fairly and accurately stated in all material respects.
REPORTS ON THE WEB
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Managers Letter
Fellow Shareholders
After underperforming the broader market for five consecutive years, financials posted strong gains in 2012 and was the best-performing sector in the large-cap S&P 500 Index. The sector began 2012 out of favor and with low valuations, but thanks to unprecedented global central bank actions to pump significant liquidity into struggling financial markets, risk assets began to increase in value, which lifted the sector. In addition, underlying fundamentals for many financials continued to improve as credit costs dropped and balance sheets strengthened.
PERFORMANCE COMPARISON
Thanks to this improving backdrop, your fund returned 12.09% in the second half of 2012 and 27.48% for the full yeara solid performance versus its benchmarks, as shown in the Performance Comparison table. The fund outperformed each of its three benchmarks, the Lipper Financial Services Funds Index, the Russell 3000 Financial Index, and the Morningstar Financial Average, over both periods.
The largest contributor to performance in our reporting periods was JPMorgan Chase, despite the firms high-profile trading loss early in the year. It has been a top position in your fund for several years and remained so at the end of 2012. Two other large financial companies, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley, were also top contributors in the 6- and 12-month periods as both stocks began the year at very low valuations and managements started to embrace needed cost cuts. Florida land developer St. Joe was the largest detractor in the first half of 2012 but more than made up for it in the second half as the funds third-largest contributor. In fact, it was our 11th largest contributor for the full year, as the companys large land position became increasingly valuable with the housing recovery. (Please refer to the funds portfolio of investments for a complete list of holdings and the amount each represents in the portfolio.)
Two of the biggest detractors in our 6- and 12-month reporting periods were Willis Group Holdings and IntercontinentalExchange. In the case of Willis, the company continued to struggle with the integration of a large competitor and underinvested in its key assets during the year. IntercontinentalExchange lagged due to declining transactions in its core futures business as investors reduced their trading activity ahead of major regulatory changes.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGY
Our objective is to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns relative to similar financial services-focused offerings over any three-year period. We measure our results against three primary benchmarks: the Lipper Financial Services Funds Index, the Russell 3000 Financial Index, and the Morningstar Financial Average.
We usually hold approximately 60 to 80 securities. We are comfortable owning large positions (representing 4% of assets or more) in high-conviction ideas where we believe we have identified companies whose potential rewards significantly outweigh the risks. We tend to hold a majority of the funds stocks in what we define as core positions ranging between 1.25% and 1.75% of assets. These core positions represent the companies that we view as industry leaders with sustainable business models and attractive valuations. Finally, the fund owns a number of smaller positions (ranging from 0.50% to 1.00% of assets) that we believe represent higher-risk but higher-return opportunities.
We employ a bottom-up, fundamental investment process that relies heavily on the work of our team of dedicated investment analysts who collectively follow hundreds of small-, mid-, and large-cap financial companies around the world. We also strive to work closely with our fixed income colleagues, which we believe is a distinct advantage for us versus other investment firms. The basis of the T. Rowe Price investment approach is fundamental analysis of a securitys issuer rather than top-down global macroeconomic analysis. However, assessing the macro environment is a critical element of investing in many financial industries, particularly bank stocks, which are essentially highly levered plays on the economy of the banks geographic base. The strength of the economy dictates loan demand (think of this as the volume of goods sold) as well as credit losses (a key aspect of the cost of goods sold). Our philosophy is to use our strength in bottom-up analysis to dictate our macro view. Through our global teams continual discussion and assessment of stocks and their prospects, we occasionally encounter situations in which most of our teams analysts find attractively priced investment ideas to be scarce or plentiful. That is the best signal to us that we have reached some sort of market peak or trough and informs our overall view of the macro environment.
We do not manage the fund with either a traditionally defined value or growth philosophy. Rather, our style can best be described as one with a heavy quality bias. Most financial services companies must employ a high degree of financial leverage to earn adequate returns on equity. Both the asset and the liability sides of commercial, trust, and investment banks and insurance companies balance sheets are often very large and aggregated, making it difficult for outsiders to assess their strengths. This inherent opacity is what drives our self-described quality bias, as we are willing to pay higher multiples for shares of companies with proven management teams in most cases. We are certainly not risk averse or risk intolerant; rather, we believe that over multiple market cycles we will compound wealth for shareholders most effectively by investing in the worlds truly great financial companies, as opposed to always seeking out stocks with the lowest absolute valuation multiples.
Part of this approach favors the use of convertible securities, debt securities, cash reserves, and select nonfinancial companies to manage the portfolios risk/reward profile. While we use these instruments selectively, we find occasionally that they represent true opportunities to add value to the portfolio.
PORTFOLIO REVIEW
Your fund remains well diversified across approximately 70 issuers of securities. The fund is still positioned for a recovery in the U.S. economy broadly and capital markets activity specifically (such as increased mergers and acquisitions and corporate issuance of equity and debt securities to raise capital). Over the second half of 2012, however, we modestly decreased the funds money center bank holdings and reallocated most of the proceeds into a mix of regional banks, foreign banks, and property and casualty insurance companies.
Our largest purchase in the second half of 2012 was Capital One Financial, a regional bank with a national credit card division. We believe the companys recent acquisitions of HSBCs credit card portfolio and INGs online bank provide it with a unique opportunity to protect its net interest margin in this period of low absolute interest rates. Further, we expect Capital One to generate strong cash flow and begin returning more of that excess cash to shareholders through dividends or stock repurchases.
The second-largest purchase was PNC Financial Services Group, which was one of the worst-performing large financial stocks in 2012. We began adding to our modest position late in the year, as investors grew increasingly worried about the companys ability to successfully integrate the acquisition of Royal Bank of Canadas U.S. branches, known as Centura. We expect the Centura acquisition to add to PNCs earnings in 2013, and we believe PNCs significantly discounted valuation compared with peers (nearly 20% by our calculations, when adjusting for the companys large ownership position in asset manager BlackRock) will improve, leading to better performance for the shares in 2013.
Similar to last yearthanks to T. Rowe Prices global reach, with financial services analysts on five continentswe are able to take advantage of investment opportunities around the world. These opportunities were more pronounced in 2012, and your fund began new and significant positions in several of the worlds largest non-U.S. based financial services companies, including Switzerlands Credit Suisse Group, the UKs Standard Chartered, and Sberbank of Russia.
The largest sale during the past six months was Morgan Stanley, a name we have discussed in previous letters. This stock was a top contributor to your fund during 2012, as mentioned earlier, and we remain positive on the companys prospects as it continues its turnaround efforts. Morgan Stanley remains a large holding in the fund. However, we used some sales proceeds to build our new position in Credit Suisse, as we did not want to increase the funds already significant overweight to securities brokers and dealers.
Our second-largest sale in the last six months was the elimination of Legg Mason, a Baltimore-based investment management company. We anticipated improving operating margins and better asset inflows on the back of stronger investment performance, which should have led to higher capital return to shareholders (i.e., dividends and share buybacks). During 2012, the company made major changes to its operating profile and did improve its margins. However, these changes were not enough to significantly improve its earnings, and as we look ahead into 2013, we believe that the companys strong emphasis on fixed income products could prove to be a major headwind after multiple years of above-average growth for fixed income funds versus equity funds.
OUTLOOK
We begin 2013 in a very different position compared with last year. After five consecutive years of underperforming the broader market, financial stocks experienced a strong rebound in 2012, which means we do not have the benefit of starting the new year with the same exceptionally low valuations and poor sentiment that were a big benefit to the group in 2012. However, we do still see some pockets of opportunity within the sector, and while valuations as measured by price-to-book value ratio have increased, they are not exceptionally high. This means the sector is not obviously overvalued.
We believe in several themes that shape our composition of the portfolio. The first and most significant change is a modest increase in the funds exposure to stocks with higher-than-average interest rate sensitivity late in 2012. These stocks should do particularly well when interest rates begin to rise. This is a notable change, as we have written in previous letters that U.S. interest rates seemed likely to remain low for a long time. While we do not expect short-term rates to rise significantly in 2013, we do believe that the debate about when the Fed will begin to reverse its accommodative policies will intensify in 2013 and that interest rate-sensitive stocks could appreciate in anticipation of Federal Reserve action. We are not making this theme a major component of how we construct the portfolio because we do not espouse a purely top-down macroeconomic investment process. Rather, we have found a handful of companies that have, in our opinion, idiosyncratic opportunities to do well in 2013 and would benefit significantly from higher rates. The best example of this theme is our significant purchases of trust and custody bank State Street toward the end of 2012. State Street is one of the most interest rate-sensitive companies in your portfolioit holds large amounts of cash for institutions on a short-term basis and earns interest on itso a rise in rates would generate a large increase in State Streets earnings. However, if rates remain low, we believe the combination of a very low absolute valuation and the potential for operating expense cuts and capital return to investors would still position State Street to be a good stock.
A second theme that we believe will grow in significance in 2013 is the acceleration of merger and acquisition activity among small community banks. While it is difficult to build a portfolio of the banks most likely to be taken over, we believe that a number of well-capitalized smaller banks will be in a good position to acquire a number of their competitors at reasonable valuations, which should drive significant earnings growth. Three companies that could benefit from this trend as potential acquirers are BankUnited, Capital Bank Financial, and National Bank Holdings.
Much to our frustration, it seems that we must continually write about a significant risk to the financials sector based entirely on a major developed market governments inability to manage its fiscal position effectively. In 2011 and 2012, major European countries faced significant troubles based on the simple concept that these governments spent much more than they collected in revenues and bondholders were increasingly unwilling to finance these excesses. As we enter 2013, two other major developed markets are in danger of facing similar bond market revolts from investors. The first is Japan, where the central bank is engaging in a massive effort to increase the countrys liquidity and devalue the yen. The potential impact on Japanese government bonds (JGBs) is one we are watching with significant interest. While your fund has no direct exposure to Japanese financial companies, the JGB market is the worlds second-largest government bond market, and disruptions in it could have significant negative ramifications for other world bond markets.
The second major country that runs the risk of seeing its access to cheap financing erode is the United States. As our politicians continue to find little common ground on the long-term reform this country needs to bring its budget into balance, our countrys debt is growing at an uncomfortably high rate. Because the U.S. dollar is the worlds reserve currency, the U.S. benefits from extremely low-cost financing, as evidenced by the 10-year Treasury yielding less than 2.0%. However, it is foolish to expect that this advantage will exist forever. Eventually, we will need fiscal sanity from our leaders, and the longer we wait to begin fixing the problem, the more difficult the problem becomes. For financial companies, this is a particularly dangerous issue because under current regulatory rules, they are required to hold large positions in U.S. Treasury bonds that could lose significant value if interest rates spike due to decreased confidence in the U.S. fiscal situation.
In conclusion, as we enter 2013, we believe there are a number of solid opportunities for your fund and that, overall, financial stocks are fairly valued. We believe the recovery in the U.S. housing market is still gaining momentum, and with it brings better economic prospects in the form of more jobs and better economic growth. With reasonable fiscal policy and no further regulatory shocks, financial stocks should have another solid year in 2013. However, we do not expect the same exceptional performance we saw in 2012, as we begin this year from a less-distressed level of overall valuation.
Thank you for your confidence in T. Rowe Price.
Respectfully submitted,
Eric Veiel
Chairman of the funds Investment Advisory
Committee
January 23, 2013
The committee chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the portfolio and works with committee members in developing and executing the funds investment program.
RISKS OF INVESTING
The funds share price can fall because of weakness in the stock market, a particular industry, or specific holdings. Stock markets can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. The prospects for an industry or company may deteriorate because of a variety of factors, including disappointing earnings or changes in the competitive environment. In addition, the investment managers assessment of companies held in a fund may prove incorrect, resulting in losses or poor performance, even in rising markets.
Funds that invest only in specific industries will experience greater volatility than funds investing in a broad range of industries. The banking industry can be significantly affected by legislation that has reduced the separation between commercial and investment banking businesses, changed the laws governing capitalization requirements and the savings and loan industry, and increased competition. In addition, changes in general economic conditions and interest rates can significantly affect the banking industry. Financial services companies may be hurt when interest rates rise sharply, although not all companies are affected equally. The stocks may also be vulnerable to rapidly rising inflation.
GLOSSARY
Lipper indexes: Fund benchmarks that consist of a small number of the largest mutual funds in a particular category as tracked by Lipper Inc.
Morningstar Financial Average: Tracks the performance of funds that seek capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of financial services companies.
Price-to-book value ratio: A valuation measure that compares a stocks market price with its book value; i.e., the companys net worth divided by the number of outstanding shares.
Return on equity (ROE) current fiscal year: A valuation measure calculated by dividing the companys current fiscal year net income by shareholders equity (i.e., the companys book value). ROE measures how much a company earns on each dollar that common stock investors have put into the company. It indicates how effectively and efficiently a company and its management are using stockholder investments.
Russell 3000 Financial Index: A subindex of the Russell 3000 Index that includes all of the financials sector components of the Russell 3000.
S&P 500 Index: An unmanaged index that tracks the stocks of 500 primarily large-cap U.S. companies.
Note: Russell Investment Group is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks, and copyrights related to the Russell indexes. Russell® is a trademark of Russell Investment Group.
Performance and Expenses
Growth of $10,000 |
This chart shows the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in the fund over the past 10 fiscal year periods or since inception (for funds lacking 10-year records). The result is compared with benchmarks, which may include a broad-based market index and a peer group average or index. Market indexes do not include expenses, which are deducted from fund returns as well as mutual fund averages and indexes.
Fund Expense Example |
As a mutual fund shareholder, you may incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, such as redemption fees or sales loads, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, and other fund expenses. The following example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the most recent six-month period and held for the entire period.
Actual
Expenses
The first line of the
following table (Actual) provides information about actual account values and
expenses based on the funds actual returns. You may use the information on this
line, together with your account balance, to estimate the expenses that you paid
over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an
$8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the
number on the first line under the heading Expenses Paid During Period to
estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for
Comparison Purposes
The information
on the second line of the table (Hypothetical) is based on hypothetical account
values and expenses derived from the funds actual expense ratio and an assumed
5% per year rate of return before expenses (not the funds actual return). You
may compare the ongoing costs of investing in the fund with other funds by
contrasting this 5% hypothetical example and the 5% hypothetical examples that
appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. The hypothetical account
values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account
balance or expenses you paid for the period.
Note: T. Rowe Price charges an annual account service fee of $20, generally for accounts with less than $10,000. The fee is waived for any investor whose T. Rowe Price mutual fund accounts total $50,000 or more; accounts electing to receive electronic delivery of account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, and shareholder reports; or accounts of an investor who is a T. Rowe Price Preferred Services, Personal Services, or Enhanced Personal Services client (enrollment in these programs generally requires T. Rowe Price assets of at least $100,000). This fee is not included in the accompanying table. If you are subject to the fee, keep it in mind when you are estimating the ongoing expenses of investing in the fund and when comparing the expenses of this fund with other funds.
You should also be aware that the expenses shown in the table highlight only your ongoing costs and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as redemption fees or sales loads. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. To the extent a fund charges transaction costs, however, the total cost of owning that fund is higher.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Notes to Financial Statements |
T. Rowe Price Financial Services Fund, Inc. (the fund), is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act) as a diversified, open-end management investment company. The fund commenced operations on September 30, 1996. The fund seeks long-term growth of capital and a modest level of income.
NOTE 1 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Preparation The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP), which require the use of estimates made by management. Management believes that estimates and valuations are appropriate; however, actual results may differ from those estimates, and the valuations reflected in the accompanying financial statements may differ from the value ultimately realized upon sale or maturity.
Investment Transactions, Investment Income, and Distributions Income and expenses are recorded on the accrual basis. Dividends received from mutual fund investments are reflected as dividend income; capital gain distributions are reflected as realized gain/loss. Earnings on investments recognized as partnerships for federal income tax purposes reflect the tax character of such earnings. Dividend income and capital gain distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income tax-related interest and penalties, if incurred, would be recorded as income tax expense. Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Realized gains and losses are reported on the identified cost basis. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income distributions are declared and paid annually. Capital gain distributions, if any, are generally declared and paid by the fund annually.
Currency Translation Assets, including investments, and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollar values each day at the prevailing exchange rate, using the mean of the bid and asked prices of such currencies against U.S. dollars as quoted by a major bank. Purchases and sales of securities, income, and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate on the date of the transaction. The effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on realized and unrealized security gains and losses is reflected as a component of security gains and losses.
Rebates and Credits Subject to best execution, the fund may direct certain security trades to brokers who have agreed to rebate a portion of the related brokerage commission to the fund in cash. Commission rebates are reflected as realized gain on securities in the accompanying financial statements and totaled $10,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012. Additionally, the fund earns credits on temporarily uninvested cash balances held at the custodian, which reduce the funds custody charges. Custody expense in the accompanying financial statements is presented before reduction for credits.
New Accounting Pronouncements In December 2011, the FASB issued amended guidance to enhance disclosure for offsetting assets and liabilities. The guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. Adoption will have no effect on the funds net assets or results of operations.
NOTE 2 - VALUATION
The funds financial instruments are reported at fair value as defined by GAAP. The fund determines the values of its assets and liabilities and computes its net asset value per share at the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), normally 4 p.m. ET, each day that the NYSE is open for business.
Valuation Methods Equity securities listed or regularly traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) market are valued at the last quoted sale price or, for certain markets, the official closing price at the time the valuations are made, except for OTC Bulletin Board securities, which are valued at the mean of the latest bid and asked prices. A security that is listed or traded on more than one exchange is valued at the quotation on the exchange determined to be the primary market for such security. Listed securities not traded on a particular day are valued at the mean of the latest bid and asked prices for domestic securities and the last quoted sale price for international securities.
Investments in mutual funds are valued at the mutual funds closing net asset value per share on the day of valuation.
Other investments, including restricted securities and private placements, and those financial instruments for which the above valuation procedures are inappropriate or are deemed not to reflect fair value, are stated at fair value as determined in good faith by the T. Rowe Price Valuation Committee, established by the funds Board of Directors (the Board). Subject to oversight by the Board, the Valuation Committee develops pricing-related policies and procedures and approves all fair-value determinations. The Valuation Committee regularly makes good faith judgments, using a wide variety of sources and information, to establish and adjust valuations of certain securities as events occur and circumstances warrant. For instance, in determining the fair value of private-equity instruments, the Valuation Committee considers a variety of factors, including the companys business prospects, its financial performance, strategic events impacting the company, relevant valuations of similar companies, new rounds of financing, and any negotiated transactions of significant size between other investors in the company. Because any fair-value determination involves a significant amount of judgment, there is a degree of subjectivity inherent in such pricing decisions.
For valuation purposes, the last quoted prices of non-U.S. equity securities may be adjusted under the circumstances described below. If the fund determines that developments between the close of a foreign market and the close of the NYSE will, in its judgment, materially affect the value of some or all of its portfolio securities, the fund will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of the close of the NYSE. In deciding whether it is necessary to adjust closing prices to reflect fair value, the fund reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. A fund may also fair value securities in other situations, such as when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. The fund uses outside pricing services to provide it with closing prices and information to evaluate and/or adjust those prices. The fund cannot predict how often it will use closing prices and how often it will determine it necessary to adjust those prices to reflect fair value. As a means of evaluating its security valuation process, the fund routinely compares closing prices, the next days opening prices in the same markets, and adjusted prices. Additionally, trading in the underlying securities of the fund may take place in various foreign markets on certain days when the fund is not open for business and does not calculate a net asset value. As a result, net asset values may be significantly affected on days when shareholders cannot make transactions.
Valuation Inputs Various inputs are used to determine the value of the funds financial instruments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:
Level 1 quoted prices in active markets for identical financial instruments
Level 2 observable inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar financial instruments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, and credit risk)
Level 3 unobservable inputs
Observable inputs are those based on market data obtained from sources independent of the fund, and unobservable inputs reflect the funds own assumptions based on the best information available. The input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level. For example, non-U.S. equity securities actively traded in foreign markets generally are reflected in Level 2 despite the availability of closing prices because the fund evaluates and determines whether those closing prices reflect fair value at the close of the NYSE or require adjustment, as described above. The following table summarizes the funds financial instruments, based on the inputs used to determine their values on December 31, 2012:
NOTE 3 - OTHER INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS
Consistent with its investment objective, the fund engages in the following practices to manage exposure to certain risks and/or to enhance performance. The investment objective, policies, program, and risk factors of the fund are described more fully in the funds prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.
Restricted Securities The fund may invest in securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale. Prompt sale of such securities at an acceptable price may be difficult and may involve substantial delays and additional costs.
Securities Lending The fund lends its securities to approved brokers to earn additional income. It receives as collateral cash and U.S. government securities valued at 102% to 105% of the value of the securities on loan. Collateral is maintained over the life of the loan in an amount not less than the value of loaned securities as determined at the close of fund business each day; any additional collateral required due to changes in security values is delivered to the fund the next business day. Cash collateral is invested by the funds lending agent(s) in accordance with investment guidelines approved by management. Although risk is mitigated by the collateral, the fund could experience a delay in recovering its securities and a possible loss of income or value if the borrower fails to return the securities or if collateral investments decline in value. Securities lending revenue recognized by the fund consists of earnings on invested collateral and borrowing fees, net of any rebates to the borrower and compensation to the lending agent. In accordance with GAAP, investments made with cash collateral are reflected in the accompanying financial statements, but collateral received in the form of securities is not. At December 31, 2012, the value of loaned securities was $14,384,000, the value of cash collateral investments was $14,597,000.
When-Issued Securities The fund may enter into when-issued purchases and/or sales commitments, pursuant to which it agrees to purchase or sell, respectively, the underlying security for a fixed unit price, with payment and delivery at a scheduled future date generally beyond the customary settlement period for such securities. When-issued refers to securities that have not yet been issued but will be issued in the future and may include new securities or securities obtained through a corporate action on a current holding. The fund normally purchases when-issued securities with the intention of taking possession but may enter into a separate agreement to sell the securities before the settlement date. Until settlement, the fund maintains cash reserves and liquid assets sufficient to settle its when-issued commitments. Amounts realized on when-issued transactions are included with realized gain/loss on securities in the accompanying financial statements.
Other Purchases and sales of portfolio securities other than short-term securities aggregated $161,007,000 and $130,942,000, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2012.
NOTE 4 - FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
No provision for federal income taxes is required since the fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and distribute to shareholders all of its taxable income and gains. Distributions determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations may differ in amount or character from net investment income and realized gains for financial reporting purposes. Financial reporting records are adjusted for permanent book/tax differences to reflect tax character but are not adjusted for temporary differences.
The fund files U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The funds tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return but which can be extended to six years in certain circumstances. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.
Reclassifications between income and gain relate primarily to per-share rounding of distributions. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the following reclassifications were recorded to reflect tax character (there was no impact on results of operations or net assets):
Distributions during the years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, totaled $4,811,000 and $2,901,000, respectively, and were characterized as ordinary income for tax purposes. At December 31, 2012, the tax-basis cost of investments and components of net assets were as follows:
The difference between book-basis and tax-basis net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is attributable to the deferral of losses from wash sales for tax purposes. The fund intends to retain realized gains to the extent of available capital loss carryforwards. As a result of the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, net capital losses realized on or after January 1, 2011 (effective date) may be carried forward indefinitely to offset future realized capital gains; however, post-effective losses must be used before pre-effective capital loss carryforwards with expiration dates. Accordingly, it is possible that all or a portion of the funds pre-effective capital loss carryforwards could expire unused. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the fund utilized $5,854,000 of capital loss carryforwards. The funds available capital loss carryforwards as of December 31, 2012, expire as follows: $82,993,000 in fiscal 2016, and $60,403,000 in fiscal 2017.
NOTE 5 - RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The fund is managed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (Price Associates), a wholly owned subsidiary of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (Price Group). The investment management agreement between the fund and Price Associates provides for an annual investment management fee, which is computed daily and paid monthly. The fee consists of an individual fund fee, equal to 0.35% of the funds average daily net assets, and a group fee. The group fee rate is calculated based on the combined net assets of certain mutual funds sponsored by Price Associates (the group) applied to a graduated fee schedule, with rates ranging from 0.48% for the first $1 billion of assets to 0.28% for assets in excess of $300 billion. The funds group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the funds average daily net assets. At December 31, 2012, the effective annual group fee rate was 0.30%.
In addition, the fund has entered into service agreements with Price Associates and two wholly owned subsidiaries of Price Associates (collectively, Price). Price Associates computes the daily share price and provides certain other administrative services to the fund. T. Rowe Price Services, Inc., provides shareholder and administrative services in its capacity as the funds transfer and dividend disbursing agent. T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc., provides subaccounting and recordkeeping services for certain retirement accounts invested in the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2012, expenses incurred pursuant to these service agreements were $99,000 for Price Associates; $332,000 for T. Rowe Price Services, Inc.; and $52,000 for T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. The total amount payable at period-end pursuant to these service agreements is reflected as Due to Affiliates in the accompanying financial statements.
Additionally, the fund is one of several mutual funds in which certain college savings plans managed by Price Associates may invest. As approved by the funds Board of Directors, shareholder servicing costs associated with each college savings plan are borne by the fund in proportion to the average daily value of its shares owned by the college savings plan. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the fund was charged $46,000 for shareholder servicing costs related to the college savings plans, of which $32,000 was for services provided by Price. The amount payable at period-end pursuant to this agreement is reflected as Due to Affiliates in the accompanying financial statements. At December 31, 2012, approximately 4% of the outstanding shares of the fund were held by college savings plans.
The fund may invest in the T. Rowe Price Reserve Investment Fund and the T. Rowe Price Government Reserve Investment Fund (collectively, the T. Rowe Price Reserve Investment Funds), open-end management investment companies managed by Price Associates and considered affiliates of the fund. The T. Rowe Price Reserve Investment Funds are offered as cash management options to mutual funds, trusts, and other accounts managed by Price Associates and/or its affiliates and are not available for direct purchase by members of the public. The T. Rowe Price Reserve Investment Funds pay no investment management fees.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
To the Board of Directors and
Shareholders of
T. Rowe Price Financial Services Fund, Inc.
In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio of investments, and the related statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of T. Rowe Price Financial Services Fund, Inc. (the Fund) at December 31, 2012, and the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for each of the periods indicated therein, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements and financial highlights (hereafter referred to as financial statements) are the responsibility of the Funds management; our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits, which included confirmation of securities at December 31, 2012 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers, and confirmation of the underlying funds by correspondence with the transfer agent, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP
Baltimore, Maryland
February 15, 2013
Tax Information (Unaudited) for the Tax Year Ended 12/31/12 |
We are providing this information as required by the Internal Revenue Code. The amounts shown may differ from those elsewhere in this report because of differences between tax and financial reporting requirements.
The funds distributions to shareholders included $6,000 from short-term capital gains.
For taxable non-corporate shareholders, $4,815,000 of the funds income represents qualified dividend income subject to the 15% rate category.
For corporate shareholders, $4,815,000 of the funds income qualifies for the dividends-received deduction.
Information on Proxy Voting Policies, Procedures, and Records |
A description of the policies and procedures used by T. Rowe Price funds and portfolios to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available in each funds Statement of Additional Information, which you may request by calling 1-800-225-5132 or by accessing the SECs website, sec.gov. The description of our proxy voting policies and procedures is also available on our website, troweprice.com. To access it, click on the words Our Company at the top of our corporate homepage. Then, when the next page appears, click on the words Proxy Voting Policies on the left side of the page.
Each funds most recent annual proxy voting record is available on our website and through the SECs website. To access it through our website, follow the directions above, then click on the words Proxy Voting Records on the right side of the Proxy Voting Policies page.
How to Obtain Quarterly Portfolio Holdings |
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The funds Form N-Q is available electronically on the SECs website (sec.gov); hard copies may be reviewed and copied at the SECs Public Reference Room, 100 F St. N.E., Washington, DC 20549. For more information on the Public Reference Room, call 1-800-SEC-0330.
About the Funds Directors and Officers |
Your fund is overseen by a Board of Directors (Board) that meets regularly to review a wide variety of matters affecting the fund, including performance, investment programs, compliance matters, advisory fees and expenses, service providers, and other business affairs. The Board elects the funds officers, who are listed in the final table. At least 75% of the Boards members are independent of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price), and its affiliates; inside or interested directors are employees or officers of T. Rowe Price. The business address of each director and officer is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the fund directors and is available without charge by calling a T. Rowe Price representative at 1-800-638-5660.
Independent Directors | ||
Name | ||
(Year of Birth) | ||
Year Elected* | ||
[Number of T. Rowe Price | Principal Occupation(s) and Directorships of Public Companies and | |
Portfolios Overseen] | Other Investment Companies During the Past Five Years | |
William R. Brody, M.D., | President and Trustee, Salk Institute for Biological Studies (2009 | |
Ph.D. | to present); Director, Novartis, Inc. (2009 to present); Director, IBM | |
(1944) | (2007 to present); President and Trustee, Johns Hopkins University | |
2009 | (1996 to 2009); Chairman of Executive Committee and Trustee, | |
[138] | Johns Hopkins Health System (1996 to 2009) | |
Anthony W. Deering | Chairman, Exeter Capital, LLC, a private investment firm (2004 | |
(1945) | to present); Director, Under Armour (2008 to present); Director, | |
2001 | Vornado Real Estate Investment Trust (2004 to present); Director | |
[138] | and Member of the Advisory Board, Deutsche Bank North America | |
(2004 to present); Director, Mercantile Bankshares (2002 to 2007) | ||
Donald W. Dick, Jr. | Principal, EuroCapital Partners, LLC, an acquisition and management | |
(1943) | advisory firm (1995 to present) | |
1996 | ||
[138] | ||
Robert J. Gerrard, Jr. | Chairman of Compensation Committee and Director, Syniverse | |
(1952) | Holdings, Inc. (2008 to 2011); Executive Vice President and General | |
2012 | Counsel, Scripps Networks, LLC (1997 to 2009); Advisory Board | |
[90] | Member, Pipeline Crisis/Winning Strategies (1997 to present) | |
Karen N. Horn | Senior Managing Director, Brock Capital Group, an advisory and | |
(1943) | investment banking firm (2004 to present); Director, Eli Lilly and | |
2003 | Company (1987 to present); Director, Simon Property Group (2004 | |
[138] | to present); Director, Norfolk Southern (2008 to present); Director, | |
Fannie Mae (2006 to 2008) | ||
Theo C. Rodgers | President, A&R Development Corporation (1977 to present) | |
(1941) | ||
2005 | ||
[138] | ||
Cecilia E. Rouse, Ph.D. | Professor and Researcher, Princeton University (1992 to present); | |
(1963) | Director, MDRC (2011 to present); Member, National Academy of | |
2012 | Education (2010 to present); Research Associate, National Bureau | |
[90] | of Economic Researchs Labor Studies Program (1998 to 2009 | |
and 2011 to present); Member, Presidents Council of Economic | ||
Advisors (2009 to 2011); Member, The MacArthur Foundation | ||
Network on the Transition to Adulthood and Public Policy (2000 to | ||
2008); Member, National Advisory Committee for the Robert Wood | ||
Johnson Foundations Scholars in Health Policy Research Program | ||
(2008); Director and Member, National Economic Association | ||
(2006 to 2008); Member, Association of Public Policy Analysis and | ||
Management Policy Council (2006 to 2008); Member, Hamilton | ||
Projects Advisory Board at The Brookings Institute (2006 to 2008); | ||
Chair of Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economic | ||
Profession, American Economic Association (2006 to 2008) | ||
John G. Schreiber | Owner/President, Centaur Capital Partners, Inc., a real estate | |
(1946) | investment company (1991 to present); Cofounder and Partner, | |
2001 | Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, L.P. (1992 to present); Director, | |
[138] | General Growth Properties, Inc. (2010 to present) | |
Mark R. Tercek | President and Chief Executive Officer, The Nature Conservancy (2008 | |
(1957) | to present); Managing Director, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. | |
2009 | (1984 to 2008) | |
[138] | ||
*Each independent director serves until retirement, resignation, or election of a successor. |
Inside Directors | ||
Name | ||
(Year of Birth) | ||
Year Elected* | ||
[Number of T. Rowe Price | Principal Occupation(s) and Directorships of Public Companies and | |
Portfolios Overseen] | Other Investment Companies During the Past Five Years | |
Edward C. Bernard | Director and Vice President, T. Rowe Price; Vice Chairman of the | |
(1956) | Board, Director, and Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.; | |
2006 | Chairman of the Board, Director, and President, T. Rowe Price | |
[138] | Investment Services, Inc.; Chairman of the Board and Director, | |
T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc., T. Rowe Price Savings | ||
Bank, and T. Rowe Price Services, Inc.; Chairman of the Board, Chief | ||
Executive Officer, and Director, T. Rowe Price International; Chief | ||
Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board, Director, and President, | ||
T. Rowe Price Trust Company; Chairman of the Board, all funds | ||
Brian C. Rogers, CFA, CIC | Chief Investment Officer, Director, and Vice President, T. Rowe Price; | |
(1955) | Chairman of the Board, Chief Investment Officer, Director, and Vice | |
2006 | President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.; Vice President, T. Rowe Price | |
[75] | Trust Company | |
*Each inside director serves until retirement, resignation, or election of a successor. |
Officers | ||
Name (Year of Birth) | ||
Position Held With Financial Services Fund | Principal Occupation(s) | |
Roger L. Fiery III, CPA (1959) | Vice President, Price Hong Kong, Price | |
Vice President | Singapore, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, | |
Inc., T. Rowe Price International, and T. Rowe | ||
Price Trust Company | ||
Stephen M. Finamore, CPA (1976) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price | |
Vice President | Group, Inc. | |
Christopher T. Fortune (1973) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price | |
Vice President | Group, Inc. | |
Jon M. Friar (1982) | Employee, T. Rowe Price; formerly summer | |
Vice President | intern, T. Rowe Price (to 2011); associate | |
Structured Product Sales, Barclays (to 2008) | ||
John R. Gilner (1961) | Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President, | |
Chief Compliance Officer | T. Rowe Price; Vice President, T. Rowe Price | |
Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Investment | ||
Services, Inc. | ||
Gregory S. Golczewski (1966) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price | |
Vice President | Trust Company | |
Gregory K. Hinkle, CPA (1958) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price | |
Treasurer | Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company | |
Nina P. Jones, CPA (1980) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe | |
Vice President | Price Group, Inc.; formerly student, Columbia | |
Business School (to 2008) | ||
Yoichiro Kai (1973) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and | |
Vice President | T. Rowe Price International; formerly Japanese | |
Financial/Real Estate Sector Analyst/Portfolio | ||
Manager, Citadel Investment Group, Asia | ||
Limited (to 2009) | ||
Patricia B. Lippert (1953) | Assistant Vice President, T. Rowe Price and | |
Secretary | T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc. | |
Ian C. McDonald (1971) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price | |
Vice President | Group, Inc. | |
Michael J. McGonigle (1966) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price | |
Vice President | Group, Inc. | |
Kathryn M. Mongelli (1976) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price | |
Vice President | Group, Inc. | |
David Oestreicher (1967) | Director, Vice President, and Secretary, T. Rowe | |
Vice President | Price Investment Services, Inc., T. Rowe Price | |
Retirement Plan Services, Inc., T. Rowe Price | ||
Services, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company; | ||
Vice President and Secretary, T. Rowe Price, | ||
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price | ||
International; Vice President, Price Hong Kong | ||
and Price Singapore | ||
Jason B. Polun, CFA (1974) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price | |
Vice President | Group, Inc. | |
Frederick A. Rizzo (1969) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and | |
Vice President | T. Rowe Price International | |
Deborah D. Seidel (1962) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price | |
Vice President | Group, Inc., T. Rowe Price Investment Services, | |
Inc., and T. Rowe Price Services, Inc. | ||
Francisco Sersale (1980) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and | |
Vice President | T. Rowe Price International | |
Matthew J. Snowling, CFA (1971) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price; formerly | |
Vice President | Managing Director Specialty Finance, Citadel | |
Securities (to 2011); Managing Director of | ||
Investment Services and Senior Vice President, | ||
Senior Analyst, Education Services Research | ||
Group (to 2011) | ||
Gabriel Solomon (1977) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price | |
Vice President | Group, Inc. | |
Mitchell J.K. Todd (1974) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and | |
Vice President | T. Rowe Price International | |
Eric L. Veiel, CFA (1972) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price | |
President | Group, Inc. | |
Julie L. Waples (1970) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price | |
Vice President | ||
Tamara P. Wiggs (1979) | Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe | |
Vice President | Price Group, Inc.; formerly Vice President, | |
Institutional Equity Trading, Merrill Lynch & Co., | ||
Inc. (to 2007) | ||
Unless otherwise noted, officers have been employees of T. Rowe Price or T. Rowe Price International for at least 5 years. |
Item 2. Code of Ethics.
The registrant has adopted a code of ethics, as defined in Item 2 of Form N-CSR, applicable to its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. A copy of this code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR. No substantive amendments were approved or waivers were granted to this code of ethics during the period covered by this report.
Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.
The registrants Board of Directors/Trustees has determined that Mr. Anthony W. Deering qualifies as an audit committee financial expert, as defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR. Mr. Deering is considered independent for purposes of Item 3 of Form N-CSR.
Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
(a) (d) Aggregate fees billed for the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered to, or on behalf of, the registrant by the registrants principal accountant were as follows:
Audit fees include amounts related to the audit of the registrants annual financial statements and services normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings. Audit-related fees include amounts reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the registrants financial statements and specifically include the issuance of a report on internal controls and, if applicable, agreed-upon procedures related to fund acquisitions. Tax fees include amounts related to services for tax compliance, tax planning, and tax advice. The nature of these services specifically includes the review of distribution calculations and the preparation of Federal, state, and excise tax returns. All other fees include the registrants pro-rata share of amounts for agreed-upon procedures in conjunction with service contract approvals by the registrants Board of Directors/Trustees.
(e)(1) The registrants audit committee has adopted a policy whereby audit and non-audit services performed by the registrants principal accountant for the registrant, its investment adviser, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant require pre-approval in advance at regularly scheduled audit committee meetings. If such a service is required between regularly scheduled audit committee meetings, pre-approval may be authorized by one audit committee member with ratification at the next scheduled audit committee meeting. Waiver of pre-approval for audit or non-audit services requiring fees of a de minimis amount is not permitted.
(2) No services included in (b) (d) above were approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.
(f) Less than 50 percent of the hours expended on the principal accountants engagement to audit the registrants financial statements for the most recent fiscal year were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountants full-time, permanent employees.
(g) The aggregate fees billed for the most recent fiscal year and the preceding fiscal year by the registrants principal accountant for non-audit services rendered to the registrant, its investment adviser, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant were $1,802,000 and $1,764,000, respectively.
(h) All non-audit services rendered in (g) above were pre-approved by the registrants audit committee. Accordingly, these services were considered by the registrants audit committee in maintaining the principal accountants independence.
Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.
Not applicable.
Item 6. Investments.
(a) Not applicable. The complete schedule of investments is included in Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.
(b) Not applicable.
Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
Not applicable.
Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
Not applicable.
Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.
Not applicable.
Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
Not applicable.
Item 11. Controls and Procedures.
(a) The registrants principal executive officer and principal financial officer have evaluated the registrants disclosure controls and procedures within 90 days of this filing and have concluded that the registrants disclosure controls and procedures were effective, as of that date, in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the registrant in this Form N-CSR was recorded, processed, summarized, and reported timely.
(b) The registrants principal executive officer and principal financial officer are aware of no change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrants second fiscal quarter covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting.
Item 12. Exhibits.
(a)(1) The registrants code of ethics pursuant to Item 2 of Form N-CSR is attached.
(b) A certification by the registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, is attached.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
T. Rowe Price Financial Services Fund, Inc.
By | /s/ Edward C. Bernard | |
Edward C. Bernard | ||
Principal Executive Officer | ||
Date February 15, 2013 |
Pursuant to the
requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company
Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on
behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
By | /s/ Edward C. Bernard | |
Edward C. Bernard | ||
Principal Executive Officer | ||
Date February 15, 2013 | ||
By | /s/ Gregory K. Hinkle | |
Gregory K. Hinkle | ||
Principal Financial Officer | ||
Date February 15, 2013 |
Item 12(a)(2).
CERTIFICATIONS
I, Edward C. Bernard, certify that:
1. | I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of T. Rowe Price Financial Services Fund; | |||
2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; | |||
3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; | |||
4. | The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have: | |||
(a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; | |||
(b) | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; | |||
(c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and | |||
(d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting; and | |||
5. | The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): | |||
(a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and | |||
(b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: February 15, 2013 | /s/ Edward C. Bernard | |
Edward C. Bernard | ||
Principal Executive Officer |
CERTIFICATIONS
I, Gregory K. Hinkle, certify that:
1. | I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of T. Rowe Price Financial Services Fund; | |||
2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; | |||
3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; | |||
4. | The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have: | |||
(a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; | |||
(b) | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; | |||
(c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and | |||
(d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting; and | |||
5. | The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): | |||
(a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and | |||
(b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: February 15, 2013 | /s/ Gregory K. Hinkle | |
Gregory K. Hinkle | ||
Principal Financial Officer |
Item 12(b).
CERTIFICATION UNDER SECTION 906 OF SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 | ||
Name of Issuer: T. Rowe Price Financial Services Fund | ||
In connection with the Report on Form N-CSR for the above named Issuer, the undersigned hereby | ||
certifies, to the best of his knowledge, that: | ||
1. | The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities | |
Exchange Act of 1934; | ||
2. | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial | |
condition and results of operations of the Issuer. |
Date: February 15, 2013 | /s/ Edward C. Bernard | |
Edward C. Bernard | ||
Principal Executive Officer | ||
Date: February 15, 2013 | /s/ Gregory K. Hinkle | |
Gregory K. Hinkle | ||
Principal Financial Officer |
CODE OF ETHICS FOR PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE
AND SENIOR FINANCIAL
OFFICERS OF THE PRICE FUNDS
UNDER THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I. General Statement. This Code of Ethics (the Price Funds S-O Code) has been designed to bring the Price Funds into compliance with the applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Act) rules promulgated by The Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder (Regulations). The Price Funds S-O Code applies solely to the Principal Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer or Controller of, or persons performing similar functions for, a Price Fund (whether such persons are employed by a Price Fund or third party) (Covered Officers). The Price Funds shall include each mutual fund that is managed, sponsored and distributed by affiliates of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (Group). The investment managers to the Price Funds will be referred to as the Price Fund Advisers. A list of Covered Officers is attached as Exhibit A.
The Price Fund Advisers have, along with their parent, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (Group) also maintained a comprehensive Code of Ethics and Conduct (the Group Code) since 1972, which applies to all officers, directors and employees of the Price Funds, Group and its affiliates.
As mandated by the Act, Group has adopted a Code (the Group S-O Code), similar to the Price Funds S-O Code, which applies solely to its principal executive and senior financial officers. The Group S-O Code and the Price Funds S-O Code will be referred to collectively as the S-O Codes.
The Price Funds S-O Code has been adopted by the Price Funds in accordance with the Act and Regulations thereunder and will be administered in conformity with the disclosure requirements of Item 2 of Form N-CSR. The S-O Codes are attachments to the Group Code. In many respects the S-O Codes are supplementary to the Group Code, but the Group Code is administered separately from the S-O Codes, as the S-O Codes are from each other.
II. Purpose of the Price Funds S-O Code. The purpose of the Price Funds S-O Code, as mandated by the Act and the Regulations, is to establish standards that are reasonably designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote:
Ethical Conduct. Honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships.
Disclosure. Full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Price Funds file with, or submit to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Price Funds.
Compliance. Compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations.
Reporting of Violations. The prompt internal reporting of violations of the Price Funds S-O Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Price Funds S-O Code.
Accountability. Accountability for adherence to the Price Funds S-O Code.
III. Covered Officers Should Handle Ethically Actual and Apparent Conflicts of Interest.
Overview. Each Covered Officer owes a duty to the Price Funds to adhere to a high standard of honesty and business ethics and should be sensitive to situations that may give rise to actual as well as apparent conflicts of interest.
A conflict of interest occurs when a Covered Officers private interest interferes with the interests of, or his or her service to, the Price Funds. For example, a conflict of interest would arise if a Covered Officer, or a member of his or her family, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position with a Price Fund.
Certain conflicts of interest covered by the Price Funds S-O Code arise out of the relationships between Covered Officers and the Price Funds and may already be subject to provisions regulating conflicts of interest in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (Investment Company Act), the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Investment Advisers Act) and the Group Code. For example, Covered Officers may not individually engage in certain transactions (such as the purchase or sale of securities or other property) with a Price Fund because of their status as affiliated persons of a Price Fund. The compliance programs and procedures of the Price Funds and Price Fund Advisers are designed to prevent, or identify and correct, violations of these provisions.
Although typically not presenting an opportunity for improper personal benefit, conflicts arise from, or as a result of, the contractual relationship between a Price Fund and its Price Fund Adviser (and its affiliates) of which the Covered Officers may also be officers or employees. As a result, the Price Funds S-O Code recognizes that the Covered Officers will, in the normal course of their duties (whether formally for the Price Funds or for the Price Fund Advisers, or for both), be involved in establishing policies and implementing decisions which will have different effects on these entities. The participation of the Covered Officers in such activities is inherent in the contractual relationship between each Price Fund and its respective Price Fund Adviser. Such participation is also consistent with the performance by the Covered Officers of their duties as officers of the Price Funds and, if consistent with the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act, it will be deemed to have been handled ethically.
Other conflicts of interest are covered by the Price Funds S-O Code, even if these conflicts of interest are not addressed by or subject to provisions in the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act.
Whenever a Covered Officer is confronted with a conflict of interest situation where he or she is uncertain as to the appropriate action to be taken, he or she should discuss the matter with the Chairperson of Groups Ethics Committee or another member of the Committee.
Handling of Specific Types of Conflicts. Each Covered Officer (and close family members) must not:
Entertainment. Accept entertainment from any company with which any Price Fund or any Price Fund Adviser has current or prospective business dealings, including portfolio companies, unless such entertainment is in full compliance with the policy on entertainment as set forth in the Group Code.
Gifts. Accept any gifts, except as permitted by the Group Code.
Improper Personal Influence. Use his or her personal influence or personal relationships improperly to influence investment decisions, brokerage allocations or financial reporting by the Price Funds to the detriment of any one or more of the Price Funds.
Taking Action at the Expense of a Price Fund. Cause a Price Fund to take action, or fail to take action, for the personal benefit of the Covered Officer rather than for the benefit of one or more of the Price Funds.
Misuse of Price Funds Transaction Information. Use knowledge of portfolio transactions made or contemplated for a Price Fund or any other clients of the Price Fund Advisers to trade personally or cause others to trade in order to take advantage of or avoid the market impact of such portfolio transactions.
Outside Business Activities. Engage in any outside business activity that detracts from a Covered Officers ability to devote appropriate time and attention to his or her responsibilities to a Price Fund.
Service Providers. Excluding Group and its affiliates, have any ownership interest in, or any consulting or employment relationship with, any of the Price Funds service providers, except that an ownership interest in public companies is permitted
Receipt of Payments. Have a direct or indirect financial interest in commissions, transaction charges, spreads or other payments paid by a Price Fund for effecting portfolio transactions or for selling or redeeming shares other than an interest (such as compensation or equity ownership) arising from the Covered Officers employment by Group or any of its affiliates.
Service as a Director or Trustee. Serve as a director, trustee or officer of any public or private company or a non-profit organization that issues securities eligible for purchase by any of the Price Funds, unless approval is obtained as required by the Group Code.
IV. Covered Officers Specific Obligations and Accountabilities.
A. Disclosure Requirements and Controls. Each Covered Officer must familiarize himself or herself with the disclosure requirements (Form N-1A registration statement, proxy (Schedule 14A), shareholder reports, Forms N-SAR, N-CSR, etc.) applicable to the Price Funds and the disclosure controls and procedures of the Price Fund and the Price Fund Advisers.
B. Compliance with Applicable Law. It is the responsibility of each Covered Officer to promote compliance with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Price Funds and the Price Fund Advisers. Each Covered Officer should, to the extent appropriate within his or her area of responsibility, consult with other officers and employees of the Price Funds and the Price Fund Advisers and take other appropriate steps with the goal of promoting full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in the reports and documents the Price Funds file with, or submit to, the SEC, and in other public communications made by the Price Funds.
C. Fair Disclosure. Each Covered Officer must not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about a Price Fund to others, whether within or outside the Price organization, including to the Price Funds directors and auditors, and to governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations.
D. Initial and Annual Affirmations. Each Covered Officer must:
1. Upon adoption of the Price Funds S-O Code (or thereafter, as applicable, upon becoming a Covered Officer), affirm in writing that he or she has received, read, and understands the Price Funds S-O Code.
2. Annually affirm that he or she has complied with the requirements of the Price Funds S-O Code.
E. Reporting of Material Violations of the Price Funds S-O Code. If a Covered Officer becomes aware of any material violation of the Price Funds S-O Code or laws and governmental rules and regulations applicable to the operations of the Price Funds, he or she must promptly report the violation (Report) to the Chief Legal Counsel of the Price Funds (CLC). Failure to report a material violation will be considered itself a violation of the Price Funds S-O Code. The CLC is identified in the attached Exhibit B.
It is the Price Funds policy that no retaliation or other adverse action will be taken against any Covered Officer or other employee of a Price Fund, a Price Fund Adviser or their affiliates based upon any lawful actions of the Covered Officer or employee with respect to a Report made in good faith.
F. Annual Disclosures. Each Covered Officer must report, at least annually, all affiliations or other relationships as called for in the Annual Questionnaire for Executive Officers and/or Employee Directors/Trustees of Group and the Price Funds.
V. Administration of the Price Funds S-O Code. The Ethics Committee is responsible for administering the Price Funds S-O Code and applying its provisions to specific situations in which questions are presented.
A. Waivers and Interpretations. The Chairperson of the Ethics Committee has the authority to interpret the Price Funds S-O Code in any particular situation and to grant waivers where justified, subject to the approval of the Joint Audit Committee of the Price Funds. All material interpretations concerning Covered Officers will be reported to the Joint Audit Committee of the Price Funds at its next meeting. Waivers, including implicit waivers, to Covered Officers will be publicly disclosed as required in the Instructions to N-CSR. Pursuant to the definition in the Regulations, an implicit waiver means a Price Funds failure to take action within a reasonable period of time regarding a material departure from a provision of the Price Funds S-O Code that has been made known to an executive officer (as defined in Rule 3b-7 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of a Price Fund. An executive officer of a Price Fund includes its president and any vice-president in charge of a principal business unit, division or function.
B. Violations/Investigations. The following procedures will be followed in investigating and enforcing the Price Funds S-O Code:
1. The CLC will take or cause to be taken appropriate action to investigate any potential or actual violation reported to him or her.
2. The CLC, after consultation if deemed appropriate with Outside Counsel to the Price Funds, will make a recommendation to the appropriate Price Funds Board regarding the action to be taken with regard to each material violation. Such action could include any of the following: a letter of censure or suspension, a fine, a suspension of trading privileges or termination of officership or employment. In addition, the violator may be required to surrender any profit realized (or loss avoided) from any activity that is in violation of the Price Funds S-O Code.
VI. Amendments to the Price Funds S-O Code. Except as to the contents of Exhibit A and Exhibit B, the Price Funds S-O Code may not be materially amended except in written form, which is specifically approved or ratified by a majority vote of each Price Fund Board, including a majority of the independent directors on each Board.
VII. Confidentiality. All reports and records prepared or maintained pursuant to the Price Funds S-O Code will be considered confidential and shall be maintained and protected accordingly. Except as otherwise required by law, the Price Funds S-O Code or as necessary in connection with regulations under the Price Funds S-O Code, such matters shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the directors of the appropriate Price Fund Board, Outside Counsel to the Price Funds, members of the Ethics Committee and the CLC and authorized persons on his or her staff.
Preparation Date: 9/30/03
Adoption Date: 10/22/03
Exhibit A
Persons Covered by the Price Funds S-O Code of
Ethics
Edward C. Bernard, Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer
Gregory K. Hinkle, Treasurer and Chief Financial
Officer
Exhibit B
David Oestreicher, Chief Legal Counsel to the Price Funds
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