N-CSR 1 d737622dncsr.htm VALUED ADVISORS TRUST Valued Advisors Trust

 

 

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 811-22208

 

 

Valued Advisers Trust

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

 

 

Huntington Asset Services, Inc.

2960 N. Meridian Street, Suite 300

  Indianapolis, IN 46208
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)

 

 

Capitol Services, Inc.

615 S. Dupont Hwy.

Dover, DE 19901

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

With a copy to:

John H. Lively, Esq.

The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.

A member firm of The 1940 Act Law Group

11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway,

Suite 310

Leawood, KS 66221

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 317-917-7000

Date of fiscal year end: 5/31

Date of reporting period: 5/31/14

 

 

 


Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.


ANNUAL REPORT

May 31, 2014

BFS Equity Fund

 

LOGO

 

185 Asylum Street    City Place II    Hartford, CT 06103    (855) 575-2430


 

  

 

 

Letter to Shareholders

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

Welcome to the first annual report of the BFS Equity Fund (the “Fund”). The report covers the period from the launch of the Fund on November 8, 2013 through May 31, 2014 – the end of the Fund’s fiscal year. Thus the report covers a period of slightly less than seven months.

On the day of the launch on November 8, 2013, approximately $1.1 million was invested in the Fund, and over the subsequent period covered by this report, investors added more than $11 million to the Fund. With the positive investment performance of the Fund during the period under review, the BFS Equity Fund completed its fiscal year on May 31, 2014 with assets of $12.7 million.

This report includes a commentary from the Lead Portfolio Manager – Keith LaRose – and Co-Portfolio Managers, Tom Sargent and Tim Foster. You will also find a listing of the portfolio holdings as of May 31, 2014, financial statements and detailed information about the performance and positioning of the BFS Equity Fund.

The Fund’s launch took place during the 5th year of this bull market, which commenced on March 6, 2009 with the S&P 500® Index (“S&P 500”)1 bottoming at 666.79. At the inception of the Fund, the price of the S&P 500 had climbed 165.6% to close at 1770.61 on November 8, 2013. While not negative on the prospects of the U.S. economy or on the stock market at the time of the Fund’s launch, the Fund’s Portfolio Managers were naturally somewhat cautious in initiating stock positions in many stocks near their all-time highs. Accordingly, the Fund during its initial phase was positioned somewhat defensively in order to weather a potential pullback in the market.

In fact, there was a mild correction in the early part of 2014. As some shareholders may remember, the price of the S&P 500, having gained 4.39% from the date of the Fund’s launch through the end of 2013, sold off from January 15, 2014 through the first several days of February. The price of the S&P 500 dropped 5.76% during this period so that as of the close of the market on February 3, 2014, the price of the S&P 500 was lower than on the date of the Fund’s inception.

It was largely during this period when the market was whipsawing +/- 5% that the Fund’s managers were constructing the portfolio. The process was also complicated by the harsh winter which caused U.S. GDP to decline 2.9% during the first quarter, thereby negatively impacting the shares of many stocks. The

 

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end result of our investment strategy is the Fund’s portfolio of 50 quality growth stocks purchased with a risk-mitigating approach and positioned to provide a margin of safety in the case of economic or market weakness. More than 85% of the Fund’s companies pay dividends, and a considerable number are so-called “dividend aristocrats” – companies which have increased their dividend payouts annually for the past 25 years. While the total return of the Fund has lagged the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average2 from its launch through May 31, 2014, we, at Bradley, Foster & Sargent, believe the Fund’s ownership of shares in these quality companies with strong brands and robust cash flow should be able to withstand market corrections, even bear markets and perform well over the long-term.

The Portfolio Managers of the BFS Equity Fund and I are shareholders together with you, and we appreciate the trust that you have placed in us to manage your assets. Kindly contact us via email through our website – www.bfsinvest.com or www.bfsfunds.com – or by telephone at 860-527-8050 with any questions or concerns about the Fund that are not addressed in this report.

Sincerely,

Robert H. Bradley

President and CEO

Bradley, Foster & Sargent, Inc.

 

 

 

1   

The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. The Index is an unmanaged benchmark that assumes reinvestment of all distributions and excludes the effect of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in this Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index.

2   

The Dow Jones Industrial Average® is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a narrower market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. The Index is an unmanaged benchmark that assumes reinvestment of all distributions and excludes the effect of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in this Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index.

 

2


 

  

 

 

Portfolio Managers’ Letter

TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS

The BFS Equity Fund (the “Fund”) had a total return of 7.4% for the period November 8, 2013 through May 31, 2014, the close of our first fiscal year. This compared to a total return of 11.4% for the S&P 500® Index (“S&P 500”) and 8.7% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average for the same period. At our fiscal year-end, the Fund had net assets of $12.7 million with a cash position of 3.5%.

MARKET COMMENTARY

The U.S. equity markets were strong during the fourth quarter of 2013 with the S&P 500 up 10.5%. For the full calendar year of 2013, the S&P 500 was up 32.4%, the best year since 1997. During the fourth quarter of 2013, when the Fund was launched, economic activity appeared to be accelerating, and this caused the yield on the U.S. 10-Year Treasury Note to climb from approximately 2.5% at the beginning of the quarter to 3.0% by year-end. However, the economy failed to shift into a higher gear, as the cold weather hampered growth and international geopolitical concerns during the first quarter of 2014 worried investors. In fact, GDP in the U.S. during the first quarter declined 2.9%. This caused U.S. interest rates to fall once again, confounding many investors. The poor weather and geopolitical difficulties in the first quarter of 2014 caused a brief, sharp sell-off in the U.S. equity markets in the second half of January and early February, with the S&P 500 falling 5.8% during this period. Despite the weak economy, we remained optimistic about the long-term prospects for corporate earnings growth, and we continued to maintain the view that moderate economic growth combined with low interest rates is a positive investment backdrop. During this period of uncertainty, we remained focused on the longer-term horizon which enabled us to establish numerous high quality positions at reasonable valuations. Since the inception of the Fund in November 2013, we have been of the opinion that the long awaited normalization process for U.S. interest rates is underway and that the Federal Reserve will bring its quantitative easing program to an end during the fourth quarter of 2014. Accordingly, we have held a strong preference for companies that benefit from economic expansion and rising interest rates.

INVESTMENT STRATEGY

Our investment strategy is to seek to buy shares in high-quality businesses identified through our bottom-up research process. We do not acquire shares for short-term speculative trading. When evaluating the attractiveness of a

 

3


 

  

 

 

particular holding, we have a three to five year time horizon. Although our top-down macro-economic views play a role with respect to both sector and security selection, our decisions are driven to a greater extent by our analysis of the absolute and relative attractiveness of each company. Our equity investment process has two main principles: identifying quality companies and investing in the stocks of these companies at favorable valuations, which often happens after an event or a change of circumstances. We are keenly focused on making solid intermediate and long-term judgments, as opposed to rotating toward the flavor of the moment in an attempt to achieve short-term results. Investment risks and opportunities are analyzed company-by-company, and for each holding, we seek to judge whether all the key factors are incorporated into the company’s stock price. As such, we will endeavor to deliver attractive risk-adjusted results over a full market cycle as opposed to a boom and bust pattern of performance.

INVESTMENT COMMENTARY

During the 6+ month period under review, the U.S. stock market remained in a relatively narrow trading range between the close of the S&P 500 on February 3, 2014 of 1742 and the high of 1924 on the closing day of our fiscal year, May 31, 2014. With the S&P 500 trading at approximately 16 times 2014 estimated earnings (roughly in line with its 40-year historical average), we had ample opportunity to deploy capital at reasonable prices into the shares of quality businesses that were already familiar to us. At the end of the fiscal year, the Fund had positions in 50 holdings and was well diversified. Based on our bottom-up security selection, the Fund is moderately overweight in several areas of the market including Industrials (15.0% of the Fund compared to 10.5% for the S&P 500) and Health Care (15.6% of the Fund compared to 13.3% for the S&P 500).

Energy

In the Energy sector, the Fund has significant investments (9.1% of Fund assets). The Fund’s holdings in the Energy sector were up 17.0% for the period November 8, 2013 through May 31, 2014, compared to an increase of 12.4% of the S&P 500 Energy sector for the same period. The Energy sector is benefiting from the energy revolution taking place in the United States. The remarkable technology of horizontal drilling has ushered in an energy boom in the U.S. by opening up new opportunities for expanded production from domestic oil and gas shale plays. EOG Resources and Continental Resources, both of which focus primarily on oil exploration and production, were our big winners – up 25.3% and 24.7% respectively. Both EOG and Continental are benefiting from strong oil

 

4


 

  

 

 

production and reserve growth from key shale plays in the Bakken and the South Central Oklahoma Oil Preserve. Both companies have valuable acreage positions in these two highly prolific shale formations in the United States with a drilling inventory that should last for years.

Financials

The Fund has substantial holdings in the Financials sector (15.1% of Fund assets). While the Fund’s holdings were up 2.7% for the period under review, they underperformed the S&P 500 Financials sector by 7.7%. Our holdings were purposefully weighted toward larger financial institutions that we view as inexpensive. In our opinion, they are healthy and well-capitalized, and we believe that they are poised to deliver attractive total returns over a longer-term time horizon through earnings growth, return of capital through share buybacks, and increased dividends. However, reduced regulatory pressure and loan growth are necessary to unleash this potential. This clearly did not materialize during our partial fiscal year. Wells Fargo was our best performer in the Financials sector, up 20.3%, followed by American Express, up 11.7%, and M&T Bank Corp., up 9.6%. This was not enough to offset the negative performance from Bank of America, down 9.9%, State Street down 8.6% and Goldman Sachs, down 8.2%. Although our Financials sector positions, in aggregate, underperformed its S&P 500 Financials sector benchmark, we believe that with strong U.S. economic growth, higher interest rates, and less regulation, our portfolio choices will produce solid long-term results.

CLOSING COMMENTS

2013 was a terrific year for the U.S. stock market. The stock market, which was undervalued at the start of 2013, is now, we believe, closer to fair value. Accordingly, our outlook for the market in 2014 is more modest. Yet we believe that the BFS Equity Fund is well positioned in its holdings to take advantage of the promising long-term performance from these fine businesses with outstanding management teams. We believe these top-in-class companies will deliver solid long-term risk adjusted results for our investors. We will continue to keep our eye on the long-term horizon, avoid short-term noise, and remain opportunistic with respect to capital deployment. We, at Bradley, Foster & Sargent, Inc., look forward to serving you through our management of the BFS Equity Fund. We welcome you and thank you for placing your capital under our care.

 

Keith LaRose    Timothy Foster    Thomas Sargent
Lead Portfolio Manager    Co-Portfolio Manager    Co-Portfolio Manager

 

5


 

  

 

 

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW

(Unaudited)

The Fund underperformed the S&P 500 by 4.0% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 1.4% for the period November 8, 2013 through May 31, 2014.

Key Detractors from Relative Results

 

   

Relative returns from holdings in the Financials sector (up 2.7% compared to up 10.4% for the S&P 500 Financials sector) detracted from results. Bank of America (down 9.9%), State Street (down 8.6%) and Goldman Sachs (down 8.2% until time of sale) as well as JP Morgan (up 6.2% but less than the S&P 500 Financials sector benchmark) produced underperformance in this sector.

   

The Fund’s overweight position and holdings in the Industrial Sector (up 7.0% compared with up 11.7% for the S&P 500 Industrial sector) detracted from results. Kansas City Southern (down 15.7% until time of sale) was the biggest negative in the Fund in this sector.

Key Contributors to Relative Results

 

   

The Fund’s holdings in the Energy sector (up 17.0% compared with up 12.4% for the S&P 500 Energy sector) helped results. EOG (up 25.3%) and CLR (up 24.7%) were the strongest contributors for the Fund in this sector.

   

Strong returns for the Fund’s holdings in the Materials sector (up 24.1% compared with the S&P 500 Materials sector up 14.4%) aided results. Westlake Chemical (up 40.2%) was a notable contributor.

FUND INFORMATION (Unaudited)

ASSET ALLOCATION

(As a percentage of total investments)

 

LOGO

 

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS (%)

   FUND  

Danaher

     4.6   

Walt Disney

     4.0   

JPMorgan Chase

     3.7   

United Technologies

     3.7   

Microsoft

     3.2   

Wells Fargo

     3.2   

Johnson & Johnson

     3.2   

Google – Class A

     3.0   

Home Depot

     2.8   

EOG Resources

     2.7   

 

SECTOR DIVERSIFICATION (%)

  FUND     S&P 500  

Health Care

    15.6        13.3   

Financials

    15.1        16.1   

Industrial

    15.0        10.5   

Consumer Discretionary

    13.6        11.9   

Consumer Staples

    11.7        9.5   

Technology

    11.4        18.9   

Energy

    9.1        10.8   

Materials

    3.8        3.5   

Telecommunication Services

    1.2        2.4   

Utilities

    0.0        3.1   

Cash Equivalents

    3.5        0.0   

 

6


 

  

 

 

Investment Results (Unaudited)

Total Returns* (For the period ended May 31, 2014)

    

Since Inception

(November 8, 2013)

 

BFS Equity Fund

     7.36%   

S&P 500® Index**

     11.39%   

Dow Jones Industrial Average®***

     8.73%   

 

The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Current performance of a Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted.

* Return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions.

** The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. The Index is an unmanaged benchmark that assumes reinvestment of all distributions and excludes the effect of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in this Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index.

*** The Dow Jones Industrial Average® is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a narrower market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. The Index is an unmanaged benchmark that assumes reinvestment of all distributions and excludes the effect of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in this Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index.

AVAILABILITY OF PORTFOLIO SCHEDULE (Unaudited)

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q will be available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Form N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

SUMMARY OF FUND’S EXPENSES (Unaudited)

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; and other Fund expenses. This 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 period, and held for the six month period, December 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014.

Actual Expenses

The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, 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 = 8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled

 

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“Expenses Paid During the Period Ended May 31, 2014” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratios and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or redemption fees. 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. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

       Beginning
Account
Value
    Ending
Account
Value
    Expenses
Paid During
the Period Ended
 
             May 31, 2014     May 31, 2014*  
BFS Equity Fund         

Actual

     $ 1,000.00      $ 1,050.50      $ 6.39   

Hypothetical **

(5% return before expenses)

     $ 1,000.00      $ 1,018.70      $ 6.29   

 

*   Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 1.25%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/365.
**   Assumes a 5% return before expenses.

 

8


Schedule of Investments

May 31, 2014

 

Shares            Fair Value  
  COMMON STOCKS – 96.35%   
   Aerospace & Defense 3.65%   
  4,000      

United Technologies Corp.

   $ 464,880   
     

 

 

 
   Beverages 3.60%   
  2,300      

Constellation Brands, Inc. – Class A*

     193,499   
  3,000      

PepsiCo, Inc.

     264,990   
     

 

 

 
        458,489   
     

 

 

 
   Biotechnology 1.72%   
  475      

Celgene Corp.*

     72,689   
  1,800      

Gilead Sciences, Inc.*

     146,178   
     

 

 

 
        218,867   
     

 

 

 
   Capital Markets 1.18%   
  2,300      

State Street Corp.

     150,121   
     

 

 

 
   Chemicals 3.76%   
  1,500      

Monsanto Co.

     182,775   
  900      

Praxair, Inc.

     119,016   
  2,200      

Westlake Chemical Corp.

     177,870   
     

 

 

 
        479,661   
     

 

 

 
   Commercial Banks 5.57%   
  2,500      

M&T Bank Corp.

     303,425   
  8,000      

Wells Fargo & Co.

     406,240   
     

 

 

 
        709,665   
     

 

 

 
   Computers & Peripherals 2.23%   
  450      

Apple, Inc.

     284,850   
     

 

 

 
   Consumer Finance 2.51%   
  3,500      

American Express Co.

     320,250   
     

 

 

 
   Diversified Financial Services 4.85%   
  10,000      

Bank of America Corp.

     151,400   
  8,400      

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

     466,788   
     

 

 

 
        618,188   
     

 

 

 
   Diversified Telecommunication 1.18%   
  3,000      

Verizon Communications, Inc.

     149,880   
     

 

 

 
   Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components 1.73%   
  2,300      

Amphenol Corp. – Class A

     220,340   
     

 

 

 
   Food & Staples Retailing 3.05%   
  1,800      

Costco Wholesale Corp.

     208,836   
  2,500      

Walgreen Co.

     179,775   
     

 

 

 
        388,611   
     

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

9


Schedule of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares            Fair Value  
  COMMON STOCKS – (continued)   
   Food Products 2.47%   
  4,000      

Nestle SA ADR

   $ 314,300   
     

 

 

 
   Health Care Equipment & Supplies 1.66%   
  2,900      

Covidien PLC

     212,019   
     

 

 

 
   Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure 3.89%   
  2,000      

McDonalds Corp.

     202,860   
  4,000      

Starbucks Corp.

     292,960   
     

 

 

 
        495,820   
     

 

 

 
   Household Products 2.55%   
  2,500      

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

     171,000   
  1,900      

Procter & Gamble Co.

     153,501   
     

 

 

 
        324,501   
     

 

 

 
   Industrial Conglomerates 5.46%   
  7,500      

Danaher Corp.

     588,225   
  4,000      

General Electric Co.

     107,160   
     

 

 

 
        695,385   
     

 

 

 
   Internet Software & Services 2.96%   
  660      

Google, Inc. – Class A*

     377,289   
     

 

 

 
   Life Sciences Tools & Services 2.29%   
  2,500      

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

     292,275   
     

 

 

 
   Machinery 1.43%   
  2,000      

Deere & Co.

     182,340   
     

 

 

 
   Media 3.95%   
  6,000      

Walt Disney Co./The

     504,060   
     

 

 

 
   Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels 9.06%   
  1,700      

Continental Resources, Inc.*

     238,612   
  3,200      

EOG Resources, Inc.

     338,560   
  1,400      

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     140,742   
  3,000      

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

     299,070   
  5,000      

Plains GP Holdings LP(a)

     138,000   
     

 

 

 
        1,154,984   
     

 

 

 
   Pharmaceuticals 9.90%   
  4,000      

Johnson & Johnson

     405,840   
  4,000      

Merck & Co., Inc.

     231,440   
  2,600      

Novartis AG ADR

     234,156   
  8,000      

Pfizer, Inc.

     237,040   
  5,000      

Zoetis, Inc.

     153,500   
     

 

 

 
        1,261,976   
     

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

10


Schedule of Investments (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares            Fair Value  
  COMMON STOCKS – (continued)   
   Professional Services 1.89%   
  5,000      

Nielsen NV

   $ 241,300   
     

 

 

 
   Real Estate Investment Trust 1.00%   
  2,000      

WP Carey, Inc.

     127,280   
     

 

 

 
   Road & Rail 1.04%   
  2,200      

Canadian National Railway Co.

     133,276   
     

 

 

 
   Software 4.48%   
  2,500      

Adobe Systems, Inc.*

     161,350   
  10,000      

Microsoft Corp.

     409,400   
     

 

 

 
        570,750   
     

 

 

 
   Specialty Retail 2.83%   
  4,500      

Home Depot, Inc./The

     361,035   
     

 

 

 
   Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods 2.93%   
  2,500      

Luxottica Group SpA ADR

     142,475   
  3,000      

NIKE, Inc.

     230,730   
     

 

 

 
        373,205   
     

 

 

 
   Tobacco 1.53%   
  2,000      

Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. – Class A*

     194,700   
     

 

 

 
  

Total Common Stocks (Cost $11,502,377)

     12,280,297   
     

 

 

 
   Money Market Securities 3.52%   
  448,023      

Fidelity Institutional Money Market Funds – Prime Money Market Portfolio, 0.06%(b)

     448,023   
     

 

 

 
  

Total Money Market Securities (Cost $448,023)

     448,023   
     

 

 

 
  

Total Investments 99.87% (Cost $11,950,400)

     12,728,320   
     

 

 

 
  

Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities 0.13%

     16,743   
     

 

 

 
  

TOTAL NET ASSETS 100.00%

   $ 12,745,063   
     

 

 

 

 

(a)   Master Limited Partnership.
(b)   Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of May 31, 2014.
*   Non-income producing security.
ADR   – American Depositary Receipt

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

11


Statement of Assets and Liabilities

May 31, 2014

 

Assets

  

Investments in securities at fair value (cost $11,950,400)

   $ 12,728,320   

Cash

     1,776   

Receivable for fund shares sold

     4,303   

Dividends receivable

     17,152   

Tax reclaims receivable

     4,454   

Receivable from Adviser

     16,165   

Deferred offering costs

     19,185   

Prepaid expenses

     1,873   

Total Assets

     12,793,228   

Liabilities

  

Payable to administrator, fund accountant, and transfer agent

     17,096   

Payable to custodian

     1,198   

Distribution fees accrued

     2,629   

Other accrued expenses

     27,242   

Total Liabilities

     48,165   

Net Assets

   $ 12,745,063   

Net Assets consist of:

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 12,113,432   

Accumulated undistributed net investment income

     32,183   

Accumulated net realized loss from investments

     (178,472

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     777,920   

Net Assets

   $ 12,745,063   

Shares outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized, no par value)

     1,188,037   

Net asset value, offering and redemption price per share

   $ 10.73   

 

12

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.


Statement of Operations

For the period ended May 31, 2014(a)

 

Investment Income

  

Dividend income (net of foreign taxes withheld of $908)

   $ 105,282   

Total investment income

     105,282   

Expenses

  

Investment Adviser

     40,611   

Distribution (12b-1)

     13,537   

Administration

     21,486   

Fund accounting

     14,097   

Transfer agent

     28,825   

Legal

     13,711   

Custodian

     8,354   

Audit

     16,500   

Trustee

     1,649   

Offering costs

     24,580   

Organizational costs

     8,750   

Miscellaneous

     11,708   

Report Printing

     7,160   

24f-2

     1,529   

Pricing

     1,272   

Registration

     328   

Total expenses

     214,097   

Fees waived and reimbursed by Adviser

     (146,030

Net operating expenses

     68,067   

Net investment income

     37,215   

Net Realized and Unrealized Gains/(Losses) on Investments

  

Net realized loss on investment securities transactions

     (178,580

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities

     777,920   

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     599,340   

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

   $ 636,555   

 

(a)   For the period November 8, 2013 (commencement of operations) to May 31, 2014.

 

13

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.


Statement of Changes in Net Assets

 

Increase in Net Assets due to:   

For the Period Ended

May 31, 2014(a)

 

Operations

  

Net investment income

   $ 37,215   

Net realized loss on investment securities transactions

     (178,580

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities

     777,920   

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     636,555   

Distributions From

  

Net investment income

     (4,924

Total distributions

     (4,924

Capital Transactions

  

Proceeds from shares sold

     12,239,160   

Reinvestment of distributions

     2,913   

Amount paid for shares redeemed

     (128,641

Net increase in net assets resulting from capital transactions

     12,113,432   

Total Increase in Net Assets

     12,745,063   

Net Assets

  

Beginning of period

       

End of period

   $ 12,745,063   

Accumulated undistributed net investment income

   $ 32,183   

Share Transactions

  

Sold

     1,200,263   

Issued in reinvestment of distributions

     280   

Redeemed

     (12,506

Net increase in share transactions

     1,188,037   

 

(a)   For the period November 8, 2013 (commencement of operations) to May 31, 2014.

 

14

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.


Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding during the period)

 

     For the Period Ended
May 31, 2014(a)
 

Selected Per Share Data:

  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $10.00   
 

 

 

 

Income from investment operations:

 

Net investment income

    0.04   

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

    0.70   
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.74   
 

 

 

 

Less distributions to shareholders from:

 

From investment income

    (0.01
 

 

 

 

Total distributions

    (0.01
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.73   
 

 

 

 

Total Return(b)

    7.36 %(c) 
 

Ratios and Supplemental Data:

  

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $12,745   

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

    1.25 %(d) 

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver

    3.93 %(d) 

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

    0.68 %(d) 

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets before waiver

    (2.00 )%(d) 

Portfolio turnover rate

    46.50 %(c) 

 

 

(a)   

For the period November 8, 2013 (commencement of operations) to May 31, 2014.

(b)   

Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends, if any.

(c)   

Not annualized

(d)   

Annualized

 

15

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.


Notes to the Financial Statements

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 1 – ORGANIZATION

The BFS Equity Fund (the “Fund”) was organized as an open-end diversified series of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”) on July 23, 2013 and commenced operations on November 8, 2013. The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Fund is one of a series of funds authorized by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Fund’s investment adviser is Bradley, Foster & Sargent, Inc. (the “Adviser”). The investment objective of the Fund is long-term appreciation through growth of principal and income.

NOTE 2 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements. These policies are in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

Securities Valuation – All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.

Federal Income Taxes – The Fund makes no provision for federal income or excise tax. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of its taxable income. The Fund also intends to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Fund could incur a tax expense.

As of, and during the period ended May 31, 2014, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the statement of operations. During the year, the Fund did not incur any interest or penalties. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for all tax years since inception.

Expenses – Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each fund’s relative net assets or another appropriate basis (as determined by the Board).

Security Transactions and Related Income - The Fund follows industry practice and records security transactions on the trade date for financial reporting purposes. The Fund has chosen high cost as its standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders. Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis and dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date except in the case of foreign securities, in which case dividends are generally recorded as soon as such information becomes available. Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are accreted or amortized using the effective interest method. The ability of issuers of debt securities held by the Fund to meet their obligations may be affected by economic and political developments in a specific country or region. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates.

 

16


Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Dividends and Distributions – The Fund intends to distribute its net realized long term and short term capital gains, if any, at least once a year. Dividends to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the period from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of the net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations or net asset values per share of the Fund. For the period ended May 31, 2014, the Fund made the following reclassifications of net assets.

 

Paid-in Capital   

Accumulated

Undistributed Net

Investment Income

  

Accumulated Net

Realized Gain/(Loss)

on Investments

$–

   $(108)    $108

NOTE 3 – SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in an orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have established a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.

Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk, for example, the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.

 

   

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

   

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

   

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available)

 

17


Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.

Equity securities, including common stocks, are generally valued by using market quotations, but may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Adviser believes such prices more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange are generally valued by the pricing service at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange traded security is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by the pricing service at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price.

When using the market quotations or close prices provided by the pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security will be classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Fund will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security will be classified as a Level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Adviser determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Adviser, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review by the Board. These securities will generally be categorized as Level 3 securities.

Investments in mutual funds, including money market mutual funds, are generally priced at the ending net asset value (“NAV”) provided by the service agent of the funds. These securities will be categorized as Level 1 securities.

In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Adviser is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Adviser would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the Adviser’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s value, or the Adviser is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the bonds the Fund invests in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available.

 

18


Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of May 31, 2014:

 

    Valuation Inputs        
Assets  

Level 1

Quoted Prices in
Active Markets

   

Level 2

Other Significant

Observable Inputs

   

Level 3

Significant

Unobservable Inputs

    Total  

Common Stocks*

  $ 12,280,297      $      $      $ 12,280,297   

Money Market Securities

    448,023                      448,023   

Total

  $ 12,728,320      $      $      $ 12,728,320   

 

*   Refer to Schedule of Investments for industry classifications.

The Fund did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which other significant observable inputs (Level 2) were used in determining fair value. The Fund did not hold any assets at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period.

The Trust recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the end of the reporting period. There were no transfers between any levels during the period ended May 31, 2014.

NOTE 4 – FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, on behalf of the Fund (the “Agreement”), the Adviser manages the Fund’s investments subject to oversight of the Board. As compensation for its services, the Fund is obligated to pay the Adviser a fee computed and accrued daily and paid monthly at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the period ended May 31, 2014, the Adviser earned a fee of $40,611 from the Fund before the waivers described below. At May 31, 2014, the Adviser owed $16,165 to the Fund, including fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its fee and reimburse certain Fund operating expenses, until September 30, 2015, so that the ratio of total annual operating expenses does not exceed 1.00%. This operating expense limitation does not apply to interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, dividend expense on short sales, expenses incurred under a plan of distribution under Rule 12b-1, and expenses that the Fund has incurred but did not actually pay because of an expense offset arrangement, if applicable, incurred by the Fund in any fiscal year. The operating expense limitation also excludes any “Fees and Expenses of Acquired Funds” which are the expenses indirectly incurred by the Fund as a result of investing in money market funds or other investment companies, including ETFs, that have their own expenses. The Adviser may be entitled to recoup the sum of all fees previously waived or expenses reimbursed during any of the previous three (3) years, less any reimbursement previously paid, provided total expenses do not exceed the limitation set forth above. For the period November 8, 2013 (commencement of operations) through May 31, 2014, expenses totaling $146,030 were waived or reimbursed by the Adviser and may be subject to potential recoupment by the Adviser until May 31, 2017.

 

19


Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”) to manage the Fund’s business affairs and provide the Fund with administrative services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. For the period ended May 31, 2014, HASI earned fees of $21,486 for administrative and compliance services provided to the Fund. At May 31, 2014, HASI was owed $6,333 from the Fund for administrative and compliance services. Certain officers of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. HASI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”) and Huntington National Bank, the custodian of the Fund’s investments (the “Custodian”). For the period ended May 31, 2014, the Custodian earned fees of $8,354 for custody services provided to the Fund. At May 31, 2014, the Custodian was owed $1,198 from the Fund for custody services.

The Trust also retains HASI to act as the Fund’s transfer agent and to provide fund accounting services. For the period ended May 31, 2014, HASI earned fees of $28,825 for transfer agent services and reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in providing transfer agent services to the Fund. At May 31, 2014, the Fund owed HASI $6,596 for transfer agent services and out-of-pocket expenses. For the period ended May 31, 2014, HASI earned fees of $14,097 from the Fund for fund accounting services. At May 31, 2014, HASI was owed $4,167 from the Fund for fund accounting services.

The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Plan”). The Plan provides that the Fund will pay the Distributor and/or any registered securities dealer, financial institution or any other person (the “Recipient”) a shareholder servicing fee of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund in connection with the promotion and distribution of the Fund’s shares or the provision of personal services to shareholders, including, but not necessarily limited to, advertising, compensation to underwriters, dealers and selling personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current Fund shareholders, the printing and mailing of sales literature and servicing shareholder accounts (“12b-1 Expenses”). The Fund or Distributor may pay all or a portion of these fees to any recipient who renders assistance in distributing or promoting the sale of shares, or who provides certain shareholder services, pursuant to a written agreement. The Plan is a compensation plan, which means that the Plan will benefit shareholders because an effective sales program typically is necessary in order for the Fund to reach and maintain a sufficient size to achieve efficiently its investment objectives and to realize economies of scale. For the period ended May 31, 2014, 12b-1 expense incurred by the Fund was $13,537. The Fund owed $2,629 for 12b-1 fees as of May 31, 2014.

Unified Financial Securities, Inc. acts as the principal distributor of the Fund’s shares. An officer of the Trust is an officer of the Distributor and such person may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Distributor.

NOTE 5 – INVESTMENTS

For the period ended May 31, 2014, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments and short-term U.S. government obligations, were as follows:

 

    Purchases      Sales  
  $ 16,375,740       $ 4,694,780   

There were no purchases or sales of long-term U.S. government obligations during the period ended May 31, 2014.

 

20


Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 6 – ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

NOTE 7 – BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of a fund, under Section 2(a) (9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. At May 31, 2014, Charles Schwab & Co. (“Schwab”) owned, as record shareholder, 51% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. It is not known whether Schwab or any of the underlying beneficial owners owned or controlled 25% or more of the voting securities of the Fund. As a result, Schwab may be deemed to control the Fund.

NOTE 8 – FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION

At May 31, 2014, the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments for tax purposes was as follows:

 

Gross Unrealized Appreciation

   $ 840,103   

Gross Unrealized (Depreciation)

     (85,158

Net Unrealized Appreciation

   $ 754,945   

At May 31, 2014, the aggregate cost of securities for federal income tax purposes was $11,973,375 for the Fund.

At May 31, 2014, the Fund’s most recent fiscal year end, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 30,704   

Undistributed long-term capital gains

       

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (154,018

Unrealized Appreciation

     754,945   
     $ 631,631   

The difference between book and tax basis appreciation was attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales in the amount of $22,975.

The tax character of distributions paid for the fiscal period ended May 31, 2014 was as follows:

 

      2014  

Distributions paid from:

  

Ordinary Income

   $ 4,924   
     $ 4,924   

Certain capital losses incurred after October 31, and within the current taxable year, are deemed to arise on the first business day of the Fund’s following taxable year. For the tax year ended May 31, 2014, the Fund deferred post October capital losses in the amount of $154,018.

 

21


Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 9 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Fund indemnifies its officers and trustees for certain liabilities that may arise from performance of their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred.

NOTE 10 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management of the Fund has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. There were no items requiring adjustment of financial statements or additional disclosure.

 

22


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders of BFS Equity Fund and

Board of Trustees of Valued Advisers Trust

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of BFS Equity Fund (the “Fund”), a series of Valued Advisers Trust, as of May 31, 2014, and the related statements of operations and changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for the period November 8, 2013 (commencement of operations) through May 31, 2014. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audit.

We conducted our audit 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 and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of May 31, 2014 by correspondence with the custodian. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the BFS Equity Fund as of May 31, 2014, the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets, and its financial highlights for the period November 8, 2013 (commencement of operations) through May 31, 2014, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

LOGO

COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.

Cleveland, Ohio

July 29, 2014

 

23


Additional Federal Income Tax Information (Unaudited):

Qualified Dividend Income: For the period ended May 31, 2014, the Fund designates 100% of the dividends distributed during the fiscal year as amounts which can be taken into account as a dividend for the purpose of the maximum tax rate under section 1(h)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Dividends Received Deduction: For the period ended May 31, 2014, the Fund designates 100% of the dividends distributed during the fiscal year as qualifying for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.

The Funds will notify shareholders in January 2015 of amounts for use in preparing 2014 income tax returns.

 

24


The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.

 

Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust**, Term
of Position with Trust
  Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years   Other Directorships
Ira Cohen, 55, Independent Trustee, June 2010 to present.   Independent financial services consultant, since February 2005.   Trustee, Griffin Institutional Access Real Estate Fund, since June 2014.
Andrea N. Mullins, 47, Independent Trustee, December 2013 to present.   Private investor; Independent Contractor, Seabridge Wealth Management, LLC, since April 2014; Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, Eagle Family of Funds (mutual fund family) and Vice President, Eagle Asset Management, Inc. (investment adviser), each from 2004 to 2010.   None.

 

*   The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
**   As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 14 series.

The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.

 

Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust**, Term
of Position with Trust
  Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years   Other Directorships
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present.   Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January 2010, Director since May 2014; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds, since February 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Strategy Shares, since November 2010; Director, Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2014; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds, from March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, from August 2008 to January 2010; and Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants, from 2007 to 2010.   Trustee, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013.

 

*   The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
**   As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 14 series.

 

25


The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:

 

Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust,** Term
of Position with Trust
  Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years   Other Directorships
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present; Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010;   Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January 2010, Director since May 2014; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds, since February 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Strategy Shares, since November 2010; Director, Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2014; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds, from March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, from August 2008 to January 2010; and Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Professional Planning Consultants, from 2007 to 2010.   Trustee, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013.
John C. Swhear, 53, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present.   Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007, Director since May 2014; Chief Compliance Officer, Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007, Director since May 2014; President, Unified Series Trust, since March 2012, and Senior Vice President from May 2007 to March 2012; Chief Compliance Officer and AML Officer, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013; Secretary, Huntington Funds, from April 2010 to February 2012; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds, from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, from 2007 to March 2010.   None.
Carol J. Highsmith, 49, Vice President, August 2008 to present; Secretary, March 2014 to present   Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration.   None.
Matthew J. Miller, 38, Vice President, December 2011 to present.   Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President, Huntington Funds, since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013.   None.
Bryan W. Ashmus, 41, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, December 2013 to present.   Vice President, Financial Administration, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since September 2013; Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Huntington Strategy Shares and Huntington Funds, since November 2013; Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., from 2005 to 2013.   None.

 

*   The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
**   As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 14 series.

 

26


VALUED ADVISERS TRUST

PRIVACY POLICY

The following is a description of the policies of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”) regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that shareholders provide to a series of the Trust (each, a “Fund”) or that the Fund collects from other sources. In the event that a shareholder holds shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of the financial intermediary would govern how shareholder nonpublic personal information would be shared with nonaffiliated third parties.

Categories of Information a Fund May Collect. A Fund may collect the following nonpublic personal information about its shareholders:

 

   

Information the Fund receives from a shareholder on applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as the shareholder’s name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth); and

 

   

Information about the shareholder’s transactions with the Fund, its affiliates, or others (such as the shareholder’s account number and balance, payment history, cost basis information, and other financial information).

Categories of Information a Fund May Disclose. A Fund may not disclose any nonpublic personal information about its current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. A Fund is permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to its service providers (such as the Fund’s custodian, administrator, transfer agent, accountant and legal counsel) to process shareholder transactions and otherwise provide services to the shareholder.

Confidentiality and Security. Each Fund shall restrict access to shareholder nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to the shareholder. Each Fund shall maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard shareholder nonpublic personal information.

Disposal of Information. The Funds, through their transfer agent, have taken steps to reasonably ensure that the privacy of a shareholder’s nonpublic personal information is maintained at all times, including in connection with the disposal of information that is no longer required to be maintained by the Funds. Such steps shall include, whenever possible, shredding paper documents and records prior to disposal, requiring off-site storage vendors to shred documents maintained in such locations prior to disposal, and erasing and/or obliterating any data contained on electronic media in such a manner that the information can no longer be read or reconstructed.

 

27


OTHER INFORMATION

The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (855) 575-2430 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.

 

28


Proxy Voting

A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how the Fund voted those proxies during the most recent twelve month period ended June 30, will be available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Fund at (855) 575-2430 and (2) from Fund documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

TRUSTEES

R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman

Ira Cohen

Andrea N. Mullins

OFFICERS

R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive Officer and President

Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer

John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice-President

Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President and Secretary

Matthew J. Miller, Vice President

INVESTMENT ADVISER

Bradley, Foster & Sargent, Inc.

185 Asylum Street, City Place II

Hartford, Connecticut 06103

DISTRIBUTOR

Unified Financial Securities, Inc.

2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300

Indianapolis, IN 46208

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd.

1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800

Cleveland, OH 44115

LEGAL COUNSEL

The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.

A member firm of The 1940 Act Law Group TM

11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310

Leawood, KS 66211

CUSTODIAN

Huntington National Bank

41 South High Street

Columbus, OH 43215

ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT AND FUND ACCOUNTANT

Huntington Asset Services, Inc.

2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300

Indianapolis, IN 46208

This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Fund’s prospectus which contains information about the Fund’s management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.

Member FINRA/SIPC


ANNUAL REPORT 

May 31, 2014 

 

LOGO

CLOUD CAPITAL FUNDS

Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Fund Adviser:

Cloud Capital LLC

5314 South Yale, Suite 606

Tulsa, OK 74135

Toll Free (877) 670-2227

 

 


Management’s Discussion of Fund Performance

We welcome and thank all new and existing shareholders of the Cloud Capital mutual funds.

In the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014, both the Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund (the “Large Cap Fund”) and the Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund (the “Mid Cap Fund”) (each a “Fund” and, collectively the “Funds”) experienced strong growth. The Large Cap Fund gained 20.8%, ahead of S&P 500® Index total return by 0.4% and ahead of its peer group by 1.7%. The Mid Cap Fund gained 16.7% for the year, short of the S&P MidCap 400® Index total return by 1.4%. The expenses of operating the Mid Cap Fund were responsible for much of the lag against the benchmark’s performance.

The Funds endured a terrible start, opening into a 20% market correction, but have largely managed to overcome that. The Large Cap Fund is within 20 bps of its benchmark over the last two years, and ranks in the top quartile of the Large Blend peer group for the trailing twelve months. The Mid Cap Fund has been slower to recover, but is beginning to catch up to its benchmark and peer group.

The U.S. market has extended its bull run for over five years now, setting new historical highs regularly over the past year, despite slow growth in the overall economy. While portfolios grow, we at Cloud Capital LLC (“Cloud Capital”) can’t help but remember the beginning of 2007, when disparities between the stock market and the economy were growing and were largely ignored. While we want to continue to enjoy the fruits of the market rally as long as possible, it is also important to us to have our shareholders’ assets in a position of safety when the rally concludes.

The Funds are now operating at a lower gross expense ratio with the waiver of a management fee, which should bolster performance even more going forward.

In the Large Cap Fund, the stock selections within the portfolio were very successful over the past year, with the Large Cap Fund outperforming the benchmark in all ten GICS Sectors. The sector-neutral approach employed in the Fund also enhanced performance, winning seven of ten sectors versus the benchmark.

During that same period, the Mid Cap Fund found greater success in the sector-neutral strategy, with eight of ten GICS sectors besting the benchmark allocation. All ten sectors gained at least 13.8% over the fiscal year, led by the Health Care sector with 25.3%. Cash drag had a greater effect on the Mid Cap Fund than the Large Cap Fund during this period, and hindered performance against the index, which doesn’t have to concern itself with liquidity or operating expenses.

Although the market appears to be resuming historical cyclical growth, the truth is the after-effects of continued stimulus that have flowed into the market over the past

 

1


several years are still unclear. The core strategy of the Funds, which has historically outperformed the benchmark 76% of the time over rolling one-year periods, would benefit greatly from a return to the good old days. However, we are vigilant for unforeseen consequences of artificially driving the markets through stimulus, and especially the effects of withdrawing that support, as will have to eventually happen.

Again, we thank our shareholders for their continued confidence in Cloud Capital LLC, and with another fiscal year behind us, we look forward to many more years of serving them.

Sincerely,

Randy Cloud

Cloud Capital LLC, President

 

2


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Investment Results – (Unaudited)

 

Total Returns *

(For the periods ended May 31, 2014)

 

            Average Annual
Returns
 
      One Year     Since Inception
(June 29, 2011)
 

Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund –Institutional Class

     20.81     14.35

S&P 500® Index**

     20.45     16.96

 

Total annual operating expenses, as disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus dated February 26, 2014, were 1.41% of average daily net assets (0.91% after fee waivers/expense reimbursements by Cloud Capital LLC (the Adviser)). The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses of the Large Cap Fund effective February 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015, so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses does not exceed 1.40%. This operating expense limitation does not apply to brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, extraordinary expenses, fees and expenses paid under a distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1, and indirect expenses (such as “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses”). The Adviser shall not be entitled to reimbursement for any advisory fees waived for the period February 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015. However, for the periods prior to this, the Adviser may be entitled to the reimbursement of any fees waived or expenses reimbursed pursuant to prior expense limitation agreements provided overall expenses fall below the limitations set forth above. The Adviser may recoup the sum of all fees previously waived or expenses reimbursed during any of the previous three (3) years, less any reimbursement previously paid, provided total expenses do not exceed the limitation set forth above. This agreement may only be terminated by mutual consent of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees.

The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Current performance of a Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-877-670-2227.

Return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions.

** The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. The Index is an unmanaged benchmark that assumes reinvestment of all distributions and excludes the effect of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in this Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index.

The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the investment company and may be obtained by calling 1-877-670-2227. Please read it carefully before investing.

The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., Member FINRA.

 

3


 

LOGO

The chart above assumes an initial investment of $1,000,000 made on June 29, 2011 (commencement of Fund operations) and held through May 31, 2014. THE FUND’S RETURNS REPRESENT PAST PERFORMANCE AND DO NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on the Fund’s distributions or the redemption of the Fund’s shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.

Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month-end, or to request a prospectus, please call 1-877-670-2227. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.

The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.

 

4


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Investment Results – (Unaudited)

 

Total Returns *

(For the periods ended May 31, 2014)

 

            Average Annual
Returns
 
      One Year     Since Inception
(June 29, 2011)
 

Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Class

     16.66     11.77

S&P MidCap 400® Index**

     18.04     14.64

 

Total annual operating expenses, as disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus dated February 26, 2014, were 1.92% of average daily net assets (1.82% after fee waiver/expense reimbursement by Cloud Capital LLC (the “Adviser”)). The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses of the Mid Cap Fund effective February 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015, so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses does not exceed 1.90%. This operating expense limitation does not apply to brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, extraordinary expenses, fees and expenses paid under a distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1, and indirect expenses (such as “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses”). The Adviser shall not be entitled to reimbursement for any advisory fees waived for the period February 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015. However, for periods prior to this, the Adviser may be entitled to the reimbursement of any fees waived or expenses reimbursed pursuant to prior expense limitation agreements provided overall expenses fall below the limitations set forth above. The Adviser may recoup the sum of all fees previously waived or expenses reimbursed during any of the previous three (3) years, less any reimbursement previously paid, provided total expenses do not exceed the limitation set forth above. This agreement may only be terminated by mutual consent of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees.

The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Current performance of a Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-877-670-2227.

Return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions.

** The S&P MidCap 400® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. The Index is an unmanaged benchmark that assumes reinvestment of all distributions and excludes the effect of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in this Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index.

The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the investment company and may be obtained by calling 1-877-670-2227. Please read it carefully before investing.

The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., Member FINRA.

 

5


 

LOGO

The chart above assumes an initial investment of $1,000,000 made on June 29, 2011 (commencement of Fund operations) and held through May 31, 2014. THE FUND’S RETURNS REPRESENT PAST PERFORMANCE AND DO NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on the Fund’s distributions or the redemption of the Fund’s shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.

Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month-end, or to request a prospectus, please call 1-877-670-2227. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.

The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.

 

6


FUND HOLDINGS – (Unaudited)

 

LOGO

1 As a percent of net assets.

The investment objective of the Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund is to consistently deliver excess returns relative to the S&P 500® Index over three- to five-year time horizons.

 

LOGO

1 As a percent of net assets.

The investment objective of the Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund is to consistently deliver excess returns relative to the S&P MidCap 400® Index over three- to five-year time horizons.

 

7


AVAILABILITY OF PORTFOLIO SCHEDULE – (Unaudited)

The Funds file its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Funds’ Forms N-Q are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Forms N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

ABOUT THE FUNDS’ EXPENSES – (Unaudited)

As a shareholder of the Funds, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs (such as short-term redemption fees); and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; and other Fund expenses. This Example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Funds 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 period, and held for the entire period from December 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014.

Actual Expenses

The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, 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 = 8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Funds’ actual expense ratios and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Funds’ actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

 

8


ABOUT THE FUNDS’ EXPENSES – (Unaudited) (continued)

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), redemption fees, or exchange fees. 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. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

Cloud Capital Strategic

Large Cap Fund –
Institutional Class

 

Beginning
Account Value

December 1, 2013

   

Ending

Account Value

May 31, 2014

   

Expenses Paid During

the Period Ended

May 31, 2014*

 

Actual

  $ 1,000.00      $ 1,085.50      $ 5.08   

Hypothetical **

  $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.06      $ 4.92   

* Expenses are equal to the Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 0.98%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/365.

** Assumes a 5% return before expenses.

 

Cloud Capital Strategic
Mid Cap Fund –
Institutional Class
 

Beginning
Account Value

December 1, 2013

   

Ending

Account Value

May 31, 2014

   

Expenses Paid During

the Period Ended

May 31, 2014*

 

Actual

  $ 1,000.00      $ 1,059.60      $ 7.19   

Hypothetical **

  $ 1,000.00      $ 1,017.95      $ 7.04   

* Expenses are equal to the Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 1.40%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/365.

** Assumes a 5% return before expenses.

 

9


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  

 

Common Stocks – 97.66%

  

 

Consumer Discretionary – 10.94%

  
  104       Amazon.com, Inc. *    $ 32,426   
  591       AutoNation, Inc. *      33,794   
  59       AutoZone, Inc. *      31,226   
  501       Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. *      30,505   
  1,196       Best Buy Co., Inc.      33,069   
  512       BorgWarner, Inc.      32,191   
  1,889       Cablevision Systems Corp.      33,295   
  722       CarMax, Inc. *      31,975   
  784       Carnival Corp.      31,401   
  540       CBS Corp. - Class B      32,214   
  64       Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. *      34,785   
  692       Coach, Inc.      28,174   
  604       Comcast Corp. - Class A      31,514   
  1,392       D.R. Horton, Inc.      32,954   
  629       Darden Restaurants, Inc.      31,525   
  471       Delphi Automotive PLC      32,511   
  407       DIRECTV - Class A *      33,584   
  411       Discovery Communications, Inc. - Class A *      31,654   
  550       Dollar General Corp. *      29,600   
  600       Dollar Tree, Inc. *      31,817   
  441       Expedia, Inc.      32,343   
  532       Family Dollar Stores, Inc.      31,158   
  1,947       Ford Motor Co.      32,017   
  290       Fossil Group, Inc. *      30,429   
  779       GameStop Corp. - Class A      29,476   
  1,158       Gannett Co., Inc.      32,178   
  794       Gap, Inc./The      32,721   
  524       Garmin Ltd.      30,885   
  920       General Motors Co.      31,797   
  365       Genuine Parts Co.      31,482   
  1,255       Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co./The      33,090   
  47       Graham Holdings Co.      31,720   
  1,117       H & R Block, Inc.      33,270   
  426       Harley-Davidson, Inc.      30,383   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

10


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  

 

Consumer Discretionary – (continued)

  
  293       Harman International Industries, Inc.    $ 30,826   
  575       Hasbro, Inc.      30,869   
  392       Home Depot, Inc./The      31,449   
  2,553       International Game Technology      32,037   
  1,837       Interpublic Group of Cos., Inc./The      35,132   
  710       Johnson Controls, Inc.      34,339   
  572       Kohl’s Corp.      31,144   
  577       L Brands, Inc.      33,143   
  955       Leggett & Platt, Inc.      32,400   
  814       Lennar Corp. - Class A      33,272   
  679       Lowe’s Companies, Inc.      31,973   
  542       Macy’s, Inc.      32,441   
  546       Marriott International, Inc. - Class A      33,641   
  806       Mattel, Inc.      31,295   
  310       McDonalds Corp.      31,397   
  345       Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. *      32,559   
  209       Mohawk Industries, Inc. *      28,386   
  99       Netflix, Inc. *      41,394   
  1,042       Newell Rubbermaid, Inc.      30,506   
  1,830       News Corp. - Class A *      31,219   
  430       NIKE, Inc. - Class B      33,044   
  510       Nordstrom, Inc.      34,724   
  463       Omnicom Group, Inc.      32,917   
  209       O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. *      30,963   
  466       PetSmart, Inc.      26,798   
  27       Priceline.com, Inc. *      34,746   
  1,714       Pulte Group, Inc.      33,519   
  251       PVH Corp.      33,027   
  207       Ralph Lauren Corp.      31,822   
  459       Ross Stores, Inc.      31,395   
  421       Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. - Class A      32,222   
  2,518       Staples, Inc.      28,331   
  447       Starbucks Corp.      32,715   
  414       Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.      33,070   
  508       Target Corp.      28,817   
  356       Tiffany & Co.      35,425   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

11


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  

 

Consumer Discretionary – (continued)

  
  222       Time Warner Cable, Inc. - Class A    $ 31,397   
  487       Time Warner, Inc.      34,007   
  534       TJX Cos., Inc./The      29,054   
  394       TripAdvisor, Inc. *      38,323   
  982       Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc.      34,775   
  874       Urban Outfitters, Inc. *      29,298   
  512       VF Corp.      32,277   
  375       Viacom, Inc. - Class B      32,036   
  395       Walt Disney Co./The      33,216   
  206       Whirlpool Corp.      29,526   
  440       Wyndham Worldwide Corp.      32,511   
  156       Wynn Resorts Ltd.      33,515   
  409       Yum! Brands, Inc.      31,644   
     

 

 

 
     2,667,699   
     

 

 

 

 

Consumer Staples – 10.72%

  
  1,632       Altria Group, Inc.      67,840   
  1,510       Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.      67,882   
  4,328       Avon Products, Inc.      61,846   
  734       Brown-Forman Corp. - Class B      67,977   
  1,442       Campbell Soup Co.      66,200   
  722       Clorox Co./The      64,670   
  1,606       Coca-Cola Co./The      65,693   
  1,446       Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.      65,994   
  973       Colgate-Palmolive Co.      66,548   
  2,145       ConAgra Foods, Inc.      69,291   
  822       Constellation Brands, Inc. - Class A *      69,193   
  567       Costco Wholesale Corp.      65,742   
  900       CVS Caremark Corp.      70,507   
  1,190       Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.      68,673   
  899       Estee Lauder Cos., Inc./The - Class A      68,918   
  1,243       General Mills, Inc.      68,282   
  681       Hershey Co./The      66,246   
  1,380       Hormel Foods Corp.      67,925   
  677       JM Smucker Co./The      69,501   
  979       Kellogg Co.      67,533   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

12


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  

 

Consumer Staples – (continued)

  
  585       Kimberly-Clark Corp.    $ 65,740   
  1,153       Kraft Foods Group, Inc.      68,542   
  1,441       Kroger Co./The      68,794   
  1,112       Lorillard, Inc.      69,118   
  917       McCormick & Co., Inc.      66,318   
  743       Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.      66,519   
  1,096       Molson Coors Brewing Co. - Class B      72,027   
  1,844       Mondelez International, Inc. - Class A      69,381   
  991       Monster Beverage Corp. *      68,734   
  765       PepsiCo, Inc.      67,564   
  768       Philip Morris International, Inc.      68,022   
  799       Procter & Gamble Co.      64,575   
  1,160       Reynolds American, Inc.      69,181   
  1,924       Safeway, Inc.      66,055   
  1,815       Sysco Corp.      68,118   
  1,556       Tyson Foods, Inc. - Class A      66,073   
  980       Walgreen Co.      70,471   
  820       Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.      62,930   
  1,329       Whole Foods Market, Inc.      50,820   
     

 

 

 
        2,615,443   
     

 

 

 
  Energy – 10.87%   
  599       Anadarko Petroleum Corp.      61,634   
  685       Apache Corp.      63,856   
  861       Baker Hughes, Inc.      60,720   
  1,529       Cabot Oil & Gas Corp.      55,417   
  922       Cameron International Corp. *      58,987   
  2,063       Chesapeake Energy Corp.      59,248   
  472       Chevron Corp.      57,901   
  797       ConocoPhillips      63,681   
  1,349       Consol Energy, Inc.      59,584   
  3,549       Denbury Resources, Inc.      59,939   
  846       Devon Energy Corp.      62,507   
  1,107       Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.      56,530   
  1,187       Ensco PLC - Class A      62,513   
  605       EOG Resources, Inc.      64,039   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

13


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Energy – (continued)   
  549       EQT Corp.    $ 58,638   
  583       Exxon Mobil Corp.      58,591   
  1,042       FMC Technologies, Inc. *      60,472   
  947       Halliburton Co.      61,197   
  549       Helmerich & Payne, Inc.      60,412   
  660       Hess Corp.      60,266   
  1,817       Kinder Morgan, Inc.      60,657   
  1,617       Marathon Oil Corp.      59,272   
  633       Marathon Petroleum Corp.      56,619   
  929       Murphy Oil Corp.      57,274   
  2,376       Nabors Industries Ltd.      62,316   
  760       National Oilwell Varco, Inc.      62,208   
  1,853       Newfield Exploration Co. *      67,606   
  1,965       Noble Corp. PLC      61,806   
  820       Noble Energy, Inc.      59,065   
  614       Occidental Petroleum Corp.      61,164   
  3,190       Peabody Energy Corp.      51,551   
  701       Phillips 66      59,448   
  306       Pioneer Natural Resources Co.      64,219   
  1,917       QEP Resources, Inc.      61,242   
  654       Range Resources Corp.      60,803   
  1,924       Rowan Cos. PLC      59,576   
  582       Schlumberger Ltd.      60,518   
  1,245       Southwestern Energy Co. *      56,621   
  1,492       Spectra Energy Corp.      60,541   
  1,061       Tesoro Corp.      59,606   
  1,394       Transocean Ltd.      59,229   
  1,027       Valero Energy Corp.      57,575   
  1,407       Williams Cos., Inc./The      66,062   
  2,829       WPX Energy, Inc. *      59,916   
     

 

 

 
        2,651,026   
     

 

 

 
  Financials – 8.36%   
  319       ACE Ltd.      33,053   
  514       Aflac, Inc.      31,487   
  564       Allstate Corp./The      32,832   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

14


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Financials – (continued)   
  369       American Express Co.    $ 33,726   
  614       American International Group, Inc.      33,226   
  295       Ameriprise Financial, Inc.      33,256   
  383       Aon PLC      34,443   
  481       Assurant, Inc.      32,613   
  2,135       Bank of America Corp.      32,326   
  963       Bank of New York Mellon Corp./The      33,280   
  867       BB&T Corp.      32,874   
  253       Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. - Class B *      32,425   
  108       BlackRock, Inc.      33,070   
  438       Capital One Financial Corp.      34,528   
  1,223       CBRE Group, Inc. *      36,483   
  1,224       Charles Schwab Corp./The      30,862   
  352       Chubb Corp./The      32,595   
  666       Cincinnati Financial Corp.      32,660   
  673       Citigroup, Inc.      32,016   
  459       CME Group, Inc.      33,060   
  680       Comerica, Inc.      32,642   
  582       Discover Financial Services      34,425   
  1,473       E*Trade Financial Corp. *      30,010   
  1,589       Fifth Third Bancorp.      32,877   
  624       Franklin Resources, Inc.      34,467   
  1,858       Genworth Financial, Inc. - Class A *      31,565   
  204       Goldman Sachs Group, Inc./The      32,571   
  921       Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.      31,927   
  3,298       Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.      32,226   
  161       Intercontinental Exchange Group, Inc.      31,596   
  921       Invesco Ltd.      33,786   
  583       JPMorgan Chase & Co.      32,390   
  2,383       KeyCorp      32,626   
  691       Legg Mason, Inc.      33,743   
  1,272       Leucadia National Corp.      32,625   
  673       Lincoln National Corp.      32,256   
  741       Loews Corp.      31,945   
  267       M&T Bank Corp.      32,434   
  664       Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc.      33,389   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

15


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Financials – (continued)   
  434       McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.    $ 35,498   
  624       MetLife, Inc.      31,779   
  411       Moody’s Corp.      35,194   
  1,068       Morgan Stanley      32,964   
  885       NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc./The      33,532   
  1,274       Navient Corp. *      20,125   
  539       Northern Trust Corp.      32,526   
  2,277       People’s United Financial, Inc.      32,724   
  388       PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.      33,050   
  692       Principal Financial Group, Inc.      32,384   
  1,343       Progressive Corp./The      33,612   
  399       Prudential Financial, Inc.      32,813   
  3,194       Regions Financial Corp.      32,549   
  1,274       SLM Corp.      10,967   
  501       State Street Corp.      32,669   
  851       SunTrust Banks, Inc.      32,597   
  398       T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.      32,448   
  406       Torchmark Corp.      32,893   
  355       Travelers Cos., Inc./The      33,152   
  802       U.S. Bancorp      33,840   
  981       Unum Group      33,250   
  656       Wells Fargo & Co.      33,289   
  1,027       XL Group PLC      33,352   
  1,117       Zions Bancorp.      31,946   
     

 

 

 
        2,039,468   
     

 

 

 
  Health Care – 11.07%   
  1,248       Abbott Laboratories      49,933   
  935       AbbVie, Inc.      50,790   
  233       Actavis PLC *      49,363   
  660       Aetna, Inc.      51,186   
  894       Agilent Technologies, Inc.      50,929   
  301       Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. *      50,007   
  289       Allergan, Inc.      48,445   
  741       AmerisourceBergen Corp.      54,250   
  428       Amgen, Inc.      49,655   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

16


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Health Care – (continued)   
  654       Baxter International, Inc.    $ 48,679   
  427       Becton, Dickinson and Co.      50,227   
  167       Biogen Idec, Inc. *      53,177   
  3,800       Boston Scientific Corp. *      48,758   
  968       Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.      48,134   
  350       C.R. Bard, Inc.      51,760   
  690       Cardinal Health, Inc.      48,725   
  1,234       CareFusion Corp. *      52,975   
  329       Celgene Corp. *      50,361   
  943       Cerner Corp. *      50,957   
  603       CIGNA Corp.      54,097   
  682       Covidien PLC      49,849   
  687       DaVita, Inc. *      48,503   
  1,078       DENTSPLY International, Inc.      50,985   
  586       Edwards LifeSciences Corp. *      47,545   
  808       Eli Lilly & Co.      48,393   
  720       Express Scripts Holding Co. *      51,473   
  518       Forest Laboratories, Inc. *      49,127   
  628       Gilead Sciences, Inc. *      51,011   
  1,021       Hospira, Inc. *      50,212   
  430       Humana, Inc.      53,552   
  132       Intuitive Surgical, Inc. *      48,749   
  473       Johnson & Johnson      48,030   
  483       Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings *      49,537   
  284       McKesson Corp.      53,937   
  816       Medtronic, Inc.      49,772   
  817       Merck & Co., Inc.      47,249   
  949       Mylan, Inc. *      47,278   
  1,168       Patterson Companies, Inc.      45,741   
  1,143       PerkinElmer, Inc.      51,389   
  329       Perrigo Co. PLC      45,458   
  1,503       Pfizer, Inc.      44,531   
  857       Quest Diagnostics, Inc.      51,309   
  161       Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. *      49,374   
  758       St. Jude Medical, Inc.      49,192   
  617       Stryker Corp.      52,096   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

17


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Health Care – (continued)   
  1,049       Tenet Healthcare Corp. *    $ 49,308   
  419       Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.      49,001   
  629       UnitedHealth Group, Inc.      50,111   
  599       Varian Medical Systems, Inc. *      49,419   
  709       Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. *      51,248   
  485       Waters Corp. *      48,584   
  471       WellPoint, Inc.      51,052   
  490       Zimmer Holdings, Inc.      51,176   
  1,746       Zoetis, Inc.      53,615   
     

 

 

 
        2,700,214   
     

 

 

 
  Industrials – 11.22%   
  290       3M Co.      41,336   
  1,284       ADT Corp./The      41,335   
  814       Allegion PLC      42,649   
  779       AMETEK, Inc.      41,341   
  1,727       Avery Dennison Corp.      87,538   
  312       Boeing Co./The      42,215   
  380       Caterpillar, Inc.      38,875   
  679       CH Robinson Worldwide, Inc.      40,658   
  688       Cintas Corp.      42,718   
  1,424       CSX Corp.      41,870   
  266       Cummins, Inc.      40,739   
  544       Danaher Corp.      42,656   
  430       Deere & Co.      39,183   
  1,262       Delta Air Lines, Inc.      50,365   
  468       Dover Corp.      40,843   
  372       Dun & Bradstreet Corp.      38,435   
  562       Eaton Corp. PLC      41,438   
  592       Emerson Electric Co.      39,531   
  574       Equifax, Inc.      40,653   
  986       Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.      44,851   
  815       Fastenal Co.      39,707   
  296       FedEx Corp.      42,741   
  557       Flowserve Corp.      41,097   
  539       Fluor Corp.      40,484   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

18


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Industrials – (continued)   
  373       General Dynamics Corp.    $ 44,050   
  1,502       General Electric Co.      40,230   
  437       Honeywell International, Inc.      40,723   
  473       Illinois Tool Works, Inc.      40,912   
  683       Ingersoll-Rand PLC      40,875   
  1,439       Iron Mountain, Inc.      44,818   
  707       Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. *      38,915   
  669       Joy Global, Inc.      38,230   
  400       Kansas City Southern      43,004   
  349       L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.      42,238   
  248       Lockheed Martin Corp.      40,568   
  1,997       Masco Corp.      42,530   
  855       Nielsen NV      41,278   
  426       Norfolk Southern Corp.      42,911   
  334       Northrop Grumman Corp.      40,618   
  636       PACCAR, Inc.      40,310   
  481       Pall Corp.      40,784   
  320       Parker Hannifin Corp.      40,032   
  545       Pentair Ltd.      40,699   
  1,512       Pitney Bowes, Inc.      41,779   
  158       Precision Castparts Corp.      39,999   
  1,161       Quanta Services, Inc. *      39,424   
  421       Raytheon Co.      41,066   
  1,148       Republic Services, Inc.      40,622   
  918       Robert Half International, Inc.      41,855   
  346       Rockwell Automation, Inc.      41,909   
  523       Rockwell Collins, Inc.      41,299   
  291       Roper Industries, Inc.      41,190   
  496       Ryder System, Inc.      43,012   
  348       Snap-on, Inc.      40,786   
  1,660       Southwest Airlines Co.      43,918   
  475       Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.      41,494   
  348       Stericycle, Inc. *      39,835   
  1,008       Textron, Inc.      39,545   
  991       Tyco International Ltd.      43,252   
  212       Union Pacific Corp.      42,167   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

19


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Industrials – (continued)   
  409       United Parcel Service, Inc. - Class B    $ 42,491   
  341       United Technologies Corp.      39,589   
  162       W.W. Grainger, Inc.      41,928   
  913       Waste Management, Inc.      40,806   
  1,091       Xylem, Inc.      40,711   
     

 

 

 
        2,735,660   
     

 

 

 
  Information Technology – 9.71%   
  456       Accenture PLC - Class A      37,157   
  579       Adobe Systems, Inc. *      37,348   
  686       Akamai Technologies, Inc. *      37,277   
  149       Alliance Data Systems Corp. *      38,097   
  1,100       Altera Corp.      36,450   
  376       Amphenol Corp. - Class A      36,056   
  708       Analog Devices, Inc.      37,095   
  61       Apple, Inc.      38,627   
  1,901       Applied Materials, Inc.      38,377   
  757       Autodesk, Inc. *      39,624   
  469       Automatic Data Processing, Inc.      37,382   
  1,186       Broadcom Corp. - Class A      37,784   
  1,207       CA, Inc.      34,622   
  1,562       Cisco Systems, Inc.      38,468   
  614       Citrix Systems, Inc. *      38,032   
  742       Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. - Class A *      36,065   
  610       Computer Sciences Corp.      38,388   
  1,723       Corning, Inc.      36,707   
  688       eBay, Inc. *      34,888   
  1,270       Electronic Arts, Inc. *      44,616   
  1,399       EMC Corp.      37,154   
  339       F5 Networks, Inc. *      36,802   
  545       Facebook, Inc. - Class A *      34,500   
  676       Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.      36,628   
  537       First Solar, Inc. *      33,181   
  602       Fiserv, Inc. *      36,205   
  1,052       FLIR Systems, Inc.      36,713   
  67       Google, Inc. - Class A *      38,203   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

20


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Information Technology – (continued)   
  488       Harris Corp.    $ 37,705   
  1,087       Hewlett-Packard Co.      36,429   
  1,347       Intel Corp.      36,795   
  182       International Business Machines Corp.      33,582   
  471       Intuit, Inc.      37,345   
  2,083       Jabil Circuit, Inc.      39,211   
  1,464       Juniper Networks, Inc. *      35,819   
  556       KLA-Tencor Corp.      36,459   
  619       Lam Research Corp. *      38,376   
  809       Linear Technology Corp.      37,344   
  494       MasterCard, Inc. - Class A      37,748   
  759       Microchip Technology, Inc.      36,120   
  1,390       Micron Technology, Inc. *      39,740   
  881       Microsoft Corp.      36,086   
  566       Motorola Solutions, Inc.      38,156   
  1,013       NetApp, Inc.      37,491   
  1,917       NVIDIA Corp.      36,415   
  884       Oracle Corp.      37,153   
  880       Paychex, Inc.      36,180   
  455       QUALCOMM, Inc.      36,615   
  741       Red Hat, Inc. *      37,127   
  706       Salesforce.com, Inc. *      37,140   
  423       SanDisk Corp.      40,921   
  659       Seagate Technology PLC      35,385   
  1,777       Symantec Corp.      39,070   
  608       TE Connectivity Ltd.      36,123   
  794       Teradata Corp. *      33,329   
  781       Texas Instruments, Inc.      36,677   
  1,148       Total System Services, Inc.      34,730   
  764       VeriSign, Inc. *      38,282   
  175       Visa, Inc. - Class A      37,677   
  400       Western Digital Corp.      35,151   
  2,273       Western Union Co./The      36,756   
  3,014       Xerox Corp.      37,229   
  760       Xilinx, Inc.      35,697   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

21


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Information Technology – (continued)   
  992       Yahoo!, Inc. *    $ 34,357   
  

 

 

 
        2,368,866   
  

 

 

 
  Materials – 10.42%   
  718      

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.

     86,134   
  787      

Airgas, Inc.

     83,704   
  6,219      

Alcoa, Inc.

     84,640   
  2,033      

Allegheny Technologies, Inc.

     83,511   
  1,486      

Ball Corp.

     89,725   
  2,069      

Bemis Co., Inc.

     85,693   
  342      

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

     83,115   
  4,759      

Cliffs Natural Resources, Inc.

     74,615   
  1,718      

Dow Chemical Co./The

     89,566   
  965      

Eastman Chemical Co.

     85,192   
  801      

Ecolab, Inc.

     87,412   
  1,240      

EI du Pont de Nemours & Co.

     85,951   
  1,093      

FMC Corp.

     83,663   
  2,473      

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc. - Class B

     84,210   
  860      

International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.

     85,332   
  1,770      

International Paper Co.

     84,312   
  917      

Lyondellbasell Industries NV - Class A

     91,335   
  2,184      

MeadWestvaco Corp.

     88,628   
  755      

Monsanto Co.

     92,028   
  1,674      

Mosaic Co./The

     83,674   
  3,368      

Newmont Mining Corp.

     77,092   
  1,633      

Nucor Corp.

     82,692   
  2,667      

Owens-Illinois, Inc. *

     88,636   
  433      

PPG Industries, Inc.

     87,301   
  649      

Praxair, Inc.

     85,772   
  2,425      

Sealed Air Corp.

     79,839   
  419      

Sherwin-Williams Co./The

     85,680   
  874      

Sigma-Aldrich Corp.

     86,113   
  3,279      

United States Steel Corp.

     75,556   
  1,313      

Vulcan Materials Co.

     80,059   
     

 

 

 
        2,541,180   
     

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

22


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Real Estate Investment Trusts – 2.45%   
  385      

American Tower Corp. - Class A

   $ 34,509   
  1,047      

Apartment Investment & Management Co. - Class A

     32,973   
  235      

AvalonBay Communities, Inc.

     33,357   
  274      

Boston Properties, Inc.

     33,125   
  542      

Equity Residential

     33,498   
  1,460      

General Growth Properties, Inc.

     34,801   
  786      

HCP, Inc.

     32,795   
  519      

Health Care REIT, Inc.

     32,818   
  1,532      

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

     33,806   
  1,418      

Kimco Realty Corp.

     32,490   
  501      

Macerich Co./The

     33,068   
  743      

Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc.

     33,500   
  797      

ProLogis, Inc.

     33,070   
  185      

Public Storage, Inc.

     31,953   
  186      

Simon Property Group, Inc.

     30,916   
  488      

Ventas, Inc.

     32,610   
  316      

Vornado Realty Trust

     33,880   
  93      

Washington Prime Group, Inc. *

     1,847   
  1,072      

Weyerhaeuser Co.

     33,696   
     

 

 

 
        598,712   
     

 

 

 
  Telecommunication Services – 1.27%   
  1,033      

AT&T, Inc.

     36,626   
  1,032      

CenturyLink, Inc.

     38,861   
  497      

Crown Castle International Corp.

     38,140   
  6,057      

Frontier Communications Corp.

     35,069   
  4,338      

Sprint Corp. *

     41,427   
  1,225      

T-Mobile US, Inc. *

     42,063   
  775      

Verizon Communications, Inc.

     38,706   
  3,932      

Windstream Holdings, Inc.

     37,625   
     

 

 

 
        308,517   
     

 

 

 

 

Utilities – 10.63%

  
  5,924       AES Corp./The      83,535   
  1,571       AGL Resources, Inc.      83,840   
  2,040       Ameren Corp.      80,261   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

23


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
  Utilities – (continued)   
  1,556       American Electric Power Co., Inc.    $ 83,028   
  3,411       CenterPoint Energy, Inc.      82,266   
  2,818       CMS Energy Corp.      83,845   
  1,449       Consolidated Edison, Inc.      79,730   
  1,153       Dominion Resources, Inc. - Class A      79,499   
  1,081       DTE Energy Co.      82,287   
  1,129       Duke Energy Corp.      80,280   
  1,505       Edison International      82,968   
  1,146       Entergy Corp.      86,425   
  2,430       Exelon Corp.      89,488   
  2,514       FirstEnergy Corp.      85,009   
  1,380       Integrys Energy Group, Inc.      80,049   
  846       NextEra Energy, Inc.      82,333   
  2,350       NiSource, Inc.      87,816   
  1,791       Northeast Utilities      81,297   
  2,591       NRG Energy, Inc.      92,359   
  1,353       Oneok, Inc.      87,228   
  3,155       Pepco Holdings, Inc.      87,402   
  1,853       PG&E Corp.      84,982   
  1,501       Pinnacle West Capital Corp.      83,204   
  2,530       PPL Corp.      88,768   
  2,088       Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc.      81,346   
  1,588       SCANA Corp.      82,555   
  855       Sempra Energy      85,776   
  1,843       Southern Co.      80,697   
  4,752       TECO Energy, Inc.      82,059   
  1,747       Wisconsin Energy Corp.      79,527   
  2,660       Xcel Energy, Inc.      81,824   
     

 

 

 
     2,591,683   
     

 

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS (Cost $20,588,543)

     23,818,468   
     

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

24


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  

 

Cash Equivalents – 2.36%

  
  574,179       FOLIOfn Investment Sweep Account, 0.010% (a)    $ 574,179   
     

 

 

 

 

TOTAL CASH EQUIVALENTS (Cost $574,179)

     574,179   
     

 

 

 

 


 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS


(Cost $21,162,722) – 100.02%

     24,392,647   
     

 

 

 

 

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets – (0.02)%

     (4,503
     

 

 

 

 

TOTAL NET ASSETS – 100.00%

   $ 24,388,144   
     

 

 

 

 

(a) Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of May 31, 2014.
* Non-income producing security.

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

25


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     
  Common Stocks – 97.63%   
  Consumer Discretionary – 10.66%   
  1,369       Aaron’s, Inc.    $ 44,968   
  333       Advance Auto Parts, Inc.      41,309   
  8,050       Aeropostale, Inc. *      31,476   
  614       AMC Networks, Inc. - Class A *      38,014   
  3,516       American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.      37,723   
  1,036       ANN, Inc. *      40,250   
  1,419       Apollo Group, Inc. - Class A *      38,017   
  2,350       Ascena Retail Group, Inc. *      39,228   
  631       Bally Technologies, Inc. *      37,215   
  2,429       Barnes & Noble, Inc. *      44,069   
  1,035       Big Lots, Inc. *      43,928   
  856       Bob Evans Farms, Inc.      38,228   
  816       Brinker International, Inc.      40,509   
  619       Cabela’s, Inc. - Class A *      37,924   
  551       Carter’s, Inc.      39,753   
  893       Cheesecake Factory, Inc./The      40,978   
  2,555       Chico’s FAS, Inc.      38,739   
  1,352       Cinemark Holdings, Inc.      42,614   
  1,244       CST Brands, Inc.      41,142   
  498       Deckers Outdoor Corp. *      38,485   
  890       DeVry Education Group, Inc.      37,568   
  761       Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.      33,832   
  3       Dillard’s, Inc. - Class A      338   
  558       Domino’s Pizza, Inc.      40,423   
  1,720       DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. - Class A *      48,300   
  873       Foot Locker, Inc.      42,069   
  1,381       Gentex Corp.      39,926   
  1,504       Guess?, Inc.      38,347   
  492       Hanesbrands, Inc.      41,712   
  703       HSN, Inc.      39,106   
  1,278       International Speedway Corp. - Class A      39,718   
  704       Jarden Corp. *      39,839   
  625       John Wiley & Sons, Inc. - Class A      34,210   
  2,431       KB Home      40,059   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

26


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Consumer Discretionary – (continued)

  
  806       Lamar Advertising Co.    $ 39,747   
  834       Life Time Fitness, Inc. *      44,343   
  1,401       LKQ Corp. *      38,866   
  998       Matthews International Corp. - Class A      40,932   
  1,460       MDC Holdings, Inc.      41,782   
  919       Meredith Corp.      41,319   
  300       Mohawk Industries, Inc. *      40,645   
  2,500       New York Times Co./The - Class A      37,154   
  37       NVR, Inc. *      41,418   
  9,832       Office Depot, Inc. *      50,340   
  261       Panera Bread Co. - Class A *      40,070   
  303       Polaris Industries, Inc.      39,045   
  3,136       Regis Corp.      43,158   
  1,388       Rent-A-Center, Inc.      38,814   
  1,253       Scholastic Corp.      39,936   
  3,428       Scientific Games Corp. - Class A *      30,682   
  2,111       Service Corporation International      42,264   
  403       Signet Jewelers Ltd.      42,738   
  972       Sotheby’s      38,362   
  957       Strayer Education, Inc. *      52,269   
  809       Tempur Sealy International, Inc. *      44,459   
  662       Thor Industries, Inc.      39,732   
  1,166       Toll Brothers, Inc. *      42,239   
  600       Tractor Supply Co.      39,039   
  478       Tupperware Brands Corp.      40,020   
  833       Under Armour, Inc. - Class A *      42,318   
  4,855       Wendy’s Co./The      39,809   
  576       Williams-Sonoma, Inc.      38,555   
     

 

 

 
     2,460,071   
     

 

 

 

 

Consumer Staples – 11.27%

  
  2,479       Church & Dwight Co., Inc.      171,594   
  10,905       Dean Foods Co.      189,533   
  1,532       Energizer Holdings, Inc.      177,765   
  8,491       Flowers Foods, Inc.      177,028   
  4,845       Hillshire Brands Co.      258,151   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

27


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Consumer Staples – (continued)

  
  2,518       Ingredion, Inc.    $ 191,733   
  1,862       Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.      209,949   
  1,820       Lancaster Colony Corp.      162,508   
  3,306       Post Holdings, Inc. *      165,200   
  24,259       SUPERVALU, Inc. *      181,213   
  6,123       Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc.      178,175   
  2,539       United Natural Foods, Inc. *      171,186   
  3,203       Universal Corp.      171,531   
  6,215       WhiteWave Food Co. - Class A *      195,709   
     

 

 

 
     2,601,275   
     

 

 

 

 

Energy – 10.65%

  
  28,667       Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. *      96,893   
  27,425       Arch Coal, Inc.      97,634   
  2,525       Atwood Oceanics, Inc. *      124,626   
  5,232       Bill Barrett Corp. *      130,803   
  915       CARBO Ceramics, Inc.      125,817   
  1,037       Cimarex Energy Co.      133,918   
  2,053       Dresser-Rand Group, Inc. *      125,621   
  1,108       Dril-Quip, Inc. *      113,230   
  1,584       Energen Corp.      135,218   
  5,202       Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. *      121,620   
  2,323       HollyFrontier Corp.      114,410   
  1,705       Oceaneering International, Inc.      122,862   
  1,287       Oil States International, Inc. *      138,474   
  3,880       Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.      128,393   
  2,616       Rosetta Resources, Inc. *      123,315   
  1,609       SM Energy Co.      121,964   
  3,842       Superior Energy Services, Inc.      127,519   
  2,476       Tidewater, Inc.      129,067   
  1,881       Unit Corp. *      119,498   
  2,766       World Fuel Services Corp.      128,217   
     

 

 

 
     2,459,099   
     

 

 

 

 

Financials – 8.52%

  
  176       Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. *      33,283   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

28


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Financials – (continued)

  
  412       Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.    $ 15,609   
  85       Alleghany Corp. *      35,765   
  595       American Financial Group, Inc.      34,722   
  4,303       Apollo Investment Corp.      36,056   
  773       Arthur J Gallagher & Co.      35,436   
  761       Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd.      34,948   
  1,979       Associated Banc-Corp.      34,099   
  2,591       Astoria Financial Corp.      33,110   
  1,490       BancorpSouth, Inc.      35,016   
  622       Bank of Hawaii Corp.      34,689   
  1,165       Brown & Brown, Inc.      35,158   
  1,469       Cathay General Bancorp      35,309   
  649       CBOE Holdings, Inc.      32,890   
  477       City National Corp.      33,942   
  793       Commerce Bancshares, Inc.      34,430   
  451       Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.      33,731   
  1,001       East West Bancorp, Inc.      33,527   
  971       Eaton Vance Corp.      36,089   
  109       Everest Re Group Ltd.      17,394   
  1,221       Federated Investors, Inc. - Class B      34,516   
  2,180       Fidelity National Financial, Inc. - Class A      72,690   
  1,310       First American Financial Corp.      36,700   
  3,013       First Horizon National Corp.      34,528   
  3,890       First Niagara Financial Group, Inc.      33,497   
  1,794       FirstMerit Corp.      33,501   
  2,818       Fulton Financial Corp.      33,673   
  690       Greenhill & Co., Inc.      34,305   
  1,025       Hancock Holding Co.      34,614   
  587       Hanover Insurance Group, Inc.      35,250   
  752       HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc.      35,319   
  1,517       International Bancshares Corp.      36,565   
  2,876       Janus Capital Group, Inc.      33,586   
  300       Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.      36,331   
  885       Kemper Corp.      30,918   
  723       Mercury General Corp.      34,106   
  848       MSCI, Inc. - Class A *      36,595   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

29


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Financials – (continued)

  
  2,261       New York Community Bancorp, Inc.    $ 34,554   
  2,102       Old Republic International Corp.      35,952   
  757       Primerica, Inc.      34,076   
  587       Prosperity Bancshares, Inc.      34,106   
  683       Protective Life Corp.      35,710   
  698       Raymond James Financial, Inc.      33,799   
  457       Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.      35,687   
  1,077       SEI Investments Co.      35,457   
  291       Signature Bank *      33,748   
  570       StanCorp Financial Group, Inc.      34,247   
  322       SVB Financial Group *      33,937   
  1,538       Synovus Financial Corp.      35,474   
  2,200       TCF Financial Corp.      34,951   
  1,506       Trustmark Corp.      34,873   
  3,443       Valley National Bancorp      33,365   
  516       Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. - Class A      31,138   
  1,607       Washington Federal, Inc.      33,469   
  1,162       Webster Financial Corp.      34,766   
  637       Westamerica Bancorp      31,181   
  782       WR Berkley Corp.      34,861   
     

 

 

 
     1,967,248   
     

 

 

 

 

Health Care – 11.05%

  
  5,143       Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. *      75,809   
  643       Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. - Class A *      77,578   
  1,441       Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. *      77,221   
  2,043       Community Health Systems, Inc. *      85,316   
  591       Cooper Cos., Inc./The      76,229   
  887       Covance, Inc. *      74,381   
  1,253       Endo International PLC *      88,458   
  2,283       Health Net, Inc. *      91,279   
  687       Henry Schein, Inc. *      82,194   
  2,114       Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.      83,924   
  4,821       HMS Holdings Corp. *      90,626   
  3,738       Hologic, Inc. *      91,346   
  615       IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. *      79,023   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

30


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Health Care – (continued)

  
  1,391       LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. *    $ 85,189   
  1,112       Mallinckrodt PLC *      86,498   
  2,934       Masimo Corp. *      72,284   
  1,324       Mednax, Inc. *      76,310   
  339       Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. *      83,102   
  1,333       Omnicare, Inc.      84,691   
  2,313       Owens & Minor, Inc.      80,212   
  1,573       ResMed, Inc.      78,755   
  720       Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. *      82,119   
  1,616       STERIS Corp.      86,476   
  864       Techne Corp.      75,884   
  767       Teleflex, Inc.      81,778   
  2,400       Thoratec Corp. *      79,477   
  813       United Therapeutics Corp. *      77,867   
  985       Universal Health Services, Inc. - Class B      88,263   
  2,554       VCA Antech, Inc. *      85,938   
  1,168       Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. *      84,407   
  1,150       WellCare Health Plans, Inc. *      89,034   
     

 

 

 
     2,551,668   
     

 

 

 

 

Industrials – 10.82%

  
  309       Acuity Brands, Inc.      38,827   
  1,192       AECOM Technology Corp. *      38,310   
  685       AGCO Corp.      36,952   
  407       Alaska Air Group, Inc.      40,089   
  260       Alliant Techsystems, Inc.      32,830   
  734       AMETEK, Inc.      38,975   
  441       BE Aerospace, Inc. *      42,630   
  1,532       Brink’s Co./The      40,906   
  467       Carlisle Cos., Inc.      39,598   
  657       CLARCOR, Inc.      38,437   
  646       Clean Harbors, Inc. *      39,490   
  904       Con-way, Inc.      41,781   
  1,066       Copart, Inc. *      37,925   
  594       Corporate Executive Board Co./The      40,515   
  529       Crane Co.      39,238   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

31


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Industrials – (continued)

  
  710       Deluxe Corp.    $ 39,802   
  909       Donaldson Co., Inc.      37,010   
  353       Esterline Technologies Corp. *      39,366   
  2,074       Exelis, Inc.      35,421   
  959       Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc.      38,328   
  1,137       FTI Consulting, Inc. *      36,703   
  589       GATX Corp.      38,808   
  1,522       General Cable Corp.      38,821   
  396       Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. - Class A *      38,565   
  527       Graco, Inc.      38,493   
  1,064       Granite Construction, Inc.      37,794   
  1,617       Harsco Corp.      43,633   
  1,252       Herman Miller, Inc.      39,157   
  1,087       HNI Corp.      40,692   
  327       Hubbell, Inc. - Class B      38,273   
  375       Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.      37,418   
  519       IDEX Corp.      39,789   
  887       ITT Corp.      38,749   
  504       JB Hunt Transport Services, Inc.      39,153   
  1,527       KBR, Inc.      37,086   
  840       Kennametal, Inc.      37,836   
  382       Kirby Corp. *      42,235   
  608       Landstar System, Inc.      39,491   
  459       Lennox International, Inc.      39,010   
  580       Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.      38,091   
  476       ManpowerGroup      39,023   
  1,618       Matson, Inc.      39,752   
  724       MSA Safety, Inc.      39,586   
  428       MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. - Class A      39,359   
  515       Nordson Corp.      41,984   
  699       Oshkosh Corp.      37,770   
  2,221       R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.      35,176   
  518       Regal-Beloit Corp.      39,505   
  1,280       Rollins, Inc.      39,261   
  376       SPX Corp.      39,308   
  897       Terex Corp.      34,496   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

32


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Industrials – (continued)

  
  607       Timken Co.    $ 39,003   
  343       Towers Watson & Co. - Class A      38,602   
  500       Trinity Industries, Inc.      43,285   
  599       Triumph Group, Inc.      41,484   
  409       United Rentals, Inc. *      41,314   
  817       URS Corp.      36,753   
  3,896       UTi Worldwide, Inc.      37,989   
  257       Valmont Industries, Inc.      39,758   
  517       Wabtec Corp.      40,708   
  928       Waste Connections, Inc.      42,306   
  380       Watsco, Inc.      38,190   
  1,504       Werner Enterprises, Inc.      39,710   
  860       Woodward, Inc.      38,433   
     

 

 

 
     2,498,982   
     

 

 

 

 

Information Technology – 10.70%

  
  750       3D Systems Corp. *      38,005   
  629       ACI Worldwide, Inc. *      34,184   
  1,255       Acxiom Corp. *      28,528   
  1,602       ADTRAN, Inc.      35,952   
  1,268       Advent Software, Inc.      38,361   
  148       Alliance Data Systems Corp. *      37,861   
  465       ANSYS, Inc. *      34,118   
  844       AOL, Inc. *      30,637   
  627       Arrow Electronics, Inc. *      36,187   
  4,550       Atmel Corp. *      38,132   
  830       Avnet, Inc.      36,148   
  942       Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.      38,660   
  2,293       Cadence Design Systems, Inc. *      38,262   
  1,795       Ciena Corp. *      34,818   
  757       CommVault Systems, Inc. *      37,019   
  3,434       Compuware Corp.      34,001   
  467       Concur Technologies, Inc. *      39,859   
  1,669       Convergys Corp.      36,423   
  1,462       Conversant, Inc. *      34,474   
  1,297       CoreLogic, Inc. *      37,007   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

33


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Information Technology – (continued)

  
  751       Cree, Inc. *    $ 36,128   
  3,684       Cypress Semiconductor Corp.      37,757   
  953       Diebold, Inc.      35,772   
  387       DST Systems, Inc.      35,296   
  192       Equinix, Inc. *      38,120   
  337       Factset Research Systems, Inc.      36,108   
  622       Fair Isaac Corp.      36,614   
  2,835       Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. *      41,593   
  521       Gartner, Inc. *      37,041   
  545       Global Payments, Inc.      37,375   
  1,018       Informatica Corp. *      37,266   
  1,324       Ingram Micro, Inc. - Class A *      36,764   
  3,057       Integrated Device Technology, Inc. *      40,664   
  1,034       InterDigital, Inc.      39,293   
  1,379       International Rectifier Corp. *      36,978   
  2,905       Intersil Corp. - Class A      40,877   
  940       Itron, Inc. *      36,140   
  651       Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.      37,759   
  824       Lexmark International, Inc. - Class A      35,903   
  1,210       ManTech International Corp. - Class A      35,694   
  1,732       Mentor Graphics Corp.      36,706   
  689       MICROS Systems, Inc. *      36,822   
  5,416       Monster Worldwide, Inc. *      30,656   
  1,318       National Instruments Corp.      37,754   
  1,161       NCR Corp. *      37,923   
  1,395       NeuStar, Inc. - Class A *      39,088   
  835       Plantronics, Inc.      37,872   
  2,857       Polycom, Inc. *      36,425   
  1,016       PTC, Inc. *      37,401   
  1,243       Rackspace Hosting, Inc. *      45,344   
  4,081       RF Micro Devices, Inc. *      38,399   
  1,801       Riverbed Technology, Inc. *      36,602   
  1,615       Rovi Corp. *      39,026   
  1,486       Semtech Corp. *      38,539   
  821       Silicon Laboratories, Inc. *      37,030   
  856       Skyworks Solutions, Inc.      37,088   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

34


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Information Technology – (continued)

  
  912       SolarWinds, Inc. *    $ 35,662   
  555       Solera Holdings, Inc.      36,239   
  1,882       SunEdison, Inc. *      37,055   
  959       Synopsys, Inc. *      36,901   
  570       Tech Data Corp. *      33,950   
  1,822       TIBCO Software, Inc. *      39,184   
  927       Trimble Navigation Ltd. *      33,448   
  1,091       VeriFone Systems, Inc. *      35,812   
  2,501       Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.      37,316   
  377       WEX, Inc. *      36,332   
  521       Zebra Technologies Corp. - Class A *      38,742   
     

 

 

 
     2,471,094   
     

 

 

 

 

Materials – 10.67%

  
  1,262       Albemarle Corp.      87,298   
  1,260       AptarGroup, Inc.      83,875   
  878       Ashland, Inc.      90,464   
  1,482       Cabot Corp.      83,781   
  1,344       Carpenter Technology Corp.      83,983   
  4,428       Commercial Metals Co.      78,605   
  930       Compass Minerals International, Inc.      86,473   
  885       Cytec Industries, Inc.      87,916   
  883       Domtar Corp.      80,216   
  1,025       Eagle Materials, Inc.      89,129   
  1,560       Greif, Inc. - Class A      85,231   
  5,183       Intrepid Potash, Inc. *      84,015   
  5,173       Louisiana-Pacific Corp. *      73,456   
  683       Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.      83,847   
  1,408       Minerals Technologies, Inc.      87,272   
  227       NewMarket Corp.      88,785   
  3,021       Olin Corp.      82,317   
  1,276       Packaging Corp. of America      88,269   
  1,196       Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.      86,086   
  880       Rock-Tenn Co. - Class A      88,928   
  1,293       Royal Gold, Inc.      81,103   
  2,003       RPM International, Inc.      86,249   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

35


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Materials – (continued)

  
  1,377       Scotts Miracle-Gro Co./The - Class A    $ 82,535   
  1,566       Sensient Technologies Corp.      85,841   
  1,690       Silgan Holdings, Inc.      82,539   
  2,000       Sonoco Products Co.      84,488   
  4,665       Steel Dynamics, Inc.      80,559   
  1,158       Valspar Corp.      86,469   
  2,301       Worthington Industries, Inc.      92,748   
     

 

 

 
     2,462,477   
     

 

 

 

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts – 2.38%

  
  235       Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.      17,861   
  449       American Campus Communities, Inc.      17,423   
  826       BioMed Realty Trust, Inc.      17,930   
  252       Camden Property Trust      17,678   
  652       Corporate Office Properties Trust      17,964   
  1,054       Corrections Corp. of America      34,301   
  996       Duke Realty Corp.      17,635   
  765       Equity One, Inc.      17,562   
  199       Essex Property Trust, Inc.      35,998   
  332       Extra Space Storage, Inc.      17,396   
  147       Federal Realty Investment Trust      17,574   
  425       Highwoods Properties, Inc.      17,246   
  285       Home Properties, Inc.      17,696   
  590       Hospitality Properties Trust      17,119   
  290       Kilroy Realty Corp.      17,590   
  462       Liberty Property Trust *      17,897   
  849       Mack-Cali Realty Corp.      18,463   
  508       National Retail Properties, Inc.      17,772   
  498       Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc.      18,366   
  455       Potlatch Corp.      18,288   
  386       Rayonier, Inc.      18,383   
  399       Realty Income Corp.      17,270   
  328       Regency Centers Corp.      17,515   
  742       Senior Housing Properties Trust      17,799   
  166       SL Green Realty Corp.      18,167   
  474       Taubman Centers, Inc.      35,492   

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

36


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts – (continued)

  
  670       UDR, Inc.    $ 18,452   
  552       Weingarten Realty Investors      17,557   
     

 

 

 
     550,394   
     

 

 

 

 

Telecommunication Services – 0.16%

  
  637       Telephone & Data Systems, Inc.      17,641   
  559       TW Telecom, Inc. *      18,322   
     

 

 

 
     35,963   
     

 

 

 

 

Utilities – 10.75%

  
  2,533       Alliant Energy Corp.      147,653   
  5,775       Aqua America, Inc.      146,569   
  2,868       Atmos Energy Corp.      143,711   
  2,535       Black Hills Corp.      146,220   
  2,832       Cleco Corp.      147,344   
  5,452       Great Plains Energy, Inc.      138,742   
  5,982       Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc.      143,864   
  2,617       IDACORP, Inc.      143,508   
  4,120       MDU Resources Group, Inc.      139,570   
  1,989       National Fuel Gas Co.      149,172   
  3,964       OGE Energy Corp.      145,589   
  3       ONE Gas, Inc.      92   
  10       Oneok, Inc.      645   
  5,289       PNM Resources, Inc.      150,516   
  6,079       Questar Corp.      146,318   
  3,111       UGI Corp.      151,427   
  3,592       Vectren Corp.      143,258   
  4,067       Westar Energy, Inc.      146,609   
  3,716       WGL Holdings, Inc.      150,683   
     

 

 

 
     2,481,490   
     

 

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS (Cost $18,658,014)

     22,539,761   
     

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

37


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Schedule of Investments – (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

Shares           Fair Value  
     

 

Exchange-Traded Funds – 0.21%

  
  1,000       Guggenheim Russell MidCap Equal Weight ETF    $ 49,200   
     

 

 

 

 


 

TOTAL EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS


(Cost $43,901)

     49,200   
     

 

 

 

 

Cash Equivalents – 2.25%

  
  520,261       FOLIOfn Investment Sweep Account, 0.010% (a)      520,261   
     

 

 

 

 

TOTAL CASH EQUIVALENTS (Cost $520,261)

     520,261   
     

 

 

 

 


 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS


(Cost $19,222,176) – 100.09%

     23,109,222   
     

 

 

 

 

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets – (0.09)%

     (20,847
     

 

 

 

 

TOTAL NET ASSETS – 100.00%

   $ 23,088,375   
     

 

 

 

 

(a) Rate disclosed is the seven day yield as of May 31, 2014.
* Non-income producing security.

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

38


Cloud Capital Funds

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

May 31, 2014

 

     Cloud Capital
Strategic Large Cap
Fund
     Cloud Capital
Strategic Mid Cap
Fund
 

Assets:

     

Investments in securities

     

At cost

   $ 21,162,722       $ 19,222,176   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

At fair value

   $ 24,392,647       $ 23,109,222   

Receivable for investments sold

     1,045           

Receivable for fund shares sold

     56         56   

Dividends receivable

     46,304         30,913   

Tax reclaims receivable

     209           

Prepaid expenses

     10,791         9,615   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets

     24,451,052         23,149,806   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Liabilities:

     

Cash overdraft

     60         60   

Payable to Adviser

             5,210   

Payable for investments purchased

     2,534         1,071   

Payable for fund shares redeemed

     10,691         7,999   

Payable to administrator, fund accountant and transfer agent

     15,821         15,727   

Payable to custodian

     1,712         1,359   

Administrative servicing fees – Institutional Class

     1,813         2,298   

Other accrued expenses

     30,277         27,707   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Liabilities

     62,908         61,431   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Assets

   $ 24,388,144       $ 23,088,375   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Assets consist of:

     

Paid in capital

   $ 14,257,066       $ 18,519,398   

Accumulated net investment income (loss)

     96,333         (13,128

Accumulated net realized gain from investment transactions

     6,804,820         695,059   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     3,229,925         3,887,046   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Assets

   $ 24,388,144       $ 23,088,375   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Institutional Class:

     

Shares Outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized, no par value)

     1,314,777         1,347,063   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Asset Value, Offering and Redemption Per Share:

   $ 18.55       $ 17.14   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

39


Cloud Capital Funds

Statements of Operations

For the year ended May 31, 2014

 

     Cloud Capital
Strategic Large Cap
Fund
    Cloud Capital
Strategic Mid Cap
Fund
 

Investment Income

    

Dividend income (net of foreign taxes withheld of $272 and $46)

   $ 703,906      $ 352,852   

Interest income

     255        148   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Investment Income

     704,161        353,000   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Expenses

    

Investment Adviser

     196,052        124,737   

Administrative servicing – Institutional Class

     36,809        14,725   

Administration

     38,996        38,996   

Transfer agent

     35,331        33,504   

Fund accounting

     25,000        25,000   

Audit

     27,000        27,000   

Legal

     16,243        16,242   

Registration

     16,333        13,515   

Pricing

     12,815        10,377   

Custodian

     16,964        12,662   

Report Printing

     16,643        16,428   

Trustee

     4,732        4,732   

Insurance

     2,393        2,393   

Miscellaneous

     4,843        3,854   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Expenses

     450,154        344,165   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Recoupment of prior expenses waived/reimbursed by Adviser

     76,941        43,773   

Fees contractually waived by Adviser

     (47,017     (38,806
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net operating expenses

     480,078        349,132   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

     224,083        3,868   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Realized & Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

    

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     10,781,671        4,137,279   

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     (3,658,396     (345,846
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments

     7,123,275        4,483,125   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

   $ 7,347,358      $ 3,795,301   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

40


Cloud Capital Funds

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

     Cloud Capital Strategic
Large Cap Fund
    Cloud Capital Strategic
Mid Cap Fund
 
     Year Ended
May 31, 2014
    Year Ended
May 31, 2013
    Year Ended
May 31, 2014
    Year Ended
May 31, 2013
 

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets due to:

        

Operations:

        

Net investment income

   $ 224,083      $ 328,546      $ 3,868      $ 86,569   

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     10,781,671        2,678,233        4,137,279        1,538,431   

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments

     (3,658,396     6,924,578       (345,846     3,856,153  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     7,347,358       9,931,357       3,795,301       5,481,153  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions:

        

From net investment income:

        

Institutional Class

     (196,571     (353,411     (20,150     (115,431

From net realized gain:

        

Institutional Class

     (4,113,598     (2,534,055     (2,918,858     (1,143,207
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

     (4,310,169 )     (2,887,466 )     (2,939,008 )     (1,258,638 )
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Capital Transactions – Institutional Class:

        

Proceeds from shares sold

     4,351,185        8,582,938        3,135,630        6,740,470   

Reinvestment of distributions

     2,286,184        1,499,196        1,078,540        491,612   

Amount paid for shares redeemed

     (32,032,685     (8,930,053     (8,526,690     (5,428,385
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change resulting from capital transactions

     (25,395,316 )     1,152,081       (4,312,520 )     1,803,697  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

     (22,358,127 )     8,195,972       (3,456,227 )     6,026,212  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Assets:

        

Beginning of year

     46,746,271        38,550,299        26,544,602        20,518,390   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of year

   $ 24,388,144     $ 46,746,271     $ 23,088,375     $ 26,544,602  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Accumulated net investment income (loss)

   $ 96,333     $ 74,370     $ (13,128 )   $ 1,092  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Share Transactions – Institutional Class:

        

Shares sold

     248,756        550,718        187,815        445,826   

Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions

     135,598        100,685        67,493        33,788   

Shares redeemed

     (1,819,777     (567,724     (504,017     (354,925
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Institutional Class

     (1,435,423 )     83,679       (248,709 )     124,689  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

41


Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund

Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding during each period)

 

    For the
year ended
May 31, 2014
    For the
year ended
May 31, 2013
    For the
period ended
May 31, 2012 (a)
 

Institutional Class:

     

Selected Per Share Data:

     

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 17.00      $ 14.46      $ 15.00   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from investment operations:

     

Net investment income

    0.13        0.13        0.07   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments

    3.22        3.54        (0.54
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    3.35        3.67        (0.47
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Less distributions to shareholders:

     

From net investment income

    (0.08     (0.14     (0.04

From net realized gains

    (1.72     (0.99     (0.03
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

    (1.80     (1.13     (0.07
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 18.55      $ 17.00      $ 14.46   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return (b)

    20.81     26.51     (3.12 )% (c) 

Ratios and Supplemental Data:

     

Net assets, end of period (000)

  $ 24,388      $ 46,746      $ 38,550   

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

    1.23     1.40     1.40 % (d) 

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver and recoupment

    1.15     1.27     1.90 % (d) 

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets

    0.57     0.78     0.53 % (d) 

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets before waiver and recoupment

    0.65     0.91     0.03 % (d) 

Portfolio turnover rate

    90.14     72.66     163.38 % (c) 

 

(a) For the period June 29, 2011 (commencement of operations) to May 31, 2012.
(b) Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends.
(c) Not annualized
(d) Annualized

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

42


Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund

Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding during each period)

 

    For the
year ended
May 31, 2014
    For the
year ended
May 31, 2013
    For the
period ended
May 31, 2012 (a)
 

Institutional Class:

     

Selected Per Share Data:

     

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 16.63      $ 13.95      $ 15.00   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from investment operations:

     

Net investment income (loss)

    –    (b)      0.06        –    (b) 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments

    2.61        3.50        (0.92
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.61        3.56        (0.92
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Less distributions to shareholders:

     

From net investment income

    (0.01     (0.08     (0.01

From net realized gains

    (2.09     (0.80     (0.12
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

    (2.10     (0.88     (0.13
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 17.14      $ 16.63      $ 13.95   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return (c)

    16.66     26.46     (6.13 )% (d) 

Ratios and Supplemental Data:

     

Net assets, end of period (000)

  $ 23,088      $ 26,545      $ 20,518   

Ratio of expenses to average net assets

    1.40     1.40     1.40 % (e) 

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver and recoupment

    1.38     1.60     2.18 % (e) 

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets

    0.02     0.38     –   % (e) 

Ratio of net investment (loss) to average net assets before waiver and recoupment

    0.04     0.18     (0.78 )% (e) 

Portfolio turnover rate

    55.27     85.71     178.49 % (d) 

 

(a) For the period June 29, 2011 (commencement of operations) to May 31, 2012.
(b) Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
(c) Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends.
(d) Not annualized
(e) Annualized

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

43


Cloud Capital Funds

Notes to the Financial Statements

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION

 

The Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund (the “Large Cap Fund”) and the Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund (the “Mid Cap Fund”) (each a “Fund” and, collectively the “Funds”) were organized as open-end diversified series of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Funds are two of a series of funds authorized by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Funds each offer two share classes, Class A Shares and Institutional Class Shares. The Funds’ Class A Shares have not yet commenced operations. The Funds’ Institutional Class Shares commenced operations on June 29, 2011. The Funds’ investment adviser is Cloud Capital LLC (the “Adviser”). The investment objective of the Large Cap Fund is to consistently deliver excess returns relative to the S&P 500® Index over three- to five-year time horizons. The investment objective of the Mid Cap Fund is to consistently deliver excess returns relative to the S&P Mid Cap 400® Index over three- to five-year time horizons.

Each Fund’s prospectus provides a description of the investment objective, policies and strategies, along with information on the classes of shares currently being offered.

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by each Fund in the preparation of its financial statements.

Securities Valuation – All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.

Federal Income Taxes – The Funds make no provision for federal income or excise tax. Each Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of its taxable income. Each Fund also intends to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Funds could incur a tax expense.

As of and during the year ended May 31, 2014, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds recognize interest and penalties, if any,

 

44


Cloud Capital Funds

Notes to the Financial Statements - (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - (continued)

 

related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the statements of operations. During the year, the Funds did not incur any interest or penalties. The Funds are subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for all tax years since inception.

Expenses – Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each Fund’s relative net assets or another appropriate basis (as determined by the Board).

Security Transactions and Related Income – The Funds follow industry practice and record security transactions on the trade date for financial reporting purposes. The first in, first out (“FIFO”) method is used for determining gains or losses for financial statements and income tax purposes. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date and interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are accreted or amortized using the effective interest method. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Funds’ understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates. The ability of issuers of debt securities held by the Funds to meet their obligations may be affected by economic and political developments in a specific country or region.

Dividends and Distributions – Each Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income, if any, as dividends to its shareholders on at least an annual basis. Each Fund intends to distribute its net realized long-term capital gains and its net realized short-term capital gains, if any, at least once a year. Dividends to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the period from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gains for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of the net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations or net asset values per share of the Funds.

 

45


Cloud Capital Funds

Notes to the Financial Statements - (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - (continued)

 

For the year ended May 31, 2014, the Funds made the following reclassifications to increase (decrease) the components of net assets:

 

Fund    Paid in Capital     Accumulated Net
Investment Income (Loss)
    Accumulated Net
Realized Gain
(Loss)
 

Large Cap Fund

   $ (10   $ (5,549   $ 5,559   

Mid Cap Fund

     (136     2,062        (1,926

NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in an orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) establish a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.

Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk (the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value such as pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique). Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of each Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.

 

   

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

   

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

   

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Funds’ own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available)

 

46


Cloud Capital Funds

Notes to the Financial Statements - (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - (continued)

 

The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.

Equity securities, including common stock and exchange-traded funds, are generally valued by using market quotations, but may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Fund believes such prices more accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange are generally valued by the pricing service at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange traded security is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by the pricing service at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. When using the market quotations or close prices provided by the pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security will be classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Fund will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security will be classified as a Level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Fund determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when certain restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Adviser, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review by the Board. These securities will be categorized as Level 3 securities.

In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, each Adviser is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Adviser would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the Adviser’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based

 

47


Cloud Capital Funds

Notes to the Financial Statements - (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - (continued)

 

on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s value, or the Adviser is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the bonds the Fund invests in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available. Any fair valuation pricing done outside the Fund’s approved pricing methods must be approved by the Pricing Committee of the Board.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Funds’ investments as of May 31, 2014.

 

     Valuation Inputs  
Large Cap Fund   Level 1 Quoted
Prices in  Active
Markets
    Level 2 Other
Significant
Observable  Inputs
    Level 3
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
    Total  

Common Stocks *

  $ 23,818,468      $   –      $   –      $ 23,818,468   

Cash Equivalents

    574,179                      574,179   

Total

    24,392,647                      24,392,647   
Mid Cap Fund                            

Common Stocks *

    22,539,761                      22,539,761   

Exchange-Traded Funds

    49,200                      49,200   

Cash Equivalents

    520,261                      520,261   

Total

    23,109,222                      23,109,222   

 

* Refer to Schedule of Investments for industry classifications.

The Funds did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period. The Funds did not hold any derivative instruments during the reporting period.

The Trust recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the end of the reporting period. There were no transfers between any levels as of May 31, 2014, and the previous reporting period end.

 

48


Cloud Capital Funds

Notes to the Financial Statements - (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 4. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS

 

Under the terms of the management agreement, on behalf of the Funds (the “Agreement”), the Adviser manages each Fund’s investments subject to oversight of the Trustees. As compensation for its management services, each Fund is obligated to pay the Adviser a fee, computed and accrued daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.50% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. For the year ended May 31, 2014, the Adviser earned fees of $196,052 from the Large Cap Fund and $124,737 from the Mid Cap Fund before the waivers and recoupment described below. At May 31, 2014, the Mid Cap Fund owed the Adviser $5,210 for the excess of management fees earned over expenses waived and recouped during the period.

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse certain Fund operating expenses, but only to the extent necessary so that each Fund’s net expenses, excluding brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, extraordinary expenses and indirect expenses (such as fees and expenses of acquired funds) does not exceed 1.40% of the net assets of each Fund. On February 1, 2014, the agreement was amended and the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive, in their entirety, its advisory fees effective February 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015 for each fund. This contractual arrangement may only be terminated by mutual consent of the Adviser and the Board, and it will automatically terminate upon the termination of the investment advisory agreement between the Fund and the Adviser. The Adviser shall not be entitled to reimbursement for any advisory fees waived for the Funds for the period February 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015. Other than advisory fees waived from February 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015, each waiver or reimbursement of an expense by the Adviser is subject to repayment by a Fund within the three fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the particular expense was incurred, provided that the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the applicable expense limitation. For the period ended February 1, 2014 through May 31, 2014, the Adviser waived fees of $47,017 from the Large Cap Fund and $38,806 from the Mid Cap Fund. These amounts are not subject to potential recoupment by the Adviser. For the year ended May 31, 2014, the Adviser previously recouped waived fees of $76,941 from the Large Cap Fund and $43,773 from the Mid Cap Fund.

The amounts subject to repayment by the Funds, pursuant to the aforementioned conditions are as follows:

 

Fund    Amount      Recoverable through
May 31,
 

Mid Cap Fund

   $ 98,472         2015   
     46,393         2016   

 

49


Cloud Capital Funds

Notes to the Financial Statements - (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 4. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS - (continued)

 

The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”) to manage each Fund’s business affairs and provide each Fund with administrative and Chief Compliance services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. For the year ended May 31, 2014, HASI earned fees of $38,996 for the Large Cap Fund and $38,996 for the Mid Cap Fund. At May 31, 2014, HASI was owed $6,500 from the Large Cap Fund and $6,500 from the Mid Cap Fund for administrative services.

The Trust also retains HASI to act as the Fund’s transfer agent and to provide fund accounting services. For the year ended May 31, 2014, HASI earned fees of $35,331 for the Large Cap Fund and $33,504 for the Mid Cap Fund for transfer agent services and reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in providing transfer agent services. At May 31, 2014, HASI was owed $5,154 from the Large Cap Fund and $5,060 from the Mid Cap Fund for transfer agent services and out-of-pocket expenses.

For the year ended May 31, 2014, HASI earned fees of $25,000 from the Large Cap Fund and $25,000 from the Mid Cap Fund for fund accounting services. At May 31, 2014, HASI was owed $4,167 from the Large Cap Fund and $4,167 from the Mid Cap Fund for fund accounting services.

Certain officers of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. HASI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”).

The Funds have adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Plan provides that the Funds will pay the Distributor and/or any registered securities dealer, financial institution or any other person (the “Recipient”) a fee up to 0.40% of the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares of each Fund in connection with the promotion and distribution of the Fund’s shares or the provision of personal services to shareholders, including, but not necessarily limited to, advertising, compensation to underwriters, dealers and selling personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current Fund shareholders, the printing and mailing of sales literature and servicing shareholder accounts. The Funds or Adviser may pay all or a portion of these fees to any Recipient who renders assistance in distributing or promoting the sale of shares, or who provides certain shareholder services, pursuant to a written agreement. The Plan is a compensation plan, which means that compensation is provided regardless of 12b-1 expenses actually incurred. It is anticipated that the Plan will benefit shareholders because an effective sales program typically is necessary in order for the Funds to reach and maintain a sufficient size to achieve efficiently its

 

50


Cloud Capital Funds

Notes to the Financial Statements - (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 4. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS - (continued)

 

investment objectives and to realize economies of scale. There were no 12b-1 fees for the year ended May 31, 2014, as the Class A Shares of each Fund have yet to commence operations.

The Funds may pay certain financial intermediaries that provide certain administrative services to shareholders who invest in the Institutional Class shares of the Funds, including record keeping and sub-accounting shareholder accounts. Each Fund is authorized to pay up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each Fund’s Institutional Class shares. The payments may also be made to certain financial intermediaries in connection with client account maintenance support, statement preparation and transaction processing. The types of payments under this category include, among others, payment of ticket charges per purchase or exchange order placed by a financial intermediary, payment of networking or other recordkeeping fees, or one-time payments for ancillary services such as setting up the Funds on a financial intermediary’s trading systems. For the year ended May 31, 2014, the Large Cap Fund and Mid Cap Fund incurred administrative servicing fees of $36,809 and $14,725, respectively. At May 31, 2014, the Large Cap Fund and Mid Cap Fund owed $1,813 and $2,298 in administrative servicing fees, respectively.

The Distributor acts as the principal distributor of the Funds’ shares. An officer of the Trust is an officer of the Distributor and such person may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Distributor. For the year ended May 31, 2014, there were no sales charges or CDSC fees deducted from the proceeds of sales, and redemption of capital shares, as the Funds’ Class A shares have not yet commenced.

NOTE 5. PURCHASES AND SALES OF SECURITIES

For the year ended May 31, 2014, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments and short-term U.S. government obligations, were as follows:

 

Fund    Purchases      Sales  

Large Cap Fund

   $ 33,156,522       $ 61,350,347   

Mid Cap Fund

     12,920,419         19,154,770   

There were no purchases or sales of long-term U.S. Government obligations during the period.

NOTE 6. ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of

 

51


Cloud Capital Funds

Notes to the Financial Statements - (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 6. ESTIMATES - (continued)

 

assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

NOTE 7. BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of a fund, under Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. At May 31, 2014, FOLIOfn Investments, Inc. (“FOLIOfn”) and TD Ameritrade Trust Company (“TD Ameritrade”) owned, as record shareholder, 49% and 43%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of the Large Cap Fund. At May 31, 2014, FOLIOfn Investments, Inc. (“FOLIOfn”) and TD Ameritrade Trust Company (“TD Ameritrade”) owned, as record shareholder, 32% and 33%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of the Mid Cap Fund. It is not known whether FOLIOfn, or TD Ameritrade or any of the underlying beneficial owners owned or controlled 25% or more of the voting securities of the Funds. As a result, FOLIOfn and TD Ameritrade may be deemed to control the Funds.

NOTE 8. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION

At May 31, 2014, the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments for tax purposes was as follows:

 

Fund    Tax Cost of
Securities
     Unrealized
Appreciation
     Unrealized
Depreciation
    Net Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Large Cap Fund

   $ 21,393,909       $ 3,223,735       $ (224,997   $ 2,998,738   

Mid Cap Fund

     19,994,070         3,558,489         (443,337     3,115,152   

The difference between book basis and tax basis unrealized appreciation was attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales of $231,187 for the Large Cap Fund and $771,894 for the Mid Cap Fund.

The tax characterization of distributions paid for the year ended May 31, 2014 was as follows:

 

Fund    Ordinary
Income*
     Long-Term
Capital Gain
     Total
Distributions
 

Large Cap Fund

   $ 370,177       $ 3,939,992       $ 4,310,169   

Mid Cap Fund

     241,270         2,697,738         2,939,008   

 

52


Cloud Capital Funds

Notes to the Financial Statements - (continued)

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 8. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION - (continued)

 

The tax characterization of distributions paid for the fiscal period ended May 31, 2013 was as follows:

 

Fund    Ordinary
Income*
     Long-Term
Capital Gain
     Total
Distributions
 

Large Cap Fund

   $ 2,686,027       $ 201,439       $ 2,887,466   

Mid Cap Fund

     1,156,729         101,909         1,258,638   

 

* Short-term capital gains distributions are treated as ordinary income for tax purposes.

At May 31, 2014, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Fund    Undistributed
Ordinary
Income
     Undistributed
Long-Term
Capital Gains
     Accumulated
Capital and
Other Losses
    Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Total
Accumulated
Earnings (Loss)
 

Large Cap Fund

   $ 768,373       $ 6,370,367       $ (6,400   $ 2,998,738       $ 10,131,078   

Mid Cap Fund

     294,714         1,172,238         (13,128     3,115,152         4,568,976   

As of May 31, 2014, the Mid Cap Fund had $6,728 in Qualified Late Year Ordinary Losses.

NOTE 9. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Each Fund indemnifies its officers and trustees for certain liabilities that may arise from performance of their duties to the Funds. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Funds enter into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnifications. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Funds that have not yet occurred.

NOTE 10. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management of the Funds has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. There were no items requiring adjustment of financial statements or additional disclosure.

 

53


REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders of Cloud Capital Funds and

Board of Trustees of Valued Advisers Trust

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the schedules of investments, of Cloud Capital Funds (the “Funds”), comprising Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund and Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund, each a series of the Valued Advisers Trust, as of May 31, 2014, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three periods in the period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds’ management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits 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 and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of May 31, 2014, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of each of the Funds constituting Cloud Capital Funds as of May 31, 2014, the results of their operations for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three periods in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

LOGO

COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.

Cleveland, Ohio

July 29, 2014

 

54


Additional Federal Income Tax Information (Unaudited):

Qualified Dividend Income: For the year ended May 31, 2014, the Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund and the Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund each designate 47.74% and 53.71%, respectively, of the dividends distributed during the fiscal year as amounts which can be taken into account as a dividend for the purposes of the maximum tax rate under section 1(h)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Dividends Received Deduction: For the year ended May 31, 2014, the Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund and the Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund each designate 51.37% and 56.40%, respectively, of the dividends distributed during the fiscal year as qualifying for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.

Long-Term Capital Gains: For the year ended May 31, 2014, the Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund and the Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund hereby designates as a capital gain dividend with respect to the taxable year ending May 31, 2014, $3,939,992 and $2,697,738, respectively, or, subsequently determined to be different, the net capital gain of such year.

The Funds will notify shareholders in January 2015 of amounts for use in preparing 2014 income tax returns.

 

55


The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.

 

Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust**, Term
of Position with Trust
  Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years   Other  Directorships
Ira Cohen, 55, Independent Trustee, June 2010 to present.   Independent financial services consultant, since February 2005.   Trustee, Griffin Institutional Access Real Estate Fund, since June 2014.
Andrea N. Mullins, 47, Independent Trustee, December 2013 to present.   Private investor; Independent Contractor, Seabridge Wealth Management, LLC, since April 2014; Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, Eagle Family of Funds (mutual fund family) and Vice President, Eagle Asset Management, Inc. (investment adviser) each from 2004 to 2010.   None.
* The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
** As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 14 series.

 

56


The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.

 

Name, Address*, (Age),
Position  with Trust**, Term
of Position with Trust
  Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years   Other  Directorships
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present.   Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January 2010, Director since May 2014; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds, since February 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Strategy Shares, since November 2010; Director, Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2014; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds, from March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, from August 2008 to January 2010; and Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants, from 2007 to 2010.   Trustee, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013.
* The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
** As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 14 series.

 

57


The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:

 

Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust,**
Term of Position with
Trust
  Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years   Other Directorships
R. Jeffrey Young, 49, Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present; Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010;   Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January 2010, Director since May 2014; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds, since February 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Strategy Shares, since November 2010; Director, Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2014; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds, from March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, from August 2008 to January 2010; and Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Professional Planning Consultants, from 2007 to 2010.   Trustee, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013.
John C. Swhear, 53, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present.   Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007, Director since May 2014; Chief Compliance Officer, Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007, Director since May 2014; President, Unified Series Trust, since March 2012, and Senior Vice President from May 2007 to March 2012; Chief Compliance Officer and AML Officer, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013; Secretary, Huntington Funds, from April 2010 to February 2012; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds, from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, from 2007 to March 2010.   None.
Carol J. Highsmith, 49, Vice President, August 2008 to present; Secretary, March 2014 to present   Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration.   None.

 

58


Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust,**
Term of Position with
Trust
  Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years   Other Directorships
Matthew J. Miller, 38, Vice President, December 2011 to present.   Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President, Huntington Funds, since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013.   None.
Bryan W. Ashmus, 41, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, December 2013 to present.   Vice President, Financial Administration, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since September 2013; Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Huntington Strategy Shares and Huntington Funds, since November 2013; Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., from 2005 to 2013.   None.
* The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
** As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 14 series.

OTHER INFORMATION

The Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (877) 670-2227 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.

 

59


Management Renewal Agreement – (Unaudited)

At a meeting held on March 11-12, 2014, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) considered the renewal of the Investment Advisory Agreements (the “Advisory Agreements”) between the Trust and Cloud Capital LLC (the “Cloud” or “Adviser”) with respect to the Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund and the Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund (each a “Fund” and together the “Funds”).

Counsel noted that the 1940 Act requires the approval of the investment advisory agreement between the Trust and its investment adviser by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Board reviewed a memorandum from Counsel, and addressed to the Trustees that summarized, among other things, the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the renewal of the Advisory Agreements. A copy of this memorandum was circulated to the Trustees in advance of the meeting. Counsel discussed with the Trustees the types of information and factors that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision regarding the approval of the renewal of the Advisory Agreements, including the factors as applicable to Cloud as follows: (i) the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser; (ii) the investment performance of the Funds; (iii) the costs of the services to be provided and anticipated profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Funds; (iv) the extent to which economies of scale would be realized if the Funds grow and whether advisory fee levels reflect those economies of scale for the benefit of the Funds’ investors; and (v) the Adviser’s practices regarding possible conflicts of interest and potential benefits derived from its relationship with the Funds.

The Trustees then considered the proposed renewal of the Advisory Agreements between the Trust and Cloud with respect to the Funds. The Board then discussed the contractual arrangements between the Trust and Cloud with respect to the Funds. They reflected upon the presentation from a representative of Cloud, as well as the Board’s prior experience with Cloud in managing the Funds. Counsel discussed with the Trustees the fact that there currently is no management fee being paid by the Funds. Counsel also noted that the use of a non-bank custodian is a bit unusual, but makes sense given the adviser’s strategy. The Board acknowledged that the Funds’ auditors must do special securities counts throughout the year, which causes the audit fee to be somewhat higher than it otherwise would be.

Counsel further discussed with the Trustees the types of information and factors that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision regarding the renewal of the Advisory Agreements, as discussed earlier in the Meeting, as well as the application of those factors to Cloud.

In assessing the factors and reaching its decisions, the Board took into consideration information furnished for the Board’s review and consideration throughout the year at regular Board meetings, as well as information specifically requested and prepared and/or presented in connection with the annual renewal process, including information

 

60


presented at the Meeting. The Board was provided with information and reports relevant to the annual renewal of the Advisory Agreements, including (i) reports regarding the services and support provided to the Funds and their shareholders by Cloud; (ii) quarterly assessments of the investment performance of the Funds by personnel of Cloud; (iii) commentary on the reasons for the performance; (iv) presentations by Cloud addressing investment philosophy, investment strategy, personnel and operations of Cloud; (v) compliance and audit reports concerning the Funds and Cloud; (vi) disclosure information contained in the registration statement of the Trust with respect to the Funds and the Form ADV of Cloud; and (vii) a memorandum from Counsel, that summarized the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the Advisory Agreements, including the material Factors set forth above and the types of information included in each factor that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision. The Board also requested and received various informational materials including, without limitation: (i) documents containing information about Cloud, including financial information, a description of personnel and the managerial services provided to the Funds, information on investment advice, performance, summaries of Fund expenses, compliance program, current legal matters, and other general information; (ii) comparative expense and performance information for other mutual funds with strategies similar to the Funds; and (iii) benefits to be realized by Cloud from its relationship with the Funds. The Board did not identify any particular information that was most relevant to its consideration to approve the Agreement and each Trustee may have afforded different weight to the various factors.

 

1. The nature, extent, and quality of the services to be provided by the Adviser. In this regard, the Board considered Cloud’s responsibilities under the Advisory Agreements. The Trustees considered the services being provided by Cloud to the Funds including, without limitation: the quality of its investment advisory services (including research and recommendations with respect to portfolio securities), its process for formulating investment recommendations and assuring compliance with the Funds’ investment objectives and limitations, its coordination of services for the Funds among the Funds’ service providers, and its efforts to promote the Funds and grow their assets. The Trustees considered the fact that Cloud had hired a new marketing associate who is marketing toward retirement plans, noting that the individual was trying to get assets into the firm, not just into the Funds. The Trustees considered Cloud’s continuity of, and commitment to retain, qualified personnel and Cloud’s commitment to maintain and enhance its resources and systems, the commitment of Cloud’s personnel to finding alternatives and options that allow the Funds to maintain their goals, and Cloud’s continued cooperation with the Independent Trustees and Counsel for the Funds. The Trustees considered Cloud’s personnel, including the education and experience of Cloud’s personnel. After considering the foregoing information and further information in the Meeting materials provided by Cloud (including Cloud’s Form ADV), the Board concluded that, in light of all the facts and circumstances, the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by Cloud were satisfactory and adequate for the Funds.

 

61


2. Investment Performance of the Funds and the Adviser. In considering the investment performance of the Funds and Cloud, the Trustees compared the short-term performance of the Funds with the performance of funds with similar objectives managed by other investment advisers, as well as with aggregated peer group data. The Trustees considered the performance of other accounts managed by Cloud that have investment objective and strategies similar to the Funds, as well as with the performance of the relevant benchmarks for each of the Funds. The Trustees also considered the consistency of Cloud’s management of the Funds with their respective investment objectives, strategies, and limitations. The Trustees noted that each Fund’s performance, in the periods since each Fund’s inception, was better than some of its peers and worse than others, but generally comparable to most of its peers. More specifically, the Trustees observed that the Cloud Capital Strategic Mid Cap Fund (the “Cloud Mid Cap Fund”) performed comparably to the average and median performance of the peers in its category in the short-term, one-year, and since inception periods. With respect to the Cloud Capital Strategic Large Cap Fund (the “Cloud Large Cap Fund”), the Trustees observed that this Fund generally performed comparably to the average and median performance of its peer category in the short-term and one-year periods, and had outperformed the Fund’s peer group during the since inception period. After reviewing and discussing the investment performance of the Funds further, Cloud’s experience managing the Funds, each Fund’s historical performance, and other relevant factors, the Board concluded, in light of all the facts and circumstances, that the investment performance of the Funds and Cloud was satisfactory.

 

3.

The costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Funds. In considering the costs of services to be provided and the profits to be realized by Cloud from the relationship with the Funds, the Trustees considered: (1) Cloud’s financial condition; (2) the asset levels of the Funds; (3) the overall expenses of each of the Funds; and (4) the nature and frequency of advisory fee payments. The Trustees reviewed information provided by Cloud regarding its profits associated with managing the Funds. The Trustees also considered potential benefits for Cloud in managing the Funds. The Trustees then compared the fees and expenses of the Funds (including the management fee) to other comparable mutual funds. The Trustees recalled that Cloud, at its own initiative, had reduced the management fee from 1.00% to 0.50% for each Fund. They also noted that Cloud had proposed, and the Board had approved, revisions to the expense limitation arrangements for the Funds, which resulted in Cloud receiving no management fee from either Fund. The Trustees observed that this proposal by Cloud was made based on the fact that virtually all shareholders in the Funds are also Cloud clients, and Cloud wished to avoid duplication of fees. The Trustees noted that the Cloud Mid Cap Fund’s management fee was well below the average and median fees of peers in its category and one of the lowest in its category. With respect to the Cloud Large Cap Fund, the Trustees observed that the fee was also

 

62


  below the average and median fees of peers in its category. The Trustees also noted that the Large Cap Fund’s net expense ratio was slightly higher than those of the peer average and median expense ratios, and the Mid Cap Fund’s net expense ratio was comparable to the median and somewhat lower than the average of its peer group, as a result of Cloud’s contractual commitment to limit the expenses of the Funds. Based on the foregoing, the Board concluded that the fees to be paid to Cloud by the Funds and the profits to be realized by Cloud, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by Cloud.

 

4. The extent to which economies of scale would be realized as the Funds grow and whether advisory fee levels reflect these economies of scale for the benefit of the Funds’ investors. In this regard, the Board considered each Fund’s fee arrangements with Cloud. The Board considered that while the management fee remained the same at all asset levels, each Fund’s shareholders had experienced benefits from each Fund’s expense limitation arrangement. The Trustees discussed Cloud’s recent reduction in its management fees for each of the Funds and Cloud’s previous representation that the reduction was proposed at a fixed level that would allow the Funds to avoid the hurdle of having to gather large levels of assets in order to realize economies of scale in the management fee. They also noted Cloud’s agreement to revise the expense limitation arrangements for the Funds, which effectively eliminated the management fee with respect to both Funds. The Trustees noted that once each Fund’s expenses fell below the cap set by the arrangement, the Funds’ shareholders would continue to benefit from the economies of scale under the Trust’s agreement with service providers other than Cloud. In light of its ongoing consideration of each Fund’s asset levels, expectations for growth in each Fund, and fee levels, the Board determined that each Fund’s fee arrangements, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by Cloud.

 

5. Possible conflicts of interest and benefits to the Adviser. In considering Cloud’s practices regarding conflicts of interest, the Trustees evaluated the potential for conflicts of interest and considered such matters as the experience and ability of the advisory personnel assigned to the Funds; the basis of decisions to buy or sell securities for the Funds and/or Cloud’s other accounts; and the substance and administration of Cloud’s code of ethics. The Trustees also considered disclosure in the registration statement of the Trust relating to Cloud’s potential conflicts of interest. The Trustees noted that Cloud does not utilize soft dollars. The Trustees noted other potential benefits (in addition to the management fee) to Cloud, such as the ability to market their services in new channels (other than direct separate accounts) and some benefit from press exposure. Based on the foregoing, the Board determined that the standards and practices of Cloud relating to the identification and mitigation of potential conflicts of interest and the benefits to be realized by Cloud in managing the Funds were satisfactory.

 

63


After additional consideration of the factors delineated in the memorandum provided by Counsel and further discussion among the Board, the Board determined to approve the continuation of the Advisory Agreements between the Trust and the Adviser.

 

64


VALUED ADVISERS TRUST

PRIVACY POLICY

The following is a description of the policies of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”) regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that shareholders provide to a series of the Trust (each, a “Fund”) or that the Fund collects from other sources. In the event that a shareholder holds shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of the financial intermediary would govern how shareholder nonpublic personal information would be shared with nonaffiliated third parties.

Categories of Information A Fund May Collect. A Fund may collect the following nonpublic personal information about its shareholders:

 

   

Information the Fund receives from a shareholder on applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as the shareholder’s name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth); and

 

   

Information about the shareholder’s transactions with the Fund, its affiliates, or others (such as the shareholder’s account number and balance, payment history, cost basis information, and other financial information).

Categories of Information A Fund May Disclose. A Fund may not disclose any nonpublic personal information about its current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. A Fund is permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to its service providers (such as the Fund’s custodian, administrator, transfer agent, accountant and legal counsel) to process shareholder transactions and otherwise provide services to the shareholder.

Confidentiality and Security. Each Fund shall restrict access to shareholder nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to the shareholder. Each Fund shall maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard shareholder nonpublic personal information.

Disposal of Information. The Funds, through their transfer agent, have taken steps to reasonably ensure that the privacy of a shareholder’s nonpublic personal information is maintained at all times, including in connection with the disposal of information that is no longer required to be maintained by the Funds. Such steps shall include, whenever possible, shredding paper documents and records prior to disposal, requiring off-site storage vendors to shred documents maintained in such locations prior to disposal, and erasing and/or obliterating any data contained on electronic media in such a manner that the information can no longer be read or reconstructed.

 

65


PROXY VOTING

A description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how each Fund voted those proxies during the most recent twelve month period ended May 31, is available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Funds at (877) 670-2227 and (2) from Funds documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

TRUSTEES

R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman

Ira Cohen

Andrea N. Mullins

OFFICERS

R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive Officer and President

Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer

John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice-President

Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President and Secretary

Matthew J. Miller, Vice President

INVESTMENT ADVISER

Cloud Capital LLC

5314 South Yale, Suite 606

Tulsa, OK 74135

DISTRIBUTOR

Unified Financial Securities, Inc.

2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300

Indianapolis, IN 46208

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd.

1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800

Cleveland, OH 44115

LEGAL COUNSEL

The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.

A member firm of The 1940 Act Law Group TM

11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310

Leawood, KS 66211

CUSTODIAN

FOLIOfn Investments, Inc.

8180 Greensboro Drive

8th Floor

McLean, VA 22102

ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT AND FUND ACCOUNTANT

Huntington Asset Services, Inc.

2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300

Indianapolis, IN 46208

This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Funds’ prospectus which contains information about the Funds’ management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.

Member FINRA/SIPC


LOGO


To Shareholders of the LS Opportunity Fund,

Long Short Advisors, LLC (LSA, the “Advisor”) launched the LS Opportunity Fund (LSOFX, the “Fund”) on September 30, 2010 to offer access to Independence Capital Asset Partners’ (ICAP, the “Sub-Advisor”) $700 million long/short equity strategy in a 1940 Act mutual fund structure. While the Fund was established in 2010, the investment team at ICAP has been operating a traditional hedge fund with a similar investment objective since 2004. The Fund aims to identify compelling long/short investment opportunities through a bottom-up stock selection process based on in-depth analysis of business and financial fundamentals. Through extensive research, implementation of risk management, diversification, and limited use of leverage, the Fund strives to do what a successful investment manager should do – preserve capital while delivering above-market returns and managing volatility. For additional information, please visit our website at www.longshortadvisors.com.

Market Review

Our fiscal year ending May 31, 2014 (the “Period”) straddles the end of 2013 and beginning of 2014. 2013 was characterized by investor’s increasing comfort with the U.S. Federal Reserve’s tapering strategy, which led to another strong double digit gain for the S&P 500. However, 2014 has thus far seen an increase in equity market volatility. But despite the continued calls by an increasing number of bull market skeptics, the widely feared equity market correction never quite panned out, leaving the S&P 500 yet again at a new all-time high at the end of the Period. Overall, the S&P 500 finished the Period with a cumulative total return of 20.5%, while the HFRX Equity Hedge Index (HFRX) returned just 4.0%.

 

LOGO

 

1


Management Discussion of Fund Performance

We are pleased to report that the Fund outperformed the HFRX during the Period and kept pace with the S&P 500 for most of the year. From May 31, 2013 through year end 2013, despite maintaining just ~60% average net exposure, the Fund and the S&P performed in lockstep to the upside. However, despite our strong start to the Period, the Fund’s relative performance trailed the S&P 500 during the last few months of our fiscal year.

We believe the stock prices of companies we owned became temporarily dislocated from fundamentals in early 2014. During these past few months, investors once again shunned risk and chased yield on fears that the Fed would leave rates lower for longer, leading to broad gains in dividend paying stocks at the expense of more growth focused sectors such as technology, healthcare, consumer discretionary and financials.

With the strong rise in the prices of our stocks in 2013, we began preparing for the rotation out of growth. We had already begun repositioning the portfolio by the end of 2013, side-stepping potentially even higher volatility in early 2014. With the downdraft in growth oriented stocks dampened, this allowed us to take advantage of the early 2014 volatility and accelerate our opportunistic shift to some of our deeply researched new ideas, which have already generated positive attribution in the two months subsequent to our fiscal year end.

Contributors

Half a dozen stocks across a broad market spectrum each earned more than 100 basis points of return during the Period. These included positions within the healthcare (Gilead Sciences – GILD, Endo International - ENDP), energy (Schlumberger – SLB), industrials (Alliant Techsystems - ATK) and transportation (American Airlines – AAL, Delta Air Lines – DAL) sectors.

Of particular note, none of these positions were amongst the Fund’s top 10 holdings as we entered the Period, signifying the broad repositioning of the portfolio amidst the continued ascension of the equity markets to all-time record levels. To put the current bull market in perspective, the S&P 500 cumulative total return between the March 9, 2009 recession low and May 31, 2014 was 218%, equating to an annualized return of almost 25%! Throughout the Period, the investment team reduced or eliminated a number of very successful long-term investments to make room for a number of new ideas, many of which have since become new success stories in their own rights.

Detractors

As mentioned above, the Fund gave back a portion of its solid calendar year 2013 gains over the course of January through May 2014. However, over the entire

 

2


twelve month Period, the Fund did not lose more than 35 basis points on any individual position, with one exception: Ocwen Financial (OCN), which was the top performer in the fiscal year that ended May 31, 2013, contributing over 400 basis points to the Fund’s 17% total return.

Management Outlook

Over ICAP’s almost ten year history running the long/short equity investment strategy utilized by the Fund, understanding company fundamentals, taking a long-term view, and having the patience to see successes unfold have been key hallmarks to our success. Thus, short-term price dislocations from fundamental values are not without precedent and often result in more attractive investment opportunities.

 

   

ICAP’s long/short equity hedge fund strategy has experienced ten calendar quarters of negative net returns over its almost ten year history

 

   

ICAP’s ensuing twelve month return following a negative quarter was positive in nine of these ten instances, with an average net return of 12.9%

 

   

Relative to the HFRX Equity Hedge Index, an index of comparable U.S. long/short equity hedge funds, ICAP outperformed by an average of 8.8% in each of the ensuing twelve month periods

 

   

Relative to the S&P 500, ICAP trailed by an average of just 1.0% in each of the ensuing twelve month periods despite average net exposure of 55%

While our investment process is not immune from short-term volatility, we remain confident in our fundamental analysis and individual stock selection on both the long and short sides of our portfolio. Where we have seen stock price dislocations before, it has historically provided incremental investment opportunities. Rather than remaining idle and waiting for the market to ‘come back to us’, we have proactively utilized the recent market dislocation to reposition the Fund into deeply researched investments that have suddenly become much more attractive. Given the two months of recent performance of the Fund subsequent to our fiscal year ended May 31, 2014, we look forward to updating you on our progress relative to the historical rebounds discussed above.

At Period’s end, the Fund’s top 10 long positions represented approximately 29.1% of the long book and included Aetna (AET), Chicago Bridge & Iron (CBI), Google (GOOGL), HCA Holdings (HCA), Intermune (ITMN), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), North Star Realty (NRF), Occidental Petroleum (OXY), Schlumberger (SLB), and Williams Companies (WMB). Our long positions remain broadly diversified across nine sectors and twenty-eight industry groups.

 

3


Also at Period’s end, the Fund’s short book is populated by shares of forty eight individual companies that have business model challenges, excessive valuations, and/or aggressive accounting practices. The short book is similarly diversified across eight sectors and twenty-five industry groups.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to reporting to you again following our semi-annual date of November 30, 2014.

Sincerely,

Jim Hillary, Chris Hillary

Co-Portfolio Managers, LS Opportunity Fund

 

4


How do investors use long short equity mutual funds?

Through discussions with a broad cross-section of investors, it appears that there are three ways in which investors are using long/short equity mutual funds:

 

  1.

As a long-only equity substitute with the US stock market continuing to mark new all-time highs

 

  2.

As a core, long-term addition to a traditional 60/40 blend of stocks and bonds

 

  3.

As a daily liquid complement to an existing long/short equity hedge fund allocation

Long/short equity mutual funds as a long-only equity substitute:

Fundamental long/short equity funds typically have a primary goal of delivering equity like returns over a market cycle with reduced volatility (lower beta and standard deviation than the overall equity market), making them a very logical substitute for long-only equity funds, especially for investors who fear a potential market correction at current stock market highs.

 

   

Per Table 1 below, long/short equity hedge funds have outperformed the overall equity market over the past 25 years, and have done so with 55% lower beta and 40% lower standard deviation than the S&P 500.

Table 1

 

    January 1990 – May 2014  
    Annual
Return
    Standard
Deviation
    Beta vs.
S&P  500
    Alpha vs.
S&P 500
    Correlation vs.
S&P  500
    Sharpe
Ratio
    Max
Drawdown
 

S&P 500

    9.5     14.8     1.00        0.0     1.00        0.64        -51.0

HFRI Equity Hedge (Total) Index

    12.6     9.0     0.45        8.0     0.73        1.39        -30.6

60% S&P 500/40% Barclays Agg

    8.6     9.2     0.61        2.5     0.99        0.94        -30.8

45% SP500/30% Agg/25% HFRI EH

    9.6     8.6     0.57        3.8     0.95        1.12        -30.6

Source: Long Short Advisors, Hedge Fund Research

 

   

More recently, investors may be overlooking the benefits of adding long/short equity to a portfolio, with some giving up on the allocation altogether. It’s hard to blame them, as the S&P 500 has returned almost 25% annualized since the recession low point on March 9, 2009. Our belief

 

5


 

is that these types of returns are almost certainly unsustainable, and that long/short equity strategies will again showcase their ability to generate equity-like returns while protecting capital during down markets. Graph 1 below compares the rolling twelve month return of the HFRI Equity Hedge (Total) Index relative to the S&P 500, pictorially showing the rotating nature of investing:

Graph 1

 

LOGO

Source: Long Short Advisors, Hedge Fund Research

 

   

Winning by not losing

 

   

Long/short equity hedge funds have outperformed the S&P 500 on a rolling twelve month basis almost 53% of the time, but one can readily see that the most significant periods of underperformance have been amidst ‘bubble’ markets.

 

   

By protecting capital during bear markets, long/short equity funds are able to compound returns from a higher base during bull markets, thus creating the opportunity to outperform over a complete market cycle.

Long/short equity mutual funds as an addition to a traditional 60/40 blend:

While historical data supports long/short equity funds as a viable substitute to long-only equity funds, the above argument assumes investors have a truly long-term investment horizon over a complete market cycle (bull and bear periods). It would be naïve to expect this to be the case, and we are sensitive to the unfortunate emotional reaction of a typical investor around market extremes.

 

6


   

For example, Table 2 below shows 2013 as a snapshot in time relative to the 25 year historical data shown in Table 1 above:

Table 2

 

    Calendar Year 2013  
    Annual
Return
    Standard
Deviation
    Beta vs.
S&P  500
    Alpha vs.
S&P  500
    Correlation vs.
S&P  500
    Sharpe
Ratio
    Max
Drawdown
 

S&P 500

    32.3     8.5     1.00        0.0     1.00        3.81        -2.9

HFRI Equity Hedge (Total) Index

    14.2     4.9     0.52        -1.5     0.90        2.89        -1.6

60% S&P 500/40% Barclays U.S. Aggregate

    17.5     5.6     0.65        -2.2     0.98        3.10        -1.9

45% SP500/30% Agg/25% HFRI EH

    16.7     5.4     0.62        -2.0     0.98        3.12        -1.7

40% SP500/40% Agg/20% HFRI EH

    14.1     4.9     0.55        -2.5     0.96        2.89        -1.5

Source: Long Short Advisors, Hedge Fund Research

 

   

Relative to a traditional 60/40 blend of stocks and bonds, this table tells a similar story as before.

 

   

By allocating a proportional share of both equity and debt to long/short equity in a 45/30/25 blend, an investor would have realized a similar absolute return as a 60/40 blend, but with lower overall risk.

 

   

However, given the dramatic 32% total return of the S&P 500 in 2013, had investors simply allocated 20% to long/short equity from their long-only equity allocation in a 40/40/20 blend, both absolute and risk-adjusted returns would have suffered.

 

   

This scenario for an advisor may have resulted in some contentious end of year meetings with clients.

 

   

As most of you know all too well, clients want stock returns in equity bull markets, but bond returns in equity bear markets, all while requiring that their advisor invest for the long-term and not try to time the market.

 

   

Thus, for investors and advisors alike that are accustomed to a traditional 60/40 blend of stocks and bonds, but are weary of equity markets at all-

 

7


 

time highs and bond yields near all-time lows, a 45/30/25 blend of stocks, bonds and long/short equity could make the most sense.

Long/short equity mutual funds as a daily liquid complement to hedge funds:

The last category of investors is those that already utilize long/short equity strategies, but have invested historically in private hedge funds. At this point in the evolution of the liquid alternative space, these investors are starting to compare 3+ year performance numbers of alternative mutual funds to those of traditional hedge funds, and most are discovering that daily liquidity does not have to come at the expense of performance.

 

   

The data could not be more supportive for these investors, as the Morningstar Long/Short Equity Category has an identical return to the HFRI Equity Hedge (Total) Index since the inception of LSOFX on September 30, 2010.

 

   

Taking it one step further, LSOFX has outperformed them both over this time frame.

Table 3

 

     October 2010 – May 2014  
     Annual
Return
    Standard
Deviation
    Beta vs.
S&P  500
     Correlation vs.
S&P  500
     Sharpe
Ratio
 

HFRI Equity Hedge (Total) Index

     5.6     7.6     0.59         0.92         0.73   

Morningstar Long/Short Equity Category

     5.6     6.1     0.51         0.98         0.92   

LS Opportunity Fund (LSOFX)

     7.9     8.6     0.55         0.75         0.92   

Source: Long Short Advisors, Hedge Fund Research, Morningstar

 

   

Thus, LSOFX can serve as a daily liquid complement to a private long/short equity hedge fund with the additional benefits of a low $5,000 minimum investment, quarterly holdings transparency, no incentive fees, and minimal leverage.

Thank you for choosing the LS Opportunity Fund as a place to invest your assets alongside ours. We appreciate your trust in us to help manage and grow your capital.

Please refer to the Fund’s prospectus for a full description of the investment strategy and for more information about the Fund. You may obtain a current copy of the Fund’s prospectus by calling 1-877-366-6763, or visiting our website at www.longshortadvisors.com and clicking on the ‘Fund Information’ tab.

 

8


For additional questions or to discuss this report in more detail, please contact us at 215-399-9409, or via email at info@longshortadvisors.com

“Don’t time the market, invest in it”

The views and opinions expressed in management’s discussion of Fund performance are those of the advisor and sub-advisor as of the end of the period. These views and opinions are subject to change at any time based on factors such as market and economic conditions. These views and opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or recommendations, or as an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but neither the advisor nor the sub-advisor makes any representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

The S&P 500 Index® is a widely recognized, unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. The Index is an unmanaged benchmark that assumes reinvestment of all distributions and excludes the effect of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in this Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index. HFRI Equity Hedge Index is compiled by Hedge Fund Research, Inc. It is comprised solely of hedge funds, and is designed to be representative of the overall composition of the hedge fund universe implementing a long/short equity strategy. The Fund’s performance is not intended to reflect the performance of the Index, which is provided for comparison purposes only. The Index is not available for direct investment. HFRX Equity Hedge Index is compiled by Hedge Fund Research, Inc. It is comprised solely of hedge funds, and is designed to be representative of the overall composition of the hedge fund universe implementing a long/short equity strategy. For inclusion in the HFRX indices a hedge fund must meet the HFRI criteria, but also be open to new transparent investment, have at least $50 million assets under management and have at least a 24 month track record. The Fund’s performance is not intended to reflect the performance of the Index, which is provided for comparison purposes only. The Index is not available for direct investment. Standard Deviation is a measure of the dispersion of a set of data from its mean. Alpha is a measure of performance on a risk adjusted basis. Beta is a measure of the volatility of a portfolio relative to the overall market. Correlation is a statistical measure of how two securities move in relation to each other. Sharpe Ratio uses standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk.

 

9


Investment Results – (Unaudited)

 

Total Returns*

  

(For the periods ended May 31, 2014)

  

   
            Average Annual Returns  
      One Year     Three Year     Since Inception
(September 30, 2010)
 

LS Opportunity Fund

     9.72     4.96     7.95

S&P 500® Index**

     20.45     15.15     17.69

 

Total annual operating expenses, as disclosed in the Fund’s supplement to the prospectus dated September 30, 2013, were 3.13% of average daily net assets (2.73% after fee waivers and expense reimbursements by the Adviser.) Long Short Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) contractually has agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses of the Fund until September 30, 2014, so that the ratio of total annual operating expenses does not exceed 1.95%. This operating expense limitation does not apply to interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, dividend expense on short sales, expenses incurred under a Rule 12b-1 plan of distribution, “acquired fund fees and expenses,” and expenses that the Fund has incurred but did not actually pay because of an expense offset arrangement.

The performance quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling 1-877-336-6763.

* Return figures reflect any change in price per share and assume the reinvestment of all distributions, if any.

** The S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized unmanaged index of equity prices and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than is found in the Fund’s portfolio. The Index is an unmanaged benchmark that assumes reinvestment of all distributions and excludes the effect of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in this Index; however, an individual can invest in exchange traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index.

The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the investment company and may be obtained by calling 1-877-336-6763. Please read it carefully before investing.

The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., Member FINRA.

 

10


LOGO

The chart above assumes an initial investment of $10,000 made on September 30, 2010 (commencement of Fund operations) and held through May 31, 2014. THE FUND’S RETURNS REPRESENT PAST PERFORMANCE AND DO NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. The returns shown do not reflect deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on the Fund’s distributions or the redemption of the Fund’s shares. Investment returns and principal values will fluctuate so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original purchase price.

Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For more information on the Fund, and to obtain performance data current to the most recent month-end, or to request a prospectus, please call 1-877-336-6763. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, potential risks, management fees, and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.

The Fund is distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., member FINRA.

 

11


Fund Holdings – (Unaudited)

Sector Exposure (5/31/2014)

(Based on Net Assets)

 

     Long     Short     Gross     Net  

Consumer Discretionary

     14.16     -4.19     18.35     9.97

Consumer Staples

     3.65     -0.18     3.83     3.47

Energy

     16.89     -2.23     19.12     14.66

Financials

     4.16     -1.89     6.05     2.27

Health Care

     19.14     -3.70     22.84     15.44

Industrials

     7.44     -2.32     9.76     5.12

Information Technology

     15.76     -3.57     19.33     12.19

Materials

     7.81     -0.93     8.74     6.88

Real Estate Investment Trusts

     4.71     0.00     4.71     4.71

Telecommunication Services

     1.26     0.00     1.26     1.26

Unclassified

     0.00     -9.35     9.35     -9.35
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

     94.98     -28.36     123.34     66.62
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The LS Opportunity Fund (“Fund”) seeks to generate long term capital appreciation by investing in both long and short positions within a portfolio consisting of primarily publicly-traded common stock, with less risk than that of the stock market in general.

Availability of Portfolio Schedule – (Unaudited)

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Forms N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the Public Reference Room in Washington DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

About The Fund’s Expenses – (Unaudited)

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs (such as short-term redemption fees); and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; and other Fund expenses. This 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 period, and held for the entire period from December 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014.

Actual Expenses

The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the

 

12


amount you invested, 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 = 8.60), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratios and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), redemption fees, or exchange fees. 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. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

LS Opportunity
Fund
 

Beginning
Account Value

December 1, 2013

   

Ending

Account Value

May 31, 2014

   

Expenses Paid During

the Period Ended

May 31, 2014*

 

Actual

  $ 1,000.00      $ 986.60      $ 11.86   

Hypothetical **

  $ 1,000.00      $ 1,013.00      $ 12.01   

 

*

Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized expense ratio of 2.39%, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/365.

**

Assumes a 5% return before expenses.

 

13


LS Opportunity Fund

Schedule of Investments

May 31, 2014

 

Common Stocks – Long – Domestic – 83.81%   Shares     Fair Value  

Consumer Discretionary – 12.32%

   

Comcast Corp. – Class A

    57,968      $ 3,025,930   

Dillard’s, Inc. – Class A

    11,391        1,284,335   

Las Vegas Sands Corp.(a)

    43,648        3,339,945   

Mohawk Industries, Inc.(a)*

    11,812        1,602,416   

Tempur Sealy International, Inc.*

    49,086        2,697,767   

Tenneco, Inc.*

    35,043        2,233,991   

Tribune Co.*

    32,243        2,553,646   

Walt Disney Co. / The(a)

    20,536        1,725,229   
   

 

 

 
        18,463,259   
   

 

 

 

Consumer Staples – 3.65%

   

Diamond Foods, Inc.*

    20,014        639,447   

Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.

    2,312        260,747   

Rite Aid Corp.*

    226,917        1,897,026   

WhiteWave Food Co. – Class A(a)*

    85,021        2,677,311   
   

 

 

 
      5,474,531   
   

 

 

 

Energy – 15.02%

   

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

    13,532        1,391,902   

Cabot Oil & Gas Corp.

    16,925        613,362   

FMC Technologies, Inc.*

    26,027        1,511,128   

Hess Corp.(a)

    32,061        2,927,169   

Occidental Petroleum Corp.(a)

    34,204        3,409,797   

Phillips 66

    16,844        1,428,203   

Pioneer Natural Resources Co.(a)

    12,384        2,602,621   

Schlumberger Ltd.(a)

    45,297        4,712,700   

Williams Cos., Inc. / The(a)

    83,249        3,909,373   
   

 

 

 
      22,506,255   
   

 

 

 

Financials – 4.16%

   

Ally Financial, Inc.(a)*

    94,046        2,215,724   

American International Group, Inc.

    53,567        2,896,368   

Ocwen Financial Corp.*

    32,159        1,127,816   
   

 

 

 
      6,239,908   
   

 

 

 

Health Care – 18.43%

   

Aetna, Inc.(a)

    49,491        3,838,027   

Celgene Corp.(a)*

    16,214        2,481,229   

DaVita, Inc.*

    45,742        3,228,928   

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

14


LS Opportunity Fund

Schedule of Investments – continued

May 31, 2014

 

Common Stocks – Long – Domestic – 83.81% – continued   Shares     Fair Value  

Health Care – 18.43% – continued

   

Gilead Sciences, Inc.*

    34,730      $ 2,820,423   

HCA Holdings, Inc.(a)*

    96,476        5,112,263   

Hologic, Inc.(a)*

    84,719        2,070,532   

Humana, Inc.

    19,021        2,367,354   

Impax Laboratories, Inc.*

    39,410        1,094,022   

InterMune, Inc.*

    88,127        3,491,592   

Ophthotech Corp.*

    27,275        1,110,093   
   

 

 

 
        27,614,463   
   

 

 

 

Industrials – 4.29%

   

American Airlines Group, Inc.(a)*

    74,520        2,992,723   

Delta Air Lines, Inc.(a)

    67,488        2,693,446   

Xylem, Inc.

    19,736        736,153   
   

 

 

 
      6,422,322   
   

 

 

 

Information Technology – 13.73%

   

Adobe Systems, Inc.*

    28,340        1,829,064   

Aspen Technology, Inc.*

    26,496        1,139,063   

Autodesk, Inc.*

    28,340        1,484,166   

Equinix, Inc.(a)*

    13,727        2,728,241   

Google, Inc. – Class A(a)*

    6,722        3,842,631   

Micron Technology, Inc.*

    81,941        2,342,693   

Microsoft Corp.

    63,365        2,594,163   

QUALCOMM, Inc.(a)

    20,072        1,614,792   

SunEdison, Inc.(a)*

    151,932        2,991,541   
   

 

 

 
      20,566,354   
   

 

 

 

Materials – 6.24%

   

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.

    12,622        1,514,262   

Monsanto Co.(a)

    25,879        3,153,356   

U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.

    38,832        1,963,734   

W.R. Grace & Co.(a)*

    29,556        2,721,516   
   

 

 

 
      9,352,868   
   

 

 

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts – 4.71%

   

Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc.

    17,709        594,314   

NorthStar Realty Finance Corp.(a)

    305,469        5,055,512   

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

15


LS Opportunity Fund

Schedule of Investments – continued

May 31, 2014

 

Common Stocks – Long – Domestic – 83.81% – continued    Shares     Fair Value  

Real Estate Investment Trusts – 4.71% – continued

    

Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.

     30,657      $ 1,414,207   
    

 

 

 
       7,064,033   
    

 

 

 

Telecommunication Services – 1.26%

    

TW Telecom, Inc.*

     57,624        1,889,491   
    

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS – LONG – DOMESTIC (Cost $116,686,163)

       125,593,484   
    

 

 

 

Common Stocks – Long – International – 11.17%

    

Consumer Discretionary – 1.84%

    

Liberty Global PLC – Class A(a)*

     61,297        2,759,591   
    

 

 

 

Energy – 1.87%

    

GasLog Ltd.

     53,780        1,255,763   

GasLog Partners LP*

     58,055        1,539,619   
    

 

 

 
       2,795,382   
    

 

 

 

Health Care – 0.71%

    

ICON PLC*

     25,141        1,062,710   
    

 

 

 

Industrials – 3.15%

    

Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. NV(a)

     58,026        4,723,316   
    

 

 

 

Information Technology – 2.03%

    

Baidu, Inc.*

     18,301        3,037,966   
    

 

 

 

Materials – 1.57%

    

Constellium NV – Class A*

     81,000        2,360,340   
    

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS – LONG – INTERNATIONAL (Cost $15,828,221)

       16,739,305   
    

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS – LONG – 94.98% (Cost $132,514,384)

       142,332,789   
    

 

 

 

TOTAL SECURITIES SOLD SHORT – (28.36)%
(Proceeds Received $41,828,790)

       (42,506,887
    

 

 

 

Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities – 33.38%

       50,031,447   
    

 

 

 

TOTAL NET ASSETS – 100.00%

     $ 149,857,349   
    

 

 

 

 

(a)

All or a portion of the security is held as collateral for securities sold short. The total fair value of this collateral on May 31, 2014 was $51,262,567.

*

Non-income producing security.

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

16


LS Opportunity Fund

Schedule of Securities Sold Short

May 31, 2014

 

Common Stocks – Short – Domestic – (17.36)%    Shares     Fair Value  

Consumer Discretionary – (3.88)%

    

Amazon.com, Inc.

     (1,075   $ (335,992

Barnes & Noble, Inc.

     (10,325     (187,295

Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc.

     (5,106     (310,700

Cabela’s, Inc. – Class A

     (13,356     (817,788

CarMax, Inc.

     (5,320     (235,729

Dollar Tree, Inc.

     (6,305     (334,354

Family Dollar Stores, Inc.

     (6,305     (369,473

Meredith Corp.

     (5,170     (232,443

Panera Bread Co. – Class A

     (9,344       (1,435,332

Shutterfly, Inc.

     (15,125     (622,242

Starbucks Corp.

     (6,524     (477,818

TJX Cos., Inc. / The

     (8,479     (461,682
    

 

 

 
       (5,820,848
    

 

 

 

Consumer Staples – (0.18)%

    

Annie’s, Inc.

     (3,671     (120,115

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.

     (5,665     (153,521
    

 

 

 
       (273,636
    

 

 

 

Energy – (1.91)%

    

Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.

     (94,976     (321,019

Arch Coal, Inc.

     (85,698     (305,085

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     (18,826     (1,892,578

SM Energy Co.

     (4,551     (345,011
    

 

 

 
       (2,863,693
    

 

 

 

Financials – (1.89)%

    

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. – Class B

     (8,565     (1,099,232

Citigroup, Inc.

     (18,234     (867,391

MetLife, Inc.

     (12,172     (619,920

Progressive Corp. / The

     (9,957     (249,224
    

 

 

 
       (2,835,767
    

 

 

 

Health Care – (3.70)%

    

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

     (7,268     (361,510

Cerner Corp.

     (13,340     (721,027

Covance, Inc.

     (7,452     (624,925

Eli Lilly & Co.

     (10,570     (632,720

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

     (1,072     (396,361

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

17


LS Opportunity Fund

Schedule of Securities Sold Short – continued

May 31, 2014

 

Common Stocks – Short – Domestic – (17.36)% – continued    Shares     Fair Value  

Health Care – (3.70)% – continued

    

Myriad Genetics, Inc.

     (26,156   $ (867,333

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

     (15,317     (1,219,693

Varian Medical Systems, Inc.

     (8,692     (716,655
    

 

 

 
       (5,540,224
    

 

 

 

Industrials – (2.32)%

    

Caterpillar, Inc.

     (10,191     (1,041,826

Fluor Corp.

     (12,172     (913,874

JetBlue Airways Corp.

     (24,002     (231,859

Joy Global, Inc.

     (17,705     (1,011,841

USG Corp.

     (9,092     (272,578
    

 

 

 
       (3,471,978
    

 

 

 

Information Technology – (2.55)%

    

Cardtronics, Inc.

     (4,505     (130,555

International Business Machines Corp.

     (10,236     (1,887,109

ManTech International Corp. – Class A

     (2,534     (74,728

Twitter, Inc.

     (6,448     (209,173

Western Union Co. / The

     (20,680     (334,396

Yelp, Inc.

     (6,448     (426,535

Zillow, Inc. – Class A

     (6,448     (760,993
    

 

 

 
       (3,823,489
    

 

 

 

Materials – (0.93)%

    

Airgas, Inc.

     (10,838     (1,152,296

Walter Energy, Inc.

     (49,512     (241,619
    

 

 

 
       (1,393,915
    

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS – SHORT – DOMESTIC
(Proceeds Received $26,031,886)

       (26,023,550
    

 

 

 

Common Stocks – Short – International – (1.65)%

    

Consumer Discretionary – (0.31)%

    

Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd.

     (13,548     (467,000
    

 

 

 

Energy – (0.32)%

    

Transocean Ltd.

     (11,329     (481,369
    

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

18


LS Opportunity Fund

Schedule of Securities Sold Short – continued

May 31, 2014

 

Common Stocks – Short – International – (1.65)% – continued   Shares     Fair Value  

Information Technology – (1.02)%

   

Accenture PLC – Class A

    (13,635   $ (1,110,571

Vistaprint NV

    (10,367     (414,887
   

 

 

 
      (1,525,458
   

 

 

 

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS – SHORT – INTERNATIONAL (Proceeds Received $2,383,744)

      (2,473,827
   

 

 

 

Exchange-Traded Funds – Short – (9.35)%

   

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund

    (13,874     (911,106

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund

    (72,972     (1,626,546

Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund

    (16,664     (996,174

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund

    (17,734     (958,523

Powershares QQQ Trust, Series 1

    (39,837     (3,637,516

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

    (30,523     (5,879,645
   

 

 

 

TOTAL EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS – SHORT
(Proceeds Received $13,413,160)

      (14,009,510
   

 

 

 

TOTAL SECURITIES SOLD SHORT – (28.36)%
(Proceeds Received $41,828,790)

    $ (42,506,887
   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

19


LS Opportunity Fund

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

May 31, 2014

 

Assets

  

Investments in securities at fair value (cost $132,514,384)

   $ 142,332,789   

Cash(a)

     50,315,541   

Foreign currencies, at value (cost $4,875)

     5,075   

Receivable for fund shares sold

     550,952   

Receivable for investments sold

     4,947,632   

Dividends receivable

     37,683   

Tax reclaims receivable

     2,401   

Prepaid expenses

     24,018   
  

 

 

 

Total Assets

     198,216,091   
  

 

 

 

Liabilities

  

Investment securities sold short, at fair value (proceeds $41,828,790)

     42,506,887   

Payable for fund shares redeemed

     147,383   

Payable for investments purchased

     5,439,321   

Dividend expense payable on short positions

     28,239   

Payable to Adviser

     173,760   

Payable to administrator, fund accountant, and transfer agent

     19,082   

Other accrued expenses

     44,070   
  

 

 

 

Total Liabilities

     48,358,742   
  

 

 

 

Net Assets

   $ 149,857,349   
  

 

 

 

Net Assets consist of:

  

Paid-in capital

   $ 140,640,105   

Accumulated undistributed net investment (loss)

     (795,391

Accumulated undistributed net realized gain

     872,127   

Net unrealized appreciation on:

  

Investment securities and securities sold short

     9,140,308   

Foreign currency

     200   
  

 

 

 

Net Assets

   $ 149,857,349   
  

 

 

 

Shares outstanding (unlimited number of shares authorized, no par value)

     11,782,746   
  

 

 

 

Net asset value (“NAV”) and offering price per share

   $ 12.72   
  

 

 

 

Redemption price per share (NAV * 98%)(b)

   $ 12.47   
  

 

 

 

 

(a)

See Note 2 in the Notes to Financial Statements regarding restricted cash.

(b)

The Fund charges a 2.00% redemption fee on shares redeemed in 60 days or less of purchase. Share are redeemed at the NAV if held longer than 60 calendar days.

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

20


LS Opportunity Fund

Statement of Operations

For the year ended May 31, 2014

 

Investment Income

  

Dividend income (net of foreign taxes withheld of $1,393)

   $ 340,151   
  

 

 

 

Total investment income

     340,151   
  

 

 

 

Expenses

  

Investment Adviser

     1,298,813   

Administration

     66,793   

Fund accounting

     46,726   

Transfer agent

     49,879   

Legal

     19,029   

Audit

     15,000   

Trustee

     6,051   

Compliance services

     3,535   

Miscellaneous

     107,100   

Other – short sale & interest expense

     87,348   

Dividend expense on securities sold short

     316,414   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     2,016,688   
  

 

 

 

Fees waived by Adviser

     (159,710
  

 

 

 

Net expenses

     1,856,978   
  

 

 

 

Net investment loss

     (1,516,827
  

 

 

 

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain

  

Net realized gain (loss) on:

  

Investment securities

     7,696,984   

Securities sold short

     (3,980,319

Written options

     (10,008

Foreign currency

     1,538   

Forward currency exchange contracts

     (348

Change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on:

  

Investment securities

     3,474,921   

Securities sold short

     160,403   

Foreign currency

     269   

Forward currency exchange contracts

     224   
  

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain on investments, securities sold short, written options, foreign currency and foreign currency contracts

     7,343,664   
  

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

   $ 5,826,837   
  

 

 

 

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

21


LS Opportunity Fund

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

    For the Year
Ended
May 31, 2014
    For the Year
Ended
May 31, 2013
 

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets due to:

   

Operations

   

Net investment loss

  $ (1,516,827   $ (975,767

Net realized gain on investment securities, short securities, written options, foreign currency and foreign currency exchange contracts

    3,707,847        4,555,796   

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment securities, short securities, foreign currency and foreign currency exchange contracts

    3,635,817        3,068,036   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

    5,826,837        6,648,065   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions From:

   

Net realized gains

    (2,801,219       
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

    (2,801,219       
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Capital Transactions

   

Proceeds from shares sold

    131,422,391        6,410,364   

Reinvestment of distributions

    2,649,446          

Amount paid for shares redeemed

    (25,002,470     (24,173,841

Proceeds from redemption fees(a)

    12,468        1,289   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from capital transactions

    109,081,835        (17,762,188
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

    112,107,453        (11,114,123
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Assets

   

Beginning of period

    37,749,896        48,864,019   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 149,857,349      $ 37,749,896   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Accumulated undistributed net investment loss

  $ (795,391   $ (264,567
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Share Transactions

   

Shares sold

    10,409,801        596,033   

Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions

    205,383          

Shares redeemed

    (1,967,082     (2,209,670
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in share transactions

    8,648,102        (1,613,637
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

The Fund charges a 2% redemption fee on shares redeemed within 60 days of purchase. Share are redeemed at the NAV if held longer than 60 days.

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

22


LS Opportunity Fund

Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding during each period)

 

    For the Fiscal
Year Ended
May 31, 2014
    For the Fiscal
Year Ended
May 31, 2013
    For the Fiscal
Year Ended
May 31, 2012
    For the
Period Ended
May 31, 2011(a)
 

Selected Per Share Data:

       

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 12.04      $ 10.29      $ 11.45      $ 10.00   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from investment operations:

       

Net investment income (loss)(b)

    (0.26     (0.24     (0.23     (0.17

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments

    1.44        1.99        (0.91     1.62   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.18        1.75        (1.14     1.45   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Less Distributions to Shareholders:

  

     

From net realized gains

    (0.50            (0.02       
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Redemption fees(c)

                           
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 12.72      $ 12.04      $ 10.29      $ 11.45   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)(e)

    9.72     17.01     (9.92 )%      14.50 %(f) 

Ratios and Supplemental Data:

       

Net assets, end of period (000)

  $ 149,857      $ 37,750      $ 48,864      $ 20,375   

Ratio of expenses to average net assets(g)

    2.49     3.12 %(h)      3.16     2.99 %(i) 

Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver and reimbursement/recoupment by Adviser(g)

    2.71     3.12     3.06     4.25 %(i) 

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets

    (2.04 )%      (2.22 )%      (2.19 )%      (2.25 )%(i) 

Portfolio turnover rate

    312.34     310.57     444.62     199.48 %(f) 

 

(a)

For the period September 30, 2010 (Commencement of Operations) through May 31, 2011.

(b)

Per share net investment loss has been calculated using the average shares method.

(c)

Amount represents less than $0.005 per share.

(d)

Total return in the above table represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of dividends.

(e)

Excludes redemption fee.

(f)

Not Annualized

(g)

Includes dividend and interest expense of 0.54%, 0.77%, 0.66% and 0.49% for periods ended May 31, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

(h)

Effective February 4, 2013, the Adviser agreed to waive fees to maintain certain Fund expenses at 1.95%. Prior to that date, the expense cap was 2.50%. (See Note 5. Adviser Fees and Other Transactions)

(i)

Annualized

See accompanying notes which are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

23


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements

May 31, 2014

NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION

The LS Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”) is an open-end, diversified series of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is a management investment company established under the laws of Delaware by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 13, 2008 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Fund is one of a series of funds authorized by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Fund’s investment adviser is Long Short Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”). The Adviser has retained Independence Capital Asset Partners, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) to serve as sub-adviser to provide portfolio management and related services to the Fund. The Sub-Adviser receives a fee from the Adviser (not the Fund) for these services. The investment objective of the Fund is to generate long term capital appreciation by investing in both long and short positions within a portfolio consisting of primarily publicly-traded common stock, with less risk than that of the stock market in general.

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements.

Securities Valuation – All investments in securities are recorded at their estimated fair value as described in Note 3.

Federal Income Taxes – The Fund makes no provision for federal income or excise tax. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a “regulated investment company” (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by complying with the requirements applicable to RICs and by distributing substantially all of its taxable income. The Fund also intends to distribute sufficient net investment income and net capital gains, if any, so that it will not be subject to excise tax on undistributed income and gains. If the required amount of net investment income or gains is not distributed, the Fund could incur a tax expense.

As of and during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. During the year, the Fund did not incur any interest or penalties. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for all tax years since inception.

 

24


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – continued

 

Expenses – Expenses incurred by the Trust that do not relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated to the individual funds based on each fund’s relative net assets or other appropriate basis (as determined by the Board).

Security Transactions and Related Income – The Fund follows industry practice and records security transactions on the trade date for financial reporting purposes. The Last In, First Out method is used for determining gains or losses for financial statements and income tax purposes. Dividend income and dividend expense are recorded on the ex-dividend date and interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Distributions from Limited Partnerships are recognized on the ex-date. Income or loss from Limited Partnerships is reclassified in the components of net assets upon receipt of Schedules K-1 (Form 1065). Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are amortized or accreted using the effective interest method. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates.

Redemption Fees – The Fund charges a 2.00% redemption fee for shares redeemed within 60 days. These fees are deducted from the redemption proceeds otherwise payable to the shareholder. The Fund will retain the fee charged as an increase in paid-in capital and such fees become part of the Fund’s daily NAV calculation.

Foreign Currency Translations – Foreign currency amounts are translated into U.S. dollars as follows: (i) assets and liabilities at the rate of exchange at the end of the respective period; and (ii) purchases and sales of securities and income and expenses at the rate of exchange prevailing on the dates of such transactions. The portion of the results of operations arising from changes in the exchange rates and the portion due to fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of securities are not isolated. Such fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments.

The Fund may enter into transactions to purchase or sell foreign currencies to protect the U.S. dollar value of its underlying portfolio securities against the effect of possible adverse movements in foreign exchange rates. Principal risks associated with such transactions include the movement in value of the foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar and the ability of the counterparty to perform. Fluctuations in the value of such forward currency transactions are recorded daily as unrealized gain or loss; realized gain or loss includes net gain or loss on transactions that have terminated by settlement or by a fund entering into offsetting commitments. Reported net realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates

 

25


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – continued

 

on securities transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest, and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the company’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid. These instruments involve market risk, credit risk, or both kinds of risks, in excess of the amount that would be recognized in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Risks arise from the possible inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts and from movement in currency and securities values and interest rates.

Dividends and Distributions – The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income, net realized long-term capital gains and its net realized short-term capital gains, if any, to its shareholders on at least an annual basis. Dividends to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the year from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations or net asset value per share of the Fund. For the year ended May 31, 2014, the Fund made the following reclassifications to increase (decrease) the components of net assets:

 

     Paid in Capital     Accumulated Undistributed
Net Investment Loss
     Accumulated Net Realized
Gain from Investments
 
   $ (470,624   $ 986,003       $ (515,379

Short Sales – The Fund may make short sales as part of its overall portfolio management strategies or to offset a potential decline in value of a security. The Fund may engage in short sales with respect to various types of securities, including Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). A short sale involves the sale of a security that is borrowed from a broker or other institution to complete the sale. The Fund may engage in short sales with respect to securities it owns, as well as securities that it does not own. Short sales expose the Fund to the risk that it will be required to acquire, convert or exchange securities to replace the borrowed securities (also known as “covering” the short position) at a time when the securities sold short have appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. The Fund’s investment performance may also suffer if the Fund is required to close out a short position earlier than it had intended. The Fund must segregate assets determined to

 

26


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – continued

 

be liquid in accordance with procedures established by the Board, or otherwise cover its position in a permissible manner. The Fund will be required to pledge its liquid assets to the broker in order to secure its performance on short sales. As a result, the assets pledged may not be available to meet the Fund’s needs for immediate cash or other liquidity. In addition, the Fund may be subject to expenses related to short sales that are not typically associated with investing in securities directly, such as costs of borrowing and margin account maintenance costs associated with the Fund’s open short positions. These types of short sales expenses are sometimes referred to as the “negative cost of carry,” and will tend to cause the Fund to lose money on a short sale even in instances where the price of the underlying security sold short does not change over the duration of the short sale. Dividend expenses on securities sold short and borrowing costs are not covered under the Adviser’s expense limitation agreement with the Fund and, therefore, these expenses will be borne by the shareholders of the Fund. The amount of restricted cash held at the broker as collateral for securities sold short was $32,284,781 as of May 31, 2014.

Purchasing Call Options – The Fund may purchase call options. As the holder of a call option, the Fund has the right to purchase the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to such options, exercise them or permit them to expire. The Fund may also purchase call options on relevant stock indexes. Call options may also be purchased by the Fund for the purpose of acquiring the underlying securities for its portfolio. Utilized in this fashion, the purchase of call options enables the Fund to acquire the securities at the exercise price of the call option plus the premium paid. At times the net cost of acquiring securities in this manner may be less than the cost of acquiring the securities directly. This technique may also be useful to the Fund in purchasing a large block of securities that would be more difficult to acquire by direct market purchases. So long as it holds such a call option rather than the underlying security itself, the Fund is partially protected from any unexpected decline in the market price of the underlying security and in such event could allow the call option to expire, incurring a loss only to the extent of the premium paid for the option. See Note 4 for additional disclosures.

Purchasing Put Options – The Fund may purchase put options. As the holder of a put option, the Fund has the right to sell the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to such options, exercise them or permit them to expire. The Fund may purchase a put option on an underlying security (a “protective put”) owned as a defensive technique to protect against an anticipated decline in the value of the security. Such hedge protection is provided only during the life of the

 

27


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – continued

 

put option when the Fund, as the holder of the put option, is able to sell the underlying security at the put exercise price regardless of any decline in the underlying security’s market price. The Fund may also purchase put options at a time when it does not own the underlying security. By purchasing put options on a security it does not own, the Fund seeks to benefit from a decline in the market price of the underlying security. If the put option is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security remains equal to or greater than the exercise price during the life of the put option, the Fund will lose its entire investment in the put option. In order for the purchase of a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs, unless the put option is sold in a closing sale transaction. See Note 4 for additional disclosures.

Writing Options – The Fund may write covered call options on equity securities or futures contracts that the Fund is eligible to purchase to extend a holding period to obtain long-term capital gain treatment, to earn premium income, to assure a definite price for a security it has considered selling, or to close out options previously purchased. The Fund may write covered call options if, immediately thereafter, not more than 30% of its net assets would be committed to such transactions. A call option gives the holder (buyer) the right to purchase a security or futures contract at a specified price (the exercise price) at any time until a certain date (the expiration date). A call option is “covered” if the Fund owns the underlying security subject to the call option at all times during the option period. When the Fund writes a covered call option, it maintains a segregated account with its Custodian, cash or liquid portfolio securities in an amount not less than the exercise price at all times while the option is outstanding. See Note 4 for additional disclosures.

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts – The Fund may engage in foreign currency exchange transactions. The value of the Fund’s portfolio securities that are invested in non-U.S. dollar denominated instruments as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, and the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The Fund will not,

 

28


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – continued

 

however, hold foreign currency except in connection with the purchase and sale of foreign portfolio securities. The Fund has engaged in foreign currency exchange transactions for the purpose of hedging as a defensive measure. See Note 4 for additional disclosures.

NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair value is defined as the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in an orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) establishes a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.

Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk (the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value such as pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique). Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.

 

   

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

   

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for an identical security in an inactive market, quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

   

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments based on the best information available)

The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value

 

29


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued

 

hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.

Equity securities, including common stock, exchange traded funds, real estate investment trusts, and american depositary receipts are generally valued by using market quotations, furnished by a pricing service. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange are generally valued at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange traded security is generally valued at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price.

When using the market quotations or close prices provided by the pricing service and when the market is considered active, the security is classified as a Level 1 security. Sometimes, an equity security owned by the Fund will be valued by the pricing service with factors other than market quotations or when the market is considered inactive. When this happens, the security is classified as a Level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Adviser determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the Adviser, in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review by the Board. These securities are categorized as Level 3 securities.

Investments in mutual funds, including money market mutual funds, are generally priced at the ending net asset value (“NAV”) provided by the service agent of the funds. These securities are categorized as Level 1 securities.

Call and put options that the Fund invests in are generally traded on an exchange and are generally valued at the last trade price as provided by a pricing service. If the last sale price is not available, the options will be valued using the last bid price. The options will generally be categorized as Level 1 securities.

Derivative instruments the Fund invests in, such as forward currency exchange contracts, are valued by a pricing service at the interpolated rates based on the prevailing banking rates and are generally categorized as Level 2 securities.

In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Adviser is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above.

 

30


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued

 

No single standard exists for determining fair value, because fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Adviser would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. Good faith pricing is permitted if, in the Adviser’s opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before a Fund’s NAV calculation that may affect a security’s value, or the Adviser is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Good faith pricing may also be used in instances when the bonds the Fund invests in may default or otherwise cease to have market quotations readily available.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of May 31, 2014:

 

     Valuation Inputs  
Assets   Level 1 – Quoted
Prices in Active
Markets
    Level 2 – Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
    Level 3 –
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
    Total  

Common Stocks*

  $ 142,332,789     $      $      $ 142,332,789  

Total

  $ 142,332,789      $      $      $ 142,332,789   

 

*

Refer to Schedule of Investments for industry classifications

 

     Valuation Inputs  
Liabilities   Level 1 – Quoted
Prices in Active
Markets
   

Level 2 – Other

Significant

Observable

Inputs

    Level 3 –
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
    Total  

Common Stocks*

  $ (28,497,377   $      $      $ (28,497,377

Exchange Traded Funds

    (14,009,510                   (14,009,510

Total

  $ (42,506,887   $      $      $ (42,506,887

 

*

Refer to Schedule of Securities Sold Short for industry classifications.

 

31


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 3. SECURITIES VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – continued

 

The Fund did not hold any investments at any time during the reporting period in which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value; therefore, no reconciliation of Level 3 securities is included for this reporting period. The Trust recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the reporting period end. There were no transfers between any Levels for the year ended May 31, 2014.

NOTE 4. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS

Long and short forward currency contracts are represented on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities under investments in securities at value, cash held at broker and receivable for forward currency contracts, respectively and on the Statement of Operations under net realized gain (loss) on investment securities and change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on options and forward currency exchange contracts respectively. The Fund bought and sold forward currency contracts during the year ended May 31, 2014, but did not hold any as of May 31, 2014.

For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014:

 

Derivatives   Location of Gain (Loss)  on
Derivatives on Statements
of Operations
  Contracts
Opened
    Contracts
Closed
    Realized
Gain
(Loss) on
Derivatives
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation) on
Derivatives
 

Foreign Exchange Risk:

               

Long Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

           3      $ 7,725      $ 9,059   

Foreign Exchange Risk:

               

Short Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

    2        5        (8,073     (8,835

Foreign Exchange Risk:

               

Long Spot Forward Currency

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

    3        3        453          

Equity Risk:

               

Call Options Purchased

  Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment securities     47        47        (7,310       

 

32


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 4. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS – continued

 

Derivatives   Location of Gain (Loss)  on
Derivatives on Statements
of Operations
  Contracts
Opened
    Contracts
Closed
    Realized
Gain
(Loss) on
Derivatives
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation) on
Derivatives
 

Equity Risk:

               

Call Options Written

  Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on options     26        26      $ 12,697      $   

Equity Risk:

               

Put Options Purchased

  Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment securities     148        148        7,418          

Equity Risk:

               

Put Options Written

  Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on options     79        79        (22,705       

Transactions in options written during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014 were as follows:

 

    Number of
Contracts
    Premiums
Received
 

Written options outstanding at May 31, 2013

         $   

Options written

    105        24,419   

Written options terminated in closing purchase transactions

    (105     (24,419
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Written options outstanding at May 31, 2014

         $   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

The Fund is not subject to a master netting arrangements and its policy is to not offset assets and liabilities related to its investment in derivatives.

NOTE 5. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS

The Adviser, under the terms of the management agreement (the “Agreement”), manages the Fund’s investments. As compensation for its management services, the Fund is obligated to pay the Adviser a fee computed and accrued daily and paid monthly at an annual rate of 1.75% of the Fund’s average net assets. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014, the Adviser earned a fee of $1,298,813 from the Fund before the reimbursement described below.

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse certain Fund operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted

 

33


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 5. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS – continued

 

accounting principles, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, dividend expense on short sales, and expenses that the Fund has incurred but did not actually pay because of an expense offset arrangement) so that total expenses do not exceed 1.95% of net assets through September 30, 2014. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014, the Adviser waived fees of $159,710. At May 31, 2014, the Adviser was owed $173,760 from the Fund for advisory services. The waiver and/or reimbursement by the Adviser with respect to the Fund is subject to repayment by the Fund within the three fiscal years following the fiscal year in which that particular waiver and/or reimbursement occurred, provided that the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the expense limitations described above. The amount subject to repayment by the Fund pursuant to the aforementioned conditions at May 31, 2014 was:

 

Amount

  

Recoverable through
May 31,

$159,710

   2017

The Adviser has retained the Sub-Adviser to provide portfolio management and related services to the Fund. The Sub-Adviser receives a fee from the Adviser (not the Fund) for these services. The Trust retains Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (“HASI”), to manage the Fund’s business affairs and to provide the Fund with administrative services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment and personnel. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014, HASI earned fees of $66,793 for administrative services provided to the Fund. At May 31, 2014, the Fund owed HASI $9,521 for administrative services. Certain officers of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of HASI. A trustee of the Trust is a member of management of HASI. HASI operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor”).

The Trust retains HASI to provide the Fund with compliance services. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014, HASI earned fees of $3,535 for compliance services provided to the Fund. At May 31, 2014, the Fund owed HASI $250 for compliance services.

The Trust retains HASI to act as the Fund’s transfer agent and to provide fund accounting services. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014, HASI earned fees of $49,879 from the Fund for transfer agent services. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014, HASI earned fees of $46,726 from the Fund for fund accounting services. At May 31, 2014, the Fund owed HASI $4,303 for transfer agent services and $5,258 for fund accounting services.

 

34


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 5. ADVISER FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS – continued

 

The Distributor acts as the principal distributor of the Fund’s shares. There were no payments made to the Distributor by the Fund for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014. An officer of the Trust is an officer of the Distributor and such person may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Distributor.

NOTE 6. INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014, purchases and sales of investment securities, other than short-term investments, were as follows:

 

Purchases

  

U.S. Government Obligations

   $   

Other

     299,499,251   

Sales

  

U.S. Government Obligations

   $   

Other

     203,637,384   

NOTE 7. ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

NOTE 8. BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of a fund, under Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. At May 31, 2014, National Financial Services, Inc. (“NFS”) owned, as record shareholder, 52% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. It is not known whether NFS or any of the underlying beneficial owners owned or controlled 25% or more of the voting securities of the Fund.

 

35


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 9. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION

 

At May 31, 2014, the appreciation (depreciation) of investments, net of proceeds for investment securities sold short, for tax purposes was as follows:

 

     Amount  

Gross Unrealized Appreciation

   $ 9,716,059   

Gross Unrealized (Depreciation)

     (1,883,983
  

 

 

 

Net Unrealized Appreciation

   $ 7,832,076   
  

 

 

 

At May 31, 2014, the aggregate cost of securities, net of proceeds for investment securities sold short, for federal income tax purposes, was $91,993,826.

The tax characterization of distributions for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2014 and 2013 was as follows:

 

       2014          2013    

Distributions paid from:

     

Long Term Capital Gains

   $ 2,801,219         $   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 2,801,219         $   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

At May 31, 2014, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed long-term capital gains

   $ 2,462,863   

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (1,077,895

Unrealized appreciation/depreciation

     7,832,276   
  

 

 

 
   $ 9,217,244   
  

 

 

 

The difference between book basis and tax basis unrealized appreciation is attributable to the tax deferral of wash losses.

Certain capital losses incurred after October 31, and within the current taxable year, are deemed to arise on the first business day of the Fund’s following taxable year. For the tax year ended May 31, 2014, the Fund deferred post October capital losses in the amount of $282,505 and $784,742 in Qualified Late Year Ordinary Losses.

 

36


LS Opportunity Fund

Notes to the Financial Statements – continued

May 31, 2014

 

NOTE 10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

The Fund indemnifies its officers and trustees for certain liabilities that may arise from their performance of their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred.

NOTE 11. SUBSEQUENT EVENT

Management of the Fund has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date these financial statements were issued. There were no items requiring adjustment of financial statements or additional disclosure.

 

37


REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders of LS Opportunity Fund and

Board of Trustees of Valued Advisers Trust

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedules of investments and securities sold short, of LS Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”), a series of the Valued Advisers Trust, as of May 31, 2014, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. The financial highlights for the period ended May 31, 2011, were audited by other auditors whose report dated July 22, 2011, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial highlights.

We conducted our audits 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 and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of May 31, 2014, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers or by other appropriate auditing procedures where replies from brokers were not received. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of LS Opportunity Fund as of May 31, 2014, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

LOGO

COHEN FUND AUDIT SERVICES, LTD.

Cleveland, Ohio

July 29, 2014

 

38


ADDITIONAL FEDERAL INCOME TAX INFORMATION (Unaudited)

Qualified Dividend Income: For the year ended May 31, 2014, the LS Opportunity Fund designates 100% of the dividends distributed during the fiscal year as amounts which can be taken into account as a dividend for the purpose of the maximum tax rate under section 1(h)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Dividends Received Deduction: For the year ended May 31, 2014, the LS Opportunity Fund designates 100% of the dividends distributed during the fiscal year as qualifying for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.

Long-Term Capital Gains: For the year ended May 31, 2014, the LS Opportunity Fund hereby designates as a capital gain dividend with respect to the taxable year ending March 31, 2014, $2,801,219, or, subsequently determined to be different, the net capital gain of such year. The Funds will notify shareholders in January 2015 of amounts for use in preparing 2014 income tax returns.

 

39


TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS (Unaudited)

The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires or is removed.

The following tables provide information regarding the Trustees and Officers.

The following table provides information regarding each of the Independent Trustees.

 

Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust**, Term
of Position with Trust
  Principal Occupation During
Past 5 Years
  Other  Directorships

Ira Cohen, 55,

Independent Trustee, June 2010 to present.

  Independent financial services consultant, since February 2005.   Trustee, Griffin Institutional Access Real Estate Fund, since June 2014.
Andrea N. Mullins, 47,
Independent Trustee, December 2013 to present.
  Private investor; Independent Contractor, Seabridge Wealth Management, LLC, since April 2014; Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, Eagle Family of Funds (mutual fund family) and Vice President, Eagle Asset Management, Inc. (investment adviser) each from 2004 to 2010.   None.

 

*

The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208.

**

As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 14 series.

 

40


The following table provides information regarding the Trustee who is considered an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. Based on the experience of the Trustee, the Trust concluded that the individual described below should serve as a Trustee.

 

Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust**, Term
of Position with Trust
  Principal Occupation During
Past 5 Years
  Other  Directorships

R. Jeffrey Young, 49,

Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present.

  Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January 2010, Director since May 2014; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds, since February 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Strategy Shares, since November 2010; Director, Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2014; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds, from March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, from August 2008 to January 2010; and Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Professional Planning Consultants, from 2007 to 2010.   Trustee, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013.

 

*

The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208.

**

As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 14 series.

 

41


The following table provides information regarding the Officers of the Trust:

 

Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust,** Term
of Position with Trust
  Principal Occupation During
Past 5 Years
  Other  Directorships

R. Jeffrey Young, 49,

Trustee and Chairman, June 2010 to present; Principal Executive Officer and President, Valued Advisers Trust since February 2010;

  Senior Vice President, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since January 2010, Director since May 2014; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Funds, since February 2010; Chief Executive Officer, Huntington Strategy Shares, since November 2010; Director, Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2014; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds, from March 2011 to February 2013; Trustee, Valued Advisers Trust, from August 2008 to January 2010; and Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Professional Planning Consultants, from 2007 to 2010.   Trustee, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013.

 

42


Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust,** Term
of Position with Trust
  Principal Occupation During
Past 5 Years
  Other  Directorships

John C. Swhear, 53,

Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice President, August 2008 to present.

  Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since April 2007, Director since May 2014; Chief Compliance Officer, Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trust’s distributor, since May 2007, Director since May 2014; President, Unified Series Trust, since March 2012, and Senior Vice President from May 2007 to March 2012; Chief Compliance Officer and AML Officer, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013; Secretary, Huntington Funds, from April 2010 to February 2012; President and Chief Executive Officer, Dreman Contrarian Funds, from March 2010 to March 2011, and Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, from 2007 to March 2010.   None.

Carol J. Highsmith, 49,

Vice President, August 2008 to present; Secretary, March 2014 to present

  Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since November of 1994; currently Vice President of Legal Administration.   None.

 

43


Name, Address*, (Age),
Position with Trust,** Term
of Position with Trust
  Principal Occupation During
Past 5 Years
  Other  Directorships

Matthew J. Miller, 38,

Vice President, December 2011 to present.

  Employed in various positions with Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since July of 1998; currently Vice President of Relationship Management; Vice President, Huntington Funds, since February 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer, Capitol Series Trust, since September 2013.   None.

Bryan W. Ashmus, 41,

Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer, December 2013 to present.

  Vice President, Financial Administration, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trust’s administrator, since September 2013; Treasurer, Huntington Strategy Shares and Huntington Funds, since November 2013; Vice President, Treasurer Services, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., from 2005 to 2013.   None.

 

*

The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208.

**

As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 14 series.

OTHER INFORMATION

The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the trustees and is available without charge, upon request. You may call toll-free at (877) 336-6763 to request a copy of the SAI or to make shareholder inquiries.

 

44


Continuation of Investment Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement Relating to the LS Opportunity Fund

At a meeting held on March 11-12, 2014, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) considered the renewal of the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) between the Trust and Long Short Advisors, LLC (“LSA” or “Adviser”) on behalf of the LS Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”) and the renewal of the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) between the Adviser and Independence Capital Asset Partners, LLC (“ICAP” or “Sub-Adviser”) on behalf of the Fund. Counsel noted that the 1940 Act requires the approval of the investment advisory agreement between the Trust and its investment advisor by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Board then specifically discussed the arrangements between the Adviser and the Trust with respect to the Fund.

The discussion then turned toward the proposed renewal of the Advisory Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement for the Fund. Counsel directed the Trustees to a memorandum from his firm that summarized, among other things, the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the agreements. A copy of this memorandum was circulated to the Trustees in advance of the meeting. Counsel discussed with the Trustees the types of information and factors that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision regarding the approval of the renewal of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement, including the following material factors: (i) the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by the Adviser, including its oversight of ICAP; (ii) the investment performance of the Fund; (iii) the costs of the services to be provided and anticipated profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund; (iv) the extent to which economies of scale would be realized if the Fund grows and whether advisory fee levels reflect those economies of scale for the benefit of the Fund’s investors; and (v) the Adviser’s practices regarding possible conflicts of interest and potential benefits derived from its relationship with the Fund. He pointed out that the Board’s duties with respect to the Sub-Advisory Agreement are the same as those with respect to the Advisory Agreement. The Board discussed the contractual arrangements between the Trust and LSA, and between LSA and ICAP with respect to the Fund.

Advisory Agreement

With respect to the proposed renewal of the Advisory Agreement, Counsel discussed with the Trustees the factors that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision regarding the renewal of the Advisory Agreement, including a review of the factors as applicable to LSA. In assessing these factors and reaching its decisions, the Board took into consideration information furnished for the Board’s review and consideration throughout the year at regular Board meetings, as well as information specifically requested and prepared and/or presented in connection with the annual renewal process, including information

 

45


presented at the Meeting. The Board was provided with information and reports relevant to the annual renewal of the Advisory Agreement, including: (i) reports regarding the services and support provided to the Fund and its shareholders by LSA; (ii) quarterly assessments of the investment performance of the Fund by personnel of LSA; (iii) commentary on the reasons for the performance; (iv) presentations by LSA addressing investment philosophy, investment strategy, personnel and operations of ICAP; (v) compliance and audit reports concerning the Fund and LSA and the oversight by LSA of similar reports concerning ICAP; (vi) disclosure information contained in the registration statement of the Trust with respect to the Fund and the Form ADV of LSA; (vii) information relating to the manner in which LSA oversees ICAP; and (viii) a memorandum from Counsel, that summarized the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the Board in reviewing and approving the Advisory Agreement, including the material factors set forth above and the types of information included in each factor that should be considered by the Board in order to make an informed decision. The Board also requested and received various informational materials including, without limitation: (i) documents containing information about LSA, including financial information, a description of personnel and the managerial services provided to the Fund, information on investment advice, performance, summaries of Fund expenses, compliance program, current legal matters, and other general information; (ii) comparative expense and performance information for other mutual funds with strategies similar to the Fund; and (iii) benefits to be realized by LSA from its relationship with the Fund. The Board did not identify any particular information that was most relevant to its consideration to approve the Advisory Agreement and each Trustee may have afforded different weight to the various factors.

 

1.

The nature, extent, and quality of the services to be provided by the Adviser. In this regard, the Board considered LSA’s responsibilities under the Advisory Agreement. The Trustees considered the services being provided by LSA to the Fund including its process for overseeing the sub-adviser’s portfolio management of the Fund, assuring compliance with the Fund’s investment objectives and limitations, its coordination of services for the Fund among the Fund’s service providers, and its efforts to promote the Fund and grow its assets. The Trustees reviewed the steps LSA takes to oversee and supervise the sub-adviser, as described in the materials provided by LSA. They also noted that LSA has engaged outside experts to enhance and augment its internal compliance program. The Trustees noted that LSA had recently added a product specialist/development employee who has begun to focus 100% of his time on raising assets and marketing the Fund. The Trustees also considered the relationship of LSA’s affiliate and its utilization of the infrastructure and other resources of its affiliate. The Trustees considered LSA’s continuity of, and commitment to retain, qualified personnel and LSA’s commitment to maintain and enhance its resources and systems, the commitment of LSA’s personnel to finding alternatives and options that allow the Fund to maintain its goals, and LSA’s continued cooperation with the Board and Counsel for the Fund. The Trustees

 

46


 

considered LSA’s personnel, including the education and experience of LSA’s personnel. After considering the foregoing information and further information in the Meeting materials provided by LSA (including LSA’s Form ADV), the Board concluded that, in light of all the facts and circumstances, the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by LSA were satisfactory and adequate for the Fund.

 

2.

Investment Performance of the Fund and the Adviser. In considering the investment performance of the Fund, the Trustees compared the short-term performance of the Fund with the performance of funds with similar objectives managed by other investment advisers, as well as with aggregated peer group data. The Trustees noted that LSA did not manage any accounts directly and that it had delegated the portfolio management responsibilities of the Fund to a sub-adviser. Accordingly, the Trustees concluded that their consideration of this factor for LSA was less relevant in their determination of LSA’s performance of its duties than other factors. The Trustees also considered the consistency of LSA’s management oversight of the Fund’s sub-adviser with the Fund’s investment objective, strategies, and limitations. The Trustees also compared the short-term performance of the Fund with the performance of its benchmark index, a style specific index and comparable funds with similar objectives managed by other investment advisers. The Trustees noted that the Fund’s performance, in the periods since the Fund’s inception, was generally better than that of its style-specific benchmark, but that the Fund had underperformed its broad-based market index. The Trustees also observed that the Fund had outperformed the average and median of peers in the Fund’s category. After reviewing and discussing the investment performance of the Fund further, LSA’s experience in overseeing the sub-adviser to the Fund, the Fund’s historical performance, and other relevant factors, the Board concluded, in light of all the facts and circumstances, that the investment performance of the Fund was satisfactory.

 

3.

The costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser from the relationship with the Fund. In considering the costs of services to be provided and the profits to be realized by LSA from the relationship with the Fund, the Trustees considered: (1) LSA’s financial condition; (2) asset levels of the Fund; (3) the overall expenses of the Fund; and (4) the nature and frequency of advisory fee payments. The Trustees reviewed information provided by LSA regarding its profits associated with managing the Fund. The Trustees also considered the relationship of LSA’s affiliate and its utilization of the infrastructure and other resources of its affiliate. The Trustees also considered potential benefits for LSA in managing the Fund. The Trustees then compared the fees and expenses of the Fund (including the management fee) to other comparable mutual funds. The Trustees noted that the Fund’s management fee was among the highest in its peer group and the net expense ratios were also among the highest in its peer group. In this regard, the Trustees

 

47


 

reflected upon their discussion with representatives of LSA earlier in the Meeting, and commented on LSA’s assertion that the firm provided a premium product in comparison to other products in the marketplace. Nonetheless, the Board concluded that the fees to be paid to LSA by the Fund and the profits to be realized by the Fund, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by LSA.

 

4.

The extent to which economies of scale would be realized as the Fund grows and whether advisory fee levels reflect these economies of scale for the benefit of the Fund’s investors. In this regard, the Board considered the Fund’s fee arrangements with LSA. The Board considered that while the management fee remained the same at all asset levels, the Fund’s shareholders had experienced benefits from the Fund’s expense limitation arrangement. The Trustees noted that once the Fund’s expenses fell below the cap set by the arrangement, the Fund’s shareholders would continue to benefit from the economies of scale under the Fund’s agreements with service providers other than LSA. In light of its ongoing consideration of the Fund’s asset levels, expectations for growth in the Fund, and fee levels, the Board determined that the Fund’s fee arrangements, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by LSA.

 

5.

Possible conflicts of interest and benefits to the Adviser. In considering LSA’s practices regarding conflicts of interest, the Trustees evaluated the potential for conflicts of interest and considered such matters as the experience and ability of the advisory personnel assigned to the Fund; the operations of LSA’s investment advisory affiliate; and the substance and administration of LSA’s code of ethics. The Trustees also considered disclosure in the registration statement of the Trust relating to LSA’s potential conflicts of interest. The Trustees noted other potential benefits (in addition to the management fee) to LSA, such as the ability to market their services in new channels (other than direct separate accounts). Based on the foregoing, the Board determined that LSA’s standards and practices relating to the identification and mitigation of potential conflicts of interest and the benefits to be realized by LSA in managing the Fund were satisfactory.

After additional consideration of the factors delineated in the memorandum provided by Counsel and further discussion among the Board, the Board determined to approve the continuation of the Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser.

Sub-Advisory Agreement

 

1.

The nature, extent, and quality of the services to be provided by the Sub-Adviser. In this regard, the Board considered ICAP’s responsibilities under the Sub-Advisory Agreement. The Trustees considered the services being provided

 

48


 

by ICAP to the LS Fund, (including, without limitation: the quality of its investment sub-advisory services (including research and recommendations with respect to portfolio securities), its process for formulating investment recommendations and assuring compliance with the Fund’s investment objectives and limitations. The Trustees considered ICAP’s continuity of, and commitment to retain, qualified personnel and ICAP’s commitment to maintain and enhance its resources and systems, the commitment of ICAP’s personnel. The Trustees considered ICAP’s personnel, including the education and experience of ICAP’s personnel. After considering the foregoing information and further information in the Meeting materials provided by ICAP (including ICAP’s Form ADV), the Board concluded that, in light of all the facts and circumstances, the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided by ICAP were satisfactory and adequate for the Fund.

 

2.

Investment Performance of the Fund and the Sub-Adviser. In considering the investment performance of the Fund and ICAP, the Trustees compared the short-term performance of the Fund with the performance of funds with similar objectives managed by other investment advisers, as well as with aggregated peer group data and with its benchmarks. The Trustees also considered the consistency of ICAP’s management of the Fund with its investment objective, strategies, and limitations. The Trustees considered the performance of other accounts managed by ICAP. The Trustees noted that the Fund’s performance, in the periods since the Fund’s inception, was generally better than that of its style-specific benchmark, but that the Fund had underperformed its broad-based market index. The Trustees also observed that the Fund had outperformed the average and median of peers in the Fund’s category. The Trustees considered that the performance of the Fund slightly exceeded that of ICAP’s composite of other accounts that were managed in a manner similar to the Fund. After reviewing and discussing the investment performance of the Fund further, ICAP’s experience sub-advising the Fund, the Fund’s historical performance, and other relevant factors, the Board concluded, in light of all the facts and circumstances, that the investment performance of the Fund and ICAP was satisfactory.

 

3.

The costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Sub-Adviser from the relationship with the Fund. In considering the costs of services to be provided and the profits to be realized by ICAP from the relationship with the Fund, the Trustees considered: (1) ICAP’s financial condition; (2) the asset levels of the Fund; (3) the overall expenses of the Fund; and (4) the nature and frequency of sub-advisory fee payments. The Trustees reviewed information provided by ICAP regarding its profits associated with managing the Fund. The Trustees also considered potential benefits for ICAP in managing the Fund. The Trustees then compared the fees and expenses of the Fund (including the sub-advisory fee) to other accounts managed by ICAP. The Trustees noted that the sub-advisory fee was lower than any other accounts

 

49


 

with similar objectives and strategies managed by ICAP. Based on the foregoing, the Board concluded that the fees to be paid to ICAP by the Fund’s adviser and the profits to be realized by ICAP, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by ICAP.

 

4.

The extent to which economies of scale would be realized as the Fund grows and whether sub-advisory fee levels reflect these economies of scale for the benefit of the Fund’s investors. In this regard, the Board considered the Fund’s fee arrangements with ICAP. The Board considered that while the sub-advisory fee changed with changes in the Fund’s assets, the Fund’s shareholders did not realize any changes in their overall expenses as ICAP’s fee was paid entirely from the advisory fee paid to the investment adviser, which was fixed. The Board considered the sub-advisory fees in light of the overall arrangement with the Fund’s investment adviser. In light of the foregoing, the Board determined that the Fund’s fee arrangements for ICAP, in light of all the facts and circumstances, were fair and reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by ICAP.

 

5.

Possible conflicts of interest and benefits to the Sub-Adviser. In considering ICAP’s practices regarding conflicts of interest, the Trustees evaluated the potential for conflicts of interest and considered such matters as the experience and ability of the advisory personnel assigned to the Fund; the basis of decisions to buy or sell securities for the Fund and/or ICAP’s other accounts; and the substance and administration of ICAP’s code of ethics. The Trustees also considered disclosure in the registration statement of the Trust relating to ICAP’s potential conflicts of interest. The Trustees noted that ICAP may utilize soft dollars and the Trustees noted ICAP’s policies and processes for managing the conflicts of interest that could arise from soft dollar arrangements. The Trustees noted another potential benefit (in addition to the sub-advisory fee) to ICAP, which is the ability to generate a public performance record for potential clients that utilize hedge funds as well as mutual funds. Based on the foregoing, the Board determined that the standards and practices of ICAP relating to the identification and mitigation of potential conflicts of interest and the benefits to be realized by ICAP in managing the Fund were satisfactory.

After additional consideration of the factors delineated in the memorandum provided by Counsel and further discussion among the Board, the Board determined to approve the continuation of the Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser.

 

50


VALUED ADVISERS TRUST

PRIVACY POLICY

The following is a description of the policies of the Valued Advisers Trust (the “Trust”) regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that shareholders provide to a series of the Trust (each, a “Fund”) or that the Fund collects from other sources. In the event that a shareholder hold shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of the financial intermediary would govern how shareholder nonpublic personal information would be shared with nonaffiliated third parties.

Categories of Information A Fund May Collect. A Fund may collect the following nonpublic personal information about its shareholders:

 

   

Information the Fund receives from a shareholder on applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as the shareholder’s name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth); and

 

   

Information about the shareholder’s transactions with the Fund, its affiliates, or others (such as the shareholder’s account number and balance, payment history, cost basis information, and other financial information).

Categories of Information A Fund May Disclose. A Fund may not disclose any nonpublic personal information about its current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. A Fund is permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to its service providers (such as the Fund’s custodian, administrator, transfer agent, accountant and legal counsel) to process shareholder transactions and otherwise provide services to the shareholder.

Confidentiality and Security. Each Fund shall restrict access to shareholder nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to the shareholder. Each Fund shall maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard shareholder nonpublic personal information.

Disposal of Information. The Funds, through their transfer agent, have taken steps to reasonably ensure that the privacy of a shareholder’s nonpublic personal information is maintained at all times, including in connection with the disposal of information that is no longer required to be maintained by the Funds. Such steps shall include, whenever possible, shredding paper documents and records prior to disposal, requiring off-site storage vendors to shred documents maintained in such locations prior to disposal, and erasing and/or obliterating any data contained on electronic media in such a manner that the information can no longer be read or reconstructed.

 

51


PROXY VOTING

A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how the Fund voted those proxies during the most recent twelve month period ended June 30, is available without charge upon request by (1) calling the Fund at (877) 336-6763 and (2) from Fund documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

TRUSTEES

R. Jeffrey Young, Chairman

Ira Cohen

Andrea Mullins

OFFICERS

R. Jeffrey Young, Principal Executive Officer and President

Bryan W. Ashmus, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer

John C. Swhear, Chief Compliance Officer, AML Officer and Vice-President

Carol J. Highsmith, Vice President and Secretary

Matthew J. Miller, Vice President

INVESTMENT ADVISOR

Long Short Advisors, LLC

1818 Market Street, 33rd Floor, Suite 3323

Philadelphia, PA 19103

DISTRIBUTOR

Unified Financial Securities, Inc.

2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300

Indianapolis, IN 46208

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd.

1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800

Cleveland, OH 44115

LEGAL COUNSEL

The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc.,

A member firm of The 1940 Act Law GroupTM

11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310

Leawood, KS 66211

CUSTODIAN

Citibank, N.A.

388 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10013

ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT AND FUND ACCOUNTANT

Huntington Asset Services, Inc.

2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300

Indianapolis, IN 46208

This report is intended only for the information of shareholders or those who have received the Fund’s prospectus which contains information about the Fund’s management fee and expenses. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Distributed by Unified Financial Securities, Inc.

Member FINRA/SIPC


Item 2. Code of Ethics.

As of the end of the period covered by this report, the registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the registrant or a third party. Pursuant to Item 12(a)(1), a copy of registrant’s code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR. During the period covered by this report, the code of ethics has not been amended, and the registrant has not granted any waivers, including implicit waivers, from the provisions of the code of ethics.


Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

(a)(1) The registrant’s Board of Trustees has determined that the registrant has at least one audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee.

(a)(2) The audit committee financial expert is Andrea N. Mullins, who is “independent” for purposes of this Item 3 of the Form N-CSR.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

 

(a) Audit Fees

 

The LS Opportunity Fund:

     FY 2014       $ 13,500   
     FY 2013       $ 12,500   

The BFS Equity Fund:

     FY 2014       $ 12,500   

The Cloud Capital Funds:

     FY 2014       $ 25,000   
     FY 2013       $ 26,000   

 

(b) Audit-Related Fees

 

Registrant

 

The LS Opportunity Fund:

     FY 2014       $ 0   
     FY 2013       $ 0   

The BFS Equity Fund:

     FY 2014       $ 0   

The Cloud Capital Funds:

     FY 2014       $ 0   
     FY 2013       $ 0   

 

(c) Tax Fees

 

Registrant

 

The LS Opportunity Fund:

     FY 2014       $ 2,500   
     FY 2013       $ 2,500   

The BFS Equity Fund:

     FY 2014       $ 2,500   

The Cloud Capital Funds:

     FY 2014       $ 5,000   
     FY 2013       $ 5,000   

 

-2-


Nature of the fees:           Preparation of the 1120 RIC and Excise review

 

(d) All Other Fees

 

Registrant

 

The LS Opportunity Fund:

     FY 2014       $ 0   
     FY 2013       $ 0   

The BFS Equity Fund:

     FY 2014       $ 0   

The Cloud Capital Funds:

     FY 2014       $ 20,000   
     FY 2013       $ 20,000   

Nature of the fees: Rule 17f-1 Examination

(e) (1) Audit Committee’s Pre-Approval Policies

The Audit Committee Charter requires the Audit Committee to be responsible for the selection, retention or termination of auditors and, in connection therewith, to (i) evaluate the proposed fees and other compensation, if any, to be paid to the auditors, (ii) evaluate the independence of the auditors, (iii) pre-approve all audit services and, when appropriate, any non-audit services provided by the independent auditors to the Trust, (iv) pre-approve, when appropriate, any non-audit services provided by the independent auditors to the Trust’s investment adviser, or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser and that provides ongoing services to the Trust if the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Trust, and (v) receive the auditors’ specific representations as to their independence;

 

(2) Percentages of Services Approved by the Audit Committee

 

Registrant

 

Audit-Related Fees:

     0

Tax Fees:

     0

All Other Fees:

     0

(f) During audit of registrant’s financial statements for the most recent fiscal year, less than 50 percent of the hours expended on the principal accountant’s engagement were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant’s full-time, permanent employees.

(g) The aggregate non-audit fees billed by the registrant’s accountant for services rendered to the registrant, and rendered to the registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant:

 

     Registrant      Adviser  

FY 2014

   $ 0       $ 0   

FY 2013

   $ 0       $ 0   

 

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(h)         Not applicable. The auditor performed no services for the registrant’s investment adviser or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant.

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Companies. NOT APPLICABLE – applies to listed companies only

Item 6. Schedule of Investments. Schedule filed with Item 1.

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies. NOT APPLICABLE – applies to closed-end funds only

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Investment Companies. NOT APPLICABLE – applies to closed-end funds only

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers. NOT APPLICABLE – applies to closed-end funds only

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

The guidelines applicable to shareholders desiring to submit recommendations for nominees to the Registrant’s board of trustees are contained in the statement of additional information of the Trust with respect to the Fund(s) for which this Form N-CSR is being filed.

Item 11. Controls and Procedures.

(a) Based on their evaluation of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”)) as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report, the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that such disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably designed and are operating effectively to ensure that material information relating to the registrant is made known to them by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared, and that the information required in filings on Form N-CSR is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported on a timely basis.

(b) There were no changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 12. Exhibits.

(a) (1) Code is filed herewith.

 

  (2) Certifications by the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2under the Investment Company Act of 1940 are filed herewith.

 

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  (3) Not Applicable

 

(b) Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is filed herewith.

 

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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.

(Registrant) Valued Advisers Trust

 

By

 

*     /s/ R. Jeffrey Young

 

      R. Jeffrey Young, President and Principal Executive Officer

Date 7/31/2014

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/ R. Jeffrey Young

 

      R. Jeffrey Young, President and Principal Executive Officer

Date 7/31/2014

By

 

*     /s/ Bryan W. Ashmus

 

      Bryan W. Ashmus, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer

Date 7/31/2014

 

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