N-CSR 1 amcap_ncsr.htm N-CSR

 

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: 811-01435

 

AMCAP Fund

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

333 South Hope Street

Los Angeles, California 90071

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (949) 975-5000

 

Date of fiscal year end: February 28 or 29

 

Date of reporting period: February 29, 2020

 

Brian D. Bullard

AMCAP Fund

6455 Irvine Center Drive

Irvine, California 92618

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 
 

 

ITEM 1 – Reports to Stockholders

 

 

AMCAP Fund®  
 
Annual report
for the year ended
February 29, 2020

 

We take a disciplined,
long-term approach
to investing in
growth companies

 

Beginning January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, we intend to no longer mail paper copies of the fund’s shareholder reports, unless specifically requested from American Funds or your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Capital Group website (capitalgroup.com); you will be notified by mail and provided with a website link to access the report each time a report is posted. If you have already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and do not need to take any action. If you prefer to receive shareholder reports and other communications electronically, you may update your mailing preferences with your financial intermediary, or enroll in e-delivery at capitalgroup.com (for accounts held directly with the fund).

 

You may elect to receive paper copies of all future reports free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you may contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the fund, you may inform American Funds that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports by contacting us at (800) 421-4225. Your election to receive paper reports will apply to all funds held with American Funds or through your financial intermediary.

 

 

AMCAP Fund seeks to provide you with long-term growth of capital.

  

This fund is one of more than 40 offered by Capital Group, home of American Funds, one of the nation’s largest mutual fund families. For nearly 90 years, Capital Group has invested with a long-term focus based on thorough research and attention to risk.

 

Fund results shown in this report, unless otherwise indicated, are for Class A shares at net asset value. If a sales charge (maximum 5.75%) had been deducted, the results would have been lower. Results are for past periods and are not predictive of results for future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. Investing for short periods makes losses more likely. For current information and month-end results, visit capitalgroup.com.

 

Here are the average annual total returns on a $1,000 investment with all distributions reinvested for periods ended March 31, 2020 (the most recent calendar quarter-end):

 

Class A shares     1 year       5 years       10 years  
                         
Reflecting 5.75% maximum sales charge     –12.61%       4.82%       9.55%  

 

For other share class results, visit capitalgroup.com and americanfundsretirement.com.

 

The total annual fund operating expense ratio is 0.69% for Class A shares as of the prospectus dated May 1, 2020 (unaudited). The expense ratio is restated to reflect current fees.

 

Investment results assume all distributions are reinvested and reflect applicable fees and expenses. When applicable, investment results reflect fee waivers, without which results would have been lower. Visit capitalgroup.com for more information.

 

Refer to the fund prospectus and the Risk Factors section of this report for more information on risks associated with investing in the fund.

 

Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity, so they may lose value.

 
Contents
   
1 Letter to investors
   
4 The value of a long-term perspective
   
6 Summary investment portfolio
   
9 Financial statements
   
26 Board of trustees and other officers

 

Fellow investors:

 

The U.S. stock market advanced during the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, even as geopolitical concerns continued to add to market volatility. Heightened political risk also weighed on sentiment and led to increased volatility. After raising interest rates in 2018, the Federal Reserve held steady in 2019 before finally cutting rates last summer for the first time since 2008. Since then, the Fed has made four additional rate cuts, including two emergency cuts totaling 1.5 points in the wake of the coronavirus impact to the market and economy.

 

During the 12-month period, AMCAP Fund had a total return of 7.03% versus a 8.19% total return for the unmanaged Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index — a market capitalization-weighted index based on the results of approximately 500 widely held common stocks.

 

Over its 53-year lifetime, AMCAP has had an average annual total return of 11.40%, exceeding the 9.96% return for the S&P 500. For the past 10 years, the fund has had an average annual total return of 12.24%, slightly lagging the 12.65% return for the S&P 500.

 

Investment results analysis

The fund’s investments in the industrials sector contributed to returns, including aerospace companies such as TransDigm Group. Shares of the company, which provides aircraft components for commercial and military aircraft, gained 28.50% amid robust sales in both its commercial and defense divisions. TransDigm Group continues to benefit from strong pricing power in the aerospace industry and the company is especially well-positioned to benefit from the long-term structural changes taking

 

Results at a glance

 

For periods ended February 29, 2020, with all distributions reinvested

 

    Cumulative
total returns
  Average annual total returns
    1 year   5 years   10 years   Lifetime
(since 5/1/67)
                                 
AMCAP Fund (Class A shares)     7.03 %     8.49 %     12.24 %     11.40 %
Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index*     8.19       9.23       12.65       9.96  

 

* Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. The market index is unmanaged and, therefore, has no expenses. Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

 

AMCAP Fund 1
 

place in the industry, including rising global air travel and improving fuel efficiency. Elsewhere, we added to shares of Old Dominion Freight Line, which gained 28.54%, as the small-freight trucking company continues to expand its industry market share.

 

Several information technology companies also contributed to returns, led by financial technology group Fidelity National Information Services (FIS). Shares rose 35.45% after payments processor Worldpay agreed to a cash-and-stock takeover by the company, valuing Worldpay at around $43 billion. The payments space continues to experience strong growth, and companies such as FIS that are positioned to take advantage of technological innovations in the sector should benefit from consolidation. Mastercard, another holding in the payments space, rose 29.13% amid market share gains as one of the major firms enabling transactions all over the world.

 

Investments in the health care sector were mixed, with AbbVie gaining 8.17% after the drug company agreed to acquire Botox-maker Allergan in a $63 billion deal and continued to launch new products. But shares of BioMarin Pharmaceutical fell 3.10% amid pipeline uncertainty and increasing scrutiny around drug pricing as we enter the presidential election cycle. Illumina was hampered by short-term execution problems and declined 15.06%, but we believe the company is well-positioned in the growing field of gene sequencing and that it is expanding that field through its own innovation. For example, Illumina has been working with Chinese officials to develop a treatment for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

 

The fund’s energy holdings detracted from returns as oil prices pulled back due to concerns about slowing global growth, overshadowing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Shares of EOG Resources fell 32.70% and those of Concho Resources declined 38.16%. While we continue to believe that both companies are well placed in the oil-and-gas sector, the entire industry continues to be pressured by oversupply and increasing macro concerns.

 

The fund’s cash position held back returns during the strong market. Cash declined to 8.2% from 9.6% (including other short-term securities) at the beginning of the period as some portfolio managers added to positions. In this environment of market volatility, some portfolio managers are finding pockets of investment opportunity; however, overall cash levels continue to reflect a more cautious approach.

 

Looking ahead

The fundamentals of the U.S. economy were generally stable over the past year: the unemployment rate was low, real wages were gradually increasing and consumer spending was slowly on the rise. However, the spread of the coronavirus outside of China to a broad swath of countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas is fueling a broad re-examination of global economic growth assumptions. Even with the emergency measures taken by the Fed, we believe the global economy is headed for a significant slowdown at least in the first half of the year.

 

The depth and severity of any downturn will depend on how officials in the U.S. and other major economies respond, both to the spread of the virus and its economic ramifications. Among the world’s largest economies, we believe the U.S. remains the most resilient. The economy had been growing above trend with a solid labor market and industrial sector activity was

 

2 AMCAP Fund
 

starting to pick up as the U.S. reached a détente in the trade war with China.

 

But news of the continued spread of the coronavirus — and the recent plunge in oil prices — has sent stocks into bear market territory, and bond yields have reached unprecedented lows. While the coronavirus represents a new challenge, there is nothing new about market volatility. Markets have survived viral outbreaks in the past and we believe that looking past the current environment and staying the course can benefit our shareholders over the long term.

 

As such, we continue with our consistent and diligent approach to growth investing, just as we have for the past 50-plus years. While the market doesn’t like uncertainty, we believe our bottom-up approach of focusing on fundamentals and investing in quality companies with sustainable competitive advantages will serve our investors well in a volatile environment, just as it has during previous periods of uncertainty and volatility.

 

AMCAP invests primarily in U.S. companies that have demonstrated solid historical growth and characteristics that we believe are likely to support above-average growth in the future. Our focus on the fundamental growth drivers and the inherent worth of companies is critical to helping us identify investments that we believe represent the best value over the long term. We thank you for your continued support of these efforts.

 

Cordially,

 

 

Barry Crosthwaite
Co-President

 

 

James Terrile
Co-President

 

April 9, 2020

 

For current information about the fund, visit capitalgroup.com.

 

AMCAP Fund 3
 

The value of a long-term perspective

 

 

Fund results shown are for Class A shares and reflect deduction of the maximum sales charge of 5.75% on the $10,000 investment.¹ Thus, the net amount invested was $9,425.² Results are for past periods and are not predictive of results for future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. Investing for short periods makes losses more likely. For current information and month-end results, visit capitalgroup.com.

 

The results shown are before taxes on fund distributions and sale of fund shares.

 

1 As outlined in the prospectus, the sales charge is reduced for accounts (and aggregated investments) of $25,000 or more and is eliminated for purchases of $1 million or more. There is no sales charge on dividends or capital gain distributions that are reinvested in additional shares.
2 The maximum initial sales charge was 8.5% prior to July 1, 1988.
3 Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. The S&P 500 is unmanaged and, therefore, has no expenses. Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4 AMCAP Fund
 

How a $10,000 investment has grown

This chart shows how a hypothetical $10,000 investment in AMCAP Fund grew over the past 50 years from February 28, 1970, to February 29, 2020. As you can see, the investment grew to $2,244,526 with all distributions reinvested.

 

 

AMCAP Fund 5
 

Summary investment portfolio February 29, 2020

 

Industry sector diversification Percent of net assets

 

 

Common stocks 91.82%   Shares     Value
(000)
 
Health care 21.47%                
Abbott Laboratories     24,691,154     $ 1,901,960  
UnitedHealth Group Inc.     6,822,054       1,739,351  
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.     3,637,852       1,057,887  
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.1,2     10,624,447       960,131  
Gilead Sciences, Inc.     12,760,813       885,090  
Amgen Inc.     4,241,750       847,205  
Humana Inc.     2,557,067       817,443  
PerkinElmer, Inc.1     6,466,234       558,941  
IQVIA Holdings Inc.2     3,451,078       481,391  
Centene Corp.2     8,521,163       451,792  
Edwards Lifesciences Corp.2     2,129,418       436,190  
Eli Lilly and Co.     3,412,545       430,424  
AbbVie Inc.     4,899,358       419,924  
Stryker Corp.     1,890,251       360,263  
Other securities             2,567,520  
              13,915,512  
                 
Information technology 21.09%                
Microsoft Corp.     12,581,114       2,038,266  
Broadcom Inc.     4,791,980       1,306,390  
Mastercard Inc., Class A     3,631,190       1,053,953  
ASML Holding NV3     3,296,851       913,105  
Autodesk, Inc.2     4,292,953       819,439  
FleetCor Technologies, Inc.2     2,793,169       742,396  
Intel Corp.     8,426,542       467,842  
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.     3,254,374       454,701  
Micron Technology, Inc.2     8,188,959       430,412  
Ceridian HCM Holding Inc.2     6,038,497       427,103  
Adobe Inc.2     1,175,686       405,753  
Accenture PLC, Class A     2,096,961       378,690  
Other securities             4,232,203  
              13,670,253  
                 
Communication services 13.81%                
Netflix, Inc.2     6,435,588       2,374,925  
Alphabet Inc., Class C2     732,783       981,438  
Alphabet Inc., Class A2     684,097       916,177  
Facebook, Inc., Class A2     9,808,238       1,887,792  
Activision Blizzard, Inc.     15,207,128       883,990  
Tencent Holdings Ltd.3     13,977,318       689,437  
Charter Communications, Inc., Class A2     1,035,623       510,738  
Other securities             708,577  
              8,953,074  

 

6 AMCAP Fund
 
    Shares     Value
(000)
 
Industrials 10.83%                
TransDigm Group Inc.     2,017,556     $ 1,125,413  
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.1     4,905,717       950,728  
CSX Corp.     10,578,673       745,268  
General Dynamics Corp.     4,319,845       689,836  
Northrop Grumman Corp.     1,486,303       488,756  
Equifax Inc.     2,540,905       360,910  
Other securities             2,658,821  
              7,019,732  
                 
Consumer discretionary 8.61%                
Amazon.com, Inc.2     664,602       1,251,944  
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (ADR)2     3,251,231       676,256  
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.2,3     1,014,200       26,391  
Marriott International, Inc., Class A     4,835,959       599,659  
NIKE, Inc., Class B     5,224,119       466,932  
Booking Holdings Inc.2     245,707       416,636  
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.     3,984,017       387,246  
Other securities             1,757,668  
              5,582,732  
                 
Financials 4.81%                
First Republic Bank     5,244,689       527,458  
Aon PLC, Class A     2,201,612       457,935  
S&P Global Inc.     1,490,140       396,243  
Other securities             1,739,451  
              3,121,087  
                 
Energy 4.52%                
EOG Resources, Inc.     19,344,356       1,223,724  
Concho Resources Inc.1     10,180,111       692,451  
Diamondback Energy, Inc.     6,333,781       392,695  
Other securities             620,719  
              2,929,589  
                 
Consumer staples 3.86%                
Costco Wholesale Corp.     2,270,958       638,457  
Constellation Brands, Inc., Class A     3,100,384       534,444  
Other securities             1,330,997  
              2,503,898  
                 
Real estate 1.53%                
American Tower Corp. REIT     1,741,028       394,865  
Other securities             599,119  
              993,984  
                 
Other 1.29%                
Other securities             838,514  
                 
Total common stocks (cost: $40,658,562,000)             59,528,375  
                 
Short-term securities 8.01%                
Money market investments 8.01%                
Capital Group Central Cash Fund 1.63%1,4     51,911,222       5,191,122  
                 
Total short-term securities (cost: $5,184,280,000)             5,191,122  
Total investment securities 99.83% (cost: $45,842,842,000)             64,719,497  
Other assets less liabilities 0.17%             108,744  
                 
Net assets 100.00%           $ 64,828,241  

 

This summary investment portfolio is designed to streamline the report and help investors better focus on the fund’s principal holdings. See the inside back cover for details on how to obtain a complete schedule of portfolio holdings.

 

“Other securities” includes all issues that are not disclosed separately in the summary investment portfolio.

 

AMCAP Fund 7
 

Investments in affiliates

 

A company is an affiliate of the fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940 if the fund’s holdings represent 5% or more of the outstanding voting shares of that company. The value of the fund’s affiliated-company holdings is either shown in the summary investment portfolio or included in the value of “Other securities” under the respective industry sectors. Further details on these holdings and related transactions during the year ended February 29, 2020, appear below.

 

    Beginning
shares
    Additions     Reductions     Ending
shares
    Net
realized
(loss) gain
(000)
    Net
unrealized
appreciation
(depreciation)
(000)
    Dividend
income
(000)
    Value of
affiliates at
2/29/2020
(000)
 
Common stocks 5.32%                                                                
Health care 2.79%                                                                
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.2     10,177,000       2,346,500       1,899,053       10,624,447     $ (12,713 )   $ 4,815     $     $ 960,131  
PerkinElmer, Inc.     7,191,234       555,705       1,280,705       6,466,234       17,652       (70,126 )     1,789       558,941  
Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corp.2     5,995,967             441,485       5,554,482       (6,214 )     (13,804 )           289,389  
                                                              1,808,461  
Information technology 0.00%                                                                
Trimble Inc.2,5     14,536,673       1,184,532       12,914,224       2,806,981       189,917       (191,030 )            
Industrials 1.46%                                                                
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.     3,954,714       1,166,726       215,723       4,905,717       7,124       197,180       3,031       950,728  
Middleby Corp.2,5     2,905,507       500,000       1,840,206       1,565,301       (30,574 )     (14,832 )            
                                                              950,728  
Consumer discretionary 0.00%                                                                
Texas Roadhouse, Inc.5     3,875,000             3,875,000             170,945       (203,499 )     3,525        
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.5     5,036,664             1,509,987       3,526,677       25,026       4,855       7,934        
                                                               
Energy 1.07%                                                                
Concho Resources Inc.     7,862,000       2,790,832       472,721       10,180,111       (31,152 )     (359,187 )     5,583       692,451  
Materials 0.00%                                                                
Valvoline Inc.5     15,053,100             10,273,378       4,779,722       (27,144 )     53,294       5,268        
Short-term securities 8.01%                                                                
Money market investments 8.01%                                                                
Capital Group Central Cash Fund 1.63%4           131,484,874       79,573,652       51,911,222       (9,801 )     6,842       120,219       5,191,122  
Total 13.33%                                   $ 293,066     $ (585,492 )   $ 147,349     $ 8,642,762  

 

1 Represents an affiliated company as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
2 Security did not produce income during the last 12 months.
3 Valued under fair value procedures adopted by authority of the board of trustees. The total value of all such securities, including those in “Other securities,” was $3,364,647,000, which represented 5.19% of the net assets of the fund. This entire amount relates to certain securities trading outside the U.S. whose values were adjusted as a result of significant market movements following the close of local trading.
4 Rate represents the seven-day yield at 2/29/2020.
5 Unaffiliated issuer at 2/29/2020.

 

Key to abbreviation

ADR = American Depositary Receipts

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

8 AMCAP Fund
 

Financial statements

 

Statement of assets and liabilities  
at February 29, 2020 (dollars in thousands)

 

Assets:                
Investment securities, at value:                
Unaffiliated issuers (cost: $37,810,885)   $ 56,076,735          
Affiliated issuers (cost: $8,031,957)     8,642,762     $ 64,719,497  
Cash             975  
Receivables for:                
Sales of investments     439,398          
Sales of fund’s shares     84,529          
Dividends     54,765          
Other     1,176       579,868  
              65,300,340  
Liabilities:                
Payables for:                
Purchases of investments     257,159          
Repurchases of fund’s shares     173,934          
Investment advisory services     16,714          
Services provided by related parties     13,012          
Trustees’ deferred compensation     1,831          
Other     9,449       472,099  
Net assets at February 29, 2020           $ 64,828,241  
                 
Net assets consist of:                
Capital paid in on shares of beneficial interest           $ 44,805,835  
Total distributable earnings             20,022,406  
Net assets at February 29, 2020           $ 64,828,241  

 

(dollars and shares in thousands, except per-share amounts)

 

Shares of beneficial interest issued and outstanding (no stated par value) —
unlimited shares authorized (2,064,461 total shares outstanding)

 

    Net assets     Shares
outstanding
    Net asset value
per share
 
Class A   $ 30,634,790       973,336     $ 31.47  
Class C     1,299,278       47,854       27.15  
Class T     11       *     31.50  
Class F-1     1,331,514       42,703       31.18  
Class F-2     7,553,701       238,182       31.71  
Class F-3     3,966,921       125,812       31.53  
Class 529-A     1,891,416       60,862       31.08  
Class 529-C     219,826       8,050       27.31  
Class 529-E     78,478       2,604       30.14  
Class 529-T     13       *     31.49  
Class 529-F-1     151,129       4,818       31.37  
Class R-1     68,461       2,444       28.01  
Class R-2     605,379       21,616       28.01  
Class R-2E     67,035       2,160       31.04  
Class R-3     990,227       32,627       30.35  
Class R-4     906,436       29,078       31.17  
Class R-5E     76,642       2,432       31.52  
Class R-5     571,651       17,875       31.98  
Class R-6     14,415,333       452,008       31.89  

 

* Amount less than one thousand.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

AMCAP Fund 9
 
Statement of operations  
for the year ended February 29, 2020 (dollars in thousands)

 

Investment income:                
Income:                
Dividends (net of non-U.S. taxes of $6,558; also includes $147,349 from affiliates)   $ 914,680          
Interest     7,082     $ 921,762  
Fees and expenses*:                
Investment advisory services     201,000          
Distribution services     118,137          
Transfer agent services     51,184          
Administrative services     20,587          
Reports to shareholders     1,896          
Registration statement and prospectus     1,593          
Trustees’ compensation     900          
Auditing and legal     148          
Custodian     715          
Other     1,678       397,838  
Net investment income             523,924  
                 
Net realized gain and unrealized appreciation:                
Net realized gain (loss) on:                
Investments (net of non-U.S. taxes of $1,629):                
Unaffiliated issuers     3,600,269          
Affiliated issuers     293,066          
Currency transactions     (1,368 )     3,891,967  
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:                
Investments (net of non-U.S. taxes of $8,925):                
Unaffiliated issuers     895,787          
Affiliated issuers     (585,492 )        
Currency translations     127       310,422  
Net realized gain and unrealized appreciation             4,202,389  
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations           $ 4,726,313  

 

* Additional information related to class-specific fees and expenses is included in the notes to financial statements.

 

Statements of changes in net assets

 

(dollars in thousands)

 

    Year ended
February 29,
2020
    Year ended
February 28,
2019
 
Operations:                
Net investment income   $ 523,924     $ 459,342  
Net realized gain     3,891,967       4,415,955  
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)     310,422       (2,702,279 )
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations     4,726,313       2,173,018  
                 
Distributions paid to shareholders     (3,402,053 )     (5,948,794 )
                 
Net capital share transactions     (1,275,135 )     5,024,665  
                 
Total increase in net assets     49,125       1,248,889  
                 
Net assets:                
Beginning of year     64,779,116       63,530,227  
End of year   $ 64,828,241     $ 64,779,116  

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

10 AMCAP Fund
 

Notes to financial statements

 

1. Organization

 

AMCAP Fund (the “fund”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end, diversified management investment company. The fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital.

 

The fund has 19 share classes consisting of six retail share classes (Classes A, C, T, F-1, F-2 and F-3), five 529 college savings plan share classes (Classes 529-A, 529-C, 529-E, 529-T and 529-F-1) and eight retirement plan share classes (Classes R-1, R-2, R-2E, R-3, R-4, R-5E, R-5 and R-6). The 529 college savings plan share classes can be used to save for college education. The retirement plan share classes are generally offered only through eligible employer-sponsored retirement plans. The fund’s share classes are described further in the following table:

 

Share class   Initial sales charge   Contingent deferred sales
charge upon redemption
  Conversion feature  
Classes A and 529-A   Up to 5.75%   None (except 1% for certain redemptions within 18 months of purchase without an initial sales charge)   None  
Class C   None   1% for redemptions within one year of purchase   Class C converts to Class F-1 after 10 years  
Class 529-C   None   1% for redemptions within one year of purchase   Class 529-C converts to Class 529-A after 10 years  
Class 529-E   None   None   None  
Classes T and 529-T*   Up to 2.50%   None   None  
Classes F-1, F-2, F-3 and 529-F-1   None   None   None  
Classes R-1, R-2, R-2E, R-3, R-4, R-5E, R-5 and R-6   None   None   None  
* Class T and 529-T shares are not available for purchase.

 

Holders of all share classes have equal pro rata rights to the assets, dividends and liquidation proceeds of the fund. Each share class has identical voting rights, except for the exclusive right to vote on matters affecting only its class. Share classes have different fees and expenses (“class-specific fees and expenses”), primarily due to different arrangements for distribution, transfer agent and administrative services. Differences in class-specific fees and expenses will result in differences in net investment income and, therefore, the payment of different per-share dividends by each share class.

 

2. Significant accounting policies

 

The fund is an investment company that applies the accounting and reporting guidance issued in Topic 946 by the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board. The fund’s financial statements have been prepared to comply with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). These principles require the fund’s investment adviser to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events, if any, have been evaluated through the date of issuance in the preparation of the financial statements. The fund follows the significant accounting policies described in this section, as well as the valuation policies described in the next section on valuation.

 

Security transactions and related investment income — Security transactions are recorded by the fund as of the date the trades are executed with brokers. Realized gains and losses from security transactions are determined based on the specific identified cost of the securities. In the event a security is purchased with a delayed payment date, the fund will segregate liquid assets sufficient to meet its payment obligations. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date and interest income is recognized on an accrual basis. Market discounts, premiums and original issue discounts on fixed-income securities are amortized daily over the expected life of the security.

 

Class allocations — Income, fees and expenses (other than class-specific fees and expenses) and realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated daily among the various share classes based on their relative net assets. Class-specific fees and expenses, such as distribution, transfer agent and administrative services, are charged directly to the respective share class.

 

Distributions paid to shareholders — Income dividends and capital gain distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date.

 

AMCAP Fund 11
   

Currency translation — Assets and liabilities, including investment securities, denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates supplied by one or more pricing vendors on the valuation date. Purchases and sales of investment securities and income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates on the dates of such transactions. The effects of changes in exchange rates on investment securities are included with the net realized gain or loss and net unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments in the fund’s statement of operations. The realized gain or loss and unrealized appreciation or depreciation resulting from all other transactions denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars are disclosed separately.

 

3. Valuation

 

Capital Research and Management Company (“CRMC”), the fund’s investment adviser, values the fund’s investments at fair value as defined by U.S. GAAP. The net asset value of each share class of the fund is generally determined as of approximately 4:00 p.m. New York time each day the New York Stock Exchange is open.

 

Methods and inputs — The fund’s investment adviser uses the following methods and inputs to establish the fair value of the fund’s assets and liabilities. Use of particular methods and inputs may vary over time based on availability and relevance as market and economic conditions evolve.

 

Equity securities are generally valued at the official closing price of, or the last reported sale price on, the exchange or market on which such securities are traded, as of the close of business on the day the securities are being valued or, lacking any sales, at the last available bid price. Prices for each security are taken from the principal exchange or market on which the security trades.

 

Fixed-income securities, including short-term securities, are generally valued at prices obtained from one or more pricing vendors. Vendors value such securities based on one or more of the inputs described in the following table. The table provides examples of inputs that are commonly relevant for valuing particular classes of fixed-income securities in which the fund is authorized to invest. However, these classifications are not exclusive, and any of the inputs may be used to value any other class of fixed-income security.

 

Fixed-income class   Examples of standard inputs
All   Benchmark yields, transactions, bids, offers, quotations from dealers and trading systems, new issues, spreads and other relationships observed in the markets among comparable securities; and proprietary pricing models such as yield measures calculated using factors such as cash flows, financial or collateral performance and other reference data (collectively referred to as “standard inputs”)
Corporate bonds & notes; convertible securities   Standard inputs and underlying equity of the issuer
Bonds & notes of governments & government agencies   Standard inputs and interest rate volatilities

 

When the fund’s investment adviser deems it appropriate to do so (such as when vendor prices are unavailable or deemed to be not representative), fixed-income securities will be valued in good faith at the mean quoted bid and ask prices that are reasonably and timely available (or bid prices, if ask prices are not available) or at prices for securities of comparable maturity, quality and type.

 

Securities with both fixed-income and equity characteristics, or equity securities traded principally among fixed-income dealers, are generally valued in the manner described for either equity or fixed-income securities, depending on which method is deemed most appropriate by the fund’s investment adviser. The Capital Group Central Cash Fund (“CCF”), a fund within the Capital Group Central Fund Series (“Central Funds”), is valued based upon a floating net asset value, which fluctuates with changes in the value of CCF’s portfolio securities. The underlying securities are valued based on the policies and procedures in CCF’s statement of additional information.

 

Securities and other assets for which representative market quotations are not readily available or are considered unreliable by the fund’s investment adviser are fair valued as determined in good faith under fair valuation guidelines adopted by authority of the fund’s board of trustees as further described. The investment adviser follows fair valuation guidelines, consistent with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules and guidance, to consider relevant principles and factors when making fair value determinations. The investment adviser considers relevant indications of value that are reasonably and timely available to it in determining the fair value to be assigned to a particular security, such as the type and cost of the security; contractual or legal restrictions on resale of the security; relevant financial or business developments of the issuer; actively traded similar or related securities; conversion or exchange rights on the security; related corporate actions; significant events occurring after the close of trading in the security; and changes in overall market conditions. In addition, the closing prices of equity securities that trade in markets outside U.S. time zones may be adjusted to reflect significant events that occur after the close of local trading but before the net asset value of each share class of the fund is determined. Fair valuations and

 

12 AMCAP Fund
   

valuations of investments that are not actively trading involve judgment and may differ materially from valuations that would have been used had greater market activity occurred.

 

Processes and structure — The fund’s board of trustees has delegated authority to the fund’s investment adviser to make fair value determinations, subject to board oversight. The investment adviser has established a Joint Fair Valuation Committee (the “Fair Valuation Committee”) to administer, implement and oversee the fair valuation process, and to make fair value decisions. The Fair Valuation Committee regularly reviews its own fair value decisions, as well as decisions made under its standing instructions to the investment adviser’s valuation teams. The Fair Valuation Committee reviews changes in fair value measurements from period to period and may, as deemed appropriate, update the fair valuation guidelines to better reflect the results of back testing and address new or evolving issues. The Fair Valuation Committee reports any changes to the fair valuation guidelines to the board of trustees. The fund’s board and audit committee also regularly review reports that describe fair value determinations and methods.

 

The fund’s investment adviser has also established a Fixed-Income Pricing Review Group to administer and oversee the fixed-income valuation process, including the use of fixed-income pricing vendors. This group regularly reviews pricing vendor information and market data. Pricing decisions, processes and controls over security valuation are also subject to additional internal reviews, including an annual control self-evaluation program facilitated by the investment adviser’s compliance group.

 

Classifications — The fund’s investment adviser classifies the fund’s assets and liabilities into three levels based on the inputs used to value the assets or liabilities. Level 1 values are based on quoted prices in active markets for identical securities. Level 2 values are based on significant observable market inputs, such as quoted prices for similar securities and quoted prices in inactive markets. Certain securities trading outside the U.S. may transfer between Level 1 and Level 2 due to valuation adjustments resulting from significant market movements following the close of local trading. Level 3 values are based on significant unobservable inputs that reflect the investment adviser’s determination of assumptions that market participants might reasonably use in valuing the securities. The valuation levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with the underlying investment. For example, U.S. government securities are reflected as Level 2 because the inputs used to determine fair value may not always be quoted prices in an active market. The following table presents the fund’s valuation levels as of February 29, 2020 (dollars in thousands):

 

    Investment securities  
    Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  
Assets:                                
Common stocks:                                
Health care   $ 13,835,631     $ 79,881     $     $ 13,915,512  
Information technology     12,386,177       1,284,076             13,670,253  
Communication services     8,189,369       763,705             8,953,074  
Industrials     6,750,987       268,745             7,019,732  
Consumer discretionary     5,323,323       259,409             5,582,732  
Financials     2,584,789       536,298             3,121,087  
Energy     2,929,589                   2,929,589  
Consumer staples     2,331,365       172,533             2,503,898  
Real estate     993,984                   993,984  
Other     838,514                   838,514  
Short-term securities     5,191,122                   5,191,122  
Total   $ 61,354,850     $ 3,364,647     $     $ 64,719,497  

 

4. Risk factors

 

Investing in the fund may involve certain risks including, but not limited to, those described below.

 

Market conditions — The prices of, and the income generated by, the common stocks and other securities held by the fund may decline — sometimes rapidly or unpredictably — due to various factors, including events or conditions affecting the general economy or particular industries; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; governmental, governmental agency or central bank responses to economic conditions; and currency exchange rate, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations.

 

Issuer risks — The prices of, and the income generated by, securities held by the fund may decline in response to various factors directly related to the issuers of such securities, including reduced demand for an issuer’s goods or services, poor management performance, major litigation related to the issuer, changes in government regulations affecting the issuer or its competitive environment and strategic initiatives such as mergers, acquisitions or dispositions and the market response to any such initiatives.

 

AMCAP Fund 13
   

Investing in growth-oriented stocks — Growth-oriented common stocks and other equity-type securities (such as preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks and convertible bonds) may involve larger price swings and greater potential for loss than other types of investments. These risks may be even greater in the case of smaller capitalization stocks.

 

Investing outside the U.S. — Securities of issuers domiciled outside the U.S., or with significant operations or revenues outside the U.S., may lose value because of adverse political, social, economic or market developments (including social instability, regional conflicts, terrorism and war) in the countries or regions in which the issuers operate or generate revenue. These securities may also lose value due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates against the U.S. dollar and/or currencies of other countries. Issuers of these securities may be more susceptible to actions of foreign governments, such as nationalization, currency blockage or the imposition of price controls or punitive taxes, each of which could adversely impact the value of these securities. Securities markets in certain countries may be more volatile and/or less liquid than those in the U.S. Investments outside the U.S. may also be subject to different accounting practices and different regulatory, legal and reporting standards and practices, and may be more difficult to value, than those in the U.S. In addition, the value of investments outside the U.S. may be reduced by foreign taxes, including foreign withholding taxes on interest and dividends. Further, there may be increased risks of delayed settlement of securities purchased or sold by the fund. The risks of investing outside the U.S. may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets.

 

Management — The investment adviser to the fund actively manages the fund’s investments. Consequently, the fund is subject to the risk that the methods and analyses, including models, tools and data, employed by the investment adviser in this process may be flawed or incorrect and may not produce the desired results. This could cause the fund to lose value or its investment results to lag relevant benchmarks or other funds with similar objectives.

 

5. Taxation and distributions

 

Federal income taxation — The fund complies with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to mutual funds and intends to distribute substantially all of its net taxable income and net capital gains each year. The fund is not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.

 

As of and during the year ended February 29, 2020, 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 period, the fund did not incur any significant interest or penalties.

 

The fund’s tax returns are not subject to examination by federal, state and, if applicable, non-U.S. tax authorities after the expiration of each jurisdiction’s statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the date of filing but can be extended in certain jurisdictions.

 

Non-U.S. taxation — Dividend and interest income are recorded net of non-U.S. taxes paid. The fund may file withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. As a result of rulings from European courts, the fund filed for additional reclaims related to prior years. These reclaims are recorded when the amount is known and there are no significant uncertainties on collectability. Gains realized by the fund on the sale of securities in certain countries, if any, may be subject to non-U.S. taxes. If applicable, the fund records an estimated deferred tax liability based on unrealized gains to provide for potential non-U.S. taxes payable upon the sale of these securities.

 

Distributions — Distributions paid to shareholders are based on net investment income and net realized gains determined on a tax basis, which may differ from net investment income and net realized gains for financial reporting purposes. These differences are due primarily to different treatment for items such as currency gains and losses; short-term capital gains and losses; capital losses related to sales of certain securities within 30 days of purchase; cost of investments sold; non-U.S. taxes on capital gains and income on certain investments. The fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the year in which the net investment income and net realized gains are recorded by the fund for financial reporting purposes. The fund may also designate a portion of the amount paid to redeeming shareholders as a distribution for tax purposes.

 

During the year ended February 29, 2020, the fund reclassified $198,163,000 from total distributable earnings to capital paid in on shares of beneficial interest to align financial reporting with tax reporting.

 

14 AMCAP Fund
   

As of February 29, 2020, the tax basis components of distributable earnings, unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and cost of investments were as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

Undistributed long-term capital gains   $ 1,187,555  
Gross unrealized appreciation on investments     20,912,171  
Gross unrealized depreciation on investments     (2,067,739 )
Net unrealized appreciation on investments     18,844,432  
Cost of investments     45,875,065  

 

Distributions paid were characterized for tax purposes as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

    Year ended February 29, 2020     Year ended February 28, 2019  
Share class   Ordinary
income
    Long-term
capital gains
    Total
distributions
paid
    Ordinary
income
    Long-term
capital gains
    Total
distributions
paid
 
Class A   $ 167,748     $ 1,394,275     $ 1,562,023     $ 163,712     $ 2,605,159     $ 2,768,871  
Class C           70,449       70,449             145,517       145,517  
Class T     *     *     *     *     1       1  
Class F-1     6,587       64,814       71,401       7,425       156,214       163,639  
Class F-2     55,745       345,782       401,527       51,409       601,056       652,465  
Class F-3     32,635       179,285       211,920       27,490       295,296       322,786  
Class 529-A     9,661       87,108       96,769       8,940       163,115       172,055  
Class 529-C           11,851       11,851             25,498       25,498  
Class 529-E     276       3,767       4,043       258       7,404       7,662  
Class 529-T     *     1       1       *     1       1  
Class 529-F-1     1,057       6,804       7,861       965       11,700       12,665  
Class R-1           3,837       3,837             9,036       9,036  
Class R-2           31,411       31,411             60,653       60,653  
Class R-2E     112       3,078       3,190       121       5,037       5,158  
Class R-3     2,661       48,758       51,419       2,895       109,882       112,777  
Class R-4     4,849       45,775       50,624       5,685       108,829       114,514  
Class R-5E     436       2,544       2,980       138       1,405       1,543  
Class R-5     5,516       34,247       39,763       7,879       93,892       101,771  
Class R-6     120,128       660,856       780,984       107,084       1,165,098       1,272,182  
Total   $ 407,411     $ 2,994,642     $ 3,402,053     $ 384,001     $ 5,564,793     $ 5,948,794  

 

* Amount less than one thousand.

 

6. Fees and transactions with related parties

 

CRMC, the fund’s investment adviser, is the parent company of American Funds Distributors®, Inc. (“AFD”), the principal underwriter of the fund’s shares, and American Funds Service Company® (“AFS”), the fund’s transfer agent. CRMC, AFD and AFS are considered related parties to the fund.

 

Investment advisory services — The fund has an investment advisory and service agreement with CRMC that provides for monthly fees accrued daily. At the beginning of the year, these fees were based on a series of decreasing annual rates beginning with 0.485% on the first $1 billion of daily net assets and decreasing to 0.280% on such assets in excess of $55 billion. On March 7, 2019, the fund’s board of trustees approved an amended investment advisory and service agreement effective May 1, 2019, decreasing the annual rate to 0.277% on daily net assets in excess of $71 billion. For the year ended February 29, 2020, the investment advisory services fee was $201,000,000, which was equivalent to an annualized rate of 0.297% of average daily net assets.

 

Class-specific fees and expenses — Expenses that are specific to individual share classes are accrued directly to the respective share class. The principal class-specific fees and expenses are further described below:

 

Distribution services — The fund has plans of distribution for all share classes, except Class F-2, F-3, R-5E, R-5 and R-6 shares. Under the plans, the board of trustees approves certain categories of expenses that are used to finance activities primarily intended to sell fund shares and service existing accounts. The plans provide for payments, based on an annualized percentage of average daily net assets, ranging from 0.25% to 1.00% as noted in this section. In some cases, the board of trustees has limited the amounts that may be paid to less than the maximum allowed by the plans. All share classes with a plan may use up to 0.25% of average daily net assets

 

AMCAP Fund 15
   

to pay service fees, or to compensate AFD for paying service fees, to firms that have entered into agreements with AFD to provide certain shareholder services. The remaining amounts available to be paid under each plan are paid to dealers to compensate them for their sales activities.

 

Share class   Currently approved limits   Plan limits
Class A     0.25 %     0.25 %
Class 529-A     0.25       0.50  
Classes C, 529-C and R-1     1.00       1.00  
Class R-2     0.75       1.00  
Class R-2E     0.60       0.85  
Classes 529-E and R-3     0.50       0.75  
Classes T, F-1, 529-T, 529-F-1 and R-4     0.25       0.50  

 

For Class A and 529-A shares, distribution-related expenses include the reimbursement of dealer and wholesaler commissions paid by AFD for certain shares sold without a sales charge. These share classes reimburse AFD for amounts billed within the prior 15 months but only to the extent that the overall annual expense limits are not exceeded. As of February 29, 2020, unreimbursed expenses subject to reimbursement totaled $1,467,000 for Class A shares. There were no unreimbursed expenses subject to reimbursement for Class 529-A shares.

 

Transfer agent services — The fund has a shareholder services agreement with AFS under which the fund compensates AFS for providing transfer agent services to each of the fund’s share classes. These services include recordkeeping, shareholder communications and transaction processing. In addition, the fund reimburses AFS for amounts paid to third parties for performing transfer agent services on behalf of fund shareholders.

 

Administrative services — The fund has an administrative services agreement with CRMC under which the fund compensates CRMC for providing administrative services to all share classes. Administrative services are provided by CRMC and its affiliates to help assist third parties providing non-distribution services to fund shareholders. These services include providing in depth information on the fund and market developments that impact fund investments. Administrative services also include, but are not limited to, coordinating, monitoring and overseeing third parties that provide services to fund shareholders. The agreement provides the fund the ability to charge an administrative services fee at the annual rate of 0.05% of the daily net assets attributable to each share class of the fund. Prior to July 1, 2019, Class A shares paid CRMC an administrative services fee at the annual rate of 0.01% of daily net assets and all other share classes paid a fee at the annual rate of 0.05% of their respective daily net assets. The fund’s board of trustees authorized the fund to pay CRMC effective July 1, 2019, an administrative services fee at the annual rate of 0.03% of the average daily net assets attributable to each share class of the fund (which could increase as noted above) for CRMC’s provision of administrative services.

 

529 plan services — Each 529 share class is subject to service fees to compensate the Virginia College Savings Plan (“Virginia529”) for its oversight and administration of the CollegeAmerica 529 college savings plan. The fee is based on the combined net assets invested in Class 529 and ABLE shares of the American Funds. Class ABLE shares are offered on other American Funds by Virginia529 through ABLEAmerica, a tax-advantaged savings program for individuals with disabilities. Prior to January 1, 2020, the quarterly fee was based on a series of decreasing annual rates beginning with 0.10% on the first $20 billion of the combined net assets invested in the American Funds and decreasing to 0.03% on such assets in excess of $100 billion. Effective January 1, 2020, the quarterly fee was amended to a series of decreasing annual rates beginning with 0.09% on the first $20 billion of the combined net assets invested in the American Funds and decreasing to 0.03% on such assets in excess of $100 billion. The fee for any given calendar quarter is accrued and calculated on the basis of the average net assets of Class 529 and ABLE shares of the American Funds for the last month of the prior calendar quarter. The fee is included in other expenses in the fund’s statement of operations. Virginia529 is not considered a related party to the fund.

 

16 AMCAP Fund
   

For the year ended February 29, 2020, class-specific expenses under the agreements were as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

    Distribution     Transfer agent     Administrative     529 plan  
Share class   services     services     services     services  
Class A     $78,639       $30,840       $  7,387     Not applicable  
Class C     14,125       1,396       524     Not applicable  
Class T           *     *   Not applicable  
Class F-1     3,837       1,980       572     Not applicable  
Class F-2     Not applicable       8,724       2,841     Not applicable  
Class F-3     Not applicable       246       1,439     Not applicable  
Class 529-A     4,477       1,713       711     $1,260  
Class 529-C     2,338       215       89     156  
Class 529-E     404       37       30     53  
Class 529-T           *     *   *
Class 529-F-1           133       55     99  
Class R-1     827       88       31     Not applicable  
Class R-2     4,773       2,241       233     Not applicable  
Class R-2E     408       140       25     Not applicable  
Class R-3     5,555       1,723       410     Not applicable  
Class R-4     2,754       1,125       407     Not applicable  
Class R-5E     Not applicable       74       18     Not applicable  
Class R-5     Not applicable       445       325     Not applicable  
Class R-6     Not applicable       64       5,490     Not applicable  
Total class-specific expenses     $118,137       $51,184       $20,587     $1,568  

 

* Amount less than one thousand.

 

Trustees’ deferred compensation — Trustees who are unaffiliated with CRMC may elect to defer the cash payment of part or all of their compensation. These deferred amounts, which remain as liabilities of the fund, are treated as if invested in shares of the fund or other American Funds. These amounts represent general, unsecured liabilities of the fund and vary according to the total returns of the selected funds. Trustees’ compensation of $900,000 in the fund’s statement of operations reflects $425,000 in current fees (either paid in cash or deferred) and a net increase of $475,000 in the value of the deferred amounts.

 

Affiliated officers and trustees — Officers and certain trustees of the fund are or may be considered to be affiliated with CRMC, AFD and AFS. No affiliated officers or trustees received any compensation directly from the fund.

 

Investment in CCF — The fund holds shares of CCF, an institutional prime money market fund managed by CRMC. CCF invests in high-quality, short-term money market instruments. CCF is used as the primary investment vehicle for the fund’s short-term investments. CCF shares are only available for purchase by CRMC, its affiliates, and other funds managed by CRMC or its affiliates, and are not available to the public. CRMC does not receive an investment advisory services fee from CCF.

 

Security transactions with related funds — The fund purchased securities from, and sold securities to, other funds managed by CRMC (or funds managed by certain affiliates of CRMC) under procedures adopted by the fund’s board of trustees. The funds involved in such transactions are considered related by virtue of having a common investment adviser (or affiliated investment advisers), common trustees and/or common officers. Each transaction was executed at the current market price of the security and no brokerage commissions or fees were paid in accordance with Rule 17a-7 of the 1940 Act. During the year ended February 29, 2020, the fund engaged in such purchase and sale transactions with related funds in the amounts of $584,669,000 and $1,091,754,000, respectively, which generated $56,044,000 of net realized gains from such sales.

 

Interfund lending — Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, the fund, along with other CRMC-managed funds (or funds managed by certain affiliates of CRMC), may participate in an interfund lending program. The program provides an alternate credit facility that permits the funds to lend or borrow cash for temporary purposes directly to or from one another, subject to the conditions of the exemptive order. The fund did not lend or borrow cash through the interfund lending program at any time during the year ended February 29, 2020.

 

AMCAP Fund 17
   

7. Capital share transactions

 

Capital share transactions in the fund were as follows (dollars and shares in thousands):

 

    Sales*     Reinvestments of
distributions
    Repurchases*     Net (decrease)
increase
 
Share class   Amount     Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount     Shares  
                                                                 
Year ended February 29, 2020                                                  
                                                                 
Class A   $ 2,237,044       69,093     $ 1,537,266       46,377     $ (3,944,952 )     (121,405 )   $ (170,642 )     (5,935 )
Class C     147,881       5,279       69,907       2,443       (389,037 )     (13,892 )     (171,249 )     (6,170 )
Class T                                                
Class F-1     150,135       4,712       69,754       2,127       (557,741 )     (17,422 )     (337,852 )     (10,583 )
Class F-2     1,763,949       54,151       388,528       11,633       (2,172,332 )     (66,291 )     (19,855 )     (507 )
Class F-3     1,088,897       33,590       209,842       6,318       (911,177 )     (27,889 )     387,562       12,019  
Class 529-A     192,418       5,998       96,740       2,956       (308,256 )     (9,600 )     (19,098 )     (646 )
Class 529-C     25,203       891       11,848       411       (69,560 )     (2,457 )     (32,509 )     (1,155 )
Class 529-E     7,645       247       4,041       127       (14,774 )     (475 )     (3,088 )     (101 )
Class 529-T                 1                       1      
Class 529-F-1     25,023       770       7,861       238       (28,304 )     (871 )     4,580       137  
Class R-1     8,723       303       3,827       130       (35,382 )     (1,220 )     (22,832 )     (787 )
Class R-2     134,489       4,640       31,384       1,063       (191,650 )     (6,611 )     (25,777 )     (908 )
Class R-2E     19,847       620       3,190       98       (17,805 )     (560 )     5,232       158  
Class R-3     201,185       6,408       51,337       1,607       (443,318 )     (14,173 )     (190,796 )     (6,158 )
Class R-4     161,212       5,029       50,586       1,542       (470,201 )     (14,450 )     (258,403 )     (7,879 )
Class R-5E     60,248       1,850       2,979       90       (17,071 )     (523 )     46,156       1,417  
Class R-5     82,824       2,542       39,750       1,183       (622,676 )     (18,796 )     (500,102 )     (15,071 )
Class R-6     2,075,266       63,926       780,668       23,249       (2,822,397 )     (85,014 )     33,537       2,161  
Total net increase (decrease)   $ 8,381,989       260,049     $ 3,359,509       101,592     $ (13,016,633 )     (401,649 )   $ (1,275,135 )     (40,008 )
                                                                 
Year ended February 28, 2019                                                  
                                                                 
Class A   $ 2,970,961       91,991     $ 2,725,877       94,378     $ (3,864,791 )     (120,333 )   $ 1,832,047       66,036  
Class C     247,487       8,669       144,207       5,693       (355,415 )     (12,553 )     36,279       1,809  
Class T                                                
Class F-1     262,694       8,097       159,936       5,537       (854,851 )     (26,312 )     (432,221 )     (12,678 )
Class F-2     2,843,286       87,046       632,680       21,888       (1,719,420 )     (53,827 )     1,756,546       55,107  
Class F-3     990,751       30,529       320,102       11,112       (709,605 )     (22,158 )     601,248       19,483  
Class 529-A     217,154       6,794       171,904       6,016       (264,328 )     (8,259 )     124,730       4,551  
Class 529-C     33,924       1,185       25,406       996       (68,417 )     (2,395 )     (9,087 )     (214 )
Class 529-E     11,204       360       7,637       275       (16,830 )     (544 )     2,011       91  
Class 529-T                 1                       1      
Class 529-F-1     47,237       1,449       12,635       442       (22,808 )     (715 )     37,064       1,176  
Class R-1     11,988       407       8,984       343       (33,287 )     (1,125 )     (12,315 )     (375 )
Class R-2     157,911       5,389       60,569       2,322       (184,505 )     (6,368 )     33,975       1,343  
Class R-2E     21,736       675       5,158       181       (8,481 )     (272 )     18,413       584  
Class R-3     268,849       8,575       112,674       4,014       (467,935 )     (15,026 )     (86,412 )     (2,437 )
Class R-4     227,986       7,064       114,469       3,977       (548,753 )     (17,081 )     (206,298 )     (6,040 )
Class R-5E     28,174       905       1,541       55       (4,612 )     (143 )     25,103       817  
Class R-5     157,759       4,764       101,720       3,464       (511,736 )     (15,692 )     (252,257 )     (7,464 )
Class R-6     2,540,357       78,062       1,271,006       43,558       (2,255,525 )     (66,788 )     1,555,838       54,832  
Total net increase (decrease)   $ 11,039,458       341,961     $ 5,876,506       204,251     $ (11,891,299 )     (369,591 )   $ 5,024,665       176,621  

 

* Includes exchanges between share classes of the fund.
Amount less than one thousand.

 

8. Investment transactions

 

The fund made purchases and sales of investment securities, excluding short-term securities and U.S. government obligations, if any, of $16,471,141,000 and $19,753,287,000, respectively, during the year ended February 29, 2020.

 

18 AMCAP Fund
   

Financial highlights

 

          Income (loss) from
investment operations1
    Dividends and distributions                                      
Period ended   Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
    Net
investment
income
(loss)
    Net gains
(losses) on
securities
(both
realized and
unrealized)
    Total from
investment
operations
    Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
    Distributions
(from capital
gains)
    Total
dividends
and
distributions
    Net asset
value,
end
of period
    Total
return2,3
    Net assets,
end of
period
(in millions)
    Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets before
waivers/
reimbursements4
    Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets after
waivers/
reimbursements3,4
    Ratio of
net income
(loss)
to average
net assets3
 
Class A:                                                                              
2/29/2020   $ 30.87     $ .22     $ 2.03     $ 2.25     $ (.18 )   $ (1.47 )   $ (1.65 )   $ 31.47       7.03 %   $ 30,635       .68 %     .68 %     .69 %
2/28/2019     33.07       .21       .63       .84       (.18 )     (2.86 )     (3.04 )     30.87       3.35       30,234       .66       .66       .65  
2/28/2018     28.82       .18       5.76       5.94       (.13 )     (1.56 )     (1.69 )     33.07       21.10       30,196       .67       .67       .58  
2/28/2017     24.47       .16       5.23       5.39       (.12 )     (.92 )     (1.04 )     28.82       22.38       27,269       .68       .68       .59  
2/29/2016     29.03       .10       (2.36 )     (2.26 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     24.47       (8.34 )     23,786       .67       .67       .38  
Class C:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     26.88       (.02 )     1.76       1.74             (1.47 )     (1.47 )     27.15       6.21       1,299       1.43       1.43       (.07 )
2/28/2019     29.23       (.04 )     .55       .51             (2.86 )     (2.86 )     26.88       2.56       1,452       1.45       1.45       (.14 )
2/28/2018     25.74       (.06 )     5.11       5.05             (1.56 )     (1.56 )     29.23       20.13       1,526       1.47       1.47       (.22 )
2/28/2017     22.02       (.05 )     4.69       4.64             (.92 )     (.92 )     25.74       21.42       1,503       1.49       1.49       (.22 )
2/29/2016     26.57       (.11 )     (2.14 )     (2.25 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     22.02       (9.10 )     1,386       1.48       1.48       (.44 )
Class T:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     30.88       .30       2.03       2.33       (.24 )     (1.47 )     (1.71 )     31.50       7.29 5     6     .44 5     .44 5     .92 5
2/28/2019     33.07       .28       .63       .91       (.24 )     (2.86 )     (3.10 )     30.88       3.59 5     6     .45 5     .45 5     .86 5
2/28/20187,8     28.79       .23       5.80       6.03       (.19 )     (1.56 )     (1.75 )     33.07       21.46 5,9      6     .45 5,10      .45 5,10      .81 5,10 
Class F-1:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     30.59       .21       2.00       2.21       (.15 )     (1.47 )     (1.62 )     31.18       6.98       1,332       .72       .72       .65  
2/28/2019     32.78       .19       .62       .81       (.14 )     (2.86 )     (3.00 )     30.59       3.29       1,630       .73       .73       .58  
2/28/2018     28.58       .16       5.71       5.87       (.11 )     (1.56 )     (1.67 )     32.78       21.02       2,162       .74       .74       .52  
2/28/2017     24.27       .14       5.19       5.33       (.10 )     (.92 )     (1.02 )     28.58       22.31       2,303       .75       .75       .53  
2/29/2016     28.83       .09       (2.35 )     (2.26 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     24.27       (8.40 )     2,448       .73       .73       .31  
Class F-2:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     31.08       .30       2.04       2.34       (.24 )     (1.47 )     (1.71 )     31.71       7.26       7,554       .45       .45       .91  
2/28/2019     33.27       .28       .63       .91       (.24 )     (2.86 )     (3.10 )     31.08       3.56       7,419       .47       .47       .85  
2/28/2018     28.98       .24       5.79       6.03       (.18 )     (1.56 )     (1.74 )     33.27       21.31       6,107       .47       .47       .79  
2/28/2017     24.60       .22       5.26       5.48       (.18 )     (.92 )     (1.10 )     28.98       22.66       6,251       .48       .48       .79  
2/29/2016     29.11       .16       (2.37 )     (2.21 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     24.60       (8.14 )     3,593       .47       .47       .57  
Class F-3:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     30.90       .33       2.04       2.37       (.27 )     (1.47 )     (1.74 )     31.53       7.39       3,967       .35       .35       1.01  
2/28/2019     33.09       .31       .62       .93       (.26 )     (2.86 )     (3.12 )     30.90       3.68       3,517       .36       .36       .95  
2/28/2018     28.83       .27       5.76       6.03       (.21 )     (1.56 )     (1.77 )     33.09       21.44       3,121       .37       .37       .85  
2/28/20177,11     28.36       .02       .45       .47                         28.83       1.66 9     3       .03 9     .03 9     .09 9
Class 529-A:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     30.51       .20       2.00       2.20       (.16 )     (1.47 )     (1.63 )     31.08       6.97       1,891       .72       .72       .64  
2/28/2019     32.71       .18       .64       .82       (.16 )     (2.86 )     (3.02 )     30.51       3.31       1,876       .74       .74       .57  
2/28/2018     28.54       .15       5.70       5.85       (.12 )     (1.56 )     (1.68 )     32.71       20.99       1,863       .74       .74       .51  
2/28/2017     24.24       .13       5.19       5.32       (.10 )     (.92 )     (1.02 )     28.54       22.31       1,528       .77       .77       .50  
2/29/2016     28.81       .08       (2.35 )     (2.27 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     24.24       (8.44 )     1,264       .77       .77       .28  

 

See end of table for footnotes.

 

AMCAP Fund 19
 

Financial highlights (continued)

 

          Income (loss) from
investment operations1
    Dividends and distributions                                      
Period ended   Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
    Net
investment
income
(loss)
    Net gains
(losses) on
securities
(both
realized and
unrealized)
    Total from
investment
operations
    Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
    Distributions
(from capital
gains)
    Total
dividends
and
distributions
    Net asset
value,
end
of period
    Total
return2,3
    Net assets,
end of
period
(in millions)
    Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets before
waivers/
reimbursements4
    Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets after
waivers/
reimbursements3,4
    Ratio of
net income
(loss)
to average
net assets3
 
Class 529-C:                                                                              
2/29/2020   $ 27.03     $ (.03 )   $ 1.78     $ 1.75     $     $ (1.47 )   $ (1.47 )   $ 27.31       6.21 %   $ 220       1.47 %     1.47 %     (.10 )%
2/28/2019     29.39       (.05 )     .55       .50             (2.86 )     (2.86 )     27.03       2.51       249       1.49       1.49       (.17 )
2/28/2018     25.89       (.07 )     5.13       5.06             (1.56 )     (1.56 )     29.39       20.05       277       1.52       1.52       (.26 )
2/28/2017     22.15       (.07 )     4.73       4.66             (.92 )     (.92 )     25.89       21.39       345       1.54       1.54       (.27 )
2/29/2016     26.73       (.13 )     (2.15 )     (2.28 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     22.15       (9.16 )     301       1.55       1.55       (.50 )
Class 529-E:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     29.65       .13       1.94       2.07       (.11 )     (1.47 )     (1.58 )     30.14       6.72       79       .95       .95       .42  
2/28/2019     31.89       .11       .61       .72       (.10 )     (2.86 )     (2.96 )     29.65       3.06       80       .97       .97       .35  
2/28/2018     27.87       .08       5.56       5.64       (.06 )     (1.56 )     (1.62 )     31.89       20.73       83       .97       .97       .28  
2/28/2017     23.70       .07       5.06       5.13       (.04 )     (.92 )     (.96 )     27.87       22.01       73       .99       .99       .28  
2/29/2016     28.28       .01       (2.29 )     (2.28 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     23.70       (8.64 )     62       1.00       1.00       .04  
Class 529-T:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     30.88       .29       2.02       2.31       (.23 )     (1.47 )     (1.70 )     31.49       7.22 5     6     .48 5     .48 5     .88 5
2/28/2019     33.06       .26       .64       .90       (.22 )     (2.86 )     (3.08 )     30.88       3.57 5     6     .50 5     .50 5     .81 5
2/28/20187,8     28.79       .21       5.80       6.01       (.18 )     (1.56 )     (1.74 )     33.06       21.36 5,9      6     .52 5,10      .52 5,10      .74 5,10 
Class 529-F-1:                                                                                                  
2/29/2020     30.76       .28       2.03       2.31       (.23 )     (1.47 )     (1.70 )     31.37       7.24       151       .49       .49       .87  
2/28/2019     32.96       .26       .63       .89       (.23 )     (2.86 )     (3.09 )     30.76       3.53       144       .51       .51       .80  
2/28/2018     28.74       .22       5.73       5.95       (.17 )     (1.56 )     (1.73 )     32.96       21.25       116       .52       .52       .73  
2/28/2017     24.40       .19       5.23       5.42       (.16 )     (.92 )     (1.08 )     28.74       22.54       94       .55       .55       .72  
2/29/2016     28.92       .13       (2.35 )     (2.22 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     24.40       (8.23 )     76       .56       .56       .49  
Class R-1:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     27.69       (.02 )     1.81       1.79             (1.47 )     (1.47 )     28.01       6.21       68       1.45       1.45       (.08 )
2/28/2019     30.03       (.04 )     .56       .52             (2.86 )     (2.86 )     27.69       2.52       90       1.46       1.46       (.14 )
2/28/2018     26.41       (.06 )     5.24       5.18             (1.56 )     (1.56 )     30.03       20.11       108       1.46       1.46       (.21 )
2/28/2017     22.56       (.05 )     4.82       4.77             (.92 )     (.92 )     26.41       21.49       103       1.47       1.47       (.20 )
2/29/2016     27.16       (.11 )     (2.19 )     (2.30 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     22.56       (9.08 )     102       1.47       1.47       (.42 )
Class R-2:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     27.69       (.02 )     1.81       1.79             (1.47 )     (1.47 )     28.01       6.21       605       1.44       1.44       (.08 )
2/28/2019     30.02       (.04 )     .57       .53             (2.86 )     (2.86 )     27.69       2.56       624       1.45       1.45       (.14 )
2/28/2018     26.40       (.06 )     5.24       5.18             (1.56 )     (1.56 )     30.02       20.12       636       1.46       1.46       (.21 )
2/28/2017     22.56       (.05 )     4.81       4.76             (.92 )     (.92 )     26.40       21.45       590       1.46       1.46       (.19 )
2/29/2016     27.14       (.10 )     (2.18 )     (2.28 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     22.56       (9.02 )     517       1.44       1.44       (.39 )
Class R-2E:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     30.50       .07       1.99       2.06       (.05 )     (1.47 )     (1.52 )     31.04       6.53       67       1.15       1.15       .22  
2/28/2019     32.73       .05       .65       .70       (.07 )     (2.86 )     (2.93 )     30.50       2.89       61       1.16       1.16       .16  
2/28/2018     28.61       .03       5.69       5.72       (.04 )     (1.56 )     (1.60 )     32.73       20.47       46       1.16       1.16       .08  
2/28/2017     24.38       .03       5.21       5.24       (.09 )     (.92 )     (1.01 )     28.61       21.86       22       1.16       1.16       .11  
2/29/2016     29.04       .06       (2.42 )     (2.36 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     24.38       (8.69 )     3       1.04       1.04       .24  

 

20 AMCAP Fund
 
          Income (loss) from
investment operations1
    Dividends and distributions                                      
Period ended   Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
    Net
investment
income
(loss)
    Net gains
(losses) on
securities
(both
realized and
unrealized)
    Total from
investment
operations
    Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
    Distributions
(from capital
gains)
    Total
dividends
and
distributions
    Net asset
value,
end
of period
    Total
return2,3
    Net assets,
end of
period
(in millions)
    Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets before
waivers/
reimbursements4
    Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets after
waivers/
reimbursements3,4
    Ratio of
net income
(loss)
to average
net assets3
 
Class R-3:                                                                              
2/29/2020   $ 29.83     $ .12     $ 1.95     $ 2.07     $ (.08 )   $ (1.47 )   $ (1.55 )   $ 30.35       6.69 %   $ 990       1.00 %     1.00 %     .37 %
2/28/2019     32.06       .10       .61       .71       (.08 )     (2.86 )     (2.94 )     29.83       2.99       1,157       1.01       1.01       .30  
2/28/2018     28.01       .07       5.59       5.66       (.05 )     (1.56 )     (1.61 )     32.06       20.67       1,321       1.01       1.01       .24  
2/28/2017     23.81       .07       5.08       5.15       (.03 )     (.92 )     (.95 )     28.01       21.99       1,232       1.02       1.02       .25  
2/29/2016     28.40       .01       (2.30 )     (2.29 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     23.81       (8.64 )     1,093       1.02       1.02       .03  
Class R-4:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     30.58       .22       2.00       2.22       (.16 )     (1.47 )     (1.63 )     31.17       7.00       906       .69       .69       .67  
2/28/2019     32.77       .20       .62       .82       (.15 )     (2.86 )     (3.01 )     30.58       3.33       1,130       .71       .71       .61  
2/28/2018     28.58       .16       5.71       5.87       (.12 )     (1.56 )     (1.68 )     32.77       21.03       1,409       .71       .71       .54  
2/28/2017     24.28       .15       5.18       5.33       (.11 )     (.92 )     (1.03 )     28.58       22.33       1,238       .72       .72       .55  
2/29/2016     28.83       .09       (2.34 )     (2.25 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     24.28       (8.36 )     1,049       .71       .71       .33  
Class R-5E:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     30.91       .27       2.05       2.32       (.24 )     (1.47 )     (1.71 )     31.52       7.25       77       .48       .48       .84  
2/28/2019     33.11       .27       .63       .90       (.24 )     (2.86 )     (3.10 )     30.91       3.56       31       .50       .50       .83  
2/28/2018     28.85       .25       5.74       5.99       (.17 )     (1.56 )     (1.73 )     33.11       21.31       7       .47       .47       .78  
2/28/2017     24.48       .20       5.24       5.44       (.15 )     (.92 )     (1.07 )     28.85       22.54       6     .60       .51       .76  
2/29/20167,12     27.89       .04       (2.11 )     (2.07 )           (1.34 )     (1.34 )     24.48       (7.62 )9      6     .15 9     .15 9     .17 9
Class R-5:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     31.32       .32       2.06       2.38       (.25 )     (1.47 )     (1.72 )     31.98       7.33       572       .39       .39       .98  
2/28/2019     33.49       .30       .64       .94       (.25 )     (2.86 )     (3.11 )     31.32       3.64       1,032       .41       .41       .91  
2/28/2018     29.16       .26       5.83       6.09       (.20 )     (1.56 )     (1.76 )     33.49       21.38       1,353       .41       .41       .84  
2/28/2017     24.74       .23       5.30       5.53       (.19 )     (.92 )     (1.11 )     29.16       22.74       1,339       .41       .41       .86  
2/29/2016     29.25       .18       (2.39 )     (2.21 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     24.74       (8.10 )     1,214       .42       .42       .63  
Class R-6:                                                                                                        
2/29/2020     31.24       .34       2.05       2.39       (.27 )     (1.47 )     (1.74 )     31.89       7.38       14,415       .34       .34       1.02  
2/28/2019     33.41       .32       .63       .95       (.26 )     (2.86 )     (3.12 )     31.24       3.70       14,053       .36       .36       .96  
2/28/2018     29.09       .28       5.81       6.09       (.21 )     (1.56 )     (1.77 )     33.41       21.45       13,199       .36       .36       .89  
2/28/2017     24.69       .25       5.28       5.53       (.21 )     (.92 )     (1.13 )     29.09       22.76       9,633       .36       .36       .90  
2/29/2016     29.18       .19       (2.38 )     (2.19 )           (2.30 )     (2.30 )     24.69       (8.05 )     7,033       .37       .37       .68  

 

    Year ended February 28 or 29,
    2020     2019     2018     2017     2016  
Portfolio turnover rate for all share classes13     27 %     32 %     27 %     25 %     31 %

 

1 Based on average shares outstanding.
2 Total returns exclude any applicable sales charges, including contingent deferred sales charges.
3 This column reflects the impact, if any, of certain waivers/reimbursements from CRMC. During one of the periods shown, CRMC reimbursed a portion of the fund’s transfer agent services fees for certain share classes.
4 Ratios do not include expenses of any Central Funds. The fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of the expenses of any Central Funds.
5 All or a significant portion of assets in this class consisted of seed capital invested by CRMC and/or its affiliates. Fees for distribution services are not charged or accrued on these seed capital assets. If such fees were paid by the fund on seed capital assets, fund expenses would have been higher and net income and total return would have been lower.
6 Amount less than $1 million.
7 Based on operations for a period that is less than a full year.
8 Class T and 529-T shares began investment operations on April 7, 2017.
9 Not annualized.
10 Annualized.
11 Class F-3 shares began investment operations on January 27, 2017.
12 Class R-5E shares began investment operations on November 20, 2015.
13 Rates do not include the fund’s portfolio activity with respect to any Central Funds.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

AMCAP Fund 21
 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of AMCAP Fund:

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights

 

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of AMCAP Fund (the “Fund”), including the summary investment portfolio, as of February 29, 2020, 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, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of February 29, 2020, and 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 five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. 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, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of February 29, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

Deloitte & Touche LLP

 

Costa Mesa, California
April 9, 2020

 

We have served as the auditor of one or more American Funds investment companies since 1956.

 

22 AMCAP Fund
 
Expense example unaudited

 

As a fund shareholder, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, such as initial sales charges on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions (loads), and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, and other expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund so you can 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 six-month period (September 1, 2019, through February 29, 2020).

 

Actual expenses:

The first line of each share class in the table on the following page 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 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading titled “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 each share class in the table on the following page provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the actual expense ratio for the share class and an assumed rate of return of 5.00% per year before expenses, which is not the actual return of the share class. 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 5.00% hypothetical example with the 5.00% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

 

Notes:

Retirement plan participants may be subject to certain fees charged by the plan sponsor, and Class F-1, F-2, F-3 and 529-F-1 shareholders may be subject to fees charged by financial intermediaries, typically ranging from 0.75% to 1.50% of assets annually depending on services offered. You can estimate the impact of these fees by adding the amount of the fees to the total estimated expenses you paid on your account during the period as calculated above. In addition, your ending account value would be lower by the amount of these fees.

 

Note that the expenses shown in the table on the following page are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads). Therefore, the second line of each share class in 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.

 

AMCAP Fund 23
 
    Beginning
account value
9/1/2019
    Ending
account value
2/29/2020
    Expenses paid
during period*
    Annualized
expense ratio
 
Class A – actual return   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,038.67     $ 3.45       .68 %
Class A – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,021.48       3.42       .68  
Class C – actual return     1,000.00       1,034.80       7.18       1.42  
Class C – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,017.80       7.12       1.42  
Class T – actual return     1,000.00       1,040.26       2.18       .43  
Class T – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,022.73       2.16       .43  
Class F-1 – actual return     1,000.00       1,038.61       3.60       .71  
Class F-1 – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,021.33       3.57       .71  
Class F-2 – actual return     1,000.00       1,039.83       2.28       .45  
Class F-2 – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,022.63       2.26       .45  
Class F-3 – actual return     1,000.00       1,040.62       1.73       .34  
Class F-3 – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,023.17       1.71       .34  
Class 529-A – actual return     1,000.00       1,038.72       3.65       .72  
Class 529-A – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,021.28       3.62       .72  
Class 529-C – actual return     1,000.00       1,034.97       7.34       1.45  
Class 529-C – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,017.65       7.27       1.45  
Class 529-E – actual return     1,000.00       1,037.51       4.76       .94  
Class 529-E – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,020.19       4.72       .94  
Class 529-T – actual return     1,000.00       1,039.93       2.38       .47  
Class 529-T – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,022.53       2.36       .47  
Class 529-F-1 – actual return     1,000.00       1,039.95       2.43       .48  
Class 529-F-1 – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,022.48       2.41       .48  
Class R-1 – actual return     1,000.00       1,034.86       7.29       1.44  
Class R-1 – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,017.70       7.22       1.44  
Class R-2 – actual return     1,000.00       1,034.86       7.34       1.45  
Class R-2 – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,017.65       7.27       1.45  
Class R-2E – actual return     1,000.00       1,036.74       5.77       1.14  
Class R-2E – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,019.19       5.72       1.14  
Class R-3 – actual return     1,000.00       1,037.09       5.01       .99  
Class R-3 – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,019.94       4.97       .99  
Class R-4 – actual return     1,000.00       1,038.77       3.50       .69  
Class R-4 – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,021.43       3.47       .69  
Class R-5E – actual return     1,000.00       1,039.88       2.43       .48  
Class R-5E – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,022.48       2.41       .48  
Class R-5 – actual return     1,000.00       1,040.47       1.93       .38  
Class R-5 – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,022.97       1.91       .38  
Class R-6 – actual return     1,000.00       1,040.54       1.67       .33  
Class R-6 – assumed 5% return     1,000.00       1,023.22       1.66       .33  

 

* The “expenses paid during period” are equal to the “annualized expense ratio,” multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the period, and divided by 366 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

Tax information unaudited

 

We are required to advise you of the federal tax status of certain distributions received by shareholders during the fiscal year. The fund hereby designates the following amounts for the fund’s fiscal year ended February 29, 2020:

 

Long-term capital gains $3,072,300,511
Qualified dividend income 100%
Corporate dividends received deduction 100%
U.S. government income that may be exempt from state taxation $37,791,000

 

Individual shareholders should refer to their Form 1099 or other tax information, which was mailed in January 2020, to determine the calendar year amounts to be included on their 2020 tax returns. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors.

 

24 AMCAP Fund
 

Liquidity Risk Management Program

 

The fund has adopted a liquidity risk management program (the “program”). The fund’s board has designated Capital Research and Management Company (“CRMC”) as the administrator of the program. Personnel of CRMC or its affiliates conduct the day-to-day operation of the program pursuant to policies and procedures administered by the Capital Group Liquidity Risk Management Committee.

 

Under the program, CRMC manages the fund’s liquidity risk, which is the risk that the fund could not meet shareholder redemption requests without significant dilution of remaining shareholders’ interests in the fund. This risk is managed by monitoring the degree of liquidity of the fund’s investments, limiting the amount of the fund’s illiquid investments, and utilizing various risk management tools and facilities available to the fund for meeting shareholder redemptions, among other means. CRMC’s process of determining the degree of liquidity of the fund’s investments is supported by one or more third-party liquidity assessment vendors.

 

The fund’s board reviewed a report prepared by CRMC regarding the operation and effectiveness of the program for the period December 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019. No significant liquidity events impacting the fund were noted in the report. In addition, CRMC provided its assessment that the program had been effective in managing the fund’s liquidity risk.

 

AMCAP Fund 25
 

Board of trustees and other officers

 

Independent trustees1

 

Name and year of birth   Year first
elected
a trustee
of the fund2
  Principal occupation(s) during past five years   Number of
portfolios in fund
complex overseen
by trustee
  Other directorships3
held by trustee
Mary Anne Dolan, 1947   1998   Founder and President, MAD Ink (communications company); former Editor-in-Chief, The Los Angeles Herald Examiner (retired 1989)   10   None
James G. Ellis, 1947   2010   Professor of Marketing and former Dean, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California   99   Mercury General Corporation
Pablo R. González Guajardo, 1967   2015   CEO, Kimberly-Clark de México, SAB de CV   17   América Móvil, SAB de CV; Grupo Lala, SAB de CV; Grupo Sanborns, SAB de CV; Kimberly- Clark de México, SAB de CV
William D. Jones, 1955
Chairman of the Board (Independent and Non-Executive)
  2006   Real estate developer/owner, President and CEO, CityLink Investment Corporation (acquires, develops and manages real estate ventures in urban communities) and for the former City Scene Management Company (provided commercial asset management services)   18   Sempra Energy
John C. Mazziotta, MD, PhD, 1949   2011   Physician; Professor of Neurology, University of California at Los Angeles; Vice Chancellor, UCLA Health Sciences; CEO, UCLA Health System; former Dean, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; former Chair, Department of Neurology, UCLA; former Associate Director, Semel Institute, UCLA; former Director, Brain Mapping Center, UCLA   4   None
William R. McLaughlin, 1956   2015   President and CEO, The Orvis Company (outdoor equipment retailer)   4   None
Kenneth M. Simril, 1965   2019   President and CEO, SCI Ingredients Holdings, Inc. (food manufacturing)   7   None
Kathy J. Williams, 1955   2019   Former Commissioner, Marin County Human Rights Commission; Commissioner, Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Commission; Board Member, Aspen Public Radio   4   None

 

Interested trustees4,5

 

Name, year of birth and
position with fund
  Year first
elected
a trustee
or officer
of the fund2
  Principal occupation(s) during past five years
and positions held with affiliated entities or
the principal underwriter of the fund
  Number of
portfolios in fund
complex overseen
by trustee
  Other directorships3
held by trustee
James Terrile, 1965
Co-President
  2006   Partner – Capital Research Global Investors, Capital Research and Management Company   4   None
William L. Robbins, 1968   2019   Partner – Capital International Investors, Capital Research and Management Company; Partner – Capital International Investors, Capital Bank and Trust Company   4   None

 

The fund’s statement of additional information includes further details about fund trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling American Funds Service Company at (800) 421-4225 or by visiting the Capital Group website at capitalgroup.com. The address for all trustees and officers of the fund is 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071, Attention: Secretary.

 

26 AMCAP Fund
 

Other officers5

 

Name, year of birth and
position with fund
  Year first
elected
an officer
of the fund2
  Principal occupation(s) during past five years and positions held with affiliated entities
or the principal underwriter of the fund
Barry S. Crosthwaite, 1958
Co-President
  2006   Partner – Capital International Investors, Capital Research and Management Company
Herbert Y. Poon, 1973
Executive Vice President
  2012   Senior Vice President and Senior Counsel – Fund Business Management Group, Capital Research and Management Company; Chief Compliance Officer, Capital Research and Management Company; Chief Compliance Officer, Capital Research Company6
Claudia P. Huntington, 1952
Senior Vice President
  1992-1994;
1996
  Partner – Capital Research Global Investors, Capital Research and Management Company;
Partner – Capital Research Global Investors, Capital Bank and Trust Company;
Director, The Capital Group Companies, Inc.6
Aidan O’Connell, 1968
Senior Vice President
  2017   Partner – Capital Research Global Investors, Capital Research and Management Company
Eric S. Richter, 1960
Senior Vice President
  2008   Partner – Capital Research Global Investors, Capital Research and Management Company
Lawrence R. Solomon, 1962
Senior Vice President
  2019   Partner – Capital Research Global Investors, Capital Research and Management Company; Chairman of the Board, President and Director, Capital Management Services, Inc.
Jessica C. Spaly, 1977
Senior Vice President
  2015   Partner – Capital Research Global Investors, Capital Research and Management Company
Eric H. Stern, 1964
Senior Vice President
  2019   Partner – Capital International Investors, Capital Research and Management Company;
Partner – Capital International Investors, Capital Bank and Trust Company
Michael W. Stockton, 1967
Secretary
  2013-2016;
2019
  Senior Vice President – Fund Business Management Group, Capital Research and Management Company
Brian Bullard, 1969
Treasurer
  2015   Senior Vice President – Investment Operations, Capital Research and Management Company
Sandra Chuon, 1972
Assistant Treasurer
  2019   Assistant Vice President – Investment Operations, Capital Research and Management Company
Hong T. Le, 1978
Assistant Treasurer
  2016   Vice President – Investment Operations, Capital Research and Management Company

 

1 The term independent trustee refers to a trustee who is not an “interested person” of the fund within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
2 Trustees and officers of the fund serve until their resignation, removal or retirement.
3 This includes all directorships/trusteeships (other than those in the American Funds or other funds managed by Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates) that are held by each trustee as a trustee or director of a public company or a registered investment company.
4 The term interested trustee refers to a trustee who is an “interested person” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, on the basis of their affiliation with the fund’s investment adviser, Capital Research and Management Company, or affiliated entities (including the fund’s principal underwriter).
5 All of the trustees and/or officers listed are officers and/or directors/trustees of one or more of the other funds for which Capital Research and Management Company serves as investment adviser.
6 Company affiliated with Capital Research and Management Company.

 

AMCAP Fund 27
 

Office of the fund

333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-1406

 

Investment adviser

Capital Research and Management Company
333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-1406

 

Transfer agent for shareholder accounts

American Funds Service Company
(Write to the address near you.)

 

P.O. Box 6007
Indianapolis, IN 46206-6007

 

P.O. Box 2280
Norfolk, VA 23501-2280

 

Custodian of assets

JPMorgan Chase Bank
270 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017-2070

 

Counsel

O’Melveny & Myers LLP
400 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-2899

 

Independent registered public accounting firm

Deloitte & Touche LLP
695 Town Center Drive
Suite 1000
Costa Mesa, CA 92626-7188

 

Principal underwriter

American Funds Distributors, Inc.
333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-1406

 

28 AMCAP Fund
 

Investors should carefully consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other important information is contained in the fund prospectus and summary prospectus, which can be obtained from your financial professional and should be read carefully before investing. You may also call American Funds Service Company (AFS) at (800) 421-4225 or visit the Capital Group website at capitalgroup.com.

 

“American Funds Proxy Voting Procedures and Principles” — which describes how we vote proxies relating to portfolio securities — is available on the Capital Group website or upon request by calling AFS. The fund files its proxy voting record with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the 12 months ended June 30 by August 31. The proxy voting record is available free of charge on the SEC website at sec.gov and on the Capital Group website.

 

A complete February 29, 2020, portfolio of AMCAP Fund’s investments is available free of charge by calling AFS or visiting the SEC website (where it is part of Form N-CSR).

 

AMCAP Fund files a complete list of its portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form NPORT-P. This filing is available free of charge on the SEC website. Additionally, the list of portfolio holdings is available by calling AFS.

 

This report is for the information of shareholders of AMCAP Fund, but it also may be used as sales literature when preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus or summary prospectus, which gives details about charges, expenses, investment objectives and operating policies of the fund. If used as sales material after June 30, 2020, this report must be accompanied by an American Funds statistical update for the most recently completed calendar quarter.

 

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by Capital Group. Copyright © 2020 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global, and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC.

 

American Funds Distributors, Inc., member FINRA.

 

The Capital Advantage®

 

Since 1931, Capital Group, home of American Funds, has helped investors pursue long-term investment success. Our consistent approach — in combination with The Capital SystemSM — has resulted in superior outcomes.

 

  Aligned with investor success
  We base our decisions on a long-term perspective, which we believe aligns our goals with the interests of our clients. Our portfolio managers average 28 years of investment experience, including 22 years at our company, reflecting a career commitment to our long-term approach.1
   
  The Capital System
  The Capital System combines individual accountability with teamwork. Funds using The Capital System are divided into portions that are managed independently by investment professionals with diverse backgrounds, ages and investment approaches. An extensive global research effort is the backbone of our system.
   
  American Funds’ superior outcomes
  Equity funds have beaten their Lipper peer indexes in 92% of 10-year periods and 99% of 20-year periods.2 Fixed income funds have helped investors achieve diversification through attention to correlation between bonds and equities.3 Fund management fees have been among the lowest in the industry.4

 

  1 Portfolio manager experience as of December 31, 2019.
  2 Based on Class F-2 share results for rolling periods through December 31, 2019. Periods covered are the shorter of the fund’s lifetime or since the comparable Lipper index inception date (except Capital Income Builder and SMALLCAP World Fund, for which the Lipper average was used). Expenses differ for each share class, so results will vary. Visit capitalgroup.com for more information on specific expense adjustments and the actual dates of first sale.
  3 Based on Class F-2 share results as of December 31, 2019. Fifteen of the 17 fixed income American Funds that have been in existence for the three-year period showed a three-year correlation below 0.2. Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index was used as an equity market proxy. Correlation based on monthly total returns. Correlation is a statistical measure of how two securities move in relation to each other. A correlation ranges from –1 to 1. A positive correlation close to 1 implies that as one security moves, either up or down, the other security will move in “lockstep,” in the same direction. A negative correlation close to –1 indicates that the securities have moved in the opposite direction.
  4 On average, our management fees were in the lowest quintile 65% of the time, based on the 20-year period ended December 31, 2019, versus comparable Lipper categories, excluding funds of funds.

 

Class F-2 shares were first offered on August 1, 2008. Class F-2 share results prior to the date of first sale are hypothetical based on the results of the original share class of the fund without a sales charge, adjusted for typical estimated expenses. Results for certain funds with an inception date after August 1, 2008, also include hypothetical returns because those funds’ Class F-2 shares sold after the funds’ date of first offering. Visit capitalgroup.com for more information on specific expense adjustments and the actual dates of first sale.

 

All Capital Group trademarks mentioned are owned by The Capital Group Companies, Inc., an affiliated company or fund. All other company and product names mentioned are the property of their respective companies.

 

 

 

 

ITEM 2 – Code of Ethics

 

The Registrant has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to its Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer. The Registrant undertakes to provide to any person without charge, upon request, a copy of the Code of Ethics. Such request can be made by calling 800/421-4225 or to the Secretary of the Registrant, 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, California 90071.

 

ITEM 3 – Audit Committee Financial Expert

 

The Registrant’s board has determined that James G. Ellis, a member of the Registrant’s audit committee, is an “audit committee financial expert” and "independent," as such terms are defined in this Item. This designation will not increase the designee’s duties, obligations or liability as compared to his or her duties, obligations and liability as a member of the audit committee and of the board, nor will it reduce the responsibility of the other audit committee members. There may be other individuals who, through education or experience, would qualify as "audit committee financial experts" if the board had designated them as such. Most importantly, the board believes each member of the audit committee contributes significantly to the effective oversight of the Registrant’s financial statements and condition.

 

ITEM 4 – Principal Accountant Fees and Services

  AMCAP
     
Registrant:    

a)  Audit Fees:    
Audit 2019             94,000
  2020             94,000
     
b)  Audit-Related Fees:    
  2019             12,000
  2020             14,000
     
c)  Tax Fees:    
  2019               8,000
  2020             12,000
  The tax fees consist of professional services relating to the preparation of the Registrant’s tax returns.  
     
d)  All Other Fees:    
  2019  None
  2020  None
     
  Adviser and affiliates (includes only fees for non-audit services billed to the adviser and affiliates for engagements that relate directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Registrant and were subject to the pre-approval policies described below):  
a)  Audit Fees:    
  Not Applicable  
     
b)  Audit-Related Fees:    
  2019        1,145,000
  2020        2,068,000
  The audit-related fees consist of assurance and related services relating to the examination of the Registrant’s transfer agent, principal underwriter and investment adviser conducted in accordance with Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements Number 18 issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  
     
c)  Tax Fees:    

  2019               8,000
  2020             46,000
  The tax fees consist of consulting services relating to the Registrant’s investments.  
     
     
d)  All Other Fees:    
  2019  None
  2020               2,000
  The other fees consist of subscription services related to an accounting research tool.  
     
     
  All audit and permissible non-audit services that the Registrant’s audit committee considers compatible with maintaining the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence are required to be pre-approved by the committee.  The pre-approval requirement will extend to all non-audit services provided to the Registrant, the investment adviser, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the Registrant, if the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Registrant. The committee will not delegate its responsibility to pre-approve these services to the investment adviser. The committee may delegate to one or more committee members the authority to review and pre-approve audit and permissible non-audit services.  Actions taken under any such delegation will be reported to the full committee at its next meeting. The pre-approval requirement is waived with respect to non-audit services if certain conditions are met. The pre-approval requirement was not waived for any of the non-audit services listed above provided to the Registrant, adviser and affiliates.  
     
 

Aggregate non-audit fees paid to the Registrant’s auditors, including fees for all services billed to the Registrant, adviser and affiliates that provide ongoing services to the Registrant, were $1,227,000 for fiscal year 2019 and $2,142,000 for fiscal year 2020. The non-audit services represented by these

amounts were brought to the attention of the committee and considered to be compatible with maintaining the auditors’ independence.

 

 

  

ITEM 5 – Audit Committee of Listed Registrants

 

Not applicable to this Registrant, insofar as the Registrant is not a listed issuer as defined in Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

ITEM 6 – Schedule of Investments

 

 

 

 

AMCAP Fund®

Investment portfolio

February 29, 2020

 

 

 

 

Common stocks 91.82%
Health care 21.47%
Shares Value
(000)
Abbott Laboratories 24,691,154 $1,901,960
UnitedHealth Group Inc. 6,822,054 1,739,351
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 3,637,852 1,057,887
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.1,2 10,624,447 960,131
Gilead Sciences, Inc. 12,760,813 885,090
Amgen Inc. 4,241,750 847,205
Humana Inc. 2,557,067 817,443
PerkinElmer, Inc.1 6,466,234 558,941
IQVIA Holdings Inc.2 3,451,078 481,391
Centene Corp.2 8,521,163 451,792
Edwards Lifesciences Corp.2 2,129,418 436,190
Eli Lilly and Co. 3,412,545 430,424
AbbVie Inc. 4,899,358 419,924
Stryker Corp. 1,890,251 360,263
Illumina, Inc.2 1,224,058 325,196
Insulet Corp.2 1,671,467 317,529
Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corp.1,2 5,554,482 289,389
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. 1,393,360 209,784
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. 1,410,097 191,985
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.2 760,694 170,418
Anthem, Inc. 564,149 145,037
Cigna Corp. 699,149 127,902
Johnson & Johnson 849,773 114,278
Boston Scientific Corp.2 2,999,198 112,140
Danaher Corp. 746,301 107,900
PRA Health Sciences, Inc.2 1,127,000 106,163
LivaNova PLC2 1,399,626 97,582
Zoetis Inc., Class A 726,000 96,725
AstraZeneca PLC3 912,556 79,881
Merck & Co., Inc. 600,839 46,000
Molina Healthcare, Inc.2 241,624 29,611
    13,915,512
Information technology 21.09%    
Microsoft Corp. 12,581,114 2,038,266
Broadcom Inc. 4,791,980 1,306,390
Mastercard Inc., Class A 3,631,190 1,053,953
ASML Holding NV3 3,296,851 913,105
Autodesk, Inc.2 4,292,953 819,439
FleetCor Technologies, Inc.2 2,793,169 742,396
Intel Corp. 8,426,542 467,842
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. 3,254,374 454,701
Micron Technology, Inc.2 8,188,959 430,412
Ceridian HCM Holding Inc.2 6,038,497 427,103
Adobe Inc.2 1,175,686 405,753
Accenture PLC, Class A 2,096,961 378,690
ServiceNow, Inc.2 995,328 324,566

 

AMCAP Fund — Page 1 of 5

 


 

 

 

Common stocks (continued)
Information technology (continued)
Shares Value
(000)
Visa Inc., Class A 1,718,841 $312,417
PayPal Holdings, Inc.2 2,748,306 296,790
Applied Materials, Inc. 4,677,049 271,830
Qorvo, Inc.2 2,355,488 236,915
DocuSign, Inc.2 2,618,981 226,044
Fiserv, Inc.2 1,882,987 205,923
Amphenol Corp., Class A 2,128,381 195,130
NetApp, Inc. 3,751,104 175,252
Kingdee International Software Group Co. Ltd.3 119,446,000 154,167
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. 1,309,250 131,161
Atlassian Corp. PLC, Class A2 835,777 121,154
Apple Inc. 431,242 117,884
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.3 2,589,817 117,163
Fair Isaac Corp.2 297,421 111,839
Global Payments Inc. 606,138 111,511
Trimble Inc.2 2,806,981 110,820
Texas Instruments Inc. 931,136 106,280
SVMK Inc.2 5,788,753 105,529
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.3 9,718,000 99,641
salesforce.com, inc.2 578,000 98,491
MongoDB, Inc., Class A2 630,559 96,160
TE Connectivity Ltd. 1,114,393 92,350
SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. 1,299,653 72,131
Lam Research Corp. 236,045 69,263
Zoom Video Communications, Inc., Class A2 500,585 52,561
CDK Global, Inc. 1,099,733 50,610
PTC, Inc.2 550,753 41,609
Workday, Inc., Class A2 217,300 37,647
RealPage, Inc.2 503,865 32,298
Intuit Inc. 109,971 29,236
QUALCOMM Inc. 288,723 22,607
HubSpot, Inc.2 29,114 5,224
    13,670,253
Communication services 13.81%    
Netflix, Inc.2 6,435,588 2,374,925
Alphabet Inc., Class C2 732,783 981,438
Alphabet Inc., Class A2 684,097 916,177
Facebook, Inc., Class A2 9,808,238 1,887,792
Activision Blizzard, Inc. 15,207,128 883,990
Tencent Holdings Ltd.3 13,977,318 689,437
Charter Communications, Inc., Class A2 1,035,623 510,738
Comcast Corp., Class A 3,704,210 149,761
Electronic Arts Inc.2 1,433,797 145,344
Cable One, Inc. 84,178 132,414
ViacomCBS Inc., Class B 3,486,068 85,792
New York Times Co., Class A 1,999,466 74,900
JCDecaux SA3 3,199,145 74,268
Fox Corp., Class A 1,499,599 46,098
    8,953,074
Industrials 10.83%    
TransDigm Group Inc. 2,017,556 1,125,413
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.1 4,905,717 950,728
CSX Corp. 10,578,673 745,268

 

AMCAP Fund — Page 2 of 5

 


 

 

 

Common stocks (continued)
Industrials (continued)
Shares Value
(000)
General Dynamics Corp. 4,319,845 $689,836
Northrop Grumman Corp. 1,486,303 488,756
Equifax Inc. 2,540,905 360,910
Woodward, Inc 2,605,600 268,898
Fortive Corp. 3,554,767 245,848
L3Harris Technologies, Inc. 1,038,822 205,406
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. 1,350,639 194,087
Waste Management, Inc. 1,749,532 193,866
Middleby Corp.2 1,565,301 175,016
Air Lease Corp., Class A 3,936,948 151,021
Masco Corp. 3,599,038 148,712
Airbus SE, non-registered shares3 1,216,331 148,665
Caterpillar Inc. 1,008,524 125,299
Boeing Co. 390,234 107,357
Safran SA3 771,147 107,132
Textron Inc. 2,299,386 93,355
Union Pacific Corp. 564,849 90,269
Waste Connections, Inc. 792,388 76,458
AMETEK, Inc. 850,000 73,100
Armstrong World Industries, Inc. 601,242 60,214
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp. 754,698 51,848
United Technologies Corp. 376,899 49,219
Boyd Group Services Inc. 210,512 32,935
Verisk Analytics, Inc. 169,455 26,284
Deere & Co. 133,464 20,884
NIBE Industrier AB, Class B3 800,000 12,948
    7,019,732
Consumer discretionary 8.61%    
Amazon.com, Inc.2 664,602 1,251,944
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (ADR)2 3,251,231 676,256
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.2,3 1,014,200 26,391
Marriott International, Inc., Class A 4,835,959 599,659
NIKE, Inc., Class B 5,224,119 466,932
Booking Holdings Inc.2 245,707 416,636
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. 3,984,017 387,246
Ross Stores, Inc. 2,822,346 307,015
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. 3,526,677 220,029
Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.3 22,880,000 152,795
Wynn Resorts, Ltd. 1,281,657 138,393
NVR, Inc.2 34,591 126,851
Thor Industries, Inc. 1,649,755 124,408
Home Depot, Inc. 519,861 113,247
TJX Co., Inc. 1,799,519 107,611
CarMax, Inc.2 849,773 74,194
TopBuild Corp.2 661,069 66,768
Helen of Troy Ltd.2 399,893 65,822
MGM Resorts International 2,599,359 63,840
Signet Jewelers Ltd. 2,499,332 58,284
EssilorLuxottica3 417,775 57,583
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.2 49,787 38,514
Industria de Diseño Textil, SA3 727,406 22,640
Las Vegas Sands Corp. 337,410 19,674
    5,582,732

 

AMCAP Fund — Page 3 of 5

 


 

 

 

Common stocks (continued)
Financials 4.81%
Shares Value
(000)
First Republic Bank 5,244,689 $527,458
Aon PLC, Class A 2,201,612 457,935
S&P Global Inc. 1,490,140 396,243
JPMorgan Chase & Co. 2,353,844 273,305
Arch Capital Group Ltd.2 5,269,661 213,052
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.3 9,330,769 211,554
CME Group Inc., Class A 804,724 159,995
SVB Financial Group2 718,579 149,580
Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Class B2 679,418 140,191
London Stock Exchange Group PLC3 1,334,180 130,503
Essent Group Ltd. 2,865,234 125,039
AIA Group Ltd.3 12,151,600 117,524
HDFC Bank Ltd.3 4,664,558 76,717
MSCI Inc. 201,258 59,460
The Blackstone Group Inc., Class A 650,726 35,035
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. 308,218 27,499
Everest Re Group, Ltd. 80,670 19,997
    3,121,087
Energy 4.52%    
EOG Resources, Inc. 19,344,356 1,223,724
Concho Resources Inc.1 10,180,111 692,451
Diamondback Energy, Inc. 6,333,781 392,695
Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd. (CAD denominated) 10,483,498 269,849
Halliburton Co. 7,627,961 129,370
Noble Energy, Inc. 7,270,461 115,091
Schlumberger Ltd. 2,945,213 79,786
SM Energy Co. 2,799,252 18,391
Southwestern Energy Co.2 5,797,151 8,232
    2,929,589
Consumer staples 3.86%    
Costco Wholesale Corp. 2,270,958 638,457
Constellation Brands, Inc., Class A 3,100,384 534,444
Philip Morris International Inc. 4,338,240 355,172
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. 3,377,097 293,436
Herbalife Nutrition Ltd.2 7,148,758 231,334
Estée Lauder Co. Inc., Class A 727,085 133,493
L’Oréal SA, non-registered shares3 349,906 94,105
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. 1,759,530 80,516
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC3 831,978 61,412
Altria Group, Inc. 866,368 34,975
Church & Dwight Co., Inc. 424,886 29,538
Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG3 196 17,016
    2,503,898
Real estate 1.53%    
American Tower Corp. REIT 1,741,028 394,865
Equinix, Inc. REIT 522,115 299,068
SBA Communications Corp. REIT 758,350 201,031
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. REIT 465,400 70,685
Crown Castle International Corp. REIT 197,747 28,335
    993,984

 

AMCAP Fund — Page 4 of 5

 


 

 

 

Common stocks (continued)
Materials 0.74%
Shares Value
(000)
Linde PLC 1,117,571 $213,467
Valvoline Inc. 4,779,722 93,204
Celanese Corp. 870,190 81,572
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. 275,926 60,596
Sherwin-Williams Co. 59,284 30,635
    479,474
Utilities 0.55%    
NextEra Energy, Inc. 1,420,477 359,040
Total common stocks (cost: $40,658,562,000)   59,528,375
Short-term securities 8.01%
Money market investments 8.01%
   
Capital Group Central Cash Fund 1.63%1,4 51,911,222 5,191,122
Total short-term securities (cost: $5,184,280,000)   5,191,122
Total investment securities 99.83% (cost: $45,842,842,000)   64,719,497
Other assets less liabilities 0.17%   108,744
Net assets 100.00%   $64,828,241

 

1 Represents an affiliated company as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
2 Security did not produce income during the last 12 months.
3 Valued under fair value procedures adopted by authority of the board of trustees. The total value of all such securities was $3,364,647,000, which represented 5.19% of the net assets of the fund. This entire amount relates to certain securities trading outside the U.S. whose values were adjusted as a result of significant market movements following the close of local trading.
4 Rate represents the seven-day yield at 2/29/2020.

 

Key to abbreviations
ADR = American Depositary Receipts
CAD = Canadian dollars

Additional financial disclosures are included in the fund’s current shareholder report and should be read in conjunction with this report.

Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity, so they may lose value.

Investors should carefully consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other important information is contained in the fund prospectus and summary prospectus, which can be obtained from your financial professional and should be read carefully before investing. You may also call American Funds Service Company (AFS) at (800) 421-4225 or visit the Capital Group website at capitalgroup.com.

All Capital Group trademarks mentioned are owned by The Capital Group Companies, Inc., an affiliated company or fund. All other company and product names mentioned are the property of their respective companies.

American Funds Distributors, Inc., member FINRA.

© 2020 Capital Group. All rights reserved.

 

 

MFGEFPX-002-0420O-S73148 AMCAP Fund — Page 5 of 5

 

 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ON INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of AMCAP Fund:

 

Opinion on the Investment Portfolio

 

We have audited the accompanying investment portfolio of AMCAP Fund (the “Fund”), as of February 29, 2020, and the related notes (“investment portfolio”) (included in Item 6 of this Form N-CSR). In our opinion, the investment portfolio presents fairly, in all material respects, the investments in securities of the Fund as of February 29, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

The investment portfolio is the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the investment portfolio based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the investment portfolio is free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the investment portfolio, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the investment portfolio. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the investment portfolio. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

Costa Mesa, California

 

April 9, 2020

 

We have served as the auditor of one or more American Funds investment companies since 1956.

 

ITEM 7 – Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies

 

Not applicable to this Registrant, insofar as the Registrant is not a closed-end management investment company.

 

ITEM 8 – Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies

 

Not applicable to this Registrant, insofar as the Registrant is not a closed-end management investment company.

 

ITEM 9 – Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers

 

Not applicable to this Registrant, insofar as the Registrant is not a closed-end management investment company.

 

ITEM 10 – Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

 

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant’s board of trustees since the Registrant last submitted a proxy statement to its shareholders. The procedures are as follows. The Registrant has a nominating and governance committee comprised solely of persons who are not considered ‘‘interested persons’’ of the Registrant within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The committee periodically reviews such issues as the board’s composition, responsibilities, committees, compensation and other relevant issues, and recommends any appropriate changes to the full board of trustees. While the committee normally is able to identify from its own resources an ample number of qualified candidates, it will consider shareholder suggestions of persons to be considered as nominees to fill future vacancies on the board. Such suggestions must be sent in writing to the nominating and governance committee of the Registrant, c/o the Registrant’s Secretary, and must be accompanied by complete biographical and occupational data on the prospective nominee, along with a written consent of the prospective nominee for consideration of his or her name by the nominating and governance committee.

 

ITEM 11 – Controls and Procedures

 

(a) The Registrant’s Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have concluded, based on their evaluation of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 30a-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940), that such controls and procedures are adequate and reasonably designed to achieve the purposes described in paragraph (c) of such rule.
   
(b)

There were no changes in the Registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) that occurred during the Registrant’s semi-annual period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

ITEM 12 – Exhibits

 

(a)(1) The Code of Ethics that is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2 is attached as an exhibit hereto.
   
(a)(2) The certifications required by Rule 30a-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached as exhibits hereto.
 
 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

  AMCAP FUND
   
  By __/s/ Herbert Y. Poon________________
 

Herbert Y. Poon, Executive Vice President and

Principal Executive Officer

   
  Date: April 30, 2020

 

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/ Herbert Y. Poon_____________

Herbert Y. Poon, Executive Vice President and

Principal Executive Officer

 
Date: April 30, 2020

 

 

 

By ___/s/ Brian D. Bullard__________________

Brian D. Bullard, Treasurer and

Principal Financial Officer

 
Date: April 30, 2020