N-CSR 1 d46457dncsr.htm FORM N-CSR Form N-CSR
Table of Contents

 

 

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: Parnassus Funds (811-04044) and Parnassus Income Funds (811-06673)

Parnassus Funds

Parnassus Income Funds

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

1 Market Street, Suite 1600, San Francisco, California 94105

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

Marc C. Mahon

Parnassus Funds

Parnassus Income Funds

1 Market Street, Suite 1600, San Francisco, California 94105

(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (415) 778-0200

Date of fiscal year end: December 31

Date of reporting period: December 31, 2015

 

 

 


Table of Contents

Item 1: Report to Shareholders


Table of Contents

PARNASSUS FUNDS®

 

ANNUAL REPORT  ¡  DECEMBER 31, 2015

 

PARNASSUS FUNDS

Parnassus FundSM   

Investor Shares

   PARNX

Institutional Shares

   PFPRX
Parnassus Core Equity FundSM   

Investor Shares

   PRBLX

Institutional Shares

   PRILX
Parnassus Endeavor FundSM   

Investor Shares

   PARWX

Institutional Shares

   PFPWX
Parnassus Mid Cap FundSM   

Investor Shares

   PARMX

Institutional Shares

   PFPMX
Parnassus Asia FundSM   

Investor Shares

   PAFSX

Institutional Shares

   PFPSX
Parnassus Fixed Income FundSM   

Investor Shares

   PRFIX

Institutional Shares

   PFPLX


Table of Contents

Table of Contents

 

Letter from Parnassus Investments     4   
Fund Performance and Commentary  
Parnassus Fund     5   
Parnassus Core Equity Fund     9   
Parnassus Endeavor Fund     12   
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund     15   
Parnassus Asia Fund     18   
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund     22   
Responsible Investing Notes     25   
Fund Expenses     27   
Report of Independent Public Accounting Firm     29   
Portfolios of Investments  
Parnassus Fund     30   
Parnassus Core Equity Fund     32   
Parnassus Endeavor Fund     34   
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund     36   
Parnassus Asia Fund     38   
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund     39   
Financial Statements     44   
Notes to Financial Statements     51   
Financial Highlights     64   
Additional Information     68   

 


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

February 7, 2016

 

Dear Shareholder:

Enclosed are all the investment reports for the Parnassus Funds. It was pretty much a flat year with the S&P 500 up just 1.39%. The Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares was our best-performer, gaining 3.25% or almost two percentage points above the S&P 500, and more than five percentage points ahead of the Lipper Multi-Cap Core Funds Average, which lost 2.14%.

Looking longer-term, both the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares and the Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares are #1 in their respective Lipper categories over the last ten years. For the past ten years, the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares has earned an average of 11.61% each year compared to 6.19% for the average multi-cap core funds, making it #1 of the 372 funds in its Lipper category.* The Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares has earned an average of 9.89% per year for the last ten years compared to 6.29% for the average equity income funds, making it #1 of 189 funds in its Lipper category.*

New Staff Member

Constance Scott joined us in October as Senior Marketing Associate and Financial Writer. Constance has been in the investment industry for over 20 years at Dodge & Cox, AssetMark and AXA Rosenberg. In these roles, she was responsible for investment communication with advisors and institutional clients across various mediums. She has a B.A. in Technical Writing and Economics from San Francisco State University. At Parnassus, Constance will apply her talents to helping us communicate our investment strategies. We’re glad to have someone of her experience at our firm.

Shareholder Meeting

Donald Potter, who had been our lead trustee and was a trustee of the Funds for over 13 years, retired effective December 31 because he reached the Funds’ mandatory retirement age of 70 during 2015. I want to thank Don for his diligent service to the Funds and for always putting the shareholders’ best interests first. Jeanie Joe, who has been a trustee of the Funds for 12 years, was elected lead trustee at the December 2015 board meeting. As a result of Don’s retirement, we’ll need to have a shareholder meeting, since it is a regulatory requirement that a majority of the trustees be elected by shareholders. We have scheduled a shareholder meeting for March 22nd at 6:30 pm at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco for the purpose of electing the Board of Trustees. You will be sent proxy materials separately, and I encourage you to review the materials and vote your shares. There will be a reception at 6:00 pm, and there will be a question and answer session with Portfolio Managers immediately following the shareholder meeting. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Marie Lee at marie.lee@parnassus.com or by calling (415) 778-2607.

Yours truly,

 

LOGO

Jerome L. Dodson

President

* The Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares placed #35 of 737 funds, #26 of 656 funds and #10 of 576 funds for the one-, three- and five-year periods, respectively. The Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares placed #93 of 509 funds, #3 of 397 funds and #9 of 298 funds for the one-, three- and five-year periods, respectively.

 

4


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

PARNASSUS FUND

Ticker: Investor Shares - PARNX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PFPRX

 

As of December 31, 2015, the net asset value per share (“NAV”) of the Parnassus Fund – Investor Shares was $40.46, so after taking dividends into account, the total return for the year was 0.26%. This compares to a gain of 1.39% for the S&P 500 Index (“S&P 500”) and a loss of 2.14% for the Lipper Multi-Cap Core Average, which represents the average return of the multi-cap core funds followed by Lipper (“Lipper average”). For the year, we trailed the S&P 500, but we beat the Lipper average.

Below is a table comparing the Parnassus Fund with the S&P 500 and the Lipper average over the past one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods. Although the Fund is behind the S&P 500 for the one-year period, we’re ahead of the Lipper average for that time span. Longer-term, the Fund is ahead of both its benchmarks for all time periods. Most striking is the ten-year number, where we have gained an average of 9.74% per year, which is more than two percentage points per year ahead of the S&P 500 and more than three percentage points per year ahead of the Lipper average.

 

Parnassus Fund  
Average Annual
Total Returns (%)
  One
Year
    Three
Years
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
for periods ended
December 31, 2015
           
   
Parnassus Fund Investor Shares     0.26        15.56        13.06        9.74        0.84        0.84   
   
Parnassus Fund Institutional Shares     0.37        15.60        13.09        9.75        0.77        0.77   
   
S&P 500 Index     1.39        15.12        12.55        7.30        NA        NA   
   
Lipper Multi-Cap Core Average     -2.14        12.86        10.14        6.19        NA        NA   

 

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Fund-Institutional Shares from commencement (April 30, 2015) was -2.37%. Performance shown prior to the inception of the Institutional Shares reflects the performance of the Parnassus Fund-Investor Shares and includes expenses that are not applicable to and are higher than those of the Institutional Shares. The performance of Institutional Shares differs from that shown for the Investor Shares to the extent that the classes do not have the same expenses. Performance data quoted represent past performance and are no guarantee of future returns. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Current performance information to the most recent month-end is available on the Parnassus website (www.parnassus.com). Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original principal cost. Returns shown in the table do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or redemption of shares. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of common stocks, and it is not possible to invest directly in an index. Index figures do not take any expenses, fees or taxes into account, but mutual fund returns do.

Before investing, an investor should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund and should carefully read the prospectus or summary prospectus, which contain this and other information. The prospectus or summary prospectus can be obtained on the Parnassus website or by calling (800) 999-3505. As described in the Fund’s current prospectus dated May 1, 2015, Parnassus Investments has contractually agreed to limit total operating expenses to 0.77% of net assets for the Parnassus Fund-Institutional Shares. This agreement will not be terminated prior to May 1, 2016, and may be continued indefinitely by the Adviser on a year-to-year basis.

Company Analysis

Five companies each had a negative impact of 25¢ or more on the value of each Parnassus Fund share. The stock that hurt us the most was Whole Foods, the world’s largest retailer of organic and natural foods, as its stock sank 33.6% during the year from $50.42 to $33.50 for a loss of 68¢ for each fund share. The stock fell throughout the year, because revenue growth repeatedly missed expectations. The company also announced it will launch a new chain of lower-priced stores called 365, which investors believe will compete directly with existing Whole Foods outlets, thus cannibalizing sales. There is no doubt that 365 will take some sales from the Whole Foods brand, but our view is that 365 will appeal to enough new customers, so that taken together, the two brands will accelerate growth for the company as a whole. The stock is now on the bargain table, and we think it will climb higher in 2016.

Potash Corporation plummeted 51.5% from $35.32 to $17.12, slicing 62¢ off the NAV. Low crop prices caused farmers to apply less fertilizer, which pushed the price of potash in the key growing region of the U.S. Midwest down more than 20%. Investors also worried that new mines scheduled to open over the next few years will push prices down further, but we disagree. Demand for potash has to increase, because the world needs to feed more people each day, and an emerging middle class in Asia that desires a more nutritious diet. Fertilizer is the best way to improve crop yields and meet this burgeoning demand. We believe Potash’s low costs will enable it to ride out the cyclical downturn, and the company’s spare capacity will allow it to benefit, when demand increases and prices recover. After the sharp decline in its share price, Potash’s dividend yield is now 8.9%, so we’re being paid handsomely as we wait.

 

 

5


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Qualcomm, a major designer and producer of smartphone chips, sliced 40¢ off the value of each fund share, as its stock sank 32.8%, dropping from $74.33 to $49.99. The company’s licensing division had difficulty collecting royalties in China, while regulators in South Korea and Taiwan announced they were investigating Qualcomm’s licensing practices. Meanwhile, the company’s chipset division lost market share to lower-cost competitors and is being investigated by the European Union. Not everything is bleak, though. There has been positive feedback on the latest product, the Snapdragon 820, and the signing of a number of new licensing agreements in China. The company has also taken steps to improve margins and is repurchasing $10 billion of its shares. At only $49.99, we think the stock is a bargain.

Shares of Mill Valley, California-based Redwood Trust fell 33.0% from $19.70 to $13.20, subtracting 28¢ from the value of each fund share. Redwood acquires jumbo home mortgages from banks, packages them into securitizations, and sells them to fixed-income investors. The stock declined this year, because Redwood completed only a handful of securitizations, as persistently low interest rates enticed banks to retain most of their 30-year fixed-rate jumbo mortgages by funding them with short-term deposits. Now that the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates for the first time in a decade, we expect banks to sell more of their jumbo mortgages to avoid the earnings compression that rising deposit costs would cause. With jumbo securitizations at only one-tenth of their volumes since the last time the Fed raised interest rates, we believe Redwood’s earnings could soar.

Cummins, the diesel engine manufacturer, cut 26¢ off the value of each fund share, as the stock dropped 13.8% from our average cost of $102.06 to $88.01. A prolonged downturn in commodity prices and weakness in Brazil and China reduced demand for the company’s engines in 2015, and its guidance for a revenue decline of up to 4% in 2016 disappointed investors. We were disappointed by the weak guidance as well, but we’re holding onto the stock, because we believe the company’s best-in-class technology for emissions control and fuel efficiency will allow it to grow quickly when its end markets recover.

Looking on the bright side, we had five stocks that each added 25¢ or more to the NAV. Our biggest winner was Altera, a manufacturer of field programmable gate arrays, a type of semiconductor that customers configure on their own for use in a wide variety of applications. Altera contributed 88¢ to each Parnassus Fund share, as its stock soared 46.2% from $36.94 to $54.00, where it was acquired by Intel, the giant semiconductor company. Interestingly, in July the stock was trading well below the $54 in cash that Intel had agreed to pay sometime over the next nine months, so we added to our position at an average cost of

 

Parnassus Fund

as of December 31, 2015

(percentage of net assets)

   

 

LOGO

* For purposes of categorizing securities for diversification requirements under the Investment Company Act, the Fund uses industry classifications that are more specific than those used for the chart.

 

$41.20 per share. While we don’t normally invest more than 5% of the portfolio in any one company, we increased our holding in Altera to 8%, because we felt the risk of the deal falling through was low. Intel had the cash and needed an acquisition like Altera to get the company growing again; we also expected regulators to approve the transaction, since the companies are not direct competitors. We were proven correct when the deal closed on December 28.

The shares of Alphabet (formerly Google) gained 46.6% from $530.66 to $778.01 during the year, adding 64¢ to the NAV. Nearly all the gain occurred in the second half of the year, after management announced a major restructuring. Going forward, Alphabet’s non-core business lines will have more freedom to operate, which should lead to better growth and strategic clarity. Under the previous structure, these divisions had to compete for capital and attention with Google, YouTube and Android (the mobile operating system), which are the company’s most strategic assets. Terrific financial results also helped Alphabet’s shares in 2015, with revenue growth expected to have accelerated to nearly 15% for the full year, as compared to 10% for 2014.

Altera wasn’t the only takeover stock in our portfolio this year. SanDisk makes NAND flash memory chips, a fast-growing type of semiconductor used in consumer electronics and data-storage equipment. The stock started the year trading around $98 a

 

6


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Top 10 Holdings

(percentage of net assets)

 

Intel Corp.      5.0%   
Whole Foods Market Inc.      4.7%   
Ciena Corp.      4.7%   
SanDisk Corp.      4.5%   
Applied Materials Inc.      4.5%   
International Business Machines Corp.      4.3%   
American Express Co.      4.1%   
Air Lease Corp.      4.0%   
Cummins Inc.      3.8%   
Micron Technology Inc.      3.8%   

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

 

Value on December 31, 2015 of $10,000 invested on December 31, 2005

 

LOGO

The chart shows the growth in value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment over the last ten years and does not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares.

 

share, then fell sharply to our average cost of $65.16 because of quality issues around some of its products, and reduced expectations for revenue and earnings. The stock started to climb higher on takeover speculation, then on October 21, disk-drive manufacturer, Western Digital, offered to acquire SanDisk for $86.50 a share. As of December 31, SanDisk was trading at $75.99 a share, so we have a nice profit in the stock, but as with Altera, there may be more upside if the $86.50 acquisition price is realized. We think the deal will go through, so we’re holding on. Based on our cost of $65.16 and the year-end price of $75.99, we have a gain of 16.6% in the stock, which translates into a gain of 30¢ for each fund share.

Ciena Corporation, the optical networking company, rose 6.6% from $19.41 to $20.69, contributing 30¢ to the NAV. Our return on Ciena was higher than the 6.6% annual gain would suggest, because we sold 600,000 shares at an average price of $24.49 during the second quarter, after the company reported earnings that exceeded expectations.

Intel helped our fund twice this year, as we profited from its acquisition of Altera, and we also enjoyed a nice gain on our investment in the company’s shares. Intel added 29¢ to the NAV, even though the stock decreased 5.07% during the year from $36.29 to $34.45. Just like SanDisk, there was no magic involved in our ability to profit from a declining stock; we just waited for a lower price. Then the stock slumped to our average cost of $30.97 after the company lowered its revenue outlook due to weaker demand for PCs and difficult macroeconomic conditions in Europe. The stock rebounded in the fourth quarter, as its PC business appears to be stabilizing, and its data-center business is growing at a double-digit rate.

Outlook and Strategy

(Note: This section applies to both the Parnassus Fund and the Parnassus Endeavor Fund.)

Right now, the stock market looks fully-valued, but not overvalued. The market has been weak in early January, and some analysts are predicting a bear market. However, being fully-valued or overvalued does not mean a bear market is on the way. There are lots of examples of the market moving much higher for months or even years from a fully-valued or overvalued position. Most of the time, there has to be some sort of catalyst to start a bear market. In 1990, it was Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. In 2000, it was the bursting of the tech bubble. In 2008, it was the melt-down in the mortgage-securities market. Each time, the catalyst was different, and most people did not foresee what would happen.

For now, my best guess is that we’re not going into a bear market. The American economy looks very strong, with over 200,000 new jobs being created each month, no signs of inflation, persistently low interest rates and no signs of excess like we saw in 2000 and 2008. Unemployment is now down to 5%, which looks pretty good, compared to 10% in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis.

There are, however, signs that point in the opposite direction. Warren Buffett once said that if he were stranded on a desert island and could look at only one economic indicator, he would choose railroad traffic. By this measure, things don’t look

 

7


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

very good. Rail volumes fell at an annual rate of 6% in the fourth quarter and dropped to a 9% decline in the month of December. While we agree with Warren Buffett most of the time, in this case, I don’t think reduced rail traffic points to a recession or bear market ahead. What reduced rail traffic means is that people are moving less stuff around – mostly things like oil, metals and other commodities. Commodity prices, especially oil, are much lower now and this shows less demand. The consumer economy, though, remains quite strong. Manufacturing activity has slowed down, but demand for services has picked up, and most of our economy is based on services – not mining, manufacturing or drilling for oil. From a consumer’s perspective, low oil prices are a good thing. Low oil prices also reduce the cost of manufacturing, which helps the overall economy. Of course, lower prices mean fewer jobs in the oil patch, less drilling and less economic activity indirectly related to oil and that is substantial. That appears to be the reason for lower rail traffic and less manufacturing activity. Overall though, lower oil prices should be good for America. As the labor market picks up, salaries and wages should increase, and people will be able to buy more goods and services, moving the economy higher. It looks like there’s a tug-of-war going on with the commodities and manufacturing sectors pulling one way, while the consumer and services sectors pull the other way.

As stock-pickers, though, we can’t control the economy, and we can’t invest based on economic forecasts. All we can do is find what we believe to be undervalued stocks with good prospects and invest in them. Any weakness in the economy should make some stocks go down, and this should present us with some nice opportunities.

Yours truly,

 

LOGO    LOGO
Jerome L. Dodson    Ian Sexsmith
Lead Portfolio Manager    Portfolio Manager

 

8


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

PARNASSUS CORE EQUITY FUND

Ticker: Investor Shares - PRBLX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PRILX

 

As of December 31, 2015, the net asset value (NAV) of the Parnassus Core Equity Fund - Investor Shares was $36.97. After taking dividends into account, the total return for the fourth quarter was 4.79%. This compares to increases of 7.04% for the S&P 500 Index (“S&P 500”) and 4.57% for the Lipper Equity Income Fund Average, which represents the average equity income funds followed by Lipper (“Lipper average”). For the year, the Fund generated a loss of 0.55%, which compares favorably to the 3.66% loss for the Lipper average, but falls short of the 1.39% gain for the S&P 500.

Below is a table that summarizes the performances of the Fund, the S&P 500 and the Lipper average. The returns are for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods.

 

Parnassus Core Equity Fund  
Average Annual Total
Returns (%)
  One
Year
    Three
Years
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
for periods ended
December 31, 2015
           
   
Parnassus Core Equity Fund Investor Shares     -0.55        15.12        12.68        9.89        0.87        0.87   
   
Parnassus Core Equity Fund Institutional Shares     -0.34        15.32        12.89        10.10        0.67        0.67   
   
S&P 500 Index     1.39        15.12        12.55        7.30        NA        NA   
   
Lipper Equity Income Fund
Average
    -3.66        10.55        9.25        6.29        NA        NA   
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Core Equity Fund-Institutional Shares from commencement (April 28, 2006) was 9.70%. Performance shown prior to the inception of the Institutional Shares reflects the performance of the Parnassus Core Equity Fund- Investor Shares and includes expenses that are not applicable to and are higher than those of the Institutional Shares. The performance of the Institutional Shares differs from that shown for the Investor Shares to the extent that the classes do not have the same expenses. Performance data quoted represent past performance and are no guarantee of future returns. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, and current performance information to the most recent month-end is available on the Parnassus website (www.parnassus.com). Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original principal cost. Returns shown in the table do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or redemption of shares. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of common stocks, and it is not possible to invest directly in an index. Index figures do not take any expenses, fees or taxes into account, but mutual fund returns do.

Before investing, an investor should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund and should carefully read the prospectus or summary prospectus, which contain this and other information. The prospectus or summary prospectus can be obtained on the Parnassus website or by calling (800) 999-3505.

 

Year in Review

The Fund generated a modest loss of 0.55% for the year, and trailed the S&P 500 by 1.94%. During an especially volatile second half, the Fund performed relatively well. It experienced only 61% of the index’s third quarter loss, and captured almost 70% of the fourth quarter rebound. This resulted in a return 50 basis points (a basis point is 1/100th of one percent) better than the S&P 500. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough to overcome our disappointing first half.

For the year, sector allocations were a net positive for the Fund’s relative performance. The largest beneficial impact came from our underweight position, relative to the index, in energy stocks, which were weak in 2015 due to the collapse in oil and natural gas prices. The only two significant negative allocation effects came from our underweight in consumer discretionary stocks (which did well last year) and our overweight in industrials (which performed poorly).

Stock selection is normally a strength for the Fund, but that wasn’t the case last year. Our relative performance suffered from large gains in two Internet stocks, Amazon.com and Facebook, which were in the index but not our portfolio. On a combined basis, our avoidance of these high-fliers represented a headwind of over 100 basis points for the Fund. Since both stocks trade at over 100x estimated 2015 earnings, they simply didn’t meet our valuation standards.

As for stocks that we did own, our biggest loser was National Oilwell Varco (NOV), a global supplier of equipment and technology that help companies drill wells safely and efficiently. The stock slumped 48.9% from $65.53 to $33.49, cutting 68¢ from each Fund share. For the first time since 1988, oil prices declined for a second consecutive year in 2015, dropping 30% from $53

 

 

9


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

to $37 per barrel. As a result, oil producers cut their capital investment, which reduced the demand for NOV’s oil and gas drilling solutions. During this downturn, management is focused on managing costs and improving efficiencies, while continuing to develop new technologies. We think this strategy will strengthen NOV’s position in the marketplace as a trusted, efficient, low-risk supplier to its customers. When energy prices and oil services demand eventually recover, we expect NOV to be a major beneficiary.

Our second biggest loser was Pentair, a diversified industrial company with leading positions in pumps, filters, valves and thermal solutions. The company subtracted 36¢ from each Fund share, as its stock dropped 25.4% from $66.42 to $49.53. The combination of a prolonged downturn in commodity prices and weak global industrial activity hurt Pentair’s earnings during 2015. For the year, both sales and earnings are expected to be down more than 10%. Despite this challenging outlook, we are holding on to the shares, because we still like Pentair’s long-term fundamentals.

Shaw Communications, a cable company in Western Canada, cut 35¢ off the value of each Fund share, as its stock dropped 36.3% from $26.99 to $17.19. The stock fell as the company lost TV subscribers to its rival, Telus, and lower oil prices caused layoffs and less investment in Western Canada. In December, the stock dropped further after Shaw announced the acquisition of cell phone operator Wind Mobile, because the deal ended long-running speculation that another cable company might someday acquire Shaw.

Our biggest winner was Alphabet (formerly Google), which gained 44.2% from $526.40 to $758.88, adding 45¢ to the Fund’s NAV. Nearly all of the gain occurred in the second half of the year, after management announced a major restructuring. Going forward, Alphabet’s non-core business lines will have more freedom to operate, which should lead to better growth and strategic clarity. Under the previous structure, these divisions had to compete for capital and attention with Google, YouTube and Android (the mobile operating system), which are the company’s most strategic assets. Terrific financial results also helped Alphabet’s shares in 2015, with revenue expected to have accelerated to nearly 15% for the full year, as compared to 10% for 2014.

Mondelez, a leading snacks company with iconic brands such as Oreo, Cadbury and Trident, added 31¢ to each Fund share, as its stock rose 23.4% from $36.33 to $44.84. The stock climbed throughout the year, as the company consistently reported better than expected sales and earnings. Mondelez has generated solid revenue growth thanks to its strong brands and exposure to fast-growing food categories and geographies. The company also has done an excellent job reducing expenses by eliminating excess manufacturing facilities, cutting overhead and discontinuing unprofitable products. While operating margins have increased from 12% to 14% over the past two years, we believe there is still upside for the company’s profitability.

Allergan, an innovative pharmaceutical company best known for developing Botox, climbed 21.4% from $257.41 to $312.50, for a gain of 29¢ for each Fund share. The stock rose early in the year after the company announced robust earnings and provided an encouraging outlook related to its R&D pipeline. Allergan spiked later in the year, when management announced that it was selling the company’s generic drug unit to Teva for more than $40 billion. This deal made Allergan an even more attractive company, as it’s now focused exclusively on high margin and fast-growing branded drugs. Within just a few months of the Teva deal, Pfizer approached Allergan and agreed to acquire the

 

Parnassus Core Equity Fund

as of December 31, 2015

(percentage of net assets)

 

LOGO

Top 10 Holdings

(percentage of net assets)

 

Danaher Corp.      4.8%   
Motorola Solutions Inc.      4.3%   
Mondelez International Inc., Class A      4.0%   
Procter & Gamble Co.      3.6%   
Intel Corp.      3.6%   
United Parcel Service Inc., Class B      3.1%   
Alphabet Inc., Class C      3.1%   
Xylem Inc.      3.0%   
VF Corp.      3.0%   
Gilead Sciences Inc.      3.0%   

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

 

 

10


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

company for $160 billion. If approved by regulators, this would be the world’s largest-ever healthcare deal. We are eager to see how this latest chapter in Allergan’s story unfolds in 2016.

Outlook and Strategy

Stocks were basically flat last year on average, because many companies in the index had trouble growing earnings. This weakness was especially acute for energy companies, but it spilled over to other commodity producers, as well as industrial companies that support resource extraction. Businesses relying on exports to fuel growth also faced headwinds in 2015, as the strong dollar negatively impacted their competitive positions in overseas markets. The silver lining as we look forward to 2016 is that valuations are relatively attractive for companies that suffered last year from these cyclical issues. We certainly believe this to be the case for the aforementioned National Oilwell Varco and Pentair.

 

Value on December 31, 2015 of $10,000 invested on December 31, 2005

 

LOGO

The chart shows the growth in value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment over the last ten years and does not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares.

 

Despite the slump in commodity and export markets, certain pockets of the economy are thriving. Internet companies are reshaping how people interact with each other and with businesses that want them as customers. And unlike their late 1990s predecessors, today’s Internet leaders are taking in staggering amounts of revenue, and some are even turning attractive profits. Healthcare and consumer discretionary companies also posted strong results in 2015, as they were the two fastest growing sectors in the S&P 500, as measured by earnings per share. Our hope, as we look forward to 2016, is that these strong parts of the economy give a boost to the weak ones.

In the fourth quarter, we initiated a position in VF Corp., an apparel and footwear company better known by its top brands: The North Face, Timberland, Vans and Wrangler. We have long admired this company for its growth potential, commitment to corporate responsibility and excellent management team. We finally got a chance to buy the stock in December, after a disappointing earnings announcement caused a 14% drop in the shares from the pre-report price of $73 to our average cost of $63. We hope to own VF Corp. for many years, as we expect its brands to continue to gain market share domestically and abroad.

VF Corp. was the fifth new stock added to the Fund in 2015, joining Danaher, Deere, Intel and PayPal. We chose to divest six stocks: Accenture, Energen, Expeditors International, Teleflex, Spectra Energy and Qualcomm. We also trimmed (but didn’t exit) a number of positions, most notably our drug-related stocks, and added to certain long-term holdings due to improved valuations.

These changes to the portfolio had a meaningful impact on our sector weights. Unlike a year ago, the Fund is now underweight the healthcare sector. We have a less pronounced underweight position in consumer discretionary stocks, due to the addition of VF Corp. We still have very little exposure to financials, as the stocks in that sector don’t appear to offer attractive enough risk-reward profiles to justify our investment. Our largest overweights are in the industrials and consumer staples sectors, where we own stocks with excellent long-term prospects and attractive valuations.

If 2015 proves to be just a pause in the bull market that began in 2009, our goal is to modestly outpace the index going forward. If last year’s second half volatility was a precursor to a 2016 market correction, we’d expect our portfolio to hold up relatively well, given its quality bias. Minimizing losses in downturns and keeping pace with the index during bull markets is our recipe for attractive long-term investment results.

Thank you for your trust and investment with us,

 

LOGO    LOGO
Todd C. Ahlsten    Benjamin E. Allen
Lead Portfolio Manager    Portfolio Manager

 

11


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

PARNASSUS ENDEAVOR FUND

Ticker: Investor Shares - PARWX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PFPWX

 

As of December 31, 2015, the NAV of the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares was $28.07, so after taking dividends into account, the total return for the year was 3.25%. This compares to a return of 1.39% for the S&P 500 Index (“S&P 500”) and a loss of 2.14% for the Lipper Multi-Cap Core Average, which represents the average return of the multi-cap core funds followed by Lipper (“Lipper average”). In a difficult year for the stock market, the Parnassus Endeavor Fund performed very well, beating the S&P 500 by almost two percentage points and beating the Lipper average by well over five percentage points.

Below is a table comparing the Parnassus Endeavor Fund with the S&P 500 and the Lipper average over the past one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods. You can see that the Fund has outperformed both benchmarks for all time periods. Most striking is the fact that the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares has beaten the S&P 500 by more than four percentage points per year over the past ten years, averaging 11.61% per year compared to 7.30% for the S&P 500. This performance has made the

 

Parnassus Endeavor Fund  
Average Annual Total
Returns (%)
  One
Year
    Three
Years
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
for periods ended
December 31, 2015
           
   
Parnassus Endeavor Fund Investor Shares     3.25        17.08        14.01        11.61        1.02        0.95   
   
Parnassus Endeavor Fund Institutional Shares     3.38        17.12        14.04        11.62        0.87        0.83   
   
S&P 500 Index     1.39        15.12        12.55        7.30        NA        NA   
   
Lipper Multi-Cap Core Average     -2.14        12.86        10.14        6.19        NA        NA   

 

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund-Institutional Shares from commencement (April 30, 2015) was -0.22%. Performance shown prior to the inception of the Institutional Shares reflects the performance of the Parnassus Endeavor Fund-Investor Shares and includes expenses that are not applicable to and are higher than those of the Institutional Shares. The performance of the Institutional Shares differs from that shown for the Investor Shares to the extent that the classes do not have the same expenses. Performance data quoted represent past performance and are no guarantee of future returns. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Current performance information to the most recent month-end is available on the Parnassus website (www.parnassus.com). Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original principal cost. Returns shown in the table do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or redemption of shares. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of common stocks, and it is not possible to invest directly in an index. Index figures do not take any expenses, fees or taxes into account, but mutual fund returns do.

Before investing, an investor should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund and should carefully read the prospectus or summary prospectus, which contain this and other information. The prospectus or summary prospectus can be obtained on the Parnassus website or by calling (800) 999-3505. As described in the Fund’s current prospectus dated May 1, 2015, Parnassus Investments has contractually agreed to limit total operating expenses to 0.95% of net assets for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund-Investor Shares and to 0.83% of net assets for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund-Institutional Shares. This agreement will not be terminated prior to May 1, 2016, and may be continued indefinitely by the Adviser on a year-to-year basis.

 

Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares the best-performing of all 372 multi-cap core funds followed by Lipper over the past ten years.*

On page 14, you will also find a graph that shows the growth of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in the Fund made ten years ago, compared to the growth of a $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 or the Lipper average. As you can see, you would have almost 50% more money at the end of the ten years with the Parnassus Endeavor Fund than with the S&P 500 or the Lipper average.

Company Analysis

Four companies each contributed 20¢ or more to the NAV, and there were also four companies that each cut 20¢ or more off the value of each share of the Parnassus Endeavor Fund. Fortunately, the winners added more than the losers subtracted from the NAV.

The stock that hurt us the most was Whole Foods, the world’s largest retailer of organic and natural foods, as its stock sank 33.6% during the year from $50.42 to $33.50 for a loss of 47¢ for each fund share. The stock fell throughout the year, because revenue growth repeatedly missed expectations. The company also announced it will launch a new chain of lower-priced stores called 365, which investors believe will compete directly with existing Whole Foods outlets, thus cannibalizing sales. There is no doubt that 365 will take some sales from the Whole Foods brand, but our view is that 365 will appeal to enough

 

* For the one-, three- and five-year periods, the Fund was #35 of 737 funds, #26 of 656 funds and #10 of 576 funds, respectively.

 

12


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

new customers, so that taken together, the two brands will accelerate growth for the company as a whole. The stock is now on the bargain table, and we think it will climb higher in 2016.

Qualcomm, a major designer and producer of smartphone chips, sliced 44¢ off the value of each fund share, as its stock crashed 32.8%, dropping from $74.33 to $49.99. The company’s licensing division had difficulty collecting royalties in China, while regulators in South Korea and Taiwan announced they were investigating Qualcomm’s licensing practices. Meanwhile, the company’s chipset division lost market share to lower-cost competitors and is being investigated by the European Union. Not everything is bleak, though. There has been positive feedback on the latest product, the Snapdragon 820, and the signing of a number of new licensing agreements in China. The company has also taken steps to improve margins and is repurchasing $10 billion of its shares. At only $49.99, we think the stock is a bargain.

Cummins, the diesel-engine manufacturer, cut 35¢ off the NAV, as its stock sank 18.9% from our average cost of $108.51, when we bought it during the fourth quarter to $88.01, by year-end. Weakness in the company’s major overseas markets of Brazil and China hurt the stock, and Cummins reported that it is going through a cyclical downturn, warning that revenue could fall as much as 4% in 2016. At just over $100 a share, we thought the stock had hit bottom, but it fell even further. We’re still holding on, because the company’s low debt level and strong cash flow should help it through this difficult period, until demand for the company’s products increases.

International Business Machines (IBM) saw its stock fall 14.2% from $160.44 to $137.62, cutting 20¢ off the value of each fund share. The stock rose in early 2015, after the company announced better-than-expected earnings, driven primarily by stronger margins in the systems and technology segment. Over the summer, though, the stock started falling, as IBM missed sales forecasts due to sluggish demand for its legacy software and computers. Sales were also affected in overseas markets by the strong dollar, and investor sentiment turned negative as revenue growth failed to pick up. We’ve been disappointed in IBM, but we believe the company’s investments in high-growth technology products and services will eventually boost sales. In the meantime, the stock is paying a 4.0% dividend and is trading at a bargain price, so we’re holding on.

Although these four losers really hurt our performance for the year, their negative effect was outweighed by some star performers. Most notable was Altera, which contributed an extraordinary 73¢ to the NAV, as its stock soared 46.2% from $36.94 at the beginning of the year to $54, when the company was sold to Intel on December 28. Altera makes a type of semiconductor known as a field-programmable gate-array (FPGA), and Intel bought the company to fill in its semiconductor product line and improve its growth prospects. What was interesting about this investment was that the stock was trading well below the $54 cash price that Intel agreed to pay, even after the public announcement of the transaction. We added more shares at an average cost of around $50, bringing our position in Altera to over 10% of the portfolio.

 

Parnassus Endeavor Fund

as of December 31, 2015

(percentage of net assets)

   

 

LOGO

* For purposes of categorizing securities for diversification requirements under the Investment Company Act, the Fund uses industry classifications that are more specific than those used for the chart.

Top 10 Holdings

(percentage of net assets)

 

Applied Materials Inc.      5.6%   
SanDisk Corp.      5.5%   
Whole Foods Market Inc.      5.1%   
Ciena Corp.      4.8%   
American Express Co.      4.8%   
International Business Machines Corp.      4.8%   
Intel Corp.      4.7%   
Deere & Co.      4.4%   
Cummins Inc.      4.3%   
Autodesk Inc.      4.1%   

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

 

 

13


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Normally, we never have more than 5% of our assets in any one issuer, but this seemed a special case and the risk was very low. Intel had the cash, and they were motivated to complete the transaction to get the company growing again. It was also likely that anti-trust regulators would approve the deal even though both companies made semiconductors, because Intel did not compete directly in the FPGA market. It was a rare opportunity, and we decided to take a calculated risk. I don’t think we’ve ever had more than 10% of the Fund’s assets in any one company before, so this was a rare exception. There was some risk, but the risk was relatively minor, and there was an inexplicable gap between the market price and the purchase price. We saw an opportunity, we took our chances and shareholders are richer for it.

Altera wasn’t the only takeover stock in our portfolio this year. SanDisk makes NAND flash

 

Value on December 31, 2015 of $10,000 invested on December 31, 2005    

 

LOGO

The chart shows the growth in value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment over the last ten years and does not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares.

 

memory chips, a fast-growing type of semiconductor used in consumer electronics and data-storage equipment. The stock started the year trading around $98 a share, then fell sharply because of quality issues around some of its products, and reduced expectations for revenue and earnings. When the stock dropped into the 50’s, we acquired a position of around a million shares at an average cost of $57.93, which at the time amounted to about 4% of our portfolio. The stock started to climb higher on takeover speculation, then on October 21, disk-drive manufacturer, Western Digital, offered to acquire SanDisk for $86.50 a share. As of December 31, SanDisk was trading at $75.99 a share, so we have a nice profit in the stock, but as with Altera, there may be more upside if the $86.50 acquisition price is realized. We think the deal will go through, so we’re holding on. Based on our cost of $57.93 and the year-end price of $75.99, we have a gain of 31.2% in the stock, which translates into a gain of 49¢ for each fund share.

All of you probably know what Google is, but most of you have probably never heard of Alphabet, which is now the parent holding company of Google, so now our shares of Google have been converted into shares of Alphabet. During the year, shares of Alphabet gained 46.6% from $530.66 to $778.01 by year-end, thereby adding 41¢ to the NAV. Nearly all of the gain occurred in the last half of the year, after management announced a major restructuring. Alphabet’s non-core business lines will now have more freedom to operate, which should lead to more growth and strategic clarity. Under the previous structure, these divisions had to compete for capital and management attention with the core businesses of Google, YouTube and Android (the mobile-phone operating system), which are the company’s strategic assets. Terrific financial results also helped the stock in 2015, with revenue growing at a rate of about 15%, compared with 10% in 2014.

Autodesk, the leading software-provider for architects, engineers and designers, added 28¢ to the value of each fund share, even though the stock only increased 1.4% during the year, going from $60.06 to $60.93. There was no magic involved. We initiated our position in the middle of the year, when investor sentiment turned negative, causing shares to slump, because revenue growth decelerated due to weak demand in emerging markets and foreign-exchange headwinds. However, the stock rose sharply after activist-investor Sachem Head and Eminence Capital announced big positions in Autodesk. By this time, though, we had already accumulated a position in Autodesk at $49.60 a share. After that, the company delivered better-than-expected third quarter sales and earnings results. The combination of the two events pushed up the price of the stock to $60.93 by the end of the year, and that’s how the Parnassus Endeavor Fund added 28¢ to the NAV. We expect the stock to move even higher with increased sales of its subscription/cloud-based offerings used by manufacturing and construction firms.

Yours truly,

 

LOGO

Jerome L. Dodson

Portfolio Manager

 

14


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

PARNASSUS MID CAP FUND

Ticker: Investor Shares - PARMX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PFPMX

 

As of December 31, 2015, the NAV of the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares was $25.56, so after taking dividends into account, the total return for 2015 was a loss of 0.87%. This compares to a loss of 2.44% for the Russell Midcap Index (“Russell”) and a loss of 4.35% for the Lipper Mid-Cap Core Average, which represents the average mid-cap core funds followed by Lipper (“Lipper average”). For the quarter, the Fund was up 5.04%, ahead of the Russell’s 3.62% return and the Lipper average’s 2.40% gain.

Below is a table comparing the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund with the Russell and the Lipper average for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods. On page 17 is a graph showing the growth of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in the Fund made ten years ago, compared to the growth of a $10,000 investment in the Russell or the Lipper average.

 

Parnassus Mid Cap Fund  
Average Annual
Total Returns (%)
  One
Year
    Three
Years
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
for periods ended
December 31, 2015
           
   
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund Investor Shares     -0.87        12.25        11.63        8.84        1.09        0.99   
   
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund Institutional Shares     -0.65        12.33        11.68        8.87        0.94        0.85   
   
Russell Midcap Index     -2.44        14.18        11.44        8.00        NA        NA   
   
Lipper Mid-Cap Core Average     -4.35        11.55        9.01        6.58        NA        NA   

 

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund-Institutional Shares from commencement (April 30, 2015) was -1.30%. Performance shown prior to the inception of the Institutional Shares reflects the performance of the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund-Investor Shares and includes expenses that are not applicable to and are higher than those of the Institutional Shares. The performance of the Institutional Shares differs from that shown for the Investor Shares to the extent that the classes do not have the same expenses. Performance data quoted represent past performance and are no guarantee of future returns. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Current performance information to the most recent month-end is available on the Parnassus website (www.parnassus.com). Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original principal cost. Returns shown in the table do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or redemption of shares. The Russell Midcap Index is an unmanaged index of common stocks, and it is not possible to invest directly in an index. Index figures do not take any expenses, fees or taxes into account, but mutual fund returns do. Mid-cap companies can be more sensitive to changing economic conditions and have fewer financial resources than large-cap companies.

Before investing, an investor should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund and should carefully read the prospectus or summary prospectus, which contain this and other information. The prospectus or summary prospectus can be obtained on the Parnassus website or by calling (800) 999-3505. As described in the Fund’s current prospectus dated May 1, 2015, Parnassus Investments has contractually agreed to limit total operating expenses to 0.99% of net assets for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund-Investor Shares and to 0.85% of net assets for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund-Institutional Shares. This agreement will not be terminated prior to May 1, 2017, and may be continued indefinitely by the Adviser on a year-to-year basis.

Year in Review

The Fund performed relatively well this year, as its 0.87% loss was far less than the Russell’s 2.44% decline and the Lipper average’s 4.35% drop. It’s never fun to lose money, but we’re pleased that our strategy outperformed its benchmarks by such wide margins.

As usual, our stock selection was the main driver of the Fund’s performance relative to the index. That said, the Fund also benefitted from having minimal exposure to the worst-performing sector in the benchmark: energy. Our overweight position in the industrials sector hurt performance the most, because this sector dropped over twice as much as the Russell during the year.

The Fund had three stocks that reduced the NAV by 20¢ or more during 2015. Our worst performer was Pentair, a diversified industrial company that manufactures and sells pumps, filters, valves and thermal solutions. The stock subtracted 25¢ from each fund share, as it dropped 25.4% from $66.42 to $49.53. The shares initially fell after the company reduced its earnings outlook, due to weakness in its global industrial and energy end-markets. The shares got a boost during the second quarter, after activist investor, Trian Partners, bought a 7.2% stake in the company. The market’s enthusiasm was short-lived, though, as the stock declined after the company lowered earnings expectations once again in the third quarter. We’re hanging onto our shares, because this quality business is now on sale, and earnings should rebound once the industrial and energy end-markets recover and restructuring initiatives take effect.

Iron Mountain, the leader in document storage services, fell 30.1% from $38.66 to $27.01, cutting

 

 

15


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

24¢ from the NAV. The stock had a rocky start to the year, after the company reduced its earnings guidance, due to negative effects from foreign exchange. The weakness continued in the second quarter, after management agreed to buy rival storage company Recall Holdings, which raised Iron Mountain’s debt level and jeopardized its generous dividend payout. Despite investor concerns, we remain confident in the company’s competitive position, which should support stable cash flow and dividends ahead.

Shaw Communications, a Western Canadian cable company, plummeted 36.3% from $26.99 to $17.19, cutting 20¢ from the Fund’s NAV. The stock fell early in the year, as the company lost TV subscribers to its rival, Telus. The shares reached a new low in December, after Shaw announced the acquisition of cell phone operator Wind Mobile, because the deal ended long-running speculation that Shaw would be acquired by another cable company. We’re holding onto our relatively small position for now, because the company has good assets, a high dividend yield and an attractive valuation.

Three stocks in the Fund’s portfolio added more than 17¢ to the NAV. The Fund’s biggest winner was SEI Investments, the financial technology solutions provider and asset manager. The stock jumped 30.9% during the year from $40.04 to $52.40, adding 23¢ to the NAV. The shares moved higher throughout the year as management delivered strong results across each of its business segments. Investors mostly focused on the company’s Private Banking and Trust unit, where sales and margins are finally improving, after years of heavy technology investment. We still like the company’s prospects, because we think there is a long runway for sales growth and margin improvement.

Insperity, a provider of human resource services to small- and mid-sized businesses, surged 42.1% from $33.89 to $48.15, for a gain of 21¢ per fund share. In early 2015, the stock rose after activist investor Starboard Value took a large stake in the company and pressured management to reduce operating costs, repurchase stock and explore the sale of the company. Following a mid-year lull due to lackluster operating results, the stock jumped in December after the company announced a $125 million Dutch auction to repurchase common stock. With Starboards’ help, we believe management’s focus on reducing costs and increasing share repurchases should drive earnings higher, so we’re holding onto the stock.

Cameron International, a leading supplier of drilling and safety equipment used by energy firms, surged 26.5% from $49.95 to $63.20 for a gain of 18¢ per fund share. The stock rose early in the year after the company reported better than expected earnings results, driven by stronger margins in its Subsea segment and lower expenses. The big event for the stock occurred in August after the company agreed to a cash and stock offer valued at more than $66 per share from Schlumberger, the world’s largest oil services firm. We began selling our position after the deal was announced, since we did not expect a higher offer to emerge.

Outlook and Strategy

This year’s 2% drop in the Russell was not a major correction, and many stocks are still expensive. After taking dividends into account, the Russell is up over 300% since the trough of 2009, which represents an annualized return of 23%. At year-end, the Russell traded at 18.6 times forward earnings estimates, above the ten year average of 17.7 times.

 

Parnassus Mid Cap Fund

as of December 31, 2015

(percentage of net assets)

 

LOGO

Top 10 Holdings

(percentage of net assets)

 

First Horizon National Corp.      3.8%   
Cardinal Health Inc.      3.5%   
Xylem Inc.      3.4%   
Applied Materials Inc.      3.4%   
SEI Investments Co.      3.4%   
Patterson Companies Inc.      3.2%   
DENTSPLY International Inc.      3.2%   
Pentair plc      3.2%   
Sysco Corp.      3.1%   
Fiserv Inc.      3.1%   

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

 

 

16


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

In 2015, certain sectors went down much more than the Russell. For example, the energy, industrial and consumer discretionary sectors went down 34%, 6% and 4%, respectively. Given these price drops, we spent extra time looking for quality bargains in these areas.

In the energy sector, we initiated a modest position in National Oilwell Varco, a leading provider of equipment and components to the energy industry. The stock dropped almost 50% in 2015 when their customers slashed spending on its equipment and services as the price of oil fell to a ten-year low. We expect that the oil and gas market will remain relevant over our investment horizon, and National Oilwell has the best collection of products and services to help companies drill wells safely and efficiently. Also, given its financial position, the company is in an enviable position not only to survive the current energy downturn, but also to emerge as an even

 

Value on December 31, 2015 of $10,000 invested on December 31, 2005

 

LOGO

The chart shows the growth in value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment over the last ten years and does not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares.

 

stronger player. If energy prices move up over the next few years, we should do very well in this investment. If they don’t, we’ll be happy to collect the company’s nearly 5% dividend yield.

In the industrial sector, we initiated a core position in Deere & Co. Best known for its bright green and yellow tractors, Deere is one of the world’s leading farm equipment manufacturers. Deere’s business suffered over the past few years, as crop prices fell and farmers delayed purchases of new equipment. Our research process convinced us that Deere is a high-quality, resilient business, and is poised to benefit as global demand for food – and as a result farm equipment – rises.

We also found compelling opportunities in the consumer sector. The first is VF Corporation, a leading apparel and footwear company. The stock dropped almost 20% in 2015, given sluggish consumer spending and currency headwinds, which allowed us to buy this high-quality business at an attractive price. We’re aware that we could be nearing the end of the recent economic expansion cycle, but we‘re impressed with the company’s fantastic collection of brands, like The North Face, Vans, Timberland and Wrangler, which command pricing power and contribute to consistently high returns on invested capital. We also like VF Corp’s scale advantages, resulting from its product breadth and well-managed global supply chain and manufacturing capabilities.

Another new consumer-oriented investment is eBay. Best known for its online auction marketplace, the company spun off its payments segment, PayPal, over the summer. We bought the stock back in October, when the shares dropped due to a series of short-term issues including a cyberattack and search-engine optimization problem. We especially like the company’s exposure to the fast growing e-commerce marketplace, its sustainable competitive advantages due to eBay’s network effect, highly profitable business model and cheap valuation.

As always, we remain committed to investing in responsible, well-priced businesses with increasing relevance, sustainable competitive advantages and properly incentivized managers.

Thank you for your investment.

Yours truly,

 

LOGO    LOGO
Matthew D. Gershuny    Lori A. Keith
Lead Portfolio Manager    Portfolio Manager

 

17


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

PARNASSUS ASIA FUND

Ticker: Investor Shares - PAFSX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PFPSX

 

As of December 31, 2015, the NAV of the Parnassus Asia Fund – Investor Shares was $14.74, so the total return for the year was a loss of 11.84%. This compares to a loss of 1.68% for the MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index (“MSCI Index”) and a loss of 3.12% for the Lipper Asia Pacific Region Average, which represents the average return of the Asia Pacific Region funds followed by Lipper (“Lipper average”). The primary reasons for our underperformance were our underweighting in Japan and weakness in our emerging market investments.

 

Parnassus Asia Fund  
Average Annual
Total Returns (%)
  One
Year
    Since
Inception on
4/30/13
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
for periods ended
December 31, 2015
       
   
Parnassus Asia Fund
Investor Shares
    -11.84        -0.26        3.53        1.25   
   
Parnassus Asia Fund Institutional Shares     -11.60        NA        3.48        1.22   
   
MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index     -1.68        -0.03        NA        NA   
   
Lipper Asia Pacific Region Average     -3.12        -1.50        NA        NA   

 

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Asia Fund-Institutional Shares from commencement (April 30, 2015) was -17.48%. Performance shown prior to the inception of the Institutional Shares reflects the performance of the Parnassus Asia Fund-Investor Shares and includes expenses that are not applicable to and are higher than those of the Institutional Shares. The performance of the Institutional Shares differs from that shown for the Investor Shares to the extent that the classes do not have the same expenses. Performance data quoted represent past performance and are no guarantee of future returns. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Current performance information to the most recent month-end is available on the Parnassus website (www.parnassus.com). Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original principal cost. Returns shown in the table do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or redemption of shares. The MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index is an unmanaged index of Asian stock markets, and it is not possible to invest directly in an index. Index figures do not take any expenses, fees or taxes into account, but mutual fund returns do.

The Fund invests primarily in non-U.S. securities. Foreign markets can be more volatile than the U.S. market due to increased risks of adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments and can perform differently from the U.S. market.

Before investing, an investor should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund and should carefully read the prospectus or summary prospectus, which contain this and other information. The prospectus or summary prospectus can be obtained on the Parnassus website or by calling (800) 999-3505. As described in the Fund’s current prospectus dated May 1, 2015, Parnassus Investments has contractually agreed to limit the total operating expenses to 1.25% of net assets for the Parnassus Asia Fund-Investor Shares and to 1.22% of net assets for the Parnassus Asia Fund-Institutional Shares. This agreement will not be terminated prior to May 1, 2016, and may be continued indefinitely by the Adviser on a year-to-year basis.

2015 was a terrible year for the Parnassus Asia Fund. We lagged behind both of our benchmarks by a wide margin, trailing the MSCI Index by over ten percentage points and the Lipper average by almost nine percentage points. We are making a comeback, though. In the fourth quarter, the Fund turned around and grew 7.04%, beating both of its benchmarks for that period. We now stand slightly behind the MSCI Index for the period since inception, and remain ahead of the Lipper average since the Fund’s launch on April 30, 2013.

Company Analysis

The Asia Fund’s weak performance was attributable to our investments in emerging market stocks, which declined dramatically as China’s economy slowed. Five companies each knocked 14¢ or more from the NAV, due to related macroeconomic pressures as well as company-specific factors.

The Fund’s worst performer this year was OSIM International, a Singapore-based retailer of healthy lifestyle products. OSIM sliced 30¢ off the NAV, as its stock plummeted 49% from $1.49 to $0.76. The company makes and markets a range of consumer and household products including massage chairs, fitness and diagnostic equipment, nutrition products and supplements, and luxury tea products. Weak demand in China and fluctuating exchange rates across Asia weighed on consumer sentiment, cutting into company sales and margins. In response, OSIM announced it would restructure itself in 2016, closing unprofitable stores in Australia and reallocating resources to the company’s core markets in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and China. Despite the sell-off, we held on to our position given the company’s strong cash generation, nearly 6% dividend yield, owner-operator management and inexpensive valuation.

Hermes Microvision, a Taiwan-based maker of semiconductor-manufacturing equipment, reduced the value of each fund share by 17¢, as its stock

 

 

18


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

price dropped 28% from $49.89 to $35.83. The company develops and markets electron beam (E-beam) inspection tools for semiconductor-manufacturers for use in testing for defects in silicon wafers. Hermes’s stock price collapsed after management sharply lowered its sales guidance for the year. The company saw customers delaying orders for equipment due to weak demand for personal computers and Android smartphones – and the chips used to build them. Hermes’s E-beam technology remains the best in the industry and continues to gain market share from older optical inspection methods. We previously trimmed our position, but reversed course and added to our stake following the share price correction, which we believe was overdone.

Novatek Microelectronics cut the value of each fund share by 16¢, as its stock plunged 40% from $5.57 to $3.34. Based in Hsinchu, Taiwan’s version of Silicon Valley, Novatek is the world’s largest supplier of display-driver integrated circuits and Taiwan’s second-largest fabless semiconductor company. The company supplies chips that power such devices as television displays, notebook monitors, smartphones and set-top boxes. The company disclosed that sales would decline and margins would fall due to poor demand and a key customer’s inventory adjustment. Evidence that new competitors were entering the market and investor concerns that Samsung, the world’s largest manufacturer of TVs, would adopt in-house chips also sent the stock into a tailspin. With Novatek’s competitive position called into question, we sold our stake at a loss.

Qualcomm, a major designer and producer of smartphone chips, sliced 16¢ off the value of each fund share, as its stock crashed 32.7%, dropping from $74.33 to $49.99. The company’s licensing division had difficulty collecting royalties in China, while regulators in South Korea and Taiwan announced they were investigating Qualcomm’s licensing practices. Meanwhile, the company’s chipset division lost market share to lower-cost competitors and is being investigated by the European Union. Not everything is bleak, though. There has been positive feedback on the latest product, the Snapdragon 820, and the signing of a number of new licensing agreements in China. The company has also taken steps to improve margins and is repurchasing $10 billion of its shares. At only $49.99, we think the stock is a bargain.

Bank Danamon fell 33% from 36¢ to 24¢, reducing the value of each fund share by 15¢. Danamon is Indonesia’s sixth largest bank by assets and one of the country’s largest credit card issuers. Negative loan growth in the mass-market segment translated into shrinking net interest margins, while persistently high non-performing loans increased credit costs. The bank, especially its heavy equipment financing, was also affected by the commodity down-cycle. Although Indonesia remains an attractive long-term market, we do not foresee an immediate recovery in commodity prices, so we exited our position in Danamon.

 

Parnassus Asia Fund

as of December 31, 2015

(percentage of net assets)

   

 

LOGO

* For purposes of categorizing securities for diversification requirements under the Investment Company Act, the Fund uses industry classifications that are more specific than those used for the chart.

 

 

While all of the Fund’s losers besides Qualcomm were emerging market stocks, the Fund’s two biggest winners were from Japan. Overall, three companies each added 7¢ or more to the Fund’s NAV.

KDDI Corporation, the second largest telecommunications company in Japan, saw its stock price rise 24% from $20.94 to $25.97, boosting the value of each fund share by 14¢. Over the year, the company began selling a greater diversity of handsets to customers and rolled out new pricing plans to suit both younger subscribers and senior citizens. These innovations, along with prior investments in its high-speed LTE network, won over customers who are willing to pay hefty monthly fees for large volumes of data. For iPhone users in particular, KDDI boasts faster download speeds than its competitors, a key reason the company continues to gain share.

Japanese Internet company Kakaku.com, one of the Fund’s new positions in 2015, climbed 22% from $16.14 to $19.67, adding 9¢ to the Fund’s NAV. Kakaku is the country’s largest online repository of consumer product information and prices, allowing users to comparison-shop a wide range of goods and services before they buy. Kakaku also owns a site called

 

19


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Tabelog, which aggregates diner reviews and restaurant recommendations. The company saw double digit increases in traffic last year, as consumer purchases continue to shift online. It also revised its cost-per-click upwards in February, boosting the company’s profits in the face of higher demand for its services.

PT Asuransi, an Indonesian insurance company, contributed 7¢ to the NAV, as the stock soared 46% from 235 Indonesian rupiah ($0.019) to 380 rupiah ($0.028). The company sells policies that insure cars, property, cargo, health and human life against sudden misfortunes such as accidents, fire, damage, disability and death. Although operating results were weak, the stock climbed higher when the company said it would merge with Panin Insurance, the general insurance arm of its parent

company. The merger makes it easier for both entities to maintain profitability through economic cycles, and investors cheered the combination.

Outlook and Strategy

2015 was a turbulent year for the Asian financial markets and a disappointing one for the Parnassus Asia Fund. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fluctuated wildly, going from a bull to a bear market within the first nine months of the year. In October, Asian markets collectively rallied 13%, then sank 7% again before ending the year down 1.68%. Against this backdrop of severe volatility, the Parnassus Asia Fund did not fare well. We rose less when the market climbed higher, and fell harder when the market crashed in the summer, ending the year with losses of over 11%. A myriad of factors contributed to this poor performance.

The most important factor was the Fund’s large underweighting in Japan. At the end of the year, Japan had grown to 43% of the MSCI Asia Pacific Index, but only 17% of the Parnassus Asia Fund. That worked against us all year. Indeed, Japan was the best-performing of all Asian markets by a wide margin in 2015, rising 9.9% in dollar terms, and was the only market in Asia with positive returns. That’s right. Every single one of the 12 stock markets in Asia other than Japan’s ended the year in negative territory. An underweight in Japan meant an overweight in other countries that lost value.

What’s happening in Japan and why are we underweight there? Japan’s economy is fragile but supported by a massive stimulus program dubbed Abenomics and a weak yen, which benefits the country’s exporters. Wages, retail sales and business investment are stagnant, while the threats of deflation and an aging, shrinking population loom large. Meanwhile, Japan’s high debt level is likely to constrain policy options, despite the government’s commitment to maintain stimulus until inflation hits 2%, an unrealistic goal. Though we continually look for investment opportunities in Japan – we added three Japanese stocks this year including price comparison site Kakaku.com – we do not necessarily believe Japan should comprise half of a portfolio focused on Asian stocks.

Compared to Japan, Chinese companies are generally poised to offer higher returns in the future, despite violent fluctuations in the short-term. China’s overall GDP growth is slowing, but its service sector, which makes up almost half of the economy, is growing at double-digit rates. Chinese consumers have high savings rates and strong balance sheets and are seeing their wages and salaries rise rapidly. This translates to a higher propensity to consume electronics, entertainment, food, beverages, snacks, and online goods and services – all areas where

 

Parnassus Asia Fund

as of December 31, 2015

(percentage of net assets)

   

 

LOGO

Parnassus considers companies that do a substantial amount of business in Asia to be Asian Companies.

Top 10 Holdings

(percentage of net assets)

 

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (ADR)      4.7%   
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.      4.4%   
Applied Materials Inc.      4.4%   
SITC International Holdings Co., Ltd.      4.3%   
Hermes Microvision Inc.      4.2%   
Micron Technology Inc.      4.1%   
Rakuten Inc.      4.0%   
OMRON Corp.      3.9%   
Sun Art Retail Group Ltd.      3.7%   
PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero)      3.6%   

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

 

20


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

the Parnassus Asia Fund is invested. The trend toward a more consumption-driven economy is strongly supported by the Chinese central government, so it is likely to continue.

2015 was the year when China’s slowing industrial economy hit home for many investors. Government policy had fueled an enormous and unsustainable domestic stock market bubble, and that bubble burst. Subsequent attempts by the Chinese government to manage the sell-off backfired and further exposed vulnerabilities in the country’s governance structure. The panic seen in the onshore Chinese stock market spread to the offshore Chinese market, with stocks in Hong Kong falling nearly 25% from their April peak. Ultimately, the China crisis engulfed the rest of non-Japan Asia and hammered many of our emerging market holdings.

 

Value on December 31, 2015 of $10,000 invested on April 30, 2013    

 

LOGO

The chart shows the growth in value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment since inception (April 30, 2013) and does not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares.

 

Looking out from the beginning of 2016, markets remain fearful and jittery, signaling that more volatility is likely in store. Valuations in China and the emerging markets are now at inexpensive levels and should rebound strongly in the coming years. Although we can’t predict exactly when that will happen, the Fund’s 7% gain in the fourth quarter hints that rebounds often occur immediately after crises, and when one least expects them. Given the abundance of opportunities in the marketplace today, we will work even harder to invest prudently for the long road ahead.

Yours truly,

 

LOGO    LOGO   
Jerome L. Dodson    Billy J. Hwan   
Lead Portfolio Manager    Portfolio Manager   

 

21


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

PARNASSUS FIXED INCOME FUND

Ticker: Investor Shares - PRFIX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PFPLX

 

As of December 31, 2015, the NAV of the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares was $16.44, producing a gain for the year of 0.70% (including dividends). This compares to a gain of 0.55% for the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (“Barclays Aggregate Index”) and a loss of 0.93% for the Lipper A-Rated Bond Fund Average, which represents the average return of the A-rated bond funds followed by Lipper (“Lipper average”).

 

Parnassus Fixed Income Fund  
Average Annual
Total Returns (%)
  One
Year
    Three
Years
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
for periods ended
December 31, 2015
           
   
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund Investor Shares     0.70        0.78        2.30        4.16        0.78        0.68   
   
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund Institutional Shares     0.82        0.82        2.33        4.17        0.65        0.58   
   
Barclays U.S.
Aggregate Bond Index
    0.55        1.44        3.25        4.51        NA        NA   
   
Lipper A-Rated Bond Fund
Average
    -0.93        1.35        3.90        4.40        NA        NA   

 

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund-Institutional Shares from commencement (April 30, 2015) was -0.35%. Performance shown prior to the inception of the Institutional Shares reflects the performance of the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund-Investor Shares and includes expenses that are not applicable to and are higher than those of the Institutional Shares. The performance of the Institutional Shares differs from that shown for the Investor Shares to the extent that the classes do not have the same expenses. Performance data quoted represent past performance and are no guarantee of future returns. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Current performance information to the most recent month-end is available on the Parnassus website (www.parnassus.com). Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Returns shown in the table do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay in fund distributions or redemption of shares. The Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is an unmanaged index of bonds, and it is not possible to invest directly in an index. Index figures do not take any expenses, fees or taxes into account, but mutual fund returns do.

Before investing, an investor should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund and should carefully read the prospectus or summary prospectus, which contain this and other information. The prospectus or summary prospectus can be obtained on the Parnassus website or by calling (800) 999-3505. As described in the Fund’s current prospectus dated May 1, 2015, Parnassus Investments has contractually agreed to limit total operating expenses to 0.68% of net assets for the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund-Investor Shares and to 0.58% of net assets for the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund-Institutional Shares. This agreement will not be terminated prior to May 1, 2016, and may be continued indefinitely by the Adviser on a year-to-year basis.

To the left is a table comparing the performance of the Fund with that of the Barclays Aggregate Index and the Lipper average. Average annual total returns are for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods. For December 31, the 30-day subsidized SEC yield was 1.97%, and the unsubsidized SEC yield was 1.83%. The 30-day SEC yield is computed under an SEC standardized formula based on net income earned over the past 30 days. It is a “subsidized” yield, which means it includes contractual expense reimbursements and it would be lower without those reimbursements. The unsubsidized 30-day SEC yield is computed under an SEC standardized formula based on net income earned over the past 30 days. It excludes contractual expense reimbursements, resulting in a lower yield.

Year in Review

The 10-year Treasury bond recorded a small move from the beginning to the end of 2015 (from 2.17% to 2.27%), obscuring what was a volatile period in the bond market. A collapse in oil prices, a slowdown in the Chinese economy, strong domestic consumer spending and the first Federal Funds hike in nearly a decade all caused the 10-year Treasury to whipsaw between a high of 2.49% and low of 1.64%.

The Parnassus Fixed Income Fund outperformed the Barclays Aggregate Index for the year, gaining 0.70% versus 0.55%, and dramatically outperformed its Lipper Average, which recorded a loss of 0.93%. The Fund’s corporate bond portfolio drove the Fund’s returns, generating 1.29% of outperformance, with a gain of 0.61% versus a loss of 0.68% for the Index.

Bonds issued by HanesBrands were the top-performers in this category in 2015, adding over 1¢ to the NAV. The undergarment company’s bonds benefitted from management’s excellent operational performance during the integration of two acquisitions: DB Apparel and Knights Apparel. Also adding 1¢ to the NAV were bonds

 

 

22


Table of Contents

issued by Agilent Technologies. The company refocused into a life sciences diagnostics company at the end of 2014 through the spin-off of its more cyclical electronic measurement business. The bonds were trading at a substantial discount early in the

year, as the spin-off created investor uncertainty, but recovered as the company affirmed its leading position in the industry.

The worst performers both within the corporate bond portfolio, and the Fund overall, were bonds issued by Motorola Solutions. The company, which specializes in public safety communications, increased financial leverage to return a substantial amount of cash to shareholders. Bond investors were concerned about this higher degree of leverage, so the bonds traded off and reduced the NAV by 2¢.

Finally, the Fund’s convertible bond portfolio was a bright spot in 2015. Bonds issued by Exelixis, a biotechnology company, continued to be the top performers, adding over 3¢ to the NAV for the year.

The company had successful phase III trials for Cabozantinib in renal cancer and Cobimetinib in melanoma and made substantial progress on the commercialization of both drugs. The Fund’s investment in convertible bonds issued by Intel also added over 1¢ to the NAV. Intel’s bonds became a bargain in mid-2015 as investors became concerned about the company’s desktop computer and mobile segment sales. The bonds recovered later in the year, as strong growth from the company’s data center business helped offset weakness in the other two segments.

Outlook and Strategy

As we enter 2016, the U.S. economy has effectively split into two parts: a high-growth portion dominated by health care, technology and the consumer, and a low-growth portion consisting of materials, manufacturing and industrial companies. I view the high-growth segment as the “new” economy and expect it to continue to experience above-average growth rates for years to come. As a result, I have focused the corporate bond portfolio around these themes by investing in bonds issued by firms like Perrigo Company, a manufacturer of store-

brand over-the-counter drugs; FedEx Corp, a major beneficiary of Internet based shopping; and Starbucks. My preference for companies with increasing relevance to the future economy, low-to-moderate credit risks and attractive valuations has served the corporate bond portfolio well over the past year. I believe it will continue to do so in the year ahead.

Because the economy is taking two paths, there are many different opinions about how interest rates will behave going forward. I believe the economy is well-positioned for another year of moderate growth in 2016, as wage growth continues to improve and unemployment remains low. The Federal Reserve has also communicated its intention to raise rates by 1% during the year, well above the market’s expectations. It’s likely to be another volatile year, so the Fund continues to be positioned conservatively and focused on high-quality securities.

 

Parnassus Fixed Income Fund

as of December 31, 2015

(percentage of net assets)

   

 

LOGO

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

 

Value on December 31, 2015 of $10,000 invested on December 31, 2005

 

LOGO

The chart shows the growth in value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment over the last ten years and does not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares.

 

23


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Thank you for your investment in the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund.

Yours truly,

 

LOGO

Samantha D. Palm

Portfolio Manager

 

24


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Responsible Investing Notes

By: Milton Moskowitz

As the year 2015 drifted to a close in December, a film called The Big Short rolled into theaters across the country. Adapted from Michael Lewis’s book of the same title, it should take its place as one of the best movies ever made about Wall Street, specifically the little known but highly influential bond market (it’s much bigger than the stock market). The movie shows, in colorful language, how a small band of traders made a killing by figuring out that bonds backed by home mortgages were toxic instruments, because they were loaded with risky, mispriced mortgages that were bound to fail. Fail they did, hence the 2008 crisis that led to a massive bailout by the Federal Reserve, decimation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and various mergers. Two large investment banks – Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers – died.

The Big Short works so well because it avoids cheap moralizing. It is, in fact, educational, describing in laymen’s terms how such instruments as credit default swaps and collateral debt obligations work. The other redeeming feature is a sense of humor. This is a film full of nervous energy, directed by a Saturday Night Live veteran, Adam McKay. He knows you have to entertain an audience. When I saw the film in a Northern California theater, the audience laughed a lot and clapped vigorously when the credits began to run.

Wall Street is trashed in The Big Short but one of its denizens, Paul Tudor Jones, has now come forward with a plan to rank companies based on how they treat employees and society. He calls it a “moral index.” Jones, a hedge fund operator and the founder of the Robin Hood Foundation, has formed a new company, Just Capital, which will release a list of 1,000 companies and their social responsibility rankings next year. He said that this index “could not only impact investors, it could impact consumers, it might impact the way companies hire, the way people go and work with companies.”

It would be churlish of me to point Mr. Jones to Parnassus and other socially responsible investment firms, that have been developing these measures for many years --- but there I have done it. The more the merrier.

Income inequality has become a major issue for activists, who love to point out how much money the top 1% receives. Adding fuel to the fire is a new study by two think tanks, the Center for Effective Government and the Institute for Policy Studies. The study, called A Tale of Two Retirements, compares the pensions of CEOs with retirement plans for employees. The gap is yawning. Some highlights:

 

   

The 100 largest CEO retirement funds have assets totaling $4.9 billion; that’s equal to the entire retirement funds of 41% of American families.

 

   

Nearly half of all working age Americans have no access to any retirement plan at work.

 

   

David Cote, CEO of Honeywell, has a retirement plan that will pay him $950,000 every month, 56 times larger than the $16,975 President Obama will receive.

 

   

David Novak, CEO of Yum Brands (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC) has a retirement nest egg totaling $234 million, netting him a monthly check of $1.3 million while 8,828 U.S. employees would receive $395 a month.

BlackRock, the world’s largest investor, has joined the impact investment circle, looking for companies that perform well and address social problems. Heading up this initiative is Deborah Winshel, who previously spent four years at the Robin Hood Foundation. Last October the investment firm fielded its first fund in this space, the BlackRock Impact U.S. Fund. According to Bloomberg Business Week, the fund has attracted $20 million, a trifle for a company managing $4.7 trillion…Nevertheless, there is no question that the field is growing. Morningstar reports that 18 new socially responsible funds were launched in 2015, and total assets of the entire group are now $134 billion.

Whole Foods Market, a holding of the Parnassus Endeavor Fund, closed out 2015 by forecasting the top ten food trends in 2016:

 

1.

Uncommon meat and seafood (Denver steaks, responsibly farmed catfish)

 

2.

Wine in cans

 

25


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

 

3.

Plant-based products (quinoa protein in hair care products, veggies in frozen dessert pops)

 

4.

Fermented foods and probiotics (kimchi, chioggia beet kraut)

 

5.

Non-GMO-fed products (Whole Foods currently offers more than 11,000 products free of genetically modified seeds)

 

6.

New grass-fed items (Swiss Red Cheddar, Maple Hill Creamery, Kerrygold)

 

7.

Dehydrated foods (bison and chicken jerkies, Brad’s raw foods)

 

8.

Heirloom ingredients (Heirloom popcorn, Madecasse chocolate, Seely’s Mint Patties)

 

9.

Alternative and wheat-free flours (gluten-free flours made from vegetables, teff, amaranth and nuts)

 

10.

‘Old world” flavors (Saffron Road Korean tacos, Organic Sweet Sabi mustard)

Bon appetit!

Finally, there is our old friend, Google, ranked No. 1 in social responsibility by the Reputation Institute, which grades companies in three areas: workplace, citizenship and governance. This is the second consecutive year Google has made it to the top rung. Some reasons why: Google data centers use 50% less energy than the typical center and the company recently announced that it will double its green energy purchases. For the fourth consecutive year, Google has captured the No. 1 spot on Fortune magazine’s list of the best companies to work for, thanks to favorable ratings from the people who work there. Google has been carbon neutral since 2007.

When Google started up, its founders promised to “do no evil.” They have pretty much delivered on that promise. In his new book, Work Rules, Laszlo Bock, senior vice president of people operations at Google, spells out the company’s philosophy. Here is his advice to Fortune readers on how to give meaning to work: “Work consumes at least one-third of your life and half your waking hours,” he says. “It can and ought to be more than a means to an end. In too many environments, a job is just a paycheck. But as Wharton Professor Adam Grant’s work demonstrated, even a small connection to the people who benefit from your work not only improves productivity but also makes people happier. And everyone wants his work to have purpose. Connect to a value that transcends the day-to-day and that also honestly reflects what you are doing.”

Milton Moskowitz is the co-author of the Fortune magazine survey “The 100 Best Companies to Work For” and the co-originator of the annual Working Mother magazine survey, “The 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers.” Mr. Moskowitz serves as a consultant to Parnassus Investments in evaluating companies for workplace issues and responsible investing. Neither Fortune magazine nor Working Mother magazine has any role in the management of the Parnassus Funds, and there is no affiliation between Parnassus Investments and either publication.

 

26


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Fund Expenses (unaudited)

As a shareholder of the Funds, you incur ongoing costs, which include portfolio management fees, administrative fees, shareholder reports, and other fund expenses. The Funds do not charge transaction fees, so you do not incur transaction costs such as sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, reinvested dividends, or other distributions, redemption fees, and exchange fees. The information on this page is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs of investing in the Funds and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The following example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the most recent six-month period and held for the period of July 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015.

Actual Expenses

In the example below, the first line for each Fund 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, $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The second line of each Fund provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. You may compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with other mutual funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight only your ongoing costs in these Funds. Therefore, the second line of each Fund is useful in comparing only ongoing costs and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning other mutual funds, which may include transactional costs such as loads.

 

      Fund
Expense
Ratio
    Beginning
Account Value
July 1, 2015
    Ending
Account Value
December 31, 2015
    Expenses Paid
During Period
 
Parnassus Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*     0.84%        $1,000.00        $970.87        $4.17   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     0.84%        $1,000.00        $1,020.97        $4.28   
Parnassus Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*     0.77%        $1,000.00        $971.74        $3.83   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     0.77%        $1,000.00        $1,021.32        $3.92   
Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*     0.87%        $1,000.00        $1,006.41        $4.40   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     0.87%        $1,000.00        $1,020.82        $4.43   
Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*     0.67%        $1,000.00        $1,007.50        $3.39   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     0.67%        $1,000.00        $1,021.83        $3.41   
Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*     0.95%        $1,000.00        $987.01        $4.76   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     0.95%        $1,000.00        $1,020.42        $4.84   
Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*     0.83%        $1,000.00        $987.92        $4.16   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     0.83%        $1,000.00        $1,021.02        $4.23   
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*     0.99%        $1,000.00        $997.17        $4.98   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     0.99%        $1,000.00        $1,020.21        $5.04   
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*     0.85%        $1,000.00        $998.25        $4.28   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     0.85%        $1,000.00        $1,020.92        $4.33   
Parnassus Asia Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*     1.25%        $1,000.00        $876.86        $5.91   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     1.25%        $1,000.00        $1,018.90        $6.36   

 

27


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Fund Expenses (unaudited) (continued)

 

      Fund
Expense
Ratio
    Beginning
Account Value
July 1, 2015
    Ending
Account Value
December 31, 2015
    Expenses Paid
During Period
 
Parnassus Asia Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*     1.22%        $1,000.00        $878.72        $5.78   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     1.22%        $1,000.00        $1,000.29        $6.15   
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*     0.68%        $1,000.00        $1,006.12        $3.44   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     0.68%        $1,000.00        $1,021.78        $3.47   
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*     0.58%        $1,000.00        $1,007.05        $2.93   
Hypothetical (5% before expenses)     0.58%        $1,000.00        $1,022.28        $2.96   

* Expenses are calculated using the Funds’ annualized expense ratios, which represent ongoing expense as a percentage of net assets for the six months ended December 31, 2015. Expenses are calculated by multiplying the annualized expense ratio by the average account value of the period; then multiplying the result by the number of days in the most recent one-half year period (184); and then dividing that result by the number of days in the current fiscal year (365). Expense ratios for the most recent half year may differ from expense ratios based on one year data in the financial highlights.

 

28


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of the Parnassus Funds and the Parnassus Income Funds

San Francisco, California

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities of the Parnassus Funds (comprised of Parnassus Fund, Parnassus Mid Cap Fund, Parnassus Endeavor Fund, and Parnassus Asia Fund) and the Parnassus Income Funds (comprised of Parnassus Core Equity Fund and Parnassus Fixed Income Fund) (collectively, the “Trusts”), including the portfolios of investments, as of December 31, 2015, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended for Parnassus Fund, Parnassus Mid Cap Fund, Parnassus Endeavor Fund, Parnassus Core Equity Fund, and Parnassus Fixed Income Fund and for period April 30, 2013 (inception date) through December 31, 2015 for Parnassus Asia Fund. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Trusts’ management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Trusts are not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of their internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trusts’ internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2015, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of each of the funds constituting the Parnassus Funds and the Parnassus Income Funds as of December 31, 2015, the results of their operations for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended for, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended for Parnassus Fund, Parnassus Mid Cap Fund, Parnassus Endeavor Fund, Parnassus Core Equity Fund, and Parnassus Fixed Income Fund and for the period April 30, 2013 (inception date) through December 31, 2015 for Parnassus Asia Fund, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

LOGO

San Francisco, California

February 1, 2016

 

29


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

PARNASSUS FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015

 

Shares     Equities  

Percent

of Net

Assets

   

Market

Value ($)

 
  Chemicals    
  500,000      Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. q       13,325,000   
  1,100,000      Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc.       18,832,000   
     

 

 

 
      4.3     32,157,000   
     

 

 

 
  Communications Equipment    
  325,000      QUALCOMM Inc.     2.2     16,245,125   
     

 

 

 
  Computers    
  235,000      International Business Machines Corp.     4.3     32,340,700   
     

 

 

 
  Data Storage    
  450,000      SanDisk Corp.     4.5     34,195,500   
     

 

 

 
  Electronics    
  175,000      Plantronics Inc.       8,298,500   
  900,000      Trimble Navigation Ltd. q       19,305,000   
     

 

 

 
      3.6     27,603,500   
     

 

 

 
  Equipment Leasing    
  900,000      Air Lease Corp.     4.0     30,132,000   
     

 

 

 
  Financial Services    
  450,000      American Express Co.       31,297,500   
  200,000      Capital One Financial Corp.       14,436,000   
  680,000      Charles Schwab Corp.       22,392,400   
  800,000      Essent Group Ltd. q       17,512,000   
  800,000      First Horizon National Corp.       11,616,000   
  280,000      PayPal Holdings Inc. q       10,136,000   
  250,000      Wells Fargo & Co.       13,590,000   
     

 

 

 
      15.9     120,979,900   
     

 

 

 
  Food Products    
  350,000      Mondelez International Inc., Class A     2.1     15,694,000   
     

 

 

 
  Health Care Products    
  90,000      Perrigo Co. plc     1.7     13,023,000   
     

 

 

 
  Industrial Manufacturing    
  200,000      Pentair plc     1.3     9,906,000   
     

 

 

 
  Insurance    
  500,000      Progressive Corp.     2.1     15,900,000   
     

 

 

 
  Internet    
  25,000      Alphabet Inc., Class A q     2.6     19,450,250   
     

 

 

 
  Lodging    
  500,000      Belmond Ltd. q     0.6     4,750,000   
     

 

 

 
Shares     Equities  

Percent

of Net

Assets

   

Market

Value ($)

 
  Machinery    
  325,000      Cummins Inc.       28,603,250   
  300,000      Deere & Co.       22,881,000   
     

 

 

 
      6.8     51,484,250   
     

 

 

 
  Pharmaceuticals    
  200,000      Gilead Sciences Inc.       20,238,000   
  80,000      McKesson Corp.       15,778,400   
     

 

 

 
      4.8     36,016,400   
     

 

 

 
  Real Estate Investment Trusts    
  1,100,000      Redwood Trust Inc.     1.9     14,520,000   
     

 

 

 
  Retail    
  1,050,000      Whole Foods Market Inc.     4.7     35,175,000   
     

 

 

 
  Semiconductor Capital Equipment    
  1,800,000      Applied Materials Inc.       33,606,000   
  50,000      Lam Research Corp.       3,971,000   
     

 

 

 
      5.0     37,577,000   
     

 

 

 
  Semiconductors    
  1,100,000      Intel Corp.       37,895,000   
  2,000,000      Micron Technology Inc. q       28,320,000   
     

 

 

 
      8.8     66,215,000   
     

 

 

 
  Services    
  450,000      Thomson Reuters Corp.     2.3     17,032,500   
     

 

 

 
  Software    
  40,000      Autodesk Inc. q       2,437,200   
  250,000      Citrix Systems Inc. q       18,912,500   
     

 

 

 
      2.8     21,349,700   
     

 

 

 
  Telecommunications Equipment    
  1,700,000      Ciena Corp. q       35,173,000   
  400,000      Motorola Solutions Inc.       27,380,000   
     

 

 

 
      8.3     62,553,000   
     

 

 

 
  Transportation    
  300,000      Expeditors International of Washington Inc.       13,530,000   
  65,000      FedEx Corp.       9,684,350   
  100,000      Genesee & Wyoming Inc., Class A q       5,369,000   
     

 

 

 
      3.8     28,583,350   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in equities
(cost $733,974,312)
    98.4     742,883,175   
     

 

 

 
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

30


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

PARNASSUS FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015 (continued)

 

Principal
Amount
($)
    Short-Term Securities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Certificates of Deposit a    
  250,000      Albina Community Bank
0.20%, matures 01/15/2016
      249,617   
  250,000      Carver Federal Savings Bank
0.25%, matures 02/18/2016
      248,685   
  250,000      Community Bank of the Bay
0.30%, matures 07/15/2016
      244,570   
  100,000      Eastern Bank
0.10%, matures 01/29/2016
      99,693   
  250,000      Latino Community Credit Union
0.60%, matures 02/20/2016
      248,631   
  250,000      Metro Bank
0.25%, matures 05/10/2016
      246,448   
  250,000      Opportunities Credit Union
0.20%, matures 04/25/2016
      246,858   
  100,000      Self-Help Credit Union
0.80%, matures 01/14/2016
      99,858   
  150,000     

Self-Help Credit Union

0.80%, matures 01/16/2016

      149,754   
  250,000      Southern Bancorp Bank
0.30%, matures 01/15/2016
      249,617   
  250,000      Urban Partnership Bank
0.30%, matures 10/01/2016
      242,513   
     

 

 

 
      0.3     2,326,244   
     

 

 

 
  Community Development
Loans  a
   
  200,000      Boston Community Loan Fund
1.00%, matures 04/15/2016
      196,558   
  200,000      Root Capital Loan Fund
1.25%, matures 01/25/2016
      199,212   
  100,000      Vermont Community Loan Fund
0.85%, matures 10/15/2016
      95,278   
     

 

 

 
      0.1     491,048   
     

 

 

 
Principal
Amount
($)
    Short-Term Securities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Time Deposits    
  8,783,586      BBH Cash Management Service    
  JPM Chase, New York
0.09%, due 01/04/2016
    1.1     8,783,586   
     

 

 

 
  Total short-term securities
(cost $11,600,878)
    1.5     11,600,878   
     

 

 

 
  Total securities
(cost $745,575,190)
    99.9     754,484,053   
     

 

 

 
  Other assets and liabilities - net     0.1     401,012   
     

 

 

 
  Total net assets     100.0     754,885,065   
     

 

 

 
     
 

q  This security is non-income producing.

    

 

a  Market value adjustments have been applied to these securities to reflect potential early withdrawal.

     

 

plc  Public Limited Company

    

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

31


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

PARNASSUS CORE EQUITY FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015

 

Shares     Equities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Apparel    
  5,734,655      VF Corp.     3.0     356,982,274   
     

 

 

 
  Chemicals    
  2,075,303      Compass Minerals International Inc. W       156,208,057   
  3,450,000      Praxair Inc.       353,280,000   
     

 

 

 
      4.3     509,488,057   
     

 

 

 
  Computers    
  3,242,067      Apple Inc.     2.9     341,259,972   
     

 

 

 
  Cosmetics & Personal Care    
  5,444,500      Procter & Gamble Co.     3.6     432,347,745   
     

 

 

 
  Financial Services    
  9,978,431      Charles Schwab Corp.       328,589,733   
  2,750,000      MasterCard Inc., Class A       267,740,000   
  7,729,633      PayPal Holdings Inc. q       279,812,715   
     

 

 

 
      7.3     876,142,448   
     

 

 

 
  Food Products    
  2,500,000      McCormick & Co.       213,900,000   
  10,709,214      Mondelez International Inc., Class A       480,201,156   
  3,265,000      PepsiCo Inc.       326,238,800   
  7,864,354      Sysco Corp.       322,438,514   
     

 

 

 
      11.2     1,342,778,470   
     

 

 

 
  Health Care Products    
  1,750,000      Perrigo Co. plc     2.1     253,225,000   
     

 

 

 
  Home Products    
  1,220,000      WD-40 Co.  W     1.0     120,353,000   
     

 

 

 
  Industrial Manufacturing    
  6,105,878      Danaher Corp.       567,113,949   
  6,505,000      Pentair plc       322,192,650   
  9,945,000      Xylem Inc.  W       362,992,500   
     

 

 

 
      10.5     1,252,299,099   
     

 

 

 
  Insurance    
  3,867,959      Verisk Analytics Inc. q     2.5     297,368,688   
     

 

 

 
  Internet    
  225,000      Alphabet Inc., Class A q       175,052,250   
  480,572      Alphabet Inc., Class C q       364,696,479   
  9,043,633      eBay Inc. q       248,519,035   
     

 

 

 
      6.7     788,267,764   
     

 

 

 
  Machinery    
  1,902,272      Deere & Co.     1.2     145,086,285   
     

 

 

 
  Medical Equipment    
  5,385,000      Patterson Companies Inc. W     2.0     243,455,850   
     

 

 

 
Shares     Equities   Percent
of Net
Assets
   

Market

Value ($)

 
  Natural Gas    
  12,525,000      MDU Resources Group Inc. W       229,458,000   
  2,325,000      Northwest Natural Gas Co. W       117,668,250   
     

 

 

 
      2.9     347,126,250   
     

 

 

 
  Oil & Gas    
  8,850,000      National Oilwell Varco Inc.     2.5     296,386,500   
     

 

 

 
  Pharmaceuticals    
  900,000      Allergan plc q       281,250,000   
  3,500,000      Gilead Sciences Inc.       354,165,000   
  2,000,000      Novartis AG (ADR)       172,080,000   
     

 

 

 
      6.8     807,495,000   
     

 

 

 
  Real Estate Investment Trusts    
  10,543,000      Iron Mountain Inc.     2.4     284,766,430   
     

 

 

 
  Retail    
  3,548,730      CVS Health Corp.     2.9     346,959,332   
     

 

 

 
  Semiconductor Capital Equipment    
  16,200,000      Applied Materials Inc.     2.5     302,454,000   
     

 

 

 
  Semiconductors    
  12,500,000      Intel Corp.     3.6     430,625,000   
     

 

 

 
  Services    
  7,475,805      Thomson Reuters Corp.     2.4     282,959,219   
     

 

 

 
  Telecommunications Equipment    
  7,468,389      Motorola Solutions Inc.     4.3     511,211,227   
     

 

 

 
  Telecommunications Provider    
  12,028,340      Shaw Communications Inc., Class B     1.7     206,767,165   
     

 

 

 
  Transportation    
  3,808,270      United Parcel Service Inc., Class B     3.1     366,469,822   
     

 

 

 
  Utility & Power Distribution    
  700,270      AGL Resources Inc.       44,684,228   
  12,500,000      Questar Corp.  W       243,500,000   
     

 

 

 
      2.4     288,184,228   
     

 

 

 
  Waste Management    
  4,400,000      Waste Management Inc.     2.0     234,828,000   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in equities
(cost $9,675,551,803)
    97.8     11,665,286,825   
     

 

 

 
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

32


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

PARNASSUS CORE EQUITY FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015 (continued)

 

Principal
Amount
($)
    Short-Term Securities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Certificates of Deposit a    
  250,000      Community Bank of the Bay
0.30%, matures 07/15/2016
      244,570   
  250,000      Community Trust Credit Union
0.80%, matures 10/15/2016
      242,104   
  250,000      Urban Partnership Bank
0.30%, matures 09/24/2016
      242,678   
     

 

 

 
      0.0     729,352   
     

 

 

 
  Certificates of Deposit Account Registry Service a    
  500,000      CDARS agreement with Community Bank of the Bay, dated 01/22/2015, matures 01/21/2016, 0.15% Participating depository institutions: Banco Popular de Puerto Rico - IBC, par 243,500; TriState Capital Bank, par 13,000; Wester Alliance Bank, par 243,500;
(cost $498,902)
      498,902   
  500,000      CDARS agreement with Community Bank of the Bay, dated 02/05/2015, matures 02/04/2016, 0.15% Participating depository institutions: Alpine Bank, par 18,000; Banco Popular North America, par 241,000; Santander Bank, N.A., par 241,000; (cost $498,133)       498,133   
  500,000      CDARS agreement with Community Bank of the Bay, dated 04/09/2015, matures 04/07/2016, 0.20% Participating depository institutions: First Foundation Bank, par 243,500; Pulaski Bank, par 228,420; The PrivateBank and Trust Company, par 28,080;
(cost $494,671)
      494,671   
  500,000      CDARS agreement with Community Bank of the Bay, dated 10/15/2015, matures 10/13/2016, 0.15% Participating depository institutions: BOKF, National Association, par 241,000; Independent Bank, par 18,000; LegacyTexas Bank, par 241,000;
(cost $484,286)
      484,286   
     

 

 

 
      0.0     1,975,992   
     

 

 

 
Principal
Amount
($)
    Short-Term Securities   Percent
of Net
Assets
   

Market

Value ($)

 
  Community Development Loans a    
  100,000      Boston Community Loan Fund
1.00%, matures 04/15/2016
      98,278   
  1,000,000      CEI Investment Notes Inc.
1.00%, matures 07/01/2016
      970,163   
  7,500,000      MicroVest Plus, LP Note
2.25%, matures 04/15/2016
      7,370,902   
  200,000      New Hampshire Community Loan Fund
1.00%, matures 07/15/2016
      193,466   
  200,000      Root Capital Loan Fund
1.25%, matures 01/25/2016
      199,212   
  100,000      Vermont Community Loan Fund
0.85%, matures 04/15/2016
      98,278   
     

 

 

 
      0.1     8,930,299   
     

 

 

 
  Time Deposits    
  236,536,478      BBH Cash Management Service    
  BTMU, Grand Cayman
0.09%, due 01/04/2016
      138,828,000   
  Wells Fargo, Grand Cayman
0.09%, due 01/04/2016
      97,708,478   
     

 

 

 
      2.0     236,536,478   
     

 

 

 
  Total short-term securities
(cost $248,172,121)
    2.1     248,172,121   
     

 

 

 
  Total securities
(cost $9,923,723,924)
    99.9     11,913,458,946   
     

 

 

 
  Other assets and liabilities -net     0.1     8,941,870   
     

 

 

 
  Total net assets     100.0     11,922,400,816   
     

 

 

 
     
 

W  Fund ownership consists of 5% or more of the shares outstanding of the Affiliated Issuer, as defined under the Investment Securities Act of 1940.

      

 

q  This security is non-income producing.

    

 

a  Market value adjustments have been applied to these securities to reflect potential early withdrawal.

     

 

plc  Public Limited Company

    

  ADR American Depository Receipt   
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

33


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

PARNASSUS ENDEAVOR FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015

 

Shares     Equities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Communications Equipment    
  1,100,000      QUALCOMM Inc.     4.0     54,983,500   
     

 

 

 
  Computers    
  475,000      International Business Machines Corp.     4.8     65,369,500   
     

 

 

 
  Cosmetics & Personal Care    
  100,000      Procter & Gamble Co.     0.6     7,941,000   
     

 

 

 
  Data Storage    
  1,000,000      SanDisk Corp.     5.5     75,990,000   
     

 

 

 
  Electronics    
  500,000      Plantronics Inc.     1.7     23,710,000   
     

 

 

 
  Financial Services    
  950,000      American Express Co.       66,072,500   
  1,200,000      Charles Schwab Corp.       39,516,000   
  150,000      First Horizon National Corp.       2,178,000   
  500,000      PayPal Holdings Inc. q       18,100,000   
  700,000      Wells Fargo & Co.       38,052,000   
     

 

 

 
      12.0     163,918,500   
     

 

 

 
  Health Care Products    
  160,000      Perrigo Co. plc     1.7     23,152,000   
     

 

 

 
  Industrial Manufacturing    
  210,000      W.W. Grainger Inc. l     3.1     42,543,900   
     

 

 

 
  Internet    
  40,000      Alphabet Inc., Class A q     2.3     31,120,400   
     

 

 

 
  Machinery    
  675,000      Cummins Inc.       59,406,750   
  800,000      Deere & Co. l       61,016,000   
     

 

 

 
      8.7     120,422,750   
     

 

 

 
  Pharmaceuticals    
  300,000      Gilead Sciences Inc.       30,357,000   
  100,000      Novartis AG (ADR)       8,604,000   
  750,000      Roche Holdings Ltd. (ADR)       25,852,500   
     

 

 

 
      4.7     64,813,500   
     

 

 

 
  Retail    
  2,100,000      Whole Foods Market Inc.     5.1     70,350,000   
     

 

 

 
  Semiconductor Capital Equipment    
  4,100,000      Applied Materials Inc.       76,547,000   
  425,000      Lam Research Corp.       33,753,500   
     

 

 

 
      8.1     110,300,500   
     

 

 

 
  Semiconductors    
  1,860,000      Intel Corp.     4.7     64,077,000   
     

 

 

 
  Software    
  925,000      Autodesk Inc. q       56,360,250   
  650,000      Citrix Systems Inc. q       49,172,500   
     

 

 

 
      7.7     105,532,750   
     

 

 

 
Shares     Equities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Telecommunications Equipment    
  3,200,000      Ciena Corp. q     4.8     66,208,000   
     

 

 

 
  Telecommunications Provider    
  300,000      Shaw Communications Inc., Class B     0.4     5,157,000   
     

 

 

 
  Transportation    
  400,000      C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.       24,808,000   
  800,000      Expeditors International of Washington Inc.       36,080,000   
     

 

 

 
      4.4     60,888,000   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in equities
(cost $1,124,445,647)
    84.3     1,156,478,300   
     

 

 

 
     
Principal
Amount
($)
    Short-Term Securities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Time Deposits    
  211,963,049      BBH Cash Management Service Banco Santander, Frankfurt 0.09%, due 01/04/2016       196,327,633   
  Sumitomo, Tokyo 0.09%, due 01/04/2016       15,635,416   
     

 

 

 
      15.4     211,963,049   
     

 

 

 
  Securities Purchased with Cash Collateral from Securities Lending      
  Registered Investment Companies    
  94,239,069      Invesco Aim Government & Agency Portfolio Short-Term Investments Trust, Institutional Class    
  variable rate, 0.13%     6.9     94,239,069   
     

 

 

 
  Total short-term securities
(cost $306,202,118)
    22.3     306,202,118   
     

 

 

 
  Total securities
(cost $1,430,647,765)
    106.6     1,462,680,418   
     

 

 

 
  Payable upon return of securities loaned     (6.9 %)      (94,239,069
  Other assets and liabilities - net     0.3     4,129,881   
     

 

 

 
  Total net assets     100.0     1,372,571,230   
     

 

 

 
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

34


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

PARNASSUS ENDEAVOR FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015 (continued)

 

 

 

q  This security is non-income producing.

 

l  This security, or partial position of this security, was on loan at December 31, 2015.

 

  The total value of the securities on loan at December 31, 2015 was $92,285,466.

  plc Public Limited Company
  ADR American Depository Receipt

    

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

35


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

PARNASSUS MID CAP FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015

 

Shares     Equities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Apparel    
  93,635      VF Corp.     1.1     5,828,779   
     

 

 

 
  Chemicals    
  448,337      Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. q       11,948,181   
  812,759      Calgon Carbon Corp.       14,020,093   
  217,500      Compass Minerals International Inc.       16,371,225   
     

 

 

 
      7.7     42,339,499   
     

 

 

 
  Data Processing    
  70,000      Equifax Inc.       7,795,900   
  190,000      Fiserv Inc. q       17,377,400   
     

 

 

 
      4.5     25,173,300   
     

 

 

 
  Financial Services    
  285,000      Charles Schwab Corp.       9,385,050   
  390,000      Essent Group Ltd. q       8,537,100   
  245,000      First American Financial Corp.       8,795,500   
  1,435,000      First Horizon National Corp.       20,836,200   
  355,000      SEI Investments Co.       18,602,000   
     

 

 

 
      12.0     66,155,850   
     

 

 

 
  Food Products    
  125,750      McCormick & Co.       10,759,170   
  425,000      Sysco Corp.       17,425,000   
     

 

 

 
      5.0     28,184,170   
     

 

 

 
  Health Care Products    
  291,348      DENTSPLY International Inc.       17,728,526   
  102,000      Perrigo Co. plc       14,759,400   
     

 

 

 
      5.9     32,487,926   
     

 

 

 
  Health Care Services    
  220,000      Cardinal Health Inc.     3.5     19,639,400   
     

 

 

 
  Industrial Manufacturing    
  355,000      Pentair plc       17,583,150   
  515,000      Xylem Inc.       18,797,500   
     

 

 

 
      6.6     36,380,650   
     

 

 

 
  Insurance    
  180,768      Verisk Analytics Inc. q     2.5     13,897,444   
     

 

 

 
  Internet    
  245,000      eBay Inc. q     1.2     6,732,600   
     

 

 

 
  Machinery    
  145,727      Deere & Co. l     2.0     11,114,598   
     

 

 

 
  Medical Equipment    
  395,029      Patterson Companies Inc.       17,859,261   
  57,500      Teleflex Inc.       7,558,375   
     

 

 

 
      4.6     25,417,636   
     

 

 

 
Shares     Equities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Natural Gas    
  97,956      Energen Corp.       4,015,216   
  818,841      MDU Resources Group Inc.       15,001,167   
  193,500      Northwest Natural Gas Co.       9,793,035   
     

 

 

 
      5.2     28,809,418   
     

 

 

 
  Oil & Gas    
  158,000      Cameron International Corp. q       9,985,600   
  176,678      National Oilwell Varco Inc.       5,916,946   
     

 

 

 
      2.9     15,902,546   
     

 

 

 
  Professional Services    
  316,000      Insperity Inc.     2.7     15,215,400   
     

 

 

 
  Real Estate Investment Trusts    
  600,000      Iron Mountain Inc.     2.9     16,206,000   
     

 

 

 
  Retail    
  100,000      Whole Foods Market Inc.     0.6     3,350,000   
     

 

 

 
  Semiconductor Capital Equipment    
  1,000,000      Applied Materials Inc.     3.4     18,670,000   
     

 

 

 
  Services    
  21,000      Ecolab Inc.       2,401,980   
  430,000      Thomson Reuters Corp.       16,275,500   
     

 

 

 
      3.3     18,677,480   
     

 

 

 
  Software    
  223,391      Autodesk Inc. q       13,611,214   
  19,243      Intuit Inc.       1,856,950   
     

 

 

 
      2.8     15,468,164   
     

 

 

 
  Telecommunications Equipment    
  250,000      Motorola Solutions Inc.     3.1     17,112,500   
     

 

 

 
  Telecommunications Provider    
  325,000      Shaw Communications Inc., Class B     1.0     5,586,750   
     

 

 

 
  Transportation    
  250,000      Expeditors International of Washington Inc.     2.0     11,275,000   
     

 

 

 
  Utility & Power Distribution    
  135,000      AGL Resources Inc.       8,614,350   
  885,007      Questar Corp.       17,239,936   
     

 

 

 
      4.6     25,854,286   
     

 

 

 
  Waste Management    
  310,000      Waste Management Inc.     3.0     16,544,700   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in equities
(cost $462,522,015)
    94.1     522,024,096   
     

 

 

 
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

36


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

PARNASSUS MID CAP FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015 (continued)

 

Principal
Amount
($)
    Short-Term Securities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Time Deposits    
  31,796,463      BBH Cash Management Service Anz, London
0.09%, due 01/04/2016
    5.7     31,796,463   
     

 

 

 
  Securities Purchased with Cash Collateral from Securities Lending      
  Registered Investment Companies    
  11,054,900      Invesco Aim Government & Agency Portfolio    
  Short-Term Investments Trust, Institutional Class
variable rate, 0.13%
    2.0     11,054,900   
     

 

 

 
  Total short-term securities
(cost $42,851,363)
    7.7     42,851,363   
     

 

 

 
  Total securities
(cost $505,373,378)
    101.8     564,875,459   
     

 

 

 
  Payable upon return of securities loaned     (2.0 %)      (11,054,900
  Other assets and liabilities - net     0.2     827,166   
     

 

 

 
  Total net assets     100.0     554,647,725   
     

 

 

 
     
 

q  This security is non-income producing.

    

 

l  This security, or partial position of this security, was on loan at December 31, 2015. The total value of the securities on loan at December 31, 2015 was $10,810,785.

       

 

plc  Public Limited Company

    

    

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

37


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

PARNASSUS ASIA FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015

 

Shares     Equities  

Percent

of Net

Assets

   

Market

Value ($)

 
  Australia    
  41,598      Brambles Ltd.     3.4     348,380   
     

 

 

 
  China    
  10,500      Air Lease Corp.       351,540   
  6,000      Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (ADR) q       487,620   
  7,000      Expeditors International of Washington Inc.       315,700   
  30,000      Micron Technology Inc. q       424,800   
  7,000      QUALCOMM Inc.       349,895   
     

 

 

 
      18.8     1,929,555   
     

 

 

 
  Hong Kong    
  300,000      China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd.       295,947   
  450,000      Greatview Aseptic Packaging Co., Ltd.       203,450   
  150,000      HKBN Ltd.       193,010   
  360,000      Lenovo Group Ltd.       363,307   
  830,000      SITC International Holdings Co., Ltd.       438,738   
  502,000      Sun Art Retail Group Ltd.       377,693   
  70,000      Television Broadcasts Ltd.       287,630   
  290,000      Want Want China Holdings Ltd.       215,230   
     

 

 

 
      23.1     2,375,005   
     

 

 

 
  India    
  100,000      Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd.     1.0     103,533   
     

 

 

 
  Indonesia    
  3,787,300      PT Asuransi Multi Artha Guna       103,822   
  450,000      PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero)       369,315   
     

 

 

 
      4.5     473,137   
     

 

 

 
  Japan    
  5,000      Kakaku.com Inc.       98,345   
  12,000      KDDI Corp.       311,629   
  8,000      Linear Technology Corp.       339,760   
  12,000      OMRON Corp.       400,146   
  36,000      Rakuten Inc.       414,622   
  18,000      Topcon Corp.       304,122   
  16,000      USS Co., Ltd.       240,403   
     

 

 

 
      20.5     2,109,027   
     

 

 

 
  Philippines    
  613,800      Manila Water Co.     3.2     324,315   
     

 

 

 
  Singapore    
  350,000      OSIM International Ltd.     2.6     265,876   
     

 

 

 
  South Korea    
  425      Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.     4.4     451,392   
     

 

 

 
Shares     Equities  

Percent

of Net

Assets

   

Market

Value ($)

 
  Taiwan    
  24,000      Applied Materials Inc.       448,080   
  129,000      Chailease Holding Co., Ltd.       221,152   
  12,000      Hermes Microvision Inc.       429,938   
  281,400      Lite-On Technology Corp.       270,325   
  10,000      Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (ADR)       227,500   
     

 

 

 
      15.4     1,596,995   
     

 

 

 
  Thailand    
  250,000      Thanachart Capital Public Co., Ltd.     2.5     252,242   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in equities
(cost $11,321,968)
    99.4     10,229,457   
     

 

 

 
     

Principal

Amount

($)

    Short-Term Securities   Percent
of Net
Assets
   

Market

Value ($)

 
  Time Deposits    
  52,330      BBH Cash Management Service Banco Santander, Frankfurt
0.09%, due 01/04/2016
    0.5     52,330   
     

 

 

 
  Total short-term securities
(cost $52,330)
    0.5     52,330   
     

 

 

 
  Total securities
(cost $11,374,298)
    99.9     10,281,787   
     

 

 

 
  Other assets and liabilities—net     0.1     8,800   
     

 

 

 
  Total net assets     100.0     10,290,587   
     

 

 

 
     
 

q  This security is non-income producing.

    

  ADR American Depository Receipt   
  PT Perseroan Terbatas   
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

38


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

PARNASSUS FIXED INCOME FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015

 

Principal
Amount

($)

    Commercial Mortgage-
Backed Securities
  Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities    
  891,352      DBUBS Mortgage Trust
Series 2011-LC2A, Class A2,
3.39%, due 07/10/2044
      894,388   
  888,698      FHLMC Multifamily Structured Pass Through Certificates K-029, Class A1,
2.84%, due 10/25/2022
      916,042   
  1,500,000      JP Morgan Mortgage Trust
Series 2011-C4, Class A3,
4.11%, due 07/15/2046
      1,556,213   
  1,000,000      JP Morgan Mortgage Trust
Series 2011-C4, Class A4,
4.39%, due 07/15/2046
      1,070,827   
  1,000,000      JP Morgan Mortgage Trust
Series 2013-C13, Class A2,
2.67%, due 01/15/2046
      1,010,750   
  154,477      Morgan Stanley Capital Trust
Series 2011-C1, Class A2,
3.88%, due 09/15/2047
      154,460   
  1,000,000      UBS-Barclays Mortgage Trust
Series 2012-C2, Class A3,
3.06%, due 05/10/2063
      1,012,765   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in commercial mortgage-backed securities
(cost $6,652,019)
    3.5     6,615,445   
     

 

 

 
     
Principal
Amount
($)
    Convertible Bonds   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Biotechnology    
  550,000      Exelixis Inc.
4.25%, due 08/15/2019
    0.3     644,875   
     

 

 

 
  Semiconductors    
  1,250,000      Intel Corp.
2.95%, due 12/15/2035
      1,599,219   
  1,000,000      Microchip Technology Inc.
1.63%, due 02/15/2025
      993,750   
     

 

 

 
      1.4     2,592,969   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in
convertible bonds
(cost $2,988,662)
    1.7     3,237,844   
     

 

 

 
     
Principal
Amount
($)
    Corporate Bonds   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Air Transportation    
  1,397,882      Southwest Air 07-1 Trust
6.15%, due 08/01/2022
    0.8     1,565,628   
     

 

 

 
  Apparel    
  3,000,000      Hanesbrands Inc.
6.38%, due 12/15/2020
      3,105,000   
  3,000,000      VF Corp.
3.50%, due 09/01/2021
      3,135,885   
     

 

 

 
      3.3     6,240,885   
     

 

 

 
  Computers    
  1,000,000      Apple Inc.
4.38%, due 05/13/2045
    0.5     1,009,711   
     

 

 

 
  Cosmetics & Personal Care    
  2,000,000      Procter & Gamble Co.
2.30%, due 02/06/2022
    1.1     1,998,576   
     

 

 

 
  Equipment Leasing    
  1,500,000      United Rentals North America Inc.
6.13%, due 06/15/2023
    0.8     1,533,750   
     

 

 

 
  Financial Services    
  3,300,000      Discover Financial Services
5.20%, due 04/27/2022
      3,528,825   
  2,000,000      MasterCard Inc.
3.38%, due 04/01/2024
      2,043,882   
  2,000,000      Wells Fargo & Co.
4.10%, due 06/03/2026
      2,018,788   
     

 

 

 
      4.1     7,591,495   
     

 

 

 
  Food Products    
  2,000,000      PepsiCo Inc.
2.75%, due 04/30/2025
    1.0     1,939,948   
     

 

 

 
  Health Care Products    
  2,000,000      Perrigo Finance plc
3.90%, due 12/15/2024
    1.0     1,929,704   
     

 

 

 
  Health Care Services    
  3,600,000      Cardinal Health Inc.
1.90%, due 06/15/2017
    1.9     3,610,490   
     

 

 

 
  Industrial Manufacturing    
  4,050,000      Pentair Finance SA
3.15%, due 09/15/2022
    2.0     3,809,973   
     

 

 

 
  Insurance    
  2,000,000      Progressive Corp.
variable rate,
6.70%, due 06/15/2037
    1.1     1,995,000   
     

 

 

 
  Machinery    
  2,000,000      John Deere Capital Corp.
1.13%, due 06/12/2017
    1.1     1,996,028   
     

 

 

 
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

39


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

PARNASSUS FIXED INCOME FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015 (continued)

 

Principal
Amount
($)
    Corporate Bonds   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Medical Equipment    
  3,700,000      Agilent Technologies Inc.
3.20%, due 10/01/2022
    1.9     3,607,334   
     

 

 

 
  Networking Products    
  2,000,000      Cisco Systems Inc.
5.50%, due 02/22/2016
    1.1     2,012,750   
     

 

 

 
  Oil & Gas    
  2,570,000      Cameron International Corp.
3.60%, due 04/30/2022
    1.3     2,541,704   
     

 

 

 
  Pharmaceuticals    
  2,000,000      Gilead Sciences Inc.
3.70%, due 04/01/2024
    1.1     2,048,638   
     

 

 

 
  Real Estate Investment Trusts    
  2,000,000      Regency Centers LP
3.75%, due 06/15/2024
    1.0     1,985,584   
     

 

 

 
  Retail    
  3,000,000      Costco Wholesale Corp.
2.25%, due 02/15/2022
      2,944,155   
  2,000,000      CVS Health Corp.
3.38%, due 08/12/2024
      1,979,326   
  1,000,000      CVS Health Corp.
5.13%, due 07/20/2045
      1,053,431   
  3,500,000      Nordstrom Inc.
4.00%, due 10/15/2021
      3,698,027   
  2,500,000      Starbucks Corp.
3.85%, due 10/01/2023
      2,652,568   
     

 

 

 
      6.5     12,327,507   
     

 

 

 
  Semiconductors    
  2,000,000      Altera Corp.
1.75%, due 05/15/2017
    1.1     2,007,754   
     

 

 

 
  Software    
  1,000,000      Autodesk Inc.
3.60%, due 12/15/2022
      971,381   
  2,200,000      Autodesk Inc.
4.38%, due 06/15/2025
      2,160,873   
     

 

 

 
      1.6     3,132,254   
     

 

 

 
  Telecommunications Equipment    
  3,000,000      Juniper Networks Inc.
4.50%, due 03/15/2024
      2,985,194   
  3,500,000      Motorola Solutions Inc.
3.75%, due 05/15/2022
      3,206,602   
     

 

 

 
      3.2     6,191,796   
     

 

 

 
Principal
Amount
($)
    Corporate Bonds   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Transportation    
  2,000,000      Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.
3.85%, due 09/01/2023
      2,077,260   
  1,000,000      Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.
4.90%, due 04/01/2044
      1,026,174   
  3,000,000      FedEx Corp.
2.70%, due 04/15/2023
      2,911,764   
     

 

 

 
      3.1     6,015,198   
     

 

 

 
  Waste Management    
  2,000,000      Waste Management Inc.
3.50%, due 05/15/2024
    1.1     2,016,034   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in corporate bonds
(cost $79,796,892)
    41.7     79,107,741   
     

 

 

 
     
Principal
Amount
($)
    Federal Agency Mortgage-
Backed Securities
  Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Federal Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities    
  660,443      Fannie Mae Pool AD5108
3.50%, due 12/01/2025
      692,988   
  1,244,443      Fannie Mae Pool AV0971
3.50%, due 08/01/2026
      1,305,571   
  1,003,877      Fannie Mae Pool AS2800
3.00%, due 07/01/2029
      1,035,702   
  852,294      Fannie Mae Pool AX1326
3.50%, due 09/01/2029
      893,377   
  778,355      Fannie Mae Pool MA0695
4.00%, due 04/01/2031
      832,635   
  645,306      Fannie Mae Pool MA0844
4.50%, due 08/01/2031
      702,255   
  836,458      Fannie Mae Pool MA1607
3.00%, due 10/01/2033
      858,828   
  1,760,296      Fannie Mae Pool AL4577
4.50%, due 01/01/2034
      1,915,767   
  1,006,526      Fannie Mae Pool AL5708
4.00%, due 03/01/2034
      1,081,450   
  1,036,881      Fannie Mae Pool MA1889
3.50%, due 05/01/2034
      1,083,663   
  1,402,535      Fannie Mae Pool MA2177
4.00%, due 02/01/2035
      1,499,191   
  1,247,074      Fannie Mae Pool 926115
4.50%, due 04/01/2039
      1,349,479   
  795,208      Fannie Mae Pool 931065
4.50%, due 05/01/2039
      864,193   
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

40


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

PARNASSUS FIXED INCOME FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015 (continued)

 

Principal
Amount
($)
    Federal Agency Mortgage-
Backed Securities
  Percent
of Net
Assets
  Market
Value ($)
 
  1,022,538      Fannie Mae Pool AD4296
5.00%, due 04/01/2040
      1,128,405   
  1,304,866      Fannie Mae Pool AH7196
4.50%, due 03/01/2041
      1,411,873   
  1,390,330      Fannie Mae Pool AH6275
4.50%, due 04/01/2041
      1,504,112   
  804,574      Fannie Mae Pool AL0215
4.50%, due 04/01/2041
      870,695   
  1,381,941      Fannie Mae Pool AL0393
4.50%, due 06/01/2041
      1,502,453   
  1,101,870      Fannie Mae Pool AI8483
4.50%, due 07/01/2041
      1,192,204   
  670,691      Fannie Mae Pool AJ4994
4.50%, due 11/01/2041
      725,345   
  853,123      Fannie Mae Pool AK3103
4.00%, due 02/01/2042
      906,574   
  1,318,093      Fannie Mae Pool AQ2925
3.50%, due 01/01/2043
      1,363,278   
  846,066      Fannie Mae Pool AS0576
5.00%, due 09/01/2043
      931,205   
  838,231      Fannie Mae Pool AS1130
4.50%, due 11/01/2043
      905,312   
  1,029,898      Fannie Mae Pool AS1587
4.50%, due 01/01/2044
      1,112,318   
  1,430,844      Fannie Mae Pool AS4455
3.50%, due 02/01/2045
      1,477,450   
  669,875      Freddie Mac Pool E02746
3.50%, due 11/01/2025
      702,125   
  589,722      Freddie Mac Pool G14820
3.50%, due 12/01/2026
      618,151   
  712,931      Freddie Mac Pool G14809
3.00%, due 07/01/2028
      736,057   
  1,042,082      Freddie Mac Pool V60523
3.00%, due 04/01/2029
      1,077,847   
  1,204,648      Freddie Mac Pool G18521
3.50%, due 08/01/2029
      1,260,595   
  772,607      Freddie Mac Pool G30672
3.50%, due 07/01/2033
      807,604   
  1,511,138      Freddie Mac Pool C91754
4.50%, due 02/01/2034
      1,639,503   
  838,810      Freddie Mac Pool C91762
4.50%, due 04/01/2034
      910,972   
  932,579      Freddie Mac Pool C91764
3.50%, due 05/01/2034
      975,054   
  704,281      Freddie Mac Pool G05514
5.00%, due 06/01/2039
      776,505   
  1,355,466      Freddie Mac Pool A90225
4.00%, due 12/01/2039
      1,434,223   
  1,619,049      Freddie Mac Pool A93451
4.50%, due 08/01/2040
      1,750,417   
  706,078      Freddie Mac Pool G07426
4.00%, due 06/01/2043
      746,800   
Principal
Amount
($)
    Federal Agency Mortgage-
Backed Securities
  Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  1,381,024      Freddie Mac Pool Q22416
4.00%, due 10/01/2043
      1,460,682   
  783,299      Ginnie Mae II Pool MA2522
4.00%, due 01/20/2045
      832,312   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in federal agency mortgage-backed securities
(cost $44,822,764)
    23.6     44,875,170   
     

 

 

 
     
Principal
Amount
($)
    Supranational Bonds   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Supranational Bonds    
  2,000,000      European Bank for Reconstruction & Development
1.63%, due 04/10/2018
      2,006,480   
  5,000,000      International Finance Corp.
0.50%, due 05/16/2016
      4,996,035   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in
supranational bonds
(cost $7,013,698)
    3.7     7,002,515   
     

 

 

 
     
Principal
Amount
($)
    U.S. Government
Treasury Bonds
  Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  U.S. Government Treasury Bonds    
  2,000,000      U.S. Treasury
1.75%, due 05/31/2016
      2,010,390   
  3,000,000      U.S. Treasury
1.50%, due 07/31/2016
      3,015,117   
  3,000,000      U.S. Treasury
0.50%, due 09/30/2016
      2,995,194   
  2,000,000      U.S. Treasury
0.88%, due 02/28/2017
      2,000,782   
  3,000,000      U.S. Treasury
0.63%, due 06/30/2017
      2,984,883   
  4,000,000      U.S. Treasury
0.88%, due 11/15/2017
      3,986,092   
  2,000,000      U.S. Treasury
0.88%, due 11/30/2017
      1,994,218   
  2,000,000      U.S. Treasury
1.75%, due 05/15/2023
      1,948,516   
  4,000,000      U.S. Treasury
2.75%, due 11/15/2023
      4,174,532   
  2,000,000      U.S. Treasury
2.75%, due 02/15/2024
      2,083,204   
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

41


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

PARNASSUS FIXED INCOME FUND

Portfolio of Investments as of December 31, 2015 (continued)

 

Principal
Amount
($)
    U.S. Government
Treasury Bonds
  Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  4,000,000      U.S. Treasury
2.50%, due 05/15/2024
      4,087,344   
  4,000,000      U.S. Treasury
2.25%, due 11/15/2024
      3,997,968   
  1,000,000      U.S. Treasury
2.00%, due 02/15/2025
      977,539   
  2,000,000      U.S. Treasury
2.13%, due 05/15/2025
      1,973,906   
  1,002,940      U.S. Treasury (TIPS)
0.38%, due 07/15/2025
      971,023   
  2,000,000      U.S. Treasury
2.00%, due 08/15/2025
      1,950,079   
  1,135,300      U.S. Treasury (TIPS)
1.75%, due 01/15/2028
      1,240,492   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in U.S. government treasury bonds
(cost $42,103,625)
    22.3     42,391,279   
     

 

 

 
  Total investment in
long-term securities
(cost $183,377,660)
    96.5     183,229,994   
     

 

 

 
     

Principal
Amount

($)

    Short-Term Securities   Percent
of Net
Assets
    Market
Value ($)
 
  Community Development Loans a    
  2,500,000      MicroVest Plus, LP Note
2.25%, matures 10/15/2016
    1.3     2,381,967   
     

 

 

 
  Time Deposits    
  3,620,036      BBH Cash Management Service    
  Banco Santander, Frankfurt
0.09%, due 01/04/2016
    1.9     3,620,036   
     

 

 

 
  Total short-term securities
(cost $6,002,003)
    3.2     6,002,003   
     

 

 

 
  Total securities
(cost $189,379,663)
    99.7     189,231,997   
     

 

 

 
  Other assets and liabilities - net     0.3     629,228   
     

 

 

 
  Total net assets     100.0     189,861,225   
     

 

 

 
     
 

a  Market value adjustments have been applied to these securities to reflect potential early withdrawal.

     

  plc Public Limited Company   
  LP Limited Partnership   
  TIPS Treasury Inflation Protected Security   
 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

42


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

 

 

 

THIS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK

 

43


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

December 31, 2015

 

    Parnassus
Fund
    Parnassus
Core Equity
Fund
    Parnassus
Endeavor
Fund
 
Assets      
Investments in stocks and bonds, at market value – Unaffliliated      

(cost $733,974,312, $8,387,828,868, $1,124,445,647, $462,522,015, $11,321,968, $183,377,660)

  $ 742,883,175      $ 10,191,651,168      $ 1,156,478,300   
Investments in stocks, at market value – Affliliated      

(cost of $0, $1,287,722,935, $0, $0, $0, $0)

    -        1,473,635,657        -   
Investments in short-term securities      

(at cost which approximates market value)

    11,600,878        248,172,121        306,202,118   
Cash     984        28,972        6,737   
Receivables      

Dividends and interest

    664,448        13,879,310        901,737   

Capital shares sold

    1,218,579        18,740,396        5,561,363   

Due from Parnassus Investments

    -        -        -   
Other assets     30,196        352,913        47,394   

Total assets

  $ 756,398,260      $ 11,946,460,537      $ 1,469,197,649   
Liabilities      
Payable upon return of loaned securities     -        -        94,239,069   
Capital shares redeemed     853,930        16,569,472        1,502,705   
Fees payable to Parnassus Investments     450,804        6,480,681        768,194   
Distributions payable     -        -        -   
Accounts payable and accrued expenses     208,461        1,009,568        116,451   

Total liabilities

  $ 1,513,195      $ 24,059,721      $ 96,626,419   
Net assets   $ 754,885,065      $ 11,922,400,816      $ 1,372,571,230   
Net assets consist of      
Undistributed net investment income (loss)     108,000        (16,360,794     -   
Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on securities and foreign currency     8,908,863        1,989,735,022        32,032,653   
Accumulated net realized gain (loss) on securities and foreign currency     5,382,144        62,948,041        9,680,936   
Capital paid-in     740,486,058        9,886,078,547        1,330,857,641   

Total net assets

  $ 754,885,065      $ 11,922,400,816      $ 1,372,571,230   
Net asset value and offering per share      
Net assets investor shares   $ 708,944,287      $ 8,368,393,896      $ 1,325,765,000   
Net assets institutional shares   $ 45,940,778      $ 3,554,006,920      $ 46,806,230   
Shares outstanding investor shares     17,520,049        226,356,513        47,237,779   
Shares outstanding institutional shares     1,135,881        95,972,659        1,667,972   
Net asset values and redemption price per share      

(Net asset value divided by shares outstanding)

     

Investor shares

  $ 40.46      $ 36.97      $ 28.07   

Institutional shares

  $ 40.45      $ 37.03      $ 28.06   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

44


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

 

Parnassus
Mid Cap
Fund
   

Parnassus
Asia

Fund

    Parnassus
Fixed Income
Fund
 
   
   

$

522,024,096

  

  $ 10,229,457      $ 183,229,994   
   
  -        -        -   
  42,851,363        52,330        6,002,003   
   
  2,135        17        207   
   
  674,784        6,923        927,414   
  1,462,373        5,230        196,525   
  -        498        -   
  33,926        17,859        14,325   
$ 567,048,677      $ 10,312,314      $ 190,370,468   
   
  11,054,900        -        -   
  862,683        -        375,295   
  321,496        -        61,439   
  -        -        -   
  161,873        21,727        72,509   
$ 12,400,952      $ 21,727      $ 509,243   
$ 554,647,725      $ 10,290,587      $ 189,861,225   
   
  (392,102     (11,818     228,462   
  59,502,081        (1,092,533     (147,666
  7,086,947        (132,518     (302,296
  488,450,799        11,527,456        190,082,725   
$ 554,647,725      $ 10,290,587      $ 189,861,225   
   
$ 543,251,075      $ 6,615,716      $ 182,130,108   
$ 11,396,650      $ 3,674,871      $ 7,731,117   
  21,254,143        448,806        11,077,452   
  445,693        248,687        470,389   
   
   
$ 25.56      $ 14.74      $ 16.44   
$ 25.57      $ 14.78      $ 16.44   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

45


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

Year Ended December 31, 2015

 

    Parnassus
Fund
    Parnassus
Core Equity
Fund
    Parnassus
Endeavor
Fund
 
Investment income      
Dividends – Unaffiliated   $ 11,193,152      $ 193,888,731      $ 17,550,881   
Dividends – Affiliated     -        35,648,289        -   
Interest     20,071        504,608        31,759   
Securities lending     126,531        2,035,188        69,183   
Other income     151        76        -   
Foreign witholding tax     (247,010     (4,033,272     (227,385

Total investment income

  $ 11,092,895      $ 228,043,620      $ 17,424,438   
Expenses      
Investment advisory fees     4,633,765        71,165,324        8,207,339   
Transfer agent fees      

Investor shares

    319,541        710,825        140,426   

Institutional shares

    2,854        542,548        1,209   
Fund administration     246,399        3,940,190        381,018   
Service provider fees     753,121        18,673,760        2,166,363   
Reports to shareholders     106,888        1,065,645        114,306   
Registration fees and expenses     37,358        262,424        23,470   
Custody fees     28,470        388,600        38,190   
Overdraft charges     791        -        26,738   
Professional fees     49,535        268,500        81,402   
Trustee fees and expenses     34,452        565,597        48,566   
Proxy voting fees     4,884        4,884        4,884   
Pricing service fees     3,011        7,502        3,011   
Other expenses     16,991        242,424        17,589   

Total expenses

  $ 6,238,060      $ 97,838,223      $ 11,254,511   

Fees waived by Parnassus Investments

    -        -        (306,258

Net expenses

  $ 6,238,060      $ 97,838,223      $ 10,948,253   

Net investment income

  $ 4,854,835      $ 130,205,397      $ 6,476,185   
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency related transactions      
Net realized gain (loss) from securities transactions - Unaffiliated     115,767,740        855,146,679        132,708,699   
Net realized loss from foreign currency related transactions     -        -        -   
Net change in unrealized depreciation of securities     (120,645,900     (1,036,288,431     (114,645,080
Net change in unrealized appreciation on foreign currency related transactions     -        -        -   
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on securities and foreign currency related transactions   $ (4,878,160   $ (181,141,752   $ 18,063,619   
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations   $ (23,325   $ (50,936,355   $ 24,539,804   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

46


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Parnassus
Mid Cap Fund
    Parnassus
Asia Fund
    Parnassus
Fixed Income
Fund
 
   
$ 8,780,111      $ 344,299      $ 310   
  -        -        -   
  10,731        241        5,072,061   
  67,890        -        -   
  182        4        3,620   
  (169,266     (27,990     -   
$ 8,689,648      $ 316,554      $ 5,075,991   
   
  3,812,373        122,218        956,260   
   
  103,432        10,314        82,268   
  336        79        474   
  162,532        3,674        63,215   
  975,795        11,920        291,345   
  75,904        2,365        26,039   
  15,450        14,522        29,904   
  15,115        8,495        9,855   
  -        954        192   
  41,954        44,759        28,905   
  21,111        343        8,913   
  4,884        5,247        -   
  3,011        12,885        4,175   
  7,152        1,653        4,993   
$ 5,239,049      $ 239,428      $ 1,506,538   
  (374,192     (107,815     (214,404
$ 4,864,857      $ 131,613      $ 1,292,134   
$ 3,824,791      $ 184,941      $ 3,783,857   
   
  30,833,657        (107,111     (302,297
  -        (287,807     -   
  (7,855,813     (1,464,332     (2,178,556
  -        4,848        -   
$ 22,977,844      $ (1,854,402   $ (2,480,853
$ 26,802,635      $ (1,669,461   $ 1,303,004   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

47


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

December 31, 2015

 

    Parnassus Fund     Parnassus Core Equity Fund  
   

Year Ended

December 31, 2015

   

Year Ended

December 31, 2014

   

Year Ended

December 31, 2015

   

Year Ended

December 31, 2014

 
       
Investment income from operations        

Net investment income

  $ 4,854,835      $ 2,843,830      $ 130,205,397      $ 107,073,090   

Net realized gain (loss) from securities transactions

    115,767,740        69,326,086        855,146,679        440,188,076   

Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency related transactions

    -        -        -        -   

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of securities

    (120,645,900     13,105,357        (1,036,288,431     791,244,299   

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) from merger

    -        -        -        -   

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on foreign currency related transactions

    -        -        -        -   

Increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

  $ (23,325   $ 85,275,273      $ (50,936,355   $ 1,338,505,465   
Distributions        

From net investment income

       

Investor shares

    (29,995,749     (22,221,590     (175,013,257     (114,823,029

Institutional shares

    (1,999,489     -        (81,505,136     (44,425,216

From realized capital gains

       

Investor shares

    (92,233,341     (36,499,383     (577,251,994     (135,488,933

Institutional shares

    (5,766,515     -        (237,743,918     (48,522,737

Distributions to shareholders

  $ (129,995,094   $ (58,720,973   $ (1,071,514,305   $ (343,259,915
Capital share transactions        

Investor shares

       

Proceeds from sale of shares

    196,461,427        123,143,996        2,181,121,599        2,558,040,385   

Proceeds from merger

    -        -        -        -   

Reinvestment of dividends

    119,066,446        57,373,782        746,459,890        247,009,882   

Shares repurchased

    (164,902,617     (100,242,807     (2,315,285,901     (1,267,574,843

Institutional shares

       

Proceeds from sale of shares

    48,633,484        -        1,688,715,131        1,247,685,257   

Reinvestment of dividends

    7,540,800        -        216,319,832        59,991,933   

Shares repurchased

    (1,026,159     -        (1,055,453,152     (348,712,605

Increase in net assets from capital share transactions

    205,773,381        80,274,971        1,461,877,399        2,496,440,009   

Increase in net assets

  $ 75,754,962      $ 106,829,271      $ 339,426,739      $ 3,491,685,559   
Net Assets        

Beginning of year

    679,130,103        572,300,832        11,582,974,077        8,091,288,518   

End of year

  $ 754,885,065      $ 679,130,103      $ 11,922,400,816      $ 11,582,974,077   

Undistributed net investment income (loss)

  $ 108,000      $ 532,789      $ (16,360,794   $ 726,559   
Shares issued and redeemed        

Investor shares

       

Shares sold

    4,050,039        2,567,800        54,351,584        66,022,421   

Shares issued through dividend reinvestment

    2,783,446        1,179,490        19,493,987        6,151,570   

Shares repurchased

    (3,434,216     (2,105,263     (57,823,844     (33,128,690

Institutional shares

       

Shares sold

    982,472        -        42,429,592        32,466,571   

Shares issued through dividend reinvestment

    176,264        -        5,637,637        1,492,438   

Shares repurchased

    (22,854     -        (26,299,812     (9,000,677

Net increase in shares outstanding

       

Investor shares

    3,399,269        1,642,027        16,021,727        39,045,301   

Institutional shares

    1,135,882        -        21,767,417        24,958,332   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

48


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Parnassus Endeavor Fund     Parnassus Mid Cap Fund  

Year Ended

December 31, 2015

   

Year Ended

December 31, 2014

   

Year Ended

December 31, 2015

   

Year Ended

December 31, 2014

 
     
     
$ 6,476,185      $ 3,482,683      $ 3,824,791      $ 2,166,894   
  132,708,699        43,998,833        30,833,657        7,536,082   
 
 
    
-
 
  
    -        -        -   

 

(114,645,080

    52,897,765        (7,855,813     18,808,437   
 
 

    
-

 
  

    -        (41,074,959     -   

 

-

  

    -        -        -   
$ 24,539,804      $ 100,379,281      $ (14,272,324   $ 28,511,413   
     
     
  (40,020,314     (12,941,659     (3,762,948     (2,180,581
  (1,482,729     -        (69,420     -   
     
  (87,745,563     (33,400,849     (29,010,791     (3,439,920
  (2,252,346     -        (388,234     -   
$ (131,500,952   $ (46,342,508   $ (33,231,393   $ (5,620,501
     
     
  871,561,701        298,267,377        146,495,193        91,026,928   
  -        -        292,932,365        -   
  122,156,348        43,892,018        31,699,472        5,308,798   
  (335,216,543     (101,804,232     (186,154,058     (55,092,184
     
  48,092,300        -        12,024,043        -   
  3,692,157        -        435,686        -   
  (1,085,408     -        (578,098     -   
  709,200,555        240,355,163        296,854,603        41,243,542   
$ 602,239,407      $ 294,391,936      $ 249,350,886      $ 64,134,454   
     
  770,331,823        475,939,887        305,296,839        241,162,385   
$ 1,372,571,230      $ 770,331,823      $ 554,647,725      $ 305,296,839   
$ -      $ 1,165,768      $ (392,102   $ 86   
     
     
  28,396,099        10,193,157        15,793,147        3,488,133   
  4,223,172        1,462,440        1,204,624        192,747   
  (11,103,135     (3,567,129     (6,884,957     (2,148,487
     
  1,575,820        -        450,768        -   
  127,866        -        16,535        -   
  (35,714     -        (21,611     -   
     
  21,516,136        8,088,468        10,112,814        1,532,393   
  1,667,972        -        445,692        -   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

49


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

December 31, 2015 (continued)

 

    Parnassus Asia Fund     Parnassus Fixed Income Fund  
   

Year Ended

December 31, 2015

   

Year Ended

December 31, 2014

   

Year Ended

December 31, 2015

   

Year Ended

December 31, 2014

 
       
Investment income from operations        

Net investment income

  $ 184,941      $ 59,927      $ 3,783,857      $ 3,366,046   

Net realized gain (loss) from securities transactions

    (107,111     3,869        (302,297     2,584,546   

Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency related transactions

    (287,807     (27,248     -        -   

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of securities

    (1,464,332     427,819        (2,178,556     1,929,191   

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on foreign currency related transactions

    4,848        (198,332     -        -   

Increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

  $ (1,669,461   $ 266,035      $ 1,303,004      $ 7,879,783   
Distributions        

From net investment income

       

Investor shares

    -        (77,599     (3,666,396     (4,034,311

Institutional shares

    -        -        (73,812     -   

From realized capital gains

       

Investor shares

    -        -        (127,022     (1,559,479

Institutional shares

    -        -        (4,656     -   

Distributions to shareholders

  $ -      $ (77,599   $ (3,871,886   $ (5,593,790
Capital share transactions        

Investor shares

       

Proceeds from sale of shares

    7,478,694        4,216,902        53,026,924        48,839,061   

Reinvestment of dividends

    -        77,363        3,485,158        5,064,364   

Shares repurchased

    (7,349,098     (401,104     (64,479,409     (39,365,324

Institutional shares

       

Proceeds from sale of shares

    4,395,472        -        8,226,877        -   

Reinvestment of dividends

    -        -        74,229        -   

Shares repurchased

    (22,497     -        (517,528     -   

Increase in net assets from capital share transactions

    4,502,571        3,893,161        (183,749     14,538,101   

Increase in net assets

  $ 2,833,110      $ 4,081,597      $ (2,752,631   $ 16,824,094   
Net Assets        

Beginning of year

    7,457,477        3,375,880        192,613,856        175,789,762   

End of year

  $ 10,290,587      $ 7,457,477      $ 189,861,225      $ 192,613,856   

Undistributed net investment income (loss)

  $ (11,818   $ (7,190   $ 228,462      $ 185,102   
Shares issued and redeemed        

Investor shares

       

Shares sold

    447,328        249,746        3,188,035        2,911,578   

Shares issued through dividend reinvestment

    -        4,621        209,520        303,000   

Shares repurchased

    (444,650     (23,728     (3,882,902     (2,354,313

Institutional shares

       

Shares sold

    250,342        -        497,218        -   

Shares issued through dividend reinvestment

    -        -        4,492        -   

Shares repurchased

    (1,655     -        (31,321     -   

Net increase in shares outstanding

       

Investor shares

    2,678        230,639        (485,347     860,265   

Institutional shares

    248,687        -        470,389        -   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

50


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Notes to Financial Statements

 

1. Organization

The Parnassus Funds are comprised of two Trusts, the Parnassus Funds trust and the Parnassus Income Funds trust (collectively the “Trusts”), organized as Massachusetts Business Trusts registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as diversified, open-end investment management companies, and are comprised of six separate funds (collectively the “Funds”). The Parnassus Funds trust includes the Parnassus Fund, which commenced operations on December 27, 1984, the Parnassus Endeavor Fund and the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund, both of which commenced operations on April 29, 2005, and the Parnassus Asia Fund, which commenced operations on April 30, 2013. The Parnassus Income Funds trust includes the Parnassus Core Equity Fund and the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund, both of which commenced operations on August 31, 1992. Each Fund has distinct investment objectives. In general, each of the Funds seeks long-term capital appreciation. Prior to May 1, 2014, the Parnassus Core Equity Fund was known as the Parnassus Equity Income Fund, and the Parnassus Endeavor Fund was known as the Parnassus Workplace Fund.

On April 24, 2015, the Parnassus Small Cap Fund merged into the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund.

The Parnassus Funds trust now includes the Parnassus Fund – Institutional Shares, the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares, the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares and the Parnassus Asia Fund – Institutional Shares, which commenced operations on April 30, 2015. The Parnassus Income Funds trust now includes the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares, which commenced operations on April 30, 2015.

The Parnassus Fund, the Parnassus Endeavor Fund, the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund, the Parnassus Asia Fund and the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund were renamed to the Parnassus Fund – Investors Shares, the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares, the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares, the Parnassus Asia Fund – Investor Shares and the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares, respectively on May 1 , 2015.

Reorganization: On February 17, 2015, the Board of Trustees of the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund (the “Mid Cap Fund”) and the Parnassus Small Cap Fund (the “Small Cap Fund”) approved the reorganization of the Small Cap Fund into the Mid Cap Fund pursuant to which Mid Cap Fund acquired substantially all of the assets and substantially all of the liabilities of the Small Cap Fund in exchange for an equal aggregate value of newly-issued shares of the Mid Cap Fund.

Each shareholder of the Small Cap Fund received shares of the Mid Cap Fund in an amount equal to the aggregate net asset value of such shareholder’s Small Cap Fund shares, as determined at the close of business on April 24, 2015.

The reorganization was accomplished by a tax-free exchange of shares of the Mid Cap Fund in the following amounts and at the following conversion ratios:

 

Small Cap Fund’s
Shares Prior to
Reorganization
   Conversion
Ratio
       Shares of
Mid Cap Fund
 
12,550,658.318      0.826724           12,201,071.649   

The Small Cap Fund’s net assets and composition of net assets on April 24, 2015, the date of the merger, were as follows:

 

Net Assets    Paid-in
Capital
       Accumulated
Net Realized
Gain
       Net Unrealized
Appreciation
 
$292,947,668    $ 248,282,045         $ 15,983,054         $ 41,089,670   

For financial reporting purposes, assets received and shares issued by the Mid Cap Fund were recorded at fair value. However, the cost basis of the investments received from the Small Cap Fund was carried forward to align ongoing reporting of the Mid Cap Fund’s realized and unrealized gains and losses with amounts distributable to shareholders for tax purposes.

 

51


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

The aggregate net assets of the Mid Cap Fund immediately after the acquisition amounted to $637,425,434. The Small Cap Fund’s fair value and cost of investments prior to the reorganization were $293,945,479 and $252,855,808, respectively.

The purpose of this transaction was to combine two funds managed by Parnassus Investments, with the same or substantially similar (but not identical) investment objectives, investment policies, strategies, risks and restrictions. The reorganization was a tax-free event and was effective on April 27, 2015.

Assuming the acquisition had been completed on January 1, 2015, the beginning of the fiscal reporting period of the Mid Cap Fund, the pro forma results of operations for the period ended April 24, 2015, are as follows:

 

   

Net investment income: $548,982

 

   

Net realized and change in unrealized loss on investments: $(2,185,669)

 

   

Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations: $(1,636,687)

Because the combined investment portfolios have been managed as a single integrated portfolio since the acquisition was completed, it is not practicable to separate the amounts of revenue and earnings of the Small Cap Fund that have been included in the Mid Cap Fund’s Statements of Operations since April 27, 2015.

2. Significant Accounting Policies

The Funds are investment companies that apply the accounting and reporting guidance issued in Topic 946 by the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board. The presentation of the financial statements is made using specialized accounting principles applicable to investment companies.

Short-Term Securities

Short-term securities represent investments of excess cash and consist of time deposits, community development loans, certificates of deposit and money market funds.

Security Transactions and Related Investment Income and Expenses Securities transactions are recorded on the date the securities are purchased or sold (trade date). Realized gains and losses on securities transactions are determined on the basis of first-in, first-out for both financial statement and federal income tax purposes. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date and interest income is recognized on an accrual basis. Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are amortized over the lives of the respective securities using the constant yield method, which approximates the interest method. Expenses are recorded on an accrual basis.

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 shares classes based on their relative net assets. Class-specific fees and expenses, such as distribution, administrative and shareholder services, are charged directly to the respective share class.

Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders

Dividends and distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date to shareholders of record on the record date. The Parnassus Core Equity Fund pays income dividends quarterly and capital-gain dividends annually. The Parnassus Fixed Income Fund pays income dividends monthly and capital-gain dividends annually. The other Funds pay income and capital-gain dividends annually.

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 the Funds’ pricing vendor 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

 

52


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

transactions. On the accompanying financial statements, 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. 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. Securities Valuations

Methods and Inputs

Equity securities that are listed or traded on a national securities exchange are stated at market value, based on recorded closing sales on the exchange or on the NASDAQ’s National Market official closing price. In the absence of a recorded sale, and for over-the-counter securities, equity securities are stated at the mean between the last recorded bid and asked prices. Long-term, fixed-income securities are valued each business day using prices based on procedures established by independent pricing services and approved by the Board of Trustees (the “Trustees”). Fixed-income securities with an active market are valued at the “bid” price where such quotes are readily available from brokers and dealers and are representative of the actual market for such securities. Other fixed-income securities experiencing a less active market are valued as determined by the pricing services based on methods which include consideration of trading in securities of comparable yield, quality, coupon, maturity and type, as well as indications as to values from dealers and other market data without exclusive reliance upon quoted prices or over-the-counter prices, since such valuations are believed to reflect more accurately the value of such securities. Investments in registered investment companies are valued at their net asset value.

Investments where market quotations are not readily available are priced at their fair value, in accordance with procedures established by the Trustees. These investments include certificates of deposit and community development loans. These investments carry interest rates ranging from 0.10% to 2.25% with maturities of one year or less. In determining fair value, the Trustees may consider a variety of information including, but not limited to, the following: price based upon a multiple of earnings or sales, fundamental analytical data and an evaluation of market conditions. A valuation adjustment is applied to certificates of deposit, community development loans and other community development investments as an estimate of potential penalties for early withdrawal.

The Funds follow Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure, which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ portfolio investments. These inputs are summarized in three levels, Level 1 – unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments, Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar investments) and Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments).

Securities Lending

The Parnassus Funds, with the exception of the Parnassus Asia Fund, have entered into an agreement with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., dated July 29, 2009 (“Agreement”), to provide securities lending services to the Funds. Under this program, the proceeds (cash collateral) received from borrowers are used to invest in money market funds.

Under the Agreement, the borrowers pay the Funds negotiated lenders’ fees and the Funds receive cash collateral in an amount equal to 102% of the market value of loaned securities. The borrower of securities is at all times required to post cash collateral to the portfolio in an amount equal to 100% of the market value of the securities loaned based on the previous day’s market value of the securities loaned, marked-to-market daily. Any collateral shortfalls are adjusted the next business day. If the borrower defaults on its obligations to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, the portfolio could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned.

The agreement provides the right in the event of default for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Fund, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or

 

53


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of a counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the agreement, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral, or, upon an event of default, resell or re-pledge the collateral.

The Funds retained beneficial ownership and all economic benefits in the securities they have loaned and continues to receive interest paid by the securities and payments equivalent to dividends, and to participate in any changes in their market value, but does not have the proxy voting rights with respect to loaned securities. Each portfolio manager of the Funds has the responsibility to request that the securities lending agent call back securities which are out on loan to vote on material matters and it is the Funds’ policy that the portfolio managers vote on all material matters. However, the ability to timely recall shares for proxy voting purposes typically is not entirely within the control of the portfolio manager, the Funds or their securities lending agent. Under certain circumstances, the recall of shares in time for such shares to be voted may not be possible due to applicable proxy voting record dates and administrative considerations.

Income generated from securities lending is presented in the Statement of Operations. Cash collateral received by the Funds is reflected as an asset (securities purchased with cash collateral from securities lending) and the related liability (payable upon return of securities loaned) is presented in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

As of period end, the following tables are a summary of the Funds’ securities lending agreements by counterparty, which are subject to offset under the agreement:

 

Parnassus Endeavor Fund  
            
Counterparty    Securities Loaned at Value        Cash Collateral Received*        Net Amount  
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.      28,639,583           (28,639,583        -   
Credit Suisse Securities USA      7,041,680           (7,041,680        -   
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.      18,017,810           (18,017,810        -   
Goldman, Sachs & Co.      20,306,444           (20,306,444        -   
JP Morgan Clearing Corp.      10,070,660           (10,070,660        -   
MS Securities Services Inc.      8,209,289           (8,209,289        -   
Total      92,285,466           (92,285,466        -   

 

Parnassus Mid Cap Fund  
            
Counterparty    Securities Loaned at Value        Cash Collateral Received*        Net Amount  
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.      3,367,917           (3,367,917        -   
JP Morgan Clearing Corp.      7,442,868           (7,442,868        -   
Total      10,810,785           (10,810,785        -   

 

*

Collateral value of $94,239,069 and $11,054,900 has been received in connection with securities lending agreements for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund and the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund, respectively. Collateral received in excess of the value of the securities loaned from the individual counterparty is shown for financial reporting purposes in the fund financial statements.

Community Development Investment Programs

The Parnassus Funds may each invest up to 2% of their assets in community investments and community-development loan funds. Each of the Funds may invest in obligations issued by community loan funds at below-market interest rates if the projects financed have a positive social impact. Generally, there is no secondary market on loan funds and thus these are considered illiquid.

As part of our community development investment program, the Parnassus Core Equity Fund has entered into an agreement for fund investments through the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (“CDARS”) network. The CDARS network

 

54


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

allows members to place funds in time deposits with depository institutions whose accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Provisions stipulate that participating institutions are FDIC insured, however, in the event of default or bankruptcy by any party to the agreement, the proceeds of the investment may be delayed or subject to legal proceedings and are subject to FDIC limits. While certain investments of the Funds may be bank deposits and may be covered by FDIC insurance, the Funds are themselves not covered by FDIC insurance.

The Parnassus Core Equity Fund and the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund holds debt instruments issued by MicroVest Plus, LP, a microfinance limited partnership specializing in providing capital to international microfinance institutions (“MFI’s”) that extend credit to developing countries and the entrepreneurial poor. This instrument may be subject to political and foreign currency exchange risk not normally associated with domestic debt instruments. MicroVest Plus, LP’s investment in MFI’s can be affected by, among other factors, commodity prices, inflation, interest rates, taxation, social instability, and other political, economic or diplomatic developments in or affecting the various countries where MFI’s operate.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds through the date the financial statements were issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment to or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

4. Risk Factors

Investing in the Parnassus Funds may involve certain risks including, but not limited to the following:

Market Conditions

The prices of, and the income generated by, the common stocks and other securities held by the Funds may decline in response to certain events taking place around the world, including those directly involving the companies whose securities are owned by the Funds; conditions affecting the general economy; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; and currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations. Additionally, the values of, and the income generated by, most debt securities held by the Fund may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the effective maturities and credit ratings of these debt securities. The Funds’ investment adviser attempts to reduce these risks through diversification of the portfolio and ongoing credit analysis as well as by monitoring economic and legislative developments, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful at doing so. Investments in securities issued by entities based outside the U.S. may also be affected by currency controls; different accounting, auditing, financial reporting, and legal standards and practices; expropriation; changes in tax policy; greater market volatility; different securities market structures and higher transaction costs.

Investing Outside the U.S.

Securities of issuers domiciled outside the U.S., or with significant operations outside the U.S., may lose value because of political, social, economic or market developments or instability in the countries or regions in which the issuer operates. 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. Securities markets in certain countries may be more volatile and/or less liquid than those in the U.S. Investment outside the U.S. may also be subject to different settlement and accounting practices and different regulatory, legal and reporting standards, and may be more difficult to value, than those in the U.S. The risks of investing outside the U.S. may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging and developing countries.

Contractual Obligations

Under the Trusts’ organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trusts. Additionally, the Trusts have a variety of indemnification obligations under contracts with its service providers. The Trusts’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trusts that have not yet occurred.

 

55


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

5. Taxation and Distributions

Federal Income Taxes

The Trusts intend to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all taxable income to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required. Income distributions and capital-gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”).

The Funds follow ASC 740, Income Taxes, relating to uncertainty in income taxes and disclosures. ASC 740 establishes a minimum threshold for income tax benefits to be recognized in the financial statements. These tax benefits must meet a “more likely than not” threshold, which means that based on technical merits, they have a more than 50% likelihood of being sustained upon examination by the tax authority. Tax benefits meeting this threshold are measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the tax authority. As of and during the year ended December 31, 2015, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. During the year, the Funds did not incur interest or penalties. The Funds are not subject to examination by U.S. federal taxing authorities before 2010 or state taxing authorities before 2009.

Tax Matters and Distributions

At December 31, 2015, the cost of investments in securities and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation for income tax purposes were as follows:

 

     Parnassus
Fund
    Parnassus Core
Equity Fund
    Parnassus
Endeavor Fund
 
Distributions paid from:   2015     2014     2015     2014     2015      2014  
Ordinary Income   $ 31,995,238      $ 22,221,590      $ 256,518,393      $ 159,248,245      $ 41,503,044       $ 12,941,659   
Long-term capital gains     97,999,856        36,499,383        814,995,913        184,011,670        89,997,909         33,400,849   
Total distributions   $ 129,995,094      $ 58,720,973      $ 1,071,514,306      $ 343,259,915      $ 131,500,953       $ 46,342,508   

 

     Parnassus
Mid Cap Fund
    Parnassus
Asia Fund
    Parnassus
Fixed Income Fund
 
Distributions paid from:   2015     2014     2015     2014     2015      2014  
Ordinary Income   $ 3,832,367      $ 2,180,581      $         -      $ 77,599      $ 3,740,207       $ 4,034,311   
Long-term capital gains     29,399,024        3,439,920        -        -        131,678         1,559,479   
Total distributions   $ 33,231,391      $ 5,620,501      $ -      $ 77,599      $ 3,871,885       $ 5,593,790   

 

     Parnassus
Fund
    Parnassus Core
Equity Fund
    Parnassus
Endeavor Fund
    Parnassus
Mid Cap Fund
    Parnassus
Asia Fund
    Parnassus
Fixed Income Fund
 
Cost of investment   $ 746,332,662      $ 9,940,755,001      $ 1,341,942,205      $ 495,470,399      $ 11,377,511      $ 189,379,663   
Unrealized appreciation     68,339,528        2,504,647,552        112,758,905        77,849,345        291,057        1,447,057   
Unrealized depreciation     60,188,127        531,943,608        86,259,761        19,499,185        1,386,803        1,594,722   
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)   $ 8,151,401      $ 1,972,703,944      $ 26,499,144      $ 58,350,160      $ (1,095,746   $ (147,665
Distributable earnings – ordinary income   $ 33,981,075      $ 258,132,032      $ 53,332,867      $ 3,597,895      $ -      $ 3,783,855   
Distributable earnings – long-term capital gains   $ 86,660,965      $ 722,963,098      $ 91,385,527      $ 30,914,844      $ -      $ -   
Undistributed earnings – ordinary income   $ 2,518,626      $ 4,684,920      $ 12,995,591      $ -      $ -      $ 228,462   
Undistributed earnings – long-term capital gains   $ 3,728,980      $ 58,933,405      $ 2,218,854      $ 8,193,733      $ -      $ -   

 

56


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

At December 31, 2015, estimated net capital loss carry forwards, which are available to offset future net short-term realized capital gains, were:

 

Fund      Deferred Short-Term
Capital Loss Carry Forwards
       Long-Term  
Parnassus Asia Fund      $ 129,305         $ -   
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund        106,305           -   

These losses will be carried forward indefinitely to offset future realized capital gains. To the extent the Funds’ realize future net capital gains, taxable capital gain distributions to their shareholders will be offset by any unused capital loss carryovers.

Late year ordinary and capital losses as of December 31, 2015, which are deferred until 2016 for income tax purposes were as follows:

 

Fund    Ordinary       

Capital

 
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund    $ -         $ 346,967   
Parnassus Asia Fund      11,818           -   
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund      -           195,991   

Net realized gains differ for financial statement and income tax purposes primarily due to differing treatments of wash sales. Reclassifications as shown in the following table have been made in each Fund’s capital accounts to report these balances on a tax basis, excluding certain temporary differences, as of December 31, 2015. Additional permanent book to tax adjustments may be required in subsequent reporting periods. These reclassifications, which have no impact on the net asset value of the Funds, are primarily attributable to the reclassification of dividend income and certain differences in the computation of distributable income and capital gains under Federal tax rules versus GAAP.

 

Fund    Increase/Decrease in
Accumulated
Net  Investment Income/Loss
     Increase/Decrease in
Accumulated
Net  Realized Gain/Loss
     Increase/Decrease in
Aggregate
Capital Paid-In
 
Parnassus Fund    $ 26,715,613       $ (26,715,613    $         -   
Parnassus Core Equity Fund      109,225,643         (242,121,137      132,895,494   
Parnassus Endeavor Fund      33,861,091         (33,861,091      -   
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund      (384,610      (691,003      1,075,613   
Parnassus Asia Fund      (189,569      287,785         (98,216
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund      (288      288         -   

6. Fair Value Measurements

The following table summarizes the portfolios’ financial assets as of December 31, 2015, that is valued at fair value on a recurring basis:

 

Parnassus Fund        
Investment Securities   Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  
Equities:        

Consumer Discretionary

  $ 21,782,500      $ -      $ -      $ 21,782,500   

Consumer Staples

    50,869,000        -        -        50,869,000   

Financials

    141,263,900        -        -        141,263,900   

Health Care

    49,039,400        -        -        49,039,400   

Industrials

    120,105,600        -        -        120,105,600   

Information Technology

    327,665,775        -        -        327,665,775   

Materials

    32,157,000        -        -        32,157,000   
Short-Term Investments     8,783,586        -        2,817,292        11,600,878   
Total   $ 751,666,761      $ -      $ 2,817,292      $ 754,484,053   

 

57


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

Parnassus  Core Equity Fund        
Investment Securities   Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  
Equities:        

Consumer Discretionary

  $ 846,708,658      $ -      $ -      $ 846,708,658   

Consumer Staples

    2,242,438,547        -        -        2,242,438,547   

Energy

    296,386,500        -        -        296,386,500   

Financials

    613,356,163        -        -        613,356,163   

Health Care

    1,304,175,850        -        -        1,304,175,850   

Industrials

    2,296,051,894        -        -        2,296,051,894   

Information Technology

    2,921,370,677        -        -        2,921,370,677   

Materials

    509,488,057        -        -        509,488,057   

Utilities

    635,310,479        -        -        635,310,479   
Short-Term Investments     236,536,478        -        11,635,643        248,172,121   
Total   $ 11,901,823,303      $ -      $ 11,635,643      $ 11,913,458,946   
       
Parnassus Endeavor Fund        
Investment Securities   Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  
Equities:        

Consumer Discretionary

  $ 5,157,000      $ -      $ -      $ 5,157,000   

Consumer Staples

    78,291,000        -        -        78,291,000   

Financials

    145,818,500        -        -        145,818,500   

Health Care

    87,965,500        -        -        87,965,500   

Industrials

    223,854,650        -        -        223,854,650   

Information Technology

    615,391,650        -        -        615,391,650   
Short-Term Investments     306,202,118        -        -        306,202,118   
Total   $ 1,462,680,418      $ -      $ -      $ 1,462,680,418   

 

Parnassus Mid Cap Fund        
Investment Securities   Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  
Equities:        

Consumer Discretionary

  $ 27,691,029      $ -      $ -      $ 27,691,029   

Consumer Staples

    31,534,170        -        -        31,534,170   

Energy

    19,917,763        -        -        19,917,763   

Financials

    82,361,850        -        -        82,361,850   

Health Care

    77,544,962        -        -        77,544,962   

Industrials

    112,223,692        -        -        112,223,692   

Information Technology

    75,360,663        -        -        75,360,663   

Materials

    44,741,479        -        -        44,741,479   

Utilities

    50,648,488        -        -        50,648,488   
Short-Term Investments     42,851,363        -        -        42,851,363   
Total   $ 564,875,459      $ -      $ -      $ 564,875,459   

 

58


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

Parnassus Asia Fund        
Investment Securities   Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  

Australia

  $ -      $ 348,380      $ -      $ 348,380   

China

    1,929,555        -        -        1,929,555   

Hong Kong

    -        2,375,005        -        2,375,005   

India

    -        103,533        -        103,533   

Indonesia

    -        473,137        -        473,137   

Japan

    339,760        1,769,267        -        2,109,027   

Philippines

    -        324,315        -        324,315   

Singapore

    -        265,876        -        265,876   

South Korea

    -        451,392        -        451,392   

Taiwan

    675,580        921,415        -        1,596,995   

Thailand

    -        252,242        -        252,242   
Short-Term Investments     52,330        -        -        52,330   
Total   $ 2,997,225      $ 7,284,562      $ -      $ 10,281,787   
       
Parnassus  Fixed Income Fund        
Investment Securities   Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

  $ -      $ 6,615,445      $ -      $ 6,615,445   

Convertible Bonds

    -        3,237,844        -        3,237,844   

Corporate Bonds

    -        79,107,741        -        79,107,741   

Federal Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities

    -        44,875,170        -        44,875,170   

Supranational Bonds

    -        7,002,515        -        7,002,515   

U.S. Government Treasury Bonds

    -        42,391,279        -        42,391,279   
Short-Term Investments     3,620,036        -        2,381,967        6,002,003   
Total   $ 3,620,036      $ 183,229,994      $ 2,381,967      $ 189,231,997   

The following table reconciles the valuation of the Funds’ Level 3 investment securities and related transactions as of December 31, 2015:

 

    

Parnassus

Fund

    Parnassus Core
Equity Fund
    Parnassus
Fixed Income
Fund
 
     Certificates of Deposit     Certificates of Deposit         
     Community
Development Loans
    Community
Development Loans
    Community
Development Loans
 
Balance as of December 31, 2014   $ 2,069,649      $ 11,636,635      $ 2,382,055   
Discounts/premiums amortization     (2,357     (992     (88
Purchases     2,850,000        11,850,000        2,500,000   
Sales     (2,100,000     (11,850,000     (2,500,000
Balance as of December 31, 2015   $ 2,817,292      $ 11,635,643      $ 2,381,967   

 

59


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

There were no significant transfers between Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.

Quantitative information about Level 3 fair value measurement:

 

     Fair Value at
December 31, 2015
    Valuation
Technique
  Unobservable Input  

Range

(Weighted Average)

       
Parnassus Fund
Certificates of Deposit   $ 2,326,244      Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability   4%
Community Development Loans   $ 491,048      Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability   6%
Parnassus Core Equity Fund
Certificates of Deposit   $ 2,705,344      Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability   4%
Community Development Loans   $ 8,930,299      Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability   6%
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund
Community Development Loans   $ 2,381,967      Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability   6%

The significant unobservable inputs used in fair value measurement of the Fund’s Certificates of Deposits are a discount for lack of marketability. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Fund’s Community Development Loans are a discount for lack of marketability and a discount for the probability of default. Significant increases in any of these inputs in isolation would result in a lower fair value measurement. Generally, a change in the assumption used for probability of default should be accompanied by a directionally-similar change in the assumption used for the lack of marketability.

Certain foreign securities may be fair valued by independent pricing services if events occur between the time at which the market quotations are determined on the primary exchange and the close of trading on the NYSE. These events may affect the value of these securities and render market quotations unreliable. Such fair valuations are categorized as Level 2 investments. Foreign securities that are valued based on market quotations are categorized as Level 1 investments.

In accordance with procedures established by the Funds’ Trustees, all fair value securities as submitted by the Funds’ treasurer, are reviewed and approved by the Trustees. The Funds’ valuation committee is comprised of Independent Trustees who also comprise the Funds’ audit committee. The committee reviews the methodologies used by the Funds when securities have been identified as being fair valued and include the percentages used when determining liquidity discounts or discounts to be taken for lack of marketability. The Trustees review the changes in fair value measurement and methods used to substantiate the unobservable inputs on a quarterly basis.

7. Capital Stock

Capital stock consists of an unlimited number of authorized shares of capital stock with no par value.

 

60


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

8. Purchases and Sales of Securities

Purchases and proceeds from sales of securities, excluding short-term securities, for the period ended December 31, 2015 were as follows:

 

Fund    Affiliated
Purchases
     Unaffiliated
Purchases
     Affiliated
Sales
     Unaffiliated
Sales
 
Parnassus Fund    $ -       $ 574,789,330       $         -       $ 494,255,000   
Parnassus Core Equity Fund      261,456,268         3,611,536,876         -         3,004,375,287   
Parnassus Endeavor Fund      -         1,119,813,086         -         662,036,081   
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund      -         267,845,190         -         281,945,834   
Parnassus Asia Fund      -         11,022,983         -         6,027,065   
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund      -         90,445,059         -         65,454,851   

The above includes purchases and sales of U.S. Government securities in the amount of $23,975,642 and $32,520,352, respectively, within the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund.

9. Investment Advisory Agreement and Transactions with Affiliates

Under terms of an agreement which provides for furnishing investment management and advice to the Funds, Parnassus Investments is entitled to receive fees payable monthly, based on each Fund’s average daily net assets for the month, at the following annual rates:

Parnassus Fund: 0.70% of the first $100,000,000, 0.65% of the next $100,000,000 and 0.60% of the amount above $200,000,000. Parnassus Endeavor Fund: 0.85% of the first $100,000,000, 0.80% of the next $100,000,000, 0.75% of the next $300,000,000 and 0.65% of the amount above $500,000,000. Parnassus Mid Cap Fund: 0.85% of the first $100,000,000, 0.80% of the next $100,000,000, 0.75% of the next $300,000,000 and 0.70% of the amount above $500,000,000. Parnassus Asia Fund: 1.10% of the first $100,000,000, 1.05% of the next $400,000,000 and 1.00% of the amount above $500,000,000. For the year ended December 31, 2015, Parnassus Investments has contractually agreed to limit total operating expenses to 0.94% of the net assets of the Parnassus Fund – Institutional Shares, 0.95% of net assets for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares, 0.83% of net assets for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares, 0.99% of net assets for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares, 0.85% of net assets for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares, 1.25% of net assets for the Parnassus Asia Fund – Investor Shares and 1.22% of net assets for the Parnassus Asia Fund – Institutional Shares.

Parnassus Core Equity Fund: 0.75% of the first $30,000,000, 0.70% of the next $70,000,000, 0.65% of the next $400,000,000, 0.60% of the next $9,500,000,000 and 0.55% of the amount above $10,000,000,000. Parnassus Fixed Income Fund: 0.50% of the first $200,000,000, 0.45% of the next $200,000,000 and 0.40% of the amount above $400,000,000. For the year ended December 31, 2015, Parnassus Investments has contractually agreed to limit total operating expenses to 0.68% of net assets for the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares and to 0.58% of net assets for the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares.

Parnassus Investments receives fees under terms of a separate agreement which provides for furnishing transfer agent and fund administration services to the Funds. The transfer agent fee was $2.50 per month per account plus any out-of-pocket expenses for the Parnassus Fund, Parnassus Endeavor Fund, Parnassus Mid Cap Fund and Parnassus Asia Fund. The transfer agent fee was $2.70 per month per account plus any out-of-pocket expenses for the Parnassus Core Equity Fund and Parnassus Fixed Income Fund. The Funds pay the monthly fee based on the number of accounts on record at each month-end. The fund administration reflects annual rates based on net assets for all Funds managed by Parnassus Investments and was allocated based on respective Fund net assets. The fund administration services fee was 0.03% of average net assets under this new agreement for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Parnassus Investments may also arrange for third parties to provide certain services, including account maintenance, recordkeeping and other personal services to their clients who invest in the Funds. For these services, the Parnassus Funds –

 

61


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

Investor Shares may pay service providers an aggregate service fee on investment accounts at a rate not to exceed 0.25% per annum of average daily net assets. The Parnassus Funds – Institutional Share Classes do not incur service provider fees.

10. Investments in affiliates

The 1940 Act defines “affiliated companies” to include investments in portfolio companies in which a Fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting shares. During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Funds below held 5% or more of the outstanding voting shares of the noted portfolio companies. During this period, other Funds in the Trust may also have held voting shares of the issuers at a level below 5%.

A summary of transactions in securities of issuers affiliated with a Fund for the year ended December 31, 2015 is set forth below.

 

     Beginning
shares as of
January  1,
2015
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Ending shares as
of December  31,
2015
    Market Value of
affiliates at
December 31, 2015
    Dividend
Income
January 1, 2015  -
December 31, 2015
 
           
Parnassus Core Equity Fund   
Name of Company:                                                
Compass Minerals International Inc.     1,941,000        134,303        -        2,075,303      $ 156,208,057      $ 5,301,520   
MDU Resources Group     9,000,000        3,525,000        -        12,525,000        229,458,000        7,021,688   
Northwest Natural Gas Co.     2,300,000        25,000        -        2,325,000        117,668,250        4,295,438   
Patterson Co.     4,800,000        585,000        -        5,385,000        243,455,850        4,128,000   
Questar Corp.     8,743,343        3,756,657        -        12,500,000        243,500,000        7,916,583   
WD-40 Co.     1,220,000        -        -        1,220,000        120,353,000        1,854,400   
Xylem Inc.     7,500,000        2,445,000        -        9,945,000        362,992,500        5,130,660   

Total Affiliates

                                  $ 1,473,635,657      $ 35,648,289   

 

62


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

 

 

 

THIS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK

 

63


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Financial Highlights

 

Selected data for each share of capital stock outstanding, total return and ratios/supplement data for each of the five years ended December 31 are as follows:

 

For a Share
Outstanding
for the Year
Ended
  Net Asset
Value
Beginning
of Year
    Net  Investment
Income
(Loss)
(a)
   

Net Realized and
Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on

Securities(a)

   

Total from

Investment

Operations(a)

    Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
    Distributions
from Net
Realized
Gains on
Securities
    Distributions
from Return
of Capital
    Total
Dividends and
Distributions
 
               
Parnassus Fund – Investor Shares   

2015

    $48.09        $0.32        $(0.01     $0.31        $(1.78     $(6.16     $-        $(7.94

2014

    45.86        0.22        6.47        6.69        (1.62     (2.84     -        (4.46

2013

    40.62        0.25        13.34        13.59        (1.94     (6.41     -        (8.35

2012

    35.23        0.28        8.64        8.92        (0.80     (2.73     -        (3.53

2011

    40.49        0.13        (2.25     (2.12     (0.12     (3.02     -        (3.14
Parnassus Fund – Institutional Shares   

For the period ended December 31, 2015(d)

    49.44        0.28        (1.27     (0.99     (1.84     (6.16     -        (8.00
Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares   

2015

    40.69        0.40        (0.56     (0.16     (0.80     (2.76     -        (3.56

2014

    36.68        0.43        4.84        5.27        (0.59     (0.67     -        (1.26

2013

    29.20        0.44        9.39        9.83        (0.48     (1.87     -        (2.35

2012

    26.35        0.39        3.64        4.03        (0.74     (0.44     -        (1.18

2011

    26.31        0.32        0.48        0.80        (0.31     (0.45     -        (0.76
Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Institutional Shares   

2015

    40.75        0.50        (0.58     (0.08     (0.89     (2.75     -        (3.64

2014

    36.73        0.45        4.91        5.36        (0.67     (0.67     -        (1.34

2013

    29.26        0.49        9.39        9.88        (0.54     (1.87     -        (2.41

2012

    26.41        0.45        3.64        4.09        (0.80     (0.44     -        (1.24

2011

    26.36        0.38        0.50        0.88        (0.38     (0.45     -        (0.83
Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares   

2015

    29.95        0.17        0.83        1.00        (0.87     (2.01     -        (2.88

2014

    26.99        0.18        4.79        4.97        (0.51     (1.50     -        (2.01

2013

    22.17        0.14        6.71        6.85        (0.50     (1.53     -        (2.03

2012

    19.64        0.12        4.13        4.25        (0.50     (1.22     -        (1.72

2011

    20.81        0.05        (0.40     (0.35     (0.05     (0.77     -        (0.82
Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares   

For the period ended December 31, 2015(d)

    31.03        0.16        (0.20     (0.04     (0.92     (2.01     -        (2.93
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares   

2015

    27.40        0.21        (0.41     (0.20     (0.18     (1.46     -        (1.64

2014

    25.10        0.22        2.60        2.82        (0.20     (0.32     -        (0.52

2013

    20.27        0.13        5.58        5.71        (0.26     (0.62     -        (0.88

2012

    17.69        0.16        3.10        3.26        (0.30     (0.38     -        (0.68

2011

    18.25        0.06        0.51        0.57        (0.13     (1.00     -        (1.13
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares   

For the period ended December 31, 2015(d)

    27.58        0.20        (0.52     (0.32     (0.23     (1.46     -        (1.69

 

64


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

    

    

 

Net Asset
Value
End of
Year
    Total
Overall
Return
    Net Assets
End of
Year
(000s)
    Ratio of
Gross
Expenses to
Average
Net Assets
   

Ratio of Net Expenses
to Average Net Assets
(Net of Waiver and
Expense

Offset  Arrangements)(b,c)

    Ratio of
Net Investment
Income (Loss)
to Average Net
Assets
    Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
           
  Parnassus Fund – Investor Shares   
  $40.46        0.26     $708,944        0.84     0.84     0.64     68.52
  48.09        14.68        679,130        0.84        0.84        0.47        60.44   
  45.86        34.22        572,301        0.86        0.86        0.54        64.87   
  40.62        26.04        470,136        0.90        0.90        0.70        52.72   
  35.23        (5.01     354,572        0.94        0.94        0.33        74.43   
  Parnassus Fund – Institutional Shares   

 

40.45

  

    (2.37 )(e)      45,941        0.70 (f)      0.70 (f)      0.90 (f)      42.95 (e) 
  Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares   
  36.97        (0.55     8,368,394        0.88        0.88        1.03        26.90   
  40.69        14.48        8,558,905        0.87        0.87        1.11        14.32   
  36.68        34.01        6,282,235        0.87        0.87        1.28        16.93   
  29.20        15.43        4,023,309        0.90        0.90        1.38        24.34   
  26.35        3.13        3,398,905        0.94        0.94        1.19        63.04   
  Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Institutional Shares   
  37.03        (0.34     3,554,007        0.67        0.67        1.25        26.90   
  40.75        14.71        3,024,069        0.67        0.67        1.17        14.32   
  36.73        34.13        1,809,054        0.69        0.69        1.44        16.93   
  29.26        15.64        1,006,980        0.68        0.68        1.59        24.34   
  26.41        3.40        630,035        0.70        0.70        1.43        63.04   
  Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares   
  28.07        3.25        1,325,765        0.98        0.95        0.56        63.23   
  29.95        18.51        770,332        1.02        0.95        0.62        39.51   
  26.99        31.15        475,940        1.07        1.07        0.53        41.20   
  22.17        22.03        281,029        1.14        1.14        0.54        69.25   
  19.64        (1.62     216,269        1.16        1.16        0.22        47.22   
  Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares   

 

28.06

  

    (0.22 )(e)      46,806        0.75 (f)      0.75 (f)      0.80 (f)      42.60 (e) 
  Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares   
  25.56        (0.87     543,251        1.07        0.99        0.77        58.01   
  27.40        11.24        305,297        1.09        1.09        0.84        21.62   
  25.10        28.27        241,162        1.14        1.14        0.55        20.70   
  20.27        18.58        128,964        1.23        1.20        0.79        22.82   
  17.69        3.33        61,299        1.24        1.20        0.35        38.67   
  Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares   

 

25.57

  

    (1.30 )(e)      11,397        0.77 (f)      0.77 (f)      1.12 (f)      34.04 (e) 

 

65


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

Financial Highlights (continued)

 

For a Share
Outstanding
for the Year
Ended
  Net Asset
Value
Beginning
of Year
    Net  Investment
Income
(Loss)
(a)
    Net Realized and
Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Securities
(a)
   

Total from
Investment

Operations(a)

    Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
    Distributions
from Net
Realized
Gains on
Securities
    Distributions
from Return
of Capital
    Total
Dividends and
Distributions
 
               
Parnassus Asia Fund – Investor Shares   

2015

    $16.72        $0.24        $(2.22     $(1.98     $-        $-        $-        $-   

2014

    15.67        0.19        1.04        1.23        (0.18     -        -        (0.18

For the period ended December 31, 2013(g)

    15.00        (0.07     0.74        0.67        -        -        -        -   
Parnassus Asia Fund – Institutional Shares   

For the period ended December 31, 2015(d)

    17.91        0.23        (3.36     (3.13     -        -        -        -   
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares   

2015

    16.66        0.33        (0.21     0.12        (0.33     (0.01     -        (0.34

2014

    16.43        0.31        0.43        0.74        (0.37     (0.14     -        (0.51

2013

    17.56        0.29        (0.76     (0.47     (0.29     (0.31     (0.06     (0.66

2012

    17.53        0.31        0.05        0.36        (0.33     - (h)      -        (0.33

2011

    16.90        0.33        0.88        1.21        (0.34     (0.24     -        (0.58
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares   

For the period ended December 31, 2015(d)

    16.75        0.24        (0.30     (0.06     (0.24     (0.01     -        (0.25

 

66


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

Net Asset
Value
End of
Year
    Total
Overall
Return
    Net Assets
End of
Year
(000s)
    Ratio of
Gross
Expenses to
Average
Net Assets
   

Ratio of Net Expenses
to Average Net Assets
(Net of Waiver and
Expense

Offset  Arrangements)(b,c)

    Ratio of
Net Investment
Income (Loss)
to Average Net
Assets
    Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
           
  Parnassus Asia Fund – Investor Shares   
  $14.74        (11.84 )%      $6,616        2.50     1.25     1.50     59.89
  16.72        7.84        7,457        3.53        1.25        1.11        24.41   

 

15.67

  

    4.47 (e)      3,376        5.08 (f)      1.45 (f)      (0.71 )(f)      3.00 (e) 
  Parnassus Asia Fund – Institutional Shares   

 

14.78

  

    (17.48 )(e)      3,675        0.94 (f)      0.94 (f)      2.24 (f)      49.07 (e) 
  Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares   
  16.44        0.70        182,130        0.79        0.68        1.98        35.80   
  16.66        4.49        192,614        0.78        0.68        1.84        52.57   
  16.43        (2.71     175,790        0.78        0.68        1.70        35.15   
  17.56        2.08        225,723        0.79        0.75        1.78        5.45   
  17.53        7.24        211,723        0.81        0.75        1.92        29.25   
  Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares   

 

16.44

  

    (0.35 )(e)      7,731        0.49 (f)      0.49 (f)      2.14 (f)      24.24 (e) 

(a) Income (loss) from operations per share is based on average daily shares outstanding.

(b) Parnassus Investments has contractually limited expenses to an annualized rate of 0.95% for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares, 0.99% for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares, 1.25% for the Parnassus Asia Fund – Investor Shares and 0.68% for the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares.

(c) Parnassus Investments has contractually limited expenses to an annualized rate of 0.83% for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares, 0.85% for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares, 1.22% for the Parnassus Asia Fund – Institutional Shares and 0.58% for the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares.

(d) The Parnassus Fund – Institutional Shares, the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares, the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares, the Parnassus Asia Fund – Institutional Shares and the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares commenced operations on April 30, 2015, and the period shown is from April 30, 2015 through December 31, 2015.

(e) Not annualized for periods less than one year.

(f) Annualized.

(g) The Parnassus Asia Fund – Investor Shares commenced operations on April 30, 2013, and the period shown is from April 30, 2013 through December 31, 2013.

(h) Amount less than $0.01.

 

67


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (unaudited)

Board of Trustees and Officers

 

     Independent Trustees§
       
Name   Donald V. Potter   Jeanie S. Joe   Donald J. Boteler   Alecia A. DeCoudreaux
       
Age   70   68   67   61
       
Address   1 Market Street, Suite 1600 San Francisco, California 94105   1 Market Street, Suite 1600 San Francisco, California 94105   1 Market Street, Suite 1600 San Francisco, California 94105   1 Market Street, Suite 1600 San Francisco, California 94105
       
Position(s) Held with Funds   Lead Independent Trustee   Trustee   Trustee, Audit Committee Chairman   Trustee
       
Term of Office and Length of Service   Indefinite. Since 2002.   Indefinite. Since October 2004.   Indefinite. Since 2012.   Indefinite. Since December 2013
       
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years   President of Strategystreet.com business strategy.   President of Geo/Resource Consultants, a geotechnical and environmental consulting firm, until 2009.   Vice President, Industry Operations, Investment Company Institute, from 1993 to March 2012. Director of Fund Accounting and Compliance, Investment Company Institute, 1986 to 1993. Advisory Council of the International Accounting Standards Board from 2009 to 2011. Independent Trustee, FAM Funds, from October 2012 to present.   Serves as the 13th President of Mills College and prior she served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Eli Lilly and Company. Chair to the Wellesley College Board of Trustees, Honorary Director of the Indiana University Foundation and Emeritus Board Member of the Indiana University School of Law Board of Visitors.
       
Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee   Six   Six   Six   Six
       
Other Directorships Held by Trustee   None   None   FAM Funds   CVS Health Corporation

 

68


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (unaudited) (continued)

Board of Trustees and Officers (continued)

 

     Interested Trustee
 
Name   Jerome L. Dodson
 
Age   72
 
Address   1 Market Street, Suite 1600 San Francisco, California 94105
 
Position(s) Held with Funds   President and Trustee
 
Term of Office and Length of Service   Indefinite. Since 1992 for Parnassus Income Funds. Since 1984 for the Parnassus Funds.
 
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years   President and Trustee of the Parnassus Funds and the Parnassus Income Funds since their inceptions; President and Director of Parnassus Investments since June 1984.
 
Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee   Six
 
Other Directorships Held by Trustee   None

 

§

“Independent” Trustees are Trustees who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Funds as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

An “interested” Trustee is a Trustee who is deemed to be an “interested person” of the Funds, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. Jerome L. Dodson is an interested person of the Funds because of his ownership in the Funds’ investment adviser and because he is an officer of the Trusts.

The governing documents for the Trusts include a mandatory retirement age of 70 for Independent Trustees. Donald V. Potter reached age 70 during 2015 and retired effective December 31, 2015. On December 10, 2015, the Independent Trustees named Jeanie S. Joe as Lead Independent Trustee, replacing Donald V. Potter in this role.

Additional information about the Fund’s Board of Trustees is available in the Statement of Additional Information. The Statement of Additional Information is available without charge on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website (www.sec.gov) or by calling us at (800) 999-3505 or at the Parnassus website, www.parnassus.com.

 

69


Table of Contents
PARNASSUS FUNDS      Annual Report  •  2015

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (unaudited) (continued)

Board of Trustees and Officers (continued)

 

 

     Officers§     
         
Name   Todd C. Ahlsten   Benjamin E. Allen   Marc C. Mahon   John V. Skidmore II   Downey H. Blount
         
Age   43   38   38   50   44
         
Address  

1 Market Street,

Suite 1600

San Francisco,

California 94105

 

1 Market Street,

Suite 1600

San Francisco,

California 94105

 

1 Market Street,

Suite 1600

San Francisco,

California 94105

 

1 Market Street,

Suite 1600

San Francisco,

California 94105

  1 Market Street, Suite 1600 San Francisco, California 94105
         
Position(s) Held with Funds   Vice President   Vice President   Treasurer   Chief Compliance Officer and Assistant Secretary   Assistant Secretary
         
Term of Office and Length of Service   Indefinite. Since 2001.   Indefinite. Since 2015.   Indefinite. Since 2007.   Indefinite. Since 2008.   Indefinite. Since 2015.
         
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years   Vice President of the Parnassus Funds and Parnassus Income Funds since 2001. Chief Investment Officer of Parnassus Investments since 2007. Director of Research at Parnassus Investments from 1995 to 2007. Portfolio Manager of Parnassus Core Equity Fund since 2001.   Vice President of the Parnassus Funds and Parnassus Income Funds since 2015. Co-Portfolio Manager of Parnassus Core Equity Fund since 2012. Director of Research at Parnassus Investments from 2007 to 2013.   Chief Financial Officer of Parnassus Investments since December 2007. Treasurer of Parnassus Funds and Parnassus Income Funds since March 2007.   Chief Compliance Officer of Parnassus Investments since February 2008.   Chief Compliance Officer of Parnassus Funds Distributor since April 2015. Senior Compliance Officer of Parnassus Investments since January 2014. Project Manager of Parnassus Investments from June 2013 to December 2013. Homemaker from 2009 to June 2013.

 

70


Table of Contents
Annual Report  •  2015      PARNASSUS FUNDS

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (unaudited) (continued)

 

Proxy Disclosures

Parnassus proxy voting policies and procedures are available, without charge, on our website (www.parnassus.com), on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website (www.sec.gov) and by calling us at (800) 999-3505. The Funds file a proxy voting record with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the 12 months ended June 30. The most recent report is available by calling Parnassus or it may be obtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website or the Parnassus website.

Quarterly Portfolio Schedule

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

Federal Income Tax Information

For the year ended December 31, 2015, the following percentages of ordinary income distributed by the Funds that qualify for the individual qualified dividend income deduction (QDI) and the corporate dividends received deduction (DRD) are as follows:

 

Fund    QDI        DRD  

Parnassus Fund

     26.84        26.94

Parnassus Core Equity Fund

     80.43        80.44

Parnassus Endeavor Fund

     30.77        30.88

Parnassus Mid Cap Fund

     100.00        100.00

Parnassus Asia Fund

     NA           NA   

Parnassus Fixed Income Fund

     NA           NA   

 

71


Table of Contents

Go Paperless with E-Delivery

Sign up for electronic delivery of prospectuses, shareholder reports

and account statements at www.parnassus.com/gopaperless

If you do not hold your account directly with Parnassus, please contact

the firm that holds your account to inquire about electronic delivery.

 

PARNASSUS FUNDS

1 Market Street, Suite 1600

San Francisco, CA 94105

(800) 999-3505

www.parnassus.com

This report must be preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.

 

Investment Adviser

Parnassus Investments

1 Market Street, Suite 1600

San Francisco, CA 94105

Legal Counsel

Foley and Lardner LLP

777 E. Wisconsin Ave.

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Deloitte and Touche LLP

555 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

Distributor

Parnassus Funds Distributor

1 Market Street, Suite 1600

San Francisco, CA 94105

 

LOGO


Table of Contents

Item 2: Code of Ethics

The registrant has adopted a code of ethics dated July 22, 2003 that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer (President) and principal financial officer (Treasurer) for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015. During the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015 there were no amendments to any provisions of this code of ethics.

Item 3: Audit Committee Financial Expert

The Board of Trustees of the Parnassus Funds and the Parnassus Income Funds determined that Don Boteler, Chairman of the Board’s Audit Committee, qualified as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by Form N-CSR. The Trustee’s decision was based on Mr. Boteler’s understanding of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), experience applying GAAP, familiarity with internal controls and procedures for financial reporting and understanding of audit committee functions. Donald Boteler serves as Trustee of the Parnassus Funds Trust and the Parnassus Income Funds Trust. He retired in March of 2012 from the Investment Company Institute (ICI), the U.S. mutual fund industry’s national trade association in Washington, D.C., where he served as Vice President of Industry Operations from 1993 until his retirement. Mr. Boteler also served as Director of Fund Accounting and Compliance from 1986 to 1993. From 2009 to 2011, he served on the Advisory Council of the International Accounting Standards Board in London. Prior to his ICI career, he served in various roles as a member of the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Labor. Mr. Boteler received his bachelor’s degree in economics and accounting from the University of Maryland and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Item 4: Principal Accountant Fees and Services

(a) Audit Fees

The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the audit of the registrant’s annual financial statements or services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for the Parnassus Funds fiscal years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 were $143,370 and $175,246 respectively and the Parnassus Income Funds fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 were $109,630 and $112,254 respectively.

(b) Audit-Related Fees

There were no aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services rendered by the principal accountants that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the registrant’s financial statements and are not reported under paragraph (a) of this Item. Audit-related services relate to providing an internal control letter for affiliated transfer agent operations which are billed to the registrant’s investment advisor.

(c) Tax Fees

The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning for the Parnassus Funds fiscal years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 were $28,238 and $14,465 respectively and the Parnassus Income Funds fiscal years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 were $14,000 and $8,035 respectively.

(d) All Other Fees

There were no fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for products and services by the principal accountant, other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item.

(e)(1) The Audit Committee’s pre-approval policies and procedures are as follows: The audit committee is required to pre-approve all audit services and permitted non-audit services provided by the independent accountants for the Parnassus Funds, affiliated funds, and other service affiliates. Explicit pre-approval by the Audit Committee Chair shall be required for any individual non-audit engagement to be performed by the independent accountants with estimated fees of $10,000 or less and the Audit Committee Chair shall report such approval to the full audit committee at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Explicit pre-approval by the full Audit Committee shall be required for any individual non-audit engagement to be performed by the independent accountants with estimated


Table of Contents

fees in excess of $10,000. Officers of the Funds shall furnish the audit committee at least annually with a listing of all fees paid to the independent accountants including non-audit services performed. For certain non-audit services which are no more than five percent of the total fees paid by the Trust, such fees may be exempted from the required pre-approval process specified above subject to limitations and prompt disclosure of such services are identified, and in all cases approval is required prior to completion.

(e)(2) None.

(f) Not applicable.

(g) The aggregate non-audit fees billed by the registrant’s accountant for services rendered to the registrant, and rendered to the registrant’s investment adviser forth in 4(b) and (c) of this Item of $26,223 and $57,569 for the Parnassus Funds fiscal years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015, respectively and $25,777 and $42,431 for the Parnassus Income Funds fiscal years

ended December 31, 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Item 5: Not applicable.

Item 6: Included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 1 of this form.

Item 7: Not applicable.

Item 8: Not applicable.

Item 9: Not applicable.

Item 10: For the purposes of this Item, there have not been any material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board of trustees.

Item 11: Controls and Procedures.

(a) The registrant’s certifying officers have reasonably designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure material information relating to the registrant is made known to them by others, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared. The registrant’s certifying officers have determined that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report.

(b) There were no significant changes in the registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting, or in other factors that could significantly affect these controls, that occurred during the registrant’s fiscal half-year, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

Item 12: Exhibits attached hereto.

(a)(1) Code of Ethics

(a)(2) Certification for each principal executive and principal financial officer of the registrant as required by Rule 30a-2 under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2(a)) - Filed as an attachment to this filing.

(b) Certifications required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2(b)), Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13a-14(b) or 240.15d-14(b)), and Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code (18 U.S.C. 1350). A certification furnished pursuant to this paragraph will not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78r), or otherwise subject to the liability of that section. Such certification will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that the registrant specifically incorporates it by reference – Filed as an attachment to this filing.

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.


Table of Contents
Date: February 12, 2016     By:  

/s/ Jerome L. Dodson

      Jerome L. Dodson
      President

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.

 

Date: February 12, 2016      
    By:  

/s/ Jerome L. Dodson

      Jerome L. Dodson
      President
Date: February 12, 2016      
    By:  

/s/ Marc C. Mahon

      Marc C. Mahon
      Principal Financial Officer