N-CSRS 1 d710084dncsrs.htm FORM N-CSRS Form N-CSRS
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSRS

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: June 30, 2019

 

 

 


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Item 1: Report to Shareholders


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Parnassus Funds Semiannual Report

June 30, 2019

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 Fixed Income FundSM

Investor Shares: PRFIX | Institutional Shares: PFPLX

 

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Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the SEC, paper copies of the Funds’ shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports from the Funds or from your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website (www.parnassus.com), and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Funds by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 800-999-3505 or by sending an email request to shareholder@parnassus.com.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper copies free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Funds, you can call 800-999-3505 or send an email request to shareholder@parnassus.com to let the Funds know you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive paper copies of reports will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary.

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

 


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Table of Contents

 

Letter from Parnassus Investments   4
Fund Performance and Commentary  
Parnassus Fund   6
Parnassus Core Equity Fund   10
Parnassus Endeavor Fund   14
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund   18
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund   22
Responsible Investing Notes   25
Fund Expenses   26
Portfolios of Investments  
Parnassus Fund   28
Parnassus Core Equity Fund   30
Parnassus Endeavor Fund   32
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund   34
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund   36
Financial Statements   40
Notes to Financial Statements   46
Financial Highlights   56
Additional Information   60

 

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August 9, 2019

 

Dear Shareholder,

The first half of the year ended on a positive note, with major stock indexes hitting new all-time highs in June. The S&P 500 and the Russell Midcap both gained over 4% for the quarter, and tallied returns of 18.54% and 21.35% for the first half, respectively.

I’m happy to report that three of our four stock funds are ahead of their benchmarks on a year-to-date basis as of June 30, 2019. The fourth, the Parnassus Endeavor Fund, trailed the S&P 500 by just 0.22% for the first half of 2019. Our best performer this year has been the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund. Matthew Gershuny and Lori Keith have been responsible for this fund for over a decade and are doing a terrific job. Our lone bond fund, the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares, managed by Samantha Palm, has also had a strong year. Its return of 7.58% for the first half is comfortably ahead of the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index’s gain of 6.11%. Please see the following pages for more detailed information regarding each Fund’s performance and the risks associated with investing in the Funds.

As important as our portfolio managers are, there is no way they could do their jobs without a very strong supporting cast. There are 16 people on our investment team, and it’s easily the deepest and most talented group Parnassus has ever had. There are another 37 full-time employees at Parnassus performing various roles, including client service, administrative support and mutual fund accounting. We all share the same mission to build your wealth responsibly over the long-term.

Our most recent hire is Luke Webster, who joined Parnassus in June as a Desktop Support Engineer. He previously worked with Esurance and Clarivate Analytics. Outside of work, Luke likes to find new things to cook, hike and ride his motorcycle. We’re happy to have Luke on the team.

Interns

Summer is an exciting time at Parnassus, because it’s when we host a diverse group of energetic and talented interns. We currently have eight interns working across three departments. Ava Chen is providing office support in our Shareholder Services department for the summer. She is a second-year student at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, majoring in Graphic Communication. This summer, Ava is also interning at a technology startup, where she is working on a website redesign project.

Aatif Jiwani is a software engineer intern on our technology team. He is a rising junior at the University of California at Berkeley, pursuing a major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He was recently accepted into Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and will be pursuing a second major in Business Administration starting in the fall. Aatif enjoys hiking, skiing and likes to keep up with streetwear fashion.

The remaining six interns are on the investment team. Simar Kaur is an undergraduate at the University of California at Berkeley, majoring in Global Studies with a focus on development in

 

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Latin America and South Asia. She is president of UC Berkeley’s Project RISHI chapter, a national non-profit promoting sustainable rural development in Himachal Pradesh, India. In her spare time, Simar enjoys Bollywood music, spending time with family and friends and cross-stitching.

Kit Williams is a senior at Tulane University, double majoring in Finance and Environmental Studies. He is an analyst and contributing member of Burkenroad Reports, a university-sponsored securities analysis program at the A.B. Freeman School of Business. He has previous work experience in real estate finance at The Richman Group. Outside of work and school, Kit loves to surf, ski and hike.

Lucas Lee is a senior at Harvard University, pursuing a degree in Statistics. At school, he works as a teaching assistant and is co-president of the Charles River Growth Fund, a student-led investment club. His previous internships include consulting at Deloitte and investment banking at Cranleigh Partners. Originally from New Zealand, Lucas enjoys traveling, reading and competing at various sports.

Nick Ahn is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He is a financial analyst for the Wharton Undergraduate Finance Club, a portfolio manager for Wharton Asia Investments and plays on the club tennis team. Previously, Nick worked as an Equity Research Intern at Russell Investments. He grew up in Olympia, Washington, and enjoys outdoor activities, sports and cooking.

Navin Ram is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. He previously worked as a research associate at Hotchkis & Wiley in Los Angeles. Navin completed his Master’s in Finance at Claremont McKenna College and his bachelor’s degree in accounting at Southern New Hampshire University. Outside of work, Navin enjoys reading, cooking and playing basketball.

Patrick Hamm is an MBA candidate at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Before business school, he worked in institutional sales at Thornburg Investment Management in Santa Fe. Patrick graduated from the University of New Mexico, where he majored in finance and accounting. In his free time, Patrick enjoys playing golf, hiking and snowboarding.

Thank you all for investing with the Parnassus Funds.

Sincerely,

 

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Benjamin E. Allen

President and CEO

 

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Parnassus Fund

Ticker: Investor Shares - PARNX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PFPRX

 

As of June 30, 2019, the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Parnassus Fund – Investor Shares was $48.68, resulting in a gain of 4.26% for the second quarter. This compares to an increase of 4.30% for the S&P 500 Index (“S&P 500”) and a gain of 3.67% for the Lipper Multi-Cap Core Funds Average, which represents the average return of the multi-cap core funds followed by Lipper (“Lipper average”). Year-to-date, the Parnassus Fund – Investor Shares posted a gain of 20.08% versus a return of 18.54% for the S&P 500 and a return of 17.26% for the Lipper average.

Below is a table that summarizes the performance of the Parnassus Fund, the S&P 500 and the Lipper average. The returns are for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods ended June 30, 2019. We are pleased to report that the Fund outperformed the Lipper average for all periods.

 

Parnassus Fund

 

    Average Annual Total Returns (%)  
    for period ended June 30, 2019  
     One
Year
    Three
Years
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
Parnassus Fund –
Investor Shares
    11.09       13.22       8.71       14.54       0.85       0.85  
Parnassus Fund –
Institutional Shares
    11.27       13.39       8.84       14.61       0.69       0.69  
S&P 500 Index     10.42       14.19       10.71       14.70       NA       NA  
Lipper Multi-Cap Core Funds Average     6.22       12.11       7.78       12.71       NA       NA  

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Fund – Institutional Shares from commencement (April 30, 2015) was 8.43%. 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.

Second Quarter Review

The Fund gained 4.26% for the quarter, trailing the S&P 500 in a photo finish by 4 basis points. (One basis point is 1/100th of one percent.) We were disappointed to trail this quarter, but we’re pleased to maintain a healthy lead over the index in 2019: 20.08% to 18.54%.

Stock selection had a modestly positive impact on our relative performance this quarter, while sector allocations had a slightly negative impact, with our most meaningful detractor being our 3% average cash position.

Our worst performer was Alliance Data Systems, the leading private-label credit card issuer. It subtracted 102 basis points from the Fund’s return, as the stock’s total return was a loss of 19.6%. (For this report, we will quote total return to the portfolio, which includes price change and dividends.) The shares fell after the company sold its marketing segment, Epsilon, for net proceeds of $3.5 billion, which was below investors’ expectations. The stock fell again later in the quarter after the company’s long-time CEO, Ed Heffernan, abruptly retired. We’re excited that Melisa Miller has been promoted to CEO, and we believe she can reinvigorate the company. We expect the stock to move significantly higher as Alliance Data repurchases stock with proceeds from the Epsilon sale and its loan growth accelerates, thanks to recent partnership wins with Sephora, Burlington Stores and IKEA.

Industrial conglomerate 3M reduced the Fund’s return by 41 basis points, as the total return to our average selling price was negative 14.1%. 3M’s stock fell after the company reported weak quarterly earnings and significantly reduced its financial guidance for the full year, due to a slowdown in China and weak results in its automotive and electronics businesses. This was the fourth consecutive reduction in annual guidance, and the deepest cut yet, which led us to re-evaluate our investment thesis. We also became concerned that 3M’s environmental liabilities for its historical production of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) could be significant, so we exited our position.

 

 

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Information technology consultant Cognizant recorded a negative total return of 12.2%, subtracting 39 basis points from the Fund’s return. The company reported disappointing quarterly earnings, and meaningfully reduced its financial guidance for the full year as a result. Cognizant didn’t win enough new business in the quarter to offset the loss of several large contracts due to client consolidation in health care and in-sourcing in financial services. We attribute the disappointing performance to the distraction caused by a leadership transition, as co-founder and CEO Francesco D’Souza announced his retirement on February 6. New CEO Brian Humphries, who joined the company from Vodafone Business, didn’t start until April 1. We expect performance to improve now that the leadership transition is complete.

Our biggest winner this quarter was Motorola Solutions, the leading global provider of mission-critical communications solutions. The stock contributed 86 basis points to the Fund’s return, as its total return was 19.2%. The stock rose after the company reported quarterly earnings that exceeded expectations and raised its annual guidance, as Motorola’s land mobile radio systems, command center software and video security products continue to gain market share and attract new clients.

Health care information technology provider Cerner added 80 basis points to the Fund’s return, as its total return was 28.5%. The shares moved higher after activist firm Starboard Value announced an investment in the company. Cerner reached an agreement with the activist, promising to increase its operating margins, repurchase $1.5 billion of stock and add four new directors to its board. We’re pleased management is unlocking value, and we believe that Cerner remains well positioned to be a long-term winner in the health care sector.

Thomson Reuters provides information and data for legal, tax and accounting professionals. The stock generated a total return of 9.5% for the quarter and contributed 53 basis points to the Fund’s return. The company reported earnings that exceeded expectations due to higher profit margins, as the

recent acceleration in organic revenue growth is flowing through to the bottom line.

Parnassus Fund

As of June 30, 2019

(percentage of net assets)

 

 

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* 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.

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

 

 

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Top 10 Holdings   
(percentage of net assets)   
Motorola Solutions Inc.      5.1%  
Mondelez International Inc., Class A      4.8%  
Alliance Data Systems Corp.      4.6%  
Cadence Design Systems Inc.      4.4%  
Thomson Reuters Corp.      4.4%  
Microsoft Corp.      3.7%  
Linde plc      3.7%  
Alphabet Inc., Class A      3.7%  
Starbucks Corp.      3.6%  
Cerner Corp.      3.5%  

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

Outlook and Strategy

The momentum from the start of the year continued during the second quarter, as the S&P 500 gained 4.30%. The market moved higher, because investors believe the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates during the second half of the year to offset slowing economic growth. Stocks were also supported by optimism that the U.S. and China would move past their differences and resume trade negotiations.

While we’re pleased the market is up more than 18% through the first half of the year, we’re seeing a disconnect between the market’s return and global growth. According to FactSet, Europe’s GDP growth is expected to slow from 1.9% in 2019 to just 1.4% in 2020, while U.S. GDP growth is projected to moderate from 2.9% in 2018 to 1.9% in 2020.

We’re not seeing signs of an imminent recession in the U.S., but we’re aware that many economic indicators, such as consumer sentiment and employment, are at or near peak levels. While stocks have largely looked past this, the bond market is concerned. The 10-year Treasury note yield fell 41 basis points during the quarter to 2.00%, reflecting bondholders’ belief that economic growth and inflation will be lackluster.

In this environment of rising valuations but decelerating growth, our portfolio became more defensive as we invested in a number of industry-leading companies with wide moats and strong balance sheets.

In the information technology sector, we purchased Microsoft, the number-one provider of business productivity software and a leader in cloud computing services. The company is gaining market share with its comprehensive portfolio of technology offerings across infrastructure and software. The enterprise transition to the cloud is still nascent and as it matures, Microsoft should benefit greatly. We also invested in Monolithic Power Systems, an analog semiconductor company. The company is uniquely positioned to benefit from the increasing relevance of energy efficiency in integrated circuits. We believe that Monolithic’s moat is widening as the problems it solves become more complex.

We added two companies in the real estate sector. We invested in AvalonBay, an owner of upscale apartment buildings in supply-constrained high-growth markets. The company’s high-quality portfolio generates durable same-store revenue growth, which is boosted by its industry-leading development pipeline. AvalonBay’s downside should be protected by its conservative financial leverage and attractive dividend yield. Next, we added Howard Hughes Corporation, an owner, operator and developer of real estate across the United States. The company’s portfolio includes distinctive assets in desirable locations, such as the South Street Seaport in Manhattan. In late June, the company announced its intention to explore strategic alternatives to maximize value for shareholders. We’re in favor of this decision, because we believe the assets trade at a large discount to their underlying net asset value.

In the financial sector, after a period of recent underperformance, we invested in CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives exchange. CME is a wide-moat business that benefits from economic and market volatility. We also re-initiated a position in auto insurer Progressive. The company continues to do a remarkable job gaining market share through its data-driven approach to insurance pricing, yet the stock is trading at a discount to the market.

Finally, we purchased shares of Nike, the global leader in athletic footwear and apparel. The company is executing on its Triple Play strategy to double innovation, speed to market and direct connections to consumers, which will enable it to gain market share and grow margins. Given its tremendous long-term

 

 

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growth potential from emerging markets and a robust e-commerce presence, we’re excited to invest behind one of the world’s strongest brands.

Our sales during the quarter can be placed into three groups. The first group of stocks was sold because they were being acquired. Zayo Group, a fiber-optic communications network owner, announced it was being acquired for $35 per share, while luxury hotel operator Belmond was bought for $25 per share. The next group of companies was sold for ESG reasons. As mentioned above, we exited 3M due to the potential environmental liabilities related to PFAS. We eliminated our position in Mattel after the company recalled all 4.7 million Rock ‘n Plays on the market because of its link to infant deaths. We’re disappointed the company didn’t react faster to address the Rock ‘n Play safety concerns, and we believe this could tarnish the Fisher Price brand. The third group of stocks was sold for company-specific reasons. We sold online broker Charles Schwab based on our view that the company will be adversely impacted by lower interest rates. We exited our position in measurement company Nielsen because we didn’t think the range of outcomes

for its strategic review was favorable. Lastly, we moved on from coatings company Axalta, as we believe that our new purchases offer more upside.

The changes made during the quarter result in a more defensively positioned portfolio. Nonetheless, we expect the Fund to perform well if the market continues to climb due to our overweight positioning in the cyclical information technology and industrial sectors, as well as the collection of highly innovative businesses we own across the Fund.

Yours truly,

 

LOGO

Robert J. Klaber

Portfolio Manager

 

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Ian E. Sexsmith

Portfolio Manager

 

 

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Parnassus Core Equity Fund

Ticker: Investor Shares - PRBLX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PRILX

 

As of June 30, 2019, the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares was $46.70. After taking dividends into account, the total return for the second quarter was a gain of 6.08%. This compares to a return of 4.30% for the S&P 500 Index (“S&P 500”) and a gain of 3.14% for the Lipper Equity Income Funds Average, which represents the average return of the equity income funds followed by Lipper (“Lipper average”). Year-to-date, the Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares posted a gain of 20.21% versus a return of 18.54% for the S&P 500 and a return of 14.52% for the Lipper average.

Below is a table that summarizes the performances of the Parnassus Core Equity Fund, the S&P 500 and the Lipper average. The returns are for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods. We are pleased to report that the Fund outperformed the Lipper average for all periods.

 

Parnassus Core Equity Fund

 

    Average Annual Total Returns (%)  
    for period ended June 30, 2019  
     One
Year
    Three
Years
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares     17.21       14.33       10.18       14.14       0.87       0.87  
Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Institutional Shares     17.43       14.57       10.40       14.36       0.63       0.63  
S&P 500 Index     10.42       14.19       10.71       14.70       NA       NA  
Lipper Equity Income Funds Average     6.98       9.57       6.90       11.97       NA       NA  

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Institutional Shares from commencement (April 28, 2006) was 10.69%. 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.

Second Quarter Review

The Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares had a strong second quarter, with a return of 6.08% versus 4.30% for the S&P 500. The main driver of this performance was positive stock selection of 206 basis points. (One basis point is 1/100th of one percent). The Fund had significantly negative stock selection in only one of the ten industry groups. The industrials sector subtracted 105 basis points from the Fund’s return. We are pleased that the health care, information technology, communication services and materials sectors all added at least 35 basis points to the Fund’s return due to positive stock selection.

Only two stocks significantly trimmed the Fund’s quarterly return. Industrial conglomerate 3M reduced the Fund’s return by 62 basis points, as the total return to our average selling price was negative 11.9%. (For this report, we quote total return to the portfolio, which includes price change and dividends.) 3M’s stock fell after the company reported weak quarterly earnings and significantly reduced its financial guidance for the full year due to a slowdown in China and 3M’s automotive and electronics businesses. This was the fourth consecutive reduction in annual guidance, and the deepest cut yet, which led us to re-evaluate our investment. We also became concerned that 3M’s environmental liabilities stemming from its historical production of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) could be significant, so we exited our position.

Our new investment in transportation provider FedEx trimmed the Fund’s return by 51 basis points, as its total return from our average purchase price was negative 13.4%. The stock fell as U.S. tariffs on

 

 

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Chinese-manufactured goods slowed international trade. FedEx also became directly involved in the trade war after it mis-shipped several packages addressed to the Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei. Meanwhile, investor sentiment suffered after FedEx ended its express shipping contract with Amazon and introduced seven-day delivery, which will reduce earnings in the short term. Despite all of this, we’re excited about FedEx’s future. We believe the company is uniquely positioned to benefit from the expected doubling in U.S. parcel shipping by 2026, as FedEx continues to gain market share by providing faster delivery with more flexibility. With the stock trading at a historically low valuation on cyclically depressed earnings, we expect the upside to be significant.

Four stocks added at least 50 basis points to our quarterly return. Disney, the well-known media conglomerate, returned 25.8%, adding 115 basis points to the Fund’s return. The company revealed details about its direct-to-consumer products and strategy at its April investor event, which helped investors better appreciate the long-term potential of Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu. The company also reported strong quarterly performance, driven by continued strength in Disney’s parks and studio businesses.

Cerner, the largest publicly traded healthcare IT company, contributed 83 basis points to the Fund’s return, as its total return was 28.5%. The shares moved higher after activist firm Starboard Value announced an investment in the company. Cerner reached an agreement with Starboard, committing to achieve 20% operating margins in the fourth quarter of 2019 and 22.5% in the fourth quarter of 2020. Additionally, Cerner agreed to repurchase $1.5 billion of stock and add four new directors to its board. We’re pleased management is taking steps to unlock value for shareholders.

Linde, the industrial gas producer, added 72 basis points to the Fund’s return, with a 14.7% total return. The company reported its first quarter as a combined entity following the merger of Linde’s and Praxair’s businesses. Management remains confident in its ability to achieve its target of $1.1 billion in savings due to synergies over the next three years. With this savings, combined with a robust pricing outlook we believe the company may grow earnings at the low end of its 9—12% guidance range, even if global growth were to slow down.

Microsoft, the world’s largest technology company, returned 14.0% and contributed 58 basis points to the Fund’s return. Microsoft reported impressive quarterly results, beating consensus expectations across almost every metric. Notably, the company’s cloud computing offering, Azure, continued to grow more than 70% while stalwart core businesses, such as Windows and Office, demonstrated impressively durable growth.

Parnassus Core Equity Fund

As of June 30, 2019

(percentage of net assets)

 

 

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Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

 

 

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Top 10 Holdings   
(percentage of net assets)   
Microsoft Corp.      6.0%  
The Walt Disney Co.      5.1%  
Linde plc      3.9%  
Danaher Corp.      3.6%  
Mastercard Inc., Class A      3.5%  
American Express Co.      3.5%  
The Clorox Company      3.2%  
Cadence Design Systems Inc.      3.2%  
Costco Wholesale Corp.      3.1%  
Cerner Corp.      3.1%  

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

Outlook and Strategy

Building on its strongest first quarter since 1998, the S&P 500 continued to rally, gaining 4.30% in the second quarter and posting its best first-half-year return since 1997. However, beneath this exciting news lurks a more bifurcated outlook on the U.S. economy. On the one hand, U.S. government bond yields fell on concerns about the Fed’s inaction amid elevated trade tensions and decelerating global growth. On the other hand, equity markets remained sanguine, reflecting a still-growing economy with low unemployment and decent wage gains that would likely be bolstered by future accommodative monetary policy.

The disconnect between the bond and equity markets points to continuing debates about the sustainability of the current economic cycle. It seems to us, though, that a bigger risk lies with the markets’ reliance on the Fed’s policies to prolong this bull market. Market participants have now priced in both a 100% chance of a rate cut at the Fed’s next meeting in July and further rate cuts this year. We think this likely disconnect between the Fed’s intentions and investor expectations may contribute to future volatility. Combined with protracted trade negotiations and geopolitical uncertainties, we believe the risk of investor disappointment has increased.

As a result, we think it’s appropriate to make incrementally defensive shifts in the portfolio. The Fund moved to a significant overweight position in high-quality consumer staples companies during the second quarter. We bought Costco, the premier operator of membership warehouse stores. The company

effectively competes with Amazon due to its low-cost structure and vast offering of quality merchandise, which enable it to generate strong same-store-sales growth. We also bought Mondelez, a global snack foods company. We’re impressed with the new CEO, Dirk Van de Put, who has re-focused the company on innovation, profitable growth and aspirational ESG goals such as recyclable packaging.

We moved to an overweight position in the real estate sector by purchasing high-quality residential apartment company AvalonBay. AvalonBay owns premier assets in highly desirable locations, has superb financial strength and currently offers a 3% dividend yield. We also made some changes to our financial sector positioning to reduce our interest rate exposure. We trimmed our investments in discount broker Charles Schwab and San Francisco—based regional bank First Republic to make room for CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives exchange. CME’s exchange is a wide-moat business that benefits when economic and market volatility are elevated.

We also added to our Microsoft investment, making it our largest position, given its durable growth, fortress balance sheet and strong ESG profile. All these changes should enhance the defensiveness of the Fund.

The Fund initiated a core position in iconic agriculture equipment company John Deere. We’re attracted to the company’s global scale and opportunity in precision farming. Trade tensions and the challenging environment for farmer incomes provided the opportunity to buy Deere after a period of stock underperformance. The Fund also added Trimble during the quarter. Trimble sells hardware and software solutions that connect the digital and physical worlds in sectors such as agriculture, construction and logistics. The company has a fantastic long-term growth opportunity as customers deeply integrate Trimble’s technology to reduce costs, lower resource intensity and reduce their environmental impact.

We swapped our UPS position for competitor FedEx. After a short-term earnings setback, FedEx’s stock traded at a historic discount relative to UPS, despite the former’s consistent market share gains. As mentioned above, we also sold our 3M position due to prolonged weak performance and elevated ESG risks.

 

 

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Finally, given our view that the global economy will decarbonize over the long term, the Fund exited National Oilwell Varco (NOV), a supplier of equipment and technology for energy companies, and MDU Resources, a utility and materials company. Despite our exit from the investment, we applaud MDU for significantly increasing its renewable power generation. While we realize fossil fuels will be important to power the economy for many years to come, we feel these energy sources face permanently lower relevancy.

We believe the current portfolio offers a nice balance of defensive and growth characteristics. The Fund is underweight cyclical sectors such as financials, consumer discretionary, energy and the FANG-dominated communications services sector. It also has overweight positions in consumer staples and high-quality REITs, which have defensive characteristics. At the same time, the Fund is poised to participate in growth with overweight positions in information

technology companies with recurring revenue and market-share-gaining industrials and materials companies.

Thank you for your confidence and investment in the Parnassus Core Equity Fund.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Todd C. Ahlsten

Lead Portfolio Manager

 

LOGO

Benjamin E. Allen

Portfolio Manager

 

 

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Parnassus Endeavor Fund

Ticker: Investor Shares - PARWX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PFPWX

 

As of June 30, 2019, the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares was $34.16, so the total return for the quarter was a slight loss of 0.09%. This compares to a 4.30% gain for the S&P 500 and 3.67% for the Lipper Multi-Cap Core Funds Average, which represents the average return of the multi-cap core funds followed by Lipper (“Lipper average”). For the first half of the year, the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares was up 18.32% compared to a gain of 18.54% for the S&P 500 and 17.26% for the Lipper average. After a terrific start to the year in the first quarter, we slumped in the second quarter, but for the year-to-date, we remain ahead of Lipper average and we’re essentially tied with the S&P 500.

Below you will find a table comparing the returns of the Parnassus Endeavor Fund with the S&P 500 and the Lipper average for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods. Because of our loss last year, we’re behind both indices for the one-year period, and we’re behind the S&P 500, but ahead of the Lipper average, for the three-year period. We’re ahead of both measures for the five- and ten-year periods, so we still have strong long-term performance.

 

Parnassus Endeavor Fund

 

    Average Annual Total Returns (%)  
    for period ended June 30, 2019  
     One
Year
    Three
Years
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
Parnassus Endeavor Fund –Investor Shares     3.28       13.46       10.84       15.35       0.95       0.95  
Parnassus Endeavor Fund –Institutional Shares     3.56       13.70       11.04       15.45       0.72       0.72  
S&P 500 Index     10.42       14.19       10.71       14.70       NA       NA  
Lipper Multi-Cap Core Funds Average     6.22       12.11       7.78       12.71       NA       NA  

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares from commencement (April 30, 2015) was 10.18%. 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.

Right now, a very large number of the stocks in the portfolio are trading far below their intrinsic value. Quite often, when this has happened in the past, the Fund has moved sharply higher. There is, of course, no guarantee that this will happen in the near future, but we remain positive for our portfolio, given the difference between our estimate of its intrinsic value and current market quotations.

Second Quarter Review

There were six stocks that each reduced the Fund’s return by 35 basis points or more. (One basis point is 1/100th of one percent.) Three stocks increased the Fund’s return by that amount.

Our worst performer was Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company that makes treatments for eye and heart diseases, cancer and inflammation. Regeneron cut 108 basis points from the Fund’s return, as its stock plunged 23.8% from $410.62 to $313.00. (For this report, we quote total return to the portfolio, which includes price change and dividends.) Investors feared the company’s blockbuster drug Eyelea would lose market share after the FDA prioritized approval for a competing drug developed by Novartis. Higher contract manufacturing and R&D costs, as well as lower reimbursements from Sanofi, Regeneron’s development partner, also pushed the stock lower. The company’s own pipeline progress is encouraging, however. The FDA approved two of Regeneron’s medications – Dupixent, for adolescent atopic dermatitis, and Praluent, which reduces the chance of heart attack and stroke in at-risk adult patients.

Alliance Data Systems, the leading private-label credit card issuer, subtracted 64 basis points from the Fund’s return, as the stock sank 19.6% from $174.98 to $140.13. The shares fell after the company sold its marketing segment, Epsilon, for net proceeds of

 

 

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$3.5 billion, which was below investors’ expectations. The stock fell again later in the quarter after the company’s long-time CEO, Ed Heffernan, retired abruptly. We’re excited that Melisa Miller has been promoted to CEO, and we believe she can reinvigorate the company. We expect the stock to move significantly higher as Alliance Data repurchases stock with proceeds from the Epsilon sale and its loan growth accelerates, thanks to recent partnership wins with Sephora, Burlington Stores and IKEA.

Clothing and accessories retailer GAP slashed 59 basis points from the Fund’s return, as its stock fell 10.8% from our average cost of $20.14 to $17.97. Sales at GAP’s comparable stores experienced their biggest declines in three years, due to cold and wet weather and poor merchandising decisions. A dramatic restructuring of the business is underway, as management plans to close hundreds of underperforming stores and spin off Old Navy into an independent company to unlock shareholder value.

Toy manufacturer Mattel sliced 45 basis points from the Fund’s return, as its stock slid 7.7% from $13.00 to our selling price of $12.00. In April, the company recalled all models of its Fisher-Price Rock n’ Play sleepers, after the product was linked to over 30 infant deaths. This safety failure exposed key lapses in the company’s enterprise risk management systems and their tragic, real-world consequences. Given the risks of further reputational damage to the company’s brands amid ongoing product liability lawsuits, we sold all our shares.

NVIDIA subtracted 36 basis points from the Fund’s return, as its stock fell 8.4% from $179.56 to $164.23. The company makes graphics processing units (GPUs), which are customized chips central to gaming, machine learning and autonomous driving applications. The stock fell after sales to data centers disappointed for the third consecutive quarter. Management also withdrew its financial targets, dampening expectations that a demand recovery was imminent. We see upside to the stock as demand recovers and NVIDIA integrates its March purchase of computer networking company Mellanox Technologies.

Micron Technology cut 35 basis points from the Fund’s return, as its stock fell 6.6% from $41.33 to $38.59. Prices for Micron’s dynamic random-access memory chips (DRAMs) continued to decline, indicating that the memory market is oversupplied. The trade war with China and export ban on Chinese technology company Huawei also pressured the stock, since Huawei is a big

customer of Micron’s. We believe the impact of the ban will be fleeting, as global supply chains have already begun to adjust. Long-term, demand from data centers and the Internet of Things (IoT) should drive sales of Micron’s vital chips for years to come.

Parnassus Endeavor Fund

As of June 30, 2019

(percentage of net assets)

 

 

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* 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.

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

 

 

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Top 10 Holdings   
(percentage of net assets)   
Applied Materials Inc.      7.5%  
Micron Technology Inc.      6.2%  
Biogen Inc.      5.4%  
Lam Research Corp.      5.2%  
Gilead Sciences Inc.      5.1%  
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.      4.9%  
NVIDIA Corp.      4.5%  
Perrigo Co. plc      4.4%  
QUALCOMM Inc.      4.4%  
Hanesbrands Inc.      4.3%  

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

Our biggest winner this quarter was Qualcomm, the leading manufacturer of mobile phone chips. It contributed 110 basis points to the Fund’s return, as the stock soared from $57.03 to $76.07 for a total return of 34.6%. The stock saw its biggest one-day jump in nearly 20 years after Qualcomm reached an agreement with Apple to settle all litigation between the two companies worldwide. The years-long dispute centered around what royalties Apple should pay for the chip that powers the Apple iPhone. Ultimately, Apple paid Qualcomm for the chips it received, and further agreed to long-term license and supply agreements. Though Qualcomm’s victory was later tempered by antitrust rulings in the U.S. and EU, we applaud management’s commitment to R&D, and believe the stock has more upside in the years ahead.

Applied Materials increased the Fund’s return by 93 basis points, as its stock soared from $39.66 to $44.91, for a total return of 13.8%. Applied is the world’s leading supplier of manufacturing equipment, software and services for the semiconductor industry. Sales and profits came in better than feared, suggesting a stabilization in industry demand drivers such as high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and big data. Last month, Applied bought Japanese semiconductor manufacturing company Kokusai Electric to strengthen its position in the memory market in Asia. The deal’s sound strategic and financial merits also sent the stock higher.

Cummins, a leading maker of diesel engines for trucks, added 42 basis points to the Fund’s return. Its stock

rose from $157.87 to $171.34, for a total return of 9.3%. Although total orders for Class 8 trucks fell during the first half of the year, the company’s profits grew due to an increase in off-highway sales and lower warranty charges. Profits were also less impacted by President Trump’s tariffs than initially feared, since the company had diversified some of its alternator production away from China.

Outlook and Strategy

Most of the short-term movements in the U.S. stock market over the past year have been caused by changes in U.S.-China economic relations. When relations appear to be improving, stocks move higher. When relations are deteriorating, stocks move lower, as happened in the fourth quarter of last year. Right now, relations are reasonably good, so the stock market is at an all-time high. The two sides are talking to each other, but there are significant fundamental differences that will be difficult to bridge. The U.S. wants a firm, written agreement that will allow Americans free access to the China market for manufactured goods, financial services and agricultural products. Xi Jinping is saying, “We’ll do all that, but we don’t need to write it all down. Just trust us.” The Americans are justifiably skeptical, pointing to the $400 billion-dollar trade deficit and all the restrictions that China places on American goods and services.

There are strong pressures on both leaders. The United States is a major market for Chinese products and an enormous percentage of the Chinese workforce is engaged in making products to send to America. The already-weakening Chinese economy could be thrown into a depression if America sharply decreases its imports from China. Although the U.S. could not manufacture most of the goods at the reasonable prices that we receive on Chinese imports, there are other countries that would love to fill the void—most notably Vietnam. The Vietnamese have developed the technology and the workforce to manufacture most of the items that America now imports from China. Xi Jinping realizes this and wants to settle the dispute, but he can’t appear weak or look like he’s capitulating to the Americans.

On the other hand, the American President faces pressures of his own. The Chinese have reduced the amount of U.S. agricultural products they import from the U.S.—most notably soy beans, which are an

 

 

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important part of the Chinese diet. American farmers are feeling the pressure, and farm group representatives are talking to the Chinese right now to induce them to buy more American farm products. Most of the states in the U.S. farm belt are swing states. If conditions don’t improve, they would probably vote against Trump in the next election, and he is well aware of this.

Also, American industrial and financial firms want support to expand in China, and if Trump is unable to help them, he will lose their support. Right now, the Chinese have stacked the deck against American businesses, prohibiting entry into certain sectors and forcing technology transfers in advanced manufacturing. If Trump can’t wring significant concessions from the Chinese, the business community most likely will turn against him. Given this situation, both sides are highly motivated to make a deal.

How does all this relate to the stock market and the Parnassus Endeavor Fund? The U.S. stock market is trading at an all-time high, but the Parnassus Endeavor Fund is not. In our view, our stocks are trading far below their intrinsic value. For example, the price/earnings (P/E) ratio* of the S&P 500 is 20.5 times based on earnings for the last 12 months, while the P/E ratio for the stocks in the Parnassus Endeavor Fund is only 11.9 times last year’s earnings. This is an enormous difference, so it’s one indication that our stocks may outperform the market going forward, or at

least it’s an indication that our stocks are selling at bargain prices compared to the market as a whole.

Right now, the American economy is very strong. Unemployment has been below 4% for more than a year now, and at 3.7%, it’s close to a historic low. Job growth is strong, with 224,000 new jobs created in June. Household income and spending are up, while consumer confidence is strong. Business investment has slowed down, but we suspect that’s because of the trade tensions with China and the stock market sell-off late last year.

For all the reasons we’ve outlined here, we expect the U.S. and China to reach an agreement. This should help to keep the economy moving along quite well, and it should help the stocks in the Parnassus Endeavor Fund.

Yours truly,

 

LOGO

Jerome L. Dodson

Lead Portfolio Manager

 

LOGO

Billy Hwan

Portfolio Manager

 

 

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* Price/Earnings ratio is a ratio of a stock’s current price to its per-share earnings over the past 12 months.


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Parnassus Mid Cap Fund

Ticker: Investor Shares - PARMX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PFPMX

 

As of June 30, 2019, the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares was $35.15, so the total return for the quarter was a gain of 4.96%. This compares to a gain of 4.13% for the Russell Midcap Index (“Russell”) and a gain of 3.67% for the Lipper Multi-Cap Core Funds Average, which represents the average return of the multi-cap core funds followed by Lipper (“Lipper average”). For the first half of 2019, the Fund is up 21.80% compared to a gain of 21.35% for the Russell and 17.26% for the Lipper average.

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.

 

Parnassus Mid Cap Fund

 

    Average Annual Total Returns (%)  
    for period ended June 30, 2019  
     One
Year
    Three
Years
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares     12.00       12.10       9.55       14.67       1.02       0.99  
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares     12.23       12.34       9.76       14.78       0.75       0.75  
Russell Midcap Index     7.83       12.16       8.63       15.16       NA       NA  
Lipper Multi-Cap Core Funds Average     6.22       12.11       7.78       12.71       NA       NA  

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares from commencement (April 30, 2015) was 10.56%. 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, 2019, 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 0.77% of net assets for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares. This agreement will not be terminated prior to May 1, 2020, and may be continued indefinitely by the Adviser on a year-to-year basis.

Second Quarter Review

It was a volatile quarter for the Russell, but after the dust settled, the index posted a healthy gain. Mid-cap stocks jumped in April, as many index participants’ earnings reports topped muted expectations. The Russell slumped in May, when President Trump announced new tariffs on Chinese imports after talks with President Xi faltered. Sentiment shifted to positive in June, as investors focused on Federal Reserve Chairman Powell’s dovish interest rate remarks and signs of warmth between Trump and Xi. Overall, the Russell added over four percentage points to its annual return to reach a whopping 21.35% gain for the year-to-date. The Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares did better than its benchmarks during the quarter, beating the Russell by 83 basis points and the Lipper average by 129 basis points. (One basis point is 1/100th of one percent.)

From an allocation perspective, the Fund benefited from having an underweight position in energy stocks, the worst-performing sector in the benchmark, and an overweight allocation to industrial stocks, the second-best-performing sector in the benchmark. Conversely, the Fund’s overweight position in consumer staples stocks hurt performance, as this sector underperformed the Russell. The Fund’s underweight position in financials also hurt performance, as this was the best-performing sector in the Russell.

The Fund’s performance during the quarter was overwhelmingly the result of stock selection rather than sector allocation. The worst performer was Pentair, a leading manufacturer of water treatment and filtration systems. The stock sliced 45 basis points for the Fund’s return, as its shares sunk 16.0%. (For this report, we quote total return to the portfolio, which includes price change and dividends.) The cold and wet weather during the first quarter delayed pool construction activity in several key markets, which reduced sales in

 

 

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the company’s high-margin pool segment. The inclement weather also negatively impacted the company’s agriculture sprayer business. As a result, management reduced its demand outlook and lowered its sales and earnings expectation for the year.

National Oilwell Varco, a global supplier of equipment and technology that helps companies safely and efficiently drill wells in complex geological formations, subtracted 43 basis points from the Fund’s return, as its stock fell 19.4%. The company’s customers reduced orders for oilfield equipment due to the sharp fall in oil prices late last year and the muted recovery this year. Given the industry headwinds and a challenging outlook, management announced new cost reduction initiatives to align its operating structure with the current market environment.

Iron Mountain, a leading document storage and data center provider, reduced the Fund’s return by 15 basis points, as its stock posted a 10.0% loss. The shares fell after the company delivered disappointing earnings, driven by higher-than-expected labor costs and corporate overhead expenses as the company invests in new initiatives to drive greater operational efficiencies. Management reaffirmed its annual earnings guidance, as it believes the cost-cutting measures recently put in place will begin to take effect during the second half of the year.

On the positive side, the largest contributor was Motorola Solutions, the leading global provider of mission-critical communications solutions. The stock contributed 86 basis points to the Fund’s return, as the stock rose 19.2% after management reported quarterly earnings that exceeded expectations and raised its annual guidance. Motorola’s land mobile radio systems, command center software and video security products continue to gain market share and attract new clients.

Cerner, the largest publicly traded health care IT company, added 84 basis points to the Fund’s return, as its total return was 28.5%. The shares moved higher after activist firm Starboard Value announced an investment in the company. Cerner reached an agreement with Starboard, committing to a target of 20% operating margins in the fourth quarter of 2019 and 22.5% in the fourth quarter of 2020. Additionally, Cerner agreed to repurchase $1.5 billion of stock and add four new directors to its board.

Our third big winner was Teleflex, a leading provider of medical products. The stock contributed 40 basis

points to the Fund’s return, as the total return of its shares was 9.7%. The stock rose after the company delivered better than expected earnings, driven by robust demand for its minimally invasive urology products and broad-based growth in its interventional and catheter business. We believe the company has a long runway for growth, supported by its innovative product pipeline and further margin expansion.

Parnassus Mid Cap Fund

As of June 30, 2019

(percentage of net assets)

 

 

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Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

 

 

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Top 10 Holdings   
(percentage of net assets)   
Motorola Solutions Inc.      4.5%  
Hologic Inc.      4.2%  
Teleflex Inc.      4.1%  
Xylem Inc.      3.6%  
Cerner Corp.      3.4%  
First Horizon National Corp.      3.4%  
Trimble Inc.      3.3%  
Verisk Analytics Inc.      3.1%  
Fiserv Inc.      2.9%  
US Foods Holding Corp.      2.7%  

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

Outlook and Strategy

The Russell’s year-to-date performance is impressive by almost any measure. As the bull market stretches into its eleventh year, with mid-cap stocks up almost 400% from trough to peak, many investors are asking, how long can the party last? It’s impossible to know precisely, but we do see trade tensions, geopolitical tensions, election-related volatility and slowing global growth as potential spoilers. At the same time, the U.S. economy is still growing, unemployment is very low and monetary policy remains accommodative.

Beyond investor apathy regarding the challenges mentioned above, our biggest concern is the market’s apparent certainty that interest rates will be cut significantly in the near term, which could set the stage for investor disappointment and market volatility if expectations aren’t met. Next is our concern about the valuation of mid-cap stocks, which trade at a price-to-earnings ratio above the 15-year average. Given all of this, our focus remains on owning businesses with asymmetric risk-reward opportunities that will outperform the benchmarks during varied economic cycles.

We continue to own fewer financial, energy and consumer discretionary stocks than the benchmarks, which we expect will position us well in the event of a downturn. Our largest overweights continue to be in the Industrials, consumer staples and health care sectors, with the latter two allocations adding to our defensive posture. Our largest concentration of stocks is in the industrials sector, and while this might seem to be a bet on economic expansion, our assets here are

atypical because many enjoy visibility into revenue and earnings streams or secular tailwinds.

We took advantage of market movements during the quarter to initiate six new positions. The first is US Foods, the second-largest foodservice distributor in the United States. The company operates in an economically resilient industry, and there is significant room for the largest incumbents to gain share organically and through acquisitions. We like the company’s differentiated e-commerce platform, cost advantages and margin expansion opportunities. The stock also trades at a discount to its peers due to investor concerns about its pending acquisition of food distributor, Service Group of America. We believe these concerns are unwarranted, and that the deal will bolster US Food’s scale, expand the company’s access to private label products and increase penetration into new geographical markets.

We bought shares of Republic Services, one of the largest non-hazardous solid waste management and recycling providers in the U.S. We like the company’s long-term contracts, sticky customer base and low-cost position in its dominant markets. We believe that Republic’s investments in route optimization and digital self-service technologies, as well as its accretive acquisition plan, will support healthy earnings growth ahead.

We initiated a position in Burlington Stores, the third-largest retailer in the domestic off-price apparel and home goods market. Customers like this business because the value proposition is compelling relative to traditional department stores and specialty retailers. There are also opportunities for the new leadership to open new stores, improve store productivity and increase operating margins.

We purchased shares of Jack Henry & Associates, Inc., a leading player of mission-critical technology solutions and payment processing services primarily for financial services organizations. We believe, the company is well positioned to deliver steady growth and margin expansion, driven by a highly recurring revenue model, a continued shift toward its cloud-based technology platform solutions and a strong balance sheet.

Finally, we invested in two real estate companies. AvalonBay owns upscale apartment buildings in supply constrained, fast-growing markets. The company’s

 

 

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high-quality portfolio generates durable revenue growth, which is boosted by its industry-leading development pipeline. AvalonBay’s downside should be limited by its conservative financial leverage and attractive dividend yield. Howard Hughes Corporation is an owner, operator and developer of real estate across the United States. The company’s portfolio includes unique, attractive assets in desirable locations such as the South Street Seaport in Manhattan and Ward Village in Hawaii. Howard Hughes also owns and develops what are effectively small cities such as The Woodlands in Houston and Summerlin in Las Vegas. Their dominant ownership of raw land and operating assets in these locations enables them to maximize the value of these assets with much less competition than typical developers. In late June, the company announced their intention to explore strategic alternatives to maximize value for shareholders.

We exited three stocks during the second quarter. We sold our remaining shares in IDT after Renesas completed the acquisition of the company. We exited National Oilwell Varco due to concerns about longer-term relevancy for the company’s products, bolstered by the perpetual delay in customers’ offshore spending. Finally, we sold Nielson due to our concerns about the company’s debt leverage and lack of progress with its turnaround efforts.

We’re pleased the Fund had a good quarter, but are more focused on providing longer-term outperformance. The Fund seeks to own high-quality businesses at good prices that can grow intrinsic value faster than our benchmarks over entire business cycles. We believe this strategy will help the Fund outperform the market over the long term, by participating in up-markets, limiting losses in down-markets and avoiding permanent capital losses in all market conditions.

Thank you for your investment in the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund.

Yours truly,

 

LOGO

Matthew D. Gershuny

Lead Portfolio Manager

 

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Lori A. Keith

Portfolio Manager

 

 

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Parnassus Fixed Income Fund

Ticker: Investor Shares - PRFIX

Ticker: Institutional Shares - PFPLX

 

As of June 30, 2019, the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares was $16.92, producing a gain for the quarter of 3.24% (including dividends). This compares to a gain of 3.08% for the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (“Barclays Aggregate Index”) and a gain of 2.99% for the Lipper Core Bond Funds Average, which represents the average return of the funds followed by Lipper that invest at least 85% of assets in domestic investment-grade bonds (“Lipper average”). For the first half of 2019, the Fund posted a gain of 7.58%, as compared to a gain of 6.11% for the Barclays Aggregate Index and a gain of 6.29% for the Lipper average.

Below 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 June 30, the 30-day subsidized SEC yield was 1.97%, and the unsubsidized SEC yield was 1.78%.

 

Parnassus Fixed Income Fund

 

    Average Annual Total Returns (%)  
    for period ended June 30, 2019  
     One
Year
    Three
Years
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
    Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Net
Expense
Ratio
 
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares     8.61       2.49       2.71       3.45       0.86       0.68  
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares     8.87       2.71       2.87       3.53       0.50       0.45  
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index     7.87       2.31       2.95       3.89       NA       NA  
Lipper Core Bond Funds Average     7.35       2.37       2.62       4.25       NA       NA  

The average annual total return for the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares from commencement (April 30, 2015) was 2.91%. 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 Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (formerly known as 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, 2019, 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 0.48% of net assets for the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares. This agreement will not be terminated prior to May 1, 2020, and may be continued indefinitely by the Adviser on a year-to-year basis.

Second Quarter Review

We are very pleased with the performance of the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares in the quarter, as it extended its gains from the first quarter. The Fund outperformed its Index by 16 basis points and its Lipper peer group by 25 basis points. Most importantly, the Fund is outperforming the index by 147 basis points so far this year. (One basis point is 1/100th of one percent.)

The Fund gained 85 basis points from its positive allocation across fixed income asset classes, as overweight positions in both Treasuries and Corporate bonds drove returns. Treasury yields fell in the quarter as investors became convinced that geopolitical tensions and slower economic growth will force the Federal Reserve to cut rates later in the year. At the same time, corporate bonds performed well on revenue and earnings strength.

Selection, or the individual bonds we chose, removed 56 basis points from the total return, almost entirely because the Fund held very few Securitized bonds. Securitized bonds were the worst-performing category in a great quarter for bonds. Even though the Fund was rewarded by holding overweight positions in the other two asset classes, divesting completely from the category impacted our attribution.

The top-performing asset class in the quarter was our Treasury bonds portfolio, as benchmark rates fell precipitously and prices rose. As an example, the 10-year Treasury note yield fell from 2.41% to 2.00% in the quarter. In addition to our overweight allocation to Treasury bonds, the Treasury portfolio also has a long

 

 

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duration at 6.74 years versus 6.30 years, which means that it is more sensitive to interest rate movements.

Preferred stock issued by Sempra Energy was the top-performing corporate security. The shares gained 6.90% in the quarter and added 9 basis points to the total return. (For this report, we quote total return to the portfolio, which includes price change and dividends.) In a low-interest rate environment, these higher-yielding shares become more attractive and investor demand increases. We trimmed exposure to Sempra in the quarter as regulatory concerns continued and valuation spiked, though it continues to be a core holding.

Bonds issued by Disney also meaningfully lifted the total return, adding 7 basis points on a gain of 6.11%. In April, the company provided more detail about its long-awaited direct-to-consumer (DTC) products and overall strategy. This helped investors better appreciate the long-term potential of Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu. The company also continues to show exceptional earnings growth driven by strength in its parks and studio businesses.

The worst-performing bonds in the quarter were issued by 3M, the industrial conglomerate. The bonds lost 2.21% and shaved 2 basis points from the total return. The company revised down its growth expectations again in the quarter, due to a slowdown in China and within its automotive and electronics businesses. This was the fourth consecutive reduction in annual guidance, and the deepest cut yet. Because of this outlook, and concerns about the company’s potential environment liabilities for historical production of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), we exited the position.

Bonds issued by CVS Health also underperformed in the quarter. The bonds lost 3.72% and removed 1 basis point from the total return. The company’s core business faces challenges, as drug prices are no longer accelerating and generic drug launches are slow. Given the intensely complicated acquisition, investors are concerned that the company will miss goals over the medium term. While we continue to believe that CVS has an opportunity to make substantial changes to the healthcare system, we exited the position in the quarter.

Parnassus Fixed Income Fund

As of June 30, 2019

(percentage of net assets)

 

 

LOGO

Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change periodically.

Outlook and Strategy

During the quarter, we continued to reduce the Fund’s exposure to corporate securities, which removes some of its sensitivity to economic growth. The allocation to corporate securities decreased from 70% at the beginning of the year to 45% at the end of the quarter. A growing economy typically makes corporate securities more attractive, but valuations were rich and corporations hold historically high levels of debt, so it was an opportune time to reduce our exposure and protect our gains. Some positions were exited entirely, like CVS and 3M, but most of our positions were simply reduced.

The duration of the corporate bond portfolio is short at 5.98 years versus 7.53 years, which means that our portfolio is relatively less sensitive to interest rate movements than the corporate bonds within the Index. This also acts as an offset against the overweight allocation.

For an economy that’s growing, the Treasury market’s actions this quarter were unprecedented. Current rates imply a nearly 100% chance that the Federal Reserve

 

 

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will cut interest rates by the end of the year. While some economic data were soft in the quarter—like the May jobs report—it’s important to remember that the Federal Reserve has two mandates: to maintain stable inflation and full employment. On both of those counts, the economy is doing well, so the market may be overstating the likelihood of a rate cut.

To set the portfolio’s allocation and duration, we continuously balance where the market is today relative to future opportunities. We consider a set of more than a dozen different paths of Treasury rates and corporate bond yields to determine the best mix of

assets. Combined with our thorough ESG process, we believe this process works well in both times of growth and uncertainty.

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

 

LOGO

Samantha D. Palm

Portfolio Manager

 

 

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Responsible Investing Notes

In 2010, the United Nations formally recognized access to water and water sanitation as a human right. Member nations were called upon to provide financial resources, build infrastructure and transfer technologies to other countries to improve access to clean water. This water declaration made its way into the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDG), which were governmental goals aimed at eliminating extreme poverty. The MDG were later incorporated into the expanded Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN estimates that agriculture is the largest consumer of water, accounting for 70% of global water withdrawals and up to 90% in some arid countries.1 While these percentages are high, companies whose supply chains ultimately depend on agriculture have a significant opportunity to help alleviate water stress in countries facing extreme weather events.

Gap Inc., a leading global apparel retail company and a holding in the Parnassus Endeavor Fund, is one company that recognizes the water challenges its supply chain faces. Denim is a cotton-based fiber used in many popular clothing items that Gap sells. CEO Art Peck believes that the apparel industry wastes too much water and has tasked his company with finding new ways to limit its water impact. As a result, Gap is opening an R&D facility next year in Ahmedabad, India, that will partner with textile manufacturer Arvind Ltd. to develop new techniques to eliminate apparel manufacturing water waste. Gap is also investing in a new treatment facility near its Ahmedabad site that will recycle and reuse water rather than drawing more water from the nearby communities.

It is significant that Gap and other companies are pushing for better water management strategies in India. According to the World Bank, India is one of the

world’s most water-stressed countries. Over half of the country’s annual precipitation falls within 15 days. This concentration of heavy rains over very short periods of time results in large floods and severe droughts, with people and corporations competing for the same limited resource. Gap’s leadership recognizes the possibility of losing their social license to operate in India if they do not effectively manage their water consumption practices. Their Ahmedabad facility, partnership and investment are designed to support the continued operation of Gap’s supply chain in India.

India is only one part of Gap’s broader water stewardship strategy. In Gap’s most recent sustainability report, the company announced its 2020 global goal to reduce water use in its partner manufacturing processes by 10 billion liters, using 2014 as a baseline. That’s the equivalent of 4,000 Olympic-sized pools, or the daily drinking needs of 5 billion people. The company has also set several other short-, medium- and long-term targets to support this overarching goal. By 2020, Gap’s Athleta brand will make 25% of its products using techniques that save water. By 2022, Old Navy will make 100% of its denim products using techniques that save water. By 2025, Banana Republic will make 50% of its products using techniques that save water. In sum, Gap is making significant strides toward becoming increasingly water efficient, thus reducing the environmental impact of its operations—which is good for its business and good for society.

Thank you for your investment in the Parnassus Funds. It is a privilege to have you as an investor.

 

LOGO

Iyassu Essayas

Director of ESG Research

 

 

1 United Nations (2018). Sustainable Development Goal 6 Synthesis Report 2018 on Water and Sanitation. New York.

 

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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 January 1, 2019 through June 30, 2019.

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
January 1, 2019
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2019
     Expenses Paid
During Period
       
  Parnassus Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*      0.85%        $1,000.00        $1,200.80        $4.64    
  Hypothetical (5% before expenses)      0.85%        $1,000.00        $1,020.58        $4.26    
  Parnassus Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*      0.69%        $1,000.00        $1,201.60        $3.77    
  Hypothetical (5% before expenses)      0.69%        $1,000.00        $1,021.37        $3.46    
  Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*      0.87%        $1,000.00        $1,202.10        $4.75    
  Hypothetical (5% before expenses)      0.87%        $1,000.00        $1,020.48        $4.36    
  Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*      0.63%        $1,000.00        $1,203.10        $3.44    
  Hypothetical (5% before expenses)      0.63%        $1,000.00        $1,021.67        $3.16    
  Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*      0.95%        $1,000.00        $1,183.20        $5.14    
  Hypothetical (5% before expenses)      0.95%        $1,000.00        $1,020.08        $4.76    
  Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*      0.72%        $1,000.00        $1,184.50        $3.90    
  Hypothetical (5% before expenses)      0.72%        $1,000.00        $1,021.22        $3.61    
  Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*      0.99%        $1,000.00        $1,218.00        $5.44    
  Hypothetical (5% before expenses)      0.99%        $1,000.00        $1,019.89        $4.96    
  Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*      0.75%        $1,000.00        $1,218.70        $4.13    
  Hypothetical (5% before expenses)      0.75%        $1,000.00        $1,021.08        $3.76    
  Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares: Actual*      0.68%        $1,000.00        $1,075.80        $3.50    
  Hypothetical (5% before expenses)      0.68%        $1,000.00        $1,021.42        $3.41    

 

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            Fund
Expense
Ratio
     Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2019
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2019
     Expenses Paid
During Period
       
  Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares: Actual*      0.45%        $1,000.00        $1,076.40        $2.32    
  Hypothetical (5% before expenses)      0.45%        $1,000.00        $1,022.56        $2.26    

* Expenses are calculated using the Funds’ annualized expense ratios, which represent ongoing expense as a percentage of net assets for the six months ended June 30, 2019. 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 (181); 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.

 

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Parnassus Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

 

Equities   Shares     Market
Value ($)
 
Air Freight & Logistics (2.2%)    
FedEx Corp.     128,946       21,171,644  
   

 

 

 
Apparel & Luxury Goods (2.0%)    
Nike Inc., Class B     229,943       19,303,715  
   

 

 

 
Banks (4.9%)    
First Horizon National Corp.     1,277,092       19,066,984  
Signature Bank     225,975       27,306,819  
   

 

 

 
      46,373,803  
   

 

 

 
Biotechnology (2.4%)    
Gilead Sciences Inc.     343,776       23,225,506  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets (2.7%)    
CME Group Inc.     129,566       25,150,056  
   

 

 

 
Chemicals (6.4%)    
Linde plc     175,000       35,140,000  
PPG Industries Inc.     217,002       25,326,303  
   

 

 

 
      60,466,303  
   

 

 

 
Communications Equipments (5.1%)    
Motorola Solutions Inc.     288,079       48,031,412  
   

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment Communications (3.1%)    
Trimble Inc. q     646,590       29,167,675  
   

 

 

 
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (4.1%)    
AvalonBay Communities Inc.     90,430       18,373,567  
Public Storage     85,222       20,297,324  
   

 

 

 
      38,670,891  
   

 

 

 
Food & Staples Retailing (2.4%)    
Sysco Corp.     320,666       22,677,500  
   

 

 

 
Food Products (4.8%)    
Mondelez International Inc., Class A     842,990       45,437,161  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment (6.1%)    
Dentsply Sirona Inc.     445,361       25,991,268  
Hologic Inc. q     662,051       31,791,689  
   

 

 

 
      57,782,957  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Provider & Services (2.1%)    
CVS Health Corp.     364,838       19,880,023  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Technology (3.5%)    
Cerner Corp.     455,794       33,409,700  
   

 

 

 
Equities   Shares     Market
Value ($)
 
Insurance (1.9%)    
Progressive Corp.     221,421       17,698,180  
   

 

 

 
Interactive Media & Services (3.6%)    
Alphabet Inc., Class A q     32,038       34,690,746  
   

 

 

 
IT Services (7.9%)    
Alliance Data Systems Corp.     309,429       43,360,286  
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.     491,303       31,143,697  
   

 

 

 
      74,503,983  
   

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals (2.8%)    
Novartis AG (ADR)  q     287,322       26,235,372  
   

 

 

 
Professional Services (4.4%)    
Thomson Reuters Corp. l     644,384       41,536,993  
   

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development (1.2%)    
Howard Hughes Corp.     95,918       11,878,485  
   

 

 

 
Road & Rail (2.3%)    
Old Dominion Freight Lines Inc.     145,901       21,777,183  
   

 

 

 
Semiconductor Equipment (3.9%)    
Monolithic Power Systems Inc.     112,827       15,319,650  
NVIDIA Corp.     131,873       21,657,503  
   

 

 

 
      36,977,153  
   

 

 

 
Snack & Juice Bars (3.6%)    
Starbucks Corp.     407,755       34,182,102  
   

 

 

 
Software (10.4%)    
Adobe Systems Inc. q     71,021       20,926,338  
Cadence Design Systems Inc. q     592,966       41,987,922  
Microsoft Corp.     262,828       35,208,439  
   

 

 

 
      98,122,699  
   

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors (2.7%)    
Air Lease Corp.     621,213       25,680,945  
   

 

 

 
Wireless Telecom Services (2.9%)    
T-Mobile US Inc. q     372,637       27,627,307  
   

 

 

 
Total investment in equities (99.4%)
(cost $796,030,415)
      941,659,494  
   

 

 

 
 

 

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

 

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Parnassus Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited) (continued)

 

Short-Term Securities    Interest
Rate
     Maturity
Date
     Principal
Amount ($)
     Market
Value ($)
 
Certificates of Deposit (0.0%) a            
Beneficial State Bank      1.65      01/15/2020        250,000        244,548  
           

 

 

 
Certificates of Deposit Account Registry Service (0.1%) a            
CDARS agreement with Beneficial State Bank,
dated 03/14/2019
Participating depository institutions:
Bank of Weston, par 238,500;
City First Bank of D.C., N.A., par 238,500;
MainStreet Bank, par 23,000;
(cost $485,989)
     1.52      03/12/2020        500,000        485,989  
           

 

 

 
Community Development Loans (0.1%) a            
BlueHub Loan Fund      1.00      04/15/2020        100,000        95,262  
BlueHub Loan Fund      1.00      04/15/2020        100,000        95,262  
Root Capital Loan Fund      1.25      02/01/2020        100,000        96,450  
TMC Development Working Solutions      1.00      05/25/2020        100,000        94,606  
Vermont Community Loan Fund      1.00      10/15/2019        100,000        98,258  
           

 

 

 
              479,838  
           

 

 

 
Time Deposits (2.5%)            
BBH Cash Management Service            
Citibank, New York      1.76      07/01/2019        24,128,915        24,128,915  
           

 

 

 
Securities Purchased with Cash Collateral from Securities Lending

 

        
Registered Investment Companies (0.8%)            
Invesco Aim Government & Agency Portfolio            
Short-Term Investments Trust, Institutional Class      2.31            7,225,925  
           

 

 

 
Total Short-Term Securities (3.5%)
(cost $32,565,215)
              32,565,215  
           

 

 

 
Total securities (102.9%)
(cost $828,595,630)
              974,224,709  
           

 

 

 
Payable upon return of securities loaned (-0.8%)               (7,225,925
           

 

 

 
Other assets and liabilities (-2.1%)               (20,032,646
           

 

 

 
Total net assets (100.0%)               946,966,138  
           

 

 

 
           

q This security is non-income producing.

           

l This security, or partial position of this security, was on loan at June 30, 2019. The total value of the securities on loan at June 30, 2019 was $7,058,877.

  

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.

 

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Parnassus Core Equity Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

 

Equities   Shares     Market
Value ($)
 
Air Freight & Logistics (2.9%)    
FedEx Corp.     3,033,106       498,005,674  
   

 

 

 
Apparel & Luxury Goods (2.8%)    
VF Corp.     5,551,109       484,889,371  
   

 

 

 
Banks (1.4%)    
First Republic Bank     2,406,461       234,990,917  
   

 

 

 
Biotechnology (2.0%)    
Gilead Sciences Inc.     5,041,968       340,635,358  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets (4.0%)    
Charles Schwab Corp.     5,571,108       223,902,831  
CME Group Inc.     2,391,364       464,187,666  
   

 

 

 
      688,090,497  
   

 

 

 
Chemicals (6.3%)    
Linde plc     3,340,778       670,828,222  
PPG Industries Inc.     3,572,144       416,904,926  
   

 

 

 
      1,087,733,148  
   

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies (3.1%)    
Waste Management Inc.     4,511,588       520,501,908  
   

 

 

 
Communications Equipment (2.6%)    
Motorola Solutions Inc.     2,626,129       437,854,488  
   

 

 

 
Consumer Finance (3.5%)    
American Express Co.     4,855,099       599,313,421  
   

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment Communications (1.6%)    
Trimble Inc. q     5,882,678       265,367,605  
   

 

 

 
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (4.5%)    
AvalonBay Communities Inc.     807,560       164,080,041  
Digital Realty Trust Inc.     2,187,533       257,669,512  
Iron Mountain Inc.     5,307,077       166,111,510  
Public Storage     713,332       169,894,282  
   

 

 

 
      757,755,345  
   

 

 

 
Food & Staples Retailing (5.8%)    
Costco Wholesale Corp.     2,010,893       531,398,584  
Sysco Corp.     6,446,727       455,912,533  
   

 

 

 
      987,311,117  
   

 

 

 
Food Products (2.0%)    
Mondelez International Inc., Class A     6,227,382       335,655,890  
   

 

 

 
Equities   Shares     Market
Value ($)
 
Health Care Equipment (6.1%)    
Danaher Corp.     4,242,693       606,365,684  
Hologic Inc. q     8,813,027       423,201,557  
   

 

 

 
      1,029,567,241  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services (2.0%)    
CVS Health Corp.     6,183,432       336,935,210  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Technology (3.1%)    
Cerner Corp. q     7,173,550       525,821,215  
   

 

 

 
Household Products (5.8%)    
The Clorox Company     3,579,544       548,063,982  
The Procter & Gamble Co.     4,009,955       439,691,566  
WD-40 Co.     44,347       7,052,947  
   

 

 

 
      994,808,495  
   

 

 

 
Interactive Media & Services (2.0%)    
Alphabet Inc., Class A q     309,801       335,452,523  
   

 

 

 
IT Services (3.5%)    
Mastercard Inc., Class A     2,274,275       601,613,966  
   

 

 

 
Machinery (5.3%)    
Deere & Co.     2,125,278       352,179,817  
Pentair plc     5,071,456       188,658,163  
Xylem Inc.     4,302,734       359,880,672  
   

 

 

 
      900,718,652  
   

 

 

 
Media (5.1%)    
The Walt Disney Co.     6,223,534       869,054,288  
   

 

 

 
Professional Services (3.0%)    
Verisk Analytics Inc. q     3,538,461       518,242,998  
   

 

 

 
Semiconductor Equipment (1.9%)    
NVIDIA Corp.     1,918,356       315,051,606  
   

 

 

 
Snack & Juice Bars (2.2%)    
Starbucks Corp.     4,526,390       379,447,274  
   

 

 

 
Software (12.3%)    
Cadence Design Systems Inc. q     7,663,511       542,653,214  
Microsoft Corp.     7,674,898       1,028,129,336  
Synopsys Inc. q     4,062,533       522,807,372  
   

 

 

 
      2,093,589,922  
   

 

 

 
Technology Hardware (2.2%)    
Apple Inc.     1,848,717       365,898,066  
   

 

 

 
Total investment in equities (97.0%)
(cost $12,100,695,221)

 

    16,504,306,195  
   

 

 

 
 

 

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

 

30


Table of Contents
Semiannual Report  •  2019      LOGO

 

Parnassus Core Equity Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited) (continued)

 

Short-Term Securities    Interest
Rate
     Maturity
Date
     Principal
Amount ($)
     Market
Value ($)
 
Certificates of Deposit (0.0%) a            
Self-Help Federal Credit Union      1.85      10/15/2019        250,000        247,096  
Urban Partnership Bank      0.30      09/24/2019        250,000        247,672  
           

 

 

 
              494,768  
           

 

 

 
Certificates of Deposit Account Registry Service (0.0%) a

 

        
CDARS agreement with Beneficial State Bank,
dated 03/14/2019
Participating depository institutions:
Bank of Weston, par 238,500;
Central Savings Bank, par 201,524;
City First Bank of D.C., N.A., par 238,500;
CUSB Bank, par 50,000;
Harford Bank, par 166,909;
Illinois National Bank, par 238,500;
MainStreet Bank, par 238,500;
National Bank of St. Anne, par 238,500;
Relyance Bank, par 102,925;
Resource Bank, par 51,229;
State Bank of Southern Utah, par 234,913;
(cost $1,943,956)
     1.52      03/12/2020        2,000,000        1,943,956  
           

 

 

 
Community Development Loans (0.1%) a            
BlueHub Loan Fund      1.00      04/15/2020        100,000        95,262  
MicroVest Plus, LP Note      2.25      12/15/2019        7,500,000        7,294,672  
New Hampshire Community Loan Fund      1.00      07/31/2019        500,000        497,534  
Root Capital Loan Fund      1.25      02/01/2020        200,000        192,899  
TMC Development Working Solutions      1.00      05/25/2020        100,000        94,606  
Vermont Community Loan Fund      1.00      04/15/2020        100,000        95,262  
           

 

 

 
              8,270,235  
           

 

 

 
Time Deposits (3.2%)            
BBH Cash Management Service            
Banco Santander, Madrid      1.76      07/01/2019        116,407,726        116,407,726  
Citibank, New York      1.76      07/01/2019        130,491,283        130,491,283  
JPMorgan Chase, New York      1.76      07/01/2019        300,000,000        300,000,000  
           

 

 

 
              546,899,009  
           

 

 

 
Total Short-Term Securities (3.3%)
(cost $557,607,968)
              557,607,968  
           

 

 

 
Total securities (100.3%)
(cost $12,658,303,189)
              17,061,914,163  
           

 

 

 
Other assets and liabilities (-0.3%)               (44,912,387
           

 

 

 
Total net assets (100.0%)               17,017,001,776  
           

 

 

 
           

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
LOGO      Semiannual Report  •  2019

 

Parnassus Endeavor Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

 

Equities   Shares     Market
Value ($)
 
Airlines (1.3%)    
Alaska Air Group Inc.     800,000       51,128,000  
   

 

 

 
Apparel & Luxury Goods (4.3%)    
Hanesbrands Inc.     10,000,000       172,200,000  
   

 

 

 
Biotechnology (17.0%)    
AbbVie Inc.     880,000       63,993,600  
Biogen Inc. q     925,000       216,329,750  
Gilead Sciences Inc.     3,000,000       202,680,000  
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. q     625,000       195,625,000  
   

 

 

 
      678,628,350  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets (3.1%)    
Charles Schwab Corp.     3,100,000       124,589,000  
   

 

 

 
Consumer Finance (4.0%)    
American Express Co.     700,000       86,408,000  
Capital One Financial Corp.     825,000       74,860,500  
   

 

 

 
      161,268,500  
   

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment Instruments (2.4%)    
IPG Photonics Corp.  q     620,000       95,635,000  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment (2.2%)    
Hologic Inc. q     1,800,000       86,436,000  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Products (4.4%)    
Perrigo Co. plc     3,700,000       176,194,000  
   

 

 

 
Interactive Media & Services (1.4%)    
Alphabet Inc., Class A q     50,000       54,140,000  
   

 

 

 
Equities   Shares     Market
Value ($)
 
IT Services (8.4%)    
Alliance Data Systems Corp.     1,100,000       154,143,000  
International Business Machine Corp.     1,000,000       137,900,000  
Mastercard Inc., Class A     160,000       42,324,800  
   

 

 

 
      334,367,800  
   

 

 

 
Machinery (4.2%)    
Cummins Inc.     972,500       166,628,150  
   

 

 

 
Retail (3.9%)    
The Gap Inc.     8,700,000       156,339,000  
   

 

 

 
Semiconductor Equipment (27.8%)    
Applied Materials Inc.     6,700,000       300,897,000  
Lam Research Corp.     1,100,000       206,624,000  
Micron Technology Inc. q     6,400,000       246,976,000  
NVIDIA Corp.     1,100,000       180,653,000  
QUALCOMM Inc.     2,300,000       174,961,000  
   

 

 

 
      1,110,111,000  
   

 

 

 
Software (2.4%)    
Autodesk Inc. q     600,000       97,740,000  
   

 

 

 
Technology Hardware (1.2%)    
Apple Inc.     250,000       49,480,000  
   

 

 

 
Total investment in equities (88.0%)
(cost $3,267,806,357)

 

    3,514,884,800  
   

 

 

 
 

 

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

 

32


Table of Contents
Semiannual Report  •  2019      LOGO

 

Parnassus Endeavor Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited) (continued)

 

Short-Term Securities    Interest
Rate
     Maturity
Date
     Principal
Amount ($)
     Market
Value ($)
 
Certificates of Deposit (0.0%) a            
Urban Partnership Bank      0.30      02/03/2020        250,000        244,028  
           

 

 

 
Certificates of Deposit Account Registry Service (0.0%) a            
CDARS agreement with Beneficial State Bank,
dated 03/14/2019
Participating depository institutions:
Bank of Weston, par 238,500;
City First Bank of D.C., N.A., par 238,500;
MainStreet Bank, par 23,000;
(cost $485,989)
     1.52      03/12/2020        500,000        485,989  
           

 

 

 
Community Development Loans (0.0%) a            
Root Capital Loan Fund      1.25      02/01/2020        100,000        96,450  
TMC Development Working Solutions      1.00      05/25/2020        100,000        94,606  
           

 

 

 
              191,056  
           

 

 

 
Time Deposits (12.2%)            
BBH Cash Management Service            
ANZ, London      1.76      07/01/2019        197,741,536        197,741,536  
BBVA, Madrid      1.76      07/01/2019        136,679,992        136,679,992  
BBVA, Madrid      1.76      07/01/2019        150,395,347        150,395,347  
           

 

 

 
              484,816,875  
           

 

 

 
Total Short-Term Securities (12.2%)
(cost $485,737,948)
              485,737,948  
           

 

 

 
Total securities (100.2%)
(cost $3,753,544,305)
              4,000,622,748  
           

 

 

 
Other assets and liabilities (-0.2%)               (7,045,024
           

 

 

 
Total net assets (100.0%)               3,993,577,724  
           

 

 

 
           

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.

 

33


Table of Contents
LOGO      Semiannual Report  •  2019

 

Parnassus Mid Cap Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

 

Equities   Shares     Market
Value ($)
 
Air Freight & Logistics (1.8%)    
Expeditors International of Washington Inc.     873,285       66,247,400  
   

 

 

 
Apparel & Luxury Goods (4.8%)    
Hanesbrands Inc.     5,834,061       100,462,530  
VF Corp.     940,715       82,171,455  
   

 

 

 
      182,633,985  
   

 

 

 
Banks (5.4%)    
First Horizon National Corp.     8,514,508       127,121,604  
First Republic Bank     772,693       75,453,471  
   

 

 

 
      202,575,075  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets (2.3%)    
SEI Investments Co.     1,529,420       85,800,462  
   

 

 

 
Chemicals (4.5%)    
Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. q     3,059,716       91,087,745  
Ecolab Inc.     391,918       77,380,290  
   

 

 

 
      168,468,035  
   

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies (3.9%)    
Republic Services Inc.     1,076,945       93,306,515  
Waste Management Inc.     450,755       52,003,604  
   

 

 

 
      145,310,119  
   

 

 

 
Communications Equipment (4.5%)    
Motorola Solutions Inc.     1,023,925       170,719,015  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Telecom Services (0.9%)    
Zayo Group Holdings Inc. q     1,070,061       35,215,708  
   

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment Communications (3.3%)    
Trimble Inc. q     2,750,329       124,067,341  
   

 

 

 
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (7.1%)    
AvalonBay Communities Inc.     395,060       80,268,291  
Digital Realty Trust Inc.     631,127       74,340,449  
Iron Mountain Inc.     1,214,213       38,004,867  
Public Storage     316,261       75,323,882  
   

 

 

 
      267,937,489  
   

 

 

 
Food & Staples Retailing (4.6%)    
Sysco Corp.     998,130       70,587,754  
US Foods Holding Corp. q     2,877,031       102,882,629  
   

 

 

 
      173,470,383  
   

 

 

 
Food Products (2.2%)    
McCormick & Co.     538,015       83,397,705  
   

 

 

 
Gas Utilities (1.2%)    
Northwest Natural Holdings Co.     677,378       47,077,771  
   

 

 

 

 

Equities   Shares     Market
Value ($)
 
Health Care Equipment (10.0%)    
Dentsply Sirona Inc.     1,107,778       64,649,924  
Hologic Inc. q     3,273,516       157,194,238  
Teleflex Inc.     472,255       156,387,243  
   

 

 

 
      378,231,405  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Technology (3.4%)    
Cerner Corp.     1,774,905       130,100,537  
   

 

 

 
Household Products (2.6%)    
The Clorox Company     649,975       99,517,672  
   

 

 

 
Insurance (1.1%)    
First American Financial Corp.     751,369       40,348,515  
   

 

 

 
Internet & Catalog Retail (2.0%)    
eBay Inc.     1,924,747       76,027,507  
   

 

 

 
IT Services (4.9%)    
Fiserv Inc. q     1,217,651       111,001,065  
Jack Henry & Associates Inc.     541,009       72,451,925  
   

 

 

 
      183,452,990  
   

 

 

 
Machinery (8.3%)    
Fortive Corp.     973,731       79,378,551  
Pentair plc     2,586,328       96,211,402  
Xylem Inc.     1,630,349       136,362,390  
   

 

 

 
      311,952,343  
   

 

 

 
Media (1.4%)    
Shaw Communications Inc., Class B     2,637,039       53,742,855  
   

 

 

 
Multi-Utilities (1.4%)    
MDU Resources Group Inc.     2,070,378       53,415,752  
   

 

 

 
Professional Services (4.6%)    
Thomson Reuters Corp.     875,536       56,437,051  
Verisk Analytics Inc.     809,522       118,562,595  
   

 

 

 
      174,999,646  
   

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development (1.0%)    
Howard Hughes Corp. q     303,648       37,603,768  
   

 

 

 
Retail (2.1%)    
Burlington Stores Inc. q     459,776       78,230,886  
   

 

 

 
Software (6.1%)    
ACI Worldwide Inc. q     1,863,944       64,007,837  
Cadence Design Systems Inc. q     1,091,905       77,317,793  
Synopsys Inc. q     680,839       87,617,171  
   

 

 

 
      228,942,801  
   

 

 

 
Total investment in equities (95.4%)
(cost $2,985,622,582)

 

    3,599,487,165  
   

 

 

 
 

 

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

 

34


Table of Contents
Semiannual Report  •  2019      LOGO

 

Parnassus Mid Cap Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited) (continued)

 

 

Short-Term Securities    Interest
Rate
     Maturity
Date
     Principal
Amount ($)
     Market
Value ($)
 
Certificates of Deposit (0.1%) a            
Beneficial State Bank      1.65      03/27/2020        250,000        242,622  
Beneficial State Bank      1.65      04/25/2020        250,000        241,831  
Urban Partnership Bank      0.30      03/22/2020        250,000        242,732  
           

 

 

 
              727,185  
           

 

 

 
Time Deposits (4.7%)            
BBH Cash Management Service            
ANZ, London      1.76      07/01/2019        102,258,464        102,258,464  
Citibank, New York      1.76      07/01/2019        76,063,259        76,063,259  
           

 

 

 
              178,321,723  
           

 

 

 
Total Short-Term Securities (4.8%)
(cost $179,048,908)
              179,048,908  
           

 

 

 
Total securities (100.2%)
(cost $3,164,671,490)
              3,778,536,073  
           

 

 

 
Other assets and liabilities (-0.2%)               (6,866,170
           

 

 

 
Total net assets (100.0%)               3,771,669,903  
           

 

 

 
           

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.

 

35


Table of Contents
LOGO      Semiannual Report  •  2019

 

Parnassus Fixed Income Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

 

Preferred Stocks    Interest
Rate
     Maturity
Date
     Shares      Market
Value ($)
 
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (1.0%)            
Public Storage      5.15      06/02/2022        91,127        2,276,352  
           

 

 

 
Multi-Utilities (1.3%)            
Sempra Energy      6.00      01/15/2021        25,000        2,787,250  
           

 

 

 
Total investment in preferred stocks (2.3%)
(cost $4,785,483)
              5,063,602  
           

 

 

 
           
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities                    Principal
Amount ($)
         
JP Morgan Mortgage Trust Series 2011-C4, Class A4      4.39      07/15/2046        974,669        1,006,705  
UBS-Barclays Mortgage Trust Series 2012-C2, Class A3      3.06      05/10/2063        546,524        551,198  
           

 

 

 
Total investment in commercial mortgage-backed securities (0.7%)
(cost $1,542,393)
              1,557,903  
           

 

 

 
           
Corporate Bonds                                
Air Freight & Logistics (1.2%)            
FedEx Corp.      4.75      11/15/2045        2,500,000        2,617,700  
           

 

 

 
Airlines (0.5%)            
Southwest Air 07-1 Trust      6.15      08/01/2022        915,879        968,404  
           

 

 

 
Apparel & Luxury Goods (2.3%)            
Hanesbrands Inc.      4.63      05/15/2024        2,000,000        2,076,400  
VF Corp.      3.50      09/01/2021        3,000,000        3,076,485  
           

 

 

 
              5,152,885  
           

 

 

 
Auto Components (1.4%)            
APTIV plc      4.25      01/15/2026        3,000,000        3,155,043  
           

 

 

 
Building Products (1.2%)            
Masco Corp.      4.45      04/01/2025        2,500,000        2,662,542  
           

 

 

 
Capital Markets (1.4%)            
Charles Schwab Corp.      3.45      02/13/2026        3,000,000        3,139,644  
           

 

 

 
Chemicals (1.4%)            
Praxair Inc.      3.20      01/30/2026        2,977,000        3,108,875  
           

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies (1.4%)            
Waste Management Inc.      3.50      05/15/2024        1,500,000        1,573,819  
Waste Management Inc.      3.15      11/15/2027        1,500,000        1,548,885  
           

 

 

 
              3,122,704  
           

 

 

 
Consumer Finance (1.4%)            
Mastercard Inc.      3.38      04/01/2024        3,000,000        3,167,658  
           

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging (1.2%)            
Sealed Air Corp.      5.25      04/01/2023        2,500,000        2,625,000  
           

 

 

 

 

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

 

36


Table of Contents
Semiannual Report  •  2019      LOGO

 

Parnassus Fixed Income Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited) (continued)

 

Corporate Bonds    Interest
Rate
     Maturity
Date
     Principal
Amount ($)
     Market
Value ($)
 
Energy Equipment & Services (0.4%)            
National Oilwell Varco Inc.      3.95      12/01/2042        1,000,000        866,382  
           

 

 

 
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (1.9%)            
Iron Mountain Inc.      6.00      08/15/2023        2,000,000        2,055,000  
Regency Centers LP      3.75      06/15/2024        2,000,000        2,083,284  
           

 

 

 
              4,138,284  
           

 

 

 
Food & Staples Retailing (2.6%)            
Costco Wholesale Corp.      3.00      05/18/2027        3,000,000        3,103,080  
Mondelez International Inc.      4.13      05/07/2028        2,500,000        2,699,842  
           

 

 

 
              5,802,922  
           

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment (2.6%)            
Danaher Corp.      3.35      09/15/2025        3,000,000        3,139,971  
Hologic Inc.      4.38      10/15/2025        2,500,000        2,534,375  
           

 

 

 
              5,674,346  
           

 

 

 
Hotel Restaurant & Leisure (0.9%)            
Hilton Worldwide Finance LLC      4.63      04/01/2025        2,000,000        2,047,500  
           

 

 

 
Household Products (2.4%)            
The Clorox Company      3.50      12/15/2024        2,500,000        2,617,660  
The Procter & Gamble Co.      2.85      08/11/2027        2,500,000        2,590,855  
           

 

 

 
              5,208,515  
           

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates (1.4%)            
Pentair Finance SA      3.15      09/15/2022        3,050,000        3,056,716  
           

 

 

 
Interactive Media & Services (1.1%)            
Alphabet Inc.      2.00      08/15/2026        2,500,000        2,434,497  
           

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services (1.4%)            
Agilent Technologies Inc.      3.05      09/22/2026        3,000,000        3,027,522  
           

 

 

 
Machinery (2.0%)            
Fortive Corp.      3.15      06/15/2026        2,000,000        1,994,250  
Xylem Inc.      3.25      11/01/2026        2,500,000        2,517,283  
           

 

 

 
              4,511,533  
           

 

 

 
Media (1.2%)            
The Walt Disney Co. l      2.95      06/15/2027        2,500,000        2,609,223  
           

 

 

 
Multiline Retail (0.9%)            
Nordstrom Inc.      4.00      03/15/2027        2,000,000        2,025,682  
           

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals (1.2%)            
Merck & Co. Inc.      3.40      03/07/2029        2,500,000        2,660,963  
           

 

 

 
Snack & Juice Bars (1.1%)            
Starbucks Corp.      2.45      06/15/2026        2,500,000        2,474,260  
           

 

 

 

 

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

 

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LOGO      Semiannual Report  •  2019

 

Parnassus Fixed Income Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited) (continued)

 

Corporate Bonds    Interest
Rate
     Maturity
Date
     Principal
Amount ($)
     Market
Value ($)
 
Software (5.4%)            
Adobe Systems Inc.      3.25      02/01/2025        2,500,000        2,607,150  
Autodesk Inc.      4.38      06/15/2025        2,500,000        2,658,293  
Cadence Design Systems Inc.      4.38      10/15/2024        2,500,000        2,659,653  
Microsoft Corp.      2.40      08/08/2026        1,500,000        1,507,584  
Microsoft Corp.      4.25      02/06/2047        2,000,000        2,356,800  
           

 

 

 
              11,789,480  
           

 

 

 
Technology Hardware (1.4%)            
Apple Inc.      2.85      02/23/2023        2,000,000        2,047,974  
Apple Inc.      4.38      05/13/2045        1,000,000        1,139,738  
           

 

 

 
              3,187,712  
           

 

 

 
Transportation & Infrastructure (1.2%)            
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.      3.85      09/01/2023        2,500,000        2,657,800  
           

 

 

 
Total investment in corporate bonds (42.5%)
(cost $90,847,403)
              93,893,792  
           

 

 

 
           
Supranational Bonds                                
International Bank for Reconstruction & Development      3.13      11/20/2025        4,000,000        4,273,100  
International Finance Corp.      2.00      10/24/2022        4,000,000        5,032,470  
International Finance Corp.      2.13      04/07/2026        4,000,000        4,040,912  
           

 

 

 
Total investment in supranational bonds (6.0%)
(cost $12,700,546)
              13,346,482  
           

 

 

 
           
U.S. Government Treasury Bonds                                
U.S. Treasury      1.75      09/30/2019        2,000,000        1,997,890  
U.S. Treasury      1.38      12/15/2019        2,000,000        1,993,672  
U.S. Treasury      1.88      06/30/2020        2,000,000        1,998,282  
U.S. Treasury      2.88      10/31/2020        2,000,000        2,026,016  
U.S. Treasury      2.25      03/31/2021        3,000,000        3,023,319  
U.S. Treasury      2.38      03/15/2022        3,000,000        3,053,439  
U.S. Treasury      1.88      08/31/2022        2,000,000        2,008,984  
U.S. Treasury      2.50      03/31/2023        2,000,000        2,055,782  
U.S. Treasury      2.88      10/31/2023        3,000,000        3,140,742  
U.S. Treasury      2.50      01/31/2024        5,000,000        5,164,065  
U.S. Treasury      2.38      02/29/2024        2,000,000        2,056,328  
U.S. Treasury      2.13      03/31/2024        3,000,000        3,050,157  
U.S. Treasury      2.25      11/15/2024        3,000,000        3,069,843  
U.S. Treasury      2.25      11/15/2025        3,000,000        3,072,306  
U.S. Treasury      2.63      01/31/2026        2,000,000        2,095,078  
U.S. Treasury      2.00      11/15/2026        3,000,000        3,022,851  
U.S. Treasury      2.25      02/15/2027        2,000,000        2,049,532  
U.S. Treasury      2.38      05/15/2027        3,000,000        3,101,601  
U.S. Treasury      2.25      08/15/2027        3,000,000        3,072,774  
U.S. Treasury      2.75      02/15/2028        6,000,000        6,379,686  
U.S. Treasury      2.88      05/15/2028        3,000,000        3,221,367  
U.S. Treasury      2.88      08/15/2028        3,000,000        3,223,827  
U.S. Treasury      3.13      11/15/2028        4,000,000        4,387,344  
U.S. Treasury      2.63      02/15/2029        5,000,000        5,272,655  

 

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

 

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Semiannual Report  •  2019      LOGO

 

Parnassus Fixed Income Fund

Portfolio of Investments as of June 30, 2019 (unaudited) (continued)

 

U.S. Government Treasury Bonds    Interest
Rate
     Maturity
Date
     Principal
Amount ($)
     Market
Value ($)
 
U.S. Treasury      3.50      02/15/2039        2,000,000        2,375,704  
U.S. Treasury      3.13      11/15/2041        2,000,000        2,238,438  
U.S. Treasury      3.00      08/15/2048        2,000,000        2,193,438  
U.S. Treasury      3.00      02/15/2049        4,000,000        4,393,124  
U.S. Treasury (TIPS)      0.63      07/15/2021        1,133,640        1,140,622  
U.S. Treasury (TIPS)      0.13      01/15/2022        1,128,870        1,121,773  
U.S. Treasury (TIPS)      0.38      07/15/2025        1,077,420        1,089,181  
U.S. Treasury (TIPS)      1.75      01/15/2028        1,219,610        1,367,065  
           

 

 

 
Total investment in U.S. government treasury bonds (40.5%)
(cost $85,344,255)
              89,456,885  
           

 

 

 
Total investment in long-term securities (92.0%)
(cost $195,220,080)
              203,318,664  
           

 

 

 
           
Short-Term Securities                                
Time Deposits (5.9%)            
BBH Cash Management Service            
BBVA, Madrid      1.76      07/01/2019        12,924,660        12,924,660  
           

 

 

 
U.S. Treasury Bill (1.3%)            
U.S. Treasury Bill      0.00      03/26/2020        3,000,000        2,947,358  
           

 

 

 
Securities Purchased with Cash Collateral from Securities Lending

 

Registered Investment Companies (1.2%)            
Invesco Aim Government & Agency Portfolio            
Short-Term Investments Trust, Institutional Class      2.31            2,625,225  
           

 

 

 
Total Short-Term Securities (8.4%)
(cost $18,497,243)
              18,497,243  
           

 

 

 
Total securities (100.4%)
(cost $213,717,323)
              221,815,907  
           

 

 

 
Payable upon return of securities loaned (-1.2%)               (2,625,225
           

 

 

 
Other assets and liabilities (0.8%)               1,655,030  
           

 

 

 
Total net assets (100.0%)               220,845,712  
           

 

 

 
           

l This security, or partial position of this security, was on loan at June 30, 2019. The total value of the securities on loan at June 30, 2019 was $2,573,688.

  

plc Public Limited Company

           

LP Limited Partnership

           

TIPS Treasury Inflation Protected Security

           

 

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

 

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LOGO      Semiannual Report  •  2019

 

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

 

    

Parnassus

Fund

   

Parnassus

Core Equity

Fund

 
Assets    

Investments in stocks and bonds, at market value
(cost $796,030,415, $12,100,695,221, $3,267,806,357, $2,985,622,582, $195,220,080)

  $ 941,659,494     $ 16,504,306,195  

Investments in short-term securities

   

(at cost which approximates market value)

    32,565,215       557,607,968  

Receivables

   

Investment securities sold

    -       39,394,601  

Dividends and interest

    1,069,908       13,860,636  

Capital shares sold

    112,060       15,012,394  

Other assets

    24       78,324  

Total assets

  $ 975,406,701     $ 17,130,260,118  
Liabilities    

Payable upon return of loaned securities

    7,225,925       -  

Payable for investment securities purchased

    15,983,780       91,535,043  

Capital shares redeemed

    4,995,557       18,353,633  

Distributions payable

    -       1,332,793  

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    235,301       2,036,873  

Total liabilities

  $ 28,440,563     $ 113,258,342  

Net assets

  $ 946,966,138     $ 17,017,001,776  
Net assets consist of    

Capital paid-in

    795,873,935       11,912,172,857  

Total Distributable Earnings

    151,092,203       5,104,828,919  

Total net assets

  $ 946,966,138     $ 17,017,001,776  
Net asset value and offering per share    

Net assets investor shares

  $ 782,732,598     $ 9,477,911,140  

Net assets institutional shares

  $ 164,233,540     $ 7,539,090,636  

Shares outstanding investor shares

    16,077,832       202,972,483  

Shares outstanding institutional shares

    3,373,391       161,223,498  

Net asset values and redemption price per share

   

(Net asset value divided by shares outstanding)

   

Investor shares

  $ 48.68     $ 46.70  

Institutional shares

  $ 48.69     $ 46.76  

 

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

 

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Parnassus

Endeavor

Fund

   

Parnassus

Mid Cap

Fund

   

Parnassus

Fixed Income

Fund

 
   

$

3,514,884,800

 

  $ 3,599,487,165     $ 203,318,664  
   
  485,737,948       179,048,908       18,497,243  
   
  -       58,575,195       -  
  2,164,186       4,873,676       1,522,837  
  1,652,875       3,634,798       817,716  
  60,966       7,418       22,909  
$ 4,004,500,775     $ 3,845,627,160     $ 224,179,369  
   
  -       -       2,625,225  
  -       70,148,326       -  
  10,132,964       3,433,927       605,364  
  -       -       19,750  
  790,087       375,004       83,318  
$ 10,923,051     $ 73,957,257     $ 3,333,657  
$ 3,993,577,724     $ 3,771,669,903     $ 220,845,712  
   
  3,811,297,585       3,092,608,582       216,225,141  
  182,280,139       679,061,321       4,620,571  
$ 3,993,577,724     $ 3,771,669,903     $ 220,845,712  
   
$ 2,938,941,147     $ 2,187,178,942     $ 160,124,729  
$ 1,054,636,577     $ 1,584,490,961     $ 60,720,983  
  86,045,257       62,232,043       9,466,382  
  30,821,400       44,985,766       3,590,433  
   
   
$ 34.16     $ 35.15     $ 16.92  
$ 34.22     $ 35.22     $ 16.91  

 

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

 

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LOGO      Semiannual Report  •  2019

 

Statement of Operations

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

 

    

Parnassus

Fund

   

Parnassus

Core Equity

Fund

 
Investment income    

Dividends

  $ 7,494,998     $ 123,845,255  

Interest

    205,727       5,113,444  

Securities lending

    18,341       4,461  

Foreign witholding tax

    (223,528     -  

Total investment income

  $ 7,495,538     $ 128,963,160  
Expenses    

Investment advisory fees

    2,848,168       47,250,478  

Transfer agent fees

   

Investor shares

    119,055       170,602  

Institutional shares

    4,725       23,069  

Fund administration

    147,014       2,579,527  

Service provider fees

    508,078       10,266,639  

Reports to shareholders

    32,534       490,986  

Registration fees and expenses

    32,998       133,846  

Custody fees

    7,136       180,191  

Professional fees

    35,463       143,204  

Trustee fees and expenses

    9,128       158,885  

Proxy voting fees

    2,825       2,825  

Pricing service fees

    2,367       2,867  

Other expenses

    6,566       96,581  

Total expenses

  $ 3,756,057     $ 61,499,700  

Fees waived by Parnassus Investments

    -       -  

Net expenses

  $ 3,756,057     $ 61,499,700  

Net investment gain

  $ 3,739,481     $ 67,463,460  
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments    

Net realized gain (loss) from securities transactions

    15,658,773       656,000,731  

Net change in unrealized appreciation of securities

    146,562,893       2,238,343,185  

Net realized and unrealized gain on securities

  $ 162,221,666     $ 2,894,343,916  

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 165,961,147     $ 2,961,807,376  

 

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

 

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Parnassus

Endeavor

Fund

   

Parnassus

Mid Cap

Fund

   

Parnassus
Fixed Income

Fund

 
   
$ 32,146,929     $ 24,456,051     $ 158,319  
  3,113,798       1,805,426       3,167,728  
  34,206       20,574       53,740  
  -       (300,941     -  
$ 35,294,933     $ 25,981,110     $ 3,379,787  
   
  13,681,395       11,844,714       524,147  
   
  95,125       77,800       31,868  
  5,205       3,758       1,504  
  653,593       529,042       33,539  
  3,624,329       2,176,363       143,605  
  205,658       144,630       12,556  
  175,894       88,634       18,690  
  51,945       33,905       5,034  
  83,705       41,058       14,799  
  40,866       30,193       2,362  
  2,825       2,825       -  
  2,367       2,367       4,091  
  30,472       18,048       2,036  
$ 18,653,379     $ 14,993,337     $ 794,231  
  (388,828     (46,902     (144,646
$ 18,264,551     $ 14,946,435     $ 649,585  
$ 17,030,382     $ 11,034,675     $ 2,730,202  
   
  52,312,487       45,201,525       (979,194
  599,378,451       579,532,881       13,728,325  
$ 651,690,938     $ 624,734,406     $ 12,749,131  
$ 668,721,320     $ 635,769,081     $ 15,479,333  

 

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

 

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LOGO      Semiannual Report  •  2019

 

Statement of Changes in Net Assets

June 30, 2019

 

     Parnassus Fund     Parnassus Core Equity Fund  
     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2019
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31, 2018
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2019
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31, 2018
 
Investment income from operations        

Net investment income

  $ 3,739,481     $ 10,906,462     $ 67,463,460     $ 178,494,981  

Net realized gain (loss) from securities transactions

    15,658,773       53,831,331       656,000,731       1,588,322,958  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of securities

    146,562,893       (156,193,008     2,238,343,185       (1,750,538,535

Increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 165,961,147     $ (91,455,215   $ 2,961,807,376     $ 16,279,404  
Net Dividends and Distributions (See Note 2)        

Investor shares

    -       (52,329,362     (33,215,832     (751,339,575

Institutional shares

    -       (11,463,287     (35,278,429     (606,448,984

Distributions to shareholders

  $ -     $ (63,792,649   $ (68,494,261   $ (1,357,788,559
Capital share transactions        

Investor shares

       

Proceeds from sale of shares

    27,580,647       76,605,377       653,815,412       1,107,726,803  

Reinvestment of dividends

    -       51,267,989       32,900,423       734,160,955  

Shares repurchased

    (66,436,091     (237,211,156     (976,758,976     (2,829,871,374

Institutional shares

       

Proceeds from sale of shares

    13,690,997       66,373,040       1,046,097,325       2,217,369,071  

Reinvestment of dividends

    -       10,799,556       32,717,355       576,463,190  

Shares repurchased

    (33,990,240     (58,103,444     (1,381,312,181     (1,863,347,571

Increase (decrease) in net assets from capital share transactions

    (59,154,687     (90,268,638     (592,540,642     (57,498,926

Increase (decrease) in net assets

  $ 106,806,460     $ (245,516,502   $ 2,300,772,473     $ (1,399,008,081
Net Assets        

Beginning of year

    840,159,678       1,085,676,180       14,716,229,303       16,115,237,384  

End of period

  $ 946,966,138     $ 840,159,678     $ 17,017,001,776     $ 14,716,229,303  

Undistributed net investment income (loss)

  $ 4,826,956     $ 1,088,615     $ (9,340,994   $ (4,764,260
Shares issued and redeemed        

Investor shares

       

Shares sold

    603,731       1,616,721       15,054,258       25,481,901  

Shares issued through dividend reinvestment

    -       1,180,329       728,415       17,864,692  

Shares repurchased

    (1,439,554     (5,010,239     (22,428,962     (65,047,143

Institutional shares

       

Shares sold

    304,200       1,416,961       23,897,180       50,410,117  

Shares issued through dividend reinvestment

    -       249,182       723,121       13,995,770  

Shares repurchased

    (742,288     (1,220,589     (30,955,041     (42,996,984

Net increase (decrease) in shares outstanding

       

Investor shares

    (835,823     (2,213,189     (6,646,289     (21,700,550

Institutional shares

    (438,088     445,554       (6,334,740     21,408,903  

 

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

 

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Semiannual Report  •  2019      LOGO

 

Parnassus Endeavor Fund     Parnassus Mid Cap Fund     Parnassus Fixed Income Fund  
Six Months Ended
June 30, 2019
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31, 2018
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2019
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31, 2018
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2019
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31, 2018
 
         
$ 17,030,382     $ 54,837,511     $ 11,034,675     $ 22,506,570     $ 2,730,202     $ 6,015,492  
  52,312,487       341,286,408       45,201,525       131,469,840       (979,194     (2,832,292

 

599,378,451

 

    (1,026,216,818     579,532,881       (356,075,692     13,728,325       (5,795,128

$

668,721,320

 

  $ (630,092,899   $ 635,769,081     $ (202,099,282   $ 15,479,333     $ (2,611,928
 

    

 

 

         
  -       (335,639,516     -       (66,852,851     (1,889,501     (4,489,888
  -       (117,521,066     -       (40,664,330     (764,297     (1,600,712
$ -     $ (453,160,582   $ -     $ (107,517,181   $ (2,653,798   $ (6,090,600
         
         
  315,099,295       1,063,025,072       321,963,556       542,007,343       20,485,870       35,061,756  
  -       329,640,217       -       64,318,952       1,853,762       4,399,117  
  (632,303,062     (2,010,698,864     (272,566,517     (680,722,531     (28,765,279     (57,606,760
         
  174,879,052       669,640,268       383,635,451       684,718,832       10,953,440       29,452,802  
  -       95,610,899       -       32,980,076       681,365       1,427,398  
  (230,459,658     (583,705,498     (123,045,747     (309,420,110     (12,695,156     (18,051,480

 

(372,784,373

    (436,487,906     309,986,743       333,882,562       (7,485,998     (5,317,167
$ 295,936,947     $ (1,519,741,387   $ 945,755,824     $ 24,266,099     $ 5,339,537     $ (14,019,695
         
  3,697,640,777       5,217,382,164       2,825,914,079       2,801,647,980       215,506,175       229,525,870  
$ 3,993,577,724     $ 3,697,640,777     $ 3,771,669,903     $ 2,825,914,079     $ 220,845,712     $ 215,506,175  
$ 31,853,593     $ -     $ 10,893,908     $ 199,242     $ 665,861     $ 257,049  
         
         
  9,454,952       28,522,389       9,877,420       16,884,215       1,246,242       2,180,458  
  -       10,407,109       -       2,130,749       112,526       275,012  
  (18,946,861     (55,976,806     (8,372,887     (21,312,825     (1,766,445     (3,592,125
         
  5,216,566       18,227,883       11,603,441       21,482,438       668,167       1,837,558  
  -       3,017,252       -       1,094,122       41,373       89,329  
  (6,903,707     (16,460,600     (3,744,586     (9,753,816     (781,074     (1,128,558
         
  (9,491,909     (17,047,308     1,504,533       (2,297,861     (407,677     (1,136,655
  (1,687,141     4,784,535       7,858,855       12,822,744       (71,534     798,329  

 

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

 

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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 five 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. 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.

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 broker service fees, 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.

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. Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are valued as determined by the pricing services based on methods which include standard inputs and cashflows, prepayment information, default rates, delinquency and loss assumptions, collateral characteristics, credit

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

enhancements and specific deal information. 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 0.30% 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 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 Funds, 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 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.

 

 

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At June 30, 2019, the following tables are a summary of the Funds’ securities lending agreements by counterparty, which are subject to offset under the agreement:

 

  Parnassus Fund          
      Counterparty    Securities Loaned at Value      Cash  Collateral
Received1
    Net
Amount
       
  Barclays Capital Inc.      7,058,877        (7,058,877     -    
 

Total

     7,058,877        (7,058,877     -    
  Parnassus Fixed Income Fund          
      Counterparty    Securities Loaned at Value      Cash Collateral
Received1
    Net
Amount
       
  Barclays Capital Inc.      1,149,546        (1,149,546     -    
  Barclays Capital Inc.      380,050        (380,050     -    
  Barclays Capital Inc.      1,044,092        (1,044,092     -    
 

Total

     2,573,688        (2,573,688     -    

1 Collateral value of $7,225,925 and $2,625,225 has been received in connection with securities lending agreements for Parnassus Fund and Parnassus Fixed Income 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 Funds’ financial statements.

 

As of June 30, 2019, the contractual maturity date is overnight and continuous for the gross obligation of the equity securities on loan in the Parnassus Fund in the amounts of $7,058,877 as well as the corporate securities on loan in the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund in the amount of $2,573,688.

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 Fund, Parnassus Core Equity Fund and Parnassus Endeavor Fund has entered into an agreement for fund investments through the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (“CDARS”) network. The CDARS network 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 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.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

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 Funds 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.

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, 2018, 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 2016 or state taxing authorities before 2015.

 

 

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Tax Matters and Distributions

At June 30, 2019, 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
     Parnassus
Mid Cap Fund
     Parnassus
Fixed Income Fund
       
  Cost of investment    $ 796,030,415      $ 12,100,695,221      $ 3,267,806,357      $ 2,985,622,582      $ 195,220,080    
  Gross unrealized appreciation    $ 177,438,708      $ 4,640,565,215      $ 481,042,386      $ 684,978,434      $ 8,202,352    
  Gross unrealized depreciation    $ 31,809,629      $ 236,954,241      $ 233,963,943      $ 71,113,851      $ 103,768    
  Net unrealized appreciation    $ 145,629,079      $ 4,403,610,974      $ 247,078,443      $ 613,864,583      $ 8,098,584    

 

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, 2018. 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.

6. Fair Value Measurements

The following table summarizes the portfolios’ financial assets as of June 30, 2019, that is valued at fair value on a recurring basis:

 

 

  Parnassus Fund              
      Investment Securities    Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total        
 

Equities:

             
 

Communication Services

   $ 62,318,054      $                   -      $ -      $ 62,318,054    
 

Consumer Discretionary

     53,485,817        -        -        53,485,817    
 

Consumer Staples

     68,114,661        -        -        68,114,661    
 

Financials

     89,222,039        -        -        89,222,039    
 

Health Care

     160,533,558        -        -        160,533,558    
 

Industrials

     110,166,765        -        -        110,166,765    
 

Information Technology

     286,802,921        -        -        286,802,921    
 

Materials

     60,466,303        -        -        60,466,303    
 

Real Estate

     50,549,376        -        -        50,549,376    
 

Short-Term Investments

     31,354,840        -        1,210,375        32,565,215    
 

Total

   $ 973,014,334      $ -      $ 1,210,375      $ 974,224,709    

 

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

Equities:

             
 

Communication Services

   $ 1,204,506,811      $                   -      $ -      $ 1,204,506,811    
 

Consumer Discretionary

     864,336,645        -        -        864,336,645    
 

Consumer Staples

     2,317,775,502        -        -        2,317,775,502    
 

Financials

     1,522,394,834        -        -        1,522,394,834    
 

Health Care

     2,232,959,023        -        -        2,232,959,023    
 

Industrials

     2,437,469,232        -        -        2,437,469,232    
 

Information Technology

     4,079,375,654        -        -        4,079,375,654    
 

Materials

     1,087,733,149        -        -        1,087,733,149    
 

Real Estate

     757,755,345        -        -        757,755,345    
 

Short-Term Investments

     546,899,009        -        10,708,959        557,607,968    
 

Total

   $ 17,051,205,204      $ -      $ 10,708,959      $ 17,061,914,163    
  Parnassus Endeavor Fund              
      Investment Securities    Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total        
 

Equities:

             
 

Communication Services

   $ 54,140,000      $ -      $ -      $ 54,140,000    
 

Consumer Discretionary

     328,539,000        -        -        328,539,000    
 

Financials

     285,857,500        -        -        285,857,500    
 

Health Care

     941,258,350        -        -        941,258,350    
 

Industrials

     217,756,150        -        -        217,756,150    
 

Information Technology

     1,687,333,800        -        -        1,687,333,800    
 

Short-Term Investments

     484,816,875        -        921,073        485,737,948    
 

Total

   $ 3,999,701,675      $ -      $ 921,073      $ 4,000,622,748    
  Parnassus Mid Cap Fund              
      Investment Securities    Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total        
 

Equities:

             
 

Communication Services

   $ 88,958,562      $ -      $ -      $ 88,958,562    
 

Consumer Discretionary

     336,892,379        -        -        336,892,379    
 

Consumer Staples

     356,385,760        -        -        356,385,760    
 

Financials

     328,724,053        -        -        328,724,053    
 

Health Care

     508,331,942        -        -        508,331,942    
 

Industrials

     698,509,505        -        -        698,509,505    
 

Information Technology

     707,182,148        -        -        707,182,148    
 

Materials

     168,468,035        -        -        168,468,035    
 

Real Estate

     305,541,258        -        -        305,541,258    
 

Utilities

     100,493,523        -        -        100,493,523    
 

Short-Term Investments

     178,321,723        -        727,185        179,048,908    
 

Total

   $ 3,777,808,888      $ -      $ 727,185      $ 3,778,536,073    

 

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  Parnassus Fixed Income Fund              
      Investment Securities    Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total        
 

Preferred Stock

   $ 5,063,602      $ -      $                   -      $ 5,063,602    
 

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

        1,557,903        -        1,557,903    
 

Corporate Bonds

     -        93,893,792        -        93,893,792    
 

Supranational Bonds

     -        13,346,482        -        13,346,482    
 

U.S. Government Treasury Bonds

     -        89,456,885        -        89,456,885    
 

Short-Term Investments

     15,549,885        2,947,358        -        18,497,243    
 

Total

   $ 20,613,487      $ 201,202,420      $ -      $ 221,815,907    

The following table reconciles the valuation of the Funds’ Level 3 investment securities and related transactions as of June 30, 2019:

 

          Parnassus Fund     Parnassus Core
Equity Fund
    Parnassus
Endeavor Fund
    Parnassus
Mid Cap
Fund
       
          Certificates of Deposit     Certificates of Deposit     Certificates of Deposit              
           Community
Development Loans
    Community
Development Loans
    Community
Development Loans
    Certificates of
Deposit
       
  Balance as of December 31, 2018   $ 1,234,533     $ 10,816,249     $ 942,149     $ 742,330    
  Discounts/premiums amortization     (24,158     (107,290     (21,076     (15,145  
  Purchases     1,150,000       10,000,000       950,000       750,000    
  Sales     (1,150,000     (10,000,000     (950,000     (750,000  
  Balance as of June 30, 2019   $ 1,210,375     $ 10,708,959     $ 921,073     $ 727,185    

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

Quantitative information about Level 3 fair value measurement:

 

           Fair Value at
June 30, 2019
    Valuation
Technique
  Unobservable Input   Range
(Weighted Average)
     
  Parnassus Fund          
  Certificates of Deposit   $ 730,537     Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability   4%  
  Community Development Loans   $ 479,838     Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability and Probability of Default   6%  
  Parnassus Core Equity Fund

 

       
  Certificates of Deposit   $ 2,438,724     Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability   4%  
  Community Development Loans   $ 8,270,235     Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability and Probability of Default   6%  

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

           Fair Value at
June 30, 2019
    Valuation
Technique
  Unobservable Input   Range
(Weighted Average)
     
  Parnassus Endeavor Fund          
  Certificates of Deposit   $ 730,017     Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability   4%  
  Community Development Loans   $ 191,056     Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability and Probability of Default   6%  
  Parnassus Mid Cap Fund          
  Certificates of Deposit   $ 727,185     Liquidity Discount   Discount for Lack of Marketability   4%  

 

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.

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.

8. Purchases and Sales of Securities

Purchases and proceeds from sales of securities, excluding short-term securities, for the six-month period ended June 30, 2019 were as follows:

 

 

      Fund    Affiliated
Purchases
     Unaffiliated
Purchases
     Affiliated
Sales
     Unaffiliated
Sales
       
  Parnassus Fund    $ -      $ 222,466,996      $ -      $ 268,015,797    
  Parnassus Core Equity Fund      -        3,356,267,063        -        4,217,414,162    
  Parnassus Endeavor Fund      -        1,172,937,800        -        1,970,928,638    
  Parnassus Mid Cap Fund      -        754,463,591        -        466,228,901    
  Parnassus Fixed Income Fund      -        71,712,490        -        94,057,729    

 

The above includes purchases and sales of U.S. Government securities in the amount of $59,861,250 and $11,036,094, 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

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

 

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. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2019, Parnassus Investments has contractually agreed to limit total operating expenses to 0.99% of the net assets of the Parnassus Fund – Investor Shares and to 0.71% of the net assets of the Parnassus Fund – Institutional Shares, 0.95% of net assets for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares and to 0.75% of net assets for the Parnassus Endeavor Fund Institutional Shares, 0.99% of net assets for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Investor Shares and to 0.77% of net assets for the Parnassus Mid Cap 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 six-month period ended June 30, 2019, Parnassus Investments has contractually agreed to limit total operating expenses to 0.87% of net assets of the Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Investor Shares and to 0.65% of net assets for the Parnassus

Core Equity Fund – Institutional Shares and 0.68% of net assets for the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares and to 0.48% 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 and Parnassus Mid Cap 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 at the following annual rates: 0.08% of the first $500,000,000, 0.07% of the next $500,000,000 and 0.03% of the amount above $1,000,000,000. The fund administration services fee was 0.02% of average net assets under this new agreement for the six-month period ended June 30, 2019.

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 – 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 Shares do not incur service provider fees.

 

 

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Financial Highlights

 

Selected data for each share of capital stock outstanding, total return and ratios/supplement data for the six-month period ended June 30, 2019 and each of the five years ended December 31 are as follows:

 

For a Share
Outstanding
for the Period
Ended
  Net Asset
Value
Beginning
of Year
    Net  Investment
Income(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
    Total
Dividends and
Distributions
 
Parnassus Fund – Investor Shares

 

Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

    $40.54       $0.18       $7.96       $8.14       $-               $-       $-  

2018

    48.27       0.50       (5.01     (4.51     (0.54             (2.68     (3.22

2017

    44.97       0.46       6.68       7.14       (0.45             (3.39     (3.84

2016

    40.46       0.37       5.06       5.43       (0.36             (0.56     (0.92

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
Parnassus Fund – Institutional Shares

 

Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

    40.52       0.21       7.96       8.17       -               -       -  

2018

    48.25       0.58       (5.02     (4.44     (0.61             (2.68     (3.29

2017

    44.95       0.54       6.67       7.21       (0.52             (3.39     (3.91

2016

    40.45       0.43       5.06       5.49       (0.43             (0.56     (0.99

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

 

Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

    38.99       0.16       7.71       7.87       (0.16             -       (0.16

2018

    42.67       0.45       (0.38     0.07       (0.44             (3.31     (3.75

2017

    39.29       0.45       5.98       6.43       (0.55             (2.50     (3.05

2016

    36.97       0.39       3.42       3.81       (0.40             (1.09     (1.49

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
Parnassus Core Equity Fund – Institutional Shares

 

Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

    39.05       0.21       7.71       7.92       (0.21             -       (0.21

2018

    42.73       0.55       (0.37     0.18       (0.55             (3.31     (3.86

2017

    39.35       0.55       5.98       6.53       (0.65             (2.50     (3.15

2016

    37.03       0.48       3.41       3.89       (0.48             (1.09     (1.57

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
Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares

 

Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

    28.87       0.13       5.16       5.29       -               -       -  

2018

    37.18       0.38       (5.13     (4.75     (0.52             (3.04     (3.56

2017

    32.99       0.34       6.20       6.54       (0.77             (1.58     (2.35

2016

    28.07       0.19       5.80       5.99       (0.32             (0.75     (1.07

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

 

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Net Asset
Value
End of
Period
    Total
Overall
Return
    Net Assets
End of
Period
(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
to Average Net
Assets
    Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
     

 

$48.68

 

    20.08     $782,732       0.84     0.84     0.78     24.74
  40.54       (9.73     685,715       0.85       0.85       1.06       47.26  
  48.27       16.08       923,262       0.84       0.84       0.96       37.45  
  44.97       13.46       775,818       0.86       0.86       0.90       41.70  
  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  
     

 

48.69

 

    20.16       164,234       0.68       0.68       0.94       24.74  
  40.52       (9.57     154,445       0.69       0.69       1.21       47.26  
  48.25       16.25       162,414       0.69       0.69       1.11       37.45  
  44.95       13.59       78,313       0.71       0.71       1.04       41.70  

 

40.45

 

    (2.37 )(e)      45,941       0.70 (f)      0.70 (f)      0.90 (f)      42.95 (e) 
     

 

46.70

 

    20.21       9,477,911       0.86       0.86       0.73       21.31  
  38.99       (0.18     8,172,571       0.87       0.87       1.03       31.43  
  42.67       16.58       9,870,059       0.87       0.87       1.09       24.52  
  39.29       10.41       10,200,768       0.87       0.87       1.03       22.89  
  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  
   

 

46.76

 

    20.31       7,539,091       0.63       0.63       0.96       21.31  
  39.05       0.05       6,543,658       0.63       0.63       1.24       31.43  
  42.73       16.81       6,245,179       0.64       0.64       1.31       24.52  
  39.35       10.61       4,597,160       0.66       0.66       1.25       22.89  
  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  
   

 

34.16

 

    18.32       2,938,941       0.98       0.95       0.77       31.60  
  28.87       (13.49     2,758,361       0.95       0.95       1.04       70.96  
  37.18       19.81       4,185,857       0.92       0.92       0.94       43.21  
  32.99       21.42       2,507,515       0.97       0.95       0.64       34.08  
  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  

 

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Financial Highlights (continued)

 

For a Share
Outstanding
for the Period
Ended
  Net Asset
Value
Beginning
of Year
    Net  Investment
Income(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
    Total
Dividends and
Distributions
 
Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares

 

Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

    $28.89       $0.17       $5.16       $5.33       $-       $-       $-  

2018

    37.21       0.46       (5.13     (4.67     (0.61     (3.04     (3.65

2017

    33.01       0.41       6.21       6.62       (0.84     (1.58     (2.42

2016

    28.06       0.24       5.83       6.07       (0.37     (0.75     (1.12

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

 

Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

    28.86       0.09       6.20       6.29       -       -       -  

2018

    32.07       0.23       (2.32     (2.09     (0.22     (0.90     (1.12

2017

    28.87       0.26       4.29       4.55       (0.48     (0.87     (1.35

2016

    25.56       0.21       3.90       4.11       (0.11     (0.69     (0.80

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
Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares

 

Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

    28.90       0.13       6.19       6.32       -       -       -  

2018

    32.11       0.31       (2.33     (2.02     (0.29     (0.90     (1.19

2017

    28.90       0.34       4.29       4.63       (0.55     (0.87     (1.42

2016

    25.57       0.27       3.89       4.16       (0.14     (0.69     (0.83

For the period ended December 31, 2015(d)

    27.58       0.20       (0.52     (0.32     (0.23     (1.46     (1.69
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Investor Shares

 

Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

    15.92       0.20       1.00       1.20       (0.20     -       (0.20

2018

    16.54       0.42       (0.61     (0.19     (0.43     -       (0.43

2017

    16.42       0.37       0.14       0.51       (0.39     -       (0.39

2016

    16.44       0.34       0.06       0.40       (0.36     (0.06     (0.42

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
Parnassus Fixed Income Fund – Institutional Shares

 

Six-Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

    15.92       0.22       0.99       1.21       (0.22     -       (0.22

2018

    16.54       0.46       (0.61     (0.15     (0.47     -       (0.47

2017

    16.41       0.41       0.14       0.55       (0.42     -       (0.42

2016

    16.44       0.38       0.04       0.42       (0.39     (0.06     (0.45

For the period ended December 31, 2015(d)

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

 

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Net Asset
Value
End of
Period
    Total
Overall
Return
    Net Assets
End of
Period
(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
to Average Net
Assets
    Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
   

 

$34.22

 

    18.45     $1,054,637       0.71     0.71     1.01     31.60
  28.89       (13.25     939,280       0.72       0.72       1.25       70.96  
  37.21       20.03       1,031,525       0.72       0.72       1.12       43.21  
  33.01       21.68       295,317       0.74       0.74       0.80       34.08  

 

28.06

 

    (0.22 )(e)      46,806       0.75 (f)      0.75 (f)      0.80 (f)      42.60 (e) 
   

 

35.15

 

    21.80       2,187,179       0.99       0.99       0.57       14.85  
  28.86       (6.64     1,752,821       1.02       0.99       0.71       31.52  
  32.07       15.79       2,021,276       1.01       0.99       0.83       33.27  
  28.87       16.07       1,490,587       1.01       0.99       0.75       18.81  
  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  
 

 

35.22

 

    21.87       1,584,491       0.76       0.76       0.81       14.85  
  28.90       (6.39     1,073,093       0.75       0.75       0.95       31.52  
  32.11       16.04       780,372       0.75       0.75       1.09       33.27  
  28.90       16.28       285,182       0.80       0.80       0.95       18.81  
 
    
25.57

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

 

16.92

 

    7.58       160,125       0.86       0.68       2.53       35.50  
  15.92       (1.12     157,213       0.86       0.68       2.64       46.43  
  16.54       3.10       182,161       0.82       0.68       2.25       38.48  
  16.42       2.42       193,440       0.80       0.68       2.04       39.47  
  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  
   

 

16.91

 

    7.64       60,721       0.45       0.45       2.75       35.50  
  15.92       (0.89     58,293       0.45       0.45       2.90       46.43  
  16.54       3.37       47,365       0.47       0.47       2.46       38.48  
  16.41       2.55       20,733       0.49       0.49       2.22       39.47  
 
    
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 Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Investor Shares, 0.99% for the Parnassus Mid Cap 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 0.75% for Parnassus Endeavor Fund – Institutional Shares, 0.77% for the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund – Institutional Shares and 0.48% 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 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.

 

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Additional Information (unaudited)

Board of Trustees Consideration of Investment Advisory Agreements

 

Section 15(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) requires that the Board of Trustees (the “Trustees”) of the Parnassus Funds trust and the Parnassus Income Funds trust (the “Trusts”) which collectively are known as the Parnassus Funds (the “Funds”), meet in person to review and consider the continuation of any investment advisory agreement. In this regard, the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trusts, as defined in the 1940 Act, (the “Independent Trustees”) met in person on March 27, 2019 and reviewed and re-approved the Trusts’ investment advisory agreements with Parnassus Investments. The Independent Trustees were provided with relevant information by Parnassus Investments, as described below, and were assisted in their evaluation of the investment advisory agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received assistance and advice, including a written memorandum, regarding the legal standards applicable to the consideration of advisory arrangements and with whom they met separately from Parnassus Investments’ management. In addition, the Trustees consider matters bearing on the management of the Funds and other arrangements at regular meetings throughout the year, including reviews of investment results and performance data at each regular meeting and periodic presentations from Parnassus Investments. Prior to approving the continuation of the investment advisory agreements, the Independent Trustees considered:

 

   

the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by Parnassus Investments;

 

   

the degree to which the Parnassus Fund, the Parnassus Core Equity Fund, the Parnassus Endeavor Fund, the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund and the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund are being managed in accordance with each Fund’s stated investment objective;

 

   

the investment performance of the each of the Funds;

 

   

the cost of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by Parnassus Investments from its relationship with each of the Funds;

 

   

the extent to which economies of scale would be realized as each of the Funds grew and whether fee levels reflect these economies of scale;

 

   

the expense ratio of each of the Funds; and

 

   

the manner in which portfolio transactions for the Funds are conducted, including the use of soft dollars.

In considering the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by Parnassus Investments, the Independent Trustees reviewed written and oral reports prepared by Parnassus Investments describing the portfolio management, shareholder communication and servicing, prospective shareholder assistance and regulatory compliance services provided by Parnassus Investments to the Funds. The Independent Trustees also considered a written report prepared by Broadridge, an independent provider of investment company data, comparing aspects of the portfolio management services provided by Parnassus Investments to similar services provided to a universe of comparable mutual funds (“Universe”). The Independent Trustees considered the experience of senior management and the qualifications, tenure, background and responsibilities of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Funds. The Independent Trustees evaluated the ability of Parnassus Investments, based on its financial condition, resources, reputation and other attributes to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Independent Trustees further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Parnassus Investments. In addition, the Independent Trustees took into account the administrative services provided to the Funds by Parnassus Investments. The Independent Trustees concluded that Parnassus Investments was providing essential services to the Funds.

The Independent Trustees compared the performance of each of the Funds to benchmark indices over various periods of time ending December 31, 2018 and to the Universe of comparable mutual funds as determined by Broadridge. The Independent Trustees noted that the performance for the Parnassus Fund performance was below the median performance of the Universe for the one-, two-, three- and four- year periods, and was above the median for the five- and ten- year periods. The Parnassus Endeavor Fund’s performance was above the median of the Universe for all time periods under review except for the one- and two- year periods. The performance of the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund was above the median of the Universe for all time periods under review except for the two- year period.

 

 

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Additional Information (unaudited) (continued)

Board of Trustees Consideration of Investment Advisory Agreements (continued)

 

The Parnassus Core Income Fund’s performance was above the median of the Universe for all time under review. The Independent Trustees further noted that the performance of the Parnassus Fixed Income Fund was below the median performance of the Universe for all time periods. The Independent Trustees concluded that the overall performance of the Funds warranted the continuation of the investment advisory agreements.

In concluding that the advisory fees payable by each of the Funds were reasonable, the Independent Trustees reviewed a report of the costs of services provided, and the profits realized, by Parnassus Investments from its relationship with each Fund, and concluded that such profits were reasonable and not excessive when compared to profitability guidelines set forth in relevant court cases. The Independent Trustees also reviewed reports comparing each Fund’s expense ratio and the advisory fees paid by each Fund to that of the applicable Universe and concluded that the advisory fee paid by each Fund and each Fund’s expense ratio was within the range of its respective Universe. The Independent Trustees noted that the Funds’ advisory fees were below the median for Parnassus Fund, Parnassus Core Equity Fund and Parnassus Fixed Income, equal to the median for Parnassus Endeavor Fund and Parnassus Mid Cap Fund. The Independent Trustees noted that the investment advisory fee for each Fund contained a number of breakpoints in an effort to reflect economies of scale that might be realized as each Fund grew. The Independent Trustees also noted that actual or potential economies of scale will be reasonably shared with the Fund shareholders through these breakpoints, fee waivers and expense reimbursement arrangements applicable to the Funds.

The Independent Trustees reviewed reports discussing the manner in which portfolio transactions for the Funds were conducted, including the use of soft dollars. Based on these reports, the Independent

Trustees concluded that the research obtained by Parnassus Investments was beneficial to the Funds and that Parnassus Investments was executing each Fund’s portfolio transactions in a manner designed to obtain best execution for the Funds.

Based on their careful consideration of the information and factors described above, the Independent Trustees concluded that the approval of the continuation of the investment advisory agreements for the Trusts was in the best interest of the Funds and their shareholders. The Independent Trustees unanimously approved the continuation of the investment advisory agreements for an additional one-year period.

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.

 

 

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Investment Adviser

Parnassus Investments

1 Market Street, Suite 1600

San Francisco, CA 94105

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Deloitte and Touche LLP

555 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

Legal Counsel

Foley and Lardner LLP

777 E. Wisconsin Ave.

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Distributor

Parnassus Funds Distributor, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, ME 04101

 

LOGO

       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.

 

 

LOGO

1 Market Street, Suite 1600 San Francisco, CA 94105^(800)  999-3505^www.parnassus.com


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Item 2: Code of Ethics

Not applicable for semi-annual reports. The information required by this Item is only required in an annual report on Form N-CSR.

Item 3: Audit Committee Financial Expert

Not applicable for semi-annual reports. The information required by this Item is only required in an annual report on Form N-CSR.

Item 4: Principal Accountant Fees and Services

Not applicable for semi-annual reports. The information required by this Item is only required in an annual report on Form N-CSR.

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 – Not applicable for semi-annual reports.

(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.


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Date: August 9, 2019    

By: /s/ Benjamin E. Allen

    Benjamin E. Allen
    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: August 9, 2019    
   

By: /s/ Benjamin E. Allen

    Benjamin E. Allen
    President
Date: August 9, 2019    
   

By: /s/ Marc C. Mahon

    Marc C. Mahon
    Treasurer