-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: keymaster@town.hall.org Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFkwCgYEVQgBAQICAgADSwAwSAJBALeWW4xDV4i7+b6+UyPn5RtObb1cJ7VkACDq pKb9/DClgTKIm08lCfoilvi9Wl4SODbR1+1waHhiGmeZO8OdgLUCAwEAAQ== MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, Wdcv7lHnOINfkC6lSrF9COzJlGVxJiWqfDuBjs6Bcf7epWl3Qr/yTFVn1skCyKkK JUTHfCG8Jro8JD/JnbckGw== 0000075170-94-000009.txt : 19940519 0000075170-94-000009.hdr.sgml : 19940519 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000075170-94-000009 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 497 PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 FILED AS OF DATE: 19940518 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: PRICE T ROWE OTC FUND INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000075170 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: 0000 IRS NUMBER: 231622210 STATE OF INCORPORATION: PA FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 497 SEC ACT: 1933 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 002-12171 FILM NUMBER: 94529204 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 100 EAST PRATT ST STREET 2: C/O T ROWE PRICE ASSOCIATES INC CITY: BALTIMORE STATE: MD ZIP: 21202 BUSINESS PHONE: 2156432510 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 100 EAST PRATT STRE STREET 2: NULL CITY: BALTIMORE STATE: MD ZIP: 21202 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: OVER THE COUNTER SECURITIES GROUP INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19920703 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: OVER THE COUNTER SECURITIES FUND INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19890108 497 1 OTC 94 497 FILING PAGE 1 OTC FUND PROSPECTUS MAY 1, 1994 T. ROWE PRICE OTC FUND, INC. Investment Summary The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital through investments in securities traded in the U.S. over-the-counter ("OTC") market. The Fund will invest primarily in securities of smaller growth and value-oriented companies. T. Rowe Price 100% No Load. This Fund has no sales charges, no redemption fees, and no 12b-1 fees. 100% of your investment is credited to your account. Services. T. Rowe Price provides easy access to your money through bank wires or telephone redemptions and offers easy exchange to other T. Rowe Price Funds. T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price) was founded in 1937 by the late Thomas Rowe Price, Jr. As of December 31, 1993, the firm and its affiliates managed over $50 billion for approximately three million individual and institutional investor accounts. This prospectus contains information you should know about the Fund before you invest. Please keep it for future reference. A Statement of Additional Information for the Fund (dated May 1, 1994) has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated by reference in this prospectus. It is available at no charge by calling: 1-800-638-5660. THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION, NOR HAS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION, PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. TABLE OF CONTENTS Fund Information Investment Objective and Program 2 Summary of Fund Fees and Expenses 3 Financial Highlights 4 Investing in Small-Cap Stocks 4 Investment Policies 4 Performance Information 7 Capital Stock 7 NAV, Pricing, and Effective Date 9 Receiving Your Proceeds 9 Dividends and Distributions 10 Taxes 10 Management of the Fund 11 Expenses and Management Fee 11 How to Invest Shareholder Services 12 Conditions of Your Purchase 13 Completing the New Account Form 14 Opening a New Account 15 Purchasing Additional Shares 15 Exchanging and Redeeming Shares 16 INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND PROGRAM The Fund's investment objective is long-term growth of capital through investments in securities traded in the U.S. OTC market, primarily common stocks of small to medium-sized companies. The Fund's share price will fluctuate with changing market conditions, and your investment may be worth more or less when redeemed than when purchased. The Fund should not be relied upon as a complete investment program, nor used to play short-term swings in the stock market. In addition, stocks of small companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. The Fund cannot guarantee it will achieve its investment objective. The Fund expects, under normal conditions, to invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity and equity-related securities traded in the U.S. OTC market. OTC securities are typically not listed for trading on any national exchange. The Fund will invest its assets primarily in securities of smaller companies which are believed to offer either superior earnings growth or appear undervalued based on cash flow, book value or assets per share. Up to 20% of the Fund's assets may be invested in exchange listed- equity securities. Current dividend or interest income is not a prerequisite in the selection of portfolio securities. The Fund's holdings will be widely diversified by industry and company. Under most circumstances, the Fund's average holding will be less than 1.5% of its net assets. INVESTING IN EQUITY SECURITIES TRADED IN THE U.S. OTC MARKET. Investors should realize that the very nature of investing in small companies involves greater risk than is customarily associated with more established companies. The Fund is designed for long-term investors who are willing to accept greater investment risks in search of substantial long-term rewards. Small companies often have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, and they may be dependent upon a small group of inexperienced managers. The securities of small companies may have limited- marketability and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger companies or the market averages in general. In addition, certain smaller OTC securities in which the Fund invests may be less liquid than exchange-traded securities. However, small companies may offer greater opportunities for capital appreciation than larger, more established companies. In addition, small companies are often overlooked by the investment community. Therefore, these securities may be undervalued and provide the potential for significant capital appreciation. The Fund's manager, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price), will rely on its proprietary research to identify attractive small company stocks before their value is recognized by the investment community. It is anticipated the Fund will invest in both growth and value-oriented companies. When reviewing investments in small growth companies, T. Rowe Price will consider the following characteristics: capable management, attractive business niches, pricing flexibility, sound financial and accounting practices, and a demonstrated capability to grow revenues, earnings and cash flow in a consistent manner. Stocks will be selected when T. Rowe Price believes: (1) the current stock price is undervalued based on a low price to earnings ratio, projected cash flow or asset value per share; or (2) the price to earnings ratio is attractive relative to the security's underlying earnings growth rate; and (3) the potential for some catalyst exists (such as increased investor attention, asset sales or a change in management) which will cause the stock's price to increase to reflect the company's underlying value. Although the Fund will invest primarily in U.S. common stocks, it may also purchase other types of securities, for example, foreign securities, convertible securities and warrants, when considered consistent with the Fund's investment objective and program. The Fund may also engage in a variety of investment management practices, such as buying and selling futures and options. Please see Investment Policies for a more complete description of these and other permissible Fund investments. SUMMARY OF FUND FEES AND EXPENSES The Fund is 100% no-load...you pay no fees to purchase, exchange or redeem shares, nor any ongoing marketing (12b-1) expenses. Lower expenses benefit you by increasing your investment return from the Fund. Shown below are all expenses and fees the Fund incurred during its fiscal year. Where applicable, expenses were restated to reflect current fees. Expenses are expressed as a percent of average Fund net assets. More information about these expenses may be found below and under Expenses and Management Fee and in the Statement of Additional Information under Management Fee and Limitation on Fund Expenses. Shareholder Transaction Expenses Annual Fund Expenses Sales load "charge" on purchases None Management fee 0.80% Sales load "charge" on reinvested Total other (Shareholder dividends None servicing, custodial, Redemption fees None auditing, etc.) 0.40% Exchange fees None Distribution fees (12b-1) None Total Fund Expenses 1.20% The Fund charges a $5.00 fee for wire redemptions under $5,000, subject to change without notice. EXAMPLE OF FUND EXPENSES. The following example illustrates the expenses you would incur on a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5% annual rate of return and redemption at the end of each period shown. For example, expenses for the first year in the Fund would be $12. This is an illustration only. Actual expenses and performance may be more or less than shown. 1 Year-$12 3 Years-$38 5 Years-$66 10 Years-$145 Management Fee. The Fund pays T. Rowe Price an investment management fee consisting of a flat Individual Fund Fee of 0.45% of the Fund's net assets and a Group Fee, defined on page 11 under Expenses and Management Fee, of 0.35% as of December 31, 1993. Thus, the total combined management fee for the Fund would be 0.80% of net assets. Because the investment program of the Fund is more costly to implement and maintain, the total combined management fee is higher than that paid by many other investment companies. Transfer Agent, Shareholder Servicing, and Administrative Costs. The Fund paid fees to: (i) T. Rowe Price Services, Inc. (TRP Services) for transfer and dividend disbursing agent functions and shareholder services for all accounts; (ii) T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. for subaccounting and recordkeeping services for certain retirement accounts; and (iii) T. Rowe Price for calculating the daily share price and maintaining the portfolio and general accounting records of the Fund. These fees totaled approximately $350,000, $200, and $85,000, respectively. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS The following table provides information about the Fund's financial history. It is based on a single share outstanding throughout each fiscal year (which ends on the last day of December). The table is part of the Fund's financial statements which are included in the Fund's annual report and incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information, which is available to shareholders. The financial highlights for the years ended December 31, 1992 and 1993, presented below, is included in financial statements audited by the Fund's independent accountants, Coopers & Lybrand, whose reports thereon were unqualified. The information presented below for the years 1984-1991 has been examined by Sanville & Company, independent accountants, whose respective reports thereon were unqualified.
Investment Activities Distributions End of Period Net Total Ratio of Realized Total Return Ratio of Net In- Net and Un- from Net (Includes Expenses vestment Port- Asset Net realized Invest- Net Asset Rein- to Income folio Year Value, Invest- Gain(Loss) ment Invest- Net Total Value, vested Net Average to Avg. Turn- Ended, Beginning ment on Invest- Activi- ment Realized Distri- End of Divi- Assets Net Net over Dec. 31 of Period Income ments ties Income Gain butions Period dends) ($000s) Assets Assets Rate 1984 $16.81 $.16 $(.56) $(.40) $(.10) $(1.38) $(1.48) $14.93 (2.6)% $84,340 1.28% 1.07 % 21.6% 1985 14.93 .14 4.895 5.035 (.15) (1.135) (1.285) 18.68 35.4% 147,535 1.25% 0.75 % 31.2% 1986 18.68 .20 .79 .99 (.06) (2.57) (2.63) 17.04 4.7% 247,676 0.85% 0.95 % 30.7% 1987 17.04 .15 (2.17) (2.02) (.32) (1.51) (1.83) 13.19 (12.5)% 212,319 1.00% 0.80 % 49.0% 1988 13.19 .11 3.47 3.58 (.13) (2.50) (2.63) 14.14 (27.2)% 292,104 1.55% 0.69 % 27.2% 1989 14.14 .09 2.61 2.70 (.13) (0.48) (0.61) 16.23 19.1% 315,939 1.45% 0.63 % 33.1% 1990 16.23 .11 (3.43) (3.32) (.09) (0.10) (0.19) 12.72 (20.5)% 215,299 1.47% 0.73 % 34.8% 1991 12.72 .07 4.84 4.91 (.09) (0.68) (0.77) 16.86 38.6% 266,584 1.34% 0.48 % 31.2% 1992 16.86 .02 2.20 2.22 (.07) (4.64) (4.71) 14.37 13.9% 186,838 1.32% 0.03 % 30.7% 1993 14.37 - 2.60 2.60 - (1.58) (1.58) 15.39 18.4% 204,609 1.20% (0.01)% 40.8% Return of capital distribution.
INVESTING IN SMALL-CAP STOCKS Common stocks of large and small companies offer a way to invest for long-term growth of capital. As the U.S. economy has expanded, corporate profits have grown, and share values have risen. Small companies often grow faster than large and can generate greater earnings increases. Prices of small-company shares have risen over time, but this rise has been punctuated by periodic declines. As with large stocks, prices of even the best managed, most profitable small companies are subject to market risk, which means they can fluctuate widely. In the short run, small-company stocks tend to be more volatile than large for a number of reasons relating to their marketplace and their business environment. In addition, swings in investor psychology and/or significant trading by large institutional investors can result in price fluctuations. For this reason, investors in these stocks should have a long-term horizon and be willing to wait out bear markets. INVESTMENT POLICIES This section takes a detailed look at some of the types of securities the Fund may hold in its portfolio and the various kinds of investment practices that may be used in day-to-day portfolio management. The Fund's investment program is subject to further restrictions and risks described in the Statement of Additional Information. Shareholder approval is required to substantively change the Fund's objective and certain investment restrictions noted in the following section as "fundamental policies." The managers also follow certain "operating policies" which can be changed without shareholder approval. However, significant changes are discussed with shareholders in Fund reports. Types of Portfolio Securities FUND MANAGERS HAVE CONSIDERABLE LEEWAY IN CHOOSING INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND SELECTING SECURITIES THEY BELIEVE WILL HELP THE FUND ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVE. In seeking to meet its investment objective, the Fund may invest in any type of security whose investment characteristics are consistent with the Fund's investment program. These and some of the other investment techniques the Fund may use are described in the following pages. Fundamental Policy. The Fund will not purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of its total assets, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in securities of the issuer or more than 10% of the voting securities of the issuer would be held by the Fund. Common and Preferred Stocks. Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and ranks after bonds and before common stocks in its claim on income for dividend payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro rata basis; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually- reflected in a company's stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, the Fund may purchase preferred stock where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential. Convertible Securities and Warrants. The Fund may invest in debt or preferred equity securities convertible into or exchangeable for equity securities. Traditionally, convertible securities have paid dividends or interest at rates higher than common stocks but lower than non-convertible securities. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree. In recent years, convertibles have been developed which combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price any time during the life of the warrants (generally, two or mor e years). Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest in foreign securities. These include non-dollar denominated securities traded outside of the U.S. and dollar denominated securities traded in the U.S. (such as ADRs). Such investments increase a portfolio's diversification and may enhance return, but they also involve some special risks such as exposure to potentially adverse local political and economic developments; nationalization and exchange controls; potentially lower liquidity and higher volatility; possible problems arising from accounting, disclosure, settlement, and regulatory practices that differ from U.S. standards; and the chance that fluctuations in foreign exchange rates will decrease the investment's value (favorable changes can increase its value). Operating Policy. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in foreign securities. Fixed Income Securities. The Fund may invest in debt securities of any type without regard to quality or rating. Such securities would be purchased in companies which meet the investment criteria for the Fund. The price of a bond fluctuates with changes in interest rates, rising when interest rates fall and falling when interest rates rise. High Yield/High Risk Investing. The total return and yield of lower quality (high yield/high risk) bonds, commonly referred to as junk bonds, can be expected to fluctuate more than the total return and yield of higher quality, shorter-term bonds, but not as much as common stocks. Junk bonds are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Operating Policy. The Fund will not purchase a non-investment grade debt security (or junk bond) if immediately after such purchase the Fund would have more than 10% of its total assets invested in such securities. Hybrid Instruments. These instruments can combine the characteristics of securities, futures and options. For example, the principal amount, redemption or conversion terms of a security could be related to the market price of some commodity, currency or securities index. Such securities may bear interest or pay dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of such an investment could be zero. Hybrids can have volatile prices and limited liquidity and their use by the Fund may not be successful. Operating Policy. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in hybrid instruments. Private Placements (Restricted Securities). These securities are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered with the SEC. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold, for example, under Rule 144A, the sale of others may involve substantial delays and additional costs. Operating Policy. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Types of Management Practices Cash Position. The Fund will hold a certain portion of its assets in money market securities, including repurchase agreements, in the two highest rating categories, maturing in one year or less. For temporary, defensive purposes, the Fund may invest without limitation in such securities. This reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, expenses, and the timing of new investments, and serves as a short-term defense during periods of unusual market volatility. Borrowing Money and Transferring Assets. The Fund can borrow money from banks as a temporary measure for emergency purposes, to facilitate redemption requests, or for other purposes consistent with the Fund's investment objective and program. Such borrowings may be collateralized with Fund assets, subject to restrictions. Fundamental Policy. Borrowings may not exceed 33 1/3% of total Fund assets. Operating Policies. The Fund may not transfer as collateral any portfolio securities except as necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments, and then such transfers may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund's total assets. The Fund may not purchase additional securities when borrowings exceed 5% of total assets. Futures and Options. Futures are often used to manage risk, because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed upon price. Options give the investor the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price in the future. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts (and options on such contracts) to manage its exposure to changes in securities prices and foreign currencies and as an efficient means of adjusting its overall exposure to certain markets. The Fund may purchase, sell, or write call and put options on securities, financial indices, and foreign currencies. Futures contracts and options may not always be successful hedges; their prices can be highly volatile; using them could lower the Fund's total return; and the potential loss from the use of futures can exceed the Fund's initial investment in such contracts. Operating Policies. Futures: Initial margin deposits and premiums on options used for non-hedging purposes will not equal more than 5% of the Fund's net asset value. Options on securities: The total market value of securities against which the Fund has written call or put options may not exceed 25% of its total assets. The Fund will not commit more than 5% of its total assets to premiums when purchasing call or put options. Managing Foreign Currency Risk. Investors in foreign securities may "hedge" their exposure to potentially unfavorable currency changes by purchasing a contract to exchange one currency for another on some future date at a specified exchange rate. In certain circumstances, a "proxy currency" may be substituted for the currency in which the investment is denominated, a strategy known as "proxy hedging." Although foreign currency transactions will be used primarily to protect the Fund's foreign securities from adverse currency movements relative to the dollar, they involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not occur and the Fund's total return could be reduced. Lending of Portfolio Securities. Like other mutual funds, the Fund may lend securities to broker-dealers, other institutions, or other persons to earn additional income. The principal risk is the potential insolvency of the broker-dealer or other borrower. In this event, the Fund could experience delays in recovering its securities and possibly capital losses. Fundamental Policy. The value of loaned securities may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund's total assets. Portfolio Transactions. The Fund will not generally trade in securities for short-term profits but, when circumstances warrant, securities may be purchased and sold without regard to the length of time held. The Fund's portfolio turnover rates for the years 1993, 1992, and 1991 were 40.8%, 30.7%, and 31.2%, respectively. PERFORMANCE INFORMATION Total Return. The Fund may advertise total return figures on both a cumulative and compound average annual basis and compare them to various indices (e.g., the S&P 500), other mutual funds or other performance measures. (The total return of the Fund consists of the change in its net asset value per share and the net income it earns.) Cumulative total return compares the amount invested at the beginning of a period with the amount redeemed at the end of the period, assuming the reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions. The compound average annual total return indicates a yearly compound average of the Fund's performance, derived from the cumulative total return. The annual compound rate of return for the Fund may vary from any average. Further information about the Fund's performance is contained in its annual report which is available free of charge. On September 2, 1992, T. Rowe Price became investment manager to the OTC Fund. All performance data prior to September 2, 1992, is the result of other investment managers. Prior to this date, the Fund had a sales load which is not included in the performance data, but if deducted, the Fund's total return would have been lower. CAPITAL STOCK The Fund was originally incorporated in Delaware in 1955 and was the first mutual fund to invest principally in equity securities traded in the OTC market. The Fund was reincorporated in Pennsylvania in 1985 and was reorganized as a series of a Maryland corporation in 1988. The Fund is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as a diversified, open-end investment company, commonly known as a "mutual fund." A mutual fund, such as the Fund, enables shareholders to: (1) obtain professional management of investments, including T. Rowe Price's proprietary research; (2) diversify their portfolio to a greater degree than would be generally possible if they were investing as individuals and thereby reduce, but not eliminate risks; and (3) simplify the recordkeeping and reduce transaction costs associated with investments. The Fund is a series fund and has the authority to issue other series in addition to the one currently in existence. Because the Fund currently issues only one series, however, the term "Fund" as used in the prospectus refers to that series only. The Fund has an Investment Advisory Committee composed of the following members: Gregory A. McCrickard, Chairman, Preston G. Athey and James A. C. Kennedy. The Committee Chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the Fund and works with the Committee in developing and executing the Fund's investment program. Mr. McCrickard has been Chairman of the Committee since 1992. He joined T. Rowe Price in 1986 and has been managing investments since 1988. Shareholder Rights. The Fund issues one class of capital stock, all shares of which have equal rights with regard to voting, redemptions, dividends, distributions, and liquidations. Fractional shares have voting rights and participate in any distributions and dividends. Shareholders have no preemptive or conversion rights; nor do they have cumulative voting rights. When the Fund's shares are issued, they are fully paid and nonassessable. The Fund does not routinely hold annual meetings of shareholders. However, if shareholders representing at least 10% of all votes of the Fund entitled to be cast so desire, they may call a special meeting of shareholders of the Fund for the purpose of voting on the question of the removal of any director(s). The total authorized capital stock of the Fund consists of 200,000,000 shares, each having a par value of $.50. As of December 31, 1993, there were 19,115 shareholders in the Fund and a total of 3,073,906 shareholders in the other 56 T. Rowe Price Funds. DESCRIPTION OF SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EDGAR FILING AND PRINTED COPY: Information appearing in all capital letters before a paragraph in the Edgar filing will appear, in the printed copy, as call-outs in the left margin.
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