EX-99.17B 6 exhibit99-17b.htm ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS a_equityshareholder.htm
UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 
-------- 
 
FORM N-CSR 
-------- 
 
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT 
INVESTMENT COMPANIES 
 
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NUMBER 811-6618 
 
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS 
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter) 
 
110 Wall Street 
New York, NY 10005 
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code) 
 
Joseph I. Benedek 
First Investors Management Company, Inc. 
Raritan Plaza I 
Edison, NJ 08837-3620 
(Name and address of agent for service) 
 
REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: 
1-212-858-8000 
 
DATE OF FISCAL YEAR END: SEPTEMBER 30, 2010 
 
DATE OF REPORTING PERIOD: SEPTEMBER 30, 2010 

 



Item 1. Reports to Stockholders 
 
The annual report to stockholders follows 

 






FOREWORD

 

This report is for the information of the shareholders of the Funds. It is the Funds’ practice to mail only one copy of their annual and semi-annual reports to all family members who reside at the same address and share the same last name. Additional copies of the reports will be mailed if requested by any shareholder in writing or by calling 1-800-423-4026. The Funds will ensure that separate reports are sent to any shareholder who subsequently changes his or her mailing address.

The views expressed in the portfolio manager letters reflect those views of the portfolio managers only through the end of the period covered. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and we disclaim any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice.

You may obtain a free prospectus for any of the Funds by contacting your representative, calling 1-800-423-4026, writing to us at the following address: First Investors Corporation, 110 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, or by visiting our website at www.firstinvestors.com. You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a Fund carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund, and should be read carefully before investing.

An investment in a Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. Although the Cash Management Fund seeks to preserve a net asset value at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in it, just as it is possible to lose money by investing in any of the other Funds. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

A Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) for any of the Funds may also be obtained, without charge, upon request by calling 1-800-423-4026, writing to us at our address or by visiting our website listed above. The SAI contains more detailed information about the Funds, including information about its Trustees.



Portfolio Manager’s Letter
CASH MANAGEMENT FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Cash Management Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 0.0% for Class A shares and 0.0% for Class B shares. The Fund maintained a $1.00 net asset value per share for each class of shares throughout the year.

While the financial markets showed signs of recovery during the review period, the Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) kept short-term interest rates at record lows, near zero, through the entire reporting period. This effectively determined the Fund’s zero return.

Indeed, First Investors Management Company, Inc. (“FIMCO”), the investment adviser for the Fund, had to waive all of its management fees for the Fund, as well as assume a significant amount of the Fund’s expenses, to avoid a negative yield to the Fund’s shareholders. FIMCO expects the situation to continue and consequently, the yield to shareholders should be at or near zero for the foreseeable future.

Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.


  1 

 



Understanding Your Fund’s Expenses (unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

As a mutual fund shareholder, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including a sales charge (load) on purchase payments (on Class A shares only), a contingent deferred sales charge on redemptions (on Class B shares only); and (2) ongoing costs, including advisory fees; distribution and service fees (12b-1); and other expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Funds and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 in each Fund at the beginning of the period, April 1, 2010, and held for the entire six-month period ended September 30, 2010. The calculations assume that no shares were bought or sold during the period. Your actual costs may have been higher or lower, depending on the amount of your investment and the timing of any purchases or redemptions.

Actual Expenses Example:

These amounts help you to estimate the actual expenses that you paid over the period. The “Ending Account Value” shown is derived from the Fund’s actual return, and the “Expenses Paid During Period” shows the dollar amount that would have been paid by an investor who started with $1,000 in the Fund. You may use the information here, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period.

To estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period, simply divide your ending account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.60), then multiply the result by the number given for your Fund under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period”.

Hypothetical Expenses Example:

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

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight and help you compare your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as front-end or contingent deferred sales charges (loads). Therefore, the hypothetical expenses example is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transaction costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

2

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
CASH MANAGEMENT FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1.25
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,023.82 $1.27
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1.25
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,023.82 $1.27

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of .25% for Class A shares and .25% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). Expenses paid during the period are net of expenses waived or assumed.

Portfolio Composition
BY SECTOR


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total value of investments.

  3

 



Portfolio of Investments
CASH MANAGEMENT FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Principal   Interest    
Amount     Security Rate *  Value
 
  U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY      
  OBLIGATIONS—38.3%      
  Fannie Mae:      
$ 8,500 M 10/4/10 0.17 % $ 8,499,879
5,325 M 11/10/10 0.20   5,323,816
3,700 M 11/22/10 0.18   3,699,064
3,049 M 12/1/10 0.17   3,048,122
3,000 M 12/1/10 0.18   2,999,110
10,000 M 12/22/10 0.18   9,996,014
5,000 M 12/30/10 0.17   4,997,875
  Federal Home Loan Bank:      
3,000 M 10/15/10 0.18   2,999,790
1,000 M 10/22/10 0.16   999,907
2,753 M 10/29/10 0.17   2,752,636
2,500 M 12/1/10 0.19   2,499,216
4,200   Freddie Mac, 11/29/10   0.18   4,198,761
 
Total Value of U.S. Government Agency Obligations (cost $52,014,190)   52,014,190
 
  CORPORATE NOTES—24.0%      
1,500 M Abbott Laboratories, 5/15/11 0.69   1,545,518
  Coca-Cola Co.:      
1,500 M

10/25/10 (a)

0.25   1,499,750
3,000 M 1/19/11 (a) 0.22   2,997,983
2,900 M General Electric Capital Corp., 2/1/11 0.73   2,943,071
1,000 M Johnson & Johnson, 2/10/11 (a) 0.25   999,084
3,000 M Medtronic, Inc., 12/1/10 (a) 0.21   2,998,932
5,000 M Merck & Co., Inc., 10/21/10 (a) 0.21   4,999,417
5,000 M PepsiCo, Inc., 10/26/10 (a) 0.18   4,999,375
4,600 M Procter & Gamble International Finance, 11/3/10 (a) 0.26   4,598,903
5,000   Walmart Stores, Inc., 10/19/10 (a)   0.21   4,999,475
 
Total Value of Corporate Notes (cost $32,581,508)       32,581,508

 

4

 



  
Principal     Interest  
Amount     Security     Rate * Value
 
  VARIABLE AND FLOATING RATE NOTES—17.1%  
$ 5,000 M Federal Farm Credit Bank, 9/20/11   0.24 % $ 5,000,000
5,700 M Mississippi Business Finance Corp.      
  (Chevron USA, Inc.), 12/1/30   0.25 5,700,000
3,925 M Monongallia Health Systems, 7/1/40 (LOC: JP Morgan) 0.32 3,925,000
2,830 M University of Oklahoma Hospital Rev. Series “B”    
 

8/15/21(LOC: Bank of Americ12.a)

  0.35 2,830,000
5,835 M Valdez, Alaska Marine Terminal Rev.      
      (Exxon Pipeline Co., Project B), 12/1/33       0.23   5,835,000
 
Total Value of Variable and Floating Rate Notes (cost $23,290,000)           23,290,000
 
  CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT—3.7%      
5,000 M   Citibank, NA, 12/3/10 (cost $5,000,000)       0.26   5,000,000
 
  U.S. GOVERNMENT FDIC GUARANTEED    
  DEBT—2.9%      
3,950 M   Morgan Stanley, 12/1/10 (cost $3,967,042)       0.30   3,967,042
 
  BANKERS’ ACCEPTANCES—1.5%      
2,037 M   Bank of America, NA, 11/17/10 (cost $2,035,322)     0.63   2,035,322
 
  SHORT-TERM U.S. GOVERNMENT      
  OBLIGATIONS—10.0%      
  U.S. Treasury Bills:      
6,600 M 12/9/10   0.14 6,598,229
7,000 M   12/16/10       0.16   6,997,694
 
Total Value of Short-Term U.S. Government Obligations (cost $13,595,923)   13,595,923
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $132,483,985)** 97.5 %   132,483,985
Other Assets, Less Liabilities 2.5          3,358,161
 
Net Assets        100.0 %         $135,842,146

 

  5

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued))
CASH MANAGEMENT FUND
September 30, 2010

* The interest rates shown are the effective rates at the time of purchase by the Fund. The interest rates shown on floating rate notes are adjusted periodically; the rates shown are the rates in effect at September 30, 2010.

** Aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes is the same.

(a) Security exempt from registration under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 (see Note 4).

Summary of Abbreviations:
LOC Letters of Credit

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
    Level 1 Significant   Significant  
    Quoted Observable Unobservable  
    Prices Inputs   Inputs Total
U.S. Government Agency            
Obligations $ $  52,014,190 $ $  52,014,190
Corporate Notes   32,581,508   32,581,508
Variable and Floating Rate Notes:            
Corporate Notes   18,290,000   18,290,000
U.S. Government Agency            
Obligations   5,000,000   5,000,000
Certificates of Deposit   5,000,000   5,000,000
U.S. Government FDIC            
Guaranteed Debt   3,967,042   3,967,042
Bankers’ Acceptances   2,035,322   2,035,322
Short-Term U.S. Government    
Obligations     13,595,923     13,595,923
Total Investments in Securities $ $ 132,483,985 $ $ 132,483,985

 

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

6 See notes to financial statements

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter
GOVERNMENT FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Government Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 5.4% for Class A shares and 4.7% for Class B shares, including dividends of 43.5 cents per share on Class A shares and 35.9 cents per share on Class B shares.

The Fund invests primarily in Ginnie Maes, which are mortgage-backed bonds issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA). These bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government and have the highest possible credit rating (AAA).

The review period began with the economy growing at a 5% rate, the best quarter of what has become a disappointing recovery from the Great Recession of 2008-2009. By the second quarter of 2010, growth had slowed to an anemic 1.7% rate, and the unemployment rate had stalled at an uncomfortably high 9.6%. With below trend growth and high unemployment, investors began to worry about the possibility of deflation, as the Consumer Price Index (excluding the volatile food and energy components) was up only 0.9% for the twelve months ending in August, the smallest increase in over 40 years.

With this economic background, the Federal Reserve remained focused on stimulating the economy by keeping interest rates at historically low levels. Consequently, the two-year U.S. Treasury note yield fell to an all-time low, ending the review period at 0.4%. Longer term interest rates also fell, with the ten-year Treasury note yield dropping to 2.5%, a level only seen during the past 40 years in late 2008 when Lehman Brothers failed. The mortgage-backed market generally benefited from falling interest rates until the last two months of the review period, when fear of an increase in prepayments on mortgages due to record low mortgage rates caused the sector to underperform relative to other fixed income investments.

Because of the decline in interest rates, the Fund’s underweight in lower coupon mortgage-backed bonds (which are more sensitive to changes in interest rates) detracted from performance. The Fund’s holdings of mortgage-backed bonds backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (approximately 14% of assets) also negatively impacted performance. These holdings underperformed GNMA mortgage-backed bonds due to higher prepayments and investor preference for the government guarantee on GNMAs. Lastly, although the Fund held very low cash balances during the review period, even a small amount of cash affected performance because of the extremely low interest rates available on money market investments.

  7

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter (continued)
GOVERNMENT FUND

Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.

Sincerely,


8 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
GOVERNMENT FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,032.58 $5.76
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,019.40 $5.72
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,029.20 $9.31
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,015.89 $9.25

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.13% for Class A shares and 1.83% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). Expenses paid during the period are net of expenses waived.

Portfolio Composition
BY SECTOR


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total value of investments.

  9

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)
GOVERNMENT FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Government Fund (Class A shares) and the Bank of America (“BofA”) Merrill Lynch GNMA Master Index.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Government Fund (Class A shares) beginning 9/30/00 with a theoretical investment in the BofA Merrill Lynch GNMA Master Index (the “Index”). The Index is a market capitalization-weighted index of securities backed by mortgage pools of the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA). It is not possible to invest directly in this Index. In addition, the Index does not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02, the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). During the periods shown, some of the expenses of the Fund were waived or assumed. If such expenses had been paid by the Fund, the Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for One Year, Five Years and Ten Years would have been (.75%), 3.96% and 4.26%, respectively, and the S.E.C. 30-Day Yield for September 2010 would have been 3.04%. The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for One Year, Five Years and Ten Years would have been .59%, 4.11% and 4.25%, respectively, and the S.E.C. 30-Day Yield for September 2010 would have been 2.54%. Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Index figures are from Bank of America Merrill Lynch & Co. and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

10

 



Portfolio of Investments
GOVERNMENT FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Principal      
Amount     Security       Value
 
  RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE-BACKED  
  SECURITIES—99.5%    
  Fannie Mae—13.6%    
$ 9,905 M 5%, 8/1/2039 – 12/1/2039   $ 10,435,144
23,107 M 5.5%, 7/1/2033 – 10/1/2039   24,694,383
9,744 M   6%, 11/1/2033 – 7/1/2039       10,520,413
 
              45,649,940
 
  Government National Mortgage Association I  
  Program—85.9%    
43,537 M 4.5%, 6/15/2039 – 9/15/2040   45,903,420
112,849 M 5%, 4/15/2033 – 6/15/2040   120,522,266
54,501 M 5.5%, 3/15/2033 – 10/15/2039   58,923,163
41,604 M 6%, 3/15/2031 – 4/15/2040   45,520,572
12,690 M 6.5%, 10/15/2028 – 3/15/2038   14,267,829
3,689 M   7%, 1/15/2030 – 4/15/2034       4,251,039
 
              289,388,289
 
Total Value of Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (cost $322,876,836)     335,038,229
 
  SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—.3%    
  Money Market Fund    
1,100 M   First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22% (cost $1,100,000)*     1,100,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $323,976,836) 99.8 % 336,138,229
Other Assets, Less Liabilities .2      700,584
 
Net Assets       100.0 %   $336,838,813

 

  11

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued))
GOVERNMENT FUND
September 30, 2010

* Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
    Level 1 Significant   Significant  
    Quoted Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Residential Mortgage-Backed            
Securities $ $ 335,038,229 $ $ 335,038,229
Money Market Fund   1,100,000       1,100,000
Total Investments in Securities $ 1,100,000   $335,038,229 $ $  336,138,229

 

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

12 See notes to financial statements

 



Portfolio Managers’ Letter
INVESTMENT GRADE FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Investment Grade Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 13.1% for Class A shares and 12.2% for Class B shares, including dividends of 45.1 cents per share on Class A shares and 38.7 cents per share on Class B shares.

The review period began with increased optimism for a continued global economic recovery and confidence in the credit markets. However, over the next several months the positive tone was somewhat offset by certain systemic concerns. Weak economic data pointed toward a slower than expected economic recovery. In addition, concern about rising Eurozone deficits and debt levels led to downgrades of European government debt and increased market scrutiny on sovereign risk. Benchmark U.S. Treasury yields moved much lower during the review period as investors flocked to Treasuries for their relative safety. By the end of the review period, some of the sovereign risk concerns were alleviated by the results of the European bank stress test and the financial markets were supported by strong earnings reports. For the corporate bond market, spreads remained range bound during the review period. Sentiments shifted from concerns regarding event risk and regulatory reform risk to confidence in the increased financial strength of corporate issuers. By the end of the review period, the corporate bond market had registered very strong 12-month returns, led by falling interest rates.

The Fund had strong double-digit returns over the period. The majority of the Fund’s assets were invested in investment grade corporate bonds. The Fund increased its corporate bond holdings to over 95% of assets during the review period. In addition, the Fund had a substantial overweight in BBB-rated corporate bonds, which had the highest returns among all investment grade rating classes. Furthermore, the Fund had limited exposure to corporate names associated with the European debt crisis. An additional factor that enhanced performance was the Fund’s underweight in corporate bonds with maturities between one and three years. Shorter maturity bonds had the lowest returns during the review period as falling two-year U.S. Treasury yields reached all-time lows. The Fund’s holdings in high-yield corporate bonds were less than 5% of assets throughout the period.

  13

 



Portfolio Managers’ Letter (continued)
INVESTMENT GRADE FUND

Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.


14 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
INVESTMENT GRADE FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,083.12 $5.85
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,019.45 $5.67
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,079.53 $9.49
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,015.95 $9.20

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.12% for Class A shares and 1.82% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). Expenses paid during the period are net of expenses waived.

Portfolio Composition
TOP TEN SECTORS


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total value of investments.

  15

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)
INVESTMENT GRADE FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Investment Grade Fund (Class A shares) and the Bank of America (“BofA”) Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate Master Index.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Investment Grade Fund (Class A shares) beginning 9/30/00 with a theoretical investment in the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate Master Index (the “Index”). The Index tracks the performance of U.S. dollar-denominated investment grade Corporate public debt issued in the U.S. domestic bond market. Qualifying bonds must have at least one year remaining term to maturity, a fixed coupon schedule and a minimum amount outstanding of $150 million. Bonds must be rated investment grade based on a composite of Moody’s and S&P. It is not possible to invest directly in this Index. In addition, the Index does not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02, the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). During the periods shown, some of the expenses of the Fund were waived or assumed. If such expenses had been paid by the Fund, the Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for One Year, Five Years and Ten Years would have been 6.42%, 3.97% and 5.03%, respectively, and the S.E.C. 30-Day Yield for September 2010 would have been 2.66%. The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for One Year, Five Years and Ten Years would have been 8.08%, 4.13% and 5.04%, respectively, and the S.E.C. 30-Day Yield for September 2010 would have been 2.14%. Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Index figures are from Bank of America Merrill Lynch & Co. and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

16

 



Portfolio of Investments
INVESTMENT GRADE FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Principal      
Amount     Security   Value
 
  CORPORATE BONDS—96.8%    
  Aerospace/Defense—1.5%    
$ 1,800 M BAE Systems Holdings, Inc., 4.95%, 2014 (a) $ 1,988,010
4,000 M      Lockheed Martin Corp., 4.25%, 2019   4,368,808
 
          6,356,818
 
  Agriculture—1.3%    
2,725 M Cargill, Inc., 6%, 2017 (a)   3,226,397
1,900 M   Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc., 4.875%, 2020   2,023,671
 
            5,250,068
 
  Automotive—1.1%    
4,000 M   Daimler Chrysler NA, LLC, 6.5%, 2013   4,578,580
 
  Chemicals—.9%    
3,000 M   Chevron Phillips Chemicals Co., LLC, 8.25%, 2019 (a)   3,803,037
 
  Consumer Durables—2.0%    
2,100 M Black & Decker Corp., 5.75%, 2016   2,432,653
  Newell Rubbermaid, Inc.:    
1,600 M 6.75%, 2012   1,713,029
1,900 M 4.7%, 2020   1,993,168
2,400 M   Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., 5.2%, 2040   2,412,617
 
          8,551,467
 
  Energy—13.2%    
3,900 M Canadian Oil Sands, Ltd., 7.75%, 2019 (a)   4,846,179
4,800 M DCP Midstream, LLC, 9.75%, 2019 (a)   6,397,061
1,800 M Energy Transfer Partners, LP, 8.5%, 2014   2,138,834
850 M Kinder Morgan Finance Co., 5.35%, 2011   864,875
1,275 M Marathon Oil Corp., 7.5%, 2019   1,635,291
3,842 M Maritime & Northeast Pipeline, LLC, 7.5%, 2014 (a)   4,197,394
4,000 M Nabors Industries, Inc., 6.15%, 2018   4,458,576
  Nexen, Inc.:    
2,000 M 5.05%, 2013   2,179,852
4,000 M 6.4%, 2037   4,373,260
2,000 M Northern Border Partners, LP, 7.1%, 2011   2,050,860
900 M Plains All American Pipeline, LP, 8.75%, 2019   1,144,105
5,800 M Spectra Energy Capital, LLC, 6.2%, 2018   6,793,412
4,400 M Suncor Energy, Inc., 6.85%, 2039   5,292,844
2,700 M   Valero Energy Corp., 9.375%, 2019   3,453,373

 

  17

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
INVESTMENT GRADE FUND
September 30, 2010

 
 
Principal    
Amount     Security Value
 
  Energy (continued)  
  Weatherford International, Inc., 6.35%, 2017  
$ 4,000 M 6.35%, 2017 $ 4,489,548
1,000 M   5.125%, 2020 1,024,264
 
        55,339,728
 
  Financial Services—11.2%  
6,000 M American Express Co., 7%, 2018 7,237,110
5,040 M Amvescap, PLC, 5.375%, 2013 5,377,272
4,000 M BlackRock, Inc., 5%, 2019 4,417,664
3,260 M CoBank, ACB, 7.875%, 2018 (a) 3,789,091
1,800 M Compass Bank, 6.4%, 2017 1,909,258
  ERAC USA Finance Co.:  
1,170 M 8%, 2011 (a) 1,192,154
2,200 M 6.375%, 2017 (a) 2,561,293
4,000 M General Electric Capital Corp., 5.625%, 2017 4,474,916
  Harley-Davidson Funding Corp.:  
1,800 M 5.75%, 2014 (a) 1,921,700
2,100 M 6.8%, 2018 (a) 2,286,753
2,000 M MetLife, Inc., 4.75%, 2021 2,126,162
4,000 M Protective Life Corp., 7.375%, 2019 4,510,188
4,600 M   Prudential Financial Corp., 4.75%, 2015 4,980,264
 
        46,783,825
 
  Financials—16.9%  
1,900 M Bank of America Corp., 5.65%, 2018 2,016,166
5,400 M Barclays Bank, PLC, 5.125%, 2020 5,849,058
1,500 M Bear Stearns Cos., Inc., 7.25%, 2018 1,829,883
  Citigroup, Inc.:  
5,200 M 6.375%, 2014 5,779,446
4,400 M 6.125%, 2017 4,813,327
  Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.:  
3,400 M 6.15%, 2018 3,777,036
1,600 M 6.45%, 2036 1,609,731
2,750 M 6.75%, 2037 2,867,450
5,000 M JPMorgan Chase & Co., 6%, 2018 5,718,455
7,600 M Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., 5%, 2015 8,101,592
  Morgan Stanley:  
5,800 M 5.95%, 2017 6,239,414
5,000 M 6.625%, 2018 5,551,545
5,000 M   SunTrust Banks, Inc., 6%, 2017 5,423,080

 

18

 



  
Principal    
Amount     Security Value
 
  Financials (continued)  
  UBS AG:  
$ 2,200 M 5.875%, 2017 $ 2,492,976
4,000 M 4.875%, 2020 4,225,940
4,000 M   Wells Fargo & Co., 5.625%, 2017 4,562,780
 
        70,857,879
 
  Food/Beverage/Tobacco—8.9%  
4,600 M Altria Group, Inc., 9.7%, 2018 6,235,944
5,000 M Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc., 5.375%, 2020 5,654,430
2,700 M Bottling Group, LLC, 5.125%, 2019 3,103,804
1,980 M Bunge Limited Finance Corp., 5.35%, 2014 2,115,454
4,500 M Corn Products International, Inc., 4.625%, 2020 4,612,554
4,000 M Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc., 6.82%, 2018 4,956,560
5,000 M Lorillard Tobacco Co., 6.875%, 2020 5,297,905
4,600 M   Philip Morris International, Inc., 5.65%, 2018 5,394,218
 
        37,370,869
 
  Forest Products/Container—.7%  
2,200 M   International Paper Co., 9.375%, 2019 2,858,511
 
  Health Care—3.5%  
5,300 M Biogen IDEC, Inc., 6.875%, 2018 6,228,433
2,400 M Novartis, 5.125%, 2019 2,760,264
1,000 M Pfizer, Inc., 6.2%, 2019 1,233,349
1,000 M Roche Holdings, Inc., 6%, 2019 (a) 1,213,525
3,000 M   Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 5%, 2014 3,271,245
 
        14,706,816
 
  Information Technology—2.7%  
3,000 M Adobe Systems, Inc., 4.75%, 2020 3,235,260
3,000 M Dell, Inc., 5.875%, 2019 3,487,209
3,208 M Dun & Bradstreet Corp., 6%, 2013 3,521,688
900 M   Pitney Bowes, Inc., 5%, 2015 972,996
 
        11,217,153

 

  19

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
INVESTMENT GRADE FUND
September 30, 2010

  
Principal    
Amount      Security Value
 
  Manufacturing—3.1%  
$ 1,750 M Briggs & Stratton Corp., 8.875%, 2011 $ 1,811,250
2,700 M General Electric Co., 5.25%, 2017 3,043,445
2,100 M Ingersoll-Rand Global Holdings Co., 6.875%, 2018 2,553,965
3,200 M Johnson Controls, Inc., 5%, 2020 3,523,520
1,725 M   Tyco Electronics Group SA, 6.55%, 2017 2,020,458
 
        12,952,638
 
  Media-Broadcasting—6.0%  
3,950 M British Sky Broadcasting Group, PLC, 9.5%, 2018 (a) 5,401,708
4,000 M Comcast Corp., 5.15%, 2020 4,379,820
  Cox Communications, Inc.:  
2,000 M 4.625%, 2013 2,158,692
3,100 M 8.375%, 2039 (a) 4,174,950
4,000 M DirecTV Holdings, LLC, 7.625%, 2016 4,465,140
3,700 M   Time Warner Cable, Inc., 6.75%, 2018 4,419,594
 
        24,999,904
 
  Media-Diversified—2.2%  
  McGraw-Hill Cos., Inc.:  
1,800 M 5.9%, 2017 2,036,223
2,300 M 6.55%, 2037 2,661,415
4,000 M   News America, Inc., 5.3%, 2014 4,518,656
 
         9,216,294
 
  Metals/Mining—6.1%  
4,000 M Alcoa, Inc., 6.15%, 2020 4,120,160
4,000 M AngloGold Ashanti Holdings, PLC, 5.375%, 2020 4,239,448
4,000 M ArcelorMittal, 6.125%, 2018 4,332,712
3,800 M Newmont Mining Corp., 5.125%, 2019 4,258,687
2,595 M Rio Tinto Finance USA, Ltd., 6.5%, 2018 3,134,262
  Vale Overseas, Ltd.:  
4,000 M 5.625%, 2019 4,429,664
900 M   4.625%, 2020 934,055
 
        25,448,988

 

20

 



 
Principal    
Amount     Security Value
 
  Real Estate Investment Trusts—3.2%  
$ 4,000 M Boston Properties, LP, 5.875%, 2019 $ 4,477,156
4,000 M ProLogis, 7.625%, 2014 4,326,484
4,000 M   Simon Property Group, LP, 5.75%, 2015 4,560,088
 
        13,363,728
 
  Retail-General Merchandise—1.0%  
4,000 M   Home Depot, Inc., 5.875%, 2036 4,278,996
 
  Telecommunications—3.8%  
4,000 M AT&T, Inc., 5.8%, 2019 4,776,272
4,000 M Deutsche Telekom Intl. Finance BV, 5.875%, 2013 4,470,984
3,300 M GTE Corp., 6.84%, 2018 3,917,651
2,400 M   Verizon Wireless Capital, LLC, 5.55%, 2014 2,716,140
 
        15,881,047
 
  Transportation—1.1%  
4,000 M   GATX Corp., 8.75%, 2014 4,728,312
 
  Utilities—5.6%  
4,000 M E. ON International Finance BV, 5.8%, 2018 (a) 4,740,788
  Electricite de France SA:  
1,900 M 6.5%, 2019 (a) 2,324,321
2,100 M 6.95%, 2039 (a) 2,750,112
1,193 M Entergy Gulf States, Inc., 5.25%, 2015 1,194,905
4,000 M Exelon Generation Co., LLC, 6.2%, 2017 4,696,380
714 M Great River Energy Co., 5.829%, 2017 (a) 802,314
3,000 M Ohio Power Co., 5.375%, 2021 3,429,345
2,561 M   Sempra Energy, 9.8%, 2019 3,575,981
 
        23,514,146
 
  Waste Management—.8%  
3,300 M   Allied Waste NA, Inc., 7.125%, 2016 3,539,220
 
Total Value of Corporate Bonds (cost $365,391,377) 405,598,024

 

  21

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
INVESTMENT GRADE FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Principal      
Amount     Security       Value
 
  SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—.9%    
  Money Market Fund    
$ 3,650 M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%    
      (cost $3,650,000) (b)      $ 3,650,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $369,041,377) 97.7 % 409,248,024
Other Assets, Less Liabilities 2.3   9,448,766
 
Net Assets       100.0 % $418,696,790

 

(a) Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of Securities Act of 1933 (see Note 4).

(b) Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
    Level 1 Significant   Significant  
    Quoted Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Corporate Bonds $ $ 405,598,024 $ $ 405,598,024
Money Market Fund   3,650,000       3,650,000
Total Investments in Securities* $ 3,650,000 $ 405,598,024 $ $ 409,248,024

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the industry categorization for corporate bonds.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

22 See notes to financial statements

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter
FUND FOR INCOME

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Fund For Income for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 15.7% for Class A shares and 14.4% for Class B shares, including dividends of 18.0 cents per share on Class A shares and 16.5 cents per share on Class B shares.

The review period proved to be very positive for the Fund, encompassing three very strong quarters of performance, as well as one very challenging quarter. In the first, second and last quarters, the U.S. high yield market generated very attractive returns, with the riskier segments of the market turning in the best returns. Despite record new U.S. issuance, both primary and secondary bonds were well bid and spreads continued to tighten throughout the period. Yield-seeking assets continued to flow into the high yield market, which still offered an above-average spread, easily absorbing the debt being issued by high yield companies looking to secure fixed rate financing largely for the purposes of refinancing and extending near-term debt obligations, thereby improving their balance sheets. In short, the review period overall offered a “win” for all of the high yield market’s participants. As in 2009, the distressed portion of the market generated outsized gains, followed by CCC credits. The insurance, financials and banking sectors — where a high degree of distressed or formerly distressed paper is concentrated — continued to be outsized earners.

In the third quarter of the review period, however, market sentiment turned sharply on the back of a variety of headline news that refocused investors on risk; such as Greece’s sovereign debt crisis, tension in the Korean peninsula, and the blow-out of BP’s deep-water well in the Gulf of Mexico. Investors interested in reducing equity risk sent stock markets deep into the red during the quarter. U.S. Treasuries outperformed, as investors pushed down yields to record lows in search of safety. Weak employment and housing data released in June made investors question the prospect of strong growth going forward. U.S. high yield bonds, although not as firm as Treasuries, impressed by delivering a flat return. Investors continued to appear confident that corporations would be able to repay borrowed money, even if they would not expand earnings quickly enough to justify appreciation of the stock market. Within the high yield market itself, the theme was similar during the quarter. Riskier CCC credits, mirroring weak equity markets, underperformed at this moment of stress. Dispersion of returns by industry during the third quarter was much lower than that experienced in 2009, or during the rest of 2010.

In summary, the high yield market during the period provided the investment community with plenty of positive news to satisfy its greed, and just enough fear to remind us of the key importance of careful credit analysis and prudent risk control in the

  23

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter (continued)
FUND FOR INCOME

longer term. System shocks are, by definition, unpredictable, and investments in bond portfolios should target resiliency. In this environment, the Fund performed admirably. Our carefully selected credit mix preserved capital better than the market during its most challenging month (May) and largely kept pace with the market’s positive performance, even while underweighted in the more speculative insurance and banking sectors. During the second half of the review period, the fund performed particularly well by taking advantage of smaller, analyzable market opportunities and dislocations. For example, strong performance in the energy sector, and in particular the oil sector, followed from our analysis that the market had mispriced a number of securities in the wake of the explosion of BP’s oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. Against a market backdrop that continues to offer strong fundamental advantages and technical support by market participants, we will continue to work to identify incremental opportunities for attractive returns with reasonable risk.

Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.

Sincerely,


* Mr. Comeaux is part of a portfolio management team that began managing the Fund on April 24, 2009.

24 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
FUND FOR INCOME

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,071.52 $6.65
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,018.65 $6.48
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,063.67 $10.24
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,015.14 $10.00

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.28% for Class A shares and 1.98% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). Expenses paid during the period are net of expenses waived.

Portfolio Composition
TOP TEN SECTORS


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total value of investments.

  25

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)

FUND FOR INCOME

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Fund For Income (Class A shares), the Bank of America (“BofA”) Merrill Lynch BB-B US Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index† and the Credit Suisse High Yield Index II.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Fund For Income (Class A shares) beginning 9/30/00 with theoretical investments in the BofA Merrill Lynch BB-B US Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index and the Credit Suisse High Yield Index II (the “Indices”). The BofA Merrill Lynch BB-B US Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index contains all securities in the BofA Merrill Lynch US Cash Pay High Yield Index rated BB1 through B3, based on an average of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch, but caps issuer exposure at 2%. Index constituents are capitalization-weighted, based on their current amount outstanding, provided the total allocation to an individual issuer does not exceed 2%. The Credit Suisse High Yield Index II is designed to measure the performance of the high yield bond market. As of 9/30/10, the Index consisted of 1,243 different issues, most of which are cash-pay; also included in the Index are zero-coupon bonds, step bonds, payment-in-kind bonds and bonds which are in default. As of 9/30/10, approximately 0.71% of the market value of the Index was in default. The bonds included in the Index have an average maturity of 6.58 years, an average duration of 3.72 years and an average coupon of 8.54%. It is not possible to invest directly in these Indices. In addition, the Indices do not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table it is assumed that all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02, the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). During the periods shown, some of the expenses of the Fund were waived or assumed. If such expenses had been paid by the Fund, the Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for One Year, Five Years and Ten Years would have been 9.05%, 2.39% and 3.84%, respectively, and the S.E.C. 30-Day Yield for September 2010 would have been 5.37%. The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for One Year, Five Years and Ten Years would have been 10.39%, 2.62% and 3.93%, respectively, and the S.E.C. 30-Day Yield for September 2010 would have been 5.00%. Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. The issuers of the high yield bonds, in which the Fund primarily invests, pay higher interest rates because they have a greater likelihood of financial difficulty, which could result in their inability to repay the bonds fully when due. Prices of high yield bonds are also subject to greater fluctuations. BofA Merrill Lynch BB-B US Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index figures from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse High Yield Index II figures are from Credit Suisse Corporation and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

We have added a comparison to the BofA Merrill Lynch BB-B US Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index this year since it more closely reflects the performance of the securities in which the Fund invests. After this year we will not show a comparison to the Credit Suisse High Yield Index II.

26 

 



Portfolio of Investments
FUND FOR INCOME
September 30, 2010

 
Principal      
Amount     Security   Value
 
  CORPORATE BONDS—97.0%    
  Automotive—3.2%    
$ 2,200 M Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., 8%, 2019 $ 2,279,750
2,825 M Cooper-Standard Automotive, 8.5%, 2018 (a)   2,945,062
  Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.:    
2,500 M 10.5%, 2016   2,843,750
1,575 M 8.25%, 2020   1,665,562
1,750 M Navistar International Corp., 8.25%, 2021   1,876,875
2,100 M Oshkosh Corp., 8.5%, 2020   2,283,750
2,325 M   TRW Automotive, Inc., 7.25%, 2017 (a)   2,481,938
 
          16,376,687
 
  Building Materials—2.4%    
  Building Materials Corp.:    
1,475 M 6.875%, 2018 (a)   1,456,562
4,175 M 7.5%, 2020 (a)   4,216,750
1,375 M Interface, Inc., 11.375%, 2013   1,567,500
1,725 M Mohawk Industries, Inc., 6.875%, 2016   1,804,781
3,450 M   Texas Industries, Inc., 9.25%, 2020 (a)   3,596,625
 
          12,642,218
 
  Capital Goods—.6%    
2,650 M   Belden CDT, Inc., 9.25%, 2019 (a)   2,875,250
 
  Chemicals—4.3%    
1,475 M Chemtura Corp., 7.875%, 2018 (a)   1,545,062
2,175 M Ferro Corp., 7.875%, 2018   2,267,437
7,075 M Georgia Gulf Corp., 9%, 2017 (a)   7,446,437
3,125 M Lyondell Chemical Co., 11%, 2018   3,472,656
1,600 M PolyOne Corp., 7.375%, 2020   1,654,000
  Solutia, Inc.:    
3,925 M 8.75%, 2017   4,307,688
1,275 M   7.875%, 2020   1,369,031
 
          22,062,311
 
  Consumer Durables—1.0%    
  Sealy Mattress Co.:    
3,500 M 8.25%, 2014   3,543,750
1,392 M   10.875%, 2016 (a)   1,583,400
 
          5,127,150

 

  27

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
FUND FOR INCOME
September 30, 2010

 
Principal    
Amount     Security Value
 
  Consumer Non-Durables—2.0%  
$ 2,575 M Acco Brands Corp., 10.625%, 2015 $ 2,890,437
2,450 M Jarden Corp., 7.5%, 2020 2,560,250
3,025 M Phillips Van-Heusen Corp., 7.375%, 2020 3,202,719
1,525  M    Spectrum Brands, Inc., 9.5%, 2018 (a) 1,637,469
 
        10,290,875
 
  Energy—15.4%  
  Anadarko Petroleum Corp.:  
2,42 6.375%, 2017 2,676,026
1,350 6.95%, 2019 1,508,922
  Berry Petroleum Co.:  
2,600 10.25%, 2014 2,944,500
2,925 8.25%, 2016 3,012,750
  Chesapeake Energy Corp.:  
1,750 9.5%, 2015 2,034,375
1,850 7.25%, 2018 2,002,625
2,300 Concho Resources, Inc., 8.625%, 2017 2,449,500
  Consol Energy, Inc.:  
1,875 8%, 2017 (a) 2,039,062
4,425 8.25%, 2020 (a) 4,856,437
1,325 Continental Resources, 7.125%, 2021 (a) 1,384,625
3,500 Copano Energy, LLC, 7.75%, 2018 3,552,500
4,750 Crosstex Energy, LP, 8.875%, 2018 4,999,375
  El Paso Corp.:  
1,050 M 8.25%, 2016 1,173,375
4,325 M 7%, 2017 4,614,195
350 M 7.25%, 2018 378,986
275 M 7.75%, 2032 286,924
750 M Encore Acquisition Co., 9.5%, 2016 840,937
3,975 M Expro Finance Luxembourg SCA, 8.5%, 2016 (a) 3,806,062
  Ferrellgas Partners, LP:  
3,450 M 9.125%, 2017 3,756,187
2,475 M 8.625%, 2020 2,666,812
1,900 M Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc., 9.5%, 2016 (a) 1,933,250
  Hilcorp Energy I, LP:  
175 M 7.75%, 2015 (a) 177,625
3,100 M 9%, 2016 (a) 3,231,750
3,875 M   8%, 2020 (a) 4,000,938

 

28

 



 
Principal      
Amount     Security   Value
 
  Energy (continued)    
$ 2,475 M Inergy, LP, 7%, 2018 (a) $ 2,549,250
1,600 M Linn Energy, LLC, 9.875%, 2018   1,764,000
1,025 M Penn Virginia Corp., 10.375%, 2016   1,127,500
  Pioneer Natural Resource Co.:    
375 M 6.65%, 2017   401,731
2,925 M 7.5%, 2020   3,233,289
1,275 M QEP Resources, Inc., 6.875%, 2021   1,386,563
  Quicksilver Resources, Inc.:    
575 M 8.25%, 2015   609,500
1,175 M 7.125%, 2016   1,166,188
2,100 M 11.75%, 2016   2,472,750
1,775 M 9.125%, 2019   1,954,719
1,100 M Southwestern Energy Co., 7.5%, 2018   1,248,500
1,150 M   Whiting Petroleum Corp., 6.5%, 2018   1,181,625
 
          79,423,353
 
  Financials—3.4%    
  Ford Motor Credit Co., LLC:    
1,800 M 7.5%, 2012   1,911,623
2,725 M 8.7%, 2014   3,059,706
1,075 M 5.625%, 2015   1,106,629
925 M 6.625%, 2017   986,890
  International Lease Finance Corp.:    
1,550 M 5.55%, 2012   1,559,688
1,400 M 6.375%, 2013   1,414,000
750 M 6.625%, 2013   755,625
1,275 M 8.625%, 2015 (a)   1,367,438
1,900 M 8.75%, 2017 (a)   2,042,500
3,125 M   Pinafore, LLC, 9%, 2018 (a)   3,296,875
 
          17,500,974
 
  Food/Beverage/Tobacco—4.2%    
3,333 M Bumble Bee Foods, LLC, 7.75%, 2015   3,582,975
2,675 M CF Industries, Inc., 7.125%, 2020   2,932,469
7,625 M JBS USA, LLC, 8.25%, 2018   7,901,406
3,900 M Michael Foods, Inc., 9.75%, 2018 (a)   4,192,500
2,700 M   Smithfield Foods, Inc., 10%, 2014 (a)   3,118,500
 
          21,727,850

 

  29

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
FUND FOR INCOME
September 30, 2010

 
Principal    
Amount     Security Value
 
  Food/Drug—1.1%  
$ 925 M McJunkin Red Man Corp., 9.5%, 2016 (a) $ 818,625
1,700 M NBTY, Inc., 9%, 2018 (a) 1,793,500
950 M Rite Aid Corp., 9.75%, 2016 1,020,063
1,775 M   Tops Markets, LLC, 10.125%, 2015 (a) 1,914,781
 
        5,546,969
 
  Forest Products/Containers—1.0%  
1,450 M Graham Packaging Co., LP, 8.25%, 2018 (a) 1,480,812
3,775 M   Reynolds Group Escrow, LLC, 7.75%, 2016 (a) 3,859,938
 
        5,340,750
 
  Gaming/Leisure—4.0%  
2,300 M Equinox Holdings, Inc., 9.5%, 2016 (a) 2,363,250
2,550 M Las Vegas Sands Corp., 6.375%, 2015 2,585,063
2,610 M Mandalay Resort Group, 6.375%, 2011 2,551,275
2,300 M MCE Finance, Ltd., 10.25%, 2018 (a) 2,570,250
1,950 M MGM Mirage, Inc., 9%, 2020 (a) 2,062,125
3,000 M NCL Corp., Ltd., 11.75%, 2016 3,375,000
2,425 M Wynn Las Vegas, LLC, 7.75%, 2020 (a) 2,570,500
2,326 M   Yonkers Racing Corp., 11.375%, 2016 (a) 2,535,340
 
        20,612,803
 
  Health Care—5.4%  
1,250 M Capella Healthcare, 9.25%, 2017 (a) 1,340,625
6,375 M Community Health Systems, Inc., 8.875%, 2015 6,789,375
4,400 M Genesis Health Ventures, Inc., 9.75%, 2011 (b)(c) 2,750
  HCA, Inc.:  
5,700 M 6.75%, 2013 5,842,500
2,800 M 6.375%, 2015 2,807,000
  Healthsouth Corp.:  
1,650 M 7.25%, 2018 1,687,125
950 M 7.75%, 2022 959,500
  LVB Acquisition Holding, LLC (Biomet, Inc.):  
625 M 10%, 2017 692,969
2,000 M 11.625%, 2017 2,237,500
2,475 M Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings Corp., 7.75%, 2016 2,734,875
2,450   Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, 6.75%, 2017 (a) 2,505,125
 
        27,599,344

 

30

 


                                                                                                                                         
 
Principal    
Amount     Security Value
 
  Information Technology—2.3%  
  Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.:  
$ 750 M 6.625%, 2018 (a) $ 783,750
850 M 6.875%, 2020 (a) 896,750
2,425 M Equinix, Inc., 8.125%, 2018 2,600,812
  Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.:  
700 M 7.625%, 2017 (a) 750,750
450 M 7.875%, 2020 (a) 487,125
  Jabil Circuit, Inc.:  
350 M 7.75%, 2016 385,438
3,825 M 8.25%, 2018 4,293,563
1,500  M    JDA Software Group, Inc., 8%, 2014 (a) 1,597,500
 
         11,795,688
 
  Manufacturing—4.3%  
2,400 M Amsted Industries, 8.125%, 2018 (a) 2,511,000
  Case New Holland, Inc.:  
2,200 M 7.75%, 2013 2,400,750
2,075 M 7.875%, 2017 (a) 2,264,344
2,850 M Coleman Cable, Inc., 9%, 2018 2,928,375
1,325 M CPM Holdings, Inc,, 10.625%, 2014 (a) 1,434,312
2,000 M ESCO Corp., 8.625%, 2013 (a) 2,060,000
  Terex Corp.:  
3,100 M 10.875%, 2016 3,553,375
5,100  M    8%, 2017 5,131,875
 
        22,284,031
 
  Media-Broadcasting—3.6%  
2,800 M Allbritton Communication Co., 8%, 2018 2,821,000
  Belo Corp.:  
4,000 M 7.25%, 2027 3,430,000
725 M 7.75%, 2027 643,437
  Lin Television Corp.:  
1,900 M 6.5%, 2013 1,895,250
675 M 6.5%, 2013 678,375
875 M 8.375%, 2018 (a) 928,594
2,475 M Nexstar/Mission Broadcasting, Inc., 8.875%, 2017 (a) 2,592,563
  Sinclair Television Group:  
4,000 M 9.25%, 2017 (a) 4,310,000
1,000  M    8.375%, 2018 (a) 1,012,500
 
        18,311,719

 

  31

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
FUND FOR INCOME
September 30, 2010

 
Principal    
Amount     Security Value
 
  Media-Cable TV—8.3%  
$ 6,250 M Atlantic Broadband Finance, LLC, 9.375%, 2014 $ 6,367,187
3,025 M Cablevision Systems Corp., 8.625%, 2017 3,342,625
1,000 M CCH II, LLC, 13.5%, 2016 1,192,500
1,900 M Cequel Communications Holdings I, Inc., 8.625%, 2017 (a) 2,014,000
  Clear Channel Worldwide:  
2,500 M 9.25%, 2017 2,662,500
4,925 M 9.25%, 2017 – Series “B” 5,282,062
  Echostar DBS Corp.:  
2,250 M 6.625%, 2014 2,356,875
2,525 M 7.75%, 2015 2,704,906
2,225 M Insight Communications Co., Inc., 9.375%, 2018 (a) 2,375,187
  Quebecor Media, Inc.:  
1,300 M 7.75%, 2016 1,347,125
1,000 M 7.75%, 2016 1,036,250
4,850 M UPC Germany GmbH, 8.125%, 2017 (a) 5,068,250
1,575 M Videotron LTEE, 6.375%, 2015 1,618,313
4,650 M   Virgin Media Finance, PLC, 9.5%, 2016 5,277,750
 
        42,645,530
 
  Media-Diversified—1.1%  
2,475 M Entravision Communications Corp., 8.75%, 2017 (a) 2,536,875
1,225 M Interpublic Group of Cos., Inc., 10%, 2017 1,436,313
1,700 M Lamar Media Corp., 7.875%, 2018 1,793,500
  MediaNews Group, Inc.:  
2,625 M 6.875%, 2013 (b)(c) 1,641
3,100 M   6.375%, 2014 (b)(c) 1,938
 
        5,770,267
 
  Metals/Mining—2.3%  
2,750 M Metals USA, Inc., 11.125%, 2015 2,928,750
  Novelis, Inc.:  
2,075 M 7.25%, 2015 2,121,688
1,600 M 11.5%, 2015 1,836,000
1,175 M Steel Dynamics, Inc., 7.625%, 2020 (a) 1,224,938
1,011 M Teck Resources, Ltd., 10.75%, 2019 1,275,050
2,425 M   Vedanta Resources, PLC, 9.5%, 2018 (a) 2,631,125
 
        12,017,551

 

32

 



 
Principal    
Amount     Security Value
 
  Real Estate Investment Trusts—2.4%  
$ 1,375 M Brandywine Operating Partnership, LP, 5.7%, 2017 $ 1,394,313
4,650 M CB Richard Ellis Service, 11.625%, 2017 5,405,625
  Developers Diversified Realty Corp.:  
675 M 9.625%, 2016 753,868
625 M 7.875%, 2020 648,711
2,675 M Dupont Fabros Tech, LP, 8.5%, 2017 2,882,312
1,000 M   HRPT Properties Trust, 6.25%, 2017 1,050,548
 
        12,135,377
 
  Retail-General Merchandise—6.7%  
3,075 M Federated Retail Holdings, Inc., 5.9%, 2016 3,290,250
2,900 M HSN, Inc., 11.25%, 2016 3,320,500
2,050 M J.C. Penney Corp., Inc., 7.95%, 2017 2,311,375
  Limited Brands, Inc.:  
1,700 M 8.5%, 2019 1,984,750
475 M 7%, 2020 515,375
  Macys Retail Holdings, Inc.:  
2,875 M 7.45%, 2017 3,227,188
1,050 M 6.65%, 2024 1,073,625
3,525 M QVC, Inc., 7.5%, 2019 (a) 3,701,250
3,000 M Sears Holding Corp., 6.625%, 2018 (a) 3,022,500
2,050 M Susser Holdings & Finance, 8.5%, 2016 2,142,250
4,900 M Toys R Us Property Co. I, Inc., 10.75%, 2017 5,561,500
1,400 M Toys R Us Property Co. II, Inc., 8.5%, 2017 (a) 1,487,500
3,025 M   Yankee Acquisition Corp., 8.5%, 2015 3,138,438
 
        34,776,501
 
  Services—2.3%  
2,200 M Hertz Corp., 10.5%, 2016 2,348,500
  Iron Mountain, Inc.:  
225 M 8.75%, 2018 239,906
1,450 M 8%, 2020 1,538,813
2,275 M Kar Holdings, Inc., 8.75%, 2014 2,380,219
2,500 M PHH Corp., 9.25%, 2016 (a) 2,612,500
2,375 M   Reliance Intermediate Holdings, LP, 9.5%, 2019 (a) 2,529,375
 
        11,649,313

 

  33

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
FUND FOR INCOME
September 30, 2010

 
Principal    
Amount     Security Value
 
  Telecommunications—9.0%  
  Citizens Communications Co.:  
$ 5,500 M 7.125%, 2019 $ 5,665,000
775 M 9%, 2031 830,219
  Frontier Communications Corp.:  
50 M 7.875%, 2015 54,250
1,875 M 8.125%, 2018 2,057,812
1,250 M 8.5%, 2020 1,385,937
2,125 M GCI, Inc., 8.625%, 2019 2,279,062
5,575 M Inmarsat Finance, PLC, 7.375%, 2017 (a) 5,853,750
  Intelsat Jackson Holdings, Ltd.:  
750 M 9.5%, 2016 803,438
725 M 8.5%, 2019 (a) 790,250
  Nextel Communications, Inc.:  
3,550 M 5.95%, 2014 3,550,000
5,725 M 7.375%, 2015 5,782,250
  Qwest Communications International, Inc.:  
3,500 M 7.5%, 2014 3,587,500
2,125 M 8%, 2015 2,310,938
1,275 M Sprint Capital Corp., 6.875%, 2028 1,173,000
3,850 Wind Acquisition Finance SA, 11.75%, 2017 (a) 4,333,656
  M Windstream Corp.:  
3,100 M 8.625%, 2016 3,293,750
1,550 M 7.875%, 2017 1,623,625
1,025 M   7.75%, 2020 (a) 1,037,813
 
        46,412,250
 
  Transportation—2.3%  
2,475 M Aircastle, Ltd., 9.75%, 2018 (a) 2,539,969
3,350 M CHC Helicopter SA, 9.25%, 2020 (a) 3,400,250
  Navios Maritime Holdings:  
4,175 M 9.5%, 2014 4,279,375
775 M 8.875%, 2017 (a) 821,500
925 M   Teekay Corp., 8.5%, 2020 1,011,719
 
        12,052,813
 
  Utilities—4.4%  
875 M AES Corp., 9.75%, 2016 1,010,625
2,600 M Calpine Construction Finance Co., LP, 8%, 2016 (a) 2,795,000
225 M Calpine Corp., 7.875%, 2020 (a) 232,312
875 M   CMS Energy Corp., 8.75%, 2019 1,049,142

 

34

 



 
Principal      
Amount      
or Shares     Security     Value
 
  Utilities (continued)    
$ 5,250 M Dynegy Holdings, Inc., 7.75%, 2019   $ 3,622,500
1,700 M Energy Future Holdings Corp., 10%, 2020 (a) 1,696,192
3,475 M Intergen NV, 9%, 2017 (a)   3,692,188
  NRG Energy, Inc.:    
4,625 M 7.375%, 2017   4,752,188
1,375 M 8.5%, 2019   1,455,781
2,600 M   NSG Holdings, LLC, 7.75%, 2025 (a)     2,379,000
 
            22,684,928
 
Total Value of Corporate Bonds (cost $476,114,050)     499,662,502
 
  COMMON STOCKS—.0%    
  Automotive—.0%    
37,387 * Safelite Glass Corporation – Class “B” (b)     7,290
2,523     *   Safelite Realty Corporation (b)        25
 
            7,315
 
  Telecommunications—.0%    
8 * Viatel Holding (Bermuda), Ltd. (b)  
18,224     *   World Access, In c.      15
 
            15
 
Total Value of Common Stocks (cost $385,770)     7,330
 
  SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—3.4%  
  Money Market Fund    
$ 17,660M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%    
      (cost $17,660,000) (d)     17,660,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $494,159,820) 100.4 % 517,329,832
Excess of Liabilities Over Other Assets (.4 (1,931,829)
 
Net Assets       100.0 $515,398,003

 

* Non-income producing

(a) Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of Securities Act of 1933 (see Note 4).

(b) Securities valued at fair value (see Note 1A)

(c) In default as to principal and/or interest payment

(d) Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

  35

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
FUND FOR INCOME
September 30, 2010

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes (see Note 1A). The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
    Level 1 Significant   Significant  
    Quoted Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Corporate Bonds $ $ 499,656,173 $ 6,329 $ 499,662,502
Common Stocks   15   7,315 7,330
Money Market Fund   17,660,000       17,660,000
Total Investments in Securities* $  17,660,015 $ 499,656,173 $ 13,644 $ 517,329,832

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the industry categorization for the portfolio.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

36

 



The following is a reconciliation of Fund investments valued using Level 3 inputs for the period:

  Investments Investments   Investments      
    in   in Auction   in Investments  
    Corporate   Rate   Common   in  
    Bonds   Securities   Stocks   Warrants   Total
Balance,                  
September 30,                  
2009 $ 2,750 $ 2,120,646 $ 14,045 $ $ 2,137,441
Net sales     (2,300,000)   (16,351)   (137,532) (2,453,883)
Change in unrealized                  
appreciation     179,354   227,018 13,240,676 13,647,048
Realized loss       (231,626)  (13,303,863) (13,535,489)
Transfer in and/or                  
out of Level 3   3,579     14,229   200,719   218,527
Balance,                  
September 30,                  
2010 $ 6,329 $ $ 7,315 $ $  13,644

 

The following is a summary of Level 3 inputs by industry:

Automotive $ 7,315
Health Care   2,750
Media - Diversified   3,579
  $ 13,644

 

See notes to financial statements 37

 



Portfolio Composition (unaudited)
FUND FOR INCOME

The dollar weighted average of credit ratings of all bonds held by the Fund during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, computed on a monthly basis, are set forth below. This information reflects the average composition of the Fund’s assets during the 2010 fiscal year and is not necessarily representative of the Fund as of the end of its 2010 fiscal year, the current fiscal year or at any other time in the future.

    Comparable Quality of
  Rated by Unrated Securities to
  Moody's Bonds Rated by Moody's
 
Aa3 0.07% 0.00%
A1 0.09 0.00
Baa2 0.40 0.00
Baa3 1.17 0.00
Ba1 2.78 0.00
Ba2 16.72 0.00
Ba3 11.86 0.00
B 0.00 0.07
B- 0.00 0.01
B1 18.75 0.00
B2 15.84 0.00
B3 20.70 0.00
Caa1 6.97 0.00
Caa2 1.67 0.00
Caa 0.30 0.00
Ca 0.77 0.00

 

38

 



Portfolio Managers’ Letter
TOTAL RETURN FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Total Return Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 9.4% for Class A shares and 8.6% for Class B shares, including dividends of 29.2 cents per share on Class A shares and 19.7 cents per share on Class B shares.

The Fund follows a strategy of diversifying its assets among stocks, bonds and money market instruments, with at least 50% normally invested in stocks and at least 35% invested in bonds, cash and money market instruments. During the period, the Fund had an average portfolio allocation of 58% in stocks, 40% in bonds and only 2% in cash and cash equivalents. The Fund’s asset allocation strategy worked well during the period, as both stocks and bonds generated good performance amid the improving economic environment as discussed below. The Fund also benefited from having a low level of cash in this environment.

Equities

During the reporting period, the equity markets settled into a more stable pattern of positive results, boosted by the slowly improving domestic economy. The Fund’s returns reflected that performance. However, the markets remained highly susceptible to short-term headlines, creating periods of high volatility. The environment remained more macro driven, as the Federal Reserve, the Obama administration and Congress continued to be aggressively involved in economic affairs, proposing new regulations and increasing government oversight of businesses. Many of these actions were perceived as being negative for business, impacting whole sectors or industries. Industries such as health care, energy, financials and education were greatly impacted by governmental initiatives, and saw their share prices affected during the period.

The Fund’s weightings in consumer staples and industrials increased throughout the year, as these sectors demonstrated solid growth in earnings and benefited from cost control programs. Overall stock selection and weightings benefited the Fund’s relative performance most notably within these sectors. Additionally, better stock selection also aided investments within utilities and materials.

Notable individual performers within consumer staples included shares of direct seller of beauty products and nutriceuticals Nu Skin Enterprises, spice and flavorings maker Mc-Cormick, and tobacco giant Altria Group. The Fund also benefited from the takeover of small-cap personal products maker Chattem by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis. Within industrials, shares of Honeywell, United Technologies, 3M, and Caterpillar were the top larger-cap companies. The overall top performers were two investments in ocean freight container leasing companies, TAL International and Textainer Group Holdings, which benefited from a strong resurgence of global commerce, positively impacting their pricing and utilization.

As in the prior year, the Fund remained underweight in the volatile energy sector, as natural gas remained plentiful and its pricing reflected that fact by dropping 30% since the beginning of 2010. Oil had its own volatile year, but remained only modestly above last year’s price levels. However, the energy sector performed well during the year and our relative underweight and poor stock selection hurt results. The Fund’s investments within

  39

 



Portfolio Managers’ Letter (continued)

TOTAL RETURN FUND

technology also detracted from results. Poor stock selection in the Fund’s larger-cap, longer-term holdings, such as Cisco Systems, Nokia, Hewlett Packard and Microsoft, hurt performance. In addition, a slowdown in government procurement impacted the results of the Fund’s investments in defense-related IT services firms.

The equity portion of the Fund maintained a diverse market capitalization allocation during the period, ending with 58% large cap, 14% mid cap and 28% small cap, according to Lipper’s market capitalization ranges. This is consistent with the Fund’s long-term strategy. While the large-cap segment lagged, the mid- and small-cap components delivered better results than the benchmark.

Fixed Income

The fixed income market had strong returns during the review period, gaining 8% as measured by the Bank of America Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate, Government and Mortgage Index. The market benefited from the general decline in interest rates as the Federal Reserve remained focused on keeping rates low to stimulate economic growth. The yield on the two-year U.S. Treasury note fell to an all-time low, ending the review period at .4%. Longer-term interest rates also fell with the ten-year Treasury note yield moving from 3.3% to 2.5%. Among fixed income sectors, corporate bonds had the highest return, 12.6% according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The sector benefited from falling interest rates, strong company fundamentals, and positive (although slow) economic growth. Mortgage-backed bonds had the smallest gain, returning 5.9%. Fear of an increase in prepayments on mortgages due to record low mortgage rates caused the sector to underperform.

The Fund’s bond investments were primarily allocated among investment grade corporate bonds (25.5% of Fund assets), mortgage-backed securities (9.5%), and U.S. government and municipal obligations (4.9%). The positive impact of the Fund’s overweight in corporate bonds offset the negative impact of its underweight in the Treasury sector. The Fund benefited in particular from its corporate bond security selection.

Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.

Sincerely,


40 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
TOTAL RETURN FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,008.82 $6.85
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,018.25 $6.88
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,004.65 $10.35
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,014.74 $10.40

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.36% for Class A shares and 2.06% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

Portfolio Composition
TOP TEN SECTORS


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total market value of investments.

  41

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)
TOTAL RETURN FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Total Return Fund (Class A shares), the Bank of America (“BofA”) Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate, Government & Mortgage Master Index and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Total Return Fund (Class A shares) beginning 9/30/00 with theoretical investments in the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate, Government & Mortgage Master Index and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (the “Indices”). The BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate, Government & Mortgage Master Index tracks the performance of U.S. dollar-denominated investment grade publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market, including U.S. Treasury, quasi-government, corporate and residential mortgage pass-through securities. Qualifying securities must have an investment grade rating. Qualifying U.S. Treasuries must have at least one-year remaining term to final maturity, a fixed coupon schedule and a minimum amount outstanding of $1 billion. Qualifying U.S. agency, foreign government, supranational and corporate securities must have at least one-year remaining term to final maturity, a fixed coupon schedule and a minimum amount outstanding of $250 million. Qualifying residential mortgage pass-through securities include both fixed rate and hybrid securities publicly issued by U.S. agencies. 30-year, 20-year, 15-year and interest-only fixed rate mortgage pools are included in the Index provided they have at least one year remaining term to final maturity and a minimum amount outstanding of at least $5 billion per generic coupon and $250 million per production year within each generic coupon. Hybrid mortgage pools that reset versus 1-year CMT, 1 year LIBOR or 6-month LIBOR during their adjustable rate period are also included in the Index provided they have at least $2.5 billion per generic coupon and $250 million per production year within each generic coupon. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is an unmanaged capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of such stocks, which represent all major industries. It is not possible to invest directly in these Indices. In addition, the Indices do not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02, the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). During the periods shown, some of the expenses of the Fund were waived or assumed. If such expenses had been paid by the Fund, the Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for Five Years and Ten Years would have been 1.87% and .97%, respectively. The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for Five Years and Ten Years would have been 2.00% and 1.04%, respectively. Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate, Government & Mortgage Master Index figures are from Bank of America Merrill Lynch & Co. and Standard & Poor’s 500 Index figures are from Standard & Poor’s and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

42 

 



Portfolio of Investments
TOTAL RETURN FUND
September 30, 2010

  
 
Shares     Security Value
 
  COMMON STOCKS—59.4%  
  Consumer Discretionary—9.5%  
78,300 American Greetings Corporation – Class “A” $ 1,455,597
48,000 * Big Lots, Inc. 1,596,000
43,600 * BorgWarner, Inc. 2,294,232
60,600 Brown Shoe Company, Inc. 695,082
103,100 CBS Corporation – Class “B” 1,635,166
29,400 * CEC Entertainment, Inc. 1,009,302
25,500 Coach, Inc. 1,095,480
51,100 * GameStop Corporation – Class “A” 1,007,181
27,200 Guess?, Inc. 1,105,136
143,400 H&R Block, Inc. 1,857,030
55,700 Home Depot, Inc. 1,764,576
46,000 Limited Brands, Inc. 1,231,880
92,500 * Lincoln Educational Services Corporation 1,332,925
27,700 McDonald’s Corporation 2,063,927
144,000 * Morgans Hotel Group Company 1,054,080
147,500 Newell Rubbermaid, Inc. 2,626,975
9,200 NIKE, Inc. – Class “B” 737,288
164,400 * Ruby Tuesday, Inc. 1,951,428
47,000 * Steiner Leisure, Ltd. 1,790,700
228,600 Stewart Enterprises, Inc – Class “A” 1,232,154
49,800 * TRW Automotive Holdings Corporation 2,069,688
49,400 Tupperware Brands Corporation 2,260,544
73,460     Wyndham Worldwide Corporation 2,017,946
 
        35,884,317
 
  Consumer Staples—7.6%  
152,400 Altria Group, Inc. 3,660,648
36,600 Avon Products, Inc. 1,175,226
47,700 Coca-Cola Company 2,791,404
68,600 CVS Caremark Corporation 2,158,842
21,800 * Dole Food Company, Inc. 199,470
12,900 Kellogg Company 651,579
57,800 Lance, Inc. 1,231,140
30,600 McCormick & Company, Inc. 1,286,424
85,900 Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. – Class “A” 2,473,920
28,000 PepsiCo, Inc. 1,860,320
81,400 Philip Morris International, Inc. 4,560,028
32,400     Procter & Gamble Company 1,943,028

 

  43

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
TOTAL RETURN FUND
September 30, 2010

 
 
Shares     Security Value
 
  Consumer Staples (continued)  
13,740 Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. $ 341,851
50,100 Walgreen Company 1,678,350
53,400     Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 2,857,968
 
        28,870,198
 
  Energy—4.2%  
20,900 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation 1,192,345
30,900 ConocoPhillips 1,774,587
27,200 Ensco, PLC (ADR) 1,216,656
49,727 ExxonMobil Corporation 3,072,631
1,897 Hugoton Royalty Trust 37,921
26,686 Marathon Oil Corporation 883,307
67,800 Noble Corporation 2,290,962
27,800 Sasol, Ltd. (ADR) 1,245,162
90,100 Suncor Energy, Inc. 2,932,755
18,270   * Transocean, Ltd. 1,174,578
 
        15,820,904
 
  Financials—7.4%  
18,100 American Express Company 760,743
48,500 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. 2,295,505
75,600 Brookline Bancorp, Inc. 754,488
23,292 Capital One Financial Corporation 921,198
36,150 Discover Financial Services 602,982
130,000 Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (ETF) 1,865,500
56,650 First Mercury Financial Corporation 571,032
100,700 FirstMerit Corporation 1,844,824
141,800 Hudson City Bancorp, Inc. 1,738,468
15,000 IBERIABANK Corporation 749,700
47,400 Invesco, Ltd. 1,006,302
63,800 JPMorgan Chase & Company 2,428,866
55,700 Morgan Stanley 1,374,676
164,500 New York Community Bancorp, Inc. 2,673,125
93,200 NewAlliance Bancshares, Inc. 1,176,184
65,300 SPDR KBW Regional Banking (ETF) 1,496,023
12,700 SPDR S&P 500 Trust (ETF) 1,449,324
122,572   * Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (REIT) 1,111,728

 

44

 



 
 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Financials (continued)    
36,500 U.S. Bancorp $789,130
79,800 Urstadt Biddle Properties – Class “A” (REIT)   1,442,784
35,800     Wells Fargo & Company   899,654
 
          27,952,236
 
  Health Care—5.9%    
56,200 Abbott Laboratories   2,935,888
17,000 * Amgen, Inc.   936,870
18,500 Baxter International, Inc.   882,635
30,900 * Genzyme Corporation   2,187,411
42,600 * Gilead Sciences, Inc.   1,516,986
62,100 Johnson & Johnson   3,847,716
7,200 * Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings   564,696
29,300 Medtronic, Inc.   983,894
35,700 Merck & Company, Inc.   1,314,117
151,280 Pfizer, Inc.   2,597,478
11,400 * PSS World Medical, Inc.   243,732
42,200 Sanofi-Aventis (ADR)   1,403,150
23,000 * St. Jude Medical, Inc.   904,820
38,400   * Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.   1,838,592
 
          22,157,985
 
  Industrials—10.0%    
31,700 3M Company   2,748,707
29,000 Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.   1,010,360
45,904 * Altra Holdings, Inc.   676,166
61,500 * Armstrong World Industries, Inc.   2,552,865
30,200 Baldor Electric Company   1,220,080
25,300 Caterpillar, Inc.   1,990,604
60,700 * Chicago Bridge & Iron Company NV – NY Shares   1,484,115
29,200 * Esterline Technologies Corporation   1,671,116
52,100 Generac Holdings, Inc.   710,644
43,200 * General Electric Company   702,000
50,500 Honeywell International, Inc.   2,218,970
50,100 IDEX Corporation   1,779,051
17,700 Lockheed Martin Corporation   1,261,656
64,500 * Mobile Mini, Inc.   989,430
19,600 Northrop Grumman Corporation   1,188,348
61,647 * PGT, Inc.   140,555
31,300 * Pinnacle Airlines Corporation   169,959
26,800     Raytheon Company   1,225,028

 

  45

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
TOTAL RETURN FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security Value
 
  Industrials (continued)  
35,310 Republic Services, Inc. $ 1,076,602
45,600 Snap-on, Inc. 2,120,856
148,500 TAL International Group, Inc. 3,596,670
70,500 Textainer Group Holdings, Ltd. 1,885,170
75,075 Tyco International, Ltd. 2,757,505
36,400     United Technologies Corporation 2,592,772
 
        37,769,229
 
  Information Technology—9.9%  
57,700 * Avago Technologies, Ltd. 1,298,827
166,300 * Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. 971,192
24,500 * CACI International, Inc. – Class “A” 1,108,870
109,900 * Cisco Systems, Inc. 2,406,810
133,300 * EMC Corporation 2,707,323
55,100 Hewlett-Packard Company 2,318,057
65,700 Intel Corporation 1,263,411
38,500 International Business Machines Corporation 5,164,390
57,000 Intersil Corporation – Class “A” 666,330
164,800 Microsoft Corporation 4,035,952
122,500 National Semiconductor Corporation 1,564,325
68,450 * NCI, Inc. – Class “A” 1,295,074
90,100 * Parametric Technology Corporation 1,760,554
76,400 QUALCOMM, Inc. 3,447,168
59,975 * SRA International, Inc. – Class “A” 1,182,707
115,700 * Symantec Corporation 1,755,169
71,300 Tyco Electronics, Ltd. 2,083,386
132,576     Western Union Company 2,342,618
 
        37,372,163
 
  Materials—3.2%  
62,000 Bemis Company, Inc. 1,968,500
46,200 Celanese Corporation – Series “A” 1,483,020
29,000 Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc. 2,476,310
66,600 Olin Corporation 1,342,656
14,600 Praxair, Inc. 1,317,796
91,600 RPM International, Inc. 1,824,672
92,550     Temple-Inland, Inc. 1,726,983
 
        12,139,937

 

46

 



 
Shares or      
Principal      
Amount     Security   Value
 
  Telecommunication Services—1.5%    
82,400 AT&T, Inc. $ 2,356,640
101,100     Verizon Communications, Inc.   3,294,849
 
          5,651,489
 
  Utilities—.2%    
32,100     Atmos Energy Corporation   938,925
 
Total Value of Common Stocks (cost $196,917,278)   224,557,383
 
  CORPORATE BONDS—27.1%    
  Aerospace/Defense—.9%    
$ 1,000 M BAE Systems Holdings, Inc., 4.95%, 2014 (a)   1,104,450
1,000 M Lockheed Martin Corp., 4.25%, 2019   1,092,202
1,000 M   United Technologies Corp., 6.125%, 2019   1,239,265
 
          3,435,917
 
  Agriculture—.6%    
1,000 M Cargill, Inc., 6%, 2017 (a)   1,183,999
1,000 M   Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc., 4.875%, 2020   1,065,090
 
          2,249,089
 
  Automotive—.3%    
1,000 M   Daimler Chrysler NA, LLC, 6.5%, 2013   1,144,645
 
  Chemicals—.3%    
1,000 M   Chevron Phillips Chemicals, Co., LLC, 8.25%, 2019 (a)   1,267,679
 
  Consumer Durables—.5%    
1,000 M Black & Decker Corp., 8.95%, 2014   1,233,557
700 M   Newell Rubbermaid, Inc., 6.75%, 2012   749,450
 
          1,983,007
 
  Energy—4.1%    
1,000 M Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd., 5.9%, 2018   1,167,705
500 M Canadian Oil Sands, Ltd., 7.75%, 2019 (a)   621,305
1,000 M ConocoPhillips, 5.75%, 2019   1,201,562
1,000 M DCP Midstream, LLC, 9.75%, 2019 (a)   1,332,721
500 M Energy Transfer Partners, LP, 8.5%, 2014   594,120
1,000 M Marathon Oil Corp., 7.5%, 2019   1,282,581
960 M Maritime & Northeast Pipeline, LLC, 7.5%, 2014 (a)   1,049,348
1,000 M   Nabors Industries, Inc., 5.375%, 2012   1,060,621

 

  47

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
TOTAL RETURN FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Principal      
Amount     Security   Value
 
  Energy (continued)  
$ 1,000 M Nexen, Inc., 6.4%, 2037 $ 1,093,315
1,000 M Northern Border Partners, LP, 7.1%, 2011   1,025,430
1,000 M Shell International Finance BV, 3.25%, 2015   1,064,047
500 M Spectra Energy Capital, LLC, 6.2%, 2018   585,639
1,000 M Suncor Energy, Inc., 6.1%, 2018   1,172,354
1,000 M Valero Energy Corp., 9.375%, 2019   1,279,027
1,000  M    Weatherford International, Inc., 5.125%, 2020   1,024,264
 
          15,554,039
 
  Financial Services—2.4%    
1,000 M American Express Co., 7%, 2018   1,206,185
1,000 M Ameriprise Financial, Inc., 5.3%, 2020   1,106,927
1,000 M BlackRock, Inc., 5%, 2019   1,104,416
1,000 M Caterpillar Financial Services Corp., 5.85%, 2017   1,177,233
1,000 M CoBank, ACB, 7.875%, 2018 (a)   1,162,298
1,000 M General Electric Capital Corp., 5.625%, 2017   1,118,729
1,000 M Harley-Davidson Funding Corp., 5.75%, 2014 (a)   1,067,611
1,000 M   Prudential Financial Corp., 6%, 2017   1,130,244
 
          9,073,643
 
  Financials—2.9%    
1,000 M Barclays Bank, PLC, 5.125%, 2020   1,083,159
1,000 M Citigroup, Inc., 6.375%, 2014   1,111,432
1,000 M Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., 6.45%, 2036   1,006,082
1,000 M JPMorgan Chase & Co., 6%, 2018   1,143,691
1,000 M Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., 5%, 2015   1,065,999
1,000 M Morgan Stanley, 5.3%, 2013   1,077,543
1,000 M Siemens Financieringsmaatschappij NV, 5.75%, 2016 (a)   1,178,992
1,000 M SunTrust Banks, Inc., 6%, 2017   1,084,616
1,000 M UBS AG, 5.875%, 2017   1,133,171
1,000 M   Wells Fargo & Co., 5.625%, 2017   1,140,695
 
          11,025,380
 
  Food/Beverage/Tobacco—2.8%    
1,000 M Altria Group, Inc., 9.7%, 2018   1,355,640
1,000 M Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc., 6.875%, 2019 (a)   1,246,694
1,000 M Bottling Group, LLC, 5.125%, 2019   1,149,557
1,000 M Bunge Limited Finance Corp., 5.35%, 2014   1,068,411
1,000 M ConAgra Foods, Inc., 5.875%, 2014   1,142,634
1,000 M   Corn Products International, Inc., 4.625%, 2020   1,025,012

 

48

 



 
Principal      
Amount     Security   Value
 
  Food/Beverage/Tobacco (continued)    
$ 1,000 M Diageo Capital, PLC, 5.75%, 2017 $ 1,181,950
1,000 M Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc., 6.82%, 2018   1,239,140
1,000 M   Philip Morris International, Inc., 5.65%, 2018   1,172,656
 
          10,581,694
 
  Forest Products/Containers—.2%    
650 M   International Paper Co., 9.375%, 2019   844,560
 
  Health Care—1.3%    
1,000 M Biogen IDEC, Inc., 6.875%, 2018   1,175,176
1,000 M Novartis, 5.125%, 2019   1,150,110
1,000 M Pfizer, Inc., 6.2%, 2019   1,233,349
1,000 M   Roche Holdings, Inc., 6%, 2019 (a)   1,213,525
 
          4,772,160
 
  Information Technology—1.5%    
1,000 M Adobe Systems, Inc., 4.75%, 2020   1,078,420
1,000 M Dell, Inc., 5.875%, 2019   1,162,403
1,000 M International Business Machines Corp., 8.375%, 2019   1,400,327
1,000 M Pitney Bowes, Inc., 5%, 2015   1,081,107
1,000 M   Xerox Corp., 5.5%, 2012   1,064,429
 
          5,786,686
 
  Manufacturing—.9%    
1,000 M Ingersoll-Rand Global Holdings Co., 6.875%, 2018   1,216,174
1,000 M John Deere Capital Corp., 5.35%, 2018   1,160,798
1,000 M   Johnson Controls, Inc., 5%, 2020   1,101,100
 
          3,478,072
 
  Media-Broadcasting—1.6%    
1,000 M British Sky Broadcasting Group, PLC, 9.5%, 2018 (a)   1,367,521
1,000 M Comcast Corp., 5.15%, 2020   1,094,955
  Cox Communications, Inc.:    
500 M 5.5%, 2015   563,300
500 M 8.375%, 2039 (a)   673,379
1,000 M DirecTV Holdings, LLC, 7.625%, 2016   1,116,285
1,000 M   Time Warner Cable, Inc., 6.2%, 2013   1,127,270
 
          5,942,710

 

  49

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
TOTAL RETURN FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Principal      
Amount     Security   Value
 
  Media-Diversified—.5%    
$ 1,000 M McGraw-Hill Cos., Inc., 5.9%, 2017 $ 1,131,235
500 M   News America, Inc., 5.3%, 2014   564,832
 
          1,696,067
 
  Metals/Mining—1.5%    
1,000 M Alcoa, Inc., 6.15%, 2020   1,030,040
1,000 M ArcelorMittal, 6.125%, 2018   1,083,178
1,000 M Newmont Mining Corp., 5.125%, 2019   1,120,707
1,000 M Rio Tinto Finance USA, Ltd., 6.5%, 2018   1,207,808
1,000 M   Vale Overseas, Ltd., 5.625%, 2019   1,107,416
 
           5,549,149
 
  Real Estate Investment Trusts—.6%    
1,000 M ProLogis, 7.625%, 2014   1,081,621
1,000 M   Simon Property Group, LP, 5.75%, 2015   1,140,022
 
          2,221,643
 
  Retail General Merchandise—.3%    
1,000 M   Home Depot, Inc., 5.875%, 2036   1,069,749
 
  Telecommunications—.9%    
1,000 M AT&T, Inc., 5.8%, 2019   1,194,068
800 M GTE Corp., 6.84%, 2018   949,734
1,000 M   Verizon Communications, Inc., 8.75%, 2018   1,362,827
 
          3,506,629
 
  Transportation—.2%    
500 M   GATX Corp., 8.75%, 2014   591,039
 
  Utilities—2.5%    
1,000 M Atmos Energy Corp., 8.5%, 2019   1,302,020
1,000 M Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, 7.125%, 2018   1,288,703
1,000 M E. ON International Finance BV, 5.8%, 2018 (a)   1,185,197
1,000 M Electricite de France SA, 6.5%, 2019 (a)   1,223,327
1,000 M Exelon Generation Co., LLC, 6.2%, 2017   1,174,095
649 M Great River Energy Co., 5.829%, 2017 (a)   729,376
1,000 M Ohio Power Co., 5.375%, 2021   1,143,115
1,000 M   Sempra Energy, 9.8%, 2019   1,396,322
 
          9,442,155

 

50

 



 
Principal      
Amount     Security   Value
 
  Waste Management—.3%    
$ 1,000   Allied Waste NA, Inc., 7.125%, 2016   $ 1,072,491
 
Total Value of Corporate Bonds (cost $92,529,361)   102,288,203
 
  RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE-BACKED    
  SECURITIES—9.2%    
  Fannie Mae—5.5%    
10,294 M 5.5%, 5/1/2033 – 10/1/2039   11,028,217
5,752 M 6%, 5/1/2036 – 8/1/2037   6,206,214
1,879 M 6.5%, 11/1/2033 – 6/1/2036   2,067,489
1,259 M   7%, 3/1/2032 – 8/1/2032   1,450,355
 
          20,752,275
 
  Freddie Mac—3.7%    
1,000 M 4.5%, 9/1/2040   1,041,417
9,505 M 5.5%, 5/1/2038 – 1/1/2040   10,089,781
2,604 M   6%, 9/1/2032 – 5/1/2038   2,815,742
 
          13,946,940
 
Total Value of Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (cost $33,311,174)   34,699,215
 
  MUNICIPAL BONDS—1.8%    
1,000 M Atlanta GA Wtr. & Wastewtr. Rev. Series “A”, 6%, 2029   1,130,320
1,000 M Lower Colorado River Auth. TX Rev., 5.5%, 2033   1,096,230
1,000 M Massachusetts St. Hlth. & Educ. Facs. Series “A”, 5%, 2034   1,109,260
1,000 M Minnesota State Ref. Various Purpose, Series “H”, 5%, 2029   1,140,500
1,000 M North Carolina State Pub. Impt. Series “A”, 5%, 2027   1,167,790
1,000 M Salt River Proj. AZ Agric. Impt. & Pwr. Dist. Elec. Sys.    
      Rev. Series “A”, 5%, 2029   1,113,100
 
Total Value of Municipal Bonds (cost $6,273,372)   6,757,200
 
  U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY    
  OBLIGATIONS—1.4%    
  Fannie Mae:    
1,000 M 2.5%, 2014   1,050,340
1,000 M 1.625%, 2015   1,000,815
1,000 M   Federal Farm Credit Bank, 1.75%, 2013   1,022,483

 

  51

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
TOTAL RETURN FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Principal      
Amount     Security     Value
 
  Tennessee Valley Authority:    
$ 1,000 M 4.375%, 2015   $ 1,128,768
1,000 M   4.5%, 2018     1,147,366
 
Total Value of U.S. Government Agency Obligations (cost $5,038,720)   5,349,772
 
  U.S. GOVERNMENT FDIC    
  GUARANTEED DEBT—.3%    
  Financials    
1,000 M   Citigroup Funding, Inc., 1.875%, 2012 (cost $1,002,718)   1,026,034
 
  SHORT-TERM CORPORATE NOTES—1.4%  
  Money Market Fund    
5,300 M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%    
      (cost $5,300,000) (b)     5,300,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $340,372,623) 100.6 % 379,977,807
Excess of Liabilities Over Other Assets (.6 (2,152,819)
 
Net Assets       100.0 % $377,824,988

 

* Non-income producing

(a) Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of Securities Act of 1933 (see Note 4).

(b) Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Summary of Abbreviations:
 
ADR American Depositary Receipts
ETF Exchange Traded Fund
REIT Real Estate Investment Trust

 

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

52

 



The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
  Level 1   Significant   Significant  
  Quoted   Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Common Stocks $ 224,557,383 $ $ $ 224,557,383
Corporate Bonds 102,288,203   102,288,203
Residential Mortgage-Backed            
Securities   34,699,215   34,699,215
Municipal Bonds   6,757,200   6,757,200
U.S. Government Agency            
Obligations   5,349,772   5,349,772
U.S. Government FDIC            
Guaranteed Debt   1,026,034   1,026,034
Money Market Fund   5,300,000       5,300,000
Total Investments in Securities* $ 229,857,383 $  150,120,424 $ $ 379,977,807

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the industry categorization for common stocks and corporate bonds.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

See notes to financial statements 53

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter
VALUE FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Value Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 9.8% for Class A shares and 9.0% for Class B shares, including dividends of 9.3 cents per share on Class A shares and 4.9 cents per share on Class B shares.

During the review period, the equity markets settled into a more stable pattern of positive results, boosted by a slowly improving economy. The Fund’s returns reflected that performance. However, the markets remained highly susceptible to short-term headlines, creating periods of high volatility. The environment remained more macro driven, as the Federal Reserve, the Obama administration and Congress continued to be aggressively involved in economic affairs, proposing new regulations and increasing government oversight of businesses. Many of those actions have taken a negative tone, which hurt certain sectors, including health care and financials.

The materials sector provided the highest return for the Fund, as its holdings in companies such as chemical giant DuPont and packaging companies Sonoco Products and Bemis led the way. Consumer staples was also an area of strength for the Fund reflecting good performance from packaged food companies like Sara Lee and Kraft Foods, as well as Ruddick, which operates the Harris & Teeter grocery chain in the southeast U.S. Other holdings that were among the most positive contributors for the review period included discount retailer Family Dollar Stores and communications giant Verizon Communications.

On a relative basis, the financials sector was the Fund’s top performer. The financials sector was the only major sector of the S&P 500 Index to generate a negative return during the review period. The Fund’s holdings in the sector, however, managed to turn in a positive return due to holdings in companies such as insurer Erie Indemnity, insurer and asset manager Ameriprise Financial, and real estate investment trusts Plum Creek Timber and First Potomac Realty.

The information technology sector was the Fund’s weakest sector on a relative basis compared with the S&P 500 Index. While part of the reason was that the Fund did not own several high-flying momentum stocks that are part of the S&P 500 Index, it also reflected poor performance from holdings such as mobile phone maker Nokia and semiconductor producer Intersil.

The Fund benefited from its multi-cap approach during the review period, as small-and mid-cap stocks performed better than large caps. The Fund carries a lower weighting in large caps than does the Index.

54

 



Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.

Sincerely,


  55 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
VALUE FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $990.72 $6.94
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,018.10 $7.03
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $986.97 $10.41
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,014.59 $10.56

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.39% for Class A shares and 2.09% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

Portfolio Composition
TOP TEN SECTORS


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total market value of investments.

56

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)
VALUE FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Value Fund (Class A shares) and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Value Fund (Class A shares) beginning 9/30/00 with a theoretical investment in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (the “Index”). The Index is an unmanaged capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of such stocks, which represent all major industries. It is not possible to invest directly in this Index. In addition, the Index does not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02 the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Index figures are from Standard & Poor’s and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

  57

 



Portfolio of Investments
VALUE FUND
September 30, 2010

 
 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  COMMON STOCKS—95.5%    
  Consumer Discretionary—12.1%  
132,600 American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. $ 1,983,696
50,400 Best Buy Company, Inc.   2,057,832
38,800 Bob Evans Farms, Inc.   1,089,116
52,100 Carnival Corporation   1,990,741
76,800 Cinemark Holdings, Inc.   1,236,480
101,400 Comcast Corporation – Special Shares “A”   1,724,814
40,300 Fortune Brands, Inc.   1,983,969
57,000 Genuine Parts Company   2,541,630
126,600 H&R Block, Inc.   1,639,470
71,700 Home Depot, Inc.   2,271,456
78,700 J.C. Penney Company, Inc.   2,139,066
119,300 Lowe’s Companies, Inc.   2,659,197
88,100 Macy’s, Inc.   2,034,229
26,900 McDonald’s Corporation   2,004,319
83,400 Newell Rubbermaid, Inc.   1,485,354
35,900 Omnicom Group, Inc.   1,417,332
128,400 * Ruby Tuesday, Inc.   1,524,108
126,000 Stage Stores, Inc.   1,638,000
88,900 Staples, Inc.   1,859,788
64,633 Time Warner, Inc.   1,981,001
113,400 Walt Disney Company   3,754,674
32,620     Wyndham Worldwide Corporation   896,071
 
          41,912,343
 
  Consumer Staples—17.8%    
60,400 Archer-Daniels-Midland Company   1,927,968
88,800 Avon Products, Inc.   2,851,368
27,700 Clorox Company   1,849,252
74,600 Coca-Cola Company   4,365,592
74,500 ConAgra Foods, Inc.   1,634,530
47,800 Costco Wholesale Corporation   3,082,622
68,800 CVS/Caremark Corporation   2,165,136
54,500 Diageo, PLC (ADR)   3,761,045
44,300 H.J. Heinz Company   2,098,491
48,400 Hershey Corporation   2,303,356
73,100 Kimberly-Clark Corporation   4,755,155
169,700 Kraft Foods, Inc. – Class “A”   5,236,942
92,200 Kroger Company   1,997,052
64,700 Lance, Inc.   1,378,110
28,600     McCormick & Company, Inc.   1,202,344

 

58

 



 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Consumer Staples (continued)    
79,013 PepsiCo, Inc. $ 5,249,624
79,600 Philip Morris International, Inc.   4,459,192
26,600 Procter & Gamble Company   1,595,202
57,450 Safeway, Inc.   1,215,642
88,000 Walgreen Company   2,948,000
104,800     Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.   5,608,896
 
          61,685,519
 
  Energy—8.2%    
58,917 Chevron Corporation   4,775,223
69,700 ConocoPhillips   4,002,871
40,300 Devon Energy Corporation   2,609,022
31,300 Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.   2,121,201
54,500 ExxonMobil Corporation   3,367,555
27,700 Hess Corporation   1,637,624
105,600 Marathon Oil Corporation   3,495,360
62,700 Royal Dutch Shell, PLC – Class “A” (ADR)   3,780,810
60,000     Tidewater, Inc.   2,688,600
 
          28,478,266
 
  Financials—14.0%    
38,300 ACE, Ltd.   2,230,975
54,300 Allstate Corporation   1,713,165
42,700 Ameriprise Financial, Inc.   2,020,991
45,200 Aspen Insurance Holdings, Ltd.   1,368,656
147,800 Bank Mutual Corporation   767,082
130,887 Bank of America Corporation   1,715,929
97,728 Bank of New York Mellon Corporation   2,553,633
42,403 Capital One Financial Corporation   1,677,039
48,656 Chubb Corporation   2,772,905
65,847 Cincinnati Financial Corporation   1,899,686
47,700 Comerica, Inc.   1,772,055
40,200 EMC Insurance Group, Inc.   857,064
85,900 First Potomac Realty Trust (REIT)   1,288,500
95,800 FirstMerit Corporation   1,755,056
136,600 Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.   1,674,716
33,600 IBERIABANK Corporation   1,679,328
91,900 Invesco, Ltd.   1,951,037
216,600 Investors Real Estate Trust (REIT)   1,815,108
103,100 JPMorgan Chase & Company   3,925,017
63,500     Morgan Stanley   1,567,180

 

  59

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
VALUE FUND
September 30, 2010

 
 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Financials (continued)    
136,100 NewAlliance Bancshares, Inc. $ 1,717,582
145,300 People’s United Financial, Inc.   1,901,977
31,900 PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.   1,655,929
59,800 Protective Life Corporation   1,301,248
53,000 Tower Group, Inc.   1,237,550
103,000 Wells Fargo & Company   2,588,390
118,400     Westfield Financial, Inc.   923,520
 
          48,331,318
 
  Health Care—8.7%    
105,800 Abbott Laboratories   5,526,992
42,800 Baxter International, Inc.   2,041,988
23,500 Becton, Dickinson & Company   1,741,350
18,200 Covidien, PLC   731,458
62,500 GlaxoSmithKline, PLC (ADR)   2,470,000
97,900 Johnson & Johnson   6,065,884
70,600 Medtronic, Inc.   2,370,748
59,911 Merck & Company. Inc.   2,205,324
57,100 Novartis AG (ADR)   3,292,957
205,900     Pfizer, Inc.   3,535,303
 
          29,982,004
 
  Industrials—11.8%    
38,600 3M Company   3,347,006
39,500 ABM Industries, Inc.   852,805
31,500 Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.   1,097,460
33,600 * Armstrong World Industries, Inc.   1,394,736
50,400 Avery Dennison Corporation   1,870,848
27,600 Baldor Electric Company   1,115,040
58,800 Con-way, Inc.   1,822,212
60,200 Curtiss-Wright Corporation   1,824,060
51,500 Dover Corporation   2,688,815
55,400 Equifax, Inc.   1,728,480
45,100 General Dynamics Corporation   2,832,731
156,800 General Electric Company   2,548,000
75,500 Honeywell International, Inc.   3,317,470
57,900 Illinois Tool Works, Inc.   2,722,458
59,500 ITT Corporation   2,786,385
23,500 Lockheed Martin Corporation   1,675,080
51,600     Pitney Bowes, Inc.   1,103,208

 

60

 



 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Industrials (continued)    
47,800 Textainer Group Holdings, Ltd. $ 1,278,172
36,075 Tyco International, Ltd.   1,325,035
50,400     United Parcel Service, Inc. – Class “B”   3,361,176
 
          40,691,177
 
  Information Technology—8.9%    
83,700 Automatic Data Processing, Inc.   3,517,911
76,400 AVX Corporation   1,055,848
62,265 Bel Fuse, Inc. – Class “B”   1,296,357
56,900 * Electronic Arts, Inc.   934,867
91,800 Hewlett-Packard Company   3,862,026
83,700 Intel Corporation   1,609,551
140,100 Intersil Corporation – Class “A”   1,637,769
58,225 Methode Electronics, Inc.   528,683
174,200 Microsoft Corporation   4,266,158
86,800 Molex, Inc.   1,816,724
121,500 National Semiconductor Corporation   1,551,555
132,300 Nokia Corporation – Class “A” (ADR)   1,326,969
47,700 QUALCOMM, Inc.   2,152,224
72,000 Texas Instruments, Inc.   1,954,080
51,275 Tyco Electronics, Ltd.   1,498,255
100,600     Western Union Company   1,777,602
 
          30,786,579
 
  Materials—5.4%    
10,900 Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.   902,738
76,200 Alcoa, Inc.   922,782
91,800 Bemis Company, Inc.   2,914,650
22,600 Compass Minerals International, Inc.   1,731,612
109,100 Dow Chemical Company   2,995,886
78,500 DuPont (E.I.) de Nemours & Company   3,502,670
107,500 Glatfelter   1,307,200
13,500 H.B. Fuller Company   268,245
26,800 PPG Industries, Inc.   1,951,040
62,300     Sonoco Products Company   2,083,312
 
          18,580,135

 

  61

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
VALUE FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares or      
Principal      
Amount     Security     Value
 
  Telecommunication Services—4.1%    
172,830 AT&T, Inc.   $ 4,942,938
29,045 CenturyTel, Inc.   1,146,116
23,900 Telephone & Data Systems, Inc.   783,920
47,000 Telephone & Data Systems, Inc. – Special Shares 1,332,450
189,128     Verizon Communications, Inc.     6,163,681
 
            14,369,105
 
  Utilities—4.5%    
50,900 American Electric Power Company, Inc.   1,844,107
48,700 Duke Energy Corporation   862,477
73,650 MDU Resources Group, Inc.   1,469,317
43,600 NextEra Energy, Inc.   2,371,404
130,300 NiSource, Inc.   2,267,220
36,800 ONEOK, Inc.   1,657,472
87,600 Portland General Electric Company   1,776,528
56,300 Southwest Gas Corporation   1,891,117
61,700     Vectren Corporation     1,596,179
 
            15,735,821
 
Total Value of Common Stocks (cost $308,046,497)     330,552,267
 
  PREFERRED STOCKS—.4%    
  Telecommunication Services    
49,500     AT&T, Inc., 6.375%, 2056 (cost $1,235,523)     1,343,925
 
  SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—4.0%  
  Money Market Fund    
$ 13,780 M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%    
      (cost $13,780,000)**     13,780,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $323,062,020) 99.9 % 345,676,192
Other Assets, Less Liabilities .1   182,201
 
Net Assets       100.0 % $345,858,393

 

62

 



* Non-income producing

** Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Summary of Abbreviations:

ADR American Depositary Receipts

REIT Real Estate Investment Trust

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
  Level 1   Significant   Significant  
  Quoted   Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Common Stocks $ 330,552,267 $ $ $ 330,552,267
Preferred Stocks 1,343,925     1,343,925
Money Market Fund   13,780,000       13,780,000
Total Investments in Securities* $ 345,676,192 $ $ $ 345,676,192

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the industry categorization for the portfolio.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

See notes to financial statements 63

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter
BLUE CHIP FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Blue Chip Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 6.4% for Class A shares and 5.6% for Class B shares, including dividends of 19.7 cents per share on Class A shares and 7.0 cents per share on Class B shares.

During the review period, the equity markets settled into a more stable pattern of positive results, boosted by a slowly improving economy. The Fund’s returns reflected that performance. However, the markets remained highly susceptible to short-term headlines, creating periods of high volatility. The environment remained more macro driven, as the Federal Reserve, the Obama administration and Congress continued to be aggressively involved in economic affairs, proposing new regulations and increasing government oversight of businesses. Many of these actions have taken a negative tone, which hurt certain sectors, including health care and financials.

The Fund’s return lagged the S&P 500 Index during the review period, as its holdings in the information technology and consumer discretionary sectors failed to keep pace. To a large degree, it reflected the Fund’s discipline of not chasing high-flying stocks without regard to their valuation. In addition, shares in holdings such as mobile phone maker Nokia, software giant Microsoft, and desktop publishing software developer Adobe Systems detracted from performance. And while the Fund benefited from a 50% gain in Apple, its weighting was roughly half of its weight in the benchmark Index. Within consumer discretionary, holdings in shares of tax preparation firm H&R Block and retailers such as Kohl’s and Staples performed poorly and caused the Fund to lag in the sector relative to the S&P 500 Index. Similar to technology, the Fund was also underexposed to many momentum stocks that drove the performance of the Index.

Another headwind faced by the Fund is that it focuses primarily on the large-cap sector of the market, which has generally not kept up with mid- and small-cap stocks. The Fund had a greater percentage of large-cap holdings than the S&P 500 Index.

Relative to the S&P 500 Index, the financials sector was the top performer for the Fund. The financials sector was the only major sector of the S&P 500 Index to generate a negative return during the review period. The Fund’s holdings in the sector, however, managed to turn in a slightly positive return due to solid performance by companies such as insurer and asset manager Ameriprise Financial, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, and American Express.

64

 



Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.

Sincerely,


65



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
BLUE CHIP FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $966.86 $7.25
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,017.70 $7.44
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $963.46 $10.68
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,014.19 $10.96

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.47% for Class A shares and 2.17% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

Portfolio Composition
TOP TEN SECTORS


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total market value of investments.

66

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)
BLUE CHIP FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Blue Chip Fund (Class A shares) and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Blue Chip Fund (Class A shares) beginning 9/30/00 with a theoretical investment in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (the “Index”). The Index is an unmanaged capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of such stocks, which represent all major industries. It is not possible to invest directly in this Index. In addition, the Index does not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02, the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). During the periods shown, some of the expenses of the Fund were waived or assumed. If such expenses had been paid by the Fund, the Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for Five Years and Ten Years would have been (1.47%) and (3.65%), respectively. The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for Five Years and Ten Years would have been (1.39%) and (3.58%), respectively. Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Index figures are from Standard & Poor’s and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

  67

 



Portfolio of Investments
BLUE CHIP FUND
September 30, 2010

 
 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  COMMON STOCKS—99.2%    
  Consumer Discretionary—9.1%    
56,800 Best Buy Company, Inc. $ 2,319,144
173,850 Comcast Corporation – Special Class “A”   2,957,189
147,400 H&R Block, Inc.   1,908,830
81,000 Home Depot, Inc.   2,566,080
48,300 * Kohl’s Corporation   2,544,444
177,100 Lowe’s Companies, Inc.   3,947,559
29,100 McDonald’s Corporation   2,168,241
52,800 Omnicom Group, Inc.   2,084,544
114,700 Staples, Inc.   2,399,524
57,500 Target Corporation   3,072,800
88,133 Time Warner, Inc.   2,701,276
64,400 Viacom, Inc. – Class “B”   2,330,636
109,100     Walt Disney Company   3,612,301
 
          34,612,568
 
  Consumer Staples—15.7%    
80,600 Avon Products, Inc.   2,588,066
41,515 Clorox Company   2,771,542
98,100 Coca-Cola Company   5,740,812
46,900 Costco Wholesale Corporation   3,024,581
128,000 CVS Caremark Corporation   4,028,160
38,300 Kellogg Company   1,934,533
73,900 Kimberly-Clark Corporation   4,807,195
128,024 Kraft Foods, Inc. – Class “A”   3,950,821
97,200 Kroger Company   2,105,352
116,000 PepsiCo, Inc.   7,707,040
88,500 Philip Morris International, Inc.   4,957,770
91,960 Procter & Gamble Company   5,514,841
115,000 Walgreen Company   3,852,500
127,230     Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.   6,809,350
 
          59,792,563
 
  Energy—10.5%    
102,000 Chevron Corporation   8,267,100
89,870 ConocoPhillips   5,161,234
48,500 Devon Energy Corporation   3,139,890
167,100 ExxonMobil Corporation   10,325,109
59,890 Halliburton Company   1,980,562
35,200     Hess Corporation   2,081,024

 

68

 



 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Energy (continued)    
82,900 Marathon Oil Corporation $ 2,743,990
65,900 Noble Corporation   2,226,761
65,100     Schlumberger, Ltd.   4,010,811
 
          39,936,481
 
  Financials—13.3%    
52,400 ACE, Ltd.   3,052,300
60,700 Allstate Corporation   1,915,085
88,800 American Express Company   3,732,264
70,500 Ameriprise Financial, Inc.   3,336,765
170,236 Bank of America Corporation   2,231,794
147,587 Bank of New York Mellon Corporation   3,856,448
50,600 Capital One Financial Corporation   2,001,230
50,700 Chubb Corporation   2,889,393
170,800 Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.   2,094,008
173,668 JPMorgan Chase & Company   6,611,541
89,500 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.   2,158,740
56,000 MetLife, Inc.   2,153,200
84,600 Morgan Stanley   2,087,928
46,400 Northern Trust Corporation   2,238,336
75,100 State Street Corporation   2,828,266
57,700 Travelers Companies, Inc.   3,006,170
86,500 U.S. Bancorp   1,870,130
106,500     Wells Fargo & Company   2,676,345
 
          50,739,943
 
  Health Care—15.9%    
122,600 Abbott Laboratories   6,404,624
69,900 * Amgen, Inc.   3,852,189
69,800 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company   1,892,278
30,600 C.R. Bard, Inc.   2,491,758
49,100 Covidien, PLC   1,973,329
54,400 * Gilead Sciences, Inc.   1,937,184
169,200 Johnson & Johnson   10,483,632
41,400 * Life Technologies Corp.   1,932,966
26,800 McKesson Corporation   1,655,704
104,300 Medtronic, Inc.   3,502,394
97,000 Merck & Company. Inc.   3,570,570
77,300 Novartis AG (ADR)   4,457,891
354,078 Pfizer, Inc.   6,079,519
39,100     Quest Diagnostics, Inc.   1,973,377

 

  69

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
BLUE CHIP FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Health Care (continued)    
61,100 * St. Jude Medical, Inc. $ 2,403,674
39,500 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. (ADR)   2,083,625
41,450 * Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.   1,984,626
37,600   * Zimmer Holdings, Inc.   1,967,608
 
          60,646,948
 
  Industrials—11.1%    
43,400 3M Company   3,763,214
37,100 Emerson Electric Company   1,953,686
385,300 General Electric Company   6,261,125
65,900 Honeywell International, Inc.   2,895,646
43,500 Illinois Tool Works, Inc.   2,045,370
79,800 Ingersoll-Rand, PLC   2,849,658
68,300 ITT Corporation   3,198,489
44,900 Lockheed Martin Corporation   3,200,472
37,600 Northrop Grumman Corporation   2,279,688
46,500 Raytheon Company   2,125,515
64,300 Republic Services, Inc.   1,960,507
67,475 Tyco International, Ltd.   2,478,357
36,600 United Parcel Service, Inc. – Class “B”   2,440,854
65,500     United Technologies Corporation   4,665,565
 
          42,118,146
 
  Information Technology—17.4%    
186,900 Activision Blizzard, Inc.   2,022,258
84,300 * Adobe Systems, Inc.   2,204,445
16,900 * Apple, Inc.   4,795,375
49,000 Automatic Data Processing, Inc.   2,059,470
97,500 CA, Inc.   2,059,200
275,200 * Cisco Systems, Inc.   6,026,880
136,425 * EMC Corporation   2,770,792
135,000 Hewlett-Packard Company   5,679,450
281,700 Intel Corporation   5,417,091
42,900 International Business Machines Corporation   5,754,606
506,345 Microsoft Corporation   12,400,389
174,000 Oracle Corporation   4,671,900
79,270     QUALCOMM, Inc.   3,576,662

 

70

 



 
Shares or      
Principal      
Amount     Security     Value
 
  Information Technology (continued)    
131,900 * Symantec Corporation   $ 2,000,923
99,600 Texas Instruments, Inc.   2,703,144
131,900     Western Union Company     2,330,673
 
            66,473,258
 
  Materials—1.4%    
91,200 Dow Chemical Company   2,504,352
66,300     DuPont (E.I.) de Nemours & Company     2,958,306
 
            5,462,658
 
  Telecommunication Services—3.4%    
201,300 AT&T, Inc.   5,757,180
215,200     Verizon Communications, Inc.     7,013,368
 
            12,770,548
 
  Utilities—1.4%    
62,500 American Electric Power, Inc.   2,264,375
58,300     NextEra Energy, Inc.     3,170,937
 
            5,435,312
 
Total Value of Common Stocks (cost $307,043,743)     377,988,425
 
  SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—.9%    
  Money Market Fund    
$ 3,295 M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%    
      (cost $3,295,000)**     3,295,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $310,338,743) 100.1 % 381,283,425
Excess of Liabilities Over Other Assets (.1 ) (203,814)
 
Net Assets       100.0 % $381,079,611

 

  71

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
BLUE CHIP FUND
September 30, 2010

* Non-income producing

** Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Summary of Abbreviations:

ADR American Depositary Receipts

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
  Level 1   Significant   Significant  
  Quoted   Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Common Stocks $ 377,988,425 $ $ $ 377,988,425
Money Market Fund   3,295,000       3,295,000
Total Investments in Securities* $ 381,283,425 $ $ $ 381,283,425

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the industry categorization for the portfolio.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

72 See notes to financial statements

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter
GROWTH & INCOME FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Growth & Income Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 9.0% for Class A shares and 8.2% for Class B shares, including dividends of 7.1 cents per share on Class A shares and .3 cents per share on B shares.

During the review period, the equity markets settled into a more stable pattern of positive results, boosted by a slowly improving economy. The Fund’s returns reflected that performance. However, the markets remained highly susceptible to short-term headlines, creating periods of high volatility. The environment remained more macro driven, as the Federal Reserve, the Obama administration and Congress continued to be aggressively involved in economic affairs, proposing new regulations and increasing government oversight of businesses. Many of these actions were perceived as being negative for business, impacting whole sectors or industries. Industries such as health care, energy, financials and education were greatly impacted by governmental initiatives, and saw their share prices affected during the period.

The Fund’s weightings in consumer staples and industrials increased throughout the year, as these sectors demonstrated solid growth in earnings and benefited from cost control programs. Overall stock selection and weightings benefited the Fund’s relative performance most notably within these sectors. Additionally, better stock selection also aided investments within utilities and materials.

Notable individual performers within consumer staples included shares of direct seller of beauty products and nutriceuticals Nu Skin Enterprises, spice and flavorings maker McCormick, and tobacco giant Altria Group. The Fund also benefited from the take-over of small-cap personal products maker Chattem by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis. Within industrials, shares of Honeywell, United Technologies, 3M, and Caterpillar were the top larger-cap companies. The overall top performers were two investments in ocean freight container leasing companies, TAL International and Tex-tainer Group Holdings, which benefited from a strong resurgence of global commerce, positively impacting their pricing and utilization.

The Fund remained underweight in the volatile energy sector, as natural gas remained plentiful and its pricing reflected that fact by dropping 30% since the beginning of 2010. Oil had its own volatile year, but remained only modestly above last year’s price levels. However, the energy sector performed well during the period and our relative underweight and poor stock selection hurt results. The Fund’s investments within technology also impacted results. Poor stock selection in the Fund’s larger-cap, longer-term holdings, such as Cisco Systems, Nokia, Hewlett Packard and Microsoft,

  73

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter (continued)
GROWTH & INCOME FUND

hurt performance. In addition, a slowdown in government procurement impacted the results of the Fund’s investments in defense-related IT services firms.

The strength of “growth” investments over “value” also influenced the Fund’s return during the period. With the Fund’s strategy, valuation metrics tend to be important in our process, as we have followed a “growth at a reasonable price” philosophy. The stocks owned by the Fund therefore have tended to have a more “value” bias recently, and we were negatively impacted by the market’s shift toward growth. Additionally, shares of dividend-paying issues also lagged. This detracted from the Fund’s performance, since it has a policy of investing in dividend-paying stocks, and therefore had more than 75% of its portfolio invested in dividend-paying companies.

The Fund maintained a diverse market capitalization allocation during the period, ending with 58% large cap, 14% mid cap and 28% small cap, according to Lipper’s market capitalization ranges. This is consistent with the Fund’s long-term strategy. While the large-cap segment underperformed the benchmark, the mid- and small-cap components delivered better relative results.

Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.


74 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
GROWTH & INCOME FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $969.05 $6.86
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,018.10 $7.03
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $964.51 $10.29
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,014.59 $10.56

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.39% for Class A shares and 2.09% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

Portfolio Composition
TOP TEN SECTORS


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total market value of investments.

  75

 


 

Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)
GROWTH & INCOME FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Growth & Income Fund (Class A shares) and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Growth & Income Fund (Class A shares) beginning 9/30/00 with a theoretical investment in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (the “Index”). The Index is an unmanaged capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of such stocks, which represent all major industries. It is not possible to invest directly in this Index. In addition, the Index does not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02 the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Index figures are from Standard & Poor’s and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

76

 



Portfolio of Investments
GROWTH & INCOME FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  COMMON STOCKS—96.0%    
  Consumer Discretionary—15.3%    
195,000 American Greetings Corporation – Class “A” $ 3,625,050
135,000 * Big Lots, Inc.   4,488,750
120,000 * BorgWarner, Inc.   6,314,400
168,300 Brown Shoe Company, Inc.   1,930,401
275,000 CBS Corporation – Class “B”   4,361,500
80,000 * CEC Entertainment, Inc.   2,746,400
70,000 Coach, Inc.   3,007,200
160,000 * GameStop Corporation – Class “A”   3,153,600
75,000 Guess?, Inc.   3,047,250
390,000 H&R Block, Inc.   5,050,500
160,000 Home Depot, Inc.   5,068,800
125,000 Limited Brands, Inc.   3,347,500
259,000 * Lincoln Educational Services Corporation   3,732,190
85,000 McDonald’s Corporation   6,333,350
445,000 * Morgans Hotel Group Company   3,257,400
400,000 Newell Rubbermaid, Inc.   7,124,000
25,000 NIKE, Inc. – Class “B”   2,003,500
450,000 * Ruby Tuesday, Inc.   5,341,500
128,000 * Steiner Leisure, Ltd.   4,876,800
631,800 Stewart Enterprises, Inc. – Class “A”   3,405,402
140,000 * TRW Automotive Holdings Corporation   5,818,400
140,000 Tupperware Brands Corporation   6,406,400
200,000     Wyndham Worldwide Corporation   5,494,000
 
          99,934,293
 
  Consumer Staples—12.4%    
420,000 Altria Group, Inc.   10,088,400
100,000 Avon Products, Inc.   3,211,000
135,000 Coca-Cola Company   7,900,200
200,000 CVS Caremark Corporation   6,294,000
60,000 * Dole Food Company, Inc.   549,000
40,000 Kellogg Company   2,020,400
160,000 Lance, Inc.   3,408,000
95,000 McCormick & Company, Inc.   3,993,800
250,000 Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. – Class “A”   7,200,000
76,000 PepsiCo, Inc.   5,049,440
225,000 Philip Morris International, Inc.   12,604,500
90,562     Procter & Gamble Company   5,431,003

 

  77

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
GROWTH & INCOME FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Consumer Staples (continued)    
42,913 Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. $ 1,067,675
140,000 Walgreen Company   4,690,000
146,250     Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.   7,827,300
 
          81,334,718
 
  Energy—6.7%    
58,046 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation   3,311,524
87,750 ConocoPhillips   5,039,483
75,000 Ensco, PLC (ADR)   3,354,750
135,490 ExxonMobil Corporation   8,371,927
6,920 Hugoton Royalty Trust   138,331
76,519 Marathon Oil Corporation   2,532,779
182,700 Noble Corporation   6,173,433
78,000 Sasol, Ltd. (ADR)   3,493,620
237,900 Suncor Energy, Inc.   7,743,645
53,208   * Transocean, Ltd.   3,420,742
 
          43,580,234
 
  Financials—12.1%    
50,700 American Express Company   2,130,921
135,000 Ameriprise Financial, Inc.   6,389,550
210,600 Brookline Bancorp, Inc.   2,101,788
63,745 Capital One Financial Corporation   2,521,115
97,500 Discover Financial Services   1,626,300
400,000 Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (ETF)   5,740,000
175,500 First Mercury Financial Corporation   1,769,040
275,000 FirstMerit Corporation   5,038,000
390,000 Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.   4,781,400
40,000 IBERIABANK Corporation   1,999,200
130,000 Invesco, Ltd.   2,759,900
173,062 JPMorgan Chase & Company   6,588,470
165,750 Morgan Stanley   4,090,710
450,000 New York Community Bancorp, Inc.   7,312,500
265,000 NewAlliance Bancshares, Inc.   3,344,300
200,000 SPDR KBW Regional Banking (ETF)   4,582,000
35,000 SPDR S&P 500 Trust (ETF)   3,994,200
357,666    * Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (REIT)   3,244,031

 

78

 



 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Financials (continued)    
100,000 U.S. Bancorp $ 2,162,000
224,100 Urstadt Biddle Properties – Class “A” (REIT)   4,051,728
110,450     Wells Fargo & Company   2,775,609
 
          79,002,762
 
  Health Care—9.5%    
155,000 Abbott Laboratories   8,097,200
45,532 * Amgen, Inc.   2,509,269
55,000 Baxter International, Inc.   2,624,050
85,000 * Genzyme Corporation   6,017,150
120,000 * Gilead Sciences, Inc.   4,273,200
170,625 Johnson & Johnson   10,571,925
23,500 * Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings   1,843,105
80,000 Medtronic, Inc.   2,686,400
97,500 Merck & Company. Inc.   3,588,975
414,375 Pfizer, Inc.   7,114,819
35,000 * PSS World Medical, Inc.   748,300
121,875 Sanofi-Aventis (ADR)   4,052,344
65,000 * St. Jude Medical, Inc.   2,557,100
105,000   * Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.   5,027,400
          61,711,237
 
  Industrials—16.2%    
90,000 3M Company   7,803,900
82,485 Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.   2,873,777
129,382 * Altra Holdings, Inc.   1,905,797
175,000 * Armstrong World Industries, Inc.   7,264,250
82,400 Baldor Electric Company   3,328,960
70,000 Caterpillar, Inc.   5,507,600
175,500 * Chicago Bridge & Iron Company NV – NY Shares   4,290,975
78,600 * Esterline Technologies Corporation   4,498,278
145,000 * Generac Holdings, Inc.   1,977,800
124,075 General Electric Company   2,016,219
136,500 Honeywell International, Inc.   5,997,810
134,275 IDEX Corporation   4,768,105
55,000 Lockheed Martin Corporation   3,920,400
176,150 * Mobile Mini, Inc.   2,702,141
60,000 Northrop Grumman Corporation   3,637,800
224,538 * PGT, Inc.   511,947
96,743 * Pinnacle Airlines Corporation   525,315
75,000     Raytheon Company   3,428,250

 

  79

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
GROWTH & INCOME FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Industrials (continued)    
98,900 Republic Services, Inc. $ 3,015,461
125,000 Snap-on, Inc.   5,813,750
401,500 TAL International Group, Inc.   9,724,330
192,300 Textainer Group Holdings, Ltd.   5,142,102
210,000 Tyco International, Ltd.   7,713,300
100,000     United Technologies Corporation   7,123,000
 
          105,491,267
 
  Information Technology—15.9%    
160,000 * Avago Technologies, Ltd.   3,601,600
450,000 * Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.   2,628,000
68,000 * CACI International, Inc. – Class “A”   3,077,680
300,000 * Cisco Systems, Inc.   6,570,000
361,725 * EMC Corporation   7,346,635
150,000 Hewlett-Packard Company   6,310,500
180,375 Intel Corporation   3,468,611
108,525 International Business Machines Corporation   14,557,544
155,400 Intersil Corporation – Class “A”   1,816,626
450,000 Microsoft Corporation   11,020,500
365,000 National Semiconductor Corporation   4,661,050
185,000 * NCI, Inc. – Class “A”   3,500,200
248,625 * Parametric Technology Corporation   4,858,133
209,800 QUALCOMM, Inc.   9,466,176
170,000 * SRA International, Inc. – Class “A”   3,352,400
333,025 * Symantec Corporation   5,051,988
200,000 Tyco Electronics, Ltd.   5,844,000
360,000     Western Union Company   6,361,200
 
          103,492,843
 
  Materials—5.1%    
175,000 Bemis Company, Inc.   5,556,250
125,000 Celanese Corporation – Series “A”   4,012,500
80,000 Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.   6,831,200
177,500 Olin Corporation   3,578,400
40,000 Praxair, Inc.   3,610,400
249,125 RPM International, Inc.   4,962,570
247,350     Temple-Inland, Inc.   4,615,550
 
          33,166,870

 

80

 



 
Shares or      
Principal      
Amount     Security     Value
 
  Telecommunication Services—2.4%    
234,000 AT&T, Inc.   $ 6,692,400
280,000     Verizon Communications, Inc.     9,125,200
 
            15,817,600
 
  Utilities—.4%    
100,000     Atmos Energy Corporation     2,925,000
 
Total Value of Common Stocks (cost $561,158,033)     626,456,824
 
  SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—4.2%  
  Money Market Fund    
$27,560 M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%    
      (cost 27,560,000)**     27,560,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $588,718,033) 100.2 % 654,016,824
Excess of Liabilities Over Other Assets (.2 ) (1,487,211)
 
Net Assets       100.0 % $652,529,613

 

* Non-income producing

** Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Summary of Abbreviations:

ADR American Depositary Receipts
ETF Exchange Traded Fund
REIT Real Estate Investment Trust

 

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

  81

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
GROWTH & INCOME FUND
September 30, 2010

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
  Level 1   Significant   Significant  
  Quoted   Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Common Stocks $ 626,456,824 $ $ $ 626,456,824
Money Market Fund   27,560,000       27,560,000
Total Investments in Securities* $ 654,016,824 $ $ $ 654,016,824

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the industry categorization for the portfolio.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

82 See notes to financial statements

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter
GLOBAL FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Global Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 7.3% for Class A shares and 6.6% for Class B shares, including dividends of 1.0 cent per share on Class A shares.

After a volatile twelve months, global equities ultimately finished the reporting period in positive territory. Global equities started off strong as investor confidence grew amid better-than-expected corporate earnings, an accommodative monetary policy, and improving economic conditions. Equity investors shrugged off concerns about a double-dip recession and the slowing pace of economic growth. Strong corporate earnings, positive economic data from Emerging Markets, and robust merger and acquisition activity helped fuel equity performance.

The Fund produced a reasonable return during the year, with strong stock selection in the industrials, financials and materials sectors offsetting weaker selection in energy and information technology. On a regional basis, Europe ex the U.K. and Japan were areas of strength, while holdings in Emerging Markets and the U.S. lagged.

Top contributors to performance during the period included Potash (materials), Rio Tinto (materials), and Compagnie Financiere Richemont (consumer discretionary). Shares of Potash, the largest global producer of potash fertilizer, benefited after the company received a takeout offer from Australian mining company BHP Billiton. Shares of Rio Tinto rose after the diversified international mining company reported earnings that outpaced consensus expectations driven largely by iron ore prices and higher-than-anticipated cost cutting at the firm’s aluminum division. Swiss stocks advanced after German business confidence unexpectedly rose and a report showed demand for U.S. capital equipment had rebounded, boosting optimism that the economy would continue to grow. Richemont, the world’s largest jewelry maker, posted the biggest advance on the Swiss Market Index, rising to a record high in September.

The largest detractors from performance during the period included CRH (materials), UBS (financials), and ING (financials). Shares of CRH, a manufacturer and distributor of construction and building materials primarily in Europe and the Americas, declined because of low visibility and weak demand. We continued to hold a position in CRH as of the end of the reporting period based upon the company’s plans to cut costs and make accretive acquisitions, and optimism about its cement and aggregates business in Finland, Poland and Switzerland. Shares of UBS, a Switzerland-based investment bank and money manager, sold off along with other investment banks amid expectations of a near-term decline in trading profits. We continued to hold the stock as the reporting period ended due to its attractive valuation and good upside potential

  83

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter (continued)
GLOBAL FUND

over the longer term via its restructuring efforts. Shares of ING, a global financial services firm engaged in banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services, fell as the company announced a proposed spin-off of its insurance unit amid a massive restructuring plan. The Fund eliminated the position.

Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.

Sincerely,


84 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
GLOBAL FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $998.38 $8.67
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,016.40 $8.74
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $994.44 $12.15
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,012.89 $12.26

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.73% for Class A shares and 2.43% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). Expenses paid during the period are net of expenses waived.

Portfolio Composition
TOP TEN SECTORS


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total market value of investments.

  85

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)
GLOBAL FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Global Fund (Class A shares) and the Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) All Country World Free Index.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Global Fund (Class A shares) beginning 9/30/00 with a theoretical investment in the MSCI All Country World Free Index (the “Index”). The Index represents both the developed and the emerging markets. The Index includes 45 countries of which 21 are emerging markets. It is not possible to invest directly in this Index. In addition, the Index does not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02, the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). During the periods shown, some of the expenses of the Fund were waived or assumed. If such expenses had been paid by the Fund, the Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for One Year, Five Years and Ten Years would have been 1.12%, 1.08% and .17%, respectively. The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for One Year, Five Years and Ten Years would have been 2.53%, 1.25% and .28%, respectively.

Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Index figures are from Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

86

 



Portfolio of Investments
GLOBAL FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  COMMON STOCKS—95.3%    
  United States—42.3%    
13,500 Abbott Laboratories $ 705,240
16,900 Aflac, Inc.   873,899
27,370 * Alliance Data Systems Corporation   1,786,166
16,500 American Electric Power Company, Inc.   597,795
62,870 Ameriprise Financial, Inc.   2,975,637
22,270 * Amgen, Inc.   1,227,300
35,025 Analog Devices, Inc.   1,099,085
21,440 Apache Corporation   2,095,974
5,740 * Apple, Inc.   1,628,725
131,890 Assured Guaranty, Ltd.   2,256,638
109,170 AT&T, Inc.   3,122,262
8,600 * Atwood Oceanics, Inc.   261,870
48,165 Bank of America Corporation   631,443
6,025 Boeing Company   400,904
39,900 * Cameron International Corporation   1,714,104
110,985 CBS Corporation – Class “B”   1,760,222
18,095 * Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc.   882,493
137,910 * Cisco Systems, Inc.   3,020,229
6,800 Cliffs Natural Resources, Inc.   434,656
39,880 Consol Energy, Inc.   1,473,965
78,120 Corning, Inc.   1,428,034
16,100 Covidien, PLC   647,059
16,400 CVS Caremark Corporation   516,108
14,900 Deere & Company   1,039,722
46,825 * eBay, Inc.   1,142,530
163,480 * EMC Corporation   3,320,279
8,490 Emerson Electric Company   447,083
6,850 EOG Resources, Inc.   636,845
65,370 ExxonMobil Corporation   4,039,212
24,960 Flowserve Corporation   2,731,123
4,000 Fluor Corporation   198,120
96,170 * Ford Motor Company   1,177,121
14,210 Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.   1,213,392
218,400 General Electric Company   3,549,000
9,760 Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.   1,411,101
5,055 * Google, Inc. – Class “A”   2,657,868
13,300 H.J. Heinz Company   630,021
48,435 Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.   1,111,583
45,815 Hewlett-Packard Company   1,927,437
54,890     Honeywell International, Inc.   2,411,867

 

  87

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
GLOBAL FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  United States (continued)    
17,750 Ingersoll-Rand, PLC $ 633,853
13,925 International Business Machines Corporation   1,867,900
22,235 * ITT Educational Services, Inc.   1,562,453
32,520 JPMorgan Chase & Company   1,238,036
18,305 * Las Vegas Sands Corporation   637,929
65,890 Lowe’s Companies, Inc.   1,468,688
30,500 McDonald’s Corporation   2,272,555
5,800 Medtronic, Inc.   194,764
44,840 Merck & Company. Inc.   1,650,560
6,900 MetLife, Inc.   265,305
107,900 Microsoft Corporation   2,642,471
7,175 Mosaic Company   421,603
19,275 NextEra Energy, Inc.   1,048,367
25,000 Noble Corporation   844,750
58,860 Nordstrom, Inc.   2,189,592
112,965 Oracle Corporation   3,033,110
52,025 PepsiCo, Inc.   3,456,541
118,454 Pfizer, Inc.   2,033,855
10,000 PG&E Corporation   454,200
36,485 Philip Morris International, Inc.   2,043,890
20,075 Precision Castparts Corporation   2,556,551
56,090 Procter & Gamble Company   3,363,717
46,100 QUALCOMM, Inc.   2,080,032
9,770 Schlumberger, Ltd.   601,930
33,970 * St. Jude Medical, Inc.   1,336,380
9,500 * Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.   454,860
34,725 TJX Companies, Inc.   1,549,777
40,215 * Ultra Petroleum Corporation   1,688,226
37,635 United Parcel Service, Inc. – Class “B”   2,509,878
48,155 UnitedHealth Group, Inc.   1,690,722
50,635 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.   2,709,985
117,875 Wells Fargo & Company   2,962,199
22,900 * WESCO International, Inc.   899,741
3,700 * Whiting Petroleum Corporation   353,387
21,485     Xilinx, Inc.   571,716
 
        116,473,635
 
  United Kingdom—11.9%    
16,427 AstraZeneca, PLC   837,011
19,200 AstraZeneca, PLC (ADR)   973,440
431,902     Barclays, PLC   2,039,046

 

88

 



 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  United Kingdom (continued)    
179,152 BG Group, PLC $ 3,157,603
151,093 BP, PLC   1,018,556
403,559 * British Airways, PLC   1,544,030
162,599 Capita Group, PLC   2,013,911
259,107 HSBC Holdings, PLC   2,633,533
104,873 Imperial Tobacco Group, PLC   3,134,952
359,316 National Grid, PLC   3,057,527
82,961 Pearson, PLC   1,288,340
181,382 Reed Elsevier, PLC   1,537,717
79,196 Rio Tinto, PLC   4,643,686
20,985 Rio Tinto, PLC (ADR)   1,232,449
63,081 Standard Chartered, PLC   1,815,095
168,328     WPP, PLC   1,868,690
 
          32,795,586
 
  Switzerland—6.9%    
28,390 Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA   1,374,821
43,589 Julius Baer Group, Ltd.   1,595,966
15,167 Kuehne & Nagel International AG   1,831,932
50,935 Nestle SA – Registered   2,729,359
24,629 Roche Holding AG – Genusscheine   3,383,194
1,077 SGS SA – Registered   1,750,628
133,120 * UBS AG – Registered   2,267,034
241,600   * UBS AG – Registered   4,124,969
 
          19,057,903
 
  Japan—5.1%    
81,800 Bridgestone Corporation   1,489,320
21,300 Eisai Company, Ltd.   744,251
7,100 FANUC, Ltd.   903,435
204,000 Hitachi, Ltd.   891,310
138 INPEX Corporation   649,198
178 KDDI Corporation   851,221
279,400 Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.   1,301,013
12,200 NIDEC Corporation   1,083,601
8,500 OSAKA Titanium Technologies Company, Ltd.   397,833
28,700 Shin-Etsu Chemical Company, Ltd.   1,396,523
28,800 Softbank Corporation   941,499
228     Sony Financial Holdings, Inc.   742,351

 

  89

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
GLOBAL FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Japan (continued)    
334,000 Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. $ 843,596
15,100 TOHO Titanium Company, Ltd.   416,633
49,300     Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.   1,328,987
 
          13,980,771
 
  France—4.2%    
264,574 * Alcatel-Lucent   892,159
18,833 BNP Paribas   1,341,339
60,051 Danone SA   3,596,961
29,093 Safran SA   818,984
26,338 Schneider Electric SA   3,344,342
6,822   * Unibail-Rodamco   1,514,831
 
          11,508,616
 
  Brazil—3.4%    
105,800 BM&F BOVESPA SA   884,269
45,000 Cia de Concessoes Rodoviarias   1,151,428
14,700 Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (ADR)   1,819,566
40,900 * Hypermarcas SA   626,705
15,700 Itau Unibanco Holdings SA   379,626
165,382 Itau Unibanco Holdings SA (ADR)   3,998,937
53,300 * Julio Simoes Logistica SA   262,693
12,400     PDG Realty SA   147,260
 
          9,270,484
 
  Germany—2.9%    
11,451 Beiersdorf AG   699,732
17,757 * Continental AG   1,374,520
46,812 * Daimler AG   2,967,570
21,818 HeidelbergCement AG   1,055,916
18,361     Siemens AG   1,944,663
 
          8,042,401
 
  China—2.4%    
3,048,000 * Agricultural Bank of China, Ltd.   1,578,339
6,800 ChinaCache Holdings, Ltd. (ADR)   94,520
555,995 China Merchants Bank Company, Ltd.   1,432,386
8,800   * Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (ADR)   420,200

 

90

 



 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  China (continued)    
168,000 Dongfeng Motor Group Company, Ltd. $ 343,652
745,000 Geely Automobile Holdings, Ltd.   369,467
1,460,000 Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Ltd.   1,087,026
6,300 * NetEase.com, Inc. (ADR)   248,472
6,000 * Perfect World Company, Ltd. (ADR)   153,960
132,000 Skyworth Digital Holdings, Ltd.   91,988
35,600     Tencent Holdings, Ltd.   777,741
 
          6,597,751
 
  Israel—2.0%    
102,225     Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. (ADR)   5,392,369
 
  Hong Kong—1.8%    
129,527 Esprit Holdings, Ltd.   702,428
292,000 Hang Lung Properties, Ltd.   1,425,546
256,888 Shangri-La Asia, Ltd.   584,378
127,000     Sun Hung Kai Properties, Ltd.   2,192,137
 
          4,904,489
 
  Italy—1.3%    
242,460 Intesa Sanpaolo SpA   788,626
534,276     Snam Rete Gas SpA   2,709,710
 
          3,498,336
 
  Spain—1.2%    
132,905     Repsol YPF SA   3,428,361
 
  Taiwan—1.2%    
240,612 Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. – Registered (GDR)   1,816,621
778 HTC Corporation (GDR)   70,624
149,700     Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (ADR)   1,517,958
 
          3,405,203
 
  Sweden—1.2%    
27,270 Assa Abloy AB – Class “B”   688,785
95,641 Atlas Copco AB – Class “A”   1,848,719
23,096     Hennes & Mauritz AB – Class “B”   837,633
 
          3,375,137

 

  91

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
GLOBAL FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Ireland—.9%    
105,699 CRH, PLC $ 1,734,497
26,400     Ryanair Holdings, PLC (ADR)   813,384
 
          2,547,881
 
  Finland—.9%    
608 Cargotec Oyj – B Shares   26,312
6,484 * Elisa Oyj   149,156
24,817 Kone Oyj-B   1,284,064
4,059 Konecranes Oyj   152,000
18,385     Outotec Oyj   779,585
 
          2,391,117
 
  Canada—.9%    
9,800 Agrium, Inc.   734,902
8,000 Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Inc.   1,153,541
9,500   * Research in Motion, Ltd.   462,555
 
          2,350,998
 
  South Africa—.8%    
81,219     Impala Platinum Holdings, Ltd.   2,096,185
 
  Netherlands—.7%    
129,900     Koninklijke (Royal) KPN NV   2,011,926
 
  Mexico—.6%    
31,000     America Movil SA de CV (ADR) – Series “L”   1,653,230
 
  Chile—.6%    
69,200     Enersis SA (ADR)   1,626,892
 
  Norway—.5%    
28,179     Yara International ASA   1,279,945
 
  Colombia—.4%    
18,700     Bancolombia SA (ADR)   1,227,281
 
  Denmark—.4%    
54,816     DSV A/S   1,120,682
 
  Panama—.3%    
18,100     Copa Holdings SA – Class “A”   975,771

 

92

 



 
Shares or      
Principal      
Amount     Security     Value
 
  Russia—.2%    
9,418     LUKOIL (ADR)     $ 534,001
 
  Turkey—.1%    
67,778     Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS      393,609
 
  Malaysia—.1%    
487,600   * Airasia Berhad     355,394
 
  India—.1%    
77,448     Infrastructure Development Finance Company, Ltd.   349,449
 
Total Value of Common Stocks (cost $215,907,028)     262,645,403
 
  SHORT-TERM CORPORATE NOTES—3.5%  
  Money Market    
$ 9,560 M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%    
      (cost $9,560,000)**     9,560,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $225,467,028) 98.8 % 272,205,403
Other Assets, Less Liabilities 1.2   3,420,099
 
Net Assets       100.0 % $275,625,502

 

* Non-income producing

** Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Summary of Abbreviations:

ADR American Depositary Receipts
GDR Global Depositary Receipts

 

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes (see Note 1A). The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

  93

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
GLOBAL FUND
September 30, 2010

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
  Level 1   Significant   Significant  
  Quoted   Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Common Stocks            
Financials $  50,167,238 $ $ $  50,167,238
Industrials 42,072,185     42,072,185
Information Technology 35,131,502     35,131,502
Consumer Discretionary 28,898,814     28,898,814
Consumer Staples 25,327,537     25,327,537
Energy 22,497,982     22,497,982
Health Care 21,271,005     21,271,005
Materials 19,055,357     19,055,357
Utilities 9,494,491     9,494,491
Telecommunications Services 8,729,292     8,729,292
Money Market Fund   9,560,000       9,560,000
Total Investments in Securities* $ 272,205,403 $ $ $ 272,205,403

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the country categorization for the portfolio.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

94 See notes to financial statements

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter
SELECT GROWTH FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Select Growth Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 8.6% for Class A shares and 7.9% for Class B shares.

During the first part of the review period, the markets continued to rally from the recent market bottom. The intensity of this rally, characterized by significant moves in low quality stocks, began to fade through the first half of the reporting period. Thus, stocks that were projected to have better-than-expected earnings — the types of stocks favored by the Fund — at long last started to lead the market during the fiscal second quarter. The market took a breather with a pullback during the fiscal third quarter, followed by a strong upward move to finish the fiscal year. As the economy has continued its recovery, albeit at a slower pace than desired, the Fund has continued to find companies with desirable earnings growth and earnings quality characteristics that allowed the Fund to generate better results as the year progressed.

The Fund underperformed the Russell 3000 Growth Index, largely due to the low quality rally during the fiscal first quarter noted above. From a sector view, the industrials and consumer discretionary sectors generated the lagging performance. Although these were the best performing sectors in the benchmark, the Fund’s portfolio holdings were unable to keep pace. In the industrials sector, the Fund’s positions in Graftech and Con-Way hurt overall returns. For Graftech, a supplier of graphite electrodes consumed in steel manufacturing, uncertainty about overall steel demand put pressure on pricing for its product. For trucking company Con-Way, the usual competitor company closures and consolidation in the trucking industry normally following a recession did not materialize, which had the effect of lengthening the period of margin pressure for all the companies in the industry.

On the positive side, the Fund’s holdings in the health care and consumer staples sectors performed better than the benchmark. The health care sector, while a lagging sector in the benchmark, posted an overall return of more than 33% in the Fund. The performance was largely driven by positions in Valeant Pharmaceuticals and Express Scripts. Valeant has continued to deliver stepwise increases in revenues and earnings as the company has grown by both product sales and acquisition of new products in existing markets and new geographies. Express Scripts, a large pharmacy benefit manager, grew dramatically this year with the purchase of NextRx, the pharmacy benefit subsidiary of health insurer Wellpoint. In consumer staples, outperformance was due to the position the Fund held in Whole Foods Market. The company, a grocer catering to consumers’ increasing demand for organic and higher quality foods, has delivered a solid series of better-than-expected results.

  95

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter (continued)
SELECT GROWTH FUND

The Fund maintained a diverse market capitalization allocation during the year, ending with 50% large cap, 41% mid cap and 9% small cap, according to Lipper’s market capitalization ranges. Thus, the Fund had more exposure to mid- and small-cap stocks than did the benchmark. This was modestly beneficial to performance, as the small- and mid-sized companies generated better returns over the period.

While our focus on high quality companies with strong earnings expectations has only just begun to be rewarded in the current market cycle, we remain confident in our approach over the long term.

Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.

Sincerely,


96 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
SELECT GROWTH FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $7.77
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,017.30 $7.84
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $996.26 $11.26
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,013.79 $11.36

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.55% for Class A shares and 2.25% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

Portfolio Composition
BY SECTOR


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total market value of investments.

  97

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)
SELECT GROWTH FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Select Growth Fund (Class A shares) and the Russell 3000 Growth Index.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Select Growth Fund (Class A shares) beginning 10/25/00 (inception date) with a theoretical investment in the Russell 3000 Growth Index (the “Index”). The Index is an unmanaged index that measures the performance of those Russell 3000 Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values (the Russell 3000 Index is an unmanaged index that measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization). It is not possible to invest directly in this Index. In addition, the Index does not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in the sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02, the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). During some of the periods shown, some of the expenses of the Fund were waived or assumed. If such expenses had been paid by the Fund, the Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” Total Return Since Inception would have been (3.75%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” Total Return for Since Inception would have been (3.62%). Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares.

Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Index figures are from Frank Russell and Company and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

98

 



Portfolio of Investments
SELECT GROWTH FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  COMMON STOCKS—99.0%    
  Consumer Discretionary—16.7%    
54,500 Autoliv, Inc. $ 3,560,485
132,300 * Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc.   5,743,143
50,600 * Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.   8,703,200
113,800 Limited Brands, Inc.   3,047,564
122,800 Mattel, Inc.   2,880,888
7,285 * Priceline.com, Inc.   2,537,657
103,600     Ross Stores, Inc.   5,658,632
 
          32,131,569
 
  Consumer Staples—9.6%    
72,900 Brown-Forman Corporation – Class “B”   4,493,556
95,100 * Hansen Natural Corporation   4,433,562
156,200 Tyson Foods, Inc. – Class “A”   2,502,324
186,700   * Whole Foods Market, Inc.   6,928,437
 
          18,357,879
 
  Energy—5.8%    
37,100 Cimarex Energy Company   2,455,278
45,800 ExxonMobil Corporation   2,829,982
69,900 Helmerich & Payne, Inc.   2,828,154
54,200   * Newfield Exploration Company   3,113,248
 
          11,226,662
 
  Financials—7.3%    
117,100 American Express Company   4,921,713
64,900 Capital One Financial Corporation   2,566,795
30,500 Franklin Resources, Inc.   3,260,450
63,000     PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.   3,270,330
 
          14,019,288
 
  Health Care—13.6%    
79,100 * Celgene Corporation   4,556,951
169,900 * Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.   5,647,476
149,300 * Express Scripts, Inc.   7,270,910
67,900 McKesson Corporation   4,194,862
102,800   * Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.   4,349,468
 
          26,019,667

 

  99

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
SELECT GROWTH FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares or        
Principal        
Amount     Security     Value
 
  Industrials—13.2%      
40,900 Eaton Corporation   $3,373,841
103,600 Illinois Tool Works, Inc.     4,871,272
74,900 Manpower, Inc.     3,909,780
70,800 Parker Hannifin Corporation     4,960,248
85,852 * Thomas & Betts Corporation     3,521,649
69,100     United Parcel Service, Inc. – Class “B”     4,608,279
 
            25,245,069
 
  Information Technology—26.7%      
27,100 * Apple, Inc.     7,689,625
114,600 * Arrow Electronics, Inc.     3,063,258
156,200 * BMC Software, Inc.     6,322,976
88,300 Hewlett-Packard Company     3,714,781
42,500 International Business Machines Corporation     5,700,950
438,000 Jabil Circuit, Inc.     6,311,580
171,900 Microsoft Corporation     4,209,831
101,100 * NetApp, Inc.     5,033,769
210,600 * TIBCO Software, Inc.     3,736,044
65,100     * VMware, Inc. – Class “A”     5,529,594
 
            51,312,408
 
  Materials—6.1%      
79,700 Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.     6,805,583
46,200     Lubrizol Corporation     4,895,814
 
            11,701,397
 
Total Value of Common Stocks (cost $165,560,027)     190,013,939
 
  SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—1.1%    
  Money Market Fund      
$  2,135 M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%      
      (cost $2,135,000)**     2,135,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $167,695,027) 100.1 % 192,148,939
Excess of Liabilities Over Other Assets (.1 ) (169,388)
 
Net Assets       100.0 %  $191,979,551

 

100

 



* Non-income producing

** Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
  Level 1   Significant   Significant  
  Quoted   Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Common Stocks $ 190,013,939 $ $ $ 190,013,939
Money Market Fund   2,135,000       2,135,000
Total Investments in Securities* $ 192,148,939 $ $ $ 192,148,939

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the industry categorization for the portfolio.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.                      

See notes to financial statements 101

 



Portfolio Managers’ Letter
OPPORTUNITY FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Opportunity Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 13.0% for Class A shares and 12.3% for Class B shares.

During the review period, the equity markets settled into a more stable pattern of positive results, boosted by a slowly improving economy. The Fund’s returns reflected that performance. However, the markets remained highly susceptible to short-term headlines, creating periods of high volatility. The environment remained more macro driven, as the Federal Reserve, the Obama administration and Congress continued to be aggressively involved in economic affairs, proposing new regulations and increasing government oversight of businesses. Many of these actions have taken a negative tone, impacting whole sectors or industries. Industries such as health care, energy, financials and education were greatly impacted by governmental initiatives, and saw their share prices affected during the period.

The Fund’s strong performance was mainly attributable to its investments in industrials. Shares of defense contractor Argon ST were a key contributor due to its acquisition by The Boeing Company. Also, our investment in motor and compressor maker Baldor Electric benefited from strong earnings growth. Shares of aerospace electronics components maker Esterline Technologies jumped after the company reported a strong recovery in demand for its products.

On a relative basis, the Fund underperformed the S&P MidCap 400 Index primarily due to stock selection in financials. Lazard Limited, a global financial advisory services provider, fell on concerns that global mergers and acquisitions activity —especially in Europe — would fall. Another holding, IBERIABANK, which provides community banking primarily in Louisiana, also fell after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Fund’s stock selection in consumer staples aided relative performance. Nu Skin Enterprises, a global direct seller of personal care products and nutritional supplements, rose due to one of the most successful new product launches in its corporate history. Separately, stock selection in the consumer discretionary sector also contributed to performance. TRW Automotive, which makes automotive systems such as airbags and brakes, has been strong this year as global automobile production has recovered.

102

 



Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.


  103 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
OPPORTUNITY FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $995.76 $7.15
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,017.90 $7.23
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $992.24 $10.64
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,014.39 $10.76

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.43% for Class A shares and 2.13% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

Portfolio Composition
TOP TEN SECTORS


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total market value of investments.

104

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)

OPPORTUNITY FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Opportunity Fund (Class A shares) and the Standard & Poor’s MidCap 400 Index.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Opportunity Fund (Class A shares) beginning 9/30/00 with a theoretical investment in the Standard & Poor’s MidCap 400 Index (the “Index”). The Index is an unmanaged capitalization-weighted index of 400 stocks designed to measure performance of the midrange sector of the U.S. stock market. As of 9/30/10 the median market capitalization is approximately $2.35 billion. It is not possible to invest directly in this Index. In addition, the Index does not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02, the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). During the periods shown, some of the expenses of the Fund were waived or assumed. If such expenses had been paid by the Fund, the Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for Five Years and Ten Years would have been (.77%) and .60%, respectively. The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for Five Years and Ten Years would have been (.61%) and .75%, respectively. Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Index figures are from Standard & Poor’s and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

  105

 



Portfolio of Investments
OPPORTUNITY FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  COMMON STOCKS—98.8%    
  Consumer Discretionary—19.3%    
190,000 American Greetings Corporation – Class “A” $ 3,532,100
148,400 Barnes & Noble, Inc.   2,405,564
115,000 * Big Lots, Inc.   3,823,750
70,000 * BorgWarner, Inc.   3,683,400
159,000 Cinemark Holdings, Inc.   2,559,900
70,000 Coach, Inc.   3,007,200
95,000 * Dreamworks Animation SKG, Inc. – Class “A”   3,031,450
180,000 * GameStop Corporation – Class “A”   3,547,800
55,000 Guess?, Inc.   2,234,650
250,000 H&R Block, Inc.   3,237,500
90,000 Limited Brands, Inc.   2,410,200
204,700 * Lincoln Educational Services Corporation   2,949,727
295,000 * Morgans Hotel Group Company   2,159,400
50,000 Nordstrom, Inc.   1,860,000
325,000 * Pier 1 Imports, Inc.   2,661,750
35,000 Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation – Class “A”   3,145,100
260,000 * Ruby Tuesday, Inc.   3,086,200
547,200 Stewart Enterprises, Inc. – Class “A”   2,949,408
167,500 * Tempur-Pedic International, Inc.   5,192,500
110,000 Tiffany & Company   5,168,900
195,000 * TRW Automotive Holdings Corporation   8,104,200
130,000 Tupperware Brands Corporation   5,948,800
95,000   * Warnaco Group, Inc.   4,857,350
 
          81,556,849
 
  Consumer Staples—2.7%    
50,000 * Dole Food Company, Inc.   457,500
40,000 Lance, Inc.   852,000
70,000 McCormick & Company, Inc.   2,942,800
125,000 Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. – Class “A”   3,600,000
150,000 Sara Lee Corporation   2,014,500
63,519     Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc.   1,580,353
 
          11,447,153
 
  Energy—8.0%    
150,000 * Cal Dive International, Inc.   820,500
37,500 * Dril-Quip, Inc.   2,329,125
65,000 Ensco, PLC (ADR)   2,907,450
40,000     EOG Resources, Inc.   3,718,800

 

106

 



 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Energy (continued)    
90,000 EQT Corporation $ 3,245,400
43,000 Hess Corporation 2,542,160
110,000 National-Oilwell Varco, Inc. 4,891,700
110,000 * Plains Exploration & Production Company   2,933,700
225,000 Talisman Energy, Inc.   3,935,250
52,500 * Transocean, Ltd.   3,375,225
190,000   * Weatherford International, Ltd.   3,249,000
 
          33,948,310
 
  Financials—16.0%    
120,000 Ameriprise Financial, Inc.   5,679,600
75,000 City National Corporation   3,980,250
130,000 Discover Financial Services   2,168,400
150,000 Douglas Emmett, Inc. (REIT)   2,626,500
32,500 Federal Realty Investment Trust (REIT)   2,653,950
270,000 Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (ETF)   3,874,500
195,000 FirstMerit Corporation   3,572,400
320,000 Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.   3,923,200
66,000 IBERIABANK Corporation   3,298,680
115,000 Invesco, Ltd.   2,441,450
185,000 Lazard, Ltd. – Class “A”   6,489,800
210,000 * Nasdaq OMX Group, Inc.   4,080,300
250,000 New York Community Bancorp, Inc.   4,062,500
235,000 NewAlliance Bancshares, Inc.   2,965,700
170,000 Protective Life Corporation   3,699,200
185,000 SPDR KBW Regional Banking (ETF)   4,238,350
268,905 * Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (REIT)   2,438,968
195,000     Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. – Class “A”   5,335,200
 
          67,528,948
 
  Health Care—10.3%    
45,000 Beckman Coulter, Inc.   2,195,550
35,000 * Cephalon, Inc.   2,185,400
75,000 DENTSPLY International, Inc.   2,397,750
62,500 * Gilead Sciences, Inc.   2,225,625
52,500 * Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings   4,117,575
67,500 McKesson Corporation   4,170,150
65,000 * Mettler-Toledo International, Inc.   8,088,600
20,000 Perrigo Company   1,284,400
44,500 * PSS World Medical, Inc.   951,410
148,600   * Sirona Dental Systems, Inc.   5,355,544

 

  107

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
OPPORTUNITY FUND
September 30, 2010

  
Shares      Security    Value 
 
  Health Care (continued)     
55,000  * St. Jude Medical, Inc.    $ 2,163,700 
100,000  * Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.    4,788,000 
165,000      Warner Chilcott, PLC – Class “A”    3,702,600 
 
          43,626,304 
 
  Industrials—14.3%     
50,000  A.O. Smith Corporation    2,894,500 
125,000  * Armstrong World Industries, Inc.    5,188,750 
162,400  Baldor Electric Company    6,560,960 
140,000  * Chicago Bridge & Iron Company NV – NY Shares    3,423,000 
73,300  * Esterline Technologies Corporation    4,194,959 
95,000  * Generac Holdings, Inc.    1,295,800 
168,200  IDEX Corporation    5,972,782 
82,500  J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.    2,862,750 
165,000  * MasTec, Inc.    1,702,800 
179,700  * Mobile Mini, Inc.    2,756,598 
140,000  Republic Services, Inc.    4,268,600 
25,000  Rolls-Royce Group, PLC (ADR)    1,181,500 
40,000  Roper Industries, Inc.    2,607,200 
95,000  Snap-on, Inc.    4,418,450 
217,200  TAL International Group, Inc.    5,260,584 
77,500        Triumph Group, Inc.    5,780,725 
 
          60,369,958 
 
  Information Technology—14.6%     
200,000  * Avago Technologies, Ltd.    4,502,000 
405,000  * Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.    2,365,200 
65,000  * CACI International, Inc. – Class “A”    2,941,900 
160,500  * Comtech Telecommunications Corporation    4,389,675 
155,000  * FEI Company    3,033,350 
55,000  * Fiserv, Inc.    2,960,100 
245,000  * Genpact, Ltd.    4,343,850 
226,200  Intersil Corporation – Class “A”    2,644,278 
75,000  * Intuit, Inc.    3,285,750 
125,000  * JDA Software Group, Inc.    3,170,000 
85,000  * JDS Uniphase Corporation    1,053,150 
31,400  * ManTech International Corporation – Class “A”    1,243,440 
290,000  National Semiconductor Corporation    3,703,300 
35,700  * NCI, Inc. – Class “A”    675,444 
144,300  * NetScout Systems, Inc.    2,959,593 
120,000    * SRA International, Inc. – Class “A”    2,366,400 

 

108 

 



 
Shares or        
Principal        
Amount     Security     Value
 
  Information Technology (continued)      
297,725 * Symantec Corporation   $ 4,516,488
225,000 Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (ETF)     5,179,500
210,000     Tyco Electronics, Ltd.     6,136,200
 
            61,469,618
 
  Materials—8.7%      
110,000 Agrium, Inc.     8,248,900
50,000 Allegheny Technologies, Inc.     2,322,500
125,000 Bemis Company, Inc.     3,968,750
45,000 Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.     3,842,550
275,000 * Globe Specialty Metals, Inc.     3,861,000
80,000 * Metals USA Holdings Corporation     1,038,400
160,000 Olin Corporation     3,225,600
40,000 Praxair, Inc.     3,610,400
70,000 Sigma-Aldrich Corporation     4,226,600
125,000     Temple-Inland, Inc.     2,332,500
 
            36,677,200
 
  Telecommunication Services—.8%      
186,300     NTELOS Holdings Corporation     3,152,196
 
  Utilities—4.1%      
111,000 AGL Resources, Inc.     4,257,960
110,000 Portland General Electric Company     2,230,800
125,000 SCANA Corporation     5,040,000
100,000     Wisconsin Energy Corporation     5,780,000
 
            17,308,760
 
Total Value of Common Stocks (cost $366,825,042)     417,085,296
 
  SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—1.2%    
  Money Market Fund      
$ 5,120 M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%      
      (cost $5,120,000)**     5,120,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $371,945,042) 100.0 % 422,205,296
Other Assets, Less Liabilities   41,331
 
Net Assets       100.0 %  $422,246,627

 

  109

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
OPPORTUNITY FUND
September 30, 2010

* Non-income producing

** Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Summary of Abbreviations:

ADR American Depositary Receipts
ETF Exchange Traded Fund
REIT Real Estate Investment Trust

 

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
  Level 1   Significant   Significant  
  Quoted   Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Common Stocks $ 417,085,296 $ $ $ 417,085,296
Money Market Fund   5,120,000       5,120,000
Total Investments in Securities* $ 422,205,296 $ $ $ 422,205,296

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the industry categorization for the portfolio.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

110 See notes to financial statements

 



Portfolio Managers’ Letter
SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors Special Situations Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 12.3% for Class A shares and 11.6% for Class B shares.

Over the course of the reporting period, the stock market continued the rally that began in March of 2009; small-cap stocks continued to outperform large-cap stocks, with the Russell 2000 Index beating the S&P 500 Index by 319 basis points. The stock market remained volatile, however, and experienced a sharp summer correction before rallying again in September. In our view, the primary drivers of the September rally were low valuations after the sell-off during the summer; better-than-expected earnings growth in the second quarter; heightened M&A activity; and finally, a recognition that the economy had not fallen back into recession.

The Fund’s top performing sector for the fiscal year was health care, which returned 38%, compared to 7.6% for the Russell 2000 Index sector. The sector had fallen out of favor during the debate over health care reform. We added to two existing positions, Endo Pharmaceuticals and Magellan Health Care, and initiated a third position in AMERIGROUP, all at valuations of less than 10 times free cash flow. We had followed each of these companies for several years, and felt quite comfortable with their business plans, management teams and ability to generate cash flow over long time periods. When health care legislation finally passed, the market once again focused on each company’s individual financial prospects, and the three stocks were top performers for the Fund during the review period.

The Fund also benefited from the increased pace of mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) during the period. Two of the Fund’s positions were acquired in 2010: Sybase and American Italian Pasta Company. Sybase had been a Fund holding since March of 2008, with an original cost of approximately $26 per share. The company performed exceptionally well during the downturn, growing revenue by 20% from 2007 to 2010 (based on our most recent estimates) and growing earnings per share from $1.50 to $2.50. In July, SAP acquired Sybase for $65 per share.

The Fund’s most challenging sector during the period was financials, which returned 0.4%, compared to 9% for the Russell 2000 Index sector. Last fiscal year, financials was our top-performing sector, due to our decision to avoid bank stocks. This year, as bank stocks recovered from the financial crisis, the Fund’s lack of exposure to the industry negatively impacted results. We remain cautious on the industry, however, given the high level of delinquencies and foreclosures in the mortgage sector. Performance in financials was also affected by a slowdown in trading volumes at two of our brokerage holdings, Piper Jaffray and Knight Capital Group.

  111

 



Portfolio Managers’ Letter (continued)
SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND

We continue to view the economic environment with a degree of caution. However, we are also still finding attractively valued investment candidates. Given low interest rates, high cash levels and the pent-up demand for acquisitions among corporations and private equity funds, we believe M&A activity will continue to increase. In summary, we do not believe that volatility in the equity markets is behind us; nonetheless we are happy with the valuations we are finding, and we believe low interest rates and a resurgent M&A market will help to realize value going forward.

Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.


112 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning  Ending   
  Account  Account  Expenses Paid 
  Value  Value  During Period 
  (4/1/10)  (9/30/10)  (4/1/10–9/30/10)* 
Expense Example – Class A Shares       
Actual  $1,000.00  $1,002.92  $7.58 
Hypothetical       
(5% annual return before expenses)  $1,000.00  $1,017.50  $7.64 
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares       
Actual  $1,000.00  $999.44  $11.08 
Hypothetical       
(5% annual return before expenses)  $1,000.00  $1,013.99  $11.16 

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.51% for Class A shares and 2.21% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). Expenses paid during the period are net of expenses waived.

Portfolio Composition
TOP TEN SECTORS


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total market value of investments.

  113 

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)
SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors Special Situations Fund (Class A shares) and the Russell 2000 Index.


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors Special Situations Fund (Class A shares) beginning 9/30/10 with a theoretical investment in the Russell 2000 Index (the “Index”). The Index is an unmanaged Index that measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The Index is a subset of the Russell 3000 Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. The Index includes approximately 2000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. It is not possible to invest directly in this Index. In addition, the Index does not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in the sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75% (prior to 6/17/02, the maximum sales charge was 6.25%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). During the periods shown, some of the expenses of the Fund were waived or assumed. If such expenses had been paid by the Fund, the Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for One Year, Five Years and Ten Years would have been 5.70%, 2.29% and (1.61%), respectively. The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return for One Year, Five Years and Ten Years would have been 7.41%, 2.42% and (1.48%), respectively.

Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Index figures are from Frank Russell and Company and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

114

 



Portfolio of Investments
SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  COMMON STOCKS—94.6%    
  Consumer Discretionary—10.6%    
120,679 American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. $ 1,805,358
135,900 * Big Lots, Inc.   4,518,675
179,200 * Career Education Corporation   3,847,424
360,100 Foot Locker, Inc.   5,232,253
160,800 Men’s Wearhouse, Inc.   3,825,432
101,500 Phillips Van-Heusen Corporation   6,106,240
335,300     Regal Entertainment Group – Class “A”   4,399,136
 
           29,734,518
 
  Consumer Staples—3.4%    
44,200 Corn Products International, Inc.   1,657,500
308,600 * Dole Food Company, Inc.   2,823,690
68,000 * Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc.   1,475,600
61,800     J. M. Smucker Company   3,740,754
 
          9,697,544
 
  Energy—9.6%    
224,875 * Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc.   5,383,508
235,898 EXCO Resources, Inc.   3,507,803
288,912 * Matrix Service Company   2,527,980
181,700 * Plains Exploration & Production Company   4,845,939
359,600 * Resolute Energy Corporation   3,977,176
91,000 SM Energy Company   3,408,860
35,700        * Whiting Petroleum Corporation   3,409,707
 
          27,060,973
 
  Financials—15.5%    
14,592 * Alleghany Corporation   4,421,814
107,700 American Financial Group, Inc.   3,293,466
32,400 Everest Re Group, Ltd.   2,801,628
246,600 * EZCORP, Inc. – Class “A”   4,941,864
112,900 Harleysville Group, Inc.   3,701,991
149,000 * Hilltop Holdings, Inc.   1,427,420
193,200 Jefferies Group, Inc.   4,383,708
346,800 * Knight Capital Group, Inc. – Class “A”   4,296,852
7,000   * Markel Corporation   2,412,130

 

  115

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares     Security   Value
 
  Financials (continued)    
583,600 MFA Financial, Inc. (REIT) $  4,452,868
84,200 Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (REIT)   4,907,176
92,600   * Piper Jaffray Companies, Inc.   2,697,438
 
          43,738,355
 
  Health Care—13.2%    
129,800 * AMERIGROUP Corporation   5,512,606
159,200 * Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.   5,291,808
121,200 * Life Technologies Corporation   5,658,828
108,500 * Magellan Health Services, Inc.   5,125,540
95,300 * MEDNAX, Inc.   5,079,490
176,700 * Myriad Genetics, Inc.   2,899,647
231,500 PerkinElmer, Inc.   5,356,910
178,627   * Res-Care, Inc.   2,370,380
 
          37,295,209
 
  Industrials—7.8%    
43,200 * Alliant Techsystems, Inc.   3,257,280
159,600 * Chart Industries, Inc.   3,249,456
75,200 Curtiss-Wright Corporation   2,278,560
157,100 * EMCOR Group, Inc.   3,863,089
95,000 * FTI Consulting, Inc.   3,295,550
107,700 * Orion Marine Group, Inc.   1,336,557
36,500     Precision Castparts Corporation   4,648,275
 
          21,928,767
 
  Information Technology—17.9%    
630,400 * Brightpoint, Inc.   4,406,496
509,600 * Compuware Corporation   4,346,888
278,800 * Convergys Corporation   2,913,460
130,800 * Cymer, Inc.   4,850,064
88,727 * Diodes, Inc.   1,516,344
319,000 EarthLink, Inc.   2,899,710
120,500 Fair Isaac Corporation   2,971,530
468,600 * Lawson Software, Inc.   3,969,042
118,000 Lender Processing Services, Inc.   3,921,140
269,600   * Microsemi Corporation   4,623,640

 

116

 



 
Shares or        
Principal        
Amount     Security     Value
 
  Information Technology (continued)      
322,900 * QLogic Corporation   $ 5,695,956
407,800 * Verigy, Ltd.     3,315,414
503,500   * Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.     4,873,880
 
            50,303,564
 
  Materials—13.8%      
102,100 AptarGroup, Inc.     4,662,907
56,200 Compass Minerals International, Inc.     4,306,044
272,024 * Innospec, Inc.     4,142,926
203,700 Olin Corporation     4,106,592
89,000 Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. – Class “A”     4,296,920
178,600 Sensient Technologies Corporation     5,445,514
142,400 Silgan Holdings, Inc.     4,514,080
190,300 * Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation     3,495,811
126,800     Westlake Chemical Corporation     3,795,124
 
            38,765,918
 
  Telecommunication Services—1.8%      
519,400 * Premiere Global Services, Inc.     3,677,352
51,375     Telephone & Data Systems, Inc. – Special Shares   1,456,481
 
              5,133,833
 
  Utilities—1.0%      
160,900     CMS Energy Corporation     2,899,418
 
Total Value of Common Stocks (cost $225,840,018)     266,558,099
 
  SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—4.2%    
  Money Market Fund      
$ 11,865 M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%      
      (cost $11,865,000)**     11,865,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $237,705,018) 98.8 % 278,423,099
Other Assets, Less Liabilities 1.2   3,227,476
 
Net Assets       100.0 %  $281,650,575

 

  117

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND
September 30, 2010

* Non-income producing

** Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Summary of Abbreviations:

REIT Real Estate Investment Trust

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

      Level 2      
      Other   Level 3  
  Level 1   Significant   Significant  
  Quoted   Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Common Stocks $ 266,558,099 $ $ $ 266,558,099
Money Market Fund   11,865,000       11,865,000
Total Investments in Securities $ 278,423,099 $ $ $ 278,423,099

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the industry categorization for the portfolio.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

118 See notes to financial statements

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter
INTERNATIONAL FUND

Dear Investor:

This is the annual report for the First Investors International Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. During the period, the Fund’s return on a net asset value basis was 14.6% for Class A shares and 13.8% for Class B shares, including dividends of 2.1 cents per share on Class A shares.

Late in 2009 and into 2010, as economies stabilized, leaders in countries throughout the world debated the best ways to restore economic health. Some nations decided that Keynesian measures would lead to greater stability, while others determined that balancing budgets was the better choice. Their decisions necessitated some changes in the Fund’s portfolio holdings. As governments in Europe sought to raise revenue, we became uncomfortable with the visibility surrounding regulated public utilities and sold the portfolio’s positions in RWE in Germany, Terna in Italy, and Red Electrica and Ena-gas in Spain. The health care industry also came under pressure during the reporting period, as the fiscal crisis forced many European governments, which run largely public health systems, to cut expenditures. Consequently, we reduced our exposure to Roche.

The Fund outperformed its benchmark, the MSCI EAFE Index, during the reporting period, aided by strong results from its positions in emerging markets companies, particularly those in India and Brazil. These positions, which on average represented approximately 24% of the portfolio, were some of the Fund’s top performers. The benchmark, by contrast, had no allocations to India, Brazil, or any other emerging market. In India, HDFC Bank, Housing Development Finance, and ITC delivered strong absolute returns. In Brazil, Souza Cruz, Ambev, and AES Tiete made positive contributions to performance. Novo Nordisk, a leader in diabetes treatments, consistently delivered strong performance over the reporting period. Financials were the top-performing sector in the portfolio during the period. While the Fund was underweight this sector relative to the benchmark, its holdings performed substantially better than the benchmark’s. Consumer staples companies, which are heavily weighted in the portfolio, also made positive contributions to absolute and relative performance during the period. Currency hedging also aided performance.

Despite the market’s rally late in the reporting period, we do not believe that the global macroeconomic environment has changed significantly. In fact, analysts have recently begun to cut earnings expectations for 2011. This indicates that they may have been too optimistic about near-term prospects for a strong global recovery. Regardless, we believe the companies held by the Fund are well positioned to perform in this uncertain market environment.

  119

 



Portfolio Manager’s Letter (continued)
INTERNATIONAL FUND

Thank you for placing your trust in First Investors. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your investment needs.


120 

 



Fund Expenses (unaudited)
INTERNATIONAL FUND

The examples below show the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and will help you in comparing these costs with costs of other mutual funds. Please refer to page 3 for a detailed explanation of the information presented in these examples.

 
  Beginning Ending  
  Account Account Expenses Paid
  Value Value During Period
  (4/1/10) (9/30/10) (4/1/10–9/30/10)*
Expense Example – Class A Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,058.21 $10.01
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,015.34 $9.80
 
Expense Example – Class B Shares      
Actual $1,000.00 $1,053.14 $13.59
Hypothetical      
(5% annual return before expenses) $1,000.00 $1,011.83 $13.31

 

* Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio of 1.94% for Class A shares and 2.64% for Class B shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

Portfolio Composition
TOP SECTORS


Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change. Percentages are as of September 30, 2010, and are based on the total market value of investments.

  121

 



Cumulative Performance Information (unaudited)
INTERNATIONAL FUND

Comparison of change in value of $10,000 investment in the First Investors International Fund (Class A shares), the Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) EAFE Index (Gross) and the Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) EAFE Index (Net).


The graph compares a $10,000 investment in the First Investors International Fund (Class A shares) beginning 6/27/06 (inception date) with theoretical investments in the MSCI EAFE Index (Gross) and the MSCI EAFE Index Net)(the “Indices”). The Indices are free float-adjusted market capitalization indices that measure developed foreign market equity performance, excluding the U.S. and Canada. The MSCI EAFE Index (Gross) is calculated on a total-return basis with the maximum possible dividend reinvestment (before taxes). The MSCI EAFE Index (Net) is calculated on a total-return basis with the minimum possible dividend reinvestment (after taxes). The Indices are unmanaged and it is not possible to invest directly in these Indices. In addition, the Indices do not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. For purposes of the graph and the accompanying table, unless otherwise indicated, it has been assumed that the maximum sales charge was deducted from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and all dividends and distributions were reinvested. Class B shares performance may be greater than or less than that shown in the line graph above for Class A shares based on differences in sales loads and fees paid by shareholders investing in the different classes.

* Average Annual Total Return figures (for the periods ended 9/30/10) include the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. “N.A.V. Only” returns are calculated without sales charges. The Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” returns shown are based on the maximum sales charge of 5.75%. The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” returns are adjusted for the applicable deferred sales charge (maximum of 4% in the first year). During the periods shown, some of the expenses of the Fund were waived or assumed. If such expenses had been paid by the Fund, the Class A “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return Since Inception would have been (.57%). The Class B “S.E.C. Standardized” Average Annual Total Return Since Inception would have been (.34%).

Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. The graph and the returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Indices figures are from Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. and all other figures are from First Investors Management Company, Inc.

122

 



Portfolio of Investments
INTERNATIONAL FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares   Security   Value
 
  COMMON STOCKS—97.5%    
  United Kingdom—30.3%    
54,769 Admiral Group, PLC $ 1,437,837
275,417 Amlin, PLC   1,741,646
195,932 British American Tobacco, PLC   7,331,241
88,100 Bunzl, PLC   1,053,701
190,452 Capita Group, PLC   2,358,892
79,676 De La Rue, PLC   829,278
154,008 Diageo, PLC   2,659,829
101,560 Domino’s Pizza UK & IRL, PLC   751,538
294,344 G4S, PLC   1,180,901
176,970 Imperial Tobacco Group, PLC   5,290,137
70,948 Reckitt Benckiser Group, PLC   3,914,103
69,859 SABMiller, PLC   2,240,750
92,989 Scottish and Southern Energy, PLC   1,638,224
103,451 Standard Chartered, PLC   2,976,702
735,607   Tesco, PLC   4,914,865
 
        40,319,644
 
  India—17.7%    
31,057 Bharat Heavy Electricals, Ltd.   1,713,025
116,055 Cipla, Ltd.   832,543
149,800 HDFC Bank, Ltd.   8,298,757
30,814 Hero Honda Motors, Ltd.   1,274,116
412,280 Housing Development Finance Corporation, Ltd.   6,727,132
879,262 ITC, Ltd.   3,488,871
15,562   Nestle India, Ltd.   1,171,315
 
        23,505,759
 
  Brazil—9.1%    
122,365 AES Tiete SA   1,622,192
91,062 CETIP SA – Balcao Organizado de Ativos e Derivatos   886,863
160,000 Cielo SA   1,378,822
22,615 Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (ADR)   2,799,285
56,600 CPFL Energia SA   1,299,575
99,700 Redecard SA   1,554,760
52,173   Souza Cruz SA   2,632,362
 
        12,173,859

 

  123

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
INTERNATIONAL FUND
September 30, 2010

 
Shares   Security   Value
 
  Switzerland—6.8%    
110,920 Nestle SA – Registered $ 5,943,663
37,163 Novartis AG – Registered   2,143,544
7,190   Roche Holding AG – Genusscheine   987,664
 
        9,074,871
 
  Australia—5.8%    
135,749 Coca-Cola Amatil, Ltd.   1,574,641
140,243 QBE Insurance Group, Ltd.   2,343,743
134,134   Woolworths, Ltd.   3,745,606
 
        7,663,990
 
  United States—5.4%    
128,829   Philip Morris International, Inc.   7,217,000
 
  France—4.4%    
18,098 bioMerieux   1,878,017
22,700 Bureau Veritas SA   1,587,317
35,058   Essilor International SA   2,415,565
 
        5,880,899
 
  Denmark—4.2%    
55,889   Novo Nordisk A/S – Series “B”   5,554,396
 
  Japan—3.7%    
34,150 Nitori Company, Ltd.   2,853,328
46,400   Secom Company, Ltd.   2,093,943
 
        4,947,271
 
  Ireland—2.8%    
94,027   Covidien, PLC   3,778,945
 
  Netherlands—2.2%    
33,248   Core Laboratories NV   2,927,154
 
  Canada—2.1%    
81,524   Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd.   2,831,506
 
  Belgium—1.5%    
7,501   Colruyt SA   1,985,616

 

124

 



 
Shares or      
Principal      
Amount     Security     Value
 
  Germany—1.5%    
14,112     Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG – Registered   $ 1,955,671
 
Total Value of Common Stocks (cost $101,606,418)     129,816,581
 
  SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS—1.5%  
  Money Market Fund    
$ 2,055 M First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, .22%    
      (cost $2,055,000)**     2,055,000
 
Total Value of Investments (cost $103,661,418) 99.0 % 131,871,581
Other Assets, Less Liabilities 1.0   1,266,681
 
Net Assets       100.0 % $133,138,262

 

* Non-income producing

** Affiliated unregistered money market fund available only to First Investors funds and certain accounts managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. Rate shown is the 7-day yield at September 30, 2010 (see Note 2).

Summary of Abbreviations:

ADR American Depositary Receipts

Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

  125

 



Portfolio of Investments (continued)
INTERNATIONAL FUND
September 30, 2010

The following is a summary, by category of Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of September 30, 2010:

        Level 2      
        Other   Level 3  
    Level 1   Significant   Significant  
    Quoted   Observable Unobservable  
    Prices   Inputs   Inputs   Total
Common Stocks              
Consumer Staples $  56,909,284 $ $ $  56,909,284
Financials   26,368,351     26,368,351
Health Care   17,590,674     17,590,674
Industrials   10,817,057     10,817,057
Energy   5,758,660     5,758,660
Consumer Discretionary   4,878,982     4,878,982
Utilities   4,559,991     4,559,991
Information Technology   2,933,582     2,933,582
Money Market Fund   2,055,000       2,055,000
Total Investments in Securities* $  131,871,581 $ $ $  131,871,581
Other Financial Instruments** $ $ (701,353) $ $   (701,353)

 

* The Portfolio of Investments provides information on the country categorization for the portfolio.

** Other financial instruments are foreign exchange contracts, which are considered derivative instruments, which are valued at the net unrealized depreciation on the instrument.

There were no transfers into or from Level 1 or Level 2 by the Fund during the year ended September 30, 2010.

126 See notes to financial statements

 


 


 

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  127

 



Statements of Assets and Liabilities
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
September 30, 2010

       CASH             INVESTMENT         
      MANAGEMENT     GOVERNMENT     GRADE     INCOME  
Assets                        
Investments in securities:                        
Cost – Unaffiliated issuers $ 132,483,985   $  322,876,836   $  365,391,377   $  476,499,820  
Cost – Affiliated money market fund (Note 2)       1,100,000     3,650,000     17,660,000  
Total cost of investments $  132,483,985   $  323,976,836   $  369,041,377   $  494,159,820  
 
Value – Unaffiliated issuers (Note 1A) $ 132,483,985    $  335,038,229   $  405,598,024   $  499,669,832  
Value – Affiliated money market fund (Note 2)       1,100,000     3,650,000     17,660,000  
Total value of investments   132,483,985     336,138,229     409,248,024     517,329,832  
Cash   3,756,137     170,310     109,998     2,020,284  
Receivables:                        
Investment securities sold       2,889,800     9,154,379      
Interest   100,208     1,378,146     6,201,049     9,869,781  
Shares sold       250,121     908,983     284,740  
Other assets   18,464     32,889     36,668     48,486  
 
Total Assets   136,358,794     340,859,495     425,659,101     529,553,123  
 
Liabilities                        
Payables:                        
Investment securities purchased       3,170,250     5,818,881     12,687,940  
Shares redeemed   425,683     509,039     691,915     493,423  
Dividends payable       88,305     153,549     523,193  
Accrued advisory fees       152,117     186,618     291,780  
Accrued shareholder servicing costs   55,828     56,674     69,648     97,780  
Accrued expenses   35,137     44,297     41,700     61,004  
 
Total Liabilities   516,648     4,020,682     6,962,311     14,155,120  
 
Net Assets $ 135,842,146    $  336,838,813   $  418,696,790   $  515,398,003  
Net Assets Consist of:                        
Capital paid in $ 135,842,146    $  330,282,277   $  410,491,927   $  762,000,501  
Undistributed net investment income (deficit)       18,529     (1,228,073 )   731,963  
Accumulated net realized loss on investments       (5,623,386 )   (30,773,711 )   (270,504,473 )
Net unrealized appreciation in value of investments       12,161,393     40,206,647     23,170,012  
Total $ 135,842,146    $  336,838,813   $  418,696,790   $  515,398,003  
 
Net Assets:                        
Class A $ 134,103,104    $  325,979,197   $  404,841,336   $  504,506,610  
Class B $   1,739,042   10,859,616    13,855,454   $    10,891,393  
Shares outstanding (Note 8):                        
Class A   134,103,104     28,693,702     41,278,452     202,995,352  
Class B   1,739,042     956,484     1,412,479     4,377,895  
 
Net asset value and redemption price per share — Class A $  1.00 # $  11.36   $  9.81   $  2.49  
 
Maximum offering price per share — Class A                        
(Net asset value/.9425)*   N/A   $  12.05   $  10.41   $  2.64  
 
Net asset value and offering price per share — Class B (Note 8) $ 1.00    $  11.35   $  9.81   $  2.49  

 

#Also maximum offering price per share.
*On purchases of $100,000 or more, the sales charge is reduced.

128 See notes to financial statements 129

 



Statements of Assets and Liabilities
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

    TOTAL                 GROWTH &        
    RETURN     VALUE     BLUE CHIP     INCOME     GLOBAL  
Assets                    
Investments in securities:                    
Cost – Unaffiliated issuers $ 335,072,623   $ 309,282,020   $ 307,043,743   $ 561,158,033   $ 215,907,028  
Cost – Affiliated money market fund (Note 2)   5,300,000     13,780,000     3,295,000     27,560,000     9,560,000  
Total cost of investments $ 340,372,623   $ 323,062,020   $ 310,338,743   $ $588,718,033   $ 225,467,028  
 
Value – Unaffiliated issuers (Note 1A) $ 374,677,807   $ $331,896,192   $ 377,988,425   $ 626,456,824   $ 262,645,403  
Value – Affiliated money market fund (Note 2)   5,300,000     13,780,000     3,295,000     27,560,000     9,560,000  
 
Total Value of Investments 379,977,807   345,676,192   381,283,425   654,016,824   272,205,403  
Cash 69,907   92,818   101,851   140,958   184,611  
Receivables:                    
Investment securities sold 1,466,343   451,799     366,280   8,014,161  
Dividends and interest 2,046,726   741,525   540,704   794,868   465,575  
Shares sold 280,496   213,018   140,706   381,715   193,991  
Other assets   35,621     34,265     39,935     64,349   27,107  
Total Assets   383,876,900     347,209,617     382,106,621     655,764,994     281,090,848  
Liabilities                    
Payables:                    
Investment securities purchased 4,920,760   503,814   130,845   1,609,745   4,735,489  
Shares redeemed 736,436   488,962   483,151   973,020   373,877  
Dividends payable 28,026   19,738   6,629   10,573    
Accrued advisory fees 226,869   207,557   229,275   381,154   209,831  
Accrued shareholder servicing costs 86,120   84,815   125,944   185,279   78,601  
Accrued expenses   53,701     46,338     51,166     75,610     67,548  
Total Liabilities   6,051,912     1,351,224     1,027,010     3,235,381     5,465,346  
Net Assets $ 377,824,988   $ 345,858,393   $ 381,079,611   $ 652,529,613   $ 275,625,502  
Net Assets Consist of:                    
Capital paid in $ 347,997,384   $ 355,273,426   $ 400,443,463   $ 607,984,083   $ 284,192,262  
Undistributed net investment income (deficit) 202,204   775,444   793,109   734,304   (127,034 )
Accumulated net realized loss on investments                    
and foreign currency transactions (9,979,784 ) (32,804,649 ) (91,101,643 ) (21,487,565 ) (55,186,434 )
Net unrealized appreciation in value of investments                    
and foreign currency transactions   39,605,184     22,614,172     70,944,682     65,298,791     46,746,708  
Total $ 377,824,988   $ 345,858,393   $  381,079,611   $ 652,529,613   $ 275,625,502  
Net Assets:                    
Class A $ 360,842,607   $ 334,725,193   $ 366,656,559   $ 626,369,836   $ 269,074,977  
Class B $   16,982,381   $  11,133,200   $   14,423,052   $   26,159,777   $    6,550,525  
Shares outstanding (Note 8):                    
Class A 25,436,773   51,465,348   18,785,688   48,535,131   43,828,432  
Class B 1,216,838   1,739,798   794,664   2,154,048   1,221,117  
Net asset value and redemption price                    
per share – Class A   14.19   $ 6.50     19.52   $ 12.91   $  6.14  
Maximum offering price per share – Class A                    
(Net asset value/.9425)* $  15.06   $ 6.90   $ 20.71   $ 13.70   $  6.51  
Net asset value and offering price per share –                    
Class B (Note 8) $  13.96   $ 6.40   $  18.15   $ 12.14   $  5.36  

 

*On purchases of $100,000 or more, the sales charge is reduced.

130 See notes to financial statements 131

 



Statements of Assets and Liabilities
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

                           
  SELECT       SPECIAL      
    GROWTH     OPPORTUNITY     SITUATIONS     INTERNATIONAL  
Assets                
Investments in securities:                
Cost – Unaffiliated issuers $ 165,560,027   $ 366,825,042   $ 225,840,018   $ 101,606,418  
Cost – Affiliated money market fund (Note 2)   2,135,000     5,120,000     11,865,000     2,055,000  
Total cost of investments $ 167,695,027   $ 371,945,042   $ 237,705,018   $ 103,661,418  
Value – Unaffiliated issuers (Note 1A) $ 190,013,939   $ 417,085,296   $ 266,558,099   $ 129,816,581  
Value – Affiliated money market fund (Note 2)   2,135,000     5,120,000     11,865,000     2,055,000  
Total Value of Investments 192,148,939   422,205,296   278,423,099   131,871,581  
Cash 134,826   147,129   65,964   1,576,375  
Receivables:                
Investment securities sold   610,467   3,851,641   157,607  
Dividends and interest 82,450   501,344   19,463   726,648  
Shares sold 106,861   228,916   144,330   59,640  
Unrealized appreciation of foreign exchange                
contracts (Note 7)       1,811,351  
Other assets   19,394     40,441     27,149     11,586  
Total Assets   192,492,470     423,733,593     282,531,646     136,214,788  
Liabilities                
Payables:                
Investment securities purchased   383,269   163,227    
Shares redeemed 295,127   682,917   419,046   368,850  
Unrealized depreciation of foreign exchange                
contracts (Note 7)       2,512,704  
Accrued advisory fees 114,411   248,506   178,546   104,027  
Accrued shareholder servicing costs 67,751   116,189   80,967   46,920  
Accrued expenses   35,630     56,085     39,285     44,025  
Total Liabilities   512,919     1,486,966     881,071     3,076,526  
Net Assets $ 191,979,551   $ 422,246,627   $ 281,650,575   $ 133,138,262  
Net Assets Consist of:                
Capital paid in $ 261,851,409   $ 377,885,503   $ 262,285,116   $ 149,563,721  
Undistributed net investment income   792,807     2,803,825  
Accumulated net realized loss on investments                
and foreign currency transactions (94,325,770 ) (6,691,937 ) (21,352,622 ) (46,762,258 )
Net unrealized appreciation in value of investments                
and foreign currency transactions   24,453,912     50,260,254     40,718,081     27,532,974  
Total $ 191,979,551   $ 422,246,627   $ 281,650,575   $ 133,138,262  
Net Assets:                
Class A $ 183,556,472   $ 402,117,078   $ 274,073,513   $ 129,569,686  
Class B $ 8,423,079   $   20,129,549   $ 7,577,062   $ 3,568,576  
Shares outstanding (Note 8):                
Class A 31,705,177   17,142,795   13,268,633   12,730,483  
Class B 1,579,059   985,051   422,178   359,917  
Net asset value and redemption price                
per share – Class A $ 5.79   $ 23.46   $ 20.66   $ 10.18  
Maximum offering price per share – Class A                
(Net asset value/.9425)* $ 6.14   $ 24.89   $ 21.92   $ 10.80  
Net asset value and offering price per share –                
Class B (Note 8) $ 5.33   $ 20.44   $ 17.95   $ 9.91  


*On purchases of $100,000 or more, the sales charge is reduced.

 

132 See notes to financial statements 133

 



Statements of Operations
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
Year Ended September 30, 2010

                         
  CASH       INVESTMENT      
     MANAGEMENT     GOVERNMENT     GRADE     INCOME  
Investment Income                
 
Income:                
Interest $ 442,389   $ 14,423,695   $ 20,803,920   $ 40,631,759  
Dividends       2,523  
Dividends from affiliate (Note 2)             18,629        8,982        22,413  
 
Total income   442,389     14,442,324     20,812,902     40,656,695  
 
Expenses (Notes 1 and 3):                
Advisory fees 748,038   2,089,304   2,471,743   3,528,352  
Distribution plan expenses – Class A   913,000   1,079,280   1,405,293  
Distribution plan expenses – Class B 18,137   122,278   147,464   112,308  
Shareholder servicing costs 680,548   633,143   778,263   1,096,365  
Professional fees 43,785   51,734   63,497   76,348  
Registration fees 46,341   51,823   49,348   41,185  
Custodian fees 26,934   47,250   32,086   40,220  
Reports to shareholders 35,008   13,920   15,080   29,949  
Trustees’ fees 7,734   15,733   18,489   23,907  
Other expenses   36,761     83,727     68,046     99,505  
 
Total expenses 1,643,286   4,021,912   4,723,296   6,453,432  
Less: Expenses waived (1,197,616 ) (348,217 ) (411,957 ) (171,003 )
Expenses paid indirectly   (3,281 )   (1,421 )   (1,684 )   (2,158 )
 
Net expenses   442,389     3,672,274     4,309,655     6,280,271  
 
Net investment income       10,770,050     16,503,247     34,376,424  
 
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (Note 2):                
 
Net realized gain (loss) on investments   3,103,773   13,779,861   (6,736,530 )
 
Net unrealized appreciation of investments       2,718,962     16,328,093     41,269,692  
 
Net gain on investments       5,822,735     30,107,954     34,533,162  
 
Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations $     $ 16,592,785   $ 46,611,201   $ 68,909,586  

 

134 See notes to financial statements 135

 



Statements of Operations
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
Year Ended September 30, 2010

                               
  TOTAL           GROWTH &      
    RETURN     VALUE     BLUE CHIP     INCOME     GLOBAL  
Investment Income                    
Dividends $ 4,441,306 (a) $ 9,488,807 (b) $ 8,942,698 (c) $  13,276,646 (d) $ 4,620,727 (e)
Dividends from affiliate (Note 2) 8,605   28,054   8,362   19,762   17,802  
Interest   7,276,880                 59  
 
Total income   11,726,791     9,516,861     8,951,060     13,296,408     4,638,588  
 
Expenses (Notes 1 and 3):                    
Advisory fees 2,671,189   2,508,075   2,857,353   4,661,337   2,582,274  
Distribution plan expenses – Class A 1,019,838   972,211   1,103,789   1,836,162   769,840  
Distribution plan expenses – Class B 185,523   117,734   164,250   287,195   68,841  
Shareholder servicing costs 911,213   927,172   1,373,706   2,003,222   919,817  
Professional fees 52,560   52,864   61,612   91,992   44,505  
Custodian fees 42,483   17,971   16,557   34,502   104,016  
Registration fees 47,834   37,921   40,200   42,597   42,273  
Reports to shareholders 21,740   19,630   31,056   38,849   25,188  
Trustees’ fees 17,938   16,907   19,449   32,327   13,329  
Other expenses   74,670     66,655     72,722     111,987     89,508  
 
Total expenses 5,044,988   4,737,140   5,740,694   9,140,170   4,659,591  
Less: Expenses waived         (79,049 )
Expenses paid indirectly   (2,466 )   (2,311 )   (2,645 )   (4,412 )   (1,815 )
 
Net expenses   5,042,522     4,734,829     5,738,049     9,135,758     4,578,727  
 
Net investment income   6,684,269     4,782,032     3,213,011     4,160,650     59,861  
 
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments                    
(Note 2):                    
Net realized gain (loss) on:                    
Investments 4,700,281   11,905,008   5,636,663   3,057,400   16,137,871  
Foreign currency transactions                   (134,819 )
Net realized gain on investments                    
and foreign currency transactions   4,700,281     11,905,008     5,636,663     3,057,400     16,003,052  
 
Net unrealized appreciation of investments   20,333,126     14,490,454     14,721,082     46,947,411     2,462,568  
Net gain on investments and foreign                    
currency transactions   25,033,407     26,395,462     20,357,745     50,004,811     18,465,620  
Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting                    
from Operations $ 31,717,676   $ 31,177,494   $ 23,570,756   $ 54,165,461   $ 18,525,481  


(a) Net of $28,291 foreign taxes withheld

(b) Net of $57,018 foreign taxes withheld
(c) Net of $39,544 foreign taxes withheld
(d) Net of $85,363 foreign taxes withheld

(e) Net of $274,008 foreign taxes withheld

 

 

136 See notes to financial statements 137

 



Statements of Operations
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
Year Ended September 30, 2010

                          
  SELECT       SPECIAL      
    GROWTH     OPPORTUNITY      SITUATIONS       INTERNATIONAL  
Investment Income                
Dividends $ 2,006,117   $ 6,740,654 (f) $ 3,316,842   $ 3,978,081 (g)
Dividends from affiliate (Note 2) 4,370   5,264   27,082   5,630  
Interest               171  
 
Total income   2,010,487     6,745,918     3,343,924     3,983,882  
 
Expenses (Notes 1 and 3):                
Advisory fees 1,396,061   2,987,526   2,515,255   1,181,488  
Distribution plan expenses – Class A 530,628   1,141,999   781,606   351,196  
Distribution plan expenses – Class B 92,653   217,678   81,652   34,946  
Shareholder servicing costs 805,709   1,339,881   932,820   555,659  
Professional fees 36,625   61,461   43,475   40,397  
Custodian fees 10,657   32,103   24,596   135,821  
Registration fees 34,609   46,224   40,414   44,303  
Reports to shareholders 17,329   28,084   21,418   12,588  
Trustees’ fees 9,402   20,261   13,529   6,023  
Other expenses   38,042     79,804     51,165     36,220  
 
Total expenses 2,971,715   5,955,021   4,505,930   2,398,641  
Less: Expenses waived     (365,650 )  
Expenses paid indirectly   (1,282 )   (2,771 )   (1,850 )   (830 )
 
Net expenses   2,970,433     5,952,250     4,138,430     2,397,811  
 
Net investment income (loss)   (959,946 )   793,668     (794,506 )   1,586,071  
 
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments                
and Foreign Currency Transactions (Note 2):                
Net realized gain (loss) on:                
Investments 11,072,238   17,731,893   26,160,463   (3,247,752 )
Foreign currency transactions               476,147  
Net realized gain (loss) on investments                
and foreign currency transactions   11,072,238     17,731,893     26,160,463     (2,771,605 )
Net unrealized appreciation of:                
Investments 5,200,313   30,124,890   5,717,051   17,864,235  
Foreign currency transactions               62,258  
Net unrealized appreciation of investments                
and foreign currency transactions   5,200,313     30,124,890     5,717,051     17,926,493  
 
Net gain on investments and foreign currency transactions   16,272,551     47,856,783     31,877,514     15,154,888  
 
Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations $ 15,312,605   $ 48,650,451   $ 31,083,008   $ 16,740,959  


(f) Net of $9,387 foreign taxes withheld

(g) Net of $312,369 foreign taxes withheld

 

 

138 See notes to financial statements 139

 



Statements of Changes in Net Assets
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS

   
      CASH MANAGEMENT     GOVERNMENT     INVESTMENT GRADE     INCOME  
Year Ended September 30      2010     2009     2010     2009     2010     2009     2010     2009  
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets From Operations                                                
Net investment income $   $ 1,221,501   $ 10,770,050   $ 10,935,987   $ 16,503,247   $ 15,274,428   $ 34,376,424   $ 35,830,693  
Net realized gain (loss) on investments           3,103,773     980,301     13,779,861     (12,048,295 )   (6,736,530 )   (112,253,431 )
Net unrealized appreciation of investments            2,718,962     10,055,950     16,328,093     45,188,050     41,269,692     88,440,358  
 
Net increase in net assets resulting                                                
from operations        1,221,501     16,592,785     21,972,238     46,611,201     48,414,183     68,909,586     12,017,620  
 
Dividends to Shareholders                                                
Net investment income – Class A       (1,215,241 )   (11,719,577 )   (11,010,399 )   (17,308,661 )   (15,729,968 )   (35,370,028 )   (36,620,365 )
Net investment income – Class B        (6,260 )   (390,654 )   (439,921 )   (611,139 )   (760,072 )   (775,851 )   (980,700 )
Total dividends        (1,221,501 )   (12,110,231 )   (11,450,320 )   (17,919,800 )   (16,490,040 )   (36,145,879 )   (37,601,065 )
Share Transactions*                                                
Class A:                                                
Proceeds from shares sold   103,494,290     149,200,434     77,347,300     89,368,837     92,777,083     62,035,917     60,690,077     38,647,729  
Reinvestment of dividends       1,183,936     10,581,329     9,894,128     15,532,529     13,931,701     28,803,544     29,097,696  
Cost of shares redeemed    (141,727,633 )   (212,143,550 )   (53,101,171 )   (50,746,193 )   (56,404,349 )   (48,574,281 )   (55,246,111 )   (64,519,916 )
     (38,233,343 )   (61,759,180 )   34,827,458     48,516,772     51,905,263     27,393,337     34,247,510     3,225,509  
Class B:                                                
Proceeds from shares sold   1,539,880     4,860,797     1,715,685     4,308,972     1,808,223     2,161,072     1,330,180     1,369,449  
Reinvestment of dividends       6,061     362,862     411,452     565,450     691,880     661,566     796,975  
Cost of shares redeemed    (3,230,970 )   (5,000,550 )   (4,525,074 )   (3,684,416 )   (5,959,456 )   (5,425,434 )   (3,552,378 )   (4,484,336 )
     (1,691,090 )   (133,692 )   (2,446,527 )   1,036,008     (3,585,783 )   (2,572,482 )   (1,560,632 )   (2,317,912 )
Net increase (decrease) from share transactions   (39,924,433 )   (61,892,872 )   32,380,931     49,552,780     48,319,480     24,820,855     32,686,878     907,597  
Net increase (decrease) in net assets   (39,924,433 )   (61,892,872 )   36,863,485     60,074,698     77,010,881     56,744,998     65,450,585     (24,675,848 )
Net Assets                                                
Beginning of year    175,766,579     237,659,451     299,975,328     239,900,630     341,685,909     284,940,911     449,947,418     474,623,266  
End of year† $ 135,842,146   $ 175,766,579   $ 336,838,813   $ 299,975,328   $ 418,696,790   $ 341,685,909   $ 515,398,003   $ 449,947,418  
 
†Includes undistributed net investment income (deficit) of  $     $   $ 18,529   $ 121,938   $ (1,228,073 ) $ (732,205 ) $ 731,963   $ 1,087,103  
 
*Shares Issued and Redeemed                                                
Class A:                                                
Sold   103,494,290     149,200,434     6,837,194     8,119,199     9,912,848     7,506,299     25,340,112     18,474,840  
Issued for dividends reinvested       1,183,936     935,774     896,474     1,652,178     1,685,746     11,996,262     14,128,160  
Redeemed   (141,727,633 )   (212,143,550 )   (4,701,354 )   (4,609,280 )   (6,026,306 )   (5,958,625 )   (23,070,665 )   (31,275,460 )
Net increase (decrease) in Class A shares outstanding   (38,233,343 )   (61,759,180 )   3,071,614     4,406,393     5,538,720     3,233,420     14,265,709     1,327,540  
 
Class B:                                                
Sold   1,539,880     4,860,797     151,892     391,751     193,657     263,623     554,862     664,130  
Issued for dividends reinvested       6,061     32,138     37,308     60,264     84,000     275,454     387,573  
Redeemed    (3,230,970 )   (5,000,550 )   (400,873 )   (334,945 )   (639,197 )    (668,820 )   (1,483,639 )   (2,160,772 )
Net increase (decrease) in Class B shares outstanding   (1,691,090 )   (133,692 )   (216,843 )   94,114     (385,276 )   (321,197 )   (653,323 )   (1,109,069 )

 

140 See notes to financial statements 141

 



Statements of Changes in Net Assets
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

      TOTAL RETURN     VALUE     BLUE CHIP     GROWTH & INCOME  
Year Ended September 30      2010     2009     2010     2009     2010     2009     2010     2009  
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets From Operations                                                
Net investment income $ 6,684,269   $ 6,724,242   $ 4,782,032   $ 5,849,817   $ 3,213,011   $ 4,058,526   $ 4,160,650   $ 4,423,835  
Net realized gain (loss) on investments   4,700,281     (9,483,692 )   11,905,008     (13,268,873 )   5,636,663     (9,977,253 )   3,057,400     (20,403,791 )
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments   20,333,126     10,774,205     14,490,454      (20,963,487 )    14,721,082      (31,288,703 )    46,947,411     (32,959,787 )
 
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting                                                
from operations   31,717,676     8,014,755     31,177,494      (28,382,543 )    23,570,756      (37,207,430 )    54,165,461      (48,939,743 )
 
Distributions to Shareholders                                                
Net investment income – Class A   (7,206,405 )   (7,294,927 )   (4,770,685 )   (5,289,493 )   (3,748,853 )   (3,817,452 )   (3,447,522 )   (6,507,658 )
Net investment income – Class B   (265,077 )   (411,162 )   (91,965 )   (157,251 )   (65,517 )   (110,020 )   (7,107 )   (312,817 )
Net realized gains – Class A                               (1,098,693 )
Net realized gains – Class B                                    (73,074 )
 
Total distributions   (7,471,482 )   (7,706,089 )   (4,862,650 )    (5,446,744 )    (3,814,370 )    (3,927,472 )    (3,454,629 )    (7,992,242 )
 
Share Transactions *                                                
Class A:                                                
Proceeds from shares sold   65,236,988     48,128,682     47,998,032     46,162,803     42,299,508     41,475,826     86,759,378     78,339,719  
Reinvestment of distributions   7,095,031     7,183,309     4,692,913     5,211,749     3,717,017     3,786,180     3,415,609     7,539,347  
Cost of shares redeemed   (50,060,155 )   (45,000,268 )    (51,740,503 )    (44,829,250 )    (55,163,840 )    (46,153,726 )    (89,994,980 )    (79,223,395 )
 
     22,271,864     10,311,723     950,442      6,545,302     (9,147,315 )    (891,720 )    180,007      6,655,671  
Class B:                                                
Proceeds from shares sold   1,479,911     1,896,768     931,640     1,383,432     1,258,064     1,712,240     2,407,343     2,970,932  
Reinvestment of distributions   263,214     405,877     91,498     156,218     65,439     109,716     7,097     384,206  
Cost of shares redeemed    (6,622,753 )   (6,192,908 )   (3,250,976 )    (4,455,394 )    (6,213,513 )    (6,707,446 )    (9,067,038 )    (9,309,449 )
 
     (4,879,628 )   (3,890,263 )   (2,227,838 )    (2,915,744 )    (4,890,010 )    (4,885,490 )    (6,652,598 )    (5,954,311 )
 
Net increase (decrease) from share transactions    17,392,236     6,421,460     (1,277,396 )    3,629,558      (14,037,325 )    (5,777,210 )    (6,472,591 )    701,360  
 
Net increase (decrease) in net assets   41,638,430     6,730,126     25,037,448     (30,199,729 )   5,719,061     (46,912,112 )   44,238,241     (56,230,625 )
 
Net Assets                                                
Beginning of year    336,186,558      329,456,432      320,820,945      351,020,674      375,360,550      422,272,662      608,291,372      664,521,997  
 
End of year† $ 377,824,988   $   336,186,558   $ 345,858,393   $ 320,820,945   $ 381,079,611   $   375,360,550   $ 652,529,613   $ 608,291,372  
 
†Includes undistributed net investment income of $ 202,204   $ 470,660   $ 775,444   $ 1,047,762   $ 793,109   $ 1,394,468   $ 734,304   $ 34,203  
 
*Shares Issued and Redeemed                                                
Class A:                                                
Sold   4,717,067     4,109,052     7,583,329     8,803,750     2,190,993     2,580,194     6,879,346     7,829,046  
Issued for distributions reinvested   513,741     603,791     743,977     985,364     192,725     232,570     271,569     746,863  
Redeemed    (3,616,060 )   (3,885,466 )    (8,163,446 )    (8,634,264 )    (2,851,867 )    (2,883,244 )   (7,135,325 )    (8,010,238 )
 
Net increase (decrease) in Class A shares outstanding    1,614,748      827,377      163,860      1,154,850     (468,149 )    (70,480 )    15,590      565,671  
 
Class B:                                                
Sold   108,792     165,872     149,472     272,994     69,790     115,095     203,071     317,151  
Issued for distributions reinvested   19,385     34,840     14,731     30,278     3,627     7,334     584     40,830  
Redeemed   (489,191 )    (543,696 )    (523,549 )    (868,516 )    (345,863 )    (446,123 )    (765,993 )    (984,923 )
 
Net decrease in Class B shares outstanding    (361,014 )    (342,984 )   (359,346 )    (565,244 )   (272,446 )    (323,694 )    (562,338 )    (626,942 )

 

142 See notes to financial statements 143

 



Statements of Changes in Net Assets
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

      GLOBAL     SELECT GROWTH     OPPORTUNITY     SPECIAL SITUATIONS  
Year Ended September 30      2010     2009     2010     2009     2010     2009     2010     2009  
 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets From Operations                                                
Net investment income (loss) $ 59,861   $ 753,481   $ (959,946 ) $ (928,942 ) $ 793,668   $ 121,938   $ (794,506 ) $ 418,246  
Net realized gain (loss) on investments                                                
and foreign currency transactions   16,003,052     (64,378,267 )   11,072,238     (72,064,132 )   17,731,893     (24,480,008 )   26,160,463     (47,829,807 )
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments                                                
and foreign currency transactions    2,462,568     63,840,351     5,200,313     27,119,973     30,124,890     (2,830,615 )    5,717,051     32,434,302  
 
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting                                                
  from operations   18,525,481     215,565     15,312,605     (45,873,101 )   48,650,451     (27,188,685 )   31,083,008     (14,977,259 )
 
Distributions to Shareholders                                                
Net investment income – Class A   (427,532 )   (700,428 )                       (316,738 )
Net investment income – Class B       (15,414 )                       (769 )
Distributions in excess of net investment income – Class A       (1,000,030 )                        
Distributions in excess of net investment income – Class B       (37,956 )                        
Net realized gains – Class A                       (10,298,045 )       (6,706,340 )
Net realized gains – Class B                       (918,722 )       (335,771 )
 
Total distributions   (427,532 )   (1,753,828 )               (11,216,767 )       (7,359,618 )
 
Share Transactions *                                                
Class A:                                                
Proceeds from shares sold   37,303,365     27,829,425     28,932,274     30,784,311     56,923,811     45,788,903     35,218,514     31,078,864  
Reinvestment of distributions   421,308     1,665,406                 10,254,773         6,983,764  
Cost of shares redeemed   (35,543,345 )   (27,935,429 )   (29,917,838 )   (26,091,741 )   (56,238,588 )   (43,909,512 )   (37,396,683 )   (29,343,070 )
 
    2,181,328     1,559,402     (985,564 )   4,692,570     685,223     12,134,164     (2,178,169 )   8,719,558  
 
Class B:                                                
Proceeds from shares sold   802,245     1,013,659     778,215     1,073,575     1,670,590     1,869,978     668,989     785,115  
Reinvestment of distributions       53,157                 916,291         335,504  
Cost of shares redeemed   (2,001,142 )   (2,161,628 )   (3,551,178 )   (4,659,036 )   (7,204,124 )   (7,105,182 )   (2,842,096 )   (2,961,582 )
 
    (1,198,897 )   (1,094,812 )   (2,772,963 )   (3,585,461 )   (5,533,534 )   (4,318,913 )   (2,173,107 )   (1,840,963 )
 
Net increase (decrease) from share transactions   982,431     464,590     (3,758,527 )   1,107,109     (4,848,311 )   7,815,251     (4,351,276 )   6,878,595  
 
Net increase (decrease) in net assets   19,080,380     (1,073,673 )   11,554,078     (44,765,992 )   43,802,140     (30,590,201 )   26,731,732     (15,458,282 )
 
Net Assets                                                
Beginning of year   256,545,122     257,618,795     180,425,473     225,191,465     378,444,487     409,034,688     254,918,843     270,377,125  
 
End of year† $ 275,625,502   $ 256,545,122   $ 191,979,551   $ 180,425,473   $ 422,246,627   $   378,444,487   $ 281,650,575   $ 254,918,843  
 
†Includes undistributed net investment income (deficit) of $ (127,034 ) $ (113,939 ) $   $   $ 792,807   $ 73,125   $   $ 363,450  
 
*Shares Issued and Redeemed                                                
Class A:                                                
Sold   6,360,255     5,981,721     5,206,038     6,231,108     2,558,776     2,694,996     1,802,540     2,014,582  
Issued for distributions reinvested   70,927     370,090                 620,749         471,557  
Redeemed   (6,087,314 )   (6,117,705 )   (5,392,868 )   (5,303,836 )   (2,529,554 )   (2,613,382 )   (1,909,903 )   (1,920,295 )
 
Net increase (decrease) in Class A shares outstanding   343,868     234,106     (186,830 )   927,272     29,222     702,363     (107,363 )   565,844  
 
Class B:                                                
Sold   156,238     257,172     151,295     236,169     85,932     126,727     39,330     58,566  
Issued for distributions reinvested       13,356                 62,889         25,749  
Redeemed   (392,927 )   (529,400 )   (695,270 )   (984,800 )   (370,238 )   (475,942 )   (167,386 )   (219,514 )
 
Net decrease in Class B shares outstanding   (236,689 )   (258,872 )   (543,975 )   (748,631 )   (284,306 )   (286,326 )   (128,056 )   (135,199 )

 

144 See notes to financial statements 145

 



Statements of Changes in Net Assets
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

    INTERNATIONAL  
Year Ended September 30   2010     2009  
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets From Operations            
Net investment income $ 1,586,071   $ 1,022,732  
Net realized loss on investments            
and foreign currency transactions   (2,771,605 )   (23,842,576 )
Net unrealized appreciation of investments            
and foreign currency transactions   17,926,493     19,013,662  
Net increase (decrease) in net assets            
resulting from operations   16,740,959     (3,806,182 )
Dividends to Shareholders            
Net investment income – Class A   (255,393 )   (1,461,635 )
Net investment income – Class B       (46,959 )
 
Total dividends   (255,393 )   (1,508,594 )
Share Transactions *            
Class A:            
Proceeds from shares sold   24,832,707     22,093,794  
Reinvestment of dividends   254,426     1,452,292  
Cost of shares redeemed   (19,203,741 )   (15,560,100 )
 
    5,883,392     7,985,986  
Class B:            
Proceeds from shares sold   434,739     520,694  
Reinvestment of dividends       46,946  
Cost of shares redeemed   (711,435 )   (768,606 )
 
    (276,696 )   (200,966 )
 
Net increase from share transactions   5,606,696     7,785,020  
 
Net increase in net assets   22,092,262     2,470,244  
 
Net Assets            
Beginning of year   111,046,000     108,575,756  
 
End of year $ 133,138,262   $ 111,046,000  
 
†Includes undistributed net investment income of $ 2,803,825   $ 994,587  
 
*Shares Issued and Redeemed            
Class A:            
Sold   2,673,494     2,936,440  
Reinvestment of dividends   27,299     189,594  
Redeemed   (2,061,028 )   (2,078,169 )
 
Net increase in Class A shares outstanding   639,765     1,047,865  
 
Class B:            
Sold   48,103     71,230  
Reinvestment of dividends       6,234  
Redeemed   (78,501 )   (103,335 )
 
Net decrease in Class B shares outstanding   (30,398 )   (25,871 )

 

146 See notes to financial statements

 



Notes to Financial Statements
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

1. Significant Accounting Policies—First Investors Income Funds (“Income Funds”) and First Investors Equity Funds (“Equity Funds”), each a Delaware statutory trust (each a “Trust”, collectively, “the Trusts”), are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“the 1940 Act”) as diversified, open-end management investment companies and operate as series funds. The Income Funds issue shares of beneficial interest in the Cash Management Fund, Government Fund, Investment Grade Fund and Fund For Income. The Equity Funds issue shares of beneficial interest in the Total Return Fund, Value Fund, Blue Chip Fund, Growth & Income Fund, Global Fund, Select Growth Fund, Opportunity Fund, Special Situations Fund, and International Fund (each a “Fund”, collectively, “the Funds”). The Trusts account separately for the assets, liabilities and operations of each Fund. The objective of each Fund as of September 30, 2010 is as follows:

Cash Management Fund seeks to earn a high rate of current income consistent with the preservation of capital and maintenance of liquidity.

Government Fund seeks to achieve a significant level of current income which is consistent with security and liquidity of principal.

Investment Grade Fund seeks to generate a maximum level of income consistent with investment in investment grade debt securities.

Fund For Income seeks high current income.

Total Return Fund seeks high, long-term total investment return consistent with moderate investment risk.

Value Fund seeks total return.

Blue Chip Fund seeks high total investment return.

Growth & Income Fund seeks long-term growth of capital and current income.

Global Fund seeks long-term capital growth.

Select Growth Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

Opportunity Fund seeks long-term capital growth.

Special Situations Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

International Fund primarily seeks long-term capital growth.

A. Security Valuation—Except as provided below, a security listed or traded on an exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market is valued at its last sale price on the exchange or market where the security is principally traded, and lacking any sales, the security

147

 



Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

is valued at the mean between the closing bid and asked prices. Securities traded in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market (including securities listed on exchanges whose primary market is believed to be OTC) are valued at the mean between the last bid and asked prices based on quotes furnished by a market maker for such securities. Securities may also be priced by pricing services approved by the Trusts’ Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The pricing services consider security type, rating, market condition and yield data as well as market quotations, prices provided by market makers and other available information in determining value. Short-term debt securities that mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost.

The Funds monitor for significant events occurring prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange that could have a material impact on the value of any securities that are held by the Funds. Examples of such events include trading halts, natural disasters, political events and issuer-specific developments. If the Valuation Committee decides that such events warrant using fair value estimates, it will take such events into consideration in determining the fair values of such securities. If market quotations or prices are not readily available or determined to be unreliable, the securities will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board. The Funds also use a pricing service to fair value foreign securities in the event that fluctuation in U.S. securities markets exceed a predetermined level or if a foreign market is closed. For valuation purposes, where applicable, quotations of foreign securities in foreign currency are translated to U.S. dollar equivalents using the foreign exchange quotation in effect. At September 30, 2010, Fund For Income held six securities that were fair valued by its Valuation Committee with an aggregate value of $13,644, representing 0.0% of the Fund’s net assets.

The Cash Management Fund values its portfolio securities in accordance with the amortized cost method of valuation under Rule 2a-7 of the 1940 Act. Amortized cost is an approximation of market value of an instrument, whereby the difference between its acquisition cost and market value at maturity is amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining life of the instrument. The effect of changes in the market value of a security as a result of fluctuating interest rates is not taken into account and thus the amortized cost method of valuation may result in the value of a security being higher or lower than its actual market value.

148

 



In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), formerly known as Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157, Fair Value Measurements, investments held by the Funds are carried at “fair value”. As defined by ASC 820, fair value is the price that a Fund would receive upon selling an investment in an orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market for the investment under current market conditions.

In addition to defining fair value, ASC 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to establish a classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Equity securities traded on an exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market are categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy to the extent that they are actively traded and valuation adjustments are not applied. Foreign securities that are fair valued in the event that fluctuations in U.S. securities markets exceed a predetermined level or if a foreign market is closed are categorized in Level 2. Corporate and municipal bonds, asset backed, U.S. Government and U.S. Agency securities are categorized in Level 2 to the extent that the inputs are observable and timely, otherwise they would be categorized as Level 3. Short-term notes that are valued at amortized cost are categorized in Level 2. Investments in the affiliated unregistered money market fund are categorized as Level 1. Foreign exchange contracts that are considered derivative instruments and are valued at the net unrealized appreciation or depreciation on the instruments are categorized in Level 2. Restricted securities and securities that are fair valued by the Valuation Committee may be categorized in either Level 2 or Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy depending on the relative significance of valuation inputs.

The aggregate value by input level, as of September 30, 2010, for each Fund’s investments is included at the end of each Fund’s portfolio of investments.

In January 2010, FASB released Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2010-06, Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements (“ASU No. 2010-06”). Among the new disclosures and clarifications of existing disclosures ASU No. 2010-06 requires

149

 



Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

the Funds to disclose separately the amounts of significant transfers in and out of Level 1 and 2 fair value measurements and to describe the reasons for the transfers. Significance shall be judged with respect to total earnings and total assets or total liabilities. ASU No. 2010-06 requires the Level 3 roll forward reconciliation of beginning and ending balances to be prepared on a gross basis, in particular separately presenting information about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements. ASU No. 2010-06 also requires disclosure of the reasons for significant transfers in and out of Level 3. The Funds adopted ASU No. 2010-06 on January 1, 2010, except for the Level 3 gross basis roll forward reconciliation which is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010 and for interim periods within those fiscal years.

B. Federal Income Taxes—No provision has been made for federal income taxes on net income or capital gains since it is the policy of each Fund to continue to comply with the special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to investment companies, and to make sufficient distributions of income and capital gains (in excess of any available capital loss carryovers) to relieve it from all, or substantially all, such taxes. At September 30, 2010, capital loss carryovers were as follows:

                         Year Capital Loss Carryovers Expire                   
Fund     Total   2011   2012   2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018
Government $ 5,623,386 $   $ 308,826 $ 1,600,894 $ 740,643 $ 1,909,473 $ 1,063,550 $ $
Investment Grade   30,773,711         3,567,502   401,409   26,804,800
Fund For Income   259,762,605 52,099,335   25,740,298   10,200,012   7,456,986   24,660,250   5,033,118   23,949,720 110,622,886
Total Return   8,644,290             5,168,651 3,475,639
Value   32,785,545 14,265,890             18,519,655
Blue Chip*   85,083,025 70,632,641             12,329,978 2,120,406
Growth & Income   18,969,083             8,796,265 10,172,818
Global   47,792,818             18,998,989 28,793,829
Select Growth   94,321,335           2,098,139   48,016,088 44,207,108
Opportunity   6,689,308             4,904,349 1,784,959
Special Situations   19,696,194             12,205,466 7,490,728
International   42,081,579         82,339   1,552,900   19,541,066 20,905,274

 

* For Blue Chip Fund, $1,445,102 of the $85,083,025 capital loss carryover was acquired on August 10, 2007 in the
tax free reorganization with the First Investors Focused Equity Fund that was approved by the Equity Fund’s Board of
Trustees. Due to the reorganization the Fund will have available for utilization $1,445,102 for the taxable year 2011.
These capital loss carryovers will expire in 2011.

 

150

 



The Funds recognize the tax benefits of uncertain tax positions only where the position is “more likely than not” to be sustained assuming examination by tax authorities. Management has analyzed the Funds’ tax positions, and has concluded that no liability for unrecognized tax benefits should be recorded related to uncertain tax positions taken on returns filed for open tax years 2007 – 2009, or expected to be taken in the Funds’ 2010 tax returns. The Funds identify their major tax jurisdictions as U.S. Federal, New York State, New York City and foreign jurisdictions where the Funds make significant investments; however the Funds are not aware of any tax position for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will change materially in the next twelve months.

C. Distributions to Shareholders—Dividends from net investment income of the Government Fund, Investment Grade Fund and Fund For Income are generally declared daily and paid monthly. The Cash Management Fund declares distributions, if any, daily and pays distributions monthly. Distributions are declared from the total of net investment income plus or minus all realized short-term gains and losses on investments. Dividends from net investment income, if any, of Total Return Fund, Value Fund, Blue Chip Fund and Growth & Income Fund are declared and paid quarterly. Dividends from net investment income, if any, of, Global Fund, Select Growth Fund, Opportunity Fund, Special Situations Fund, and International Fund are declared and paid annually. Distributions from net realized capital gains of each of the other Funds, if any, are normally declared and paid annually. Income dividends and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations which may differ from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These differences are primarily due to differing treatments for capital loss carryforwards, deferral of wash sales losses, post-October capital losses, net operating losses and foreign currency transactions.

D. Expense Allocation—Expenses directly charged or attributable to a Fund are paid from the assets of that Fund. General expenses of the Trusts are allocated among and charged to the assets of each Fund on a fair and equitable basis, which may be based on the relative assets of each Fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each Fund.

E. Use of Estimates—The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America 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 amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

151

 



Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

F. Foreign Currency Translations—The accounting records of Global Fund and International Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Portfolio securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated to U.S. dollars at the date of valuation. Purchases and sales of investment securities, dividend income and certain expenses are translated to U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions.

Global Fund and International Fund do not isolate that portion of gains and losses on investments which is due to changes in foreign exchange rates from that which is due to changes in market prices of the investments. These changes are included with the net realized and unrealized gains and losses from investments.

Net realized and unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions include gains and losses from the sales of foreign currency and gains and losses on accrued foreign dividends and related withholding taxes.

G. Other—Security transactions are generally accounted for on the first business day following the date the securities are purchased or sold, except for financial reporting purposes, which is trade date. Cost is determined, and gains and losses are based, on the identified cost basis for both financial statement and federal income tax purposes. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income and estimated expenses are accrued daily. Bond discounts and premiums are accreted or amortized using the interest method. The Bank of New York Mellon (“BONY”) custodian for the Income Funds has provided credits in the amount of $15 against custodian charges based on the uninvested cash balances of the Funds. For the period, October 1, 2009 through October 7, 2009 BONY served as custodian for the Total Return, Value, Blue Chip, Growth & Income, Select Growth, Opportunity and Special Situations Funds. Effective October 8, 2009, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH”) became the custodian for the Total Return, Value, Blue Chip, Growth & Income, Select Growth, Opportunity and Special Situations Funds. BBH has served as custodian to the Global Fund and the International Fund since the Funds’ inception. The Funds reduced expenses through brokerage service arrangements. For the year ended September 30, 2010, expenses were reduced by $8,529 for the Income Funds and by $20,382 for the Equity Funds under these arrangements.

152

 



2. Security Transactions—For the year ended September 30, 2010, purchases and sales of securities and long-term U.S. Government obligations (excluding U.S. Treasury bills, short-term securities and foreign currencies) were as follows:

            Long-Term U.S.
    Securities   Government Obligations
    Cost of   Proceeds   Cost of   Proceeds
Fund     Purchases   of Sales   Purchases   of Sales
Government $ $ $ 173,541,167 $ 132,723,220
Investment Grade   247,932,895   197,172,275     10,077,313
Fund For Income   387,773,765   364,653,517    
Total Return   129,837,657   106,406,251   28,320,240   35,190,753
Value   69,920,485   68,860,323    
Blue Chip   72,826,002   83,616,930    
Growth & Income   156,063,424   186,090,359    
Global   231,024,612   230,735,483    
Select Growth   178,708,367   183,157,725    
Opportunity   159,640,238   167,973,059    
Special Situations   162,161,036   174,906,697    
International   42,334,340   37,213,147    

 

At September 30, 2010, aggregate cost and net unrealized appreciation of securities for federal income tax purposes were as follows:

        Gross   Gross   Net
    Aggregate   Unrealized   Unrealized   Unrealized
Fund     Cost   Appreciation   Depreciation   Appreciation
Government $ 323,976,836 $ 12,304,291 $ 142,898 $ 12,161,393
Investment Grade   370,435,547   39,157,008   344,531   38,812,477
Fund For Income   494,665,193   34,519,480   11,854,840   22,664,640
Total Return   342,131,222   52,958,606   15,112,020   37,846,586
Value   323,081,125   48,370,158   25,775,090   22,595,068
Blue Chip   316,357,361   85,839,270   20,913,207   64,926,063
Growth & Income   591,236,515   125,288,199   62,507,890   62,780,309
Global   232,860,644   43,702,185   4,357,427   39,344,758
Select Growth   167,699,462   27,458,571   3,009,094   24,449,477
Opportunity   371,947,668   87,264,170   37,006,542   50,257,628
Special Situations   239,361,446   47,437,630   8,375,977   39,061,653
International   104,582,469   28,478,123   1,189,011   27,289,112

 

153

 



Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

Certain of the Funds may invest in First Investors Cash Reserve Fund, LLC (“Cash Reserve Fund”), an affiliated unregistered money market fund managed by First Investors Management Company, Inc. During the year ended September 30, 2010, purchases, sales and dividend income earned by the Funds that invested in the Cash Reserve Fund were as follows:

    Value at   Purchase   Sales   Value at   Dividend
Fund     9/30/09   Shares/Cost   Shares/Costs   9/30/10   Income
Government $ 17,018,000 $ 101,525,000 $ 117,443,000 $ 1,100,000 $ 18,629
Investment Grade   5,775,000   86,175,000   88,300,000   3,650,000   8,982
Fund For Income   4,170,000   198,080,000   184,590,000   17,660,000   22,413
Total Return   700,000   75,865,000   71,265,000   5,300,000   8,605
Value   15,725,000   42,030,000   43,975,000   13,780,000   28,054
Blue Chip   7,485,000   41,085,000   45,275,000   3,295,000   8,362
Growth & Income   5,405,000   116,200,000   94,045,000   27,560,000   19,762
Global   11,955,000   55,985,000   58,380,000   9,560,000   17,802
Select Growth   2,435,000   18,350,000   18,650,000   2,135,000   4,370
Opportunity   3,830,000   76,125,000   74,835,000   5,120,000   5,264
Special Situations   10,031,000   107,805,000   105,971,000   11,865,000   27,082
International   1,250,000   29,215,000   28,410,000   2,055,000   5,630

 

3. Advisory Fee and Other Transactions With Affiliates—Certain officers and trustees of the Trusts are officers and directors of the Trusts’ investment adviser, First Investors Management Company, Inc. (“FIMCO”), their underwriter, First Investors Corporation (“FIC”), their transfer agent, Administrative Data Management Corp. (“ADM”) and/or First Investors Federal Savings Bank (“FIFSB”), custodian of the Funds’ retirement accounts. Trustees of the Trusts who are not “interested persons” of the Funds as defined in the 1940 Act are remunerated by the Funds. For the year ended September 30, 2010, total trustees fees accrued by the Income Funds and Equity Funds amounted to $65,863 and $149,165, respectively.

The Investment Advisory Agreements provide as compensation to FIMCO, an annual fee, payable monthly, at the following rates:

Cash Management Fund—.50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. During the period October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010, FIMCO has voluntarily waived $679,446 in advisory fees to limit the Fund’s overall expense ratio to .60% on Class A shares and 1.35% on Class B shares. Also, FIMCO has voluntarily waived an additional $68,592 in advisory fees and assumed $405,058 of other expenses to prevent a negative yield on the Fund’s shares.

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Government and Investment Grade Funds—.66% on the first $500 million of each Fund’s average daily net assets, declining by .02% on each $500 million thereafter, down to .60% on average daily net assets over $1.5 billion. For the year ended September 30, 2010, FIMCO has voluntarily waived 16.7% of the .66% annual fee to limit the advisory fee to .55% of each Fund’s average daily net assets.

Fund For Income—.75% on the first $250 million of the Fund’s average daily net assets, .72% on the next $250 million, .69% on the next $250 million, .66% on the next $500 million, declining by .02% on each $500 million thereafter, down to .60% on average daily net assets over $2.25 billion. For the year ended September 30, 2010, FIMCO has voluntarily waived 6.7% of the .75% annual fee to limit the advisory fee to .70% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Total Return, Value, Blue Chip, Growth & Income, Select Growth, and Opportunity Funds—.75% on the first $300 million of each Fund’s average daily net assets, .72% on the next $200 million, .69% on the next $250 million, .66% on the next $500 million, declining by .02% on each $500 million thereafter, down to .60% on average daily net assets over $2.25 billion.

Special Situations Fund—1% on the first $200 million of the Fund’s average daily net assets, .75% on the next $300 million, .72% on the next $250 million, .69% on the next $250 million, .66% on the next $500 million, and .64% on average daily net assets over $1.5 billion. For the year ended September 30, 2010, FIMCO has voluntarily waived 20% of the 1% annual fee to limit the advisory fee to .80% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Global and International Funds—.98% on the first $300 million of each Fund’s average daily net assets, .95% on the next $300 million, .92% on the next $400 million, .90% on the next $500 million and .88% on average daily net assets over $1.5 billion. For the year ended September 30, 2010, FIMCO has voluntarily waived 3.1% of the .98% annual fee on Global Fund to limit the advisory fee to .95% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

For the year ended September 30, 2010, total advisory fees accrued to FIMCO by the Income Funds and Equity Funds were $8,837,437 and $23,360,558, respectively, of which $1,679,215 and $444,699, respectively, was voluntarily waived by FIMCO as noted above.

155

 



Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

For the year ended September 30, 2010, FIC, as underwriter, received from the Income Funds and Equity Funds $6,768,239 and $15,324,094, respectively, in commissions in connection with the sale of shares of the Funds, after allowing $125,789 and $7,845, respectively, to other dealers. For the year ended September 30, 2010, shareholder servicing costs for the Income Funds and Equity Funds included $2,512,303 (of which $44,520 was voluntarily waived by ADM on the Cash Management Fund) and $7,115,154, respectively, in transfer agent fees accrued to ADM and $413,851 and $1,957,902, respectively, in retirement accounts custodian fees accrued to FIFSB.

Pursuant to Distribution Plans adopted under Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act, each Fund, other than the Cash Management Fund, is authorized to pay FIC a fee up to .30% of the average daily net assets of the Class A shares and 1% of the average daily net assets of the Class B shares on an annualized basis each fiscal year, payable monthly. The Cash Management Fund is authorized to pay FIC a fee of 1% of the average daily net assets of the Class B shares. The fee consists of a distribution fee and a service fee. The service fee is paid for the ongoing servicing of clients who are shareholders of that Fund. For the year ended September 30, 2010, total distribution plan fees accrued to FIC by the Income Funds and Equity Funds amounted to $3,797,760 and $9,757,741, respectively.

Muzinich & Co., Inc., serves as investment subadviser to Fund For Income. Wellington Management Company, LLP serves as investment subadviser to Global Fund, Smith Asset Management Group, L.P. serves as investment subadviser to Select Growth Fund, Paradigm Capital Management, Inc. serves as investment subadviser to Special Situations Fund and Vontobel Asset Management, Inc. serves as investment subadviser to International Fund. The subadvisers are paid by FIMCO and not by the Funds.

4. Restricted Securities—Certain restricted securities are exempt from the registration requirements under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933 and may only be sold to qualified institutional investors. Unless otherwise noted, these 144A securities are deemed to be liquid. At September 30, 2010, Investment Grade Fund held eighteen 144A securities with an aggregate value of $57,616,787 representing 13.8% of the Fund’s net assets, Fund For Income held seventy-two 144A securities with an aggregate value of $174,000,806 representing 33.8% of the Fund’s net assets, Total Return Fund held sixteen 144A securities with an aggregate value of $17,607,422 representing 4.7% of the Fund’s net assets. Certain restricted securities are exempt from the registration requirements under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 and may only be sold to qualified investors. Unless otherwise noted, these Section 4(2) securities are deemed to be liquid. At September 30, 2010, Cash Management Fund held eight Section 4(2) securities with an aggregate value of $28,092,919

156

 



representing 20.7% of the Fund’s net assets. These securities are valued as set forth in Note 1A.

5. High Yield Credit Risk—The investments of Fund For Income in high yield securities whether rated or unrated may be considered speculative and subject to greater market fluctuations and risks of loss of income and principal than lower-yielding, higher-rated, fixed-income securities. The risk of loss due to default by the issuer may be significantly greater for holders of high-yielding securities, because such securities are generally unsecured and are often subordinated to other creditors of the issuer.

6. Forward Currency Contracts—Forward currency contracts are obligations to purchase or sell a specific currency for an agreed-upon price at a future date. When the Global Fund and the International Fund purchase or sell foreign securities they may enter into a forward currency contract to minimize foreign exchange risk between the trade date and the settlement date of such transactions. The Funds could be exposed to risk if counter parties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the value of the foreign currency changes unfavorably. Forward currency contracts are “marked-to-market” daily at the applicable translation rate and the resulting unrealized gains or losses are reflected in the Funds’ assets.

The Global Fund and International Fund had no forward currency contracts outstanding at September 30, 2010.

7. Foreign Exchange Contracts—The Global Fund and the International Fund may enter into foreign exchange contracts for the purchase or sale of foreign currencies at negotiated rates at future dates. These contracts are considered derivative instruments and are used to decrease exposure to foreign exchange risk associated with foreign currency denominated securities held by the Funds. The Funds could be exposed to risk if counter parties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the value of the foreign currency changes unfavorably. Foreign exchange contracts are “marked-to-market” daily at the applicable translation rate and the resulting unrealized gains and losses are reflected in the Funds’ assets.

The Global Fund had no foreign exchange contracts open at September 30, 2010.

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

The International Fund had the following foreign exchange contracts open at September 30, 2010:

Contracts to Buy         Unrealized  
Foreign Currency   In Exchange for Settlement Date   Gain  
 
426,031,000 Indian Rupee US $ 9,083,145 11/18/10 US $ 397,906  
4,747,000 Australian Dollar   4,285,259 11/19/10   311,028  
2,627,000 Swiss Franc   2,397,248 11/19/10   291,733  
1,728,000 Canadian Dollar   1,655,759 11/30/10   28,697  
4,532,000 Brazilian Real   2,447,929 12/2/10   227,080  
4,723,000 Euro   5,948,388 12/10/10   499,482  
2,769,000 Euro   3,724,831 2/14/11   55,425  
    $ 29,542,559   $ 1,811,351  
 
Contracts to Sell         Unrealized  
Foreign Currency   In Exchange for Settlement Date   Loss  
 
426,031,000 Indian Rupee US $ 9,265,010 11/18/10 US $ (216,040 )
4,747,000 Australian Dollar   4,042,516 11/19/10   (553,771 )
2,627,000 Swiss Franc   2,303,506 11/19/10   (385,475 )
1,728,000 Canadian Dollar   1,641,164 11/30/10   (43,292 )
4,532,000 Brazilian Real   2,384,667 12/2/10   (290,342 )
4,723,000 Euro   5,665,333 12/10/10   (782,537 )
9,653,000 British Pound   15,153,955 2/14/11   (57,202 )
2,769,000 Euro   3,596,211 2/14/11   (184,045 )
    $ 44,052,362   $ (2,512,704 )
Net Unrealized Loss on Foreign Exchange Contracts   $ (701,353 )

 

Fair Value of Derivative Instruments—The fair value of International Fund’s derivative instruments as of September 30, 2010, was as follows:

 

  Assets Derivatives Liability Derivatives
 
Derivatives not accounted Statements of   Statements of  
for as hedging instruments Assets and   Assets and  
under ASC 815* Liabilities Location Value Liabilities Location Value
Foreign exchange contracts: Unrealized   Unrealized  
  appreciation of   depreciation of  
  foreign exchange   foreign exchange  
  contracts $1,811,351 contracts $2,512,704

 

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The effect of International Fund’s derivative instruments on the Statement of Operations are as follows:

Amount of Realized Gain or Loss Recognized on Derivatives    
Derivatives not accounted Net Realized Gain
for as hedging instruments on Foreign Currency
under ASC 815* Transactions  
Foreign currency transactions: $476,147
 
Amount of Change in Unrealized Gain or Loss Recognized on Derivatives    
Derivatives not accounted Net Unrealized Appreciation
for as hedging instruments on Foreign Currency
under ASC 815* Transactions  
Foreign currency transactions: $62,258

 

* Formerly known as Statement 133

 

8. Capital—The Trusts are authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest without par value. The Trusts consist of the Funds listed on the cover page, each of which is a separate and distinct series of the Trusts. Each Fund has designated two classes of shares, Class A shares and Class B shares (each, a “Class”). Each share of each Class has an equal beneficial interest in the assets, has identical voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights and is subject to the same terms and conditions except that expenses allocated to a Class may be borne solely by that Class as determined by the Trustees and a Class may have exclusive voting rights with respect to matters affecting only that Class. Cash Management Fund’s Class A and Class B shares are sold without an initial sales charge; however, its Class B shares may only be acquired through an exchange of Class B shares from another First Investors eligible Fund or through the reinvestment of dividends on Class B shares and are generally subject to a contingent deferred sales charge at the rate of 4% in the first year and declining to 0% over a six-year period, which is payable to FIC as underwriter of the Trusts. The Class A and Class B shares sold by the other Funds have a public offering price that reflects different sales charges and expense levels. Class A shares are sold with an initial sales charge of up to 5.75% of the amount invested and together with the Class B shares are subject to distribution plan fees as described in Note 3. Class B shares are sold without an initial sales charge, but are generally subject to a contingent deferred sales charge which declines in steps from 4% to 0% over a six-year period. Class B shares automatically convert into Class A shares after eight years. Realized and unrealized gains or losses, investment income and expenses (other than distribution plan fees) are allocated daily to each class of shares based upon the relative proportion of net assets to each class.

 

159

 



Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

9. Tax Components of Capital and Distributions to Shareholders—The tax character of distributions declared for the years ended September 30, 2010 and September 30, 2009 were as follows:

    Year Ended September 30, 2010   Year Ended September 30, 2009
    Distributions         Distributions    
    Declared from         Declared from    
      Long-Term           Long-Term    
    Ordinary   Capital     Ordinary   Capital    
Fund     Income   Gain   Total   Income   Gain   Total
Cash Management $ $ $ $ 1,221,501 $ $ 1,221,501
Government   12,110,231     12,110,231   11,450,320     11,450,320
Investment Grade   17,919,800     17,919,800   16,490,040     16,490,040
Fund For Income   36,145,879     36,145,879   37,601,065     37,601,065
Total Return   7,471,481     7,471,481   7,706,089     7,706,089
Value   4,862,650     4,862,650   5,446,744     5,446,744
Blue Chip   3,814,370     3,814,370   3,927,472     3,927,472
Growth & Income   3,454,629     3,454,629   7,540,914   451,328   7,992,242
Global   427,532     427,532   1,753,828     1,753,828
Opportunity         1,730,190   9,486,577   11,216,767
Special Situations         317,507   7,042,111   7,359,618
International   255,393     255,393   1,508,594     1,508,594

 

As of September 30, 2010, the components of distributable earnings (deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

                        Total  
    Undistributed         Other         Distributable  
    Ordinary   Capital Losses     Accumulated     Unrealized   Earnings  
Fund     Income   Carryover     Losses*     Appreciation   (Deficit) **
Government $ 18,529 $ (5,623,386 ) $   $ 12,161,393 $ 6,556,536  
Investment Grade   166,097   (30,773,711 )       38,812,477   8,204,863  
Fund For Income   1,236,333   (259,762,605 )   (10,740,866 )   22,664,640   (246,602,498 )
Total Return   625,308   (8,644,290 )       37,846,586   29,827,604  
Value   775,444   (32,785,545 )       22,595,068   (9,415,033 )
Blue Chip   793,110   (85,083,025 )       64,926,063   (19,363,852 )
Growth & Income   734,304   (18,969,083 )       62,780,309   44,545,530  
Global     (47,792,818 )   (115,498 )   39,341,556   (8,566,760 )
Select Growth     (94,321,335 )       24,449,477   (69,871,858 )
Opportunity   792,804   (6,689,308 )       50,257,628   44,361,124  
Special Situations     (19,696,194 )       39,061,653   19,365,459  
International   2,309,035   (42,081,579 )   (3,942,027 )   27,289,112   (16,425,459 )

 

* Other accumulated losses consist primarily of post-October loss deferrals.
** Differences between book distributable earnings and tax distributable earnings consist primarily of wash
sales, post-October loss deferrals and amortization of bond premium and discounts.

 

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For the year ended September 30, 2010, the following reclassifications were made to reflect permanent differences between book and tax reporting which are primarily due to the differences between book and tax treatment of investments in real estate trusts and passive foreign investment companies, foreign currency transactions and expiration of capital loss carryovers.

          Undistributed            
          Ordinary     Accumulated      
          Income     Capital Gains     Unrealized
    Capital Paid In     (Deficit)     (Losses)     Appreciation
Government $   $ 1,236,772   $ (1,236,772 ) $
Investment Grade       920,686     (920,686 )  
Fund For Income   (18,563,112 )   694,315     17,868,797    
Total Return       518,757     (520,645 )   1,888
Value   36,104     (191,700 )   13,985     141,611
Blue Chip   (14,615,567 )       14,615,567    
Growth & Income   2     (5,920 )       5,918
Global   (461,114 )   354,576     106,538    
Select Growth   (959,946 )   959,946        
Opportunity       (73,986 )   (62,229 )   136,215
Special Situations   (794,504 )   431,056     363,448    
International   (2,414 )   478,560     (476,146 )  

 

10. Reorganizations—On August 10, 2007, First Investors Blue Chip Fund (“Blue Chip Fund”) acquired all of the net assets of the First Investors Focused Equity Fund (“Focused Equity Fund”) in connection with a tax-free reorganization that was approved by the Equity Fund’s Board of Trustees.

11. Subsequent Events—Subsequent events occurring after September 30, 2010 have been evaluated for potential impact to this report through the date the financial statements were issued. There were no subsequent events to report that would have a material impact on the Funds’ financial statements.

12. Foresters Transaction—On September 21, 2010, First Investors Consolidated Corporation (“FICC”), the parent company of FIMCO, entered into an agreement with The Independent Order of Foresters (“Foresters”) pursuant to which FICC will be acquired by Foresters (the “Transaction”). As a result of the Transaction, FIMCO will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Foresters. Foresters is a fraternal benefit society with financial services operations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

161

 



Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
September 30, 2010

The closing of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including obtaining regulatory approvals in the U.S. and Canada, and obtaining the approval of the Board of Trustees and shareholders of the First Investors Funds of new investment advisory agreements between FIMCO and the Funds to take effect upon the closing. The Board of Trustees of the Funds approved the new investment advisory agreements (and certain other actions that are required for the Transaction to close) at a meeting on September 16, 2010. The new investment advisory agreements were approved by the shareholders of each Fund at a shareholders meeting held on November 19, 2010. Assuming that all conditions are satisfied, the Transaction could close as early as December 31, 2010.

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Financial Highlights
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS

The following table sets forth the per share operating performance data for a share outstanding,
total return, ratios to average net assets and other supplemental data for each fiscal year ended
September 30.

                                               
            P E R  S H A R E  D A T A                       R A T I O S  /  S U P P L E M E N T A L  D A T A          
                    Less Distributions                           Ratio to Average Net      
        Investment Operations   from               Ratio to Average Net   Assets Before Expenses      
    Net Asset       Net Realized                 Net Asset       Assets**   Waived or Assumed      
    Value,   Net   and Unrealized   Total from   Net Net       Value,     Net Assets Net Expenses   Net Expenses   Net       Net   Portfolio  
    Beginning   Investment   Gain (Loss) on   Investment   Investment Realized   Total   End of Total   End of Year After Fee   Before Fee   Investment       Investment   Turnover  
    of Year   Income   Investments   Operations   Income   Gain   Distributions   Year   Return * (in millions)   Credits   Credits(a)   Income   Expenses   Income (Loss)   Rate  
 
CASH MANAGEMENT FUND                                                    
 
Class A                                                            
2006 $1.00 $.038     $.038 $.038 $.038 $1.00 3.89 % $200 .78 % .79 % 3.85 % 1.01 % 3.62 %  
2007   1.00   .045     .045   .045   .045   1.00 4.59   218 .80   .81   4.51   .93   4.38    
2008   1.00   .027     .027   .027   .027   1.00 2.69   234 .80   .80   2.63   .92   2.51    
2009   1.00   .005     .005   .005   .005   1.00 .54   172 .71   .71   .58   1.03   .26    
2010   1.00             1.00 .00   134 .30   .30   .00   1.08   (.78 )  
Class B                                                            
2006   1.00   .031     .031   .031   .031   1.00 3.11   3 1.53   1.54   3.10   1.76   2.87    
2007   1.00   .037     .037   .037   .037   1.00 3.81   2 1.55   1.56   3.76   1.68   3.63    
2008   1.00   .019     .019   .019   .019   1.00 1.92   4 1.55   1.55   1.88   1.67   1.76    
2009   1.00   .001     .001   .001   .001   1.00 .14   3 1.13   1.13   .16   1.78   (.49 )  
2010   1.00               1.00   .00   2   .30   .30   .00   1.83   (1.53 )  
 
GOVERNMENT FUND                                                    
 
Class A                                                            
2006 $10.88 $.45 $(.13 ) $.32 $.49 $.49 $10.71 3.02 % $186 1.10 % 1.11 % 4.14 % 1.35 % 3.89 % 43 %
2007   10.71   .49   (.06 ) .43   .50   .50   10.64 4.07   199 1.10   1.11   4.62   1.24   4.48   23  
2008   10.64   .49   .11   .60   .48   .48   10.76 5.73   228 1.10   1.10   4.29   1.24   4.15   37  
2009   10.76   .47   .44   .91   .47   .47   11.20 8.59   287 1.10   1.10   4.03   1.26   3.87   43  
2010   11.20   .43   .16   .59   .43   .43   11.36 5.39   326 1.13   1.13   3.44   1.24   3.33   42  
Class B                                                            
2006   10.87   .36   (.12 ) .24   .40   .40   10.71 2.32   13 1.85   1.86   3.39   2.10   3.14   43  
2007   10.71   .41   (.06 ) .35   .42   .42   10.64 3.33   12 1.82   1.83   3.90   1.96   3.76   23  
2008   10.64   .41   .12   .53   .41   .41   10.76 4.99   12 1.80   1.80   3.59   1.94   3.45   37  
2009   10.76   .39   .43   .82   .39   .39   11.19 7.75   13 1.80   1.80   3.33   1.96   3.17   43  
2010   11.19   .35   .17   .52   .36     .36   11.35   4.70   11   1.83   1.83   2.74   1.94   2.63   42  

 

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Financial Highlights (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS

                                               
            P E R  S H A R E  D A T A                       R A T I O S  /  S U P P L E M E N T A L  D A T A          
                    Less Distributions                           Ratio to Average Net      
        Investment Operations       from               Ratio to Average Net   Assets Before Expenses      
    Net Asset       Net Realized                 Net Asset       Assets**   Waived or Assumed      
    Value,   Net   and Unrealized   Total from   Net Net       Value,     Net Assets   Net Expenses   Net Expenses   Net       Net   Portfolio  
    Beginning   Investment   Gain (Loss) on   Investment   Investment Realized   Total   End of Total   End of Year After Fee   Before Fee   Investment       Investment   Turnover  
    of Year   Income   Investments   Operations   Income   Gain   Distributions   Year   Return * (in millions)   Credits   Credits(a)   Income   Expenses   Income   Rate  
 
INVESTMENT GRADE FUND                                                    
 
Class A                                                            
2006 $9.76 $.44 $   (.19 ) $   .25   $.49 $.49 $9.52 2.69 % $231 1.10 % 1.11 % 4.35 % 1.27 % 4.18 % 74 %
2007   9.52   .45   (.09 ) .36   .46   .46   9.42 3.91   271 1.10   1.11   4.58   1.22   4.46   50  
2008   9.42   .48   (1.20 ) (.72 ) .47   .47   8.23 (8.12 ) 268 1.10   1.10   4.80   1.23   4.67   127  
2009   8.23   .49   .85   1.34   .47   .47   9.10 17.06   325 1.10   1.10   5.29   1.27   5.12   79  
2010   9.10   .44   .72   1.16   .45   .45   9.81 13.09   405 1.12   1.12   4.75   1.23   4.64   56  
Class B                                                            
2006   9.75   .30   (.12 ) .18   .42   .42   9.51 1.92   24 1.85   1.86   3.60   2.02   3.43   74  
2007   9.51   .35   (.05 ) .30   .40   .40   9.41 3.17   22 1.82   1.83   3.86   1.94   3.74   50  
2008   9.41   .42   (1.21 ) (.79 ) .40   .40   8.22 (8.78 ) 17 1.80   1.80   4.10   1.93   3.97   127  
2009   8.22   .44   .85   1.29   .40   .40   9.11 16.35   16 1.80   1.80   4.59   1.97   4.42   79  
2010   9.11   .39   .70   1.09   .39      .39   9.81   12.20   14   1.82   1.82   4.05   1.93   3.94   56  
 
INCOME FUND                                                        
 
Class A                                                            
2006 $3.07 $.22 $(.06 ) $.16   $.22 $.22 $3.01 5.40 % $555 1.30 % 1.31 % 7.28 % N/A   N/A   28 %
2007   3.01   .21   (.02 ) .19   .21   .21   2.99 6.38   563 1.28   1.29   7.00   N/A   N/A   34  
2008   2.99   .21   (.54 ) (.33 ) .21   .21   2.45 (11.58 ) 460 1.29   1.29   7.40   1.30   7.39   17  
2009   2.45   .20   (.13 ) .07   .20   .20   2.32 4.28   438 1.38   1.38   9.10   1.42   9.06   73  
2010   2.32   .17   .18   .35   .18   .18   2.49 15.68   505 1.29   1.29   7.32   1.33   7.28   78  
Class B                                                            
2006   3.06   .20   (.06 ) .14   .20   .20   3.00 4.64   31 2.00   2.01   6.58   N/A   N/A   28  
2007   3.00   .19   (.01 ) .18   .19   .19   2.99 5.99   25 1.98   1.99   6.30   N/A   N/A   34  
2008   2.99   .19   (.54 ) (.35 ) .19   .19   2.45 (12.25 ) 15 1.99   1.99   6.70   2.00   6.69   17  
2009   2.45   .19   (.13 ) .06   .18   .18   2.33 3.75   12 2.08   2.08   8.40   2.12   8.36   73  
2010   2.33   .16   .16   .32   .16     .16   2.49   14.43   11   1.99   1.99   6.62   2.03   6.58   78  

 

* Calculated without sales charges.
** Net of expenses waived or assumed by FIMCO and ADM (Note 3).
(a) The ratios do not include a reduction of expenses from cash balances maintained with the custodian
or from brokerage service arrangements (Note 1G).

 

166 See notes to financial statements 167

 



Financial Highlights
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

The following table sets forth the per share operating performance data for a share outstanding,
total return, ratios to average net assets and other supplemental data for each fiscal year ended
September 30.

                                                
            P E R  S H A R E  D A T A                       R A T I O S  /  S U P P L E M E N T A L  D A T A          
                    Less Distributions                           Ratio to Average Net      
        Investment Operations   from               Ratio to Average Net   Assets Before Expenses      
    Net Asset       Net Realized                   Net Asset       Assets**   Waived or Assumed      
    Value,   Net   and Unrealized   Total from   Net   Net       Value,     Net Assets   Net Expenses   Net Expenses   Net       Net   Portfolio  
    Beginning   Investment   Gain (Loss) on   Investment   Investment   Realized   Total   End of Total   End of Year After Fee   Before Fee   Investment       Investment   Turnover  
    of Year   Income   Investments   Operations   Income   Gain   Distributions   Year   Return * (in millions)   Credits   Credits(a)   Income   Expenses   Income   Rate  
 
TOTAL RETURN FUND                                                      
 
Class A                                                              
2006 $13.93 $.23 $   .64   $   .87   $.23 $ $.23 $14.57 6.24 % $312 1.37 % 1.38 % 1.63 % 1.44 % 1.57 % 57 %
2007   14.57   .29   1.40   1.69   .30   .10   .40   15.86 11.68   355 1.32   1.33   2.05   N/A   N/A   40  
2008   15.86   .36   (2.31 ) (1.95 ) .37   .30   .67   13.24 (12.66 ) 304 1.34   1.34   2.32   N/A   N/A   59  
2009   13.24   .30   .03   .33   .32     .32   13.25 2.77   316 1.43   1.43   2.35   N/A   N/A   53  
2010   13.25   .28   .95   1.23   .29     .29   14.19 9.38   361 1.37   1.37   2.02   N/A   N/A   40  
Class B                                                              
2006   13.73   .13   .63   .76   .13     .13   14.36 5.53   36 2.07   2.08   .93   2.14   .87   57  
2007   14.36   .14   1.42   1.56   .19   .10   .29   15.63 10.93   34 2.02   2.03   1.35   N/A   N/A   40  
2008   15.63   .26   (2.29 ) (2.03 ) .27   .30   .57   13.03 (13.35 ) 25 2.04   2.04   1.62   N/A   N/A   59  
2009   13.03   .21   .03   .24   .23     .23   13.04 2.10   21 2.13   2.13   1.65   N/A   N/A   53  
2010   13.04   .18   .94   1.12   .20     .20   13.96   8.62   17   2.07   2.07   1.32   N/A   N/A   40  
 
VALUE FUND                                                  
 
Class A                                                              
2006 $6.61 $.09 $   .78   $   .87   $.08   $.08 $7.40 13.22 % $337 1.39 % 1.40 % 1.29 % N/A   N/A   15 %
2007   7.40   .10   .74   .84   .10     .10   8.14 11.36   414 1.32   1.33   1.34   N/A   N/A   8  
2008   8.14   .12   (1.49 ) (1.37 ) .12     .12   6.65 (16.91 ) 334 1.35   1.35   1.62   N/A   N/A   17  
2009   6.65   .11   (.64 ) (.53 ) .11     .11   6.01 (7.81 ) 308 1.48   1.48   2.14   N/A   N/A   15  
2010   6.01   .09   .49   .58   .09     .09   6.50 9.76   335 1.38   1.38   1.45   N/A   N/A   21  
Class B                                                              
2006   6.51   .04   .76   .80   .03     .03   7.28 12.34   28 2.09   2.10   .59   N/A   N/A   15  
2007   7.28   .05   .72   .77   .04     .04   8.01 10.64   27 2.02   2.03   .64   N/A   N/A   8  
2008   8.01   .07   (1.46 ) (1.39 ) .07     .07   6.55 (17.42 ) 17 2.05   2.05   .92   N/A   N/A   17  
2009   6.55   .08   (.64 ) (.56 ) .07     .07   5.92 (8.43 ) 12 2.18   2.18   1.44   N/A   N/A   15  
2010   5.92   .05   .48   .53   .05     .05   6.40   8.97   11   2.08   2.08   .75   N/A   N/A   21  

 

168 169

 



Financial Highlights (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

                                               
            P E R  S H A R E  D A T A                       R A T I O S  /  S U P P L E M E N T A L  D A T A          
                    Less Distributions                           Ratio to Average Net      
        Investment Operations   from               Ratio to Average Net   Assets Before Expenses      
    Net Asset   Net   Net Realized                   Net Asset       Assets**   Waived or Assumed      
    Value,   Investment   and Unrealized   Total from   Net   Net       Value,     Net Assets   Net Expenses   Net Expenses   Net       Net   Portfolio  
    Beginning   Income   Gain (Loss) on   Investment   Investment   Realized   Total   End of Total   End of Year After Fee   Before Fee   Investment       Investment   Turnover  
    of Year   (Loss)   Investments   Operations   Income   Gain   Distributions   Year   Return * (in millions)   Credits   Credits(a)   Income (Loss)   Expenses   Income (Loss)   Rate  
BLUE CHIP FUND                                                  
 
Class A                                                              
2006 $20.60 $.10   $1.82   $1.92   $.07   $.07 $22.45 9.31 % $438 1.46 % 1.46 % .47 % 1.50 % .43 % 6 %
2007   22.45   .15   3.17   3.32   .13     .13   25.64 14.81   526 1.39   1.39   .65   N/A   N/A   3  
2008   25.64   .21   (5.18 ) (4.97 ) .19     .19   20.48 (19.43 ) 396 1.40   1.41   .86   N/A   N/A   8  
2009   20.48   .21   (1.95 ) (1.74 ) .20     .20   18.54 (8.36 ) 357 1.57   1.57   1.27   N/A   N/A   11  
2010   18.54   .17   1.01   1.18   .20     .20   19.52 6.36   367 1.46   1.46   .86   N/A   N/A   19  
Class B                                                              
2006   19.30   (.08 ) 1.72   1.64         20.94 8.50   44 2.16   2.16   (.23 ) 2.20   (.27 ) 6  
2007   20.94   (.06 ) 3.00   2.94         23.88 14.04   46 2.09   2.09   (.05 ) N/A   N/A   3  
2008   23.88   .03   (4.80 ) (4.77 ) .04     .04   19.07 (20.00 ) 27 2.10   2.11   .16   N/A   N/A   8  
2009   19.07   .09   (1.82 ) (1.73 ) .09     .09   17.25 (9.00 ) 18 2.27   2.27   .57   N/A   N/A   11  
2010   17.25   .02   .95   .97   .07     .07   18.15   5.63   14   2.16   2.16   .16   N/A   N/A   19  
 
GROWTH & INCOME FUND                                              
 
Class A                                                              
2006 $13.67 $.05   $1.05   $1.10   $.05 $ $.05 $14.72 8.06 % $671 1.37 % 1.37 % .35 % N/A   N/A   34 %
2007   14.72   .08   2.37   2.45   .07   .24   .31   16.86 16.78   808 1.32   1.32   .54   N/A   N/A   23  
2008   16.86   .14   (3.66 ) (3.52 ) .11   .23   .34   13.00 (21.23 ) 623 1.35   1.35   .94   N/A   N/A   24  
2009   13.00   .09   (1.02 ) (.93 ) .14   .02   .16   11.91 (6.93 ) 578 1.51   1.51   .90   N/A   N/A   26  
2010   11.91   .09   .98   1.07   .07     .07   12.91 9.01   626 1.39   1.39   .68   N/A   N/A   25  
Class B                                                              
2006   13.06   (.12 ) 1.07   .95         14.01 7.28   72 2.07   2.07   (.35 ) N/A   N/A   34  
2007   14.01   (.13 ) 2.35   2.22     .24   .24   15.99 15.98   67 2.02   2.02   (.16 ) N/A   N/A   23  
2008   15.99   .03   (3.47 ) (3.44 ) .02   .23   .25   12.30 (21.82 ) 41 2.05   2.05   .24   N/A   N/A   24  
2009   12.30   .01   (.97 ) (.96 ) .10   .02   .12   11.22 (7.59 ) 30 2.21   2.21   .20   N/A   N/A   26  
2010   11.22   (.03 ) .95   .92         12.14   8.23   26   2.09   2.09   (.02 ) N/A   N/A   25  

 

170 171

 



Financial Highlights (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

                                                   
            P E R  S H A R E  D A T A                           R A T I O S  /  S U P P L E M E N T A L  D A T A          
                    Less Distributions                           Ratio to Average Net      
        Investment Operations   from               Ratio to Average Net   Assets Before Expenses      
    Net Asset   Net   Net Realized               Distributions       Net Asset       Assets**   Waived or Assumed      
    Value,   Investment   and Unrealized   Total from   Net   Net   in Excess of       Value,     Net Assets Net Expenses   Net Expenses   Net       Net   Portfolio  
    Beginning   Income   Gain (Loss) on   Investment   Investment Realized   Net Investment   Total   End of Total   End of Year After Fee   Before Fee   Investment       Investment   Turnover  
    of Year   (Loss)   Investments   Operations   Income   Gain   Income    Distributions   Year   Return * (in millions)   Credits   Credits(a)    Income (Loss)   Expenses    Income (Loss)   Rate  
 
GLOBAL FUND                                                    
 
Class A                                                                  
2006 $7.06 $.01   $   .71   $   .72   $.02 $ $ $.02 $7.76 10.15 % $260 1.77 % 1.77 % .14 % N/A   N/A   105 %
2007   7.76     1.87   1.87   .05   .76     .81   8.82 26.43   323 1.70   1.70   (.07 ) 1.70 % (.07 )% 134  
2008   8.82   .03   (1.97 ) (1.94 ) .01   1.12     1.13   5.75 (25.44 ) 249 1.70   1.70   .39   1.73   .36   133  
2009   5.75   .02     .02   .02     .02   .04   5.73 .53   249 1.90   1.90   .38   1.93   .35   141  
2010   5.73     .42   .42   .01       .01   6.14 7.33   269 1.72   1.72   .04   1.75   .01   92  
Class B                                                                  
2006   6.52   (.05 ) .67   .62           7.14 9.51   14 2.47   2.47   (.56 ) N/A   N/A   105  
2007   7.14   (.16 ) 1.81   1.65   .05   .76     .81   7.98 25.57   14 2.40   2.40   (.77 ) 2.40   (.77 ) 134  
2008   7.98   (.02 ) (1.75 ) (1.77 )   1.12     1.12   5.09 (25.91 ) 9 2.40   2.40   (.31 ) 2.43   (.34 ) 133  
2009   5.09   (.03 )   (.03 ) .01     .02   .03   5.03 (.37 ) 7 2.60   2.60   (.32 ) 2.63   (.35 ) 141  
2010   5.03   (.06 ) .39   .33           5.36   6.56   7   2.42   2.42   (.66 ) 2.45   (.69 ) 92  
 
SELECT GROWTH FUND††                                                  
 
Class A                                                                  
2006 $8.82 $(.06 ) $   .50   $   .44   $     $   $9.26 4.99 % $195 1.53 % 1.53 % (.65 )% N/A   N/A   107 %
2007   9.26   (.04 ) 1.75   1.71     .76     .76   10.21 19.81   243 1.47   1.47   (.46 ) N/A   N/A   169  
2008   10.21   (.04 ) (2.06 ) (2.10 )   1.42     1.42   6.69 (23.84 ) 207 1.46   1.47   (.52 ) N/A   N/A   99  
2009   6.69   (.02 ) (1.34 ) (1.36 )         5.33 (20.33 ) 170 1.67   1.67   (.51 ) N/A   N/A   120  
2010   5.33   (.03 ) .49   .46           5.79 8.63   184 1.56   1.56   (.48 ) N/A   N/A   98  
Class B                                                                  
2006   8.52   (.12 ) .49   .37           8.89 4.34   23 2.23   2.23   (1.35 ) N/A   N/A   107  
2007   8.89   (.11 ) 1.68   1.57     .76     .76   9.70 19.00   25 2.17   2.17   (1.16 ) N/A   N/A   169  
2008   9.70   (.09 ) (1.94 ) (2.03 )   1.42     1.42   6.25 (24.43 ) 18 2.16   2.17   (1.22 ) N/A   N/A   99  
2009   6.25   (.06 ) (1.25 ) (1.31 )         4.94 (20.96 ) 10 2.37   2.37   (1.21 ) N/A   N/A   120  
2010   4.94   (.07 ) .46   .39           5.33   7.90   8   2.26   2.26   (1.18 ) N/A   N/A   98  

 

172 173

 



Financial Highlights (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

                                               
            P E R  S H A R E  D A T A                       R A T I O S  /  S U P P L E M E N T A L  D A T A          
                    Less Distributions                           Ratio to Average Net      
        Investment Operations   from               Ratio to Average Net   Assets Before Expenses      
    Net Asset   Net   Net Realized                   Net Asset       Assets**   Waived or Assumed      
    Value,   Investment   and Unrealized   Total from   Net   Net       Value,     Net Assets Net Expenses   Net Expenses   Net       Net   Portfolio  
    Beginning   Income   Gain (Loss) on   Investment   Investment   Realized   Total   End of Total   End of Year After Fee   Before Fee   Investment       Investment   Turnover  
    of Year   (Loss)   Investments   Operations   Income   Gain   Distributions   Year   Return * (in millions)   Credits   Credits(a)    Income (Loss)   Expenses    Income (Loss)   Rate  
 
OPPORTUNITY FUND†††                                              
 
Class A                                                              
2006 $28.24 $(.09 ) $   .77   $   .68   $ $   .78 $   .78 $28.14 2.58 % $435 1.44 % 1.44 % (.33 )% 1.47 % (.36 )% 55 %
2007   28.14   .16   4.35   4.51     1.33   1.33   31.32 16.57   481 1.38   1.38   .52   N/A   N/A   50  
2008   31.32     (5.53 ) (5.53 ) .14   2.66   2.80   22.99 (19.40 ) 377 1.39   1.40   (.01 ) N/A   N/A   40  
2009   22.99   .01   (1.61 ) (1.60 )   .63   .63   20.76 (6.24 ) 355 1.58   1.58   .09   N/A   N/A   35  
2010   20.76   .05   2.65   2.70         23.46 13.01   402 1.44   1.44   .24   N/A   N/A   40  
Class B                                                              
2006   26.06   (.29 ) .73   .44     .78   .78   25.72 1.85   51 2.14   2.14   (1.03 ) 2.17   (1.06 ) 55  
2007   25.72   (.05 ) 3.97   3.92     1.33   1.33   28.31 15.80   50 2.08   2.08   (.18 ) N/A   N/A   50  
2008   28.31   (.21 ) (4.89 ) (5.10 ) .14   2.66   2.80   20.41 (19.99 ) 32 2.09   2.10   (.71 ) N/A   N/A   40  
2009   20.41   (.10 ) (1.47 ) (1.57 )   .63   .63   18.21 (6.90 ) 23 2.28   2.28   (.61 ) N/A   N/A   35  
2010   18.21   (.14 ) 2.37   2.23         20.44   12.25   20   2.14   2.14   (.52 ) N/A   N/A   40  
 
SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND                                              
 
Class A                                                              
2006 $20.44 $.11   $2.07   $2.18   $ $    $   $22.62 10.67 % $249 1.53 % 1.53 % (.49 )% 1.73 % (.69 )% 48 %
2007   22.62   (.06 ) 3.59   3.53     1.88   1.88   24.27 16.30   295 1.46   1.46   (.27 ) 1.61   (.42 ) 64  
2008   24.27   .03   (2.93 ) (2.90 )   1.22   1.22   20.15 (12.67 ) 258 1.49   1.50   .14   1.61   .02   52  
2009   20.15   .03   (1.23 ) (1.20 ) .02   .53   .55   18.40 (5.28 ) 246 1.64   1.64   .22   1.82   .04   55  
2010   18.40   (.05 ) 2.31   2.26         20.66 12.28   274 1.52   1.52   (.28 ) 1.65   (.41 ) 64  
Class B                                                              
2006   18.72   (.26 ) 2.11   1.85         20.57 9.88   18 2.23   2.23   (1.19 ) 2.43   (1.39 ) 48  
2007   20.57   (.22 ) 3.26   3.04     1.88   1.88   21.73 15.48   18 2.16   2.16   (.97 ) 2.31   (1.12 ) 64  
2008   21.73   (.13 ) (2.57 ) (2.70 )   1.22   1.22   17.81 (13.26 ) 12 2.19   2.20   (.56 ) 2.31   (.68 ) 52  
2009   17.81   (.10 ) (1.09 ) (1.19 )   .53   .53   16.09 (5.99 ) 9 2.34   2.34   (.48 ) 2.52   (.66 ) 55  
2010   16.09   (.25 ) 2.11   1.86         17.95   11.56   8   2.22   2.22   (.94 ) 2.35   (1.07 ) 64  

 

174 175

 



Financial Highlights (continued)
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

                                               
            P E R  S H A R E  D A T A                       R A T I O S  /  S U P P L E M E N T A L  D A T A          
                    Less Distributions                           Ratio to Average Net      
        Investment Operations   from               Ratio to Average Net   Assets Before Expenses      
    Net Asset   Net   Net Realized                   Net Asset       Assets**   Waived or Assumed      
    Value,   Investment   and Unrealized   Total from   Net   Net       Value,     Net Assets Net Expenses   Net Expenses   Net       Net   Portfolio  
    Beginning   Income   Gain (Loss) on   Investment   Investment   Realized   Total   End of Total   End of Year After Fee   Before Fee   Investment       Investment   Turnover  
    of Year   (Loss)   Investments   Operations   Income   Gain   Distributions   Year   Return * (in millions)   Credits   Credits(a)    Income (Loss)   Expenses    Income (Loss)   Rate  
 
INTERNATIONAL FUND                                              
 
Class A                                                              
2006(b) $10.00 $   $   .71   $   .71   $ $ $ $10.71 7.10 % $19 2.35 %† 2.35 %† .15 %† 5.65 %† (3.15 )%† 9 %
2007   10.71   .08   2.46   2.54     .07   .07   13.18 23.84   96 2.50   2.50   (.05 ) 2.35   .10   67  
2008   13.18   .07   (3.45 ) (3.38 )   .32   .32   9.48 (26.37 ) 105 1.95   1.95   .20   1.94   .20   122  
2009   9.48   .29   (.74 ) (.45 ) .13     .13   8.90 (4.52 ) 108 2.20   2.20   1.16   N/A   N/A   60  
2010   8.90   .15   1.15   1.30   .02     .02   10.18 14.63   130 1.97   1.97   1.33   N/A   N/A   32  
Class B                                                              
2006(b) 10.00   (.01 ) .71   .70         10.70 7.00   1 3.05 3.05 (.55 )† 6.35 (3.85 )† 9  
2007   10.70     2.44   2.44     .07   .07   13.07 22.93   4 3.20   3.20   (.75 ) 3.05   (.60 ) 67  
2008   13.07   (.02 ) (3.40 ) (3.42 )   .32   .32   9.33 (26.91 ) 4 2.65   2.65   (.50 ) 2.64   (.50 ) 122  
2009   9.33   .22   (.72 ) (.50 ) .12     .12   8.71 (5.19 ) 3 2.90   2.90   .46   N/A   N/A   60  
2010   8.71   .08   1.12   1.20         9.91   13.78   4   2.67   2.67   .59   N/A   N/A   32  

 

* Calculated without sales charges.
** Net of expenses waived or assumed by FIMCO (Note 3).
Annualized.
†† Prior to May 7, 2007, known as All-Cap Growth Fund.
††† Prior to January 31, 2008, known as Mid-Cap Opportunity Fund.
(a) The ratios do not include a reduction of expenses from cash balances maintained with the custodian
or from brokerage service arrangements (Note 1G).
(b) For the Year June 27, 2006 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2006.

 

176 See notes to financial statements 177

 



Report of Independent Registered Public
Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of
First Investors Income Funds and First Investors Equity Funds

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the portfolios of investments of the Cash Management Fund, Government Fund, Investment Grade Fund and Fund For Income (each a series of First Investors Income Funds), and the Total Return Fund, Value Fund, Blue Chip Fund, Growth & Income Fund, Global Fund, Select Growth Fund, Opportunity Fund, Special Situations Fund, and International Fund (each a series of First Investors Equity Funds), as of September 30, 2010, the related statements of operations, the statements of changes in net assets, and the financial highlights for each of the periods indicated thereon. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds’ management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Funds are not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2010, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. Where brokers have not replied to our confirmation requests, we have carried out other appropriate auditing procedures. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

178 

 



In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Cash Management Fund, Government Fund, Investment Grade Fund, Fund For Income, Total Return Fund, Value Fund, Blue Chip Fund, Growth & Income Fund, Global Fund, Select Growth Fund, Opportunity Fund, Special Situations Fund and International Fund, as of September 30, 2010, and the results of their operations, changes in their net assets, and their financial highlights for the periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

  Tait, Weller & Baker LLP 
 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania   
November 24, 2010   

 

179 

 



Board Considerations of Advisory Contracts and Fees
(unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS

Annual Consideration of the Investment Advisory Agreements and the
Sub-Advisory Agreement with Muzinich & Co., Inc.

At a meeting held on May 20, 2010 (“May Meeting”), the Board of Trustees (“Board”), including a majority of the non-interested or independent Trustees (hereinafter, “Trustees”), approved the renewal of the investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) between First Investors Management Company, Inc. (“FIMCO”) and each of the following funds (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”): Government Fund, Investment Grade Fund, Fund For Income and Cash Management Fund. In addition, at the May Meeting, the Board, including a majority of the independent Trustees, approved the renewal of the sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Muzinich & Co., Inc. (“Muzinich”) with respect to the Fund For Income.

In reaching its decisions to approve the continuation of the Advisory Agreement for each Fund and the Sub-Advisory Agreement for the Fund For Income, the Board considered information furnished and discussed throughout the year at regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings as well as information provided specifically in relation to the renewal of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement for the May Meeting. Information furnished at Board and/or Committee meetings throughout the year included FIMCO’s analysis of each Fund’s investment performance, presentations given by representatives of FIMCO and Muzinich and various reports on compliance and other services provided by FIMCO and its affiliates. In preparation for the May Meeting, the independent Trustees requested and received information compiled by Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”), an independent provider of investment company data, that included, among other things: (1) the investment performance over various time periods and the fees and expenses of each Fund as compared to a comparable group of funds as determined by Lipper (“Peer Group”); and (2) comparative information on each Fund’s volatility versus total return. Additionally, in response to specific requests from the independent Trustees in connection with the May Meeting, FIMCO furnished, and the Board considered, information concerning various aspects of its operations, including: (1) the nature, extent and quality of services provided by FIMCO and its affiliates to the Funds, including investment advisory and administrative services to the Funds; (2) the actual management fees paid by each Fund to FIMCO; (3) the costs of providing services to each Fund and the profitability of FIMCO and its affiliate, Administrative Data Management Corp. (“ADM”), the Funds’ affiliated transfer agent, from the relationship with each Fund; and (4) any “fall out” or ancillary benefits accruing to FIMCO or its affiliates as a result of the relationship with each Fund. FIMCO also provided, and the Board considered, an analysis of the overall profitability of the First Investors

180 

 



mutual fund business that included various entities affiliated with FIMCO as well as comparative profitability information based on analysis performed by FIMCO of the financial statements of certain publicly-traded mutual fund asset managers. In addition to evaluating, among other things, the written information provided by FIMCO, the Board also evaluated the answers to questions posed by the Board to representatives of FIMCO.

In addition, in response to specific requests from the independent Trustees in connection with the May Meeting, Muzinich furnished, and the Board reviewed, information concerning various aspects of its operations, including: (1) the nature, extent and quality of services provided by Muzinich to the Fund For Income; (2) the sub-advisory fee rates charged by Muzinich and a comparison of those fee rates to the fee rates of Muzinich for providing advisory services to other investment companies or accounts with an investment mandate similar to the Fund For Income; (3) profitability information provided by Muzinich; and (4) any “fall out” or ancillary benefits accruing to Muzinich as a result of the relationship with the Fund For Income.

In considering the information and materials described above, the independent Trustees received assistance from and met separately with independent legal counsel and were provided with a written description of their statutory responsibilities and the legal standards that are applicable to approvals of advisory agreements. Although the Advisory Agreement for all of the Funds and the Sub-Advisory Agreement for the Fund For Income were considered at the same Board meeting, the Trustees addressed each Fund separately during the May Meeting.

Based on all of the information presented, the Board, including a majority of its independent Trustees, determined on a Fund-by-Fund basis that the fees charged under the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement are reasonable in relation to the services that are provided under each Agreement. The Board did not identify any single factor as being of paramount importance in reaching its conclusions and determinations with respect to the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for each Fund and Sub-Advisory Agreement. Although not meant to be all-inclusive, the following describes some of the factors that were considered by the Board in deciding to approve the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for each Fund and the Sub-Advisory Agreement with Muzinich.

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services

In examining the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by FIMCO, the Board recognized that FIMCO is dedicated to providing investment management services exclusively to the Funds and the other funds in the First Investors fund

181 

 



Board Considerations of Advisory Contracts and Fees (continued)
(unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS

complex and that, unlike many other mutual fund managers, FIMCO is not in the business of providing management services to hedge funds, pension funds or separately managed accounts. As a result, the Board considered that FIMCO’s personnel devote substantially all of their time to serving the funds in the First Investors fund complex.

The Board also recognized that it is the philosophy of FIMCO and its affiliates to provide personal service to the shareholders of the Funds, that FIMCO and its affiliates strive to service the needs of a shareholder base that includes many investors who are less affluent and that the average account size of many of the First Investors funds is small by comparison to the industry average account size. The Board also considered management’s explanation regarding the significant costs involved in providing the level of personal service that the First Investors fund complex seeks to deliver to its shareholders.

The Board noted that FIMCO has undertaken extensive responsibilities as manager of the Funds, including: (1) the provision of investment advice to the Funds; (2) implementing policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with each Fund’s investment objectives and policies; (3) the review of brokerage arrangements; (4) oversight of general portfolio compliance with applicable laws; (5) the provision of certain administrative services to the Funds, including fund accounting; (6) the implementation of Board directives as they relate to the Funds; and (7) evaluating and monitoring any sub-advisers. The Board noted that FIMCO provides not only advisory services but historically has provided certain administrative personnel and services that many other advisers do not provide without imposition of separate fees. The Board also noted the steps that FIMCO has taken to encourage strong performance, including providing significant incentives to portfolio managers and analysts based on Fund performance, and FIMCO’s willingness to make changes in portfolio managers and sub-advisers when necessary to address performance issues. In addition, the Board considered information regarding the overall financial strength of FIMCO and its affiliates and the resources and staffing in place with respect to the services provided to the Funds in light of the current market environment.

The Board also considered the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Funds by FIMCO’s affiliates, including transfer agency and distribution services. The Board took into account the fact that ADM is dedicated to providing transfer agency services exclusively to the Funds and the other funds in the First Investors fund complex. As a result, ADM can tailor its processes and services to satisfy the needs of the Funds’ shareholder base. The Board noted that the Funds’ shares

182 

 



are distributed primarily through First Investors Corporation (“FIC”), which is an affiliate of FIMCO.

Furthermore, the Board considered the nature, extent and quality of the investment management services provided by Muzinich to the Fund For Income. The Board considered Muzinich’s investment management process in managing the Fund For Income and the experience and capability of its personnel responsible for the portfolio management of the Fund For Income. In light of the current market environment, the Board also considered information regarding the resources and staffing in place with respect to the services provided by Muzinich.

Based on the information considered, the Board concluded that the nature, extent and quality of FIMCO’s and Muzinich’s services, as applicable, as well as the services of FIMCO’s affiliates supported approval of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement.

Investment Performance

The Board placed significant emphasis on the investment performance of each of the Funds. While consideration was given to performance reports and discussions held at prior Board or Committee meetings, as applicable, particular attention was given to the performance information compiled by Lipper. In particular, the Trustees reviewed the performance of the Funds over the most recent calendar year (“1-year period”) and the annualized performance over the most recent three calendar year period (“3-year period”) and five calendar year period (“5-year period”). In addition, the Board considered the performance information provided by FIMCO for each Fund through April 30, 2010 (the “year-to-date period”). The Board also reviewed the annual yield of each Fund for each of the past five calendar years. With regard to the performance and yield information, the Board considered the performance and yield of each Fund on a percentile and quintile basis as compared to its Peer Group. For purposes of the data provided, the first quintile is defined as 20% of the funds in the applicable Peer Group with the highest performance or yield, as applicable, and the fifth quintile is defined as 20% of the funds in the applicable Peer Group with the lowest performance or yield.

On a Fund-by-Fund basis, the performance reports indicated, and the Board noted, that the Investment Grade Fund and Cash Management Fund fell within one of the top three quintiles for at least one of the performance periods provided by Lipper. With respect to the Fund For Income, the Board considered that Muzinich, which was hired in April 2009, had only approximately one year of history in managing the Fund. The Board also noted that the yield for each Fund, except for the Cash

183 

 



Board Considerations of Advisory Contracts and Fees (continued)
(unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS

Management Fund, for each of the past five calendar years fell within one of the top three quintiles and the yield for the Cash Management Fund fell within one of the top three quintiles for four of the past five calendar years. Moreover, the Board considered the volatility versus total return data provided by Lipper as well as FIMCO’s representation that it believes that the Funds use a more conservative investment style than many of their peers.

Fund Expenses, Costs of Services, Economies of Scale and Related Benefits

Management Fees and Expenses. The Board also gave substantial consideration to the fees payable under each Fund’s Advisory Agreement as well as under the Sub-Advisory Agreement for the Fund For Income.

The Board reviewed the information compiled by Lipper comparing each Fund’s contractual management fee rate (at common asset levels) and actual management fee rate (which included the effect of any fee waivers) as a percentage of average net assets to other funds in its Peer Group. In this regard, the Board considered the contractual and actual management fees of each Fund on a quintile basis as compared to its Peer Group and noted the relative position of each Fund within the Peer Group. The Board also considered that FIMCO provides not only advisory services but also certain administrative personnel to the Funds under each Fund’s Advisory Agreement and that many other advisers do not provide such administrative personnel under their advisory agreements and that FIMCO also provides certain administrative services without the imposition of a separate fee. The Board considered that FIMCO informed the Board that it intends to: (i) extend, on a voluntary basis, the existing total expense cap limitation for the Cash Management Fund until May 31, 2011; and (ii) extend, on a voluntary basis, the existing management fee caps for the Fund For Income, Government Fund and Investment Grade Fund until May 31, 2011. The Board also considered that, with respect to the Cash Management Fund, FIMCO was waiving additional management fees to maintain total expense levels below the total expense cap for such Fund due to the low interest rate environment.

In considering the sub-advisory fee rates charged by and costs and profitability of Muzinich with regard to the Fund For Income, the Board noted that FIMCO pays Muzinich a sub-advisory fee from its own advisory fee rather than the Fund paying Muzinich a fee directly. Muzinich provided, and the Board reviewed, information comparing the fees charged by Muzinich for services to the Fund For Income versus the fee rates of Muzinich for providing advisory services to other comparable investment companies or accounts. Based on a review of this information, the Board noted that the fees charged by Muzinich for services to the Fund For Income

184 

 



appeared competitive to the fees Muzinich charges to its other comparable investment companies or accounts.

The Board also reviewed the information compiled by Lipper comparing each Fund’s Class A share total expense ratio, taking into account FIMCO’s expense waivers (as applicable), and the ratio of the sum of actual management and other non-management fees (i.e., fees other than management, transfer agency and 12b-1/non-12b-1 fees) to other funds in its Peer Group, including on a quintile basis. In considering the level of the total expense ratio and the ratio of the sum of actual management and other non-management fees, the Board took into account management’s explanation that: (i) there are significant costs involved in providing the level of personal service that the First Investors fund complex seeks to deliver to its shareholders; (ii) overall Fund expenses cover certain check-writing and wiring privileges for Cash Management Fund shareholders at no additional cost; (iii) the custodial fees for shareholders who invest in the Funds through retirement accounts are paid by the Funds and are reflected in the Funds’ total expense ratio, and a significant majority of the shares of the Funds, other than the Cash Management Fund, are held in retirement accounts; and (iv) Lipper expense comparisons do not take into account the size of a fund complex, and as a result, in most cases the First Investors funds are compared to funds in complexes that are much larger than First Investors. The Board also noted that Lipper’s customized expense groups tend to be fairly small in number and the funds included in the Peer Group generally change from year to year, thereby introducing an element of randomness that affects comparative results each year. While recognizing the limitations inherent in Lipper’s methodology, the Board believed that the data provided by Lipper was a generally appropriate measure of comparative expenses.

The foregoing comparisons assisted the Trustees by providing them with a basis for evaluating each Fund’s management fee and expense ratio on a relative basis.

Profitability. The Board reviewed the materials it received from FIMCO regarding its revenues and costs in providing investment management and certain administrative services to the Funds. In particular, the Board considered the analysis of FIMCO’s profitability with respect to each Fund, calculated for the year ended December 31, 2009, as well as overall profitability information relating to the past five calendar years. The Board also considered the information provided by FIMCO comparing the profitability of certain publicly-traded mutual fund asset managers as analyzed by FIMCO based on publicly available financial statements. In reviewing the profitability information, the Board also considered the “fall-out” or ancillary benefits that may accrue to FIMCO and its affiliates as a result of their relationship with the Funds, which are discussed below. The Board acknowledged that, as a

185 

 



Board Considerations of Advisory Contracts and Fees (continued)
(unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS

business matter, FIMCO was entitled to earn reasonable profits for its services to the Funds. Based on the information provided, the Board also noted that FIMCO operates the Cash Management Fund at a loss.

Economies of Scale. With respect to whether economies of scale are realized by FIMCO as a Fund’s assets increase and the extent to which any economies of scale are reflected in the level of management fee rates charged, the Board considered that the Advisory Agreement fee schedule for each Fund, except the Cash Management Fund, includes breakpoints to account for management economies of scale. The Board noted that the Fund For Income has reached an asset size at which the Fund and its shareholders are benefiting from reduced management fee rates due to breakpoints in its fee schedule. With regard to the Government Fund and Investment Grade Fund, the Board recognized that, although these Funds are not currently at an asset level at which they can take advantage of the breakpoints contained in their fee schedule, each schedule is structured so that when the assets of these Funds increase, economies of scale may be shared for the benefit of shareholders. With respect to the Cash Management Fund, the Board concluded that the fee structure is appropriate at current asset levels.

“Fall Out” or Ancillary Benefits. The Board considered the “fall-out” or ancillary benefits that may accrue to FIMCO and Muzinich as a result of their relationship with the Funds. The Board considered the profits earned or losses incurred by ADM and the income received by FIC and FIMCO’s affiliated bank as a result of FIMCO’s management of the First Investors funds. The Board also considered the fact that Muzinich does not engage in any soft dollar arrangements.

* * * 

 

In summary, after evaluation of the comparative performance, fee and expense information and the profitability, ancillary benefits and other considerations as described above, and in light of the nature, extent and quality of services to be provided by FIMCO and Muzinich, the Board concluded that the level of fees paid to FIMCO with respect to each Fund, and Muzinich with respect to the Fund For Income, is reasonable. As a result, the Board, including a majority of the independent Trustees, approved the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement.

186 

 



Board Considerations of Advisory Contracts and Fees
(unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

Annual Consideration of the Investment Advisory Agreements and the
Sub-Advisory Agreements with Wellington Management Company, LLP, Paradigm
Capital Management, Inc., Smith Group Asset Management, LP and Vontobel
Asset Management, Inc.

At a meeting held on May 20, 2010 (“May Meeting”), the Board of Trustees (“Board”), including a majority of the non-interested or independent Trustees (hereinafter, “Trustees”), approved the renewal of the investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) between First Investors Management Company, Inc. (“FIMCO”) and each of the following funds (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”): Growth & Income Fund, Total Return Fund, Blue Chip Fund, Value Fund, Opportunity Fund, Special Situations Fund, Select Growth Fund, Global Fund and International Fund. In addition, at the May Meeting, the Board, including a majority of the independent Trustees, approved the renewal of the sub-advisory agreements (each a “Sub-Advisory Agreement” and collectively the “Sub-Advisory Agreements”) with: (1) Wellington Management Company, LLP (“WMC”) with respect to the Global Fund; (2) Paradigm Capital Management, Inc. (“Paradigm”) with respect to the Special Situations Fund; (3) Smith Group Asset Management, LP (“Smith Group”) with respect to the Select Growth Fund; and (4) Vontobel Asset Management, Inc. (“Vontobel”) with respect to the International Fund. The Global Fund, Special Situations Fund, Select Growth Fund and International Fund are collectively referred to as the “Sub-Advised Funds.”

In reaching its decisions to approve the continuation of the Advisory Agreement for each Fund and the Sub-Advisory Agreements for the Sub-Advised Funds, the Board considered information furnished and discussed throughout the year at regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings as well as information provided specifically in relation to the renewal of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreements for the May Meeting. Information furnished at Board and/or Committee meetings throughout the year included FIMCO’s analysis of each Fund’s investment performance, presentations given by representatives of FIMCO, WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel and various reports on compliance and other services provided by FIMCO and its affiliates. In preparation for the May Meeting, the independent Trustees requested and received information compiled by Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”), an independent provider of investment company data, that included, among other things: (1) the investment performance over various time periods and the fees and expenses of each Fund as compared to a comparable group of funds as determined by Lipper (“Peer Group”); and (2) comparative information on each Fund’s volatility versus total return. Additionally, in response to specific requests from the independent Trustees in connection with the May Meeting, FIMCO furnished, and

187 

 



Board Considerations of Advisory Contracts and Fees (continued)
(unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

the Board considered, information concerning various aspects of its operations, including: (1) the nature, extent and quality of services provided by FIMCO and its affiliates to the Funds, including investment advisory and administrative services to the Funds; (2) the actual management fees paid by each Fund to FIMCO; (3) the costs of providing services to each Fund and the profitability of FIMCO and its affiliate, Administrative Data Management Corp. (“ADM”), the Funds’ affiliated transfer agent, from the relationship with each Fund; and (4) any “fall out” or ancillary benefits accruing to FIMCO or its affiliates as a result of the relationship with each Fund. FIMCO also provided, and the Board considered, an analysis of the overall profitability of the First Investors mutual fund business that included various entities affiliated with FIMCO as well as comparative profitability information based on analysis performed by FIMCO of the financial statements of certain publicly-traded mutual fund asset managers. In addition to evaluating, among other things, the written information provided by FIMCO, the Board also evaluated the answers to questions posed by the Board to representatives of FIMCO.

In addition, in response to specific requests from the independent Trustees in connection with the May Meeting, WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel furnished, and the Board reviewed, information concerning various aspects of their respective operations, including: (1) the nature, extent and quality of services provided by WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel to the applicable Sub-Advised Funds; (2) the sub-advisory fee rates charged by WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel and a comparison of those fee rates to the fee rates of WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel for providing advisory services to other investment companies or accounts or compared to their standard fee schedule, as applicable, with an investment mandate similar to the applicable Sub-Advised Funds; (3) profitability information provided by WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel; and (4) any “fall out” or ancillary benefits accruing to WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel as a result of the relationship with each applicable Sub-Advised Fund.

In considering the information and materials described above, the independent Trustees received assistance from and met separately with independent legal counsel and were provided with a written description of their statutory responsibilities and the legal standards that are applicable to approvals of advisory agreements. Although the Advisory Agreement for all of the Funds and the Sub-Advisory Agreements for the Sub-Advised Funds were considered at the same Board meeting, the Trustees addressed each Fund separately during the May Meeting.

188 

 



Based on all of the information presented, the Board, including a majority of its independent Trustees, determined on a Fund-by-Fund basis that the fees charged under the Advisory Agreement and each Sub-Advisory Agreement are reasonable in relation to the services that are provided under each Agreement. The Board did not identify any single factor as being of paramount importance in reaching its conclusions and determinations with respect to the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for each Fund and Sub-Advisory Agreements. Although not meant to be all-inclusive, the following describes some of the factors that were considered by the Board in deciding to approve the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for each Fund and Sub-Advisory Agreements with Paradigm, Smith Group, Vontobel and WMC.

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services

In examining the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by FIMCO, the Board recognized that FIMCO is dedicated to providing investment management services exclusively to the Funds and the other funds in the First Investors fund complex and that, unlike many other mutual fund managers, FIMCO is not in the business of providing management services to hedge funds, pension funds or separately managed accounts. As a result, the Board considered that FIMCO’s personnel devote substantially all of their time to serving the funds in the First Investors fund complex.

The Board also recognized that it is the philosophy of FIMCO and its affiliates to provide personal service to the shareholders of the Funds, that FIMCO and its affiliates strive to service the needs of a shareholder base that includes many investors who are less affluent and that the average account size of many of the First Investors funds is small by comparison to the industry average account size. The Board also considered management’s explanation regarding the significant costs involved in providing the level of personal service that the First Investors fund complex seeks to deliver to its shareholders.

The Board noted that FIMCO has undertaken extensive responsibilities as manager of the Funds, including: (1) the provision of investment advice to the Funds; (2) implementing policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with each Fund’s investment objectives and policies; (3) the review of brokerage arrangements; (4) oversight of general portfolio compliance with applicable laws; (5) the provision of certain administrative services to the Funds, including fund accounting; (6) the implementation of Board directives as they relate to the Funds; and (7) evaluating and monitoring any sub-advisers. The Board noted that FIMCO provides not only advisory services but historically has provided certain administrative personnel and services that many other advisers do not provide without imposition of separate fees.

189 

 



Board Considerations of Advisory Contracts and Fees (continued)
(unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

The Board also noted the steps that FIMCO has taken to encourage strong performance, including providing significant incentives to portfolio managers and analysts based on Fund performance, and FIMCO’s willingness to make changes in portfolio managers and sub-advisers when necessary to address performance issues. In addition, the Board considered information regarding the overall financial strength of FIMCO and its affiliates and the resources and staffing in place with respect to the services provided to the Funds in light of the current market environment.

The Board also considered the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Funds by FIMCO’s affiliates, including transfer agency and distribution services. The Board took into account the fact that ADM is dedicated to providing transfer agency services exclusively to the Funds and the other funds in the First Investors fund complex. As a result, ADM can tailor its processes and services to satisfy the needs of the Funds’ shareholder base. The Board noted that the Funds’ shares are distributed primarily through First Investors Corporation (“FIC”), which is an affiliate of FIMCO.

Furthermore, the Board considered the nature, extent and quality of the investment management services provided by WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel to the applicable Sub-Advised Funds. The Board considered WMC’s, Paradigm’s, Smith Group’s and Vontobel’s investment management process in managing the applicable Sub-Advised Funds and the experience and capability of their respective personnel responsible for the portfolio management of the applicable Sub-Advised Funds. In light of the current market environment, the Board also considered information regarding the resources and staffing in place with respect to the services provided by each sub-adviser.

Based on the information considered, the Board concluded that the nature, extent and quality of FIMCO’s, WMC’s, Paradigm’s, Smith Group’s and Vontobel’s services, as applicable, as well as the services of FIMCO’s affiliates supported approval of the Advisory Agreement and each Sub-Advisory Agreement.

Investment Performance

The Board placed significant emphasis on the investment performance of each of the Funds. While consideration was given to performance reports and discussions held at prior Board or Committee meetings, as applicable, particular attention was given to the performance information compiled by Lipper. In particular, the Board reviewed the performance of the Funds over the most recent calendar year (“1-year period”) and, to the extent provided by Lipper, the annualized performance over

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the most recent three calendar year period (“3-year period”) and five calendar year period (“5-year period”). In addition, the Board considered the performance information provided by FIMCO for each Fund through April 30, 2010 (the “year-to-date period”). With regard to the performance information, the Board considered the performance of each Fund on a percentile and quintile basis as compared to its Peer Group. For purposes of the performance data provided, the first quintile is defined as 20% of the funds in the applicable Peer Group with the highest performance and the fifth quintile is defined as 20% of the funds in the applicable Peer Group with the lowest performance.

On a Fund-by-Fund basis, the performance reports indicated, and the Board noted, that each Fund except the Growth & Income Fund and Select Growth Fund fell within one of the top three quintiles for at least one of the performance periods provided by Lipper. With regard to the Growth & Income Fund and Select Growth Fund, the Board noted that performance for the year-to-date period had improved significantly and fell within one of the top three quintiles. The Board also considered that the sub-adviser for the Select Growth Fund had been changed in 2007 and did not have a full three years of history managing the Fund. The Board also considered the volatility versus total return data provided by Lipper as well as FIMCO’s representation that it believes that the Funds use a more conservative investment style than many of their peers.

Fund Expenses, Costs of Services, Economies of Scale and Related Benefits

Management Fees and Expenses. The Board also gave substantial consideration to the fees payable under each Fund’s Advisory Agreement as well as under the Sub-Advisory Agreements for the Sub-Advised Funds.

The Board reviewed the information compiled by Lipper comparing each Fund’s contractual management fee rate (at common asset levels) and actual management fee rate (which included the effect of any fee waivers) as a percentage of average net assets to other funds in its Peer Group. In this regard, the Board considered the contractual and actual management fees of each Fund on a quintile basis as compared to its Peer Group and noted the relative position of each Fund within the Peer Group. The Board also considered that FIMCO provides not only advisory services but also certain administrative personnel to the Funds under each Fund’s Advisory Agreement and that many other advisers do not provide such administrative personnel under their advisory agreements and that FIMCO also provides certain administrative services without the imposition of a separate fee. The Board also considered that FIMCO informed the Board that it intends to extend, on a voluntary basis, the existing management fee caps for the Special Situations Fund and Global Fund until May 31, 2011.

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Board Considerations of Advisory Contracts and Fees (continued)
(unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

In considering the sub-advisory fee rates charged by and costs and profitability of WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel with regard to the respective Sub-Advised Funds, the Board noted that FIMCO pays WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group or Vontobel, as the case may be, a sub-advisory fee from its own advisory fee rather than each Fund paying WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group or Vontobel a fee directly. WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel provided, and the Board reviewed, information comparing the fees charged by WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel for services to the respective Sub-Advised Funds versus the fee rates of WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel for providing advisory services to other comparable investment companies or accounts or compared to their standard fee schedule, as applicable. Based on a review of this information, the Board noted that the fees charged by WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel, as the case may be, for services to each applicable Sub-Advised Fund appeared competitive to the fees WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel charge to their other comparable investment companies or accounts or compared to their standard fee schedule, as applicable.

The Board also reviewed the information compiled by Lipper comparing each Fund’s Class A share total expense ratio, taking into account FIMCO’s expense waivers (as applicable), and the ratio of the sum of actual management and other non-management fees (i.e., fees other than management, transfer agency and 12b-1/non-12b-1 fees) to other funds in its Peer Group, including on a quintile basis. In considering the level of the total expense ratio and the ratio of the sum of actual management and other non-management fees, the Board took into account management’s explanation that: (i) the Funds have average account sizes that are relatively small compared with the industry average for equity funds; (ii) there are significant costs involved in providing the level of personal service that the First Investors fund complex seeks to deliver to its shareholders; (iii) the custodial fees for shareholders who invest in the Funds through retirement accounts are paid by the Funds and are reflected in the Funds’ total expense ratio, and a significant majority of the shares of the Funds are held in retirement accounts; and (iv) Lipper expense comparisons do not take into account the size of a fund complex, and as a result, in certain cases the First Investors funds are compared to funds in complexes that are much larger than First Investors. The Board also noted that Lipper’s customized expense groups tend to be fairly small in number and the funds included in the Peer Group generally change from year to year, thereby introducing an element of randomness that affects comparative results each year. While recognizing the limitations inherent in Lipper’s methodology, the Board believed that the data provided by Lipper was a generally appropriate measure of comparative expenses.

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The foregoing comparisons assisted the Trustees by providing them with a basis for evaluating each Fund’s management fee and expense ratio on a relative basis.

Profitability. The Board reviewed the materials it received from FIMCO regarding its revenues and costs in providing investment management and certain administrative services to the Funds. In particular, the Board considered the analysis of FIMCO’s profitability with respect to each Fund, calculated for the year ended December 31, 2009, as well as overall profitability information relating to the past five calendar years. The Board also considered the information provided by FIMCO comparing the profitability of certain publicly-traded mutual fund asset managers as analyzed by FIMCO based on publicly available financial statements. In reviewing the profitability information, the Board also considered the “fall-out” or ancillary benefits that may accrue to FIMCO and its affiliates as a result of their relationship with the Funds, which are discussed below. The Board acknowledged that, as a business matter, FIMCO was entitled to earn reasonable profits for its services to the Funds.

Economies of Scale. With respect to whether economies of scale are realized by FIMCO as a Fund’s assets increase and the extent to which any economies of scale are reflected in the level of management fee rates charged, the Board considered that the Advisory Agreement fee schedule for each Fund includes breakpoints to account for management economies of scale. The Board noted that each Fund except for the Select Growth Fund, Global Fund and International Fund have reached an asset size at which the Fund and its shareholders are benefiting from reduced management fee rates due to breakpoints in their respective fee schedules. With regard to the Select Growth Fund, Global Fund and International Fund, the Board recognized that, although these Funds are not currently at an asset level at which they can take advantage of the breakpoints contained in their fee schedule, each schedule is structured so that when the assets of these Funds increase, economies of scale may be shared for the benefit of shareholders.

“Fall Out” or Ancillary Benefits. The Board considered the “fall-out” or ancillary benefits that may accrue to FIMCO, WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel as a result of their relationship with the Funds. In that regard, the Board considered the fact that FIMCO, WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel receive research from broker-dealers that execute brokerage transactions for the funds in the First Investors fund complex. However, the Board noted that FIMCO and the sub-advisers must select brokers based on each Fund’s requirements for seeking best execution. The Board also considered that Paradigm executes brokerage transactions for the Special Situations Fund through the use of an affiliated broker-dealer and that this also

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Board Considerations of Advisory Contracts and Fees (continued)
(unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

provides a source of fall-out benefits to Paradigm. The Board considered the profits earned or losses incurred by ADM and the income received by FIC and FIMCO’s affiliated bank as a result of FIMCO’s management of the First Investors funds.

* * * 

 

In summary, after evaluation of the comparative performance, fee and expense information and the profitability, ancillary benefits and other considerations as described above, and in light of the nature, extent and quality of services to be provided by FIMCO, WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel, the Board concluded that the level of fees paid to FIMCO with respect to each Fund, and WMC, Paradigm, Smith Group and Vontobel with respect to each applicable Sub-Advised Fund, is reasonable. As a result, the Board, including a majority of the independent Trustees, approved the Advisory Agreement and each Sub-Advisory Agreement.

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Board Considerations of New Advisory Contract and Fees
(unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

Approval of a New Advisory Agreement and New Sub-Advisory Agreements

At a meeting held on September 19, 2010 (the “September Meeting”), the Board (the “Equity Board”) of First Investors Equity Funds (the “Equity Funds”) and the Board (the “Income Board” and together the “Boards”) of First Investors Income Funds (the “Income Funds”), including a majority of the non-interested or independent Trustees of each Board, approved a new Advisory Agreement (the “New Agreement”) between FIMCO and each of the Equity Funds and Income Funds, respectively. The Equity Board also approved new Sub-Advisory Agreements (the “New Sub-Advisory Agreements”) with WMC with respect to the Global Fund, Paradigm with respect to the Special Situations Fund, Smith Group with respect to the Select Growth Fund and Vontobel with respect to the International Fund and the Income Board approved a new Sub-Advisory Agreement (together, the “New Sub-Advisory Agreements”) with Muzinich with respect to the Fund For Income.

The Boards approved the New Advisory Agreement, and New Sub-Advisory Agreements for the Sub-Advised Funds, due to the pending acquisition (the “Transaction”) of First Investors Consolidated Corporation (“FICC”), the parent company of FIMCO, by The Independent Order of Foresters (“Foresters”). The change in control of FIMCO caused by the Transaction is deemed to be an “assignment” under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) of each Fund's existing Advisory Agreement (the “Existing Agreement”) with FIMCO. As required by the 1940 Act, each Fund's Existing Agreement provides for its automatic termination in the event of an assignment and, thus, each Existing Agreement will terminate upon the closing (the “Closing”) of the Transaction.

Each Board also approved an interim advisory agreement (the “Interim Agreement”) with FIMCO with respect to each Fund in the event that the closing of the Transaction was scheduled to occur prior to approval of the New Agreement by the shareholders of one or more Funds, and an interim Sub-Advisory Agreement (the “Interim Sub-Advisory Agreements”) with respect to its Sub-Advised Funds. The shareholders of the Funds have approved the New Agreement and, therefore, the Interim Agreement and Interim Sub-Advisory Agreements will not become effective.

In connection with their approval of the New Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreements, the Independent Trustees received advice from their legal counsel detailing the Boards’ responsibilities pertaining to such approvals. The Boards reviewed the materials furnished by Foresters and FIMCO, including responses to certain questions relating to the Transaction and reports relating to each Fund’s performance, advisory fees and total operating expenses, and other relevant data. Information provided by Foresters and FIMCO for the Boards’ consideration included Foresters’ responses to questions

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Board Considerations of New Advisory Contract and Fees
(continued) (unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

relating to the terms of the Transaction, how Foresters will finance the Transaction, the effect of the Transaction on the Funds, their service providers or fee structure, and any significant changes (actual or anticipated) to the composition of the Boards, Trust officers, operations of the Funds, FIMCO’s investment personnel, FIMCO’s compensation structure, the Existing Agreement, or the Funds’ distribution arrangements. In addition, information on the Funds’ investment performance is regularly provided to the Boards. The Boards also reviewed current and pro forma balance sheets for FIMCO and FIC, the underwriter for the Equity Funds and the Income Funds. Information furnished at Board meetings throughout the year included FIMCO’s analysis of each Fund’s investment performance, presentations given by the portfolio managers of the Funds and various reports on compliance and other services provided by FIMCO and its affiliates.

In considering the information and materials described above, the Independent Trustees received assistance from and met separately with independent legal counsel and were provided with a written description of their statutory responsibilities and the legal standards that are applicable to approvals of advisory agreements. Although the New Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreements for all of the Funds were considered at the same Board meeting, the Trustees addressed each Fund separately.

The Boards did not identify any single factor or group of factors as being of paramount importance in reaching their conclusions and determinations with respect to the approval of the New Agreement or, for the Sub-Advised Funds, the Sub-Advisory Agreements. Although not meant to be all-inclusive, included below is a description of certain of the factors that were considered by each Board in deciding to approve the New Agreement and, for its Sub-Advised Funds, the Sub-Advisory Agreements.

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services

In examining the nature, extent and quality of the services to be provided by FIMCO under the New Advisory Agreement and to be provided by the subadvisers to the Sub-Advised Funds under the New Sub-Advisory Agreements, the Boards considered that the terms of the New Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the Existing Agreement and the terms of the New Sub-Advisory Agreements are substantially the same as the terms of their respective Existing Sub-Advisory Agreements. The Boards also considered that the Transaction is expected to have minimal impact on FIMCO’s day-to-day operations and is not expected to result in any change in the structure or operations of the Funds. The Boards noted that Foresters currently does not intend to implement any changes to the core services provided to the Funds by FIMCO or its affiliates. The Boards also noted that Foresters currently intends to retain the key personnel employed by FIMCO who provide services to the Funds (other than two senior officers who indicated their intent to retire from FIMCO). The

196 

 



same people who manage the Funds are expected to do so after the Closing and the subadvisers that manage the Sub-Advised Funds are expected to continue to manage those Funds after the Closing. The level of service and the manner in which each Fund’s assets are managed are expected to remain the same. The Boards also considered that Foresters does not currently contemplate modifying the Funds’ current service provider relationships.

In evaluating Foresters, the Boards considered the history, reputation, qualification and background of Foresters, the qualifications of its personnel and Foresters financial condition. The Boards also considered Foresters capabilities, experience, corporate structure and capital resources, as well as Foresters long-term business goals with regard to FIMCO and the Funds.

The Boards gave substantial consideration to their evaluation of the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by FIMCO under the Existing Agreement and provided by the subadvisers under the Existing Sub-Advisory Agreements at the May Meeting. The Boards recognized that FIMCO is dedicated to providing investment management services exclusively to the Funds and that, unlike many other mutual fund managers, FIMCO is not in the business of providing management services to hedge funds, pension funds or separately managed accounts. As a result, the Boards considered that FIMCO’s personnel devote substantially all of their time to serving the Funds.

The Boards also recognized that it is the philosophy of FIMCO and its affiliates to provide personal service to the shareholders of the Funds, that FIMCO and its affiliates strive to service the needs of a shareholder base that includes many investors who are less affluent and that the average account size of many of the Funds is small by comparison to the industry average account size. The Boards also considered management’s explanation regarding the significant costs involved in providing the level of personal service that the First Investors fund complex seeks to deliver to its shareholders.

The Boards noted that FIMCO has undertaken extensive responsibilities as manager of the Funds, including: (1) the provision of investment advice to the Funds; (2) the implementation of policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with each Fund’s investment objectives and policies; (3) the review of brokerage arrangements; (4) oversight of general portfolio compliance with applicable laws; (5) the provision of certain administrative services to the Funds, including Fund accounting; (6) the implementation of Board directives as they relate to the Funds; and (7) the evaluation and monitoring of subadvisers. The Boards noted that FIMCO provides not only advisory services but historically has provided certain administrative personnel and services that many other advisers do not provide without imposition of separate fees.

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Board Considerations of New Advisory Contract and Fees
(continued) (unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

The Boards also noted the steps that FIMCO has taken to encourage strong performance, including providing significant incentives to portfolio managers and analysts based on Fund performance, and FIMCO’s willingness to make changes in portfolio managers and subadvisers when necessary to address performance issues. In addition, the Boards considered information regarding the overall financial strength of FIMCO and its affiliates and the resources and staffing in place with respect to the services provided to the Funds in light of the current market environment.

The Boards also considered the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Funds by FIMCO’s affiliates, including transfer agency and distribution services. The Boards took into account the fact that ADM is dedicated to providing transfer agency services exclusively to the Funds. As a result, ADM can tailor its processes and services to satisfy the needs of the Funds’ shareholder base. The Boards noted that the Funds’ shares are distributed primarily through FIC, which is an affiliate of FIMCO.

The Boards also considered the nature, extent and quality of the investment management services provided by Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel and WMC to the applicable Sub-Advised Funds. The Boards considered Paradigm’s, Muzinich’s, Smith Group’s, Vontobel’s and WMC’s investment management process in managing the applicable Sub-Advised Funds and the experience and capability of their respective personnel responsible for the portfolio management of the applicable Sub-Advised Funds. In light of the current market environment, the Boards also considered information regarding the resources and staffing in place with respect to the services provided by each subadviser.

Based on the information considered, the Boards concluded that the nature, extent and quality of FIMCO’s, Paradigm’s, Muzinich’s, Smith Group’s, Vontobel’s and WMC’s services, as well as the services of FIMCO’s affiliates, supported approval of the New Agreement and the New Sub-Advisory Agreements.

Investment Performance

While the Boards considered more recent performance information, each Board placed significant emphasis on consideration of the investment performance of each of the Funds at the May Meeting. While consideration was given to performance reports and discussions held at prior and subsequent Board or Committee meetings, as applicable, particular attention was given to the performance information compiled by Lipper. In particular, the Boards reviewed the performance of the Funds over the most recent calendar year and, to the extent provided by Lipper, the annualized performance over the most recent three calendar year period and five calendar year periods as compared to a comparable group of funds as determined by Lipper (“Peer Group”). In addition, the Boards considered the performance information provided by FIMCO for each Fund through April 30, 2010 (the “year-to-date period”). As

198 

 



applicable, the Boards also reviewed the annual yield of each Fund for each of the past five calendar years on an absolute and comparative basis. With regard to the performance information, the Boards considered the performance and/or yield, as applicable, of each Fund on a percentile and quintile basis as compared to its Peer Group. For purposes of the data provided, the first quintile is defined as 20% of the funds in the applicable Peer Group with the highest performance or yield, as applicable, and the fifth quintile is defined as 20% of the funds in the applicable Peer Group with the lowest performance or yield. For each Fund, the Boards also considered the volatility versus total return data provided by Lipper as well as FIMCO’s representation that it believes that the Funds use a more conservative investment style than many of their peers. The Equity Board also took note of the improved performance of the Select Growth Fund reviewed at the Board’s August 2010 meeting.

For the Equity Funds, on a fund-by-fund basis, the performance reports indicated, and the Equity Board noted, that each Fund except the Growth & Income Fund and Select Growth Fund fell within one of the top three quintiles for at least one of the performance periods provided by Lipper. With regard to the Growth & Income Fund and Select Growth Fund, the Equity Board noted that performance for the year-to-date period had improved significantly and fell within one of the top three quintiles. The Equity Board also considered that the subadviser for the Select Growth Fund had been changed in 2007 and did not have a full three years of history managing the Fund.

For the Income Funds, on a fund-by-fund basis, the performance reports indicated, and the Income Board noted, that the Investment Grade Fund and Cash Management Fund fell within one of the top three quintiles for at least one of the performance periods provided by Lipper. With respect to the Fund For Income, the Income Board considered that Muzinich, which was hired in April 2009, had only approximately one year of history in managing the Fund. The Income Board also noted that the yield for each Fund, except for the Cash Management Fund, for each of the past five calendar years fell within one of the top three quintiles and the yield for the Cash Management Fund fell within one of the top three quintiles for four of the past five calendar years.

Fund Expenses, Costs of Services, Economies of Scale and Related Benefits

Management Fees, Subadvisory Fees and Expenses. The Boards noted that the advisory fees payable by each Fund under the New Agreement are the same as the fee rates payable under the Existing Agreement. Each Board gave substantial consideration to its evaluation of the advisory fees payable by the Funds and each Fund’s total expense ratio at the May Meeting. The Boards considered that the Funds’ expense ratios were not expected to increase as a result of the Transaction. The Boards also

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Board Considerations of New Advisory Contract and Fees
(continued) (unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

considered that Foresters currently does not intend to change any Fund’s expense reimbursement or advisory fee waiver arrangements. In addition, the Boards noted that shareholders would not bear any costs in connection with the Transaction, inasmuch as FICC and Foresters will bear the costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Funds in connection with the proxy statement, the fees and expenses of accountants and attorneys relating to the Transaction and proxy statement, and any other fees and expenses incurred by the Funds in connection with the Transaction.

At the May Meeting, the Boards reviewed the information compiled by Lipper comparing each Fund’s contractual management fee rate (at common asset levels) and actual management fee rate (which included the effect of any fee waivers) as a percentage of average net assets to a customized group of comparable funds within its Peer Group selected by Lipper (“Expense Group”). In this regard, the Boards considered the contractual and actual management fees of each Fund on a quintile basis as compared to its Expense Group and noted the relative position of each fund within the Expense Group.

The Boards also considered that FIMCO provides not only advisory services but also certain administrative personnel to the Funds under each Fund’s advisory agreement and that many other advisers do not provide such administrative personnel under their advisory agreements and that FIMCO also provides certain administrative services without the imposition of a separate fee.

The Boards considered that, at the May Meeting, FIMCO had extended, and, thereafter, Foresters agreed to keep in place, the existing voluntary: (1) total expense cap limitations for the Cash Management Fund; and (2) the management fee caps for the Special Situations Fund, Global Fund, Fund For Income, Government Fund and Investment Grade Fund until May 31, 2011. In addition, the Income Board considered that, with respect to the Cash Management Fund, FIMCO is currently waiving additional management fees to maintain total expense levels below the total expense cap for the Fund due to the low interest rate environment.

In considering the subadvisory fee rates charged by and costs and profitability of Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel and WMC with regard to their respective Sub-Advised Funds, the Boards noted that FIMCO pays Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel or WMC, as the case may be, a subadvisory fee from its own advisory fee rather than each Fund paying Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel or WMC a fee directly. At the May meeting, Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel and WMC provided, and the Boards reviewed, information comparing the fees charged by Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel and WMC for services to the respective Sub-Advised Funds versus the fee rates of Paradigm,

200 

 



Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel and WMC for providing advisory services to other comparable investment companies or accounts or compared to their standard fee schedule, as applicable. Based on a review of this information, the Boards noted that the fees charged by Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel and WMC for services to each applicable Sub-Advised Fund appeared competitive to the fees Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel and WMC charge to their other comparable investment companies or accounts or compared to their standard fee schedule, as applicable.

At the May Meeting, the Boards also reviewed the information compiled by Lipper comparing the Class A share total expense ratio of each of the Equity Funds and Income Funds, taking into account FIMCO’s expense waivers (as applicable), and the ratio of the sum of actual management and other non-management fees (i.e., fees other than management, transfer agency and 12b-1/non-12b-1 fees) to other funds in its Expense Group, including on a quintile basis, for all Funds.

In considering the level of the total expense ratio and the ratio of the sum of actual management and other non-management fees, the Boards took into account management’s explanation that: (i) the Equity Funds have average account sizes that are relatively small compared with the industry average for equity funds; (ii) there are significant costs involved in providing the level of personal service that the First Investors fund complex seeks to deliver to shareholders of the Funds; (iii) overall Fund expenses cover certain check-writing and wiring privileges for the Cash Management Fund shareholders at no additional cost; (iv) the custodial fees for shareholders who invest in the Funds through retirement accounts are paid by the Funds and are reflected in the Funds’ total expense ratio, and a significant majority of the shares of the Funds (other than Cash Management Fund) are held in retirement accounts; and (v) Lipper expense comparisons do not take into account the size of a fund complex, and as a result, in certain cases the Funds are compared to funds in complexes that are much larger than First Investors. The Boards also noted that the Expense Groups tend to be fairly small in number and the funds included in the Peer Group generally change from year to year, thereby introducing an element of randomness that affects comparative results each year. While recognizing the limitations inherent in Lipper’s methodology, the Boards believed that the data provided by Lipper was a generally appropriate measure of comparative expenses.

The foregoing comparisons assisted the Trustees by providing them with a basis for evaluating each Fund’s management fee and expense ratio and, for the Sub-Advised Funds, the subadvisory fee, on a relative basis. Based on the information considered, the Trustees concluded that each Fund’s advisory fees and expense ratio and, for the Sub-Advised Funds, the subadvisory fee, relative to comparable mutual funds was

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Board Considerations of New Advisory Contract and Fees
(continued) (unaudited)
FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

reasonable given the nature, extent and quality of the services to be provided under the New Agreement and, for the Sub-Advised Funds, the New Sub-Advisory Agreements.

Profitability. At the September Meeting, the Boards reviewed the materials they received regarding Foresters capital resources. The Boards also reviewed the materials provided by FIMCO at the May Meeting regarding its revenues and costs in providing investment management and certain administrative services to the Funds. In particular, the Boards considered the analysis of FIMCO’s profitability with respect to each Fund, calculated for the year ended December 31, 2009, as well as overall profitability information relating to the past five calendar years. The Boards also considered the information provided by FIMCO comparing the profitability of certain publicly-traded mutual fund asset managers as analyzed by FIMCO based on publicly available financial statements. In reviewing the profitability information, the Boards also considered the “fall-out” or ancillary benefits that may accrue to FIMCO and its affiliates as a result of their relationship with the Funds, which are discussed below. The Boards acknowledged that, as a business matter, FIMCO was entitled to earn reasonable profits for its services to the Funds. Based on the information provided, the Income Board also noted that FIMCO currently operates the Cash Management Fund at a loss.

Economies of Scale. With respect to economies of scale, the Boards considered that the Transaction could provide certain benefits to the Funds, including opportunities to increase the distribution of Fund shares and realize cost savings by leveraging certain available resources at Foresters. The Boards considered that any resulting growth of Fund assets might produce economies of scale that could benefit Fund shareholders. The Boards also considered that the fee schedules for each Fund, other than the Cash Management Fund, which will remain the same under the New Agreement, include breakpoints to account for management economies of scale.

The Boards also placed significant emphasis on their consideration at the May Meeting of whether economies of scale are benefiting the Funds based on breakpoints in each Fund’s fee schedule (as applicable), which are discussed below.

With respect to the Equity Funds, the Equity Board noted that each Fund, except for the Select Growth Fund, Global Fund and International Fund, has reached an asset size at which the Fund and its shareholders are benefiting from reduced management fee rates due to breakpoints in their respective fee schedules. With regard to the Select Growth Fund, Global Fund and International Fund, the Equity Board recognized that, although these Funds are not currently at an asset level at which they can take advantage of the breakpoints contained in their fee schedule, each schedule is structured so that when the assets of these Funds increase, economies of scale may be shared for the benefit of shareholders.

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With respect to the Income Funds, the Income Board noted that the Fund For Income has reached an asset size at which the Fund and its shareholders are benefiting from reduced management fee rates due to breakpoints in its fee schedule. With regard to the Government Fund and Investment Grade Fund, the Income Board recognized that, although these Funds are not currently at an asset level at which they can take advantage of the breakpoints contained in their fee schedule, each schedule is structured so that when the assets of these Funds increase, economies of scale may be shared for the benefit of shareholders. With respect to the Cash Management Fund, the Income Board concluded that the fee structure is appropriate at current asset levels.

“Fall Out” or Ancillary Benefits. The Boards considered the “fall-out” or ancillary benefits that may accrue to FIMCO, Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel, WMC and Foresters as a result of their relationships with the Funds. In that regard, the Boards considered that the Funds may offer Foresters the opportunity to promote its fraternal mission by offering Foresters membership to existing shareholders. The Boards noted that, at the May Meeting, the Boards had considered the benefits that may accrue to FIMCO, Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel and WMC. The Boards considered that FIMCO, Paradigm, Smith Group, Vontobel, and WMC receive research from broker-dealers that execute brokerage transactions for the Funds. The Boards noted that FIMCO and these four subadvisers must select brokers based on each Fund’s requirements for seeking best execution. The Equity Board also considered that Paradigm executes brokerage transactions for the Special Situations Fund through the use of an affiliated broker-dealer and that this also provides a source of fall-out benefits to Paradigm. The Income Board also considered the fact that Muzinich does not engage in any soft dollar arrangements. The Boards also considered the profits earned or losses incurred by ADM, the income received by FIC, and FIMCO’s affiliated bank as a result of FIMCO’s management of the Funds.

* * * 

 

In summary, after evaluation of the comparative performance, fee and expense information and the profitability, ancillary benefits and other considerations as described above, the Boards concluded that the level of fees to be paid to FIMCO with respect to each Fund and to Paradigm, Muzinich, Smith Group, Vontobel and WMC with respect to each Sub-Advised Fund is reasonable. As a result, the Boards, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, approved the New Agreement and, for the Sub-Advised Funds, the New Sub-Advisory Agreements.

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FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
Trustees and Officers*

  Position(s)       
  Held with  Principal     
  Funds and  Occupation(s)     
  Length of  During Past     
  Service  5 Years     
  (Including  and Other  Number of  Other 
  with  Directorships  Portfolios in  Trusteeships/ 
Name, Year of Birth  Predecessor  held by  Fund Complex  Directorships 
and Address**  Funds)  Trustee            Overseen  Held 
 
  DISINTERESTED TRUSTEES   
 
Charles R. Barton, III    1965  Trustee since  Chief Operating  39  None 
  1/1/06  Officer (since     
    2007), Board     
    Director (since     
    1989) and Trustee     
    of the Barton     
    Group/Barton     
    Mines Corpora-     
    tion (mining     
    and industrial     
    abrasives distri-     
    bution); President     
    of Noe Pierson     
    Corporation (land     
    holding and man-     
    agement services     
    provider) (since     
    2004)     
 
 
Stefan L. Geiringer    1934  Trustee since  President of SLG  39  None 
  1/1/06  Energy LLC     
    (since 2010);     
    Co-Founder     
    and Senior Vice     
    President of Real     
    Time Energy     
    Solutions, Inc.     
    (energy consult-     
    ing) (since     
    2005); President     
    of SLG Energy,     
    Inc. (since 2005);     
    Founder/Owner     
    and President of     
    North Atlantic     
    Utilities, Inc.     
    (since 1987)     

 

204 

 



  Position(s)       
  Held with  Principal     
  Funds and  Occupation(s)     
  Length of  During Past     
  Service  5 Years     
  (Including  and Other  Number of  Other 
  with  Directorships  Portfolios in  Trusteeships/ 
Name, Year of Birth  Predecessor  held by  Fund Complex  Directorships 
and Address**  Funds)  Trustee            Overseen  Held 
 
  DISINTERESTED TRUSTEES (continued)   
 
Robert M. Grohol    1932  Trustee since  None/Retired  39  None 
  6/30/00 and       
  Chairman since       
  1/1/10       
 
 
Arthur M. Scutro, Jr.    1941  Trustee since  None/Retired  39  None 
  1/1/06       
 
 
Mark R. Ward    1952  Trustee since  Self-employed,  39  None 
  1/1/10  consultant     
    (since 2008);     
    Senior Partner,     
    Ernst & Young,     
    LLP, Leader,     
    Mid-Atlantic     
    Asset Manage-     
    ment Practice     
    (2003–2007)     

 

205 

 



FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS
Trustees and Officers* (continued)

  Position(s)       
  Held with  Principal     
  Funds and  Occupation(s)     
  Length of  During Past     
  Service  5 Years     
  (Including  and Other  Number of  Other 
  with  Directorships  Portfolios in  Trusteeships/ 
Name, Year of Birth  Predecessor  held by  Fund Complex  Directorships 
and Address**  Funds)  Trustee            Overseen  Held 
 
  INTERESTED TRUSTEES***   
 
Kathryn S. Head 1955  Trustee since  Chairman, Presi-  39  None 
c/o First Investors  3/17/94 and  dent and Director     
Management Company, Inc.  President since  of First Investors     
Raritan Plaza I  2001  Consolidated     
Edison, NJ 08837    Corporation, First     
    Investors Manage-     
    ment Company,     
    Inc., Administra-     
    tive Data Manage-     
    ment Corp.,     
    N.A.K. Realty     
    Corporation, Real     
    Property Develop-     
    ment Corporation     
    and Route 33 Re-     
    alty Corporation;     
    and Chairman and     
    Director of First     
    Investors Corpora-     
    tion, First Inves-     
    tors Federal Sav-     
    ings Bank, First     
    Investors Life     
    Insurance Com-     
    pany and First     
    Investors Credit     
    Corporation.**     

 

*  Each Trustee serves for an indefinite term with the Funds, until his/her successor is elected. 
***  Ms. Head is an interested trustee because (a) she indirectly owns more than 5% of the voting stock of 
the adviser and principal underwriter of the Funds, (b) she is an officer, director and employee of the 
adviser and principal underwriter of the Funds, and (c) she is an officer of the Funds. 

 

206 

 



  Position(s)       
  Held with  Principal     
  Funds and  Occupation(s)     
  Length of  During Past     
  Service  5 Years     
  (Including  and Other  Number of  Other 
  with  Directorships  Portfolios in  Trusteeships/ 
Name, Year of Birth  Predecessor  held by  Fund Complex  Directorships 
and Address**  Funds)  Trustee            Overseen  Held 
 
  OFFICER (S) WHO ARE NOT TRUSTEES   
 
Joseph I. Benedek 1957  Treasurer  Treasurer of  39  None 
c/o First Investors  since 1988  First Investors     
Management Company, Inc.    Management     
Raritan Plaza I    Company, Inc.     
Edison, NJ 08837         
 
 
Larry R. Lavoie**** 1947  Chief  General Counsel  39  None 
  Compliance  of First Investors     
  Officer, 8/20/04  Corporation and     
  to 6/2/08 and  its affiliates;     
  since 6/19/08  Director of     
    First Investors     
    Consolidated     
    Corporation     
    and various     
    affiliates     

 

**  The address of each Trustee and officer listed above is c/o First Investors Legal Department, 110 Wall 
Street, New York, NY 10005 unless specified otherwise. 
****  Mr. Lavoie served as Chief Compliance Officer through November 21, 2010. Mr. Marc S. Milgram 
was appointed the Chief Compliance Officer effective November 22, 2010. 

 

207 

 



FIRST INVESTORS INCOME FUNDS
FIRST INVESTORS EQUITY FUNDS

Shareholder Information   
_______________________________________  
Investment Adviser  Underwriter 
First Investors Management  First Investors Corporation 
Company, Inc.  110 Wall Street 
110 Wall Street  New York, NY 10005 
New York, NY 10005   
 
Subadviser  Custodian 
(Fund For Income)  (Income Funds) 
Muzinich & Co., Inc.  The Bank of New York Mellon 
450 Park Avenue  One Wall Street 
New York, NY 10022  New York, NY 10286 
 
Subadviser   
(Global Fund)  Custodian 
Wellington Management Company, LLP  (Equity Funds) 
75 State Street  Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 
Boston, MA 02109  40 Water Street 
  Boston, MA 02109 
Subadviser   
(Select Growth Fund)  Transfer Agent 
Smith Asset Management Group, L.P.  Administrative Data Management Corp. 
100 Crescent Court  Raritan Plaza I – 8th Floor 
Dallas, TX 75201  Edison, NJ 08837-3620 
 
Subadviser   
(Special Situations Fund)  Independent Registered Public 
Paradigm Capital Management, Inc.  Accounting Firm 
Nine Elk Street  Tait, Weller & Baker LLP 
Albany, NY 12207  1818 Market Street 
  Philadelphia, PA 19103 
Subadviser   
(International Fund)  Legal Counsel 
Vontobel Asset Management, Inc.  K&L Gates LLP 
1540 Broadway  1601 K Street, N.W. 
New York, NY 10036  Washington, DC 20006 

 

208 

 



A description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to vote proxies relating to a portfolio’s securities is available, without charge, upon request by calling toll free 1-800-423-4026 or can be viewed online or downloaded from the EDGAR database on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) internet website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, is available, without charge, upon request in writing or by calling 1-800-423-4026 and on the SEC’s internet website at http://www.sec.gov.

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q, for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year. The Funds’ Form N-Q is available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; and may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330. The schedule of portfolio holdings is available, without charge, upon request in writing or by calling 1-800-423-4026.

209 

 



NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

210 

 



NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

211 

 



NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

212 

 



NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

213 

 



NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

214 

 



NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

215 

 



NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

216 

 








Item 2. Code of Ethics

As of September 30, 2010, the Registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the Registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer.

For the year ended September 30, 2010, there were no waivers granted from a provision of the code of ethics.

A copy of the Registrant's code of ethics is filed under Item 12(a)(1).

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert

During the reporting period the Registrant's Board determined that it had at least one "audit committee financial expert" serving on its audit committee. Arthur M. Scutro, Jr. was the "audit committee financial expert" during the period and was considered to be "independent" as defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

 
  Fiscal Year Ended 
  September 30, 
  ----------------- 
  2010  2009 
  ----  ---- 
(a) Audit Fees         
First Investors Equity Funds  $ 258,200  $258,200 
 
 
(b) Audit-Related Fees         
First Investors Equity Funds  $        0   $        0  
 
 
(c) Tax Fees         
First Investors Equity Funds  $ 40,500  $ 38,250 
 
Nature of fees: tax returns preparation and tax compliance 
 
(d) All Other Fees         
First Investors Equity Funds  $        0   $        0  

 

(e)(1) Audit committee's pre-approval policies



The Charter of the Audit Committee requires the Audit Committee (a) to pre-approve, and to recommend to the full Board, the selection, retention or termination of the independent auditors to provide audit, review or attest services to the First Investors Funds (“Funds”) and, in connection therewith, evaluate the independence of the auditors and to obtain the auditors’ specific representations as to their independence; (b) to pre-approve all non-audit services to be provided to the Funds by the independent auditor; and (c) to pre-approve all non-audit services to be provided by the Funds’ independent auditor to the Funds’ investment adviser or to any entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Funds’ investment adviser and that provides ongoing services to the Funds, if the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Funds. The Audit Committee has not adopted pre-approval policies or procedures to permit the services in (b) and (c) above to be pre-approved by other means.

(e)(2) None, or 0%, of the services relating to the Audit-Related Fees, Tax Fees and All Other Fees paid by the Registrant and Related Entities disclosed above were approved by the audit committee pursuant to paragraph(c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X (which permits audit committee approval after the start of the engagement with respect to services other than audit review or attest services, if certain conditions are satisfied).

(f) Not Applicable

(g) Aggregate non-audit fees billed by the Registrant's accountant for services rendered to the Registrant and the Registrant's investment adviser or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the Registrant for the two fiscal years ended September 30, 2010 and 2009 were $77,900 and $82,100 respectively.

(h) Not Applicable

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants

Not applicable

Item 6. Schedule of Investments

Schedule is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 1 of this Form.

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies & Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies

Not applicable

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies

Not applicable



Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Companies and Affiliated Purchasers

Not applicable

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

There were no material changes to the procedure by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant's Board of Trustees.

Item 11. Controls and Procedures

(a) The Registrant's Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have concluded that the Registrant's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) are effective, based on their evaluation of these disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report.

(b) There were no changes in the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Item 12. Exhibits

(a)(1) Code of Ethics - Filed herewith

(a)(2) Certifications pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - Filed herewith

(b) Certifications pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - Filed herewith



SIGNATURES

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

First Investors Equity Funds 
 
By  /S/ KATHRYN S. HEAD 
  Kathryn S. Head 
  President and Principal Executive Officer 
 
Date:  December 9, 2010 

 

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.

First Investors Equity Funds

By  /S/ KATHRYN S. HEAD 
  Kathryn S. Head 
  President and Principal Executive Officer 
 
By  /S/ JOSEPH I. BENEDEK 
  Joseph I. Benedek 
  Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer 
 
Date:  December 9, 2010